Roughing It!

I read with interest the weekly circular from my favorite grocer (Wegmans) this week. Spokeswoman Mary Ellen Burris advised shoppers in her weekly column that Wegmans would no longer be carrying the very popular Orange Roughy fish over sustainability concerns in both the industry and within Wegmans. A round of applause please!

Consumers rarely take notice of fishing and farming practices as they relate to the meals that they put on the table. It is important that we, as consumers, sit up and take notice of the impact that these practices have on the environment--there's only one Earth after all. In this example, Orange Roughy--a popular, mild tasting fish from the deep oceans around the world, is a slow growing species that is in danger of extinction from over fishing. Because this fish lives on the deepest bottoms of the oceans, the only way for commercial fishermen to "harvest" this fish is through a process called "trauling". Fishermen drag a long net along the bottom of the sea floor and scoop up everything that catches in the net. Not only does this destroy the sea floor and beautiful coral beds forever, other species of fish caught in the nets during this process are considered "by product" and are disposed of as unusable waste. While many species of fish can successfully be farmed, the Orange Roughy's slow maturity and deep water habitat make farming a non-workable solution.

A consumer's best defense to protect both the environment and the individual species that are threatened with extinction are to be aware of which species of fish and, where ever possible, which companies provide sustainable products and practices. I attach for your consideration a website to the Earth Easy website. If you scroll down, you will see a list of popular seafood choices that have been categorized as either "Better Choice", "Moderate Risk" or "Best to Avoid", along with an explanation as to how the Earth Easy came to that assessment. I hope you will take the time to look, maybe even copy down the seafood chart and tuck it in your wallet so that the next time you think about "what's for dinner?" you won't be "Roughing It" too badly!!!


http://www.eartheasy.com/eat_sustainable_seafoods.htm

Saved by the Grill!

Hallelujia! Summer is here.....well, as close to "Summer" as we get along these parts! It's been often said that we have two seasons in Rochester--Winter and Road Construction! And the "orange highway blossoms" that bloom in the center of every major piece of roadway along these parts have now become our State flower!

Our temperatures have ranged in the 70's for most days lately, which is perfect weather for barbequing. Too hot, and it's challenging taming the flames. Too cold and the meat just doesn't cook well. Cooking on the grill is a fast and easy way to get a healthy meal on the table with little time or effort. It is my practice to try to decide what I want for dinner tomorrow before I go to bed tonight. The protein is taken out of the freezer to thaw properly in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning before work, herbs, oil, garlic, dry rub or whatever suits my fancy will be thrown into a clean ziplock bag and the meat will be added, massaged, and returned to the chill chest until after work.

After work, I take the meat out and let it warm up to the idea of being cooked. I pump on the gas grill, then go change out of my work duds--that gives the grill time to get hot, the meat time to take off the chill, and the cook time to get in the mood. The sizzle of the grill confirms that everything is right with the process, so I turn down the heat, and let the grill do most of the work.


Food does not like to be poked or prodded frequently while it's cooking--it will tell you when it's ready to be turned by easily releasing from the hot grill grates. I often will make all the meal components on the same grill at the same time and have found this to be universally true--you will get much better results if you turn down the temperature slightly and allow the food you are cooking the time it needs to do the job properly.

I would like to make this recommendation. If you haven't tried grilling fruit yet, you have got to try it! My favorite is grilled fresh pineapple rings, peaches, plumbs or mangoes that I pick up at the grocery on the salad bar. Pick the sweetest fruit you can by following your nose, although you should aim for something just slightly to the green side for easier grilling--over-ripe fruit can fall apart on the grill. I pair the grilled fruit with some home-made vanilla bean icecream (store-bought will do in a pinch) and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar for an amazingly simple and elegant dessert! Don't be afraid of the vinegar either! If it's too thin, you can warm it on the stove until it reduces to a pancake syrup consistancy. I picked up a specialty vinegar at a local Italian specialty store--balsamic made from figs and aged until it's thick and fragrant! My friends have guessed this to be some sort of raisin sauce, and are consistantly surprised when I show them the bottle! Try it! You too may be "Saved by the Grill" on a busy night after work!