For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

This week I learned some products contain “blueberries” that are really just sugar, goo and dye, Starbucks wants to kill you with coffee (while 7-eleven wants to kill you slightly less with soda) and ginger is good for sore muscles.

I read many more wonderful articles than I post here each week. If you’d like to see more or just don’t want to wait until Friday, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@summertomato) or the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. For a complete list of my favorite stories check out my links on Digg. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• Fake blueberries abound in food products <<I knew real food was hard to find, but this is ridiculous. (Los Angeles Times)
• Mediterranean Diet May Slow Cognitive Decline <<It slows pretty much every other degenerative disease as well. This evidence has been building for awhile. (New York Times)
• Starbucks’ new “Trenta” size is larger than your stomach <<BS of the week goes to Starbucks! So disappointing, and just when even 7-eleven was starting to get the picture (see Colbert below). (National Post)
• Calcium Supplements Linked to Heart Attacks: Feed Your Bones Instead <<Bummer huh? Calcium supplements are also linked to prostate cancer. (Treehugger)
• What are we to think about Walmart’s healthy food initiatives? <<Were you starting to think for a second that Walmart was on your team? Don’t hold your breath. (Food Politics)
• Eating Ginger Helps Reduce Muscle Pain and Soreness <<I didn’t know this, did you? (New York Times)
• ‘Healthy’ kids’ foods usually aren’t, study finds <<Not surprising, but there’s new data to prove it. (Los Angeles Times)
• Eating More Fruit and Vegetables Linked to a Lower Risk of Dying from Ischemic Heart Disease <<The winners ate 8 servings of vegetables and fruit per day, much more than is recommended in the US. (ScienceDaily)
• SAUTEED BELUGA LENTILS + BUTTERNUT SQUASH <<This recipe was published a couple months ago, but it looks amazing and I’ve been looking for a beluga lentils recipe. (Sprouted Kitchen)
• Thought for Food – Fruit Pouch, Doritos Ad & Super Big Gulp <<Because we could all use a little more Stephen Colbert.

Romanesco and Sweet Potatoes

Is Thanksgiving the official end of autumn? Because it sure feels like it.

The farmers market felt very different today than it did just a few weeks ago. Most of lingering summer vendors have finally packed up their wares for the winter. The only autumn fruits left are apples, persimmons, pears, quince and a few grapes. Luckily, citrus is poised to jump right into its place.

Fuyu Persimmons

Hachiya Persimmons

Naturally the weekend after Thanksgiving few people opted to visit the farmers market in the rain. These are my favorite days at the market, since it’s so quiet it is easy to talk to vendors and discover new things. A calm day at the market is a rare and wonderful treat.

Autumn Citrus

There are a few special items available right now that will only be around for a little while. Feijoa, or pineapple guava, are delicious little green fruits that grow locally this time of year. I also found someone selling fresh ginger roots, stems and all.

Ginger Root

Pineapple Guava

Now is also a great time to get fresh seasonal nuts like walnuts and chestnuts.

Fresh Chestnuts

Fresh Walnuts

One of my favorite things about the approach of winter is all the delicious winter veggies that are on the horizon. Vegetables tend to be overshadowed by the abundance of sweet berries and stone fruits in the summer, but in the winter vegetables are really the stars of the show. The cold stresses the veggies, causing them to condense their flavors and natural sugars.

Pumpkins and Padrons

Cauliflower

Brassica, also known as cruciferous vegetables, are truly special this time of year. Examples of brassica are broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, etc. Root vegetables (like fennel and potatoes) and winter squash are also awesome right now. I included my favorite cauliflower recipe in this year’s Thanksgiving feast.

Winter Squash

Fennel

In the late fall I’m particularly excited about the Brussels sprouts that you can sometimes find still on the stalk. If you have never liked Brussels sprouts, try giving them another chance this year. Make sure you get very fresh ones (on the stalk if you can find them) from the farmers market, and buy the smallest ones you can find. Then try this recipe for Brussels sprouts with walnuts and bacon and come back and tell me what you think. Even Toaster likes Brussels sprouts.

Toaster With Sprout

Brussels Sprouts Stalks

Last but not least, now is your chance to get Super Mario sized porcini mushrooms. Fresh porcini are a delicacy, and worth experimenting with if you can get your hands on them.

Giant Porcini

What are you eating this weekend?

If you would like to share your own local farmers market with Summer Tomato readers please click here.

Today’s purchases:

• Kabocha squash (Allstar Organics)
• Heirloom apples (DeVoto Gardens)
• Pomegranate juice (Twin Girls Farm)
• Feijoa (Twin Girls Farm)
• Grapefruit juice (Bernard Ranches)
• Tokyo turnips (Eatwell Farm)
• Romanesco (Eatwell Farm)
• Dill (Eatwell Farm)
• Fuyu persimmons (Paredez Farms)
• Kiwi (Four Sisters Farm)