1. 15 Most Expensive Desserts on Earth (via dessertrecipes)
2. Top 10 Foods you should never eat on a First Date (via citypages)
3. PETA’s ‘Human Meat’ demonstration in Times Square (via Huffpost)
4. 20 Most Coffee Consuming Cities in the US (via Daily Beasts)
5. Any excuse for bacon in a salad is a good one…. Recipe: BLT Salad

1. 9 American Food Legends (via RD)
2. The Korean Taco Truck, the big new trend, is showing up coast to coast (via NY Times)
3. Customize or “Chocomize” you very own chocolate bar with whatever you wish (via CNN)
4. A brit-style dessert … Gordon Ramsay’s Chocolate and Coffee Pots Recipe
5. 25 awesome Watermelon Carvings (via elistmania)

1. 7 Weirdest Ice Cream Flavors (via rd)
2. ESPN exposes how bad Food is in America’s Stadiums (via Huffpost)
3. Yep. Yum. Giada De Laurentiis’ Couscous Cakes… Recipe
4. This looks amazing… Riesling Infused Garlic Conserve… Recipe
5. Love me some beans…. Beans and Rice with Andouille… Recipe

1. Top 5 Things to Eat at Disneyland (via Aldente blog)
2. 4 FAQs about Food Sensitivity (via care2)
3. Washing Chicken increases the likelihood of Food Poisoning (via Telegraph)
4. Companies are cracking down on theft of trays, baskets and crates used to deliver bread, milk and soda to grocery stores and restaurants (via WSJ)
5. Breakfast or Brunch so good and easy…..Recipe: Easy Baked Orange French Toast

Starting at the beginning of June, our family has received a box of vegetables from Angelic Organics Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA). For those of you who aren’t familiar with this, a CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. This socioeconomic model has been growing in popularity since the 1980’s with over 13,000 CSA farms in operation in North America. It really is like a partnership between farmer and consumer that results in an annual contract where the farmer agrees to provide a season’s worth of vegetables to the consumer or shareholder. CSAs usually consist of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit in a vegetable box scheme, sometimes including dairy products and meat.

Doesn't look like alot of veggies...

Like Angelic Organics of Caledonia, Illinois, many CSAs practice ecological, organic or biodynamic agriculture, avoiding pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. The cost of a share is usually competitively priced when compared to the same amount of vegetables conventionally grown, partly because the cost of distribution is lowered. Our share came out to roughly $30 per week for a 20-week season. So far, it has been definitely worth it! Other than some small differences in size and shape, these organically grown vegetables have exceeded our taste expectations!

It has definitely been exciting to see what the box has in store for us each Wednesday. Here’s a look at the first 5 weeks of the harvest and what we’ve done with some of the bounty.

Week #1

Oh My Goodness... what are we going to do with all this...?

CONTENTS: 1 head of Bok Choy, 1 bag of Spinach, 1 bunch of Swiss Chard, 1 bunch of Cilantro, 1 head of Butterhead Lettuce, 1 head of Romaine Lettuce, 2 heads of Broccoli, 2 Raven Zucchinis, 1 Zephyr Zucchini, 1 bunch of Purple and White Scallions, 1 head of Green Leaf Lettuce, 1 bag of Garlic Scapes, 1 bunch of Oregano.

What are Garlic Scapes? I honestly had no clue until a Facebook friend from Germany saw my photos and told me what they were. Apparently, I’d been eating them my entire life in a Korean dish called mah-nuhl-jjong (garlic scapes marinated in soy sauce). I decided to concoct an appetizer with them in the form of a White Bean and Garlic Scape Dip. They were perfect with Blue Corn tortilla chips, albeit a tad spicy

Week #2

What the heck is Kohlrabi?

CONTENTS: 1 bag of Garlic Scapes, 1 bunch of Green Onions, 1 Yellow Zucchini, 2 Green Zucchinis, 1 head of Romaine, 1 bag of Spinach, 1 head of Broccoli, 1 Kohlrabi, 1 bunch of Beets, 1 large bunch of Basil, 1 bunch of Kale, 1 head of Cauliflower.

Kale? Meh. It’s one of those greens that really never interested me up until this point. That is, until I made Kale Chips out of them. Throw them in the oven with a little olive oil and salt and you have the perfect, super healthy, and somewhat addictive snack.

Week #3

Oh no... more Kohlrabi.

CONTENTS: 1 bunch of Beets, 1 bag of Salad Greens, 1 head of Cabbage, 2 heads of Broccoli, 1 bunch of Scallions, 1 bunch of Baby Swiss Chard, 1 bag of Spinach, 1 bunch of Parsley, 2 Zucchinis, 2 Kohlrabis.

I failed to understand the Kohlrabi. It just didn’t work out. Quick Kohlrabi Pickles was to be my first entry into the deliciousness of this distant cabbage cousin. Fail. I think I chose the wrong recipe. It’s still sitting in my fridge.

Week #4

One of these Zucchinis is not like the other....

CONTENTS: 1 bunch of Beets, 1 head of Nevada Lettuce, 1 head of Broccoli, 1 head of Cabbage, 2 Zucchinis, 1 Summer Squash, Scallions, 1 bunch of Basil, 1 bunch of Thyme.

Zucchini Bread is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the size of that… zucchini. Maybe two loaves. I settled on this delicious Zucchini Chip Bread because I felt like having something sweet after the gigantic salad I had for dinner… for the 4th consecutive night. The head of cabbage turned into a nice Rustic Cabbage Soup.

Week #5

Boy, am I happy to see Carrots and Onions.

CONTENTS: 1 bunch of Carrots, 3 heads of Lettuce, 1 head of Cabbage, 1 bunch of Kale, 4 Cucumbers, 1 bunch of Sage, 2 Sweet Onions, 2 Yellow Zucchinis.

I was somewhat dismayed to see the carrot tops all broken off. Nevertheless, the carrots tasted amazing and were super sweet. I am currently drying the sage until I figure out what to do with the lot of it. Sage and Pancetta Biscuits with Fontina is on the short list.

So far, this whole experience of eating food cultivated by the most natural of means has been enlightening, enriching, and very delicious. We have managed to eat almost all of the vegetables we have received from the CSA. As well, we have learned to take better care of them in preparation and storage through the use of free guide and cookbook provided by Angelic Organics. Can’t wait to see what’s in the next box!

If you want to help farmers and take advantage of CSAs and locally produced food in your area, start by checking out Localharvest.org.

1. 10 Mind-bending foods “Inception” fans will love (via dallas observer)
2. How to ‘Green’ your wedding (via Planet Green)
3. Organic food fraud at farmer’s markets – FDA to crack down (via Huffpost)
4. A dish that is a hit with kids and adults alike! …. Recipe: Go Fish! Sticks
5. Secrets from Spain on how to be Slim (via divine caroline)

1. Restaurant in a Box: Muvbox is a eatery in a shipping container (via Eater)
2. 10 Products to Never Buy Generic (via Walletpop)
3. The Health Risks of Antacid Overuse (via Healthsetter)
4. Sophisticated Breakfast or Brunch……Recipe: Sage and Pancetta Biscuits with Fontina
5. Video: Baby in a Watermelon (via Serious Eats)

Good morning, Monki Bread readers! Last week’s five Kitchen Monki Grocery Tote Bag winners are as follows:

1) Annmarie
2) Meemosa
3) Nisha
4) Hazel
5) Joey

Congrats to all and thanks for reading the blog!

1. “The Perfect Pour” – Infographic on how to make the perfect cup for any coffee lover (via biotv)
2. “5 Second Rule” for dropped food is NOT SAFE, scientists show (via greenanswers)
3. How do they make Oreos? (via Cakespy)
4. More like a lonestar salsa but just as good…. Recipe: Texas Caviar
5. Jen from How To Simplify teaches us the basics of great Corn on the Cob (via HowToSimplify)

Monki Bread is pleased to introduce University of Washington student, avid foodie, and Kitchen Monki member, Bella Sangar.

If there is one thing I am growing tired of, it is the incessant pornification of food. When did anthropomorphizing food become the standard? I understand that people like to dress their dogs up in skirts and various kinds of denim attire, but hiring an overpaid food stylist to dress up an apple pie with high wattage lighting, sexualizing it with aphrodisiacal accents and immortalizing it with a wide zoom lens in a center fold is wrong on so many levels. Without dragging out Jungian references in order to deeply analyze what on earth is happening to American culture (and consumerism), I can only document my experience and say that I liked it when things were simpler. I liked it when you went to the super-market as a kid and there was no “specialty baking section” and none of the apple pies looked the same; the flyers were cheap and dull looking and nobody had ever heard of a cheese magazine. The food from the market was affordable and good, simple and appreciated. Nobody ever asked “where are the apples in the apple pie from?” to the guy behind the bakery counter; the food was always hearty. Inherent tasty qualities aside, the food was delicious because you knew when you got home everyone was going to sit down and tell lame stories and eat this apple pie together. I really miss those times.
I miss that once upon a time food used to be about coming together and loving your family, not caloric famines, commercialization, magazine sales, branding and pretentious “fête-ing”.

These days I find myself fighting the urge to automatically embrace the chic thing to do or cook. Ads and television shows bombard me with images and, worse yet, gluttonous persuasions. Along with my core identity, my waist line has also taken a hit. When I go to the grocery store it’s almost as if there is too much to look at- a cornucopia of cornucopias and not in a good way. Thirty years ago, my mother used to do her weekly grocery shopping in twenty minutes; today I would be lucky if I get out before the hour. My eyes do not know where to look, bright colored signs, too many sections and subsections. Everything is complicated and therefore time consuming from the organization of the store to the labels on the smallest product. My mom never had to read labels, if the jar said strawberries, she was getting strawberries. But today, there are too many labels and multi-syllable ingredients to read, let alone pronounce. Today the word simple has negative connotations, but I am simple. I just want some simple food that tastes good, is easy to prepare, and won’t give my family a digestive disorder from all the colorings and preservatives.

When I look back to my best food memories, simple is always an adjective that comes to mind. When I was visiting India I ate the most delicious lentil stew, it was slowly simmered in a clay pot over slow burning embers for hours. I sat on the cool brick floor and ate it out of an aluminum plate while listening to stories of my courageous grandpa. Many autumns ago, I was in Monte Carlo with my husband and several nights for dinner we eagerly walked through the quiet thoroughfares to a small Spanish restaurant tucked behind the glitter; the owner was a beautiful tanned woman with a red shawl, greeted you with love and she served the best hand made salsa at candle lit tables.
In Vietnam, I remember the off-putting feeling of Ho Chi Min City, the tourist dubbed restaurants were confusing and mechanical, however I remember falling in love with the people to the north in Hanoi, green onion broth with rice noodles and shredded chicken, served in wooden bowls by elderly women that were stunned that you came to admire their little village. I love food and it has represented some of the best times in my life because for me, it was more than utilitarian sustenance – over the years it has nourished my body but also my relationships.

As I’m writing this I sit entranced watching the trees sway in the evening wind. The coffee shop is playing some great, soft, folksy kind of music, I feel like the singer is sitting behind me and singing without effort from the memories in his heart. I watch the trees and marvel at how beautiful they look even as the day light dwindles. I hug my cup of coffee and I feel warm inside. It’s a simple beverage, a little cream a little sugar and as I sip it and feel myself starting to move with the trees… I think of my mom and how I miss her. She always made the best coffee, simple, a little cream and a little sugar.

When you come to my house, don’t be surprised if I serve simple and rustic food and don’t be especially surprised if you are so comfortable that you laugh from your belly all night long. So dig into your memories and find something basic that you loved and see where it takes you. Food doesn’t have to be complicated, imtimidating or even expensive to serve its many purposes.

Please try my favorite family pasta recipe below.

Lots of Love,
Bella Sangar

Monki Bread readers – What is your fondest food memory? Comment below and at the end of the day, we will randomly select 5 people to recieve an original Kitchen Monki Grocery Tote Bag! Winners will be announced on Monday, July 19th. Good Luck and thanks for reading!

1. Amazing! San Francisco based artist Liz Hickok makes her hometown entirely out of Jell-O (via lizhickok.com)
2. Orthorexia Nervosa… an Eating Disorder where individuals only eat ‘Pure Food’ (via Care2)
3. Is Gulf Seafood safe to eat? Expert government noses tell you if that is so (via Washington Post)
4. The perfect summer salad…. Recipe: Spicy Quinoa, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad
5. Alton Brown and food blogger help solidify ban on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna as an ingredient on Iron Chef America (via Alternet)