Figs: blink and you’ll miss ‘em

by duluth, August 26, 2009 | Permalink

I love figs. The problem is, for something that’s so soft and round and seems so passive they move pretty fast. The fresh fig season begins and ends so quickly it’s almost as if they peak for a few hours and then leave me tantalized and dangling, yearning for more.  

If you Google “figs,” you’ll find lots of websites dedicated solely to this round mound of elusive deliciousness. For example, figs originated in ancient Arabia, migrated from there to Greece to Rome to Europe and then across the pond to the New World, landing first in South Carolina? And that the fig industry in California did not begin with figs from the Southeast but with trees planted by the mission fathers as they traveled up the coast of the Golden State? That’s where the Black Mission variety originated.  Calimyrnas are also California figs, named after the Smyrna varietal planted by a San Joaquin Valley grower. Black Missions have a distinct sweet yet robust taste and Calimyrnas have a nut-like flavor under their tender golden skin.

Fresh figs are good for you—maybe better than you’d imagine.  A half-cup of fresh figs can be more fibrous than bananas, apples, grapes, oranges or strawberries. They can have more potassium, calcium, iron and vitamins A & C than those same fruits, too.  And if you’re searching for fresh fig recipes you’d better make sure your printer is full of paper because they’re mighty versatile. They love to be scattered across salads, cooked into chutneys, or stuffed with cheese and roasted into submission.  One of my most beloved fig recipes appears below—it’s a smaller and simpler version of one from Food Network chef Tyler Florence.

Prosciutto-Roasted Figs

20 small Black Mission Figs

2 ounces Manchego or blue cheese

10 thin slices of prosciutto, halved

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Make a small slit in the side of each fig and stuff a raisin-size piece of cheese in the opening. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each fig to enclose it. Stand the figs on a baking sheet. Bake until the prosciutto melts slightly and forms a skin around the figs, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.

At this point the recipe calls for a drizzle of honey and some black pepper, but after the aroma and sizzle of the roasted figs and the meat it’s about all I can stand not to pop them into my mouth immediately.  (So much for my guests. Maybe they’ll be happy with the leftover cheese.)

And lo and behold, in all this research, I found a little figgy secret—you can freeze them. I haven’t tried this yet, but one site says after washing and drying the figs you stand them on a baking sheet and freeze them in small batches.  Stored in sealed plastic bags, they can last in the freezer up to six months. I’m going to put this to the test this weekend– I’ll let you know how it goes.

Hairnet nightmares, or how to build a better school lunch

by duluth, August 19, 2009 | Permalink

You know how small objects can be big sensor triggers? For example, crayons. Many times I’ve seen adults pounce on a big, multi-color yellow box, crack open the lid and suck in a giant breath, sighing as they inhale.  I bet they’re thinking about their first grade classroom, their My Little Pony coloring book, or maybe even the time their sister stuffed a Burnt Sienna up her nose.  Ah, memories.

You know what does that for me? Hairnets.  I see a hairnet and instantly my memory catapults me back to the lunch line in Dunwoody Elementary School, lime green melamine tray in hand, staring gloomily at a succession of Jell-o, tater tots, and lumps of fried goop with industrial-strength gravy on top.  A lunch lady stands behind the counter with a horrific scowl on her face and a hairnet on her head, daring me to turn down anything that she glops onto my tray. I tell you, it’s the stuff nightmares are made of.

But here at Whole Foods Market, the lunch lady smiles. Her name is Ann Cooper, and she’s a renowned chef known as the “Renegade Lunch Lady.” Through her book Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children, she’s out to transform school food programs.  Ann is part of a company-wide initiative to help us educate you and your kids about healthy lunches. Her program is super-easy to follow, and it’s a good plan for a healthy grown-up lunch, too. A more detailed outline is in our “Whole Deal” newsletter, available at our Johns Creek store, but here are three important “lessons:”

1.       Choose something from every food category. You should include one serving of each of these at every meal: a whole grain, a fruit, calcium, a healthy fat, a protein, and a veggie. That way, your appetite stays full and balanced, fueling schoolwork or office work so you or your children are always at your best.

2.       Be mindful of portions.  Teach your kids how to judge portion sizes by telling them to “keep an eye on the ball.” For example, a cup of rice or pasta should equal the size of a tennis ball, two tablespoons of peanut butter equal a ping-pong ball, and one ounce of hard cheese equals four dice. That keeps them from overeating and keeps your budget under control, too.

3.       Include as many colors as possible in every lunch. Green, brown, yellow, red, purple—pack that lunchbox with an eye to the rainbow. It’s fun and it’ll make the meal even more appetizing.

Hungry for more?  Get a “Whole Deals” newsletter—you can pick one up inside our Johns Creek store. There’s a great list of suggested foods in each category that makes lunches super-easy to assemble, a Lunchbox Daily Planner, and more unique ideas. You can buy Ann’s book in our Whole Body department, too. Luckily, there’s not a hairnet in sight. Whew!

Armchair travel and a case of wine (at 20% off)

by duluth, August 12, 2009 | Permalink

I love to travel.  For me, the anticipation of a trip is one of the most delicious elements of the journey.  Whether it’s a jaunt to the lake or a flight across the pond,   I’m giddy with curiosity. I gather up all the travel tomes and touristy brochures I can lay my hands on, fire up my trusty laptop, nestle into a comfy armchair and fortify myself with the most essential tool for my research: a really wonderful glass of wine.

Needless to say, that means I find all kinds of excuses to conduct travel research. I have earned a reputation amongst my friends and co-workers as an inveterate geek when it comes to vacations, and I’m always being asked to help plan their trips.  That means I have to keep the wine cooler stocked and ready. The things I do for these people!  Sigh.

Luckily, Whole Foods Market Johns Creek makes stocking up on wine a snap. Next week, from August 17^th through the 22^nd, you can enjoy 20 percent off a case of wine. You see, we’re getting ready for our fall selections and we need the space, so we’re going to pass the savings along to you.  If you’ve become a fan of one of our fabulous $5 chardonnays, now’s the time to make sure you won’t run out. 

The best thing about this sale is that now you can afford to branch out a bit. You can try some wines that you’d heard were really good but previously thought were out of your price range.  Christy, our wonderful wine buyer, suggested three wines that fall into that category.  They’re from three fabulous wine regions, too, all of which sent me scrambling to Frommers and TripAdvisor.com.

Mount Veeder Winery, Napa Valley California, 2005: Mount Veeder is in Napa Valley, with vineyards cut into wide terraces on the steep slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains. The tasting notes on this wine call it “Vibrant and rich…big, yet approachable” with aromas of blackberry and plum finished with cocoa and cassis. Armchair Travel notes:  this winery has tasting rooms in St. Helena, the epicenter of Napa’s stunning wine country.

Domaine Du Gros Nore, Bandol, France 2005:  Just off the coast in Provence, this winery is being heralded as a rising star. Winemaker Alain Pascal was given the nickname “Gros’ Noré” (grow nor-RAY) for his imposing stature and calm manner, which may also be used to describe his wines. Tasting notes indicate a medium-bodied wine with “some smokiness, with brambly black fruit that’s meaty and firm.” Armchair Travel notes: Bandol is a gentle coastal town between Marseille and Toulon, picturesque and perfect for those wishing to combine wine and some beach time.

Byron Santa Maria Pinot Noir, California, 2007:  The Santa Maria Valley runs east to west, capturing the cool ocean air and coastal fog that makes its appellations unique.  Tasting notes include “rich aromas of red plum, leather and clove, highlighted by accents of jasmine and earthiness.”  I haven’t found any food it doesn’t complement, and it’s the current personal favorite of a certain armchair traveling geek (i.e., me.) Armchair Travel notes: I’ve been jonesing for a trip to Santa Maria, a burgeoning wine region that features softly rolling hills dotted with wineries. The high is 72 degrees today. Seventy-two degrees! In August!  

The Messy Dining Room, Back-to-School Bittersweet Blues

by duluth, August 5, 2009 | Permalink

My dining room is a mess, and so am I.

Next week my youngest child leaves for college. Being an independent sort, he’s taken charge of buying all the accoutrements for his dorm room. I had no say in the color of his comforter, the style of his desk lamp or even the assortment of tatty t-shirts he’s carefully jammed into a duffel bag.  Our dining room is his staging area for the big move, and everything is scattered across the floor at least three boxes high.  I couldn’t hold a dinner party if I wanted to.  And a part of me wants that room to stay cluttered forever.

But the point of having a child is to love them, bring them up and give them wings to fly, so I’m letting go–but not before I sneak a bag and cooler into the fray. There’s not a Whole Foods Market in the town where he’s attending college (and I know he won’t exactly be focused on nutrition) so I’m packing him up a big jar of almond butter and a sack of bananas. He can slice the bananas horizontally in quarter-inch circles, then spread the nut butter between them and stack ‘em up as high as he wants. Lots of protein and fruit in one little snack!  I’m bagging up some trail mix he can haul around in his backpack: one that’s full of healthy nut fats, dried berries for antioxidant power, and chocolate chips for fun. And string cheese isn’t just for little kids—anyone, even college guys, can appreciate the quick calcium and protein fix of a stick of cheese wrapped with a healthy lunch meat from Applegate Farms. That’s good fuel for an all-nighter (studying, not partying—I hope.)

With H1N1 flu warnings all over the media, I’m preparing him for that, too. I packed a kit of electrolyte-enhanced water, throat lozenges, cold and flu medicines and tissues (he’ll never remember tissues.) Yes, there’s some microwaveable chicken noodle soup in that kit, minus artificial anything. After all, I am a mom. And yes, you too can get everything in this kit at Whole Foods Market Johns Creek.

I guess I am happy, too.  Soon I won’t hear drums and guitars clanging through the house at all hours.  The refrigerator will be ominously full and I won’t have to buy milk every other day. There will be fewer clothes to clean, fewer dishes to wash. And I’ll be able to see the floor of my dining room.  While I am overjoyed for the opportunity he has to pursue his dreams, he is my youngest child, the last one out of the nest, and that makes this transition so bittersweet.  I may just have to wander into his room, pick up his guitar, and sing a verse of my new favorite song—“The Messy Dining Room, Back-to-School Bittersweet Blues.”