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While running last weekend I came across a family giving away Summer squash.  They had grown so much that they were unable to eat it all and thus, to my benefit, were sharing it with the neighborhood.  After toting the rather large white squash home the remaining 1.5 miles (yes, funny looks ensued), I added it to the pile of farmer’s market finds and thought about what to make.

In the meantime, I decided to prepare my steak halibut-thick-enough-to-be-a-steak and pop that in the oven.  Sometimes I wish fish were cheaper so I could make it more often, but it is a nice treat every now and then.  I created a concoction of dijion and honey mustard for the fish then covered it with panko.  I generally prefer panko to other breadcrumbs because they are less dense and crispier than the traditional kind.

Then back to those squashies.  What to make.  A little help from the interwebs and I decided on zucchini fritters.  Frying your vegetables is a great idea.  The fish was healthy, so a little olive oil won’t kill you, right?  As a side note, make sure your pan heats evenly otherwise you will end up with half-cooked fritters.

Halibut and Horseradish

• 1/4 c dijion mustard
• 2 tbsp horseradish
• 1/3 c panko breadcrumbs
• 2 lbs halibut fillet

1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. Mix the mustard and horseradish together and generously spread over the fillet.  Cover the fillet with the panko.
3. Bake until cooked.  I don’t have a time because it really depends on the thickness of your fillet.  The one I purchased was exceptionally thick an took approximately 45 minutes to cook.

Zucchini Fitters

Adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
• 10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Sour cream

1. Grate the squash using the large holes of a box grater, food processor or any other contraption you have.  Add salt, lemon zest, parsley, garlic, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Place some of the mixture into the pan and flatten it out so it forms a small disc.  They take about 2-3 minutes per side.  Serve with sour cream.
   

I’m not scared of pasta.  I just don’t eat it very often.  Of course right now my Italian grandparents are in heaven thinking, “We still don’t know where she came from.  If she didn’t like zeppole and coffee so much we would have sworn Diane [my mother] adopted her.”

I would eat it when my mom made it growing up, but I rarely crave it now.  Yesterday was one of those rare occasions.  I bought, cooked, devoured and sat in a food comma on the couch for a good period of time.  Delicious.  This dish is great served hot or cold.  Also, it easily provides enough food for multiple meals…so it looks like I will be eating pasta a few more times.

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The day before I saw Food, Inc., I was creating my monthly budget for the Fall and trying to determine how much to allocate to groceries.  As a regular shopper at Whole Foods, I was flabbergasted at how much I spent each month on groceries.  After watching Food, Inc., I feel more justified with my decision as well as fortunate I have the option to shop there.

Food, Inc., “lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA.”  The movie discusses how the industry has changed over the last few decades, consumer health, American farmers and other topics relating to agriculture.

As with any documentary of this sort, it presents a one-sided argument, although this one I agree with.  I do believe the food industry has gotten out of hand with the number of multinational conglomerates that have taken over.  Why should a hamburger at McDonald’s cost less than carrots at the supermarket?  Logically it does not make sense when more components are involved with the creation of the burger.  It also was a bit scary that a typical grocery store contains over 42,000 different items, 90% of which contain corn or soy.

Unfortunately, I believe the movie was a bit too short and glossed over the points I thought were the most interesting.  The bulk of the time the film was exposing wrongdoings with the agriculture industry (there are a lot).  There were only a few brief minutes discussing how the organic industry has evolved.  For example, Stonyfield Farm, the #3 yogurt producer in the United States is now owned by the Dannone Group and supplies Wal-mart.  I think the argument Gary Hirshberg (CEO of Stonyfield) brought up was very thought provoking.  He felt for every million Wal-mart spent buying organic, it was one less million spent on non-organic.  Of course, that million is going to his company, so it’s not surprise he’s supporting it.  I would have loved to have seen some people’s views supporting and opposing this theory.

I’m a big supporter of making small changes.  I think it’s unrealistic for everyone to stop what they’re doing and only buy organic and local foods.  I think the suggestions for everyone at the end of the movie were things people already knew for the most part.  I’ve listed them below, with my comments in italics ;

1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages – Did I just watch Food Inc. or Fast Food Nation?
   
2. Eat at home instead of eating out - Duh, it saves money and is healthier
   
3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post caloric information on menu and menu boards – Isn’t this already passed?
   
4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks – I don’t have kids, not applicable
   
5. Meatless Mondays – go without meat one day a week – I agree with this.  Personally I think everyone could benefit from some extra legumes
   
6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides – Great if you can afford it, see further comments below
   
7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer’s markets – Usually prices are good and the food variety is better.  Also look into CSA boxes, they tend not to be outrageously expensive
   
8. Make a point to know where your food comes from – Read labels – Duh
   
9. Tell congress that food safety is important to you – I think they should have told us how to do this
   
10. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections – See comment for #9

Personally, I would have liked to see more information on how to make an impact.  These last ten items were almost an afterthought to the movie.  For example, suggestions on  how to make a difference when on a tight budget is just one item that would have been more interesting.  Additionally, I was surprised the website did not go into further detail on the ways you can make small changes.  Rome wasn’t built in a day and the entire US Food System isn’t going to change overnight either.

Criticism aside, I think everyone should go see the film.  I had no idea that over 80% of meat products are controled by 4 companies (as opposed to 5 companies controling less than 40% in 1970).  It’s those small nuggets of information that make the movie worthwhile.  It’s important to see what you’re feeding your body.  If you don’t take care of yourself, who else will?