Happy Autumn!
CSA weather report…warm, rainy and VERY windy…*if power goes
out, trees down, etc., there will still be a CSA – bring flashlights!
Important…if you call the Box Office to have a
bag packed for a late CSA pickup (by 10pm), do NOT leave messages at the Box
Office and expect the CSA to get them. It doesn’t always happen (it didn’t last
week…not good). You MUST speak directly to someone from the CSA. The call can
easily be transferred to the Sky Room Café where someone from the CSA can take
the phone call (or if the CSA is outside or in another location, they can still
get a CSA member to come to the Box Office to take the call).
Also important…if you send anyone to the CSA
to pick up food, please tell them to BRING BAGS!
This email includes…
- What you need to know
- Information is
power…what’s in your water?
- Turkeys anyone?
- Click activism – you
don’t have to do much, or spend any money, to help make a positive change
in the world
- What you actually got
last week
- May be too late for this
year (but maybe not for last minute shoppers 😊 )…
- Prizes!
- Stressed out? Eat this…
- And now, for something
completely different
😊
Anything in these emails not directly related to the
functioning of the CSA feel free to take or leave at your discretion, and
anything related to health issues always consult with your physicians before
taking any action.
1.What you need to know (will be either new info to
first time CSA members, or reminders/old hat to returning CSA members)…
Before you leave the house…BRING BAGS
to pack up your food (CSA members are responsible for packing up their own
shares) – canvas/plastic/paper…bring whatever suits your fancy. The CSA does
NOT provide bags for CSA members.
Time – 3:30pm to 7:30pm
IF you need to pick up later than 7:30pm, call the Cinema
Arts Center Box Office between 3pm to 7:30pm at 631-423-7610 xt 0 and ask to
speak to someone from the CSA. We can pack a bag for you and leave it at the
Box Office but it MUST be picked up before the Box Office closes (call the Box
Office to check the time…lately it’s been 9:30pm). If not, it won’t be there on
Friday. And do not leave a message at the Box Office…YOU
MUST SPEAK TO SOMEONE FROM THE CSA (otherwise the CSA will not be
responsible if your food doesn’t get packed and left for you).
Place – Sky Room Café in the Cinema Arts
Centre at 423 Park Ave, Huntington
Parking – park in the all the way around at
the back of the building by the day care center (you’ll see a fenced in
playground area with a sandbox)
When you arrive at the CSA –
- Check in at the desk with our friendly CSA worker
- Read the Wall Chart that tells us every week what we’re
getting, how much we’re getting, and what the farm charged us for it…some
weeks it’s take one of everything but SOME WEEKS IT’S NOT!!! So you have
to make sure you read the Wall Chart every week, and not assume anything.
You can also ask your fellow CSA members that are working that day what
the story is for the day (they should have name tags on).
Before you leave the CSA – Make sure you have
everything on the list! If you get to talking with people, have kids with you,
etc., it can be easy to be distracted and if you get home and find out you
don’t have everything that was on the list, you’re out of luck because at
7:31pm the food is donated to a local food organization that’s waiting to pick
it up and get on their way.
Bitter Melon info
Bitter Melon SHOULD be on the list of the world’s 100
healthiest foods, but it’s not common to the majority Americans so that’s my
guess as to why it’s not there.
That said, it’s also the most challenging (and healing) food
we get at the CSA.
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE EMAIL IF YOU’VE NEVER EATEN IT
BEFORE!!!
Keep in mind…any time you try a food you’ve never
eaten before…
- Do some reading about what it is, and find out if there
are medical contraindications if you’re on medication or have health
issues
- Eat a single serving size and give it 24 hours to see
how your body reacts (some might be fine, a lot might not)
- When in doubt how to cook something, look to the
countries that have been using it for decades/centuries, and see what they
do and don’t do
- Any questions, don’t hesitate to ask
Read the Side Effects and Interactions…
Over the years we’ve had the South Asian/Indian variety and
the Chinese variety.
What we get is the green/early yellowing stage. DON’T eat
the internal seeds or pith (scrape it out with a spoon and compost or chuck
it), and DON’T eat it at all if it turns yellow/orange. As odd as it might
seem, it’s only eaten when NOT ripe (green/greenish yellow), but when it’s
fully ripe (yellow/orange…and if it’s REALLY ripe it goes Alien and explodes
with bright red seeds popping out) it’s NEVER eaten for culinary purposes.
Here’s 2 simple recipes…
Baked Bitter Melon Chips…
Bitter Melon and Scrambled Eggs (how easy is this…I don’t
bother soaking/salting and I’d add Soy Sauce/Tamari/Braggs Amino at the end)…
Cooking with Bitter Melon…
If you’re a juicer or smoothie kind of person (CSA member
Karen Rubino puts Banana in her Bitter Melon smoothies)…I would start with a 1”
piece of Bitter Melon to start and work my way up but NEVER go overboard…too
much Bitter Melon juice will tank your blood sugar level and you could end up
passing out!
Selecting and storing…
Nice post and recipe about Bitter Melon…
Most cultures eat Bitter Melon with Eggs, Pork or Beef…the
fat content in all of these lessens the taste of the bitterness. Tofu doesn’t
have enough fat to make this happen but it can be substituted if that’s what
you eat. And if you don’t eat any of the above, you can just saute and eat. If
you want to eat it raw, try it in a smoothie BUT start with only an inch chunk
(and maybe don’t even drink a lot of your juice smoothie) and see how you
react…it can lower your blood sugar levels and depending on you (and if you’re
not used to eating it), you could get dizzy or pass out (if it gets too low and
you’re dizzy…heaven forbid…eat one of the following - 3 tsp. honey/1 cup milk/
1/2 cup fruit juice/2 tbs. raisins - wait 15 minutes and you should feel
better)!
Easy recipe…
Bitter Melon with Eggs…
Vegan Bitter Melon dish (I’d get the seeds and pith
out…don’t care what this person says…and I don’t bother with soaking and
salting…less bitter = less medicinal…and I like fewer steps in cooking if
possible, not more…but you can try and see what you like better)…
Vegan stuffed Bitter Melon recipe…this looks really good…
Beef with Bitter Melon…
Here’s some basic info…
Didn’t know it’s used in some Beers instead of Hops! I learn
something new about this vegetable every year.
Where to eat Bitter Melon (I don’t know about you, but I
like to learn to cook by eating)…
Thai USA
Huntington
NOT on the menu – ask for Bitter Melon (they don’t have it
all the time…called “mah-lah” in Thai)
Served as a side dish stir-fried with oil, salt & pepper
with Eggs (I get this with Brown Rice as part of a meal that I’m sharing…have
gotten my partner to eat this…doesn’t love it like I do but will eat it)
The Orient
Bethpage
NOT on the menu – ask for Bitter Melon (called Foo Gua in
Cantonese and Koo Gua in Mandarin)
Served as a dish for 4 people (main dish size) and can be
requested with Black Beans Sauce OR Pork OR Beef (have had Black Bean Sauce,
and Pork)
House of Dosa
Hicksville
On the menu – order the “Healthy Salad” and it’s Bitter
Melon (called Kerala in most of India) stir fried till it’s like Bitter Melon
jerky with Tomatoes, Onions, Cilantro (this is Bitter Melon 101 – very easy to
eat)
Main St Taiwan
Flushing
Numerous Bitter Melon dishes on the menu…I’ve had them all
(feel free to ask for details if interested) but then…I love Bitter Melon
Tito Rad’s
Woodside
Filipino restaurant and Bitter Melon is called Ampalaya.
They have numerous dishes with Bitter Melon. Have had the Shrimp with Eggs and
Bitter Melon, and the Pinakbet I think has Bitter Melon in it though it doesn’t
say so (if not here, I’ve had Pinakbet at other Filipino places that did…this
is my fave place so far). Will go back and eat everything they have with Bitter
Melon in it.
If you know of any other places that serve it…let me know!
It is the most medicinal vegetable on the planet and here’s
why…
Okinawa one of the areas in the world that has the most
healthy people living over 100 years and if asked why, one of the answers they
will give you (along with gardening and having a community of relatives and
friends) is eating Bitter Melon (called Goya in Okinawa)! Nice article on
Okinawan food with Bitter Melon recipe…
Kills breast cancer cells in the lab and leaves healthy
breast cells alone. They’re working on turning it into a pre-chemotherapy drug.
I’ll just eat it.
HIV and Bitter Melon…
I have personal experience with this. Someone I knew had
full blown AIDS, took NO conventional treatments but juiced Bitter Melon and it
was the only thing that brought his T Cell count into normal range (he showed
me the before and after lab work reports…very impressive).
Diabetes and Bitter Melon…
It will regulate blood sugar levels and if people are on
diabetes medication they may need to lower, or stop, their medication when
eating Bitter Melon (consult and work with doctor).
Bitter Melon vs Head and Neck Cancer
Bitter Melon vs Breast Cancer
Bitter Melon vs Pancreatic Cancer
Other health properties…and they say here that eating a LOT
of Bitter Melon can cause problems. If you keep it to a reasonable portion size
(a cup or less) it shouldn’t be a problem. The American way of thinking that if
some is good, a lot MUST be better is wrong most of the time…moderation is the
way to go the majority of the time (and certainly in this case)…
Here’s a question…do any of you folks who eat Bitter Melon
in your culture/family have any thoughts about eating it during pregnancy or
breast feeding? The American info says no during pregnancy because of the
possibility of miscarriage, and no during breast feeding. The HIV & Bitter
Melon article talks about midwives in the Philippines giving Bitter Melon to
newborns to stimulate their immune systems. If that’s the case, it doesn’t seem
like breast feeding should be an issue if you’re eating it in moderate amounts.
However, I’d like to learn more. Since it’s so commonly eaten by folks in
China, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, India and other countries, I’d like to
know what they do there since they’ve been eating this stuff for centuries
(originating in India and then in China since the 1300s). We have had CSA
members in the past of Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese origins who’ve asked
their mothers and grandmothers who all talked about eating Bitter Melon while
pregnant without incident.
Indonesian website says yes for breastfeeding and Bitter
Melon…
Another site says no but comments of women who are eating it
and feel fine…
And here it is in an academic paper on a list of foods
RECOMMENDED to eat while breastfeeding…
Feel free to get in touch with any questions, recipes, etc.,
and lastly, as I always mention in the CSA emails…any info I send you that’s
not directly about the functioning of the CSA - take what you like and leave
the rest!
2.Information is power…what’s in your water?
Search here to find out…
And then check out the guide to water filters…
3.Turkeys anyone?
Thanksgiving isn’t so far away, and now is the time to make
plans if you’d like a local/certified organic/heritage breed Turkey (sorry, but
at the moment, seems like you can’t get all three in one bird). If you want a
bird from 20 to 30 lbs., unless you’re getting a heritage breed bird, I’d
recommend getting two 10 to 15 lb. ones (you can ask me why in person…you might
not want to eat that big bird afterwards). Here are a few options…
A.Browder’s Birds – certified organic
You can reserve online with a $50 deposit fee and the birds
must be picked up at their farm in Mattituck from Monday, November 25th,
to Wednesday, November 27th
B.Makinajian Poultry Farm & Country Store – free range,
no antibiotics, no hormones
Will start taking orders after November 1st. Size
ranges from 10 to 30 lbs. Birds must be picked up at their farm in Huntington
from Monday, November 25th, to Wednesday, November 27th between
9am to 6pm.
Give a call – 631-368-9320
Or stop by – 276 Cuba Hill Rd. (at intersection of Little
Plains Rd.), Huntington
Tell them suzanne sent you 😊 !
C.Heritage Foods – humanely raised, pasture raised, heritage
breeds, antibiotic free, not artificially inseminated
This Brooklyn based company has Turkeys available from Good
Shephard Poultry Ranch (Kansas) delivered fresh to your home (so the birds
aren’t local but the company is).
4.Click activism – you don’t have to do much, or spend
any money, to help make a positive change in the world
A.Join
the campaign for glyphosphate-free and organic college campuses (this is about California
but then again, a number of things environment/alternative health related start
on the west coast and make their way to the east coast in time…hopefully sooner
and not later)…
And
if you have a college student in your family/life (or know any), let them know
about the Herbicide Free Campus movement (maybe they can start it on their
campus if it’s not there already)…
B.Support
human rights for farmworkers (they’re working with Oxfam, a really good
non-profit)…
5.What you actually got last week
Week #20
October 24, 2019
- Potatoes: Sweet* – 2 lb. bag – $5.75
- Mustard Greens** – 1 bunch - $3.75
- Tomatoes, Mini: Grape, Red*** – 1 pt. - $5.50
- Lettuce: Leaf, Red – 1 head - $3.50
- Peppers, Sweet: Cubanelle, Lunch Box, Romanian Wax****
- 1 ½ lb. bag – $3.75
Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $22.25
(We pay $20 per week for our CSA share…some weeks we get a
bit more, and it adds up over the course of the season. This week it was $2.25,
and so far it’s a grand total of $34.50 which is more than one CSA share! We
seem to always get at least one CSA share’s worth of food every year that we
didn’t pay for…some years two, and some between one and two…it’s all good! 😊)
Herb Share – Oct 2B
Parsley***** AND Sage******
*Sweet Potatoes are one of the world’s healthiest foods
(good info and recipes)!
**Mustard Greens are one of the world’s healthiest foods
(good info and recipes)!
***Tomatoes are one of the world’s healthiest foods (good
info and recipes)!
****Sweet Peppers (Bell or otherwise) are one of the world’s
healthiest foods (good info and recipes)!
*****Parsley is one of the world’s healthiest foods (good
info and recipes)!
******Sage is one of the world’s healthiest foods (good info
and recipes)!
6.May be too late for this Halloween (maybe not for last
minute shoppers 😊 )…
But for chocolate purchases for the rest of the year…is
there child labor and deforestation in your chocolate? You can make a
difference…money talks…
See the full report here…
7.Prizes!
A.Win a gift bag from Sahadi’s and a gift card for lunch at
their eatery in Industry City (BK)…
B.Win artisanal designer dishes, knife set and more…
8.Stressed out? Eat this…
Even though this just mentions Spinach (which we didn’t get
this season…so far…but we have in other years), if you keep reading it includes
7 other greens…all of which our CSA provides for us!
9.And now, for something completely different 😊
Noodle soup portraits? Yup!!! 😊
Events…both near and far
Monday, October 21st to Sunday, November 3rd
Extraordinary Life After 40 Summit (online lecture series)
FREE
To register…
Attention women! How to balance your hormones and enhance
every area of your life in your 40s, 50s and beyond. Andrea Beaman is the one
person I know (and have met and like) that will be participating in this one
(and looks like she’ll get credit if you register). And Dr. Anna Cabeca sounds
interesting (have been hearing about her lately). I know Andrea will be talking
about eating organic. About 40 women speakers.
Thursday, October 31st
10am to 11pm
IEatGreen radio show
To listen to the show live (or listen to the archived
programs)…
Hosted by Long Islander Bhavani Jharoff. Older shows can be
accessed in archives.
3pm to 10pm
Boorito!
Chipotle
Wherever
If you visit any Chipotle today (after 3pm) wearing a
Halloween costume, you can get a Burrito, Bowl, Salad or Tacos for $4.00
(delivery or mobile ordering not included in this offer). What constitutes a
costume is up to the judgement of Chipotle employees. PLUS, if you post a
costume transformation on TikTok using the hashtag #Boorito, the 5 people with
the most likes will win free Burritos for a YEAR!
Friday, November 1st and Saturday, November
2nd
Food Tank 2019 Summit & Gala: The Food Movement is Growing
(and Winning)!
NY University
Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
566 La Guardia Pl.
NYC
$410
To buy tickets:
A lot of very cool people talking about various aspects of
food and food politics like…Mark Bittman, Dr. Mark Hyman, Tom Colicchio, Chef
Sam Kass (White House chef under prez Obama), Chef Dan Barber (Blue Hill Stone
Barn), Florence Fabricant and Julia Moskin (NY Times) and many more.
Friday, November 1st
6pm to 7pm
Green Inside and Out
WUSB-FM/90.1 FM
Long Islander Beth Fiteni us the host. Rotates with Healthy
Planet radio with Huntington resident Bob DiBenedetto.
Saturday, November 2nd to Monday, November
11th
The Diabetes Essentials Masterclass (online series)
FREE
To register…
The people I know of and like in this series are Dr.
Perlmutter, Dr. Josh Axe and health coach JJ Virgin.
Saturday, November 2nd
12pm to 1pm
Food Chain Radio
Host Michael Olsen always has interesting guests on the
issues of food, food politics, health, and related topics. Check out the
archives.
Sunday, November 3rd to Sunday, November 10th
Long Island Restaurant Week!
For more info…
Sunday, November 3rd
4pm to 7pm
Slow Beer Oktoberfest
Old Tappan Brewing Company
37 Ludlam Ave
Bayville
$25 – Members/$35 – Public (will only be sold at the door if
event does not sell out in advance)
To buy tickets…
Join Slow Food North Shore for Oktoberfest in November.
Brewmaster Brent Kunkle will talk about making craft beer, harvesting hops, and
local sourcing. Event includes a beer flight, two 10 oz pours, and snacks.
Tuesday, November 5th
11:30am to 2:30pm
Taco Tuesdays (ongoing)
South Fork Kitchens Cafe
East End Food Institute
39 Tuckahoe Rd.
Southampton
For more info…
Authentic local Mexican food by Chef Esther priced under
$10.
7pm - Volunteers/8pm – Food Distribution
Community Solidarity Food Share Distribution
Fairground Ave & E. 6th St.
Huntington Station
For more info and to sign up to be a volunteer (though you
can also just stop by)…
This is the group that Green Thumb CSA – Huntington has
partnered with for the last number of years to donate produce remaining at the
end of the night from our CSA.
Wednesday, November 6th
7pm to 9pm
The Read Truth about Health Conference planning meeting
Hilton Hotel
598 Broadhollow Rd.
Melville
FREE
For more into about the conference…
Vegan food will be provided.
Thursday, November 7th to Saturday,
November 9th
NESAWG’s (Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group)
2019 It Takes a Region Conference
New Jersey City University
200 Hudson St.
Jersey City
FREE to $500
To buy tickets…
For more info about NESAWG…
A conference for anyone interested in, or actively working
on, food system change in the northeast.
Saturday, November 9th and Sunday, November
10th
Science of Human Optimization Conference (formally NAVEL
Expo)
Westin Times Square
270 W 43rd St.
NYC
$20 to $350
To sign up for a printed catalog and a possible free ticket…
The featured speaker for this event is Steven Gundry, author
of The Plant Paradox (the man is obsessed with lectins 😊
), and there will be a lot of other interesting alternative health lectures.
Sunday, November 10th
11:30am to 3:30pm
Wildman Steve Brill Foraging Tour
Belmont Lake State Park
625 Belmont Ave.
West Babylon
$20 – suggested donation (cash only)/$10 – children under 12
RSVP at least 24 hours in advance of tour (and call the
evening before to confirm and make sure there are no changes of plan on his
end)…
914-835-2143 (it’s his home phone)
Check out his website as there are a BUNCH of instructions
you would do well to heed from where to meet, to what to bring…
If you’ve never gone, do yourself a favor and check this
out. Steve is a brilliant forager (and a hardcore lovable cornball 😊
) and should be considered a national treasure. This is a kid friendly event.
Monday, November 11th to Sunday, November
17th
Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis (online series)
FREE
To register…
Participating in this series is Dr. David Perlmutter
(neurologist), Dr. Mark Hyman (functional medicine) and a bunch of other
holistic health practitioners. If they’re talking about a healthy gut
microbiome, they’ll be talking about eating organic.
Saturday, November 16th
9am to 5pm
Beekeeping for the Future
The Pfeiffer Center
260 Hungry Hollow Rd.
Chestnut Ridge, NY
$95
For more info and to register…
If you’re thinking of getting Honeybees next spring, now is
the time to prepare. If you’ve been beekeeping for a year or two, this is a
good place to ask questions and learn new things. This is where I’m going to
take classes if I ever get around to being able to have Bees in my backyard.
Wednesday, November 20th to Sunday,
November 24th
2019 Biodynamic Conference
Sagamore Resort
Lake George, NY
For more info and to register…
The theme of the conference this year is Cultivating
Relationships: Earth, Cosmos, Community. There’s a children’s program, and they
also offer scholarships and give discounts to volunteers.
Wednesday, November 20th
7 to 9pm
Citizens for 5G Awareness
Huntington Hilton
598 Broadhollow Rd
Melville
For more info contact Debbie:
Join a group of people that are active regarding educating
the public about the health concerns around 5G wireless technology.
Saturday, November 23rd
1pm to 4pm
Wildman Steve Brill Foraging Tour
Sunken Meadow State Park
1 NY State Reference Route 908K
Kings Park
$20 – suggested donation (cash only)/$10 – children under 12
RSVP at least 24 hours in advance of tour (and call the
evening before to confirm and make sure there are no changes of plan on his
end)…
914-835-2143 (it’s his home phone)
Check out his website as there are a BUNCH of instructions
you would do well to heed from where to meet, to what to bring…
If you’ve never gone, do yourself a favor and check this
out. Steve is a brilliant forager (and a hardcore lovable cornball 😊
) and should be considered a national treasure. This is a kid friendly event.
Sunday, November 24th
2pm to 6pm
Healthy Planet’s 26th Annual Turkey-free
Thanksgiving Dinner/Lecture
Sustainability Institute at Molloy College
7180 Republic Airport
Farmingdale
$10 (+$10 if eating and not bringing a vegan potluck dish to
share) – Members/$15 (+$10 if eating and not bringing a vegan potluck dish to
share) – Public/ FREE – under 12 years old
For more info…
631-421-5591
To purchase tickets (and/or become a member)…
2pm - Live music…free soup…socialize/ 3pm – potluck
(including donated food from local eateries/ 4:30pm – Members forum (members
can make a 30 second announcement), intro by group founder Bob DiBenedetto and
guest speaker, Randall Abate, lawyer and author of Climate Change and the
Voiceless/ 5:45pm – Raffles (the raffle prizes have been pretty great here) and
more
Wednesday, December 4th
6:30pm to 8pm
Dr. Pina LoGuidice
Organic Krush
1508 Old Northern Blvd.
Rosyln
FREE
For more info…
Check out naturopath Dr. LoGuidice who has an office in
Huntington. Healthy snacks and cold pressed juices will be served.
7pm to 9pm
The Read Truth about Health Conference planning meeting
Hilton Hotel
598 Broadhollow Rd.
Melville
FREE
For more into about the conference…
Vegan food will be provided.
Wednesday, December 18th
7 to 9pm
Citizens for 5G Awareness
Huntington Hilton
598 Broadhollow Rd
Melville
For more info contact Debbie:
Join a group of people that are active regarding educating
the public about the health concerns around 5G wireless technology.
Wednesday, January 8th
7pm to 9pm
The Read Truth about Health Conference planning meeting
Hilton Hotel
598 Broadhollow Rd.
Melville
FREE
For more into about the conference…
Vegan food will be provided.
Friday, January 17th to Sunday, January 19th
NOFA-NY’s 38th Annual Organic Farming and
Gardening Conference
Oncenter
Syracuse
For more info and to register…
Friday, January 24th to Sunday, February, 2nd
9am to 9:30pm
The Truth About Health
Hilton Long Island
598 Broadhollow Rd.
Melville
FREE
For more info and to register…
If you’re interested in being a sponsor of this event (if
you have a business or service you’d like to promote)…
Vegan meals/snacks are provided. Lots of speakers on lots of
topics regarding health and the environment.
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