As a Baby Boomer, I am truly of the chemical world. I remember growing up in a constant cloud of smoke, chemicals, dyes and additives. I am of the Cool Whip-Twinkie generation and shudder to think of what I've inhaled and ingested in the past 50 plus years.
Growing up in the 50's, 60's and 70's, I saw my Dad apply Roundup to barnyard weeds, spray his cattle with fly spray and toss used oil in the grove.Everyone I knew smoked except my parents, thank goodness, but most houses and cars were hazy and carried a dirty ashtray smell. On hot summer days, we kids watched at the edge of the field as crop dusters flew over and covered the plants with a cloud of red. I remember my Dad eating a quick sandwich of snow white WonderBread and liverwurst with hands stained, not just by black dirt, but with an overlay of Prowl insecticide. Everywhere his fingers rested on that fluff turned it neon yellow.
One day, chemicals just about cost him his life. He was about to apply a pesticide to the cornfield. He hooked up the sprayer to the tractor and mixed a batch of a highly toxic pesticide, Furadan, in the applicator tank. Somehow the fumes overcame him, causing alarm and he belly-crawled to the house and nearly passed out before we got to him. He lay panting in the grass by the back door, pea-green in the face and breathlessly informed us of the mishap.
On any given day we mixed up a batch of red jello or green Kool-Aid for a snack and later used lead based paint to whiten the picket fence. We washed both the brushes and our hands with gasoline and dumped the residue on the driveway.
When I get nervous about all of this, I remind myself that we also lived on a farm with fresh air and fresh produce from the garden on the table each day. We lived near no air pollution (unless you count the manure spread on the fields). There were no cell towers, no microwaves. We raised our own meat and eggs, snipped wild asparagus and herbs in the woods, picked berries for our homecanned jams, jellies and juice, and, despite some corners being cut (occasionally fake cream and store bought cookies), we ate close to home and maintained a much slower, easier paced lifestyle.
Life both then and now could cause great angst. But personally, ecologically, we've come a long way. There is a heightened awareness of what is good for us and our world. Though we battle daily for a better existence, we can feel confident that fresh, raw, homegrown, homemade food is more available than ever. And it is never too late to fix bad habits.
SUMMER GARDEN SALAD
6 ounces sugar snap peas
6 small turnips, scrubbed well
6 small carrots, peeled
2 handfuls beet leaves or baby spinach, rinsed
Juice of one lime
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh mint leaves
Fill a pot with 1 inch of water. Place a steamer insert into the pot and bring the water to a boil. Steam peas for 2 minutes, then plunge into ice water. Drain. Thinly slice turnips. Halve carrots lengthwise and cut into matchsticks. Tear beet greens or spinach into bite-size pieces. Combine vegetables in a large bowl and toss. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, honey and olive oil. Whisk to combine then pour over salad and toss. Garnish with mint leaves.
FRESH HERB CAKE
3 eggs
3/4 cup butter, melted
7 tablespoons whole milk
1-3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, chives, marjoram, thyme)
Salt and pepper
In mixing bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Whisk in butter and milk. Add in flour and baking powder, stirring as little as possible. Add herbs, season with salt and pepper and pour into a greased 8 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for a few minutes and then remove and cool on a wire rack.
FARM GROVE CURRANT JELLY
5 pounds or 3-1/2 quarts currants (to make 5 cups juice after boiling)
7 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon butter
1 pouch Certo liquid pectin
Wash currants, discard stems and crush. Place in a heavy saucepan; add water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Place 3 layers damp cheesecloth in a large bowl. Pour prepared fruit into cloth. Tie closed with string. Hang and let juice drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently. Measure exact amount of juice into an 8 quart pot. If necessary, add enough water to get amount of juice needed (5 cups). Stir sugar into juice. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin quickly. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam with metal spoon. Ladle quickly into prepared jars. Process in a hot water bath. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Refrigerate upon opening.
