As I was jarring honey over the summer I re-watched Food Inc. and felt oddly satisfied that I was actively taking down “big honey”. As an urban farmer I’m really exited to eat local food and bring it to the community. I’d like to think that I’m a warrior in the battle against corporate food companies. Although at this point I’m not providing food for an entire community, I would like to in the future. While reading and researching (urban) farming I’ve learned a lot about food that we as consumers are completely blind to. For example, I wanted to get goats and I started thinking how awesome it would be to get milk from local goats, the more I read the more I realized that goats and cows milk works just like a human, they have to be pregnant or a new mother in order for them to produce milk. That means that I would have to birth a baby goat before I could have a goat to milk. That was a moment where I really realized how far away we are from our food that we don’t even know how milking a goat or cow works.

My inspiration for urban farming Novella Carpenter wrote in her book “Farm City” about trying to eat food only from her own locally grown organic garden or trading her own food with friends for other locally grown food for a month. I would love to be able to do this at some point in my life, Maybe I could try it for a week this year eating only eggs, honey and greens from my garden.

Recipe makes 1 serving with 2 eggs per serving.

Ingredients:  

• Eggs (2)

• Salt, Pepper or spices to taste. 

• Coconut Oil (1Tbsp.)

Cooking Instructions:

(Depending on how you choose to cook them, soft boiled eggs can be made differently)

In class I will remove eggs from the carton and crack them into the receptacle (after coating the tin in coconut spray) of the soft boiled egg maker. I will fill the machine with water and place the tray inside, then put the lid on and wait until the timer goes off. I’ll remove the tray and plate the eggs and allow people to add salt if they wish. 

At home you can make soft boiled eggs by placing whole untracked eggs into a saucepan, then filling the pan with water until the eggs are fully submerged. Bring the water to a boil on high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a medium-low and cook the eggs for 2-4 minutes (the longer you cook the eggs, the harder boiled they will be, if you like the yolk runny, cook the egg for 2 minutes, if you prefer the yolk firmer, cook for 4 minutes or more). Once the eggs are done, remove them from the water, and gently crack the top of the egg open and enjoy.

Nutrition: 

Contrary to popular belief, eggs do not increase cholesterol. Eggs are a superfood just like Kale and Salmon. Eggs provide very lean protein, with no fat, no sugar and only 78 calories per egg (and even less in the egg white alone) and provide high quality protein providing all the essential amino acids and will keep you full for hours after you eat them.

Sourcing The Food:

What’s really unique about this meal is that it only has one single ingredient, and that ingredient has come from my backyard. Socially, this egg means a lot to me because I’ve connected with my chickens and can see the process from animal, to plate. Part of what urban farming is all about is connecting with your food and when selling it to others, I believe it’s important to share it’s story. What’s awesome is that each egg I bring tomorrow will  be from a different chicken. I’ll be able to explain to people (If they want) which chicken laid which egg and their personality and why the egg is the size or shape that it is. For a detailed plan of how this will go, please refer to this Portlandia clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErRHJlE4PGI.

Again, these eggs have come from my backyard in Philly only 8 miles from school and the only fossil fuel used to transport them will be used by the bus that drives me to school. Unfortunately, my eggs aren't organic, while the chickens are cage-free, free ranging and the feed we feed them is organic, we also choose to feed them table scraps from our house that are not organic. Because the chicken and egg are similar to a mother and baby, the nutrients eaten by the chicken are passed on to the egg. 

One of the best part about these eggs is that they’re free. No one made money off of these eggs, the only real money spent was on the chicken, their food and the chicken coop.  Compared to the eggs you might get at a fast food restaurant, these eggs have much more protein in them, you can even see the difference, store bought eggs are noticeably less vibrantly orange than farm fresh eggs. 

I don’t feel like this is the place to lecture people on the differences between factory egg production and at home egg production, this is certainly a good hook to get people interested. If people are interested, I have pictures of my chicken coop and we can look up images of factory farming and highlight the clear differences between the two. Simple things like cage-free and free ranging and comparing that chickens are kept in cages 24-7 and their eggs drop through the floor and run down a conveyor belt compared to a chicken being able to roam around a clean spacious area and when they feel like laying an egg, they have the option of various nesting places where they can calmly lay their eggs. I can talk for days about chickens. 

Recipe & Analysis

Baked Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 6 servings

Cook time: about 1.5 hours

Prep time: 30 minutes

9 medium organic russet potatoes (about 3 pounds)

1/2 stick of salted butter

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

5 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Sea salt & freshly ground black Pepper, as much desired

Crushed red pepper flakes, as much desired

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1) Take the potatoes and rinse them under cold water; peel them until completely bare. Place the potatoes in a large pot with cold water over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Strain the potatoes, then put them back into the pot.

2) Take the potato masher to your root vegetable, that way, when you add in your first couple of ingredients, they become absorbed by the potatoes, creating a tastier dish. Add your milk and butter, but portion the milk as you stir it in. Do the same for the olive oil.

3) Add your salt, pepper, garlic slices, and red pepper flakes.

4) Add in all of the cheese, or leave some on the side to sprinkle on top before baking. Stir the potatoes until creamy.

5) Pour the mashed potatoes into a baking dish, place on top shelf of oven, uncovered. Leave in for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown.

6) Serve hot.

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Processed vs.Whole Food

3 out of 8 items are processed, about 38% (37.5% to be exact)

Salted butter

Milk

Parmesan cheese

Health/nutrition

Since only 3 items have nutritional info available on their container, I can only write about them.

Salted butter

Calories: 100

Fat: 11g

Cholesterol: 30mg

Sodium: 90mg

Vitamin A: 8%

Butter can be good and it can be bad. Even though it contains 8% vitamin A, which is needed for the health of the thyroid, and also contains a number of anti-oxidants that protect against things that weaken the arteries, it can also be really harmful to other parts of your body. If the butter is conventional anyway (contains GMOs), and you’re continually consuming it, it’s most likely giving youorgan damage, gastrointestinal and immune system disorders, is accelerating your aging, digestion problems, and many more. Butter is fattening; it turns into actual fat in your body.

Milk

Calories: 150

Fat: 8g

Cholesterol: 35mg

Sodium: 130mg

Protein: 8g

Vitamin A: 6%

Vitamin C: 4%

Calcium: 30%

Vitamin D: 25%

Milk is amazing for getting potassium (which can avoid Charley Horse’s), and stronger bones. A downside to consuming milk, is that if you are a person who consumes a lot of sodium, and then you consume a lot of milk you have a higher chance of acquiring high blood pressure.

EVOO

Calories: 120

Fat: 14g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 0g

Omega-6: 9.7%

Omega-3: 0.76%

Vitamin E: 72% of the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance)

Vitamin K: 75% of the RDA

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the best oils and fats for you and your body. Not only is it good for your skin and hair, but it’s also good as an anti-inflammatory and provider of nutrients. If the oil is pressed naturally, the EVOO would be high in phenolic antioxidants, the main reason why olive oil is so beneficial (phenolic antioxidants offer resistance to illnesses ranging from cancer to arthritis). EVOO is easily digestible and tasty start to any dressing.

Environmental

My potatoes and cheese are organic and came from a farmers market near my house; the farmers are located here in PA. Everything else was purchased at Shoprite. Shoprite uses food from Wakefern Food Corporation located in Keasbey, New Jersey. So the food I purchased from Shoprite traveled the furthest.

Political/economic

Butter: $2.19

Milk: $4.99

Cheese: $10.99

EVOO: $12.00

Salt: $2.29

Pepper: $3.49

Red Pepper Flakes: $3.00

Garlic: $2.69

Potatoes: $6.00

= $46.14 (about $50)

The price I spent on making this meal is equivalent to about 5 regular meals not from the dollar menu at McDonalds. Shoprite and its corporations (Wakefern Food Corp., specifically), and the farmers made money off of my meal.

Social

People have the option of gaining weight because of the ingredients within the meal.The parmesan cheese at Shoprite, already grated, was $3.99, but the whole cheese from the Farmer’s Market, same amount of ounces as the Shoprite brand, cost $7 more. Similar to my potatoes, the organic potatoes from the Farmer’s Market, cost $2.00 more than potatoes at Shoprite. The potatoes were grown in PA, on an organic farm, and the cheese came from grass fed cows, so it’s all healthy.

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/10-Reasons-to-Avoid-GMOs

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/dairy-truths?page=2

http://authoritynutrition.com/extra-virgin-olive-oil/

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-phenolic-antioxidants.htm

first you cook the rice for 30min:

- when the pot of white rice is ready

-let it sit for few hours so the rice get cold and than

-put cold water once the rice is cold

Fried your fish:

• get any kind of fish
• session it with salt and paper
• and fried them on a pot with oil until it get really crispy

I chose this dish because it is really close to me and also my culture because I’m from Bangladesh and as everybody know Bangladesh is not a wealthy country and it got it freedom in 1971 from Pakistan and during the war that only thing that people could affort to eat was white wet rice with fried fish. And I think This is the most healthy food I can think of and its really helpful over the summer season because it get really hot and the wet rice will keep you cold inside.

-salmon

-salt and pepper

-different types of seasoning

-olive oil

-green and red peppers

-lemon juice

-Parsley

-garlic clove

-broccoli 

-butter

 Process:

1. Rinse the fish off with the lemon juice

2. Season it in separate plate

3. pour oil in the aluminum foil pan and place the fish on it

4. Then out the fish in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes

5. lightly broccoli in a pot for about 5-10 minutes

7. When cooked sprinkle some salt and pepper with a touch of butter on top

Food Analysis:

I'm not sure where salmon originally comes from, but I know that salmon comes from the latin word salmonand lives in freshwater. The cost of salmon usually ranges from 4-8 dollars a pound depending on where it is bought. Broccoli was introduced from the Italian more than 200 years ago and from then on has been of large production because of it's essential nutrients of fiber, vitamins, carbs, protein and fat. Fresh broccoli usually cost around $1.80- to $2 per pound. Those of which are the essential part of the dish. All the other things such as the seasons, lemon juice and olive oil are pretty cheap as well in any local grocery store, especially walmart.

Regardless of the ingredients baking foods are but more healthier than frying because in frying foods  in all forms frying lead to no water-soluble vitamin loss, and very few heat-sensitive vitamins are lost. It can also lead to a high absorption of added fat and the formation of acrylamide. While baking requires little added fat.  Salmon is an excellent source of high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals. By using healthy oils like olive oil can boost your intake of healthy fats and vitamin E. The estimated time for this dish is about 25 minutes so it's not long of a wait. Broccoli is a good source of carbs and fiber, with 13 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fiber per serving. It helps you feel full faster, which might help you manage your weight. It also helps with prevention of heart disease, diabetes, and diverticular disease. Cooked broccoli is a good source of a number of essential vitamins and minerals that help keep you healthy, including vitamin C, folate and potassium.

Two ingredients that I would compare in my dish would be the salmon and the broccoli. Farming process vs planting or gaining these ingredients re my own would be very hard considering the type of environment that i live in. I live in an urban area so there isn't much of an healthy environment to plant broccoli or an access to a healthy freshwater ocean or lake to fish for salmon. Therefore, the only way to have these things would be to buy them at a local general store.

Personal Reflection:

I rarely had any issues with his unit because this unit was more so as a refresher for me. I learned a lot about the food industries in the 8th grade. Most of the things I already was aware of, but the biggest problem I've seen and that seemed to be new to me was when we watch the video on to talk of the man who was dedicated his life to educating people about the truth behind these things (TED Talk) he said that the labeling in this industry is massively incorrect. He used an example of how companies say that its milk is low in fat when is filled with tons of sugar. Which is something that is very true, but I never really paid attention, something I felt intrigued by. Another thing that caught my attention in this unit was that the maps that we looked over and how the rate in the US of people gain pounds increased over time. I always had a sense that was happening, but I wasn't really aware of how fast and rapid it was going along with how much is spread among the states. An interesting fact brought up in the TED talk video was that the school foods were just about similarly unhealthy like fast food. There aren’t fresh because of the budget cuts which makes them desperate in using the food that they can get, which are the unhealthy foods. I want to and will encourage my little sister and help her to stop eating those foods by packing her lunch before going to school or at night. Inform my mom on this information so that when she buys groceries she can be more mindful of these things. We are huge role in the food industry because we are not only victims of unhealthy foods, but also the consumers and the more we buy the stronger this cycle will become.

Ingredients: 

- Chicken

- Roman 

- Lettuce 

- Grated cheese 

• Croutons 
• Creamy caesar salad dressing 
• Lemon juice
• Black pepper 

Instructions: 

- Season the chicken and grill it 

- Rinse off the lettuce & put it into a bowl

- When chicken is fully cooked, add it to the bowl with salad

- Add grated cheese onto the chicken and lettuce 

- Add the dressing 

- Add croutons on top 

- Lightly stir everything together

- Serve 

Analysis: 

Caesar salad is know internationally. People often eat in on the side of their main  course meals and sometimes even on the side of their meals. People can make caesar salad any way they want to. This salad does not really have one specific way it has to be made in order to have that title. Chicken caesar salad is both tasty and healthy. It really only takes a few simple ingredients to create the salad. 

First, the chicken has to be cooked on a stove top and seasoned. After cooked, the chicken has to be sliced or chopped up in order to be proportioned right with everything else that goes into the salad. After the chicken is finished, the lettuce has to be rinsed off and chopped as well. Add the chicken into the salad bowl after the lettuce is chopped. Then add the grated cheese into the bowl along with the fresh squeezed lemon juice. After, stir lightly then start to pour the salad dressing into the bowl while still stirring. Then after that, add the croutons in the bowl and continue to stir lightly. 

2 cups grain rice (rinsed)

4 to 5 cups of hot water,

3 tablespoons of sofrito

16 ounce can of gandules

1 packet of Sazon with achiote

3 tablespoons of oil

Salt and adobo

Process

1. Add the oil into a big pot and let it heat up.

2. Add the sofrito into the pot and stir it until it starts to bubble up.

3. Add the gandules (beans) into the mixture and add the sazon.

4.Add the salt to give it more taste

5. Add a little bit of adobo to give it more taste.

6. Add water and let it boil

7. Then add the rice and lower the heat to low.

8. DO NOT STIR right away. Wait 10 minutes and stir rice.

9.Sir rice every 10 minutes for 30-40 minutes until the rice is tender.

Analysis: (this part you will be explaining how this meal is healthy, sofrito, guandules sazon and the ingredients basically)

Arroz con gandules is a combination of rice, pigeon peas and pork, cooked in the same pot with Puerto Rican-style sofrito. This is the signature dish of Puerto Rican culture and also has become very popular throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Arroz con gandules is part of Puerto Rico's national dish.

Arroz con gandules is a pretty healthy meal if you look at the ingredients. One of the major components that displays its healthiness is the fact that you have to make it from scratch. Since you are making it entirely from scratch, the excess chemicals that are contained in processed foods isn’t a problem.

Sofrito offers a lot of healthy nutrition for the body because it is a mixture of all natural vegetables blended. These vegetables such as peppers, greens, onions, garlic, etc. contain nutrients that the body need on the daily basis such as Vitamin D, E, and C.