MARION NESTLE ADDRESSES A FEW GOOD MEN
My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard.
Mother would come out and say, “You’re tearing up the grass.”
“We’re not raising grass,” Dad would reply.
“We’re raising boys.” ~Harmon Killebrew (1936)
DISTINGUISHED DR NESTLE DISTINGUISHES GRADS
Marion Nestle, distinguished food scientist and writer of the popular food blog Food Politics, distinguished a specific audience of men as she received the John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service from Bard College. Accepting the award at New York State’s Woodbourne Correctional Facility, Dr Nestle gave the commencement address as members of the prison population received their degrees armed – for greater success than their past would indicate – with an undergraduate degree that will help ease their transition back into American treadmill of work/life/pay taxes that free people enjoy. When their time’s up.
POTENTIAL FATHERS ALL
That I had an idea for inmates in the American correctional system to grow organic gardens to feed themselves and gain an income through selling produce in the marketplace is beside the point. That inmates in several states are engaged in organic farming, delivering fresh organic produce to prison kitchens and donating the surplus to local food banks is important news. The crazy thing about this idea is that they’ve not been doing it forever.
Incarcerated populations need ways to learn how to gainfully support themselves upon release, whether it is through growing food for their own consumption or selling it at the marketplace to earn a living wage. How could it not be a success? A huge toast to Bard College who stepped up to the plate in the wake of governmental withdrawal from programs that provided college education to the most disenfranchised legal population in this country today. Higher education and organic farming. Can you think of better use of imprisoned minds and the acres of land surrounding correctional institutions? I don’t think one exists. Learning to baking a chicken, swim and parallel park is followed quickly by having a college education an easy fourth thing for a successful life. And growing your own food certainly ranks in the top ten. As Father’s Day approaches, give yours a hug – just for being there - then or now.
A TIME FOR BREVITY
Have you ever come home after an exhausting day at work, with maybe something in the refrigerator to prepare but precious little energy to bother doing anything at all? We’ve all been there. Some of us live there! I was there today and, to top it off, I was very hungry. What to do? I was hungry for Marinated Chicken in Wine and – not only had I not bothered to marinate the chicken a day or two ago – I wasn’t up for marinating chicken for even ten minutes.
Here’s what I did. First of all, I turned on the oven to preheat. Looking over the peaches from the many I’d stocked up on yesterday (at eighty-eight cents a pound!) two on top had ripened nicely, and one seemed to fairly leap into my mouth. Next, I got out the chicken parts (the wacky price of thirty-eight cents a pound, how could I not stock up?) and threw them in a skillet and, while sucking on my peach, retrieved a few things from the cupboard.
Let’s see. Balsamic vinegar. Love the stuff. What would happen if I put a little on chicken and baked it? Never done that before. Only one way to find out. Wine is made from grapes and so is balsamic vinegar.  Just a little, now – it is vinegar, after all – turning it to coat evenly. I had half an onion – how could I go so long without buying onions? – so I sliced it into the skillet, and threw in a few inches of the garlic scape I had from the green market.
NOW THAT’S COOKIN’!
Fill a saucepan with a cup of filtered water and put on the stove to boil. The oven had not yet come up to temp, so I looked deep into the recesses of the fridge for other likely dinner candidates. Oh, look! A single serving left over of the Marinated Vegetables. Into my mouth they went, with barely a stop onto a plate. Oven’s hot, in goes the chicken. Water’s boiling, add the rice, salt, stir, cover, return to boil, off heat and throw it in the oven beside the chicken. Rice will cook without danger of the pot going dry without my having to check on it. Into the living room I go to put my feet up and open a book until the timer goes off signaling dinner is done.
Now, on this particular night I was so hungry and so tired all I wanted to do was eat. So I put the chicken on a plate, added the rice, spooned the pan juices on top, and called it dinner. It was, um, okay. While I was eating, all the while I kept saying, “I should have reduced the juice.” And after my hunger was sated and I had read enough to call myself no longer tired, I cleared the table, went into the kitchen and reduced the pan juices (just simmer to concentrate the flavors). I added some chicken stock and a little white wine and, when hot, thickened with a little cornstarch mixed with water (just a bit). Whoa! What a difference that made. The added liquids rounded out the tang of the balsamic nicely.
Reserving the gravy for another day (it’s a good thing I baked three chicken quarters) I can make more rice, heat the chicken, add the gravy and, in a fraction of the time, have dinner in front of me. And I’ve created a new dish! Yes, it is just that simple to make new things in the kitchen. I spent longer writing this post than the entirety of this dinner. It just takes some food in the fridge, staples the pantry, and desire in the heart. Cooking is so easy, anyone can do it. Confidence helps. Practice gets you there. And it’s all practice.
