The Griddle

Porked: Early Morning Marinations

Lee Stabert — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:08:42 +0000

iPhone camera to the rescueI don't usually spend my mornings marinating giant slabs of meat in dry rub, but there's a first time for everything. Friday potlucks are tough—there isn't really time to do anything too ambitious. Luckily, I found a helper willing to toss my pork shoulders into the over around mid-day today (they need six hours). I'm spending my day up in Lancaster at the Annville Mill. By the time I get home tonight, my meat should be fall-apart tender...I hope. This is a first time recipe for me. Also, as you can see, my large roasting pan has made a run for it, and I had to improvise.

The pork shoulders themselves came from Whole Foods (they were tapped out of Country Time at Fair Food, I was so devastated that I made the employees feel awkward). I was actually surprised at the amount of local meat they had at the store on South St. These came from Meadow Run, a great local, sustainable farm in Lititz.

I'll make sure to give everyone an update on the results on Monday.

Upcoming: Weaver's Way Job Fair

Lee Stabert — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:11:40 +0000

In May, Weaver's Way Co-op is opening a new location in Chestnut Hill (at the site of the old Caruso's Market). On Monday, March 15, they're hosting a job fair to staff the joint.Weaver's Way expects to create a minimum of 30 new full- and part-time jobs, and will be recruiting for departments including Grocery, Produce, Deli, Prepared Foods and Cashiers. The Job Fair will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 8400 Germantown Ave., right next door to the new store.

Rabbit Run: When it Comes to Bunnies, Does Cuteness Impact Deliciousness?

Lee Stabert — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:38:10 +0000

This story was published by the New York Times over a week ago, but I keep finding myself talking about it, so I figured I would bring it up with the legions of Griddle readers.

Despite the horrific title, "Hip Hop Cuisine" (which just makes me think of this atrocity), the article is an interesting discussion of eating bunnies—er, I mean rabbits. It centers on a rabbit butchering workshop held in What's-Next-In-Food Central: Brooklyn.

Galleria as Greenhouse: Could It Work Here?

Lee Stabert — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:52:40 +0000

I really hate malls, which is one reason I love this idea.

From the original story in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer:

Now Vicky Poole, the Galleria's marketing and events director, who worked on her grandpa's farm as a child, expects that by late spring or early summer, there will be fresh tomatoes for sale among the shops and galleries at the downtown Cleveland mall.

Very fresh -- as in vine-grown in bags and troughs hanging from steel stair banisters and ceiling beams in the shopping center that stretches between East Ninth and East 12th streets.

Books: 'Urban and Suburban Meadows' Takes On the Lawn

Cassie Cummins — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:42:03 +0000

Now that temperatures are on the rise and spring is growing near, our attention is once again brought back to the garden. Also growing near is the release date for Urban and Suburban Meadows: Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces, written by photographer, certified horticulturalist and landscape designer Catherine Zimmerman (my mom!).

Urban and Suburban Meadows addresses the issues caused by the planting non-native lawns in America. That breed of landscaping leads to the destruction of ecosystems, which are then replaced by chemically-reliant monocultures. But more importantly, the book enables its readers to reverse that land care practice and have a positive impact on the environment while enjoying the beauty and diversity of native landscapes.

Grid’s Guide to Philly’s Top CSAs: Vollmecke Orchards

Ariela Rose — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:38:56 +0000

It might be difficult to gain access to Vollmecke Orchard’s CSA this season, but getting on their waiting list will work to your advantage in the end. The 37-acre family-owned farm in Chester County is on a mission is to “be a vibrant successful family farm based on quality produce and respect for nature.”

Whale of a Tale: Filmmakers Launch a Sushi Sting

Lee Stabert — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:43:39 +0000

I've been talking a lot recently about the fact that the more I learn about industrial/unsustainable food production, the fewer things I can enjoy eating. This isn't all bad. It's important to be an ethical, conscientious consumer, and sometimes the more you learn about a product (especially when it comes from a local, independently-owned source) the more you enjoy it.

These days I've been finding out a lot about fish.

Grid’s Guide to Philly’s Top CSAs: Red Earth Farm

Ariela Rose — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:33:16 +0000

Red Earth Farm, located in Schuylkill County, promises fresh local produce grown without any synthetic, artificial or chemical substances. The 13-acre farm shares its bounty at local farmers' markets and with CSA members from June to November. Weekly CSA shares are chosen by members from an online list of available produce. These orders are then shipped to a wide range of locations in Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs for either Tuesday or Thursday pick-up. Depending on the season, CSA members can expect to choose from a large variety of colorful produce, including black and Asian eggplant, patti pan squash, red beets and seven types of peppers.

Upcoming: Teens 4 Good Turn Vacant Lots into Something Beautiful

Ariela Rose — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:02:49 +0000

The health of a nation (or in this case a city) begins with the initiatives of young people. Teens 4 Good, a program of the Federation of Neighborhood Centers, shows the kind of initiative and promise Philadelphia needs to become a healthy and sustainable city. The group transforms vacant city lots into urban gardens, providing access to healthy foods for isolated neighborhoods.

Sick Stuff: Kristof Talks Antibiotics and Farming

Lee Stabert — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:45:15 +0000

Russ KremerSpeaking of Fresh, one of the film's most interesting and affecting stories involves Russ Kremer, a pig farmer in Missouri. For years, he ran a commercial pork operation, which meant daily doses of antibiotics for all his animals. One day he was injured by a hog, and nearly died from an antibiotic-resistant infection he had helped cultivate. This incident was a game-changer for Kremer—he realized that he was not only putting his health at risk, but the health of his friends, neighbors and family. He transformed his farm, and eventually founded the Ozark Mountain Pork Coop, an alliance of sustainable pork producers.

Nicholas Kristof's column in Sunday's New York Times addresses the threat posed by commercial agriculture's overuse of antibiotics: