Green Options

Recently, I’ve noticed a new trend in recipe ingredients. When newer recipes, especially those on foodie recipe websites, call for olive oil, they don’t just call for “2 tbsp. olive oil.” The recipes now frequently call for “2 tbsp. of the best olive oil you can get.” I don’t know about you, but when I think of best quality olive oil, I always think it must come from Italy. So I make sure my olive oil comes from Italy.

I know that olive oil is a healthier choice, and I use it frequently. I buy the supermarket brand (which is a product of Italy) because, honestly, I understand that some of the more expensive brands may taste better, but I’m not willing to put out the money for expensive oil. But maybe I should be. Or maybe I should be buying it from a source closer to me than Italy - like the U.S.

Here’s why I’m questioning my olive oil choices. I recently came across an article written last August in the U.K. Telegraph titled Olive Oil Consumption Leading to ‘Serious Environmental Problem.’ According to the article, Ecologist magazine reports that in Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal

My six-year-old daughter loves oven roasted Jerusalem artichokes, and that’s a good thing, since they have taken over our garden. I call Jerusalem artichokes our survival food, as they grow so easily, spread like wildfire, and are ready for eating throughout the winter and early spring.  Sure, they are a pain to clean, but that is a small price to pay for a homegrown meal in the winter.  My family will never starve, as we always have Jerusalem artichokes.

Jerusalem artichokes are not artichokes, and they do not come from Jerusalem.   They are often called sunchokes, as the plant grows very tall in the summer and blooms a golden flower.  Sunchokes are native to the eastern US and were first cultivated by Native Americans, although they don’t take much cultivation, in my experience.  According to Wikipedia, “Jerusalem artichokes have 650 mg. potassium per 1 cup (150g) serving. They are also high in iron, and contain 10-12% of the RDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper.”  Jerusalem artichokes offer an important source of potassium for those trying to follow the 100 Mile Diet and thus avoiding bananas.

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes 

Wash and cut the tubers into about 1/2-1 inch pieces, the more uniform, the better.  Place the cut sunchokes in a glass baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.  Add crushed garlic (2-3 cloves for a 9″  x  13″ pan).

My sister is due to have a baby next week, and I have been trying to think of the best, natural, newborn baby advice. My sister’s labor will be quite different than mine, as both of my children were born at home in water, and she will be giving birth in a hospital. My midwives had prepared a list of things needed for a home birth, and one item on the list was organic olive oil.

I have read many books on natural childbirth, such as Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and Special Delivery. When I saw olive oil on my midwives’ list, I assumed it was for massaging the perineum to prevent tearing during labor. After my first child was born; however, I discovered the real reason every newborn’s parent should have olive oil on hand.

A newborn baby’s first stools are called meconium. Meconium is a dark, tar-like substance created in the baby’s digestive system in utero from ingesting amniotic fluid, epithelial cells, etc. In fact, the term meconium is derived from the term meconium-arion, meaning “opium-like”, because of its thick, dark appearance.