April and its vegetables

Cooking with the seasons means choosing fruits and vegetables that are at the peak of freshness and flavor. Buying locally grown produce is the best: local produce is less likely to be damaged, uses less energy to transport, ripens more naturally and you support your local economy.


Some of the fruits and vegetables that are in season for April include:

•Artichokes •Arugula (Rocket) •Asparagus

•Beans •Beets

•Chicory •Chives

•Dandelion greens

•Fava Beans •Fiddlehead Fern

•Horseradish

•Leeks (end of season) •Lettuce (leaf and head) •Limes

•Morel Mushrooms

•Oranges

•Papayas •Peas

•Ramps •Rhubarb

•Shallots •Strawberries •Sweet Onions

•Turnips

•Watercress

Nubeena Mussels

Nubeena Mussels in a Dill Curry Coconut Broth with Asian Greens and Glass Noodles

Paste
Blend all ingredients in food processor.
Will keep in refrigerator for up to one month.
1 bunch dill (roots and leaf)
1/2 bunch basil (root and leaf)
1/2 bunch coriander (root and leaf)
5 birds eye chillies
1/2 medium knob ginger, peeled
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 red onion, peeled
good pinch of cracked black pepper
pinch of salt
50g almonds, peeled
1 kg fresh mussels
100ml good quality vegetable oil
50 ml white wine
1 spanish onion, peeled and sliced
250 ml fresh chicken stock
200ml coconut cream
100g rice noodles
50g asian greens
80g bean sprouts
salt and pepper to taste
Heat wok until smoking, add oil and mussels and 3 tablespoons of paste, then add wine and cover with lid for 1-2 minutes.
Shaking occasionally.
When mussels have started to open add stock. When almost cooked add remainder of ingredients and heat through well and serve in a warm bowl immediately.

Discard any unopened mussels.

Another Bush's gem

After an extensive audit and investigation of alleged improprieties at the USDA's National Organic Program, the agency's Office of Inspector General (OIG) made public their formal report, dated March 9, substantiating the allegations of prominent organic industry watchdog groups -- that under the Bush administration, the USDA did an inadequate job of enforcing federal organic law.

Since 2002, when the USDA adopted the federal organic regulations, the agency has been plagued by underfunding and a number of scandals and complaints about its cozy relationship with agribusiness interests and lobbyists.

Ariccia

Ariccia is named after the ancient town of Ariccia, Italy, located in the “Castelli Romani” region and is situated 17 milessoutheast of Rome. Ariccia is home to the famous Palazzo Chigi which was reconstructed in the late 17th century by Gian LorenzoBernini, an acclaimed Italian Architect, sculptor and painter. The nearby “Castel Gandolfo” has been the Pope’s summer residencesince the 12th century and remains so today. Notably, Ariccia is the home of the international campus of Auburn University, College of Human Sciences and is therefore the inspiration behind the name.

Rosa De Lauro

We are grateful to Representative DeLauro for her commitment to providing consumers with more nutrition information in chain restaurants across the country," said Scott DeFife, the Association’s Executive Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs, who attended today's event. "Without Rep. DeLauro's leadership, we would not be here today."




The National Restaurant Association supported the nutrition disclosure provision, which was recently signed into law by President Obama. The agreement creates a national, uniform standard for chain restaurants with 20 or more locations that would provide customers with a wide range of nutrition information – mirroring the information available on packaged foods – at the point of purchase. Caloric information would be highlighted on menus, menu boards, and drive-thru boards.