The more I read about seafood, from overfishing to mercury contamination, the less comfortable I feel about eating it. This is sad because seafood used to be my protein of choice. Lately, I’ve been leaning toward nut butter and eggs and have made fish a special occasion food. I’m choosing to give most fish a break, in hopes that others will, too, and there will be enough for us to continue to eat fish and support healthy ocean ecosystems.

That means that many items are off my list, but there are still a good number I feel all right about eating. It’s a complex story that requires a bit of work to sort out. Seafood wallet cards by Monterey Bay Aquarium, Blue Ocean Institute and other environmental organizations are great, but they don’t supply enough information. They also require you to ask tough questions of your fishmonger about origin and catch method.

It’s fine to ask. It’s actually really good to ask. That’s the only way retailers and restaurants will know you care. If the waiter of fishmonger doesn’t know the answer to my question about an item on the menu or in the fish counter, I simply won’t buy it. If enough of us do this, that will most certainly send a message that consumers want more sustainable choices. (It’s best to ask in a matter-of-fact rather than confrontational manner.)

Here’s my scheme for what to eat and why. These are my choices. Many people will not agree with me – I tend to err on the side of conservation. We all have environmental lines we won’t cross and they are different for everybody. (Skip down to the end of the post for the 11 sustainable choices.)

The big three: tuna, shrimp and salmon

These are the most consumed fish in America, and as such, you can make a bigger difference by knowing what types, if any, are better choices.

Image: mccun934

Shrimp: Have you noticed that as shrimp became more available more cheaply, it stopped tasting good? There’s a reason that shrimp went from being a special occasion treat to an all-you-can-eat buffet at Red Lobster. And that reason is poor farming practices.

This fascinating article in Orion magazine lays out the entire cost of that cheap shrimp. Today, 90 percent of our shrimp – more than 1 billion pounds a year – come from foreign farms. Those farms have a high environmental price, including destruction of the world’s mangrove forests.

Wild caught shrimp caught by ocean trawler is no better. This method of fishing causes a huge bycatch, including endangered species like sea turtles.

So what kind of shrimp do I eat? I eat wild caught shrimp caught using traps, which is definitely a special occasion food. Spot prawns qualify, as do trap-caught shrimp from Nova Scotia. There are probably others in other parts of the country. Oregon pink shrimp (these are the little ones you put in shrimp cocktails) are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. It’s just not worth it to eat commodity shrimp.

Image: stevendepolo

Tuna: Tuna is one of my favorite foods. I used to love those little cans of olive oil-packed Spanish or Italian tuna. I’ve given it up. Why? Many species, like the bluefin, are endangered or caught using harmful practices. And many others are high in mercury. This includes many canned tunas. Just because there isn’t a warning, doesn’t mean it’s safe to eat, due to the FDA’s cozy relationship with the canned tuna industry.

That’s not to say that tuna can’t be sustainable. I will eat smaller species of tuna, like skipjack (smaller species are lower in mercury) that are pole and line caught (not long-line caught). All of this means I don’t really eat tuna because it’s so hard to obtain this information and difficult to afford the fish once you do.

Image: fotoosvanrobin

Salmon: The rise of farmed salmon commodified salmon in the same way shrimp  farming commodified shrimp. By now most people are familiar with the problems around farmed salmon, as they’ve been pretty well-publicized.

What about “sustainable farmed salmon”? There are salmon farms doing a pretty good job of eliminating escape, keeping things clean and eschewing the use of antibiotics. But, I won’t eat farmed salmon, or any carnivorous fish simply because it’s so inefficient. It takes about 4 pounds of little wild fish to make 1 pound of salmon. When one-third of the world’s population depends on fish for its protein needs (including these little fish that we would call trash fish) it’s just unconscionable for me to eat farmed salmon.

Watch out for “organic fish” too. It isn’t. Up until a few years ago, wild caught Pacific salmon from northern California up to Alaska was a tasty sustainable choice. The California and Oregon commercial fisheries were closed in 2008 and 2009 due to surprisingly low populations. And now populations are dwindling in Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. I will buy wild salmon maybe once or twice a year and enjoy it immensely but I think we need to give it a break.

What else is there left in the sea to eat? Turns out, plenty. You just have to get a little adventurous.

Image: stu_spivack

1. Sardines: I’ve said it before. Sardines are one of the best choices of all fish. Why? They are small and low on the food chain so they don’t accumulate toxins. They grow fast and the way they are caught minimizes bycatch and damage to the ocean floor. I’m happy to see I’m not the only one singing their praises. Here’s a Washington Post article about the Sardinistas, a group of sardine lovers working hard to help people love sardines.

Image: bea-t

2-4. Farmed mollusks like clams, oysters and mussels. Why? Because they are farmed without harming the environment and they are filter feeders so they can actually restore the eco-system where they grow.

Image: virtualern

5-6. Lobster and some crab. Bad news for the oceans is good news for lovers of large crustaceans. Changes in the ocean environment mean there’s plenty of these to go around. Choose Dungeness or stone crab. Not blue, king, or snow.

7. Pacific Halibut: Expensive but it’s tasty and on the “green” list in the Seafood Watch Guide.

Image: naotakem (herbed mackerel shown with crusted sardines)

8. Mackerel: the small kind. Not king Mackerel, which are high in mercury. Mackerel grows fast and is caught with gear that doesn’t harm the ocean floor or contribute to significant bycatch. Mackerel is a strong tasting fish that lends itself well to the types of preparations we used to do with tuna or swordfish, except it comes in fillet form, not steaks. (Here’s a great recipe for mackerel.) It makes sublime sushi, appearing as saba on the sushi bar menu. If you’re a sushi lover and feel dismayed by this post, check out one of the newish sustainable sushi guides.

Image: sashafatcat

9. Black Cod or Sablefish from British Columbia or Alaska: Look for Marine Stewardship Council Certified black cod as the California and Pacific Northwest fisheries are less abundant. This fish fills a culinary hole left by the forbidden snappers and rock fishes, though not perfectly. It’s a mild white fish that is versatile enough to pan sauté, use in fish tacos, broil, bake or fry.

Image: ralph and jenny

10 & 11. US farmed striped bass and trout: US farmed freshwater fish is what the experts are always telling us to eat because they are farmed in closed systems that don’t pollute the environment and they are fed vegetarian feed so there isn’t an overall loss of protein. The problem for me is that most of them don’t taste very good. I will marinate and grill or bake a whole trout now and then, stuffed with lots of aromatics. Striped bass are pretty good stuffed with garlic, ginger and green onions, and steamed whole with the head on Chinese-style, but try as I might, I just can’t love tilapia or catfish.

There’s a new domestically-farmed fish that just made the green list, Cobia. I’ll be investigating it and serving up my findings in the form of a recipe soon.

Image: Logan Cyrus

There is something about berries that screams summer to me. Where I live in England it’s the height of strawberry season right now and the berries are cheap and plentiful. They are also succulent and sweet with the summer sun -  unlike the watery tart versions you get from supermarkets out of season. For the next few months we will have a berry bonanza with raspberries, gooseberries, blueberries, red currants, white currants, black currants, and finally in the autumn, blackberries.

For my fifth birthday I begged my mother to make a strawberry shortcake – I think I must have been inspired by the saccharine Strawberry Shortcake doll that was popular with the under-seven set at the time. The only problem? We lived in Bathurst, a small inland city a few hours west of Sydney, and my birthday was in midwinter. There was snow on the ground and fresh strawberries were non-existent. My mother ended up making the strawberry shortcake with tinned strawberries. She was horrified but my five-year-old self was perfectly delighted with the result.

These days, you can buy imported berries at any time of year. In winter, in London the supermarkets are filled with cheap blueberries that have been air-freighted from Peru. EcoSalon readers are almost certainly aware of the terrible environmental impact of such a luxury but never mind the food miles, the fruit is inevitably disappointing as well.

Fortunately, there are better ways to extend the taste of summer fruit into the cold months – and now is the time to think about it. If you grow berries yourself, unless you have a large family, you probably cannot keep pace with the berry eating and need to think about preserving the harvest. If not, you can still join in the fun by visiting a pick-your-own farm (preferably an organic one, since conventionally-grown strawberries are one of the most pesticide-ridden fruits and vegetables) or taking advantage of discounts at the farmers’ markets.

The simplest way to preserve berries is to freeze them. The trick is to lay the berries out on a baking tray and freeze them individually before bagging them up – otherwise, the berries will stick together.

Or you can go for the time-honoured route and try your hand at jam-making. I tried it for the first time with my aunt in Scotland two years ago and it was actually far easier than I thought. It was also quite fast – it took longer to pick the berries than to make the jam. At the simplest level, it is simply cooking up fruit and sugar.

The standard rule is to have equal quantities of fruit and sugar – a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit (or a kilogram of sugar to a kilogram of fruit). You can play around with this a little if you like – for example, 16oz of raspberries to 14oz of sugar will make a jam that is slightly less sweet. Be aware that the sugar is necessary to preserve the fruit so if you cut back, it will not last as long. Some people use apple juice or honey instead, but I have never tried this.

The best option is to buy special preserving sugar, though if you can not find this, the closest match is granulated or raw sugar. You can buy preserving sugar with or without added pectin – the natural agent that makes the jam set. Some fruit, such as black currant, is naturally high in pectin anyway – you can tell from the stickiness of the raw fruit. Strawberries on the other hand are low in pectin and traditionally you would add lemon juice as the setting agent.

Before you start, wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water and then put them in the oven at about 100C (210F) (but don’t put the lids in for too long if they have plastic on the inside). This will sterilise the jars and also make them hot so they don’t crack when you put the jam in.

Stew the fruit in a pot, with just a splash of water to stop it sticking to the pot. Stir and wait for the fruit to start to fall apart – when you don’t want it to fall apart any longer, add the sugar. Stir and cook the fruit mixture for 10 to 20 minutes – it depends on the fruit but you can tell it is done when the mixture develops a gloss. Keep a saucer in the fridge and when you think the jam is done, you can test it by dropping a teaspoonful on to the cold plate – it is done if it sets. (Take the jam off the heat while you do the test and put it back if needed).

When it’s ready, spoon the jam into the jars and twist on the lids immediately to seal it in – you might hear a lovely pop as the seals go upwards. Apparently if you are using cellophane and wax you need to wait until the jam is cold, but I’ve never tried this. It should keep for about a year in the cupboard – refrigerate once open and use within a month or two. If you get good at it, it makes a wonderful gift for friends and family.

If your first attempt does not work out, don’t worry. There’s another name for over-cooked jam – toffee. You might not be able to spread it on toast, but it is perfectly delicious in its own right.

Image: abbybatchelder

This is the season for outdoor eating and impromptu get togethers. It’s also the season for stone fruit – peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, and nectarines.

Here’s a gorgeous dessert to take to a cook-out or barbecue. It’s quick and easy to put together, simple enough to showcase the fruit without overpowering it and the dough is easy to work with – even for those who are inexperienced with pie crust. The only secret to a flaky crust is to keep the ingredients as cold as possible and don’t mix the dough too much. Make this with whatever stone fruit looks best at the market. You can use one type or several.

You’ll need:

3 tablespoons yogurt
1/3 cup ice water
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar, plus about 1 tablespoon additional for sprinkling on top
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
About 2 large peaches or nectarines, or 4 to 5 plums, or many cherries, or a mixture (pitted and sliced)

To make:

Stir together yogurt and water and keep in the freezer while you mix the other ingredients.

Mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Add butter and work in quickly with a pastry blender, leaving some pieces of butter the size of small peas.

Sprinkle the ice water/yogurt mixture over the flour-butter mixture gradually, mixing it in with a fork. Be careful not to over mix. The dough can still be crumbly, but should stick together when pinched. You may not need to use all the yogurt-water mixture.

Gather the dough into a ball, wrap and refrigerate for two hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. F.

Roll out dough to a quarter inch thickness and transfer to a baking sheet. Top the dough with sliced fruit, working in a spiral from the inside out, leaving a border of about 2 inches all along the edge of the dough. Fold the edges of the dough inward to encase the fruit, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees until the crust is brown and flaky and the fruit soft, bubbling and fragrant, about 15 to 20 minutes. Enjoy!

We recommend using local, organic ingredients whenever possible.

Image: bensonkua

Here’s a perfect summer dessert using seasonal organic fruit from the farmers’ market or your CSA box. It’s simple to make if you’re already grilling. The smoky-sweet apricots hold well at room temperature so you can grill them as soon as the fire is ready and set them aside until after dinner.

Substitute peaches if you wish. Serve in a bowl with vanilla ice cream or add crumbled  gingersnaps and layer in a parfait glass with the ice cream.

Serves 4

1 cup organic sugar
1 cup water
8-10 fresh apricots, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Add the three types of ginger, reserving 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger for garnish, and simmer for 10 minutes. Place the apricots in a grill basket. Brush generously with the glaze, and grill until brown and soft on both sides, brushing more glaze on as you grill. Sprinkle finished desserts with crystallized ginger.

Recipe Copyright 2008 Vanessa Barrington

Image: jessicafm

Do you enjoy hot chocolate? Is the world round? (Apologies to Flat Earth theorists).

A well-made hot chocolate is a powerful thing. It can heal a really horrible day at work. It can inflame the stoniest heart. If you’ve read Kim’s post a few times and you’re ready to stoke the fires of passion in a potential partner…homemade hot chocolate’s the way and then some. Done right, it’s pure ambrosia. At the very least they’ll be licking the spoon.

First and foremost, get the chocolate right. Organic chocolate is the ethical choice – and as with most organic produce, the better-tasting option as well. The chocolate should be dark, smooth and bittersweet, with a high cocoa solid content. I’m an abiding fan of Green & Black’s, but if you’re looking for alternatives, here’s a good source of chocolate reviews.

Melt it slowly. Don’t scorch it – it’ll start tasting acidic, like bonfire smoke. Place the pieces in a metal bowl resting over a smaller pan of boiling water. (The bowl mustn’t touch the water).

Creamy or not creamy? Well, it depends on how you like your beverages. I’m a black coffee drinker, so I like my hot chocolate with lots of raw power, sans milk but with sugar to blunt the bitter edge. If you need cream, just ensure it’s organic (a few reasons for doing so here).

Experiment with flavors – a drip of this, a splash of that. Vanilla’s always a safe bet: Neilson Massey offer a range of vanilla extracts including a 100% organic variety – but why not go straight to the pod? Experiment! Try finely grated orange zest. Or a chili! (Great for winter – it makes your lips glow). And, of course, a drop of your favorite poison.

Image: Chor Ip

Sarah filled us in on the details about escarole earlier this week. I love escarole because it’s crunchy and refreshing like lettuce when served raw, but it has a little bit of bitterness to keep things interesting – though not as much as some greens. It’s equally at home braised or sautéed with beans, bacon or sausage for a hearty winter meal.

Here’s a recipe for a wonderful salad that you will be happy to eat all winter long and even into spring.

Escarole Salad with Oranges and Spiced Pecans

Serves 6

You’ll need:

1 pound tender, organic escarole leaves (1 large head)
3 organic navel oranges, peel and pith cut off, sectioned
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon local honey
2 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar
7 tablespoons mild flavored vegetable oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup spiced pecans

To make:

Wash and dry the greens and place them in a large bowl with the orange sections. Set aside.

Combine the shallots, lemon juice, honey, and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour the oil in slowly while whisking until the dressing is well blended. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the greens and oranges with the pecans (you may want to reserve some to garnish the plated salads) and the dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

Image: Health

I’m ashamed to say it, but even though I’m quite the veggie lover, escarole is one leafy green I haven’t eaten. Escarole’s cousin, the bitter curly endive, has made me hesitant to experiment with other members of the chicory family.

It turns out the escarole is not nearly as bitter and much more versatile, so there’s no need to be shy of this frilly-leafed lettuce.

High in calcium, folate, vitamin A and vitamin C, escarole is a good addition to any salad, and, like any leafy green, is low in calories.

But salad is not escarole’s only culinary role; this versatile green can be cooked or steamed and is a popular addition to bean soups or an edible garnish for fish. When cooked, the slightly bitter flavor becomes buttery and sweet.

One of the most common escarole recipes is to use it in bean soup, but there are more exotic variations too, like escarole and pine nuts. You can also go raw with an escarole, fennel and orange salad. Sounds incredible! Of course, you can simply saute it with garlic and olive oil for a very healthy snack.

Greens from the chicory family, of which escarole shares a place with endive and chicory, have a long history dating back to the times of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. The Roman poet, Ovid, gives this plant a mention. Chicory greens were widely cultivated in England from at least the 1500s and escarole is a favorite green in Sicilian cuisine.

Having conquered my fear of escarole, I’m ready to make it a more common addition in my kitchen. Check back Friday, March 20th for an original escarole recipe by Vanessa Barrington, our chef writer.

Image: umassivevegetable

Here’s another soy recipe using soy in its traditional, minimally-processed form. Fermented soy products are healthiest of all. Even though tofu is not fermented, Korean cuisine includes plenty of other fermented foods, including kimchi. I’m guessing this is just another example of the natural, wise balance of many traditional cuisines.

This recipe isn’t perfectly authentic as it mixes a Japanese technique with a Korean dish, but it’s not that far off the mark, either. It’s easy to put together and the ingredients are reasonably easy to find. Great for a cold night – or a night with a cold! The Korean red pepper is a ground spice that can be found in any Korean grocery store. Ask for the type used to make kimchi.

This dish is not vegetarian as its base is dashi broth made with bonito flakes. Eaters should also know that many varieties of kimchi include dried or salted fish.

Korean Inspired Soft Tofu Soup with Kimchi

Serves 4

You’ll need:

2 quarts dashi broth

1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon (more or less, depending on your taste) Korean red pepper

Salt to taste

1/2 ounce dried mushrooms, such as shiitake or wood ear, reconstituted and sliced thinly

1-14 ounce package organic soft (silken) tofu

1 handful cellophane noodles, soaked until pliable (optional)

Sliced scallions (green and white part) for serving

Sesame oil for serving

Good quality kimchi for serving

To make:

Bring the broth to a boil and add the onions, and garlic. Add the red pepper and a little salt and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and correct salt. Add the mushrooms and tofu and simmer for another few minutes. Add the noodles and heat through until translucent.

Ladle into deep bowls and garnish each serving with scallions, a drizzle of sesame oil, and kimchi.

Image: jslander

Sarah clued us in on the wonders of the artichoke, and since the season’s first spiny lovelies are just appearing in the market, here’s a simple, streamlined recipe to inspire you.

Artichokes make a great appetizer or side dish. These accompanied sautéed petrale sole and roasted potatoes. The roasted artichokes make a great base for risotto, pasta, or pizza, as well.

This recipe calls for small or medium artichokes, not the giant globe kind. These smaller artichokes are easier to prepare, as the choke is not fully developed. When trimming artichokes, it may seem wasteful to take so many of the outer leaves off, but you really can’t eat them, so compost them! This recipe easily expands to serve more people. Green garlic is simply young garlic, picked before the cloves are fully developed. It’s a special, short season treat and it has a milder flavor than mature garlic. Like artichokes it is a harbinger of spring so the two make a great pair. You will need two lemons total. If Meyer lemons are available, use those, as they are perfect for this recipe. And of course, use organic ingredients from your local farmers’ market whenever you can. And for all you anchovy haters (or vegetarians) out there, yes, you can leave out the anchovies if you must but they do add a special something.

Roasted Artichokes with Lemon Anchovy Caper Vinaigrette

Serves 2

For artichokes:

2 medium or 8 baby artichokes
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
Salt

For the vinaigrette:

2 – 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped green garlic (use regular garlic if green garlic is not in season, but use only 1-2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 heaping half teaspoon capers, finely chopped
1 anchovy filet, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To prepare the artichokes:

Ready a bowl large enough to accommodate the artichokes and fill it with water. Squeeze the lemon into the water, reserving the rind. Cut off the bottom 1/2 inch of the artichoke stems and discard. Cut off the top 1/2 inch of the artichokes.

As you work, rub the artichokes with the lemon flesh still clinging to the reserved rind. Working from the bottom up, bend back the outer leaves until they snap off close to base, discarding them as you go, until you reach the tender, light yellow-green leaves. Continue to rub with lemon occasionally.

With a paring knife, trim the dark green outer layer from the base and stem. Halve the artichokes lengthwise if using babies, and quarter if using medium artichokes. If the choke is furry, scoop it out with a spoon. It might not have developed yet. Drop the artichokes into lemon water as you work.

To cook:

When all the artichokes are prepped, drain them, pat them dry and toss them with the olive oil, the sliced garlic, and salt to taste. Transfer them to a roasting pan or baking sheet and roast in a single layer for 15-20 minutes (for baby artichokes) or 30-40 minutes (for medium artichokes), or until they are tender and beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette:

Whisk together the lemon juice, green or regular garlic, shallot, capers, anchovies, parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the artichokes warm or room temperature drizzled with the vinaigrette.

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

Note: use organic, local ingredients whenever possible.

Image: FotoosVanRobin

Though a striking plant with a large and stunning purple flower, the spiny leaves and stem of the artichoke plant are not inviting to the touch. I wonder how anyone could have guessed that the flower’s spiky-armored bud would contain anything edible? And not merely edible, but creamy and delightful, packed with fiber, vitamins and even calcium.

The artichoke may be hard to eat, but the phytonutrients make it worth the effort. A hefty combination of antioxidants work together to create a heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering food. Some of these plant nutrients even have anti-cancer and immune-boosting properties.

And now, how to get at all that nutritional goodness? Typically, artichokes are steamed and the softened petals are pulled off, dipped into a sauce (try them with balsamic vinegar!). The pulpy part is also eaten. This soft hearts make a great addition to green salads. If you’re an ambitious chef, try stuffed artichoke or artichoke with saffron and almonds. How about baby artichokes with potatoes, fresh herbs and lemon? Sounds delish.

The artichoke is a plant of Mediterranean origin and legend has it that the Greek god Zeus became smitten by a beautiful girl but when he was rejected, turned her turned into an artichoke plant. But the artichoke’s real claim to fame may be Norma Jean Baker’s 1947 crowning as the very first Queen of Artichokes in Castroville, CA, giving her a boost early in her career as the soon-to-be Marilyn Monroe.

So gods and starlets alike, get your steamers out and check back soon for an original artichoke recipe by EcoSalon’s very own chef writer, Vanessa Barrington. Ciao!

Image: Dominic