HeartBeets.org

Eat Your Vegetables!

2012-01-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

Truth is, formany, this is easier said than done. I find it’s not always unwillingness thatkeeps people from eating a variety of veggies but more likely a limitedrepertoire on how to fix them so they taste good. “How do I fix veggies?” is a question I get asked pretty frequently,often with the admission that one can only eat so much steamed broccoli orsalad greens before getting bored. Toss in a memory perhaps of soggy, smelly,drab, or flavorless moosh and it’s easy to see how there might be reluctance ingiving some veggies a second chance. Eating adequate amounts of vegetables isoften viewed as a challenge rather than experienced as foods that can be easilyincorporated and enjoyed.

My wish isto help demystify the “how” so that a person might actually come to like eating their veggies. I recommend starting easy….specialpots, pans, and expensive gadgets are surely fun but not necessary. I like tooffer good wholesome cooking methods sprinkled with tips and tricks designed tocoax flavor from simple ingredients.

Where does themagic first start? It starts with the vegetable itself. Maybe it’s the sturdyand vibrant orange color of carrot. Or in the convoluted layering of cabbage.Perhaps the glorious, unimaginable depth of red in a beet is what’s calling forattention. Whatever it is, stop for a moment to take in the simple beauty. Takea deep whiff….how does it smell? Grassy? Sweet? Like dirt? How about the sound whencut or torn? What does it feel like against your fingers or under the blade ofyour knife? The first step in eating more vegetables is to ignite interest byengaging the eyes, nose, ears, and hands in the process. All this sensationeven before eating!

A vegetable'snatural goodness can be complimented by how it is prepared. Roasting, pureeing,grating, or left raw all lend different experiences in the taste and mouth feelof the vegetable. Whether cooked or raw, there are also key flavor enhancingcornerstones to consider. A bit of salt, an acid, maybe a little sweet, someherbs or spices, and some luscious olive oil all work together to coax out avegetable's maximum flavor potential.

To becontinued…..

CatherineMcConkie, NC

Natural ChefInstructor

NutritionConsultant

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

HeartBeets CSA

2012-01-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

Riverdog Peppers - Photo provided by Capay Valley Farm Shop

I am an intern with Heartbeets and a volunteer at the San Francisco General Hospital. I recently began managing the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) table at SFGH. Every Friday, Capay Valley Farm Shop brings fresh, locally-grown, organic food to SFGH for the convenience of the staff, patients, and surrounding community. The produce varies weekly, but changes most noticeably with the seasons. I love working the HeartBeets CSA at SFGH because of the joy I help to enliven on people's faces when I assure them that their box of fresh produce has arrived. The SFGH staff especially covet their FarmShare memberships because it ensures convenient, weekly access to a box of fresh food complete with necessary the wholesome goodness of natural vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A CSA box is much preferred to the variety of packaged foods available in hospital vending machines. The HeartBeets CSA program is a vital asset to the hospital as it promotes a healthy way of life through eating well. A CSA membership introduces people to new and interesting varieties of food that are both nutritional and delicious. Visit the HeartBeets CSA at SFGH on Fridays between 12 and 4 to experience the amazement that good food brings to a community rattled by sickness and disease. For more information about the Capay Valley FarmShares program visit http://capayvalleyfarmshop.csaware.com/store/ or email the HeartBeets account.

Krista Hubbel

HeartBeets Intern

SFGH Volunteer

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Local Organics

2011-12-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

Thelocal, organic and sustainable food movement is often accused of being elitist because the prices areunaffordable for many people. On average organic foods are one to two-thirdshigher in price than conventional food prices. Criticsalso question the social ethics of organic or locally raised foods becauseorganically grown certification does not mean the people that grew the produceare getting fair working conditions and adequate pay. InSan Francisco, we are fortunate to have the Alemany Farmers' Market so accessible to the city. The market features fresh,high quality, and low cost produce. All generated revenue goes directly into the pockets ofsome very hard working farming families. Although not all of the farmers arecertified organic many of them are.

However, if Alemany is too far for you to venture for fresh, affordable produce, visit Duc Loi onMission between 18^th and 19^th street. Duc Loi is a great alternative to highprices in the Mission District. The shop has a great selection of low to midrange priced produce and groceries. Check out their bins in front of the store forsuper sales on fresh seasonal produce. Bottom Line: Shop seasonally to save money.

HeartBeets Tip: all the vegetables in theBrassica family are a good bet right now...

Cabbage

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Brussel Sprouts

Kale

Collard Greens

Anna Rose
HeartBeets Intern
Personal Chef and Caterer

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Fresh Produce for SFGH

2011-12-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

Capay Valley Farms is a collaborative of farms and ranches in the Capay Valley working together to bring fresh local goodness from our valley to your table. San Francisco General Hospital’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is a project derived from our very own Heartbeets group bringing Capay Valley produce to our community. The CSA allows subscribers to pick up a colorful Peck or Bushel of produce every Friday in the hospital cafeteria from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. These boxes have recently included succulent Pink Lady Apples, delicious Carrots, vivid Rainbow Chard, and mouthwatering Scarlet Queen Turnips. Capay Valley Farm’s exotic produce has proven to be a popular commodity among our SFGH staff.

Excited to spread the CSA cheer, our wonderful volunteers from Heartbeets and the Community Wellness Program have collaborated to enhance the program using various methods. Heartbeets will be raffling off a free Peck every week during the upcoming weeks to promote CSA enrollment. Our most recent winner is Victoria Sanabria from 5M, whom expressed her excitement and gratitude to the program. Our collective goal is to increase hospital participation, reaching 75 participants by the start of the New Year! If you are interested in the program, please visit us this Friday in the cafeteria from 12:00 PM- 4:00 PM or on www.heartbeets.org! You might be going home with a brown bag filled with organic goodness!

Nasrin Aboudamous, B.S.
Community Wellness Program Coordinator
San Francisco General Hospital & Trauma Center

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

HeartBeets and Me

2011-12-09T15:21:00.001-08:00

After interning with HeartBeets, the whole idea behind public health and the role of a health educator became clear to me. When people ask me, “What are you going to do with your degree in Public Health,” I can now confidently respond with a clear answer.

I found my passion in nutrition. Through HeartBeets’ vision to promote wellness through natural food, I became even more aware of how personal nutrition can influence health. Before interning with HeartBeets, I did not know what I would do after finishing school. This internship has both helped me to find opportunities to network with health practitioners and health educators and to enhance my knowledge of the role of public health in our society. The things that I have learned through this internship have helped me make better decisions in my daily life. I am continually working to increase my community involvement after seeing the needs of disenfranchised communities. In October, I helped out with the 20th anniversary celebration of Alemany Farm. The festival helped me to realize how a community event can bring different people together and can promote positive transformation. The Garden Giveaways program at San Francisco General Hospital helped me to increase my knowledge of organically grown vegetables and their many health benefits. Now, when I pick up a piece of produce that is organically grown, I appreciate the effort put into cultivating, growing, and washing it. Most importantly, I learned new ways to incorporate natural food intomy daily diet. Whole foods have transformed my lifestyle.

I have enjoyed my internship with Heartbeets because I have not only been able to help those in need, but I have also had time for self-reflection and personal growth. It is so rewarding to hear that you have made a difference in someone's life. It is assuring to hear from your supervisor that you are doing great and on are the right track. These things mean so much to me because they confirm that I chose the right internship, of my own volition. No one forced me to work for HeartBeets. These positive affirmations motivate me to put more effort into every project that I embark on. Although my time with HeartBeets is coming to an end, this internship opportunity marks only the beginning of my quest. I now understand the work that health educators do and the significant roles that we play in society. Whether I work in a hospital, in the community, or in a corporate setting, I know that I have the ability to make a difference in someone's life.

Rovie Flores

HeartBeets Intern

SFGH Volunteer

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

The Hospital's Role in Obesity

2011-11-30T14:41:00.001-08:00

As American waistlines continue to expand, what role do hospitals play in the burgeoning obesity epidemic?

The short answer is, plenty! Hospitals serve as role models for their community. Nothing sends a more contradictory message than seeing a McDonalds in a hospital’s lobby. Similarly, hospital food service departments need to rise to the occasion and provide meals that serve as an example of a healthful diet. As a clinical dietitian, I have had countless patients ask me for a copy of the hospital menu because they assumed it was “healthy” and they wanted to emulate this diet upon discharge. Unfortunately, hospitals often serve a meat-based diet with little or no complex grains. Not exactly what we want our patients consuming at home.

Fortunately, hospital fare is beginning to change and SFGH is heeding the call to serve meals that are healthy, fresh and significantly lower in sodium. Expect to see more whole grains like brown rice, barley, and quinoa on the patient trays. In place of breakfast meats like bacon and sausage, patients will enjoy sides of fresh fruit and whole grain breads. Vegetarian dishes like pasta primavera, sweet and sour tofu and low sodium eggplant casserole will replace some of the typical meat-based entrees commonly served.

Hospitals need to lead the charge in modeling good nutrition practices. SFGH’s menu makeover is a healthy first step in influencing how the community eats.

Karen Kupinski, RD, MPH

Clinical Nutrition Manager

San Francisco General Hospital

Food & Nutrition

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Giving Thanks

2011-11-22T14:28:00.001-08:00

Since its launch in 2009, HeartBeets has grown and flourished into an active community-based organization. Our core mission is to promote healing through increased consumption of locally grown foods. Within San Francisco General Hospital, we foster a healthy food environment for patients and staff through our seasonal festivals, the Capay Valley Farm CSA, and cooking demonstrations at the hospital’s newly developed Wellness Center. HeartBeets interns and the hospital gardening crew partner to provide leafy greens and fresh herbs grown on site to out-patient classes on diabetes, cardiovascular health, and smoking cessation.
Beyond the hospital walls, our work is to inspire communities most affected by diet related chronic illness through learning about natural foods, developing the skills to prepare them, and increasing food access. Our community education programs reach low-income, formerly homeless, and at risk youth. Simple, nourishing recipes and basic nutritional information are used as a prompt for fostering self-care and collective healing.

The FarmShares program has made it possible for HeartBeets to bring seasonal food-based celebrations to San Francisco General Hospital’s patients and staff. The seasonal feasts not only celebrate local, healthy foods, put also promote community health and wellness. This year’s Fall Fest featured a lively Bollywood dance class, a bi-lingual coconut curried winter squash soup demo and tasting, and various displays on multi-cultural fall celebrations including Diwali (the Indian celebration of lights) and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). HeartBeets provided education on healthy, low cost alternatives to Halloween candy while hospital dieticians educated the public on hidden sugars in common beverages while serving low sugar alternatives such as fresh fruits and cinnamon tea. Capay Valley Farm made an in kind donation of produce and products totaling over $1500 to support the past two seasonal festivals which have reached over 500 people. We hope to continue our relationship with Capay Valley Farm Shop to bring high quality produce to our community cooking and nutrition classes.

Like with any great project, we could never have accomplished so much without the generous contributions of staff from SF General Hospital, SF State interns, the financial support from the Hospital Foundation and the donations from the Capay Valley’s FarmShares program.

Denise Goitia, Nutrition Educator for HeartBeets
Check us out at: www.heartbeets.org or visit our blog at http://sfghheartbeets.blogspot.com/.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

How Much Sugar are YOU Drinking?

2011-11-15T14:28:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, I was astonished to see that my daughter’s elementary school was starting to sell Jamba Juice weekly. School budgets are in bad shape all over California and PTO’s are struggling to raise money. Does this mean they have to stoop to selling unhealthy products to our children? Unhealthy? Well, maybe unhealthy is a strong descriptor to use, when there are worse. Like the weekly popsicle sale? However, I find selling Jamba Juice particularly offensive, as it is a corporation doing direct marketing to children in hopes of having a customer for life.

When I queried the school principal about this choice, he said, “Why, isn’t it healthy?” I’m sure this is the understanding of many. It’s just fruit. Well, it’s true. Fruit is healthy, with vitamins, minerals and fiber and about 80 calories a serving. At schools, the portion of Jamba Juice drinks served is 8 oz. This contains about 6 teaspoons of sugar and 120 calories, ounce for ounce, the same as soda. The processes, used to digest the whole fruit are unnecessary when the fruit is already macerated. The benefit of the fiber is mostly lost. The feeling of satiety quickly abates as liquid moves rapidly out of the stomach.

Back to marketing. So now that Jamba Juice has sucked in the children, expect that when he or she passes a Jamba Juice store, they will request a drink from there. The stores, however, only sell 16 oz sizes, so now the child, and whoever joins them, will be consuming 12 teaspoons of sugar and 240 calories (not including those add-ins). Remember folks, there is an obesity and diabetes epidemic in this country. No one needs the extra sugar or calories.

Not only are the schools peddling high sugar products , but we’re doing it here, at SFGH. There are numerous vending machines on campus. Many of them selling drinks with loads of sugar and little or no nutrient value. Remember that obesity and diabetes epidemic? Adults and children with these conditions are primarily who we see in our outpatient clinics at SFGH. Once patients see one of the outpatient dietitians, they understand that these drinks are not a wise choice. However, do they have to be confronted with it in their health care facility? Yes, I said it, HEALTH CARE.

For those of you wanting to figure out how much sugar is in your favorite drink, just check the food label. Divide the sugar by 4. This is a calculation we offer on our sugar bottle display, often seen at SFGH and community health fairs. So, for example, a 23.5 oz can of Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey (sounds healthy, doesn’t it?) has 3 servings, each with 18 gms of sugar (carbohydrate). Not too many people drink one serving. So the whole can contains 54 grams of sugar divided by 4 = 13.5 teaspoons. A 20 oz cola drink contains 65 gms of sugar = 16.25 teaspoons of sugar. Hey, the Jamba Juice isn’t looking too bad now…

Educating people about making healthy food choices is what registered dietitians do, whether it is at community health fairs, our neighborhood schools, or our hospital. I’ll never forget the young girl, stopping at one of our health fair displays. She purposefully counted the 17 bags of sugar attached to a 16 oz bottle of Odwalla Mango Tango and said “I’m never drinking that again”.

By Debby Schlanger, M.S.,R.D.

Registered Dietitian

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Facebook Page!

2011-11-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

HeartBeets is now on Facebook! Like us at http://www.facebook.com/HeartBeets.org.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Winter Squash Recipes

2011-11-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

SFGH Wellness Center Cooking Class

Winter SquashRecipes

*OXO Good Grips makesa very good vegetable peeler making squash preparation a snap!

Butternut Squash Pureewith Ginger

1 mediumsized butternut squash
1-2 Tbs butter
1 tsp ginger,very finely chopped or grated

Using the sharpest peeler you have, peel the skin off abutternut squash. Cut the squash in half so you can remove the seeds. Using aspoon, take all the seeds out. Chop the squash into small pieces and put in apot with a lid with a cup and a half of water. Steam the squash until you can stick a fork into it veryeasily.
Use a blender, Cuisinart, or a ricer to blend it till smooth using a little of yoursteaming liquid as needed. Stir in some butter and the ginger and salt to taste

Stuffed Delicata Squash

1. Bake your delicata squash at 375 degrees for 20 minutes oruntil they are soft . Can do up to a day in advance.

2. Prepare stuffing mixture and stuff the squash. Bake in ovenfor 15- 20 minutes

Stuffing mixture
1 cup      cookedquinoa, rice or other whole grain
1 Tbs       olive oil
½ cup     mushrooms,chopped ( 6-7 button mushrooms)
¼ cup     onionsor shallots, chopped (1 small onion)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup     celery,chopped
1/8 tsp dried sage
1/8 tsp thyme
¼ tsp       salt
optional
¼ cup     walnutsor pinenuts, chopped
2 Tbs       pecorinoor parmesan cheese

Saute onion, celery, mushroom, garlic, and salt in the oliveoil and sauté for 6-7 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently. Add the driedherbs and stir into mixture.
Combine the veggie mixture & nuts and cheese if using with the quinoa andstuff mixture into cavity of squash.
Bake stuffed squash for 15 minutes in 375 degree oven.

Steamed Kabocha Squash

1 Kabochasquash
saltto taste

Cut the Kabocha squKaash in halfand remove the seeds and stringy insides

Cut into quarters and use avegetable peeler or a sharp knife to take off the majority of the kabocha skin.

Place a steamer basket in a potwith a lid and fill with an inch of water.

Steam the squash on medium heattill squash can begin to be pierced with a sharp knife tip-about 8-10 minutes

Tip: Kabocha Squash is deliciouscooked just till tender and not at all mushy. Set a timer!

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Courtney's Favorite Fall Soup

2011-11-01T13:42:00.001-07:00

Just in time for Halloween....a pumpkin soup recipe!! In case you have an extra pumpkin laying around that did not get carved into a jack-o-lantern...or if you are just a fan of pumpkin, this is the soup for you!! It is simple to make and delicious!

Mexican Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 large onion chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups pureed cooked pumpkin or 1 cup canned pumpkin
1 16-ounce can chili beans
1 tbsp. seeded diced jalapeño
5 medium red potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoons oregano
pinch of cayenne or other red pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup soy milk
salt, to taste
cilantro or parsley

Instructions:

Heat a large pot. Sauté most of the onions (reserve a few for garnish) over medium heat until they soften; add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add in the broth, pumpkin, chili beans, jalapeño, and potatoes. Stir in the oregano, cayenne, and cumin. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.

Simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the soy milk, add salt to taste, and serve immediately garnished with cilantro or parsley and onion (and extra diced jalapeño, if desired).

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

San Francisco, a Healthy Addiction

2011-10-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

In June I graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. I returned home to Boston for the three short months of summer and filled my time with MCAT preparation and medical school applications. On September 5th my gap year between college and medical school officially began when I moved from Massachusetts Bay to San Francisco Bay. In the month and a half that I have lived here I have run across the bikers' side of the Golden Gate, eaten my way through the farmers' markets, developed shin splints from the vertical streets you call hills, and been engulfed by an Indie festival. These are not naturally occurring circumstances on the relatively flat, too busy for quality of life, predictable East Coast. I love it here. Although I will always be a New Englander at heart, the fire that San Francisco has ignited in my gut will be hard to extinguish when it comes time to go to medical school (not getting in has never looked better).

Yes, in the last 6 weeks I have met amazing people. Yes, I have made my New York friends exceedingly jealous of my spacious, beautifully detailed apartment (with laundry). And Yes, it was 85 degrees three days ago, but the main reason I am so inspired by the San Francisco way of life is because people care about the quality of its most basic element: food. Some hold the San Francisco food culture to be pretentious and over-done, but I beg to differ. Through my work at HeartBeets I have come to realize that people from all walks of life - homeless people, doctors, college students, low-income residents - appreciate natural, locally-produced food. They believe that consuming fresh produce, lean meats, seasonal fish, and whole grains are integral to disease prevention and longevity. In San Francisco, "eating healthy" is not synonymous to "low calorie" or "low fat." Bay area food enthusiasts attempt to integrate all food groups in modest amounts into a wholesome diet. They value the fact that lettuce, beets, apples, and eggs can each be grown less than 100 miles from their city.

As someone who spent the past four years in and out of college cafeterias where people ate what tasted good or whatever could be ready fastest, I am still amazed at the time and devotion that San Francisco natives dedicate to every morsel ingested. People here understand the physical and spiritual benefits of eating well. To them, a healthy lifestyle is not complicated - it begins and ends with food. I am privileged to be working for an organization that seeks to spread the food movement to under-served populations. As obesity and diabetes epidemics swallow America, I hope that Heartbeets can continue to educate communities about the hugely positive impact of smart food choices.

I am not however, living in the clouds over here. I am a realist who believes in the power of positive thinking. In today's fast-paced, technologically-driven environment, leading a healthy lifestyle is certainly a challenge, but it is also entirely achievable and something that we should all strive to mold for ourselves. I doubt that my fiery passion for San Francisco will ever fully dissolve my serious relationship with Ben and Jerry, but in true California fashion - we are no longer exclusive.

- Cathleen Kenary

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

New Website! www.heartbeets.org

2011-10-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

HeartBeets has a website! (and it's SO COOL!)

Check it out for information about our history, our mission, current projects, and upcoming events.

Send questions, comments, and concerns to info@heartbeets.org.

Oakland Children’s Hospital Community Garden

2011-06-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Last week four members of the HeartBeets team took a field trip to Oakland Children’s Hospital community garden. We met with Jen Cook, a very cool pediatrician who came up with the idea.

Jen works at an obesity clinic and often finds it challenging to talk with her patients about the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables given that her patients often have no way of accessing these foods. During her pediatrics residency, she was inspired to do something more to address key food issues in her community. After seeking advice from People’s Grocery, she created a partnership between the Hospital’s obesity clinic - Healthy Hearts and Phat Beets, a local food justice group to create a hospital-based CSA, a farmer’s market for patients, and a community garden adjacent to the hospital.

The garden itself is a truly inspiring place. It’s located in a neighborhood park next to a beautiful mural, directly across the street from the hospital’s research center and thus made very accessible to the community. We were lucky to have come by on a workday and see all the garden volunteers in action! Healthy Hearts/Phat Beets Garden runs entirely on volunteers, including high school students and neighbors. Workdays take place Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, giving kids and families a chance to volunteer on the weekends. I was amazed by the colorful array of delicious produce growing; there are about twelve garden beds brimming with greens (including some of the most vibrant rainbow chard I’ve ever seen), a variety of seasonal veggies, herbs, spring onions, green garlic, and several surrounding fruit trees. This produce goes entirely to community volunteers, who otherwise might not be able to access fresh, delicious produce.

This summer, Healthy Hearts/Phat Beets Garden will be launching a camp for nine at risk adolescents. Activities will include cooking demonstrations, fun exercise and movement games, work-time in the garden, and workshops with leaders of the food justice movement. Jen is hoping the camp will grow to incorporate more patients and kids from the community and that the current crew of participants will want to stay on as future mentors and camp counselors.

Jen has also created a Farmer’s Market at Oakland Children’s Hospital. Unlike many other farmer’s markets in the Bay Area, this market is affordable, accessible and specifically targets patients. Various clinics, including the obesity prevention clinic, offer Healthy Hearts, $5 vouchers (nicknamed ‘carrot cash’) to be used at the market. The vouchers are, in part, subsidized by a surcharge on the CSA boxes sold to staff at the hospital. Right now the farmer’s market takes place Tuesday afternoons, although Jen is hoping for more market days.

We all left our meeting with Jen feeling inspired. Healthy Hearts/Phat Beets Garden and Oakland Children’s Hospital’s Farmer’s Market are breaking down food access barriers, allowing more community members in North Oakland to enjoy fresh, delicious, organic foods. Jen’s projects are actively promoting health and spreading a love of creating sustainable food for the community.

Check out the garden yourself on Dover Street between 57th and 58th! http:/www.phatbeetsproduce.org/the-farm/. For more information on the Farmer’s Market check out http://www.phatbeetsproduce.org/farmers-markets/north-oakland-children’s-hospital/

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Early Spring Market Salad - Recipe by Chef Todd Shoberg

2011-05-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

This simple recipe highlights the incredibly fresh and rich flavors of the ingredients.

YIELD: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
6 large beets (Chioggia, Golden or Red)
½ pound arugula
2 large spring onions
4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
Juice of a large Meyer lemon
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
kosher or fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 bay leaves (optional)
4 whole star anise (optional)
4 whole cinnamon sticks (optional)
4 whole cloves (optional)

TO PREPARE
Preheat oven to 350°. In a roasting pan, toss the whole beets with extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and, if you are using them, the bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon sticks and cloves. The spices are optional, but I feel they perfume the beets to give them wonderful depth. Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the roasting pan. Tightly cover the roasting pan with tin foil and place in the oven. Roast the beets for about 45 minutes or until you can pierce them easily with a sharp knife. The amount of time needed will depend on the size of the beets. Cool, peel and cut into small bite-sized wedges.
Wash and dry the arugula.
Thinly slice the white parts of the spring onions into thin strips. Chop the green portions into wide rings.

TO SERVE
Combine the beets, arugula, both the green and the white parts of the spring onions and the crumbled goat cheese in a bowl. Add the Meyer lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil and gently toss, adding salt and black pepper to taste.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

In Search of Good Food - A documentary film of California's emerging Sustainable Food System

2011-05-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Screenings

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 - Earth Share CA Benefit at El Rio, 3158 Mission St, SF, 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Monday, October 24, 2011 - Food Day at San Francisco State University, details TBA.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - Columbia University, New York City, details TBA
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, Rm 250, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

In Search of Good Food follows Antonio Roman-Alcalá, an urban farming activist from San Francisco, on his search for the "sustainable" food system in California.

The film attempts to answer the question: does the sustainable food system actually exist? And if it doesn't, what is preventing it from becoming reality?

Built off of footage from a two-month trip around the state in early 2008, In Search of Good Food features interviews with farmers, farmworkers, wildlife advocates, cultural biologists, university professors, historians, educators, grassroots groups, organic foods distributors, the CA secretary of agriculture, and many others who form the various arms of this movement to ensure an ongoing supply of healthy, ecologically and locally-produced, economically affordable food for all Californians.

Mixing street interviews with food consumers; the perspectives and stories of advocates; animations; and footage of both the bucolic countryside and hectic city, In Search of Good Food presents both a compelling argument for the need for a better food system, and incisive criticism of the limited effectiveness of consumer-based solutions.

In Search of Good Food will make you think beyond "voting with your fork", to the real challenges and opportunities that we face in creating a safe, just, and sustainable food system that provides good food for all.*

*http://insearchofgoodfood.blogspot.com/p/screening-info.html

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

SFGH Foundation Newsletter Recognizes Heartbeets

2011-05-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

The HeartBeets initiative was prominently featured in the Spring 2011 issue of the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation Newsletter. The article, entitled "HeartBeets: Good Food for Good Health," highlights the various projects that HeartBeets has taken on at the general hospital, including launching a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program and an on-site garden giveaway program. The article also helps to set a future path for the HeartBeets team as they begin to expand outside the hospital and into surrounding neighborhoods. For the full story, please visit http://www.sfghf.net/newsletters.html and click on Foundation News, Spring 2011, Vol. 12, No. 1. in the middle of the page.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

HeartBeets Intern Mentors Teen Mothers

2011-05-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

I recently spoke with Jeannie Nahashon about her internship with HeartBeets, which is at Hilltop High School in San Francisco’s Mission District. HeartBeets is working in partnership with Hilltop to develop a curriculum for minority teenage mothers emphasizing nutrition and wellness.

During the regular school week, Jeannie attends the girls’ English class once a week, and is building relationships with the young women based on trust, which will help in encouraging and supporting a healthy lifestyle in the future.

Jeannie is in her last semester at San Francisco State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Health Education with a Community Based Health emphasis. When asked what led her to Health Education she responded, “I chose Health Education because I wanted to connect social justice with health and wellness. With health disparities disproportionately falling along socio-economic and racial lines, any way that I can help improve the health of others is what I've dedicated my life to".

The upcoming Mothers Day luncheon on May 5, supported in part by HeartBeets, will be an opportunity to celebrate the mothers at Hilltop for their hard work in school and with their children and families.

Another great event, facilitated by HeartBeets, will take place at Hilltop on May 12. Local San Francisco chef Eskender Aseged, owner of Radio Africa & Kitchen, will be teaching a cooking class with the girls geared towards how to cook quick, healthy, tasty, and affordable meals.

Jeannie is excited for the beginning of summer school when they continue laying the groundwork for the nutrition curriculum, which is projected to be implemented by next school year.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

CARE Program Thanks

2011-04-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the volunteers from CARE for their help at the SpringFest!

The CARE Program is designed for people with cancer who receive their care and treatment at San Francisco General Hospital. Through the CARE Program, people diagnosed with cancer receive education and support, as well as a free, healthy, and delicious meal every week.

http://www.caresfgh.org/about/

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Recyclable? Biodegradable? Compostable?

2011-04-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

It is important to clarify the differences between these groupings. Each of these terms DOES NOT refer to the same type of material. The article below, originally published by TheGreenOffice.com, should provide answers to all of your material-istic queries:

Cracking the Code

The good news is that there are many eco-friendly alternatives to traditional disposable packaging, flatware, cups and cutlery.

The bad news is that the terminology is often confusing and the best disposal method is sometimes unclear. Here's a quick & simple guide to cracking the code:

Recyclable:

What does it mean?

'Recyclable' products can be collected and reprocessed to produce new items. Common recyclable materials are: paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum, and electronic waste. Recycling is very important in diverting waste from landfills.

How Do You Identify Recyclable Products?

Many simple paper and plastic products are marked with the universal recycling symbol (at right). Many complex electrical products (mobile phones, computers, printers, etc.) contain parts and materials which can be recycled by disassembling the products. Other products such as batteries, paints and fertilizers can be specially processed to reduce the environmental impact of their disposal.

Visit Earth911.org to view a list of products which can be recycled instead of thrown in the trash.

How Do You Dispose of Recyclable Products?

The easiest way to recycle is through your municipal curbside garbage program, assuming such a program is available. Find out what sorts of materials are accepted through this program, and how the materials should be separated to ensure they are processed correctly.

For recycled materials which aren't collected curbside, use a service like Earth911.org to find a local drop-off center.

Biodegradable:

What Does It Mean?

'Biodegradable' simply means that a product will break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass within a reasonable amount of time in the natural environment. The term 'biodegradable' however has no legal enforcement or definition therefore the term has been used loosely by some manufacturers.

Biodegradability is a desirable feature in products such as cleaning agents. Conventional cleaning agents will often release harmful phosphates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as they break down, but biodegradable versions will not.

How Do You Dispose of Biodegradable Products?

Products that are labeled as 'biodegradable' can be disposed of in your garbage. However it is important to remember that landfills lack the microorganisms and oxygen required for waste to biodegrade in a timely manner, so you should still try to minimize your use of items that are not recyclable or compostable.

Compostable:

What Does It Mean?

'Compostable' products are biodegradable, but with an added benefit: when they break down, they release valuable nutrients into the soil, aiding the growth of trees and plants. These products degrade within several months in an industrial composting facility and produce no toxic residues.

Compostability is a desirable feature in traditionally-disposable products such as plates, bowls, cups and cutlery. These products are commonly made out of PLA (Polylactic acid), bagasse (sugarcane fiber) or vegetable starch. It is environmentally-preferable to use disposable products that are labeled 'compostable' rather than just 'biodegradable'.

How Do You Dispose of Compostable Products?

Products that are labeled 'compostable' should enter an industrial composting facility to fully degrade into organic matter. If your city has a composting facility, place these products in your compost collection bins to be picked up. Compostable products will typically degrade in 30-120 days in an industrial composter, depending on the product size and material used.

If your city doesn't provide industrial composting, you can dispose of compostable products in your backyard or home composter, but they will take longer to degrade.

If you do not have access to a compost facility or a home composter, dispose of the compostables in the garbage. This option should be your last resort as waste does not easily biodegrade in landfills.

Do not put compostables into your recycling! They are not recyclable and will contaminate the recycling process.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

SPRINGFEST SUCCESS!

2011-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

On April 8, San Francisco General Hospital’s HeartBeets program launched its first seasonal festival, taking their mission to a new level. In keeping with its seasonal focus, HeartBeets first in a series of quarterly festivals focused on local produce, resources and information for nutrition awareness.

Thanks to the SFGH garden crew for the seedling giveaway.

SPRINGFEST highlighted partnerships HeartBeets facilitates among community groups, local chefs, and neighborhood gardens.

Special thanks to all the interns and volunteers!

Participants and presenters included Moms Mentoring Moms, a Bayview-based support network at Hilltop High School. Alumni from the Medical Respite and Sobering Center South of Market offered healthy eating tips for homeless and marginally housed people who have recently been discharged from the hospital. Chinatown Public Health Center had an information table and speaker Alice Carruthers from Alemany Farm highlighted the role community gardens play throughout the city. Davi Pakter, MD spoke about the programs at Potrero Hill Health Center, including an organic garden and nutrition workshops for community members.

Local chefs created amazing food with ingredients grown at the hospital, at Alemany Farm, and from Capay Valley Farm Shop, whose member donations generously sponsored the event.

This summer the HeartBeets Wellness Team will produce the hospital’s first SummerFest, emphasizing the benefits of exercise and enjoying San Francisco’s great outdoors. The FallFest will celebrate the harvest with a focus on how people with chronic diseases promote healing through food and the Wellness team will take the lead again next winter, emphasizing the importance of slowing down to renew and reflect.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Capay Valley Almond Festival

2011-03-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

A Report from the Field

by Sallie Halloway

My husband Dimitri and I took a day trip to the Capay Valley on Sunday to see where our vegetables are grown. The weather was rainy at our first stop, Rumsey, but The Marshall Law Band was great. We ate the biggest ribs I've ever seen! Now I appreciate baby back ribs more. I had barbecue sauce smeared over my face and hands!

Next we were on to Guinda where we ate barbecued oysters and shrimp at The Capay Valley Fire Department. By now, it was pouring rain but it was dry under the tents. Down the road at the Western Yolo Grange we split a pulled pork sandwich and walnut pie. Then to top it off we tasted wine at the Capay Valley Vineyards in Brooks.

The almond tree blooms were fading but still beautiful. In Guinda we stopped next to an Almond Orchard and could smell the delicious aroma of the blooms. There were plenty of bikers at every stop, along with the local residents. It is definitely small town Americana!

All in all, it was a fun day. We missed the Esparto Park Almond Festival events. More for us to see next time!

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

A Spring Greens Tutorial

2011-03-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

When selecting greens, look for firm, unblemished, richly colored, dark green leaves with intact stalks. Avoid dry, shriveled or yellowed greens. To store greens, wrap unwashed in a paper towel and place inside a plastic bag, where they should keep for five to six days.

Wash greens thoroughly in a large bowl of warm water a couple of times ensuring that all dirt is loosened and washed away. Pat dry. Trim off the stems. For tougher collards and kale, it's a good idea to remove the thick center stem that runs through each leaf. Simply fold the leaf in half lengthwise and cut off the stem. Then stack all the leaves, roll them up and slice crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips.

Since collards, kale, mustard greens and turnip greens are all descendants of the wild cabbage, they share an unmistakable sulfurous smell. Whereas boiling and steaming produce the strongest odors, sauteeing and braising produce the least.

If you're going to saute greens, you may want to parboil and "shock" them first. Boil the greens for two minutes. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water for three to five minutes, then drain and squeeze to release excess water. This helps maintain the greens' vivid color, reduce bitterness and make them more tender.

When it comes to flavor, all these greens are deliciously different. Collards have the earthiest, grassiest flavor, while kale, especially red kale, is sweet like spinach. Turnip and mustard greens in contrast have a distinctively bitter flavor. To balance the bitterness of these greens, do not add sugar, which can create an unpleasant flavor. Rather, pair them with salty, sweet or acidic ingredients such as bacon, honey or lemon that naturally reduce bitterness and enhance flavor.

Although they're known for being a stellar side dish, greens can be added to soups and stews, chopped into salads and omelets and added to rice and pasta dishes. They make healthy pizza, sandwich, crostini and polenta toppings as well. For a healthy snack, you can make trendy baked kale chips with sea salt.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

The Stop Community Food Centre

2011-03-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

The Stop: Community Food Centre

Organizations around the country are working to increase public access to healthy food. The Stop is one such program located in Toronto, Ontario.

Inspiration from their website:

Philosophy
We believe that healthy food is a basic human right. We recognize that the ability to access healthy food is often related to multiple issues and not just a result of low income. At The Stop, we’ve taken a holistic approach to achieve real change in our community’s access to healthy food.
We strive to meet basic food needs and, at the same time, foster opportunities for community members to build mutual support networks, connect to resources and find their voices on the underlying causes of hunger and poverty.
A key tenet of The Stop's approach is that community members must be involved in making decisions about how our organization operates. When program participants are involved -- as front-line volunteers, program advisory committee members, gardeners or cooks -- the stigma associated with receiving free food is often diminished or erased. While our food access programming helps confront the issue of hunger, it also creates opportunities for community members to forge their own responses to hunger. We believe this approach will end the way charity divides us as a society into the powerful and the powerless, the self-sufficient and the shamed. At The Stop, we are creating a new model to fight poverty and hunger: a community food centre.

For ways to get involved and bring such initiative to your own neighborhood visit: http://www.thestop.org/

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake

2011-03-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

A Healthy and Delicious Dessert

Ingredients:

Serves 8

2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 Meyer lemons
1 1/2 cups toasted whole almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup honey
4 large egg whites

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle bottom with sugar. Thinly slice lemons and remove seeds. Arrange lemon slices in concentric circles over brown sugar. Set aside.
In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground. Add baking soda andsalt, and pulse to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and honey. Stir in almond mixture.
Beat egg whites until doubled in volume (but do not form soft peaks). Gently fold whites into almond mixture until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared cake pan.
Bake until top is deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Carefully turn out onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. Slice with a serrated knife.

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

SALT - An Important Part of Your Health

2011-03-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

Table salt vs. unrefined salt:

Sea salt obtained from solar evaporation of sea water is entirely different from modern refined salt, and it contains a variety of minerals that play a role in keeping the body's electrolytes in a healthy balance.

Unfortunately, the common table salt we use today is primarily kiln-dried sodium chloride with anti-caking agents added. Trace minerals, as well as calcium, magnesium and potassium salts are removed in processing. Kiln-drying involves scorching salt at high heat to remove moisture. This refining process creates a product that is unnatural and hard on the body. It is the true culprit that contributes to high blood pressure, heart trouble, kidney disease and eczema, among other problems.
Even many salts labeled "sea salt"are washed or boiled, which removes minerals and trace elements from the salt. These salts are absolutely toxic to the body. Beware of "Sea salt" labels.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Health Care Without Harm -- Healthy Food Systems

2011-02-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Health Care systems need to get behind initiatives that promote healthy food. By recognizing the dangers of poor nutrition, hospitals and other health care facilities are taking a step to support preventative medicine, a field that has been largely ignored over the last twenty years. Surrounded by such a vibrant and dedicated food community, I hope that San Francisco health care facilities will spearhead the crusade against poor nutrition by improving hospital food purchasing, distribution, and production. For more information and to find out how to contribute to this noble cause please visit http://www.noharm.org/us_canada/issues/food/.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

How Has Membership Impacted Your Life?

2011-02-23T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have really been enjoying getting the CSA FarmShare each week for the last year, so I wanted to take a minute to answer your request and to share how this program has impacted my life in a truly positive way.

Since joining the FarmShare program about a year ago, I have lost almost 50lbs. While I participated in a weight-loss program for a while, I ultimately credit the regular access to fresh fruit and vegetables as a major component of my success. I now eat much more nutritiously and am less hungry because I add more vegetables to bulk up my meals. I am also enjoying learning about vegetables I might not have eaten before, and have learned to make an amazing array of vegetable soups that are not only convenient and delicious, but when eaten before dinner help fill me up in a healthy way so I don't overeat like I used to.

I still have a ways to go on my weight-loss journey, but getting enrolling in the HeartBeets CSA FarmShare at SF General has re-awakened my love of fresh veggies and has helped me to lead a much more healthful lifestyle. I am such a big fan of this program that every Friday I hold a vegetable viewing for co-workers in my office!

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Robyn O'Brien's Investigation into America's Food Supply

2011-02-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

In her latest book (highlighted by linked interview), Robyn O'Brien discusses her investigation into America’s food supply and explains why she advocates choosing organic whenever possible to reduce exposure to novel and potential allergens.

Q: You recently published a book called The Unhealthy Truth, which chronicles your personal experience with and research into the food supply. What prompted you to write this book, and what are some of your main findings?
(please follow link to continue reading)
http://www.organicitsworthit.org/experts/learn/robyn-obrien

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

The Economic Sense of Organic Food

2011-02-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

Excerpted from The Ecology of Pizza

By Sandra Steingraber, PhD

I have been involved with organic food ever since my dad handed me a cash box and stationed me behind a card table at the end of the driveway, next to a giant sign that read ORGANIC TOMATOES 25 CENTS A POUND. According to the photo in our family album, the year was 1970. I would have been ten.

The marketing plan worked. People stopped to ask what in the world organic meant. I then explained, with smarty-pants authority, that it was a way of growing food that does not use any artificial pesticides or fertilizers but instead relies on healthy soil and biological controls to keep weeds, bugs, and diseases away.

Next, I offered commentary on the use of lady bugs to control aphids, the art of compost-making, and the importance of mulch. At this point, most of my customers had already slapped their quarters on the table and were loading vegetables into their backseats. I do remember one man listening to the whole speech and then asking, "Oh, yeah? And how do I know they're really organic?" My little sister had the answer to that one: "Because our dad says so!"

Follow the link to read the rest of this article and check out this terrific website!

http://www.organicitsworthit.org/make/economic-sense-organic-food

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

A Food Manifesto for the Future

2011-02-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

TOTALLY worth reading --

OPINION
The New York Times

Published: February 1, 2011

by Mark Bittman
What should be done about our unhealthful and unsafe diet?

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/a-food-manifesto-for-the-future/

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

A Story from the Cafeteria

2011-02-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

I spend every Friday afternoon at San Francisco General Hospital cafeteria distributing farm share boxes to our Capay Valley Farm Shop CSA members. (Visit capayvalleyfarmshop.com for more information!) Membership attracts people in the hospital community for whom it is more convenient to pick up the box on-site at the hospital. The group of members is as diverse as the hospital community itself. Talking with members as well as folks in the cafeteria is a highlight of each week. Below is an inspiring story from the cafeteria:

Last week a woman came into the cafeteria and asked about what we were doing. I explained the farm share and she said that she wished she had known about us during the past 7 months that her father was hospitalized. "Today he is finally going home," she said. Although he still can't swallow any food, she took some satsumas that we were giving away to brush on his lips so that he could smell and taste the sweetness...

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Know Your Farmer

2011-01-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

The Long Haul

(Excerpted from capayvalleyfarmshop.com)

Life on the farm can be a long haul, and in the same breath the life of a farm is a long haul. For a stranger to the agrarian pursuits, a few days on a farm will quickly clinch this notion into the neophytes eager mind. This newcomer may marvel at the stolid farmer’s day, on his tractor from before dawn, and piloting the ponderous leviathan until nearly midnight. He, too, may be astounded by the plucky field hands who pick as long as the sun shines in the sky.

The next day when this newly enlightened creature points his car homeward and rockets past the farmer on his lumbering behemoth, the picker and his bent back, the city man may feel himself changed. Earnest and gracious in his appreciation of the farm he now calls his own. It may be a long drive back. It’s a long haul life he may tell himself in silent wonder. When he closes his eyes for the night he doesn’t realize he missed something subtle yet monumental.

The work day, the drive to the city, even the season are not epic sojourns, but rather frantic, turbocharged bursts in a much longer drama. The life of a field, or orchard can play out over decades. Lean years and fat—blights, freezes, frosts, and surpluses tacked along in a parade of blessing and destitution. Every day trials remain relevant long after they expire as compelling anecdotes. Like the year Grandpa insisted on growing nothing but grain, or the time Sonny lost the trailer brakes on the low boy.

For those lucky enough to know their farmer and share in the bounty of the land, these far off sagas are equally devastating. A single year may bring too much of one thing and not enough of another. There may be nothing at all but the remains of an ill-fated experiment. The true worth of great food from good land must be weighed on a grander scale than the quality of a single bunch of carrots. Seeing the health and vigor stoked in successive generations may tell a more telling story.

The story is not yet over, and hopefully it never will be. With any luck it will be sustained, passed down and down. For we only have a small part to play in our own tale. That’s why early in the morning on Highway 16 in Capay Valley, I give a friendly wave passing a farmer and his truck, I know he’s in it for the long haul.

By Cole Baker, The Old Green Go Farm

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Food Justice

2011-01-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

A Guest Commentary...

In their new book, Food Justice (MIT Press), Robert Gottlieb and Anupama Joshi profile Full Belly Farm, describing how it illustrates some of the principles and goals of food justice. This book suggests that as Farm Shop members you not only support local farms, but are also promoting social equity, fairness and environmental sustainability. The following is an excerpt from the book, which helps define Food Justice — both the concept and the movement.

The multiple layers of food justice – a short except:

Today, food justice groups have contributed to identifying alternatives to the dominant food system and positioned themselves to be seen as a force for social change in the U.S. and throughout the world. The interpretation of food justice, as we’ve described it in its various manifestations, can be complex and nuanced, but it is also a simple and direct concept – justice for all in the food system, whether producers, farm workers, processors, workers, eaters, or communities. It is also about a respect for the systems that support how and where the food is grown – an ethic of place regarding the land, the air, the water, the plants, the animals, and the environment. The groups that embrace food justice vary in agendas, constituencies, and focus but all share a commitment to the definition we originally provided: to equity and fairness in relation to food system impacts and for a different, more just, and sustainable way for food to be grown, produced, made accessible, and eaten.

Food justice is also a local and a global idea. It identifies with the six pillars of food sovereignty put forth by Via Campesina, from the right to food to support of local food systems. It emphasizes the importance of a community value rather than commodity value to food. And it provides an important new dimension to alternative food advocacy by helping it answer accusations about being just a niche approach. It does this by arguing that alternatives can and should be inclusive and system-wide while also focusing directly on the profound disparities and injustices of the food system. Through these arguments, food justice has been able to influence the different segments of the food movement, whether the local and community food groups, the slow food approach, sustainable agriculture, or anti-hunger strategies. At the same time, food justice becomes an important entry point for other social movements and social justice groups who have come to realize that food is embedded in the issues and experiences that they seek to address, whether at the work place, with housing, transportation, the environment, or in the communities where we live.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

A New Look at Coconut Oil

2011-01-19T20:45:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about working at the CSA table are the food related conversations that take place. Last week we were talking about the best oils to use for cooking and eating. Here is one link that will help illuminate this sometimes confusing subject.

http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/541-new-look-at-coconut-oil.html

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Mixed Vegetable Soup

2011-01-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

Unsure what to do with all of those leftover veggies from your CSA box? Try this hearty, delicious recipe for Mixed Vegetable Soup.

Ingredients:

Sliced onion
Olive oil
Garlic
Red pepper flakes
2 cups cubed hard vegetables (winter squash, parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes)
Vegetable stock
Parmesan rind
Small sprig of rosemary or thyme
Salt and pepper
1 cup diced green vegetables (zucchini, green beans, broccoli)
Handful of shredded greens

Directions:

Saute a sliced onion in olive oil with garlicand red pepper flakes. Add 2 cups cubed hardvegetables (winter squash, parsnips, carrots,sweet potatoes, potatoes). Add stock to coverby half an inch, and Parmesan rind. Add asmall sprig of rosemary or thyme. Season withsalt and pepper.
Simmer until vegetables arealmost tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup diced green vegetables (zucchini, greenbeans, broccoli) and a big handful of shreddedgreens.
Simmer until tender.

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Mixed Vegetable Soup

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Dr. Weil's Food Pyramid

2011-01-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

We think Andrew Weil's food pyramid is a very simple graphic for healthy eating. It also happens to be anti-inflammatory which is an excellent guide for healthy living.

Check out the rest of his website while you are there!

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/PAG00318/Dr-Weils-Healthy-Kitchen.html

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Napa Chefs Sow Their Own Meals at Former Copia

2010-08-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

Article Review

Urban vegetable gardens are no longer just for backyards and neighborhood parks, they have become increasingly popular in crowded business districts and upscale restaurants as well. As a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle describes, “kitchen gardens” are beginning to appear throughout Wine Country – some in unexpected places. At the former Copia center for food, wine, and arts in downtown Napa, a group of chefs have successfully restored abandoned gardens to grow vegetables to serve in their restaurants. The work began last winter, when the chefs at eight participating restaurants showed up to weed overgrown plants, mend the soil, and renovate the irrigation systems. It did not take long before the vegetables began to sprout and the chefs started to reap the many benefits.

It is no surprise that these kitchen gardens have caught on in Napa valley. Exotic foods from far away places have lost their appeal as consumers grow more conscious of the harmful effects of food production and transportation. The “locavore” phenomenon continues to spread across California, and restaurants have been left with little choice but to adjust to the demands of their enlightened customers. Competition is shifting to center around the locality of food – the closer, the better, and it does not get much closer than the lot behind the building. Yet, proximity is not the only advantage of a kitchen garden. One chef found the best aspect of his garden to be the control it gave him over his supply channels – he cultivates a variety of nettle that is rarely available commercially and uses it in his popular pesto. Another chef uses her garden as a source of inspiration, and others see their gardens as tools to create synergy between the individuals in the restaurants. All of the chefs agree on one thing about the kitchen gardens: “it’s a kick to serve what you’ve grown.”

Thomas Keller, the chef-owner of French Laundry in Yountville told the interviewer, “To look out over the garden and know that the vegetables that you're working with that evening or that afternoon are coming from right across the street, were harvested that morning or that afternoon – it’s an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and pride.” This sense of accomplishment and connection to the land is unfortunately lost to many Americans who rely on getting all of their food from grocery stores or fast food windows. The disconnect is made painfully obvious in shows like Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, where first-grade children could not identify vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, and eggplant, but they were all more than familiar with french fries and ketchup. Fast food may be cheap and easy today, but it comes with long-term costs to our health, our planet, and our knowledge of food and where it comes from. There is something to be said for the feelings of pride and accomplishment described by the Napa chefs when serving their homegrown vegetables; it is something that you can’t put a price tag on.

At San Francisco General Hospital we are lucky enough to experience the same joy and excitement that diners in Napa feel about the kitchen gardens when Joan Varney shares her wheelbarrow full of vegetables in the cafeteria. Both staff and patients rush to see what Joan has collected from the hospital gardens every Friday afternoon, and she rarely has anything left over by the time she has to leave. Whether it is fresh Rainbow Chard or Dino Kale, everything from Joan’s garden is a hot commodity. The appeal of her vegetables is not only in their great taste and health benefits, but also in the fact that everything is grown right on campus, where their progress can be monitored from seedling to full-grown plant. The popularity of the hospital greens proves that urban vegetable gardens are not just for well-to-do communities and fancy restaurants like those in Napa Valley. Who knows, maybe one day we will see Joan’s vegetables incorporated into the inpatient and cafeteria menus at San Francisco General Hospital.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

National Council Report Backs Sustainable Food

2010-07-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

Click below for an interesting and uplifting article explaining the National Research Council's decision to back sustainable food.

A Buddhist master once said:

"The most important thing in spiritual practice is food: when you eat, how you eat, why you eat."

- Lama Surya Das

I think we should keep these inspiring words of wisdom in mind as our country becomes increasingly overweight and diabetic.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2010/06/30/MNUQ1E6MIP.DTL

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Quinoa Salad Recipe

2010-07-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

If you aren't familiar with quinoa, I recommend trying it! Quinoa has a very mild nutty and earthy flavor and tastes great plain, or it can easily be seasoned sweet or savory to your palate. Quinoa is a whole grain with a high protein content in comparison to many other grains. In 1 cup of quinoa there are about 200 calories and 8 grams of protein. Whether quinoa is new to you or your just looking for a new way to prepare it, I hope you enjoy this recipe. To create a meal from this salad, I usually throw it over a bed of mixed greens--yumm!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dry/uncooked quinoa, cook with 2 cups water. Bring water to a boil, add quinoa, reduce heat and simmer until water is gone.

1/2 cup (or more) chopped basil

1 cup (or more) chopped dried cherries

1 cup whole soybeans

Goat cheese to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

-Mix basil into salad last, after quinoa has cooled. The heat will turn the basil brown otherwise.

-Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, top salad with goat cheese as you desire and serve.

-Kirsten Graves

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Fun at the Fair!

2010-06-24T21:21:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, June 20th, HeartBeets participated in the Urban Eats Fair. We entered the garden basket competition @ AT&T Park, and HORRAY!!! We were in the Upper Tier!

A little bit of history…when the San Francisco General Hospital HeartBeets program got off the ground in May 2009, the hospital’s food garden had just been paved over to make way for construction of the new in-patient hospital on Potrero. The HeartBeets team jumped into action, creating six raised garden beds on the 3rd floor patio. We filled them with a mixture of existing soil, purchased topsoil, organic compost and chicken manure. The much-anticipated first harvest of greens occurred last fall.

Seeds for our vegetables are certified organic from Botanical Interests and Seeds of Change. Our green waste is deposited in a 20- yard “Compostables Only” debris box and processed by Recology into compost. On occasion, we apply straw from discarded waddles used in the campus construction as mulch. In future seasons, we will use rotating cover crops to fix nitrogen into the soil.

Our first line of defense against unwanted pests is hand picking, trapping, or spraying them off with water. The beds are also covered with bird netting and lined with copper tape to discourage feral cats, pigeons, and snails from making deposits or withdrawals. On two occasions, we have applied Sluggo (an OMRI listed product) and diatomaceous earth to discourage mollusks and earwigs.

HeartBeets believes consumption of locally, naturally grown foods is fundamental to the effective treatment and care of SFGH patients as well as to the wellbeing of staff and providers. In addition to the garden, the HeartBeets team has launched a robust CSA program. In the works for this summer are a free farmers market for patients, a wellness and nutrition resource center for patients and staff, and a community food and farming partnership. Until the free farmers market is up and running, we are donating produce from the weekly garden harvest to The Food Pantry at St. Gregory's on Potrero Hill.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Baked Kale Chips

2010-06-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

Staff at the General Hospital have been working hard to grow and harvest delicious produce this spring and summer. In my opinion the highlight of the harvest is the Dino Kale. Watching the kale grow in the hospital's garden inspired me to prepare this fabulous appetizer!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale (I used Lacinato or “Dinosaur” Kale but I understand that the curlier stuff works, too, possibly even better)

- 1 tablespoon olive oil 

- Sea salt to taste.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I needed two because mine are tiny; I also lined mine with parchment for easy clean-up but there’s no reason that you must). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool. Enjoy!!!

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Lettuce Tacos

2010-04-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

This is a personal favorite recipe of mine. It is quick, easy, and most importantly, gluten free.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can water chestnuts

1 bunch parsley

1 bunch celery

1 lb ground turkey

2 tbs. soy sauce

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

whole lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS:

Saute the ground turkey. Chop the water chestnuts and celery into your preferred size (I usually make pea sized pieces). Also chop the parsley. When the meat is cooked, add the water chestnuts, celery, parsley, toasted sesame oil, and soy sauce to the pan and saute for 3-5 min.

To serve, put a spoonful of your meat veggie mixture in the middle of a whole lettuce leaf. Wrap it up like a 'taco' and enjoy.

NOTES:

Trader Joe's is where I have found toasted sesame oil. It is a good thing to keep in your cabinet because you get a lot of bang for your buck; it has a very strong flavor.

Keep napkins on hand when eating these tacos, things can get pretty messy.

Lettuce makes a good substrate for all kinds of ingredients traditionally wrapped in flat breads, tortillas, or stuffed in a sandwich. Try this 'lettuce taco' technique next time you are craving a tuna salad sandwich.

**Please note that I borrowed this picture from Serious Eats to give an idea of what your lettuce tacos might look like in a professional setting.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Delicious! FarmShare Scramble

2010-04-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

As we move into warmer months I have found that my cooking class' enthusiasm for soup has begin to ebb. The turn of weather left me with extra veggies at the end of the week. As a result, I was forced to invent a new way to incorporate my FarmShare produce into a one pan meal. The other day it came to me: mix my veggies with eggs!

Now the eggs themselves posed a problem because my better half has an odd egg phobia, which I have been trying to help him get over by pointing out all of the foods he enjoys that are, unbeknown to him, egg flavored (i.e. his favorite salad dressing). Until the FarmShare scramble, my attempts to make him eat eggs were futile. He went so far as to reject deviled eggs! Only my veggie laden scramble has helped to reverse his egg phobia. This gives me hope that this recipe will work for picky eaters everywhere.

Below is the recipe that I have been loosely following lately, but I look forward to mixing it up as other veggies come into season.

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs

small handful shredded cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Fresh chives, chopped

kalamata olives, sliced

sun dried tomatoes, sliced

chard

spinach

arugula

1 tbs. olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a frying pan with of olive oil and add the chard spinach and arugula (here is also where you would add any onions, garlic, or other things you want to have an extra min. to cook) Let these veggies cook until wilted. You may choose to cover with a lid briefly to expedite wilting.

While the veggies are wilting beat together the rest of the ingredients. Add the mixture to the wilted veggies and cook over medium heat, scrambling occasionally, until eggs are cooked through.

Delicious!

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Cesar Chavez Street Fair

2010-04-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Heartbeets had the pleasure of participating in the Cesar Chavez Street Fair this weekend. Despite threatening clouds and a few rogue drops, we lucked out and it did not rain on us.

The Fair started off with the arrival of the parade that had marched from Dolores park to the closed section of 24th street where the street fair was being held. It was a very eclectic parade with a wide variety of messages being promoted.

The SFGH table had a gangbuster team educating the public about diabetes risk. There were pamphlets and poster boards in English and Spanish, blood pressure machines, and beverages with sugar packets trailing off of them to impress upon people how much sugar is in each drink. I admit, despite our table looking nice when we set it up, I did not think that people would stop by our booth to learn about diabetes during their leisure time at the weekend street fair. I am happy to report that I was completely wrong. People loved the booth! They were stopping in to learn about their risks, telling us that they knew they were at risk, but not how to change their heath outcomes, people bringing their kids by to reinforce messages that they had been trying to teach at home, groups of middle schoolers shocked by the amount of sugar that was in their favorite soft drink, the whole spectrum. I took particular pleasure in handing out my granola samples to little kids who were eating the cotton candy that was being sold a couple of booths down.

Hopefully the HeartBeets team will have future opportunities to participate in these amazing events alongside the hospital.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

What does it Mean to Eat Well?

2010-04-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

Response:

"Kudos for first lady’s Anti-Obesity Effort"

It is easy to get caught up in food when receiving weekly boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables. I am reminded by Sunday’s article in the SF Chronicle that the food movement is about much more than what we are putting on our plates. Will Allen, the head of a group of urban farmers called Growing Power, was quoted in the article: “Good food is about social justice. Every child should have access to good food.” It is this belief in quality food for all that unites the members of the HeartBeets team and lies at the heart of our mission for food reform in the SFGH community. Farm fresh produce is not a luxury only to be enjoyed in four-star restaurants – it is abundant, affordable, and should be accessible to everyone.

Allen’s statement is straightforward and undeniable, yet access to good food remains an issue for many Americans. Not only do children lack access, they lack knowledge. Many are unable to distinguish a carrot from a potato. Supplying the food is not enough. Healthy eating involves more than a change in diet – it requires a change in attitude and behavior. Is it any wonder that obesity and diabetes are national epidemics when, as the first lady indicated, “food companies are teaching kids that it’s good to have salty, sugary food and snacks every day”?

The HeartBeets CSA project has proven to be a wonderful and rewarding undertaking, but there is still much to be done in the SFGH community. We realize that information about where our food comes from, what benefits it has, and how to prepare it, is nearly as important as the food itself. Every day we are getting closer to achieving our goal of transforming the cafeteria walls into interactive displays of nutritional information and resources for patients and staff alike. In a community as large and diverse as that at SFGH, it is hard to meet the needs of every individual. Changing a person’s eating habits is not something that happens overnight. Such a task requires time, an open mind, and a strong will. When I began volunteering for HeartBeets, I was uncertain of the impact that the HeartBeets CSA program would have on people. I am now amazed by the enthusiasm for quality food that SFGH staff members and patients exhibit at the FarmShare table every Friday. Almost everyone has a question, recipe, or story to share about the produce. I suppose it should come as no surprise that fresh food has the power to excite people, lift their spirits, and bring them together, even in a place as chaotic as SFGH. Everyone can appreciate good food – the challenge is making it accessible.

Michelle Obama targets the problem with desserts throughout her campaign. At SFGH, eliminating such unhealthy foods is a difficult reality. Overall, improving America’s diet is a tremendous challenge - solving the problem of childhood obesity will not be easy, not even for the first lady. However discouraging the thought of battling giant food companies may be, it is important to remember that every effort in this movement counts; no attempt is too small to make a difference for at least one person. Whether you are planting vegetables in a hospital parking lot or on the White House lawn, you are taking a step in the right direction towards a healthier America.

To read the article 'Kudos for the First Lady's Anti-Obesity Effort' click here

- Morgan Kelly

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Jicama, Orange and Fennel Salad

2010-03-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

If I were a poet I would write an ode to fennel. I absolutely love the natural crunch and spice this veggie adds to any dish. It also has many health benefits: rich in vitamin C, iron, magnesium, folate and phosphorus. Although I’ve had fennel prepared a multitude of ways, I still find it tastes best raw. Here’s my all time favorite fennel recipe adopted from the Moosewood Cookbook. Enjoy!

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

4 navel oranges

1 jicama (or daikon)

1 fennel bulb (2-to 3-inch diameter)

Handful of arugula if available

About 10 leaves of endive or spinach

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 dash cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

Peel the orange and cut into bite size chunks. Peel the jicama and cut into very thin slices. Slice the fennel into thin strips, including the feathery tops. Chop the arugula. Combine orange, jicama, fennel, arugula and endive.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and drizzle over salad mix until fully coated. Toss gently. Garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro if you so desire. Voila!

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Capay Valley Almond Festival

2010-03-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

Join us in the Capay Valley

Sunday, March 14th

In Celebration of the 2010 Capay Valley Almond Festival

This Five town event has been held since 1915 and is designed to showcase the Capay Valley. Come enjoy the almond blossoms along with delicious food, crafts, and music. For more information click here or visit the SFGH FarmShare table at the back of the cafeteria this Friday from 11am-5pm to pick up a brochure and chat with someone from the area.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Shredded Carrot and Beet Salad

2010-02-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

This colorful, delicious salad is full of those disease-fighting antioxidants so prevalent in colored fruits and vegetables

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 c. carrots, peeled and shredded

1 c. red beets, peeled and shredded

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, ginger and salt until thoroughly combined. Put carrots in a mixing bowl, drizzle with half of the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Please carrots on one side of a shallow serving bowl. Put beets in a mixing bowl, drizzle with remaining dressing. Too until evenly coated. Place beets in a serving bowl next to carrots for a beautiful contrast of color. Top with mint before serving. Serves 4.

-The Critchfields

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Name Chosen!

2010-02-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

Our program has chosen a name! HEARTBEETS

We have created a new blog and email address to accompany our new name.

Keep your eyes peeled for Heartbeets events and activities around the hospital and community!

In the works for 2010:

• A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program that delivers 100 weekly boxes of just picked produce for pickup in the hospital’s cafeteria.

• An on-site farmers market opening the first day of spring.

• A free farmers market in which patients learn about nutrition before selecting a basket of free, fresh produce.

• A partnership with local schools that trains youth to cultivate neighborhood lots with produce supplementing the hospital’s free farmers market.

• A partnership with local restaurants to offer demonstrations of fresh, simple, delicious dishes made with seasonal produce.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

FarmShare Soup (foolproof cooking)

2010-02-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

I cook regularly, but soup is my Achilles heel. My disgusting soups are infamous among my family and friends. In one of my finer soup attempts in college I lit the soup on fire and my roommates and I all stood around and watched it burn, debating appropriate circumstances for fire extinguisher use.

This Christmas I was generously given a Moosewood soup cookbook. I have adapted one of the recipes in the book for easy use with all CSA veggies. It is easy and incredibly foolproof.

For this recipe you can use whatever you happen to have. When I made it the first time I happened to have some dried lentils and a can of garbanzo beans. When I attempted to recreate it I only had dried garbanzo beans. You can use whatever you have on hand. The same goes for veggies. You can throw in whatever you get in your Farm Share that week.

INGREDIENTS:

Cumin

Chili powder

Garlic

Onion/something onion-like

Legume of choice

Veggies

Broth or water

Can of diced tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

If you are using lentils rinse 1 ½ cups and simmer with the lid on with 6cups of water for 20 min or until tender.

In a pan sauté an onion/something onion like (shallot, leek etc) in a little bit of oil

Add minced garlic to taste and continue to sauté.

Add cumin and chili powder to the sauté pan to taste. Remember this is going to season the entire pot of soup so you can be a little heavy handed.

When the sauté pan is fragrant throw in your cubed, longer cooking veggies like carrots, potatoes, celery root etc. and sauté for a couple of minuets. At this point, to mix up the texture, I have also added a can of rinsed and drained beans.

When the lentils are tender add everything from the sauté pan and the can of tomatoes. Stir and replace the pot lid to cook until the veggies are almost done. The cook time will depend on the type of veggies you are using and the size pieces they are cut in. You can tell how done they are by poking them with a fork to check for tenderness.

When the longer cooking veggies are nearly done, add the shorter cooking veggies like chard, cabbage, mushrooms etc. to the pot and mix. Replace the lid and let cook for about 3-8 more min. Add salt to taste and voila!

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Full Belly Farm Experience

2010-01-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

In November I joined fellow Heartbeets members on a trip to the majestic Full Belly Farm. The 200 acres of land brimming with plump fruits and vegetables was a wonder to behold – I am reminded of it every time I taste a product of the farm’s harvest in my weekly CSA box. Yet, what remains most memorable about the trip to Full Belly is not the beautiful valley setting or the bountiful crop, it is the farmers whose hard work allows the wonder of the farm to be shared, and the high quality of treatment they each receive. It is these dedicated workers who provide flavor and nutrition to households throughout the Bay Area, but whose importance in the “good food” movement is so often overlooked.

In December 2009 the SF Bay Guardian published an article on the sustainable local food movement called Out of Reach. The author, Caitlin Donohue identifies a major issue in the food movement that has yet to be solved: the feasibility of the movement for the lower classes. Organic produce and farmers markets have significantly increased in popularity over the past several years, but as the article points out, the number of low-income people with access to this food is limited. Despite the current popularity of sustainable food movement, only 10 percent of Americans buy organic products. Those who consistently shop for healthy foods spend about 20 percent more than those who do not. According to the article, “Several California studies have indicated that socioeconomically depressed neighborhoods have disturbingly high rates of food insecurity and obesity.” Unfortunately one of the populations most inhibited by the high cost of organic produce are the farm workers who make the consumption of such food possible.

“It might come as a surprise that those who work on small or organic farms often face the same exploitative working conditions as those in conventional agriculture,” wrote Donohue. The average salary of a farm worker in California is $8,500 – over $2,000 below the federal poverty line. Because anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of California’s farm workers are undocumented, many farm labor contractors are able to disregard minimum wage – taking advantage of workers afraid to seek help for fear of being deported. Minimum wage is not the only labor standard neglected by the farmer’s employers, only a mere 36 percent of these workers receive health insurance from their providers. The irony of the impediment farmers face in obtaining the very food they produce is made painfully clear in Donohue’s article. It seems there are still hurdles to be tackled in the food movement before it can be considered a complete success. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to remember that there are many exceptions to the organic farms reviewed in Out of Reach. There are places where farmers are paid fairly, provided with benefits, and enjoy the work they do; places like Full Belly Farm.

The fields at Full Belly are not just filled with lush vegetation, but also with the proud farmers who are justly rewarded for their important work. Almost everywhere I turned I was greeted by the smiling face of a Full Belly employee. Everyone was eager to help answer questions, and the workers were more than willing to share their positive feelings about the farm. The high level of trust and respect the employees had for each other and their providers was obvious from the moment we arrived. Full Belly provides exemplary treatment to its farmers – from year-round employment to both traditional and non-traditional benefits, Full Belly is a great model of what organic farm labor management should look like. Amidst such an exciting movement it is easy to forget many of those who have made the food reform possible. Fortunately, I can take comfort in knowing that farm supported by the Heartbeets CSA program is one that treats its valuable employees with all the respect they deserve.

Click here for a full version of the article “Out of Reach”

~Morgan Kelly

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Veggie Box Science

2010-01-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

Don’t throw those outer leaves of your purple cabbage directly in the compost! Do a science experiment instead:

Put the leaves in a sauce pan and cover them with water. Boil with the lid on until the water is purple.

Let the water cool and pour a little bit into several cups or bowls. It is recommended that you use white containers, or something that will not distract from the color of the liquid.

Find a lemon and squeeze a few drops of juice into one of the containers.

Put a pinch of baking soda in another container.

If your liquid turns blue you have found a base.

If your liquid turns red you have found an acid.

If your liquid stays purple you have a neutral.

Try some different things from around the house.

See how much of your base it takes to turn your acid back to neutral.

Base: A base releases hydroxide ions in solution. They are typically slippery to the touch and taste bitter (think baking soda).

Acid: An acid releases hydrogen ions in solution. They typically taste sour (think vinegar or lemon juice).

*Note: Both acids and bases are corrosive and can burn skin. Please be careful when testing the pH of household items and neutralize the solution (return to purple) before pouring it down the drain.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

CSA Launch at SFGH

2010-01-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

On January 15th HeartBeets launched its first project! The Capay Valley Farm Shop brought a truck load of their delicious produce boxes and began distribution at the back of the SFGH cafeteria.

It was exhilarating to see months of planning finally come into action. Both patients and employees of the hospital shared in the excitement of the launch as they picked up their pre-ordered boxes, signed up for CSA memberships, bought promotional boxes and indulged in free bok choy samples. It was quite a site to see.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Bushel vs. Peck

2010-01-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

FarmShare Peck:
Includes 6 seasonal fruits and veggies
Feeds1-2 people
Weighs 8-10lbs

FarmShare Bushel:
Includes 9 seasonal fruits and veggies
Feeds 2-4 people
Weighs 12-15lbs

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

FarmShare FAQ

2010-01-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

What day and time will my produce box be delivered to SFGH?

Produce boxes will be delivered to the hospital cafeteria for pick up on Fridays between 12-5pm.

What is in a produce box?

It depends on which size you order:

A Peck is an 8-10 pound box that will feed 1-2 people/week. It has 7 seasonal fruits and vegetables. A sample fall Peck included: 1 lb. Early Girl Tomatoes,1 lb. Red Flame Grapes, 1 lb. Elephant Heart Plums, 1 lb. Mixed Summer Squash, and ½ lb. Green Beans, ½ lb. Gypsy Peppers & 2 Yellow Onions.

A Bushel is a 12-15 pound box that will feed 4 people/week. It has10 different seasonal fruits and vegetables. A sample fall Bushel included: 1 lb. Early Girl Tomatoes,1 lb. Red Flame Grapes, 1 lb. Elephant Heart Plums, 1 lb. Mixed Summer Squash, and ½ lb. Green Beans, ½ lb. Gypsy Peppers & 2 Yellow Onions.1 Sharlyn Melon, 1 basket Sungold Cherry Tomatoes, and1 lb. Yellow Finn Potatoes.

Can I try it out first?

Sample pecks will be available for purchase for $20 on Fridays from 12-5 through February 2010.

For a trial, you can sign up to receive as few as 4 boxes, delivered either weekly or bi-weekly.

How do I sign up?

Just follow these quick steps to get started:

Click on the link, www.shop.capayvalleyfarmshop.com
Select Peck* for a small box or Bushel** for a large box
Choose SF General Hospital from the list of Delivery Locations
Proceed to Checkout
Be sure to check ‘billing address same as shipping address’ even though your box will be delivered to work instead of home.

What happens to my box if I go on vacation?

With advance notice, you may skip certain dates due to vacation, illness, travel, etc. The advance notice deadline for scheduling changes is midnight the Friday prior to that week’s delivery.

What is a CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a way for people to connect directly with the farms that grow their food. Subscribers sign up to receive a box of seasonal fruits and vegetables, which are delivered on a regular basis to a convenient location. Because of the direct connection between the farmers and consumers, the farmers are able to charge less money and more of the money stays with the farm.

How was Capay Valley Farm Shop chosen to provide a CSA for SFGH?

The SFGH Natural Foods Team interviewed several CSA programs before selecting Capay Valley Farm Shop. Team members asked questions, sampled boxes, and visited the farms where the food will be grown. The FarmShop has exceptional produce, fair labor practices, sustainable farming methods, and an innovative spirit.

Where is Capay Valley?

The Capay Valley is part of the Cache Creek Watershed, nested along the Coast Range in Yolo County between Sacramento and the Bay Area. It is approximately 90 miles north of San Francisco off hwy 505.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Sign Up Now for Fresh Produce!

2010-01-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Sign up now to receive your own box of just-picked fruits and vegetables delivered right to the hospital!

Just follow these quick steps to get started:

• Click on the link: www.shop.capayvalleyfarmshop.com
• Select Peck* for a small box or Bushel* for a large box
• Choose SF General Hospital from the list of Delivery Locations
• Proceed to Checkout
• Be sure to check ‘billing address same as shipping address’ even though your box will be delivered to work instead of home.

*A FarmShare Peck is a seasonal mix of 7 fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruits that will serve 1-2 people a week.
**A FarmShare Bushel is a seasonal mix of 11 fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruits that will serve approximately 4 people a week.

Produce boxes will be delivered each Friday for convenient pick up in the hospital cafeteria. If you sign up by Monday, January 11th, your first box will arrive on Friday, January 15th. With a flexible vacation schedule, there’s nothing to lose by giving it a try!

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Inspiring: Full Belly Farm Adventure

2009-11-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

When I joined the SFGH Natural Foods Access Team, I had little sense of how exciting a project it would be. In the past week since I began as an intern, I have been more inspired than I could have ever imagined. It was my mother, Cynthia Wiseman-Kelly, who encouraged me to get involved in the hospital community. She has been a social worker at SFGH for the past sixteen years and she is passionate about her work. When she mentioned the Natural Foods internship to me, I was certain the opportunity was too good to be true. For the past several years I have had a strong interest in nutrition and sustainable agriculture. SFGH is taking remarkable initiative to promote the consumption of natural and local foods, and I am thrilled to be a part of such an endeavor.

Last Wednesday’s trip to Full Belly Farm is a great example of one of the many perks of this project. Laura Critchfield, Kimberley and Corinne Grant, and I, spent the holiday visiting a farm in the beautiful Capay Valley. Full Belly Farm is one of nearly twenty in the Farm Shop network, and it is an impressive site to say the least. The 200 acres of abundant crops were a wonder to behold, and the farmers who tended to them were compassionate and insightful. What we predicted to be a quick tour of the land, turned into hours of exploring, learning, and socializing at the incredible farm.

We were fortunate enough to meet Judith Redmond, one of the owners of Full Belly Farm. She guided us past the pen of sheep and through the fields of broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, basil, and countless other thriving crops. She pointed out, and explained the importance of hedgerows when we passed the Marigolds and trekked through the field of peach, plum, apricot, and nectarine trees. Judith gave us each a sample of celery root – a vegetable I had never even heard of, but I am eager to have it again. One of the greatest things that Judith did was introduce us to a few farm laborers. We were especially pleased to meet Joaquina and her son, Edgar. Juaquina moved to the Capay Valley Region from Sinaloa and she has worked at Full Belly Farm for the past fifteen years. She gladly answered our questions about the farm, and told us how much she enjoys working there. Edgar was just as gracious as his mother – he shared with us about his classes at Sacramento State University and a project he’s doing for a lit class on comparing people’s experiences with CSAs and conventional groceries.

By the end of the visit, we were questioning our current occupations and considering a shift to farming! The amount that we learned about the land, the crops, and the farmers made the trip well worthwhile. My experience at Full Belly Farm was truly enjoyable and I hope to visit again soon. Please come along!!

- Morgan Kelly

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Delicious! Starbucks Banana Bread (or muffins)

2009-08-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Starbucks

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 1/8 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ripe medium/large bananas, mashed

1/2cup + 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan and dust with flour, or line muffin pan with papers. Blend together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Mix together the egg, sugar and vegetable oil until combined. Add the flour mixture and when blended add the buttermilk, vanilla and mashed bananas. Mix until combined.

Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, if desired, and pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Top batter with remaining 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, if desired.

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For muffins, cook for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

NOTES:

I recommend doubling the recipe and adding some nutmeg and cinnamon. YUM!

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

Delicious! You're Practically French! Salad Dressing

2009-08-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

Juice of 1 lemon

1 fork full (approx 2 teaspoons) Dijon mustard

Salt to taste

Olive oil to double the volume of the lemon Dijon combination

One clove garlic (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

- Add the lemon juice, salt, Dijon, and oil to the bottom of your salad bowl.

- Peel and smash one clove of garlic with the side of your knife (carefully!)

- Beat together with your fork until it emulsifies.

- Add salad stuffs on top and toss when you are ready to eat.

**Tip: if you are making a salad with fresh tomatoes add the tomatoes to the dressing in the bottom of the bowl, toss and let marinate a couple of minuets before adding the rest of the salad stuff.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**

HeartBeets: What is HeartBeets all About?

2009-08-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Mission:

The San Francisco General Hospital Heartbeets Project is striving to create a healthy food environment for our community. We aim to make SFGH the first public hospital to give access to natural, locally grown, sustainable food to all of our patients, faculty, and staff.

Who are we?

Heartbeets started in May 2009 when 2 of our founding members met over lunch and began discussing food. When they shared with colleagues what they had discussed at lunch, they were interested and wanted to join in the discussion.

Many food related initiatives have been started in the past, but have not had the necessary support to get of the ground. The climate is right now for this project to have real success because the idea of changing the current food system and encouraging a shift to local, sustainable, natural foods is supported by the San Francisco mayor and the hospital CEO.

What are we doing?

The project consists of several smaller projects...

Farmers Market – The farmers market will be held at the hospital. This market will be unique in many ways. The time and location of the market will make healthy natural foods accessible to the hard working hospital employees as well as to patients. It will be able to accept Food Stamps and WIC vouchers.

CSA – Community Supported Agriculture is a system that allows people to have a basket of seasonal local produce each week. The baskets are made available at convenient on site pick-up location.

Free Farmers Market – SFGH’s primary patient base consists of vulnerable populations— the city’s homeless, marginally housed, immigrant, and un- and under-employed residents. The food pantry will be accessible feed clinic patrons. The focus of our project is to bring nutritious calories to the hospital community, and give patrons the tools to make healthy choices within their budget. The pantry will be supplied by the San Francisco Food bank. This project will be primarily run by volunteers who are also patients at the hospital and patrons of the pantry. The accessibility of natural foods to the clinic patients will empower the patients to participate in their own healthcare outcomes.

Sourcing of institutional food – the current dining options available for the patients, faculty and staff at SFGH will be revamped to be made from locally and sustainable grown natural foods. This is of particular importance because we must lead by example. A hospital is a place to heal, and one of the ways to do this is through food.

Nutrition Instruction – Local chefs will be invited to give cooking demonstrations and teach the community how to make delicious meals of their natural foods. We will also be working to compile recipe idea books based on dietary needs and available resources.

Why here?

An abundance of unhealthy, unappetizing, and processed foods at SFGH contradicts the hospital’s mission of improving the care and comfort of patients. SFGH’s primary patient base consists of vulnerable populations— the city’s homeless, marginally housed, immigrant, and un- and under-employed residents. These patients are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases related to diet and nutrition including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and osteoporosis. It is becoming widely recognized that changes in diet are vital to chronic disease prevention and management. A 2003 World Health Organization (WHO) report states: “Nutrition is coming to the fore as a major modifiable determinant of chronic disease, with scientific evidence increasingly supporting the view that alterations in diet have strong effects, both positive and negative, on health throughout life. Chronic diseases are the main cause of premature death and disability among the poorer populations of industrialized countries.” Promoting healthy food and nutrition is fundamental to the effective treatment and care of SFGH patients.

Providing access to natural foods will empower patients to pursue opportunities for self care that complement the care they receive from providers. In addition to the convenience of one-stop shopping, the food pantry and other natural foods projects will help patients make the connection between nutrition and overall health. Recent surveys indicate that access to fresh foods is a matter of great interest to hospital staff. More than 10% of the hospital’s 5,500 employees have responded in the first two weeks of a survey, with 97% indicating a desire to increase their consumption of natural foods, and over 70% identifying a lack of convenient access as their number one barrier.

**For more food inspiration visit our website: www.heartbeets.org**