Spring is almost here! On March 20th, the northern hemisphere will welcome the Spring of 2010 into the world and many of us will celebrate the Spring equinox to recognize the change of seasons. Why not throw a dinner party to herald the return of green to nature? These recipes are all healthy, delicious and take the best of winter and combine it with the new flavors of Spring.

Flax and Sunflower Seed Bread

This recipe for a whole grain bread includes the extra protein and minerals found in seeds- nature's powerhouse foods. Seeds are what we plant in Spring to get our gardens started, so this bread honors the growth to come by including them in the bread.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened, or 1/4 cup oil
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Directions: 

1. Warm 2 cups of water with 6 tbsp of honey dissolved in it. then sprinkle 2 1/4 tsp of yeast and let proof for 10 minutes.

2. Then add 1/4 cup of oil and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Add all your flour and seeds. Knead well.

3. Let rise in a oiled bowl for 1 hour, punch down and divide into 2 loaves then let rise again for 45 minutes.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

Provencal Greens Soup

This recipe from the New York Times brings together some pretty simple ingredients for a cleansing, tasty soup that's on the lighter side. Of French origin, this is the perfect bowl to celebrate Spring while still keeping the early season chill out.

Ingredients: 

2 leeks, cut in half length-wise, sliced, rinsed of dirt and drained on paper towels
4 garlic cloves, sliced
6 cups chopped greens (leaves only), such as Swiss chard, dandelion greens, watercress and beet greens
1 1/2 quarts water
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large eggs
4 thick slices country bread (like the recipe above), toasted and rubbed with a cut clove of garlic
Grated Parmesan for serving (optional)

Directions: 

1. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the leeks. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add the greens, and stir until they begin to wilt. Add the water and salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the greens are very tender and the broth sweet. Add pepper, and taste and adjust seasoning.

2. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Making sure that the soup is not boiling, whisk a ladle of it into the beaten eggs. Take the soup off the heat, and stir in the tempered eggs. Brush the garlic croutons with olive oil, and place one or two in each bowl. Ladle in the soup, sprinkle on some Parmesan if desired and serve.

Rustic Pear Tart

This recipe from The Food Network makes a delicious and not-too-sweet ending to a simple meal filled with fresh greens and hearty seeds.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1/2 cup whole-grain pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons icewater

Filling:

• 3 medium pears
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:

• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon boiling water

Directions:

To prepare the crust, in a medium bowl whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, all- purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt. Add the butter and using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until you get a pebbly, course texture. In a small bowl combine the buttermilk and ice water. Using a fork, gradually mix the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Pat the dough into a 4-inch round and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and prepare the filling. Peel the pears, core them and cut into 1/4-inch slices. In a large bowl toss the pear slices with the lemon juice. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss until the pears are evenly coated. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a large circle about 9 inches in diameter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and draping the dough over the rolling pin, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. If the dough breaks at all patch it up with your fingers.

Arrange the pears in a mound in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch boarder. Fold the border over the filling. It will only cover the pears partially and does not need to be even.

Bake the tart for 15 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, keeping the tart in the oven all the while, and bake for another 40 minutes, until the pears are tender and the crust is golden brown.

In a small bowl stir together the honey and boiling water to make a glaze. When the tart is done remove it from the oven and brush the honey glaze all over the top of the fruit and crust. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut into 6 wedges and serve warm or a room temperature.

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Federal food regulators pondered Monday whether to say, for the first time, that it's OK to market a genetically engineered animal as safe for people to eat. The Food and Drug Administration is holding two days of hearings on a request to market genetically modified salmon. Ron Stotish, CEO of AquaBounty, the Massachusetts company that made the marketing request, said at the meeting Monday that his company's fish product is safe and environmentally sustainable. Critics, however, call the modified salmon "frankenfish" that could cause allergies in humans and the eventual decimation of the wild salmon population. An FDA advisory committee is reviewing the science of the genetically engineered fish this week and hearing such criticisms as the agency ponders approval. The FDA has already said that the salmon, which grows twice as fast as its conventional "sisters," is as safe to eat as the traditional variety. Whether the public will have an appetite for it is another matter. Genetic engineering is already widely used for crops, but the government until now has not considered allowing the consumption of modified animals. Although the potential benefits - and profits - are huge, many individuals have qualms about manipulating the genetic code of other living creatures. Part of the two-day hearing will focus on labeling of the fish. It is possible that if the modified salmon is approved, consumers would not even know they were eating it. Current FDA regulations only require modified foods to be labeled as such if the food is substantially different than the conventional version, and the agency has said that the modified salmon is essentially the same as the Atlantic salmon. Approval of the salmon would open the door for a variety of other genetically engineered animals, including an environmentally friendly pig that is being developed in Canada or cattle that are resistant to mad cow disease. "For future applications out there the sky's the limit," said David Edwards of the Biotechnology Industry Association. "If you can imagine it, scientists can try to do it." AquaBounty says it would be the first in the world to market genetically engineered fish.The company submitted its first application for FDA approval in 1995, but the agency did not decide until two years ago to consider applications for genetically engineered animals - a move seen as a breakthrough by the biotechnology industry. Genetically engineered - or GE - animals are not clones, which the FDA has already said are safe to eat. Clones are copies of an animal. With GE animals, their DNA has been altered to produce a desirable characteristic. In the case of the salmon, AquaBounty has added a growth hormone from a Chinook salmon that allows the fish to produce their growth hormone all year long. The engineers were able to keep the hormone active by using another gene from an eel-like fish called an ocean pout that acts like an on switch for the hormone, according to the company. Conventional salmon only produce the growth hormone some of the time. In documents released ahead of the hearing, the FDA said there were no biologically relevant differences between the engineered salmon and conventional salmon, and there is a reasonable certainty of no harm from its consumption. FDA scientists speaking Monday said there are very few differences between the modified and conventional fish. Critics have two main concerns: The safety of the food to humans and the salmon's effect on the environment. Because the altered fish has never been eaten before, they say, it could include dangerous allergens, especially because seafood is highly allergenic. They also worry that the fish will escape and intermingle with the wild salmon population, which is already endangered.They would grow fast and consume more food to the detriment of the conventional wild salmon, the critics fear. A wide range of environmental, food safety and consumer groups have argued that more public studies are needed and the current FDA process is inadequate because it allows the company to keep some proprietary information private. Modified foods are regulated under the same process used for animal drugs. "It is outrageous to keep this vital information secret," said Wenonah Hauter, director of the advocacy group Food & Water Watch. "Consumers have a right to know what FDA is trying to allow into our food supply." Dr. Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, says the agency is relying on too little data, much of which is supplied by the company itself. European nations have been much more cautious in embracing engineered foods. Ruediger Rosenthal, a spokesman for Bund-Friends of the Earth Germany, said it is unlikely the modified fish would make it across the Atlantic for sale as many Europeans are very skeptical of genetically modified foods. AquaBounty CEO Stotish countered that the company has more than addressed critics' concerns, and his product has come under much more scrutiny than most food. "This is perhaps the most studied fish in history," he said. "Environmentally this is a very sustainable technology." The company has several safeguards in place to allay concerns. All the fish would be bred female and sterile, though a small percentage may be able to breed. They would be bred in confined pools where the potential for escape would be very low. In its environmental analysis of the fish released earlier this month, the FDA agreed with the company that there are enough safeguards in place. Stotish says the fish would be bred in better conditions than many of the world's farmed salmon, and could be located closer to population centers to help feed more people. The company has also said the increase in engineered salmon production could help relieve endangered wild salmon populations. The company is also arguing that the fish do not need to be labeled as genetically engineered, so the average customer would not know if they were eating the modified product or the conventional product. "This fish is identical to the traditional food," maintained Stotish. "The label could even be misleading because it implies a difference that doesn't exist." If approved, the fish could be in grocery stores in two years, the company estimates. AP-->

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British scientists have decoded the genetic sequence of wheat - one of the world's oldest and most important crops - a development they hope could help the global staple meet the challenges of climate change, disease and population growth. Wheat is grown across more of the world's farmland than any other cereal, and researchers said Friday they're posting its genetic code to the Internet in the hope that scientists can use it as a tool to improve farmers' harvests. One academic in the field called the discovery "a landmark." "The wheat genome is the holy grail of plant genomes," said Nick Talbot, a professor of biosciences at the University of Exeter who wasn't involved in the research. "It's going to really revolutionize how we breed it."AP-->

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