Chicory Coffee

I can't remember when I first read that the roots of Chicory (Cichorium intybus), a common roadside alien plant, make a decent coffee substitute. I remember being intrigued and planning to try it. Years went by and I never bothered. This Christmas I got an awesome coffee grinder and French press from my sister. The wheels were set in motion.

Chicory is pretty abundant right now, but Beth and I weren't able to find a spot that was easily accessible (AKA not in the middle of a main road) to pick some. Lucky for me, Beth brought me home a gift yesterday – a big bunch of Chicory!

I cut the roots off and composted the remains (although we could have eaten the leaves I guess). I cleaned the roots with a scrub brush and lots of water, then cut them into small pieces. I had read that I should roast them at 250 degrees for 2 hours. I laid them on a cookie sheet and popped them in the oven. After an hour, the root chunks had reduced to about half the size and looked like little twigs. There was also a distinct nutty aroma in the kitchen. The "twigs" looked pretty dry to me, so I took them out.

I let them cool, then ground them up into what looked like sawdust. I decided to make a brew of half coffee (shade-grown of course!) and half chicory. Beth had read that pure chicory coffee is very bitter. After tasting the concoction, I couldn't really discern any distinct flavor, but I did notice that the coffee tasted less bitter normal. Beth quickly quipped, "Well, that's probably because you used half as much." Good point.

So, I feel like I still don't know what chicory tastes like. Perhaps I didn't roast it long enough to bring out its flavor or perhaps mixing it with coffee was the wrong approach. I have a little of the chicory left so maybe I'll try a pure chicory coffee tonight.

In retrospect, I should have taken some pictures of this effort. Sorry readers! For an excellent history of chicory and chicory coffee, check out Coffeeproject.com.

A Whole Foods Experience

I'm off work today thanks to the ridiculous amount of rain that has hit NJ...

Beth and I made our first visit to a Whole Foods Market on Saturday. There are two within about 45 minutes from us. Our goal was to explore the environmentally-friendly products that they sell, specifically their 100% recycled paper products (good for the boreal forests!). We also wanted to see their organic foods, produce, and shade-grown coffee selection. We were impressed with the overall experience. The produce was extremely high quality. They had an organic/all-natural/free range/hormone-free/etc. version of basically anything you can think of. They also had the 100% recycled paper products we were looking for, as well as biodegradable laundry detergent, dish detergent, and other household products.

We enjoyed our experience, but I have a few reservations about Whole Foods. First off, they obviously cater to an upscale crowd and the prices reflect it. I understand that organic food is more expensive to produce, but until we find a way to lower the prices and cater to the "everyman", 98% of the US population will continue to buy mass-produced, chemically-dependent crap.

Second, environmentally-conscious people like the readers of this blog and all of my birder friends know the benefits of buying the type of products that Whole Foods sells. It seems to me that Whole Foods is not marketing to this population. All of the Whole Foods stores in NJ are in very well-to-do areas and most of the people there seemed to fit that mold. Whole Foods' reputation has become that of a trendy place to shop vs. a place to shop to help the environment and the local grower.

Beth and I have also visited Trader Joe's, a similar, but smaller, chain market. They seem to have slightly better prices than Whole Foods, but a much smaller selection.

What has been your experience in shopping for organic foods and environmentally-friendly products?

A Little Food Blogging and Some Salsa

As Mike over at 10,000 Birds said, "A little food blogging is good for the soul." Beth and I are self-described "foodies." We're mildly obsessed with the Food Network and we love to cook together. We have lots of pots, pans, gadgets, spices, and a multitude of cookbooks. Our newest acquisition is a sweet 8-qt. Calphalon dutch oven *drool*. We love to try new recipes and ingredients and we're notorious for taking pictures of our food at restaurants. I'll save that for a future culinary post.

Mike's hosting the Carnival of the Recipes this week and he has a meatless recipe theme. So, I guess I can't include my recipe for braised Kirtland's Warbler. Instead of that, here is a recipe for a mango salsa that I adapted from a recipe I found on the net a few years ago. It's a real crowd-pleaser. Finding good ripe mangos is key to this recipe.

Mango Tango Black Bean Salsa

INGREDIENTS:
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (Goya brand is good)
1 (14 oz.) cans whole kernel corn with peppers, drained (aka Mexicorn)
3 medium mangos, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro (only use dried cilantro if absolutely necessary)
The juice of 2-3 limes
2 tsp garlic salt (not garlic powder!)
1/2 tsp ground cumin

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. It can be eaten right away, but it's better if it sits in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors combine.

This makes a double recipe. We found that the original recipe made us just want more. It's easily halved though. Enjoy!