Vegetables

When Chester police raided a former drugstore in May 2011, what they found gave new meaning to the term high tech. In the basement was a hydroponic marijuana farm of serious sophistication. Nearly 100 pot plants, from seedlings to lush, 4-foot bushes, flourished in large tubs of water. Faux sunshine from dozens of commercial-grade grow lights powered by industrial generators shone down on a crop worth at least $43,000. The confiscated equipment typically would have sat in a warehouse until it could be auctioned or destroyed.

BERLIN - Schools have pulled raw vegetables from menus, piles of cucumbers sit untouched on shop shelves, and farmers say they are losing millions. As scientists scramble to find the source of an E. coli outbreak linked to raw vegetables that has killed 18 in Europe and sickened nearly 2,000, consumers are swearing off lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes just in case. "Cook it or don't eat it," Hamburg kidney specialist Rolf Stahl said at a news conference Friday. "That's my personal recommendation.

Growing up, I firmly believed two things. First, I would one day be the starting power forward for the Philadelphia 76ers. Second, vegetables are bad. As I've gotten older, I've realized I lack both the height and the array of post moves to make it as an NBA starter. But the years have only affirmed my instincts about vegetables. The herbivore camp will point to the various health benefits of consuming leaves, stems, and roots. But these pale compared with the emotional, physical, and monetary costs.

It may seem odd to turn on the oven when making soup, but roasting really is what makes this soup so spectacular. Roasting the vegetables caramelizes them and brings out nutty flavors that enhance all the other ingredients. Feel free to throw in just about any other vegetables you have lurking in your crisper drawer. Roasted Vegetable Soup Makes 6 servings 2 large yellow onions,    cut into wedges 2 medium zucchini,    diced 2 medium summer    squash, diced 4 large carrots,    peeled and diced 2 medium potatoes,    peeled and diced 2 tablespoons vegeta-    ble or canola oil Salt and ground black    pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground    cumin 1 quart low-sodium    chicken or vegeta-    ble broth Sour cream or yogurt,    to serve Chopped fresh cilant-    ro or parsley, to serve 1. Heat the oven to 400 F. 2. In a large bowl, combine the onions, zucchini, summer squash, carrots, and potatoes.

Delaware County is taking from the bad guys to give to the good guys. State-of-the-art equipment once used to grow marijuana will soon be used to grow vegetables and herbs in Philadelphia, G. Michael Green, Delaware County's district attorney, said Tuesday. The equipment, seized in a Chester drug bust, will be donated to Cheyney University and the Partnership CDC, of West Philadelphia. It will expand the Urban Food Lab at the Partnership CDC's facility at 4020 Market St., Philadelphia.

THE RULE in journalism is that two of anything is sheer coincidence, but three of anything is an ironclad trend. Here's one for you: We now have three movies in theaters about momentous historic events that occurred in 1947 - "42" and Jackie Robinson's integration of baseball, "Midnight's Children" and the 1947 partition of Pakistan and India, and now "Kon-Tiki," a dramatization of Thor Heyerdahl's historic 1947 Pacific rafting trip, which proved...

Nothing is more frustrating than finding the perfect cucumber or head of lettuce at the farmers' market, paying top dollar for it, and then tossing it out a week later when it has gone moldy or slimy in the refrigerator. No doubt, one reason so many of us eat too many convenience foods and too few fruits and vegetables is that it can be hard to get our busy schedules in sync with the produce we bring home. Food scientists, however, have discovered a remarkably effective way to extend the life of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables by days or even a week.

PUTTING HIS money where his dream is, Marathon Restaurants CEO Cary Borish is investing $100,000 to turn a long-vacant, blighted Brewerytown lot into Marathon Farm, which will supply his six Philadelphia eateries with fresh vegetables and feed the residents of a neighborhood that has seen its share of hard times. Although the third-of-an-acre lot on the corner of 27th and Master streets is still bordered by the ancient redbrick walls of a city warehouse that collapsed 20 years ago, Borish watched happily Sunday as blight gave way to beautiful on its way to bountiful.

One in an occasional series on the demand for locally grown food and its impact on our region. A decade ago, it was de rigueur to augment the description of a dish on a restaurant menu with the name of the farm that provided the precious ingredients. But when Wendy's (yes, the burger chain) declares it has followed "the farm-to-table philosophy from the get-go," you know the food movement has shifted from its core. We've gone way beyond farm-to-table. Now it's not good enough for a chef to buy from a local farm.

This is the sixth in a series on healthy cooking classes at St. Martin De Porres School in North Philadelphia. Maliyah Gregg was first to arrive and was hoping for a private lesson: "If I'm the only one, do I get to do everything myself?" she asked. Moments later the rest of the troops showed up and her face fell. Not only did Hope Wescott, Jayla Reeves, and Kayla Reid come, but also Chamya Davis, 11, a new student. Mariah Bey did not. She was absent last week too, and it turns out her family moved out of the area because of an emergency.

Adapted from a recent online discussion. Question: I'm a new mom of a pretty fun but challenging 6-month-old boy. I am a naturally decisive person; however, the anxiety I'm feeling over making the "right" decisions or providing him the "right" things has been difficult to cope with. For example, since I've gone back to work, I haven't been able to pump enough milk and I've needed to start supplementing with formula. I intellectually know this is fine and many babies have formula, but for some reason I'm beating myself up over it. Why can't I produce enough milk, why can't I provide what I'm supposed to for him, etc.?

THE RULE in journalism is that two of anything is sheer coincidence, but three of anything is an ironclad trend. Here's one for you: We now have three movies in theaters about momentous historic events that occurred in 1947 - "42" and Jackie Robinson's integration of baseball, "Midnight's Children" and the 1947 partition of Pakistan and India, and now "Kon-Tiki," a dramatization of Thor Heyerdahl's historic 1947 Pacific rafting trip, which proved...

I was chopping vegetables for dinner recently when my 14-year-old daughter, Grace, disappeared with the stem end of the bok choy. She returned five minutes later with paper, a stamping ink pad, and the pilfered vegetable. "Look, Mom," she said, and held up a stunner: The bok choy head, refuse to me, had stamped a beautiful blooming rose onto the paper. It was then that I discovered what some crafters have long known - the beauties of stamping with food. Part of the pleasure derives from the experimentation, and part from the element of surprise when an ordinary vegetable produces a beautiful image.

Who's your favorite expert on cooking vegetables? For many, it has long been Deborah Madison, of The Greens Cookbook , Local Flavors , the landmark Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone , and more. As a gardener, former farmer's market manager, and chef (with cooking chops honed at Chez Panisse and Greens), Madison knows her produce and what to do with it. In her latest book, Vegetable Literacy (Ten Speed Press; $40), she aims to bring us closer to her level of knowledge by helping us think about the subject in a new way. It's a must-have book for anyone interested in plant-based cooking.

The 24-foot trailer, tugged by a burly Ford F-350 pickup, pulls to a stop. Side doors fling open to reveal enormous drawers - pullout garden beds containing planters of leafy vegetables and a small kitchen counter. The Farm Explorer, as this farm on wheels is called, is a project commissioned by Greener Partners, a local nonprofit whose mission includes sustainable farming and farm-based education. In areas where people can't get to the farm, Greener Partners wants to bring the farm to people, especially children.

Nothing is more frustrating than finding the perfect cucumber or head of lettuce at the farmers' market, paying top dollar for it, and then tossing it out a week later when it has gone moldy or slimy in the refrigerator. No doubt, one reason so many of us eat too many convenience foods and too few fruits and vegetables is that it can be hard to get our busy schedules in sync with the produce we bring home. Food scientists, however, have discovered a remarkably effective way to extend the life of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables by days or even a week.

This is the sixth in a series on healthy cooking classes at St. Martin De Porres School in North Philadelphia. Maliyah Gregg was first to arrive and was hoping for a private lesson: "If I'm the only one, do I get to do everything myself?" she asked. Moments later the rest of the troops showed up and her face fell. Not only did Hope Wescott, Jayla Reeves, and Kayla Reid come, but also Chamya Davis, 11, a new student. Mariah Bey did not. She was absent last week too, and it turns out her family moved out of the area because of an emergency.

DID YOU know you could save anywhere from $500 to $1,000 a year by growing your own vegetables? They will be fresher and tastier than store-bought, too. And you don't need a huge plot of land; many varieties can be grown in containers. My lovely mother-in-law, who has a green thumb and a wonderful vegetable garden of her own, has agreed to school me on the fine art of home-growing fruits and vegetables. Here are the five I plan to start with: 1. CUCUMBERS A good source of B vitamins.

Mariah Bey was the first to arrive in the kitchen for our third cooking lesson. "Hellooooo," she crooned, throwing her arms wide open to announce herself. "What are we cooking today?" "Omelets," I said. "And you get to decide what to put in. I have lots of choices: mushrooms, peppers, greens, cheese, tomatoes. And we're also going to dye eggs for Easter. " "We're going to dye eggs!" she cried, her eyes filling with excitement. "This is the best cooking class ever!" I've been cooking once a week with fifth- and sixth-grade girls from St. Martin de Porres school in North Philadelphia, with the goal of improving not only their culinary skills but also their nutrition with easy meals they can make themselves.

Sometimes the best-laid plans are last-minute plans. Before all the comings and goings of this holiday week are done, extend one last invitation to friends and family. An impromptu gathering at your home is by definition informal, and relieves you of the obligation to have every detail covered. With even a semi-stocked larder, you can invite folks on New Year's Eve to join you for brunch on New Year's Day. The loose time frame of an open-house invitation lets people drop in, or settle in. Spanning either lunch or dinner, the food to offer will shift accordingly.