It’s definitely trendy; the drink, the health tonic, the weight-loss tool.  I wanted to understand or at least pierce the hype and decided to try it for myself.  I sipped my first fermented tea about one year ago and I must admit, I wasn’t so sure. The fizz made my eyes water but that same sizzle.pop. felt very nice going down. It was sweet, somewhat tangy, and gave me a slight lift.  Maybe it was the low alcohol content?

I tried it again. and again. and again.

Now I drink it once a day. It’s a spendy item at around $4.25 a bottle.

Despite some disturbing reports regarding home-brewed kombucha from the CDC, I decided to take on the challenge of producing a home brew.  It’s no joke and requires some serious concentration, focus, and diligence.    My “mother” or starting culture came from a friendly woman on Craigslist.  With the help of this SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast), I had the ability to start my own mini-kombucha empire–in my fridge.  In the process, I even learned about a worldwide kombucha exchange. Talk about passion.

I started brewing in early January and keep bottles chilled in my refrigerator.  I’ve even shared my mother with others. I wax and wane when it comes to my kombucha devotion.  Sometimes I love it and sometimes I need a break.  No matter what, I’m happy I gave it a try…and think you should too.

Do you drink this health tonic?  Do you produce a home brew?  Let PRK know if this Chinese drink has impacted your life—or  left you flat.

Curious?  Check out a home-brew recipe here.

Happy fermenting.

Superfood News

We eat the berries, teeming with anitoxidants and vitamins.  Should we eat the leaves? Not exactly, but new research suggests promising medicinal benefits.

This week on Radio Boston, we are discussing emergency preparedness.  When the “Big One” hits, whether it’s a hurricane, flood or even a earthquake, will Boston be prepared?

Yesterday two local representatives from FEMA came to the station to talk about their various public education programs as well as drop-off a backpack full of supplies and rations.  Buried in the flashlights, ponchos, and thermal blanket (we go through the bag’s contents HERE), was a pack of bars wrapped in an air-sealed plastic bag.  The “rations” are intended to keep individuals alive for at least a few days.  The instructions definitely don’t inspire the foodie in me but at least they get to the point: “Eat one bar every six hours per person.  Eat in small pieces.”  

Makes me think: is there any way to create a delicious “shelter ready” snack?  Perhaps a cold bean salad sprinkled with oregano and thyme?  Or a simple, blender-free version of gazpacho?

Here is the scenario:

Boston has been hit by a vicious hurricane.  Your house has no electricity or gas. Your emergency kit includes a healthy amount of canned goods and myriad spices.  Since you are super prepared, you even have access to a mini camp stove that, in happier times, you lugged to New Hampshire for a weekend of hiking.  Your family is hungry and all eyes turn to you.   What’s on the menu?

Submit your dish suggestions below or email them to: prk@wbur.org  Don’t forget to tune in to Radio Boston this Friday and Saturday at 1pm when we discuss Emergency Preparedness: Is Boston is ready for the “Big One?”

A drive-through farmers market? You bet.

“A half-dozen of your sweet corn, five pounds of heirlooms, but hold the basil bunch, please.” Read more…

Smashed:  do it, don’t get it.

Help make the cocktails in Kenmore Square.

Say it isn’t so.

As if fraudulent practices in the Italian olive oil industry weren’t regrettable enough, now some brunello di Montalcino wines may be suspect….

 

 

My mom’s cousin, who has lived in Rome (Trastevere, to be exact) for over 30 years just wrote to ask what food items we might want him to carry here next week when he comes to visit us in Boston. Gulp. Um, anything you can get your hands on and past U.S. customs if it comes from Rome!!! This really whetted my appetite, so I was a ‘gonner when I saw this recipe for arancini, or Italian rice balls. I first tasted arancini with some Italian friends while waiting for our pizzas to be served in the ultra-Roman neighborhood of Testaccio, my old haunts. I also watched my aunt practically levitate when she tasted a homemade arancino at a bar outside Palermo we had randomly stopped at for lunch. Now that was memorable. I bet you could add some veg to this recipe if, like me, you just gotta’ have ‘em. Get the recipe here.

Keep it Local, Make it Virtual
Here’s word on another way to shop your local farmer’s market–virtually. Want to know in advance what’s ready for harvesting and what will be available, say, tomorrow at your favorite farmer’s stall? Want to buy it in advance? It’s happening in Maine, in New Hampshire, and it just may happen soon in Massachusetts. Read more….and tell us what you think.

And the Winner Is….
In Massachusetts, the Amherst Farmers Market made the top 20 list, voted in among America’s favorite small farmers markets. Click here to see the results of a nationwide contest held by the American Farmland Trust.

The heat and humidity has broken, at least for the next few days and, yes, National Ice Cream Month is over. But we still crave the creamy stuff.  Here are two more goodies to try out, one in Revere, the other in Sharon, MA. Urban or suburban, it’s all cold and it’s all good.