Good Food News Archive - October 12, 2002

Article : Patented seeds sows hunger for southern farmers
Featured this week.... SQUASH
Recipes : Baked squash, Squash soup, Rice- stuffed green peppers

Article : Patented seeds sows hunger for southern farmers

This week we have a guest column from the organization Development and Peace. The column explains the postcard you should also be receiving in your box.

Hunger is a daily reality for over 800 million people around the world. Someone dies of hunger every 3.6 seconds. 680 million people will suffer from malnutrition by 2025. Clearly, food security is an issue that's not going to go away any time soon.

The biotechnology industry is telling us that there is a cure for hunger, and they have it. Their answer? Genetically modified and patented seeds. You’ve heard about it-- the famous “fishy tomato”, the tomato with fish genes in it, is one example. That’s when scientists take the genetic material of one type of plant or animal and put it into another to try and “improve” the qualities of the plant. Patenting a seed is when the company owns the rights to the use of a certain type of seed, and no one else can use it unless they pay. Development and Peace (D&P) and our partner organizations in the South see such seeds as a recipe for hunger.

Saving and sharing seeds from one harvest to the next is something that farmers all over the world have been doing since agriculture began. Until recently, the idea that different kinds of food seeds could become the private property of corporations was unthinkable. However, under global trade rules, that is now not only possible, it's a reality.

When seeds are patented, companies claim all rights to them. That means that farmers basically buy seeds for one season only, and cannot gather them from one harvest to be planted for the next. So farmers must buy new seeds every year. Many small farmers in the South simply cannot afford this expense, and the result is ever greater hunger.

There are a small number of mega-corporations - known as the 'Gene Giants' - that control the market for genetically modified and patented seeds. D&P and our partner organizations are deeply concerned that control of the world's food supply is passing from the public sphere into the hands of corporations whose biggest concern is making profit.

The World Trade Organization and its Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement are helping the Gene Giants to make a lot of money from biopatenting by forcing countries to accept the patenting of life forms. There is widespread opposition to it in both the South and the North because of the belief that it will increase hunger..

Last year, over 175,000 Canadians told the government that they oppose patents on life. This year, we're demanding to know what action they're taking in response.

You can participate in this campaign - endorsed by David Suzuki - by signing the Action postcard that you'll find in your Good Food Box! For more info, resources, etc., please contact Siobhan Rowan at 416-922-1592 x225 or srowan@devp.org and check out our website at www.devp.org.

Feature this week.... SQUASH

Look for a dry, uniformly hard surface free of soft spots and bruises. Despite the tough exterior (which preserves them during lengthy storage), winter squash needs careful handling.

To store for several weeks at home, keep cool and dry with good air circulation. Best bets for lengthy storage are butternut and hubbard varieties.

Squash can be cut in half, seeds removed and baked at 375°F (190°C) for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve cooked squash with a tablespoon of brown sugar or maple syrup and a pat of butter in the cavity. Or, scoop out flesh and mash. (Or cook with sugar and butter as recipe left suggests). If you prefer, you don’t need to add anything: simply cut in half, take out seeds, wrap in foil and bake.

To microwave, pierce whole squash in several places. Cook on High for 8 to 12 minutes, or until tender, depending on size. Turn over partway through cooking. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Cut in half, remove seeds and serve, or scoop out flesh and mash.

Squash is good in creamed vegetable soups and when it is puréed until smooth it can be combined with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to make a squash pie (which tastes pretty much identical to pumpkin pie). South American cooks will bake a beef stew inside a seeded squash which acts both as a cooking vessel and an ingredient of the dish.

Squash is an excellent source of beta carotene and potassium and a source of Vitamin C and folacin.

Recipes

Basic Baked Squash
1 squash
1 - 2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice squash in half lengthwise,
remove seeds. Place cut side up on cookie sheet. Divide butter and brown sugar between cavities and season well. Bake 45 minutes - 1 hour. This and following recipe adapted from www.recipesource.com.

Squash Soup
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced
1-2 apples, cut into chunks
1 large squash, peeled and cut into -inch chunks
6 cups chicken stock or broth
salt
freshly ground nutmeg
freshly ground pepper
OR cumin, cinnamon, curry powder, coriander - to your taste (about 1/2 - 1 tsp. each)

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions and carrots. Cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add your choice of spices. Add squash and 4 cups stock (or enough to cover all vegetables well). Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and use whatever equipment you have to puree (mush it all up until smooth): e.g. blender, hand blender, food processor, masher of any kind. Add the other 2 cups of stock (or water) to thin soup, if necessary. Add more spices to taste. Makes 4-6 servings. Garnish with chives or fresh coriander or plain yoghurt.

Rice-stuffed Green Peppers
6 large sweet green peppers
1/4 cup oil
1 small onion -- finely chopped
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped nuts - (cashews are good)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups cooked brown rice
salt -- to taste
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese -- or cheddar

Cut slice off top of pepper and remove seeds and membrane.
Saute onion in oil until tender. Add chopped green pepper, celery and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes. Stir in nuts cheddar cheese rice and salt. Stuff peppers with mixture and set in oiled baking dish. Sprinkle tops with 3 tablespoons cheese.

Pour 1/2" water in baking pan. Bake at 375F for 35-45 minutes or until tender. Recipe from www.recipecircus.com

This recipes sounds like it could be a bit bland: consider adding some spices like garlic (certainly), oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, mint. A few chopped tomatoes or some tomato sauce could be a good addition to make it all a bit gooier.