Celebrate Earth Day – April 22nd & Fennel with Feta Salad

Earth Day turns forty tomorrow. That’s the big Four-O. Earth Day was just one piece of the activism puzzle of the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s. There was a lot going on so you might have missed some of those early environmental celebrations. I’m pretty sure I did.

I was in middle school at the time and there seemed to be a bunch of issues which were more challenging, exciting, interesting and tragic than recycling. (How’s that for taking a complex set of issues and ideas and simplifying it down to a single problem?) The evening news was filled with stories about the Vietnamese War and the civil rights movement. Women were making more than a bit of noise about equal rights. There were demonstrations in the park and in the streets and sit-ins were common on college campuses. With all the upheaval, protest and change, the environmentalists were more or less outshouted. Besides, we’d already done our part. My mom had switched to non-phosphate detergent and our once proud whites were dingy.

When I was fourteen, maybe fifteen, I heard social activist and revolutionary Abbie Hoffman speak on the Boston Common. My sister was in high school. She either convinced our parents that it was a good idea or offered up some other excuse for the trip into town. I tagged along. Abbie spoke about the war, the revolution and the evils of capitalism. His speech was sprinkled liberally with words my mother didn’t allow me to use. There was a good deal of cheering and chanting. It felt lot like a party and was terribly exciting. A trip to the dump for a lesson on sorting trash and recycling just couldn’t compete.

Surrounded by noisy and passionate causes, it was hard to pay attention to the environmentalists. Let’s face it, they were scientists and too often seemed to speak a different language! But much has changed. The environmental movement is getting lots more attention and picking up momentum. Living Green has become a part of who we are. Think about it, I’ll bet you practice at least one green act every day, probably more. We bring our own bags to the grocery store, insulate our houses and wear sweaters to cut down on fuel consumption, we recycle, buy energy efficient appliances and light bulbs and on and on and on. You probably don’t do it all. I know I don’t but we do what we can and what we can afford.

Maybe you’ve thinking that you’d like to do a bit more? Here are a few ideas to help you live a little greener and celebrate Earth Day:

Have you considered growing a kitchen garden? Earth Day is a great day to break ground. It’s still a little early for most planting but you can prep the soil and begin some seedlings indoors. Not a farmer, then join a CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture). Support a local farmer by signing-up on Earth Day for a summer full of wonderful fresh produce, dairy and meat. If you have trouble finding a CSA near you, check the list at LocalHarvest. Not a joiner? Well then, how about you commit to do more of your shopping at local farm stands and farmers’ markets.

Earth Day is an excellent excuse to get together with your neighbors for a clean-up. Roadside snow has melted, revealing plastic bottles, fast-food cartons and empty beer cans. Thank the earth by grabbing some trash bags, putting on your boots and gloves and scouring the neighborhood for the debris left by thoughtless litterbugs. After the clean-up reward yourself and your friends by continuing the celebration with a potluck. You don’t need a famous speaker, a rally or a sit-in to bring people together for a good cause. It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort, just a little bending and some enthusiasm. Add a few good friends, top it off with some delicious food and you’ve got a great day.

Enjoy and bon appétit!

Fennel & Feta Salad
A colorful salad is a great way to celebrate spring and thank the earth. Enjoy!
Serves 6

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bulb fennel, thinly sliced and cut in julienne
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut in julienne
4-6 radishes, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
4 ounces feta, crumbled
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped and toasted

Put the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in a medium bowl; whisk to combine. Set aside and let the flavors combine while you chop the vegetables

Add the fennel, cucumber, bell pepper and radishes; season with salt and pepper; toss to combine.

Sprinkle with parsley and oregano and toss. Sprinkle with feta and garnish with scallions and walnuts and serve.

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One Year Ago – Dandelion Salad with Grilled Steak, Asparagus & Potatoes

Do you have a question? An idea, a few thoughts or an opinion you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below.

I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my other, cleverly named blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website at www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2010

Celebrate the Planet & Dandelion Salad with Grilled Steak & Asparagus

What will you do on Earth Day? Celebrated every year on April 22nd, Earth Day is a reminder that our planet’s resources while bountiful are far from infinite. The first Earth Day was held in 1970. It was a turbulent time with too many lows and not enough highs. It was a time of protest, with movements for and against a seemingly endless array of issues. There were demonstrations in New Haven, Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and everywhere in between. Is there any wonder that Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was the year’s number one hit?

Reuse, Reduce and Recycle were not yet entrenched in our psyches and we were a long way away from our current widespread interest in Going Green. We were a prosperous, throwaway nation. We drove big sedans, huge station wagons and powerful muscle cars. We guzzled 36-cent-a-gallon gas without a care in the world. Factories were belching clouds of thick smoke and spewing sludge into once-clean rivers. The environment was hardly a concern and was rarely covered on the evening news.

Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin changed all that. An oil spill off Santa Barbara motivated him to launch the first Earth Day. In an era of demonstrations, he proposed the first nationwide environmental protest “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.” Americans heard the call and on the first Earth Day, 20 million took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. The issue was recognized across the nation and rallies were held coast-to-coast.

Different groups had been fighting a wide variety of environmental concerns, from pollution, toxic dumps and pesticides to oil spills, dwindling wilderness and endangered wildlife. These groups were fragmented and disconnected. Earth Day brought them together as diverse pieces in one common cause.

Earth Day 1970 was indeed a rarity in American politics. Nelson was able to achieve support and alignment across party lines, from both rich and poor, city slickers and country folks, management and labor. Since that first Earth Day, tremendous progress has been made. Recycling is now commonplace. Most of us are trying to find ways to reduce the amount of trash we throw away and find new uses for the old stuff we used to consider junk. We can breathe a little easier with cleaner air and water and once endangered species like the bald eagle are thriving. But we still have a long way to go.

As we begin the countdown to four decades of going green, the thirty-ninth Earth Day will be commemorated and celebrated on the Mall in Washington and in cities and towns across the country. Earth Day is a wonderful way to greet spring and prepare for summer. Why not attend a rally and learn about new initiatives in your town, across the State and in Washington.

Prefer to spend the day active and outdoors? Make it a festive day with family and friends. Gather up a group of volunteers to help clean up your town or neighborhood. Head to a community park to pick up trash, plant trees and tend gardens. If you live near the water, spend the day at the beach cleaning up winter debris. The snow has melted leaving layers of litter on the roadside. Grab a trash bag and take a cleanup walk around your neighborhood. When the work is done, reward yourselves with a festive, potluck feast.

However you spend Earth Day, enjoy the changing seasons while you celebrate the planet and all things green!

Dandelion Salad with Grilled Steak & Asparagus
A big, bountiful salad is a delicious way to welcome spring and Earth Day. This one dish supper may look complicated but it’s really very easy. (Especially if you use leftovers!). Enjoy!
Serves 4

1/2 – 1 pound asparagus, cut 1 1/2 inches thick
1 – 1 1/2 pound New York strip steak
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
2 cups mixed greens
2 cups chopped dandelion or arugula
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
8 grape tomatoes, halved
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
Vinaigrette(recipe follows)
2 ounces gorgonzola, crumbled
1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts
Garnish: fresh chopped chives and parsley

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Fire should be medium hot.

Season the steak with salt and pepper. Grill the steak, about 4 minutes per side for rare and 6 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Toss the asparagus with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the asparagus, turning once, until tender about 1 minute per side.

Put the greens, dandelion, cucumber, tomatoes and scallions in a large bowl. Add a little vinaigrette and toss to combine. Arrange the salad on a large platter, sprinkle with about half of the Gorgonzola and walnuts.

Slice the steak. Chop the asparagus. Top the salad with steak and asparagus. Garnish with the remaining Gorgonzola, chives and parsley.

You can prepare the steak and asparagus ahead of time or use leftovers. Remove the meat and vegetables from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to bring them to room temperature.  

When shopping for dandelion, look for young, tender leaves. If you decide to harvest your own, make sure the area has not been sprayed with chemicals or fertilizers.

Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece red onion
1  teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Put the garlic, mustard and vinegars in a blender or small food processor, season with salt and pepper and process to combine and chop the garlic and onion. With the motor run, slowly add the olive oil and process until smooth and emulsified.

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Do you have a question? An idea, a few thoughts or an opinion you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. 

I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week. 

Feel free to visit my other, cleverly named blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website at www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good.  ©Susan W. Nye, 2010