Summer Stock Up

No one ever really thinks as the summer as a time to stock up. It's mostly the season for fresh fruit and vegetables it does pay to stock up now that  we're heading into hurricane season and tornadoes are making unlikely appearances on the East Coast. Every home should have some kind of kitchen  food emergency kit.

Usually during bad storms, areas are evacuated and families are relocated to school gyms and even hotels and motels unaffected by the weather. However there are a few hardy sorts that refuse to leave, heading to their basements. Either that or they return home a day or two after evacuations. Unfortunately there's usually no water, gas or electricity. One of the most important items to have is water - lots of it. Try to get two or three twenty-four or thirty-two packs of bottled water. (Just be careful. Some grocery stores do impose limits on how much you can buy).You can also purchase the gallon containers of water too.  Remember to also include a few bottles for pets too and for bathing if the situation is dire. Other liquids to have are baby formula and milk for the older kids. Buy juice boxes as well, for something to have with meals. What about coffee and tea? Could you use your grill to heat up water for them? If you have the gas and the charcoal, yes. They may be the fortification you'll need to deal with damage assessment and clean up.

As for other foods, think canned or dried. Canned beans can be eaten straight out of the can. Mix them together for the ultimate protein boost. You can also do the same for canned veggies too. Keep in mind that canned tomatoes are the most healthiest. Green beans and corn are also right up there. If you're still craving protein, then eat tinned  tuna and salmon along with mackerel. Tuna is versatile so it can be turned into a salad with tomatoes and green beans. You can also crumble crackers on it to make it more filling. Beef jerky is another recommended meat while you're waiting for power to come on again. One of the best is Krave because it's branched out into pork and turkey along with having such flavors as chili lime and cracked peppercorn. Peanut butter is another must have. Spread it on crackers if bread is heard to come by. Any baked goods may be hard to come by during this time. Stick with crackers such as Ritz or Saltines and use that instead of bread. As for breakfasts granola bars and trail mix can work until you're able to get milk for cereal (although you can just eat it dry, washed down  with water).

This is the time to stock up. Summer weather is just as unpredictable as the rest of the year. Be prepared and food ready when  hurricanes and tornadoes make a warm weather visit.

Eat Green Eat Clean

Can changing our eating habits lessen climate change? Can our food choices deter global warming? That's what the New York Times Food Section posed today in an unusual but thoughtful section. It's a keeper section full of ideas and suggestions.

The writers at the food section teamed up with the environmental writers from the newspapers to create an interesting guide for cleaner and greener eating. Julia Moskin along with Brad Plumer wrote most of the articles. Usual contributors such as Melissa Clark and Tejal Rao delved into kelp and tomatoes. Answers to such common questions  as do what I eat have an effect on climate change and should humans stop eating meat all together. There are also answers to such questions as which foods have the largest impact and what kind of seafood should I eat. It is a good guide to bring along for green food shopping. There are also assurances to vegetarian worries and concerns, especially about switching over to a meat free diet.The section includes different charts such as the environmental impact of cow's milk as opposed to other milks such as soy,rice , oat and almond.Another chart on the percentage of various food waste is an eye opener.It will definitely change some habits. There is also a quiz on the back page that everyone should take. Home chefs may change their shopping and cooking habits after answering a few questions.

Of course there are recipes along with articles on food but with a sustainable twist.Two must reads are Kim Severson's piece on how climate change is affecting regional crops and Somini Sengupta's one on how different countries - including the US - and their eating habits affect global warming.Ms. Severson takes us around the US , from Maine where an erratic frost season is damaging the blue gems to California's year round artichoke season where warmer weather is encouraging the choke's enemy the artichoke plume moth.Ms. Sengupta's article is inspirational. She has been to different countries such as Venezuela and Viet Nam but it is Kansas that provides us with some green culinary advice. Professor Devon Mihesuah , a professor of indigenous history  and culture at the University of Kansas has a garden and diet of the original indigenous Kansans, the Choctaws. This is dandelion salad from her garden and wild onions from neighboring fields. She doesn't spray weeds, because bees need them to  pollinate.Melissa Clark gives us kelp recipes while Tejal Rao explores climate change's effects on tomatoes and how farmers are creating hardier breeds. Even Eric Asimov of  the weekly The Pour column weighs in.Wine drinkers should ask about all aspects of wine making ,from the bottle itself to mowing the cover crop and the amount of electricity used.

How we eat and drink affects the planet. Use the Times guide to help you make crucial decisions. Even a small culinary change is a change in the right direction.,