Okay, this post isn't really about Warren G, and I don't really think the market is too free.  I like freedom.  Some say that politicians were at the root of the market collapse, so I'm skeptical about more involvement. 

One place where I want even less government involvement is in our food system.  A recent panel hosted by the UC Berkeley school of journalism entitled  "A Food Agenda for the Next Administration" described the food system as under-regulated and most on the panel think more government involvement is necessary.  While I know their goals with the food system are the same or very similar to mine I feel that however well meaning a food related government policy is its implementation is more likely to hurt the small farmer than to help him or her.  The big voices of agriculture in Washington aren't small farmers they are huge agribusinesses.  As we've seen in the past I think it is more likely that these companies will continue to drive the food policies of this country, especially since we are in a recession and the demand for cheaper food will certainly increase.

The panel cited the Chinese milk contamination as an example of a place where government regulation could have helped.  Testing of food for contaminants is certainly a good idea, but that's different from regulation.  Most small farmers would agree to testing their products, it's the factory farms that are more likely to have a problem with that.  The government solutions are often to implement a plan that is convenient for these huge operations and not scaled down to the small family farm.  Fees, like organic certification, are the same regardless of the size of the farm.  Tax breaks are given to feed lots for recycling cow excrement, but nothing is given to the small grass-fed beef farm that requires no recycling of waste since it's all used to fertilize the grass.  Slaughterhouse regulations are written with only the huge operations in mind who strive for the most animals killed per hour.  It's illegal for a small farmer to slaughter and sell large animals on farm even though it will most certainly be done in a more humane way (for both the animals and the workers) than at the large operations.

And then of course there are corn subsidies.  The government is funding the overproduction of commodity corn, which is essentially inedible to humans unless chemically converted to high-fructose corn syrup.  Without the government checks it wouldn't be profitable to grow commodity corn, which in edition to providing the empty calories and lack of nutritional value in soft drinks is also fed to livestock and is even more unhealthy to them, at least in the case of cows.  Cows have evolved to survive on grass.  Consumption of large amounts of corn will typically kill a cow in under a year, that is unless they are given regular doses of antibiotics.  Even though cows are herbivores the USDA also recommended bone meal as a good protein supplement for cows, that is until the mad cow scare made them question feeding cows other cows. (A lot of the examples above are taken from The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Everything I want to do is Illegal by Joel Salatin).

These past policies give me little faith in greater government control of the food system.  It's naive to think that asking for more government regulation will result in improvements for the small farmer and greater access to local food when it has had the opposite effect in the past.  I have more faith in people demanding good quality food that respects the workers, the consumers, the animals, and the land and refusing to eat food from irresponsible producers.  I know consumer demand can make a positive difference. 

"The Next Food Network Star" has an open-call this Friday in the DC area from 10am to 3pm.  If you're interested in trying out for the show and a chance for your own food network show click the link below for more info.

www.foodnetwork.com/star

With summer upon us grills are firing in full force all over the country.  This recipe nicely pairs grilled pork with seasonal fruit.  It's a great dish to share with friends at a backyard BBQ, which is just what I did a few weeks ago.  Feel free to experiment with different fruit in the chutney.  I could see this also being nice with a peach or apricot chutney.

Grilled Pork Loin with Cherry Chutney

Ingredients:
Pork loin
cumin(ground or seed)
salt
pepper
2 cups ripe pitted cherries
2 jalapenos(from my garden), seeded and diced
1 medium onion, diced
vegetable oil

Season the pork 1 to 3 days in advanced.  If you have to season the pork the same day that you cook it try and do it at least a few hours ahead of time.  The longer before cooking that you season the more the salt will penetrate the meat, tenderizing and bringing out the meats natural flavors.  The larger the piece of meat the longer beforehand it should be seasoned.  Use about 3/4 teaspoon salt per pound of pork.  The salt I use is fine sea salt, which is still fairly coarse for "fine" salt.  For kosher salt use a little more than 3/4 teaspoon per pound and for a very fine grain salt use a little less.

Cover the loin completely with the salt.  Then cover liberally with fresh ground pepper.  Use about 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds per pound of pork or 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin per pound.  If using cumin seeds crush slightly in a mortar and pestle or under something heavy like a frying pan.  Spread cumin evenly over pork.  Loosely cover the pork and place in the refrigerator until about an hour before cooking.

To make the chutney, add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a sauce pan on medium heat.  Add the onions and jalapenos(other chilis can be substituted if you want more fire) and cook until onions are translucent, a few minutes.  Add the cherries to the pan.  (If you don't have a cherry pitter the cherries can be pitted simply by squeezing the pit out if the cherry is ripe enough or by pressing the cherry with a large flat knife to push out the pit).  The cherries will release a lot of water at first.  Cook until chutney reduces to a thick sauce, adjusting heat to keep at a steady boil and stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.  Taste the chutney and adjust flavor as needed.  Add salt, sugar, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or any other flavorings that you think will help.  Take the chutney off of the heat and let sit at room temperature until serving.

About an hour before grilling remove the pork from the fridge.  Fire up the grill, whether it's charcoal or gas, and bring it up to hot.  Dry off the pork with paper towels.  Brush with oil if it doesn't have a lot of fat on it.  Place fat side down on the hottest part of the grill and cook for a few minutes to get a nice char.  After sufficient char is achieved flip the loin and char the other side.  Once both sides are charred move the loin to indirect heat on a charcoal grill or bring the flame to low on a gas grill.  Cooking times will vary depending on the grill and the thickness of the meat.  You can use a meat thermometer to tell if the pork is done, but the quickest and easiest way for me to tell doneness of meat is by touch.  As the meat cooks it tightens and becomes very firm.  A well done piece of meat will feel like a flexed muscle, while a rare piece of meat will feel like a relaxed muscle.  You can practice this feel by touching the muscle in your hand between your thumb and pointer finger.  Make a tight fist and touch this hand muscle.  That's the fell of well-done meat.  Keep your hand in a fist and relax slightly, that is about how you want the pork to feel when it's done.  Move the pork off the grill to a warm spot to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

To serve the pork slice and drizzle or cover with cherry chutney.   

Some friends of mine recently went to the acclaimed New York City, Italian restaurant Del Posto, started by Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, and Joseph Bastianich.  They reported back on a great meal, but also the nice surprise of a course that included pork from Red Wattle Hog: Potato Gnocchi with Red Wattle Ragu, Shaved Fennel and Burnt Pollen.