b'and chewy), flavor (yeasty, nutty) and nutritionaluse in a quick stir-fry, two to two-and-a-half hours composition (protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins).if you are planning to marinate and bake the tofu. A B 12bonanza, it has the benefits of all healthy Another tip: Freezing and defrosting tofu fermented foods that are friendly to our guts. (Seebefore pressing out the moisture adds a chewy more about the advantages of fermentation furthertexture that enhances some dishes, such as Toms on in this section.) Cottage Pie (page 158).Tempeh comes in cakes that freeze well and defrost quickly, which makes it convenient to keepOrganic vs. conventionala supply on hand. Diane places packaged frozenOnce available only in health food stores, organic tempeh in a bowl of room-temperature water forfood is now widely sold in supermarkets, farmers a few minutes to begin defrosting it. With a sharpmarkets, and even through urban food delivery knife, she can slice or cube it even before it is fullyservices. The term organic refers to food that defrosted. She then simmers the tempeh beforeis cultivated or processed without the use of Everyone at the Spiral House loves thethe final preparation. This softens the inherentlychemicalsincluding fertilizers, insecticides, and way Diane makes tempeh, includingtough texture and also allows the tempeh to absorbherbicidesor artificial colorings, flavorings, the omnivores among us. Sometimes or additives. Organic farming practices are also it is served as shown here, as a sidethe flavorings of the marinade or seasonings. Her of protein, and sometimes as parttechnique:designed to reduce pollution and encourage soil of a more complex recipe. (See the In a saut pan, boil enough water to cover theand water conservation.preparation description at right.) tempeh. Diane might add some ginger or garlic toThe United States Department of Agriculture the water, depending on how she plans to use the(USDA) has created certification requirements so tempeh. that, legally, any product labeled organic mustAdd the tempeh, reduce heat to a simmer, andbe USDA certified. Products that are completelyWe are blessed to have bountifulcook uncovered for 15 minutes.organic may be labeled 100 percent organicorganic vegetable gardens. And weDrain tempeh and season for your recipe. Ifin addition to bearing the organic seal. Foodsare also blessed to live in a community Diane is including it in an Asian meal, she mightcertified as 95 percent or more organic may carrywhere health food stores, farmstands, marinate it with toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. Ifthe USDA Organic seal. Products that containand seasonal farmers markets offer at least 70 percent organic ingredients can onlylocal, sustainably grown, and largely its part of an Italian meal, then shell season it withorganic produce. These businesses basil, oregano, and parsley. say made with organic ingredients on theirare crucial for the health of the larger Using this approach, you can prepare tempeh aslabels. Products with less than 70 percent organiccommunity, and as increasing numbers the protein for any meal. See our Pured Caulifloweringredients may not use the organic seal but mayof people see the importance of with Swiss Chard and Tempeh (page 132) andidentify specific organic ingredients. eating this way and supporting local Producers whose gross agricultural incomecommerce, the prices will be more in Tempeh Madeira (page 134). line with conventionally-produced food. from organic sales is $5,000 or lesslike someIt is already happening.Preparing tofu at your local farmers marketare exempt from Diane has a simple system for removing the excesscertification. The terms natural, free-range, water from tofu.hormone-free, and non-GMO do not mean thatSpread paper towels or linen dish towels on aa product or food is organic.baking sheet, place the sliced tofu on the towels in a Consumer Reports offers a helpful explanation We limit the amount of tofu (and othersingle layer, cover with more paper or linen towels,of price lookup codes (PLU numbers) on those non-fermented soy) in our diets. Butand place a second baking sheet on the top. we do enjoy it as part of a mixed grill.little labels on your produce (consumerreports.org/Those are garlic scapes serving as tasty Using books or cans of food, evenly weight thecro/news/2010/05/what-do-plu-codes-say-about-skewers in the photo. top baking sheet for about one-half to one hour foryour-produce/index.htm). The piece decodes the 254 For Goodness Sake Kitchen Wisdom 255'