FOOD FOR THOUGHT FROM MOTHER JONES 27JAN19

A New Study Supports the Idea That Some People Are "Super Poopers." You Could Be One of Them.

Most people don’t want to spend any time beyond what’s necessary thinking—let alone talking—about defecation. But here’s the deal: Poop saves lives. (Mother Jones)

Food banks are stretched to the limit. SNAP funds are dwindling and lines are growing. (Mother Jones)

Federal workers lined up for hot meals. It's "like something from the Great Depression, but the crisis inflicting this on them is entirely artificial.” (Mother Jones)

Florida's oranges are in trouble. Antibiotics might be the only way to save them. (Civil Eats)

A classic Valentine's candy laid to rest. Did anyone really like those chalky little hearts? (MarketWatch)

You could make better salsa! Chef Gonzalo Guzman tells us how.  (Mother Jones)

NEW FROM BITE PODCAST We paid a visit to the #ChefsForFeds relief kitchen, which doled out meals to furloughed federal workers during the shutdown. Hear it on Bite, episode 75: "Cooking Chicken With Beto O'Rourke"

WHAT'S COOKING The dressed salad actually improved for the next several days stored in the fridge. I've been relying more and more on batch cooking. But I had never really nailed batched salads. Recently, mulling some roots I had just picked up at the farmer's market, I eyed the grater attachment of my food processor. Inspired, I trimmed two carrots, one beet, and one daikon radish, and ran them through. Encouraged by the resulting mishmash of orange, purple, white, and red in the bin, I decided some green might be in order. To tame the strong, earthy flavors of these pungent roots and leaves, I decided to spike the vinaigrette with green garlic—essentially, an immature garlic plant, harvested before the root bottom has developed into a bulb. (Green garlic brings a fresh, bright flavor, but you can also use regular garlic.) The resulting dressed salad actually improved for the next several days stored in the fridge, as the vinaigrette was allowed to penetrate the shredded vegetables. To freshen it up as the week goes on, give each serving a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You can also toss few spoonfuls of the mixture with some fresh greens to make a whole new salad.—Tom Philpott Shredded Winter Root Salad With Green Garlic Vinaigrette (Makes enough for four or five individual servings; it's easily doubled) For the vinaigrette 1 green garlic stalk, white part only; or 1 clove of garlic, crushed and peeled 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste Finely mince the the garlic and add it to a small bowl. Add the other ingredients and whisk with a fork until well combined. For the vegetables: 2 carrots 1 beet, peeled and quartered 1 daikon radish, quartered 4 leaves of kale, rolled into a tight bundle Run all of the veggies through the grater attachment of a food processor. (Or grate the roots with a box grater and chop the kale into small pieces.) Combine the shredded vegetables into a bowl, and add the vinaigrette, tossing until the vegetables are well coated. Serve, and store any leftovers in a container with a tight lid.