Dairy cattle grazing, as it should be.

In Sunday’s New York Times magazine, author Michael Pollan (The Botany of Desire, and most recently, The Omnivore’s Dilemma), discusses the issues surrounding the recent tainted spinach epidemic, which sickened 200 and killed at least three people.

E. coli 0157 lives in the intestines of specifically, grain-fed cattle, and it is believed to have evolved in cattle raised in feedlots. It was unheard of before the 1980s. The strain doesn’t have much of a shelf life in the gut of a grassfed animal, which is another reason we should be opting for primarily pasture-raised beef.

This soup is very simple to make and makes a nice meal. If you use vegetable broth it qualifies as vegan.

Red Lentil and Rice Soup

Serves 4 - 6

Red lentils are smaller than brown lentils and cook more quickly. This mildly spiced curry-flavored soup is brightened with fresh ginger. To add more heat, drizzle a little Asian chili oil in place of the olive oil.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced gingerroot
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup drained and chopped canned tomatoes or chopped fresh cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

An Amish buggy at the produce auction, Lincoln, County, KY.

Today I spoke to my Amish friend, Sam, on the telephone. It was the first time we’ve talked since the school shooting on Monday in Lancaster. I can usually catch Sam, his wife, or one of their eight children still at home on the phone (it’s in a field near their farm), early in the morning.

I have gotten to know Sam’s family this summer as I sometimes buy extra produce for the farmstand when stocks are low. Their farm, located in Lincoln County, is much larger and highly productive.

Here in Kentucky the air is as cool and crisp as the cotton sheets that wave and snap on the line. Young horses frolic in pastures where the bluegrass contrasts brilliantly with the orange and gold leaves of oak trees. As you drive along a country road dried tobacco leaves, which fall from wagons on their way to the auction, scatter in the wind like remnants of some ancient scroll. These are some of the signs that fall has officially arrived.