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Writing in the Journal of Ethnobiology, Natalie Muellert, assistant professor of archaeology in Arts & Sciences, describes how she painstakingly grew and calculated yield estimates for two annual plants that were cultivated in eastern North America for thousands of years—and then abandoned. Growing goosefoot (Chenopodium, sp.) and erect knotweed (Polygonum erectum) together is more productive than growing either one alone, Mueller discovered. Planted in tandem, along with the other known lost crops, they could have fed thousands. Archaeologists found the first evidence of the lost crops in rock shelters in Kentucky and Arkansas in the 1930s. Seed caches and dried...

IDAHO FALLS — Local miller Jeremiah Clark plans to soon expand into a new Idaho Falls facility with the capacity to process up to 5 percent of the world’s quinoa supply. Clark, owner of American Mills, LLC, contracts with 17 growers from American Falls through Ashton to raise his own proprietary variety of the nutrient-rich, pseudo-cereal crop. His quinoa fields range in size from 100 to 200 acres, and he’s already made Eastern Idaho the largest quinoa production region in North America. He hopes to have equipment installed by the end of October to commence operations at his new quinoa...

Federal workers and contractors not getting paid have had to resort to seeking handouts as the record-breaking shutdown continues for a fourth week. In Washington, DC, the line for free meals stretched down Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol because workers say any little bit helps when no money is coming in. “Accepting that I’m here is demoralizing,” said a teary Blen Woldearegay, a Department of Interior contractor who is worried about possible foreclosure on her new home. “It’s hard. It’s hurtful. I’m not the type of person that likes to do that [ask for help] just...

Thanksgiving is coming up, and I've seen many versions of this Pineapple Spread recipe, which would be a very attractive appetizer for your feast: http://cooklime.com/Recipes/Directions/238152-pineapple-cream-cheese-spread#.WCZQjDylxOJ_______________________________________________ When Liz mentioned gluten sensitivity a while back, I got to thinking about Quinoa, which I had eaten plain before, but had never tried in a recipe. I enjoy Tabbouleh very much, and found a recipe for a Quinoa version which actually turned out very well. It's not exactly like traditional Tabbouleh, especially as the Quinoa doesn't really soak up the dressing the way that bulgur does; but it was surprisingly good - the husband...

<p>Sensing an opportunity to show that they can be just as angry about their classic dishes as Italians, Louisianians experienced a collective meltdown after a recipe video for “healthy” gumbo went viral. Posted by a Disney internet account, the offending video was perhaps meant to corrupt innocent youth as it attributed the recipe to Princess Tiana of the popular New Orleans–set The Princess and the Frog — giving it a veneer of legitimacy.</p>

Over the last two years, I’ve dabbled with paleo, cacao, almond milk, seaweed, aloe vera and coconut water. My friends tell me I’m a “health hipster”. And what’s wrong with that? But then I learned that my chia seed addiction might have a real impact on the global food industry: this year, analysts from Credit Suisse warned that the consumer migration from carbs to proteins would damage the baking and milling industry, all because people are having ham and eggs for breakfast instead of Shreddies or toast. And there’s worse: what about the environment? What if my taste for goji...

Not long ago, quinoa was just an obscure Peruvian grain you could only buy in wholefood shops. We struggled to pronounce it (it's keen-wa, not qui-no-a), yet it was feted by food lovers as a novel addition to the familiar ranks of couscous and rice. Dieticians clucked over quinoa approvingly because it ticked the low-fat box and fitted in with government healthy eating advice to "base your meals on starchy foods". Adventurous eaters liked its slightly bitter taste and the little white curls that formed around the grains. Vegans embraced quinoa as a credibly nutritious substitute for meat. Unusual among...

A decade after "carb" became a four-letter word, scientists unveil a Catch-22 breakthrough for dieters: Carbs may actually help you lose weight. > Recommended sources of resistant starch carbs include sweet potatoes, beans, whole grain pasta, artichokes, yams, and quinoa. >

Squash grown 10,000 years ago in Peru By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Thu Jun 28, 6:09 PM ET WASHINGTON - Agriculture was taking root in South America almost as early as the first farmers were breaking ground in the Middle East, new research indicates. Evidence that squash was being grown nearly 10,000 years ago, in what is now Peru, is reported in Friday's edition of the journal Science. A team led by anthropologist Tom D. Dillehay of Vanderbilt University also uncovered remains of peanuts from 7,600 years ago and cotton dated to 5,500 years ago in the floors...