The other day in my Environmental Studies class, my overly enthusiastic professor told the class about a special group of three plants, known as the Ancient Three Sisters, that, when grown together, actually help each other grow stronger and healthier.

The Sisters — corn, beans and squash — have been grown together by indigenous people for thousands of years, some evidence dating back 10,000 years. Here’s how it works:

Squash acts as a natural mulch, providing shade for the roots of the beans and corn, and keeping weeds away.

Beans have special nodules in their roots that store nitrogen. As the beans grow, the roots release some of the nitrogen into the soil, which any gardener will tell you is a necessary element for a garden to be successful, especially for nitrogen-loving corn plants.

Finally, corn serves as a natural bean pole, which the beans climb up for more sunlight.

Isn’t it amazing how the earth’s organisms interact?

The marine life in the Gulf of Mexico is heading to a more oxygen-friendly vacation spot this summer because the Gulf’s dead zone is estimated to be the largest yet since records began back in 1985. 

R. Eugene Turner of LSU, along with other scientists from Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, estimate that this summer the dead zone will reach about 10,084 square miles (about the size of Massachusetts). The average size since 1990 has been about half that (approximately 6,046 square miles). A dead zone occurs when there is not enough oxygen in an area for any living organism to survive. In the Gulf’s case, the Mississippi River is to blame. 

At the end of each spring, high levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and other chemicals from fertilizers run off of farms and pour into the river. These fertilizers keep doing their job long after they leave the farm, and in the Gulf, they help the algae grow.  Once the algae die, however, the oxygen is sucked out of the area creating a dead zone.  The dead zone only lasts from the beginning of the summer thru early fall, but it affects every animal in or around the area.

Because the need for corn has increased, Midwestern farmers started growing more crops and, therefore, using more chemicals and fertilizers.  Those chemicals continue to pour into the Mississippi River at dangerous levels because of the heavy amounts of rain sweeping the Midwest, and as a result, the Dead Zone could be even larger than the already predicted 10,084 square miles. 

In an effort to revive the Gulf, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force released an action plan on June 16, 2008, after re-assessing the one made in 2001. The plan has eleven major actions that are made to help regulate and reduce the use of nitrogen and phosphorous on farms and help bring awareness to the issue.  However, the plan will only help the Gulf if we follow it; otherwise, the Gulf's animals may have to find a permanent residence elsewhere.

This classic Italian starter (which is actually pronounced 'broo-sket-ta' and not 'broo-shet-ta'), almost always has a generous dose of raw garlic. If you absolutely must, you can tame the garlic bite a bit by adding the topping to the bread before popping it into the oven.

1 head raw garlic

5 tbsp cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil (You can really taste the olive oil in this recipe, so use a good one!)

4 fresh tomatoes

3/4 cup basil, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 freshly baked baguette

1/2 cup pine nuts

Peel garlic and dice into tiny pieces. Toss with olive oil in a bowl. Slice the tomatoes, discarding juice and seeds, then dice. Add to the bowl along with a half cup of the basil and stir to coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside to marinate for at least an hour.

Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, then cut into 3/4-inch wide pieces. Arrange on an oven-safe pan. Warm the bread in a 300-degree (Fahrenheit) oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a serving platter, if desired.

Scoop garlic-tomato mixture over each piece, then sprinkle with pine nuts and chopped basil. Serve immediately.