Tag: Produce

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Organic. Time is Personal

I have not always been a strict organic consumer. About 6-7 years ago I started with organic eggs, mainly because they taste better. When I discovered how much better the eggs were, I figured the chicken would be too. That began my journey to slowly transitioning into more organic items, and within 2-3 years, 50% of what I was consuming was organic.

A short time later at a routine doctor’s visit, swollen lymph nodes were discovered under my arms and other parts of my body. After asking the doctor how to get them back to their normal state, I remember vividly the technician saying, “there’s nothing really you can do about them, other than just monitor them”; an answer that didn’t quite sit right with me. It was then that I began heavily researching and learning more about the organic movement, and the more I learned, the more compelled I felt to switch to an all organic diet. Everything from the extra hormones added, to the animal products available in the market, and the pesticides and chemicals added to the produce; the genetically modified foods we put in our bodies and the chemicals we put on our skin, all have an effect on us.

Switching to a 75% organic diet has been one of the best things I could have ever done. I consume hormone-free, organic eggs, meats and produce. My fridge is usually packed with organic goodness every Monday, and practically empty every Saturday…aka time to get more organic groceries. My lymphs nodes where back to normal a year later. Ironically, I had my check-up with the same technician. I brought up the fact that the swelling was gone as she was scanning my test and she repeatedly said: “it must have been an error, they just don’t go away”. Well, they did.

It’s often said that people decide to make drastic changes once they are faced with big challenges (wake up calls). I am thankful mine was not as challenging as many other people face, and equally thankful for the swollen lymph nodes. I am still not 100% organic, not because I don’t want to be, but because sometimes it’s simply not possible due to accessibility. Life happens, and I don’t beat myself up for it. But when the option is there, organic is always my first choice.

These days the word “organic” is seen everywhere. More and more menus are offering “organic greens served with organic baker’s bread and organic spread”, but one thing we have in our favor is that that the word organic (unlike other feel-good descriptions of food like “natural”), actually means something. Certification procedures in the United States and many other countries are strict. In the US, organic food must meet standards ensuring that genetic engineering, synthetic fertilizers, sewage and irradiation were not used in the food’s production; and that makes it a tad easier for us!

With love and gratitude,

Sara Balcazar-Greene (aka. Peruvian Chick)

Peruvian Food Ambassador

peruvianchick.com

instagram.com/peruvianchick

facebook.com/theperuvianchick

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Eating Healthy in the Midst of a Full Life

 

One of my favorite photos is of our kids in 2003 when we first moved to our Stanwood farm – crowbar in hand and ready for the remodel!

IMG_9778Klesick Family

Well, I guess you could say that a lot has changed in the past 12 years. Life is full, and so is our front porch!  More importantly, our hearts are full! We feel incredibly blessed. But, I have to admit that when juggling so much love, sometimes the simple day-to-day tasks can become overwhelming. One of the things that continue to be important to us is providing nourishing food for our growing family. Without determination and a plan, this can feel impossible. I have put together a list of a few things that we’ve done that have stood the test of time and helped us pursue healthy eating.

First of all, make sure “good” food enters the kitchen. Receiving a Box of Good is a practical and convenient first step. Besides produce, we also carry a wide array of healthy staples. Remember that when our foundation is good, we have something great to build on.

At the beginning of the week, or when you receive your produce, take a look and see what items are most perishable and should be used first and then plan your meals accordingly. Take 5 minutes each night and think about the next day’s meal. One of the biggest hindrances to eating healthy is running out of time at the end of a busy day. I like to think of creative ways to make my healthy food “fast food.” When you receive your Box of Good, plan to take 20-30 minutes to prepare your produce items for the week. This will reduce meal time stress and greatly decrease the prep time when it comes to actually making meals. This alone will help you and your family eat healthier.

*Take your lettuce and any greens that you have and wash them right away. Put the leaves in a salad spinner or dry thoroughly, and then store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

*Take your vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, celery and carrots, and wash them. Then, with a quality kitchen knife, chop them into bite-sized pieces and store in the refrigerator. They are ready to be snacked on with a good dip or thrown in a stir fry. What could be easier? This is fast food at its finest.

*Use your prepared veggies to make a quick sandwich, pita, or wrap. You can skip the bread and use the cleaned lettuce as a wrap itself.

*Experiment with homemade soups. When you order your grass-fed beef from us, make sure you request beef bones. Make a super nutritious broth! Add veggies to the broth that you may not otherwise use, and get all their health benefits. Then make your soups or stews ahead of time and they’ll be ready to eat on a hectic evening when you don’t have time to cook. Better yet, make extra and freeze.

*Find ways to sneak in veggies by grating zucchini or carrots and putting it in your tuna or egg sandwiches. Add bits of veggies to fried rice, pastas, meatloaf, or burgers. Keep trying new things. Don’t give up on picky eaters. Usually over time, taste buds change.

*When serving salad, serve it first, separately and then you know everyone has eaten their veggies. Experiment with homemade healthy dressings and find one that the kids like.

*Offer a choice for snacks, but keep them both healthy. Kids love choices.

*Know which fruit stores best in the refrigerator and which store best on the counter. Display counter fruit in a pretty bowl on the table and it’s sure to be one of the first things your kids ask for.

*If your bananas get over-ripe peel them and chop them into 1-inch rounds and freeze them. Use the frozen bananas for your smoothies or banana bread.

*Use fruit with yogurt to make smoothies. Buy or make cereals with less sugar and use your apples, pears, and bananas to sweeten your cereal. Chop up fruit and use as a topping over pancakes, and use less syrup. Add sliced bananas to your toast. Use fruit as a dessert or use it to make your desserts more nutritious.

Eating healthy in the midst of a busy schedule is obtainable and can be rewarding. Set your mind to it, make a plan and be creative.

Joelle

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Democracy in the Grocery Isle?

One of the more interesting takeaways from the state-based battle to enact GMO food ingredient labeling has been the deluge of money that Monsanto, their biotech allies, and Big Food corporate interests have been willing to spend to drown out your right-to-know about what you are putting in your mouth. Cornucopia’s research reveals that these supporters of ignorance have collectively showered more than $100 million on the four state referendums to date, in California, Washington, Colorado and Oregon.

Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Citizens United, whatever constraints existed on corporate spending in elections have evaporated. Although state referendums are a different electoral animal, the willingness of corporate power to spend all that they need to prevail has been fully demonstrated. They have juiced the system and tilted electoral power in their direction.

While Monsanto and their allies have thus far proven successful—albeit narrowly in three of the four states—the handwriting may be on the wall. Good food activists are growing increasingly aware that they hold power in the marketplace that even the corporate behemoths must respect.

It is somewhat ironic that democracy may break out in the marketplace while it is being squelched at the ballot box. Clearly, the biotech forces and Big Food need us to buy their products in our consumer society. Yet in spite of their sophisticated, expensive advertising and packaging, increasing numbers of conscious consumers are doing their own food and product research (fueled by help from organizations like Cornucopia).

Using their heightened awareness and their focused purchasing power, these savvy eaters are forcing companies like Kashi (owned by Kellogg), WhiteWave, Organic Valley, Kraft, and Stonyfield to make healthier changes to products. Why? For the most part, these companies are terrified of how their investors and/or Wall Street will react and punish them for unresponsive arrogance and diminished sales.

Amplify your power as a conscious eater. Investigate our various food and commodity product scorecards (visit www.cornucopia.org), and then share this information and the related web links with your social network. This research is regularly updated so that you and your friends can make the best “vote” in the marketplace.

This story originally appeared in the spring issue of The Cultivator, The Cornucopia Institute’s quarterly print publication. Used by permission.

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Honey! Bar the door! We’ve got ourselves a crawler!

I know it’s inevitable. At some point in time every little one gets mobile and life changes, but I was secretly hoping for a few more months of “stationary” play! Officially, she began crawling at 5.5 months. This isn’t our earliest. Her sister, Emily, started crawling at the same time 17 years ago and she hasn’t stopped moving since! We will have to see if Joanna walks at the early age of 8.5 months, as her older sister did. Time will tell. Having a little one reach that wonderful age of mobility quickly moves them into a new phase of learning, which means it moves us, as parents, into a new phase of teaching. Now that she is scooting across the floor we need to begin training her to make good choices. Of course, this will be a gradual process, but now she will be discovering toys left out by siblings, the cat food dish, a fireplace, older siblings with quick feet, etc. One of the most comical learning opportunities comes when the little ones begin to learn to negotiate the happily wagging tail of our big (giant to them) black Labs.

It is all good! It is all supposed to happen! Every stage of life is special, and laying a foundation of love and respect early is critical to a great relationship later. Teaching her that “no” means “no” will be one of the next things she learns, and when she is a little older and getting around well, it will be time for her to learn “Joanna, come here, please”.

Sadly, as parents of young children, it’s easy to train children that we are not serious about our requests. And the constant negotiating or nagging eventually can wear a parent out and put a strain on the relationship. But if one establishes “no” early or “come here” early then parents will naturally have a better relationship with their child, for the simple reason that there’s not always a mini war on their hands. Children thrive with love and healthy boundaries. Good seeds planted now will bear good fruit later and as a father and a farmer, life has taught me planting the good seeds is the way to go.

– Tristan

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Fresh This Week Add-Ons: It is cooking greens season!

If you like ratatouille…this is a great time! We’ve got basil, zucchini/yellow summer squash, red bell peppers,  garlic & onions available to go with! For a great Ratatouille recipe, go tohttp://smittenkitchen.com/2007/07/rat-a-too-ee-for-you-ee/

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Fresh this week 09.14.2010

Gala Apples:
A superb dessert apple that is excellent for fresh eating and baking! Enjoy them raw, cooked, roasted or in vegetable platters.

How to store:

To store, keep apples as cold as possible in the refrigerator. Apples do not freeze until the temperature drops to 28.5 degrees F.

Green Bell Peppers
Bell peppers add fresh flavor and splashes of color to raw and cooked dishes. They’re also great sources of vitamins A and C.

How to Store:

Refrigerate peppers unwashed (moisture speeds decay) in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer. Red and yellow peppers will last up to 5 days; green, about a week

Arrugula (Also called Roquette)
Arrugula adds spicy accents to dishes far beyond Italian. Arrugula is used in Italian dishes and with many foods containing olives, garlic, tomatoes & peppers. It’s leaves are zesty and when harvested before fully mature make a great addition to salads.

How to store:
Place the bunch, or the loose leaves, in a plastic bag in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer, where they’ll last up to 3 days.

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Fresh this week 9.07.2010

STARKRIMSON PEARS:

The Starkrimson pear has a beautiful full red color and a very juicy, sweet and floral flavor. Make a display of these in a fruit bowl; they are as beautiful as fresh cut flowers. But when you eat them you might want to lean over the kitchen sink because they are so juicy and sweet!! Their sweet floral flavor also compliments strong cheeses. Together with goat cheese or blue cheese they really dress up a salad.

These herald the first of the pear harvest and will likely need to ripen a few days before use.

To hurry the ripening process, keep pears at room temperature, each piece individually wrapped in paper, or enclosed in a paper bag ventilated with a few holes. Check them with some frequency. Pears ripen from the inside out. Looks can be deceiving so test the stem end for that slight “give” to tell you when the pear is ready. Ripe pears  should also be slightly fragrant. Ripe pears should be stored in the refrigerator. See the recipe on the back of the newsletter for Ashley Rodriguez’s delicious Sautéed Pears with Toffee Sauce, an excellent way to enjoy this crisp pear.

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CILANTRO:

Store: Wrapped loosely in plastic, cilantro will keep in the refrigerator for one week as long as the leaves are not wet. If the leave become wet (don’t wash them until you are ready to use them) they will quickly spoil. Rinse cilantro well before using as it may have soil or grit clinging to its leaves and stems.

Prep: When you are ready to use cilantro, take the whole bunch holding onto the stems and dunk it into a bowl or sink of cool water. Gently swish back and forth to rid the leaves of any sand or grime.

Shake cilantro well to remove excess water, then pat dry with a towel.

Begin slicing through stems with your chef’s knife. Slice off only as much as you need; the unused portion will last longer uncut

Holding your knife’s tip steady on the board while you rock the blade back and forth, finely chop cilantro. Take care not to over-chop, or cilantro will turn black.

Wrap unused cilantro in damp towels used to dry off the washed cilantro and place inside a resealable plastic bag. Your herbs will last three to five days in the refrigerator, as long as you keep the towel slightly damp.

Use cilantro in fresh salsas, southwest dishes, add it to beef or meat filling in a taco or burrito. Use as a marinade to spice up meat dishes. Cilantro is also used in many delicious Asian dishes, salads, dressings, and soups.

For a simple and delicious guacamole recipe featuring cilantro, go to http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/cilantro-lime-guacamole.aspx

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AVOCADOS:

Store: avocadoes should be sotred at room temperature to allow them to ripen to their desired stage. Place in a brown paper bowl or in your fruit basket to ripen them.  When ripe they need to be used with in a day or two.

Prep: To peel, grip the avocado gently on one side with one hand. With a large, sharp knife in the other hand, cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Open the two halves to expose the pit. At this point there are a few ways you can proceed to remove the pit from the avocado half that has the pit. One way is to make another cut, lengthwise on the avocado half that has the pit, cutting around the pit, exposing it so that it is easier to remove. You can also use a spoon to scoop out the pit.

At this point, you can either scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon (for making guacamole), or slice the avocado into segments. To make it more easy to scoop out the avocado flesh, take a small dinner knife and gently make cuts in the avocado flesh in a cross-hatch pattern, careful not to break through the avocado peel. Then use a spoon to easily scoop out the avocado pieces. If you are making guacamole, don’t worry about slightly discolored or brownish sections. Scoop them up with the rest of the avocado to mash.

For step-bt step photos of this go to http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cut_and_peel_an_avocado/

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Bean Recipes!!

Green Beans with New Potatoes

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/green-beans-with-new-potatoes-recipe/index.html
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients:
• 3 pounds fresh green beans
• 1/4 pound salt pork, sliced
• 1/4 cup bacon grease
• 2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 2 to 3 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 12 small red potatoes
• 1 onion, cut into slivers
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, sliced
• Ground black pepper
Directions
Remove the ends from the beans. Snap the beans in 2 pieces, place into a colander, wash, and set aside to drain.
Meanwhile, in a large cast iron Dutch oven, lightly brown the salt pork in the bacon grease over medium heat, turning often, for approximately 10 minutes. Toss the green beans into the pot, stirring them with a wooden spoon to coat well with the pork fat. Add the broth and House Seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat, covered tightly, for approximately 30 minutes, or until the beans are half done.
While the beans are cooking, peel a center strip from each new potato with a potato peeler. At the end of 30 minutes, add the potatoes and onion to the beans; add 1/4 cup more broth, if needed. Cook, covered tightly, until the potatoes are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes, periodically checking the pot to make sure a small amount of liquid remains. When the potatoes are tender, tilt the lid slightly, off to the side of the pot, and continue to cook until the green beans are wilted, approximately 15 minutes. While cooking, add the butter and season with pepper.
House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Green and Yellow Bean Salad with Chunky Tomato Dressing and Feta Cheese

Yellow wax beans in the salad complement a traditional green bean salad nicely. If wax beans are unavailable, use extra green beans in their place.

Ingredients
• 3/4 pound wax beans, trimmed
• 3/4 pound green beans, trimmed
• 2 cups chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
Preparation
Cook beans in boiling water 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine the tomato and next 4 ingredients (tomato through pepper) in a bowl. Divide the beans evenly among 8 plates. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato mixture over the beans. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sliced basil and 1 tablespoon cheese.

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Potato Salad Recipe's From Contest Winners

The Potato Salad Recipe contest is over! Thank you to everyone who participated; we truly enjoyed all of your great recipe ideas. We have picked our winners and
recommend you try them out for yourself for this Labor Day weekend!

From: Laura Strzelec:

“Those who don’t appreciate traditional potato salads will find much to enjoy in this recipe. Potato salads were never a favorite dish of mine – until I tasted this one. Wonderful things often come together – this recipe was shared with me by the same good friend who introduced me to the Klesick Family Farm. This recipe also provides a great incentive to keep my herb garden healthy.”

Herbed Potato Salad

serves 4 to 6

2 lbs. small red potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. chopped fresh oregano
1 T. chopped fresh chives
1 T. chopped fresh basil
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. diced red onions

Steam potatoes 12-14 minutes, until tender. Whisk vinegar, oil, Dijon, herbs, salt and pepper. While potatoes are still warm, toss with dressing and onions. Cool and serve.

From: Kristy Black

Ingredients:

5lbs red skin potatoes
4 Scallions
6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
2 tbsp of Chives
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Dice up potatoes into bite size pieces and boil until tender. Drain and set aside.

Chop up scallions, dill and chives (if using fresh herbs, dried are perfectly acceptable).

Whisk sour cream, sugar and vinegar together. Then add scallions, herbs and crumbled bacon. Once potatoes have cooled mix in with dressing and add salt and pepper to taste. Have it cool in the fridge at least one hour prior to serving as to allow flavors to “marry”. I sometimes add shredded cheddar cheese as well.

I will be honest, I am guessing at measurements here as I usually just eyeball everything. This is requested all the time by friends and family. Hope you enjoy as well!

From: Kelly Cooney

I made this a couple of weeks ago with the amazing fresh peas and potatoes in our box, and chives from the garden!
Yum! It is an adaptation of a recipe from epicurious.com

Potato and Pea Salad with Chive Aioli:
• 3 pounds small red-skinned new potatoes, unpeeled (can substitute with other types of potato as available)
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh green peas, shelled
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain; cool. Cut potatoes into quarters. Transfer to large bowl; add vinegar and toss to coat. Mix in celery and peas.
Whisk mayonnaise, 5 tablespoons chives, mustard, garlic, and cayenne pepper in small bowl to blend. Add to potato mixture and toss. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and chill at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chives and serve.