I love coffee. A lot. By this I mean, I simply cannot begin my day without wrapping my hands around a comfortingly hot mug of steaming coffee. And because I drink it black — without cream or sugar or milk or anything else to disguise any irregularities or imperfections in flavor — I’ll own to a certain pickiness concerning the coffee I buy for brewing at home. Now this doesn’t necessarily translate to “expensive” or “exotic.” It just has to be good, consistent, and robust.So, although I am always on the lookout for practical ways to eat and buy local, sustainable, and organic foods, it was with a touch of reluctance that I took the plunge in the area of my favorite morning beverage. I have a favorite blend. I love this blend. I have been drinking it for years. But I felt I had to at least give the organic stuff a shot. So I walked down the coffee aisle of my local grocery store and picked up the first pound of organic ground coffee I could find. This turned out to be a Starbucks product, the Serena Organic Blend, which Starbucks deems a “medium” coffee. (Turns out that Starbucks makes 2 organics, Serena and Organic Shade Grown Mexico, both of which are considered medium.) I tossed the package into my cart and threw a wistful look back at my own favorite blend.From the package I learned that this coffee was a blend of organic beans from Latin America and East Africa, which was promising. I brewed a pot, poured a cup, sat down to sample. Nice aroma, pleasant enough taste. It was on the mellow side of medium, clean and light tasting, and all together an enjoyable cup of coffee.
There are other organic coffees out there, and I mean to sample them. If I can find one that has all the good qualities of this one with just a bit more oomph, it wouldn’t be hard to make the switch to organic.
Posted on February 24th, 2008 in
Coffee,
Organic food | Author:
Sandy |
No Comments
Good news if you’re planning to give flowers this Valentine’s Day: Fair Trade Certified flowers are now widely available in the United States! Many of these flowers are produced by growers in Kenya, Ecuador, and Columbia, which benefit hugely from the revenue provided. When you buy Fair Trade Certified flowers, a portion of the retail price helps to fund education, provide housing and health care, and support micro-businesses, among other worthy enterprises.
Be sure to look for the Fair Trade logo on the label when you purchase your next bouquet. If you don’t see it, ask your florist about it. You can purchase Fair Trade flowers online at 1-800-Flowers.com and at also at Sam’s Club Online, among other places. Check out the Transfair USA Web site for information on additional retailers who carry Fair Trade Certified flowers.
Have a happy Valentine’s Day!
Posted on February 14th, 2008 in
Fair Trade Certified | Author:
Sandy |
1 Comment
Some folks love Valentine’s Day, others hate it with a curmudgeonly fervor. No matter your perspective, it’s still a great opportunity to indulge in the sweet stuff. So whether your plans include cozily snuggling your way through February 14 with your significant other or you’re bitterly going stag, if you’ll be spending at least part of the day with chocolate in your mouth — and, really, why not?! — consider going organic!
Okay, maybe you won’t easily find organic chocolates in a big frilly heart-shaped box, but overall, organic chocolate is getting easier to find, and as I found out this week, it’s pretty darn good. The chocolate I sampled was Green & Black’s Organic, which I picked for 3 primary reasons:
It was available in both my local health-food store and in Target, and I liked the fact that it was easy to purchase in the mainstream.
It was available in a nice selection of varieties — milk, caramel, almond, Maya Gold, etc.
All of Green & Black’s products are organic, and the Maya Gold line is Fair Trade Certified.
I chose a 1.2-ounce bar of milk chocolate, which I paid about $1.50 (US) for at Target. A little steep for mainstream, but still cheaper than some of the top-shelf chocolate bars available from this retailer. For milk chocolate, this is an extremely flavorful, full-bodied chocolate bar. With 34 percent cocoa, it has an assertive cocoa character, balanced and mellowed by a rich sweetness. This was a really pure-tasting, chocolatey chocolate — no overt hint of caramel or other flavors. Altogether, it was enjoyed and given high marks by both the adults and the kids who tasted it. And an interesting side note — the name of the chocolate brand is not eponymous. The “Green” refers to the organic part; the “Black” evokes the rich, dark color of the chocolate itself.
I’ll admit that I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor and texture of the organic milk chocolate we sampled. I’m looking forward to trying the Maya Gold line, and then, who knows? Back to the candy shelf for more research, probably. I’ll keep you posted. (And let me know if you have any suggestions!)
So, regardles of whether you’re celebrating this Valentine’s Day with a sweetie, do celebrate with a sweet. And make it organic!
Happy hearts and flowers!
Earthy, unbelievably sweet, and loaded with nutrients, these easy-to-prepare roasted beets are a midwinter treat. If you can get your kids to try them, you’ll likely be asked to make this a regular side dish.
Roasted Beets with Orange Horseradish Cream
- 3 medium beets, washed and peeled
- Olive oil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Orange Horseradish Cream:
- 1/4 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Salt and white pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a 13 × 9-inch baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cut beets into wedges and place in a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle beet wedges with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and black pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Spread beet wedges in a single layer in the bottom of the baking pan. Cover pan with foil and place in a 400 degree F oven. Bake for about 11/2 hours, or until beets are tender when pierced with a fork.
4. For Orange Horseradish Cream: While beets are roasting, combine sour cream or crème fraiche, horseradish, orange zest, and salt and white pepper in a small bowl. Stir well, cover, and let stand in the refrigerator to allow flavors to blend.
5. Serve beets hot or at room temperature, garnished with a tablespoon of Orange Horseradish Cream.
Makes 4 servings.
Want to eat local but aren’t sure where to get the goods? Here are 5 of the best places to find locally grown and produced foods.
1. Down on the Farm
Pick-your-own (PYO) farms, farmers markets, farmstands, and roadside garden stands are all excellent places to go to for fresh local produce. You may find other foods here too-eggs, jams and preserves, honey, baked goods, and the like.
2. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), or Farm Share
For an upfront sum, subscribers get a weekly or monthly portion of produce–fruits and veggies, eggs, milk, and so forth. Some CSA arrangements require a little dirty work during the height of the growing season, but others are strictly pay and pick up.
3. Food Co-ops
These are not your mother’s co-ops! The food co-ops of today have come a long way in terms of both what they offer and who they offer it to. Count on plenty of organic dried bulk items as well as an abundance of fresh local produce in season. Again, you may be asked to help out on a rotating schedule, but you may not. Some co-ops are members-only; others are open to the public.
4. Grow Your Own
Discover your inner green thumb! Indoors or outdoors, on patios, windowsills, balconies, or back-forties, gardens are fast becoming one of the most popular way to “eat green.” Many favorite varieties of fruits and veggies have been developed specifically for growing in small spaces. There’s no question that growing your own costs less, and there’s no way to get fresher seasonal produce.
5. Back to Nature
If you hear the call of the wild, answer it! Hunting, fishing, and foraging are time-honored ways of bringing food to the table. Make sure you have the proper permits as required by your state, and invest some time in learning the basics of safe hunting and foraging. Proceed with caution.
Have some suggestions of your own for where to find the finest local foods? I’d love to hear about them! Feel free to send me your comments and suggestions on where you get your local produce, meat, poultry, grains, etc.
