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Organic matters
The case to buy organic products increasingly finds
proponents. To find the freshest organic ingredients, try
local farmer’s markets and co-ops. Your Organic Cooking
– The Essential Guide to Selecting and Cooking Organic
Foods by Jesse Cool (Rodale; 2000), advises to
consider the following factors to understand the economics
and benefits of buying organic.
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Most organic farmers practice crop rotation, which costs
more than planting the same crop season after season in
the same location.
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Natural pesticides and integrated pest management can be
more expensive than pesticides and insecticides and
in general, are far less intrusive on the environment.
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Organic companies often have to spend more money to use
recycled paper, plastic, and other materials that
decompose in the country's landfills.
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Organic foods in season may sometimes cost less than
foods shipped over long distances. The locally grown
foods don't have far to travel and so do not incur
transportation costs.
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Organic crops are frequently harvested at the peak of
flavor, so they may have shorter shelf life.
Chefs lead the way
Chefs like Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville,
Kentucky, are helping advance the sustainable, seasonal,
and local movement. Lee obtains his food directly from
local farmers, promoting local organic ingredients with
the best seasonal flavor. He is also working along with
farmer Mindy Wiseman on their own dedicated farm a
six-acre farm in Indiana called Magnolia Farm.
Lunch lessons
Ann Cooper, executive chef at The
Ross School in East Hampton, NY and author of Bitter
Harvest (Routledge; 2000) has implemented a program to
help kids eat regional, organic, seasonable and
sustainable foods. Learn more about the program at
www.ross.org.
Support our small farms and improve
the food served to our schoolchildren at the same time.
Schools can get fresh, nutritious food, and strengthen the
local economy by purchasing from local farmers.
Click Here.
Preserving Herbs
--From THE SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN by Stu Stein with
Mary Hinds and Judith H. Dern
Drying herbs in brown paper bags is a tried and true,
age-old method. Dehydrators work extremely well, but bag
drying is simple and just as effective. Once you try this
drying method, you’ll have the process down pat and be
able to repeat the steps anytime.
Rinse the herbs thoroughly and dry completely. Tie small
bunches of herbs by their stems and place the herb bunches
inside paper bags, leaves down, and tie the top of the
bags with strings. Hang the bags in a warm, dry area with
good air flow until the herbs are dry. Do not dry herbs in
a microwave or an oven. Dried herbs are stronger than
fresh herbs: 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs equals 1 teaspoon
of dried herbs.
Principles of sustainability
--From THE SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN by Stu Stein with
Mary Hinds and Judith H. Dern
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Celebrate the joys of local, seasonal and artisanal
ingredients.
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Understand the source of the ingredients — the way they
have been grown, raised, or caught.
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Support sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, humane
animal husbandry practices and well-managed fisheries.
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Purchase from purveyors whose conservation practices
lessen our impact on the environment.
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Choosing sustainable food products is about more than
helping the environment. It’s about sustaining the
heritage and the economy of whole communities.
Respecting local economies, traditions and habitats are
important parts of participating in a sustainable food
system.
Sustainable Choices
Often time consumers forget about the non-edible, often
wasteful end results of our food selections. When food
shopping, remember that the packaging should affect your
decision. When a cantaloupe dressed in shrinkwrap catches
your eye, or you reach for the pack of juice boxes instead
of the juice container, consider the environmental cost
and long-term effects of trash. Sustainable and organic
principles not only account for the food’s taste and
freshness, but also the full social and ecological cost.
Why Buy Locally?
--From FRESH CHOICES by
David Joachim & Rochelle Davis
Food in the United States travels an average of 1,300
miles from the farm to the market shelf. While many states
are prolific agricultural producers, almost every state in
the country buys 85 to 90 percent of its food from
someplace else. This food importing can sometimes weaken
local and state economies. In Massachusetts, for example,
the food import imbalance causes $4 billion in annual
losses to the state economy, according to University of
Massachusetts researchers. Analysts say that with some
adjustments, Massachusetts could produce closer to 35
percent of the statewide food supply and thereby
contribute $1 billion annually to the state economy.
Progressive packaging
Corn-tainers, which look identical
to plastic to-go boxes, are compostable containers created
by using a fermentation process that turns bushels of corn
into small plastic-like pellets, which can then be molded
into containers, carpet, and even clothing. The containers
require 20 percent to 50 percent less fossil fuel to
create and take just 47 days to compost into organic
matter. One manufacturer is Cargill Dow, maker of the
NatureWorks PLA packaging. For more information see
www.cargilldow.com.
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Refer A Friend
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As evidenced by the current crop of cookbooks, many
people are springing ahead with progressive ways of
thinking about food. Tackling the challenges of eating
and cooking the freshest, most flavorful foods has
brought a new sense of seasonal commitment. The
appreciation and dedication to seasonal, organic,
local, and sustainable food production awakens
awareness for food lovers everywhere. FRESH CHOICES,
by David Joachim and Rochelle Davis, is full of simple
recipes for pure food, even when you can’t buy 100
percent organic. Fresh crab is the main ingredient for
Fred Thompson’s creative recipes in CRAZY FOR CRAB.
THE SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN by Stu Stein with Mary
Hinds and Judith H. Dern inspires home cooks
everywhere to indulge in local flavors to create
seasonal recipes that follow sustainable practices.
Maria Helm Sinskey follows suit in THE VINEYARD
KITCHEN with an array of menus inspired by each
season’s bounty. THE LAVENDER COOKBOOK by
Sharon Shipley flavors food with a fresh taste
of spring.
This special selection of cookbooks will not only
change the way you think about food and cooking, it
will have you running to the farmer’s market for
delicious spring meals! |
Appe"teasers"
"Links to whet your
appetite"
To learn more about our featured cookbooks, visit the
Web sites of this issue’s participating publishers:
For more information on crab festivals around the country,
go to:
To find a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program
near you, see:
To learn more about sustainable foods, standards, and
ways you can help, visit:
Want to know where to shop for fresh foods? Try:
See local support in action at The Peerless Restaurant:
Create a spring celebration at
your table!
Blue Plate Special
Spring Harvest
 Fresh
Choices
More Than 100 Easy Recipes for Pure Food When You Can't
Buy 100% Organic
By David Joachim & Rochelle Davis
(Rodale Press; April 2004; $18.95/trade paperback, ISBN:
0-87596-896-1)
Buying organic foods is a great way to protect your
family’s health and the health of our planet.
Unfortunately, organic foods are not always readily
available and often cost more than conventional products.
David Joachim & Rochelle Davis provide a resource with
clear explanations about local and organic farming
practices, nutritional information, recommendations for
the best choices for organic, conventional, GMO-free, and
pasture or free range meat, fish, and diary products. The
cookbook offers a variety of satisfying recipes, such as
Grilled Fruit Wraps with Gingered Yogurt Dip, Mesclun
Salad with Pears, and Blackened Tofu, proving
that health and ecologically conscious cooking ensures
variety and flavorful meals.
To order this book,
click here.
 The
Sustainable Kitchen
Passionate Cooking Inspired by Farms, Forests, and Oceans
By Stu Stein with Mary Hinds and Judith H. Dern, with a
Foreword by Caroline Bates
(New Society Publishers; 2004; US$22.95 / Can $29.95/hardcover,ISBN:
0-86571-505-X)
Bring home the thrill of delicious fine cuisine made from
the best locally grown seasonal ingredients. Authors Stu
Stein and Mary Hinds, also chefs of The Peerless
Restaurant in Ashland, Oregon, share their regional focus
with their passion for the culinary arts. Designed
for people who want to make food choices that promote the
economic, environmental, and social health of their
communities, the cookbook inspires home cooks everywhere
to connect with local farmers and purveyors to obtain the
freshest produce available and adapt those ingredients to
seasonal recipes and combination guidelines. Try the
simple Spring Vegetable Soup with Garlic Whistles,
the Butterhead Lettuce with Spring Radishes and Peas
with White Balsamic Dressing, or Pan-Seared Alaskan
Sablefish with Green Garlic, Fiddlehead Ferns and Soft
Polenta.
To order this book,
click here.
 The
Vineyard Kitchen
Menus Inspired by the Seasons
By Maria Helm Sinskey
(HarperCollins Publishers, 2003; US$32.50/Can$49.95
hardcover, ISBN: 0-06-001396-6)
Cooking with local and seasonal ingredients allows Maria
Helm Sinskey to nourish her family, friends, and
restaurant patrons while simultaneously sustaining local
farmers and the community. Seasonal flavors are captured
in the creative and wholesome recipes of this debut
cookbook. As one of America’s most celebrated
chefs, Maria offers 40 menus, 10 per season, with more
than 180 healthful recipes to enjoy all year round. These
are dishes that perfectly suit our shifting appetites as
the days go from short to long and as our dining table
moves from fireside to patio. Recipes such as
Herb-Marinated Rack of Lamb with Roasted Garlic Fingerling
Potatoes and Minted Sweet Pea Soup celebrate
the unique offerings of spring.
To order this book,
click here.
 Crazy
for Crab
By Fred Thompson
(Harvard Common Press; 2004; $32.95/hardcover, ISBN:
1-55832-265-5; $19.95/trade paperback, ISBN:
1-55832-266-3)
Marylanders worship soft-shells, Mainers are loyal to
peekytoe, Floridians devour stone crab, Alaskans revel in
king crab, and Pacific Northwesterners swear by
Dungeness. Today all of these varieties, and more, are
shipped to markets all over the country. And because at
least one type of crab is always in season, crab fans
never have to go without.
In this colorful book, Fred Thompson includes a chapter on
the basics, mouthwatering photos, and delicious recipes
such as Crab and Artichoke Dip, Crab Salad with
Asparagus and Lime Vinaigrette, and Eastern Bay
Crabcakes.
To order this book,
click here.
 The
Lavender Cookbook
By Sharon Shipley
(Running Press; 2004; $16.95/trade paperback, ISBN:
0-7624-1830-3)
The appeal of lavender extends beyond its fragrance to the
rich yet delicate flavor it adds to a variety of foods.
Sharon Shipley takes this unique and delightful botanical
and distills its flavor and aroma into a collection of
enticing dishes. Here’s the first cookbook to focus on
ways in which this aromatic herb can be used to enhance
ordinary ingredients. This book pays special attention to
what is available throughout the year, so each recipe is
ideally suited for a particular season. More than 120
recipes, such as Lavender Margaritas, Gina’s
Grilled Lavender Avocados, and Lavender
Apple Rhubarb Crisp, delight the senses and let you
share the lure of lavender with family and friends.
To order this book,
click here.
Last Licks
Savor spring’s harvest with the following recipes:
From Fresh Choices
From The Vineyard Kitchen
From The Sustainable Kitchen
From Crazy for Crab
From The Lavender Cookbook
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Look ahead for a food shopping guide that
encourages sustainable principles, local and seasonal food
options, sources for whole foods, and recipes to inspire
organic cooking.
Food Compass: Your Handbook to Sustainable and
Delicious Eating
By Sherri Brooks Vinton and Ann Clark Espuelas provides
history, strategies and information. Coming soon in winter
2005 by Jeremy P. Tarcher. |
|
Look ahead for this comprehensive resource.
The Oldways Papers compiled and edited by K. Dun
Gifford and Sara Baer-Sinnott. Oldways is a non-profit
educational organization that explores, preserves, and
promotes the eating patterns and food groups that
characterize the world’s major cultures. This
collection of essays, written by editors and
scientific and culinary industry leaders, examines
each food group as it applies to the Mediterranean,
Asian, Latin American, and Vegetarian “dietary
pyramids” developed by Oldways. This promises to be
the ultimate resource for how, why, and what the world
eats. (Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. Projected
publication date: Fall 2004). |
|
From the top-selling and
well-respected national health magazine, EatingWell,
comes a new cookbook that provides clear, step-by-step
instructions, easy-to-find healthy ingredients,
nutritional analysis, and a common-sense approach to
cooking and eating well. The Essential EatingWell
Cookbook: Good Carbs, Good Fats, Great Flavors,
edited by Patsy Jamieson (Countryman Press;
September 2004; $29.95/Hardcover; ISBN 0-88150-630-3), has
more than 350 delicious recipes and hands-on techniques
for nutrition-conscious, full-flavor cooking. |
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