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Posts tagged ‘Produce’

french market

I’m really looking forward to checking out the new French Market here in Chicago – it sounds absolutley FABULOUS!

Opening December 3, 2009, Chicago will finally have its first and only year-round, indoor marketplace providing you with permanent, convenient and personal access to local artisans and purveyors.

Open Monday thru Saturday, enjoy Chicago French Market’s fresh selections for dining at our place, cooking at your place or on-the-go.

IN CHICAGO’S WEST LOOP
131 NORTH CLINTON
AT THE OGLIVIE TRANSPORTATION CENTER

bidlid

 

Here’s an easy and fun way to help The Organic Center raise funds for our important research and communication work on the organic benefit!

The Organic Center is part of Stonyfield Farm’s October Bid With Your Lid campaign in which three organizations compete for funding. Stonyfield yogurt lids plus on-line voting give you several ways to participate in supporting your favorite cause.

We need your vote!! Please help us increase our percentage of support by following this link and vote for The Organic Center. Also, pass this on to your family, friends and colleagues and help us grow our donation from Stonyfield. Thank you!!!

The Organic Center’s mission is to generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society. www.organic-center.org

The Organic Center’s mission is to generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society. www.organic-center.org

These reusable produce bags are great and are so much better for the environment than the plastic bags at the store. They can easily be washed and they’ll last for a very long time! produce bags2

ACME Bags

ACME Bags

I have the ones above but there are several types available on ReusableBags.com  They are regularly $3.95 each but are currently 18% off.

Fresh Jam

 

I know they don't look so pretty in my re-used jars but who cares?!

I know they don't look so pretty in my re-used jars but who cares?!

 

The other night I made jam!  I’ve been wanting to do this all summer and now that berries are just about done I had to do it now or wait until next year.  I can’t believe how easy it was to make!

I save all of my jars from other food items that I purchase so I had plenty to use.  They were already clean so I put them in a pot of boiling hot water to warm them up while I made the jam.  I had purchased a box of pectin quite awhile ago so I already had that on hand.  The box contained a bunch of different recipe ideas.  I made a batch and a half with a mix of raspberries and blueberries.  I used a ratio of 2:1 (raspberries to blueberries) so it is mostly raspberry but with a slight undertone of blueberry – I’m happy with the combination.  When using blueberries it calls for fresh lemon juice.  I used the juice of one lemon yet still needed a little more so I used an orange that I needed to use up as it was on its way to the bin.

jam in pot

Instead of sugar I used Agave Nectar.  Agave Nectar looks like honey but is thinner and comes from a plant.  It doesn’t spike your blood sugar the way sugar does so I try to use it as much as possible in place of sugar.

So, all you do is mash your berries, add the lemon juice, bring it to a boil add the pectin and pour it into your jars leaving 1/4 inch open at the top.  Put the tops on and turn them upside down.  I put them back in the hot water for a bit to make sure they were super warm and would seal and then I put them on the counter to cool.  After an hour I flipped them and within another hour I pressed the seal on the top and it went down and didn’t pop back up – meaning they were sealed and safe to stay in the pantry.

I’m so excited to have discovered how easy it is to make jam – I’ll be making it a lot more now!

cheesysalsaredpotatoes_eatdrinkbetter

These look AMAZING!  I can’t wait to make them!  (using soy sour cream and soy cheese)

Written by Heather Carr

Published on September 1st, 2009
Check out the blog for the recipe!  They’re SUPER easy!  This is so the way I cook – round up leftover bits of things and create something new!

carrots-and-eggplants
Great info – wanted to share with you
 
 
Written by Becky Striepe

The French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA) released a study last week that outlines a number of health benefits to eating organic food.

finish reading

Published on September 17th, 2009 in food safety, nutrition and health

I absolutely love Carnivale.  The atmosphere is fun and the Latin American cuisine is delicious.  I love it even more now that I discovered how green they are.  They are making efforts to reduce their impact on the environment from the food they serve to the cleaning products they use.

They source a lot of their food from farms in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin.  They’re cooking with cage-free organic eggs and sustainable seafood.  Their chicken and pork are from local Gunthorp Farms and in the summer the grow veggies on the restaurant’s roof-top garden!  Even their mojitos are made with organic mint from local farmers and they’re filtering their water at the source so it is 99.9% purified for drinking and even cooking!  They recycle and they’re working with Gunthorp Farms to recycle non-trans fat fryer oil as an alternative fuel for the farm.

Read more about their Green Program.

I sourced this info from an article by Kathleen Furore in el Restaurante Mexicano, May-June 2009.

I just got my Fresh Picks Newsletter and wanted to share these great tips with you. I know I’ve posted something similar in the past but this version is more detailed.

Fruits
Apples – Store these in the fridge or a cool dark location. They should keep well for a while.

Bananas – These should be kept at room temperature in a dry location. Anything below 58° can actually give them freezer damage!

Berries – It’s always a good idea to pick out any squished or moldy berries to prevent the others from going bad. While blueberries can last a week in the refrigerator (just wash them right before eating), raspberries, blackberries and strawberries only last a few days. To help them last as long as possible spread them out on a plate and cover with a paper towel. Berries start to deteriorate as soon as they are picked, so eat them quickly!

Cherries – Store cherries in the fridge uncovered or in a perforated plastic bag for up to a week. Keep the stems attached and be sure to remove any moldy cherries that pop up

Grapes – Store grapes in the refrigerator in a perforated bag and only wash them right before serving. Be sure to remove any spoiled grapes before you stick them in the fridge.

Lemons/Limes – Do not store these in the fridge as cold temperatures can cause undesirable changes and they tend to absorb fridge odors. Store them in a cool and dry area.

Melons – It’s a good idea to ripen melons at room temperature, but they can quickly go from ripe to overripe. You can store a melon in the fridge to help it last a little longer just make sure to keep it in the crisper where humidity tends to be higher so your melon doesn’t dry out.

Pineapple – Store pineapples on the counter (for a day or two) or in the refrigerator upside down to allow the sweetness to spread to the rest of the fruit.

Stone Fruit – Ripen stone fruit on the counter or in a paper bag at room temperature and once ripe you can toss them in the fridge. Store them in a single layer in the warmest part of the refrigerator. Remove 30 minutes before eating so that the fruit can warm up.

Vegetables
Carrots – Store in a plastic bag in the fridge to retain moisture, do not peel them until you’re ready to serve.

Corn – Keep corn cool so that the sugars don’t turn to starch and become less sweet. Keep the husk on the corn as it helps retain the moisture.

Eggplant – Store eggplant in a cool location or in the fridge but be careful with it as it bruises easily. Also try to use it up in a few days as it goes bad quickly.

Lettuces/Greens – Always dry greens and lettuces well before storing. Wrap them in a paper towel and place in a plastic bag.

Mushrooms – Store these in a paper bag in a cool, dry part of the fridge. Only wash them directly before using.

Onions/Garlic – Keep these in cool, dark, well-ventilated areas.

Peppers – Store in the fridge’s vegetable crisper.

Root Vegetables/ Potatoes – Store these in a cool, dry, dark location with good ventilation. You can store the root vegetables in the fridge but keep the potatoes out.

Spinach/Arugula – You can store them loosely packed in plastic bags in the refrigerator or if you plan on keeping them for longer place them in a single layer on paper towels and loosely roll them up.

Tomatoes – Do not store tomatoes in the fridge as this can cause them to have a mealy texture and a poor flavor. Store them unwashed at room temperature.

Herbs
Wash and dry the herbs and cut off a little bit of the ends and place them standing up in a glass of water. You can also them in a plastic bag along with a paper towel if you’re short on room in the fridge.

Food Waste

produce

According to a 2002 report from the University of Arizona in conjunction with the USDA, Americans tossed out an average of 470 pounds of food per year—about 14 percent of all food brought into the home—at an annual cost of $600. Every day, they discarded more than half a pound of fruits and veggies. In total, Americans chuck a fourth of all the produce they buy, mostly because it’s gone bad, says Timothy Jones, PhD, contemporary archaeologist at the University of Arizona. Nationally, we dump $43 billion worth of food every year.

Read the full article on Vegetarian Times and learn great tips for keep produce fresh

Wow! What a waste! Imagine what an impact we could make on the environment and our pocketbooks if we purchased less produce. Yes, you may have to make more runs to the market but you will be surprised to see yourself using all of what you have on hand and not tossing unused and spoiled food! Our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs. I prefer to purchase only what I can possibly use in the next couple of days. My purchase always lasts me longer than expected and I throw very little away.

I’m so excited to see Chipotle sourcing food locally!  I hope other chains take note and adopt the same procedures.  It is so much better to use local food – first for our environment as it cuts down on huge carbon emissions from transporting food across the country or even the world and second it is economically great to be supporting local farmers.  Next time you’re up for a burrito, skip Taco Bell and give your business to Chipotle.

logo_badge

Chipotle Mexican Grill is once again breaking from the fast-food model.

Written by Timothy B. Hurst

Published on June 25th, 2009 on Eat. Drink. Better.

The Denver-based chain known for its clean flavors and burly burritos is pledging to use a set amount of local produce at each of its more than 730 restaurants around the country — when produce is in season.

This summer, Chipotle is purchasing twenty-five percent of at least one produce item for each of its stores from small and midsize farms situated within 200 miles of the store.

Read the full article