February 1st, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
You’ll make the most nutritious—and delicious—produce choices when you buy locally grown organic fruits and vegetables that are in season. It’s also the most economical way to shop the produce aisle.
Here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s top peak-season choices. Some of the listed fruits and veggies are available year-round, but you’ll find higher quality at a lower cost this month.
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Oranges
- Pears
Click here to find a farmer’s market near you.
Recipes to Inspire You
- Home-Style Minestrone
- Frozen Honey Banana Pops
- Spicy Nutmeg Carrots
- Granny Smith Guacamole
- Romaine, Pecan and Pear Salad
Read More: Organic Produce: February Report
Tags: farmers market, fruits, Organic Food, recipes, vegetables
Posted in Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | 2 Comments »
January 6th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
Stocking up on organic fruits and vegetables ensures you’ll enjoy a more healthful diet, but keeping track of everything you’ve bought can sometimes prove challenging. There’s nothing worse than throwing away a bunch of organic radishes that you inadvertently buried in the back of the cooler.
If you have an iPhone, tracking your produce purchases is now a breeze. The Shelf Life application logs your fruit and veggie inventory, as well as perishables like dairy and meat.
Your freshest produce is displayed with a green light, while items nearing expiration slowly become yellow, orange and red.
At $1.99, this is a great investment—and you’ll give those sorry radishes a break.
Read More: Is That Cheese Still Good? There’s an App for That
Tags: fruits, Organic Food, shopping, vegetables
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January 2nd, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
You’ll make the most nutritious—and delicious—produce choices when you buy locally grown organic fruits and vegetables that are in season. It’s also the most economical way to shop the produce aisle.
Here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s top peak-season choices. Grapes and sweet potatoes come off last month’s list.
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Oranges
- Pears
Click here to find a farmer’s market near you.
Recipes to Inspire You
- Confetti Apple Slaw
- Granny Smith Guacamole
- Frozen Honey Banana Pops
- Spicy Nutmeg Carrots
- Home-Style Minestrone
- Wilted Greens with Pinot Pears
- Pear and Chocolate Spread
- Orange and Radish Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette
- Red Beet and Blood Orange Salad
- Warm Griddle Salad with Chicken and Apples
- Romaine, Pecan and Pear Salad
Read More: Organic Produce: January Report
Tags: farmers market, fruits, Organic Food, recipes, vegetables
Posted in Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | 3 Comments »
December 1st, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
You’ll make the most nutritious—and delicious—produce choices when you buy locally grown organic fruits and vegetables that are in season. It’s also the most economical way to shop the produce aisle.
Here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s top peak-season choices:
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Grapes
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Oranges
- Pears
- Sweet potatoes
Click here to find a farmer’s market near you.
A Dozen Recipes to Inspire You
- Confetti Apple Slaw
- Granny Smith Guacamole
- Frozen Honey Banana Pops
- Spicy Nutmeg Carrots
- Home-Style Minestrone
- Wilted Greens with Pinot Pears
- Pear and Chocolate Spread
- Orange and Radish Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette
- Red Beet and Blood Orange Salad
- California Waldorf Salad
- Warm Griddle Salad with Chicken and Apples
- Romaine, Pecan and Pear Salad
Read More: Organic Produce: December Report
Tags: farmers market, fruits, Organic Food, recipes, vegetables
Posted in Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | 2 Comments »
November 2nd, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
You’ll make the most nutritious—and delicious—produce choices when you buy locally grown organic fruits and vegetables that are in season. It’s also the most economical way to shop the produce aisle.
Mushrooms and oranges join this month’s peak-season list, while eggplant moves off.
Here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s top peak-season choices:
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Grapes
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Oranges
- Pears
- Sweet potatoes
Click here to find a farmer’s market near you.
10 Recipes to Inspire You
- Florida Orange and Sweet Oso Onion Salad
- Grilled Flatbread with Olive, Orange and Fennel Relish
- Orange and Radish Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette
- Blood Orange Marga-Tea-Tas
- Sautéed Mushroom Salad
- Moist & Savory Stuffing
- Mushroom Sauté with Toasted Walnuts
- Broiled Italian-Style Portobello Mushrooms
- Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms
- Pugliese Mushroom Scafata with Green Olive Crostini
Photo:
Read More: Organic Produce: November Report
Tags: farmers market, fruits, Organic Food, recipes, vegetables
Posted in Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | 2 Comments »
September 30th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
You’ll make the most nutritious—and delicious—produce choices when you buy locally grown organic fruits and vegetables that are in season. It’s also the most economical way to shop the produce aisle.
Broccoli joins this month’s peak-season list, while cantaloupe, corn and peaches move off. As noted in Salads: 5 Must-Have Veggies:
Broccoli “contains phytochemicals, substances found in produce that can help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer. Added nutrients include vitamins A, C and K, as well as calcium, folic acid and fiber.”
Here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s top peak-season choices:
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Eggplant
- Grapes
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Pears
- Sweet potatoes
Click here to find a farmer’s market near you.
Recipes to Inspire You
Read More: Organic Produce: October Report
Tags: broccoli, farmers market, fruits, Organic Food, recipes, vegetables
Posted in Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | Comments Off
September 5th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
Pears are one of my favorite fruits, and they’re currently in season.
Two new organic pear products have found their way into my grocery cart: Zhena Caramelized Pear Tea and Wallaby Nonfat Bartlett Pear Yogurt.
The Caramelized Pear Tea is a blend of organic ingredients: 100% Fair Trade green tea, pear pieces, marigold flowers, and caramel and pear flavors. The 15 biodegradable tea sachets, made of GMO-free corn silk, are packed in a recyclable, airtight tin.
The Bartlett Pear Yogurt also features all-organic ingredients: cultured pasteurized nonfat milk, evaporated cane juice, pear juice concentrate, natural flavor, pectin and locust bean gum. A 6-oz. container has 130 calories and meets 25% of your daily calcium requirement. Click here to find a store near you.
Pick up some organic pears at your local farmers’ market, and try four favorite recipes:
- Romaine, Pecan and Pear Salad
- Wilted Greens with Pinot Pears
- Marjoram-Scented Pears with Gorgonzola
- Pear and Chocolate Spread
Also: Check out an old favorite, Dishmate Pear Ultra Concentrated Dish Washing Liquid.
Read More: New Organic Pear Products
Tags: fruits, Organic Food, pears, recipes, shopping, tea, yogurt
Posted in Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | 5 Comments »
September 3rd, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
You’ll make the most nutritious—and delicious—produce choices when you buy locally grown organic fruits and vegetables that are in season. It’s also the most economical way to shop the produce aisle.
So, what’s in season this month?
Apples and sweet potatoes join the peak-season list, while cucumbers, tomatoes and summer squash move off.
Choose firm apples with no soft spots. Sweet potatoes should be firm, dark and smooth.
Here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s top choices:
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Bell peppers
- Cantaloupe
- Carrots
- Corn
- Eggplant
- Grapes
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Peaches
- Pears
- Sweet potatoes
Click here to find a farmer’s market near you.
Recipes to Inspire You
- Grilled Sweet Potato Steaks with Maple Pecan Butter
- Sweet Potato Pie Smoothies
- Curried Sweet Potato
- Granny Smith Guacamole
- California Waldorf Salad
- Warm Griddle Salad with Chicken and Apples
- Apple-Celery Stuffing
Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission
Read More: Organic Produce: September Report
Tags: apples, farmers market, fruits, Organic Food, recipes, sweet potatoes, vegetables
Posted in Organic Food | 2 Comments »
August 29th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
Eating a healthy breakfast can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, aid in weight loss, and improve memory and concentration.
For children, skipping breakfast has been associated with headaches, fatigue, restlessness, irritability and other problems.
We tend to forgo breakfast when we’re rushed or bored with the same old morning menu. But solving this quandary is easy: Be creative, stick to simple ingredients, and add a flavorful “wow factor.”
Our weekend recipe is a perfect example of delicious, easy-to-prepare breakfast fare. With only three ingredients, it’s a high-fiber antidote to no-time-for-breakfast excuses.
All of the ingredients should be readily available at your local natural and organic food store.
Mandarin Orange Cereal Bowl
Makes 1 serving
1 cup shredded-wheat cereal
2/3 cup mandarin orange segments and their juice (about half of an 11-oz. can)
1/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
- Place cereal in serving bowl. Top with mandarin orange segments and juice.
- Top with yogurt.
Recipe courtesy of Post Classic Cereals
Read More: Mandarin Orange Cereal Bowl
Tags: breakfast, cereal, citrus, fruits, Health, mandarin oranges, Organic Food, recipes, yogurt
Posted in Health, Organic Food Recipes | 7 Comments »
August 13th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
We’ve had a rough time with Chinese exports over the last few years: melamine in pet food, drug residues in seafood, lead in children’s toys and poisonous chemicals in toothpaste.
But we can thank China and her neighbors for a beloved American fruit: the lemon, whose seeds were first introduced to us by Christopher Columbus. They were later planted by Catholic missionaries in Arizona and California, states that now produce 95% of the lemons we consume.
If you enjoy cooking, it’s hard to live without Citrus limon. The versatile fruit adds a pleasing pungency to teas and other beverages, fish and poultry entrees, vegetable dishes, salad dressings and marinades, and baked goods and other desserts. For future culinary reference: One medium lemon contains approximately 3 tablespoons of juice and 3 tablespoons of grated peel.
Available year-round, lemons have only 30 calories per 1/2 cup (sectioned and peeled). This serving size offers 90% of your daily vitamin C requirement and 3 g dietary fiber (about 10% of your daily requirement).
When choosing an organic lemon, look for a firm fruit with a bright yellow color. Pass on lemons that are soft, shriveled or have spots. A juicy lemon will feel heavy and have a thin skin. If the skin is green-tinged, expect a more acidic fruit.
I mix fresh lemon juice with water when I freeze ice cubes—a great way to add extra flavor to cold beverages. Before squeezing, roll a whole lemon along your kitchen countertop; this trick helps you produce more juice.
Lemons can be stored at room temperature for roughly 2 weeks. You may also refrigerate them for up to 6 weeks.
Tune in tomorrow for our weekend recipe: an Asian variation on traditional lemonade.
Suggested Reading
Read More: Squeeze an Organic Lemon
Tags: citrus, fruits, lemons, Organic Food, recipes
Posted in Organic Food | 8 Comments »
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