Everything you need to eat and cook consciously in the new year.

Our exclusive EcoSalon shopping must-have, the curated eco product assortment known as The Box, is back. We’re offering $500 worth of holiday eco-goodies for just $99 and these won’t last. That’s a guarantee.

It’s one month into 2012; how are those healthy resolutions going? Hopefully well, but if you need an extra boost of support in eating better this year, look no further than our Conscious Food Box. It’s packed with goodies that are good for you and the planet. From gluten-free cake mix and a cookbook to reusable produce bags and coffee mugs, we hope this Conscious Eating themed box inspires you to live by our Food section motto, “good food, from good places with good people.”

(If you do miss out this time around, our friends at Foodily are hosting a giveaway for the last remaining Entertainment Box standing. Head on over to their site and register to win!)

Cooke Ceramics handmade heart shot glass

An EcoSalon Exclusive shot glass (or espresso cup) handmade by Laura Cooke of Cooke Ceramics will hold the winter libation of your choice. With our heart logo on the front and a red interior, it will warm you up no matter what you put in it.

(Retail value of $15)

Flip & Tumble produce bags

This set of 5 reusable produce bags from Flip & Tumble has everything you need to keep track of your organic produce, without having to get one of those pesky plastic bags every time you go grocery shopping.

(Retail value of $11)

100 Gluten Free Recipes for Your Vegan Kitchen

If 2012 has you thinking about making a serious change in your diet, 100 Gluten Free Recipes for Your Kitchen could easily become your Bible. The cookbook has a diverse selection of completely vegan and gluten free goods, with everything from Pad Thai Salad to Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies.

(Retail value of $14.95)

KeepCup reusable coffee cup

500 billion disposable cups are manufactured globally every year. That’s why your morning americano tastes so much better when it’s served in something reusable. Welcome the KeepCup, the size and shape of regular disposable coffee cups so they fit under espresso machines. BPA-free, dishwasher safe and splash proof, you’ll wonder what you ever were doing with the paper and disposable plastic lid situation.

(Retail value of $12.20)

Home Made by Yvette van Boven

“This year I will make more of my own food.” You may have made the resolution, but are you living up to it? Home Made gives you step-by-step insructions for a plethora of foods that you really can make at home. Your own cheese? Ice cream without a machine? It can all be done with the help of this book.

(Retail value of $40.00)

Upcycled Green Glass tumbler

A used Perrier bottle never looked so good. This tumbler is made from the classic sparkling water bottle, and keeps the used bottles out of landfills. Bright and fun, you’ll want to make this your daily water glass.

(Retail value of $9.00)

Kishr drink

Kishr is like a cup of chai on steroids. It’s a tea-like infusion made from the dried coffee cherry and a blend of Saigon cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. The beverage is actually an ancient wellness beverage that has more antioxidants and less caffeine than green tea, so just add hot water and drink up.

(Retail value of $13.99)

Assorted Luna Bars

Made with organic ingredients, Luna Bars are the perfect way to fuel up. This bundle of 3 assorted bars, will let you try a few flavors and figure you your favorite one.

(Retail value of $4.17)

Lunchbots reusable container

This reusable container does it all. Salads, sandwiches, lunches to go, leftovers… the list goes on. Made with stainless steel, the Lunchbots container is BPA-free and easy to clean. Virtually indestructible, take it with you wherever you go and you’ll cut disposable food containers out in no time.

(Retail value of $19.99)

ECOBAGS® Organic Cotton Lunch Tote
Simple and straight to the point, this is a no frills organic cotton lunch tote. With a velcro closure and completely machine washable, you’ll soon find that it’s an everyday essential for the working girl that’s making sure she’s packing her own healthy lunch.

(Retail value of $5.99)

Mum’s Original Slow Roasted Hemp Hearts and Culinary Coconut Sugar

Mum’s Original produces a variety of nut-free, gluten-free super foods, and here is your chance to check out two of them. The Slow Roasted Hemp Hearts have are exclusive to Mum’s, have a superior taste and are perfect for stocking up on your daily protein and essential fatty acids. With a taste similar to brown sugar but with twice the iron, four times the magnesium and over 10 times the amount of zinc,  this low-glycemic Coconut Sugar is an excellent sweet alternative. You’ll get a bag of each, and we’re sure you’ll put more on your shopping list.

(Total retail value of $15.98)

Strawesome Glass Straw

Cut the plastic and use one of these striking Lifetime Guaranteed Strawesome Glass Straws as a drink accessory. Handmade in Michigan, these straws are just as much works of art as they are functional drinking essentials. We have an assorted selection of straws that vary in decoration and color, so be excited to be surprised!

(Retail value of $10.99)

Fresh Wave Crystal Gel Deodorizer

If it’s time to freshen up the kitchen, this crystal gel from Fresh Wave should be your first step. A natural odor eliminator, it gives you with the all natural solution for getting rid odors by using a blend of plant oils and water; no harsh chemicals or masking fragrances. Overpowering compost? Gone. Smelly kitchen trash bag? No more. Simply place it where odors abound and let it works its magic.

(Retail value of $14.99)

San-J Organic Tamari Travel pack

If you’re gluten intolerant, you know how hard it is when it comes to eating soy sauce. Now you can stop carrying around that big, bulky bottle of gluten-free soy sauce with you when you’re on-the-go! These travel packs of organic tamari sauce are the solution. You’ll get 20 travel-sized sachets in one box, ready to be stashed in your bag or purse for your next eating adventure out.

(Retail value of $4.19)

Betty Lou’s Just Great Stuff Bar

An organic bar that’s perfect for chocolate lovers and high in antioxidants. Made with carrot juice, spinach, kale, broccoli sprouts, raisins, dates, and dried bananas you’ll know you’re eating something good for you before the first bite.

(Retail value of $2.19)

Laundress Kitchen Soap Bar

Kitchen and hand friendly, The Laundress Kitchen Soap Bar will do a number on your dishes but not on your skin.  A 100% vegetable soap, it’s made with saponified coconut and palm oils, vegetable glycerin, olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, wheat bran, oatmeal, almond flour, apricot seed, coconut husk, ground coffee, white tea leaves and buttermilk.

(Retail value of $8)

Core Bamboo Salad Servers

Take it up a notch at your next dinner party with these bamboo salad servers from Core Bamboo. They’re big enough to not be overwhelmed by a huge bowl of leafy greens, so whip together all your favorite produce and serve in style.

(Retail value of $18)

33 Cups of Coffee Book

If your coffee drinking ventures are a blur, it’s time to jot them down. Just like a good wine journal to keep track of your favorite vineyards and vintages, this pocket sized coffee journal lets you remember all the important parts of your coffee drinking experiences, from the roaster to the taste. Just make sure your java is organic and fair trade, so it matches the ethos of this journal, made with 100% recycled papers sourced in the Pacific Northwest and printed using US-grown soy-based inks.

(Retail value of $4)

Matiz Organic Chestnuts from Gilt Taste

Gilt Taste is a purveyor of pretty much all good things when it comes to food, and these organic chestnuts are no exception. The chestnuts are sourced from small farms across Galicia, Spain and already peeled and cook, which makes your job easy.  From salads to soups to dessert, they’re the perfect addition to many dishes.

(Retail value of $12.50)

Assorted Remakes placemats

Keep your kitchen table clean! Made with reclaimed billboards and movie posters, Remakes placemats give your table an edgy and urban look and protects it all at the same time.

(Retail value of $15.99)

Wholesome Chow Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Mix

Having a hard time with gluten free baking? Maybe it’s time for a mix. Wholesome Chow’s Organic Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix is easily prepared in less than 40 minutes. It’s moist, fluffy, delicious and perfect for every occasion.

(Retail value of $4.99)

Mrs. Meyer’s Basil Liquid Soap

Pots and pans have nothing against this stuff. Made with naturally cleaning Soap Bark extract, it’s a powerful cleanser and degreaser with plenty of essential oils. Your sink dishes will thank you.

(Retail value of $3.99)

Esutras Cocoa Vanilla Sugar

Putting regular sugar to shame, this organic cane sugar with vanilla and cocoa is perfect for sprinkling on brownies, ice cream, cake, or anything else you want to sweeten up a little.

(Retail value of $5.00)

Nature’s Path Love Crunch Granola

This bag of Dark Chocolate and Red Berries granola will sweeten any mood. Beyond the organic Italian chocolate, it also has flax seeds for essential fatty acids, so kick off your day with a bowl of love.

(Retail value of $4.49)

Orders are processed through Paypal. Simply click to buy!

Notes to EcoSalon

The fine print: Please note there will be an additional $30 flat charge which covers all shipping, handling and sales tax fees. Packages are processed and shipped with love within 7 business days of ordering via UPS ground. We cannot ship internationally (we wish we could!). You’ll receive a confirmation email once your order has gone through. Due to the extremely limited nature of these special assortments, we regret that refunds are not possible if you change your mind. If any items you receive are damaged, the participating brands and EcoSalon are happy to replace them for you as soon as the item(s) is available. If the exact item is not available, one of similar value will be offered. Enjoy your assortment of green goodies!

We’re excited to send them your way.

How to move on from the holiday excess and truly feed yourself.

If, like many, you overindulged during the holidays, you might be feeling tempted to subsist on raw carrots, lettuce, and water for a few weeks – but this approach is all wrong. It’s not what your body needs right now and it will leave you starving, in more ways than one.

First Step – Forgive yourself and stop feeling guilty so you can move on. If you need help, visit the very cool Choose Love Project and view videos of women talking about their struggles with body image. Now, go take a nice brisk walk or head to a yoga class. Do whatever it is that makes you feel balanced. Don’t punish yourself for enjoying the holidays by overdoing it at the gym.

Feeling better? Now, let’s get sensible.
Whether you’re a vegan, a vegetarian, or an omnivore, you can follow the same set of principles for healthy winter eating. Make sure everything you eat is seasonal, prioritizing deeply colored foods; use long, slow cooking techniques to concentrate flavor (and satisfaction), adding plenty of warming spices; make sure everything you eat is whole and unprocessed; foster healthy digestion by adding fermented foods to your diet; and don’t be afraid of fat in moderation. Just make sure it’s healthy, high quality fat.

Seasonal and Colorful

If you want to know what’s in season, take a stroll through a farmers market. If you don’t have year-round markets in your area, think roots, and dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli, winter squashes, citrus, and the last of fall’s pears and apples.

Warming

Long, slow cooking, high heat roasting, and braising are the most satisfying cooking styles for winter, lending themselves well to fibrous vegetables and greens, as well as beans, whole grains, and certain cuts of meat – all are foods that are good to eat right now. Think slow simmered meat and/or vegetable stews, chili, roasted root vegetables and squash, bean dishes, chewy grains, and braised greens. Add plenty of warming spices like ginger, cumin, pepper, and cinnamon to your cooking.

Whole

Stay away from processed and packaged foods. Shop the perimeter of the store for fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, seafood, and high quality, minimally processed diary products. Shop the bulk bins or grocery shelves for beans, lentils, and whole grains. Try cutting out sugar in favor of less processed sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, and molasses. If eating meats and seafood, whole versions are more economical and tasty. Try baking, steaming, or broiling a whole fish, such as trout or bass, enjoy omega-3 rich sardines, or roast a whole chicken.

High Quality Healthy Fats

Don’t be afraid of fat as it warms, promotes satiety, and carries flavor. Just make sure it’s a healthy fat enjoyed in moderation. Think olive oil, organic butter from pasture raised animals, good quality lard that you’ve rendered yourself from a humanely-raised animal, coconut oil, and organic peanut oil.

Digestible

Promote good digestion and that feeling of lightness you’re seeking by eating reasonable portions more often, and making sure you’re including unprocessed (and unsweetened) yogurt, kefir, and aged raw cheeses, like parmesan in your diet. Try pairing fermented pickles or sauerkraut with fatty or rich foods, stir a little miso into dressings or marinades, or drink kombucha between meals.

A few recipes to try that illustrate the principles above:

Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon

Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry

Celery Root Soup with Bacon and Honey

Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Squash, Oyster Mushrooms, and Chard

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds

Chickpea Hotpot

Simple Farro and Bean Stew

Chicken and Lentil Cholent

Whole Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions

If you sometimes crave a little something sweet before bedtime, instead of grabbing a cookie or diving into the ice cream, try a cup of warm milk with honey and vanilla. It is mighty satisfying and will help you sleep.

For a more in-depth look at these principles and a Chinese Medicine perspective on what to eat for best health and most enjoyment (as well as delicious recipes) visit Gastronicity, and look for the author’s upcoming book, Real Food All Year, from Harbinger Press, due out in April 2012.

This is the latest installment in Vanessa Barrington’s weekly column, The Green Plate,  on the environmental, social, and political issues related to what and how we eat.

Images: Vanessa Barrington

A look back at the stories that inspired what we ate and how we ate it. 

When it comes to comnsuming, it’s not just about what’s on the table, it’s about how it got there and how it is being enjoyed. Over the last year we have come to make our Food section reflect our mindset of “good food, from good places, with good people.”

Food sustains us and brings us together and gives us a common ground, no matter who we are. At times complex, and at others, very simple, food is a topic that we can all gather around. Here are 10 stories that proved this point and have defined this section in 2011.

Dr. Marion Nestle Weighs in on Food Issues

When the federal government launched MyPlate, the Harvard School of Public Health came out with their own version called the Healthy Eating Plate. To get perspective we chatted with one of the leading voices on food, Dr. Marion Nestle, to get her perspective on eating better and how to change the food system.

The Replacements

Burned out on the cupcake trend just like we were? Fortunately there were plenty of replacements, and we hope that 2012 gives us more macarons and cookies delivered out of second story apartment windows.

Global Street Eats

Food is one of the best ways to explore a new culture, and nothing gives a real look into a country and its people like street food. In this article we took a look at 10 street foods that defined their home countries to give you a salivating virtual world tour.

Behind the Scenes at an Urban Winery

It’s nice to buy wine that’s made just a few blocks from your apartment. Enso Winery in Portland, Oregon is leading the way for urban viticulteurs, getting their grapes from local vineyards and making their wine in the same warehouse space as their welcoming tasting room.

How to Shop, Cook and Eat More Sustainably

There are smarter ways to get your fiber.

Is there any food in the world more celebrated than bread? It’s been a daily staple in the human diet for thousands of years, and it’s been drilled into our heads that a meal isn’t complete without it. The words “fiber” and “wheat bran” are practically interchangeable. You know you need fiber for good health, so bring on the bread, right? The fact is, the mass of gluten you’ve got clutched in hand is not the best source of fiber at all. In fact, it’s a bad source. Here are some reasons why, along with some healthier high-fiber alternatives.

In America, we wear our love of wheat in mid-western farm fields and on our supermarket shelves. But most of the wheat grown here is only of two or three varieties that have been crossbred and hybridized over decades to become high-yield plants. This lack of diversity – known as monoculture – means that wheat requires more chemical treatment in the form of fertilizers and pesticides.

White bread products are among the junkiest foods you can put in your body, full of empty calories and practically bereft of nutrition. Worse, the chemicals used to whiten flour so that bread will look fluffy and appealing can include carcinogens like benzoyl peroxide and chlorine dioxide. Even wheat bread usually contains bromide, a dough conditioner that disrupts the endocrine system and actually slows down metabolism. The UK banned bromide in bread in 1990, and Canada did the same in 1994, but it’s still present in nearly all flour and bread products sold in the United States.

For many people, bread is difficult to digest, and for those with gluten sensitivities, it’s literally poison, causing a severe immune response. Even if you aren’t gluten intolerant, bread can have negative impacts on your health. Bread is a high-glycemic food, meaning it causes your blood sugar to spike. According to Dr. William Davis, a preventive cardiologist in Milwaukee, two slices of wheat bread increase blood sugar more than a candy bar. This results in a sugar crash, leaving you feeling shaky, foggy and hungrier than ever two hours later.

Ultimately, the most important point is that bread doesn’t have nearly as much fiber as you think it does. Refined white bread might have a single gram per serving, while even the most robust whole-grain varieties usually don’t top 4 grams. Per calorie, bread is one of the most inefficient ways to get your fiber. Does that mean bread is totally bad for you and you shouldn’t eat it? Not necessarily, but you definitely shouldn’t rely on it for your fiber needs, especially because there are so many other foods that kick bread’s ass in the fiber arena.

The World’s Healthiest Foods’ website notes that for pure fiber-packing power, nothing beats beans. Navy beans are the best, with 76.4% out of 255 calories coming from fiber. Dried peas, lentils, pinto beans, black beans, lima beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans and soybeans have similar nutritional value. Barley rates as high as many of these beans, which isn’t surprising given that it’s a grain. But did you know that cinnamon, turnip greens, eggplant, collard greens and raspberries are among the healthiest high-fiber foods? Other surprising sources of fiber include figs, raisins, avocado, papaya, broccoli, green peas, pears and sweet potatoes. And of course, whole grains that haven’t been processed to death are still a smart choice.

As with anything, eat bread in moderation. A diet rich with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as minimally processed whole grains, is the key to making sure you’re getting the real fiber you need.

Photo: goblinbox

ColumnWhat to eat and when to eat it for better health and greater enjoyment.

Most people know enough about nutrition to realize they are better off eating Daikon than donuts, and many have heard of “superfoods,” but beyond that very basic knowledge, how much do we know about which foods are best for us, when they are in season, and how to prepare them?

Recently, while walking through the bulk and produce sections of my local Whole Foods, I noticed posters listing “nutrient dense foods” and their Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) Scores. I’d heard of nutrient density, which certainly makes sense intuitively, but I’d never heard of an ANDI score.

A quick Google search revealed that ANDI was developed by a Dr. Furman to help guide people toward more healthful eating. The scale scores foods from 1,000 points, with foods like collards earning the full 1,000 and cola and white bread coming in at one and 18 points, respectively. Good-for-you foods like sweet potatoes and walnuts score 83 and 34.

I was curious how the foods were scored because, knowing that sweet potatoes and walnuts are widely considered superfoods, why were their scores so much lower than collard greens?

Foods with the highest nutrient density have a high ratio of nutrients to calories. Because walnuts contain a lot of fat (albeit good fat), they are high in calories compared to collard greens. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat them. It just means you shouldn’t eat too many of them. The natural sugars present in vitamin-rich sweet potatoes give them a relatively low score compared to collards. The lesson, as in everything, is balance. If you ate nothing but collard greens, Brussels sprouts and other top scorers, you’d waste away.

The benefits of nutrient dense superfoods are many.

Besides improving your overall health, eating nutrient dense foods can help you lose and maintain weight and regulate blood sugar. Bulky, fibrous foods will help you feel satisfied, nutrients will energize you, and steady blood sugar levels will help with cravings and mood swings.

Adding more nutrient dense foods to your diet is simple: shop the perimeter of the grocery store and buy whole foods that don’t come in packages. It’s best to buy most of your foods in the bulk and produce sections, and for greater enjoyment, eat seasonally.

Unless you’re a habitual farmers’ market shopper, it’s likely you’re not going to know what’s in season since grocery stores carry produce from all over the world all the time. For a quick refresher course or to look up a specific item, my favorite go-to resource is the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture’s (CUESA) seasonal produce charts for fruits and vegetables.

To help you eat superfoods more often, each month, The Green Plate will choose one to highlight, giving shopping as well as preparation tips for it.

This month, hail the artichoke!

With an ANDI score of 244, it comes up high on the list. Plus it’s abundant and affordable in farmers’ markets right now. For this first article in the series, we’ll head to the archives for a recipe for Baby Artichokes with Potatoes and Fresh Herbs with Lemon.

Image: Natamagat via Flickr

This is the latest installment in Vanessa Barrington’s weekly column, The Green Plate on the environmental, social, and political issues related to what and how we eat.

As healthy food and eating locally have gained more traction, pickling is no longer an old-fashioned past-time of our grandmothers. Eco-friendly folks are aiming to re-gain control of the food supply, and many of us are looking at ways to preserve local, organic food while it’s in season. What better method than pickling?

Brooklyn is particularly known for embracing the locavore movement, which I read in a NY Times article over a year ago. Case in point, when I last visited, I checked out a flea market in Fort Greene, and was amazed at the number of people selling their home-pickled wares. I was notably impressed with the number of pickled beets on the scene. I’ve since learned that you can pickle just about anything!

Not surprising then, to discover a plethora of pickling activity in San Francisco. For example, I found the Happy Girl Kitchen Co. at the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market a couple weekends ago. The Happy Girl Kitchen Co., based in Oakland and certified organic, is known for its highly refined preserving techniques and sells pickled beets, carrots and dill pickles, as well as sauerkraut and kombucha. (And fruit preserves. And canned tomatoes. And, and.)

I’ve been meaning to try pickling myself after tasting a friend’s pickled beans that were inspiring. But where to start? Happy Girl Kitchen Co. offers a variety of workshops. Classes are a bit pricey, but then again, you’re paying for a lifetime of knowledge. I also heard from a friend that the Joy of Cooking has a great recipe, and I noticed that Alice Waters included a recipe in her most recent book, In the Green Kitchen: Techniques to Learn By Heart. With all the Persian pickles and tiny, fresh carrots at the farmers’ markets right now, I’d say it’s high time to start pickling!

Image: rachel is coconut lime

Most parents of finicky eaters have tried everything to get their picky tots to eat healthy foods. We’ve all heard by now of tried and true tricks like pureeing and sneaking fruits and vegetables into kid-friendly, recipes (i.e: disguising cauliflower in banana bread) à la Jessica Seinfeld’s book Deceptively Delicious. And as Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution is taking America by storm as I type this, the determined Brit is hoping to turn the tide on the childhood obesity epidemic by dismantling junk food culture one chicken nugget at a time. But a recent study is arming parents with new information on how to get their kids to eat healthily, and it’s all in the very simple presentation.

The new secret scattered across the cutting board? Make fruit ‘flashy’ and visually enticing to kids, and they’re more likely to eat up. This may seem like common sense, but in the hectic and harried pace of life today, how many of us really take the time to present food to our children in a fun manner? I’ll even admit, as the mother of an extraordinarily picky toddler, I could do much more in the way of giving her meals more pizazz. I think parents of finicky eaters (self included) get complacent on how and what they offer their kids at mealtime, rotating a few favorites day after bland day.

I am inspired by the simple message behind this study by Dutch researchers who “examined ways to boost fruit consumption in 94 children 4 to 7 years old.” Kids ate nearly twice as much of the fruit that was presented in a visually attractive way (sliced fruits skewered on flagged cocktail sticks and stuck into a watermelon) than the fruit doled out in a ho-hum manner, atop a white paper plate.

The researchers admit that parents would need to employ constant innovation to keep a child’s interest and palate piqued, because kids will eventually get bored with even a flashy presentation if it remains unchanged. But with statistics from the CDC which say that “only around 6 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 18 eat the recommended [daily] amount of fruit,” I think we should all be trying anything we can to up our childrens’ fruit (and veggie!) intake.

Have you converted a picky eater to a food-loving connoisseur? Please share your feeding tips in the comments below!

Image: Basheertome

Although many of us love good food, we don’t always take the time to honor it. As a society we’re pressed for time, and instead of sitting down to a fresh prepared meal in good company, we often opt for the quick and processed foods which we can eat on the go. And because we want fast and easy, we certainly don’t share the experience with our friends. We’ve seen the difficulty that even Jamie Oliver has had in getting people to simply cook one meal and eat together. Although we’re fully aware that these things have a negative effect on us, both physically and emotionally, we find excuses, like, “I don’t have the time.”

The Slow Food movement was started to change all of this – not only people’s attitudes towards food – but also towards how they were eating it. Eating in good company is just as crucial as what you’re putting in your body.

In the UK, The Big Lunch is attempting to change just that. The grassroots project is aimed at getting the whole of the UK sitting down and having lunch with their neighbor. But getting an entire country to commit to eating lunch together on one day can’t be easy, right? Last year, The Big Lunch had over one million participants. And it’s not just a couple people getting together for a quick meal; the initiative often inspires full on street parties, with some participants working with local agencies to close their streets off for the big day. All in the name of eating together.

Beyond building community, efforts like Big Lunch are forcing people to think about how their behaviors are affecting their eating habits, as well as their social lives. We all live more independent, and thanks to the internet – detached lives as well – but bringing back that sense of community and friends is key.

This year The Big Lunch will take place on July 18th, and even if you don’t live in the UK, you can still be inspired to take part. Plan your own neighborly get together, with an emphasis on good, homemade food that you enjoy together, without the interruptions of everyday life. Even if it’s just for 45 minutes, turn off the Crackberry and take the time to focus on friendship and food. We could all use a little boost in our well being.

Image: Eden Project

I’m ashamed to say it, but even though I’m quite the veggie lover, escarole is one leafy green I haven’t eaten. Escarole’s cousin, the bitter curly endive, has made me hesitant to experiment with other members of the chicory family.

It turns out the escarole is not nearly as bitter and much more versatile, so there’s no need to be shy of this frilly-leafed lettuce.

High in calcium, folate, vitamin A and vitamin C, escarole is a good addition to any salad, and, like any leafy green, is low in calories.

But salad is not escarole’s only culinary role; this versatile green can be cooked or steamed and is a popular addition to bean soups or an edible garnish for fish. When cooked, the slightly bitter flavor becomes buttery and sweet.

One of the most common escarole recipes is to use it in bean soup, but there are more exotic variations too, like escarole and pine nuts. You can also go raw with an escarole, fennel and orange salad. Sounds incredible! Of course, you can simply saute it with garlic and olive oil for a very healthy snack.

Greens from the chicory family, of which escarole shares a place with endive and chicory, have a long history dating back to the times of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. The Roman poet, Ovid, gives this plant a mention. Chicory greens were widely cultivated in England from at least the 1500s and escarole is a favorite green in Sicilian cuisine.

Having conquered my fear of escarole, I’m ready to make it a more common addition in my kitchen. Check back Friday, March 20th for an original escarole recipe by Vanessa Barrington, our chef writer.

Image: umassivevegetable

Though a striking plant with a large and stunning purple flower, the spiny leaves and stem of the artichoke plant are not inviting to the touch. I wonder how anyone could have guessed that the flower’s spiky-armored bud would contain anything edible? And not merely edible, but creamy and delightful, packed with fiber, vitamins and even calcium.

The artichoke may be hard to eat, but the phytonutrients make it worth the effort. A hefty combination of antioxidants work together to create a heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering food. Some of these plant nutrients even have anti-cancer and immune-boosting properties.

And now, how to get at all that nutritional goodness? Typically, artichokes are steamed and the softened petals are pulled off, dipped into a sauce (try them with balsamic vinegar!). The pulpy part is also eaten. This soft hearts make a great addition to green salads. If you’re an ambitious chef, try stuffed artichoke or artichoke with saffron and almonds. How about baby artichokes with potatoes, fresh herbs and lemon? Sounds delish.

The artichoke is a plant of Mediterranean origin and legend has it that the Greek god Zeus became smitten by a beautiful girl but when he was rejected, turned her turned into an artichoke plant. But the artichoke’s real claim to fame may be Norma Jean Baker’s 1947 crowning as the very first Queen of Artichokes in Castroville, CA, giving her a boost early in her career as the soon-to-be Marilyn Monroe.

So gods and starlets alike, get your steamers out and check back soon for an original artichoke recipe by EcoSalon’s very own chef writer, Vanessa Barrington. Ciao!

Image: Dominic