ColumnIt’s only April, but 2011 promises to be a big year for food issues in the news.

We’re not talking about big food (so long, Supersize). But food is big this year. From longtime recipe columnist Mark Bittman of the New York Times switching to a food issues beat, to the USDA’s approval of genetically modified alfalfa, to the possibility that foodies might save the green movement, edible stories early this year indicate big changes on the horizon in the world of food.

Foodies Might Save the Green Movement

As movements go, the food movement has relatively quickly become a mighty force that is both decentralized and diverse. According to Bryan Walsh, in a much discussed article in Time, this force might just save the environmental movement because the good food movement, which is about both pleasure and health, speaks to a broad swatch of Americans. How does activism around better, healthier food have anything to do with the environmental movement? Because the way we grow food is environmentally disastrous and resource intensive. Reforming and revolutionizing our agricultural practice in the service of better food can go a long way toward breathing new life into the environmental movement.

Mark Bittman Ends Minimalist column and Takes up Food Issues

After 13 years of writing a column aimed at making cooking more accessible to more people, New York Times columnist and cookbook author Mark Bittman throws in the ladle and starts a new column that focuses on food policy, environmentally sustainable eating, and diet and health issues.

This shift did not come as a surprise to those of us who have followed his personal journey from a rather standard meat-heavy diet to a way of eating that considers both the environmental and health costs of a meat-centric diet. But it’s huge news signaling that The Times is taking food issues very seriously. And that means readers are, too.

USDA Approves Unregulated GM Alfalfa

Earlier this year, the USDA approved the unregulated planting of GM alfalfa. Since alfalfa is an important feed source in the organic dairy industry and there is a high likelihood of contamination of non-GM crops,  this move could kill the organic label, putting many organic farmers out of business. Expect to see more action in the courts around this issue and increased calls for testing and verification of non-GMO foods.

Tomato Pickers in the Spotlight

Early this year, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), finally won an extra penny per pound for tomato pickers in Florida, a fight that has gone on between the CIW and growers and retailers for years. Journalist Barry Estabrook was nominated for a James Beard award for his work highlighting the plight of these tomato pickers in a famous story in Gourmet Magazine, and now he is about to release a book on the subject called Tomatoland. The plight of farm workers in America could be the next issue for ethical consumers and forward-thinking businesses. On Cesar Chavez Day, food service provider, Bon Appétit Management Company and the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), released an inventory documenting the laws and protections relating to farm work in America.

FDA to Reconsider Warnings on Artificial Food Dyes

Following years of studies indicating food dyes might cause or exacerbate behavior problems in children, the FDA is finally considering warning labels, something the food industry does not want to see. But many consumers and consumer groups like Center for Science in the Public Interest do want to see. Will the FDA follow the European Union’s lead and place warning labels on foods containing artificial colors? We will wait and see.

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.

Image: Skånska Matupplevelser

The post The Green Plate: Food Is Big in 2011 appeared first on EcoSalon.

Okay, so you know how to shop the farmers’ market and you know that when you shop the farmers’ market, it’s easy to buy what’s local and in season because that’s what the farmers are selling.

But most people still do the majority of their shopping in grocery stores. When faced with six kinds of apples from New Zealand displayed right next to tomatoes from Mexico, pineapples from Costa Rica, and lettuce from California, what’s a local, organic eater to do?

Make Seasonal, Local, and Organic Your Mantra:

Seasonal: If you know what’s in season when in your area, it makes it easier to buy seasonally, even in the grocery store. See below for a handy seasonal produce guide.

Local: Take a look at the grocery store signage to find out where the produce was grown. It’s one thing to buy bananas from Costa Rica, if you must have your bananas, but it makes no sense to buy September’s apples from New Zealand when they are harvested in almost every region in the U.S during the fall.

Organic: Look for the USDA Certified Organic label. Buying organic minimizes your exposure to toxic chemicals and supporting organic growers is better for the planet. If you’re worried about the extra expense, remember that if you buy locally grown organic produce at peak production, prices will be lower.

Once you start eating seasonally, you’ll discover a new joy in food. When you’ve waited all year for that first juicy, local, ripe tomato, instead of eating cardboard flavored ones year round, you’ll enjoy it so much more.

Seasonal Produce Guide:

Many items overlap into two seasons and items grown underground, like fennel, carrots, radishes, and beets can be grown year-round in some parts of the country. Temperate climates also support nearly year-round availability of some greens and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and mustard greens. This list will be helpful for most parts of the country.

Spring – Asparagus, snap peas, English peas, snow peas, green garlic, artichokes, greens, lettuces, fava beans, radishes, potatoes, carrots, leeks, spring onions, kiwis, citrus, strawberries, rhubarb

Summer – Corn, green beans, summer squash, tomatillos, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, basil, berries (all types) Stonefruit: peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, figs, grapes

Fall – Greens, beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, winter squash, fresh shelling beans, sweet potatoes, root vegetables, tomatoes, tomatillos, pears, apples, Asian pears, figs, grapes, melons, persimmons, pomegranates,

Winter – leafy greens, winter squash, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, root vegetables including beets, turnips, rutabega, fennel, carrots, potatoes, celery, citrus, dried fruit, pears and apples (stored from fall)

Enjoy these links to seasonal recipes for some of each season’s most characteristic produce items.

Spring:

10 Recipes for Artichokes from Cooking Light

Pea Recipes from Eating Well

Summer:

Corn Recipes and Tips from Epicurious

Stonefruit Recipes from Saveur

Fall:

Tomato Recipes and Tips from Epicurious

Apple Recipes from Smitten Kitchen

Winter:

Broccoli Recipes from Mariquita Farm

Winter Squash Recipes from 101 Cookbooks

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.

The post Eating Local and Organic By the Seasons appeared first on EcoSalon.

The Green Plate is always combing the web to see what’s happening in the world of organic, sustainable, fair, and tasty food. From recipes, to food and agricultural policy, there are dozens of great sites that I depend on for my daily diet of information.

So here’s the Green Plate’s list of the best organic, smart, green, newsy, tasty, seasonal, sustainable food places on the web to share with you readers:

Group Blogs – Cooking:

Food 52 launched with a splash last fall by New York Times food writer and cookbook author, Amanda Hesser, and friend and fellow food writer Merrill Stubbs. It’s unlike any other site out there, in that instead of telling readers what to cook, it showcases the fine work of talented home cooks. It’s interactive, fun, well-designed, and full of tasty recipes. Readers can rate recipes and cookbooks, and from the recipes readers submit, founders are creating an online community cookbook and recipe database.

Started by New York food writer, Ed Levine, Serious Eats combines community, recipes, and food news into one of the most respected voices about food on the web. Though not explicitly green, the recipes and news on Serious Eats are about what’s current, and what people want to talk about, so there’s plenty that’s seasonal, veg centric, healthy, and well-sourced, right alongside articles on where to get the best burger in New York.

Culinate also has a strong community component along with recipes, news articles, cooking tips, interviews, recipes, podcasts, food news, and blog posts. It’s all about real food and is focused on an audience who cares where their food came from and how it was produced. The reporting and writing is always high quality.

The Kitchn, part of Apartmenttherapy.com, has writers across the country contributing recipes, product reviews, store spotlights, and news. There are also giveaways, cool kitchen tours and more, all served up with a strong editorial voice. The focus is on what people who care about good, real food are cooking and eating, so though not explicitly “green” there’s plenty there to chew on. And always great recipes and tips.

Group Blogs – News, policy, stories:

The New York Times Diners Journal blog features the work of many of the Time’s best thinkers on food issues, including Mark Bittman. You’ll find New York-centric news but also plenty about what’s going on all over the country trend-wise, plus Bittman’s tasty, simple, seasonal, veg-centric recipes.

Cooking Up a Story is an online television series (and blog) about people, food, and sustainable living. The videos spotlight farmers, artisan food producers, and other individuals who are bringing sustainable food to our tables. Many are unsung heroes and all are fascinating and inspiring.

Civil Eats is a blog with contributors around the country (full disclosure: I am one of them). You’ll find interviews with food activists and farmers, book reviews, recipes, gardening and farming tips, policy discussions, and all kinds of news. Many contributors are activists and movers and shakers in the world of sustainable fair food, so this is info from the front lines.

Sustainable Table is also home to The Meatrix and the Eat Well guide and it focuses on educating consumers on food related issues and building community through food. You’ll find shopping guides, recipes, and more on this invaluable site.

The Food Section of activist hub Change.org dishes up thought-provoking news on the issues that affect our food system. You’ll find articles skewering corporate misdeeds and great reporting on policy developments – plenty to chew on.

EcoCentric is the new home that combines Sustainable Table, Eat Well Guide, Daily Table, The Green Fork, H20 Conserve, and Network for New Energy Choices to cover the intersections between sustainable food, water, and energy. It’s a smart choice since food, water, and energy are all essential for our survival. The reporting is wide-ranging and interesting.

It’s no surprise that the Big Daddy of green blogs, Grist.org would be one of the most definitive food voices on the web. It’s been my first stop for years. The reporting goes beyond parroting and digs into the issues. With top-notch writers like Tom Philpott, Tom Laskawy, Bonnie Powell, and Paula Crossfield (also managing editor of Civil Eats), this should be the first place you go for policy news, stories from around the country, and the exposure of hypocrisy in high places of all sorts.

Speaking of Bonnie Powell, the blog she founded, The Ethicurean, is a must read for curated news from around the web, as it offers well-researched, original feature articles, and stories about cooking and farming.

Combining cooking and policy news, the The Atlantic’s Food Channel is all about smart food journalism.

With the gossipy, tabloid tone of the rest of the Daily Beast, Hungry Beast is a fun, but not-always-feather-light destination for news about food, recipes, and features.

Individual Blogs – Cooking:

Uber-blogger Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes migrated from the tech world to become one of the first full-time food bloggers. Her site is one of the web’s best treasure troves of home cooking.

Another early entry into the world of food blogs, 101 Cookbooks, is at the top of every blogger’s blog roll. Created by technological and media 2.0 whiz, Heidi Swanson, who is also a cookbook author and professional photographer, 101 Cookbooks is one of the most beautiful and useful food blogs on the planet. All of Heidi’s recipes are vegetarian and healthy, but she doesn’t really talk about it. It just is. I like that.

Engaging writing, gorgeous photography, and creative, delicious, doable recipes are the hallmarks of Smitten Kitchen. This is where I come for inspiration and just to bask in Deb Perelman’s beautiful food.

Individual Blogs – Policy and News:

Sam Fromartz, author of Organics Inc., one of the first books about “big organics” and how things REALLY work in the world of food policy and business, has a blog called Chewswise. It’s refreshingly idiosyncratic. You’re just as likely to get a recipe for Sam’s famous baguettes as a serious discussion about the farm bill, but there’s always something to provoke thought.

James Beard award winner and former contributing editor of Gourmet Magazine, Barry Estabrook reports on food politics in Politics of the Plate. Alternating between news bites of food stories from the web and the kind of hard-hitting features he became known for at Gourmet, Barry’s site is a great place to catch-up.

Josh Friedland’s The Food Section is a rich stew of food news culled from around the web, commentary, features, and new product news.

Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment and tell us about your favorite food stops on the web!

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.

Image: wickenden

The post Top 20 Organic, Sustainable, and Just Plain Tasty Food and Recipe Blogs appeared first on EcoSalon.

Some say goodie bags are passé and I don’t blame them, especially those filled with lots of pamphlets and papers that you don’t even look at.

When we decided to offer the first 50 attendees to EcoSalon Shops! a goodie bag, we wanted it to be chock full of amazing products, and that’s just what we did.

Here’s our line-up, so get there on time. See you tonight!

Perfume samples from…A Perfume Organic

Like perfumes but hate all the synthetic notes that make your head ache?

A Perfume Organic is your solution, offering an edited line of organic perfumes that provide a healthier and much more interesting alternative to the traditional.

As a vegan, organic, local, and raw food advocate, A Perfume Organic’s founder, Amanda Walker, sought to create her line based on her own addiction to scents.

Hand poured locally in Manhattan, Walker imbues each perfume with a minimum of 14 blended notes which change on the wearer.

Delicious.

Zipper necklaces from”¦Tara St James

Tara St. James is one part my hero for realizing she could make fabulous jewelry out of leftover zippers from her collection and another part genius for minimizing waste in her collection.

I recently wrote about St. James, one of our EcoSalon Shops! vendors so go here to read more about her. In the meantime, start drooling over her zipper necklaces for you lucky first 50.

Divine Dark and Milk Chocolate bars from”¦ Divine Chocolate

Divine Chocolate is making strides as the only Fair Trade chocolate company which is 45 percent owned by the farmers. Pretty impressive. Their website says: “The overall strategic aim of Divine Chocolate is to improve the livelihood of smallholder cocoa producers in West Africa by establishing their own dynamic branded proposition in the UK chocolate market, thus putting them higher up the value chain.”

Want to know what the symbols mean on the packaging? Go to the site and check out Adinkra to find out.

Tins of tea from”¦Nourish Tea

Chris Draper, CEO of Nourish Tea, says of his reasoning behind starting the company: “On a personal quest to become healthier, I made the decision to start drinking tea daily. I quickly found that many teas were bitter and lifeless. Then one day, I had a cup of Darjeeling tea, served without milk or sugar “¦and my concept of what tea could be was changed forever.”

Herbal, red (black), green, white, blue and Matcha teas come in a delectable mélange of distinct flavors and have some of the best names ever created in the history of tea (Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls, Iron Goddess Of Mercy and my favorite, Cresting Cranes Of Legend).

Says Draper: “5% of Nourish’s proceeds go to providing nutrition and hydration to those in need (with an emphasis on the young) – wherever they may be. For this reason, AAH is a core partner for the Nourish tea team.”

Go to Nourish Tea’s site for a fantastic tea education and more information about the brand’s mission.

A mini bottle of nail polish from”¦Priti

Priti founder, Kim D’amato, conceived of the idea for her line during her pregnancy. Seeking to deliver a happy, healthy baby, she was successful in finding organic foods but had a hard time when it came to greening her beauty products.

In 2005, D’amato launched Priti NYC with one simple mission: “to support organic farmers and to decrease the amount of chemicals poisoning the earth- and it’s inhabitants-one manicure at a time.”

Priti NYC polishes are all completely non-toxic and made without toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DHB) and formaldehyde – all known carcinogenic ingredients. The luxury polishes are fast drying, chip resistant, contain a UV inhibitor, and are extremely durable and glossy. They are also completely safe for use on children and moms-to-be. Available in over 100 different shades including metallics, mattes, bright neons, rich darks, classic nudes, and everything in between.

Bars of soap from…Organic Pure Life

Calling themselves your “one stop shop for a purely organic life,” the company offers baby, body, house and home and pet products to keep everyone healthy.

Non-toxic sunscreens, organic cotton baby onesies, soy candles, dog shampoos and toys are just some of the products you’ll be able to view and buy at the site.

A Leaf Crystal Ornament from”¦VivaTerra

VivaTerra’s leaf ornament sparkles with genuine Swarovski crystals and naturally adds a warm glow of golden light to your home’s decor. Hand-dipped in liquid metal, every vein of the leaf stands out in nature’s own patterns as it dangles from a silk ribbon in a window, or if you want to put it away for the holidays, from your tree’s branches.

Vegan Lip Glosses from”¦Minepress

Etsy rocks, right? Thanks to a tip from Foundfuture’s Shannon Lorraine, we were able to get customized vegan lip glosses from Minepress.
Made with a natural soy base with vitamin E, aloe, safflower oil, chamomile & jojoba. Your bag could contain flavors including cherry, vanilla, original or mint and your lip gloss will say what else, EcoSalon!

An animal purse from”¦Dialog

Dialog’s signature style is based on a recycling technique from Malaysia that incorporates small origami folded squares of mixed scrap fabrics. (Trust us, the picture does not do these little cuties justice.)

Says Dialog: “To make the trim they work with charities within local communities such as drug rehab centers, women empowerment initiatives, vocational training and community development projects instigating workshops that develop skills, create income and lead to sustainable employment.”

They also raise funds for various projects around Asia by creating limited edition t-shirts called Hopetees. All proceeds go to charity.

Reusable bags from”¦RuMe

Colorado-based RuMe was launched on Earth Day 2008 “to meet the growing need of environmentally conscious consumers who don’t want to sacrifice style and functionality.”

Surrounded by the majestic Rocky Mountains and influenced by the environmentally-sensitive Colorado climate, the company has emerged as a stylish stand in for wasteful plastic bags accrued while shopping.

And thanks to their flat bottoms, packing groceries or new blouses into a bag has never been more statement enhancing. Choose from a multitude of colors and graphics.

A scarf from”¦ A Lot To Say

Founded by two sisters, A Lot To Say came up with a concept for a green t-shirt line that utilizes the power of the written word to educate people and help them embrace a new awareness of sustainability.

Everything in the line is made from recycled plastic bottles and sustainable dyeing is provided by AirDye® technology from Colorep®, a forward thinking company that pioneered this technology that uses no water in the application of color to fabric.

Every purchase you make from A Lot To Say (t-shirts, umbrellas, panties and scarves) gives to deserving charities including various cancer, green and animal foundations.

The post EcoSalon Shops! Presents: The Goodie Bags appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s soup weather again. High protein, tasty lentils make an eco-friendly and satisfying meatless meal. Plenty of vegetables make this soup balanced. And lentils don’t take long to cook, so this can even work as a weeknight dinner. The lemon and spinach give this soup a bit of a Mediterranean flair. If you like, it’s nice garnished with a sprinkle of feta or other Greek cheese.

This recipe makes a pretty large batch of soup so you can take the leftovers to work the following day. If you like the lentils to remain intact without breaking down, use French green lentils. If you don’t mind a less defined lentil, brown lentils are more common and more economical. Both make a great soup.

Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon

Serves 6

8 cups water, chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups green or brown lentils, picked through and rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 pinch dried oregano
1 bunch spinach, washed and stemmed
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the water or broth and lentils in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until mostly tender, but still whole, about 20 minutes. Salt to taste.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until warm. Add the onion, celery, carrot and pepper, along with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one to two minutes. Add the herbs and some freshly ground pepper and stir. Remove from heat, and add to the soup pot with the lentils and broth. Bring to a simmer and add the spinach. Simmer for 15 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Use organic ingredients and organic and local vegetables whenever possible.

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

Image: Maggie Hoffman

The post Ecosalon Recipes: Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon appeared first on EcoSalon.

People buy organic foods for many reasons: their health, better taste, a desire to keep pesticides and herbicides out of our air, water and soil and a conviction that buying organic is one way to eat GMO-free.

One of the big problems with GMOs is that non-GMO crops can be contaminated through pollen drift. The fact that the organic field of soybeans used to make your organic soymilk could contain genetically modified material from a neighboring farm hasn’t been a possibility that most organic food producers have wanted to talk about or a question they have wanted to ask.

Independent organic and natural food producers, independent natural food stores and the largest natural/organic foods grocery store and natural/organic food distributor in the country have joined forces in the Non-GMO Project. Eden Foods, Nature’s Path, UNFI (a distributor of natural and organic foods), Straus Family Creamery, Whole Foods Market and many others have signed on. (Check out the complete list of enrolled products.)

The idea is simple, though the outcome will likely be complicated. Enrollees in the project agree to test any ingredients in their products that are grown in GMO form in America. Products that are verified as (nearly) GMO free by the process will be labeled with a GMO Verified seal. But because contamination is already so likely, the project wants to make sure consumers understand that this doesn’t mean the product is 100% GMO-free.

From the Non-GMO Project website:

“It is not a guarantee that the product is 100% GMO free. The reason for this is that our program is process-based, using a set of best practices to avoid contamination. We do require testing of all ingredients (everything being grown in GMO form in North America), but we don’t require testing of every single finished product. Instead, testing can be done at any one of a number of places in the production chain, for example right after harvest.Following the test, which must indicate that the ingredient is below 0.9% GMO (in alignment with laws in the European Union), we require rigorous traceability and segregation practices to be followed in order to ensure that the tested ingredients are what get used in the product. So in short,  what our seal means is that a product has been produced according to rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance, including testing of risk ingredients.”

The non-GMO project is radical.

With all of the recent bad press about organics, the organic establishment does not want to be looking for any GMO skeletons in any closets. Whatever they find could be very bad for business and very bad for the organic label. But that’s short-term thinking. The forward thinking companies that have signed onto the non-GMO project recognize that the credibility of the organic label is in question without further reassurance.

Getting the problem out in the open and being transparent about the process is not only the right thing to do, it’s a smart business decision, as well. Ignoring the problem in hopes that it won’t blow up is a poor way to do business.

Transparency was a huge part of organics in the beginning and some companies still uphold the value of transparency. As the Chicago Tribune points out, large conventional companies usually don’t want you to know that they own your favorite organic brands. That being the case, they certainly wouldn’t want you to know their products might be contaminated with GMOs.

It’s instructive to take a look at the list of food companies that have signed on to the non-GMO project. The few remaining independent organic and natural food companies that have refused to sell to large conventional conglomerates are there: Eden Foods, Nature’s Path, Turtle Island Foods and Straus Family Creamery are some of the participants with the most widely distributed products.

These companies are also some of the most principled in the business. Eden foods was the first company to stop using BPA-lined cans. Turtle Island won’t use any ingredient that is processed using hexane. None of these companies are owned by anyone other than their founders. Though I don’t buy a lot of packaged foods, when I do, these are the types of brands I’ll choose. When faced with a choice between Silk (owned by Dean Foods) and Eden, there is no contest. This handy visual chart will tell you who owns your favorite organic brands.

A number of retailers have endorsed the project – mostly small independents and co-ops. Whole Foods Market has signed on, which is hugely important in my opinion, and something they deserve praise for (they need it right now).

In related news, a U.S. District judge rejected the USDA’s decision to allow genetically modified sugar beets to enter the market. The decision was based largely on the risk of contamination to non-GMO crops due to cross-pollination. According to SFGate.com, the judge “cited studies that said winds can carry sugar beet pollen at least 2 1/2 miles, much farther than the voluntary buffer zones between beet crops recommended by Oregon agriculture officials.”

Want to buy non-GMO certified products? According to the New York Times, labels could start appearing on products this fall.

Image: jonboymitchell

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.

The post Non-GMO Project Brings Transparency to Organic Foods appeared first on EcoSalon.