Eat Local Series – It’s Fresh!

There are many reasons to eat locally grown foods.  Over the next 2 months, I’ll be sharing 7 of those reasons.

Today, it’s all about freshness.

You’ve got 2 apples in front of you.  One was picked from an apple tree in another country, thrown -probably not so gently – into a box, and flown here to your trusty grocery store.  The other apple was picked from a tree growing right in your area.  That means that it had much fewer people handling it and much less distance to travel.

Imagine how much jet-lag that poor apple that was flown from another country has?  Because it’s lost some of its freshness, it has lost nutrients, and it’s not going to be able to work as hard for you as, say, our local apple can.  Our local apple, well, he’s not quite so tired.  He can do more!  He’s fresher, spunkier, and therefore has more nutrients.

Which one would you choose?  I’m not sure about you, but I’d much prefer the spunky, more nutrient-filled apple.  It’s going to work harder for me, and it’s going to taste better too.  It’s a no-brainer, really.

Think it might be too much trouble to get to this local apple?  I’m here to tell you that it is not!  In fact, it is easier.  To get that over-worked, tired apple, you have to drive to the grocery store, fight your fellow grocery shoppers in their let’s-get-this-shopping-trip-over-with stupors, wait in a long line, and make it home.  Sounds exhausting to me. To get the local apple, all you have to do is to order your weekly box from Wintergreen Organics, and it will be delivered to YOU.

So, next time you’re about to bite into a fruit or vegetable, consider where it came from.   Has it made a long journey from where it was born to your table?  Or has it only had to take a hop, skip, and jump to get to you?  If you want fresher, more nutrient-filled produce, it will be the latter.

Stay tuned for next week’s post for reason #2 to eat local!

Grill Those Veggies!

Need I say more?

Organic mushrooms, eggplant, garlic, onion, tomatoes, peppers, squash on a skewer. Put over a hot grill until tender and just a little crisp. Easy to make while you are grilling your organic chicken breast or burgers made with organic beef!

Want to add some zest? Try this marinade.

Balsamic vinegar-enough to just lightly cover the veggies

Sunflower oil-enough to just lightly cover the veggies

basil, smoked sea salt, cracked pepper berries, lemon pepper to taste

Marinate for one hour prior to grilling.

Pepsi, thou hath tricked me.

Or is it “thou hast”?  I used to know these things when I studied Shakespeare and esoteric authors.  Alas, it seems some details suddenly slip away.  I could blame age.  Or I could blame Pepsi.

You see, I am a diet soda addict.  And I am trying to quit.  There. I’ve said it, and I’ve said it in public.

Now, I know diet soda is one of the unhealthiest things you can put into your body for a variety of reasons, including its link to memory loss.  Perhaps even more insidious, it is actually made to be addictive.  What makes it addictive?  Well, caffeine for one thing.  Sweetness for another.  Carbonation for yet another.

The caffeine and sweetness parts are common knowledge, but did you know that once your tongue gets used to carbonation, when your mouth gets hot and thirsty, you start to crave those little bubbles?  It’s true.  Carbonation stimulates the senses in a way that other drinks do not.  And if you drink your soda extra cold, you get even more stimulation.

Here are the upsides to my addiction.

1. I drink.  A lot.  This is good, because the body needs fluids.
2. I drink cold liquid.  This is good because cold liquids jump start the metabolism.

So here’s my plan to kick the habit (and I’ve already started). Instead of drinking diet soda, I am going to drink cold water or water flavored with organic lemon.  Or, I will drink 100% pure cranberry juice mixed with water.  And I will drink lots of it.

Why these drinks?  First, they are cold.  Second, they have zing.  Third, the cranberry juice has just enough natural sugar to cure those cravings for sweetness, but not too much, since it’s mixed with water.

For anyone who has an addiction to something unhealthy, I am here to say, I know how hard it is to change because it’s not just about food or even habits. It’s about lifestyle.  I firmly believe that as I change my lifestyle, I will see improvements in all aspects of my health.  Eating organic food is one piece of the plan.  Kicking the soda habit is another.  You can bet other things are going to change, too.  I will let you know what those are and when I’m going to start.  My hope is that you will be inspired.

 

Grilled Veggies

Need I say more?

Organic mushrooms, eggplant, garlic, onion, tomatoes, peppers, squash on a skewer.  Put over a hot grill until tender and just a little crisp.  Easy to make while you are grilling your organic chicken breast or burgers made with organic beef!

Want to add some zest?  Try this marinade.

2 cups balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sunflower oil

basil, smoked sea salt, cracked pepper berries, lemon pepper to taste

Marinate for one hour prior to grilling.

Begin at the Beginning

Half the battle is just beginning.This is something I have realized as I work towards to reaching my health goals.  A lifetime dieter and someone who fights obesity, I am recognizing more and more that it’s not just how much I eat, but where the food comes from.  After literally living on preservative heavy products, I’m slowly making progress, and I have Wintergreen Organics to thank for that.

People think if you start to eat organic food, you must be some kind of “foodie” or health nut.  Not true.  You could be someone just looking to feel better, someone who wants to branch out and away from cans and boxes, someone who wants to find something different.  Eating organic food doesn’t mean you have to become someone you were not before or put on a persona.  But it does mean you will change.

For me, getting Wintergreen produce every week has meant I cook much more than I used to.  And it means I use natural, fresh ingredients.  I’ve never been one to spend too much time at the stove because I just don’t have that time or ambition.  But now, I make a little more time because experimenting is fun!  Getting my box of Wintergreen produce is like getting a gift every week, and I don’t want that gift to go to waste.

Take last night, for example. It was 8:30.  My husband came into the kitchen and asked what the heck I was doing.  “Making spaghetti sauce,” I said, as I whirred my fresh, organic tomatoes in the blender.

“At 8:30 at night?”

“Yes, I want it to sit overnight and be ready for tomorrow.”

He kind of smiled and left me to my endeavors.  Like I said, I’m not one to spend too much time at the stove, so this change in me amuses him…and feeds him!

Fresh pepper, onion, garlic and basil went into the mix.  A little sea salt and that was really it.  Simple, fun, easy to clean up, and now I’m ready to feed the family whole-grain pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce tonight.  And it only took me about fifteen minutes.

See, it’s about small changes and being motivated to make them.  Get a box of fresh food each week, and I guarantee you will start.

 

Scooby Dooby Doo!

My kids wanted to know what was for dinner.  So I told them.  “Lettuce sandwiches.”

They raised their eyebrows like they do when they aren’t sure if I’m kidding or not,  because let’s face it. You never really do know what you are going to get for meals around here.  See, I’ve been known to experiment a little too much, especially when I get all the goodies in my ​Wintergreen weekly box.  I like to mix things that don’t look like they should mix.  For instance, potatoes and spaghetti sauce.  Not usual, right?

Anyway, yes, lettuce sandwiches.  I don’t mean I made lettuce wraps (though that would not have been a bad idea).  I made sandwiches on whole wheat bread with a thin slice of organic chicken on it and a HUGE, thick chunk of red-bib lettuce.  The kids had to open their mouths W-I-D-E to even take a bite out of it, but I was pleased.  It was like they were getting a whole salad in their sandwich.  And that lead me to thinking.  Why not make something even more unusual?

So I got out my own bread, added a touch of chicken and began.  Lettuce.  Tomato.  Carrot.  Cucumber.  Green pepper.  Onion.  Ground beef.

And peach slices.

Yeah.

“Peaches, mom?  Really?”  The kids were horrified.

“You need to try it,” I said, taking a big bite of my awesome sandwich, which reminded me of something you’d see on “Scooby Doo.”  It was that tall and pretty much that odd.  “Come on.  Try it!”

My younger daughter took a bite.

“Weird, but not bad,” she said.

“Okay, I’ll try it,” said my other daughter.

Her reaction?  “Interesting.”

It was the peaches that did it.  See, those big, white, juicy peaches brought out the sweetness of the vegetables and the meat.  The peppers and onions made it tangy, and the meat gave it some substance.  A little odd, but good, right?

I wish I had taken a picture of the real deal, but I hadn’t planned on making such a great meal and blogging about it.  From now on, I am going to keep my camera in the kitchen, just in case.  You just never know when culinary genius will hit.

Yummy Squash Patties

My mother-in-law, one of the best cooks ever, used to make squash patties.  She would use summer squash or zucchini and serve the patties as a side dish or even for breakfast.  I have fond memories of her sizzling these beauties up and have taken up the practice myself.  They are very easy to make.

Here are the ingredients:

3 medium organic squash, skin on
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 organic onion, grated
2 organic eggs, beaten
salt & pepper to taste

organic coconut oil

 

Here’s how you do it:

Grate the squash. Mix with the other ingredients. If the mix is too runny, add more corn starch. Shape into patties, and fry in coconut oil. Serve hot.

And that’s it.  Let us know how you like them!

Something to do with peppers…

Seriously, check these out. My kids say they don’t like peppers, but even they like this recipe. Besides, you’ve got organic bell peppers and ground beef in your box. You’ve got tomatoes and onions. So go for it!

Ingredients

4 large, organic bell peppers (green or yellow, doesn’t matter

1 lb organic ground beef

2 tablespoons chopped organic onion

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 clove organic garlic, finely chopped

15 oz.organic pureed tomatoes

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz)

Directions

Cut a thin slice from the stem end of each bell pepper to remove the top of the pepper. Remove seeds and membranes and rinse. If necessary, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pepper so they stand up straight. Steam the peppers slightly.

Cook the beef and onion over medium heat, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is brown; drain. Stir in the quinoa, salt, garlic and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Cook until hot.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Stuff the peppers with the beef mixture. Stand the peppers upright in un-greased glass baking dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the peppers.

Cover the dish with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until the peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serve to your family, especially your skeptical kids. Let us know what they think!

Clucking Like a Chicken, Premeditating “Gappa”

Cluck like a chicken.  That’s what I do sometimes when I get excited.  I know.  Weird, right?  My kids are used to it, though, and tend to ignore me.  Sometimes I cluck and add, “Oh!  Feathers everywhere!”

It’s hard to say where this practice originated, but I have been doing it since the kids were little.  For better or worse, they have not picked up the habit.  They just raise an eyebrow and carry on with being jaded teenagers.

This is all to say I recently clucked like a chicken when I baked my organic chicken from Wintergreen Organics.  There weren’t feathers everywhere because, in accordance with my preference, Wintergreen’s chickens are already plucked.  (I have had the experience of buying an unplucked chicken, too, but it kind of gives me issues.  So I am grateful for Wintergreen’s farmers for doing the honors before I receive their offerings.)

First, keep in mind this was a whole chicken.  That in itself is a treat because whole chickens look so festive, kind of like a miniature version of Thanksgiving.  I put a little coconut oil on the bottom of the pan (there’s that coconut oil obsession again) and spread a little on top of the chicken to keep it moist.  Then, I chopped up some heirloom tomatoes into tiny pieces.  Same thing with the sweet and spicy peppers and red onion.  I threw it all into the baking pan and popped it into the oven.  I waited for this week’s experiment to cook up.

The result?  An Italian kind of thing, like caccitore.  Delish.

Now, my mother used to make something called “gappa.”  Gappa was essentially spaghetti sauce with everything in the world thrown into it–potatoes, peas, corn, leftover pieces of pork–and spread over spaghetti.  Mostly, it was made up of leftovers.  It occurred to me that I could do something similar, but create a healthy variation on a theme.  I think when I use my heirloom tomatoes next, I will make some gappa.  I can used pieces of the chicken, the mushrooms, eggplant, spinach etc. from my box, mix it all together and make some great Italian gappa.

Actually, I’m not sure gappa is even a real word, but I like the sound of it.  It reminds me of home.

Gappa with chicken.  Cluck, cluck!  Feathers everywhere!

–Katherine Gotthardt

Eat that flower!

You might think it’s weird, but millions of people around the world will agree with me when I say that cooked squash blossoms are delish.

Now this is a relatively new belief of mine.  As you might have noticed, I’ve been on a fabulous journey of trying new, healthy foods and cooking them in new, healthy ways.  Wintergreen Organics is the vehicle getting me from point A (unhealthy and boring) to point B (healthy and novel).  Who knew that squash blossoms would be part of the adventure?

When Zana at Wintergreen first asked if I liked these little flowers, I looked at her like she must have eaten the wrong kind of mushrooms or something.  Seriously.  Blossoms?  I mean, isn’t that the kind of thing horses or cows eat?  Or goats?  Yeah, goats.  They eat anything.  I was about to tell Zana I wasn’t a goat, but she slipped the cup or so of blossoms into my produce box before I could open my mouth to say anything, sarcastic or otherwise.  So there they were, pretty little orange-yellow flora that I was now obligated to cook because I can’t stand wasting food.

You would think I would have gone online and looked up recipes before I did anything else.  But as much as I post recipes, I often don’t have the patience to follow them, especially when I am too curious to take the time to search for one and print it off.  So I went right to experimenting.

Into the frying pan went my new favorite coconut oil.  Off came the rough stems of the flowers.  Into the colander and under running water went the blossoms and then, they, too, went into the frying pan.  Then came the organic onion, something I did know all about.  Peel, peel, chop, chop and there were the onion rings sizzling right next to the blossoms.  A smattering of salt and poof.  All I had to do was stir and wait.

The onions actually took longer to cook than the blossoms, which made me think I should have cooked those first if I wanted really soft onions and crisper blossoms.  But it was fine, and after ten minutes, I was trying out the results of my experiment.

Amazing.  The blossoms really tasted like squash!  For some reason, I had been expecting something bitter or sour, but no, these things were mild, and even sweet because of the onion.  I ate the lot and thought, wow.  I will have to ask for more of these next time.

I’ve since done some reading about squash blossoms and other ways people cook them.  They are popular deep fried with batter, baked with cheese and even thrown in soup.  Some people put them on top of pasta and pizza, others put them in quesadillas and some just eat them raw.  It seems that around the world, people are not opposed to eating flowers, which is really quite nice when you think about it.  I mean, why waste the prettiest part of a plant, right?

Right.

Just agree with me and try it.  Let me know what you think.

–Katherine Gotthardt