Share Organics Fresh News

What’s Fresh News – March 29th, 2011

Local and Organic – the new Gold Standard

Excerpts of an essay from the Organic Consumers Association:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_22627.cfm

“[T]he organic system of food production has legal definitions, a handbook of rules, permitted and prohibited substances, acceptable practices, an inspection process, and labels to guide the consumers. Local has none of these guidelines, rules, inspections or protections. It has the cachet of popularity without any guarantee of safety or sustainability.

“Some chemical farmers, and even poultry, egg, pork, dairy, or beef operators feeding their animals genetically modified (GMO) grains, claim that local is better than organic, because it stimulates the local economy and reduces the distance (food miles) that food travels between the farm or feedlot and your table. But does so-called local farming, utilizing toxic pesticides, GMO seeds and feed, chemical fertilizers, and animal drugs mean that the food is safe and sustainable? Obviously not. We believe that there shouldn’t have to be a choice between local and safe organic; but rather that consumers should look for food that is not only local or regionally produced, but food that is also organic and therefore safe and sustainable. Local and chemical, or local using GMO seeds and feed, is nothing more than greenwashing. Organic and local is the new gold standard!”

Fresh Sorrel

What to Make from This Week’s Box

• Banana Bean Dip (recipe posted later this week!)
• Apple Galette
• Guacamole with chopped Tomato (cumin and curry spices too?)
• Mushroom Kale Stir-fry
• Sorrel and Green Lettuce salad with Blueberry Vinegarette
• Dave’s Sorrel and Halibut Recipe

Broccoli-Broccoli Quinoa

I know that there is no broccoli in this week’s box but I am intrigued with the idea of doing this with kale and perhaps a bit of sorrel? It’s basically making a pesto out of broccoli and then tossing it with more broccoli. Here’s the recipe in it’s unadulterated version:

Make 3 cups cooked quinoa and set aside.

Boil for one minute in 3/4 cup water:

5 cups broccoli stems and florets, chopped

Run barely-cooked broccoli under cold water. Set aside.

Make broccoli pesto by pureeing:

• 2 cups cooked broccoli
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup almonds
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cream or milk alternative

Combine:

• 1/2 the pesto
• quinoa
• rest of the cooked broccoli

Top with:

• Sliced almonds
• Cubed avocado
• Some sprouts or anything else you fancy!

I would suggest only cooking the kale and using raw sorrel in the pesto portion of the recipe – it has its own citrus-y succulent bitter flavour. Perhaps less lemon needed? If anyone experiments with this let us know how it goes!

Dave’s Sorrel and Halibut Recipe

Thanks to Dave of Madrona Farm for his beginning-of-Spring crops and this recipe! After delivering this week’s harvest of parsnips, sorrel, and braising greens he passed along this recipe. Normally I might be frightened seeing Dave trembling slightly, smacking his lips and rolling his eyes… but I realized he was only in ecstacy remembering how this dish tastes!

1. Poach a halibut filet over a bed of sorrel and chopped leeks, onions, or garlic, splashed in white wine.
2. Once cooked, remove the fish and reduce the sorrel/leek remains on a stovetop. Once the booziness of the wine is gone add cream. Puree the whole she-bang and drizzle over the filet.
3. Dave also suggests serving this with something that will soak up the sauce pooling on the plate. He suggests giant croutons or baguette. Otherwise you’ll be tempted to lick your plate… which is fine by us!

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