So Meg calls me one day and says, “Jen I got this amazing crate of fresh fruit to try from The FruitGuys.”  “There’s so much here – more than my family can eat.  I’m going to drop off a  box for you.”

Well, I’ve never seen such a beautiful array of fresh fruit – kiwis, avocados, mangoes, blood oranges, tangerines,bananas, pears and apples.  Each piece was picture perfect, blemish free and aromatic!

Who are The FruitGuys?  The FruitGuys, a green and sustainability-focused company, delivers farm-fresh, organic and conventional fruit to offices and homes across the country. The FruitGuys works very closely with local farmers to help them succeed and employ green practices. During peak season 70-90% of the fruit mixes offered are locally grown within the regions they serve (East Coast, Midwest, West Coast) and go from the farm to home or office within 3-4 days.

Videos of select farmers The FruitGuys works with can be seen here.  Also, all fruit is packed in earth friendly crates, constructed with recycled cardboard and printed with soy based inks.

Here in the Northeast it’s a temperate climate.  It is recommended for optimal health to eat mainly cooked fruit in the colder months.  So, I decided to make a pear and apple crisp. It was a winter weekend and we all were craving something warm and sweet.  Topped it with some vanilla soy ice cream and boy was it yummy!  Here is the recipe:

Pear & Apple Crisp

6 – 8 cups pears and apples sliced (I leave the peel on – could be 6 or 7 pieces of fruit)
2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of each allspice, nutmeg and ground cloves
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
5 TBSP melted butter
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Combine sliced fruit in 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle with sugar. Mix together remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Sprinkle over top of fruit and pat into place. Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until top is crisp and light brown and fruit is bubbling. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

The Green Divas will speak to Jake Wall of ExperienceProject.com, a ‘passion-based’ network that calls itself the largest living collection of shared experiences in the world. The ExperienceProject.com teamed up recently with Haagen Daz (yes, those crazy delicious ice cream makers) to help the honey bees. They helped raise awareness about the plight of honey bees, who have been dying off in record numbers. The effect on our agriculture system is devastating.  (read more about this on Green Diva Meg’s post, The Buzz with Honey Bees)

Tune in tonight to catch up with the Green Divas, learn about how to help the honey bees and the social experiment network experienceproject.com.

Thursday, October 22, 2009
7 – 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org

The county park staff in my area are growing more and more talented!  On a recent visit to the Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Center in Boonton Township with my two-year-old, Benjamin, to participate in Nature’s Little Explorers yielded much more than we expected a couple of weeks ago.

The class theme was ‘Digging in the Dirt’.  We learned about and put our hands in buckets of soil, sand and rocks and then took a short hike with little shovels in hand to look for the same in the woods.

After our hike,  Miss Janis, our instructor for the 6-week course, said she had a special treat for all – some ‘edible’ dirt!  She made this yummy vegan chocolate pudding and had some for everyone to sample.  My Benjamin was not impressed, but Mommy was thrilled!  It was delicious.  She said that she makes vegan treats because kids today have so many food allergies.  So it was not made with eggs, dairy or sugar.  AND she shared the recipe which I promptly attempted at home about a week later to the delight of my husband and older son, James!

Here it is.  It’s quick and easy and very delicious! Oh, likely low-fat and low-sugar content as well:

1 cup soft tofu

1/4 cup oil  (I used Canola)

1/2 cup sweetener (I chose Agave syrup for it’s low glycemic index)

4 Tbsp cocoa powder  (I used Green & Black’s organic)

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend everything together in the food processor until smooth and enjoy!

It’s still raining zucchini!

Well, maybe not literally, but it can feel that way at this time in the year, when home gardens, farmer’s markets and fresh produce aisles abound with these versatile and prolific veggies.

There is something kind of funny about these little green monsters. It could just be the word ‘zucchini’, which by the way has its roots in the very food-associated Italian language. ‘Zucca’ is the Italian word for squash. Not to get bogged down in an etymology thing . . . the point is that zucchini has been party to many silly jokes, such as:

What is a zucchini’s favorite sport?

Squash . . . of course!

All silliness aside, the zucchini has some serious qualities as well. While we mostly use it in a savory capacity in cooking, it is actually considered an ‘immature fruit’. No. I’m not trying to be funny, although it does have a comedic if not sort of sarcastic sound to it. Even worse is the description of it being the ’swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower’!

Okay, now we’re going to get serious, really . . . the zucchini has a lot of nutritional punch per bite. One cup of raw zucchini is only 3 calories! Those three calories are high in folate, manganese, potassium and vitamin A. According to NutritionData.com, it also has a zero glycemic load.

The zucchini is an old standby in the Americas and archaeologists have traced its origins back to Mexico between 7000 – 5500 BC! An integral part of the pre-Colombian diet, it is still a staple in Mexican cuisine known as one of the ‘three sisters’ – corn, beans and squash.

Odd as this may sound, our current cultural introduction to zucchini did NOT come from our continental neighbors, but from europe! When early european explorers were bringing back booty (after some nasty looting often), they came back with what would make its way back to Italy and be named zucchini, where it quickly gained in popularity. It made its way to France and England too, where it is called courgette.  Along with some other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo and is also referred to as summer squash.

Click here for one of Green Diva Meg’s favorite Zucchini recipes!

eat. blog. be merry!
GD Meg

It was a happy day that the package arrived at our front door with our Soup to Nuts lunch kit from Citizen PIP.

My little guy, Benjamin was at the door to receive the package, swiftly opened the box to reveal the contents and immediately adopted them for his own.  He is most fascinated with opening the zipper on the lunch box.

Mom is thrilled to know that this whimsically colored set is eco-friendly — the lunch bag made from recycled materials and the containers all lead-free, BPA-free, PVC-free and phthalate-free — rather than made or lined with teflon, plastic or aluminum.  I  have a clear conscience when packing lunch or snacks for both of my boys.

This awesome lunch kit includes:

• • 1 insulated lunch bag with nametag and carabiner that   easily attaches to a backpack
• • 1 stainless steel water bottle
• • 1 stainless steel insulated food jar
• • 4 BPA-free airtight food containers
• • 1 stainless steel fork + spoon set
• • 5 100% cotton napkins

Here’s what all the pieces look like:

citizenpip makes it easy to go green with products that are designed to be fun and stylish for kids, and practical and convenient for parents. munchgear reusable lunch kits by citizenpip come with everything you need to pack a waste-free lunch.

Margaret Noon of Slow Food New Jersey will be in the studio tonight to talk about this weekend’s farm-to-table event, called Sustenance on the Farm, @ Starbright Farm in Andover, New Jersey. These delicious, informative and wonderfully social events are inspired to help engage people in greater understanding of the important role local farms play in the community and to have a connection to their neighborly farmers. 

As it turns out Jen and I share a CSA share from Starbright Farm’s CSA program and get farmer John Krueger’s weekly newsletters on how things are going on the farm. While he is extremely busy getting ready for this weekend’s event, he might just take some time out to come to the studio and talk with us tonight . . . you’ll have to tune in to find out!

John Krueger will host and chef Andrea Carbine, a James Beard Award semi-finalist and co-owner of A Toute Heure in Cranford,NJ will prepare an elegant farm-to-table five-course dinner centered around Starbrite Farm’s organic and heirloom vegetables, as well as grass-fed meat and poultry from a nearby farm. Dessert will be prepared by Chef Diane Pinder of Donna & Company Artisan Chocolates – yum.

Proceeds from the event will go to Slow Food New Jersey’s earth stewardship and food justice programs.

The event is scheduled for this Sunday, August 23 from 4 – 7pm. Visit the event website to get all the details. Hope to see you there!

or you can tune in tonight and hear all about it!

Thursday, August 20, 2009
7 – 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org

The fresh berry season is upon us – yipppeeee!

Growing fresh berries may be the most exciting way to gather the little yummies – especially if you have a local bear that becomes familiar with your crop! Until our current house, I’ve always had some berry bushes and enjoyed the picked-off-the-bush freshness of berries for breakfast AND dessert! I tried container strawberries on the deck in the last couple of years, but it was such an unbelievable chore to keep them from the critters, that I gave up, surrendered my succulent beauties to some very happy chipmunks and whoever else was enjoying them.

I love to buy fresh local berries or even pick them myself from some of the U-Pick farms in my area (Northern New Jersey).  Those wonderful farmer’s markets cropping up in a neighborhood near you will be brimming with wonderful fresh berries.  LocalHarvest.org has a wonderful Farmer’s Market locator.

Knowing that berries often get the worst kind of pesticides sprayed on them, I’m careful to find out how they’ve been grown. The Organic Center has posted and published a handy free pocket guide that helps understand when you should only buy organic and when it is okay to buy non-organic fruits and veggies – the  Organic Essentials pocket guide.

Here are a few ways I enjoy berries . . .

 
1. Green Diva Meg’s Special Berry Breakfast
I eat this almost daily during the week – bring my glass container to work and savor it during a morning break (I hate eating first thing in the morning).

Ingredients

1/4 – 1/2 c. Plain Yogurt* (I prefer 2% or non-fat greek or some good organic stuff)
1/8 – 1/4 tsp. Vanilla
2 pkts. Stevia Plus powder (or sweeten as desired)
1/4 – 1/2 c. Granola (obviously your favorite – or NOT. this is optional)
up to 1 Tbs. Ground Flax Seeds
1/4 – 1/2 c. Berries!  (whatever mix you like)

*As you may have guessed, I like to make my own vanilla falvored yogurt, which cuts down on a lot of suger. I try to buy low-sugar granola too and sometimes, I cut out the granola all together, which cuts out a bunch of sugar, carbs, and fat . . . not often enough!

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the vanilla into the yogurt thoroughly, then add stevia or sweetner and mix well again. Then add granola (or not), fresh berries (cutting strawberries into bite-sized pieces, obviously), ground/roasted flaxseeds, and enjoy!

2. Green Diva Meg’s Easy Berry Crumble
I posted this prematurely (about a month ago). Please visit a previous post for the yummy details!

3. Elegant Fresh Strawberry Dessert
This one comes from my mother, who was well-known and loved for her dinner parties back in the 60s and 70s, when dinner parties were a more formal and regular occurance (at least in our household).

Ingredients

Fresh Strawberries
Sour Cream (could substitute with some good thick greek yogurt)
Brown Sugar

Wash the strawberries, but keep the green tops (unless they are yucky) and keep them whole. If you have enough small individual bowls for each guest, give them one each of a couple of tablespoons of sour cream and brown sugar. Small parties/groups can just share. The goal is to dip the strawberry into the sour cream, then into the brown sugar and eat the whole thing (double dipping isn’t encouraged in a shared environment unless you are all very close and comfortable with that sort of thing).

4. Old Faithful – Berry Fruit Salad
I like to mix up all kinds of berries (color is important – I’m not sure why, but it is – so, I like to make sure I have some red berries AND blue/black berries).

Ingredients

Berries
Peeled/Cored, sliced pears
Peeled, sliced up peaches
Fresh heavy cream (optional)

Obviously, this is a personalized thing. My daughter just LOVES to make whipped cream and so sometimes we go nuts and use it, but it really doesn’t need it.

5. Healthy Berry Smoothie
The basis of this is from Anne Louise Gittleman’s Fat Flush Plan, but as always, I tend to alter recipes to fit my own taste.

Ingredients

1/2 c. Fresh Berries (can use frozen in winter)
1 Peach or Nectarine
1/2 c. Water
1 Tbs. Flaxseed Oil
1 Pkt. Stevia (or other sweetner – to taste)
Vanilla Protein Powder (I prefer Whey, but you can use whatever type you like)

Mix it all up in the blender and enjoy!

Have a berry wonderful time . . .

eat. blog. be merry!
gd meg

Join the Green Divas tonight to talk with Jared Koch, author of Clean Plates NYC, a wonderful resource and guide to the most nutritious, delicious and green food in New York. He and food critic and writer, Alex Van Buren ate their way through this handy book, which is for vegans, carnivores, locavores and foodies all.

BUT WAIT . . .

You won’t just get one great interview, we also have the fabulous Jean Brookwell, our very own TerraScope diva. She has done a special TerraScope for us that is focused on ‘abundance’. Don’t know about you, but I could sure use a little more of that right now!

Please IM us (instructions on the homegrownradionj.org website) or comment here or email us @ info@thegreendivas.com during the show with questions or comments for either of our guests.

Tune in, Click on, Listen up!

Thursday May 28, 2009
7 - 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org

eat. blog. be merry!
gd meg

There’s a new CSA forming in the Morristown area!  This is great news as shares are sold out in several other area CSAs.  What is a CSA?  CSA stands for community supported agriculture.  The basic idea is that a farmer grows for a group of members who have purchased shares in the harvest in advance of the season — when the farmer needs the money.  When the crops come in, the farmer delivers a weekly assortment of organic vegetables, herbs and some fruit.

Now that's farm fresh!

John Krueger is the owner/operator of Starbrite Farm.  He has a BS in environmental science from Cook College and has been farming organically since 2002.

Vegetables are grown in western New Jersey and delivered to Morristown every week for pick up.  The season is 22 weeks long and begins June 18th and runs through November 12.  Membership includes a weekly assortment of 6-10 varieties of organic produce, and members are expected to contribute one 4-hour shift to help with distribution (that sounds like fun!) — hanging out with other folks who enjoy fresh, organic, NJ grown produce.  Interested?  Hurry before the shares are all sold out.   

Call Jamie at 973.699.1913 or Liz at 973.984.2432.

Want to find one in your neck of the woods?  Go to LocalHarvest.org

Yummy Thai Coconut Fish Soup

Wayne and I have been going to Princeton, NJ one Sunday a month for a couple of months to a unique, healthy dinner club. It was founded by the mama earth of Princeton area herself, Dorothy Mullen - local vegetable garden educator, holistic nutritional advocate and certified addictions counselor. She and co-founder of Suppers for Sobriety, Cindy Foss have launched several ‘Suppers for’ programs to help people find ways to employ ‘nutritional harm reduction’ to address problems relating to blood sugar, ADHD and recovery from alcoholism and addictions.

These dinner/meetings are a wonderful blend of social interaction as the group works together to prepare a meal, informational, sharing about concerns or questions relating to food/nutrition/health, and of course always a fabulous and healthy meal.

We’ve joined in a group of ‘couples’ that are exploring additional ways to support their recovery through ‘nutritional harm reduction’. Wayne and I consider ourselves fairly informed (well, at least I do) about nutritional issues, but there is ALWAYS something new and interesting. However, these dinners are cleverly designed to accomodate people with all levels of nutritional knowledge.

This past meeting we talked about blood sugar and the consequences of consistently allowing it to drop severely. Yikes. But, we also had an extraordinary meal. Following are the recipes that Wayne and I replicated two weeks later and shared with the kids with great results.

Healthy & Colorful Chopped Salad with Dried Fig Dressing

Ingredients
Veggies
2 cups jicama (chopped into 1″ cubes)
1 yellow pepper (chopped)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1/2 head cabbage (chopped finely)
1 bunch kale (stems stripped out and chopped finely)
2 cups sprouts
1/2 red onion (chopped finely)
1 cup walnuts (chopped finely)
1/2 cup chives (chopped)
1/2 cup parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)

Dressing
About 10 dried figs
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flaxseed oil
Juice of 1 orange
2 cloves garlic
Stevia (sweeten to taste)
Salt (to taste)

Instructions
The chopped veggies are kind of self explanatory – wash, chop and put in large bowl. The dressing is best done in a food processor. Put the figs in with some of the vinegar and run for 30 seconds or so, then add the other ingredients pouring the oil in slowly towards the end. Mix the dressing in with the veggies and voila! Of course, you can substitute some of the veggies or herbs to accomodate your or your family’s taste.

Thai Fish Soup

Ingredients
Olive Oil to coat bottom of pot
3 onions (chopped)
3 red peppers (chopped)
2″ piece of fresh ginger root (grated or minced finely)
1 1/2 lbs. salmon, (cut into 1″ cubes)
1 lb. cod (cut into 1″ cubes)
2 cans coconut milk
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp. red pepper flakes OR 3 hot chili pepper (chopped)
1 lb. firm tofu (cubed)
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
1/4 cup (Thai) basil (chopped)
10 oz. spinach chopped)

Instructions
Coat the bottom of a large soup pot with olive oil and add chopped onions and saute till soft. Add red and hot peppers and ginger and cook till soft and onions are transparent. Add fish, coconut milk and broth and cook till fish is cooked through. Add tofu, lime juice and salt to taste. At the very end of cooking add spinach and basil and cook till just wilted, then add the chopped cilantro.

eat. blog. be merry!
GD Meg