The Organic Alternative

January 30th, 2012

In 2001 scientists studying pesticide residues discovered that all of the 96 children in their research group had measurable levels of organophosphate metabolites in their urine, except for one child, as reported in Environmental Health Perspectives. Upon questioning this child’s parents, they discovered that the family bought exclusively organic produce.

Two years later, these same researchers found that pesticide concentrations in urine samples of children on conventional diets were approximately six times higher than in children on organic diets.

“Consumption of organic produce appears to provide a relatively simple way for parents to reduce their children’s exposure to organophosphate pesticides,” the researchers concluded.

Publishing in the same journal, another team found similar results. Median concentrations of metabolites for two neurotoxic pesticides, one of them chlorpyrifos, decreased to “nondetectable” levels immediately after the children were switched to an organic diet.

More research on the links between neurotoxin residues on foods and neurological diseases is needed. But while we wait for science to catch up with common sense, we have a healthy alternative, thanks to the farmers who choose organic production.
USDA certified organic foods repeatedly show up “clean,” except for the long-living breakdown products of organochlorines like DDT, which have even been found in the tissue of mammals in Antarctica.

This is a reminder that we are still paying for the mistakes made by our parents and grandparents who, decades ago, trusted the chemical companies’ promises. We do not yet know how my son’s generation will pay for today’s hubris. We only know that, somehow, they will.

We should think of every conventional food as bearing the label, “Warning: May Contain Traces of Pesticides That Can Harm Your Child,” just as food produced near nuts bears a similar warning. If it’s not organic, it could lead to long-term health consequences we are only beginning to understand. It is time for preschools, in addition to banning nuts, to start prohibiting the conventional foods that may contain traces of neurological toxins harmful to our children.

—Vallaeys, Charlotte. “School

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Kiwi Salsa

January 24th, 2012

The following recipe suggests using kiwis the way one might use a raw tomato, in that they are both acidic and sweet, and suggests making salsa with them. Brilliant! Here is a lovely spicy seasonal salsa using a few kiwi fruit, with some pomegranate seeds for added color and sweetness, and avocado to balance out the acidity of the kiwifruit. Serve with tacos or steak.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3-4 ripe kiwifruit, peeled, carefully chopped
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (arils)
  • 1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped (see how to cut and peel an avocado)
  • 1 heaping tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
  • 1 tablespoon (adjust to taste) of chopped fresh or pickled jalapeño chili peppers (no seeds)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Place the kiwifruit, pomegranate seeds, avocado, green onion and olive oil in a medium sized bowl. Starting with just a teaspoon of chopped jalapeño, gently fold in and add more to your desired level of heat. Add cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

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That was a dinner party!

January 23rd, 2012

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to introduce my team of employees and team of farmers to our customers. Together we have an incredible community of folks and together we can do an incredible amount of good. The Comcast Arena at Everett was the perfect place to host our 2nd Annual Dinner Party. Chef Larry Fontaine and his team did an incredible job of dazzling our taste buds with culinary delights and magnificent service.  I was ultra excited about the standing ovation given to our farmers and later to Chef Larry’s team that served us. Growers, cooks, servers, and consumers all sharing a common theme from farm to fork: a celebration of real food.

At one point, Joane from the Rents Due Ranch shared during the farmer panel that organic farming practices can feed the world. That it was no longer pie in the sky rhetoric, but proven scientifically. She is absolutely right!

This week we have an opportunity to drive this point home in Washington State.  There are currently two bills working their way through the Senate and the House.  These two bills will require Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to be labeled in Washington State. I am a huge proponent of GMO labeling and will be contacting my legislators about these bills.

This is going to be a fight, especially from the farming community and the biotech lobbyists.  They will be crying that the world will starve or that GMO labeling will put Washington farms at a competitive disadvantage.  Yes, it will put Washington farms on a different playing field, but this could be a good thing. Yes, a good thing, because it will make Washington a state where companies that want non-GMO ingredients for processing first in line, and there are plenty of countries around the world that have already restricted the sale/use of GMOs, further expanding the market potential.

Usually, I am more of a proponent of letting the market choose, but the GMO side has been using legislation to, dare I say, shove GMOs down our throat, and it is time use the legislative process to make them come clean and label their GMO products so the consumer has the right to choose.

Please join me and contact your Washington State legislators this week in support of these two bills: HB 2637 and SB 6298

To learn more about these two proposed bills, please visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e5hef8bfd71360f1&llr=h4hsqkiab 

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Green Bean, Potato and Leek Salad

January 17th, 2012

INGREDIENTS

8 medium-small red potatoes
1 pound green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
4 leeks (white part only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
Chopped fresh parsley
3 hard-boiled eggs, shelled, quartered (optional)
PREPARATION
Boil or steam potatoes and green beans separately until tender but not mushy. Drain or remove from steamer. Cut each potato into eighths. Place in salad bowl. Add green beans. Blend Dijon mustard and vinegar in small bowl. Whisk in vegetable oil in thin stream. Pour over potatoes and beans and mix gently to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 7 minutes.

Divide potato and green bean mixture among salad plates. Top each with sautéed leeks. Sprinkle salads with chopped fresh parsley. Garnish each salad with 2 hard-boiled egg quarters, if desired, and serve.

NOTE: Add grilled chicken strips and used the eggs crushed with a fork and sprinkled on the salad as a garnish for a different presentation!

Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Bean-Potato-and-Leek-Salad-2490#ixzz1jjMWRrpN

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All Natural Lamb & Pork for Sale

January 16th, 2012

Our friends, Ken and Kathryn at Horse Drawn Produce on Lopez Island, have again offered to make their premium family-raised all natural grass-fed lamb and non-GMO pork available to our customers! We are really excited to be able to offer these quality locally raised products. Ken and Kathryn are excellent farmers, but even more important to us is their sincere commitment to sustainable, healthy farming. It is their way of life, not their job.

The reason I am willing to offer Ken and Kathryn’s lamb is because it is grass-fed and their pork because it is only given organic feed. Every other farm that markets their animals as natural or whatever and does not specify them as organically fed, has actually fed them GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) corn, soybeans and canola—and hogs, in particular, eat a lot of grain. And lastly, hogs are one of the farm animals that are getting a lot of genetic modification research and I want to support real hogfarming on real family-friendly farms. If you are interested in supporting some local hog farming, here is your opportunity.  The hogs are sold by the half and whole shares and will be available in mid June. The lamb is available only as a whole share, so smaller portions will not be available.

For more information or to place your order for lamb and pork, either give our office a call or visit the Meat category under the Products page of our website.

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