Instead of hitting the grill, I decided to so something different with our crop and came up with this: Squash & Onion Surprise. It was a real surprise that it tasted so good! This is part of the current seasonal crop for our area, so we are trying to come up with some dishes to whip up in a dash with ingredients that we have around the house.

Here is what I did…

Heat about 1-2 tablespoons real unsalted butter in the pan.

Toss in 2 medium squash and 6 small, white, sweet onions (chopped).

Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the top of the veggies (I use a fresh peppercorn medley with a little kick) - if you use salted butter, salt accordingly.

Sauté until onions start soaking in the butter or turning a yellow brown color.

Pour in about 1/4 cup water and place the lid on top to steam and soften the squash.

Once all the steam has evaporated, pour in 2 tablespoons of half and half (or other organic milk) and 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour.

Toss until creamy and top with flax seed to serve.

This made about 3-4 side dish servings. We served this along side a Dr. Praeger’s Tex Mex Veggie Burger (no bun) and steamed broccoli.

YUM. YUM.

Photo by me. 

We have a little experimental garden this year and this is our first pickin’. We are so excited to eat from our yard! We will grill these with some olive oil and spices for dinner. This morning at the local farmer’s market, the vendors had squash, onions, cucumbers and potatoes, so I think we are on the right track. My cucumbers aren’t doing so well, but we have got a few hot peppers on the way. 

The compost bins have been started for next year and I am harvesting some worms. I think they are almost ready to step up to their new home in the compost pile. 

Photo by me. 

 

I took a short road trip over the weekend. Of course, there aren’t that may healthy dining alternatives when you are on the road. I guess I could have been more prepared and brought food for the drive, but part of taking a road trip is experiencing the unknown and we certainly survived. However, it did get me thinking about the entire restaurant business and how much impact it has on our health as well as the environment.

According to Michael Oshman from the Green Restaurant Association,

“As more people dine out, Americans spend about half of their food budgets at restaurants. Besides the government, the restaurant industry is the largest employer in this country, accounting for 12.8 million people. Lastly, the restaurant industry impacts about 1/10th of the American economy, making its impact larger than the total of many countries in the world.”

The Green Restaurant Association was founded in 1990 to help restaurants achieve environmental sustainability through its green guidelines which include: sustainable food, green building practices, nontoxic chemical usage, energy and water efficiency, recycling, composting, using recycled packaging, etc. You can find out if there are any green restaurants in your area by visiting the website. Here in Atlanta, only two restaurants are listed: Radial on Dekalb Avenue and My Panini at Lindbergh City Center.

I am not sure if the Green Restaurant Association is currently being recognized in the restaurant industry or there are similar types of organizations that have more popularity. So far, I have only found regional sites that address this topic in some California cities and the Chicago area. If a majority of the restaurant industry could get on board, it would produce a substantial impact on the environment and health. 

There are a few new sustainable fast-food restuarant chains forming that are worth mentioning. Both will make their debut in Atlanta soon.

Evos - serving horomone-free burgers, baked fries, wraps, organic salads and milkshakes as well as fruitshakes made with fresh fruit and natural juice.

Pizza Fusion - serving pizza, sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts made with organic ingredients including gluten-free options for people with celiac disease.

      

Ever wonder where your coffee comes from?

Crop to Cup Coffee Company allows you to see the farmers and know their story. Crop to Cup represents the farmer by providing technology and marketing services that will connect them to interested customers in the United States. The goal is to improve the quality and integrity of coffee served everywhere.

This is a good way to have full transparency in coffee farming and to make sure that the product is fairly traded. The great part of Crop to Cup is the availability for direct product feedback through reviews and ratings as well as message boards.

There are several coffee houses and markets in the New York and Chicago area where Crop to Cup coffee is sold or you can purchase your own online.

 

 

  

I finished planting our first little vegetable garden over the weekend. This year is pretty experimental, but we do hope to get some sort of yield. In preparation, I have been doing some research and learning more about the growing process. We are trying to keep our garden as organic as possible and be conscious of water usage as well. 

The Gardener’s Supply Company is one source that I have found for more innovative gardening products. They have a variety of composters, rainbarrels, organic fertilizers and more natural solutions to keep the pests away. I also like the fact that they give 8% of the company profits to programs and organizations that use gardening to improve the world. They have even set up their own nonprofit organization with 400 acres of land in Burlington, Vermont called The Intervale Center. This center produces 6% of the city’s fresh produce and is one of the largest community agriculture farms in New England with a community composting facility and miles of trails for hiking and biking.

The People’s Grocery was started in 2002 to coordinate a local food system and provide a source of healthy foods to the people in West Oakland, California. There are about 30,000 residents in West Oakland with no grocery store, but there are 53 liquor stores. Many of these residents have diet related illnesses and do not have a source for healthy foods. Brahm Ahmadi, co-founder and executive director, calls it “food justice - the principle that all people, regardless of economic and social constraints should have access to the best foods available in our society.” 

The goal is to keep the wealth within the community. The People’s Grocery grow organic food in urban community gardens to educate and reconnect people with their food source. They also provide healthy cooking classes and a produce box distribution program, so the residents can get fresh foods in their homes.

To find out more about this project, visit The People’s Grocery. 

This is the featured story on the Global Oneness Project, which is a “web-based video initiative exploring how the simple notion of oneness can be lived in our increasingly complex world.”

They work by these principles:

- We are responsible to each other, the earth, and future generations

- There are enough resources for us all, if we share

- Free exchanges of information allow for greater, collective creative potential

- Love, care and compassion have the power to transform the fabric of society

 I recently finished the book, The Chocolate Connoisseur by Chloé Doutre-Roussel. When Chloé was writing the book, she was the chocolate buyer for Fortnum & Mason, a very high-end department store in London. Known for her keen sense of smell, she is now an independent consultant who gives advice to clients on cacao cultivation, refinement techniques and the chocolate making process. There are several steps to get the cacao bean to taste like a fine piece of chocolate and Chloé is chocolate’s sweetheart at the moment.

I have always had a love for chocolate, so when I saw this book on the shelf, I was immediately interested. I had done some independent research on the chocolate making process and the different cacao bean regions, just so I could be an informed customer. Even as a young girl, I liked the semi-sweet baking chips over the milk chocolate bars any day. As my chocolate palette continues to broaden, so has my education on the subject. The Chocolate Connoisseur really gave me a broad overview of chocolate by distinguishing between the types of cacao bean varieties and their location, the laws regarding labeling for cacao content and how to really taste the deep flavors in chocolate bars. 

Some say that this book is self-serving or self-absorbed for Chloé, but I find her honest opinion very refreshing. She encourages you to listen to her advice, simply because she does have a lot experience to learn from, but she also makes sure that you are tasting with your own palette … making chocolate decisions based on your own set of guidelines or moods.

Since reading the book, I have set up several chocolate tastings for myself. Chloé says that tasting chocolate in the morning, before you have had anything else to eat and your palette is clean, is the best time. I have to agree with her. My recent morning tastings have brought out flavors and smells that you wouldn’t ordinarily sense after a meal. I guess I am now looking at chocolate as a fine wine or coffee instead of just dessert. 

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in chocolate. Although Chloé doesn’t cover the injustice that has taken place in the name of chocolate, I believe that this book is only one piece of education. You can never rely on one book to make up your whole opinion. I think that Chloé’s mission of creating better chocolate and bringing attention to the subject makes the chocolate industry more transparent … more accountable.

This is a good time to study up on chocolate as it makes its way to new frontiers in the gourmet food industry. I would predict that within the next 5 years, you will see more gourmet chocolate shops, restaurants and new chocolate bar varieties in the main stream. Everyone wants a piece of this emerging market. Chloé Doutre-Roussel is working to make sure that uninspired chocolate isn’t lurking in those beautiful packages and I appreciate her effort! 

On the right side of my blog, I have a section of “Serious about Chocolate” links. Some of these are from this book and some I have found on my own. I will continue to explore this subject and refine my list as I taste the chocolate and get more information.

In reference to the book, you can visit Chloé’s site or read extensive excerpts at Chocolate.org.

Photo credits- top left: chloechocolate.com, top right: Timmy Toucan, bottom left: cstrom and bottom right: misoponia.