Vert-à-Go

I confess that I do struggle against climate dread. Any new news about the environment is very seldom good news, and it is demoralising beyond belief to walk home from the farmers’ market with a bag of locally-grown organic food, only to be blown past by someone chucking a McDonald’s wrapper out of the window of their Hummer.

But we can’t sit around and do nothing, even if somewhere out there our evil twin is itching to replace every ounce of carbon that we struggle not to emit. And the food that we choose to eat can make a real and instant difference to our ecological impact. It’s important to educate yourself about what is in the food you eat, where it comes from, how it is produced, and what impact it has on your health, the people who grow it, the animals who provide it, and the environment. As Wendell Barry puts it, “Eating is an agricultural act.” We need to pay attention to our food, not just be mindless consumers.

Here are a dozen things you can do right now to radically reduce your food footprint. Most of them will save you money and improve your health, too!

1. Eat less meat

2. Grow some food to eat this year

3. Eat seasonal, locally-produced food

4. Eat organic food, preferably locally-produced

5. Choose fair trade food products

6. Only eat fish and seafood from safe and sustainable fisheries

8. Reduce your consumption of industrially-produced/processed/fast food

7. Walk, bike, bus or carpool to the store, market, or restaurant

9. Plan your meals ahead and keep track of leftovers to avoid food waste

10. Drink tap water, not bottled water, and don’t forget the carbon/water footprint of other drinks too

11. Compost your food waste

12. Use more energy-efficient ways to cook your food

…and check out Reiko’s Bento Lab–-just because I guarantee it will make you smile!

(this post is mostly a rerun–but it still says everything that I want to say. Happy Earth Day!)

Today, in honour of my 1/8th Irish heritage (and the very pleasant months I spent in Dublin), I made a pot of soup with some green inspiration. Not so much the colour, (although there is some green in there), but moreso its low ecological footprint (thanks to vegetarian/home-grown/local ingredients).

I chucked the following into water with some canned tomatoes (after sauteeing the vegetables in olive oil with a bit of garlic):

• green lentils (grown on my parents’ farm)
• chopped Swiss chard (frozen, from our garden last summer)
• potatoes and carrots (farmers’ market)
• onion (Alberta-grown)
• celery (US organic)

Once the lentils are tender, season with salt, pepper and a splash of basalmic vinegar. Serve with hearty bread.

Appropriately enough, there was also–finally!–a hint of the coming spring on this greenest of days. On our way past Homestead Ice Cream earlier today, the kids spotted that the OPEN sign was lit. As it is closed for a few months in the middle of winter, they were starting to miss it. So we walked over after dinner for some made-in-the-same-block ice cream–since they were out of Guinness (one of my personal favourite flavours!), I made mine mint chip, of course.

Happy St Patrick’s Day–hope your day turned out as lucky as ours!

The Environmental Working Group has just released the 5th edition of its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides. This handy cut-out-and-carry card lists which fruits and vegetables have the highest (and lowest) levels of pesticides so you can see at a glance when it’s most important to buy organically-grown produce and when the benefits of organic are less dramatic.

An EWG simulation of thousands of consumers eating high and low pesticide diets shows that people can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 80 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead. Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to about 10 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 15 least contaminated will expose a person to less than 2 pesticides per day. (Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides)

Living in Saskatchewan, it’s much easier to find organic versions of some of the Dirty Dozen than others, especially if you prefer to buy more locally-grown produce. For instance:

• I don’t remember ever seeing organic BC peaches, nectarines,  pears, or cherries–I have seen Washington-grown ones at Safeway, but their taste was disappointing (I’ve eaten amazing organic soft fruit while in Washington, so freshness is obviously the issue, not inherent quality!). Most times, I would really rather eat something else entirely rather than risk spending a lot of money on imported out-of-season fruit that turns out to be sour or woody.
• Grandora Gardens (at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market) and other vendors sell bell peppers treated with biological controls during late-spring/summer/early-autumn. You can grow your own in the summer.
• It has become much easier to buy organically-grown strawberries in the supermarket–both Safeway and Extra Foods often have Driscoll’s organic berries for sale during the spring and summer (imported from California). Local u-pick strawberries are not organically grown and although they certainly try to minimise chemical application, I am unsure about the level of pesticides involved. It’s pretty easy to grow your own–they are perennials and like all berries, taste a thousand times better picked straight off the plant.
• Organically-grown celery is easily found at (most/selected branches) Safeway, Sobey’s, and Extra Foods–let me know if you have trouble tracking it down.
• I’ve not seen organically-grown kale, but suspect it would be available at Dad’s–this is not really something I ever buy as there are so many other options for locally-grown greens (buy grow, freeze, or sprout your own year-round).
• Lettuce, again, is available from Grandora Gardens and other farmers’ market vendors in season. It is also ridiculously easy to grow your own from early May-September.
• Chilean grapes are often treated with up to 17 different pesticides. If you can’t find organic ones, US-grown grapes use fewer pesticides.
• Organically-grown carrots are available in grocery stores, but the ones from the farmers’ market are far superior in taste. I don’t know if conventional Saskatchewan carrot growers need to use as many pesticides on their carrots as those grown further south–our drier climate and colder winters can help reduce the need for many fungicides/insecticides.

And as far as the Clean 15 goes?

1. I tend to buy onions either from the farmers’ market, but I have no qualms about buying conventional Manitoba-grown ones from the grocery store.
2. I don’t buy a lot of avocados but will likely continue to get the odd regular one from the grocery store.
3. I tend to buy fresh corn in season from the farmers’ market, and then conventionally-grown frozen.
4. I generally have a greater concern about whether pineapple (and other tropical fruit) is fair trade and what the working conditions are for the farm workers than whether it’s organic.
5. I’m not a huge mango fan!
6. I buy asparagus in season from the farmers’ market. I never buy it from South America as the food miles are just too appalling.
7. I buy fresh peas from the farmers’ market and am still trying to find a large-enough, sunny-enough patch to grow my own. Otherwise, frozen conventional.
8. Kiwi fruit gives me an anaphylactic reaction, so I never buy them! It is very high on the list of allergy-inducing fruit, so be careful before giving it to children or serving it to guests.
9. I buy cabbage from the farmers’ market is so fresh and delicious and economical, but good to know that the grocery store is an acceptable backup.
10. I have personally never figured out how to make eggplant edible, myself! I’ll happily eat someone else’s.
11. I don’t think I’ve ever bought a papaya!
12. I never buy watermelon out of the summer season because it comes so far and tastes so dreadful, but will feel more comfortable about buying it from the grocery store when I do (now, if I could just find a fool-proof method for choosing a good one! Any advice?).
13. Interesting that broccoli rates so highly. I would have thought it would have ranked much worse because of all the tiny flowers that are vulnerable to pests! I like to buy it locally when it’s in season because it’s so beautiful and fresh, and bought organic when it’s on sale. But I will feel much happier about picking up a bag of regularly-grown from the bargain bin in future!
14. Again, interesting that tomatoes rated so highly. I would have thought they’d be worse, although I suppose if they’re grown in a greenhouse, pests are not a huge problem. My main issue is that grocery store tomatoes taste vile, and conventionally-grown tomatoes can be vulnerable to salmonella due to bad growing practices. Avoiding pesticide residue is not the only reason to buy organic! I grow my own in the summer, and buy from Grandora/other farmers’ market vendors during late spring/summer/autumn. (it takes a *lot* of energy to heat a greenhouse in Saskatchewan, or even BC, in the winter–very possibly moreso than growing them in a hot southern field and trucking them north). Seasonality is my main consideration–I haven’t bought a fresh tomato for months (and yes, I am missing them A LOT).
15. Sweet potato is something else that I’d usually get at the regular grocery store.

Here are the lists of the best and the worst–you can get a printable version of the EWG Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides that you can put in your wallet here. Remember, avoiding pesticide residue is not the sole reason for buying organically grown produce–organic practices can help improve soil, reduce water usage, improve environmental conditions for animals, birds, and insects, and may (but certainly not always!) go hand in hand with better working conditions for farm workers. It often (but again, certainly not always) may have a lower risk of disease or contamination. Conversely, local conventionally-grown produce may in fact have a better environmental footprint than imported organic. But reducing pesticide exposure is a pretty major concern for most organic consumers, and so it pays to know exactly what you’re eating.

The Dirty Dozen (always buy organic)

1. peach
2. apple
3. bell pepper
4. celery
5. nectarine
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. kale
9. lettuce
10. grapes–imported (this is a US guide, so this would mean non-US-grown grapes)
11. carrot
12. pear

The Clean 15 (lowest in pesticides)

1. onion
2. avocado
3. corn
4. pineapple
5. mango
6. asparagus
7. peas
8. kiwi
9. cabbage
10. eggplant
11. papaya
12. watermelon
13. broccoli
14. tomato
15. sweet potato

With the shaky economic outlook and increased prices on many items, including food, most people are paying closer attention to their grocery bills. In the UK, pricier organic and free range foods have taken a hit, and in the US, shoppers are abandoning the champagne-style emporium Whole Foods (often dubbed ‘Whole Paycheque’) in droves for its beer-and-skittles competitor Trader Joe’s for their organic goods.

Here in Canada, we haven’t seen the same hikes as elsewhere in the world, but food prices are still up about 5-6% from this time last year (mainly on staples like flour–I expect imported produce prices will continue to follow fuel prices pretty closely). So I’m going to start posting good deals that I’ve found around town on sustainable, organic, local, and ethical food. Let me know if you spot something so we can share it!

Safeway has organic BC Gala and Jonagold apples on sale this week for only $1.49/lb. They should be available at this price until Saturday 29 November (you’ll need to be a Safeway Club member to get this price).

The start of the fall/winter season has brought some changes to the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market schedule and roster of vendors.

The full Wednesday produce market is now done for the year. However, a new co-op stall has opened that offers products from a number of different vendors. This one-stop shop, called the Little Market Store, will continue to open on Wednesdays between 10am-2pm (along with the other remaining Wednesday tenants). It will also be open during the Saturday markets from 8am-2pm.

Products at the Little Market Store will tend to vary somewhat from week to week, depending on availability. Yesterday, it was selling frozen Saskatchewan blueberries and cranberries, free range eggs, noodles, focaccia, preserves, and cases of BC gala apples, as well as jewellery and photo greeting cards. A selection of produce should be available starting next week, and it will begin selling chocolates in another week or two.

Once 19th Street has been re-opened (soon! please!), the market plans to open from Wednesdays-Saturdays so it can provide locally-produced products four days a week. Regular market tenants (Giuseppi’s, Bulk Cheese at the Market, Jolly Juicer, Petal Pushers, and Park Cafe at the Market) will also be on site from Wednesdays-Saturdays at that point. Hours of operation are still to be decided–I’ll keep you posted.

What I have in the fridge:

• corn on the cob, new potatoes, broccoli, green pepper, yellow zucchini, green onion, cucumber (Saskatoon Farmers’ Market)
• cauliflower (Dutch Growers’ Farmers’ Market)
• green beans, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, turnip, carrots, lettuce, herbs, jalapenos, raspberries, a handful of ‘free range’ crab apples (various gardens)
• most of a large (6.5lbs) Pine View Farms chicken that I cut up yesterday

What I`ve made/am planning to cook this week

• barbecued garlic marinated chicken with grilled potatoes and corn on the cob (used 1/2 a breast)
• a double batch of beany broccoli soup (a pureed white bean and broccoli soup from The City Gardener’s Cookbook)
• chicken cauliflower curry (used the other 1/2 breast, and adding cherry tomatoes and crab apples)
• potato salad, green salad, Moroccan tomato salad, green bean/corn/tomato salad
• pasta–something involving fresh herbs or tomatoes
• zucchini tomato frittata
• French country chicken soup (great for freezing for winter)

I need to come up with something to use up some broccoli stems as well as the remaining half-cauliflower…possibly a vegetable pot pie or casserole, or a quick stirfry. I could always make more soup too, but it will depend on the weather.

Every time I walk past the dill in the garden I start dreaming of Taunte Maria-style summa borscht….and I must make another batch of this amazing vegetable chowder and put some away in the freezer. It is a fair amount of work, but so worth it. This past April I found a container of last year’s chowder in the freezer and when I heated it up, it tasted just as great as it had months earlier–it was such a morale boost to get a glimpse of the heady days of summer that still lay ahead.

Last Friday my sister dropped by the Borden Farmers’ Market on her way back from North Battleford to Saskatoon. The most exciting discovery at this excellent weekly market was the locally-grown apricots for sale. Grown just over the south side of the Borden Bridge, these baby-sized apricots have amazing flavour and the most incredible aroma (I would actually describe it as perfume). My four-year-old declared, wide-eyed, after his fourth or fifth, “I have NEVER eaten anything like this in my entire life!” Me neither–but you can bet I’ll do whatever it takes to track some more down soon. The thought of jam made with these little guys almost sends me into a Homer Simpson-style drooling trance.

Borden Farmer’s Market

• Fridays 1-7pm (May to October)
• Borden Fire Hall
• Borden, SK (40 minutes north of Saskatoon on Highway 16)

Twenty-four hours before I was expecting 9 people for a birthday brunch, I came down with a truly evil cold. An hour-and-a-half before the guests arrived, a city worker knocked on the door to tell us that they were turning off the water until mid-afternoon to repair a broken hydrant. This I could deal with.

But then I had a momentary brain freeze and loosened the angel food birthday cake from the pan before letting it cool entirely, and it instantly collapsed into a sad-looking heap about 2/3rds of its original height. I couldn’t serve it up to the birthday girls like that, and there wasn’t time to make another one. Time for birthday trifle!

Fallen Angel Trifle

• one fallen lemon angel food cake
• 500ml whipping cream + the remains of an old one I found lurking at the back of the fridge (about 150ml–expiry date 18 March, by the way, and it was still fine! Whipping cream lasts forever)
• Nigel Slater’s vanilla custard
• 4 cups frozen peaches

Rip your misbegotten angel food cake into 1-inch chunks (or thereabouts) and toss into a large flat-bottomed glass bowl (or glass dishes). There, don’t you feel better? Now prepare the custard (a double batch from Nigel Slater’s Real Fast Puddings):

• 600mL mixture of milk and cream (I used about half of each)
• dash of vanilla extract (Slater calls for a vanilla pod, which I didn’t have)
• 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks
• 6Tbsp berry/caster sugar

Heat the milk and cream mixture (I used about half and half) with a dash of vanilla until it is steaming and just beginning to bubble. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t suddenly boil over! While the milk is heating, mix the eggs with the sugar in a heat-proof bowl. When the milk is ready, pour a little through a sieve into the egg mixture and whisk thoroughly. Pour the rest of the milk through the sieve into the egg mixture and whisk it thoroughly again.

Give your saucepan a quick wash (this is easier if, unlike me, you actually have running water at the time), pour the mixture back into the pan, and place it over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes, keeping a close eye on it and whisking periodically. When it is thickened, take it off the heat. If it starts to go lumpy or grainy, take it off the heat and whisk the devil out of it (Slater recommends placing the pot in an ice-cold bath while you whisk, which, again, is easier if you actually have water in your kitchen at the time).

Pour the custard over the cake. Place the thawed peach slices over the custard. Whip the remaining cream and spoon it over the top. Chill it in the fridge for an hour (or as long as you have).

(serves 9 easily)

I happened to have peaches in the freezer, but you could use pretty much any kind of fruit, fresh or frozen. It would be wonderful with fresh-picked berries in the summer. I topped it with some extra pineapple that I had bought for pineapple mimosas, which tasted delicious and looked pretty too. Then I started doing some reading into working and environmental conditions on many of the pineapple plantations in Costa Rica. It was distressing, to say the least. I’ll be doing a post on the ethical minefield of buying tropical fruit soon.

Ingredient sources: Dairyland (local), Rogers (Alberta), Sunview Acres (local), Robin Hood (not sure where cake mixes are made yet), BC fruit stand at Saskatoon Farmers’ Market

After Sunday dinner, I had a container of leftover cooked beets and also some boiled potato. What to do with them? I considered making a beet and brown rice salad, but I still had leftover pea shoot/cabbage/apple salad from the previous night. Rummaging through the fridge, I found a bit of celery and the last of the green cabbage from the market on the weekend. I also had a couple of tubs of chicken stock squirreled away in the freezer. So I decided to whip up a quick borscht-style soup instead. It’s not perfectly authentic, but it works!

Sue’s seat-of-the-pants beet borscht

Preparation time: about 15-20 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 medium onion, chopped (Peak of the Market)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 celery stalks, chopped (organic from Sobeys)
• 1 cup cabbage, chopped (Simpkins Market Garden)
• 4 cups chicken stock (homemade from a Pine View Farms chicken carcass)
• about 2 cups chopped cooked beets (Simpkins Market Garden)
• about 1 cup peeled cooked potato (Simpkins Market Garden)
• salt to taste
• splash of red wine vinegar
• sour cream (Dairyland)

Sauté onion and celery in olive oil in a soup kettle until soft. Add chicken stock, cabbage, beets, and potato, bring to the boil, and simmer until cabbage is tender (about 10 minutes). Puree with a handblender, add a splash of red wine vinegar and salt to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

If you prefer a chunky soup, you could also simmer the cabbage till tender in the chicken stock with the sautéed onion and celery, then just add the chopped beets and potato at the very end and heat through (so the potato doesn’t disintegrate).