Category:  Farmers Market

Did everybody tune in last night to ABC to watch me stand up to Bourdain? Even though I didn’t make the final 16, I am still proud I made it to the top 60 out of thousands (7000+).This has been an amazing ride, and something I never thought I would ever get to experience.

I really want to thank my loyal friends, family and fans. This was a scary challenge for me to step outside of my comfort zone and subject myself to Bourdains wrath. My main purpose for this journey was to be a role model for my 5 year old daughter, and show her  to never be afraid to go after your dreams.

I am so blessed and a winner in so many ways!

Picture this…you are strolling through a Saturday morning farmers market when you notice some of the most  gorgeous berries you have ever seen. You ask the farmer if you could sample one, because you are not convinced that they can even be real. Perhaps these berries are just a prop for their display?  To your delight, your suspicions were dead wrong. These berries are bursting with flavor, and you immediately ask for a 3 pack to take home. $5 a pint is hard to swallow, but these are heavenly. The next morning you can’t wait to get up and start your day off with those berries. And then it  happens… there is nothing more tragic than paying $5 for a pint of local raspberries, only to look in the fridge the next day and find that fuzzy mold growing on their insides.

I love finding tips on how to make my organic fruits and veggies last longer.  Berries, particularly super-fresh berries, are just wonderful, aren’t they?

Wash them with vinegar.

A friend of mine shared this tip with me a few weeks ago, and it really, really works. When you get your berries home, prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider probably work best) and ten parts water.  Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted I find you can’t taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge.

The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! Raspberries will last a week or more, and I’ve had strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft. So go forth and stock up on those pricey little gems, knowing they’ll stay fresh as long as it takes you to eat them. Your pocketbook will thank you later!

Don’t you just love finding out tricks of the trade? If you know a good secret, I would love to hear about it. Please email me, and I will publish your secret in a post.

By Katie

My four year old daughter came home from school the other day and told me she had kale at lunch today. Wait…WHAT? I didn’t even know what kale was until I was well into my twenties. If you are someone who doesn’t know much about kale, let me share with you seven reasons kale is the new beef!

Like the saying goes, the only constant is change. We may resist it all we want, but Time and its inevitable evolution of everything in its path is unaffected by our attempts to stop it. The resulting trajectory of humanity’s nascent ascent appears to be positioning itself to sweep us into progressive new times, especially where our food choices are concerned, as nearly 7 billion people are now standing on the little scraps of land that we share with some 55 billion rather large animals raised for food each year. (As another famous saying goes: This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.) So, beef (and all factory-farmed meat) may be going from rib-eye to relic as we transition to a greener world… literally—as in leafy, green vegetables.

Environmentalists cite meat production as one of the biggest contributors to global warming, and the USDA’s new food pyramid (MyPlate) suggests the healthiest choice is making vegetables and fruit the biggest part of every meal by reducing consumption of animal proteins. Kale is far more nutritious than other leafy greens, but these seven reasons why it is such an important future-food may just surprise you.

1. Anti-inflammatory: Inflammation is the number one cause of arthritis, heart disease and a number of autoimmune diseases, and is triggered by the consumption of animal products. Kale is an incredibly effective anti-inflammatory food, potentially preventing and even reversing these illnesses.

2. Iron: Despite the myth that vegetarians are anemic, the number of non-vegetarians with iron-deficiencies is on the rise. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef.

3. Calcium: Dairy and beef both contain calcium, but the U.S. still has some of the highest rates of bone loss and osteoporosis in the world. Kale contains more calcium per calorie than milk (90 grams per serving) and is also better absorbed by the body than dairy.

4. Fiber: Like protein, fiber is a macronutrient, which means we need it every day. But many Americans don’t eat nearly enough and the deficiency is linked to heart disease, digestive disorders and cancer. Protein-rich foods, like meat, contain little to no fiber. One serving of kale not only contains 5 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber, but it also provides 2 grams of protein.

5. Omega fatty acids: Essential Omega fats play an important role in our health, unlike the saturated fats in meat. A serving of kale contains 121 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 92.4 mg of omega-6 fatty acids.

6. Immunity: Superbugs and bacteria are a serious risk to our health. Many of these come as a result of factory farm meat, eggs and dairy products. Kale is an incredibly rich source of immune-boosting carotenoid and flavanoid antioxidants including vitamins A and C.

7. Sustainable: Kale grows to maturity in 55 to 60 days versus a cow raised for beef for an average of 18-24 months. Kale can grow in most climates and is relatively easy and low impact to grow at home or on a farm. To raise one pound of beef requires 16 pounds of grain, 11 times as much fossil fuel and more than 2,400 gallons of water.

After hearing these facts, are you going to opt for beef or kale tonight? I hope you forward this information to someone you love. The more we can share knowledge like this, the easier it will be to make healthier decisions.

Written By Jill Ettinger

STAND UP FOR REAL FOOD!

We need people just like you to get involved!

Contact us to share your ideas and let us help you

LOCAL FOOD EVENT IDEAS

Food Revolution Day is the perfect opportunity to talk about food produced and sold in your local area, and to get people to begin thinking about their food choices. Events will be happening across the world on the weekend of May 19th and anyone can volunteer to create a local food event. It’s a great way for chefs, gardeners and food educators to offer unique food experiences to their community, whether offering free events or asking that people donate to participate; either way be sure to make it clear why you are organizing the event. Here are some ideas for how you can lend your time and talent to get your community on board:

CREATE AN EVENT

CALLING ALL RESTAURANTS
Good food is the essence of what this day is all about, so restaurants are a perfect place to raise awareness. Why not host a community dinner at your restaurant and donate some of the profits, or give money from one specific Food Revolution dish on the menu? You could even open your restaurant to the local community and get them to cook or bring their own dishes.

GET YOUR SCHOOL INVOLVED
Getting food education back in schools is vital, so there is nowhere better to hold an event. Whether you run cooking demonstrations and vegetable tastings, or have a flavored-milk or junk food-free day, the opportunities for kick-starting the conversation in schools are endless. Talk to your PTA, health and wellness committee, school staff, and other parents to see how they can help.

HOST AN EVENT AT YOUR WORKPLACE
Why not get your company involved in the week leading up to Food Revolution Day? You could host a lunch for your colleagues, have a bake-off or get some cooking classes on the go. It’s a great opportunity to talk about the importance of good food in the workplace, because we all work better when we’re fueled by fresh, nutritious food.

COOKING CLASSES & DEMOS
Community cooking classes are a great way to spread the word and share lifelong skills and knowledge. Once one person is taught how to cook, they can pass those skills on to their friends and family, so the chain continues. Whether you are a chef or just love to cook, this is a great way to share your love of food.

GARDENING CLASSES
Set up some gardening classes at your local gardening or horticultural centre, community or school garden to show your community where their food comes from, what kind of ingredients are grown locally, and how easy it is to start growing your own. Whether you have a garden big enough to grow your own vegetables or just a plant pot on your windowsill, with just a little knowledge, a lot can be achieved.

FARMERS’ MARKET TOURS
Where better to start the conversation on local foods and connect with your community than at your local farmers’ market? Talk to your local vendors about setting up a tour of the market and finding fun activities for kids, so your community can learn more about what’s available at the market, where it comes from and how it doesn’t always cost more.

GROCERY STORE TOURS
Organizing a tour of your local grocery store will give your community more knowledge of what’s available and how to get the best bargains while supporting local businesses and fresh produce. The tour will also give them loads of great ideas if they are hosting a fundraising dinner party.

GET PEOPLE EXERCISING
Exercise and healthy eating go hand in hand, so why not incorporate your favorite exercises into your Food Revolution Day activities? Host a yoga class, fun run or sports day to demonstrate how exercise can be part of a healthy lifestyle. After all the action you can refuel with a fresh, homemade meal together.

BAKE SALE & LEMONADE STANDS
Get the kids involved and have some old-fashioned fun with bake sales and lemonade stands. Set up some stalls in your neighborhood and cater for the locals. It’s a great way to get your kids on board, as they prepare, cook and sell their creations themselves. Remember, everything you sell must be made from scratch!

FARM & RANCH VISITS
Why not get a community group together and head on over to a local farm or ranch? There is nowhere better to learn about where food comes from than at the source itself. This is also a great opportunity to connect with your local farmers and build a close community that supports one another.

LOCAL FOOD PICNICS & KIDS PARTIES
Everyone loves a picnic! Get your community together and head on down to the nearest green space, school field or park. Everyone can bring their own dish to share. You could also get all the kids together for a food party, create some tasters and easy recipes to try, or incorporate some food-based games into the event – think apple bobbing, or egg ’n’ spoon races.

STREET PARTIES & BBQS
Garden parties, street parties and barbecues are great fun! You could set up a table and chairs outside, get some candles and lanterns and have a proper sit down meal out in the open. Depending on how much space you have you could invite friends and family for a garden party or get the whole community involved and have a good old fashioned street party!

DINNER PARTY IDEAS
Everyone loves a dinner party and on the weekend of 19 May, people around the world from Auckland to Honolulu, will be hosting special meals in support of food education and increasing awareness about the food we eat. The aim is to cook with fresh ingredients – no processed foods allowed. Sign up and add your dinner to the map and you’ll receive an event page to invite guests, share your menu and recipes, add photos, videos, and fund raise for a great cause. Whatever party you throw, encourage your guests to learn more about ‘real food’ and share with us your highlights. Here are a few ideas to get started:

GO BIG
There is no limit to how extravagant your party can be. You could even get your whole community together and have a street party. Why not get local catering centers, restaurants and community groups on board? Of course, there is no limit to how small your party can be either, as long as you share great food and raise awareness of the Food Revolution mission.

POP-UP RESTAURANT
Have you ever been to a pop-up restaurant? Why not hold your own? It would be a great way to get people talking about your event and start the conversation on local food. Anyone who sees the restaurant will be able to come and say hello. Although they require a little more planning and preparation, once up and running they are well worth it and could raise lots of money for the Food Revolution.

POTLUCK
At a potluck dinner, every guest brings one dish to share. Getting your community together for a potluck is not only a great way to help raise funds, but also a fun way to get to know your neighbors, learn about food and enjoy some dishes you wouldn’t normally cook. You could centre it around one cuisine, assign each guest a course or dish, or everyone can just bring ingredients and you can all cook together.

THEME YOUR NIGHT
If you want to mix things up a bit, why not give your dinner party a theme? You could pick a specific cuisine – anything from British to Indian, or Mexican to Japanese – and even add a fancy dress element if you are feeling adventurous. It would be a great start for discussions about food issues around the world.

COOKING CONTESTS
If you like a bit of competition, why not get a group of friends together and have a cooking competition? Have each friend host a dinner party in the run-up to Food Revolution Day. You can all secretly score one another and then on 19 May have a big final dinner, where you all cook together and the winner is announced.

WHO COOKS?
If it’s always you who cooks, why not vary who is in the kitchen – men only, or women only, grandparents, bosses, or teachers? You could even host a series of dinner parties, and at each one get a different group to cook. It’s a great way to teach people new skills, and you’ll then get to compare the menu choice and cooking style each group goes for. You could even have a party where the kids cook, under supervision of course…

BRING ON THE FUN
Your dinner party is not just about fundraising and spreading the Food Revolution Day message, it’s also about having fun with your friends and family, and enjoying great food. Make it feel like a real occasion by adding some decorations and flowers to the tables, making fun name tags for your guests or downloading and playing our free Food Revolution dinner party game. Do you have a great dinner party suggestion? Let us know

Red Peppers

Chili Peppers

Berries