Green Paige

Since our kitchen is being deconstructed and we no longer have the use of a cook top, I have had to think outside the electric stove when it comes to preparing meals for our family.  One of our family favorites that can be prepared with an electric skillet and the environmentally-friendly slow cooker is Chicken, Ham and Gnocchi Soup.  It’s wonderful for the Winter months because you can use ingredients that are in season and items from last Summer’s garden.  Here’s how:

Chicken, Ham and Gnocchi Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 tbl sp. olive oil

1 white onion, chopped fine

1/2 C. organic carrot, chopped fine

3/4 C. celery, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/3 C. flour

2 C. milk

4 C. organic chicken broth or fresh chicken stock

1 C. cook and cubed chicken breast

1 C. cubed Black Forest Ham - no nitrates added

Your Choice - add 1/2 C. spinach plus 1/2 C. fresh basil from your garden, cut julienne style OR you can add 1/2 C. pesto made from last Summer’s garden and frozen to use throughout the Winter.  If frozen, defrost before adding to soup.

If you opt for using fresh spinach and basil, make sure you add the following:

1 tsp. fresh rosemary (1/2 tsp. if you use dried)

1 tsp. fresh parsley (1/2 tsp. if you use dried)

1 Russet potato, cubed

16 oz. gnocchi (potato dumpling) 

Add white pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

1. In the electric skillet, saute onions, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil until soft.
2. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir well.  Cook for 3 minutes while stirring frequently.
3. Add milk and chicken broth to the vegetables.   Our skillet is just deep enough to accommodate this amount of liquid.
4. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.  Stir frequently.
5. Pour soup into a slow cooker set on high heat.
6. Add chicken, ham, spinach, basil, potatoes and gnocchi.
7. Cook for 30 minutes on high setting then turn to low setting and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours.
8. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
9. Serve with a Cesar salad and garlic bread.

NOTE:  My husband likes to thicken this soup by substituting half the milk with heavy cream.  Since I don’t like the added calories, I stick with 2% milk.  You choose what works best for you.

Do you have slow cooker recipes that you would like to share?  Please send them my way.  It looks like our kitchen will be out of commission for some time.

I love soup for many reasons.  It’s  economical.  It’s filling.  It’s easy.  And it’s a great way to use local, seasonal products.  One of my favorite Winter soups has to be clam chowder.  It’s perfect for Winter since your main vegetables are easy to find in the cold weather months.  Here is my family’s basic clam chowder recipe:

Wintery Clam Chowder

1 tbl sp. of organic extra virgin olive oil

1 large, white onion (diced)

2 large organic carrots (diced)

1/2 cup of corn starch or tapioca starch

2 cups combination of clam and chicken broth (Save the broth from the canned clams.  It will be a bit less than 2 cups.  Use the chicken broth to make up the difference.)

2 cups organic milk (2%)

2 (6.5 oz) cans of minced clams

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1 tbl sp. dried parsley

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. crushed thyme

1 bay leaf

black pepper to taste

4 cups organic Russet potatoes  (peeled and diced)

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. 
2. Add the onions and carrots.  Saute until softened. 
3. Gradually stir in the starch.  Stir thoroughly scraping the bottom of the pan.
4. Gradually stir in broth.  Scrap the sides and bottom of the pan to make sure the starch is thoroughly incorporated and not clumping.
5. Stir in the milk until the mixture is smooth.
6. Add clams and spices. 
7. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Add diced potatoes and bring the soup back to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.
9. Taste and adjust seasons with salt and pepper if needed.

This soup is wonderful paired with rosemary rolls and a light salad.  If you are on Weight Watchers, this soup is only 4 points a cup.  Enjoy!

I don’t have the time to make my own cleaning products!  That was always my argument.  After all, it’s easier to pick up a package of sparkling blue tablets that will shine my toilet so brilliantly I will be able to see my face reflected in the bowl. Who doesn’t want house cleaning to be less time consuming?  What we don’t want is to sacrifice our family’s health and safety to do it.

If you read the labels of your favorite cleaning products as I did, you will discover that some of these brightly packaged solvents are manufactured using petroleum products, phosphates/EDTA and chlorine bleach which are harmful to the environment.  They can also contain phthalates that have been linked to cancer and disease of the reproductive system. Cleansers with antibacterials such as triclosan and benzalkonium chloride can contribute to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, resulting in illnesses that are more difficult to treat. What can we do?

Make our own cleaning products.  Here’s how:

1. Cleaning Caddy -  Begin with a wire cleaning caddy or make one out of a basket or a box.  Fill it with your cleaning essentials including an all-purpose cleaner, soft scrub cleanser, window wash, furniture polish, a multi-purpose scrub brush, natural cellulose sponges, a turkey feather duster and cotton cleaning rags.
2. All-Purpose Cleaner - The first item you will need to add to your caddy is an all-purpose cleaner.  There are numerous recipes out there for natural all-purpose cleaners but my favorite features grapefruit seed extract which is a natural disinfectant.  Start with a 32-oz. spray bottle.  Fill it three-quarters full of water and add two tablespoons of a natural dish soap like Seventh Generation.  Mix 20 drops of grapefruit seed extract into the solution with 5-10 drops of lemon juice.  This cleaner is safe to use on every surface including walls and floors.
3. Soft Scrub Cleanser - Next, you will need a soft scrub cleanser for soap scum in tubs and stains on counter tops.  Mix 1/4 cup baking soda with a small amount of natural liquid soap until it forms the consistency of frosting.  Store in a bottle or make it fresh whenever you need it.
4. Disinfectant - For those diaper pail, garbage can and litter box jobs where only a disinfectant will do, use Tea Tree oil.  It has natural antibacterial properties.  To one gallon of hot water, mix ½ cup of Borax and a couple of drops of Tea Tree oil.  Let the concoction steep for 10 minutes and then pour into a spray bottle.
5. Window Wash - For a simple but effective window wash solution, use the same recipe our grandmothers have sworn by for years.  With 2 cups of warm water, combine 3 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of a natural liquid soap. Wash windows with a soft, cotton rag.
6. Furniture Polish - No cleaning caddy would be complete without wood furniture polish.  Mix 1/4 cup of olive oil with 1/8 cup of lemon juice.  Mix together and apply to wood furniture in a thin coat.  Rub well with a soft, cotton cloth.

 Green Cleaning Tips:

• Use mops with a washable mop head cover and vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters. 
• Avoid disposable cleaning products.
• Don’t forget to recycle and properly dispose of harmful cleaning chemicals.

Still not convinced to make your own cleaning products?  Contact a green cleaning company like All Star Cleaning Services. They offer pre-mixed kits, instruction and monthly refill programs.  To locate a eco-friendly cleaning company near you, visit Green America’s National Green Pages.

I remember the day when our neighborhood market closed its doors.  I felt that an important part of my childhood was disappearing along with the home-made snickerdoodles-one free to each customer.  We have all heard that corporate globalization is causing the decline of locally-owned businesses and family farms but what can we do about it here in our own community?  If you ask someone from The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), their answer would probably be to buy local.

BALLE is  an umbrella organization of more than 55 smaller networks.  It serves to inform, educate and support local, independent business alliances.  These smaller independent business networks offer opportunities for local businesses to connect.  Their goal is to support community-based businesses, encourage local purchasing by customers and businesses, advocate programs and policies that strengthen independent businesses and promote social equity and environmental responsibility.

Buy Local Week is December 1st -7th.  This year with our economy the weakest it’s been in years, the Local First movement is encouraging people to buy their goods from local, independently-owned businesses.  Why?

1. Buying goods and services from local businesses is a great way to strengthen community.

2. It reduces the environmental impact of transporting items cross country. 

3. Buying local gives us an opportunity to be part of a cooperative movement to create an alternative to corporate globalization and bring economic power back to our communities through a sustainable local economy.

4. Locally-made foods and crafts make great gifts because they are unique and often come with a story attached.  I still own the doll that I received as a Christmas present when I was 6 years old.  It was hand-crafted by our neighbor to resemble me right down to the dimple under my left eye. My daughter loves to hear the tale of how this doll was made.  These are the kinds of stories that you don’t get with items made on assembly lines by machines, sold in big box stores.

This week, communities throughout North America will be celebrating Buy Local Week with events, contests and poster campaigns.  To locate a locally-owned business in your area, visit BALLE.  They list networks of independently-owned businesses across the nation. 

This weekend we are planning on visiting an organic farm to pick out just the right pumpkins for our Jack-O-Lanterns, pies, soups, enchiladas, and lasagnas.  Pumpkins are a versatile squash that not only make great seasonal decorations but can become good eats after Halloween is over.  Here are a few of my favorite harvest time recipes:

Spicy Pumpkin Bisque - This soup has become a favorite in our family and amongst our friends.  It yields 4 servings but can be easily doubled.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (for a mild soup use 1/4 tsp.)
1 large white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups pumpkin puree (roast your pumpkins first for a smokey flavor)
4 cups organic chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon agave or honey
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup dry sherry

Optional:  grated nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and transparent.
2. Add the pumpkin, stock, chili pepper, ground pepper, allspice, agave and sherry.  Bring to a boil and cover. 
3. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and puree until smooth.
4. Return the soup to the pot, add the sour cream and simmer until heated.
5. Garnish with the nutmeg and serve.

Pumpkin Enchiladas - This dish is a wonderful combination of autumn flavors.  It takes a bit of time to prepare but it’s worth the effort.  I have also included my own garam masala recipe if you don’t have access to a grocery store that regularly carries it.

Yields 10 servings.

Ingredients:

1 pumpkin ( 1 1/2 lbs. - peeled, seeded and cut into chunks)

1 cup cream cheese

2 Tbl. sp. brown sugar (you can also use succanat)

1 Tbl. sp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. garam masala 

1 medium white onion (chopped)

10 corn tortillas 

2 915-oz) cans enchilada sauce

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)

1 cup green olives stuffed with jalapeno peppers

Garam Masala Ingredients:

1 Tbl sp. cumin

1 Tbl sp. coriander

1 1/2 tsp. cardamon

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp.. black pepper

3/4 tsp. cloves

Instructions:

1. Mix together ingredients for garam masala. 
2. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat 13 x 9 inch glass baking with olive oil; set aside.
3. Add squash to boiling water and cook until tender - 12 minutes.
4. Drain squash and transfer to a large bowl.  Mash well.  Add cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon and garam masala.  Blend with hand mixer until smooth.  Adjust seasonings to taste.
5. Mix in onions.
6. Pour 1 can of the enchilada sauce into the baking dish until the bottom is coved.  Take the other can of sauce and pour into a shallow bowl.
7. To assemble:  Dip a tortilla into the enchilada sauce until it’s covered.  Place 1/2 cup of the squash mixture along the center of the tortilla.  Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and roll up tightly.  Arrange the enchilada in the baking dish with the seam side down.  Repeat this step until all 10 enchiladas are in the baking dish.
8. Cut olives into slices. 
9. Top the enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce, shredded cheese and olives.
10. Bake until heated through - 10 to 20 minutes depending on  your oven. 

Pumpkin Lasagna - This is a fun and colorful dish that my daughter loves to help me make. 

Yields 8 servings.  

Ingredients:

¼ C. all-purpose flour

2 ½ cup evaporated milk

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

10 oz dry lasagna noddles (I use the kind of noodles that you don’t have to precook.  They work best for me.)

2 1/4 cups cooked pureed pumpkin

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

¾ cup cranraisins

2 Tbl sp. peacans

1/4 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make a cheese sauce by placing flour in a small saucepan then gradually whisk in milk and garlic. 
3. Warm over low heat, stirring constantlyuntil sauce thickens - 3 or 4 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Spread ¼ cup of cheese sauce over bottom of a 9 x 13 inch glass pan and cover with one layer of lasagna noodles; top with 1/3 of squash and ½ cup of cheese sauce.  Sprinkle with ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of cranraisins.  Repeat this step.
6. Top with remaining squash and cranraisins.  Cover with last  lasagna noodles, pressing sheets firmly down.  Top with remaining cheese sauce; sprinkle with nuts and remaining mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake until lasagna bubbles around edges and is browned on top - 30 minutes.  Slice into 8 pieces and serve.

If you have some favorite pumpkin recipes that you would like to share, please post a comment.

This Halloween, think outside the candy box.  Make healthy, delicious treats for your friends and family.  This recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins was sent to me by Talia Fox.

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 C Flour
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
• 2 organic eggs
• 1/2 C organic apple sauce 
• 1 C organic pumpkin puree 
• 1/2 C organic (70%) chocolate chips  

Mix all ingredients together.  Scoop batter into muffin tin.  Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes until done.

I am sad to see summer go this year.  I will miss the fresh vegetables from our tiny garden.  Fortunately, we are still harvesting green tomatoes, zucchini, crookneck squash and eggplant.  Here are a couple of recipes that freeze well and will extend your late summer harvest into the fall and winter months.

Cream of Green Tomato Soup

This recipe is my own modification on my mother’s green tomato soup recipe.  My daughter, the picky eater, loves this soup so much she will eat two bowls at a sitting.  In our family, that’s a big recommendation.

Ingredients: 

2 lbs. green tomatoes - chopped

5 cups chicken broth (low sodium)

2 large baking potatoes - cubed but not peeled

1 yellow onion - diced

2 cloves garlic - chopped

2 sticks of celery - chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 lb. Black Forest Ham - chopped 

1 tsp. white pepper

salt to taste (if needed)

Optional:  1 c. sour cream - added before serving or as garnish

1. Combine tomatoes, broth, potatoes, onion, garlic, celery and bay leaf together in a large soup pot.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until potatoes are tender.  If you are using a crockpot, cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until potatoes are tender.
2. Remove bay leaf and add ham. 
3. Blend the solids from the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Return the puree to the soup pot or crockpot.  Stir in the sour cream and season to taste with pepper and salt. Warm over a medium heat for another 30 minutes.  Use high heat if  you are using a crockpot.
4. Serve with pumpernickel bread.

Chocolate Zucchini Nut Bread

This recipe makes three 9×5 loaves - two for freezing and one for eating right away.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Dry Ingredients:

6 cups of all-purpose unbleached white flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp soda

2 tbl sp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated)

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Whisk together in a large bowl.

Wet Ingredients:

12 organic egg whites - beaten to a light and foamy consistency

1 cup canola oil

3 cups brown sugar

4 cups grated, unpeeled zucchini

1 12-oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts - chopped

1/2 cup pecans - chopped

4 tsp. vanilla

butter - to coat pans

1. Combine the first four wet ingredients and beat well with an electric mixer.
2. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients with chocolate chips, nuts and vanilla.  Stir with wooden spoon until blended.  Don’t over-stir. 
3. Pour batter into three loaf pans which have been coated with butter.  
4. Bake for about one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean. 
5. Cool on racks.  Freezes well. 

Free-range or barn raised?  Locally produced or imported? Organic or conventionally grown?  These days, going to the grocery store is like taking the SATs-otherwise known as the Shopping Aptitude Test.  With so many decisions to make, how do we know we are making the right choices?  The simple answer is you don’t, unless you have done your homework. For those of you who haven’t studied, it’s time to grab your #2 pencils.  I am going to lead you on a short course through the world of healthy, authentic food.

• Part I: Organic?   You walk into a grocery store and see a beautiful, perfectly round, red tomato on display next to a smaller, organically grown tomato that looks a little like Abraham Lincoln’s profile.  What do you do?

1. Not knowing what the term organic really means, you throw up your hands in defeat and wander off towards the frozen foods section in search of a pint of Chunky Monkey.
2. Buy the organic tomato because even though it looks like something grown on Mars, it has the Earthy aroma of a tomato.
3. Buy the beautiful, conventionally grown tomato because it’s cheaper.

If you answered 1., it’s time to put the Chunky Monkey down and visit the USDA National Organic Program (NOP).  They define organic as a food that has been produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.

According to the NOP, organic food should be produced without using pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation.  Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products must come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.  Cloning animals or using their products would also be considered inconsistent with organic practices.  In order for a food to be labeled organic, a Government-approved certifier must inspect the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards.  Companies that handle or process organic food must be certified, too.  What exactly does this mean to you and how does it help you choose which tomato to buy?

For those of you who answered 2., it means a healthier tomato.  The Organic Trade Association (OTA)  believes that there is mounting evidence that organically grown fruits, vegetables and grains may offer more of some nutrients including vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus with less exposure to nitrates and pesticide residues, than their counterparts grown using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

It just makes sense that foods that foods grown without pesticide residue are healthier for you.  Organic farmers are prohibited from using synthetic chemicals but conventional farmers can use around 200 approved synthetic chemicals-fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

Pesticides on foods pose even more of a danger to young children.  Because they are growing, they consume more food per pound of body weight than adults which means higher exposure to pesticide residues.  Since many modern pesticides are neurotoxins designed to kill bugs by interfering with their nervous systems, even low levels could be potentially dangerous in children whose brains are developing.

The not-for-profit  Environmental Working Group (EWG)  has developed a ranking system based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2005.  Their list, The Dirty Dozen, catalogs the most contaminated fruits and vegetables.  It includes:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Imported grapes
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. Potatoes.

For the people who answered 3. to the tomato question, you are part of an increasing minority.  The organic industry is growing by an average of 20 percent each year.  Most people are willing to pay more for organic food because they believe it’s a healthier way to eat.  Rising fuel prices are one reason organic food is more expensive than conventional food products.  Tighter government regulations, lower crop yields and more expensive farming practices also contribute to higher prices.  Because organic farmers do not use herbicides or pesticides, they must rely on labor intensive practices to control weeds and pests.  The good news is that organic foods are becoming more mainstream, therefore more affordable.  If you shop around, in some cases you might find organic items less expensive than conventionally produced food.    

• Part II: Localvores?  Choose the answer that best describes the term localvores.

1. Legendary, dragon-like creatures that eat local villagers.
2. People who eat food that meets the Authentic Food Standards.
3. People who eat food produced within a certain radius of their home.
4. Both (2.) and (3.)

If you answered 4., you are correct.  Because formal USDA certification can be expensive and complicated for small, independent farms, alternative organic standards are emerging.  The Authentic Food Standard, proposed by author and organic farmer Eliot Coleman, includes criteria that are incompatible with current agribusiness.  He proposes that fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs and meat products be produced within a 50-mile radius of the place of their final sale and that grains, beans, nuts, and potatoes be produced within a 300-mile radius.  ”Localvores” feel that  locally grown, seasonal food can be brought to market more quickly than food that has to be transported long distances.  Therefore, it is fresher, better tasting and more nutritious.

Our family has found that eating locally produced food and eating organic compliment each other.  For us, it’s all about eating the healthiest foods you can to be the healthiest person you can be.  It’s also about making healthy choices for a healthy planet.  The amount of money most families spend on food is enormous.  If we divert that money from buying conventionally grown food that is being shipping hundreds or thousand of miles to locally grown food, we can make big changes for our planet.

• Part III. All of the above 

The debate over organic versus conventionally produced food has waged for years with proponents saying that organic farming protects the environment and critics saying it has little effect.  Organic advocates say pesticides can cause numerous health problems including cancers, neurological disorders, immune system weakening, autoimmune disorders, asthma, allergies, infertility, miscarriage, learning disabilities, mental retardation, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders.  Critics say there is little evidence that organic is healthier than conventionally grown food.

I think we can all agree that the authentic food movement has been gaining momentum for some time as people discover that the best tasting, most sustainable and healthiest choices for their family are foods that are fresh, seasonal and organic or locally grown.  While localvores are drawing inspiration from the 100-Mile Diet or from books like “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” by Barbara Kingsolver, others are following their consumer consciences to farmers’ markets, CSAs and natural food stores.   Do your homework and educate yourself about your food choices before you head to the market so that the next time you are faced with the shopping aptitude test, you will pass with flying colors.

For the past eight years, my favorite spring-time recipe has been a spicy version of cream of asparagus soup.  Everyone in our family, including my daughter, loves this soup.  Not only is it fast and easy to make but delicious to eat.  

Moroccan Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

2 lbs. or 2 bunches of fresh, young asparagus - trim off the tough bottom parts  

5 cups of chicken stock or chicken broth

2 large baking potatoes - peeled and cubed

1/2 c. of diced, sweet white onion - you can substitute scallions

1 c. sour cream - you can substitute soy sour cream

1 tbl sp. lemon juice

1 tsp. Moroccan curry powder (sweet)

1/8 tsp. celery seasoning 

1 tsp. white pepper

1. Combine asparagus, broth, potatoes and onions together in a large soup pot.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until potatoes are tender.  If you are using a crockpot, cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until potatoes are tender then raise heat to high.
2. Blend the solids from the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Return the puree to the soup pot or crockpot.  Stir in the sour cream, lemon juice and seasonings and heat over a medium heat for another 30 minutes.  Heat over a high heat if  you are using a crockpot.
3. Serve with Moroccan flat bread.

You have heard of vegetarians, vegans, ecotarians and localvores but what about sustainavores?  Alert Wikipedia!  I think I just made up a new term.  Whatever you call it, sustainable eating is gaining popularity and for good reasons.  For our family, sustainable eating is saving our health, our planet, our budget and our future.