Beachy Picnic

Though summer is starting to feel the elbow of fall, I’m still in a picnic kind of mood (to be honest, I’m ALWAYS in a picnic mood).  I’m sure we have at least a few more of these soft, blowsy days left here in Seattle, where we’re enjoying the height of Northwest summer time. It’s the kind of sultry, seductive weather that makes it a sin not to take your food into the garden or onto the water.

And why do we make the effort to serve food and drink on a sandy towel at the beach, out of the trunk of the car, or anywhere except from the convenience of the kitchen? The answer lies in the alchemy.  All food tastes better seasoned with fresh air and the dappled light of a shade tree.

Another reason I  love picnics is the way they encourage slower paced socializing.  Slow food for sure. Once you’ve staked out a patch of sandy beach or soft meadow, or the table in the backyard, you don’t need to do anything more challenging than adjusting the umbrella and manning the corkscrew.

And the focus isn’t on fancy food.  The picnic meal that fits well into my hand is crafted of simple recipes and great ingredients from the farmer’s market: a crescent of melon-scented Mimolette cheese, crusty nut bread, my tahini roasted chicken and plums dipped in dark, dark Theo chocolate.  Avec Rosé, bien sur.

Spontaneous Picnic dress, photo Reddish Studio

20 tips for the Pro Piquenique-iste !

Equipment and Decor

1. “The Essential Picnic Kit” (things every picnic basket should include):  Salt, pepper, sugar, a small all-purpose knife, a corkscrew, a can opener, matches, paper towels, trash bags, wet wipes, bug repellent and sunscreen.
2. Coolers: Lightweight, soft-sided coolers are the most convenient.  My favorites have a metal frame on wheels. They keep the food just as cold as the heavy, rigid ones and they are lighter and fold up for storage! I’ve found nice ones at club stores.
3. Umbrellas: Since picnics are rarely held in cool weather (intentionally), a lightweight, folding umbrella is a must.  At the very least, to shade the food and, at the very best, some of the guests as well.
4. Ice-packs: Purchase several flexible, re-usable ones—they’re the best for picnics (and also useful for sprained ankles.) . These are filled with a re-freezable gel and are most common in a 4”x 8” size that has a chilling effect equal to a 2-pound bag of ice. This is a very sustainable choice for chilling.
5. Cell Phone: Essential for any well-organized picnic planner (as if it would ever be out of your pocket, anyway)
6. Flexible Cutting Board: Always pack two. They take up practically no room and will prove indispensable.
7. Lightweight, Folding Chairs: Great for anyone who isn’t comfortable sitting on the ground. Since it’s not practical to tote one for everyone, they are a VIP item.
8. A plastic, child’s game table or two. You will use them over and over as a small buffet or worktable whether on the beach or in a park.
9. Good looking, re-usable plastic tumblers and stemmed wine glasses.  Glass is often impractical and flimsy plastic glassware can sap the elegance right out of a special meal. This is also the most sustainable choice.
10. A basket of pretty paper or lace fans is a practical décor element. Paper umbrellas are  nice touch,too.  All of these can be used over and over.
11. Build a collection of lengths of washable fabric in beautiful patterns (at least 4 yards each) to drape around tables or coolers and from tree to tree to create privacy.  Find this at tag sales.
12. Purchase used comforters at tag sales or rummage sales that may not be good enough for a bedroom but that make sweet picnic blankets.
13. Pack condiments in small containers rather than taking whole jars.
14. Pack everything possible in light, flexible, heavy-duty Ziploc bags. Take them home to rinse and re-use.
15. Pre-cut easy finger-food sized portions.  Perfect picnic food is easy to eat without utensils.
16. Take citronella candles to ward off flying insects.
17. Food tents or covers (a rigid frame covered with net, large enough to cover 1 platter or bowl) are excellent to keep flies and hornets out of the potato salad. With these you won’t be tempted to use toxic sprays.  These are available in various sizes, either rigid or collapsible, at kitchenware and hardware stores such as Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma.
18. Pack the ice for beverages in heavy-duty plastic bags and tuck it around the food.  That way it serves double duty—chilling the food until you need it for drinks.
19. Put the cooler inside the car (where the air conditioning is running) not in the hot trunk.
20. If the picnic is being held in a private area, a portable iPod player is a wonderful way to add Chopin or Miles Davis to lunch.  Skip this touch if others might be disturbed by your tunes.


Watermelon Hearts, photo M.Rodriguez

Mediterranean Lamb Burger, photo M. Rodriguez

Versailles Gardens, photo weenterwinter

While attending cooking school in Paris, my classmates and I developed a Sunday tradition during the summer months.  None of us had much money, but we had lots of interest in exploring France, enough change for a Metro ticket, and plenty of burgeoning cooking skills we were dying to test—away from the critical eyes of our chef instructors.

Every Sunday we traveled to the gardens of Versailles Palace for a picnic.  Laden with an assortment of plastic shopping bags and my cumbersome laundry basket filled with supplies we looked liek a traveling circus crammed into the tiny seats of the Metro. Once, my determined friend Michel hauled along a bucket of his freshly-churned peach ice cream packed in ice!

Later, reclining under a 200-year old willow, we dug out satiny nuggets of French farmhouse cream laced with Avignon peaches and slivers of Tahitian vanilla bean and moaned our thanks to Michel.  With every bite, I could imagine I was one of the aristocrats who built the gardens we were lolling in. Of course, we ate the ice cream first.  After all, we were in decadent Versailles.

It’s mortifying to admit, but in all the months we spent our Sundays there, we never ventured indoors. These outings were more about relaxation and gluttony than culture.  The closest I came to the Great Hall of Mirrors was jogging past an outer wall in a foot race with other Sunday-mad Parisians looking for the best place to lay our blanket.

Reasons To Have A Picnic:

1. You don’t have to clean the house for company and there’s no day-after mess.
2. Children of all ages can be included and enjoy themselves without constant adult supervision.
3. Your home is too small for a big gathering; you don’t have a yard and the weather is gorgeous..
4. You can save money hosting a big party by doing it at a park or on the beach.  This is cheaper than renting a hall or restaurant and it’s much more personal and fun.
5. You’ll get some fresh air and the dog can come, too.

6. 

   "Nicole in Paris"

heirloom tomatoes

This is national Farmers Market Week and what could be more identified with the glories of a summer farmers market than those juicy globes of goodness —vine ripened tomatoes. The botanical name of the tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, translates to wolfpeach, while the French referred to them as pommes d’amour (love apples).  So, even before people really saw them as edible, they had a reputation as desirable and a little bit naughty. Today you’ll still find a lot of us pretty passionate about a perfect slab of beefsteak tomato in our caprese (preferably from Billy’s).

So, here are some tips on buying, storing and preserving them, plus an easy recipe for tomato soup with corn.

Selecting and storing tomatoes
When selecting tomatoes at the market, use your nose. Smell the blossom (not stem) end. The most flavorful ones will have a rich tomato aroma. Refrigeration is the enemy of fresh tomatoes. Store tomatoes in a cool, dark place and use within a few days. If you must refrigerate a tomato, take it out about an hour before using it to let it return to room temperature. This helps bring out the aroma and flavor notes. The tomato is a fruit not a vegetable.

Preserving Tomatoes
If you’re interested in a way to preserve an abundance of tomatoes, consider freezing.  This is much simpler than canning and the pure tomato flavor and texture comes through better. In my mind, I choose to preserve or can tomatoes if I’m creating a great sauce or jam. But if I just want to save plain tomatoes for later use in sauces, soups or stews, I prefer freezing.

To freeze, rinse and dry thoroughly. Place in freezer-weight plastic bags and remove all of the air (a Foodsaver machine is great for this). No peeling or blanching is necessary; when they thaw, the skins will easily slip off and they’re ready to add to your favorite recipe.

Summer Harvest Tomato Soup Recipe

Summer Harvest Tomato Soup, photo sleepyneko

This luscious, vibrantly red soup can be served, hot or at room temperature, as a first course or displayed on a buffet.

EASE OF PREPARATION: A snap

BEVERAGE TO ACCOMPANY: French Chablis, Oregon Sauvignon Blanc

Makes 4 to 6 servings

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• ½ medium onion, minced
• 1-1/2 lbs. ripe organic tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 6 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 red jalapeno or serrano chile, minced
• kernels from one to two ears of sweet corn
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• 4 to 6 thick slices Italian bread, toasted
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (truffle oil, if you’ve got it) for drizzling

1. In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, stew the olive oil, onion, tomatoes, parsley, chili and garlic for 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Add the corn and cook for a final 5 minutes.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared to here up to 2 days in advance, re-warm to serve)
4. Put a chunk of bread in the bottom of each bowl and ladle the soup on top. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan and drizzle with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. Serve

Buff Orpingtons

When I think of a nice breakfast, I usually picture eggs: poached, scrambled or in an omelet. I consider if I want hash browns, home fries, or toast. But I rarely (okay—never) think of my egg’s momma. Was she a Jersey Giant, a Rhode Island Red (probably) or the elusive Buff Orpington?  But there is a growing flock of chicken-istas in America who do. They are mightily concerned about the wholesomeness of commodity eggs and chickens.  In response, they’ve invested in a burgeoning swarm of urban chicken flocks that are one of the hottest expressions of the sustainable food scene.

And this is not a minor, chia pet fad. Amazon lists more than 60 books on the topic (nearly all published since 2007) from Building Chicken Coops for Dummies, to The Joy of Keeping Chickens, and City Chicks: Keeping Micro-flocks of Chickens. Big chicken hatcheries are often sold out these days (unheard of in the past).

I have to say this concept has me absolutely fascinated at the moment. Especially since I visited a neighbor’s flock to help her collect eggs. Okay, it wasn’t much of an effort—we got 4. But it sure was fun.

Roosting Buff O

I picked up one of the hens and she was squirmy and kind of poky, but she was also warm and cuddly.  Bingo pierced me with her beady, little eyes as if to say, “Hey. Where are your eggs coming from, loser?” My heart strings twanged with a yearning for my own flock.  After that jaunt into my friend’s yard, I felt as though I’d taken a mini-vacation to real-ville and I wanted to go back.

There are two primary reasons why millions are going to all of this trouble. For starters, commercial chicken breeds have lost at least half of the genetic diversity present among their ancestors. This diversity ensured healthy breeds with a variety of flavor characteristics, each suited to a different culinary preparation, from roasting to braising.  Imagine that, you’d buy (or slaughter) a Buff Orpington for roasting and an Astrolorp for stewing.

Today’s industrial chicken operations raise a couple of specific breeds (out of the hundreds of choices) for each of the main uses: meat or eggs. This limited breed selection ensures a consistency of size and flavor which is essential to large scale farming and anathema to bold, sophisticated flavor.  Breeds used for meat are mostly hybrids named after the breeding companies that genetically developed them, like Ross or Hubbard.  The chickens used for eggs are nearly all Rhode Island Red or Leghorn crosses.

BTW—a list of many of the chickens recognized by the American Poultry Association (seemingly hundreds) makes it clear just how many breeds are not being included by commercial chicken operations. Some of my favorite names from this highly fanciful list: Silver Penciled Wyandotte, Blue Golden Duckwing and Cuckoo Antwerp Belgian.

Secondly, beyond the allure of their catchy names and toothsome flesh, most folks are making the commitment  to this hobby to ensure a steady supply of  glorious, golden-yolked, hormone free eggs. In fact, this is nearly the only way (unless you live near a pastured egg producer) to acquire naturally raised eggs. There are also studies indicating that eggs from pastured chickens are  more nutritious.

Farm eggs

Established in 1999, the website Backyard Chickens appears to be one of the forerunners of this mad dash towards cooping up our backyards.  It’s absolutely oozing with guidance for every aspect of chicken handling. My favorite product offered on the  site: DIY poop-free waterer.  I must say, I found it interesting that their first inclusion under links is “chicken recipes”.  I guess not everyone is raising chickens for their eggs.  Backyard Poultry magazine, founded in 2006, is also devoted to this passion.

To sum up:
1. Chickens are relatively easy to raise and many cities allow you to have 3 or more (if you live on a farm, get outta here).
2. There are lots of resources for acquiring a few unique chicks to call your own.
3. Your heritage breed birds are a unique source for that most multi-purpose ingredient—the egg—in its most healthful and flavorful form.

Go forth and coop it up, I say. (my dog is excited)

heritage chicken

Photos courtesy of Colleen Duffley

This month’s Veranda Magazine includes a beautifully photographed (Colleen Duffley) article focused on a selection of my cocktails from The Backyard Bartender.  There’s an interview with me, too. It is sooo  gorgeous— Veranda really made me feel like  star.

You can download the PDF to read the full story, including 11 of my summer sipper recipes!

Click the photo to download the PDF version of the story. PDF courtesy of Veranda Magazine.

photo Manny Rodriguez

Pomegranate Smack Cocktail Recipe

This innovative sweet-sour recipe was originated by the talented bartenders at Serafina restaurant in Seattle. They are pals, so they shared.  As pomegranate molasses has become a more popular ingredient, you may have become familiar with it’s seductive flavor.  If not, now’s the time to invest (about $3) in a bottle.

Pomegranate Molasses

This recipe also appeared in a slightly different guise in my book,  The Backyard Bartender.

EASE OF PREPARATION: A snap

Makes 2 cocktails

• 6 ounces organic, artisanal vodka, like Tru or Square One
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses*
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup
• 2 cups ice

GARNISH

• Kumquat or star fruit slice. In the winter, a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.

1. Use your finger to smear a thin coating of the pomegranate molasses on the rim of the glass. Press the rim in to a saucer of sugar.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker three-quarters full with ice.
3. Add the vodka, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously to blend and chill
4. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish.

* Pomegrante molasses is available at most good groceries and for sure at middle eastern grocers. This is a great ingredient for everything from cocktails to salad dressings. You want to have this in your pantry.  And, if you want to make your own, here’s a nice recipe from Alton Brown .

Thai Marinated Shrimp Kebabs Recipe

Shrimp Kebab, photo M.Rodriguez

Elements of the popular Tom Ka Gai soup from Thailand—coconut milk, cilantro, lime, and chile—are used as a marinade for these shrimp skewers. Serve them as an appetizer or on a bed of basmati rice as a main course.

EASE OF PREPARATION: A snap

BEVERAGE TO ACCOMPANY: A buttery Chardonnay

Makes 4 to 6 servings

• 1 1/2 pounds  large, raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh serrano or Thai pepper
• Kosher salt

1. If using bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes before using. Thread the shrimp on six 12-inch skewers. Lay the skewers in an even layer in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Stir together the coconut milk, lime juice, cilantro, and peppers with a good pinch of salt in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the skewers. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
3. Preheat the broiler or grill. Remove the skewers from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off (discard the marinade). Broil the skewers on a lightly oiled baking sheet or grill on a lightly oiled grate until the shrimp is just opaque through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Blackberry Margarita

Blackberry Margarita, photo Nicole

Blackberries are such a transient, delicate crop I think it’s wise to enjoy them every which way you can while they last. When I make straight up drinks like these, I think it’s not only important to use fresh fruits and herbs, as needed. I also want to enjoy top shelf liquor, like the Patrón products I’ve used here.

If you haven’t tried their Citronage— an orange flavored liqueur that’s their answer to Grand Marnier— I suggest you do.  It has a very refined floral orange note that I find less cloying than Grand Marnier.

Happy 4th of July, y’all.

EASE OF PREPARATION: A snap

Makes 4 generous cocktails

COCKTAIL

• 2 cup fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 ounce simple syrup
• 2/3 cup Patron silver tequila (or Herradura silver)
• 2 ounces Patron Citronage (or Grand Marnier)
• 3 ounces Chambord or other blackberry liqueur
• 4 cups cracked ice

GLASS

• Margarita or  large martini

GARNISH

• Skewer with alternating mint leaves and blackberries. Offer a straw.

1. Blend blackberries, lime juice and simple syrup until pureed. Strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds (make sure to scrape up every bit of blackberry goodness).  This can be done up to a 6 hours in advance and refrigerated.
2. Combine the blackberry-lime puree and all remaining ingredients in a blender and pulse to blend to a slushy texture.
3. Serve immediately.

Green kitchen table, photo Nicole

Some days it feels like the flood of information I’m absorbing about how I should eat is going to drown me. I want to do the right thing and I also want to be able to plan dinner without consulting six websites and a Ouija board.

So, after much research and many interviews with sustainability gurus, I’ve come up with a short list of the essential steps for greening up my culinary life. This collection of strategies and resources feels both satisfyingly comprehensive and doable to me.

Let me know what you think. I’m gonna print this up for my wallet (or tattoo it on my wrist, not sure yet).

Nicole’s Top 12 Green Moves

1. Consult the Eat Well Guide when planning your shopping list. This online resource lists sustainable, organic farms, restaurants, markets, bakeries, and even wineries by locale. So, just enter your zip code and discover green businesses within driving distance. The extensive list of “partners” on this site ( who contribute information and listings) is a clear indication of how widespread America’s interest is in eating natural, sustainable foods. 50 individual groups, from the  Adirondack Harvest to Chef’s Collaborative and the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association, work with the Eat Well Guide.
2. Eat grass fed (or mostly grass fed) beef. It’s better for: the earth, the cow, and you.  According to Jo Robinson of Eat Wild, “If you eat a typical amount of beef, switching to a lean grass-fed beef will save you 17,733 calories a year…If everything else in your diet remains constant, you’ll lose about six pounds a year”. Compared with feedlot meat, meat from grass-fed beef, bison, lamb and goats has less total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories. It also has more vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and a number of health-promoting fats, including omega-3 fatty acids
3. Cook more often; eat less processed food. I know this sounds obvious. But it’s worth repeating.  when you prepare your own food you know where it came from and what’s been added (besides food). Skip the frozen pizza and canned soups when you can and thereby avoid all that extra sodium, sugar (corn syrup, etc), preservatives, AND packaging that plague packaged foods. Consider cooking quantities of food on the weekend or starting a cooking club to freeze in batches for the busy week.


spot prawn on Lummi Island, photo Kaufman

4. Eat sustainable seafood. Whether you’re in a sushi bar or your market, only order/buy seafood on the Seafood Watch Guide. This will include Alaskan wild salmon and American shrimp.  This constantly updated guide is even available as an iPhone (or android, etc) app.
5. Give grass fed bison a try
   

   Bison

   Bison are an extremely lean, healthful meat, with 35% more protein than beef.  And consuming them actually ensures that they will not become an endangered species (that’s where they were headed as recently as 40 years ago).  Bison burgers are a great summer entertaining option.

6. Compost. This simple step can reduce your contribution to landfills by at least half. Put all of your produce scraps (and in some cities, meat and dairy, too) in a compost pail in the kitchen. I found an inexpensive little bucket that comes with biodegradable liner bags that completely eliminate the stinky food odors that used to make me hate my little compost pot. Transfer that to a simple compost bucket in your yard to enrich your garden. Or, in some cities, your food waste will be picked up by your recycling service.  Either way, you’re cutting down on your personal garbage contribution by a lot.
7. Embrace the Asian Food Pyramid
   From Tempura to Pad Thai, Asian cuisines have developed around the use of a small amount of meat or fish for flavor rather than as the star of the show (for the most part). This approach results in dishes that are easier on our waistlines, our wallets and the environment.
   
   

   Chicken Stir Fr

   It’s been established that cutting back on the amount of meat in your diet (currently 200+ pounds/year for Americans) is better for your general health. It also relieves some of the stress that confined animal feeding operations place on the environment.  There are lots of great books to help you both understand the issues, and find vegetarian or meat-light recipes you’ll enjoy.

   By the way, note the trim bodies and glowing skin on most Asian folks still enjoying their tradtional cuisines.  They have obviously developed a food pyramid that works—and protein is nowhere near the top.

8. Support Local Agriculture
   

   Artichoke in the garden

   You can achieve this profoundly important step (without local farmers we are reliant on industrial commodity farming) in a number of different ways: Join a CSA, shop at farmers markets, raise some of your own food (from produce to chickens). These all take a little more effort than stopping by the grocery.  But with today’s evolving local food sources, it’s definitely getting easier almost everywhere in the country. (And yes, I know we’re spoiled in Seattle.)

Not only do these choices ensure a food supply that is fresher and seasonal, it is usually more naturally raised (if not organic) and will offer you a wider assortment of ingredients. Local farmers can afford to raise the tender tomatoes and strawberries that can’t handle shipping, and the goofy pineapple sage the markets don’t want.  And what you can raise is bounded only by your climate and garden space. I know folks who manage to raise tomatoes and herbs they treasure on a Manhattan balcony.

9. Can and Preserve Canning and preserving is experiencing a monstrous renaissance (right up there with chicken cooping). Canning parties are evolving as today’s version of a bridge party or book club. I’m a proud member of Canning Across America, a national organization founded here in Seattle that is gaining members by the busload.


My kitchen in Jam-Mode

Canning and preserving just has it all going on. You can save money by purchasing buckets or flats of what’s in season at the farmers market, a wholesale club, or directly from a farm. Then you have the fun of rounding up a posse of pals to prepare it with you.  Months later you’ll enjoy unique preserves like cherry mostarda (a recipe I’m making this week), gingered peaches, or— one of my favorites— fresh tomato-chipotle ketchup.  There is NOTHING like homemade ketchup.  This is the ultimate in sustainability

10. Look for pastured pork, lamb, poultry and eggs.
    

    pastured Mangalitsa Pig

    Pasturing is more humane for the animals, ecologically sustainable, and a healthier way to raise animals for meat. The term pastured on a label is still not regulated by the USDA, but farmers using that designation are typically raising their animals in a way that approximates the natural lifestyle for the animal. That’s a good thing for the ultimate quality of the meat and, eventually, us.

    The regulations around the labeling standards for eggs are relatively loose (free range-right), so pastured is definitely the safest bet for finding a nutritious, delicious egg. Pastured eggs have less fat, more healthy Omega-3, and significantly less cholesterol than eggs from factory farms.

11. Buy organic wherever you can. It’s hard to balance all of the “shoulds”— even just the 12 on this list. And most of us find that while we understand the benefits of eating organic foods,  our organic purchases are limited by our wallet as much as by availability. This list of the most pesticide-loaded produce from the Environmental Working Group is very useful when you’re deciding which organic produce purchases are most important.
    

    Frey Organic Chardonnay

    Organic is equally significant when you consider meat and dairy purchases. There are great online resources like Local Harvest and many markets and farmer’s markets will have these options.

    Organic coffee, chocolate and wine–who’d a thought? These highly popular (addictive?) commodities have been enthusiastically embraced by organic producers. And, in some instances, main stream producers have expanded into organics.  As an added good conscience benefit, these indulgence items  are some of the most visible examples of fair trade practices really taking hold.  So when you have the opportunity, choose organic, fair trade chocolate, coffee or wine.  Main stream outlets like Starbuck’s, Trader Joe’s and Sam’s Club have several lines of organic, fair trade coffee and organic chocolates and wines are widespread.

12. Use green cleaning products According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside the typical home is on average 2-5 times more polluted than the air just outside (!)—and in extreme cases 100 times more contaminated—largely because of household cleaners and pesticides. Using environmentally gentle products like the ones listed here will let you scrub your kitchen until it sparkles with little, if any, residual damage to the air or the water system where it all winds up.

I like 20 Mule Team Borax for general cleaning. For the dishwasher (which is  way more energy efficient than hand washing in hot water) both Life Tree and Seventh Generation do a great job. Also, use cloth kitchen towels as much as possible; limit paper towels. Recycle everything that passes through your kitchen and your house.