Organic Fruit for All

Star Fruit adds Exotic Thrill to Winter Romance

2008-02-09T11:33:00.002-05:00

Tired of chocolate covered strawberries on Valentine's day? Need a vacation from the same old fruit? Get out of your winter romance fruit rut with exotic Star Fruit. Delicious, healthy, and seasonal in winter months, star fruit is an exciting addition to any meal.

Preparing a fresh Star Fruit is simple, much like cleaning an orange. Fresh, uncut Star Fruit looks like an American football with fins. Holding the Star Fruit firmly upright, gently trim the brown edges off each ridge. Cut off the end of the Star Fruit where the stem is located. Now we are ready to slice the Star Fruit. Slicing it will yield about three star-shaped pieces of fruit. The last preparation step is to remove the seeds. They are larger in size but about the same color as apple seeds. They will be located near the center of each slice where the “arms” of the fruit begin to radiate outward.

Star Fruit can be used in many ways and in a wide variety of dishes. It makes the perfect exotic topping to any cake or pie. Star Fruit is equally at home in salads or drizzled with dessert sauces. Here are suggestions for ways to serve Star Fruit for your next romantic meal:

On a bed of whipped cream, topped with caramel sauce
The focal piece in a mixed green salad with raspberry vinaigrette
Shared plain with your sweetie, accompanied by champagne or a favorite beverage
As part of an exotic fruit punch or sangria
Roasted on a grill like sliced pineapple and served as a side dish

Do you have a favorite method or recipe for Star Fruit? I want to hear about it!

Banana Nut Pancakes

2007-12-29T11:01:00.001-05:00

Pancakes can be a healthy part of any meal. The addition of whole wheat, oatmeal, and nuts provides the protein and nutrition to keep your energy up.
You will need: * 1 - 2 tblspn Canola oil, for griddle (cooking pan) *1/2 cup whole wheat flour *1/4 cup oatmeal *1 1/2 cups all purpose flour *1 teaspoon baking powder *1/4 teaspoon baking soda
*1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt *1 1/4 cups and 2 tblspn soy milk *2 large ripe bananas, mashed (the riper the better) *2 large eggs *3 tablespoons melted butter (or other cooking oil)
*1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts, roasted

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour,oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined and make a well in the center. In another medium bowl, whisk all the soy milk, the bananas, eggs, and oil until well combined. Pour into the well and stir until smooth; there can be a few little lumps remaining. Stir in the walnuts. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake, pour the batter onto the griddle. Cook until the edges of the pancake appear dry and the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes. This pancake batter behaves differently from others: The top may not become covered with tiny bubbles, which usually indicate the pancake is ready to turn. Check the edges and use a thin spatula to peek at the underside.

Flip the pancakes and cook until the other side is golden, about 2 minutes. Keep warm in the oven while preparing the rest of the pancakes. If the batter thickens too much upon standing, thin with additional soy milk.

Wild Blackberry Cobbler

2007-12-23T09:57:00.001-05:00

Our wild organic blackberries are delicious raw, but when you are in the mood to share, try this easy cobbler. Remember blackberries are very fragile, so a gentle rinse in a colander is all they need for cleaning.
You will need: * 2 cups sugar * 1/3 cup butter *2 cups flour *2 teaspoons baking powder *1 teaspoon salt * 1 cup milk * 1 tbsp lemon juice * 2 cups blackberries *2 cups boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add lemon juice to milk. Set milk aside until it reaches room temperature. Mix butter and 1 3/4 cups sugar together until creamy. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Measure out 2 cups of sifted ingredients and add to butter mixture. Add milk and mix well. Pour the mixture into a long baking pan at least 2 inches deep. (13 x9 or 12 x 8). Carefully pour the blackberries evenly onto the top of the batter. Sprinkle
Cream 1 cup sugar with butter; add flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Mix well; pour into 12 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan. Pour blackberries over batter; Sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the blackberries. Pour boiling water over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Delicious alone or with ice cream.

Skillet Apple Crisp

2007-12-20T10:56:00.001-05:00

Sweet juicy apples and crispy oatmeal make this a dessert everyone will remember, whether you are at home or out camping. Serve alone or with ice cream. A regular skillet can be used if you do not have an iron skillet.
You will need: *5 medium sized apples, sliced *1 cup of uncooked oatmeal *1/2 cup brown sugar *1 tbsp cinnamon *1/4 cup of butter (8 tbsp).

Heat skillet on medium heat. Melt butter in skillet. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, stir until mixed. Slowly add the apples, coating the slices in the mixture. Next add the oatmeal, folding it into the mixture while stirring. There should be very little liquid left. Cook until apples soften and oatmeal becomes crispy. Add water a tablespoon at a time if needed during cooking.

Seasonal Cherry Stuffing

2007-12-19T11:53:00.000-05:00

This delicious stuffing is made with our tasty organic cherries. It is low in fat and a colorful addition to any holiday meal. For a vegetarian twist, use vegetable stock.
You will need: *5 pieces of whole grain bread * 1 9 inch pan of cornbread, crumbled
* 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil * 5 tablespoons of butter * 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
*1/2 medium onion, finely chopped * 2 cloves of minced garlic * 1/4 tsp marjoram *1 1/2 cups broth or stock *1/2 cup organic cherries, chopped *1 tsp salt *1 tsp ground pepper *1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Season the bread with salt, pepper, and butter to taste. Break into chunks no larger than 1/2 inch and toast in oven. Set aside. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a large pot. Add garlic, celery, and onion, cooking over low heat for five minutes. Add marjoram, basil, and pepper to vegetables and stir. Add broth. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Carefully add bread crumbs, walnuts, and cherries. Let stand covered about 5 minutes before serving.

Zoë b Organic Weekly: Eco-Friendly Wallets by DB Clay

2007-12-18T10:39:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a unique gift that also helps the environment, these wallets are worth a look. They may be intended for guys, but the horse design on Zoe's blog is definitely on my little girl's list.

Fresh Fruits Revive Walkers

2007-12-12T22:52:00.000-05:00

Eating fresh fruit as part of an exercise recovery plan is a refreshing way to stay healthy and hydrated. Bananas and oranges contain vitamin c and potassium, reviving your body naturally.

Eating a piece of fruit with a protein such as peanut butter will restore additional energy and keep you exercising longer and more efficiently. Be sure to drink plenty of liquids and eat regularly if you will be doing any physical activity for over an hour.

Tomatoes, the flexible fruit

2007-12-02T13:51:00.000-05:00

Tomatoes are a fruit disguised as a vegetable. It's juicy but not sweet, and tastes best with a sprinkling of salt instead of sugar. You won't find tomatoes on top of a cake or in a fruit pie.

They are best loved as vegetables. Salsa, marinara sauces, BLTs, and pizza are just a few of the many foods that we use tomatoes for. Delicious raw, fried, stewed, roasted, grilled, and just about any other way imaginable, they are the ideal cooking staple.

5 Ways to Go Green with Lemons

2007-11-15T14:01:00.000-05:00

Tart, bright, and shaped like a smile, the simple lemon is useful for a variety of purposes including decorating, cooking, and cleaning. Lemon is delicious in tea or a tall icy glass of lemonade. It adds tart zest to many dishes, even pancakes. Lemon is also an eco-friendly household cleanser. Here are five ways to use this cheerful fruit every day.

1. Making Lemon Buttermilk - Add a teaspoon of lemon for every 1/4 of milk to curdle milk for cooking. I use this method whenever I make pancakes.
2. It can be used instead of vinegar for windows
3. The acid in lemons is very effective at removing tough stains from stove tops
4. Using it as a drain cleaner is a biodegradable way to clean the kitchen pipes without using harsh chemicals. Drop three tablespoons of baking soda into the sink drain, then squeeze one cup of lemon juice onto the powder. It creates a chemical reaction with the soda, causing a fizzing that is fun to watch!
5. Don't throw away the lemon rinds. Use the drained lemons as cleaning pads. Sprinkle baking soda into the sink basin. Turn the lemon skins inside out so the fleshy inside will touch the surface of the sink. Scrub away until it shines.

The natural fresh scent the lemon leaves behind is a pleasant byproduct. Add a little lemon to your cleaning routine to go green.

Apples, The Fall Fruit

2007-10-25T23:50:00.000-04:00

Apples are a great seasonal fruit for fall. Colorful, crunchy, sweet, tangy, and healthy, they are perfect as edible centerpieces for the holidays. Apples keep well at room temperature and are excellent chilled. They can be used in many holiday dishes to add extra color and seasoning. Stuffing, appetizers, entrees and pies can all benefit from sweet or tangy apple varieties.

Try them cut up in stuffing, with cream cheese and crackers, or roasted with main dishes such as turkey, duck, or chicken. They are also a great accent for stews.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy apples?

B -A -N - A - N - A - S

2007-09-27T20:53:00.000-04:00

Growing up in the Southeastern U.S.,mbananas were both an exotic fruit and an everyday staple of snacks, desserts, and lunches. It was unheard of to go to a restaurant buffet and not see a generous portion of Banana Pudding with alternating golden circles of cookies and banana slices.

Here are some fun facts about Bananas from http://www.eatmorebananas.com:

Bananas are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber.
Bananas have no fat, cholesterol or sodium.
Bananas are great for athletic and fitness activity because they replenish necessary carbohydrates, glycogen and body fluids burned during exercise.
There is no such thing as a banana tree. Bananas grow on plants.
Bananas are not grown commercially in the continental United States. They are grown in Latin and South America from countries like Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Guatemala.
Bananas are available all year-round. They are harvested every day of the year.

Unexpected Nectarines

2007-09-24T20:11:00.000-04:00

Tart and juicy, nectarines are an unexpected delight. Put them in cereal, on a fruit tray, or cool them in a refrigerator and pack them for lunch.

More Bing for your Buck

2007-09-20T15:56:00.000-04:00

As a child my favorite part of a sundae was always the Marachino cherry. It was mysterious, sweet, and rare. I was only allowed to eat them when I went out with my parents, which wasn't often. One afternoon a friend of mine gave me cherries as a snack. I remember sitting in her parent's kitchen feeling surprised and dismayed when I bit down on the cherry and discovered the stone. I was reluctant to each cherries after that. It seemed like too much work.

Now that I've grown up I can appreciate the beauty and variety of cherries. They are an unexpected addition to snack mixes, cookies, and sauces. Cherries are a hearty fruit with a firm texture. Fresh cherries ship well and have an excellent shelf life. Try our Florida cherries for a tart treat anytime.