Growers and Grocers

One of my tomato plants with silver mulch underneath (photo: author)
If you garden, you no doubt know the wonders of mulch: it moderates soil temperature, conserves water and helps to build the soil. But silver reflective mulch, as opposed to plain old bark or other organic matter, can also repel pests, including thrips and aphids, […]

As the Organic Chef, organic beef farmer, nutritionist and organic consultant, one of the comments that I hear most often is that organics are too expensive. How can anyone afford to feed their family organically? My response is always “You’re not thinking pragmatically”.
There is a solution - the 80% solution. There are ways to feed […]

Did you know that most of the birdseed you find at the grocery and hardware store are covered in chemicals or traces of pesticides? Treat your winged friends right with all-natural birdseed.
Cole’s Wild Bird Feed
Wild Wings
Or if you’d rather make it yourself, The Organic Report suggests the following:
Making your own organic bird feed is […]

I’ve been telling people grass is good for years. As The Organic Chef and an organic grass fed beef farmer, it’s only natural that I’ve heard just about everything a person could tell me about grass fed beef.Here I’ve chosen three “myths” about grass fed beef to debunk:
1) All beef is grass-fed
2) Grass-fed beef is […]

My daughter is just beginning to eat baby food. So far, it’s Earth’s Best Organic Rice Cereal and First Apples. But ultimately, I would rather be making her baby food with fresh produce.
Therein lies the dilemma: Is it better to make fresh baby food with grocery store produce, since the growing season in the northeast […]

I am a huge fan of both Farmers’ Markets and CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture). When our local market finally opens up again on May 14th (yes, I’m counting the days), I’ll be taking the kids there as often as possible, but it’s not always easy to coordinate. CSA’s make getting fresh, local produce a little […]

In a moment both shimmering and tantalizing, ramps have arrived.  Signifying the return of the fairy tale bounty of the summer Union Square Greenmarket, in flavor, ramps are a delightfully delicate cross between garlic and leek.
Trim off the bulb, and wash, pying attention to where the leaves separate.
Zucchini Ramp Omelet

Sauté one small diced zucchini in […]

 
Plain yogurt, like Brussels sprouts, beets, and kale, is one of those foods that makes me feel slightly virtuous each time I eat it. Not because it’s a struggle to choke down these foods, I hasten to clarify, but just because there are so many health benefits associated with them.
Although in the past I’ve purchased […]

 
Since I am not the primary consumer of ketchup in my household (that distinction belongs to my kids), I decided to enlist the whole family in taste-testing this product. We sampled Wholemato’s Organic Agave Ketchup on roasted potatoes, which were otherwise flavored only with sea salt, black pepper, and a little bit of olive oil.
Upon […]

Organic “fun snax” have come a long way since the soy-nut-and-dried-papaya gorp of my youth. We now can send our kids off to school with a FruitaBü Organic Smoooshed Fruit Flat in their lunch bag, content in the knowledge that (a) it’s organic, (b) it’s half a serving of real fruit, and (c) they’ll probably […]