Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin seeds
Extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
Sea salt
Seasonings such as garlic salt, chile powder & lime juice, smoked paprika, cinnamon & chile powder, Worcestershire sauce, etc.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease baking sheet.

In a bowl, mix pumpkin seeds with a small amount of olive oil or butter so they are very lightly coated. Add salt and seasoning of choice to taste and mix well.

Spread seeds evenly over the baking sheet and bake for about 15 to 25 minutes, or until seeds are cooked and begin to lightly brown. Stir the seeds and check for doneness every 10 minutes. Let cool and serve.

Did You Know: Taxes on Food

"Did You Know" is our series of blog posts about Green Earth Organics: how it works, how you can do more with your account, etc.

I get a lot of questions about taxes on our bins, especially from people who are first signing up. What is taxed and what is not is a little confusing, so I hope this clarifies things:

In British Columbia, most food is not taxed. That means no tax on fruits, vegetables, canned goods, pasta, coffee beans, etc. As a result, none of our predesigned bins (the $27 Small Bin, $35 Medium Bin, or $46 Large Bin) have any taxes on them.

There are a few food items that are taxed. These are the items that are classified as "snacks" instead of "groceries" under the tax laws. Some times the line between the two seems very subjective, but it isn't up to us as retailers to decide what is taxable and what isn't; our suppliers and manufacturers tell us, based on the type of item and the size of the package. Some examples of food items that are taxed in British Columbia include pops and sodas in individual serving cans, chocolate bars, and granola bars.

Non-food items are all taxable. There is HST on all our cleaning products and personal care products (including feminine hygiene products and baby diapers).

If we charged for delivery, we would have to calculate HST on the delivery fee, but since delivery is free, that's not an issue. There's also no taxes on the refundable deposits. Most people's deliveries from Green Earth Organics will contain little to no tax.

I hope that clarifies a little bit of the tax system!

Beans & Pumpkin Seeds Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 bunch cilantro, trimmed
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chile powder, or to taste
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cans cannellini beans, chickpeas, or other mild bean, drained and rinsed well
Spring salad mix or lettuce

DIRECTIONS

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and add the pumpkin seeds. When they begin to pop, start stirring them. Stir until the seeds look toasted, about 4 or 5 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/3 cup of the toasted pumpkin seeds along with the cilantro, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and chile powder until smooth. Continue blending as you gradually drizzle in the olive oil. Taste the pesto and add a pinch or two of sea salt if desired.

In a large bowl, gently toss the beans and the remaining pumpkin seeds with the pesto until well combined. Add the salad greens and toss again, or serve the bean salad on a bed of salad greens or lettuce leaves.

Sunny Banana Cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 very ripe medium bananas
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Peel the bananas and mash them in a large bowl for an electric mixer. And the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined.

Add flour and baking soda half at a time, beating to incorporate. Fold in the sunflower seeds and chocolate chips.

Refrigerate cookie dough for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scoop cookie dough by the teaspoon. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets (or cover the baking sheets in parchment paper. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.

Bird's Nest Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup of your favourite nut (suggestions: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.)
1/2 cup of your favourite jam

DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter and sugar at high speed. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix in. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined; don't over mix. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. If your nuts are raw, toast them to bring out the flavour: Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes (about 15 minutes for hazelnuts), until light golden-brown and fragrant. Let cool completely, then process in a food processor until finely chopped, or chop them by hand.

Whisk egg white until bubbly and frothy. Roll the chilled dough into about 1 inch balls. Dip each ball into the egg white then roll it in the chopped nuts. Place on a cookie sheet and press down gently with your thumb to flatten the cookie slightly and make a shallow well. Fill the indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.

Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until slightly brown.

The jam will tend to soften the cookie after a couple of days. To keep them longer or make them easier to freeze, bake them without the jam (reduce the baking time by a few minutes), then just fill the cookies with jam the same day as serving.

Spinach Hazelnut Pesto Pasta

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg of your favourite pasta (we like pappardelle)
1/2 cup hazelnuts
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Sea salt to taste
1/2 lb baby spinach, roughly chopped
28 gram pkg fresh basil, cut into ribbons
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta according to package directions, then rinse and set aside.

In the meantime, rub the skins off the hazelnuts, then put them in a plastic bag and use a mallet or rolling pin to roughly crush them.

Heat a pan over medium heat, then add and heat the olive oil and sautee the garlic for a minute or two, until golden.

Add crushed hazelnuts, salt, fresh spinach, and fresh basil. Stir until the spinach is wilted. Add the pasta and toss all together until everything is hot.

Mix in tomatoes and Parmesan if using, and serve hot.

Citrus-Radish Relish

INGREDIENTS

1.5 bunches (about 9 oz) radishes
1 orange
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter
Sea salt and ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Trim the stems off the radishes, then cut them into 1/4 inch thick slices. Zest the orange, being careful not to include any of the white pith.

Find a wide shallow pan. Put all the ingredients into the pan and then add water to almost cover everything.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has reduced down to a few tablespoons of rich buttery syrup and the radishes are very tender; about 30 minutes.

Serve warm with fish, meat, or bread and cheese.

Trading Fair

We've talked about Fair Trade in this space before. When you care about where and how your food is grown--and, oh, do we ever--it becomes impossible to ignore the remaining piece of the equation: by whom. You know that we carry as many Fair Trade products as we can (or if you don't, check out a comprehensive list here), but do you know what Fair Trade and its accompanying certification really mean?

When you purchase items that are Fair Trade certified, you are supporting businesses that value their workers, that seek to support rather than exploit, and that are committed to sustainability, transparency, and relationships. These principles are important to us.

As folks who commit to eating organic as much as we can, we're used to acting on our principles without always needing to see direct results--we know that eating organic is better for our bodies, for our children, and for the environment, even when we can't see it. We're used to growing, shopping, and eating this way. We've taken the time to learn about why it makes sense to eat organically and know why it's important to us. Let's take the same kind of time to remember that items we choose to purchase, especially--but not exclusively--those coming to us from far away, are grown, packaged, and created by real people who are directly affected by how we choose to spend our dollars. Reading about the terrible consequences that big banana companies, unchecked by Fair Trade restrictions, have wreaked on the land and on millions of people's lives is sobering. We're thrilled to say that we've been carrying nothing but Fair Trade bananas for a long time now, and hope to continue to able to do so.

When you see the Fair Trade symbol on a product, you know that these principles are being put into action (taken from Fair World Project):

Long-Term Direct Trading Relationships

Payment of Fair Prices and Wages

No Child, Forced or Otherwise Exploited Labor

Workplace Non-Discrimination, Gender Equity and Freedom of Association

Safe Working Conditions & Reasonable Work Hours

Investment in Community Development Projects

Environmental Sustainabilty

Traceability and Transparency

Take the time to learn more. The newest issue of For A Better World Publication has just been released. Read more about banana farming practices, fair trade crafts, fair trade quinoa and much more. Because we care, and we know that you do too.

Mango Dhal

INGREDIENTS

1 cup lentils or sprouted lentils
4 cups water
1 tsp sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Place lentils in a mesh strainer. Rinse them very well, until the water runs clear. Combine the lentils with 4 cups of water, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the turmeric in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

While the lentils cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut oil. Once hot, add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, cayenne, cumin, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.

Add the garlic mixture and the fresh mangoes to the lentils. Return to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are falling apart, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Stir in cilantro and serve hot.

Dealing with Mangoes

Mangoes are sweet and juicy and full of nutrition. They are an excellent source of vitamin A and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Fresh mango is also a very rich source of potassium and a very good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin E. However, they can be tricky to deal with, leaving a consumer wondering if the treat is worth the work.

Because mangoes come in a wide variety of colours, including green, red, yellow, and orange, colour is not the best way to determine ripeness. Sniff for a fragrant fruity odour at the stem end, or squeeze very gently to detect a firm yet yielding feel under your fingers. Keep unripe mangoes at room temperature.

There are a number of ways to prepare a mango. Googling "how to cut a mango" yields 349,000 results, with many photo tutorials and videos. Here are my favourite ways to prepare this fruit for eating:

To make the prettiest cubes, perhaps for a fruit salad, cut the mango in half lengthwise around the central pit, much like you would cut an avocado. With a little help from your knife, remove the pit, then score the flesh on both halves in a grid pattern, being careful not to cut through the skin. Turn each half inside out by pushing the center of the skin up from the back so the cubes stand out and cut them off the skin.

Alton Brown on Food TV recommends peeling your mango with a vegetable peeler, then using a corn-on-the-cob holder to hold the mango upright while carving all the flesh off.

You can see variations on both of the above techniques, with pictures, on the Start Cooking blog.

My favourite technique is a bit different. If your mango is nicely ripe, you can peel it by hand. I use a knife to trim a bit of skin off each of the tips of the fruit, then peel the skin off, much like peeling a banana. I find that one direction often works better than the other, so if the mango isn't peeling, I rotate it and try the other way. Once the skin's off, I use a knife to carefully carve the fruit off the pit. It is messy and the results aren't tidy cubes, but it seems to get the maximum amount of fruit off both skin and pit and the mango still tastes delicious.

Enjoy!

Popovers

INGREDIENTS

2 - 3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 cups milk or soy milk
2, 3, or 4 eggs

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put the coconut oil in an 8 or 9 inch baking dish and pop it in the warming oven until the oil melts, then brush it all over the inside of the dish.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour and salt.

In a measuring cup, beat together the milk or soy milk and the eggs. Add to flour and salt and beat with a whisk until there just a few lumps left. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish; it should fill the dish about 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Bake for 25 minutes if using 2 eggs, 30 minutes if using 3 eggs, or 35 minutes if using 4 eggs. Don't open the oven during the baking.

Remove from the pan promptly. Cut into squares and serve hot.

Simple Baked Polenta with Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 798 mL jar pasta sauce
1 tube of polenta, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated emmental or swiss cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Add pasta sauce and heat.

Slice the polenta into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place half the slices in a greased ovenproof dish. Spoon on half of the pasta sauce and sprinkle with half the cheese. Layer on the other half of the polenta and repeat the pasta sauce and cheese layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if using.

Bake until golden; about 20 minutes.

Fruit and Vegetable Storage Tips

Organic fruits and vegetables do sometimes go bad a little faster than their chemically-treated equivalents, so storing them correctly becomes all that more important. Correct storage can also ensure that their flavours are at their peak.

Most of the time it is best to store unripe fruit at room temperature but out of direct sunlight until ripe, then refrigerate until ready to use. Store both fruits and vegetables without washing them first and clean them only just before using.

Generally, fruits and vegetables should be stored separately. Fruits are usually high ethylene producers, which means they let off a lot of the natural chemical that cause produce to ripen and, eventually, to rot. Vegetables are usually more sensitive to ethylene, so they will keep better if stored away from fruit.

Here are some other helpful storage tips:

Apples: Remove any bruised or soft apples promptly – one bad apple really can spoil the bunch. Store away from onions and garlic, as apples will readily absorb their odours. Also store away from potatoes, as they will spoil each other more quickly.

Avocados: Store unripe avocados at room temperature out of direct sunlight. To hasten the ripening of green avocados, close them in a paper bag with a ripe tomato or apple. This takes advantage of ethylene to trigger ripening, so check the avocado every day. Once ripe, avocados can be moved to the refrigerator, where they will last up to a week, depending on how ripe they are when refrigerated. Once cut, sprinkle the exposed surface with lemon juice, lime juice, or white vinegar, and store in an airtight container. Use within two days.

Bananas: Bananas also should not be refrigerated, as they will not ripen correctly if they get too cold. The paper bag trick that works with avocados can also be used to speed up the ripening of bananas.

Potatoes: Potatoes should be kept in a cool, dark place in a paper bag or other breathable container (not in a plastic bag). They shouldn't be refrigerated, as that will turn the starch into sugars and make them too sweet. Don't wash them until it is time to cook them. Don't store them with onions, as the ethylene put off by onions can cause potatoes to sprout and even spoil. Remove any shriveled, soft, or sprouted potatoes promptly.

Tomatoes: Refrigerating tomatoes will decrease their flavour. Store whole ripe tomatoes at a cool room temperature – away from heat sources - in a breathable container. Store cut tomatoes in the refrigerator and use soon.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb baby spinach
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 red onion, cut into rings
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Feta or plain chevre to taste, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

Combine baby spinach, strawberries, pecans, and red onions in a large bowl.

Combine vinegar, sugar, oil, and mustard. Pour over salad and toss gently, then top with feta or chevre.