Roasted Lemon Cabbage

INGREDIENTS

1 head of green cabbage
2 Tbspextra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Lemon slices, for serving cabbage (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the head of cabbage into 8 equal wedges, cutting through the core and stem end. Carefully trim the thick core and stem from each wedge and arrange wedges in a single layer on a non-stick cookie sheet.

Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice, then use a pastry brush to brush the top sides of each cabbage wedge with the mixture. Season generously with sea salt and pepper. Carefully turn the wedges over, then brush the other side with the olive oil/lemon juice mixture and season with more salt and pepper.

Roast cabbage for about 15 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is nicely browned. Turn the wedges and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cabbage is nicely browned and cooked through. Serve hot, with additional lemon slices to squeeze lemon juice on at the table if desired.

Apple and Carrot Salad with Basil

INGREDIENTS

6 apples
3 carrots
2 cups raisins
1/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp molasses
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 pkg basil, cut into strips

DIRECTIONS

There's no need to peel the apples or carrots. Scrub well, core the apples, and shred both the apples and the carrots. In a large salad bowl, mix the apples and carrots with the raisins.

To make the dressing, whisk together yogurt and sour cream in a small mixing bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, molasses, vinegar, and salt and whisk to combine.

Add the dressing to the salad and toss. If possible, let the salad sit for about an hour in the refrigerator. Just before serving, toss in the sliced basil.

Further Weather Updates & A Price Increase

Unfortunately, there has been little good news on the weather front. The consequences of the sudden freezing temperatures in Mexico and California* continue to roll in, with more crops being affected.

Our suppliers are advising us that because of the severity of the crop losses and the timing of the freeze, prices will be affected for at least 6 months, and availability will be impacted for the foreseeable future. As before, this is not a situation that is just affecting us, or even just the organic sector; all produce, both organic and conventional, is going to be up in price and down in selection.

In addition to this sudden produce crisis, all costs continue to increase slightly with inflation. Average gas prices continue to creep up every year, for example. For all of these reasons, Green Earth Organics Vancouver will be increasing all our bin prices by $1 starting with deliveries on February 11th. The new prices will be:

$28 Small Bin
$36 Medium Bin
$47 Large Bin
$36 minimum order on the Custom Bin

We hope that our members will be understanding about this change. This is the first price increase on our bins in more than five years and this small increase will allow us to continue to provide full and delicious bins through this difficult weather situation and for the future.

If you have any questions or concerns about this price change or any other aspect of our service, please call Melissa at 604-708-2345 or email vancouver@greenearthorganics.com. Thank you for being a member of Green Earth Organics!

* For background information, see our previous blog posts: "California is Freezing (and so is the Broccoli)" and "Weather and Food Updates".

Balsamic-Glazed Squash

Submitted by Marianne C., who says that it is delicious and one of her favourite recipes. This recipe prompted me to find out that you can eat the skin of winter squashes - why didn't anyone tell me? If the squash is cooked enough, the skin will also be tender and will provide a bit of texture contrast.

INGREDIENTS

2 acorn squashes, halved, seeded, and cut in 1-inch thick semicircles
3 shallots, diced
1/3 cup packed brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Move the rack to the bottom third of the oven. Preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Arrange the squash in a 13 inch by 9 inch casserole dish. Whisk all the other ingredients together and pour over squash.

Bake, turning every 15 minutes, until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork and the glaze is thickened, about 50 to 60 minutes.

Bright Roasted Veggies

INGREDIENTS

6 beets
6 carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise, then quartered
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup orange juice
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
   
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the beets in a small ovenproof pan with a little water; cover with a lid or foil. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets.

After about 40 minutes, toss the carrots with the olive oil. Put them in a separate baking pan and roast for 15 to 25 minutes.

When the beets are tender when poked with a fork, remove them from the oven. Cool just enough so you can handle them safely, then cut off the stem ends and slip off the skins. Cut in to bite-sized pieces.

Toss the beets and carrots with the melted butter and the orange juice; add salt and pepper and sprinkle with chopped dill.

Flavourful Roasted Carrots

INGREDIENTS 

10 carrots, scrubbed and peeled if desired
1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
Sea salt and ground pepper
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp fresh ginger
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
3 Tbsp plain yogurt 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the carrots in half first, then cut lengthwise into sticks. Toss them with about half a tablespoon of olive oil and with salt and pepper to taste. In a roasting pan, roast until tender (30 to 60 minutes, depending on the thickness of the sticks).

In the meantime, finely grate the garlic and ginger. Mix them with the remaining olive oil, the dill, and the yogurt. Use the back of a large spoon to crush the dill and ginger bits against the side of the bowl to release the flavours. Pour the sauce over the carrots and serve hot or at room temperature.

Weather and Food Updates

The challenging weather situation outlined in our blog post California is Freezing (and so is the Broccoli) continues. Some valleys near Yuma had lows of -6 for several nights. The coastal region of Northern Mexico, down to the Gulf of California, were expected to have temperatures of 5, maybe as low as -2. All areas north of Los Mochis froze. This region is where field cucumbers, zucchinis, tomatoes, English cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, and more, are grown. Unfortunately, these plants do not recover from this kind of damage: once they freeze, they die. What has survived will grow more slowly.

The entire Salinas region of California was hit very hard, with sub-freezing temperatures and higher humidity resulting in frosts  damaging their lettuce, spinach, and broccoli.

Producers in all areas are saying that this freeze was not only as cold as the devastating freeze of February 2009, the timing was worse for the plants, and the cold lasted for several days. It is still too early to know the full extent of this tragic situation.

So far, here are some of the items that are already being impacted by this bizarre weather:

Celery will be smaller, as frozen outer leaves are being trimmed off prior to shipping the product from the farm.

Lettuce is probably most affected in the short term: Iceburg has been wiped out, romaine is being trimmed back and sold primarily as romaine hearts, and lots of salad mix greens and leafy lettuces have been destroyed, with supply down to only about 15% of normal for this time of year. The recovery could take any where from 2 to 6 weeks.

Broccoli has been delayed for up to 10 days, which make supplies tight and prices higher for several weeks.

Citrus growth is now being by impacted the cold weather. Sturdier fruit like Valencia oranges and grapefruit are not affected a lot yet, but small "easy-peelers" – mandarins, clementines, and tangerines – are experiencing damage.

Peas and beans may be a problem for weeks, or even months. Growers are reporting losing over 2 million pounds of sugar snap peas each.

Green onions have frozen tips and other damage, so there will probably be shortages and what is available will probably be smaller.

Some items may have a temporary glut as veggies picked early to save them from the cold fill the market: chard, bunch beets, cilantro, and romaine hearts are predicted to be readily available for a couple of weeks, and then may experience shortages once the early harvest has run out.

We will probably all find the next couple of weeks a bit challenging in terms of variety, but we will be working with our suppliers to get the best prices possible and keep our bins as abundant as we can.

This might be an excellent time to break out your favourite root vegetable recipes, though - please email us if you have a great one, as we'd love to share it on our blog and in our newsletter. To send us a recipe, or if you have any questions or concerns, please call Melissa or Esther at 604-708-2345 (or 250-704-0660 in Victoria) or email us at info@greenearthorganics.com.

Fan Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

6 medium potatoes, peeled
2 Tbsp flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Without cutting all the way through, cut 1/4-inch thick slices in potatoes. Stop cutting about 1/4-inch from the bottom on each slice.

In a small bowl, blend together the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Roll each potato in the mixture and put them, uncut base down, in an ovenproof dish or roasting pan.

Add the rosemary to the melted butter, stirring to combine, then drizzle over the potatoes as evenly as possible.

Bake until the potatoes are slightly fanned out, tender, and golden and crispy, about an hour and fifteen minutes. Drizzle any browned butter in the pan over the potatoes and serve hot.

Baked Latkes

INGREDIENTS

4 to 6 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 lbs potatoes (or combination of any of the following: potatoes, zucchini, yams, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh dill, minced (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Coat two cookie sheets with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the oil on each.

Grate the potatoes (and other vegetables, if using) into a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients, including remaining oil. Stir to combine.

Drop the potato mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the greased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly to make them into patties rather than mounds.

Bake for until the undersides are lightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Brush the tops of the latkes with a very light coating of oil, then flip them over and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them; they are done when they are crisp and golden brown.

Serve hot with sour cream or apple sauce.

Crustless Quinoa & Greens Quiche

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch cooking greens (kale, chard, spinach, dandelion greens, collard greens, etc), stems removed and cut into ribbons
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 oz cream cheese or plain chevre, cubed
4 eggs
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a 9-inch pie plate with either butter or extra virgin olive oil.

Use a fine sieve to rinse the quinoa. In a saucepan, combine the water and quinoa. Cover, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about twenty minutes. Fluff and set aside.
   
In the meantime, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and browned.

With the stove still on, scrap the onions in to a large mixing bowl and set aside, and then add the greens to the hot frying pan. Still on medium heat, cook until the greens are wilted and bright green, about two minutes.

Allow the greens to cool and then squeeze out any extra liquid using a sieve or a clean dish towel.

Add the greens, quinoa, garlic, cheddar, and cream cheese to the mixing bowl already containing the onions. Mix well until evently combined.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Add to the veggie and cheese mixture, and then stir until well combined. Add salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture in to the prepared pie plate. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the quiche has started to pull away from the edge of the pie plate.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Vegan Manicotti

INGREDIENTS

1 package lasagne noodles
3 packages medium-firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and mashed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy milk
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tsp dried basil
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 jar of your favourite pasta sauce

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the lasagne noodles and cook until tender, being careful not to overcook. Drain carefully and lay them out on a piece of waxed paper. Cut each noodle in half to make two shorter pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine mashed tofu, garlic, soy milk, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, basil, and spinach in a large bowl.

Spread half of the pasta sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Divide the tofu filling evenly between the cut lasagne noodles, putting the mixture in a line at one end and then rolling up the noodle. Place each completed manicotti in the baking dish in a single layer.

Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed noodles. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles.

California is Freezing (and so is the Broccoli)

All of our produce suppliers have sent us some important information that we want to share with you about weather conditions and their expected impact on fruits and veggies in the coming weeks.

Mexico and California, major sources of fresh produce during the winter, have both experienced very cold weather, including frosts. These very cold temperatures are slowing the growth of many items, resulting in lower stock and higher prices. Please note that this is not something isolated to just us or to just organic food: virtually all fruit and vegetables will be affected, except for local root vegetables.

We have been told to expect product shortages and price increases on almost everything, but the following items will be particularly challenging:

- Lettuce
- Baby greens
- Broccoli (the wholesale price tripled this week)
- Cauliflower
- Potatoes (except local ones, for as long as the stored BC potatoes last)
- Cooking greens
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers

As of Thursday, January 10th, the cold weather has not endured long enough to impact citrus fruit, however, that may just be a matter of time. If the deep freezes forecast occur, Northern California's oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes could be slowed.

We will probably all find the next couple of weeks a bit challenging in terms of variety, but we will be working with our suppliers to get the best prices possible and keep our bins as abundant as we can. This might be an excellent time to break out your favourite root vegetable recipes, though - please email us if you have a great one, as we'd love to share it on our blog and in our newsletter.

To send us a recipe, or if you have any questions or concerns, please call us at 604-708-2345 (or 250-704-0660 in Victoria) or email info@greenearthorganics.com.