Thursday, November 25, 2010

Seasonal Specials

As I write this, there's snow on the ground and the first container of organic egg nog has just arrived in the Green Earth Organics refrigerator... it must be time for all those delicious seasonal treats!

Valley Pride Egg Nog: The richest and most decadent egg nog ever! Made by Avalon Dairy in Vancouver. 1 L. Regular: $6.45. Sale: $6.13.

So Nice Noel Nog: A low-fat alternative to egg nog. This product is free of eggs, cholesterol, lactose, gluten, and preservatives, but is still creamy and decadent. 946 mL. Regular: $2.99. Sale: $2.84.

NEW Made in Nature Dried Cranberries: Use dried cranberries to add colour and flavour to salads, couscous dishes, cookies, and more. 113 g. Regular: $5.80. Sale: $4.93.

NEW Imagine Savoury Beef Gravy: They used the finest organic ingredients and real beef to make this rich and delicious gravy that will be the perfect complement to your own creations. 500 mL tetrapak. Regular: $4.25. Sale: $3.61.

And there's more to come! Watch the sale items page for more goodies, including organic chocolate hedgehogs, sparkling apple juice, and other things to help make this cold season seem warmer!

If you have suggestions for new products, seasonal or not, please give us a call at 604-708-2345 or email info@greenearthorganics.com.

Persimmon Sorbet

INGREDIENTS

About 8-10 hachiya persimmons
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Cut the persimmons in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Discard the skins, which will be astringent due to tannins. Remove any hard brown seeds from the flesh, then separate the persimmon pulp from the fibrous threads by pressing through a sieve with the back of a spoon.

Measure out 4 cups of pulp (you can freeze any excess; add a splash of lemon juice first to prevent discoloration) and blend with the sugar and juice. Freeze until firm, stirring once or twice.

Makes about 1 quart.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Website Improvements

On Wednesday, November 17th, we launched some changes to the Green Earth Organics website. You may notice that the silly little pluralizations are gone from the bin contents (the list will now say "2 Winesap Apple (BC)" instead of "2 Winesap Apple (BC)s"). Most of the other changes won't even be noticeable, as most of them were behind-the-scenes type things meant to make tasks easier for the office staff.

The transition seems to have gone very smoothly and we don't anticipate any problems, but if you notice anything odd or if you are having any issues using the website, please let us know by calling us at 604-708-2345 or emailing info@greenearthorganics.com.

Thank you very much for being a member of Green Earth Organics, and please let us know if you have any questions or concerns!

Udon with Bok Choy

INGREDIENTS

1 package dried udon noodles
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup tahini
3 Tbsp tamari
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 lb baby bok choy
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp finely minced fresh ginger

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or just until tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and toss to coat. Set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, combine the tahini, tamari, water, and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.

Trim the stem ends of the baby bok choy and separate the ribs. Wash thoroughly and pat dry. Cut the ribs and leaves crosswise into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring constantly, until translucent. Add the bok choy and ginger and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until the bok choy has wilted. Add the tahini mixture and the cooked noodles and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

3/50 Project: Scraps

We've posted before about the 3/50 Project to support local businesses. We'd love it if Green Earth Organics' members would send us information about their favourite local, independently-owned stores and restaurants. If you would like to share your hidden gem, please email info@greenearthorganics.com with about 200 to 300 words, including their address and their website if applicable, and let us know what name you'd like on the article. We deliver as far out as North Vancouver, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, and all points in between, so please feel free to share your favourites outside of Vancouver too.

Scraps: The Green General Store by Melissa

Scraps is a fairly new store, having opened in June 2010. The owners, Christina Mearns and Cara Adams, started with the idea to carry only items made of reused and re-purposed materials, but soon expanded their vision to include items that would replace wasteful or environmentally harmful items.

My favourite items by far - and the first things on my Christmas wish list - were the Boris Brothers messenger bags. They are made of used vinyl advertising banners, including some of the piles of banners that were used only during the Olympics. These banners are non-recyclable, so these bags, besides being weather-proof, colourful, and fun, are diverting non-biodegradable materials from the landfill.

The other items that intrigued me were the bulk hair and skin care products from Carina Organics. These are locally made products and Scraps sells them by the millilitre. I will be bringing my own bottle from home next time so I can give them a try.

The store isn't completely full yet, but Christina and Cara have placed orders and are expecting to starting to have a lot more in stock as the Christmas shopping season starts. The customer service was delightful: very friendly and welcoming. I put in a request for some handkerchiefs, and they promised to give me a call when they come in. I'm looking forward to going back for both myself and for Christmas gifts.

Egg Delays

Every once in a while, Maple Hill Farms gets new hens. Younger hens are smaller and don't lay as many eggs and tend to lay smaller eggs. As a result, Maple Hill Farms may not have enough eggs to fill our orders for the next couple of weeks and may have to substitute medium eggs for the usual large ones. We will continue to order eggs from Maple Hills, but may bring in eggs from other organic suppliers as needed. We apologize for any shortages and any inconvenience in the meantime.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Cream of Mushroom Soup

INGREDIENTS

5 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/8 tsp dried thyme
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup cream
1 Tbsp sherry or red wine (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a large heavy saucepan, cook mushrooms in the broth with onion and thyme until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, puree the mixture, leaving some chunks of vegetable in it. Set aside.

In the saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, cream, and vegetable puree. Stirring constantly, bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste and add sherry if using.