Slugs in the Garden

There are a few ways of deterring slugs from eating away at our gardens. Rather than using the slug killers on the market that contain products that do not enhance life in the soil nor promote healthy plants or food crops, you could try the following alternatives:

Leaving a half empty bottle or can of beer in your garden will have slugs climbing in it, and after a taste they will not be able to climb back out.

I have also been successful with eggshells scattered around plants like Hostas and leafy greens in my veggie garden. The eggshells will need to be rinsed or they will attract critters. After cleaning them, crush them and apply at the base of plants. The process is most effective when the shells are reapplied on a regular basis.

Another process that is quite effective, although gruesome, is to come out after dark with a pair of scissors and a flashlight as they are lurking in your garden in search of food and snip them.

Living Canvas is providing sustainable human powered gardening practices, and pesticides alternative, keeping you and your neighborhood at peace naturally. Living Canvas believes in enriching the soil which in turn feeds the plants.

Every year we add soil amender to your flower beds and lawn. This process provides nutrition plants require for a healthy growing season. All the organic matter when breaking down continues to nourish and equalizes the soil PH. Liming is no longer required for lawns. The organic matter in the soil also enhances moisture retention which reduces water consumption. We also support earth friendly, biological pest control methods for the benefit of your health as well as the health of your entire yard ecosystem.

Kindest regards,
Roberto Gaudet
mylivingcanvas.com
604-809-9115

Portabello Mushroom Burgers

INGREDIENTS

4 portabello mushroom caps
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp minced garlic
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
4 slices of cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, turning twice.

Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Brush grate with oil.

Place mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently. Top with cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

Delicious served on burger buns with your favourite hamburger toppings.

Crispy Chocolate Squares

INGREDIENTS

1/2 to 3/4 cup agave or honey
1 cup unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups crispy rice cereal

DIRECTIONS

Combine agave and peanut butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until smooth. Remove from heat, add vanilla, chocolate chips, and cereal, and stir until well mixed. Press into a greased 8" by 8" pan and chill for one hour. When solid, cut into bars.

New Products Everywhere!

If you been following Green Earth Organics' Twitter (GreenEarthOrg) or if you've been on our sale items page this week, you already know that we are positively swamped with new products. Eleven new items launched the week of April 13th and another twenty-three items came in this past week! This is an exciting time to be working at the GEO warehouse, as almost every day we are opening another box and discovering another new favourite item.

Some of these items had been requested and we were able to bring them in. Annie's Alfredo Shells is a staff favourite that we're pleased to have on the shelves here. Members asked us for agave, Acai juice, tortilla wraps, rolled oats, and Earth Balance, so we've now stocking all of those items too.

Other items were cases of "why don't we carry that?". Why do we have ketchup, but not mustard? Why don't we have any dried spices for cooking with? And we carry Ginger Ale and Root Beer, so why not Lemon Lime pop?

We have also started carrying some of those grocery fundamentals that so many recipes call for: a larger size of olive oil, pure lemon juice, tomato paste, and white wine vinegar.

And, finally, some products were just ones that sounded really, really good. Personally, my favourite new items so far are Kiju Pomegranate Cherry Juice, EnviroKidz Chocolate Crispy Rice Bars, and Anita's Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix (I've got a sweet tooth for sure). Tonight, I'm looking forward to veggie burgers with The Artisan Bake Shoppe's burger buns.

All of the new products will be on sale for a couple of weeks. The discount amount varies a lot, as we did get some introductory discounts. The new Nature's Path items and the Kiju Juices are especially good deals.

If there's an organic product you wished we carried, let me know and I will see what I can do. I've got more ideas and plans too, so watch the Twitter, the blog, or the sale page for more new products!

Yours in Organic Living,
Melissa

Sunny Day Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp stone ground mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tangerines, sectioned and seeded
2 oro blanco grapefruit, sectioned and seeded
1 banana, sliced
4 cups romaine lettuce, ripped into pieces

DIRECTIONS

For vinaigrette, combine lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, mustard, and sugar in a screw-top jar. Cover and shake well to mix.

Combine tangerine and grapefruit sections and banana slices in a bowl. Pour vinaigrette over fruit; toss gently to mix.

Divide lettuce among four salad plates. Divide fruit among plates.

Spicy Dandelion Greens

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 lbs dandelion greens, about 8 cups
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes (to taste) or chopped chile pepper to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional, but tasty)
1 Tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

In a pot large enough to hold the greens, bring water with 1 tablespoon sea salt to a boil.

Wash the greens well, removing any stems left on the leaves. Cut into rough 2-inch sections cross-wise (across the leaf). Boil the greens for 4 minutes, then drain in a colander and rinse well with cold water, pressing the leaves to remove as much moisture as you can.

Heat olive oil in a pan or a wok over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and sautee for 30 seconds. Add the greens, pepper, pine nuts (if using), and a 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sautee for three minutes or until moisture is removed from greens.

Add lemon juice and continue to sautee for an additional minute, or until greens start to crisp a bit around the edges.

Makes 4 side-dish sized servings.

Marinated Mushrooms & Zucchini

INGREDIENTS

8 oz fresh button, cremini, or chanterelle mushrooms, quartered
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine the mushrooms and zucchini in a medium sized bowl.

For marinade, combine lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, sugar, basil, salt, and
pepper in screw top jar. Cover and shake well. Pour over mushroom mixture. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 - 8 hours, stirring twice.

Serve using a slotted spoon. Makes 6 servings.

Do you Twitter?

Green Earth Organics in Vancouver now has its own Twitter: http://twitter.com/greenearthorg (GreenEarthOrg). I'll be updating it periodically with whatever I think our members might find interesting.

Twitter describes itself as "... a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?"

The result is an easy way to send short updates, links, and information to people who are interested in what you are doing.

Some of the things you may find on our Twitter:

- Links to organic or earth-friendly news.

- Information about any delivery delays.

- Links to recipes and ideas for using some of the fruits and vegetables in your bin.

- Information about new products before they come into stock.

- Product specials.

If there's something else you think it would be cool to include, please let me know. You can reply on Twitter, call me in the office (604-708-2345), email me (info@greenearthorganics.com), or comment on a post on our Blogger blog.

I look forward to Twittering with you!

Yours in Organic Living,
Melissa

Ovenbaked Blue Potato Chips

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 lb blue potatoes, very thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix oil, salt, sugar, cayenne pepper and lime juice in large bowl. Add to potatoes and toss to coat.

Arrange potatoes in single layer on baking sheets. Bake until potatoes begin to brown on bottom, about 15 minutes. Turn potatoes over and bake until crisp and brown, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with additional salt if necessary.

Springtime Asparagus Quiche

Feel free to cut back on mushrooms or use a little less asparagus if you'd like to add a little ham or leftover turkey.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 to 3/4 lb asparagus, trimmed, chopped
water
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
4 green onions, with green, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded Havarti cheese or Swiss, about 6 ounces
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
dash nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

In a saucepan, cover asparagus with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a skillet, heat butter over medium-low heat; add mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms are tender; add green onions and cook for 1 minute longer. Set aside.

Line a 9-inch or 10-inch pie plate with pastry; bake at 375° for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Arrange vegetables and shredded cheese in pie pastry.

Whisk together the eggs and half-and-half; add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour egg mixture over the vegetables. Place the filled pie shell on a large cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan. Place in the oven and cook for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves 6 to 8.

Grilled Asparagus

INGREDIENTS

1 lb fresh asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of minced white garlic
Black pepper
Sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, pepper and salt in a dish.

Pour the olive oil mixture over the asparagus spears and marinate for about 2 hours.

Thread the spears on to bamboo skewers and grill on the barbecue at a medium heat setting for a total of about 5-6 minutes.

Rosemary Roasted Blue Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb small blue potatoes, unpeeled but washed whole, any sprouts or bruises removed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp dried rosemary leaves, slightly crushed
1 Tbsp sea salt, slightly crushed

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cover bottom of a roasting pan with the olive oil.

Cut potatoes into quarters, add to the roasting pan and toss to coat with oil.

Position pan on middle rack of oven. Roast potatoes for 20 minutes.

Turn off oven heat. Stir potatoes and keep them in oven another 10 minutes.

Stir potatoes one last time, then transfer to a serving bowl, tossing the rosemary and salt mixture over them.

Serves 4