July 24, 2008
 In a diet-focused culture, desserts often get a bad rap. Some, however, can be nutritionally beneficial.
Desserts made with fruit, nature’s natural sweetener, are healthy after-dinner treats. Reducing the sugar and fats in a recipe can make desserts more healthful and still taste good.
The July issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers the following healthy dessert suggestions. All of the ingredients should be readily available at your local natural and organic food store.
Grill Fruit Slices
Cut apples, pineapple, pears or peaches into chunks. Brush them lightly with canola oil, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Grill the fruit on skewers, or wrap in foil and grill over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
Make a Fruit Dip
Mix together 1/2 cup low-fat, sugar-free lemon yogurt, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Serve cold as a dip for fruits like grapes, sliced strawberries, kiwi or bananas.
Add a Dollop
Add a dollop of fat-free plain or vanilla yogurt to frozen or canned fruit. Opt for fruit without syrup.
July 23, 2008
 We’ve been talking about the importance of including more fruits and vegetables in your organic diet.
But many shoppers avoid the produce aisle, thinking it’s too expensive. In truth, preparing a meatless dinner is usually more economical than relying on beef, chicken, pork or seafood for protein.
The trick is to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, according to registered dietitian Holly Scherer of the University of Michigan Health System. And buying by the bag, instead of individual pieces, also tends to be cheaper, she notes. We like the option of visiting your local farmers’ market, where the produce is freshly picked and available at extremely reasonable prices.
If you crave a fruit or veggie that’s not in season, Scherer recommends going with a canned or frozen option—just as nutritious because the produce is packaged at its peak of freshness. Look for the generic or store brand, she says—and we second the motion. The Whole Foods Market brand of canned beans and vegetables, for example, rivals the prices at any mainstream supermarket.
“A great way to get fresh fruits and vegetables right outside your own door is to plant a vegetable garden,” Scherer adds. “Or, if you don’t have space, you can plant a few plants in a pot. You may pay $1 to $2 for a vegetable plant, but you’re going to get a very large amount of produce from that.”
July 22, 2008
 The FDA announced yesterday that one jalapeño pepper is a positive genetic match with the salmonella strain causing the current outbreak.
The sample came from Agricola Zaragoza, a produce distribution center in McAllen, Texas. The pepper was grown on a farm in Mexico, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it was contaminated there. Agricola Zaragoza is voluntarily recalling jalapeño peppers it has distributed since June 30.
While the recall will not immediately remove all potentially contaminated peppers from our food supply, the FDA urges consumers to avoid eating raw jalapeño peppers or foods made from them until further notice. This recommendation does not include pickled jalapeños or those found in cooked products available for purchase.
 Those in high-risk populations (the elderly, infants and people with impaired immune systems) should also avoid eating raw serrano peppers or foods made from them, until further notice.
The FDA is investigating other parts of the distribution chain to determine if there’s any evidence that contamination occurred on the Mexican farm before the peppers reached Agricola Zaragoza. Fresh produce can change hands frequently from farm to table, and contamination could have occurred at any point.
The FDA emphasizes the outbreak has likely peaked, but cases of salmonella continue to be reported.
From Our Organic Blog
Photos courtesy of the FDA
July 21, 2008
 Last Thursday, the FDA updated its warning to all U.S. consumers concerning the ongoing salmonella outbreak.
FDA officials now believe you can eat all types of fresh tomatoes, lifting the warning that has been in effect since June 7.
“While we are changing our consumer guidance about tomatoes, we reiterate our guidance to consumers that those in vulnerable populations (infants, the elderly and immune-compromised people) should avoid eating jalapeño and serrano peppers as the investigation continues,” the FDA notes. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that many, but not all, of the people who have become ill during the outbreak also reported eating jalapeño or serrano peppers.”
More than 1,000 people have been infected since April.
As a general reminder:
- Refrigerate or discard cut, peeled or cooked tomatoes within 2 hours.
- Avoid purchasing bruised or damaged tomatoes, and discard any that appear spoiled.
- Thoroughly wash all tomatoes under running water.
- Keep tomatoes that will be consumed raw separate from raw meats, raw seafood and raw produce items.
- Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and countertops with hot water and soap when switching between types of food products.
From Our Organic Blog
July 20, 2008
 According to the National Cancer Institute, eating lots of fruits and vegetables as part of a low-fat, high-fiber diet may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer.
Many health professionals encourage Americans to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A serving can be:
- 1 medium-sized whole fruit, such as a banana, peach or plum
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) of 100% fruit or vegetable juice, such as orange or tomato juice
- 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit, such as grapes, melon, blueberries or fruit cocktail, or vegetables, such as green beans, carrots or tomatoes
- 1 cup raw leafy greens, such as romaine lettuce, spinach or collard greens
- 1/2 cup cooked peas or beans, such as black-eye peas or navy, black or pinto beans
- 1/4 cup dried fruit, such as apricots or raisins
As we revealed yesterday, smoothies are a great way to meet your daily requirements. Yesterday’s recipe for Three-Melon Smoothies had four servings of fruits and vegetables in one 10-ounce glass.
Here are some tips for perfecting your organic smoothie:
- Freeze fruit ahead of time for a frostier drink.
- Try to use the freshest fruit in season.
- Too thick? Add more juice.
- Too thin? Add more fruit.
- Too tart? Add a sweetener like molasses or maple syrup.
- Too sweet? Add citrus juice.
Photo courtesy of Minute Maid Premium Orange Juice
July 19, 2008
 As summer kicks into high gear, mainstream supermarkets, natural and organic food stores, and farmers’ markets are filling their produce shelves with the freshest picks of the season.
Now’s a great time to consider ways to add more fruits and vegetables to your family’s diet. Summer smoothies are a perfect vehicle, providing a glassful of convenient, refreshing nourishment and a simple way to enjoy delicious fruit.
Our weekend recipe offers four servings of fruit in one glass! This recipe makes one 10-ounce serving. Double or triple the ingredients to make additional servings.
Three-Melon Smoothie
3/4 cup orange juice
2 scoops fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
1/2 cup cubed cantaloupe
1/2 cup cubed honeydew melon
1/2 cup cubed watermelon
1 cup crushed ice
Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour smoothie into a large glass and garnish, if desired.
Also Try: Sweet Potato Pie Smoothies
Recipe courtesy of Minute Maid Premium Orange Juice
July 18, 2008
 We conclude this week’s online organic coffee seminar with a look at espresso.
Espresso comes from the Latin word meaning “to press out.” Once available only at coffee bars, you can now make it at home in less than a minute. Here’s how:
- Make sure your espresso machine is clean and that you’re familiar with its operation.
- Select a medium-dark espresso coffee that has been slow-roasted for a richer flavor.
- Buy whole espresso beans from a natural/organic food store or supermarket. This guarantees freshness. Buy only as much as you’ll use in one week.
- Grind your beans just before brewing. While aficionados prefer a burr grinder, a blade- or chopper-type grinder also works well, as long as you give it a shake or two to ensure even grinding.
- To brew, begin with 2 tablespoons of ground espresso and 1½ ounces of fresh distilled or clean-tasting tap water per serving. Follow your machine’s brewing instructions. Remove the carafe immediately after the brewing cycle concludes.
- Serve espresso in a warm demitasse cup. If you want to indulge, add a chocolate truffle on the side!
Suggested Reading
Photo courtesy of Millstone Coffee
July 17, 2008
 We’ve been talking about coffee this week—from budget-saving tips to knowing your organic beans to tasting terminology. Today, we’ll cover how to make a really good cup of coffee.
“The starting point for making great coffee at home is to consider it a form of cooking, with a precise recipe and measurements,” says Nicole Soley, a coffee education specialist for Starbucks. “There are four fundamentals to coffee-brewing that ensure a great cup of coffee every time.”
Proportion
Use the right proportion of coffee to water. This is the most important step.
For the most flavorful cup of coffee, Soley recommends 2 tablespoons of ground coffee (10 grams) for each 6 fluid ounces (180 milliliters) of water. If this is too strong for you, add a little hot water to your cup of brewed coffee.
Grind
Different brewing methods require specific grinds. The shorter the brewing process, the finer the grind.
The time coffee and water spend together affects flavor elements, and your coffeemaker’s design dictates how long they sit in direct contact during the brewing process.
“Coffee ground for an espresso machine should be very fine because the brew cycle is less than 30 seconds,” Soley says. “For a coffee press, the coffee should be coarse-ground because the water and coffee are in direct contact for about 4 minutes.”
Water
A cup of coffee is 98% water, so the water you use should taste clean, fresh and free of impurities.
Water heated to just off the boil (195° F–205° F) is perfect for extracting the coffee’s full range of flavors. Any cooler and the water can’t adequately do the job.
Automatic coffeemakers heat the water for you. Make sure the one you use gets the water hot enough.
Freshness
Use freshly ground coffee.
“Think of coffee as fresh produce,” Soley says. “Buy only the amount that you can consume in a week so that your coffee is always at its peak of freshness.”
Coffee’s enemies are oxygen, light, heat and moisture. To keep coffee fresh, store it in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature. Storing coffee in the refrigerator or freezer for daily use can damage it, as warm, moist air condenses to the beans whenever the container is opened. For the best results, coffee should be ground just before brewing.
After brewing, coffee should always be stored in a thermal carafe. Coffee that is left on a burner can taste burnt and bitter after only 20 minutes.
Suggested Reading
July 16, 2008
 Here’s an intriguing question: Did anyone actually teach you to appreciate a cup of coffee?
At first, this concept may seem absurd. But a good coffee is on par with a fine wine, and there are four criteria that determine whether your daily brew makes the cut.
Aroma. Scent is a very important flavor component. Much of our sense of taste is created through the nose and its olfactory glands, which add the thousands of subtleties you taste in your organic food and drink each day.
Acidity. This term refers to the lively, palate-cleansing characteristic of all coffees grown at high elevation. Acidity is experienced primarily on the sides of the tongue. It’s not the same as bitterness; rather, it’s a sensation reminiscent of freshly squeezed juice.
Body. The tactile impression of brewed coffee in your mouth can be described as light, medium or full. Some coffees naturally have more body than others. The brewing method also affects the perception of body. Coffees made in a coffee press or an espresso machine seem fuller in body than those brewed by other methods.
Flavor. This is the most important tasting term, and it describes your total impression of aroma, acidity and body. It can be used generally (“This coffee is flavorful”) or with specific attributes in mind (“This coffee has a chocolaty flavor”).
Suggested Reading
Photo courtesy of Starbucks Coffee Co.
July 15, 2008
 Between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, a “coffee belt” encircles the globe. Here, abundant sunshine, moderate rainfall and year-round warm temperatures nurture coffee trees.
At harvest time, those trees are laden with bright red coffee cherries (right). Encased in a thin layer of fruit is a coffee bean, the seed of the coffee cherry.
Coffee is harvested primarily in three areas: Latin America, the Pacific region and Africa. Soil, climate, altitude and surrounding plants, as well as the method by which the bean is extracted from the fruit, affect its flavor. In the tasting room at Starbucks, coffee experts refer to this as “the taste of the place.”
Tasters expect certain characteristics from any coffee they try, depending on its origins:
- Coffees from Latin America are generally light- to medium-bodied, with clean, lively flavors.
- Pacific coffees, like Indonesian Java and Sumatra, are on the opposite end of the taste spectrum: typically full- bodied, smooth and earthy, with very low acidity and occasional herbal flavor notes. They’re excellent dessert coffees because they complement rich desserts.
- Coffees from East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula often combine the crisp, clean acidity found in Latin American coffees with intense floral aroma and enticing fruit or wine flavors.
The next time you pick up a bag of organic coffee, take a look at where it was grown. When you drink it, see if you can recognize the taste of the place!
Suggested Reading
Photo courtesy of Starbucks Coffee Co.
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