SOLE Food Digest

Sunday, July 6

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Green Is the New Black

June 26, 2008 at 3:54PM By Anita Crotty | comment

Everybody's going green, even the chefs in TV-land. Food Network stalwart Emeril Lagasse (who recently sold his empire to Martha) will host a show on the Discovery Channel's Planet Green 'eco-lifestyle' spinoff starting in July. Known as Emeril Green, the daily show will be shot on location at Whole Foods Markets around the country, and focus on helping families get inspired by using fresh and seasonal ingredients. And it's not just the BAM-man who's talking sustainable food, either.

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tags: recipes, Alton Brown, climate change, food costs, Food Network, michael pollan, farmers markets, planet green, Slow Food Nation, victory gardens, fava beans, broad beans, greenmarkets, Emeril Lagasse, Good Eats, Emeril Green

Get With the (Green) Program

June 19, 2008 at 11:58AM By Anita Crotty | comment

Just jumping on the sustainable-eating bandwagon? Well, welcome aboard – you picked the right time of year to enjoy local, organic produce at its peak. A slew of articles this week aim to help newly green eaters make the most of their experience. Food on the Food offers up a handy two-part Survivors Guide to Your First CSA (community-supported agriculture, also known as farm-shares). And the Seattle Post-Intelligencer proposed 7 expert tips for first-time farmers market shoppers. My favorite advice: Start out slow, and avoid sensory overload. (Oh, and don’t forget your reusable bags!)

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tags: slow food, farmers markets, labor day, community-supported agriculture, sustainable seafood, green supermarkets, Slow Food Nation, Pluots, Apriums, Stone Fruit

The Greener Days of Summer

June 12, 2008 at 1:35PM By Anita Crotty | comment

The backyard barbecue seems like such an innocent rite of summer, but a few simple choices can help make your grilling a little greener. Experts tell us that propane or natural-gas grills are more environmentally sensitive: They burn cleaner, and their fuel source is tree-free.

If you can't resist the allure of a real fire, opt for natural charcoal or environmentally certified briquettes, and use a chimney starter instead of lighter fluid. To avoid chemicals at cleanup time, don't forget to scrape the grill before it cools. If you end up with baked-on food or residue, soak the grill grates with a combination of baking soda and warm water. Ditch the plasticware in favor of compostable products, or -- better still -- reusable plates and cutlery. For a truly zero-footprint option, consider a solar oven -- it won't mimic the high-heat sear of a grill, but your guests will have plenty to talk about

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tags: grilling, sonoma, farmers market, cactus, charcoal, eating well, SOLE Food Digest, farm tours, agritourism, Sonoma County Farm Trails, propane, solar oven, eco-friendly charcoal, prickly pear, nopales

Meat the Producers

June 5, 2008 at 4:54PM By Anita Crotty | comment

Members of traditional community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs receive a box of organic, local fruits and vegetables each week in exchange for paying a share of the farm's expenses. Many CSA farms offer egg shares, too, and raw-milk devotees can purchase cow shares to get their hands on unpasteurized dairy. Taking the idea to a new extreme, a growing number of Northern California ranchers are now offering meat CSAs: Members receive a box of humanely raised, grass-fed meats for as low as $5 a pound, depending on selected cuts and subscription length.

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tags: cherries, fair trade, csa, Rainier, locavore, raw milk, Mario Batali, SOLE Food Digest, cherry recipes, community-supported agriculture, farm shares, grass-fed meat, pasture-raised meat, sustainable farming, ethical coffee, direct trade, brandied cherries

Keeping Grocery Bills Down

May 21, 2008 at 3:56PM By Anita Crotty | comment

The rising cost of food has many cooks on edge, and the obligatory spate of "save money in the kitchen" articles is making the rounds. Many tips for saving money can also help save the earth: Eat less meat, or focus on the cheaper cuts. Shop at the farmers' market, where in-season produce is often cheaper than at the supermarket. Or follow the lead of blogger Bron Marshall, who found a free local source for apples in an unloved Granny Smith tree along the fence-line of her neighbor's property.

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tags: Mario Batali, SOLE Food Digest, keep food costs down, artisanal salumi, eco-friendly lunch

This Week in Sustainable Food News

May 12, 2008 at 10:05AM By Anita Crotty | comment

Not only is 'locavore' actually in the dictionary, it was chosen word of the year. Old news, right? But other signs that the Eat Local movement's making some serious strides into pop culture are popping up in pairs. In last week's episode of Law & Order SVU, Robin Williams plays a murder suspect with an interesting alibi. He couldn't have been at the fast-food joint where the murder went down... because he's a locavore. "I only by organic, seasonal foods grown by local farmers." A few days later, the game show Duel featured a question along the same lines: "What's special about the food eaten by a locavore?" Both contestants picked the right answer - obviously, they're Law & Order fans.

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tags: locavore, amazon, SOLE Food Digest, Anita Crotty, Sustainable Booze, Cardoons

April 30, 2008 at 12:47PM By unknown Unknown | comment

SOLE Food Digest is a weekly roundup of articles on sustainable, organic, local, and ethical food issues. This blog will keep you informed on important issues while showing you how to enjoy your food too.

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tags: sustainable, organic, local, ethical food issues, food news

SOLE Food Digest RSS

May 12, 2007 at 11:30AM By unknown Unknown | comment

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tags: rss, backyard, matters

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Anita Crotty

Anita Crotty is co-author of Married... with Dinner, an award-winning food blog that chronicles the continuing adventures of "a couple of San Francisco food dorks." Anita and her husband Cameron are both professional writers, amateur cooks, and avid diners. read full bio.

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