April 30, 2012

Raw living food!


Fettuccini squash noodles in Alfredo sauce   
Noodles 4 zucchini squash       Use a Spiralizer or mandolin to create noodles.
Sauce
Garlic Cashew Aioli                                       Juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
2 cups cashews                                              3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1/8 yellow onion, about 2 tablespoons            2 tablespoons thyme leaves          
2 cloves garlic                                                 ½ cup water, as needed
Blend lemon juice, cashews, onion, thyme, and garlic until smooth and creamy. Add water only as needed. Will keep in for three days in the fridge.

Angel-hair squash noodles in sun-dried tomato marinara
Makes 4 servings    Noodles 4 zucchini squash
Sauce
2 cups tomatoes, chopped                                         1 clove garlic
½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed                  ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon or lime, about 1 tablespoon          1 teaspoon pitted dates
1 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dried                           ½ teaspoon of rosemary, fresh or 
1 teaspoon of sea salt                                                3 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes
Blend fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, lemon juice, dates, oregano, rosemary, and salt until smooth. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and blend until mixed well. The sun-dried tomatoes will absorb excess moisture and make your marinara thicker. Will keep in fridge for two days.
To make noodles, cut off the tops and bottoms of each squash, and then cut in half. Use your spiralizer to make your squash into angel-hair noodles. Toss your angel-hair pasta noodles with marinara. Serve immediately, as it will begin to release water. Store squash noodles and marinara separately to keep for a few days in the fridge. 

April 23, 2012

Thank you for supporting Organic farms.


Reasons to support organic products


Reduce The Toxic Load.  Keep Chemicals Out of the Air, Water, Soil and our bodies.  Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things. With only 0.5 percent of crop and pasture land in organic, according to USDA that leaves  99.5 percent of farm acres in the U.S. at risk of exposure to toxious agricultural chemicals.


Reduce if Not Eliminate Off Farm Pollution.  Industrial agriculture doesn’t singularly pollute farmland and farm workers; it also wreaks havoc on the environment downstream. Pesticide drift affects non-farm communities with odorless and invisible poisons. Synthetic fertilizer drifting downstream is the main culprit for dead zones in delicate ocean environments, such as the Gulf of Mexico, where its dead zone is now larger than 22,000 square kilometers, an area larger than New Jersey.






Protect Future Generations.  Before a mother first nurses her newborn, the toxic risk from pesticides has already begun. Studies show that infants are exposed to hundreds of harmful chemicals in utero. In fact, our nation is now reaping the results of four generations of exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals, whose safety was deemed on adult tolerance levels, not on children’s. According to the National Academy of Science, “neurologic and behavioral effects may result from low-level exposure to pesticides.” Numerous studies show that pesticides can adversely affect the nervous system, increase the risk of cancer, and decrease fertility.
Build Healthy Soil.  Mono-cropping and chemical fertilizer dependency has taken a toll with a loss of top soil estimated at a cost of $40 billion per year in the U.S., according to David Pimental of Cornell University. Add to this an equally disturbing loss of micro nutrients and minerals in fruits and vegetables. Feeding the soil with organic matter instead of ammonia and other synthetic fertilizers has proven to increase nutrients in produce, with higher levels of vitamins and minerals found in organic food, according to the 2005 study, “Elevating Antioxidant levels in food through organic farming and food processing,”
Organic Center State of Science Review.
Taste Better and Truer Flavor.  Scientists now know what we eaters have known all along: organic food often tastes better. It makes sense that strawberries taste yummier when raised in harmony with nature, but researchers at WashingtonState University just proved this as fact in lab taste trials where the organic berries were consistently judgedas sweeter. Plus, new research verifies that some organic produce is often lower in nitrates and higher in antioxidants than conventional food.
Assist Family Farmers of all Sizes.  According to Organic Farming Research Foundation, as of 2006 there are approximately 10,000 certified organic producers in the U.S. compared to 2500 to 3,000 tracked in1994. Measured against the two million farms estimated in the U.S. today, organic is still tiny. Family farms that are certified organic farms have a double economic benefit: they are profitable and they farm in harmony with their surrounding environment. Whether the farm is a 4-acre orchard or a 4,000-acre wheat farm, organic is a beneficial practice that is genuinely family-friendly.
Avoid Hasty and Poor Science in Your Food.  Cloned food, GMOs, and rBGH. Oh my! Interesting how swiftly these food technologies were rushed to market, when organic fought for 13 years to become federal law. Eleven years ago, genetically modified food was not part of our food supply; today an astounding 30 percent of our cropland is planted in GMOs. Organic is the only de facto seal of reassurance against these and other modern, lab-produced additions to our food supply, and the only food term with built in inspections and federal regulatory teeth.

Eating with a Sense of Place.
As best said by Aldo Leopold,
Promote Biodiversity.  Visit an organic farm and you’ll notice something: a buzz of animal, bird and insect activity. These organic oases are thriving, diverse habitats. Native plants, birds and hawks return usually after the first season of organic practices; beneficial insects allow for a greater balance, and indigenous animals find these farms a safe haven. 

An organic farm is the equivalent of reforestation.
Celebrate the Culture of Agriculture.  Food is a ‘language’ spoken in every culture. Making this language organic allows for an important cultural revolution whereby diversity and biodiversity are embraced and chemical toxins and environmental harm are radically reduced, if not eliminated. The simple act of saving one heirloom seed from extinction, for example, is an act of biological and cultural conservation. Organic is not necessarily the most efficient farming system in the short run. It is slower, harder, more complex and more labor-intensive. But for the sake of culture everywhere, from permaculture to human culture, organic should be celebrated at every table.
 Every Choice matters.  Choose organic produce.
  Whether it is local fruit, grains or artisan cheese, organic can demonstrate a reverence for the land and its people. No matter the zip code, organic has proven to use less energy (on average, about 30 percent less), is beneficial to soil,water and local habitat, and is safer for the people who harvest our food. Eat more seasonably by supporting your local farmers while also supporting a global organic economy year round.

April 11, 2012

New to OTV?
How it works...


 How it works...Off the Vine Organic Produce shares...

Every Friday by noon Off the Vine will post our new "What's fresh this week" list on our home page (www.offthevine.org). Our weekly selection of fresh fruits and vegetables are USDA certified organic - all the time.  
The weekly selection is intended to supply your organic produce needs for 2 people for about a week.  Check the list anytime between Friday and Sunday and place your order for your fresh produce to come the next few days.  
Off the Vine makes it easy to order and eat fresh! 
Stock your organic panty and your refrigerator with with fresh and wholesome food! The choice is easy when it comes to eating in!  





RAW Organic & Living foods!


Not to late to sign up and discover Raw living food with OTV! 

When: Thursday, April 12 
Time: 6:00pm- 8:00pm
Where: Kitchenique
 36150 Emerald Coast Pkwy, #111
Destin, Florida 32541850.837.0432



Off the Vine is sponsoring a series of classes designed to help us learn how to incorporate raw foods into our everyday diet. A lifestyle promoting the consumption of unprocessed, uncooked and organic food! Watch and learn new techniques and taste some super dishes you can make at home! This April class we will enjoy the Mediterranean flavor of Red pepper seed sauce hummus wraps with collard greens, zucchini, black olives and avocado. As a starter, a red cabbage, grapefruit, cranberry and pumpkin seed salad. And for dessert, a two layer orange nut cake with citrus sauce and a variety of fresh oranges. 
All raw and nutritious!
Remember $5 off your OTV produce box if you order this week!