When planning your menus, lots of websites have a "seasonal recipes" section, i.e. Epicurious

http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus/seasonal/recipes?browseByAtt=157

Also, check out this ridiculously comprehensive list of seasonal bay area produce:

http://localfoodswheel.com/local_foods.html

Also also, as a side note, even the NY Times is helping make healthy food delicious:

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html

As a followup to the earlier email reminding you to defrost your meat the night before you cook, here's some wise words from Fred, a past Hammarskjold KM:

"Oftentimes one night isn't enough to safely defrost 5-15 pounds of meat..."A large frozen item like a turkey requires at least a day (24 hours) for every 5 pounds of weight"

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Big_Thaw/index.asp

We used to ask people to put meat in the fridge 3 days before (especially if it was a large amount). Obviously varies depending on situation... but better to have over-defrosted meat than to have someone running hot water over it in attempts to thaw it."

So let's follow precedent--please remember to put your meat in the fridge THREE DAYS before your cook crew!

A terrific 2008-9!

We're getting set for 2008-9! If you have any questions, suggestions, or requests, please email Lauren.

Are you interested in visiting an organic farm?

The Agriculture and Land Based Training Association, ALBA, would be willing to give us a tour. Are you interested? Email Lauren

What do YOU want to be eating?

Here are some resources on making sustainable food choices, how your food choices affect your carbon footprint and the health of the planet and the value of organically grown foods

We care what kind of produce you want--let us know if there's a specific food you'd like us to purchase fair-trade or organic.

See Eating for Your Health and the Environment from the Harvard Medical School.

I have a copy of Michael Pollan's terrific new book In Defense of Food and would love to lend it to you if you're interested. Or listen to Pollan speak.

Farmers Market Mania!

The Stanford area has some terrific farmers markets... check them out!

Palo Alto Farmers Market, Saturdays 8am-12pm near University Ave.

VA Palo Alto Farmers Market, Wed 10am to 3pm

Menlo Park Farmers Market, Sundays 9:30am to 1:30pm

East Palo Alto Farmers Market Sundays 3-6pm

Los Altos Farmers Market Thursdays 4-8pm

Mountain View Farmers Market, Sun 9am-1pm. Known for good prices.

San Mateo Farmers Market, Wed 9am-1pm and Sunday 9am to 1pm. Year Round.

Redwood City Kaiser Farmers Market, Wed 10am-2pm

Organic Straus Milk in Glass Bottles

Yay we're getting organic milk to glass (they take it back and reuse it on an average of 8 times) !!!

Please note that we actually paid a glass deposit of $1.50 per glass and a crate deposit of $ 6,

PLEASE DO NOT RECYCLE THEM !!! RINSE THEM, AND PUT THEM BACK IN THE RED CRATE SITTING NEAR THE PANTRY.

Organic Fair-Trade Bananas

Yes we got them, and it's only because regular, corporate american bananas are just as expensive. Yes, they're both organic AND fair-trade certified.

We're not buying OJs, BUT...

We have a bunch of nice Texas juicing oranges. I juice a couple every day, and it's so rewarding. It takes as fast as 3 minutes (if you're as impatient as I am in the kitchen) from the time you grab the oranges to cleaning up the knife, the juicer and the cutting board. Try it ! You'll get addicted to freshly squeezed orange juice just like me.