Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay up to date.
How exactly does one make a vegetable farm less carnivorous than it already is? The practice of veganic - or “stock-free” - farming is beginning to take hold among some small-scale farmers in the United States and Canada. It has been a common method in Europe for years.
Veganic farmers practice organic farming by eschewing synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, but take it a step further by eliminating animal-derived farming products as well. Most organic farmers use bone meal, blood meal and animal waste fertilizer to make their plants productive, but veganic farmers and their customers see a number of problems with using animal biproducts around the plants.
By Sharon Troy •
June 26, 2008
This week, I made a decision to incorporate more raw foods into my diet. My new goal is to eat at least one raw meal a day, and to transform my kitchen into an entirely raw one. I’ll be documenting the steps I’m talking, and go further into the reasons why in my next several posts.
My first step though is getting rid of all of the wonderful food I’ve got stored up, but will now be eating less of, like grains, beans, and soy products. I can’t think of a more delicious way to clean house than this red lentil recipe I created last night.
I’m still stuck on what to name this dish. My husband called it “Mediterr-Indian” because of the spices that borrow from both cultures. It’s pretty low on fat, and good for people with food allergies, as it’s nut, soy, and wheat free, and of course, vegan. The recipe for the lentils, and the roasted cauliflower after the jump:
By Sharon Troy •
June 19, 2008
My husband recently turned 30, and to celebrate the momentous occasion, we treated ourselves to a dinner at our favorite restaurant, Millennium. The all upscale San Francisco eatery frequently wins awards for best vegan restaurant, wooing a largely non-vegan clientele who don’t miss the meat. They use organic, local foods when possible, and recycle and compost.
The dishes have such complex flavors, in combinations I’d have never thought up. One of my favorites was a lemon basil sorbet we had for dessert that was outstanding. They sell several cookbooks, but I’ve always shied away from it, as I’ve heard (and would have to imagine) that the recipes would be too complicated.
Instead during our meal this weekend, I tried to guess how some of the dishes were made and see if I could emulate them myself. This recipe is based on an appetizer we had, but I paired it with a side salad as a full meal.
The fashion industry has only recently become somewhat linked with eco-friendly values. Yet even with the advent of popular hemp clothing and the use of natural fibers, most eco-friendly fashion accessories are considered to be ‘hippie fashion’. Hardly products that could be associated with the 7th Avenue fashion scene!
Natasha Kimling Kwan, the owner Kling handbags has decided to change things around. An emerging designer of vegan fashion handbags, Kwan produces uber stylish clutches that are the perfect compliment to [...]
I live mini pumpernickel bread, but I have had a hard time finding it without preservatives. I have tried making it, but it never turns out the same. During a recent trip to San Francisco, I was excited to find natural pumpernickel cocktail loaves at Whole Foods, although they were not organic. I bought a couple of loaves, and we made vegan cucumber and pumpernickel hors d’oeuvres for my daughter’s last day of school celebration. This recipe is so easy that I am not even sure it qualifies as a recipe since there is no cooking involved. My daughter was able to help me make them, and they quickly disappeared at the school party.
Super Easy Vegan Cucumber and Pumpernickel Bread Hors d’Oeuvres
Ingredients:
- Cocktail pumpernickel bread
- Sliced organic cucumber (leave the skins on!)
- Fresh basil and/or dill (optional)
When it comes to eating, I have come to accept the fact that I am a grazer. This analogy is quite fitting given that I am an herbivore, I suppose. I snack often and tend to eat smaller portions several times a day rather than eating huge meals. I hear it’s not a bad idea to eat smaller meals more often, so I embrace my munchies. Of course, I try my best to keep my snacks healthy and green, but occasionally I can’t help but give into organic dark chocolate or Fig Newmans.
My favorite snacks often come from my local farmer’s market, the bulk bin at the co-op, or recently, from my own plot in my local organic community garden! I work from home and am always busy, so sometimes I make them ahead of time on weekends and stock the fridge and cupboards so that I have a quick stash of healthy snacks available to grab quickly. I’ve been known to crowd my desk with small plates of munchies while working. Hey, snacking happens, it might as well be good for you!
So, to the delight of green-minded grazers everywhere, I present my top ten favorite healthy sustainable snacks. As an added bonus, these recipes are all vegan. So dig in.
By Sharon Troy •
June 11, 2008
Well, after my last post on eco-friendly junk food, I feel like I need to redeem myself a bit with another healthy salad. (See, my Kale, Quinoa and Avocado Salad recipe for the first installment of this series.) This recipe came about when I had a craving for home made spring rolls, but couldn’t find any sheets of rice paper in the five block vicinity of my apartment that I was willing to walk.
I changed up the ingredients a little bit, and Spring Roll Salad was born. Depending on what you’re in the mood for, you can make this more of a green salad and go heavy on the lettuce and cabbage, or more of a pasta salad, heavy on the vermicelli.
I’ll simply list my ingredients and let your taste guide the quantity.
I always cringe when I see babies and toddlers in hard sole, inflexible shoes, as if their feet are bound like Chinese girls a hundred years ago. Little feet need to grow naturally, without the restrictions of hard shoes, and pediatricians now recommend that children go barefoot until they are two-years-old. The next best thing to bare feet, which is not always practical when walking outdoors or in cooler temperatures, are soft-soled shoes. We have previously reviewed Robeez footwear, but a more eco-friendly, made in USA option exists: IsaBooties.
IsaBooties are made in Colorado with fair labor. These soft-soled shoes are formaldehyde-free, and the “ultrasuede” fabric exceeds the Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety (ASTM F963-07). The fabric is durable, machine washable, breathable, and 100% vegan! These shoes are stain resistant and do not fall off, as well as they help keep socks on little crawling feet. The packaging is made from 100% recycled materials, is 100% recyclable, and printed with soy ink.
As I strolled through the Great Hall at Navy Pier a few weeks ago, trying out samples of raw carob cookies from Karyn’s, a raw/vegan restaurant here in Chicago, I thought that I had died and gone to green heaven.
Crowds of people were walking and riding their bikes to the biggest green celebration to hit my city every year, and I just could not get enough of the samples of vegan food, the representatives from green non-profits explaining what they do, and the friendly green business owners promoting their products.
Yet the Green Festival has its detractors. Some people say it is not green enough, others say that just the idea of a green trade show is hypocritical. After all, how can an event that burns fuel to promote the environment really be good for the Earth? Here are the five things about the Green Festival that I think are truly, remarkably green (and one issue that still needs a lot of work).
For my daughter’s first birthday (and first taste of sweetness), we decided a carrot cake would be the healthiest choice. This weekend for an impromptu Memorial Day potluck, we revisited our carrot cake recipe, and this time my daughter got to help make it! Our organic carrot cake was the hit of the party, and it is a great way to use up those funky looking carrots from the garden.
Organic Carrot Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Use butter or oil to grease and flour the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ glass pan. Beat with an electric mixer for one minute:
- 1 1/2 cups organic sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs (or egg replacer)
Add and beat for another minute:
- 2 cups organic flour (can use a mixture of whole wheat and unbleached white)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
By Sharon Troy •
May 28, 2008
Ok, so according to the calendar, it may not be summer quite yet, but in California, the avocados are just starting to ripen, which is how I mark the start of the season. And when the weather starts getting warmer, I start turning to lighter, fresh meals. This quinoa-based salad is easy to prepare, and contains so many of my favorite healthy ingredients.
I’m always surprised that quinoa hasn’t caught on mainstream, given how easy it is too cook, and its high nutritional content. Despite the fact that in cooking it’s treated like rice or barley, quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain. Known as the staple of the Incas (and also a staple of the vegans, as it’s a complete protein), this crop originated in the Andes Mountains. It’s used more often in Mexican dishes, but I really enjoy it in this Asian-inspired salad.
The kale is chock full of iron and the nori is rich in calcium and iodine. If you opt for a fat-free dressing, then the only fat comes from the avocado. (Which is, you know, a good fat… at least that’s what I tell myself when I’m scarfing down guacamole.) Here’s the full recipe:
