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New Online Magazine 07/23/2010

Hey everyone, we haven't posted in a while, but I think you'll agree it's for a good reason! Celine and I (mostly Celine), have published a new bi-monthly E-magazine called Pure Green Living. It's a green lifestyle magazine with subjects ranging from design, to new products, new trends, gadgets, clothes, travel and even food! If you haven't checked out our premier issue please do www.puregreenliving.ca. If you like it,(we hope you love it) share it with everyone you know, and make sure you sign up for your free subscription!

The Organic Kitchen - Black Bean Burrito with Chili Lime Yogurt and Tomato Coulis 06/10/2010

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Ingredients:

½ Quart Plain Organic Yogurt (I like to drain it so it’s thick or cheat and use Liberté Mediterranean)

Fresh Cilantro (add parsley optional)

1 Lime

4 Roma Tomatoes

2 Bell Peppers

¼ Spanish Onion

2 Cloves of fresh Garlic

8 Large Tortillas

2 Cans of Organic Black Beans

Cumin, Chilies, Chili Powder, Basil, Organic Sea Salt or Himalayan

Cheese (I like extra old white cheddar)

Fresh Corn Seasonally or Canned Baby Corn

Butter (mmmmm... butter)

Tomatoes: Half tomatoes vertically, set cut-side-up in a roasting pan, spritz with olive oil and bake @ 350F for 1 hour or until skin splits. Let stand 15 minutes, remove any burnt skin (you may prefer all skin removed) then smash it all up or blend lightly in a food processor. A hand blender works well for this. Lightly season it with salt.

Peppers: Julienne peppers (slice thin), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with basil. Toss together and roast in the oven with your tomatoes to desired doneness. Stir once. I look for a little charring to start (expect 20-30 minutes).

Yogurt: To yogurt add ½ Tsp. cumin, minimum 2 Tbsp. chopped Cilantro, Juice from 1 lime and organic sea salt to taste (expect ½ tsp.). Mix thoroughly and let stand.

Refried Beans: Drain and rinse beans, and add together with ¾ can of water in a food processor. Liquify (remember that scene from Gremlins?).

In a large skillet heat frying oil (I like grapeseed) and brown ¼ Spanish onion diced, 2 large cloves of garlic diced and 1/2 Tsp. of crushed chilies. Add bean mix, 1 Tsp. Cumin and 1 Tsp. Chili Powder. Stir constantly over medium heat. Once mixture begins to thicken add ½ tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt), 1-2 Tbsp. Chopped Cilantro and 1-2 Tbsp. of Chopped Parsley. Continue stirring until mix thickens to a paste (Think peanut butter).

Burritos: Spread bean mix liberally over tortillas leaving ½ inch from the edges. Sprinkle on some roasted peppers. Roll like a carpet. Lay burritos on a cookie sheet with the seam facing down, put a couple slabs of cheese on top. Bake until cheese melts and starts to brown.

Corn: Seasonally Roast fresh corn and dress with butter mixed with chili powder.

Alternatively, drain 2 cans of baby corn. Heat a little grapeseed oil in your skillet (gotta love cast iron for this) add a Tbsp. of butter (absolutely not margarine – that crap will kill you!!) this will prevent your butter from burning, toss in corn and sprinkle with chili powder, shake around to coat evenly and fry it till it’s brown.

Slap it all onto a plate – drizzle the burritos with 2 sauces, I like sliced cucumber with this – chop some cilantro and parsley and sprinkle over the top. Viola!

Trust me lads, you won’t complain about them being vegetarian; although, anyone near you for the next 24 hours might!

*Fast food tip: Double the batch, freeze ‘em, just pull them out in the morning, add cheese and bake!

A Super-defence of plaid and a Keen defence of shoes. 05/14/2010

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I catch a lot of flack on 2 fronts: I have an addiction to plaid shirts, and I have a uni-dimensional love affair with 1, and 1 only, brand of shoes. This post isn’t about plaid shirts, so I’ll make this part quick. For those of you who have an aversion to my monk-like dedication to plaid … I’ve got two words for you: Clark Kent!

Now that we’ve smacked down the gabble on plaid – let’s talk about shoes. Ok, just a sec, I’ll get to shoes.

One thing that is sorely lacking in the eco-world is clothing options; particularly men’s clothing (that is if you don’t fancy looking like a yoga instructor day in and out). Most men’s clothing now is heavily pesticide laden cotton blended with petrochemical polyester. The focus is on function, never wrinkle, resist stains, repel water, blah, blah, blah. How do you think they do that? I know, how about dipping into a giant vat of PFOA (like Teflon). PFOA is the most pervasive chemical on the planet found in the blood stream of polar bears and penguins. It is in our water-table, in our food, and now we shroud ourselves in it because we’re too lazy to iron.

There are a few companies trying to make a difference. One serious problem area is shoes. For a product that there is no easy way to be green – I have to hand it to Keen.

I come from 15 years in the restaurant industry where there are 2 certainties: one, you will have foot, leg and back problems if you don’t wear good footwear, and two, you will burn through a pair of shoes every couple of months. Well, I have the distinct luxury of having troublesome feet to fit. Finding a pair of shoes that fit well, are comfortable and of good quality was a near impossibility. Then I found Keens - a new company that made slightly expensive, slightly funny looking (according to my now –wife who now loves the look of them) unbelievably comfortable, shoes. When I first discovered Keens I think they had about 5 choices. I’m pretty sure my first Keens were the Portsmouth.

I used to work 12-15 hour days, on my feet, sometimes 7 days a week. Those shoes held up a year before they finally died. I think I paid about $140.00. Instead I could have bought 6 pairs of $80.00 shoes like I always have. Since then I have had countless pairs of Keens. Right now I have a pair of high cuts, a pair of sandals, a pair of canvas sneakers, a pair of winter boots, a pair of black leather shoes, and a pair of brown leather shoes. All I ever need, all Keen. OK – I am looking at the hikers too. But that’s it. Except my brown leathers are on their last legs – but it has taken me 3 years wearing them every single day, hiking, gardening, working in my shop, rain, dirt snow, renovations and day to day stuff, to kill them.

I have converted other restauranteurs, all of my friends, my wife, my mother-in-law, my father, brother and now I’m going to convert you. Get Keen Shoes! Oh, just for the record, I always thought Keen shoes looked cool – and they are looking cooler all the time.

So what’s so good about Keen beside the value and the comfort and the fact that they won’t die? Environmental and social responsibility. Here’s what they have to say about it:

“Our commitment focuses on the environment, community and growth. Special emphasis is placed on sustainable product development, strategic sourcing options, impactful community outreach, and a progressive work environment.”

Are KEEN products green and sustainable?

“This is a focus for KEEN with several initiatives. We are reducing and eliminating materials containing toxins. We are reducing the amount of waste in manufacturing our products. We are harvesting our waste stream for use in new shoes and bags. Lastly, we are using materials with sustainable attributes whenever possible.”

It’s high time we start thinking about what our stuff is made out of. What it is doing to us and to our planet. It’s high time we get back to buying quality, buying based on value and not price. It’s time we look at lifecycle cost. It’s time we support companies that are producing essential products like plaid shirts and shoes, without cutting corners. My vote for shoe company of the decade: Keen.

How’s that for a corporate plug?

By the way Veronica, not all my posts are about food – unless you are counting all the times I put my foot in my mouth!

Greek Stifado - My Way 05/07/2010

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Greek Stifado – my way

Serves 8 Takes 2 hours

While in Greece I discovered that the Greeks like their food very simple (with the exception of ice cream – but that’s another story). Since I like a little more depth to my food, I considered the whole Greek culinary experience to be a wonderful place for great ideas, simple foundations to build on for more complex, flavourful dishes. The key, though, is to try to still keep it simple. A traditional Greek dish often served with lamb or wild boar …. is stifado. I hope you like olives!

Ingredients

Meat and Marinade:

2 tbsp Ground cinnamon                                              4 cloves of fresh, locally grown garlic

3 fresh rosemary sprigs from your planter                   5 bay leaves (3 if you have fresh)*

Olive oil to coat *1st cold press

2 large (1 lb) local and organic thick-cut pork grilling chops
*(you can substitute beef, lamb or your in-laws’ yorkie terrier… good grief Jonathan!!! He’s not that bad!)

*check out www.mcfaddenfarm.com for fresh organic Bay-leaf wreaths or buy one from Sustain at Xmas time and have enough for all your soups and stocks for the rest of the year.

Stew:

1 19oz can of organic whole tomatoes                       1 19 oz can of organic diced tomatoes

¾ of a bottle of your cheapest local red wine            12 whole shallots

1 cup of pitted Kalamata olives                                  1 cup of pitted green olives

2 cups of cremini mushrooms                                     3-5 good size chunks of cinnamon bark (or sticks)

Potatoes:

4-5 lbs of organic white potatoes                                 1 full bulb of garlic – unpeeled

1 tbsp dried rosemary                                                    a few bay leaves

coarse sea salt                                                               olive oil to coat

Method:

Meat Preparation:

Take all marinade ingredients and smash together in a mortar and pestle. *Tip: If you add a very small amount of olive oil it is easier to do – but careful not to add too much or you’ll be chasing the ingredients around like a mini game of greased watermelon!

Remove the bone, large chunks of fat and silver skin from the meat and cube in large chunks. *Tip: Always take the time to remove the silver skin (that thin fat coating that looks like a stretched balloon) and your days of tough meat will be over!

Throw all ingredients into a bowl and massage together. Refrigerate until ready to use – you want the meat to be cold. I like to do this the day before…yes Jonathan, but we both know we are NEVER that organized… but you should let marinade for at least 2 hours.

Stew Preparation:

Peal all shallots and leave whole. Chop mushrooms into bite-size chunks. *Tip: If you insist on washing your shrooms instead of wiping away the dirt, then put them in a large bowl after you cut them and swish them around with a bit of water. They will clean much better after being cut.

Have your tomatoes and wine open and your olives pitted and ready to go.

Potato prep:

My Irish Chef friend and I don’t agree on this one, but to be fair - the Irish know a thing or two about potatoes. 2 methods – you tell me what’s better. Irish prep: cut into large chunks and parboil with lots of sea salt and lots of bay leaves. Drain, rinse and then coat and bake.

My prep: Cut them bite sized, then add a small amount of oil (I like using an oil sprayer for this), sprinkle liberally with dried rosemary and coarse sea salt, give it all a toss and spread it out on a baking sheet. I like using a stone baking sheet for this (Pampered Chef).

The Main Event:

I use an 8 liter cast iron casserole dish for this (thanks Gramma – but you can get one at Ikea pretty inexpensively), but you can substitute with any oven safe pot or combination of frypan and ceramic casserole dish.

Here we go – first step is to sear the meat. Get your pan good and hot. Add a little oil to coat – I like grapeseed for high temperatures. Drip a drop of water in the pan – if it sizzles right away your pan is ready. Toss the meat in and quickly sear off all the sides and remove from pan so it does not fully cook.

Step 2: Pour a glass of wine (trust me it makes you feel better about what you are about to do!). Pour the rest of the bottle into the pan (see…I told ya!). This process is called deglazing - the wine will lift all the flavours off the bottom of the pan. Now reduce the wine until it is thick and dark in colour, you will probably have about a cup left when this process is done.

Step 3: Add tomatoes, onions mushrooms, olives, cinnamon bark and meat. Give it a good stir. Plunk the lid on and fire it in the oven at 375 for around an hour. After 15 minutes pop the spuds in. 15 minutes later give the spuds a shake and then toss in a whole bulb worth of unpeeled garlic cloves that you lightly tossed in oil while enjoying your only glass of wine…only glass of wine, Jonathan?.

Sit and relax for a while – then serve it up with warm bread when it’s ready. I recommend a good organic Syrah with this or a nice blend like Cote du Rhone. Toss potatoes and garlic in for tomorrow’s leftovers.

If you have a Greek night for your dinner club….Stay tuned – I’ve been asked to make tzatziki for an hors d’oeuvresfor a Mother’s day LUVU Beauty event we are hosting. It’s a recipe that will blow your mind! One word of caution about that Greek dinner though – if anyone brings Retsina you would be wise to graciously decline it.

Sustain at the Green Living Show 05/04/2010

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After a flurry of activity, many late nights, take-out pizza's and some overall exhaustion (in a good way!), we can finally report back on Sustain's first experience exhibiting at the Green Living Show in Toronto! Roughly 40,000 visitors in 3 days, the show was a fantastic success for all involved. Best of all, we introduced Sustain to hundreds of people and met many new friends.

Our Booth in the Making

We want to give a heartfelt thanks to our suppliers, who donated materials to help make our booth amazing:
-American Clay (we used Loma in Jasper, for which Jonathan perfected his skip trowel technique)
-Muskoka Custom Wood Products (for the stunning reclaimed wood floors)

Other Products Used:
-Safecoat Hard Seal & Safe Seal (to seal the plywood our floor was mounted on)
-Safecoat Naturals Oil/Wax (to finish the floors)
-Plyboo Edge Grain in Amber (for our bamboo cabinet)

Our Booth in Action!

What an experience! We couldn't be happier with the show. Granted, we don't really have a benchmark to compare it too, as this was our first major show. But, judging from our hoarse voices, our constantly packed booth and the thousands of business cards we gave out, we think it was pretty good! It was very inspiring to be in a giant room full of people passionate about the environment, and passionate to help find solutions. Thank you to all those who visited us, and helped make the show such a success! We'll see ya next year!

By the way...we also found some cool new stuff! How would you like to see a ionic toothbrush, an electric coversion kit for your bike, a vampire power bar, and R-30 nano-paint at Sustain sometime soon? Sound cool? We think so!

Bamboozled 04/17/2010

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I know I haven’t posted in a while – but I have a good excuse. I decided to put my carpentry skills to the test. In typical fashion, I tackled a huge project, with inadequate tools, space or knowhow to complete it, using premium materials. I have to give a shout out to finished carpenters. Wood has a mind of its own. If you are like me, you might think: “how hard can it actually be to build a box out of wood?” Well, easy if you don’t mind your cabinets looking like Charlie Brown built them with an open can of lacquer hanging around his neck!

Things I learned: Sheet goods are not square. Craig jig screws are delicate little suckers. Dust extraction is not an option if you want to live outside an iron lung. You can’t rush glue – especially non-toxic glue. You also can’t stain glue. When you think you have sanded enough, you’re half way there. It is impossible to keep a perfect edge using power sanders. Installing adjustable shelf tracking is where most new swear words are born. Metric and imperial do not convert. Period. If you’re a hair of plum in the beginning, you’re an afro off plum by the end! Patience truly is a virtue! Finally, the test of a great carpenter is not how few mistakes are made, but how well they are hidden.

So here is what I’ve been up to. 7 days in my meager 300 square foot shop with about 150 square feet of usable space I have managed to turn out 24 feet of bamboo cabinets for the store. My cabinet making friend told me it could be mostly done in a day. He is obviously the cabinet messiah; that and I am the butt end of some twisted cabinet maker’s humour.

I have been around long enough to know the golden rule: “Measure once – cut twice.” Wait a minute, the opposite of that. Measure twice, cut once and realize the flaw in your plan. Measure twice and cut once again. Ahh, there you have it!

The end result is set of cabinets I am actually pretty proud of. I think I will get a solid “not bad” from my cabinet maker friend. They are square, true and velvety soft with the hand-rubbed AFM Naturals Oil Wax finish that Celine tirelessly applied. Plyboo gets 2 thumbs up from this eco carpenter.

I have to take a moment here and give praise where praise is due. Those Germans sure know how to make precision instruments. I bought myself a Festool track saw. A portable, small-space friendly, precision cabinet maker’s tool. Check it out, watch the videos and then gentleman – do what I did and mercilessly badger your wife until she lets you have one! What’s eco about it? The slow start function draws less amps. The tracks are all aluminum which is the most recycled material on the planet. The power cord is removable and replaceable so you don’t have to replace the whole saw when it inevitably wears out. The carbon footprint is far less than a table saw and the quality is of a tool that someday somebody will be saying “it was my granddads [or mas] saw and it’s still the best tool I have”. Oh yeah, it’s way safer than a table saw (unless you like all your fingers the same length), you don’t have to lift and maneuver heavy sheet goods (I bought it specifically to cut Paperstone to save what’s left of my back) and you don’t need a 2000 square foot shop to build stuff. If you get the dust extractor with it, it will turn on and off as you operate the saw, using far less energy than traditional systems. Definitely a dream tool.

French Toast - a la Sustain 03/22/2010

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Food photography is a whole other art form! I know this looks a little burnt in the picture but trust me when I say is was golden brown and delicious!!

OK – I promised you French Toast. Lads – get up early one Sunday morning and treat your sweetie to breakfast in bed. With any luck – you’ll still be there at lunch time!

                                   takes 15-20 minutes                   makes 6 large pieces

Ingredients:

Cinnamon (ground)                        Vanilla extract (the real stuff)                                     Butter

Maple syrup                                       Organic eggs

Your favorite bread – I like pumpernickel for this but a good 12 grain with some crunchy bits is good too

Serve with piping hot coffee and Fruit (ripe mango and fresh blueberries are a good bet)

Method:

In a medium bowl crack 4 large eggs (if your bread is huge add more eggs)

Sprinkle the cinnamon until you have covered the top of the eggs (about 1/8 tsp)

*normally I am a fan of grating your own fresh cinnamon but if the chunks are too big it will be overpowering

Add ¼ of a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a couple glugs (about 3 tbsp) of Pure Canadian Maple Syrup.

Whisk it all together until the “pockets” of cinnamon are broken down and the mix looks nice and creamy.

Cut your bread thick - about an inch

Heat your cast Iron skillet to medium high and add your grapeseed oil. Once oil is hot cut in a slab of butter and make sure the pan is coated.

*If you are using your fancy new Greenpan instead, cut the oil in half but stick to medium high heat.

Dip your bread in the egg mix and make sure both sides are well coated. Put it in the pan.

Once you have added your bread to the pan brown it evenly, flip and repeat. If it doesn’t all fit in the pan at the same time have a tray in the oven with the heat on a low setting so you can keep them warm and crisp.

When they are all done, drizzle with syrup and fruit and voila! Breakfast of French Champions!!

Frying Tip: Most of the terrible burns I have seen are from hot oil splashing on your hands. Always ensure when you are adding something to hot oil you put it down on the edge closest to you first and drop the far edge down last so that the oil splashes towards the back of the stove.

Health Tip: Try frying with coconut oil. It comes in a hard wax-like form. You chip it out and it melts like butter. Although at first glance it looks like it is super-high in fat, in truth, coconut oil is one of the ‘good fats’, like avocados! Basically, there are two types of cholesterol: HDL, the good, and LDL, the bad. LDL’s are more commonly found in some of our favourite junk foods and cheap oils – they line your blood vessels forming a substance called ‘plaque’, eventually leading to blockages that can cause heart disease or stroke. HDL’s are found in the form of monounsaturated fats – they ‘scour’ your blood vessels and encapsulate the LDL’s, transporting them to your liver for processing. HDL’s can help lower blood pressure, cleanse your blood vessels and keep you at a healthy weight and health.

Health Tip 2: Mangoes are amazing for digestion and super high in fibre. Blueberries are incredible antioxidants. Maple syrup is high in minerals and is about the least refined sugar you can eat. Cinnamon is an excellent blood cleanser. Eggs are full of the good cholesterol and a good source of protein. They are also touted to have amazing benefits for joint problems.

Prep Tip: There is an easy way to prepare a mango!! I went to University with a Guatemalan girl who could skin, cube and serve a mango in about the same time I could peel and chop a banana! Here’s the trick. The pit or stone is very thin – about ½ inch. If you look closely at the mango it is wider one way than the other. Slice your mango starting at the stem and slide the blade of your knife along the pit on both sides. From here there are two ways to go. For cubes you score the flesh in a grid pattern, then simply turn it inside out and pluck out the fruit. For long fingers of mango slice like you would a cantaloupe and run your knife along the skin at the bottom. If you have done this right there should be very little to rip away from the pit and you won’t have reduced the majority of the mango to mush. It takes a little practice but if you love mangoes – you’ll thank me for it.

Sustain's Organic Kitchen 03/15/2010

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Sustain has taken on its own personality but it is an extension of Céline and I too. It’s about eco living, it’s about style, it’s about character. Part of being green is also being healthy: healthy mind, healthy body, healthy environment. It works in that order.    As we grow our concept is growing; our products are growing and our offering is growing. We want you to get to know us, what’s important to us, what kind of lifestyle we support. That’s what this blog is about – sharing what’s important to us – the things we love.

So what gets me out of bed in the morning? Coffee. Period.   Fresh ground and french-pressed. Favorites? Muskoka Roastery granite blend, and Kicking Horse 454. Sustainable, localish, organic, fair trade, strong, rich and bloody delicious.

But what keeps me up at night?   I have a passion for food. Making it, eating it and especially sharing it. I love to cook for people. It’s rarely well planned and always interesting – most of the time I can’t tell you what goes in a dish until I make it, and unless Céline writes it down I generally can’t tell you after either. I’m working on that so that I can share some of my favorites with you – but just a brief disclaimer: my recipes are more like rough guidelines (as are all recipes in my opinion) so adjust ingredients to suit your taste.

Periodically I will write about cooking. We’ll call it the organic kitchen. My goal is to share with you my favorite recipes, most epic blunders, foody anecdotes and topics ranging from eco friendly cookware and cooking techniques to great wine discoveries to gastronomic chemistry lessons to the always popular ‘zen meat’ debate. There will not be discussion or recipes that involve tofu – I’m convinced it will cause prostate cancer (at least, that’s what I tell my wife).

So what do I know about cooking? You be the judge. Am I a Chef? Hell no. I’m not socially maladjusted enough for that, LOL, (*read Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain if you want some insight into the culinary underbelly). Actually, that was not a fair statement – I know many great Chefs and at least one of them isn’t socially devolved. No I am not a chef, though I have trained a few. I have been a restaurateur for the better part of my adult life, I have a genuine passion for food and I have cooked and experimented with food for as long as I can remember. I know what tastes good, what makes a good meal, how to have fun in the kitchen and how to love food that loves you back.

If I were ever to be a restaurateur again – here would be the first menu item:

Pierogies – My way

Makes 24 – serves four seriously hungry people. Serves six with a side dish*. Takes 1 hour.

Ingredients:

Sour cream – 1 tub 500ml (if you can’t get organic use full fat because low fat is full of nasty chemicals)

3 potatoes, large white (top 10 item to buy organic),

Extra old cheddar, 2 cups (if you aren’t going to put bacon buy the strongest cheddar available)

Flour, organic all purpose

Onion, white or Spanish

Cider vinegar, organic, preferably with mother

Salt, your favorite, organic sea or Himalayan

Rosemary, dried is fine for this recipe but start growing one in a pot – you won’t regret it

Seasoning salt

Bacon – 1 Lb. locally sourced and traditionally raised “zen” bacon

Method:

Pour a glass of cold, sauvignon blanc, something with bold citrus notes, anything New Zealand will do or Fetzer makes a nice organic one.

Peel and cube potatoes and boil until soft. Drain and mash.

Cut bacon strips into squares and sauté to medium (still a bit floppy), remove from pan and drain away fat.

Sauté 1 piece whole and quaff it before Céline sees!

Dice (not too fine) 1/3 of the onion and sauté until golden and translucent. Hint: throw it in the pan and wait – stop shaking it!

Grate cheese and add to potatoes along with bacon and onion.

Add ¼ cup of cider vinegar and a ½ tsp of salt.

Pour sour cream into a large mixing bowl and knead in flour until the dough is no longer sticky, even a bit stiff.

Dust your countertop with flour and roll the lot out to about 1/8 inch thickness.

Use the sour cream container like a cookie cutter and cut out as many rounds as you can. You should get 24.

Line the circles up and get ready to stuff. At this point you should have a small finger bowl of water handy.

Because the dough is a bit elastic you will want to squish each down with you palm as you go. Add filling, about a golf ball sized dollop, wet the edges with your finger (hence the bowl of water) stretch the dough over the filling and press seams together. You may want to fold the seam over like a hem to make sure it stays together. Alternatively you can use egg white instead of water but I find it’s not necessary. Now you should have something that looks like a mini calzone.

Repeat until done.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Slip the pierogies in one at a time. Make sure they do not stick to the bottom. As they star to float lift them out with a small strainer or slotted spoon and put on a rack to drip dry. They should be firm when they are done.

In a large cast iron skillet heat up grapeseed oil or high quality organic canola oil on medium high heat. Once hot add a tbsp of butter (*hint: the oil stops the butter from burning, the butter adds the flavour).

Fry your pierogies until brown and crispy (make sure they are dry or they will spit hot oil at you). While frying sprinkle generously with rosemary and some seasoning salt. If you want you can use course mineral finishing salt instead – but we like the seasoning salt.

Serve on plates and drizzle liberally with pure Canadian maple syrup. The salt, rosemary and syrup are nothing short of genius together. Accompany with another glass of that sauvignon blanc. Bon appétit!

*For the Carnivore: some good quality locally produced grilled pork sausage is good with this.

*For the veggie lovers: Coleslaw!!!!! Cheat and buy some broccoli slaw which has red cabbage, shredded carrots and shredded broccoli stems or use green cabbage, carrots, red cabbage for your base. Add paper-thin slices of onion, slices of tart apple, raisins and sunflower seeds. Add a pile of fresh or dried dill, and mustard seeds or grated ginger for the spice lovers. Mix up a dressing with one part olive oil, one part maple syrup and 1.5 parts organic cider vinegar. You can stretch it by adding some apple cider or juice. I recommend using Herbamare or Spike to season the dressing to taste, but your favorite salt will do. Mix it all up in a bowl and let sit for a couple hours in the fridge for best results, but it can be eaten right away. Make lots ‘cuz this salad lasts a week!

Alternatives: Desert. Try this recipe with marscapone cheese, figs and vanilla for a wonderful desert.

Leftovers: Freeze ‘em and reheat in the oven. If you know you won’t eat them all freeze them before they are cooked (make sure you separate them so they don’t stick) and boil them from frozen. If you have leftover filling, in the morning grease a cast iron pan with butter, smush the filling out into a big patty and pop in the oven at 400 until brown. Serve with your favorite style of eggs, your favorite condiment (PC steak sauce or Ketchup) and a fresh sliced tomato with a little finishing salt.

Health Tip: Organic Cider Vinegar cleanses the liver, alkalizes your system and is an all-around awesome health tonic! Cooking in cast iron gives you your daily iron – no joke.

Stay tuned - next time I'll be doing French toast - à la sustain.

Solar is making cents!! 03/06/2010

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There is a local green energy pioneer that came into the store to see what we were up to. He has been tracking solar hours for a long time. We showed him our predictions and he told us we were vastly understating solar potential in Huntsville. We are using sophisticated software to accurately predict output, I replied. Conservative, to say the least!

Remember a couple weeks ago I told you that in the first couple of days of connecting our customer's solar array to the grid he earned 50% more than we predicted? Turns out we were a tad more wrong than we initially thought!

This 3kW polemount system is producing 20kW per day in February and March!!! That's more than 100% better than we predicted. Jason from Advenergy who designed and installed the system, has to take a drive over and check it every couple of days because pinching himself isn't cutting it.

I think when summer comes around, Jason, myself, and our customer will be sitting around watching the meter. It's more exciting than the SuperBowl!!

ZeroFootprint: Calculate Your Carbon Footprint 03/03/2010

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While we're on the subject of carbon footprints, I came across this website today, ZeroFootprint. The site has been working to create a global community aimed at reducing our collective global footprint. On the site, you can create your own profile, calculate your carbon footprint, create goals, join discussions and view listings of green businesses/services. It's one of the most user-friendly and interesting sites of it's kind that I've visited so far.

I signed Sustain up today....we'll keep you updated on how we're doing with our own carbon reduction goals. I stongly suggest a visit! You might be surprised at how daily living really adds up. You can make it a fun project to do with your kids, and work on reducing your family's footprint together.

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