It is the peak of strawberry season, and we're on the lookout for the most amazing strawberry recipes. We've rounded up a few below for you to enjoy. Feel free to add any others you are particularly fond of in the comment section - we like to highlight recipes that are using whole grains, whole grain flours, whole ingredients, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, minimally refined sweeteners, and the like - so keep that in mind if you post (or at the very least recommend substitutions).

Strawberries. As if their fragrant, juicy sweetness wasn't reason enough to enjoy these heart-shaped gems, strawberries are packed with potent phyto-nutrients and health-promoting antioxidants. When you are buying strawberries be on vigilant mold alert. Be sure to peek in the bottom of the basket, or hold berry baskets up high and look underneath - a single moldy berry seems to be contagious to the whole lot. Also, keep in mind, strawberries are one of the crops where pesticide residue is most likely to be found. Buy organic berries, or berries that have been grown without pesticides.

STRAWBERRY RECIPE ROUND-UP

- Fava Beans and Strawberry Salad Recipe with Pecorino - from recent Iron Chef contender Chris Cosentino of Incanto Restaurant and Bar (link)

- Loving Greens Salad with Strawberries Recipe (link)

- Nicole Weston's Whole Wheat Strawberry Pancake Recipe (link)

- Strawberry-Coconut Scone Recipe on Post Punk Kitchen (vegan) - we'd use pure (solid) coconut oil/butter in place of the margarine. (link)

- Strawberry Fields Forever: Meg carries on her family strawberry jam-making legacy. This story posted last year deserves a big *bump* now that we are in the midst of strawberry season. (link)

Comments (1) | April 9 - 8:14 AM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg

Molly Katzen on handling, buying, and storing grapefruits.

- Broiled Grapefruit. Let us know if you try this one.

- Any excuse to consume some bubbly: Ruby-Red Grapefruit Sorbet with Champagne in Natural Health Magazine.

- The famous Central Market in Dallas weighs in with a Spinach Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Comments (6) | February 2 - 8:43 AM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg

A good lunchtime salad that fills you up without being overly heavy. It tastes good chilled or at room temperature, and can handle much of the abuse that takes place in a lunch bag or box. Packed with greens, mineral-rich sea vegetables, whole-grain noodles, and tofu - lots of flavor and texture in every bowl.

Soba Matchstick and Spinach Salad

1/2 cup creamy organic peanut butter
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
3 tablespoons 100% maple syrup
2 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons shoyu soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

12 ounces organic soba noodles, broken into 2-inch segments, and cooked per package instructions in salted water

12 ounces organic tofu, cut into small cubes, and sauteed in a dry pan for 5 minutes.

3/4 cup organic peanuts (if you can find them), toasted or roasted
1 small bunch of green onions, sliced
3 or 4 big handfuls of baby spinach, well washed
1 sheet of toasted nori, crumbled (optional)

Start by making the dressing. Blend all the ingredients together in a medium bowl and thin with more warm water if needed (you want it to be the consistency of a fluid salad dressing). Taste and add a pinch of salt or two if needed.

In a large bowl add the cooked soba noodles, tofu, peanuts, green onions, spinach and nori. Toss well with about half of the dressing, now add a bit more at a time to get a proper coating. Taste and salt again if needed. Serve on a big platter.

Serves 4 to 6.

Comments (1) | February 2 - 8:42 AM

category: Recipes, Superfoods, Vegan / Veg, Whole Grains

From the archives. Have you tried agave nectar? You should. It's like honey...sort of. Like honey in the sense that it is sticky, oozy, sweet and natural. You can use it as a replacement for honey, but the taste and mouthfeel is ever-so-slightly different. You know how many honeys are slow and sluggish and very rich? Well agave nectar seems to have a cleaner, "fresher" taste, it also seems to be more water soluble than other liquid sweeteners which makes it easy to incorporate into your recipes or hot drinks. Diabetics give it a thumbs up because it is low on the glycemic index- so it is more slowly absorbed into the bloodstream. Vegans like it because unlike honey it isn't an animal product.

A few ways to use agave nectar:

- Almond Agave Butter (recipe)
- Apple Agave Tart (recipe)
- Oat-Date Bars (recipe)
- Coconut Cream Tapioca (recipe)

Do you have a favorite brand of agave nectar? Let us know in the comments - we would like to do a taste-off in the future.

Comments (6) | January 6 - 11:07 PM

category: Recipes, Sweeteners, Vegan / Veg

Goji berries are all the rage right now, and for good reason. Hollywood starlets are snapping them up for their celebrated anti-aging properties. Clif's 100% organic Lemon Vanilla Nectar bar features them for their nutrient density and essential amino acids, and alongside other anti-oxidant rich ingredients like acai, the vibrant goji are expected to break into an increasing number of packaged goods and beverages this coming year. We'll tell you a bit more about these super-charged berries, and then tip you off to some of our favorite ways to eat them.

The goji berry (or wolf berry) is indigenous to Tibet and Northern China.Be prepared for a bit of sticker shock when you go to purchase them, they are sold in most natural foods stores now, and they aren't cheap. You green-thumbed go-getters can take a shot at growing your own if you like - that is certainly a way to cut the cost.

You are likely to find goji berries in their dried form. Goji's are a deep, brick red color and are typically purchased dried. They are leaner than a dried cranberry or raisin, but similar in size - they are also typically a bit less moist. They are very tasty straight from the bag with a flavor that is sweet without being too sweet and tart without being puckery. Outside of the dried goji berries, keep your eyes peeled for goji juice.

Use the dried goji berries as your might other dried fruit - tossed in salads, tossed in warm or sauteed greens, baked into muffins and breakfast breads, chopped into pancakes, etc. Rehydrate them and stir them into yogurt or ice creams. Puree the rehydrated goji berries and play around with that as well. The goji juice can be used as you would any other fruit juice - in a sherbet or sorbet, in a morning smoothie, in popsicles, frozen into ice cubes, and in your favorite cocktails.

Goji Granola

4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1 cup macadamia nuts, big pieces
1 1/2 cups raw unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup goji berries, loosely chopped
1 cup unsulphered dried fruit of your choice (try dried pineapple and dried papaya)
3/4 cup honey or for vegans, a light maple syrup or agave nectar
1/4 cup unrefined full-flavored coconut oil

Preheat your oven to 300°F. Put the oats into a large bowl. Add the sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, coconut, dried fruits (except the goji berries), and orange zest. Stir to combine.

Heat the honey and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour the warm honey mixture into the dry mixture and stir until everything is well coated.

Spread the mixture onto one or two rimmed baking sheets and bake for about 40 minutes, less if you are splitting the mixture between two pans. Stir every 10 minutes or so. You want to bake the muesli until it is a light, toasty, golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Toss the granola with the goji berries and store in large mason jars until you are ready to eat.

Makes about 10 cups of granola.

Comments (2) | December 19 - 5:35 PM

category: New Products, Recipes, Superfoods

Citrus is just what we need to shake off the heavy, dark days of winter. Lately we’ve been tucking juicy segments of orange here, squeezing limes there, and scattering lemon zest — well — everywhere. These fruits provide the Spring cleaning we need after months of hearty, warm, stick to your-ribs fare. True, not everyone is seeing the brisker months melt away like us Californians, but no matter where you are, Spring is just around the corner, and the recipes below will help usher it in.

On the nutrition front, while we are in full support of your apple-a-day habit, you might want to think about adding a piece of citrus fruit to your regimen as well. A range of powerful antioxidant phytochemicals, like polyphenols, lycopene, and flavonoids make these sprightly fruits great for cancer prevention. Rich in fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene, folic acid, and potassium you’ll get serious bang for your bite, weather you want to fight the common cold, reduce inflammation or your risk for heart disease, or just pack your kids lunch.

Are you over the everyday orange? Lemons lost their luster? Then check out this great list of the many citrus fruit varieties there are to choose from.

Citrus:
- butternut squash kasha salad with citrus vinaigrette and spicy almonds
- new ambrosia
- citrus curry lentil soup
- arugala salad with whole citrus vinaigrette

Lemons:
- whole-wheat spaghetti with fresh ricotta and lemon zest
- meyer lemon risotto
- gremolata
- lemon verbena & honey granita

Oranges:
- orange pine nut buckwheat pancakes
- peanut, orange and carrot salad
- pan-grilled polenta with blood orange and basil relish
- orange & date bars
- bergamot orange salmon

Tangelos, tangerines, clementines, & kumquats:
- tangelo-coriander brown rice pilaf
- tangerine salt
- honey tangerines and kumquats with walnuts and shaved celery
- clementine yogurt compote
- kiwi kumquat salad with key lime syrup

Pomelos & grapefruits:
- gingered pineapple and grapefruit salsa
- pomelo salad
- fennel, olive & pink grapefruit salad

Limes
- snap pea salad with radish, & lime
- cilantro lime brown rice
- watermelon with lime juice & zest
- miso-lime pesto

Zesty products:
- orange blossom honey flute
- blood orange chocolate truffles
- Elizabeth W citrus vervain room fragrance
- o olive oil citrus oils
- Microplane premium zester
- oma lemon squeezer
- organic dwarf meyer lemon tree

Comments (0) | December 1 - 9:28 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

With temperatures dropping, hearty soup and stew season is at the door. There are a lot of fantastic soup and stew recipes making use of delicious (and nutritious) whole grains like barley, amaranth, and farro, as well as brown and colored rices. Here's a starter list of five...

- Sheila Lukins' Home-Style Mushroom Barley Soup (link)

Nancy Harmon Jenkins' Farro, Bean and Chickpea Soup (link)

- Lorna Sass' Amaranth, Quinoa, and Corn Chowder (link)

- Runner's World Lentil Brown Rice Soup (link)

- Beet, Barley, and Black Soybean Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons (Post Punk Kitchen via CHOW)

Comments (0) | November 27 - 7:48 AM

category: Recipes, Vegan / Veg, Whole Grains

We love pomegranates for their looks, a rustic red leather bulb encasing a treasure of hundreds of edible jewel-like seeds. Lucky for us all, in this instance beauty is more than skin deep.

Pomegranates have been nutritional darlings for thousands of years. Right now Westerners are fixated on the juice of the pomegranate - it has anti-oxidant properties nearly three time that of green tea or red wine. But throughout history all parts of the tree have been used as medicine to treat everything from digestive disorders and kidney stones to fevers and heart ailments. Roots, bark, flowers, rind, and seeds - nothing went to waste.

When you are buying pomegranates look for fruits that are heavy and free of blemishes. You are shooting for pomegranates that are at the peak of ripeness. This is a fruit that ripens on the vine, so keep in mind they won't sweeten more once picked. Fruit that is starting to crack is fine as long as it doesn't look dried out. Feel for heaviness, a weighty fruit means more tangy, sweet juice.

Want to work more pomegranate into your life? Here are a few ideas:

- How to cut open a pomegranate
- Diana Kennedy's Guacamole Chamacuero
- Homemade Pomegranate Liqueur
- Ensalada de Noche Buena
- Drunken Figs with Roquefort and Marsala Wine in Pomegranate Syrup
- Pomegranate Chutney

Comments (2) | October 24 - 4:11 PM

category: Lists, Recipes, Superfoods, Vegan / Veg

A list of hearty soup recipes that are on deck to try this winter.

- David Ansel's Yellow Split Pea Soup with Crispy Garlic (recipe)
- Cranberry Bean and Pumpkin Stew (recipe)
- Artichoke and Celery Root Soup (recipe)
- Deborah Madison's Lentil Minestrone (recipe)
- Real Food Daily's Country Miso Soup (recipe)
- Indian Spiced Carrot Soup (recipe)

There's nothing quite as comforting as a big pot of fragrant soup simmering away on a weekend stove (or not, in the case of the uncooked Indian Spiced Carrot Soup). In either case you'll have a big pot of delicious ingredients combining to offer the promise of a full week of tasty lunches.

Comments (1) | October 8 - 3:04 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Whether they are rosy-skinned and small, flecked with mottled shades of yellow and pink, or deep red and brooding, apples of all shapes, shades, and sizes are filling baskets and boxes at farmer's markets this time of year. In the spirit of the season we offer up a handful of apple-centric recipes that caught our attention. But before you dive in read what fruit detective David Karp had to say in an interview 10 years back about an apple tasting in which he sampled 44 varieties.

- Ferran Adria's Apple Caviar technique (link)
and his corresponding Apple Caviar recipe (link)

- Carol Peck's Green Tomato and Apple Chutney (link)

- Honey Roasted Applesauce on Napastyle (link)

- The Girl and the Fig's Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Compote Soup (link)

- Apple Chestnut Stuffing (link)

- Millennium's Apple Quince Cherry Strudel (link)

- Alice Water's Apple Tart (link)

Comments (1) | October 6 - 10:44 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Quite a few natural foods products come across our table - some better than others. We thought we'd share a few recent finds that garnered our mighty seal of approval.

Morning Glory
Way Back Pistachio Granola
Solay Gourmet Peanut Butter or Carob Granola
Fiona's Orange Crunch & Strawberry Mango Quinoa Crunch Granola
Fiddler's Green Farm Izzie's Irish Oats Hot Cereal (steelcut oats, millet, & almonds)
Dorset Cereals

Bread 'n' Butter
Dr. Kracker's Krispy Grahams & Seeded Spelt Snack Chips
Futter's Pistachio Butter
Tea-N-Crumpet's Organic Whole Wheat Crumpet

Gilding the Lily

High Desert Food's Spiced Tomato Sauce
Wholemato Ketchup
Arora Creations Spice Mixes

Sans Gluten
Mary’s Gone Crackers Crackers
Crave Bakery’s Brownies & Artisan Bread
Jake's Unbaked (good enough to mention twice)

Better than Gorp
Crispy Green's Apricot
Peeled’s Plu-What?
Crunchies Pineapple

Cacao Crazy
Nirvana Blueberry-Acai Chocolate Bar
Cocoa Vino Fig Caramel Bon Bons
Yachana Jungle Chocolates
Grocer’s Daughter Wally or Blue Bar
Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate or Naked Coconut "Ice Cream"

While we're not about to abandon our favorite recipes, we can't deny that more than a few of these have re-energized our breakfast routines, put a little spark into our lunch boxes, and given us a new sweet treat to nibble on.

Comments (0) | August 29 - 4:10 PM

category: New Products

Lisa Averbuch and Sabrina Moreno-Dolan are the ladies behind LOFT liqueurs, the producers behind the first certified organic liqueur in the United States. Their story is interesting and inspirational, particularly for those of you who have tinkered with the idea of turning a passion into a small business.

When and why did you start making LOFT Liqueurs?

Lisa: I started making liqueurs for fun about 2 years ago. I came across a recipe for limoncello and at the time I didn't even know you could make it at home! After trying that recipe, using lemons from my boyfriend's backyard lemon tree, I was hooked! I tried to make cello everything: apple cello, banana cello, tangerine cello- you get the idea. After about six months of experimenting I let my friends try it and they were really excited! They said it tasted a lot better than much of what was available in the marketplace and wanted to buy it for themselves and their friends. So I thought, "well you are my friends� I'll make this for you." So many flavored vodkas and other liqueurs have a synthesized taste and obvious artificial color (don't even get me started on the traditional neon-green apple-tini). I wanted to give people the opportunity to go to a bar or restaurant and order a drink that they can feel good about - something that tastes like the real thing and isn't filled with chemicals. And once I learned that alcoholic beverages could be certified organic, it was a no-brainer. Whenever possible I buy biodynamically grown ingredients as well.

Sabrina: The first time I tried LOFT I went into fiendish plan mode. I thought "this is so amazing. There must be a way to share it with people (and save the planet through good-will established with flavor)."

What is your favorite way to serve LOFT Liqueurs? Do you like to pair anything with them?

L: They can be chilled and sipped on their own or mixed with a variety of other spirits, such as vodka or rum. They're great in Champagne, lemonade or even just a splash of sparkling water. We have about thirty cocktail recipes on our website too. My favorite drink is the Lavender Daiquiri. It's a basic daiquiri recipe substituting the usual sugar with LOFT Lavender Cello. I also really like to pair them with dark chocolate or pour over ice cream. One person I know had great results using the Spicy Ginger Cello to marinade a pork chop!

S: With friends. I love people and I love when they are happy. It's cool when people are able to honestly say "I love it" and be happy and proud of you and really want your product. I've brought it to parties for friends and had more than one person approach me and say, "are you the liqueur lady? I really want to taste it. I've heard amazing things." I suggest you try it any and every way.

What makes LOFT Liqueurs great?

L: First and foremost, they taste incredible. We are the first certified organic liqueur in the U.S. We sweeten them with low-glycemic agave nectar. We use only fresh fruit or botanicals from small independent farms. We handcraft in small batches. The flavors are unique (and delicious): lemongrass, spicy ginger and lavender. We use no additives, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. And we use tree-free bamboo paper labels, biodegradable inks and boxes made from recycled materials.

What would most surprise people about LOFT Liqueurs?

L: I posed this question to a couple of friends and they said they were surprised as to how smooth our drink is compared to, say, most limoncellos. There are a couple of reasons for that. One, we brought the alcohol down a few points to let the flavor of the fruit or botanical shine through. Second, we're the first in the U.S. to use a new technology called Evolution. It's been used for a few years in Japan with sake and shochu but we've had it approved for use here. Basically it rearranges the water molecules to smooth the bite of the alcohol and enhance the flavor.

S: The mouth-watering good taste. No, really, it tastes so good. Up until now I thought organic and that translated into "healthy" but that didn't conjure up images of farm fresh produce or just picked botanicals. In my old way of thinking an organic orange tasted the same as a regular orange but it didn't have the chemicals that hurt the earth and it cost more. So my reason to buy the organic orange (even though it was more expensive) wasn't taste-motivated but planet-motivated. With LOFT you get great tasting, earth-friendly, exotic flavors and you support one of the only female-owned spirit businesses in the U.S. We're a small company, we caringly handcraft every batch, we're fun.

What other natural food producer(s) do you really admire?

L: I love Cowgirl Creamery. If I could make a cheese liqueur I would - I know it sounds weird and crazy, but just maybe� I've seen squid ink used in cocktails, so you never know. Also in my liqueur quest I discovered Equator Coffees in San Rafael, California. They do incredible organic and fair trade coffees and teas.

S: Yummy - Ben and Jerry's Organic Ice Creams. Dreamy - Cowgirl Creamery cheese. Yeah to anyone who makes products thinking about great taste, the consumer, the environment and a good time.

What's your favorite natural food product other than your own?

L: It's really hard to pick one product. I'll just say that I have a renewed respect for any company willing to go through the difficulty and expense of the organic certification process. We only use four ingredients and our application was over 100 pages. So my hat's off to anyone who's done it! It really shows a commitment to wanting to make a good natural product.

What's next on the horizon for you and LOFT Liqueurs?

L: Our first three flavors available are Lavender, Lemongrass and Spicy Ginger. However to date I have tried making liqueurs with over 40 different fruits and botanicals including some herbs such as basil and lemon verbena. I have 15 or so viable flavors and would love to produce them all, but in the meantime we hope to do some seasonal flavors such as tangerine later in the winter and perhaps blueberry in the summer.

S: An endorsement from George Clooney (or at least drinks). No, really- I do want to have drinks with Clooney with my husband- and I believe, more importantly, that people (including George) will love LOFT because it really tastes great and it's chemical free. I hope that LOFT will be a big hit and we can launch exciting seasonal flavors like tangerine. I look forward to people being excited that I am sharing LOFT (the truth) and not fearing that I am trying to sell them anything.

Where can people find LOFT Liqueurs?

L: Full bottles can be purchased online at from Mondo Liquor or at Ledger's Liquors in Berkeley, California. We just launched so we're still working on getting wider distribution, but for the moment any bar, restaurant or liquor store in California or New York can buy from me directly. Consumers can find us in a few restaurants in San Francisco including Jardiniere, Americano, and Kuleto's (who, by the way, has a separate all-organic drink menu). A list of where to buy can be found on our website and will be updated often.

www.loftliquors.com

Comments (4) | May 25 - 6:16 PM

category: Gift Ideas, Interviews/Profiles, New Products, Organic Wine / Beer

We are smack in the heart of asparagus season. Whether you like your asparagus spears thick or thin, there are infinite ways to prepare these springtime icons. These recipes look like some of the best:

• Asparagus Soup with Curry & Crème Fraîche (Mourad Lahlou of Aziza Restaurant)
• Asparagus Flan (Orangette)
• Lemony Risotto Croquettes with Slivered Snow Peas, Asparagus, and Leeks (Splendid Table)
• Asparagus Frittata (Simply Recipes)
• Asparagus Chili Tortilla (delicious:days)
• Spring Vegetables in a Herb Nage (Nordjus)
• Spring Panzanella (Napastyle)
• Roast Asparagus Parmesan with Steamed Morels Recipe (Sylvain Portay)

Comments (11) | April 9 - 1:34 PM

category: Lists, Recipes

Celebrating Earth Day typically involves cleaning up a neighborhood park, planting a tree, or, if you're more creative, maybe taking yourself on a shopping spree for fashionable reusable shopping bags. How about marking the holiday this year with an Earth Dinner? Marking Earth Day with an Earth Dinner is a wonderful way of acknowledging the role our food choices have on the health of the planet.

Need inspiration? We found some great ideas, tips, recipes, and resources on the Earth Dinner website. The inspiring (and affordable) Earth Dinner Cards recently provided us with an evening of wonderful conversation over a locally-sourced meal. Bounce around the site a bit for more inspiration.

Earth Dinners are a great way of raising awareness and exploring complex issues without having to get on your soapbox. Instead, food and fun party activities set the table for a delicious meal with the potential for real and meaningful exchanges about eating sustainably.

Comments (3) | April 8 - 4:13 PM

category:

It seems that edible wild plants are all the rage right now. Martha Stewart even has a feature on the joys of these overlooked weeds in the April 2008 issue of her namesake magazine. We couldn’t agree more and spring is a perfect time to reap the rewards of wild harvesting.

This is why we are so excited to share with you our new favorite find – Wild Leek Vinegar from Food for Thought in Honor, Michigan. This tiny gem of company specializes in tasty products made from wild harvested, local, and seasonal plants. We got our hands on a bottle of this small-batch elixir and have been slurping it up in vinaigrettes over roasted asparagus and spring lettuces. For a twist (because we like vinegar on potato chips and french fries), we sprinkled some over a batch of salty oven fries and found the delicate, almost garlicky tang to be a great match. The bottle itself is so beautiful that we also pair it alongside our favorite olive oil for an unexpected and welcome hostess gift.

Comments (3) | March 30 - 11:11 AM

category: Gift Ideas, New Products