Greening Austin Daily

Cedar Park Farmer’s Market Visit

5th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Last weekend I checked out the Cedar Park Farmer’s Market. Located at the Lakeline Mall, it’s a great famer’s market for those of us who live in North Austin. I thought there were about 50 stands there, and there was a nice variety of fruits and vegetables as well as hot food stands and specialty stands. I bought some watermelon,  okra, and organic hand  soap.  I got there at about 11:30, and there was still a great selection of produce. I definitely recommend checking it out if you live in the area!

Recipe Tuesday — Spicy Quinoa, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad

27th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

My friend Melissa sent me the link to this healthy recipe from the New York Times. I like quinoa recipes (see here and here), and I love pretty much anything with avocado, so I knew this would be a winner. This was a very easy recipe with simple, seasonal ingredients–I found the tomatoes, cucumbers, and jalapeno at the farmer’s market! I didn’t use the onion or cilantro, but the vinegar, jalapeno, and lime juice provided enough flavor to go around. This is a nice summery dish, served hot or cold.

1 cup quinoa

3 cups water

Salt to taste

2 cups diced cucumber

1 small red onion, finely minced (optional)

2 cups finely diced tomatoes

1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 avocado, sliced, for garnish

1. Place the quinoa in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes. Drain through a strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear. Bring the 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt (1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and translucent; each grain should have a little thread. Drain off the water in the pan through a strainer, and return the quinoa to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dishtowel, replace the lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. If making for the freezer, uncover and allow to cool, then place in plastic bags. Flatten the bags and seal.

2. Meanwhile, place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels. If using the onion, place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.

3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the quinoa and cilantro. Toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs.

yum

Beekeeping and Raw Milk on NPR

19th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

This morning, I heard two interesting local-food-related stories on NPR. The first was about the health benefits of honey and the increase in popularity of beekeeping. Beekeeping has become more popular recently in urban areas as more and more people become interested in growing their own food. The story went on to discuss the importance of bees in our agricultural system and how honey can provide antibacterial properties, although the allergy-preventing claims are mostly unfounded.

The second story was about the debate about raw milk. Raw milk is also seeing a rise in popularity due to the local and natural food movement. Proponents claim that raw milk is more nutrient-dense than pasteurized milk, and the woman interviewed for the story claims her kids no longer have allergies after making the switch to raw milk. However, critics of raw milk point to the increase in likelihood of the presence of bacteria in raw milk versus pasteurized milk, and they believe that the nutritional benefits don’t outweigh the risks.

Restaurant Review Friday — East Side Show Room

16th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

My birthday is this weekend, and to celebrate I decided I would like to go to a restaurant that serves local, ethical meat and give myself a one-day break from the vegetarian thing. I decided on East Side Show Room because I’ve heard great things about the food and their specialty cocktails, if not the service, from yelp and several of my friends.

Once inside, I immediately loved the 20′s decor. Old silent films playing on the wall, rose petals in the women’s restroom, ornamental red wallpaper, old-timey lightbulbs, etc. Just lovely. And unlike the many horror stories I read on yelp, our waitress was very nice and helpful. She recommended a sweet and fruity gin drink for me, which was delicious and summery and served with some blackberries. My boyfriend and I ordered the venison appetizer, which came wrapped in bacon and served with fried okra and jalapeno cheese grits.

This was my first bite of meat in over seven months, and I gotta say, it wasn’t as exciting as I thought it’d be. It had a nice flavor and wasn’t too chewy, but the barely cooked bacon kinda threw me off. The okra and grits, though, were to die for. I want that grits recipe–yum! Then for the main dish I had the coq a vin:

This dish was so comforting–it reminded me of a chicken pot pie but with a much more intense flavor. The croissant was nice and flaky and the summer herb butter served with it was mouth watering. That’s another recipe I would like to have! My boyfriend ordered the prime rib and seemed moderately happy with it, although he noted that it was a bit chewy.

I would definitely recommend this place as an ideal spot for a special occasion, but before you go check it out, it’s probably good to know going into it that things are going to get a bit pricey. The drinks and food and atmosphere are excellent, but I think the trendiness plays a factor in how much you’re paying. Overall, though, I’m glad I got to try out some local meat and enjoy a beautiful atmosphere for my birthday dinner.

Cedar Park Farmer’s Market Relocates to Lakeline Mall

16th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 4 Comments

A few months ago, Carsi and I tried to review several farmer’s markets in Austin – we were able to go to 3, but since then we’ve become aware of several that we’ve never been to (for example, one at the Barton Creek Mall, one in South Austin).  One farmer’s market that I’ve never been to but would love to try out one of these weekends (since it’s probably the closest farmer’s market to my house) is the Cedar Park farmer’s market. Starting this Saturday, the Cedar Park farmer’s market  is relocating from its former location to the Lakeline Mall, located at the intersection of 183 and 620.

Here’s some info about the market from its website:

“F2M’s Cedar Park Farms to Market is an outdoor market where you can not only
meet the farmers and producers; you have the opportunity to ask them how they grow
and produce this wonderfully fresh food. The relationship with the producers is quite
a bond,” said Carla Jenkins, Organizer and Founder of Cedar Park Farms to Market
Texas. “Lakeline Mall, with its accessibility to Central Texas and large space, is the
perfect setting to relocate Cedar Park Farms to Market.”

Approximately 45-60 vendors will be onsite including:
Amador Farms, Bush Farm, Cowan’s Farm, Fruitful Hill Farm, Green Valley
Farms, Hairston Creek Farm (organic), Hillside Farms, Manheim Market Gardens,
Orange Blossom Farm (organic), Schwegmann Orchard, Star Farmers Market, Tecolote
Farm (organic) and Two Happy Children Farm.

In addition to offering sustainably grown fruits and vegetables, the market also
features meat (pork, lamb, beef), poultry, eggs, dairy (goats and cow milk products),
seafood, many fabulous prepared foods to take home or eat there.

photo credit

Seasonal Foods Provide Health Benefits

12th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

Eating locally and seasonally is very green because it takes less traveling for the food to get to your plate, but it also has the added benefits of making the summertime heat, bugs, sun, and allergies more bearable. This article from the Statesman discusses how eating local, seasonal food can provide all sorts of benefits, from repelling bugs to preventing allergies. Here are some of the suggestions:

- To cool down: tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe and other melons, cucumber, okra, spicy peppers, and cooling herbs like mint

-To protect your skin: summer squash, cantaloupe, tomatoes, watermelon, peaches, broccoli, spinach, green peppers, and aloe

-To repel bugs: basil, rosemary, lemongrass, foods rich in garlic and vitamins B1 and B12

-To prevent allergies: okra and local honey

photo credit

Local Produce at Walmart?

18th June, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment

NPR has a story today about Walmart’s Heritage Agriculture program through which the company seeks to increase the amount of local produce sold in Walmart stores. The idea behind the prgram is that food is fresher for customers and saves Walmart money in freight costs.  Here’s an excerpt:

“When you’ve got a private organization the size of Wal-Mart, anything they do in a positive direction for the environment, if they can find a better business model, then the ripple effects are huge,” says Michelle Harvey of the Environmental Defense Fund.

Harvey notes, for example, that Wal-Mart now grows cilantro for Eastern stores in Florida rather than California. Costs are lower, and the herbs are fresher for customers.

Wal-Mart won’t say what its long-term goal is for the Heritage Agriculture program, but it says as of today, 6 percent of its produce is grown in the same state it’s sold.

Read the whole article here. The comments to the NPR story are pretty interesting. Is it just a PR move for Walmart? Are they trying to take business from farmer’s markets? Or is any “green” move by such a large company a good move?  

Summer Neighborhood Farm Markets Announced

25th May, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

The Sustainable Food Center, the organization responsible for running the downtown, Triangle, and Sunset Valley farmers’ markets, announced today that they will be operating four Neighborhood Farm Markets in traditionally underserved neighborhoods. WIC vouchers and Food Stamps will be accepted at all locations. The neighborhood markets will run through July, providing more people access to fresh, local food and allowing local farmers more opportunities to sell the abundant produce of the summer. Here are the locations and times:

Monday, 8am-11am
Northeast WIC Clinic
In partnership with H-E-B
7112 Ed Bluestein Blvd
Austin 78758

Monday, 12pm-2 pm
St. John WIC Clinic/Virginia L. Brown Rec Center
7500 Blessing
Austin 78752

Wednesday, 9am-11am
Rosewood-Zaragosa WIC Clinic
2800 Webberville Road
Austin 78702

Wednesday, 11am-1pm
Montopolis WIC Clinic
1416 Montopolis Dr.
Austin 78741

East Urban Farm Tour This Weekend

8th April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

If you’re interested in gardening, you should check out the East Urban farm Tour this Sunday, 1-5.  Here’s the official link for more detials.  Apparently there are 4 farms just east of I-35 near downtown that are in close proximity to each other.  Tickets are $35 advance, $40 at the door, and children under 5 are free.  However, there is a charge because this is a fund-raiser for the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, but many of these same farms are open for free visits during their market days. If you would like free admission, they are still seeking volunteers – email region2@tofga.org to volunteer.

And if you’re not interested in visiting the farms but would like to learn more about them, check out this Chronicle link.  They also have info on each farm (Boggy Creek Farm, Rain Lily Farm, Springdale Farm, and HausBar Farm).

Super Cool Article about Window Farming

5th April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

This is a neat story from NPR about window farming – the article explains that “window farmers use recycled 1.5 liter water bottles, clay pellets, plastic tubing and inexpensive fish tank air pumps to create their indoor gardens.”

Check out the link for pictures of the window farms, but basically it’s a really cool way to grow leafy vegetables in an apartment with a series of clear bottles hanging down your window –  it’s just this really pretty display of bottles and greenery, and the materials for a start up system are around $30.

Sprout’s Farmers Market in North Austin

22nd March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

This is old news to most, but a new grocery store opened in North Austin a few months ago, Sprout’s Farmers Market. Not to be confused by our recent comparison of the farmer’s markets in Austin, Sprouts is not really a farmer’s market, but a grocery store that says they specialize in fresh produce, using local when possible. I went a couple of weeks ago and thought the produce did look really fresh, and they had a good variety of organic packaged food and environmentally friendly cleaners. It was similar to Whole Foods, but much smaller and less crowded, and compared to the Whole Foods in North Austin, it was easier to navigate through the parking lot.  I would recommend checking it out if you don’t feel like dealing with the crowds at Whole Foods and HEB and you need fresh fruits and veggies. 

HOPE Farmer’s Market

19th March, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

The HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) Farmer’s Market is a fairly new market on the eastside that opened in October. It’s every Sunday from 11-3 at Waller and 5th. I recently bought a Groupon that included vouchers to use there, some yoga classes, and a reuseable bag, so I stopped by for the first time the other day to use the vouchers and check the place out. I found the market to be full of interesting stuff, and I will definitely go back regularly. However, it’s a bit of a misnomer, since there was a limited amount of actual fresh produce. It’s more of a community market, with a little bit of farmers market thrown in. I only saw a couple stands that sold veggies, but the ones they did have were plentiful and very fresh. I bought some kale and collard greens from the Finca Pura Vida stand, and both have been very hardy and tasty. All the other stands had other items of interest, including prepared foods, tea, clothing, soap, recycled yarn, jewelry, candles, etc. They also have free yoga, provided by Empower Yoga at 12 and 1, which I will have to try out soon. I liked the variety of items, and the atmosphere and location were very fun. But if it’s a variety of produce and produce vendors you’re looking for, I think the Austin Farmer’s Market downtown is going to be your best bet.

Downtown Farmer’s Market

18th March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments

I went with some friends a couple of weekends ago to the Downtown Farmer’s Market.  I had never been before and thought it was a really fun experience, and had a great time. There were a ton of people there, causally shopping, eating delicious breakfast foods, and relaxing in the sun.  I would say there were probably at least 40 different stands there, and the variety was really great. There were a lot of fresh vegetables, a lot of stands serving hot food, and a few stands with odds and ends, like composting equipment, plants for sale, and honey.  There was so much I wanted to buy, but I ended up getting a basil plant, some local honey, and a few amazing tamales. Located at Republic Square Park, 422 W. Guadalupe at 4th and Guadalupe, it’s right in the middle of downtown and is a great place to enjoy a Saturday morning outside. I would highly recommend checking it out – it’s really nice that the Austin community has this. Here are some pictures from my visit, and remember to check back tomorrow for Carsi’s review of the HOPE Farmer’s Market

Triangle Farmer’s Market

17th March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments

This is the first of 3 posts about farmer’s markets in Austin.  (Check back tomorrow for our review of the Downtown Farmer’s Market!) Some general information about the benefits of buying from farmer’s markets can be found here, but juts a few of the environmental benefits are:

Carsi and I went to the Farmer’s Market at the Triangle last December.  The Triangle Farmer’s Market takes place each Wednesday.  Neither of us had been before, and we wanted to check it out and eventually get to all 3 farmer’s markets in Austin and compare them.  I ended up buying some green bell peppers and 2 tacos.  There were probably about 10-15 stands, and there wasn’t much to choose from – it was a little disappointing. But the lack of stands was probably in large part due to the time of year and the low temperatures.  I’d like to check it out again now that it’s warmer and see if it’s any bigger.

If it’s on the way home from work and you need some veggies and aren’t picky about needing something specific for dinner that night, it’s a nice way to support local farmers!

the row of stands

peppers!

Backyard Chicken Envy

15th March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I’ve always wanted backyard chickens for the fresh eggs, but according to this Statesman article, while Austin currently allows an unlimited number of roosters and chickens per household, city officials may be considering a change.  I think the irritation of neighbors  dealing with multiple roosters crowing next door at all hours is understandable – but hopefully the rules won’t change so drastically that roosters AND chickens will be banned from backyards.

The article notes that “[a]dvocates say chickens should be raised locally, as opposed to in industrial poultry operations criticized by animal rights activists.” City officials have stated that the city already prohibits pets that disturb neighbors and neighbors are free to report noisy roosters to the police, but that “[t]he police always have a quandary in a city where serious crime and even murders take place…They have to be judicious about how much attention is paid to things like quality-of-life issues.” The Statesman article notes that city council will probably consider the matter this Spring.

Planting Calendar for Travis County

4th March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments

If you are interested in planting your own garden this spring, check out this Travis County planting calendar to figure out what will grow best at this time of year – what better way to eat local than to grow your own veggies!

Austin Restaurant Week

3rd March, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

As you may know by now, Austin Restaurant Week is here! Today is the last day to go this week, and it will resume next week from the 7th through the 10th. Lots of fancy local restaurants provide fixed price meals costing $10 – $15 for lunch and $25 – $35 for dinner. This is a great way to try out some of the pricier places around town for not as much cash as you would normally spend there. Plus, 5% of the sales from Restaurant Week goes to the Sustainable Food Center, which is a wonderful organization dedicated to strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. Be sure to try out some of the restaurants that utilize local food in their menus.

Hanging Herb Garden

26th February, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Here’s a cool idea for a hanging garden I saw at the San Antonio Rodeo – all you need is an old canvas shoe organizer. You can grow small plants in each little shoe compartment, such as herbs.

This seems perfect for someone living in an apartment – my only concern is that it may dry out too quickly in the Texas summer sun, so a spot that only gets partial sun may work best.  I also found this website with more tips on this project.

Restaurant Review Friday–Daily Juice

26th February, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 1 Comment

The other day, I dropped by Daily Juice to grab a salad for lunch. This place has delicious smoothies, but the food there is also really good, if a bit expensive. I had the Avocado Caesar, which didn’t taste much like a caesar salad, but it was tasty, vegan, and raw. The raw food movement is something I’m pretty unfamiliar with, but some people are pretty into it. These people believe in eating only an uncooked, unheated, unprocessed, and organic plant based diet. This belief centers around the idea that raw foods have more nutritional benefits than foods that have been cooked. There are some drawbacks to this type of diet, including the possibility of food poisoning,  nutritional deficiencies, and the fact that some foods, like carrots and tomatoes, release more nutrients when cooked. Check out the Wikipedia entry on raw foodism if you want more basic info. Also, Daily Juice has a list of recommended reading on their website if you’d like to delve deeper into the topic. If any of our readers have tried out or are currently practicing this kind of diet, feel free to share your experiences and thoughts on the topic.