Cranberries, a staple of the fall harvest, are loaded with nutrition.

“Cranberries are known for their tasty tartness, strong red color and the long relationship they have with turkey on Thanksgiving,” points out Lauren Manaker, clinical dietician at Roper St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, S.C. “But they are also a source of vitamin C, dietary fiber and manganese with the added bonus of being a fat-free, cholesterol-free and sodium-free food.” Cranberries contain lutein and zeaxanthin, known to prevent macular degeneration and ward off urinary tract infections.

Decorating with Berries
Dress up your holiday table and add a seasonal touch of red to your decor with these simple but clever ideas.

Place fresh cranberries in the bottom of a clear vase, fill with water and add white spider mums or white roses for a classic design.

String them and hang on a tree or around a door, window, archway or painting. Use heavy thread and insert the needle into the stem end of the cranberry.

Load up glass hurricanes of varying heights half full with fresh cranberries, secure gold or silver pillar candles in the middle and intersperse on top of fresh evergreens for a dramatic holiday centerpiece.

Baking with Berries
To incorporate cranberries into your holiday dinner in a sophisticated and healthy way, try this moist Pumpkin Cranberry Cake recipe from Jansen Chan, executive pastry chef at New York’s Oceana. oceanarestaurant.com

Pumpkin Cranberry Cake

Ingredients:
4 ounces butter, soft
1½ cups sugar
1 orange, zested
3 eggs
15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pecans
1½ cups dried cranberries
¼ cup brandy

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Roughly chop the pecans and place on a flat tray, toast in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Let cool.
3. Place the cranberries and brandy in a bowl and wrap in plastic. Place in warm spot, or over a pot of hot water, until needed.
4. Prepare a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan by greasing and flouring the sides and bottom. Set aside.
5. In a mixer, beat butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, bak­ing powder, baking soda and all of the spices.
7. Slowly add eggs to creaming mixture, scraping continuously to ensure even mixing.
8. Add half of the pumpkin puree and mix further.
9. Add all the flour mixture to the bowl and mix again.
10. Add the remaining pumpkin puree and mix until almost homogenous.
11. By hand, stir in half of the toast­ed pecans and the drained cranberries with the brandy.
12. Carefully, spread mixture over a prepared pan.
13. Sprinkle remaining pecans over the batter.
14. Bake for one hour and 20 minutes, or until springy to the touch.
15. Let cool in pan for 25 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a rack to cool.
16. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve.

“I don’t like food going to waste. You can grow all this great stuff, but it’s not going to be used if people don’t know what to do with a Daikon radish or how to make gazpacho,” she points out. Because of her proactive stance on community gardening, Spillman was named one of Woodbridge by Mondavi’s Giving Through Growing ‘Heroes’ – along with Alison Kindler of the Fort Barnard Community Garden in Arlington, Virginia; Sherry Williams of Red Gate Community Garden in Brooklyn, New York; and LaManda Joy of the Peterson Garden Project in Chicago – and given a grant to help fulfill her vision. The annual search, a partnership with the American Community Gardening Association, honors passionate edible gardeners and champions of sustainability from across the country. At Need to Feed, for example, Spillman plans to expand her square-foot-gardens of seeds planted in grids, from 20 to 100 with the help of husband and master gardener, Keith. “You don’t need rows and rows of land to grow healthy food,” she attests. “This is something you can do in an apartment.” garden.robertmondavi.com/gardening-heroes/

Palestine might be a hotbed of conflict, but its fertile land offers new promise. Working in tandem with umbrella organization Palestine Fair Trade Association, Canaan Fair Trade believes profitable olive farming is one way of boosting a dire economic situation. Before Canaan Fair Trade was established by Dr. Nasser Abufarha, an anthropologist from the village of Jalameh in the Jenin district, farmers would sell their olive oil (olive orchards comprise 80 percent of Palestine’s farmland, and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps sources most of its olive oil here for its products) for 23 percent less than it cost them to harvest. Thanks to Abufarha’s efforts, ensuring minimum production costs for growers and connecting small-scale producers with consumers, income has doubled and farmers are now able to make a living based on tradition.

“Our work benefits seventeen hundred farmers, which means seventeen hundred families in the northern West Bank,” shares Canaan Fair Trade’s Vivien Sansour. “The impact of the work on the lives of the producers has been tremendous, not just economically but socially and emotionally, as it has allowed our community to re-find its strength, and has encouraged people to go back to the land to sustain themselves and a rich agricultural heritage.” Farmers pick olives fresh from the field to be pressed at Canaan’s state-of-the-art facility, or at their monitored local cooperative presses, and luckily, home cooks can experience these USDA organic, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oils stateside.

The Nabali, fruity with a peppery finish, features olives grown from its indigenous namesake trees, while the complex Rumali, using olives grown from trees planted during the Roman era, flaunts more herbaceous notes. For the estate blend, olives from the ancient trees of Bayaada are processed on the day of harvest. canaanfairtrade.com

Frey and her husband Jonathan intended to be truck farmers back at the ranch helmed by Jonathan’s parents. However, it was a time “when the local farmers’ market in Ukiah attracted just 10 people,” she recalls. Instead, the duo focused on fruit growing on the ranch’s small vineyards, becoming the country’s first organic winery in 1980. “There were certified organic vineyards at the time,” Frey points out, but “no one mentioned it on their label.”

From Sauvignon Blanc to Sangiovese, Frey Vineyards is known for its quality as well as its groundbreaking winemaking techniques, including shunning sulfites. In 1996, it became the first producer of certified Demeter Biodynamic wines in North America. Undoubtedly inspired by the winery’s pioneering initiatives, there are currently more organic grapes grown in Mendocino County than anywhere else in the country.

For Frey, championing the organic wine movement is just one way of making an impact on the environment. Her grassroots efforts were instrumental in leading Mendocino to become the nation’s first GMO-free county. When she first settled in California, Frey imagined walking into a grocery store with a section devoted to organic foods, but she “could never have envisioned the scale of today’s organic impact.” Freywine.com

Growing up, Chad Leuthje regularly ate “food the other kids didn’t have.” Miso soup, sprouts, seaweed. “I thought bringing a rice cake with peanut butter and honey for lunch was a tragedy compared to a turkey sandwich,” he recalls. It turns out his parents’ predilection for nourishing cuisine was fate. The sun-kissed Luethje–light hair, light eyes, bright smile—looks right at home at Miraval, Tucson’s legendary feel-good resort, where he’s held court as Executive Chef at the Cactus Flower Restaurant for over two years, since his arrival from Red Mountain Spa in Utah. “I used to think spa food was bland, that it had no salt and no color. I was shocked by what healthy, good food could taste like,” Luethje reveals. At Miraval, the chef’s fresh, elegantly prepared dishes, savored each day on the coveted tranquil patio, may include chilled mint peach soup, Sonoran spice-rubbed fish with fire-roasted pineapple salsa, or blueberry torte. When guests learn how few calories are in each of Luethje’s recipes, they are shocked, yet his cooking only complements the resort’s balanced approach to wellness—discovering self-awareness in the Equine Experience, guided meditation, birds chirping as bodies are slicked with Arctic berry cream in one of the spa’s outdoor treatment rooms. Leuthje says Miraval’s magical setting offers constant inspiration in the kitchen: “We grow amazing peaches in the middle of the desert, and when you taste the agave nectar here, you instantly know its roots. Surrounded by cacti and mesquite makes it that much easier to create.”

Learn to cook like Chef Leuthje. He shares his step-by-step techniques during Miraval’s Creative and Mindful Cooking immersion program September 15 to 19 and November 10 to 14. www.miravalresorts.com

Healthy At-Home Tips from Chef Chad Luethje

1. Microwave egg whites instead of cooking them in a greased pan to save about 100 calories and 12 grams of fat. Simply pour them into a bowl and heat on high for 90 seconds or until fluffy.

2. Use a mister or spray bottle to add oil to your recipes instead of free pouring from the bottle; this is a great, inexpensive tool that allows you to really fine tune the amount of oil going in to the dishes you’re cooking.

3. When using a recipe calling for mayonnaise, try substituting a mixture of 3 parts fat-free yogurt and 1 part reduced fat mayonnaise for great flavor with less fat and calorie content.

4. Always be on the lookout for ingredients that can be substituted for less healthy ones. Making a cream of potato soup? Substitute low-sodium vegetable stock for chicken stock, and add extra pureed potatoes and a little soy, skim, rice, or almond milk to take the place of the cream; use olive oil or other monounsaturated fats instead of butter when sautéing or baking; substitute agave syrup for sugar (this natural sweetener has about one and a half times more sweetening power per calorie than sugar, and has a very low glycemic index); substitute applesauce or other pureed fruits for egg yolks when baking.

5. Tofu makes a great thickener for dressings, soups, and smoothies; just puree and add the other ingredients, but leave out the egg yolks and heavy cream that would normally provide the texture.

LA-based yogi David Romanelli, author of Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy through Wine, Chocolate, and Your Ipod Playlist, is famous for invigorating the senses by combining yoga with chocolate and wine tastings. Now he’s taken it a step further with “Jam Sessions: Yoga for Foodies,” teaming up with eco-minded chefs across the country to present a farm-sourced meal after an upbeat hour-long Vinyasa flow class. Among the highlights: Butternut squash & wild mushroom ravioli with cashew ricotta from Joy Pierson of Candle 79 in New York City, gravy frites from Jonathon Sawyer of Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland, and spice-seared Hawaiian tuna from Randy Zweiban of Chicago’s Province. “I think that in a lot of ways a chef and a yoga teacher are similar because both strive to guide their participants into a moment of sensory ecstasy,” Romanelli shares. “The chef uses the palate, the yoga teacher uses the body. A chef and yoga teacher can share a space and create a really powerful moment for the participants.” Throughout May and June, look for Romanelli to bring his Jam Sessions to Washington D.C., Charleston, and Las Vegas. www.yeahdave.com

Wallaby

Wallaby’s smooth, subtle fruit yogurts were inspired by the founders’ trip to Australia and the creamy yogurt they sampled on their Down Under adventure. Organic milk is sourced from family farms in Sonoma and Marin counties in California, and the yogurt is made fresh daily. Look for the down under line, lowfat yogurt sitting atop mounds of fresh fruit in translucent cups, and the non-fat line in a number of fruity flavors, from Bartlett pear to pineapple coconut. www.wallabyyogurt.com

Oikos

Rich Greek yogurt, creamier than its standard counterparts, is always a treat. But, the straining process that gets it that way means it also has more protein than regular yogurt. Fat-free Oikos from Stonyfield Farm has just launched its strawberry flavor, joining the lineup of plain, vanilla, honey, and blueberry. Through a Profit for the Planets program, Oikos donates 10 percent of its profits toward protecting the environment. www.oikosorganic.com

Siggi’s Skyr

Iceland is the inspiration for Siggi’s Skyr. This thick, strained yogurt, an Icelandic tradi-tion for over 1,000 years, comes in plain, blueberry, orange & ginger and pomegranate & passion. Siggi’s seeks out family farmers who only grass feed their cows, and is made in New York in small batches. High in protein, and sweetened with organic raw agave nectar, the yogurt is made with skim milk, surprising given its creaminess. www.skyr.com

Nancy’s Cultured Dairy and Soy

The Springfield Creamery in Eugene, Oregon, has been family owned and operated since 1960. Nancy’s Cultured Soy is vegan and organic, containing the beneficial L. acidophilus bacteria strain, organic soy milk, agave, and fruits. The fresh fruit, obtained from local farmers, is cooked with honey. Blueberry is the newest flavor of the low-fat and organic Kefir (creamy cultured milk) line. www.nancysyogurt.com

Nogurt

Vegan and organic Nogurt from Boulder-based Rich and Wholesome Foods, is loaded with DHA omega-3 and vitamin Bs. It’s free from common allergens and comes in flavors like blueberry and pomegranate and tempting chocolate, orange, and banana cinnamon. In the fall, expect to see some fitting seasonal flavors. www.nogurt.com

Stonyfield Farm

This summer, Stonyfield Farm introduces raspberry lemonade, its new Limited Edition Seasonals flavor. The eco-friendly New Hampshire company turns to dairy farmers who are part of the Organic Valley Farm Cooperative to get their organic milk supply. www.stonyfield.com

 One of those scenic farms is Juliana’s, run by the affable Juliana Aurelien. The 65-acre farm flaunts a babbling stream-which has recently been certified for bottling water-a freshwater prawn pond, and soon, a nature trail that will pay homage to a sustainable swath of forest. The farm is also home to a number of vibrant fruits and vegetables stretching beyond the typical Caribbean staples of banana, mango, and coconut. Here, Chef Tonks has his pick of produce, from the familiar-pineapple bursting with sweet juice and apricots the size of grapefruits-to the unusual-pear-shaped wax apples and pulpy cacao.

 “For a chef, it’s great to be able to get out and into the open. Everything is so fresh and so abundant. It’s like when I was younger and only ate what was in season,” he explains. This fall, Chef Tonks is especially looking forward to getting his hands on local avocado, citrus, and plums.

 In addition to experiencing Chef Tonks’ creations at the table, guests of The Landings are also invited to visit Juliana (or another local farm owner) and get their hands dirty at the farm through RockResorts’ (the umbrella company that owns the resort) voluntourism program called “Give & Getaway.” Afterwards, relax those sore muscles with a stop off at The Landings’ spa for a Soufriere & Lime, a heavenly mud wrap and massage combo. www.landings.rockresorts.com

Pineapple Carpaccio Laced with Spiced Rum and Lemongrass Syrup

Courtesy of Chef Richard Tonks, The Landings, a RockResort

Ingredients

2 pineapples, peeled and cored

1 whole nutmeg, freshly grated

2 pints of simple syrup (1 part sugar to 1 part water)

2 vanilla beans

1 hot pepper

2 tbs. sliced fresh ginger

2 sprigs crushed lemongrass

2 pints water

2 cups spiced St. Lucian rum

The juice of 6 limes

Instructions

Peel the pineapple and de-core. Slice lengthwise on the slice as finely as possible, then chill in the refrigerator overnight. Combine the remainder of ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

 The next day construct the pineapple as you desire. Dress with rum. Add a scoop of flavored sorbet, if desired. Dress with a sprig of mint.