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What’s Cooking? August 2014 With Annie Somerville

by Organic Spa Magazine

JA14_whats cooking_01More Greens

Originally helmed by Deborah Madison, San Francisco’s Greens Restaurant has been in the vanguard of gourmet vegetarian cooking for decades. Executive Chef Annie Somerville, trained by Madison and author of Everyday Greens (Scribner), is also featured in two recent cookbooks: San Francisco Chef’s Table by Carolyn Jung (Lyons Press) and The Vegetarian Flavor Bible by Karen Page (Little, Brown and Company).

Greens Restaurant has been working with Green Gulch, the Zen Center’s organic farm in Marin County, for many years, and the Green Gulch farmers, in turn, rely on the restaurant’s kitchen scraps, which are turned into compost for the farm. The food at Greens is delicious; the location is beautiful (with views of the Golden Gate Bridge); and the restaurant has an interesting history. But if you can’t get there anytime soon, you can still relish Somerville’s simple summer sorbet recipe, right, and the other delicious recipes—like Dinosaur Kale with Toasted Almonds and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Shaved Manchego—that you can find in Everyday Greens. greensrestaurant.com

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Blackberry Sorbet

(from Everyday Greens by Annie Somerville, Scribner)

Simplicity in itself, this sorbet is made in just a few minutes. The flavor of the berries can vary a lot. If they’re very sweet or too tart, you may need to use more lemon juice or more sugar. A pinch of salt brings out the flavor.

Makes 1 quart

3 one-pint baskets of blackberries, about 6 cups

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Purée the berries and sugar in a blender until completely smooth, about 3 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds; you should have about 3½ cups of purée. Add the lemon juice and the salt. Freeze the sorbet according to the manufacturer’s directions for your ice cream maker.

 

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Peak for Cherry-Picking

July is peak cherry season, and if you love those juicy little fruits as much as I do, you will want to know about Cheribundi. The brand is all about everything cherry: tart juices, refreshing iced tea blends and organic smoothie packs that you can pop in the freezer. Cherries contain antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory, loaded with electrolytes and vitamins, which is why Cheribundi—picked and packed in upstate NY—is used by 90 professional and Division 1 sports teams. Plus, it tastes so good! Our favorites: Tart Cherry Juice, Cherry Lemonade and Cherry Green Tea. cheribundi.com

 

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Hot Eco Bags

When you shop the farmers’ market this summer (or any other time of year), you will want to bring along a new string bag from ECOBAGS, the reusable bag pioneer, in one of the bright, new summer colors. (If you prefer, the company features many versions of 100 percent organic cotton canvas totes—or you can design your own!) The ECOBAGS supply chain is so clean that the company was just awarded “Best for Environment Impact 2014” by B Corp (bcorporation.net) for being a company in the forefront of sustainable style. ecobags.com

 

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Organic Candy?

“Organic candy” may sound like an oxymoron, but these certified organic gummy worms and cubs are as healthy as it gets.

Founded by Piper Cochrane and her eight-year-old daughter Ginger (who dreamed of opening a candy store!), Organic Candy Factory treats are free of gluten, gelatin, preservatives, pesticides, nuts, tree nuts, GMOs, corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, and they are vegan and made in the U.S.

Cochrane wanted to offer an alternative to “all the junk out there.” Plus, the company donates a portion of proceeds to Hope North, a community in Uganda that houses and educates refugees, orphans and former child soldiers, supported by actor Forest Whitaker. organiccandyfactory.com

 

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On the Organic Avenue

Denise Mari, founder of Organic Avenue—famous for fabulous cleanses, detoxifying juices and delicious vegan foods—has just come out with her first book: Organic Avenue: Recipes for Life Made with LOVE* (William Morrow Cookbooks). In addition to delicious recipes for the Booster Shots, Smoothies, Kind Kale Salad and Awesome Avocado (Chilled) Soup that are perfect for summer, Mari also shares her personal story. After losing her mother and sister to leukemia, she started down a healthy path and became a vegetarian, vegan, raw foodist and started Organic Avenue, now with 12 stores in New York City. organicavenue.com

 

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