food

Slow Food Huntington Dazzles with Film and Local Food Event

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SlowFoodSlow Food Huntington pulled off an amazing sold-out night of film and food at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, NY last night, which I was so proud to be a part of.

After showing a film called “Growing Farmers,” about local farmers right here on Long Island and the Peconic Land Trust, we were treated to a brief presentation by Scott Chaskey, the farmer of many years of Quail Hill Farm in East Hampton.

Volunteers dished out 117 bowls of vegan miso vegetable chowder, followed by a film “Letting Salt Just Be Salt” on locally made sea-salt from Amagansett, with a serving of sea salt braised roasted vegetables. This was followed by a film on the truth about beef, “The Secret Life of Beef “ and a film on local pickles called “Divine Brine”, and a serving of veggie sliders with the pickles from the film.

The fourth course was a film on fresh pasta-making, called “A Pasta Story” followed by a dish of fresh locally made radiatore pasta described by a local pasta maker, and the final course was a film, “Greyston Bakery,” with desserts made by the Bronx bakery of the same name, whose mission it is to provide jobs for people who might otherwise have a hard time getting hired due to a checkered past.

It was a unique and fantastic night, combining education, film, and sustainable food. For more information on Slow Food Huntington and it’s upcoming activities, see slowfoodhuntington.org

Greening Your Keurig Coffee (Part 2)

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Last post I mentioned 2 alternative ways to green up your Keurig coffee by avoiding disposable plastic k-cups. Here is a third alternative—a refillable BPA-free pod in which you use your own coffee grounds. When your coffee is ready, you just dump out the grounds in the garbage or use them for compost. Either way you reduce the plastic waste, and still get the convenience of a quick cup of coffee. Also works with teas. Available on Amazon.

mochamate2

 

New Year’s Resolution: Make Your Keurig Coffee Better for the Earth

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Terrace Cafe Biodegradable Kcups
Terrace Cafe Biodegradable Kcups

I just found a great new innovative product that can help you meet your new year’s resolution to be more green. Keurig coffee makers are convenient and offer a selection of individual coffees, teas and cocoa. However, a “side effect” of these machines is that millions of plastic coffee pods or “K-Cups” become waste in landfills or incinerators. Also the plastic used is often #7, which can be different types of plastic, some of which may contain the hormone disruptor Bisphenol A (BPA).

So to my pleasant surprise I just encountered an eco-friendly version of the Kcup, called Terrace Café Cups, made by a local New York company. It uses only a ring of plastic with a biodegradable filter.

Another alternative is to have a fully biodegradable pod, much like a tea bag, that you use with a washable pod holster that you use each time. These are made by several companies including New Hampshire Roasting Company.

Fill your cup with an organically grown beverage, and you are well on your way to being greener in 2014!

Ground for Hope: GreenFaith Inspires Environmental Stewardship in Long Island

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Reverend Fletcher Harper, GreenFaith, addresses the crowd

GreenFaith, a NJ based nonprofit, came to Temple Beth David in Commack, Long Island on 3/10/13 to enliven the community of faith’s efforts on stewardship of the earth.

Through their Ground for Hope event, over 100 people from different religious backgrounds came together to learn:

  1. How their institution can grow gardens that provide food for the needy,
  2. Opportunities to save energy & money in their buildings, and
  3. Ways to inform their communities about sustainability issues.

Inspiring and educational, it was a great opportunity for people of different faiths to meet local sustainability leaders and recognize that stewardship of our environment is a goal shared commonly by all. See Greenfaith.org.

Proud to have been a part of organizing this great event!