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Eating Organic Food Without Breaking the Bank

Hello! Hope you are all well and healthy. As promised, this week we will discuss ways to buy organic foods and still manage to save a few of our precious dollars. You will be able to have some fun as you go in search of more affordable organic foods and also be creative as you cater our suggestions to your dietary preferences.

When you are looking to purchase organic produce at a lower price, it is very important to be open to change your shopping habits. A good starting point to increase your savings is to shop at places other than conventional supermarkets. For example, you might consider checking out your local farmers market…

Farmers Markets
They act as a sales outlet for agricultural producers, providing customers with locally grown and fresh fruits and vegetables. Farmers will often post a sign on their booth explaining that their produce is organic, but even if there is no indication, it is always a good idea to ask about their produce. Talking to the farmers is a great way to build consumer loyalty and maybe even get a deal on buying in bulk or misshapen produce. There's a great page on the Agricultural Marketing Service section of USDA's (U.S. Department of Agriculture) website that allows you to search for farmers markets in the United States. It’s a nifty tool for finding out if there are farmers markets near you. You can check it out at: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/.

Community-Supported Agriculture Programs & Alternatives
Another option for buying organic produce at a lower price is to buy a share in a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. CSA is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution that generally focuses on the production of high-quality organic foods. Individuals pay a fee to support a farm operation, and, in turn, they receive a box with fresh produce on a weekly basis. Search for the CSA nearest you at: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/.

Additional alternatives to the supermarket include: joining a co-op or a buying club, shopping online or even growing your own fruits and vegetables.

But I Still Want to Make a Pit Stop to the Supermarket...
Ok, ok. If you are hesitant to drop the supermarket from one of your food shopping destinations but you are still looking for good deals on organic food, you still have plenty of saving options. For example, you can buy them in bulk for cheaper (note: this can be done at the supermarket as well as at the farmers market). In this case, if you know you - and your family or roommates - will not be able to consume all of it before it spoils, you can leave the organic produce in the freezer and only remove it when necessary. Buying in-season organic produce also gets you better prices since they tend to be cheaper. With the law of supply and demand coming into action, as in-season produce is more readily available, its price goes down.

A good rule of thumb for buying organic products is to follow the same guidelines for saving when going grocery shopping in general. For example, look for discount coupons or purchase organic products from the supermarket’s brand. House brands are almost always – if not always – cheaper than outside labels.

Choosing Your Organics
If the suggestions above are still getting in the way of your budget, no need to panic! Another great method is to choose your organics. In this case, you should start by assessing your diet and determining food patterns. Make note of what you consume the most, the least, and also if you go through cycles and alternate between the foods.

Compare the foods that are most present in your daily diet with the items on a list put out by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which ranks 47 fruits and vegetables based on their level of pesticide residue: http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php. Thus, if you have fruits and vegetables on your list that are also high up on the EWG list, then you know you should definitely stick to purchasing these items organic. For example, if peaches, apples, strawberries – or any of the first 12 items on the list – are part of your daily diet, you should buy them organic. Similarly, you should not have to worry as much about purchasing organic fruits and vegetables if they are one of the 15 bottom-most items on the list because they have the least amount of pesticide residue. Overall, the best option is organic. These are just options to cut down costs on your organic produce in this time of recession and sometimes cost-prohibitive fruits and vegetables.

Organic Temptations
Lastly, keep in mind that not all organic products are healthy. An organic chocolate cookie will still have great amounts of sugar. The fact that it is made with organic sugar and flour might make you feel less guilty for eating it, but it still does not remove it from the “junk food” category. We have not checked the difference in price between the organic and regular versions, but based on trends we wouldn’t be surprised if the costs of the organic versions were considerably higher. So, if you’re looking to save some extra cash, we suggest staying away from the organic “junk food”.

We wish you a happy organic food shopping! Keep in mind that you don’t have to stick to just one of these methods: mixing and matching to fit to your needs is always the best approach. Feel free to drop us a note about your organic shopping experience, y hasta la proxima!

¡Salud!

Anna & Ariel

P.S.: Anna took the Farmers Market picture a couple years ago when she was living in Santa Monica, CA, and her mom came to visit. Her mom can be seen strolling down the city's famous Sunday Farmers Market. Anna is also the author of the third image, with the apple on the sterile sink.

Apr 10, 2009 at 10:00 AM

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April in Carneros... Fiesta Time!

¡Bienvenidos! Celebrate the beauty of Napa Valley as wineries from the Carneros region open their doors and invite visitors to join in on a variety of activities. Some of the highlights may include: food and wine pairings; live music; art or craft shows; special tastings (barrel, reserve, library, new release); discounts or special pricing, and; children’s activities.

Join Salud! Napa as we cover this wonderful event from the Ceja Vineyards Carneros tasting room. Come share your Wine Country experience with us as our cameras are rolling. Tell us about the great wines you have tasted, vent about how the economy is affecting your eating habits, suggest a dish that you would like to see Amelia prepare on Salud! Napa... you are in the spotlight!

Ceja Vineyards will be sharing exciting wine releases that are sure to complement all your favorite spring dishes! For an additional charge, their award-winning reserve wines will be available for tasting (free to wine club members).

Complementing the delightful weekend, Orquesta Borinquen, a fiery salsa band, is sure to keep the fiesta hot! The band will perform both days from 12:30pm to 3:30pm.

Date: April 18th and April 19th
Time: 10am to 4pm both days
Admission: $40.00/person both days; $30.00/person Sunday only

For more information, please visit Hospitality de Los Carneros.

Looking forward to seeing you at April in Carneros!

Apr 1, 2009 at 12:00 PM

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In Search of the "Organic"

The other day we were at the supermarket picking up some items for the Salud! Napa cooking show and we found ourselves in a sea of organic products: organic bananas, organic blueberries, organic blackberries, organic apples, organic granola… and even organic cleaning products! Except for the candy and frozen sections, it seemed that every product in the supermarket had its organic twin. “This is great!” We thought, “Now we know for sure that the food and products we are using are… organic?” Yeah, that doesn’t say much other than the reassurance of its positive connotation. What exactly is the meaning of this over-hyped term?

So we decided to ask some friends what came to their minds when they saw a product labeled “organic”. Most of them agreed that a product is classified organic if it does not use pesticides or growth hormones. These products are tended to naturally, without noxious chemicals, benefiting our bodies and the environment. According to the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), a product may be claimed “organic” if: it contains at least 95% organic ingredients, not counting water and salt; does not contain sulfites, and; it may contain up to 5% of non-organically produced agricultural ingredients which are not commercially available in organic form, and/or other substance allowed by 7 CFR 205.605 (non-agricultural, non-organic, substances allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as “organic” or “made with organic” - specified ingredients or group(s)).

The USDA also defines a product labeled “100% organic” as one that is fully made from organic ingredients. However, as a friend described, 100% organic would be his grandfather’s farm in Mexico: they plant their own corn and raise their own chicken and cows. They do not use pesticides on the produce, feed their animals the corn that they grow, and instead of trucks they have carts pulled by oxen.

We love organic foods and knowing that we are consuming aliments that are not packed with harmful pesticides and other ingredients that could potentially contribute to the deterioration of the environment. Unfortunately, as no good comes without its own disadvantages, grocery shopping for organic products may take a toll on the wallet. It seems that a majority of the organic products come at a price higher than those of non-organic products. Stay tuned for next week’s blogs on how to cut down the costs of your grocery shopping while still purchasing organic products.

¡Salud!

Anna + Ariel

Mar 30, 2009 at 1:11 PM

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A Day at the Mustard Festival Marketplace

This past Saturday, March 14th, we attended the 2009 Napa Valley Mustard Festival: The Marketplace. Wearing our Salud! Napa apparel, the event proved to be fun-filled with delicious wines and mouthwatering food. We helped pour with Ceja Vineyards and we were also mentioned on Dining Around with Gene Burns. Amelia Ceja, President and Co-Founder of Ceja Vineyards, was interviewed on the show and brought up our new online cooking venture, discussing the impact that it will have on food and wine culture upon its launch this summer. One of the highlights of the interview was when Amelia invited Gene to be a guest on our show to which he amicably agreed.

To Gene, thank you so much for your support!

In its sixteenth edition, the Napa Valley Mustard Festival is a non-profit community service organization with the dual purpose of serving both local businesses and non-profit organizations and of promoting national and international businesses that sponsor and participate. The events, held during the months of January, February and March, attract visitors to Napa Valley at a season when the vineyards are naturally adorned with mustards, spicing up the green scenery with the tones of gold.

Mar 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM

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Interview with Amelia Ceja

President, Co-Founder & Executive Chef at Ceja Vineyards

Over some great food and wine at the Ceja Vineyards' tasting room in Carneros, we sat down to interview Amelia Ceja, Head Chef and hostess of the Salud! Napa cooking show. 

What aspect of food preparation brings you the most joy?
Putting all the ingredients together and uncovering the various flavor profiles.

How did you learn to cook?
I started hanging out in the kitchen with Mamá Chepa, my maternal grandmother, when I was three years old. And, she taught me the essence of cooking.

What’s the dish that you most like to cook?
Soups -- they are comforting and nurture your spirit.

What advice do you have for people experimenting with food and wine pairing?
Close your eyes and listen to your palate -- there is room at the table for wine regardless of what the menu is as long as the wine is balanced.

What’s on your to-do list?
I would like to write a cookbook.

What is the difference, if any, between the Amelia from Ceja Vineyards and the Amelia from Salud! Napa?
There is no difference -- I'm the same devoted and passionate person that enjoys wine with world cuisine.

What’s your most cherished family tradition and why?
Preparing Dungeness crab Indonesian style for my family every November.

What three people would you most like to have dinner with?
Mama Chepa, my maternal grandmother, Frida Kahlo and the Dalai Lama.

What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
I was a tomboy -- in my village, girls were not encouraged to do sports, yet, I never listened. I played baseball, soccer, and learned how to race horses and ride a bicycle with all the boys of my village.

What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do but still haven’t?
I've been to Oaxaca and I want to spend at least one month there taking cooking classes.

Do you have any special sayings or expressions?
"I'm my children's biggest fan," and "my parents are my heroes."

What would you say is the most important thing for living a good life?
Being at peace with myself.

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TUNE IN! This Saturday, March 14^th at 11:30am, Amelia will be interviewed on Dining Around with Gene Burns, broadcast on KGO Radio-AM 810 live from the 2009 Napa Valley Mustard Festival. Listen in from 10am-1pm for the full show!
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We look forward to start shooting the cooking show episodes and sharing them with you all!

¡Salud!

Ariel y Anna
 

Mar 12, 2009 at 10:50 AM

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Mustards & Quotes

Hello everyone! With spring around the corner, the view from the office is becoming more beautiful by the day. The pathways between the vineyard rows are filled with bright green grass and small plants where yellow mustard flowers are growing and marking their presence in the landscape. I guess we're watching Planet Earth live!

Aside from all the nature talk, progress with the website has been going well. While we are finalizing the design portion of Salud! Napa, production on the cooking show has begun. Soon we’ll post a teaser episode on our blog. In the meantime, please check out this list we put together of interesting food and wine quotes. Hope you guys like our selection:

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” – George Bernard Shaw

“A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” – Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste (1825)

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food!” – Anonymous

“I refuse to believe that trading recipes is silly. Tuna fish casserole is at least as real as corporate stock.” – Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

“What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?” – Lin Yutang

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” – Harriet van Horne

“I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead – not sick, not wounded – dead.” – Woody Allen

“Hunger is the best sauce in the world.” – Cervantes

“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.” – Voltaire

¡Salud!

Ariel & Anna
 

Mar 6, 2009 at 6:07 PM

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¡Bienvenidos!

Hola and welcome to Salud! Napa! We’re looking forward to bringing you the internet’s first and only bi-cultural cooking show, wine portal and social networking site. And while our launch date is still a few months away we’re happy to keep you updated on our progress. To give you a better idea of Salud! Napa's purpose in this world, here’s the original mission statement:

"Salud! Napa's mission is to create a bilingual bicultural cooking show that embraces world cuisine, wine and the arts. We seek to showcase a fun and healthy lifestyle to the willing that will not only nourish their appetite but their souls' as well. By focusing on nutritious foods and inspired eating habits, Salud! Napa will serve as a guide to the global population on how easy and pleasurable it is to spend time in the kitchen."

Now, we introduced it as the "original" mission statement because the website concept has since grown and it will take on additional cool features. Although we’ll primarily focus on the cooking shows presented by Amelia Ceja, executive chef and president of Ceja Vineyards, the website will also feature blogs, local business profiles, an online store and allow members to create their own profiles in a community driven environment.

As a website that promotes freedom of speech, Salud! Napa will act as a medium for the exploration of new ideas and suggestions via the art of food preparation and wine pairing; all while providing users with a fun and intuitive interface. As we continue to expand and add new features, we’ll look to our members for recommendations and improvements. There will be a "Feedback" button on every page, allowing an easier stream of communication between ourselves and the community – you guys!

Please check out the following link to a great blog piece on Salud! Napa written by Ken Payton’s blog Reignofterroir.com posted on January 16th, 2009: Salud Napa, Ariel Ceja's Bold 2.0 Vision for Ceja Vineyards. 

We are thrilled to be working on this project and to be able to share our thoughts, opinions, and progress with you as Salud! Napa gets underway.

Until our next post!

¡Salud!

Anna and Ariel

Feb 25, 2009 at 12:58 AM

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