A Few of My Favorite Things: Gifts for the EcoFoodie in Your Life

The gardner. The home cook. The philanthropist. The entertainer. The conservationist. All of the above. 

Below are a few gift giving ideas for the EcoFoodie in your life.  Unfortunately, this comes too late if you celebrate Hannukah, (apologies for that--I have been sick for weeks and am running behind on life in general) but if you see something you like, do make a mental note for that next birthday, anniversary, or "just because" moment. These gifts are wonderful the whole year round. Happy shopping!

From top left to right:

1. Slow Food USA Ark of Taste Seed Collection: a yummy assortment of seeds from Ark of Taste's catalog of endangered foods. Have your Tennis Ball lettuce, and eat it, too!

2. Double Oven Mitts: From the lovely Provisions store at Food52.com. Such a luxury not to spend 10 minutes tracking down your second oven mitt every time you use the oven.

3. Donate to Save Family Farms: The older I get, the more important it seems to give back for the holidays. Donate in your loved one's name to American Farmland Trust to save farmland and support farmers. Act quickly and your donation will be matched by one AFT's founders!

4. Acacia Salt Cellar: So much easier to season properly when you can just grab whatever sized pinch you need. Bonus: you don't have to worry about your salt caking up in humid weather.

5. Cuisinart Hand Blender: This is one gadget that gets used in my kitchen all. the. time. Soups, smoothies, baby food--infinitely easier than transferring things to a blender. One of my absolute favorites.

6. Grow, Cook, Eat: A great book for the beginning home gardner. Covers all the basics without overwhelming, including lots of yummy recipes. A great way to get inspired over the winter.

7. Personalized Gardening Gloves: Love these more for their stylish simplicity than anything else. Sometimes it's nice to feel the warm soil on your bare skin, but these are great for the days when you can't spend half an hour scrubbing dirt out of your fingernails.

8. Magazines, magazines, magazines: For the food lover in your life, the gift that keeps on giving. There's a food mag for every kind of foodie these days, from quirky, to artsy, to academic.

9. Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven: Another item that is constantly in use in our kitchen. Gives you lovely, even heating for soups, stews, and roasts. On the pricey side but worth every penny.

10. Slate Cheese Board: Just picked up one of these for myself (happy early Christmas!) from Brooklyn Slate Co. Handmade and gorgeous, perfect for the entertainer in your life. 

Ecofoodie Goes to Market: Roslindale Village

These days, trips to the farmers' market are a family affair. Gone are the days of strolling perusal and easy chatting. Granted, there are new pleasures to be found in having the assistance of a toddler as I select my squash, but I sometimes wax nostalgic for more leisurely days.

Last Saturday, I actually had the opportunity to head to the market alone (sigh of relaxation), so I took the opportunity snap a few photos. Given that I'm constantly gushing over the bounty I bring home every week, I thought it would be nice to share a few pictures of the market itself. If you are in the Boston area, I highly recommend a visit, even if it means a bit of a drive. The Roslindale Village Farmers' Market really is something special, with kids or without.

**With any luck, this will be the first of an occasional series, featuring area markets throughout the year...stay tuned!**

Adams Park, an urban oasis.

I snuck in bright and early. Two Field Farm was still setting up.

You say tomato, I say, I'll take some of each, please. 

Diced peaches make for a very slippery finger food. 

Totally worth the mess.

My babies smell like peaches. Every night.

Ok, so I do play favorites on the tomatoes.

Nothing beats an heirloom.

Greens, greens greens. 

Oh, and some gorgeous eggplant.

The Fornax stand. We stop here every week.

As my toddler says, We need more yummy bread.

We usually grab a treat as well.

Oat cakes are his favorite.

My jams are not camera shy.

Had a lovely chat with Robin, of Doves and Figs. 

Walked away with the most scrumptious Fig & Cranberry jam.

Apparently I am tomato obsessed. Can you blame me?

Perfect pints from Allandale Farm.

These beauties are organic and only travelled two miles to market.

Can't be beat.

My toddler tried his first apricot this week. 

Verdict: Mmmmm.

Sugar plums.

Can't. Get. Enough.

Fade to purple.

Garlic lover's paradise.

For more info on the Roslindale Village Farmers' Market, including a full vendor list and weekly activities (free yoga! live music! a clown show for the kiddos!), click here. Hope to see you this Saturday!

That Friday Feeling

Hello, friends. Hope you've all had a fabulous week. After a whirlwind (amazing) trip to Hoboken last weekend and an appallingly busy week at work, I woke up this morning in search of that Friday feeling. You know the one. Your step is a little lighter on the way to the train. Your shoulders unscrunch and get loose. The buzz and hum of workaday worries begin to fade as your mind turns easily toward the weekend.

With the week I'm having, that Friday feeling probably won't show up until Saturday. But, in hopes that some of you can indulge in a few minutes of pre-weekend downtime today, I give you Edible Selby. A new collaboration between Todd Selby and the New York Times T Magazine, it might just be the most gorgeous food website I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot. From world famous chefs, to urban farmers, to ice cream makers, Selby has captured food artisans both at work and at home, and the result is lovely.

So here's a tiny sampler to get you started. And when you find yourself with a few free Friday minutes, go grab your coffee, your tea, your hot toddy (if only). Exhale. Enjoy.

I Heart TED.

Lately, I've been on the hunt for novel lunchtime activities at work. Sometimes I read, sometimes I catch up on a guilty reality pleasure via Hulu (Real Housewives, anyone?), and sometimes I just keep working. But when you work full time there are a lot of lunch hours to fill, and it's easy to feel like you're in a rut. Enter my new favorite lunchtime companion, TED.

Many of you are probably already well-acquainted--although I first stumbled upon TED videos last year via some clever friends on Facebook, the group has been in existence since 1984. The non-profit began as a conference designed to bring together thinkers from the fields of technology, entertainment, and design, and has since mushroomed into a powerful forum for forward thinking ideas on everything from gaming to public health. In addition to annual and traveling conferences, they've also begun awarding a TED prize, which this year went to Jamie Oliver for his work in promoting healthy eating and preventing obesity. You can watch his acceptance speech here. The fact that they chose the food-oriented work of a chef as this years winner speaks to the urgent need to change our current food systems, from kitchen counter to factory farm. And the importance of this discussion is represented in numerous videos on the site, covering topics ranging from sustainable seafood to world hunger. Hence, my new favorite lunch buddy, and one I highly recommend you get to know.

Today, I watched a thoughtful and moving talk by Cary Fowler, Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, on the importance of preserving biodiversity in our agricultural systems. It's heartbreaking to hear how much we've already lost on this front, but it's heartening to learn that people in the world are crossing borders (thank you Norway) and truly taking care of business to ensure that we don't wind up facing starvation on a global scale. At just 17 minutes long, it's a more than worthwhile investment of your lunchtime. You can watch below or visit www.ted.com and search for other ideas that might float your lunchtime boat. Bon apetit!