Going Organic

superstring01

superstring01

Moderator
I've begun join the migration from industrial foods to the organic/local variety. Anybody else doing this?

Some thoughts on recent products:
  • Kashi sucks. I'm a huge breakfast eater and I can't stand any of their products. Generally I eat oatmeal for breakfast, but I tried their waffles and cereal and was sorely disappointed
  • Organic brown eggs are amazing. I would have given you an total scowl if you claimed that eggs were anything more than the vehicle, but I just can't believe that these things actually have flavor
  • Silk Soy milk. I've been consuming this for the better part of a year and it's good stuff
  • Organic vegetables are impossibly expensive and if you have any desire to put money away for retirement you really can't subside on these
Any other thoughts on this stuff?

~String
 
Organic milk products are amazing. It's real food. Industrial food tastes and looks like plastic after you try organics.
 
Good idea String.

I thought you were a farm bred boy.

Growing your own organic vegetables and fruit is cheap and extremely rewarding.

My friends supply me with homegrown organic eggs, I'm the fish provider..the best free range protein in the world.

Look into permaculture, it's awesome
 
Orleander said:
are you buying any of this from farmers or organic sections in stores?
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I go to stores and snatch the stuff from organics section (my local store only carries organic milk products). The nearest organics market is an hour train ride away, it's not always convenient. There are organic food stores as well; they carry the same brands as the organic sections in my local supermarkets so I figure it's okay.
 
Orleander said:
are you buying any of this from farmers or organic sections in stores?
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Where I live in Cleveland we have three really amazing sources of "local" products: The West Side Market (which has everything under the sun for amazingly low prices and it's all local and organic-- but about 20 minutes away from me so it's not like right around the corner), Gibbs Butcher Block (a local, olde time butcher that carries all natural and mostly organic meat and produce) and down the street is a local farmer's market that I pick up local produce (but it's only open six months a year).

When those two fail, our local mega-mart, Giant-Eagle, carries an amazing variety of organic foods.

S.A.M. said:
Farmers market produce rocks
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I hate tomatoes. I've always hated them, until I tasted a real one. I'm still not a fan of beefsteaks, but romas, plum and grape tomatoes are amazing. So, yeah, I try to pick up my stuff from the local guys first.

~String
 
superstring01 said:
I hate tomatoes. I've always hated them, until I tasted a real one.

~String
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Yeah I know what you mean. I haven't tasted a "real" mango outside India.

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Spud Emperor said:
Good idea String.

I thought you were a farm bred boy.

Growing your own organic vegetables and fruit is cheap and extremely rewarding.

My friends supply me with homegrown organic eggs, I'm the fish provider..the best free range protein in the world.
Click to expand...

I grew up on a farm, indeed. But, my parents haven't raised their own stuff since the late 80's. We always had chickens and a hog as a kid (several horses, two ponies as well as the requisite gaggle of cats and dogs). My dad always hunted for food, but honestly, I can't get past the fact that I would be eating Bamby, so I never got into the venison.

I've convinced my parents (who live on a stately five acres in the country) to put in a farm and allow me to plant some of my own things.

I'm a knit-picky bitch when it comes to my garden so I've picked up some fine sand, green manure and planted a lot of grape tomatoes, honeydew melons, green beans along with some other sundry items.

Spud Emperor said:
Look into permaculture, it's awesome
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I'll wiki it.

~String
 
S.A.M. said:
Yeah I know what you mean. I haven't tasted a "real" mango outside India.
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That reminds me. When I was living in the Canary Islands, a popular snack was the fig. I loved them passionately. Fresh. Dried. Whatever. They were amazing. About a year ago I suddenly remembered them (having somehow forgotten about them for eons). I picked up a few at a local megamart and absolutely hated them. Then I gave them another shot at our big organic market (imported at quite a cost from Turkey), and they were great. Guess it's all where they are from.

~String
 
Organic farmers produce is the best. The next best thing is to grow your own, but the best alternative is to get it directly from the farmers. We have a fairly large vegetable patch and herbs and vegetables like tomatoes fresh picked from the garden is the absolute best. The stuff you buy at the supermarket is so bland now, without flavour. We've since put in some mango trees and lychee trees, as well as some citrus trees. Fresh picked limes are so much nicer than store bought ones.

We are in the middle of a bad drought at the moment but thankfully the little rain we have had has kept our water tanks topped up and those tanks were installed specifically for our vegetable (and flower) garden. So we pretty much eat mostly home grown vegetables from our garden, as well as that from my parents and inlaws. And I must admit, eating seasonal fruits and vegetables that are homegrown really makes me appreciate them even more.

My father is also a great vegetable grower and I used to hate eggplants and zucchini. But when you taste the ones that are home grown, they are so much better.
 
superstring01 said:
That reminds me. When I was living in the Canary Islands, a popular snack was the fig. I loved them passionately. Fresh. Dried. Whatever. They were amazing. About a year ago I suddenly remembered them (having somehow forgotten about them for eons). I picked up a few at a local megamart and absolutely hated them. Then I gave them another shot at our big organic market (imported at quite a cost from Turkey), and they were great. Guess it's all where they are from.

~String
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Ah!!! Fiiiiiigggggs! Haven't tasted a real fig since Pune circa 1994. :bawl:

The farmers sit by their fields with these large red luscious fruits that are soft, melt in your mouth, gooey sweetness.

Also the little carts selling the black jamuns; with their dark purple juicy goodness!

jamun_gadi_fs.jpg
 
Orleander said:
:bawl::bawl: I've NEVER had a real fig. I get dried ones at xmas and that's about it.
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They have this beady texture inside. It took me a spell to get past when I first tasted them, but I have nothing but fond memories of sitting on the rocky beach at La Caleta eating figs and sipping sangria.



~String
 
Orleander said:
:: I've NEVER had a real fig. I get dried ones at xmas and that's about it.
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You have no idea what you're missing. A custard apple from Hyderabad, Haphus (Alphonse) mango from the Malvan, chikoo (sapota) from Bordi, figs from the Bombay-Pune road, oranges from Nagpur (mandarins, none of those bland thick juiceless dried up pieces of crap with no fragrance that fills the room or a taste to die for). Throw in some jackfruit from the ghats and boy oh boy, you have lived.
jackfruit.jpg


Can't believe I forgot the jamuns. Skip the tough ones with a white pith and large seed, go for the squishy ones that stain everything purple and are incredibly drippy with one tiny seed.

jamun_cu.jpg
 
I always get mango and papaya confused. Which one tastes like a pine tree? I hate those things.
 
S.A.M. said:
You have no idea what you're missing. A custard apple from Hyderabad, Haphus (Alphonse) mango from the Malvan, chikoo (sapota) from Bordi, figs from the Bombay-Pune road, oranges from Nagpur (mandarins, none of those bland thick juiceless dried up pieces of crap with no fragrance that fills the room or a taste to die for). Throw in some jackfruit from the ghats and boy oh boy, you have lived.
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Not forgetting Durian and mangosteens from Malaysia.
 
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