Exposure to pesticides is bad for your health!

You may have thought that it was generally acknowledged that continual exposure to pesticides is bad for you. It seems obvious doesn't it, a chemical that is designed to kill couldn't possibly safe, a chemical that bears a hazardous poison symbol couldn't but have an effect on the lives of those who live near treated areas. Yet this is what the British government have been claiming.

This week UK campaigner Georgina Downs won her legal challenge against DEFRA (Department for Environment and Rural Affairs) over pesticides. From the age of 11 Downs had been suffering from ill health and as an adult she started to investigate the effects pesticides could be having on her. Living in a rural area, surrounded by farmland she would have been repeatedly exposed to pesticides from a very early age. The flaw in the governments case was that their data on the effects of pesticides only assessed the risk posed to Human beings by short term exposure to chemicals. It did not consider the continual exposure that country residents could experience or the effect that a cocktail of chemicals sprayed throughout the year could have on the human body.

The ruling comes as the British government stands to oppose the EU directive on pesticides which calls for:

the prohibition of pesticide use in substantial no spray zones around residential areas, parks, public gardens, sports grounds, school grounds, playgrounds, amongst other places, especially to protect sensitive groups, such as, babies, children, pregnant women, the elderly, those with pre-existing medical conditions and who may be taking medication, along with all other vulnerable groups.

A directive, which seems to support the court ruling and which will hopefully, hand in hand with this judgement encourage the British government to review the way they asses the harmful effects of pesticides. Sadly, even if the new directive is passed, it won't come into effect until 2010.

Further reading:
UK Pesticides Campaign
PAN UK on pesticide exposure

Announcing our new product range.

The Midnight Feast

The Jacob Marley

This week has seen the launch of the new range of organic Christmas hampers, occasion gifts, new baby gifts, and corporate gifts from Feelgood Organic Hampers. It seems like we have been working on this new collection for ever and it is great to finally see the new products online.

Some of the most exciting additions to our range this year are the products by 'Bambu'. Created on fair trade projects around the world the bowls and servers are made from certified organic, sustainably grown bamboo. Bambu is a stunningly good example of a company founded on corporate social responsibility (CSR), looking through their website it is clear that no stone has been left unturned in creating the guiding principles of the company. The products themselves are beautiful and we are delighted to welcome them to the Feelgood Organic Hampers family.

Another welcome addition to this years hampers are the Natural House certified organic household cleaning products. Produced from fully biodegradable organic ingredients the 'dish spa' and 'surface spa' are guaranteed to have the least environmental impact possible. As well as being certified organic by the Soil Association they are also Vegan Society approved. We have included them in this years 'New Pad' hamper.

We've only been online with the new range for a couple of days and already the Christmas Hampers are selling well. We are once again stocking the ever popular puddings and cakes by Village Bakery and as we speak several cases of the best brandy butter I've ever tasted are on their way to us.  

If you are interested in ordering a gift, be it for Christmas or any occasion have a look at our website. I'd be happy to talk to any of you about your gift requirements. 

Remember to order your Christmas gifts early to avoid disappointment.

Why Organic Eggs?

At the beginning of the year Hugh Fernley Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver put across a pretty convincing case on the merits of free range chicken and eggs. Thanks to their campaign most people seem to understand the benefits of choosing free range. But why should we choose organic eggs?

I usually buy 'Crocker's Organic Eggs' which I get from the farmers market. I used to have a stall next to Gary Crocker at the farmers market in Monkstown. Gary is passionate about his organic farming and is proud that his customers find his eggs to be the best they've tasted. His farm is certified organic by IOGFA and the yokes are a beautiful deep orange colour. Recently I was baking a cake and I discovered that I didn't have enough eggs for the recipe, so I picked up some organic eggs in Tesco. When I broke them into the bowl I was shocked at the difference in colour between the Tesco eggs and Crockers eggs. This got me wondering about what exactly makes an egg organic, what are the rules and how can there be such a difference in quality?

Back in 2005 the London Independent published an article on the validity of organic eggs. It revealed that in order for eggs to be labled organic they merely needed to be fed a diet of 80% organic feed for 6 weeks. Thankfully the standards were soon to be tightened. On the first of January 2006 organic standards in the UK were changed requiring organic chickens to be fed organic food from hatching. 

According to The Organic Trust here in Ireland,  standards require that:

...producers use certified organic grain based feeds that are free from specific additives.

It does seem however that a small amount of non organic feed is permitted with only 80% needing to be sourced from organic raw materials.

But there are more reasons to choose organic eggs than what the chickens are fed on. Buying organic guarantees standards of animal welfare. Whereas battery, barn reared and free range chickens can be subject to the cruel practice of beak clipping or 'debeaking' The Soil Association and The Organic Trust standards prohibit this. Debeaking has become common practice amongst poultry farmers and is practiced in order to stop birds from pecking each other. It is thought that this aggresive behavior is due to bordem and stress. Organic chickens have to have access to the outside and as with many of the organic standards the Soil Association in the UK go far beyond this simple requirement. 

Conventional chickens and free range chickens are generally drip fed antibiotics as part of their feed. This practice is also banned in organic production, it is a misconception that if a Chicken gets ill that it under organic standard it is not allowed to be treated. The organic movements commitment to animal welfare would not sit well with this. If a bird is ill antibiotics and other medications may be administered as prescribed by a vetrenarian. Before a bird that has been treated with drugs is allowed to produce food there is a 'withdrawl period' which should ensure that the drugs have passed through the system and don't make it into our food.

So why the difference in yolk colour? Yolk colour is dependent on the feed that the hen consumes and to some extent on the breed of hen, it is thought that a free range hen has a more varied diet which contributes to the colour. Gary Crocker, as I have mentioned is passionate about his eggs and his farming practices so I would imagine that his hens would have a lot of ground to roam on. The Tesco eggs also had orange yolks, they just weren't as vibrant as Gary's eggs. Maybe the quality of the feed wasn't as good, maybe they were just a different breed or maybe the hens spent less time roaming free.

But beware of judging an egg by it's yolk colour, there are additives in some feeds which when given to the chickens can cause the yolk colour to change, if you want to be sure of a good quality egg, always look for the organic certification.

Further reading: International Journal of Poultry Science

Recipe - Flour Tortillas

This week I made a big pot of veggie chilli, I got most of the ingredients from the farmers market and the local health food shop but whilst in the supermarket I found myself staring at a pack of flour tortillas. I started wondering how hard could it be to make these myself? So the pack went back on the shelf and I went home assuming that I would find all the ingredients I needed at home.

Luckily I wasn't wrong. I scoured the Internet and found a Texan cook book that had been given to me earlier this year. I combined a couple of the recipes that I found (some of them called for Lard and as a vegetarian I needed to find an alternative) and cooked up my first batch last night.

They were simple to make and much tastier than the shop bought ones. Like pancakes the last few I produced were far better than the first batch, probably because the pan had heated properly. 

You will need a bit of time if you want to make these because as with all bread making the dough needs to prove for a while but the wait will be worth it.

Ingredients

250g Plain Flour

1/2 tbsp Baking Powder

1 tsp sea salt ground

2 tsp vegetable oil

180ml warm milk

Combine the flour and baking soda in a bowl

Whisk the milk, vegetable oil and salt together.

Add a small amount of the milk mixture at a time into the flour to form a sticky dough.

Flour a flat surface and turn the dough onto it. 

Knead with the heal of your hands for a few minutes. You will find that the dough is more sticky than regular bread dough but this will improve with kneading.

Return to the bowl, cover and allow to prove at room temperature for approx. 20 minutes.

Cut your dough in half, and divide each half again and again until you have 8 equally sized portions. Roll each into a ball and cover them allowing them to prove for a further 20 minutes.

Heat a dry, large, heavy based frying pan on the hob.

Start to roll out the first flat bread. Roll in one direction, turn the dough 90 degrees then roll again. The dough will still be quite sticky so be sure to keep both the work surface and your rolling pin well floured.

Keep rolling until the dough is so thin you can see through it, don't worry too much about getting a perfect circle, I came nowhere close! 

Cook on the hot frying pan for about a minute each side or until the bread starts to bubble and colour on the underside.

Whilst the first one is cooking roll out the next and so on until all 8 are cooked.

Just like regular bread these taste best freshly cooked. If you have some left they can be reheated the next day in the microwave or even frozen.

If your looking for something to put inside the flat breads sign up for my recipe of the month, I'm in the middle of creating something quite interesting... I hope it works out.

Coca-Cola, The Environment and Mark Thomas

I was lucky enough to be invited to a book launch last week. The book in question, 'Belching Out The Devil' written by British political comedian and activist Mark Thomas is an investigation into the behaviour of Coca-Cola.

I first became concerned about the environmental impact of drinking Coca-Cola and other carbonated drinks after watching 'A World Without Water' broadcast on Channel 4 back in 1996. One particular segment of the documentary stuck in my mind. It showed Indian farmers who due to the amount of water being pumped away by the nearby Coca-Cola plant were finding their wells were drying up. Some dug as deep as 450 feet without finding any water. The documentary also suggested that it took three litres of water to produce one litre of Coca-Cola. I stopped drinking Coke after that figuring that it was unfair of me to drink it if it was depriving other people of the water they needed to live.

It seems that the Indian situation is not unique. In his book Mark Thomas tells us of his visit to Nejapa a small community in El Salvador and home to a Coca-Cola bottling plant. When Coke moved in the locals welcomed them with just a few conditions, one of these was that they would respect the environment. As the author travels to a community who rely on the water which flows down steam from the Coca-Cola plant he discovers that far from protecting the environment Coke are polluting the water. Children who used to swim and bath in the stream before Coca-Cola moved in were now developing allergies attributed to the water. Fish were dying and this impoverished community, which once had the asset of clean drinking water, were now being forced to pay for safe water pumped from wells and distributed from water tanks.

I find it hard to believe that I ever drank Coca-Cola, it seems natural to me now that I would reject it but there are bigger issues with the company than the environmental impact that it is having. I would recommend the book, Mark Thomas seems to be able to infuse the horror of the places he visits and the things he finds out with such humor that I find myself chuckling through even the most horrendous stories. Unusually this doesn't distract from the message but means that you won't feel too depressed when you read it. There's even a chapter on Ireland!

The bigger issue is that we really need to consider the impact of our consumerism. It isn't just Coca-Cola that is destroying our environment, our reliance on all fizzy drinks and even bottled water is plundering the worlds resources. These products seem to have gone from being a treat to being a part of our everyday lives. I am as much of an offender as anyone else, a quick look in my recycling bin is testament to that but if we all just cut down a bit at a time there is the possibility of making a real difference.

You can buy 'Belching Out The Devil' on Amazon.

Also check out the Mark Thomas Website for tour dates, there's one promised but not yet listed for Dublin.

Further reading on the world water crisis here

The documentary 'A World Without Water' can be viewed here.

Just found an Irish site where you can buy the book also.

Organic Product Review - Ariosa Organic Guatamala Blend

I like a strong flavored coffee and have been stocking two that I am particularly fond of in my hampers for the last few years. Recently one of them has been discontinued and I was keen to find a replacement. 

I discovered this product at 'The Organic Supermarket' and was immediately delighted to find an Irish roasted and blended organic coffee. I was even more delighted by the lovely aroma which wafted tantalisingly from the bag. I took it home and at the first available opportunity brewed myself a cup, the taste lived up to the smell, a lovely rich flavor, smooth and very drinkable. There was a hint of bitterness but it wasn't overwhelming. 

Ariosa boast that they bring their coffee to their customers within a week of roasting and this would somewhat account for the wonderful flavor, I don't drink a lot of coffee however and the bag has been sitting open in my fridge for the last two weeks and it still tastes great.

So It's a big thumbs up for Ariosa Coffee. It is available to buy either ground or as beans from 'The Organic Supermarket' in Blackrock and direct from Ariosa at the Temple Bar Market. Very soon it will also be available in my hampers and at my stall at the Naas Farmers Market.

Ariosa Organic Guatamala Blend is certified organic by The Organic Trust.

Recipe: Beetroot Hummus

Over the last couple of years I have acquired a taste for beetroot and when I see the fresh bunches arrive at the farmers market I am always delighted to pick them up. If you have only tasted the pickled kind I would encourage you to give fresh beetroot a try. It's lovely roasted or made into soup. If you are a subscriber to my recipe of the month you will already have one recipe for beetroot.

This recipe utilises the organic pre-cooked beetroot that is available in the supermarkets. If you want to start from fresh simply skin and roast the beetroot until soft. I also play with the quantities until it tastes perfect. Due to the pinkness of the end product it goes down well with my young niece.

Ingredients

1 tin of chick peas drained
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp light tahini
6 tbsp lemon juice
1 vacuum packed beetroot
salt and pepper.

Chop the beetroot into small cubes
Place the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth
Adjust the seasoning to taste
Add the beetroot and blend until smooth.

Organic Restaurant Review - The Strawberry Tree

When I imagine an organic restaurant I always have a certain picture in my head of a place decked out in wood, with large, no nonsense wooden tables and hearty but unglamorous food.

The Strawberry Tree based in the Brooke Lodge Hotel, McCreddin Village, Co. Wicklow is the antithesis of this. The restaurant is the first certified organic restaurant in Ireland and it is one that I have wanted to visit for a very long time. I had been given varying reviews from friends and acquaintances and was keen to see how it would live up to my expectations.

Arriving at the door I was surprised to find the low lit interior was more akin to an old country house than the barn I was expecting. The floor was carpeted and the walls were decorated with flock wallpaper which always brings back fond memories my granny's house. The tables were elegant and well worn as were the chairs.

The menu proudly listed all of the restaurants suppliers which is something I always like to see.

There were two vegetarian starters on the menu which can throw me into a bit of a panic. I am so used to only having to glance at the menu to see what the veggie option is that choice often confuses me. In the end I plumped for the warm buffalo mozzarella salad which was nice, not terribly exciting but the ingredients were fresh and tasty. My companion had the scallops, it was the first time she had ever tasted them and although she wasn't sold on them, we will never know if this was because she doesn't like scallops or because the ones on offer weren't that good. 

For the main course I had the butternut squash risotto. I've been making a lot of my own risotto recently and I like to have it in restaurants to see if mine is up to scratch. My companion had the Duck. We both really enjoyed the main course which was served with seasonal vegetables including to my delight lots of beetroot which has recently become one of my favorite vegetables. The roasted sweet potatoes which came as a side were absolutely divine. The risotto was reassuringly slightly better than mine which led me to spend the week after our visit perfecting my dish.

Somehow we managed to find enough room for pudding. We went for the chocolate based desert which was beautifully dark and rich.

I enjoyed the experience of being in the Strawberry Tree. I found it refreshing to be in such eloquent surroundings and was only disappointed that due to having to drive there I was unable to sample the wine list. Maybe next time I'll treat myself to an overnight stay.

Celebrate Organic Week

Organic Week is on it's way. This year Bord Bia have decided to run the event earlier and it will fall between the 15th and 21st of September. This means that it will co-inside with Organic Fortnight in the UK, it also means that there will be far more opportunity for you to enjoy farm walks and seasonal produce.

For a full list of the events scheduled throughout the week log onto the Bord Bia website.

At Feelgood Organic Hampers we are running our own event in collaboration with Healthy Living Health Food Store and Wellness Centre, Vendemia Organic Wines and Moyleabbey Organic Kitchen.

Have you ever wanted to know more about organic wine?
Have you ever been unsure of what to cook for a guest who is Vegan or has allergies?
Do you want to taste some of the foods that Feelgood Organic Hampers has to offer?

Then join us at Healthy Living, 54 Leinster Street, Athy, Co. Kildare on Friday 19th of September at 7pm.

The evening will combine organic wine tasting, organic antipasti, organic, macrobiotic, vegan, wheat free and sugar free cookery demonstrations, a three course meal, entertainment and a chance to win a Feelgood Organic Hamper.

Tickets priced at €25 are available by
- Calling me at Feelgood Organic Hampers on 059 863 8999
or from
- Healthy Living, 54 Leinster Street, Athy, Co. Kildare,
- The Moyleabbey Organic Farm Stall at the Athy Farmers Market
- Café del Vino, The Butterslip, Kilkenny
- The Feelgood Organic Hampers Stall at the Naas Farmers Market

Tickets to this event are very limited so please make sure you book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Can your favorite recipe make it onto TV and the Supermarket shelves?

Everyone has a favorite dish, one which they have created and adapted over the years until it has reached perfection. My Mum makes the best trifle ever (subscribers to recipe of the month will get the recipe this Christmas), and I like my Sheepless Shepherds Pie the best. 

So what's your best dish? If you have a crowd pleasing recipe, RTE's newest television show 'Recipe For Success' is giving you the opportunity to turn it into a moneyspinner. So if you believe that your dish can stand up to the competition and if you dream of seeing it on the Supermarket shelves, log onto the RTE Recipe For Success website or write to them at: Recipe For Success, RTE, Father Matthew Street, Cork.

I'll look forward to watching some of you on the show!

The Organic Supermarket

I was lucky enough to visit the new 'Organic Supermarket' in Blackrock last week. The store which has been open for 7 weeks now has been attracting quite a lot of media attention recently and I was keen to check it out, particularly as the owner Darren Grant had gone the full hog and got the place certified organic.

The store can be found next to the old post office (now Starbucks) on the main street. I was delighted when I walked in and found that this was a large, gourmet food store. The decor of dark wood gave the interior a certain amount of class whilst still appearing earthy. 

Darren's idea was to bring the farmers market indoors, and he has achieved this goal. Even as you walk by the front door you are tempted in the display of freshly baked bread from Blazing Salads and fresh produce all delivered daily.  Every part of your grocery shopping is catered for here, with everything from cheese and meat to pasta wine and chocolate. There are products here, particularly in the chilled section that I had no idea were available. They even have the organic pies that I wrote about in my last post and I finally got to try one. Because the shop has certification provided by the Organic Trust, every item that is stocked in The Organic Supermarket has to be certified organic. This is the one big difference between this store and numerous others I have visited and it felt great to be able to pick anything up and know without reading the label that it really was an organic product.

I have high hopes for the 'Organic Supermarket'.  Darren already has plans for expansion telling me that he has his eye on a city centre location for the next shop in the chain. My only criticism is that Blackrock is a long way from Athy, far too far for me to travel for my weekly shop!

Taste Kildare, a great day out.

Me at the Feelgood Organic Hampers Stand

Beatrice & Jamie Choc O'Neill

Yuki at Moyleabbey Organic Farm

Thanks to everyone who dropped by my stall at Taste Kildare last weekend. Even the sun made a good appearance on the day. 

There was lots of amazing food on offer and a good amount of organic stalls. By the time things quietened down enough to let me have a wander the Organic Pies on sale from Morrin O'Rourke Farm Foods had sold out. I'm not surprised I saw them setting up in the morning and they looked fantastic. Their range of pies includes Chicken and Bacon, Beef and Cider and Vegetable for vegetarians like myself. For a full list of where you can buy their pies check out their website.

The Moyleabbey Organic Farm stall pictured above looked fantastic all day with beautiful bunches of carrots and beetroot and other seasonal organic vegetables on sale.

The Organic Blending Company, the Irish wing of which is based in Naas were tasting their sausages and marinated meats all day. As well as their marinades they offer gravy, stuffing and spices. They gave me some samples and I can't wait to give them a try... watch this space!

At the end of the day I finally got to sample some of the deserts on offer from the restaurants. This was definitely the best part of the day for me.

The event will be going ahead again next year so if you didn't get a chance to drop by last weekend don't miss the next one. Keep an eye on the website: www.tastekildare.ie.

Prince Charles and GM Food

Prince Charles has always been an unlikely royal. Time after time he has failed to keep his mouth shut about the things he believes in and this is a quality that endears him to me.

We are all by now aware of his opinions on architecture. The inside-out Lloyds building in London, which I have always quite liked, provoked his most famous rant.

In recent years he has become better known for his passion for organic food. The Duchy Original brand which started life with one product, a tasty oat based biscuit now boasts over 300 organic products. He also has his own organic farm in Gloustershire. I have visions of him out in the fields, fork in hand, harvesting perfect organic vegetables from the ground but I am aware that he probably has little to do with the day to day running of the farm. Recently he has taken residence in his Grandmothers castle in Caithness (North Scotland) and has pledged an initiative to help Scotland's farmers and fishermen.

Knowing this it came as little surprise to me that this week he launched a scathing attack on GM Foods. The outburst came in the middle of an interview with a Telegraph Journalist.

His main concerns seem to be the globalisation of the food industry, he goes on to suggest that the corporations behind GM strains are putting us on course for the "biggest disaster environmentally for all time" You can listen to his full outburst here.

His strong opinions seem to have caused a bit of a stir in the UK. Some people believe that the Royal family should be prim and proper and not meddle in politics. Others just claim he is wrong. Some such as Freinds Of the Earth and the Soil Association are patting him on the back.

For me I find it incredible that a few sentences uttered by Prince Charles are capable of re-opening the GM debate in the UK, especially so soon after it was revealed that Gordon Brown was hoping to allow more GM tests to be carried out on British Soil. Ireland is still a GM crop free zone and I hope that we will be able to find and Irish voice as influential as Prince Charles to keep it that way.

Well done Prince Charles!

Come and Meet Us at Taste Kildare

I'm so excited about Taste Kildare that I wish I didn't have to work there myself and I could go and enjoy it in full. 

The event, which is being held in the Victorian walled gardens at the K Club in Straffan on Sunday 17th August 2008 is going to be a fantastic day out. 

Kildare's top restaurants will be offering taster plates and Kildare based artisan producers including What's Cooking?, Soul Bakery and Buns will be giving out samples as well as offering their wares for sale on the day.

At the Feelgood Organic Hampers stall I will be giving out tasters of some of our best products as well as having a wide range of organic food on sale. Do drop by and have a chat.

With a mix of entertainment for both adults and children including  face painting, crazy golf duck racing, archery and tours of the wine cellar this really will be a fun day out for everyone.

Best of all it's completely free. Just pre-register online at www.tastekildare.ie  to avail of the free car parking.

Travels in New York Part 2: The Union Square Green Market

Stepping out of Union Square subway station and finding your self in the middle of the Green Market is like stepping into a little piece of paradise. I have visited many farmers markets but never one quite like this one. It's scale alone like almost everything in America is huge. Imagine every farmers market that you have ever been to in Ireland stuck together and you will get some idea of the size . The choice of stalls was huge, it made me wonder how you could possibly choose which stall to buy from but it soon became apparent that most stalls had a speciality. Some were organic, some had mountains of radishes the size of my fist , some were specialists in garlic, salad leaves, milk, cherries etc. I even found stalls that offered free range eggs which I had been lead to believe were almost impossible to source in the US. In fact the variety of produce was so amazing I started to wonder how the 'Wholefoods Market' on Union square was able to survive. With this amount of locally produced and seasonal produce available why would you want to shop in a supermarket?

There were information stalls scattered around which offered recipes for seasonal produce, and all important maps. One information stall was even cooking up seasonal treats. There were also blackboards and stalls displaying lists of seasonal produce.

Sadly it was my last day in New York so although I walked through the stalls agape and thoroughly excited about what was offer I was unable to purchase anything. I was sad that it would be some time before I would return to New York and be able to shop here.

The Green Market on Union Square is open on Monday's Wednesday's Friday's and Saturdays between 8am and 6pm. I was there on a Saturday. For more information on the other locations of Green Markets in New York look here. 

Travels in New York Part 1: Gusto Organic Restaurant

If I was to open an organic restaurant I would like it to be like Gusto on 6th avenue and 14th. I had been nagging my traveling companion for virtually the whole week to go to this place and it wasn't until the last day that he finally agreed to set foot inside. Part of the reason my companion had been unexcited at the prospect of joining me for a meal here was that I was under the impression that it was a salad bar.

As we were guided to our reclaimed wood table that sadly wobbled quite severely until we stuffed a napkin under one of the legs, it became apparent to our delight that there was more than salad on the menu. We were handed both the brunch and lunch menus and found that alongside the healthy salads there were steak and eggs, grilled pizza, sandwiches, soup and omlettes. I went for the grilled vegetable piadinas mostly because I hadn't got a clue what an pianina was and I like surprises, the description did mention flour tortilla which led me to imagine it would be reasonably healthy.

My companion ordered the steak and eggs. As we waited for our food and made our way through the still warm freshly baked bread that had landed on our table, I studied our recycled paper place mats that listed the restaurants green credentials including it's two organic Certifications: USDA and NOFA and it's green Green Restaurants Association certification.
One of the things I really love about the restaurants in New York was that in the very humid 35 degree heat a tall glass of iced water would arrive at your table as soon as you sat down. Strangely this didn't happen at Gusto and I found myself having to order it along with my other drink of choice lemonade. The lemonade was great, really refreshing but I soon regretted my choice when my companions 'Suave', a peach based blended fruit juice, arrived. I stole a sip when he wasn't looking and it was so divine I ordered one for myself immediately.

When the food arrived I discovered that a Piadina was what a flat kind of toasted tortilla filled with vegetables and cheese. It tasted really good but there was a little too much cheese and not enough veg for my personal taste, the salad was fantastic, a tasty mix of leaves drizzled in a balsmic dressing. My companions steak and eggs looked great. The eggs were the first orange yoked eggs I had seen for my entire trip. You soon get very used to seeing the pale yellow eggs served with every breakfast on offer here. These eggs were the real deal and I was assured by my usually critical companion that both the eggs and steak were as good as they looked. Not only were they really well cooked and full of flavour but the meat itself was melt in the mouth tender.

The most refreshing thing was that the portion sizes were not overwhelming, for the first time since we had arrived in NYC I still had enough room for desert. I was tempted by the handmade Dulce de Leche ice cream. Sadly when I ordered I discovered that they had temporarily sold out. The new batch would be ready in two hours but as my flight out was pending I had to opt for the vanilla ice cream instead. Although I was dissapointed there was something reassuring about knowing that the ice cream was freezing away on premesis as I ate. The vanilla ice cream was sensational, really creamy, really vanillaly (if there is such a word) and really rich.

All in all I really enjoyed Gusto and if I had been staying in New York any longer I'm sure I would become a frequent customer. It seems that they are planning to expand and open in other cities across the states so watch out for a Gusto the next time you take a trip across the pond.

I'm on holiday

I'm writing this post just before I'm due to go on my holiday. I'm feeling pretty guilty because my break is not an eco-holiday at all. As you read this I will be living it up in NYC.

For that reason this will be a short post but I couldn't resist letting you know what a bunch of American's were up to in New York during the build up to the launch of the iPhone 3G.

Waiting for Apples are a group intent on promoting organic farming. They also want to persuade the new president, whomever that may be, to turn the lawn of the Whitehouse into an organic farm. How are they tying this into the launch of the iPhone 3G? It's hard to make the connection but were attempting to break the record for the longest time waiting in line to buy something. Find out more here, and here.

Sadly I'll be missing them by a couple of days.

Free Organic Chocolate!

This week IrishBusinessWomen.com (IBW) celebrates it's second 'Promote Yourself Unashamedly Week'. The week when all IBW website members can advertise their services for free. The members whose posts draw most attention will win a prize at the end of the week.

To help the celebration and to do as much as possible to win the coveted prize, Feelgood Organic Hampers has offered all IBW members free Booja Booja organic Champagne truffles with every purchase until the end of the week.

Irish Business Women is a forum style website which was the brainchild of Frank Fullard at Mayo County Enterprise Board. In spite of the name, the forum is open to members of any sex and is a great resourse to both those in the early stages of business set up and to more experienced business people.

Quite a few eco businesses have joined the fun have a look at these: 

Eco Creations offers Irish designed organic cotton fabrics, read their post here.

Mark Shirley is qualified to energy rate your home.

Baby Slings and Outdoor Things have eco friendly and organic baby clothes, read their post here.

Earth Balance Interiors are offering 40% discount to IBW members. More here.

And if you have a second or two, help me catch the leaders and click through to my shameless promotion! There's still time to get your hands on some free chocolate.

Organic Taste Test - Organic v Conventional Strawberries

I was delighted to discover that the Castleruddery Organic Farm stall at the Naas Farmers Market this week was stocking organic strawberries grown locally in Narraghmore, Co. Kildare.

I immediately purchased a punnet and decided to compare them to the non-organic ones I had bought earlier in the day. Surprisingly there was only 50c difference in the price. The organic ones were packed in a bio degradable tray made from the same material as egg boxes  which gained it some early points.

The conventional strawberries were' Elsanta' strawberries, the most common variety that you will find growing in Ireland.  I have yet to discover what variety the organic ones were but they definitely weren't Elsanta, when I find out I will let you know. Colour wise, the organic ones were deep red with darkish seeds. The conventional berries were shinier and the seeds were golden.

I did a blind taste on a couple of the other stallholders and most of them agreed that the Organic ones were superior in flavour. The conventionally grown ones tasted watery and the amount of flavour decreased as the fruits got larger. The organic ones had a pure and intense strawberry flavour which only got better the bigger the berry. They reminded me of how strawberries tasted when I was a child and it didn't take me long to polish off the whole punnet. I had to go back for two more before the end of the day.

If you would like to taste the difference yourself these exceptional strawberries are available both at the Naas and Athy Farmers Markets. 

Organic Product Review - Mileeven Strawberry Preserve

Mileeven are an Irish company based in county Kilkenny. I already stock some of their jams in my hampers but hadn't tried the Strawberry one before. When I found it on the shelf of my local supermarket I couldn't resist giving it a go.

It is quite a smooth jam, lacking the big chunks of strawberry that you may find in some products. I was slightly disappointed when I discovered this as I always love getting that surprise giant strawberry in the middle of my toast. It does spread quite easily though and this is a definite advantage to a smooth jam.

The flavor is great, it contains 45% fruit so although it is sweet, it's not too sweet which leaves the strawberry to do the talking. 

This was supposed to be my last post in celebration of the Strawberry but I have just received another product to review and tasted some great organic strawberries at the weekend so I can't resist extending my celebration.