Local Delicious

I returned from vacation to a serious bout of spider mites infecting many of my house plants and it was spray or hold a burial for the plants as they succumbed to a mass take-over of bugs.

I bought some Safer’s Insecticide Soap which seems pretty environmentally friendly as it’s made up of “specially selected soaps, no other pesticides are added.” Hmmm, actually, that does seem to imply there is some pesticide in there already since “no others” are added. But maybe soap can be a “pesticide” without being a harsh chemical?

Anyway, the Safer’s Insecticide Soap came with sample size of Safer’s Oxygen Plus indoor plant food which promises to “breathe new life into potted plants.” Well, what the heck, we could all use a little extra life I guess.

The question is, is the Oxygen Plus liquid fertilizer safe on veggie plants, stuff I plan to eat? I have some herbs as ground cover in my large banana leaf plant pot — the idea is to keep in some of the moisture. Is it still safe for me to eat the sage now that I’ve used this product on it? And what about my container garden on the balcony, are those veggies safe if I use it there too?

There’s no specific info on the website about food safety issues with the product, either pro or con. I’ve emailed the company, I’ll let you know if/how they respond.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…

I stumbled across Golda’s Fine Foods all natural Cilantro Pesto a few months ago at Famous Foods, an independently owned grocery store in Vancouver where I buy rice milk and a wide variety of other healthy, unique, and delicious groceries.

I’m a fiend for cilantro, but it’s one of those herbs that evokes a strong reaction from everyone — they either love it or hate it. Not sure what to expect, I took it home and used it as the base for one of my über delicious, healthy pizzas (Lebanese flat bread, paste/pesto, browned ground Italian sausage, shredded zucchini, diced sweet peppers, other finely chopped veggies, a dusting of parmesan, a dusting of feta, warmed in the oven till the cheese melts).

Delicious! Not only did I use it as the pizza base, I drizzled it all over the topping once the pizza came out of the oven. It is now a regular grocery list item and I simply cannot get enough!

Don’t kid yourself, this is not low fat, but it IS made from all natural ingredients and Golda’s is a local success story, based in Mill Bay, British Columbia. Find a store that carries it near you.

Oh, and if the ones you love hate cilantro, tell them it’s coriander pesto. You won’t be lying and they just might thank you.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…

The guru of west coast organic gardening and seed selection is West Coast Seeds. I’ve heard the name uttered in hushed, reverent, gardener-in-the-know tones particularly in reference to the annual West Coast Seeds free Gardening Guide.

If you want access to non-Monsanto-interfered-with seeds, these folks are your local source.

Not only do they have over 600 vegetable, herb and flower seed varieties, they have the envied, must-have, Planting Chart for Coastal BC on page 6. The catalogue/guide is filled with gardening tips, organic pest solutions, and other misc. gardening information that make it worth its weight, even if you buy your genetically modified seeds from the local hardware store or nursery.

If you can’t get down to their Delta location (must have car and up-to-date map!), by all means check them out online, request the catalogue, and order your seeds by mail. If you can get to the store, you’ll be treated to a wide variety of books, tools, garden enhancements (i.e. bee houses), and friendly advice to assist in your organic gardening endeavours.

Oh, and sign up for their newsletter, which is also full of timely planting tips — seasoned and novice gardeners alike will want to know what West Coast Seeds has to say.

PS: The website is a goldmine of information, peruse only when you have plenty of time to “waste”.

Note: (Jan 2010) I get periodic comments from individuals asking or accusing West Coast Seeds of selling GMO and/or Monsanto seeds. Frankly, from the comments I see it feels a bit like an urban myth that won’t die. However, Local Delicious makes no claims and is not a representative of West Coast Seeds. If you have questions, please contact WCS directly. If, on the other hand, you have proof of misdoing, we’re happy to talk…

I’m working my way through a package of New World Natural Foods organic, barley malt granola. It’s slow going.

I liked all of the things that the packaging had to say:

• Locally made here in BC
• Organic
• High fibre
• Low sodium
• No sugar added

What I can’t get past is the crunchy chew. I don’t mean the traditional crunchy granola texture that’s a result of a toasted, sugar coating. I mean a crunchy, the-oats-didn’t-quite-get-cooked-through texture. Like rice that’s taken off the stove too soon and is still crunchy inside.

Maybe that’s what they were going for, but I like even my healthy food not to wear out my jaw.

On the upside, New World is pretty conscientious about their product. They source locally as much as possible, pack in recyclable or biodegradable containers, add no processed sugar and very little salt.

And I recognize and can pronounce everything on the list of ingredients.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…

I’ve often wandered the produce aisles at my local grocery store and wondered which of the veggies contain the most residual pesticide. I mean, it’s not something that just popped into my head, I did read an article about it once. I just can’t remember what the article said.

Well, wonder no more. The Environmental Working Group’s Food News has done the research and provided a list.

You can download the wallet version, read the full list online, download to your iPhone, or donate and get the magnet for your fridge version.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…

In reading the back of a variety of seed packets, I came to understand that it is in my soon-to-be garden’s best interest to start little seedlings for some of my garden-veggies-to-be rather than just plopping said seeds in the bare expanse of ground if/when I have a garden plot ready for sowing.

Apparently it’s a great way to give those little seedlings a head start in life — a Montesorri environment, if you will — and ensure a more likely road to vegetable-producing success.

My friend Babs offered to lend me her Jiffy seed starting kit, which consists of “peat pucks” set in a plastic tray with a clear cover to keep the moisture and heat in. Who knew such marvels existed?! Seeding my kind of way, with no dirt or bugs in evidence.

The peat pucks were already moistened and expanded to 6 times their original height, and seeds duly sown, when another friend mentioned egg cartons with starter soil work just as well. I’d thought of that, but my concern was that they wouldn’t be deep enough. They do seem like a less costly, more environmentally friendly option, provided they aren’t Styrofoam egg cartons.

Anyway, I was feeling pretty good about my seed starting progress, despite several naysayers telling me that I’d started much too late. That is, until I read last night in Geoff Hamilton’s Organic Gardening that peat is a dwindling natural resource and that excavating peat bogs on an industrial scale destroys unique habitats and is damaging to the wider environment.

Yikes, is there no end to the ways we can harm the earth, no matter our good intentions? Well, maybe, but I’m heartened by the little tips of green now peaking out of a few of my peat pucks, nonetheless.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…