Earth Day gives us all an opportunity to reflect upon our habits and make an effort to do more for our planet. There are many simple ways that we can all reduce our impact on a regular basis, especially when it comes to our food habits!

Food waste is a HUGE problem in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Loss Project, we throw away more than 25 percent of all the food we produce for domestic sale and consumption.

There is a significant amount of food waste in the food service industry (supermarkets, restaurants, etc.), but we as consumers also waste a lot of food without realizing it. Throwing out leftovers, trashing food scraps, and letting food spoil can really add up over time.

Here are some things you can do at home to minimize the amount of food you waste.

1. Feed your friends! If you have extra food that you won’t be able to eat, invite friends over for a potluck or bring some to your neighbors!

2. Donate to the hungry! There are too many hungry people in our communities. You can make a difference by donating excess food to food banks, soup kitchens and shelters!

3. Compost your food scraps! There are tons of online resources to help get you started. Keep a compost container with a lid in your kitchen, and it will be easier than ever to keep food out of the trash. (In addition to your veggie scraps, did you know you can compost coffee grounds, egg shells, and hair?)

4. Cook it, then freeze it! This one sounds more complicated than it is. Next time you cook a large batch of food, put the leftovers in a bag in the freezer. You’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor for a long time to come!

5. Reorganize your fridge. Keep what you have in sight, so when you open your fridge you’ll know what needs to be eaten! If you keep leftovers towards the front of the fridge in clear containers, you’re much more likely to remember to eat them.

6. Donate food scraps to your local farmer. Lots of farmers take food scrap donations so they can feed it to their animals or turn it into fertilizer. It’s a great way to bring your consumption habits full-circle!

How do we reduce food waste here at Boston Organics?

Composting and food donations play a significant role in keeping food waste out of our operations!

Food For Free
Every Monday, an amazing Cambridge-based organization called Food for Free comes by our warehouse to pick up our leftover produce from the previous week. Food For Free rescues fresh food that might otherwise go to waste and distributes it to the community’s most vulnerable populations through meal programs, food pantries, emergency shelters, hospitals and clinics, and youth programs in Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston.

In 2011, we donated 26,235 pounds of produce to Food For Free! We are so thankful for the hard work that they do to help provide access to healthy food for the people who need it most.

Save That Stuff
We work with Save that Stuff to recycle our recyclables and to compost whatever we can. In 2011, we composted 32,270 pounds of produce through Save That Stuff.   The compost that is picked up from Boston Organics eventually makes its way to Rocky Hill Farm in Saugus, Massachusetts.

What do you do to reduce your food waste at home? Email us at service@bostonorganics.com and you’ll find a surprise in your box!

We have Blood Oranges available, shipped to us by train from the grove in California! Despite their gory name, blood oranges are magnificent. They are known for their rich red interior and sweet orange flavor that boasts hints of tart raspberry.  Order them here in a 2lb bag, and don’t forget to keep them stored in the fridge for lasting freshness!

We also have beautiful California Meyer Lemons available! Believed to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, Meyer lemons taste sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons. Order them here, and enjoy!

We have recently discovered that some of the potatoes we’ve been handing out have “hollow heart,” a discolored hole in the center of a healthy potato. Don’t worry, our potatoes aren’t sad. Hollow heart occurs when the potato grows too quickly and tears itself apart, often due to excessive moisture in the soil from too much rain or improper watering. We have contacted the farm and will not be distributing any more potatoes from this shipment.

Hollow heart potatoes are still edible and safe to eat, as long as the splitting hasn’t reached the surface, which can then invite rotting. For those of you who still have potatoes sitting around, you can cut out the hollow piece and eat the good parts! If you do encounter any issues with your potatoes, please let us know so that we can make it up to you.

Feel free to contact us with any questions about this. As always, thank you for your support, and happy eating!

This past Saturday, we had the pleasure of co-hosting a cooking class called “Cooking Outside the Box with Boston Organics” at the Boston Center for Adult Education. Our culinary guide Chef Bernard Kinsella put together an excellent menu of delicious, healthy recipes that incorporated the produce from last week’s 2/3 Vegetable Box. We chopped, we baked, we laughed, and we learned how to make great-tasting dishes from simple, fresh ingredients. Oh, and we ate tons of great food!

Chef Bernard’s Menu:

• Summer Gazpacho with Jalapeno Tofu Cream
• Quinoa Avocado Salad
• Salad with Sliced Pear and Blue Cheese
• Callaloo Soup
• Baked Onions stuffed with a filling of squash, peas, and mushrooms
• Whole Wheat Pasta with Broccoli Pesto
• Baked Stuffed Apples
• Plum Tart
• Low Fat Chocolate Mousse with Banana

If you missed out on this class, be sure to stay tuned for details about the next cooking class with Boston Organics.

We’re always looking for new ways to help you make the most out of your produce. Do you have a suggestion for a class or event? Contact us and let us know!

To check out some of Chef Bernard’s recipes and cooking videos, visit his website at www.chefbernards.com.

Gideon at Atlas Farm called us today to let us know that there are no more heirloom tomatoes this season! If you had optimistically placed an order for this coming week, you won’t find any tomatoes in your box. But, some exciting new local add-on produce is on the horizon… Check out upcoming newsletters for details.

http://bostonorganics.com/newsletter/2010/news_30.html

http://bostonorganics.com/newsletter/2010/news_29.html

This week’s broccoli rabe from Pedersen Farms is looking really nice.

Use exactly as you would Broccoli – steam, roast, braise, sautée, and let your taste buds appreciate the difference

Broccoli Rabe is a bitter, zesty-tasting broccoli-like vegetable. Like the Chinese broccoli and broccolini that it resembles, broccoli rabe has long, tender stems that are topped by broccoli-like florets and a profusion of delicious leaves. It is prized in Italy, where it is known as broccoletti di rape or broccoletto, and it is becoming increasingly well-known in the United States thanks to its reputation as a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, calcium, and iron.

Storage: Wrap in a wet paper towel in a plastic bag in the crisper.

We just received our veggie delivery from Atlas Farm (Deerfield, MA) for the first part of the week, and these greens are looking fantastic! Check out the lettuce, arugula, and kale below!