Organic Foods and my Opinion

A word on organic food and my blog

I just want to state that what I am saying here, is just my opinion…   Some believe as I do, others do not.

Whenever you are cooking or making wine, it seems like common sense to me that the quality of the ingredients going into whatever you are making have a profound effect on the quality of the end product.   That doesn’t mean that if you have all great ingredients, you are guaranteed to have an excellent outcome.   I have messed up several times with excellent ingredients, that is for sure. However, your chances of things coming out the best they can be, and tastiest and healthiest I might add, are greatly improved.

Conversely, the opposite is almost always true.  If you put poor quality ingredients together, you will almost always come out with a poor quality outcome.   If you don’t like the way a wine tastes when you drink it, don’t ever cook with it!  It is not going to taste better in your food.

With that said, I strive to get organic foods whenever I can.   I drink organic milk in my coffee.   I use organic butter.   You can really taste the difference!  

Do I get everything organic? The answer is no.   In an ideal world I would, but there are some things that are more important to me to get organic, than others….

Top of my buy organic list is:  Dairy, Eggs, Lettuces, Spinach and other leafy greens,  soft skinned fruits, such as grapes, peaches, pears, apples, berries, etc.  Bananas are another fruit I get organic.

Things like melons, pineapples, lemons, limes, oranges and other citrus… Where you don’t eat the skin, I usually get the conventional versions.   Of course, the organic versions are better, but not always so easily available or affordable.

In may parts of the country, there are small organic farms that offer CSA programs.   CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.    You pay a price for the year, and pick up a  box of fruits and veggies every week, in most cases.   Search for CSA or Community Supported Agriculture in your area on the web.  You will be surprised.   Some even bundle in an option for organic eggs and dairy.    If you have the option to get dairy, where the milk is raw and not pasteurized, I would opt for that choice, personally.

So, in my recipes, certainly assume that much of what I am using is organic.   Some of which I grow myself!   I grow my own grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and figs.   I also grow many veggies….  There are so many options available to you if you want to grow your own food.     

Oh, and garlic!   Garlic is so easy to grow!   Take each clove of garlic and plant them 4 inches apart, point side up.   The key is do that in November!   Come next July, each of the cloves will be a whole individual bulb of garlic!  Cut off the single flower in mid spring. Pull them out mid to late July, and dry them out.  They will store for the whole winter!    This is so easy!   Why do we get garlic imported from China, in the USA?  I don't understand!  This is so easy to grow, and if you use organic methods, you will have great garlic for your recipes.

As for making your own wine from kits, realize that almost all kits are not organic.   You can get frozen grape pails that are, but your choice is limited.   But, most of the wines I make have about 1/8 the sulphites that commercial wines have.   Most people absolutely love my wines….   I know I do…

So, keep on checking back.   I will be sharing some growing tips along with my cooking and wine making….

I wish you all a happy and safe new year.