You had me at, "Bon Appetit!"

G4U Market goes to the movies!

From the minute the lights dimmed, we were pulled into "Julie & Julia." Meryl Streep coos her way through a stunning, earthy performance as Julia Child, channeling the gourmande in a study of statuesque, gawky, elemental elegance. Amy Adams is wonderful in the role of Julie - a good counter balance of imperfect human preventing us from veering over into hero(ine) worship.

Julie and Julia are passionate about food and both a validation to those who persist when all they hear is, "No you can't!" Those who shudder with pure sensuality in a public setting at the taste of a dish are bound to be intertesting characters! Being so closely connected with one's senses makes for one feisty individual. Like them, or leave them, you can't ignore them!

If you don't leave the screening hungry, or wanting to take cooking classes, then you must have been in the wrong room at the multiplex. Go see this movie with lots of friends. You'll see their experience on their faces. We all connect over food. We all route for a plucky trailblazer. It's hard to pick favorite scenes in such a delightful, charming movie. I particularly enjoyed scenes of cooking demos gone awry. When you have an audience willing to listen and then soldier on despite slapstick mistakes; I found this touching and uncomfortably funny. Any Chefs or in-store demo folks out there had the same experience? I sense a few red faces! And who does not state the famous quote when screwing up in your kitchen, "When you're alone in your kitchen, no-one knows but you!"

The final scene juxtaposed between Julia Child's Cambridge kitchen, now silenty displayed at the Smithsonian Museum, and the same kitchen in-situ at Julia and Paul Childs's Cambridge home, struck a poignant resonance for me. Life's too short to eat inauthentic, bland food. Life's too short not to share that with others. Never, ever give up. Be insatiably curious and live life out loud. Include others. That's what I take away from this movie. What's your takeout?

Good job Nora Ephron and cast.

Andy for Good For You Market.

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It is said that the herb Rosemary is for remembrance. If that's the case then I must not be eating enough rosemary since I always forget I have it in the garden!

This woody, perennial evergreen gets its name from the Latin ros maris which translates to "dew of the sea" indicating the geographic preference of this Mediterranean native. Rosemary will grow just about anywhere in the garden, but prefers lots of light. As with any herb, keeping regularly trimmed stimulates plenty of new growth. Avoid trimming by late summer since rosemary will produce a stunning display of delicate lilac flowers.

Rosemary later came to be known as the Rose of Mary in honor of the Virgin Mother. The Spanish dubbed the shrubby plant Romero as they believed that Mary took shelter under a large rosemary bush while en route to Egypt. In France, the herb was sometimes referred to as Incensier since it was an economical alternative to incense and was often burned in ceremonial rituals.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is recognized throughout the world as the symbol of remembrance. Rosemary signifies remembering the dead and the tradition of placing rosemary sprigs in tombs or on burial sites dates back to ancient Egypt. Shakespeare's Juliet was honored with rosemary at burial, and in Australia, the custom of wearing rosemary on Anzac Day to remember deceased loved ones persists today. There is a practice of including rosemary in wedding bouquets, or adding to the red wine served at wedding parties. Try adding some fresh rosemary (go easy tiger!) to your red wine, it is delicious.

Medicinally, rosemary has been used to treat migraine, muscle aches, joint disorders, amenorrhea, exhaustion, poor memory and digestion and just about anything else that could affect the body. Massage Therapists use rosemary to increase peripheral circulation. Oil of Rosemary can be massaged into joints to ease arthritic or rheumatic pain, although since rosemary is a stimulant, avoid at bedtime. Rosemary is thought to induce contractions, so is best avoided during pregnancy.

The essential oil of rosemary has an antibacterial and antiviral action and is useful in treating burns and wounds or when used in homemade household cleaning formulas. Added to pet shampoos or powders, the oil is also helpful in deterring fleas and in treating flea dermatitis. It is also an excellent remedy for dandruff in people since it deters skalp flaking.

As a culinary herb, rosemary is a wonderful accompaniment to meats (especially poultry and ham), vegetables, soups and salads. Here are some lovely recipes involving rosemary:

Caramelized Onion, Pear, Blue Cheese & Rosemary Topping: http://tinyurl.com/n8oyjw

Abruzze Sausage over Rosemary Spaghettini or Spaghetti Squash (can be made vegan): http://tinyurl.com/mnf6ds

Rosemary Orange Shortbread: http://tinyurl.com/nupwp4

Remember to share,and yes all these ingredients may be purchase at G4U Market in Lewes, DE!

Andy for G4U Market.

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Coffee Talk with Andy

Life's just too short to drink bad coffee or bad tea. Tea is covered in another article. Here are my tips on coffee.

Arabica or Robusta: There are two types of coffee plant (beans): Arabica, and Robusta. The Arabica coffee plant (Coffea Arabica), grows in semitropical climates near the equator, both in the western and eastern hemispheres, at high altitudes. Because ripe Arabica cherries (unroasted beans) fall to the ground and spoil, they must be carefully monitored and picked at intervals, which increases production costs. Robusta trees (Coffea Canephora), which are grown exclusively in the eastern hemisphere, also thrive in equatorial climates, but at low altitudes. Their cherries require less care since they remain on the tree after they ripen. Robusta beans have twice the caffeine of Arabica, but less flavor. Most generic, commercially produced coffee comes from the poorer quality Robusta plant. Think freeze-dried generic 'instant' coffee. Ugh! Good food markets and coffee shops generally use Arabica beans. Once you have tasted the difference for yourself, you will not need persuading to buy Arabica over Robusta.

Storage: I'm going to offend some old wives, but we take our coffee seriously at G4U Market, so here goes! Never, ever, no never, store coffee beans in the fridge or the freezer. I know, caught me out too! As soon as you get your treasured beans home, empty into an airtight container that does not let the light in. Keep on your counter top, or pantry at room temperature. The fridge or freezer will cause your beans to absorb moisture and spoil the flavor. We all know what water retention does for a girl. Same for coffee! If you do not want to store coffee in large amounts, find a good food market who will allow you to purchase loose beans by the pound. You only buy as much as you need and the price is typically better.

Daily Grind: Buy beans and invest in your own coffee grinder, or better still have the market grind it for you since commercial coffee grinders produce evenly sized grinds, affecting taste enormously. Ground coffee is best for only minutes after grinding the beans before the flavor starts to spoil. Ground coffee has a greater surface area exposed to oxygen than roasted beans. If you have had beans custom roasted for you, wait 2 - 4 days before grinding and consuming. This allows the oil in the beans to settle for optimum flavor.

The size of the ground coffee particles must match the type of brewing equipment you will be using. Brewing methods which expose the grinds to water for longer periods require a coarser grind than faster brewing methods. Beans which are too finely ground for the brewing method in which they are used will expose too much surface area to the heated water and produce a bitter, harsh taste. An overly coarse grind will produce weak coffee unless more is used. Long-brew methods are French Presses ("Cafetière") and drip coffee machines. A short brew method is an espresso machine. Home coffee grinders at the lower end of the price range use a rotating blade to chop the coffee beans. Blade grinders create coffee dust which can clog espresso machines and French Presses. Blade grinders can be purchased inexpensively these days and work OK for drip coffee machines. Finely ground coffee and coffee intended for French Presses require a burr-grinder which tears the beans into a uniform size. To save money, it really is preferrable to have your market grind your coffee beans for you. Let your market know which type of coffee brewing equipment you will be using, since they can match the size of the coffee grounds to your brewing method.

Strength: How much coffee to use? Of course it depends on the depth of the roast, and personal preference, but a general guide is 2 slightly heaped tablespoons of ground coffee per 6oz water. Experiment with your coffee equipment and record your personal taste. If your local water tastes funny, or is high in lime, invest in a filter for your water supply. Bottled water will do in a pinch, but please recycle the bottle! Using poor quality water wastes your hard earned cash spent on buying decent beans. Not buying decent beans is just too grim to consider and best not discussed.
Water Temperature: recommended brewing temperature of coffee is 200 °F (93 °C). Too cool and solubles that make up the flavor will not be extracted. Too hot, and undesirable, bitter solubles will be extracted, spoiling the flavor. Espresso is an exception, brewed at a water temperature of between 91 °C (195 °F) and 96 °C (204 °F). Espresso is made by forcing hot water through finely ground beans which have been packed into a "Puck." The grinds are only griefly exposed to the water. The essence of taste in espresso is due to the fine colloidal foam ("Crema") containing emulsified oils which layers on top of the brew.
Organic, Fair Trade, Shade-grown: Oh my, can't a guy just get a cup of Joe? Well, that generic mass-produced coffee you buy everywhere in the big boxes is not as cheap as you think it is. We're bearing the cost of conventional coffee in communities barely surviving on rock-bottom pricing, land erosion, more and more chemicals being utilized to produce less and less coffee. I would encourage everyone to seek out markets who only sell organic, Fair Trade, and Shade-grown coffee. What is this?
Organic - obviously no chemicals.
Fair Trade - the growers get a fair price for their crop, workers are paid a fair, living wage, more of the profit from the distribution of the crop goes directly back into the communities who grew it for us. This is evident in higher wages, strengthened communities through profits being used for schools, roads, sustainable farming training, and increased availability of the crop due to more farmers remaining on the land, farming. You've heard it said, "No Farms, No Food." Distribution layers are consolidated with the farmer typically gaining direct access to distribution without multiple layers of handlers.
Shade-grown. In order to maintain low production prices, coffee has typically been grown by clear-cutting native trees and planting coffee bushes in place. With no cover and with a ecosystem disrupted, the soil dries out, and erodes. Also such soil requires masses of chemicals to supplement soil fertility and reduce pests. This causes toxic runoff and loss of wildlife habitat on treeless areas. Shade grown means growing coffee bushes in the shade of native trees, or by planting a forest of shade-trees with many layers of tree canopy to mimic native forests. Wildlife habitats are preserved, or created, soil fertility is built naturally.
Tips and Recommendations: My preferred brewing method is espresso. However Espresso machines are very expensive, so I typically favor the simple French Press as an excellent compromise. The flavor is good since the coffee grinds remain in direct contact with the water, and the press captures more of the coffee's flavor and essential oils. There are very nifty travel mug versions of French Presses now available which makes it easy to get good coffee on the go. French pressed coffee is best drunk within 20 minutes, becoming bitter after that due to the coffee sediment being retained in the brewed coffee. There is some thought that French pressed coffee should be avoided by those with high cholesterol since compounds in unfiltered coffee are thought to increase cholesterol.

Letting coffee sit on a warming plate in a caraffe is not good for flavor since the brewed coffee begins to burn. Best to choose thermal airpots to dispense brewed coffee in food service locations. Do not reheat your coffee in a microwave (sorry Mother-in-law!). You might as well pour it over the garden since coffee (and spent coffee grinds) are high in nitrogen and good for the soil (use organic!).

Always use Organic, Fair Trade, Shade-grown coffee beans.

Recap: What must we do, asides from putting recycle in the trash? And, oh yeah, G4U Market sells loose, Organic, Fair Trade, Shade-grown coffee and can grind it for you. We also use the coffee we sell in Auntie's Bar (our organic juice, coffee and tea bar).

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Not being one to spoil anyone's fun here. But, Farmville/Farmtown on Facebook? I just do not get it. Real life farmers are working themselves to the bone to grow food for us, and we play farm online?
For those whom are able, please re-direct your energy, volunteer at your local CSA or small farm. They are working much harder than you realize, and much closer to giving up than they would care to admit. I know. I own a small, chemical-free farm. I am not allowed to use the word organic - someone turned me into the USDA, even though my web site says clearly, "G4U Farm is not certified organic. We follow the rules of the National Organic Program and use certified organic seed." I am close to giving up every single time I am at the farm. This season we were forced to abandon our season due to vandalism and arson. Give me a break!
My point is, support small, chemical free ("Organic" - shhhh!) farms - wherever you buy produce - farmers market, store, or roadside stand. Support local businesses who buy from small farms - don't forget restaurants! When you see that smiling face at the store, or farmers market, or restaurant, don't forget that smile is probably hiding exhaustion, so ask how you can help. Encourage that grower to come back and do it all again next season. I'm not supposed to say this, but did you realize how much produce comes back again in the truck from farmers markets? Think about that poor grower how he/she has passionately worked - just to see it return unsold.
YES I'M CRANKY - it's hot, it's raining and I'm picking blackberries in it! Please buy them - we're selling at G4U Market and not farmers market this year due to season interruptus.
Thank you for listening. Thank you for supporting small farms and local business. Comments? Anyone? Crickets ...

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You eat this? A question commonly heard on Route 9 in Lewes. Actually, no, I drink this! Well, first I cut this, then I juice this, and then I drink this. What is, “This?” Well This Be Wheatgrass!

First experimented with as a food in the 1930s by Charles F. Schnabel and popularized by Dr Ann Wigmore in the 1960s, wheatgrass is so densely packed with nutrients and has been spoken of as a curative for many conditions that it may just well qualify for, “Miracle Food” status.

Wheatgrass is the young sprouted grass of hard winter wheat. Although technically any member of the common wheat grain family Triticum Aestivum that has been allowed to sprout into a short grass can be considered wheatgrass. Indoor grown wheatgrass grows from 8-14 days before it is harvested.

Wheatgrass is freshly juiced in a juice machine custom designed for narrow blade greens, dried into a powder, or juiced and then flash frozen. I recommend the fresh juice, drank immediately after cutting and juicing, in order to benefit most from wheatgrass’ high nutritional load.

Wheatgrass juice is claimed as an effective healer because it contains chlorophyll, all minerals known to man, and vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, and K. Wheatgrass is extremely rich in protein, and contains 17 amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

1oz of wheatgrass is claimed to have the nutritional equivalence of 2.2lb of vegetables, be high in vitamin B12, promotes detoxification due to the extremely high chlorophyll content.

It is curious to me that the beneficial properties of wheatgrass are so debated that this gives many of us license not to drink it. It’s as if we’re looking for an excuse not to – an ‘easy out,’ if you will. I agree that Wheatgrass is very much an acquired taste – looking like grass, and tasting very much like fresh sweet green peas. The experience is very much like drinking pea juice. I’ll leave the contentious debating to the nutritionists and medical professionals. One thing I do know is that, juicing fresh grown, organic wheatgrass, cut fresh at no more than 7 inches in length (then it gets too old), gives us a very potent shot of ‘living’ food. Forget the debate – eventually all debates catch up to Grandma’s philosophy of balance and moderation in all things anyway. Make wheatgrass a regular part of your balanced diet. You will feel the difference. I have.

Stop on into the Good For You Market on Route 9 in Lewes, DE any Saturday in June, between 12 and 2pm and have a free 1oz shot of organic fresh-cut, fresh-juiced wheatgrass on us. Our new organic juice and coffee bar (“Auntie’s Bar, as in “Auntie Oxidant” – the Good For You Market store mascot) will be opening in July.

Yes, I said, “Auntie’s Bar” and not, “Andy’s Bar.” It’s my accent you see!

So, we all love green, right? I know you all love saving green! So, see you at Auntie’s Bar, where we’ll be drinking green and showing off our wheatgrass ‘staches, Andy.

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If we could only take that trip back in time and erase the memories we don’t want to keep. I would vote to erase the bad memories of Rutabaga, or, “Swede” as we call it back in the UK.

Rutabaga is not well understood. Kind of like that weird relative at Thanksgiving dinner – the one who has that odd sense of humor and brings that Jell-O vegetable roll thing that no one eats. Who does that to vegetables anyway? That’s a lot of therapy right there!

Unlike that Jell-O vegetable roll, however, rutabagas are fabulous. They have terrific color, and a flavor that can’t quite be defined.

The rutabaga is actually a hybrid of a turnip and a cabbage. Don’t hold that against it, since it tastes like neither. The flavor combination, like any relationship, is complicated - simultaneously sweet and slightly bitter.

Rutabaga is a refreshing substitute for the humble potato. Discerning chefs often transform rutabaga into gnocchi, replacing the potato. Rutabaga’s flavor pairs well with gamy meat such as rabbit, or with shellfish – shrimp, or lobster.

My favorite prep method for rutabaga is to peel, chop into rough cubes, steam and puree. I add a touch of heavy cream and a dash of sweetness such as maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup. Mix in a pinch of spice such as cumin, cayenne pepper, or paprika and, “Bon Appetit” – a simple, nutritious soup or thrilling pasta sauce. The heavy cream can be substituted for a thick, non-dairy milk such as coconut milk for a Vegan option. In this case, the soup/sauce mix will need to be reduced somewhat to thicken.

Don’t be put off by a wax coating (or, horror, saran wrap!) on the rutabaga, when seen at market. It is the produce vendor’s attempt to prevent the vegetable from drying out in storage. Properly stored, in a cool, dry place, rutagaba will keep for months.

Rutabaga is loaded with potassium and vitamin C. Just the thing to build strong muscles and strengthen our immune systems at this time of year.

Grab rutabagas while you still can at market. They will soon disappear awaiting a return in the early fall.

Have fun with rutabaga. Experiment. Eat well. It’s Good For You!

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Mae West famously said, "I used to be Snow White, but I drifted."

Have you drifted lately? Diet Plan? Workout Plan? Being nice to your spouse plan? Calling your Mom plan? Shopping at Good For You Market Plan?

I can help with the last one! After much work behind the scenes, I am thrilled to announce here, in the G4U Blog, a world exclusive. Drum roll please...

Good For You Market is extending our "Go Green and Save Your Green" savings program.

"Oh Andy, I heard that one before in your newsletter." Not so fast you on your way into a frustrating experience at the big box grocery store. Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once.

Good For You just got gooder, uhm, betterer, BEST! Most of the food items and some non-food items in our store (web and physical stores) are now upto 20% off of retail pricing. Beat that big box grocery store! Look for the red price cuts in our website store and the green price label and green savings shelf tags in our physical store. This effectively extends our pricing savings from our organic produce department throughout most of the store(s). Check back to our website store and our physical stores as our new pricing sweeps across the store(s).

So that's us. Now this is where you come in. Drift back to Good For You Market (http://www.good4uorganic.com/). Drift in for the first time. Drift on over to your colleague's office, neighbor, friend, or family member's house, spread the word and get them shopping with us too. Drift on into conversation and make Good For You Market the buzz at Happy Hour or your cocktail party/brunch. We've drastically cut our margin to be able to do this, and grocery margins are notoriously low to begin with. We need your support shopping with us to make these prices sustainable. We're working hard to source food that tastes the way it should - produce, cheeses, meats, breads, oils, vinegars, etc., at prices we all can afford. Shop with us to make sure these choices do not disappear from our beach area and give us a little encouragement that you want such choices in this area. Enough said.

"I like restraint if it doesn't go too far." Mae West. That's my philosphy when it comes to good food! I love to eat - hopefully you see that reflected at Good For You Market.

"An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises." Mae West. How are we at Good For You Market performing for you, our treasured community?

In closing, another quote from Mae West, "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."
Thank you all for your business. Remember we deliver also.

Andy.

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