Hi Everyone,

I just returned from an 8 day adventure with my family! We hiked a part of the Inca Trail, toured Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, took a vegetarian cooking class with Chef Rene of Tawa Restaurant, and visited the capital, Lima. In addition to seeing so many ancient Inca ruins, and challenging our bodies with the altitude and the climb, we really enjoyed experiencing the cuisine of Peru and the people! Over the next few weeks, I will share with you some of the recipes I learned while there, and I will be inviting Chef Rene to come on as my guest and share one of his favorite recipes with you as well!

Before leaving for Peru, I managed to plant most of my garden, and I am so glad I did! We actually had our first summer salad from the garden, with mixed field greens, arugula, mizuna greens and radishes! It was so good!!! There is nothing like a salad freshly picked from the garden! There is also real comfort in knowing how your food was grown or raised, and where it is coming from. I just finished reading the Washington Post’s article on the industrialized algae, known as Schizochytrium, that is stored in warm vats, and kept alive by feeding it corn syrup. This industrialized algae is then allowed to be added to Horizon’s organic milk, so they can advertise it as the best milk, with a higher DHA Omega 3 count. Read the article! It is infuriating, but it raised my awareness to the fact that I need to really research everything. We can’t just trust labels, even if it has the USDA Organic label on it. To find out the truth behind the dairy products you choose for you and your family, go to the Cornucopia website. They have a great scorecard for dairy and eggs. Also, the Environmental Working Group puts out great scorecards on Produce and Pesticides with their “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” lists. Check them both out, and stay mindful and suspicious of big labels and health claims. That’s why buying local from a farmer you can trust is always a better option, if you have the option. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, such as; do they use sustainable growing methods, and what does that mean for them? Do they purchase organic seeds to start? Who are their farm workers? These are all important things to know, and most farmers are very happy to talk about what they are doing, if what they are doing is good! If they don’t want to talk about it, maybe they have something to hide? Most farmers markets are getting ready to open this weekend, so try to find one near you. If you need help locating one, check out Localharvest.org, they are a great resource!

We are blessed with some beautiful farms right in our own backyards! Brooklyn Grange is an organic rooftop farm in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and Rooftop Reds is a vineyard, growing grapes at their rooftop farm, one building over. One week from Friday, on June 16th, Slow Food North Shore has organized a tour of these 2 farms, complete with a wine tasting and dinner party, following the tours. If you are interested, you can purchase tickets from eventbrite! Then, the following evening, on Saturday, June 17th, SFNS will be hosting a Summer Solstice Celebration at another one of our organic farms, Restoration Farm in Old Bethpage. This evening is a pot-luck dinner, with appetizers being provided by Rising Tide Natural Foods, music by guitarist, Kenny Brown, and great conversation with a community of like minded people.

My guest this week on the Progressive Radio Network is Michael Ableman, the co-founder and director of Sole Food Street Farms in British Columbia, and author of his latest book, “Street Farm: Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope on the Urban Frontier.”  Michael is recognized as one of the early visionaries of the urban agriculture movement and has created high-profile urban farms in Watts, California; Goleta, California; and Vancouver, British Columbia. Alongside his latest book, Street Farm, Michael is the author and photographer of From the Good Earth; A celebration of growing food around the world (Abrams, 1993), On Good Land: The autobiography of an urban farm (Chronicle Books, 1998), and Fields of Plenty: A farmer’s journey in search of real food and the people who grow it (Chronicle Books 2005). He is also the subject of the award-winning PBS film, Beyond Organic, narrated by Meryl Streep.  I am very excited to have Michael share with us the story of Sole Food Street Farms, and how it has transformed a community. Please join me on Thursday for what promises to be a great conversation.

Remember, my show is recorded live, every Thursday, from 10-11 am, EST.  To tune in, navigate to PRN.fm and click the “Listen Live” button on the left. Also try downloading the PRN mobile app, and take the station with you wherever you go! If you want to call in during the show with any questions for me or my guest, the call in number is 888-874-4888.

If you can’t tune in at that time, you can listen to the show in the PRN archives, or through a direct phone line to my archives. Just dial 1-701-719-0880, and you can listen to the past 5 weeks of shows! Of course you can also access the shows through my website, or through iTunes. Please “like” iEat Green’s Facebook page and feel free to rate the show and leave comments on iTunes and on my website. Thank you all for your support.

With love and gratitude,

Bhavani