Best Queensland organic gourmet finds

We had a sensational time at the Biome stall as part of Regional Flavours at South Bank, Brisbane this past weekend.   What a lively and positive gathering of Queensland food and wine producers and their devotees.  Cooking demonstrations with a garden to table theme were very popular, while the creative installations of productive gardens added to the inspiring atmosphere, like these herb wheelbarrow plantings.

It was exciting to see such crowds of people keen to connect with the growers and producers of food.  This year's theme was to showcase the many food traditions present in Queensland – from migrant recipes using local ingredients to native indigenous foods gone gourmet.

For those who couldn't make it, we've listed our pick the best organic and boutique producers below.

Take the green shopping pledge and we'll reward you with 25% off

Biome was there to help spread the message about reducing your impact on the planet when you shop - from taking reusable Keep Cup coffee cups and water bottles, to replacing plastic bags with reusable fruit and vegie bags and composting your scaps at home.  Our green shopping pledge has some easy actions to help.  Pledge to do them and we'll reward you in our stores ...  Download the pledge here before 30 September 2012 

OUR FAVOURITE FINDS
 

Hinterland Feijoas, who grow certified organic feijoas on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Queensland.  Owners Peter Heineger and Sally Hookey use organic biological farming methods and no chemical inputs. Growing feijoas commercially in Australia is a relatively new industry so they had to start from scratch in many areas.  To value add to their crop, they work with local chefs to manufacture a variety jams, ice cream and amazing Feijoa Balsamic Glaze.   

Look out for Kat's Waffle House who attend markets on the Sunshine Coast and special events with their delicious gluten-free waffles made with organic gluten-free flour, organic eggs, no preservatives, etc, etc.  Biome's stall was right near Kat's so we had to smell the beautiful aroma of fresh baked waffles all weekend!  Thankfully, we got to satisfy our cravings a few times also.

Extra special

OzHarvest Brisbane  collecting excess food to feed those in need  http://brisbane.ozharvest.org 

Organic
Barambah Organics  dairy
Eden Hope Organic Dairy Farms dairy - Gympie
Hampton Blue  organic berries and jams - Hampton www.hamptonblue.com.au
Kin Kin Tea  herbal teas and Organic Fruit - Kin Kin  kinkintea.com.au

Hinterland Feijoas  organic feijoa www.hinterlandfeijoas.com.au
 

Handcrafted, traditional, sustainable production

Chalala Micro-Bakery  muesli, gluten-free biscuits - Mossvale www.chalala.com.au
Towri Sheep Cheeses sheep cheeses - Allenview www.towrisheepcheeses.com.au
Coolana Olives  olives - Lowood  www.coolanaolives.com.au  
Kingaroy Cheese artisan cheeses - Brighton www.kingaroycheese.com.au
Brisbane Ginger Beer  ginger beer - Brisbane
Fungi Mushroom Growing Kits  Geebung www.fungi.net.au  
Broken Nose Vanilla  Babinda www.brokennosevanilla.com.au

Gluten free
 Jo Jo’s Gluten Free Brisbane www.jojosglutenfree.com.au
Gluten Free Grain Free Company  www.glutenfreegrainfree.com.au
Zehnder Gluten Free  Maleny www.zehnder.com.au
Kat’s Wafflehouse   Homemade gluten free waffles - Mooloolaba

Bush foods
Coolamon Foods Bush Food spices, sauces, relishes by Dale Chapman, an accomplished Indigenous
Australian Bush Tucker Chef. www.coolamonfoodcreations.com.au
Galeru Native Rainforest Fruit Cakes, Yoghurt, Juices www.galeru.com.au
Rainforest Bounty chutneys and sauces rainforestbounty.com.au

For more local food inspiration, see our earlier post "hitch up to the local food wagon".

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Keeping free range free!

Thank you to the Australian Greens for the content in this post.

Buyer beware ... Consumers are being exploited with eggs labelled “free-range” that are not truly free-range, while the the Egg Corporation is proposing to increase free-range stocking from 1,500 to 20,000 birds per hectare!  This is a massive 1233 per cent increase in bird densities on the range. At this stocking rate, free-range hens will be denied their most basic welfare needs.

Due to a complaint from the Humane Society International, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has opened up the proposed standard for comments.  Submissions are required by 20 June 2012 and can be lodged by email to adjudication@accc.gov.au.


Meanwhile, the Greens NSW have launched the ‘Truth in Labelling (Free-Range Eggs) Bill 2011′ to prevent producers from misleading consumers about how laying hens are treated

In Queensland it has been law since 2002 that free-range egg farms can keep a maximum of 1,500 birds per hectare, but there currently exists no legal definition of free-range egg production systems in NSW.  

Standards vary drastically between how many birds are allowed to be kept in the shed and on the range and whether practices like beak trimming are permitted. When consumers buy “free-range” they often don’t know which standard are buying into.

In this video, Lauren Fitzpatrick reports for The Milk Moustache.

The widely accepted industry voluntary "Model Code of Practice" states that free-range birds must be kept at 1,500 birds per hectare. Because it is a voluntary code it can not be enforced. Some farms are cramming up to 40,000 birds per hectare and claiming to be “free-range.”

The Egg Corporation released a statement in early April this year that 29 per cent of free-range eggs produced in NSW come from farms which stock their hens at densities even greater than 20,000 birds per hectare. In Queensland it has been law since 2002 that free-range egg farms can keep a maximum of 1,500 birds per hectare. The demand for free-range eggs has exploded in recent years.  In the year 2010/11 free-range eggs made up 29 per cent of the national market in volume and 41 per cent of the value.  Free-range is big business—last year it made nearly $200 million in retail sales. Take action

The Greens NSW need your support to end the egg rorts and help make the Truth in Labelling Bill law.

• Only buy eggs that are stamped from accreditation bodies the Free Range Farmers Association Inc. and the Free Range Egg and Poultry Association of Australia Inc. 

• The only way to ensure your free-range eggs come from truly free-range farms is through legislation. The Greens NSW need your support to help make the Greens Truth in Labelling Bill law. Click here to download the petition and get the signatures of your friends, family and colleagues and send it to John Kaye MLC NSW Parliament House Macquarie St Sydney 2000. 

• The NSW Government needs to hear from all ethical consumers that they want their rights to buy genuine free-range eggs protected. Click here to find your local NSW member. The Greens have put together a step-by-step guide complete with questions to ask your local state representative. 

• Whether it be at the farmers market, shopping centre or around the dinner table start a conversation about the exploitation of the free-range label and why legislation is needed to protect it.

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Hungry? Hitch up with the local food wagon

Image from www.foodconnect.com.au

People are asking questions.  People want to know not only where their food comes from, but who grew their food - not just a name, but details ... What motivates the grower?  How do they look after their soil?  What does the farmer do with their spare time?  Do they have kids?  What's their favourite food? 

There is a groundswell of interest in the producer-consumer connection, and Australian organisation, Food Connect has been tending this relatively fallow soil for many years, confident that the concept will come to fruition - afterall, it may have a crucial role in saving the world from hunger.  Based on the principles of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), Food Connect delivers weekly boxes bursting with seasonal produce from local farmers living within a short radius of Food Connect Brisbane and Food Connect Sydney.

Food Connect explains: CSA is an innovation in the growing and distributing of food that aims for farmers and consumers to share the risk involved in food production. CSA seeks to address the environmental and social problems associated with industrial agriculture through a shared commitment to local and regional food systems that provide fair financial returns to small family farms. Consumers are effectively investing in the future security of their food supply.  Food Connect works hard at communicating the story and strengthening the bond between the growers and the consumers.  Each week they update the blog with details of what you can expect in your box, along with links to the stories of the farmers who grew the produce. Incredible detail.

You can read more about Food Connect founder Robert Pekin here on the Locavored blog.

People want to feel a connection.  As Sarah Robins writes in her article I don't buy food from strangers (that's a clever bumper sticker by the way) 35,000 people shop at a Victorian farmers’ market each weekend, lured by provenance, variety, freshness and quality, a minimal carbon footprint and the opportunity to engage directly with growers and support the local economy.

As we were working on this post, ABC's Landline program on Sunday, 1 April, aired a fascinating story on food security, The Hunger Games (watch the video or read the transcript).  In the next 40 years the world has to produce as much food as we have produced in the last 500 years.  Julian Cribb, author of The Coming Famine says: We're running out of water, we're running out of oil, we're running out of agricultural science and technology. We're running out of fish, we're running out of stable climates. So all of those things playing together are creating a greater insecurity in the world's food supply at a time when demand is poised to double.  The story looks at how we can increase agricultural output, as well as how people can grow more food in the cities and how much food we waste in Australia (we throw away about $5 billion worth).

Our loss of "connectivity" with food is part of the problem according to Michael D'Occhio of University of Queensland. In the Landline story, he says: ...we have no respect for food in Australia, we don't appreciate the value of food like our grandparents did after the Second World War... We've lost connectivity with what's required to produce food, what's required to make food available on a consistent basis and indeed the effort that our farmers put into providing us with the quality of food that we produce.

Want to know more about who grew your food? Check out these resources

QLD
Brisbane - Food Connect; Northey Street City Farm.
Organic Brisbane blog
VIC
In Melbourne - CERES Fair Food an inner city farm that hosts farmers’ markets and sells weekly fruit and vegetable boxes to locals.
Purchase this fabulous new book The Field Guide to Victorian Produce, or indulge in the sumptuous articles on the associated blog http://www.locavored.com/
NSW
Sydney - Food Connect
All over
Sustainable Table  - an environmental not-for-profit organisation that uses food as an entrée to explore sustainability issues.  Purchase the book and explore more resources.


Live elsewhere in Australia?  See this page on the Food Connect website with a list of CSAs in other places.

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Six reasons we love Goodbyn lunch boxes

Six new colours, six reasons we love Goodbyn...

(1) In our house, Goodbyn are the only lunch boxes we have bought for two years, which I feel makes them great value. The children have used theirs every day for school for two years and they are still going strong.  The plastic is sturdy but flexible, and there are no hinges to break.

There is no need to buy a new kids lunch box each year. The kids can apply Goodbyn stickers to refresh the design they want on their lunch box.

(2) Only one lid to keep track of - and it always seems to come home (unlike the 10 or so other containers in my drawer whose lids have disappeared, or vice versa).

How to close the Goodbyn lid? First, push down firmly on the two horizontal ridges across the middle, then pinch together all around the outside edges. Once the kids get the knack it is easy.

(3) The kids love packing their own lunch - what more do you want in the mornings? :-) For some reason they enjoy filling the little compartments and making their lunch look all creative and neat. They seem much more motivated to pack their own (or, is that because they want to sneak extra treats in...?)

(4) The layout of little compartments makes it easier for me to pack the lunches when I need to! It breaks things down into five sections that require less brain power to fill - sandwich here, fruit there, some dip there, crackers here and a sweet treat there. Done!

(5) Goodbyns are made from food-safe plastic, no PVC (unlike most soft lunch boxes), no lead, no BPA, phthalate-free and its made in the USA.

Rather than a faceless manufacturer, we know the story behind who makes them and who is accountable for the safety and environmental performance.  Goodbyn makes public their product testing results

(6) There's something about Bento boxes and a plastic wrap-free lunch!  Lunch seems much more appetising when it is not squished inside sweaty plastic wrap, but rather laid out in the Bento system. The Japanese have served food in this way for centuries after all.

Six new fruity colours now available in Australia in Goodbyn original and Bynto sizes, plus ice packs, three types of stickers and replacement bottles.

Visit here to see all of Biome's lunch boxes.

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What is a super food?

What is a super food? And why are we interested?

At Biome, we have a little belief statement that guides all we do and offer to our customers.

We believe in...

the power of simple choices
respect for all who share our planet
plants, not petrochemicals
sun-grown, not synthetic
hand made with heart
honesty in labelling 
a 2nd useful life for everything, and
nature having the answers ... if only we will listen

On the last point, we do believe that nature has the answers for so many diseases and problems affecting our planet, and that is why we are interested in so called "super foods".

Super food refers to foods with a high phytonutrient content and the term is often used to imply those foods have certain health benefits.  You might have heard of blueberries, Açai and Goji berries and wheatgrass.
 
Of course, such claims are wide open for marketing misuse about their powers, so as with everything, add a healthy dose of scepticism and be sure of the quality of the produce and how it is grown, processed and transported.  And, eating fresh fruit in season locally has got to be better for you. 

Aside from nutrition, scientists and environmentalists have for many years alerted us to the potential loss of disease curing plants when rainforests are destroyed - another huge incentive to save our rainforests.  As this article explains, indigeneous peoples have used rainforest medicinal plants for thousands of years and modern pharmacologists have derived a number of drugs from such plants, including one with anti-HIV properties.

You could say that all the natural skin care and green cleaning products that Biome has chosen offer solutions or super powers from nature, like a natural deodorant relying on mineral salts, or skin soothing and healing rose hip oil.  Let's call them "super skincare" and "super cleaning"!  We applaud natural product manufacturers who are looking for the answers in nature rather than synthetic chemical formulations.

More about super fruits

Blueberries are exceptionally high in antioxidants, they can help treat urinary tract infections and because of a compound contained in the blue pigmentation of blueberry skin, they help protect eyesight by accelerating the production of retinal purple, a substance critical for good vision (source: Australian Blueberries).

While Blueberries are native to North America, the Amazon is home to the  Açai berry (the berry of a palm tree). Not only does the Açai Berry have a highest antioxidants of any fruit, it also contains protein, fiber, and Omega 6 and Omega 9 essential fatty acids.

See Biome's range of products containing super foods online and in our stores, including the Amazing Grass organic Kids superfood powder and Bio-bubble probiotic.

We would be happy to hear from you about your favourite super food....

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Non stick cookware - a cautionary tale

A cautionary tale

So far this story has followed a plot-line similar to that of so many human-created chemicals.  Invented by accident, its benefits are found to make life easier or more enjoyable for people - and more pofitable for companies.  The product is released on the world without caution, before proper testing of its health and environmental impacts.  Decades later, the chemical is found to be harmful in its manufacture or use.  The company knows this, but covers it up, until a group of concerned citizens fights for long enough to gain the attention of Government regulatory bodies.  Think CFCs, cigarettes, BPA, DDT ...

It is the tale of a synthetic fluropolymer called Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) - most well known by the DuPont brand name Teflon - along with its stablemate PFOA.  Among the many uses for PTFE is making non stick cookware.  PFOA, which is cancer causing and lethal to birds, is used in the manufacture of PTFE.  It is also used to make oil and water-repellent coatings on carpet, textiles, leather and paper, like microwave popcorn bags.

PTFE was invented accidentally in 1938 by a scientist who was attempting to make a new CFC refrigerant. In the early 60's Marion A. Trozzolo, who had been using the substance on scientific utensils, marketed the first US-made Teflon coated frying pan, "The Happy Pan." (Wikipedia)

In 2004, DuPont (who still uses PFOA in the manufacture of PTFE) paid US$300 million to 50,000 residents living near one of its US plants.  The residents had brought a class action claiming it was responsible for contaminating local water supplies with PFOA, causing birth defects and other health hazards.

In 2006, a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientific advisory board recommended PFOA be labelled a 'likely carcinogen' (cancer-causing) in humans.  The EPA asked DuPont, and seven other companies that use PFOA in manufacturing processes, to phase out its use. DuPont has agreed to take steps to make sure that by the year 2015, the chemical would not be released into the environment from its manufacturing plants, though it has not agreed to stop using it, or to stop making Teflon. The problem for Dupont is, as it stands now, it cannot make Teflon without this chemical, though it says it is looking for a substitute.  Quoted from an excellent article by Peter Lavelle on the Australian ABC website The Pulse.

It further transpires that DuPont had known for several decades that PFOA is harmful and kept quiet about it!  The EPA did at least fine DuPont for this behaviour (ref: The Washington Post) .

Are Teflon and other PTFE containing non stick pans safe?

The Peter Lavelle article summarises: 
...non-stick fry pans can release toxins. At high temperatures Teflon is known to give off a cocktail of 15 types of toxic particles and gases, including trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and phosgene. These chemicals are known to be poisonous to birds. And in humans they cause headaches, chills, backache, and fever - a condition known as 'Teflon flu'.
DuPont admits this, but it says in humans the condition is reversible, and in any case it only occurs at high temperatures, not during normal cooking use.

Government authorities and DuPont say that Teflon and other PTFE non stick pans and cookware are safe as long as you cook at low to medium heat, do not heat the pan empty, don't allow oils to smoke, etc etc.

I would be particularly cautious about cheap "no name" brands of non stick pans.  I imagine the quality of the coating would be questionable and more easily broken down into toxins, plus there is little accountability from the manufacturer. 

Wikipedia explains:
At 200 °C PTFE is detectable and it evolves several fluorocarbon gases. It begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about 260 °C, and decomposes above 350 °C (662 °F). These degradation by-products can be lethal to birds, and can cause flu-like symptoms in humans.

Meat is usually fried between 200 and 230 °C, and most oils will start to smoke before a temperature of 260 °C is reached - although refined safflower oil and avocado oil have a higher smoke point than 260 °C so you wouldn't know. Empty cookware can also exceed this temperature upon heating.

Safe non stick cookware alternatives

Biome simply supports the precautionary principle - better safe than sorry.  We also aim to question any use of synthetic chemicals and whether there is a safe, more natural alternative.  I also have no idea how you would tell what temperature your non stick pan had reached?

All cookware uses some form of metal and synthetic process to manufacture the pan, unless we're going to cook over an open fire on sticks, or use the sun to cook an egg on a rock!  Unless you can think of other methods...?

Glass is the safest of materials, but it is certainly not non-stick, as proven by hours of scrubbing lasagne of my glass Pyrex dish.

We have chosen the Neoflam non-stick cookware range that is now stocked in both our stores and online.

Neoflam is a cast aluminum cookware coated with Ecolon™ non-stick coating. Ecolon is a ceramic based coating which is mostly made of silicon dioxide (also known as silica or SiO₂), a material most commonly found in nature such as stone and sand. No emissions are released at any temperature and there are no heavy metals such as Cadmium, Lead and Mercury in the coating.

Aside from the great features below, I love cooking with Neoflam!  The fry pan is a joy to use - lightweight and easy to clean.  I've tried other safe non-stick cookware that is much heavier and unweildy.  I love that it is ovenproof also.  A friend who is a Chinese chef was delighted with his Neoflam wok. He said the "fried rice was dancing"!

• Highly durable and scratch resistant - non stick coating lasts longer than conventional non stick
• Oven safe
• Has the benefits of cast iron thick base cookware, but is actually lightweight
• Great value prices compared with other brands marketed as premium options
• Ecolon coated cookware uses less energy and achieves faster cooking times due to better thermal conductivity
• Less C02 emissions than Teflon manufacturing

According to Neoflam, most PTFE coating can only withstand up to 4H pencil testing. PTFE coating releases chemicals at 240°C. On the contrary, Ecolon can withstand 8H hardness testing and will not melt up to 450°C.

Ecolon coated cookware can cook an egg without using any oil. And clean up is a breeze too, both inside and outside.  Ecolon's non-stick coating performance may appear to be slightly less than a PTFE-based non-stick coating. However, Ecolon's advantage comes from its durability, maintaining the same non-stick performance even after repeated use.

See the full range of Neoflam non stick cookware at Biome Eco Stores.

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Shout Dad an Aussie organic beer

While at the Organic Expo in Sydney recently we were very happy to taste some of Australia's fine organic wines and even a beer!

We were particularly excited about the Burragumbilli Certified Organic Lager and thought it would be a great treat for Dad on Father's Day…without the hangover!

A boutique beer brewed in New South Wales, Burragumbilli is growing in popularity and reputation as a quality, clean tasting “green” choice for the thinking drinker. It has no added sugar, no preservatives and no harmful chemical residues.

The beer follows an organic processing chain from farm to malt house to brewery and bottling to achieve the high status Australian Certified Organic (ACO) certification.

Organic malts and hops have no chemical residues to interfere with fermentation producing a clean, unadulterated beer. Organic lager has exceptional clarity without the use of harmful chemical fining agents, and it has a clean, flavourful taste.



Would you like a cocktail with that beer?
If you are drinking a beer that is not certified organic you are likely to be imbibing a chemical cocktail at the same time.  It can include the residues from farming processes, storage and preservative requirements, several of which are carcinogenic, as well as residues of industrial cleaners and chemical additives to the brew such as flavours, colours, and preservatives.

The benefit of organic beverages is not only are they chemical free but they are also either preservative free or produced with low preservatives, which has a proven tendency to be gentler on your system with less headaches the next day.

Burragumbilli barley and hops are grown without industrial fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides or fungicides and therefore are without the common chemical residues of conventionally grown crops. Hops in particular are very susceptible to fungal diseases and conventionally grown crops generally require fungicidal applications. Organic hops must be grown with wider spaced plants and rigorous pruning to improve sunlight penetration and airflow to restrict fungal infections.

Where to buy a Burra 

Check the list of retail outlets for Burragumbilli organic beer here. If your local bottle shop doesn’t already, why not ask them to start stocking Burragumbilli. Plus, it now has the distinction of being the first organic beer offered on Virgin Australia international and some domestic flights.

Organic Wines

The 2009 Temple Bruer Thistle Hill Riesling was awarded the Best Wine of Show & Best White at the Australia / New Zealand Organic Wine Show, whilst the 2007 Temple Bruer Shiraz Malbec Preservative Free took the Best Red & Best Preservative Free trophy.

Temple Bruer is regarded as one of the pioneers in organic viticulture and oenological practices in Australia. David and Barbara Bruer established a small vineyard in the early 1970's on a property situated on the main road between the towns of Strathalbyn and Milang, in the grape growing district of Langhorne Creek in South Australia. David was in charge of Roseworthy College's Oenology Department before becoming a full-time vigneron, while Barbara also taught chemistry at Roseworthy College and Flinders University for ten years.

Today Temple Bruer is Australia's largest certified organic label and its reputation for quality wine is firmly established.

www.organicwine.com.au is an online wine retailer specialising in organic wine, biodynamic wine and preservative free wine.  Organic, biodynamic, and minimal interference practices when employed competently lead to a superior and unique quality product. The individual “personality” of each wine can be fully expressed for us all to savour.

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Lunch boxes - easy & healthy

Biome loves gathering great ideas from our customers and we also love giving them a little prize for their help. Our last Facebook promotion was to post three unique ideas for food to pack in healthy lunch boxes & we'll include two free Kids Konserve Kozy sandwich wraps with your next online order or in-store purchase.

Here are some of the ideas for lunch boxes we received.
Savoury

• Rice Paper Rolls filled with vermicelli, bean shoots, grilled chicken and coriander
• Salad Pita Pockets
• Vegie sticks with Homemade Coconut Dip
• Cold toasted sandwiches with cream cheese and tuna
• Leftover cold quiche shapes (cut using shape cutters)
• Homemade mini meatballs
• Antipasto selection
• Rice Balls rolled in Turmeric
• Rissotto cakes
• Popcorn
• Wholemeal lavash wraps with chicken, avocado, lettuce and tomato
• Sandwich with marinated tofu and lightlty fried pumpkin slices
• Leftover meal in a thermos lunch jar for lunch
• Tuna, avocado or vegetable sushi
• Rolypolies (flat bread rolled up and cut like pinwheels with any smooth simple filling - like vegemite, hommus, cream cheese)
• Homemade yoghurt with crushed berries swirled through
• BBQ sauce or fruit chutney on a wholegrain roll
  
• Seaweed strips
• Cucumber and hommus
• Red capsicum and snow peas
• Homemade pizza slices cold 
• Raw kale chips

Sweet

• Snowy Fruit Balls - dried apricots, dried peaches dried apple rings, sunflower seeds, raisins blended then rolled in coconut
• Apricot Fruit Bars covered with Rice Paper
• Dates spread with peanut butter, rolled in coconut and chilled
• Pumpkin & yoghurt muffins
• Sugarless date, rolled oat and banana slice
• Organic dried sultanas and apricots bought in bulk and divided into reusable snack containers
• Fruit kebabs
• Homemade iced tea
• Melon balls - a mix of watermelon, cantelope and honeydew scooped with a melon baller
• In summer, frozen banana, grapes and orange pieces
• Dried banana chips and dehydrated pineapple
• Sweet pistachio Lara bar

Thank you to all the great biome Facebookers that provided us with these great lunch box ideas.

Now, what to pack the lunch in? 
All of the kids lunch box available at Biome are safe, from BPA, lead, PVC and other toxins.  We also help make it easy to pack a waste free or 'wrapper-free' lunch with reusable lunch box containers.  Try a stainless steel lunch box.

The all-in-one Goodbyn lunch box with 5 leak-proof compartments and one lid has been trialled by us and makes it so easy to pack a waste free lunch.

Reusable sandwich wraps are a great way to reduce plastic wrap waste and avoid toxins in some plastic wraps - and even save money.

And one that has been very popular with the adults are the Bento boxes this great company also have a recipe book available for more ideas.

Find all these options on our website or you can come see us at the Biome eco stores.

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Eco Easter holiday & sticky chocolate news

Going on an Eco Easter adventure?  Don't forget to...

Switch off the hot water system before going away - you could be wasting energy and money keeping water hot when you're not there.

Service your car before a long trip and check your tyre pressure. A tuned up car improves fuel efficiency by up to 30% and will save you petrol money. 

Take your reusable shopping bags on the grocery supplies trip.

Recycle bottles, cans, cardboard and plastic packaging.  Please call your local Council to check which types of plastic packaging they will accept - many will accept the firm plastic that easter eggs are packaged in.

Encourage kids at home to switch off their game consoles, DVD player, TV and stereo at the wall when not in use.

Purchase Easter gifts with the least amount of packaging and choose certified Free Trade and organic chocolate and easter eggs.

References http://www.climatesmart.qld.gov.au/

What to take?

Eco friendly picnic, catering and entertaining supplies, reusable water bottle,  stainless steel cup set, BPA-free lunch boxes for storing food.

Petrochemical free natural sunscreen, environment-safe shampoo and soap (especially camping in National Parks).

Natural mosquito repellant and New Mountain sandalwood mosquito diffuser, flies off food nets.

Sticky chocolate issues

Will Nestle ever reclaim its Facebook page from palm oil protestors  Is this the most successful social-media influence campaign ever...?

Treehugger reports on the wasteful excess of Easter Egg packaging and improvements to eliminate plastic boxes.  Easter Candy Insanity...

Australian Fair Trade Easter 2010 Campaign website.  Learn more about the issues and the choices you can make.

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Waste diary & BBQ watermelon rind challenge

In the spirit of our waste diary challenge posted last week I undertook a "fridge cleansing", which purged a lot more waste than we normally would generate.  It was time to confront all those disposal dilemnas that I hide away at the back of the fridge.

The fridge clear-out put my compulsion for hoarding relishes and condiments under a harsh spotlight.  So many that I could not recall how long they had been there and that I could no longer face eating.  Getting rid of the contents and rinsing the jars can use a lot of precious water, but we are told by the Council that containers and jars must be clean-ish before putting them into recycling.

Our waste from meal preparation was minimal, just avocado skins, seeds, carrot peelings and the like.  I snuck the end slices of the tomatoes onto sandwiches - breaking my silly habit of throwing out the ends.  Instead of wasting the crusts on the end of bread, I put them in the freezer to use for breadcrumbs later. That tactic does however have a limited life span, as there are few uses for breadcrumbs in my cooking repertoire!

This photo from The Guardian by Tristram Stuart shows three identical Romaine lettuces purchased at the same time and stored for ten days, from left to right 1) at room temperature 2) in the fridge and 3) in a glass of water like cut flowers.  Inspired, I kept herbs in water (refreshed daily) and they stayed fresh much longer. 

Our biggest volume of waste was watermelon rind!  Apparently the white flesh and green skin is used as a vegetable in many Asian countries and contains great vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.

I love that you can so easily find recipes on the internet for weird and wonderful ingredients, like:
Watermelon Skin Halwa
Barbequed Watermelon Rind with Sauces
Watermelon Pie from southern USA

Someone has even dedicated a whole site to fill your belly, not landfill with watermelon

The challenge now is to give them a go.  BBQ watermelon rind first...

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Lunch boxes wrap up on what's eco and safe

Would you agree that the most eco-friendly solution usually turns out to be the best choice for your health and your budget also?  We find that making the safest choice for the planet is the safer path for people too, particularly when it comes to natural skin care, green cleaning and petrochemical plastic products.

With a simple decision on lunch boxes and how to pack a lunch, you can: help the planet by opting for long lasting and resource-efficient materials, reduce waste going to landfill, protect your health by avoiding toxic plastics, and save a little cash by reusing and buying in bulk.

Many Australian schools are trying to reduce rubbish by encouraging children to take home food scraps, use composting at school and use less plastic wraps.  Our family is fortunate to live very close to our school, but not so fortunate to be woken at dawn each morning by the clean up crew--the crows!  So there may even be an extra benefit for us from a waste-free lunch policy...a sleep in.

One of the nasties to avoid when choosing a lunch box, is Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) - recognised by this symbol.  Often on a soft shiny plastic lunch box (often the grey plastic inside) there is no label to tell you what it is, but it is more than likely PVC that can contain lead and phthalates.

According to the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ): "PVC is unique among plastics because it contains dangerous chemical additives used to soften it.  These harmful chemicals include phthalates, lead, cadmium and organotins, which can be toxic to a child's health.  Over 90% of all phthalates are used in PVC products such as school supplies.  Federal (US) law has banned the use of phthalates in children's toys, but not children's school supplies.  Lunch boxes, binders, vinyl backpacks and art supplies are frequently made out of PVC."

"Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of toxic chemicals used in PVC.  Recent studies have linked PVC flooring to increased rates of autism and asthma.  Chemicals that evaporate or leech out of PVC products may contribute to developmental disorders and damage to the liver, central nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems." 

Further, many environmental groups are calling for the banning of PVC because it releases dioxins during manufacturing and when it is burned, recycled or or disposed of in landfill.  Both Wikipedia and CHEJ detail the dangers, including how highly toxic dioxins have been found to cause cancer in workers manufacturing PVC. 

How to identify products with PVC

• Labelled with the word “vinyl” (e.g. vinyl ring binders)
• #3 recycling symbol or with the letters “V” or “PVC” underneath the recycling symbol
• Shiny flexible plastic inside and outside lunch boxes, back packs, clothing (such as raincoats) and waterproof mattress protectors. 
• Don't buy the product if it is not labelled with the type of plastic or with specific statements that it is lead free and PVC free.
• Contact the manufacturer or retailer to ask what plastic the product is made of.

Choose lunch boxes and school products made from metal such as stainless steel, fabric, sustainable wood, recycled paper and safe plastics that are PVC free, BPA free and lead free.  Polypropylene is also a safe choice.

Biome has just introduced the exciting Kids Konserve waste-free lunch range (pictured above): Food Kozy sandwich wrap, insulated lunch bag made from recycled PET bottles, stainless steel food container, ice pack and more. 
Biome also offers:
Goodbyn all-in-one lunchboxes with cool stickers
LunchBots stainless steel lunch boxes
4myearth sandwich wraps
Thermos
Klean Kanteen insulated wide mouth bottles
Bento boxes

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Top 10 vegan & vegetarian recipe websites we love

Eating less meat and more plants is not only for compassionate and environmental reasons, it is also healthy and great for those trying to trim down a little.  (I have a confession that I am loving The Biggest Loser's Friday Masterclass and they encourage proteins from plant sources!).   I'm loving cooking with my Gastrolux non stick cookware too - no toxic emissions and no oil required!

Here's my top 10 online resources for scrumptious vegetarian and vegan dishes, with favourite recipes picked out for you.

http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/e-books/
Four e-books by vegan author Hannah Kaminsky to download for just US$5 each with amazing recipes for ice cream and sweet treats made with no eggs or dairy.    RECIPE PICK *  Buttered popcorn ice cream!  

http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/
HUGE list of recipes from Bryanna Grogan, author of 8 vegan bookbooks and The Vegan Feast quarterly newsletter.   RECIPE PICK * Marinated tofu that's kinda like fetta
 

http://veganyumyum.com/ Lovely photos to accompany yumyum recipes and helpful "how to" section with how to Supreme an orange, how to slice a mango, etc.
RECIPE PICK * Avocado Wasabi Salad (pictured)  

Martha Goes Green vegetarian cookbook  Independently published in Melbourne, Australia, printed on recycled paper with vegetable inks, with over 50 vegetarian and health conscious recipes.   Available to buy from Biome with all our vegetarian recipe books.  RECIPE PICK * Chocolate Tofu Mousse

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47633560@N00/
Japan and the US have been crazy for Bento boxes long before the "waste-free" lunch box trend hit Australia.  SV Mama is a member of the Flikr Vegan Bento group that has lots of photos of Bento lunches.  Not actual recipes, but lots of ideas to fill up little boxes, like pictured here: Garlic Bread, Ravioli with Marinara Sauce, Pineapple Guavas and Sauteed Brussel Sprouts. Not sure I could get brussel sprouts past the kids!  
 
http://www.kurma.net Cooking with Australian Vegetarian Guru, Kurma Dasa.  Vegetarian and vegan recipes, invite Kurma to cook for you and follow his culinary adventures on his blog.  RECIPE PICK * Barbequed Haloumi with Chargrilled Asparagus and Salsa Verde

http://bokchoybohemia.com/ Everything Vegetarian and Kosher, gloriously humane comfort foods.  
RECIPE PICK * Vegan Thom Kha Tofu soup.   For those of us who usually miss out on this amazing Thai soup.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/  Won the US Veg News Veggie Awards – Readers Favourite Bog in 2007 and 2009.  Lovely photos and recipes for wholefoods without a lot of processed fat and sugar.  RECIPE PICK * Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches

http://www.backyardbowls.com/acai_bowls.html
Not the exact recipes, but ideas you can try - you just need to track down some Acai pulp!  If you’re everin Santa Barbara, look up Backyard Bowls.  To make Acai bowls they blend the frozen pulp of the Acai berry with fruits and coconut milk into a thick smoothie. Put that blend in a bowl, top it with granola, fresh fruits, Goji berries and honey.
 
http://seitanismymotor.com/
German influenced, so some great gluten-free breads and vegan sausages.  The longest link list of other Vegan food blogs I’ve ever seen.  Learn to make Seitan, which is made from wheat gluten and when cooked looks a lot like meat. RECIPE PICK * Olive and Seitan Sausages

When you go shopping for supplies, don't forget your reusable shopping bag! 

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Meat Free Mondays gives different angle on vegetarian study

Thank you so much to one of our readers, Meg, for this referral to the Meat Free Monday website and the actual WWF report How Low Can We Go?

It is fascinating how there were several news angles that could have been taken from the WWF report, but the media picked up on the bad news/more sensationalist headline that "a vegetarian diet can harm the environment".  Actually, the report was looking at the greenhouse gas emissions involved in the UK food system, and the scope for reducing them by 70 per cent by 2050.  

The Meat Free Monday article gives a much more balanced assessment of the WWF report.  The report said that livestock rearing alone accounts for 57 per cent of harmful emissions from UK agriculture.  It indicates that a vegetarian diet (with dairy and eggs), a 66 per cent reduction in livestock production consumption, and technologies to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from soils and methane from ruminants, had the potential to reduce direct supply chain emissions by 15-20 per cent.

According to the Meat Free Monday article: the report pointed out that any change in meat consumption patterns would have to be managed carefully. Less animals would mean less animal feed, for example, freeing up arable land, but how we compensate for a diet lower in meat, eggs and dairy could also have an adverse effect in terms of emissions. A switch from beef and milk to tofu and quorn could mean we need more arable land, not less. Emissions could be reduced nine per cent with a switch from red to white meat, the report also said, but would see an increase in the import of soy meal for poultry feed.

The report warned that "careful assessment" would be needed to avoid "unintended consequences", however. If the livestock industry contracted and collapsed entirely then the UK would be dependent on low-cost exports from other countries - it might make us healthier, but the environmental problems associated with meat production would simply be shifted elsewhere.

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Recipe: Lemon Myrtle baked cheesecake with Finger Lime marmalade

From Briony, our Biome City Store Manager
After the hectic week of a working eco-Mum, including one too many take-away meals, I needed some good, old fashioned home baking therapy!  It was also the weekend of a visit from my mother and sister so I intended to dazzle them with my cooking skills in the hope they would not notice the unmade beds or piles of ironing.

Well, the outcome was an AMAZING Lemon Myrtle baked cheesecake drizzled with Finger Lime Marmalade.  Biome's Australian native food corner was the inspiration for the Oz Tukka Lemon Myrtle and Finger Lime marmalade.  Did it do the job you ask? Oh yes...

Lemon Myrtle baked cheesecake drizzled with Finger Lime marmalade

150g plain sweet biscuits, crushed (I use half gingernuts - half digestives)
75g Butter, melted
500g Cream Cheese
3/4 cup castor sugar
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp ground Oz tukka Lemon Myrtle
3 eggs
300ml cream
Finger Lime Marmalade

Combine biscuits and butter. Press firmly into springform pan. Refrigerate until firm.

Beat cheese and sugar together until smooth.
Thoroughly beat in lemon rind, juice and eggs. Gently blend in cream then Lemon myrtle.
Pour into pan. Drizzle with warmed Marmalade.

Bake at 160 for 45 minutes. Turn oven off. Leave to cool in oven undisturbed for further 1/2 hour.
Cool and serve with double cream if you dare!

Wild Hibiscus Flowers and other Australian native foods

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keeping it local with "slow shopping"

You have probably heard of "slow food", which is all about eating food that is healthy for people, is good for the people who grow it and good for the planet.

According to Slow Food Australia it is a movement to “counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions, people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world”.

It made me think that what we offer is "slow shopping". We delight in helping our customers to slow down and think about where a product comes from, what it is made from, how it is made and especially, who made it.

We support products made close to home so we can reduce our carbon footprint and foster a vibrant local community. One of our favourite local artisans is Kylie Johnson who makes her gorgeous ceramic quote tags, ornaments and earrings within a few kilometres of our store. It takes Kylie a long time to carefully hand make her ceramics and they embody simplicity.

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