I finished the year out Monday by cleaning out the fridge and going shopping! Our neighborhood grocery store is Giant Eagle, and while they are less than one mile from home, they have a very limited selection of non-gmo foods. Fortunately, there is an Earth Fare on my side of town; unfortunately it is a 25 minute drive away. We are also located a reasonable distance from the West Side Market, which has my favorite little veggie stand-- the Basketeria. If you are a Clevelander and haven't been to the market in a while, I would highly recommend a visit. They have LOTS of organic produce at very resonable prices. In addition, for all of you local foodies, they carry a nice selection of Ohio grown produce.
I was surprised at just how much non-gmo and/or organic food I was able to find at Earth Fare in January! (Of course, it's all imported so that ups the miles and carbon footprint of every dish; again I am not-so-secretly wishing for a big greenhouse!) We discovered the deliciousness of The Immaculate Baking Company's Blueberry Scones for a New Year's Day treat, and even found comfort foods such as pasta and breads (which we haven't tried yet, but I'll keep you posted). Eden Organics has BPA free cans, so it was great to pick up some canned beans in addition to the dried bulk beans, lentils, rice, and sunflower seeds I bought. All-in-all, the shopping trip went better than expected!
Unfortunately, my hubby was admitted to the hospital, and after running around all morning, we had to go there... which meant we skipped lunch. I picked up a Raw Revolution Chocolate Coconut Bliss bar while we were out, which helped a little, but was definately not enough to go all day! Ordinarily at a moment like this, I would have stopped somewhere for a bite-- but the lack of nearby cooked-for-you food options is a challenge! My daughter (who is over 18) and I decided to wait until we got home, and then feasted on vegan-organic potato-leek soup. It's wonderfully filling, warm, and comforting. I found the recipe online sometime ago, but don't remember where-- it's super simple and goes like this:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 organic leeks, sliced thin (white and light green bits)
4 cloves organic garlic, minced
4 cups broth (I use 4 cups of hot water and two teaspoons of Better Than Bullion organic vegan vegetable bullion)
4 organic potatoes (I have tried it with russet, gold, and red potatoes-- all taste good, but I add a 5th potato if necessary depending on the size)
1 can organic great northern beans, drained and rinsed.
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil; sautee the garlic and leeks for about 5 minutes or until the leeks start to get soft. I usually sprinkle in some salt and pepper about now. Add the broth and potatoes; bring to a boil and then lower the temp and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the beans; cook another 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender or regular blender (in small batches), blend the soup until it's creamy smooth. Enjoy!
