They’re green in principle, but not in the way people use them.  While many people have made the move to reusable bags, there is still some debate about whether these are, in fact, better than paper or plastic. Some studies suggest that it takes more energy to produce reusable bags, and that a large portion of those …

If your honest answer is “yes,” consider attending the following: Sierra Club—Great Falls, Northern VA Chapter invites you to see BAG IT, an award-winning documentary about the effects of plastics on our personal health & the environment. It is the story of a man who makes a pledge to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store and how …

I am excited to have joined Jen Cole at Clean Fairfax part-time as a program manager with a focus on our Clean Streams Initiative. It’s great to be working again with an environmental non-profit (see bio on Clean Fairfax website). I feel I can extend my own zeal for environmental stewardship and urban sustainability to …

Sunchoke and Spinach Soup 3 ½ cups scrubbed and peeled sunchokes, cut into 1-inch pieces [Tuscarora Mountain Farm, Spring Run, PA] 3 cloves of garlic 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces [Porter Farm, Elba, NY] 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup spinach 2 cups whole milk 2 cups vegetable broth ½ teaspoon salt …

[Sorry about the hiatus, friends! Here’s something to warm you up after the snow!] Butternut Squash, Purple Carrot & Broccoli Bowl with Chipotle Almond Sauce For the Bowl: 1 Bowl. But also… 1 small butternut squash [The Farm at Sunnyside, Washington, VA] 1 large purple carrot [Second Spring Farm, Wheatland, VA] 1 tablespoon olive oil …

Creamy Mushroom, White Bean & Rosemary Soup with Rosemary & Sea Salt Flatbread Flatbread: 1 cup warm water 1 package (1 tablespoon) active dry yeast ½ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon honey 2-2 ¼ cups flour 3-4 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped [Shenandoah Herbs, Harrisonburg, VA] Coarse sea salt, for …

OK, so I’m stretching it a little bit with the puns today. Whatever. BBQ Pulled Sweet Potato Sandwiches With Collard Green Coleslaw Coleslaw (Make this first) 3-4 cups collard greens [Kirby Farms, Mechanicsville, VA] ¼ teaspoon salt 1 medium Pink Lady apple [Crown Orchard, Batesville, VA] 1 medium carrot [Van Dessel Farms, Accomack, VA] ½ …

Sweet Potato and Acorn Squash “Nachos” 1 Covington sweet potato [Scott Farms, Lucama, MD] ½ acorn squash [Leone Farm, Vineland, NJ] 1 tablespoon olive oil 1-1 ½ teaspoon Southwest Seasoning [Von Brake Spices, Deep River, CT] ¾ cup refried beans ½ cup black beans 2-3 tablespoons salsa (I used black bean and corn salsa, because …

Roasted Beet, Watercress, and Ricotta Grilled Cheese 1 Beet [Van Dessel Farm, Accomack, VA] Just a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper 1-2 tablespoons butter 2 slices of bread Some fresh mozzarella cheese Some Ricotta cheese A handful of watercress [Mock’s Farm, Berkeley Springs, WV] Before you start grilling any cheese, peel, slice, …

Grapefruit Cornmeal Cake Cake: 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus more for greasing) 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup cornmeal [from Woodson’s Mill, Lowesville, VA] 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon finely grated grapefruit zest plus 1/3 cup fresh grapefruit …