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Home › Articles › Nutrition and Your Health › Have Yourself an Organic Little Holiday

Have Yourself an Organic Little Holiday

Natural Ideas for a Healthful Season of Giving

By Jacqueline M. Duda

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What's on the Menu?

Planning an organic holiday menu can be a snap. Seriously. Newman advises shopping at natural food stores like Whole Foods and Wild Oats. And an increasing number of traditional chains have expanded their organic selections. Newman's Own Organics introduced packaged salads, dried fruits and fresh vegetables this year, perfect for holiday salads laced with dried cranberries and fresh carrots. She also recommends Diamond Organics (www.diamondorganics.com) as an excellent online food purveyor. And savory organic herbs and garlic braids can be found online at McFadden Farm (www.mcfaddenfarm.com).

"Organic wines are available as well," she says. "You can't find them as easily, but most large wine stores will have a selection."

Plan in advance. Organic turkeys and other meats may require a special order. "It's best to start planning your menu as early as late October," Givens says. The Organic Trade Association is working on a set of organic holiday recipes for their O'Mama Web site (www.theorganicreport.org), which also lists links to resources for companies offering organic gift selections and foods.

After party clean up? Newman says to check out Trader Joe's for their large selection of natural cleaning products.

The possibilities are endless and time is ticking. Organic selections are more popular and plentiful than ever, a terrific way to kick off a natural new year!

Maple Raisin Walnut Bars

"My mother started me early in the kitchen and we used to make everything from pulled molasses to these bars," says Nell Newman, co-founder and president of Newman's Own Organics. "We always really liked maple syrup so this was another excuse to use it. This is a great recipe for kids and adults to do together during the holidays."

6 tablespoons sweet butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 7x11-inch Pyrex or ovenproof dish.

Beat the egg with a fork and add to the cooled butter, sweeteners and vanilla. Sift the flour, spices, salt and baking soda. Add the chopped nuts and raisins. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until well mixed and spread onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes and cool for 15 minutes before slicing into bars. These bars are great the way they are or lightly dusted with cinnamon and sugar.

Green Cabbage Salad with Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

By Chef Bryan Terry, co-author of Grub: Ideas for an Organic Urban Kitchen (Tarcher/Penguin, 2006)

Did you know that cabbage is higher in vitamin C than oranges? The red and green of this salad makes it the perfect, healthy addition to your holiday table.

Salad:
5 cups large shredded organic green cabbage (about 1 compact head)
1 small organic radish, thinly sliced for garnish
Dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped finely
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste

In a large bowl, mix together the lime juice, mustard, cilantro, jalapeno and salt. Slowly whisk in the oil. Add the cabbage to the vinaigrette and toss well. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Remove 10 minutes before serving and garnish with slices of radish.


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