Conscious Choice Seattle: PCC’s Future in Plastic

May 2005 | Cook’s Notebook

PCC’s Future in Plastic

By Andrew Mulholland

When you check out at PCC Natural Markets, picking between paper or plastic is a whole new bag. That’s because PCC stores now use EPI-brand totally degradable plastic bags.
The environmentally responsible bag is tough and durable—actually feeling sturdier than some less eco-friendly plastic bags—yet eventually will go poof. EPI makes its bags with “oxo-biodegradable technology.”

First, the bag will degrade, then biodegrade in the presence of moisture, microorganisms, oxygen and soil. Of course, no one is stopping you from recycling the bags first. They will last as long as you like.

Behold the Mayo

Think of it as one small step for sandwiches and one giant leap for lowering cholesterol levels. Hellman’s, the “real” mayonnaise maker owned by behemoth Unilever, has finally started marketing a canola version that is trans fat-free.

It’s nothing that brands like Spectrum and Westbrae haven’t already introduced, but there in nonetheless something significant about Hellman’s deciding to begin unclogging America’s arteries with a product that has just one gram of saturated fat per serving while adding omega fats to millions of lunches.

Saving the world, one condiment at a time.

Harvest Time

Puget Sound Fresh (www.pugetsoundfresh.org) publishes an annual “Farm Guide” that provides all sorts of mouth-watering information about local farmers’ markets, county fairs, farm stands, you-pick farms and pumpkin patches complete with lots of helpful maps.

One feature is a bar chart page that tracks when various crops are in season. Many of those bars start flowing in mid- to late-May, including artichokes, beets, lettuce, onions, currants, rhubarb and all sorts of fresh herbs.

Greens are crops that will return with a fresh harvest after early-year growing. The folks at Full Circle Farms in Carnation (www.fullcircleorganics.com) offer this recipe for braised greens:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 cups onions (preferably Cipollini), chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 bunch of greens cut into strips (kale, chard, collards, etc.)
Capful of apple cider vinegar or brown rice vinegar
Tamari, shoyu or soy sauce to your liking

Heat the oil in a skillet and add garlic and onions. Sauté until translucent (about three to five minutes). Add greens and sauté until soft yet bright green. Turn off heat and add vinegar. Stir greens while adding tamari/shoyu/soy sauce. Serve and enjoy.

Another recipe that is sure to win over even finicky kids is oven-baked crispy kale:

1 bunch of curly kale
3 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and pat dry the kale. Tear into bite-size pieces roughly the size of potato chips, placing them in a mixing bowl. Coat with olive oil one tablespoon at a time until nicely covered but not drippy. Add salt to taste.

Spread kale onto an ungreased baking sheet and pop into oven for 9 to 11 minutes. You will have some trial and error on just how much baking time is enough. Baking too little leaves the kale sort of chewy, not unpleasant but not quite right. Baking too long makes the kale too crispy (it should not crumble to the touch) and even burned. Baking it just right will makes the nutritious kale disappear like, well, a bowl of potato chips.

Andrew Mulholland is a regular contributor to Evergreen Monthly.

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