The Perfect Garlic Press

I love it when designers get it right! And the designers at Dreamfarm get it right most of the time.
Now they've designed what I consider to be the perfect garlic press and they cleverly call it Garject.
I love Garject. Clever name too: it's a garlic gadget that ejects the skin...

I love Garject because it works. We eat a lot of garlic. Who wouldn't if they knew all the health benefits it provides? So I've tested and destroyed a lot of garlic presses over the years– one literally fell apart in two perfect pieces the first time I test-pressed it!

Garject is heavy-duty and strong enough to hold and squish Simon's (my local organic garlic grower) fresh organic garlic cloves. Here's what it does:
presses unpeeled garlic
scrapes itself clean
ejects the peel

In fact, the peel comes shooting out like a bullet. So have the composting bin ready!
Best (well not best, but up there) of all? It rinses clean and is dishwasher safe.

Now that's a new spin on an essential tool.
Check out some of my other Dreamfarm favourites: scizza, tapi, smood or teafu...

The Middle Way

When I saw this video about one woman's gentle commitment to organic food in China, I wanted to weep. Click on the link and see the story and be inspired!

Published on Friday, January 25, 2013 by The Perennial Plate

The Middle Way: One Farmer's Fight for Organic Food in China

By now you are probably familiar with the food scandals that have been running rampant in China. In the aftermath of any such situation, new movements are born. Ms Yang is part of an effort to bring healthy and organic food to Kunming, a city in the Yunnan Province of China. But for her it goes beyond healthy. After graduating from University and working in business, she found a way to go back to the farm and fight for healthy and organic food. This inspiring story shares a hopeful future for food in China.

The Middle Way

Tarra's Hen's Eggs

I know it's not Easter yet, but just look at these farm-fresh eggs that popped into my studio yesterday! Tarrah Young from Green Being Farm dropped by to deliver them for me to use in the 'Breakfast for Dinner' Chapter of the latest book I am co-authoring with Nettie Cronish.

stunning pink, blue, green, tan and brown of eggs from heritage hens

Apparently, the colour of the shell is deposited on the egg as it makes its way through the oviduct; but generally, hens with white feathers and earlobes (such as the white leghorn) mostly lay white eggs whereas brown eggs usually come from hens with red feathers and red earlobes (like Barred Rock or Cuckoo Maran). Some species with red earlobes (the Ameracauna for example) may lay blue or green eggs.

As for the colour of the yolk, pasture-raised hens that get lots of greens in their diet produce eggs that have a deep orange colour (due to an abundance of carotenoid pigments) and are naturally higher (up to 30% higher) in the omega-3 fatty acids.

Tarrah and her Ameracauna hen

Preserving Number Six at Washington Post

Christmas Came Early

My great friend and herbie gal pal, Susan Belsinger must have been catching up on her food reading last night because she sent me a message about the December 5 Food Section of the Washington Post.
Seems that venerable newspaper had listed 30 of the Top Cookbooks for 2012.

Guess what? Preserving was number six in the list!!