Organics: no longer exception to norm

You are what you eat. For some this may sound like a promising recipe for living a long life; for others the idea could be downright depressing. Perhaps most of us waiver somewhere in between as we strive to eat well most of the time and fail miserably every once-in-a-while.

I can remember 20 or so years ago when I moved from Toronto to Vancouver and settled in the trendy neighbourhood of Kitsilano. Wandering along 4th Avenue I came across the first authentic health food store I had ever encountered. I could not believe the range of products – from produce, fruits and vegetables to personal products like shampoo, soap, toothpaste and to my complete surprise – tampons. When you move from the “centre of the universe” to Vancouver you think you have seen it all, but this was totally new to me. Equally shocking were the prices – so high that I could not see such a store surviving for very long.

Fast forward 25 years and things have changed dramatically, including my own shopping habits. Today I make a conscious choice to shop for as much organic food as I can, even as a single mom of two teenaged children – one of whom eats enough for two! I have learned about antibiotics, growth hormones and genetically modified food, and believe organic food is best for my family, despite the fact we still pay a premium for most products.

Even more amazing is that I shop for the majority of my organics at a “regular” supermarket – Save-On-Foods. Fruit, vegetables, bread, bulk items – all of this and more is now available in one convenient location. I can’t get everything, but a large portion of my shopping list is fulfilled here.

Manager of Save-On-Foods at Kelowna’s Orchard Plaza Mall, Malcolm Robson, says the food chain started carrying organic products more than a decade ago. As demand and supply continues to grow, so does the store’s selection of products. Robson says sales have skyrocketed over the past several years, increasing year-over-year by an astounding 35%. In fact, Save-On now has its own line of foods – Western Family Organics.

At Purepower Events (www.purepowerevents.com) we are pleased that Save-On-Foods is one of our sponsors, supplying all of the food for our February 22nd lunch menu – the large majority of which is organic. The menu, created by Ann Lotwin of Making Raw Food Delicious, is an important element of our day-long events, as we commit to improving the mind, body and spirit of all of our attendees.

On February 1st & 2nd , Purepower Events and Making Raw Food Delicious teamed up to serve Chocolate Walnut Fudge to shoppers at the Save-On store at Orchard Plaza Mall. It is a recipe created by Lotwin – raw and organic and made with the store’s great selection of products. Here is the recipe, for your pleasure, just in case you missed us over the weekend!

 

Chocolate Walnut Fudge

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup cashew butter pinch sea salt
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

 

Soften coconut oil, coconut butter and cashew butter in bowl over hot water. Do not let the bowl touch the water. When warmed and able to combine, transfer the butter/oil mixture to a food processor fitted with the S blade and blend until creamy. Add the maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt and blend again. Add the cocoa powder and blend until smooth and creamy. Remove the blade, scraping off the batter, and carefully stir in the chopped walnuts.

Pour the fudge into a *loaf pan lined with either plastic wrap or parchment paper, leveling off the top. Freeze at least one hour and enjoy.

This fudge must be kept frozen (it does not freeze solid) so the oils don’t soften.

*The size of pan 7 1/2“ x 3 1/2” (19 cm x 9 cm) but any smaller size loaf pan will work (as opposed to the larger, wider ones).

 

- Created by Ann Lotwin www.makingrawfooddelicious.com

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.