“To provide a healthy alternative while educating our community and securing our place in the organic culture.” This is the mission of Chad Cherry, Roosevelt Desir, Kirk Nelson and Andre Walker. Cherry said “We want people to live a more organic lifestyle,” “Not necessarily 100 percent, but to incorporate being green, sustainability, taking care of your body and mind.” At least two of the four, that last admonition is more than trend-speak. Chad Cherry a 28 year old has type II diabetes, and in 2006 Roosevelt Desir a 26 year old developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in remission since a bone marrow transplant last year.
Roosevelt Desir said “As soon as I finished treatment, my best friend introduced me to Kirk and Chad about organic,” “I took the opportunity and ran with it. I always loved to cook and took some of what I know and what I learned from the guys and clicked right off the bat.”
Kirk Nelson is 27 and a head chef his come up with the sauces for all the dishes. Pineapple jerks sauce, mango peppercorn sauce and a honey mango that is perfect for holiday baked ham. Andre Walker age 34 he said “I jump in wherever needed marketing strategies, for instance. But cooking is a love of mine” and his specialty are codfish fritters. Roosevelt Desir specialty is a dish called legumes, long steamed eggplant and cabbage, sometimes with carrots and parsley. And Chad Cherry makes a mango mousse with fresh strawberries and a strawberry reduction and also says that “We plan to be the new face of organic.”

The Whole Foods Market is moving and expanding its store in Rochester Hills, company credited with igniting customer interest in organic food product.  On Walton Boulevard the existing Whole Food Market is closed at the end of last week, and the new 55,000 square foot store at Walton Boulevard and Adams Road will be open Wednesday.  The manager of the new store Ron Hayek said while Whole Food is occupying a space used by Farmer Jack up until last year, all of the fixtures are new.  Hayek also said the store will also have 162 employees or double the number of the old store.

Whole Foods also used a wide array of natural and recycled materials, including recycled glass and wood, for the flooring and counter.  Hayek said “this new, larger location helps us share our enthusiasm for the freshest, most flavorful natural and organic foods available with more services”.  Whole Foods plans to open its fifth Michigan store next month on the west side of Ann Arbor.  The new Rochester Hills store is the largest Whole Foods outlet in Michigan and first new location for the company in five years.  In the entire store they have more than 200 varieties of seasonal and local produce, at least 100 of which are certified organic.

From Rosalind Creasy:

Edible flowers* provide a striking palatte with which to decorate food. With a small garden of edible flowers you can make your canapés look like edible art.

½ cup (25 g) snipped fresh dill or chive leaves
1 lb (500 g) organic cream cheese, softened
2 large loaves of dense sandwich or rustic-style unsliced bread, or 2 packages melba toast
A selection of organic edible flowers, 4 or 5 dozen: nasturtiums, borage, calendulas, pineapple sage, runner bean flowers, pansies, violas, violets, and mustard flowers
Herb leaves: sage, parsley, mint, dill, and basil

In a mixing bowl, add the dill and 3 tablespoons of water to the cream cheese and mix until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more water.

Trim the crusts off the bread and cut it into slices 1/3 inch (8 mm) thick. Cut the slices into large squares or rectangles 2½ to 3½ inches (6-8.5 cm) wide. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the bread—approximately 1 tablespoon per square—and arrange the squares on cookie sheets. Cover them lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to decorate.

Carefully wash the flowers and herbs and gently pat them dry on paper towels. Lay them out on damp paper towels and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use, but not for more than a few hours.

Decorate each canapé square with an edible flower or two and an herb leaf or two. Re-cover the canapés lightly with a plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time. The canapés may be made a few hours in advance, but do not prepare them any earlier, or the garnishes will wilt.

Put a paper doily on a decorative tray, place decorated squares on the tray, and serve. Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer.
~
See also Rosalind’s Organic Flower Butter Recipes
~~
*Edible Flower Disclaimer
Rosalind Creasy is author of Rosalind Creasy’s Recipes From The Garden: 200 Exciting Recipes from the Author of the Complete Book of Edible Landscaping.
Image Credit: Rosalind Creasy
OrganicToBe.org | OrganicToGo.com
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Guest Post From Cathy Wilkinson Barash:

COMMON NAME
BOTANIC NAME
FLAVOR

Anise hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Licorice

Apple
Malus spp.
Floral

Arugula
Eruca vesicaria sativa
Peppery

Banana
Musa spp.
Sweet

Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Herbal

Bee balm
Monarda didyma
Spicy/sweet

Borage
Borago officinalis
Cucumber

Broccoli
Brassica oleracea, Botrytis group
Spicy

Calendula
Calendula officinalis
Slightly bitter

Canary creeper
Tropaeolum peregrinum
Peppery

Chamomile
Anthemis nobilis
Apple

Chicory
Cichorium intybus
Slightly bitter

Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
Oniony

Chrysanthemum
Dendranthema grandiflorum
Mild to slightly bitter

Coriander (Cilantro)
Coriandrum sativum
Herbal

Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Sweet-slightly bitter

Daylily
Hemerocallis spp.
Sweet to vegetal

Dianthus
Dianthus caryophyllus
Sweet, clove

Dill
Anethum graveolens
Herbal

Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Sweet

English daisy
Bellis perennis
Slightly bitter

Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Herbal

Garlic chives
Allium tuberosum
Garlicky

Hibiscus
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Mild citrus

Hollyhock
Alcea rosea
Mild nutty

Honeysuckle
Lonicera japonica
Sweet floral

Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis
Strong herbal

Japanese plum
Prunus ‘Mume’
Sweet almond

Jasmine
Jasminum sambac & J. officinale
Sweet floral

Johnny-jump-up
Viola tricolor
Slightly minty

Kale
Brassica oleracea, Acephala group
Spicy

Lavender
Lavandula spp.
Strong floral

Lemon
Citrus limon
Sweet citrus

Lemon verbena
Aloysia triphylla
Sweet citrus

Lilac
Syringa spp.
Floral

Linden
Tilia spp.
Sweet

Marjoram
Origanum vulgare
Herbal

Mint
Mentha spp.
Minty

Mustard
Brassica juncea
Spicy

Nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus
Peppery

Nodding onion
Allium cernuum
Oniony

Ocotillo
Fouquieria splendens
Sweet cranberry

Okra
Abelmoschus aesculentus
Mild, sweet

Orange
Citrus sinensis
Sweet citrus

Oregano
Origanum spp.
Herbal

Pansy
Viola x wittrockiana
Slight minty

Pea
Pisum sativum
Pea-like

Pineapple guava
Feijoa sellowiana
Sweet tropical

Pineapple sage
Salvia elegans
Spicy sweet

Radish
Raphanus sativus
Peppery

Red clover
Trifolium pratense
Sweet

Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Pea-like

Rose
Rosa spp.
Floral

Rose of Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus
Mild

Roselle
Hibiscus sabdariffa
Mild citrus

Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis
Herbal

Runner bean
Phaseolus coccineus
Bean-like

Safflower
Carthamus tinctorius
Bitter

Sage
Salvia officinalis
Herbal

Scented geranium
Pelargonium spp.
Floral

Shungiku
Chrysanthemum coronarium
Slightly bitter

Signet marigold
Tagetes signata (T. tenuifolia)
Citrusy tarragon

Society garlic
Tulbaghia violacea
Sweet garlicky

Squash
Curcubita pepo spp.
Vegetal

Summer savory
Satureja hortensis
Herbal

Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
Bittersweet

Sweet woodruff
Galium odoratum
Fresh, sweet

Thyme
Thymus spp.
Herbal

Tuberous begonia
Begonia x tuberhybrida
Citrus

Tulip
Tulipa spp.
Bean- or pea-like

Violet
Viola odorata
Sweet floral

Winter savory
Satureja montana
Herbal

Yucca
Yucca spp.
Sweet (must be cooked)

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF EDIBLE FLOWERS*

1. Eat only those flowers you can positively identify as safe and edible. Learn the Latin or botanical names, which are universally accepted (common names may vary from region to region).

2. Do not assume that restaurants and caterers always know which flowers are edible. Just
because it is on your plate does not mean it is edible (see Rule #1).

3. Eat only those flowers that have been grown organically.

4. Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries, garden centers or public gardens (see Rule #3).

5. Do not eat flowers if you have hay fever, asthma or allergies.

6. Do not eat flowers picked from the side of heavily trafficked roads.

7. Eat only the petals of flowers; always remove and discard the pistils and stamens before eating. (Except for the tiny flowers like thyme where it would be like performing microsurgery to remove the pistils and stamens.)

8. Not all sweet-smelling flowers are edible; some are poisonous.

9. Eat only the flowers of the recommended plants; other parts may be toxic or inedible, even
though the flower may be delicious.

10. Gradually introduce flowers into your diet - one at a time and in small quantities, the way you would new food to a baby.
~
See also: Cathy’s Edible Calendula Flowers and Rosalind’s Flower Butter Recipes
~~
*Edible Flower Disclaimer
Cathy Wilkinson Barash is author of numerous garden books including Edible Flowers: From Garden to Palate.
© Cathy Wilkinson Barash
Image Credit: Bee Balm © Andy Estes | Dreamstime.com
OrganicToBe.org | OrganicToGo.com
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Pictured here are the other cupcakes that I made for my aunt’s b-day. And, just like the chocolate cupcakes in the previous post, these are also from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (of course!).

So, I chose these particular cupcakes because I wanted to make something that non-chocolate lovers could enjoy, as well as something that wouldn’t visually compete with the O’ Chocolate Cupcakes too much.

As a result, I baked the “Golden Vanilla Cupcakes” and topped them with “Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting.” They’re simply decorated with blue, pink, and yellow candy crystals, which I accomplished by rolling the sides of each cupcake onto a plate of mixed crystals.

And because I opted for ease (and uniqueness!) I decided to utilize a slightly different pattern/amount of candy for each cupcake, which actually turned out nicely.

vegan vanilla cupcakes