My grocery store trips have usually been rushed affairs, and I rarely have taken notice of other customers’ purchases or shopping practices. Recently, however, Clean Fairfax was designated as Whole Foods’ recipient for a Nickels for Nonprofits campaign (through January 15), whereby shoppers could donate the five cents returned to them for each reusable tote …

It starts by getting kids to recognize the challenges we face as stewards of our environment, and then supporting them in devising solutions. Problems like the environmental degradation caused by litter and chemical pollutants, the vast amounts of food and other resources wasted in school settings, and the lack of affordable fresh produce for low …

What would make your Thanksgiving more green?     No, it’s not about a green turkey or even just going for the vegetarian option. First of all, how about getting outside in nature? Fortunately, Thanksgiving marks that time of year where, here in northern Virginia, we can usually still enjoy some outside time without having to drag out …

Sunchoke and Spinach Soup 3 ½ cups scrubbed and peeled sunchokes, cut into 1-inch pieces [Tuscarora Mountain Farm, Spring Run, PA] 3 cloves of garlic 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces [Porter Farm, Elba, NY] 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup spinach 2 cups whole milk 2 cups vegetable broth ½ teaspoon salt …

[Sorry about the hiatus, friends! Here’s something to warm you up after the snow!] Butternut Squash, Purple Carrot & Broccoli Bowl with Chipotle Almond Sauce For the Bowl: 1 Bowl. But also… 1 small butternut squash [The Farm at Sunnyside, Washington, VA] 1 large purple carrot [Second Spring Farm, Wheatland, VA] 1 tablespoon olive oil …

Creamy Mushroom, White Bean & Rosemary Soup with Rosemary & Sea Salt Flatbread Flatbread: 1 cup warm water 1 package (1 tablespoon) active dry yeast ½ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon honey 2-2 ¼ cups flour 3-4 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped [Shenandoah Herbs, Harrisonburg, VA] Coarse sea salt, for …

OK, so I’m stretching it a little bit with the puns today. Whatever. BBQ Pulled Sweet Potato Sandwiches With Collard Green Coleslaw Coleslaw (Make this first) 3-4 cups collard greens [Kirby Farms, Mechanicsville, VA] ¼ teaspoon salt 1 medium Pink Lady apple [Crown Orchard, Batesville, VA] 1 medium carrot [Van Dessel Farms, Accomack, VA] ½ …

Sweet Potato and Acorn Squash “Nachos” 1 Covington sweet potato [Scott Farms, Lucama, MD] ½ acorn squash [Leone Farm, Vineland, NJ] 1 tablespoon olive oil 1-1 ½ teaspoon Southwest Seasoning [Von Brake Spices, Deep River, CT] ¾ cup refried beans ½ cup black beans 2-3 tablespoons salsa (I used black bean and corn salsa, because …

Roasted Beet, Watercress, and Ricotta Grilled Cheese 1 Beet [Van Dessel Farm, Accomack, VA] Just a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper 1-2 tablespoons butter 2 slices of bread Some fresh mozzarella cheese Some Ricotta cheese A handful of watercress [Mock’s Farm, Berkeley Springs, WV] Before you start grilling any cheese, peel, slice, …

Grapefruit Cornmeal Cake Cake: 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus more for greasing) 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup cornmeal [from Woodson’s Mill, Lowesville, VA] 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon finely grated grapefruit zest plus 1/3 cup fresh grapefruit …