Organic Donuts. No, Really.

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Mmmm….organic donuts. Perhaps an oxymoron, but I’m a fan. You can get your hands on these little bundles of fried doughy goodness at the Carpe Donut mobile in Charlottesville, VA. Owners Matt Rohdie and Jen Downey dreamed up the divine fried dough creations as a way to combine their restaurant and entrepreneurial experience into the perfect food-on-wheels business. And to this, I say “Bravo”!

The donuts are made from organic apple cider, eggs, flour, and non-hydrogenated soybean oil. Simple. Organic. And addictive. From personal experience at a recent Smashing Pumpkins concert, I can attest to their crispy-on-the-outside, tender and cakey on the inside deliciousness.

You’ll find the Carpe Donut mobile (aka Gypsy) doling out apple cider donuts, organic coffee, fresh mulled hot cider and cioccolata at Charlottesville’s downtown mall on Friday mornings, at the mall’s pavilion during concerts and events, and at regional festivals.

Funnel cake, watch your back.

Event: Farm to Fork Dinner

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Farm fresh tomatoes are playing a starring role in a special five-course feast at Evening Star Cafe in Del Ray on Wednesday September 10th. The dinner, also hosted by Planet Wine and FRESHFARM Markets, is being prepared by Chef Will Artley and will feature local products from Three Way Farm, Eight Acres Farm, Smith Meadows Farm, and Dragon Creek Aqua Farm. All of the evening’s wines will be sourced from several Virginia wineries.

Farmfresh Market Dinner Menu

Cherry Tomato “BLT”

with Housemade Ricotta, Braised Bacon, Shallot & Parsley Salad

Trio of Tomatoes:

Tomato Salad with Arugula Pesto and Garlic Chips,

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho with Spicy Cucumber Ice,

Shrimp Fritter with Smoked Tomato Aioli

Seared Sea Scallop

with Tomato Carpachio, Wild Mushroom Ragout, Sweet Virgina Corm Sabayon & Basil Essence

Grilled Beef Tenderloin

with Tomato and Blue Cheese Gnocchi & Tomato Caviar and Napoleon of Ratatouille

Sweet Heirloom Tomato Tart

with Basil Ice Cream

The dinner costs $75 and includes wine but not tax or gratuity. For reservations, call Evening Star Cafe at 703-549-5051.

Playing in a Sustainable Schoolyard

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

SpongeBob lunchbox? Check. Miley Cyrus binder? Check. Sustainable schoolyard? Check! Complete the back-to-school ritual with a visit to the Sustainable Schoolyards display, part of the One Planet—Ours exhibit, at the U.S. Botanic Garden until October 13, 2008.

The Sustainable Schoolyard Exhibit includes:

  • solar features
  • water systems
  • edible gardens
  • wildlife habitat
  • green building
  • waste as a resource

Each part of the exhibit can be used to teach children about math, science, and of course, the importance of green communities for our health and the planet’s well-being. It’s a great opportunity to get them away from the TV and XBox and into nature.

Interested in learning more about how to green your schoolyard? Visit DC Schoolyard Greening. It features examples of what schools in our area are doing to promote greener living and sustainability such as planting herb, wildlife, and vegetable gardens; building green roofs; implementing composting programs; building birdhouses; and more.

Founding Farmers Opens Soon

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

DC’s first LEED-certified restaurant, Founding Farmers, which is slated to open in September, will arrive just in time to piggyback on America’s love affair with all things farm-related.

Touting “fresh farm to table American inspired food,” the 8,500 square foot restaurant designed by DC architecture firm CORE (Brasserie Beck, artiZEN Cafe, Greenwood) features farm silo-shaped booth seating made of recycled steel, ‘PaperStone’ countertops in the restrooms, reclaimed barn woods underfoot and for the communal farmhouse tables, green-sourced power, and low-VOC emitting paints.

But what good is a green restaurant without tasty food? No problem–Founding Farmers has that covered. Chef Graham Duncan has created a menu that feature “homemade traditional American classics inspired by the heartland” made with sustainably farmed products and in-season vegetables and fruits. Hearty fare includes fresh-baked breads, rustic farm sandwiches, pot roast, roasted chicken, and pies and desserts made in-house.

8 Green Ideas for Enjoying the Last Days of Summer

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Make the most of summer before Old Man Winter comes a knockin’. Here’s how:

  1. Pack a picnic with organic goodies from newly opened Sub-urban Trading Co., in Kensington, MD or stock up at one of the many farmer’s markets in the area.
  2. Fire up the grill one last time with free-range chicken and home-made sausages from Let’s Meat on the Avenue in Del Ray.
  3. Stroll through Rock Creek Park or the National Arboretum.
  4. Take a free walking tour, see the sites by bike, or even hop on a Segway.
  5. Check out a green roof.
  6. Build one of your own.
  7. Pick your own fruit at a nearby orchard.
  8. Get an au natural faux tan (well, you can do this anytime, but it’s great for Labor-day getaways)

Now, pile on the SPF and get out there while the going’s good.