Committing to Organic

Our first meal from the organic delivery.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I did the figures on how much we spend on fresh produce at the supermarket on a weekly basis, and based on our findings, we decided that it was high-time to take the plunge – to commit to a regular organic fruit and vegetable delivery.

The commitment isn’t just financial of course – it’s about making the most of every box of leafies that arrives at our door – learning how to prepare the plants we aren’t familiar with – finding new favourites – and, yes – eating out a little less.

To talk bald figures – we knew that if we committed to an organic delivery that cost $250 a week or less (the fruit and veg portion of our standard shopping budget), whose contents could make meals for the entire week, we would be saving a stack of cash (note: for two people, we eat a shit-ton of vegetables. That metric is no exaggeration). Plus – the value would in fact be far greater, because we tend to only really be able to find decent conventionally farmed fare at our local super.

We decided to go with Organic Empire. We’ve experimented with fruit and veg delivery companies before, but I have to say that this so far trumps our experience with the others. I met Angela the owner briefly, at a business event, and ran into her again at her stall on World Vegan Day in Melbourne last year. She’s doing amazing things – she really is – including growing a lot of the business’ own produce.

Please find pictured our first delivery. No – seriously. Each subsequent arrival has been nothing less than as spectacular as this. And you want to know how much moolah we part with on a weekly basis to get this magnificent harvest? Between $105 – $125. Which literally means we save over a hundred bucks on supermarket shopping each week to get what we need to feed (and juicify) us – and often more.

I know that people often feel a little hesitant when thinking about taking the plunge with organics (I know that I certainly did). There are a lot of fears that the produce will be full of bugs or soil or… well, you know – other random organic matter – but to speak with utter honesty, the quality of the produce we’ve received from Organic Empire has surpassed that of the conventional crap we buy at supermarkets – and has all been clean, well washed upon arrival and has kept gorgeously all the way through until the 7th day of the week (when we toss all the vegetables we have left over into a big pot and make a hearty stew or soup).

I’ve been recommending Organic Empire to my friends (a lot) lately and don’t hesitate to recommend them to you, too – they’re a good business with stellar service and a truly great product.

- MZ. x

Current obsession: coconut water

I’ve replaced my daily takeaway coffee with a daily coconut water. And boy is my body ever cleaner and happier for it. The number of coconut waters gracing the market now is something extraordinary. My local is usually never short of Cocobella. I also luurrve C Coconut Water and Dr. Antonio Martin’s CoCo Juice

Peppermint Magazine (pictured) does a great li’l writeup of this insanely healthy bevvie in their latest and greatest issue yet (imho) – Autumn 2012. I had the pleasure of meeting Pep’s Deputy Editor, Tess Curran the other evening and I have to say that I’m really rather excited the previously mostly-Brisbane-based publication going to be corresponding now from Melbourne, Australia. No matter where you are, howevs – if you’re not into Peppermint Mag yet, go there. It’s a leading voice in sustainable style – zero BS.

- MZ.

Brunch at Ceres: Soba Salad

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We trotted along the Merri Creek Trail to Ceres for brunch yesterday. It’s like going on a secret hike through the wilderness (lite) to get there, and I love having to climb up the bank like a little otter (or platypus) and pass through the bike workshop to arrive at the café.

They’ve got to do something about the wait times for food on weekends there, but it’s a nice little sojourn if you’re not in a big hurry. And the green veg & tofu soba salad (not to mention the Australian bush-spice chai) was really worth it. Really.

- MZ.

Intelligent Breakfast


I’m not huge on breakfast that isn’t fresh fruit or vegetable based, but Forage may just see me stray into pre-midday cereal-land.

Thursday evening was KORA & Tom Organic‘s first fabulous collaborative event From The Inside Out (celebrating holistic wellbeing on International Women’s Day) and the exquisite takeaway goodie bags were replete with extraordinary loot – including Forage Cereal.

Keep reading…

How toxed-up is your box?

So, the big news is: I’ve just started a new, full-time job. As of next week, I’ll be stepping into the full-time shoes of Digital Editor & Special Projects Magic Maker at Dumbo Feather. Yep, you read right. Dumbo. Feather. This means that I’m going to be writing slightly less frequently here at Superéthique (but I’ll still have my finger 100% on the pulse, trust me).

It’s an incredible new opportunity to help grow an amazing publication, business and community, and it’s buoyed only further by the fact that I work in the same building as a bunch of other amazing businesses whose social and ethical heart is whole and vibrantly beating.

And of course, the other (seriously super) ethical business that lives under this roof that couldn’t be closer to my heart – or should I say, vagina (and yes, I did) – is TOM Organic. Keep reading…

Green plant love

 

In some moist and Heavenly place
We will set it out to grow.

– Edna St Vincent Millay, from “The Blue-Flag in The Bog”

A place where nothing grows usually means bad news. A toxic environment certainly, if nothing natural can survive. So this should have been a dire warning to me when I moved in to a basement flat three years ago, and none of my house plants survived to the next months rent payment.

Being a lover of nature, I was dismayed not to have any greenery in my living environment. I tried my best with the courtyard garden – a rarity in Central London and the reason for taking the flat in the first place – but with only four hours direct sunlight a day at best, it was only dense, forest plants like ferns that flourished in that garden. Fuschias withered before they had a chance to be popped; a stack of basil plants  produced enough leaves for only a few tablespoons of pesto. It was a garden where plants came to die.

The situation has, thankfully, improved.   Having endured over two years of the basement flat of dodgy wiring, scary neighbours and no sun, we now have a beautiful home in the country with a living room that gets all day sun, ideal for cultivating a little family of house plants.

Me and My Plant is a campaign currently running in the UK to encourage people to consider getting a house plant for the amazing benefits they provide. Here’s just a few of them: Keep reading…

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