I’ve known about BunnieCakes for a while, but I finally made it to Juice & Java on the Beach last weekend and got to try these delicious vegan and organic cupcakes (see a video of my interview on the side video).

There I met Mariana, the baker behind BunnieCakes, who explained that she began looking into vegan baking after not being able to find sugar and gluten-free food for her children. After some experimentation in the kitchen and some tweaking of her grandma’s cupcake recipe, she developed her own recipe, which substitutes butter, wheat flour, sugar and eggs for things like apple sauce, agave and sugar cane.

Her vegan cupcakes come in mini and regular sizes ($1.50-$2.75) and in 15 flavors including red velvet, vanilla ginger, passion fruit, key lime and espresso. They are currently available at the natural food and juice emporium Juice & Java in South Beach and in Aventura, at Garden of Eat’in, and very soon at the Saturday Doral Farmers Market. You can also place orders online and delight your friends at your next get-together, or send your mom a yummy animal-cruelty-free treat for Mother’s Day.

For more information visit www.BunnieCakes.com continue

April is gone and with it all the cool Earth-Day related events that April brought us. However, there’s still a lot of fun and environmentally friendly things to do this week.

Wedneday, April 28
>Active lifestyle networking: Join Miami Active’s monthly meeting. The group encourages the free exchange of information and ideas to promote active lifestyles and business networks. Free. 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 28 at Whole Foods Coral Gables, 6701 Red Road. Meets in the Lifestyle Center,

>Hear environmentalist Bill McKibben discuss his new book, “Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet.” Believed to be one of the first to warn against climate change in his book “The End of Nature” 20 years ago, McKibben now insists that we need to acknowledge that we’ve waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. He’ll be at Books & Books in Coral Gables, 265 Aragon Ave. 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 28. Free.

>Stroll the gardens of Vizcaya under the moonlight: Don’t miss this romantic moonlight tour of the Vizcaya gardens. Enjoy live music, wine and delicious refreshments. 6:60 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, April 28. Tours leave at different intervals throughout the night. Vizcaya is located at 3251 South Miami Avenue Miami. Tickets: $15 for general admission, $10 for students, seniors and members.

Thursday, April 29
>Chilean food & wine tasting: Wanting to help Chile recover but can’t get on a plane? Support the country by supporting its cheese and wine at this free tasting. 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, April 29. Whole Foods South Beach, 1020 Alton Rd.

>’80’s themed free yoga: SoBe Pilates is having an ’80s-themed grand opening party with MC Miss Elaine Lancaster. Stop by for free fitness demos, refreshments and raffles. 7-9 p.m., Thursday April 29. Located on 950 Arthur Godfrey Rd., Miami Beach. 305-763-8878. continue

I always keep an eye open for local green trends or eco-chic products, so I decided to start sharing what I find in the form of a regular post. Feel free to e-mail me your spottings to editor@theecozine.com.

Here are some of my weekend green spottings:

>Organic bamboo underwear at Touche Muah on Meridian Avenue:
The store was closed when I spotted this so I couldn’t get in for a better shot, but -as I later found out- Touche Muah is a line of organic bamboo fabric underwear created by Miami Beach resident Ivelin Giro. Check out their store on 1671 Meridian Ave, just off Lincoln Road.




>Organic sake at Sushi Siam: One of Miami’s favorite spots for sushi and Thai food, the restaurant is now selling Sho Chiku Bai Organic Nama (sorry for the terrible picture quality, long story).

>Recycling bins on Lincoln Road: They have been there for a few months now, but I’m so happy that we finally have them there that I wanted to share this pic with those who haven’t been to the beach in a while. While the City of Miami Beach could to a little more to encourage recycling, like putting the those bins all over the beach (including on the beach/ sand) and not only on Lincoln Road, this is a small step towards an eco-friendly SoBe.



Have you had any green spotting lately? E-mail you pics along with a description to editor@theecozine.com.

Still not sure what to plant in your spring garden?

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden is getting ready for its 31st Annual Spring Plant Fair April 24-25, only that this time it’s going to include the best from last year’s Edible Garden Festival, making it even more interesting.

This is the best opportunity to get your supplies of edibles before the summer is here.

The event will include culinary demos, a farmer’s market, lectures on composting, gardening, recycling and organic pest control, plus it’s your chance to check out dozens of local vendors.

More details will be coming soon.

Still not sure what to plant in your spring garden?

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden is getting ready for its 31st Annual Spring Plant Fair April 24-25, only that this time it’s going to include the best from last year’s Edible Garden Festival, making it even more interesting.

This is the best opportunity to get your supplies of edibles before the summer is here.

The event will include culinary demos, a farmer’s market, lectures on composting, gardening, recycling and organic pest control, plus it’s your chance to check out dozens of local vendors.

More details will be coming soon.

The Fertile Earth Foundation has been doing a lot lately, including starting a composting program with the City of Miami and getting some South Beach hotels to participate in it and compost their food waste.

The non-profits’ latest endeavor: a beer making class in collaboration with the Earth N’ Us Farm, which will take place this weekend at the farm.

“From Seeds to Suds, an Introduction to Homebrewing” is the best way for beer lovers who were always curious about brewing to get down and dirty. The class is also great for Miami’s locavores who sometimes wonder how to live the lifestyle without sacrificing the taste.

The class will cover many things, including:

• What equipment do I need in order to brew my own beer from home?
• What ingredients do I use to make beer?
o What other flavors can I add to my beer?
• How long does fermentation really take?
• Why and how is beer carbonated?

If you go:

WHAT: Beer making class
WHERE: Earth N’ US, 7630 NE 1st Ave
WHEN: Sunday, March 21, 2010 from 1to 5 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $45 now through March 20, $55 thereafter.
MORE INFO: Fertile Earth Foundation events

Photo courtesy of Trico741

Buying local has become a lot easier thanks to a new deal between Publix Super Markets and Redland Farms

Food grown at Miami’s Redland Farms has long been marked as Florida-grown, not really making a distinction between tomatoes picked 400 miles from here and those picked within county lines just few hours before.

Well, not anymore. The supermarket will start marking produce grown in the farms near Homestead under the label “Redland-Raised” in an incentive to promote locally-grown food.

Expect to find Redland-Raised avocados, green beans, yellow squash, zucchini, okra, sweet potato, tomatoes, papayas and sapotes, among other things.

I’ll be posting pictures of the produce after my next trip to the market.

Image by wonderlane

Halloween can be scary, really scary.

Think about all the candy wrappers ending up in landfills and the flashy costumes bought and tossed the next day.

Think about all the calories that you’ll put on before, during and after Halloween -yes, Halloween candy bowls tend to stay around for days after Halloween.

Doing the right thing doesn’t mean you have to miss on the fun.

Here are some tips for a green Halloween:

1-Costume: Instead of buying a $20 synthetic outfit shipped from China, get creative and come out with the same outfit with things you already have at home. The most common outfits are easy to recreate: a pirate, a nurse, a witch. Use old clothes or stop by a nearby Goodwill Store, where you could even find a used costume. Check out this site for inspiration. This site also has good ideas for home-made outfits for children, although some require some preparation.

2-Office candy: You can’t stop co-workers from bringing in candy, but you can try talking to them about having a healthy Halloween this year. There are tons of tasty snacks that won’t disappoint their taste buds. If no one sounds very exited about the idea, still bring some healthy snacks for them to try. It might change their minds, and it will keep you away from their candy bowl. Nuts and dried fruits are my favorite. Reduce your waste by looking for stores that sell the snacks by weight. Fruits and a few dips will also keep co-workers hanging around your desk (think yogurt, chocolate, peanut butter, just to name a few). Read labels and watch out for calorie-filled dips.

3-Pumpkin carving: Forget about this wasteful activity unless you plan to eat the pumpkin filling. Check out www.pumpkinrecipes.us for recipes and ideas. Make sure the pumpkin is later composted.

4-Education: Talk to your child about healthy and unhealthy candy. The site Greenhalloween.org suggests setting up a point system: they get points for every piece of candy they collect (and don’t eat), and then they get to trade their points for a new toy. If you have small children, you can also agree with other parents to only give out healthy candy, then take your kids only to their homes.

5-Treats: Most children are told not to eat unwrapped candy, so they might not eat dried fruits and nuts. Instead, give out small toys such as playing cards, books or crayons. You can buy certain amount of small toys, wrap each in magazine paper and put them in a tray or bowl. Have each trick-or-treating child pick one prize. They’ll love the surprise factor.

6-More candy: If nuts and dried fruit won’t do, you can always shop at health food stores for granola bars, chocolate-covered fruits and nuts, and organic and nutritious snacks. Make sure that all boxes, wraps and bags are recyclable. Buy bags of loose candy as opposed of individually wrapped candy. You can also make your own granola or chocolate dipped snacks.

7-The day after: Take your time to separate recyclables in their respective containers. Candy can be composted, so just toss away all the candy you don’t plan to eat or you’ll end up eating it. If you got a used costume from a Goodwill Store, plan to take it back. You won’t use it again and someone else could.

8-Share ideas: What do you do to make your Halloween green? Comment below! I’d love to hear what do you.

Image by jeffk

Thinking about starting a vegetable garden?

Then Fairchild’s Edible Garden Festival is your best first stop: get seeds, seedlings and advice from experts. Today is the festival’s last day, so don’t think too much about it.

I stopped by yesterday and got tons of advice on how to fight the insects that are colonizing my pepper plant, and I also picked up four ounces of composting worms that I can’t wait to start feeding.

Here are the five reasons why you should go today:

1-Seedlings: Although I didn’t get any -I’ve learned to quiet my beginner’s enthusiasm and be realistic about the space I actually have-there were dozens of seedlings to pick from: mint, parsley, chives, basil, pepper, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumber, arugula, romaine lettuce, jalapeno, celery, collard, carrots and more.

2-Worms: What I did end up getting was four ounces of worms after hearing Lanette Sobel from the Fertile Earth Foundation give a basic intro to composting with worms.

I’ve been collecting all my kitchen waste in pots and mixing it with soil that I later use for planting, but this takes a lot of space. Worms sounded like a faster and more space efficient idea. I’ll be keeping you up-to-date on my worm composting experience.

3-Lectures: This is the best part of the festival. Learn everything from growing tomatoes to growing edibles South Beach style. You’ll hardly find so many experts on edible plant matters at the same place elsewhere. Check out today’s schedule.

I was particularly interested in yesterday’s “Organic Pest and Disease Management” lecture by Andres Mejides: about a week ago, I found some yellow and white insects on my pepper plant.

With a lot of humor, Mejides went from the gentler pest solutions -like ladybugs- to the stronger ones -like sulpher. What I have apparently are aphids, so following his advice, I’ll use chili pepper and garlic to fight them.

4-Involvement: Learn about local organizations promoting edible green spaces and get involved.

GROW, a non-profit urban farm educating the community on land reclamation and urban farming, was there to talk about its farm by the airport and giving away free herbs grown there.

The Urban Oasis Project, which recently completed its 10/10 by 10/10 campaign (10 families, 10 gardens by October 10) was there getting the word out and selling seeds and sprouting kits. (Ok, here’s my disclaimer: I volunteer for this wonderful organization).

5-Local vendors:I ran across some interesting local vendors producing delicious products:

Delightful Bites was selling all kinds of rich homemade jams, jellies, preserves and chutneys.

Bees N the Keys had a variety of honey flavors and I was told you can actually visit their bee farm in Key Largo, something I plan to do next time I’m in the area.

Crackerman Crackers, based out of Bay Harbor Islands, is also worth checking out. They use unbleached flour and only a handful of ingredients for their crackers and breads- the old-fashioned way bread should be.

They specialize in two products: crackers made of golden and brown organic flaxseed and sesame seed, and German-style whole wheat bread made with organic pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Since I began growing veggies in my apartment last month, thoughts about seeds, soil, seedlings and worms (yes, worms) have occupied my mind more than they should (e.g.: I had to forbid myself from making more trips to Home Depot).

So when I heard that Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden was having its annual Edible Garden Festival Oct. 24-25, I rushed to their site to make sure it was not sold out (it’s not) and was even more thrilled after reading the list of lectures scheduled through the weekend, including one by Melissa Contreras, co-founder of the Urban Oasis Project (I was inspired to start growing veggies after attending a potluck at her home and seeing the dozens of tropical fruit trees, spices and veggies she grows).

So what can you learn at the festival? See it for yourself; here is the complete schedule: (I’m still trying to get a schedule broken down by day so I can decide which day I’ll go):

Lectures

Saturday, October 24

* 10:00 a.m. The Sustainable Edible Garden, Ginny Stibolt
* 11:00 a.m. Creative Container Gardening, Carolyne Coppolo
* 12:00 p.m. Growing Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, Margie Pikarsky
* 1:00 p.m. Edible Landscaping in Paradise, Gabriele Marewski
* 2:00 p.m. Organic Pest and Disease Management, Andres Mejides
* 3:00 p.m. Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening, Adrian Hunsberger
* 4:00 p.m. Growing the Chocolate Pudding Fruit in South Florida, Noris Ledesma

Sunday, October 25

* 10:00 a.m. Get Your Veggie Garden Growing!, Angela Garrison
* 11:00 a.m. Creative Container Gardening, Carolyne Coppolo
* 12:00 p.m. Sustainable Gardening: Rain Gardens, Ginny Stibolt
* 1:00 p.m. South Florida Gardening with Fruits and Vegetables, Dr. Richard J. Campbell
* 2:00 p.m. Counter Top Gardening with Sprouts, Keith Seidler
* 3:00 p.m. Easy as Takeout: Asian Edibles in the Landscape!,Ron Mossman
* 4:00 p.m. Extreme Edible Landscaping: Urban Homesteading!, Melissa Contreras

Gardening Demonstrations:

Saturday, October 24

* 11:30 a.m. The Fall Veggie Garden: South Beach Style, Danny Ackell
* 1:30 p.m. Composting and Worms, Lanette Sobel

Sunday, October 25

* 10:00 a.m. Slow Food School Gardens, Hunter Reno
* 1:30 p.m. Square Foot Gardening with Kids, Hunter Reno

Cooking Demos

Saturday, October 24

* 11:30 a.m. Johnson & Wales
* 12:30 p.m. Chef Sean Bernal of Oceanaire Seafood Room
* 1:30 p.m. Herb Pesto, Chef Kira Volz of Creek 28
* 2:30 p.m. Avocado Tartar, Chef Elizabeth Barlow of Canyon Ranch

Sunday, October 25

* 11:30 a.m. Chef Adri Garcia of Green Rocks Foods and Mise en Place
* 1:30 p.m. Chef Giancarla Bodoni from Escopazzo
* 2:30 p.m. Chef Lori Moldovan, Certified Holistic Health Counselor

A scarecrow contest will be going on too. Although it’s too late to participate, it should be interesting to watch, specially since the materials have to be environmentally-friendly.

Click here for a printable coupon worth $5 off admission. Check back for a schedule broken down by day, I’m hoping to get a copy soon.

What lectures are you looking forward? Which one is a can’t miss? I’d love to read your comments and thoughts!

IF YOU GO:
WHAT: Fairchild’s Edible Garden Festival and Scarecrow Contest
WHEN: Oct. 24-25 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Rd., Coral Gables
MORE INFO: Visit Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden’s website

After a little hesitation, I finally joined a produce buying club called the Organic Produce Buying Club of South Florida (read below for a complete list of CSA’s and buying clubs in South Florida). I got my first box of organic and locally-grown produce yesterday and I’m so pleased with my shipment!

Although a produce buying club is a little different than a Community Supported Agriculture group, they share a similar concept: you support local farmers and get cheaper organic produce.

Basically, a farmer will offer a number of “shares” or memberships to the public at a fixed price, and in turn, customers will receive a weekly -or bi-weekly- shipment of seasonal organic veggies and fruits. Prices are lower than at farmers markets because buyers, as a group, are buying in bulk. Another advantage is that most produce is picked up about 24 hours before the shipment, so you get incredibly fresh food.

This is as close as growing your own organic produce as you can get, even better than a farmer’s market.

The reason I didn’t join a CSA is because of you have to pay for the whole season in advance (about $600) whereas you pay-as-you-go in the buying club.

I have to admit my first shipment exceeded my expectations. I was hesitant because of the price: $49 per box, shipped to a local pickup location twice a month. They explained the box would be enough for a family of three or four who eat four home-prepared meals a week. We’re two at home, and I’m a working-from-home vegetarian who loves to cook, meaning I eat about eight or nine veggie-packed meals at home per week. My worry was that the produce might not be enough and that I would end up paying too much for it.

I decided to still give it a try, and I’m glad I did. This is what I got yesterday:

This is the detailed list:
7 bananas
4 yellow nectarines
7 Valencia oranges
13 ginger gold apples
cilantro
spinach
a red-tip leaf lettuce
an orange cauliflower
a red cabbage
a bag of Cremini mushrooms
baby tomatoes
3 yellow onions
2 garlic heads
11 carrots
2 acorn squashes
4 Russet potatoes

If you don’t like anything in the box, you can always exchange it, but it wasn’t my case.

I also loved the surprise factor à la Iron Chef. I drove back home thinking what would go good with what, what would be the best way to cook those squashes (any suggestions? I never cooked them before), and how I’d use the orange cauliflower to try an Indian recipe with curry that I found a while ago.

Anyway, I compiled a list of local CSAs and buying clubs:
Let me know if you don’t see your CSA here. Also, I’d like to hear your experience with CSAs, tips, which one has worked best for you?

ORGANIC PRODUCE BUYING CLUB OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Area served: Central pickup location in Bal Harbor Islands, satellite locations throughout SoFla.
Cost: $20 membership fee, $49 per shipment, which must be pre-paid during the previous pick-up.
Frequency: Every two weeks
Box size: 25-35 lbs of fruits and veggies.
Notes: Additional produce is available with prior notice. You can request half a shipment too, and they’ll help you find someone to split your share. Volunteer some hours and get a $10-$30 discount from your next share.
More info: Visit www.organicbuyingclubsofla.com

REDLAND ORGANICS
Area served: Located three miles north of Homestead, with additional pickup sites scattered between the Lower Keys and Pompano Beach.
Cost: As a CSA, you pay in advance for the five-month season, $630 for the full share, $375 for half, for 19 to 20 pickups, resulting in $31-$34 per share. Delivery at a pickup location has an additional fee: $40 for pickup in Miami-Dade, $60 in Broward, $100 in the Keys.
Frequency:Weekly
Box size: According to their site, a weekly full share is enough for a family of up to four.
Notes: The season runs for about 22 weeks from mid-November through mid-April. Four-week trial for $170. Additional produce available for purchase.
More info: Visit www.redlandorganics.com

FARM FRESH MIAMI
Area served: Pickups throughout Miami-Dade.
Cost: $50 per box, $30 for half a share, paid in advance during the previous pick-up. There is also a $30 one-time membership fee, and you must pay for your last share when joining to avoid “stand ups.”
Frequency: Every two weeks
Box size: 25-30lbs of produce in the full box, 15+lbs in the split share.
Notes: They are currently offering free one-week trials.
More info: Visit www.farmfreshmiami.com

GREEN CAY PRODUCE
Area served: Located in Boynton Beach, with additional pickup locations in central and southern Palm Beach County
Cost: $34 for a large box ($40 if delivered to a pickup site), $22 for the small box ($28 with delivery). Pay for the 34-week season in advance and get a free box at the end of the season.
Frequency: Either weekly or every other week.
Box size: Large box measures: 13″h x 12″w x 15″l, with eight to 10 items. Small box is 7″h x 11″w x 14″l, with six to eight items.
Notes: Different payment plans available.
More info: Visit Green Cay Produce of Farming Systems Research

WORDEN FARM
Area served: located in Punta Gorda, serves with pickup locations throughout Southwest Florida.
Cost:As a CSA, you pay $600 in advance for the 20-week season, resulting in $30 per share. Additional $60 fee for delivery at a pickup site.
Frequency: Weekly
Box size: According to their site, each shipment has eight or more items, enough for two people.
Notes:Currently open for enrollment. Season runs from the first week of December to the middle of April. Additional produce is available for purchase.
More info: Visit www.wordenfarm.com

09/16/09 update: I found a few more local CSAs I’d like to include in the list:

ANNIE’S ORGANIC PRODUCE BUYING CLUB OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Area served: Pickup locations throughout the tri-county area and the keys.
Cost: $45 per box, half share available for $35.
Frequency: Weekly or bi-weekly
Box size: Up to 35 lbs.
Notes: You can choose among different types of boxes: Florida-grown produce only, more veggies than fruits, veggies for juices only, etc. Also sells organic dairy, meats, nuts, prepared foods like hummus and more.
More info: Visit: www.anniesbuyingclub.com

Fruit juices and smoothies, vegetarian empanadas, organic produce and an endless honey selection; the farmers market at the Normandy Village Marketplace has everything to complement a day at the beach in a friendlier and more tranquil atmosphere than its South Beach counterpart on tourist trap Lincoln Road.

Stop for brunch and pick up a few Argentine empanadas ($1.95 each, three for $5.50) and an iced natural juice ($3.75 to $5.25) before heading down to the beach (just a few blocks away).

Besides regular chicken, meat and tuna empanadas, the Juices & Bites booth (which has a permanent juice bar across the street) sells a broad selection of vegetarian-friendly empanadas including spinach, spinach and cheese, corn and bechamel, broccoli and cheddar, onion and mozzarella, caprese, and three cheese. They also make all sorts of juices and smoothies including strawberry, banana, passion fruit, guava, mango, papaya, carrot and celery, and sell fresh coconut milk (let’s just pretend those soda cans next to the coconuts are not there).

The produce booth is a little pricey (in the $2-for-a-large-mango-price range ) but everything is organic and you can find many rare veggies that regular grocery stores don’t always carry.

Stop by the Bee Land’s booth for, well, you know what to get here. Most honey jars sell for $5-12, although there are a few family size bottles in the $40s. They sell uncommon flavors like eucalyptus honey, and jars with almonds and other nuts inside, as well as bee pollen and royal jelly, used to treat depression, menopause symptoms and other conditions.

The other booths at the market sell orchids and flowers (which I personally have some reservations about buying here or anywhere, but that should be another topic of conservation) as well as handmade jewelry.

Compared to the Lincoln Road market, there are only about six vendors here, meaning less price competition, but hey, it also means less time spent shopping around and more time at the beach.

If you go:
WHAT: Farmers Market at Normandy Village Marketplace
WHERE: 900 Block of 71st Street at the Normandy Isle Fountain, along the Rue Vendome, North Beach.
WHEN: Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MORE INFO: Visit www.themarketcompany.org

Pizza Volante, which opened a few months ago in the Design District, offers tasty Italian food with a twist: most foods are organic and locally-produced when possible, including their cheese (who knew they made cheese in West Palm Beach?).

Try the Volante 100 Pizza, made only with toppings purchased within a 100-mile radius. This includes tomatoes, basil, eggplant, arugula and other locally available veggies and cheeses.

Match it with an organic beer (Florida brews go for $4) or wine (all bottles under $18) and you are ready to go.

Beware that not everything here is organic or locally-produced, so it’s best to always ask. Oh, yeah, and a 100-mile radius might not be local enough for some locavores. However, you have to give Pizza Volante credit for trying. Maybe more restaurants will catch up on this.

The restaurant offers an excellent appetizer concept: you choose between three cheeses -mozzarella di bufala, burrata, or a locally-grown cheese-, and then choose two accompanying sides, such as breaded zucchini fritti, organic tomatoes, breaded and fried fennel, or roasted peppers. You’ll get a heavenly sample place.

Classics like margherita and caprichosa pizzas range in price from $10-$14.

The restaurant also has daily specials such as organic chicken cacciatore with broccoli rabe ($10, Mondays), lasagna marinara with sheep’s milk ricotta ($12, Wednesdays), eggplant parmigiana ($9, Fridays), veal marsala with herb roasted potatoes ($14, Saturdays).

Check out their cheese bar, and get one of their local cheeses to go.

If you go:
Pizza Volante (no Web site yet)
3918 N. Miami Ave
305-573-5325