Debbie Meyer Green Bags for Long Lasting Fruits & Veggies

With summer produce here and our local co-op in full swing (http://www.athens.locallygrown.net/), I was desperate for a way to make my beautiful fruits and vegetables last longer. I'd seen Debbie Meyer's Green Bags on TV (http://www.cakecutter.com/greenbags.html), and on a recent visit to Alabama, my mom mentioned them. I don't usually order things from TV, but I was considering trying these out when, as luck would have it, I found them in the Kroger produce department. The bags supposedly contain a natural mineral that absorbs the ripening gas that fruits and veggies produce. The absorption of the gas then is supposed to make the fruits and veggies stay fresh longer. The bags at Kroger are $9.99 for a box of 20 and each bag can be re-used 7-8 times. So far, I really like them. They're easy to use and seem to be working. I think they are definitely worth trying if you find yourself with lots of fruits and veggies that you don't want to freeze or can. I'll keep you posted as time goes on. If you try them out, email us and share your experience with Debbie Meyer's Green Bags - thesoutherndish@gmail.com (and no, the Southern Dish receives no compensation for products we recommend. They are just things we like!)

Hormone-free Dairy Products

I love rich, creamy dairy products: butter, cheese, sour cream...yum! Lately, many of us cooks, foodies, and eaters of all sorts have had concerns about the levels of bovine growth hormone in our dairy products. The long and short of it is that some dairy farms have traditionally shot up their dairy cows with synthetic hormones to make the cows grow faster and produce more milk sooner. Well, guess what? Not that I ever thought of it until recently, but those hormones get into the dairy products and then get into our bodies and may affect our and our children's growth and development. But I just can't stop eating all of my favorites, so I wanted to tell you all about a few products that I'm aware of that claim to be hormone free. I'm not making any promises here, folks, but these products are self-reported hormone free and are in most major supermarkets:

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream (yay!)
Horizon Organic
Kraft 2 % cheese (who'd have thunk?)
Organic Valley
Stoneyfield Farms

For more hormone-free dairy products in your area, go to http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/dairymap/ and click on your state! Happy eating!

Olive Oil goes Southern!

When you think of using oils or fats in your cooking do you still think of plain ol' vegetable oil, shortening, butter, and (gulp!) the dreaded lard? Well, those things may still have their places rare occasions, but it is time to become of a part of the olive oil revolution, if you haven't already. I, like many others, have been cooking with olive oil for years. Also known as sweet oil, olive oil reportedly has many healthful properties and, I can say from experience, lends a lovely flavor to savory dishes. If you want to be true to your Southern roots and still use a luscious olive oil, I have the solution for you. Not long ago at a wonderful market (Poppies) in Brevard, NC, I tasted an olive oil that is bottled in, of all places, North Carolina. It truly is the best olive oil I've tasted. The brand is Theros, and the website is http://www.therosoliveoil.com/. The family who makes the oil, as I understand it, has a family olive grove in Greece. The oil is extracted there and then bottled and sold in NC with the help of a local culinary school's kitchen. The taste can't be beat and the product is the most local olive oil I know about. So check out the website and see if there is a retailer near you (pssst --- you can also order online). Then grab a loaf of bread, tear off a hunk, and start dipping. Of course, it is great for cooking, too! And next time you're in Brevard, NC, go to Poppies market for other great finds!

Do you have a great cooking find to share or a product you would like us to review? Send us an email - thesoutherndish@gmail.com.

A Southern Dish Favorite: Xocolatl Gourmet Chocolates

How do I love thee? Oh, Chocolate, let me count the ways! I love you milk, dark, with nuts, in bars, to drink...Well, you get the point! And I have found a new favorite gourmet chocolate shop in my very own former hometown, Macon, Ga. The name of this divine chocolatier is Xocolatl Gourmet. Check out the website at http://www.xocolatlgourmet.com/. Have you seen the move Chocolat? This is a real-life version. I was lucky enough to receive a gift box from Xocolatl Gourmet for Christmas. I opened it to find a decadent mix of flavorful dark chocolate as luxuriously wrapped bars, whimsical frogs, and sweet-salty clusters with roasted pistachios and dried fruits. For your next special treat for yourself or as a gift, remember Xocolatl Gourmet...they'll also whip up special creations for events, too. Xocolatl Gourmet is definitely a Southern Dish fave!