--Erin Russell, Chinook Book Sales Coordinator

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it's all about the gathering of great people and amazing food.  This year I have pledged with the Cascade Harvest Coalition's Eat Local for Thanksgiving campaign and need to take a look at my options for having an unforgettable meal!

Ballard Farmers Market: I love buying produce at the Ballard Farmers Market because it feels like an adventure to see who has what local produce and products.  I plan on purchasing some local cheese at the Ballard Farmerís Market to use as an appetizer on Thanksgiving. Search ecometro.com to find the closest farmers market to you. More...

Have you ever thought about what sort of food grows around your neighborhood? The bounty of edibles found right around the corner, from apples and nuts to rosemary and greens, is astounding. The urban landscape is filled with fresh, free food if you just know what to look for. Plants you might normally ignore, like dandelions or nettles, can be cooked into healthy, delicious meals.

Many people first experienced wild foods in their childhood—learning to mushroom hunt with their grandfather or picking apples from a neighbor’s tree. Looking for wild fruits, veggies, and nuts is a fun family activity that helps teach kids the value of local, fresh food. In addition to having kids help you forage for your own kitchen, you can volunteer to help harvest urban edibles for those in need (see resources below). More...

Six years after plans were laid to open a new Whole Foods on 15th St that would service Ballard, Magnolia and Downtown commuters and residents, Interbay Whole Foods opened its doors to the public for a pre-Grand Opening gala on October 12, 2009 that was attended by over 1000 people. Not yet open for business, the new store had its wares on display, fully-stocked shelves providing an ornamental backdrop to the main attraction: the food. Proving Whole Foods' signature ability to tempt at every turn, premium hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine were served throughout the aisles. More...

Seattle, Washington.  August 31, 2009.  Five years after its conception, Seattle’s Chaco Canyon Organic Café is now Washington State’s first fully certified organic vegetarian restaurant and one of only approximately 10 certified organic restaurants in the country.   

While the café has always sourced about 95% organic ingredients, the Oregon Tilth certifying agency has now verified the café’s compliance with the USDA National Organic Program standards.   More...

Despite its population density, the Capitol Hill neighborhood has taken the prize for newest frozen dessert shops to residents ratio (see here and here) with the opening of Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream & Tea Room.

This establishment is going right for EcoMetro's heart, employing reused materials in the cafe design (check out the tables and mini stage, once a basketball court), as well as local, wholesome ingredients for the ice cream and other goodies. According to the owner, Josh: "The dairy comes from all-natural, hormone-free cows in Washington and Oregon. The stout is brewed at the Elysian, and the coffee is roasted at Stumptown. All of the fruit comes from the Northwest. The baked goods are from Seattle bakers that we think supply good-quality, local, natural products." That Elysian Stout he's talking about gets into the Stout Ice Cream, something a Northwesterner can surely love. Other recent flavors on the menu include Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Strawberry, Snickerdoodle and Peanut Butter. Mmmmm, mmmmmm!

Psssst! The newest lineup on the "Corridor of Gluttony" (a term coined by a fan of EcoMetro) is Cupcake Royale's newest location at 1111 E Pike Street. More...

It’s the little things in life…that add up. When ordering food to go, how many times were you given a pile of extra plasticware and napkins? This is not to mention those pesky clamshell food containers themselves. In the ongoing shift away from petroleum-based plastic products, you may have noticed some plastic items now have “Compostable” printed on them. Learn about how to differentiate between biodegradable and compostable, and consider choosing bioplastics and other earth-friendly tableware and food packaging.  More...

Locavores have been awaiting the opening of Fresh Bistro, a new restaurant opening tonight in West Seattle. Fresh Bistro is the newest enterprise by local caterer Herban Feast, whose company has a strong commitment to sourcing foods from regional farms. EcoMetro fans may have tasted Chef Dalis Chea's creations at the West Seattle Farmers Market or at their venue Sodo Park. Now you no longer have to wait so long between bites!

If you don't live in West Seattle, we'd suggest taking the Water Taxi from downtown Seattle. From there you can take a shuttle (or even bike - Fresh Bistro has bike racks outside their doors!) up to the Alaska Junction, just a block or so from the restaurant. You'd be hard pressed to find a better view of Downtown anywhere else, and even if you make it a late night, the last ferry doesn't leave West Seattle until 11pm! More...

Continuing along on our journey through the land of weird foods you’ll find in the farmer’s market, this week we’ll taste a green of many names:  mizuna.  Mizuna also goes by the names of Japanese greens, Japanese mustard, and California peppergrass.  Botanically, it is classified as Brassica rapa.  B. rapa is commonly known as “field mustard” or “turnip mustard” and includes cultivars such as tatsoi, napa cabbage, turnips, and rapini.   

When my friend Katie showed up at my door with a bouquet of freshly-sliced mizuna leaves and told me what she’d brought me, I gave her a look of disbelief.  When I plucked a leaf and popped it in my mouth, however, I was pleasantly surprised.  The intricate, delicately shaped leaf had a flavor to match. More...

We’ve come a long way as a society since the 16th century. Women (in America, at least) are now able to drive cars, own property, vote… and eat artichokes.

This last may seem like an odd inclusion on the list, but as an avid artichoke fan, I shudder to think that I may not have been able to enjoy the oddly-shaped thistle. Artichokes were considered aphrodisiacs for a long while, and only eaten by men (Henry the Eighth was famous for his love of them). 

Thankfully, Catherine de Medici changed all that when she married Henry II, King of France. When she moved to France from Italy, she brought along her servants, her trousseau, and her passion for artichokes, causing a bit of a scandal. Luckily, we can all hop on over to any supermarket and find artichokes most of the year round. Nearly 100% of the artichokes consumed in America are produced in California (especially the northern part of the state), which makes them a relatively low contributor to your carbon footprint. More...