Strawberries: Ripe for a farmers' market salad

A guest post from Katie Ricketts, community / market organizer at Southland Farmers' Market Association.

Oh February.  You amaze me.  Really, for being smack-dab in the dead of winter, the surplus of incredible produce you bring is truly remarkable.  All month we've been enjoying carrots in buttery yellows and deep purples, munching on snap peas and checking the oven to see how our roasted golden beets, parsnips, butternut squash, turnips, and potatoes are doing.  De-lish.

But then, THEN you hearken in the best treat of all.  For the last three weeks we've seen a few here, and few there but this past week... oh wow.  Strawberries have hit the market -- and they are better than ever. 

Teasing and reminding us of the sweet stone-fruit summer to come, February varieties are texturally different than their summer counterparts, a bit crunchier but no less sweet. Perfectly suited to keep their shape and flavor in your spinach and arugula salad and ready to stand up to a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal, I picked up a pack from Jaime Farms... and I'm sad to say that the majority didn't make it all the way to my fridge.

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Spinach & Arugula Salad with Sherry- Honey Vinaigrette and Farmers' Market Cheese

• Handful of spinach leaves (remove most of the stem and wash very well -- spinach is very sandy!)
• Handful of arugula (same directions as the spinach)
• Around a pint of strawberries (tops removed and cut into bit sized pieces)
• Some great soft, rich cheese
• Handful of walnuts, pecans, or other seeds

Dressing: Adjust all to taste

• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 garlic clove (preferably ground with a mortal pestle) mixed with 1/4 tsp sea salt.
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2-3 tsp honey
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

You can get most of the ingredients at the Santa Monica Wednesday Market:

• Cheese: Pick from one of many cheese vendors. I would go for a soft, rich cheese similar to goat or cheve.
• Honey: Energy Bee Farms / Pacific Honey. Don't know what honey to pick out? As a point of reference, note that the avocado honey has the most robust flavor while wildflower and orange blossom are both delicate and extremely sweet.
• Strawberries (winter varieties): Jaime Farms and Tamai Farms
• Spinach: Tamai Farms and Rutiz Family Farms
• Arugula: McGrath Family Farms and Coleman Farms
• Walnuts/Pecans: The Kennedy's have a variety of nuts and dried fruit year round, and Dave Eakin has pecans in the shell! I never knew pecans could taste so fresh, crisp, and flavorful.

To healthy and sustainable eating!

Photo by Captpiper via Flickr

Green Weekend: Bikes and other eco-transportation fun

Like to plan ahead? Check out the Emerald City calendar to find out about all the green events around town.

Friday, Feb. 29
Los Angeles Critical Mass (free) - Check website for closest location. Start times vary by location (between 5:30 and 7 pm). This monthly bicycle ride "celebrating the joy and virtues of bicycling" is open to all. Just show up with a bike.

Saturday, Mar 1
Santa Monica citywide transportation workshop (free) - Santa Monica High School Cafeteria, 601 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. 9:30 am - 3 pm. This community meeting invites all to talk about how can we get people to make less trips on their car. Refreshments and secure bike parking will be provided.

L.A. Bicycle Master Plan meeting (free) - Banning's Landing Community Center, 100 E. Water St., Wilmington. 10 am - 12 pm. The City of L.A. wants you to put your two cents in at the public workshops for the Bicycle Master Plan, which provides a guide to develop a citywide bicycle transportation system.

Greenopia book signing (free) - Menemsha, 12524 Ventura Blvd, Studio City. 2 pm. Greenopia Founder Gay Browne sign books at the eco-conscious boutique Menemsha in an event featuring guest designers and a raffle for two promotional gift bags filled with apparel by Del Forte Denim and Loomstate, a pair of Tom’s Shoes, Pacifica Perfume, and designer tees.

C.I.C.L.E./LA Post Carbon Screening: 'What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire' ($5) - Armory Center of the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. 7 pm - 10 pm. L.A. Post Carbon and C.I.C.L.E. host a social and informative evening of film and discussion. Bring some food and drink to share.

Q&A: Green apartments in L.A.

Your eco questions answered.

Question: I'm contemplating a grad-school move to Los Angeles later this year (I currently live in Chicago) and was searching for tips on how to live sustainably in LA. So my specific question for you revolves around the extreme lack of information online about green apartments in L.A. 

It's a tall order, I know, but I feel like there have to be a few blogs or classified listings out there related to eco-friendly apartment living.  More specifically-- I'll be in grad school, so money will be scarce and I certainly won't be in a position to buy a place.  Have you heard of any sort of classified list like this that I might check out?  Laura

Answer: No, I haven't found any green apartments classified list. Why? There aren't a whole lot of green apartments in L.A. While L.A.'s embraced green building of late, that embrace has so far been reserved mostly for bigger office buildings and homes -- and lately, condos and lofts (for sale, not rent). Sadly, we have more eco-mansions in L.A. than we do eco-apartments.

My guess is that there are a few eco-minded landlords out there who've made some efforts to green their units -- perhaps by adding solar panels or opting for drought-resistant lawns. My landlord, for example, painted my apartment with low-VOC paints and installed CFL bulbs in some of the lighting fixtures before I moved in. However, these are small-scale changes that often aren't even touted on an apartment listing. As far as I know, there are no apartment complexes that are LEED-certified in L.A.

That said: It seems to me that what you really seek to do is lead a green life in L.A. And while a LEED-certified apartment could help with that, I suggest first focusing your green attentions on the big L.A. issue many people moving from cities with great transit systems don't consider: Transportation.

L.A. is not a cute compact city; it's a huge, sprawling, relatively low-density metropolis. If you don't choose wisely, you could end up spewing tons of CO2 every day you drive over to classes at Sci-Arc. In fact, the Wall Street Journal, recently published an article titled Eco-Paradox: Green Homes, Gas-Guzzling Commutes. My point is that you might do better -- environmentally, financially, and personally -- by picking a conventional apartment near campus than commuting from a random green apartment you happen to locate in Brentwood or Manhattan Beach.

Treehugger's guide to greening your rental agrees with me; the first tip is "Choose well": "The location of your home can have a huge impact on your ability to live sustainably, so think hard about your lifestyle when you are looking for your next rental property."

Your best green option might be living downtown, within walking distance from the campus. That photo up top's taken from the roof of one downtown L.A. apartment -- All the cool kids are renting down there, I hear. If other Sci-Arc kids know of other neighborhoods that allow for easy eco-friendly travel to campus, please do share in the comments.

Once you're settled in, you can try slowly working down Treehugger's list of tips for greening your rental. Lastly, you might want to get involved with Ride-Arc, a monthly social bike ride with an architectural theme, started by some Sci-Arc grads.

Photo by Topheroo via Flickr

A.M. Greenlist: Follow the flame retardant

>> California sued the The U.S. Forest Service over plans to pave roads and allow oil drilling in more than 500,000 acres of our largest national forests where many endangered species live.

>> The U.S. Forest Service's overseer Mark Rey avoids jail for by finally turning in a court-ordered environmental analysis of a fish-killing flame retardant -- 2 1/2 years late. (via grist)

>> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dismissed an outspoken scientist in the face of industry pressure. Industry lobbyists claimed Toxicologist Deborah Rice, who chaired a panel that made decisions about the safety of flame retardants, was biased.

>> The car-sharing company Zipcar's making environmentalists angry with poor service, high prices, and markups on more eco-friendly cars. Zipcar merged with and took over Flexcar a few months ago -- and promptly yanked most of the cars out of the L.A. area.

>> Afraid you might have eaten some of the scary factory-farmed meat that recently got recalled? The list of places that bought the tainted meat's now available. Find out if your favorite eateries are on it (PDF).

>> Agriculture Secretary Edward T. Schafer claimed that current meat inspection methods are just fine, and "rejected senators' calls to completely ban from slaughter any cattle unable to walk" -- despite the fact that downer cows are more likely to carry E.coli, salmonella bacteria, and mad cow disease.

Photo of Angeles National Forest by BKL via Flickr

Metro rail's getting barrier gates

Say bye-bye to the honor system. Today, The Metro Board voted to install 379 fare gates on all subway and some light rail stations.

The gates are intended to keep people who cheat the current honor system from getting freebie rides. Metro says the current fare evasion rate's 5 percent -- and costs the agency $5.5 million a year. The gates, according to Metro, could help recover $3-6 million a year -- in addition to saving as much as $7 million a year by reducing the need for fare inspectors whose jobs are to catch freeloaders.

To install the gating system, the Metro board approved a 10-year, $46 million lease contract -- plus $12 million for system maintenance and $10 million for station modifications -- with Cubic Transportation Systems with this hopeful statement: "Based on current forecasts, the savings enabled by the system will begin to pay for itself in the fourth year of full system operation." That projected breaking point will come six years from now, since the installation will take a couple years.

To install or not install the barrier gates has been a somewhat contentious issue with transit riders, some of whom prefer the current system for reasons ranging from a preference for the current "open" design of the subway stations to skepticism that the gates will actually save money.

Since the subway's still nowhere near me in Santa Monica, I won't have an educated opinion on the issue until 2012 or so, assuming the Subway to the Sea gets built out -- with fare gates in place.

Update: Damien Newton has details on the fare gate discussion at the Metro Board meeting.

Photo by FredCamino

Skratch: To-go gets eco-ish in Culver City

Move over, Subway! Lunch on-the-go's gotten a bit more eco in Culver City with Skratch Restaurant, a cute spot specializing in fresh, healthy take-out.

Here you can pick from a bunch of different vegetarian or meat options -- like Blackened Creole Chicken Caesar -- then decide whether to get it as a baguette sandwich, spinach wrap, or salad. Get it to go in a recycled paper bag -- or take a seat and enjoy your meal at the sunny counter inside or the shaded tables outside.

Many of the ingredients are organic  or local -- though not all are. The chicken, for example, is hormone-free and free-range -- but the pork is conventionally raised. The produce is almost all organic and locally grown -- although the greens are not organic. For those trying to order the most eco meal, the friendly staff's happy to answer any eco-related questions you might have.

Skratch currently just serves lunch, but plans to open for breakfast starting March 10. Granola and bagels -- with no-sugar-added natural fruit smears -- will be on the menu. Unfortunately, the Illy's coffee won't be organic -- though perhaps if enough eco-minded customers demand it, Skratch will be convinced to start brewing an organic option --

Skratch Restaurant. 3867 Hughes Ave., Culver City. (310) 558-3400. Mon - Fri, 11:30 am - 8:00 pm.

Wilshire Blvd. to de-car on Earth Day

Even Hummer drivers in L.A. will take notice of Earth Day this year -- because a chunk of Wilshire Blvd.'s going to shut down in green celebration. On April 22, the section of Wilshire between Western and Harvard will close to traffic, and an Earth Day festival will take over the street.

The FREE Wilshire Center Earth Day -- Car Free Day will feature a bike raffle, reusable grocery bag giveaways, and live music -- including a set by Michael Franti. Visitors can check out 100 exhibit booths and three stages (one each for music, environmental exhibits, and programs for children). Local schools are encouraged to bring out the students on a field trip to this event.

L.A. City Council approved the motion for this event with a strong de-car-ing message: “The City of Los Angeles declares this day a Car Free Day City Wide to encourage greater-than-normal usage of mass transit." It's unclear as of yet what route the Metro 720 and 920 Wilshire buses will take to get around the road block, but they'll be your best bets for getting to the event free of traffic and parking hassles.

A.M. Greenlist: Ships, trucks, bikes, and the Metro

>> The L.A. City Council votes for a cleaner Port of Los Angeles. As part of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's clean-truck program, the L.A. Harbor Department will impose a $35 fee on most loaded containers going through the harbor. That money will subsidize the purchase of less-polluting trucks for haulers. The council also endorsed a Board of Harbor Commissioners ban on all diesel trucks built before 1989 from the port starting Oct. 1, which will be expanded in 2012 to include diesel trucks built before 2007.

>> California can't set tougher standards on emissions from ships without a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a federal appeals court. The EPA recently rejected California's bid to set tougher standards on car emissions.

>> Plans for a public bike path along the L.A. River is opposed by NBC Universal, whose execs say "they are not opposed to a bike path on their property -- they just don't want it to run along the river." NBC Universal has recently been trying hard to brand itself as a green company.

>> Check out what all eight alternatives for connecting the Metro rail system downtown would look like. You can put in your two cents on this project, called the Regional Connector Transit Corridor study, here.

>> A photography exhibit that showcases the Metro. The opening reception for “Concentric Circles: Metro L.A. Revealed" happens Sat., March 1, 7 pm - 11 pm, at Beady Minces Gallery, 1311 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. (via APLA)

>> A new blog by Emerald City contributor Damien Newton called Streetsblog LA aims to cover all things transportation in LA.

>> Eight of the U.S.'s largest water providers -- including our own Metropolitan Water District of Southern California -- formed of a coalition called Water Utility Climate Alliance to develop strategies on dealing with climate change. (via grist)

>> National parks are full of scary contaminants. Fish in eight parks are so contaminated they aren't fit for human consumption. (via grist)

>> Daylight savings time doesn't save energy. Researchers found that "Having the entire state switch to daylight-saving time each year, rather than stay on standard time, costs Indiana households an additional $8.6 million in electricity bills." (via grist)

Photo by Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Environmental justice: Going green's not just for yuppies and hippies

Can't afford to go green? Environmentalism's seen by some as a rich, elitist group -- what with the $100K electric sports car Tesla and the $1,799 eco-ish Macbook Air getting a whole lot of attention. But many of our urban environmental problems, such as industry pollution, strike the poor and underprivileged the hardest.

In fact, the growing environmental justice movement is getting more vocal, showing that you don't have to be able to afford a Prius to be an environmentalist. And a lot of great enviro-justice work is happening right in L.A. The latest Utne article in its series on the new green justice movement highlights the work of Manuel Pastor, director of USC’s Program for Environmental and Regional Equity. Pastor used to run "toxic tours," taking people on bus trips through the most polluted areas of L.A.

Why is environmental justice important? Take a look at this handy map the LA Weekly put together (PDF), which color-codes cancer risk in L.A. and vicinity. The threat is greatest for people living near the ports of L.A. and Long Beach, where "1 in 200 residents are expected to get cancer because of the dirty air."

In general, the poorer a community, the more polluted it is. Sadly, those with the least power to fight back often get shafted again by rich companies and the public policies they influence. As the Utne article points out: "As stories about global warming, sustainable energy, and climate change make headlines, the fact that some neighborhoods, particularly low-income and minority communities, are disproportionately toxic and poorly regulated has, until recently, been all but ignored."

But the number of environmental justice activists is growing and getting louder. Of course, this means some growing pains for the environmental movement at large. Most recently, a number of Californian environmental justice groups launched a campaign against carbon emissions cap-and-trade programs, over concerns that such programs would impact negatively the communities that are already disadvantaged. Many established environmental groups are not against cap-and-trade programs, as these carbon reduction programs are most politically feasible than carbon fees.

Still, the environmental movement's already showing a willingness to pay closer attention to environmental justice concerns. The Sierra Club, for example, released a statement concurring with some of what the environmental justice groups said: "We share many of the concerns of the EJ groups regarding pollution trading, like possible hot spots, loopholes and windfall profits."

Want to get involved in the environmental justice movement? Communities for a Better Environment, a nonprofit working for environmental, social, and economic justice, might be a good place to start. You can find many other groups by looking at the list of signatories on the California Environmental Justice Movement’s Declaration on Use of Carbon Trading Schemes to Address Climate Change.

Photo by Ben Amstutz via Flickr

Santa Monica a step closer to banning plastic bags

Santa Monica will likely see fewer plastic bags floating around its streets and beaches soon. Last night, the Santa Monica City Council voted to draft an ordinance banning one-use plastic and biodegradable plastic-like bags in city businesses.

All retail locations in Santa Monica, regardless of type or size, will have to go plastic bag free and offer reusable bags for sale instead. The ban would apply only to the plastic bags given out at point-of-sale, not the flimsier bags found in the produce or bulk sections of supermarkets. Paper bags -- which the staff pointed out is not a significant source of marine pollution -- will still be allowed -- but the city council asked its staff to come back with recommendations on charging a fee on these bags.

The plastic bag ban had more or less unanimous support from both the members of the City Council and the community members who spoke at the meeting. Many spoke about marine pollution caused by plastic bags -- from getting tangled in them while surfing to seeing the eyesore crated by them on the beaches.

In contrast to the plastic bag ban, the paper bag tax raised a number of questions and concerns including outright opposition from Council member Robert Holbrook, who said "I just think they out to be free." Some felt that the paper bag tax should not be charged for food take-out, fast food places, or grocery deliveries -- businesses where reusable bags are not an easy solution. In addition, questions remained as to what the minimum charge per paper bag would be, and where the money would go.

Staff recommendations regarding those questions -- as well as a drafted ordinance for a plastic bag ban -- will come back to the City Council. Once the plastic ban is drafted and passed, businesses will likely have at least a 6-month transition period before the ordinance is allowed to take effect.

Santa Monica's anti-plastic bag ordinance will be much stricter than the one passed by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors last month, which called for a voluntary effort. You can watch the City Council proceedings here, or read the staff recommendations for the ordinance here.

Photo courtesy of envirowoman