Organic Strawberry Rhubarb Compote with Streusel Topping

INGREDIENTS:
Compote:
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 Tbsp of potato starch
- 6 Cups strawberries, trimmed & halved
- 4 Cups rhubarb stalks, cut crosswise into 1/2” slices
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp grated fresh lemon zest

Streusel Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp grated orange zest
- 8 oz butter, @ room temperature
- 1/2 cup of walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425°. Prepare compote: Stir together sugar & potato starch. Toss with strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice & zest. Transfer mixture to an ungreased shallow 3-qt (13x9x2) baking dish. Prepare streusel and bake: Combine flour, sugars, salt cinnamon and zest. Work butter into mixture with your fingers until combined into a crumbly mixture. Add nuts, stir to combine. Spoon topping over compote. Bake on a sheet pan (to catch the juices) until top is browned and filling is bubbly, about 30-45 minutes. Cool to warm on rack before serving. This can also be served with vanilla bean ice cream.

1. Food is the #1 least recycled material.

2. The average American produces 4 lbs. of landfill waste per day; that’s more than 50 tons over a lifetime!

3. Food and paper are biodegradable in nature, but not in landfills due to lack of oxygen.

4. Food and paper are the two largest contributors to landfills and make up more than half of all landfill waste.

5. One ton of recycled paper can save up to 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water and 4,000 kilowats of electricity.

(Source: www.smarthome.duke.edu/downloads/compost facts)

Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 cup buckwheat pancake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 2 tbsp sugar-free syrup
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 tsp butter

DIRECTIONS:
Combine pancake mix, oats, cinnamon, vanilla, buttermilk, skim milk, egg and syrup in a large bowl. Add blueberries. Heat a griddle or non stick skillet over medium and coat with cooking spray. Drop batter onto griddle or skillet in 1/4 cupfuls for small pancakes or 1/2 cupfuls for large ones. Cook pancakes until brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Perfect Lasagna

Per serving: (1 lasagna):

348 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 46 mg chol, 1,012 mg sod, 44 g carb, 6 g fib, 29 g prot, 431 mg calc

INGREDIENTS:

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 c frozen loose-packed cut-leaf spinach

1 c sliced cremini mushrooms

1⁄4 tsp salt

1 c fat free ricotta cheese

4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1⁄4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 c pasta sauce with roasted peppers

3 (3 1⁄2 X 6 3⁄4 inch) no boil lasagna noodles, halved crosswire

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 2 (5”) square baking dishes or 2 (11⁄2 X 5 3⁄4 X 8”) foil pans with nonstick spray. Mix zucchini, spinach and mushrooms on microwavable plate. Cover and microwave on High until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes, stirring once after 2 minutes. Drain; stir in 1/8 tsp salt. Mix ricotta, 3 tbsp Parmesan, oregano, red pepper flakes, and remaining 1/8 tsp salt in bowl. In each baking dish, layer in order, 2 tbsp sauce, 1 half noodle, half of ricotta mixture, 2 tbsp sauce, 1 half noodle, 1⁄4 cup sauce, and 1⁄2 tbsp Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.Uncover and bake until bubbling, 10-15 minutes.

Win $500 from Marvin's Organic Gardens

Today is the day! The big day! The day we announce how you can WIN $500 towards a landscape job from Marvin's Organic Gardens!

We know that it is cold outside - and today, there is even snow on the ground. But think about April and May - when the sun is out and the ground is starting to get warm. New growth is showing up all around you. Your neighbors are in their yards preparing their beds and mowing their lawns. WAIT! You take a look around your yard and it is NOT looking like what you want it to look at. Actually - you have been looking at it this way for a few years but haven't done anything about it. You are just so busy that you haven't had time - and even if you did have the time, you would have no idea about how to even start.

Well, before you just start tearing things out of your yard and pouring gravel over all your grass so you don't have to worry about it anymore, Marvin's Organic Gardens wants to help you - by giving away $500 to one lucky Facebook Fan, to use towards their landscaping job this Spring. That's right - $500 to start the makeover in your yard.

All you have to do to be entered to win is become a Fan of Marvin's Organic Gardens on Facebook. Here's the deal though - we MUST have 650 Fans by January 15th, 2010 in order to give away the prize - and we need your help to do this. Tell your friends, your family, your co-workers to become Fans of Marvin's Organic Gardens on Facebook. The easiest way to do this is by going to the Marvin's Organic Gardens page on Facebook and clicking on the "Suggest To Friends" button on the top left of your screen (right under our logo). Then, you can select everyone you want to send a suggestion to.

Want another way to be entered to win? Leave a comment on our blog and we will enter your name in to the drawing again! If you leave 5 comments, we will enter your name 5 more times! You still have to be a Facebook fan, but this gives you additional chances to win that $500!

Here are the rules:
1. Promotion is running from December 21st through January 31st.
2. In order for us to give away this prize, we MUST have AT LEAST 650 fans by January 31st, 2010!
3. You MUST be a fan of Marvin's Organic Gardens on Facebook to be entered to win.
4. This prize is non-transferable and cannot be split between multiple people.
5. The prize is $500 to be used towards a landscape job with Marvin's Organic Gardens.
6. Prize will be announced and winner will be contacted by February 15th, 2010.

Got questions, email Audrey and she can answer all your questions.
Thank you for all your support and good luck!

Winter Potpourri

INGREDIENTS:

- 6 Cinnamon sticks

- Several Pinecones

- 2 cups Dried Sage

- Grated & dried Citrus Peel

- Allspice, whole or ground

- 1 cup Fresh Balsam or Evergreen needles

- 2 cups Juniper berries

- 20 drops of your favorite natural scented oil

(such as winterberry, peppermint or lavender)

DIRECTIONS:

Toss and place in a decorative bowl. Smell and enjoy!

Easy Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 onion, chopped

- 3 cups milk

- S&P to taste

- 4 slices bacon, diced

- 1 (14.75 oz) can cream-style corn

- 1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes

- 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream

of mushroom soup

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute bacon and onions until onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the corn, potatoes, soup, milk, and salt & pepper. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 25-35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.