30 October, 2013
Finding Organic or Local Foods in Unconventional Places: The Uprooted Kitchen
As a person that finds it important to eat whole organic (or local) foods as much as possible it can be challenging finding good restaurants to eat out at in your area. Unless you are lucky enough to live in an area like New York where organic restaurants seem to be everywhere. My hope is that as organic living becomes more and more in demand that these types of eateries will start to increase. Not all farms are certified organic but do provide local ingredients that are grown or raised in very clean ways. Here are some suggestions for finding organic restaurants in your area.
1. Internet Searches– Searching the internet for organic restaurants may not be as easy as it sounds. Unless the restaurant includes organic in the name, it can be a challenge. You may have to search your city, your state, or surrounding cities. Add words like organic restaurant, farm to table, or locally grown restaurant.
2. Local Food Bloggers– If you are like me you follow many food bloggers that have the same health philosophy as I do in order to get great tips. If you find one where you live or know one in the area when you are traveling, why not shoot them an e-mail asking them where they like to eat?
3. Local Magazines– Many cities have their own magazines and these magazines often have websites. They often do reviews of local restaurants. Try doing a search on the site to see if you can find organic restaurants. Try e-mailing the magazine for suggestions because who knows the city better than someone that writes about it daily.
4. Local Health Food Stores– Health food stores are great places to find people that like to be and eat healthy. Some of the workers may be able to give you some great suggestions.
5. Local Farmers– Farmers are often the people that local organic restaurants get their food from. Call up the farm or talk to them at a farmers market and find out what restaurants they are supplying their organic foods to. I have even seen restaurants on the farms themselves.
6. Farmers Markets– I found my new favorite organic eatery at my local farmers market. The Uprooted Kitchen is a food truck that travels to local markets in my city. They get their products directly from the farmers market. How great it that? I started following them on Facebook and Instagram so I know where they will be. They also post recipes they are working on which makes me want to visit them even more. I contacted Erin from The Uprooted Kitchen food truck in Gilbert, AZ to tell her how awesome they are and she generously agreed to share some thoughts and recipes with all of you.
Why did you start The Uprooted Kitchen?
My husband has always encouraged me to do something with my culinary background. He has been trying to talk me into opening up a cafe/restaurant for years. I truly had no interest. We have twin boys that i am really involved with and my main priority is being a mom. I was fully aware what it takes to run a restaurant and knew that i did not have the time or energy to to that. As our boys got older (they were 8 when we decided to plan the uprooted kitchen) – I became more open to the idea of starting a business. My husband and I eat a vegetarian/vegan diet – and saw the lack of the options in our area. The more we discussed our beliefs on food and created delicious dishes at home – the more we saw that we had an obligation to our community to share what would could with them. A food truck ended up being the perfect fit for us because we could make our own hours, try out different locations, and how a lower overhead than a traditional restaurant. We also wanted to build a family business – we love the fact that we can all be together and work at the same time. Teaching our boys that when you truly believe in something – you can accomplish it – has been an amazing life lesson for them.
How do you decide on your menu?
We decide what goes on the menu with a few things in mind. We obviously listen to our customers and create things that they love. We use a local farm (the farm at Agritopia– in Gilbert) for a lot of our produce- So I look at what they are growing each week – and base a lot of the menu items off of that. And my favorite thing about creating the menu is that I can base it off of what I am in the mood to make. I really enjoy not being told what to cook – I have complete creative control since I am the only one cooking on the truck!
What’s the biggest surprise about running a food truck?
The biggest surprise about running a food truck is the “physical” nature of the work. I have worked in restaurants before and expected it to be a tiring job but it is pretty insane. Loading and unloading things on and off the truck, moving generators, hitching our trailer, the list goes on…… There is so much for to operating a food truck than food. You truly have to be a mechanic, electrician, plumber, etc.
Why do you love using organic ingredients?
We love using organic ingredients because it is the way we are supposed to eat food. We become everything that goes into our body. Clean wholesome food is really what our body needs to sustain itself. Not to mention the damage that pesticides to to our earth. We love using as many local ingredients as possible because they taste amazing. Biting into a vegetable that has just come out of the ground is such a different experience than eating something from the grocery store. There is no comparison. We also love the fact the we are helping our local economy by keeping our money in our our town. It is just awesome to actually know people that are growing your food.
If you live or ever visit the Gilbert, Arizona area please check them out! www.theuprootedkitchen.com. The food they serve is amazing. The menu changes as the availability of seasonal produce changes (this is the best and most nutritious way to eat). They serve some truly creative items and put a lot of thought and care into the dishes they are serving. Some of my favorite dishes have been Gluten Free Chocolate Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Butternut Baked Oatmeal, Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake, and Veggie Burger with Banana Chutney. I usually want to try one of every item they have on the menu.
I’d love to hear what great techniques you use to find great organic restaurants. Please let us know in the comments so we all can benefit.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 squeeze of lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth.
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Cover and refrigerate.
Recipe Notes
Here are some ideas for ingredient that you can add to the cashew cheese to change the flavors:
basil
cilantro
siracha
sundried tomatoes
chipotle and lime
cinnamon and maple syrup
Ingredients
- equal parts raw cashews and nutritional yeast
Instructions
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Combine nuts and yeast in a food processor until it has the consistency of parmesan cheese.
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Cover and refrigerate.
Recipe Notes
we put this on everything: pasta, salad, sandwiches, etc
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