I had to start this post with the photo.  Truly amazing.  Joanna (of Yellow Rose Recipes) posted this recipe for us testers, and it is on my list of "Meals I Will Make Again".

It is so simple, it almost doesn't qualify as a "recipe" - but it made a delicious, light, Spring meal that everyone in my family enjoyed. 

Zucchini are coming in season soon (May to August is the best time to buy them), so be on the look-out at your local Farmer's market!  

I would love to share the recipe, but as this cookbook is still in its testing phase, all recipes are classified.  I will continue to post recipes that my family has tried, and I will keep you updated on when to expect the cookbook in stores!

Why eat locally produced foods? Well, eating them not only eliminates much of the environmental impact of shipping foods long distances but also allows you to have fresher choices when it comes to your dinner. Local foods are more plentiful in nutrients and have a greater taste due to being very fresh. Also, by purchasing these foods you in turn help out your local economy, keeping money within your community.  However, finding locally produced foods is often quite a chore as many large grocery stores do not carry them.

It doesn't have to be that difficult though. There are a number of resources out there that will ease your search for local foods.  One of my favorites, due to ease of use and prolific content, is a site called Local Harvest. You can input your city and state, and, through the magic of the internet, the site will pull up all the various family farms, food cooperatives, farmer's markets, and other businesses which provide sustainable, organic foods grown locally. There is a map displayed with all the businesses marked so you can see what is closest to your location.

Other sites that can help you for local eating adventures include:

Soil Association (UK) - Although based out of the UK, the Soil Association provides myriad tidbits of knowledge regarding eating locally and its importance.

Food Routes - Do you know how far your food travels before it reaches your table?

Organic Consumers Association - Lots of news and general information regarding organic, sustainable, and local living.

Where oh where can they be? I know those of us who are vegan/vegetarian and/or prefer to eat organic probably know the best restaurants around, right? But there may be people who are curious about the healthy organic, vegan, vegetarian lifestyle ~ then they may need some help in finding a great restaurant. So here's a little list of sites that have vegetarian and organic restaurant guides:

 

 VegDining -- this is a GREAT site, it's not only for the US, but world wide! It's free to browse the restaurants, but you can also get a VegDining card which will give you discounts at a lot of the restaurants listed on their site.
Organic Menus -- this site states that they are "the nation's largest organic and vegetarian restaurant guide." You can also search for grocery markets and farmers markets.
Happy Cow -- besides being a search-able dining guide, this site has a directory of natural health food stores, nutrition and health tips, and recipes.
Organic Highways -- as well as being able to search by state, this site offers restaurant categories such as gluten free, exclusively vegan, and trans fat free.
Vegetarian Restaurants -- this site is huge, it's got a USA Veg Restaurants Guide, a Canadian Veg Restaurants guide, a World Veg Restaurants guide, recipes, and fast-food links among others.

Hopefully the above links will give those who already eat healthy some more options when they go out, and for those who are maybe just curious, I'm sure there are one or two in there that will grab your interest!  Also, if anyone has a great healthy-eating restaurant they know of personally and want to recommend it, please leave the info in the comments section!