Organic Family Menu Guide
Introduction By Nora Pouillon

Dear Friend,

September's Organic Harvest Month(tm) is an especially exciting time for me -- as a mother, a chef and organic activist. A month to celebrate the bounty of organic agriculture: the magnificent tastes and plentiful varieties of fruits and vegetables; the ever increasing numbers of farmers converting to organic; the successful campaign to implement stringent national organic standards; and the vigilant efforts to come together as a community to protect organic integrity.

Organic Harvest Month(tm) also is a time when we can pay tribute to our greatest harvest of all: our children.  What better way to honor our children, who are our future, than to teach them how to develop an enjoyable, healthful life through the food choices they make.

 "The Organic Trade Association's Organic Family Menu Guide" is designed to inspire families who want to incorporate organic foods into their everyday lives. It presents a rich variety of recipes for every meal from breakfast to dinner.

All-star teams of chefs from all regions of the country have made this Menu Guide possible. From California we have Jesse Cool and Akasha Richmond. Scott Uehlein represents the Southwest. The Midwest features Odessa Piper and for the East we have Michel Nischan and me.

Each of the recipes showcase organic foods with great family appeal. And they're brought to life with personal stories and anecdotes offered by each chef. Their insights, together with the preparation and shopping tips they suggest, make it easy to bring organic foods to your table.

Food brings families together. Now, with the help of this Organic Family Menu Guide, you can make organic food a part of your life. You will be giving your children delicious, healthful meals, and teaching them an invaluable life lesson about where food comes from and how we can work together to protect the earth.

Bon appetit!

Nora Pouillon

Organic Harvest Chefs:
(click on any recipe for active link)

Nora Pouillon, chef and owner of Restaurant Nora and Asia Nora in Washington, D.C., prepared a menu "that tastes great and is appealing to younger palates." This includes Eggs in a Nest, Granola French Toast, Accordion Tomatoes, and Roasted Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables.

Chef Akasha (Richmond) of Los Angeles, who often caters parties and events for celebrities, shares her recipes for Almond-Apricot Scones with Vanilla Bean Glaze, Chocolate-Cherry Banana Muffins, Savory Corn Bake with Roasted Poblano Chile & Green Onions, Butternut Squash & Parsnip Bisque with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds, Green Bean & Wild Mushroom Casserole, and Grilled Eggplant Parmesan.

Jesse Cool, owner and chef of Flea St. Café, Jzcool Eatery and Catering Company, and The Cool Café at the Stanford University Cantor Arts Center, points out, "Organic menus and recipes don't exist. Organic ingredients do." She shares her recipes for Olive Toast with Berries, Chilies and Honey; Harvest Pot Roast; and Potatoes in Caraway Sauce.

Michel Nischan, executive food consultant and chef for Song, a subsidiary of Delta airlines, presents recipes for Squash Pancakes with Fig Syrup, Pistachio-Roasted Baby Chicken, Beef Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms and Yukon Gold Potatoes, Rich Beef Stock, Rich Mushroom Stock, and Buttermilk Sour Cream.

Odessa Piper, chef and proprietor of L'Etoile Restaurant in Madison, WI, shares her recipes for L'Etoile's Gougere, Grilled Asparagus with "Dunk," and Seared Snug Haven Spinach and Mint.

Scott Uehlein, executive chef at Canyon Ranch, outlines his recipes for Granola, Stuffed Yellow Bell Peppers, and Caramelized Vegetables and Tofu Stir-fry.