Perelandra Natural Food Center

2011-12-07T11:42:00.001-08:00

No longer local, but still AWESOME!

Just because local produce

season is pretty much over

(you may still see some root veggies, tubers, onions, winter squash and broccoli around) doesn't mean the excitement in the produce aisle is! In fact, California and Florida produce is in full swing. There's a lot of great citrus fruit varieties just hitting market, so be on the lookout for all sorts of citrus. Sunburst and Robinson Tangerines are already around from growers on both coasts. Meyer Lemons, and Satsuma Mandarins are just coming into season too. There's some wonderful Hamlin Oranges, Orlando Tangelos and Red Grapefruits from Florida, which may not be as cosmetically beautiful as their California counterparts, but eat just as well...if not better!

Pears and Apples are also in high season coming from Washington, California and Oregon. Right now we have a revolving cast of 12 varieties of Apples, from old faves like Gala to a bit more obscure, like Arkansas Black. Many pear varieties are becoming available, Seckel, Red and Green D'Anjou, and Concorde just to name a few.

When it comes to greens, Florida is teeming with the varieties that like cooler temps. Collards, Kale and Broccoli from Bryson and Lady Moon farms are prevalent, and you can count on California farms like Cal-Organic, Earthbound and

Givens to round out the selection.

Cook yourself some tasty, healthy food: chickpea tacos with smoky collard greens

2011-11-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Eat delicious tacos!

Working at Perelandra, as you might imagine, almost everything that I eat comes from the store. I love to cook, and because all of these ingredients are from the store, I thought it would be fun to share one of my favorite meals to make. This recipe is for chickpea tacos & smoky collard greens with caramelized onions. They are both vegan and very easy to make gluten-free by using corn tortillas. Both dishes are very simple to prepare––from start to finish it will only take about 30 minutes to make everything––and they're really, really good. So even if you think you are too tired to cook after a long day at work, you can probably muster the small amount of energy required to make yourself this awesome dinner. You will be glad you did! This recipe comfortably serves two hungry people.

Ingredients:

Tacos:

1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, or 2 cups of cooked chickpeas

1/3 cup water

1/2 packet of Bearitos natural taco seasoning, or 2 tablespoons of Frontier's mexican seasoning

1 pack of 6 inch tortillas

Guacamole:

2 avocados

1 lemon

1/4 c chopped cilantro

pinch of sea salt and pepper
optional but good add ins: 2 tablespoons minced onion, 1 diced plum tomato, 1 minced clove of garlic

Collards:

1 bunch collard greens

1 yellow or sweet onion
1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, depending on how spicy you want to make it

sea salt & pepper to taste

Assemble your ingredients! Here I used Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted whole grain tortillas, but their sprouted corn tortillas are really good in this recipe, too. You can also use Hot Bread Kitchen's organic corn tortillas that we started carrying last month. They are delicious and you'll be supporting a great cause!

Start by preparing the onions for the smoky collards. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large pan. Slice the onion into 1/8 inch thick slices and add to the pan. Add a pinch of sea salt and turn the flame to medium. Cover and stir every 4-5 minutes, deglazing the pan with a few tablespoons of vegetable broth or water intermittently. It will take about 15 minutes to get them to a deep, golden brown.

Slice the collards into thin ribbons and wash them well. Set them aside.

Once your onions are golden brown like this, add the collards to pan, stir and cover. Let them cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Add the chipotle chili powder to the pan and stir. I am a wimp, so I only add 1/4 teaspoon, but normal people would probably enjoy a 1/2 teaspoon.

...and you will want to eat them every day.

Soon your collard greens will look like this!

Have a beer!

Make the guacamole. Scoop the flesh out of the avocado and add it to a bowl and mash it. Mix in the juice of 1 lemon, a pinch of salt and the cilantro. Set aside.

Make the filling: add the chickpeas to a pan, mix the taco seasoning with the water, pour over the chickpeas and stir. You can add some hot sauce at this point, too if you're feeling feisty. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Assemble your tacos- spread the tortilla with guacamole, a spoonful of chickpeas and more fresh cilantro. Serve alongside the collard greens, and enjoy a delicious meal that is good for you, too!

New products at Perelandra - September!

2011-09-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

We get in lots of great new products every month- check out what is new at Perelandra this month!

Hurom
*Slow Juicer
We are all so excited about the Hurom Slow Juicer! It is a revolutionary juicer! While it is called a 'slow juicer', it actually produces juice much faster and yields a much drier pulp than most juicers. The method of extraction is pressing and masticating- this crushes and presses the food, releasing a more nutrient rich juice than traditional juicers produce. Hurom provides independent laboratory results that show that juice produced by the Slow Juicer contains 42.7% more Vitamin C, 60.7% more Vitamin A and 35% more juice than a high speed traditional juicer! Watch a video about how it works here.

Justin's Nut Butters
*Maple Almond Butter, Honey Almond Butter, Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
Justin's makes exceptional nut butters! The Chocolate Hazelnut tastes like dessert, except you'll notice that it is low in sugar, high in protein and fiber and vegan... unlike most desserts!! You will want to eat these off a spoon.

Brooklyn Brine
*Maple Bourbon Bread and Butter Pickles
Brooklyn Brine has done it again with with their maple bourbon bread and butter pickles. They are delicious and tangy, with just the right amount of sweetness. When our staff tried them, we heard again and again "I don't usually like bread and butter pickles, but these are delicious!" Give them a try. You'll be glad you did!

Near East
*Quinoa Blends
Near East's new blends contain both quinoa and brown rice and are well seasoned with herbs and spices to make a great pilaf. They are also ready to eat in less than 15 minutes! Now you can reap the nutritional benefits of Quinoa (Fiber! Calcium! A complete plant protein!) in less time than you thought possible!

Hot Bread Kitchen
*Organic Corn Tortillas- Blue Corn, White Corn and Yellow Corn varieties
We are so excited to be carrying Hot Bread Kitchen products! Hot Bread Kitchen is NOT your average bakery- it is a non-profit social enterprise that creates better lives for low income women and their families by paying women while they develop the skills necessary to gain management track positions in food manufacturing. They use only certified organic corn and source locally grown ingredients whenever possible- and they are SO GOOD! They will make your next taco something special!

Dr. Lucy's
*Gluten-Free Cookies- Maple Bliss, Chocolate, Ginger Snap varieties
Dr. Lucy created her line of gluten-free vegan cookies (that are also free of peanuts & tree nuts) for her daughter who has severe food allergies- but they can be (and are!) enjoyed by everyone! These new flavors are a great addition to their line of cookies- and who wouldn't be happy to eat a maple bliss cookie?!

Bakery on Main
*Gluten-Free Fiber Power Granola
Bakery on Main specializes in gluten-free baked granolas and granola bars. Their new Fiber Power granola packs a whopping 9 grams of fiber per serving!

*Gluten-Free Soft and Chewy Granola Bars- Chocolate-Almond, Apple Cinnamon and Peanut Butter & Jelly. Made with gluten-free whole grains, chia seeds and flax seeds, they are a great source of fiber and essential fatty acids... and they taste great!

Amy's Kitchen
*Light n' Lean Meals: Three Cheese Penne Bowl, Bean and Cheese Burrito, Spaghetti Italiano, Roasted Polenta, Sweet & Sour Bowl. Amy's has expanded their Light n' Lean line with 5 new additions- people have been loving the Light n' Lean entrees and these are no exception. They are all low in fat, high in fiber and all below 350 calories per meal! Amy's Kitchen uses organic ingredients whenever available, is GMO-free and only makes vegetarian products. This is convenience food you can feel good about eating!

*Dairy Free, Gluten-Free Macaroni & Cheese - Made with Daiya vegan cheese and brown rice noodles!

*Quarter-pound Veggie Burger - This is Amy's most popular veggie burger for a reason! Each burger is a full quarter of a pound of vegetable goodness.

Pacific Natural Foods
*Organic 7 Grain Non-dairy Beverages - original & vanilla
Made with oat, rice, triticale, spelt, barley, wheat and millet, these non-dairy milks are a delicious, light, soy-free alternative to milk.

Dr. Hauschka
*Melissa Day Cream - This is Dr. Hauschka's facial cream for those of us with Combination-Oily skin types. Melissa is renowned for it's harmonizing effects, balancing combination skin while other herbal extracts soften and even skin tone.

*Regenerating Body Moisturizer - Extracts of horsetail, red clover and birch leaves offer antioxidant properties while helping to promote the skin's natural processes of renewal.

Central Milling
*Organic Buttermilk Pancake Mix and Organic Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake Mix. Light, fluffy pancakes with the nutritional goodness of whole wheat and buttermilk!

August's New Products & News!

2011-08-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of unbearably hot weather, am I the only one who has started dreaming about the cool fall air? Despite myself (and I believe many others!) not wanting to leave our air conditioned apartments on hot summer days, the great thing about the weather in New York this time of the year is that it allows us to have an abundance of beautiful, organic produce that has been locally grown (from the Fingerlakes region in upstate New York) all summer long. At this very moment we've got several types of leafy greens, a variety of squash, dragon tongue beans, tomatoes, garlic scapes, purple bell peppers, and 6 packaged salad greens from Remembrance Farms to name a few! Follow us on twitter to see what locally grown produce we've got, we update it frequently with a list of what is local in our department that day.

Kitchen & Juice Bar
Our chefs have created a fantastic new sandwich! On Tuesdays come in to try our Chile-Tempeh Torta with avocado and jalapeno aioli. Imagine spicy, chili rubbed tempeh with creamy avocado & jalapeno aioli, refried beans, cucumber and cilantro on an organic multigrain baguette, baked fresh that morning! It is truly awesome.

New Products!
Third St. Organic Chai Concentrates
-Made from organically grown, fairly traded ingredients, this 'micro-brewed' chai concentrate makes a mean chai latte! It's great iced or hot, mixed with your favorite milk or non-dairy milk alternative, though I am partial to mixing the Honey Vanilla variety with So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk... We've got three flavors- Spicy Ginger, Honey Vanilla and a Sugar-free variety that is sweetened only with Stevia!

Edward & Sons Rice Snax
-These vegan, gluten-free crackers are made from rice and are perfect for dipping. They are really crunchy and hold up well in thick dips like hummus and babaganoosh. Look for four flavors- Onion & Garlic, Bar-B-Que, Lightly Salted and Salt & Vinegar, and you can't beat the $1.99 price!

Hail Merry Nuts
-Hail Merry's Vanilla-Maple Almonds are one of the most delicious things that I have eaten in a long time! Trust me when I say that one bag is not enough of these raw almonds, gently sweetened with vanilla-infused maple sugar. Other varieties include Orange-Rosemary Pecans, Lemon-Thyme Pecans, and Chimayo Chile Pecans, all of which are delicious, savory snack options that would be great in any recipe calling for Pecans. The flavors are delicate and not overwhelming, and add something special to a plain old pecan.

Cheeky Monkey Peanut Butter Puffs
-Think Cheese Puffs, but with Peanut Butter! And they're vegan and gluten-free... and you will want to eat the whole bag in one sitting! Fortunately, we've got you covered with snack size packages in addition to the regular size!

Dado Sens Facial Care
-All the way from Germany, brought to you by the manufacturers of Anne Marie Borlind, comes Dado Sens facial and body care products. Dado Sens products are made for people that have sensitive or irritated skin conditions but still want natural, gentle yet effective, luxurious skin care. Dado sens has 4 different facial care lines: Extroderm for extremely dry or psoriasis related skin conditions, Probalance for delicate skin that tends toward allergic reactions and irritation, Purderm for acne prone conditions and Regeneration E for sensitive, allergy prone mature skin types. Come in on August 9th from 11:30-2:30 to meet with a representative from the company and learn more about this great product line and try some samples of the products that are right for you!

El Goo Ummy pacifiers
-These European pacifiers are made from all natural pure liquid rubber and are entirely non-toxic. Made with no chemical softeners and BPA-free, they come in round, orthodontic or elongated varieties. Find them next to the baby foods!

Navitas Naturals Stevia
-Pure, organic, raw stevia powder is perfect for adding sweetness to your favorite foods without the harsh effects of traditional sugars. Navita's Stevia is in it's traditional, unprocessed herbal form and it is 300 times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way!

Tea Forte Organic Wild Berry Hibiscus Tea
-Recent research has shown that drinking three cups of hibiscus tea everyday can help to lower elevated blood pressure levels. Tea Forte's hibiscus is combined with organic wildberry flavor, making this tea good AND good for you! It is great hot or iced.

Beer tastings!
TODAY, Thursday, August 4th we are so pleased to be hosting local brewery Sixpoint for a tasting of their excellent, incredibly popular beers! Stop in from 5pm-7pm to try some samples, and don't miss Chimay, a Belgian trappist brewery, here tomorrow, Friday August 5th, from 4pm-7pm sampling their ales!

An abundance of new, locally produced products... and some cool new housewares, too!

2011-06-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

At Perelandra, we are committed to supporting smaller scale, local manufacturers and food producers because we believe that 'buying local' is better for everyone! Locally produced food travels a shorter distance to get to you which is not only better for the environment because it uses less fuel, but it is better for your health, too! An apple that comes to you from upstate new york will most likely get to you with more nutrients intact that an apple that has been flown across the world from New Zealand. When you buy locally produced foods, you are also strengthening your community by keeping your dollar in your neighborhood- see what we mean? Better for everyone! During the summer and fall months we have an abundance of locally grown, fresh organic produce as well, and you'll see it notated with green "local" signs in our produce department. Check out some locally produced products below that are new to our store, and at the end of the post you'll find a list of the locally produced brands we are proud to sell at Perelandra!

Glendale Farms Certified Organic Grape Juice This not-from-concentrate grape juice is made with a blend of organic grapes- Concord, Catawba, Delaware, Niagara and Cayuga- grown locally in the fingerlakes region of new york state. No water, sugar or sulfites have been added- it is just pure grape-y deliciousness!

Farmer Ground Pancake Mixes- These mixes make amazing, super fluffy pancakes- even the buckwheat blend is light and fluffy! Made from certified organic whole grains grown on farms in upstate new york, these make it easy to have a pancake breakfast AND support your local farmer!

Bao Raw Slaw- If you like Kim Chee and/or Sauerkraut, you will love Bao's new Raw Slaws- these are SO good! They are made from organic lacto-fermented vegetables, right here in New York City! Try the Tangy, Spicy or Green varieties- The Tangy is a 100% organic combination of cabbage, daikon radish, carrots, apples, pears, garlic and ginger with organic spices; Spicy adds organic chili pepper to Bao's 100% organic vegetable mix, and the Greens is made from 100% organic kale, collard greens and dandelion greens. Also try Bao's awesome Kombucha and Raw Hot Sauce!

Evan's Farmhouse Buttermilk: Evans Farmhouse is a family owned and operated, USDA certified organic creamery located in Norwich, New York. The milk is bottled and the yogurt is made in their on-farm creamery using milk from 75 organically raised, pasture-fed Jersey cows.
Evan's farmhouse products are a perfect example of the different that you can taste when you buy locally sourced products that are produced in small quantities- you can really taste the difference.

Lively Run Goat Cheese: Made on a small, family owned farm in the fingerlakes, all of the goats at Lively Run goat farm have names and are treated like part of the family! You can even visit their farm and pet the goats, or as they say "Let your kids pet our kids!" This goat cheese is excellent- Need some inspiration? Try this recipe!

Some excellent additions to our housewares department....

Do your part in giving plastic bags the boot! Try a Wrap n Mat! Get rid of disposable plastic sandwich bags forever with these are reusable snack and sandwich pouches that open up into a place mat. You will wonder how you've lived without them...

Make sushi like a PRO! Pick up a Bamboo Sushi Mat with Paddle- for only $4.99!

COMING THIS WEEK TO OUR HOUSEWARES SECTION....
Tiffins!
Bamboo cutlery!

So you want to buy local...? Here are some great locally made products we sell at Perelandra! You can find them all on our shelves and on our online shopping site!

herbin' spoonful artisan caramel sauce (made in Brooklyn!)
farmer ground pancake mixes
BAO bad ass organics kombucha, raw slaws, hot sauce (made in Manhattan!)
glendale grape juice
emmy's organic raw vegan macaroons
x's to o's vegan baked goods
mu mu muesli
upstate harvest granola
purely elizabeth gluten free baking mixes and granola (made in Manhattan!)
skytop non-homogenized milk
remembrance farms eggs
lively run goat cheese
evan's farmhouse buttermilk
maple hill creamery yogurt and yogurt drinks
hawthorne valley biodynamic fermented vegetables and yogurt
everybody eats gluten free baked foods
bread alone organic bread
divine brine beet caviar
better brittle african style peanut brittle
flour city pasta artisan pasta
brooklyn brine pickled vegetables (made in Brooklyn!)
ny honey locally produce honey
sunbeam candles (produced with solar power!)
tierra farms nuts, snacks, granola and nut butter
nynaturals kale chips (made in Brooklyn!)
brooklyn salsa organic salsa (made in Brooklyn!)
amikole shea butter products (made in Manhattan!)
bindi skin care products (made in Queens!)
regal vegan faux gras (made in Brooklyn!)
v-spot vegan prepared foods (made in Brooklyn!)
northern rye finnish ryes (made in Brooklyn!)
healthy sushi (made in Brooklyn!)
yossi's vegan cake (made in Brooklyn!)

...And check in or dairy department next week for Yisroyal ready to bake vegan cookie dough, made by hand in Brooklyn!

New and Noteworthy - June!

2011-06-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Lucini Chickpea Fritatta Mix - Rosemary and Fieri Chili
--These awesome mixes couldn't be simpler in their ingredients OR preparation! Made from chickpea flour and seasonings, just add water and put it in the oven to create a delicious, protein and fiber rich meal. You can add chopped vegetables, fresh herbs or whatever else strikes your fancy to switch it up a little!
Rapunzel Organic Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
--You asked for it, and we listened! After several of our customers expressed interest in finding an organic, natural version of Nutella, we decided to bring in this delicious chocolate hazelnut butter. It tastes just like nutella but you can feel better about eating it with its great ingredient list!
Biotta Elderberry Juice
--Biotta is known for their unusual juice selection (Sauerkraut juice!) and is debuting pure Elderberry juice. Elderberry has traditionally been valued for it's delicious taste and for promoting a healthy immune system.
Brooklyn Brine Sauerkraut
--Brooklyn Brine has done it again with their awesome sauerkraut. Made by hand locally in Brooklyn and aged in whiskey barrels, this is the best sauerkraut we've ever tried! Try some now! It will change your Reubens forever....
Cucina Antica Organic Ketchup and Salad Dressings
--I know, I know, more salad dressing, you say? BUT Cucina Antica's new salad dressings (low fat italiano, balsamic, red wine vinagrette and caesar) are made with organic ingredients and really do taste great- give them a try, they are delicious. We especially like the low fat italiano!
Annie's Spirals with Butter and Parmesan
--Annie's has taken the work out of feeding toddlers with this new boxed macaroni and cheese- I know all I wanted to eat when I was a kid was noodles with butter and parmesan-and now it's even easier!
Yossi's Vegan Cake
--Made by hand in Brooklyn, these delicious vegan cake slices will blow your mind with their moist, delicious flavors. Look for chocolate orange, lemon poppyseed, banana walnut date, chocolate hazelnut and carrot raisin.
Eli's Earth Bars
--Made with organic and fair trade ingredients, these bars (Dream Big Bar, Earth Bar, and Treasure Bar) are the organic, natural answer for the Twix, Snickers and Almond Joy lover among us. They are delicious and actually taste like their mainstream counterparts!
Greenshield Organic Laundry Detergent
--This is the first natural laundry detergent we've come across that is made with organic ingredients as well- available in unscented and lavender.
Braggs Nutritional Yeast Seasoning
--Vitamin enriched nutritional yeast in a convenient shaker bottle! Now you can shake nutritional yeast on your popcorn to your hearts content!

COMING NEXT WEEK! Cayuga Pure Organics locally grown whole grains and Farmer Ground locally grown & produced Organic Pancake Mixes! Yay!

What products would you like to see at Perelandra? Tell us on facebook!

New Products in May!

2011-05-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

Check out some of the great new items we got in this month!

- La Tourangelle- Pan-Asian Stir Fry Oil- expeller pressed safflower oil infused with onion, garlic and ginger flavors
This oil is perfect for stir-fries because it enhances the flavors that most of us already put in our stir fries. It's a nice, light flavor, though that doesn't overwhelm it.

-Alter-Eco Rainbow Quinoa
A blend of Alter-Eco's organically grown and fairly traded regular pearl, red and black quinoas. Not only does it look great on a plate, but it offers a higher antioxidant content that traditional quinoa because it blends all three colors together.

-Amy's Kitchen Gluten-free shortbread cookies
I have never been disappointed by anything that Amy's makes, and these are no exception. There is an overwhelming amount of gluten free baked goods available today! At Perelandra we choose gluten-free foods that are not only gluten-free but also fit with our core philosophies about natural and organic foods. Amy's fits the bill! These are delicious!

-Sunsational Sunflower Seed Beverage
I saw this product at a trade show last fall and have been waiting for it to be available! IT IS SO GOOD! It's a delicious non-dairy milk made from sunflower seeds, so it is perfect for someone who has soy, milk or nut allergies. It actually does taste very good and is great just by the glass.

-Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss- new flavors! Ginger cookie caramel and chocolate walnut brownie.
Thank you, Luna and Larry, just in time for the hot weather! They've mastered the art of making ice cream from coconut milk!

-Om Shan Tea- 7 flavors of organic herbal teas from San Francisco's famous Om Shan Tea lounge.
These teas are delicious and made from intriguing blends of herbs like the Middle Way Blend, made from ginger root, licorice, goji berry, nettle leaf and ginseng or the Enlightened Mind Blend that is made frin kukicha twigs, yerba mate, sencha green tea, gingko biloba and lemongrass. The company will be here Sunday, June 12 from 12pm-3pm, stop in for a sample.