Archive for January, 2008

some truths about PLA - compostable corn plastic

Published
by
bj @ vineyard picnics to go
on January 31, 2008
in Green & Sustainable and Running my business
. 13 Comments

As I continue to research eco-friendly packaging for vineyard picnics, I have came across an article in the Smithsonian Magazine which exposed some unfortunate truths about PLA. These are the corn plastics Newman’s Own Organics, Wild Oats, Wal-Mart, DelMonte, Kentucky Fried Chicken - and vineyard picnics to go - use because they’re made from a renewable resource, are compostable, and use 65% less energy to produce than conventional plastics. But are they compostable?

PLA was invented by a Cargill scientist who was trying to find new uses for corn. As an aside, industrial lactic acid, a by-product of fermentation, can also be made from wheat, beets and potatoes; but NatureWorks, which produces PLA, is owned by Cargill, the world’s largest corn vendor. It used to cost $200 per pound; it now costs $1 per pound.  

Unfortunately, PLA does not appear to be easily compostable. PLA decomposes into carbon dioxide and water in a “controlled composting environment” in fewer than 90 days. In today’s world, very few consumers have access to the sort of composting facilities that can make that happen. NatureWorks has identified 113 such facilities nationwide—some handle industrial food-processing waste or yard trimmings, others are college or prison operations—but only about a quarter of them accept residential foodscraps collected by municipalities.

Moreover, PLA by the truckload may potentially pose a problem for some large-scale composters. Large amounts of PLA can interfere with conventional composting because the polymer reverts into lactic acid, making the compost wetter and more acidic. At present, conventional composting facilities can’t provide enough oxygen to feed the microbes that consume the lactic acid. The good news is that going forward, anaerobic digesting composters will be able to break down the organic material without oxygen and capture the resulting methane for fuel.

Also, recycleables need to be separated, and most municipalities are finding that challenging. Some of them actually ship them overseas to take advantage of lower labor costs! PLA is simply confounding the problem.

Most of the corn that NatureWorks uses to make PLA resin is genetically modified. Critics point to the steep environmental toll of industrially grown corn. The cultivation of corn uses more nitrogen fertilizer, more herbicides and more insecticides than any other U.S. crop; those practices contribute to soil erosion and water pollution when nitrogen runs off fields into streams and rivers.

There’s lots more to learn. If you’re interested finding out more about PLA, you can find the full article at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/plastic.html?c=y&page=2.

For those of you who are interested, I buy my corn plastics from Green Earth Office Supply and SunTerra.

bj @ vineyard picnics to go

versatile, green, and healthy . . . grapeseed oil

Published
by
bj @ vineyard picnics to go
on January 24, 2008
in Green & Sustainable and Tips & Recipes
. 6 Comments

Produced in Napa, Salute Sante! grapeseed oil is a green product - quite delicate and clear - manufactured by a green company. Made from grape seeds after the juice has been extracted for wine, grapeseed oil is a natural by-product of prolific wine producing regions like Napa, France, and Italy.

Besides having a very high smoking point, 485 degrees, compared to olive oil at 250 degrees and corn and sesame at 410 degrees, it can be used for high-termperature cooking such as sauteing and frying, without any burning or smoking.

It also provides two key nutrients: vitamin E and linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid and antioxidant, also known as Omega 6. Essential fatty acids are those the body cannot produce and must be ingested. Compared to olive oil, grapeseed oil has 50% less staurated fat and 10 times the essential fatty acids. It is also a significant source of OPC’s, a well known antioxidant that studies indicate can be 50 to 80 times more potent than vitamin E.

Very light and non-greasy, Salute Sante! especially. I combine it with olive oil in my salad dressing to produce a delicate dressing that doesn’t overwhelm the greens; 2/3 grapeseed oil to 1/3 olive oil.

bj @ vineyard picnics to go

green pork chili . . . outrageously good

Published
by
bj @ vineyard picnics to go
on January 22, 2008
in Cooking and Tips & Recipes
. 0 Comments

green pork chili

My very first post . . . thought I’d share my recipe for an outrageous green pork chili! It’s not fine dining, but it definitely tastes good. It’s my version of a Bobby Flay recipe with roasted tomatillos, peppers, and onions. Cook the pork slowly, for 3 hours or more, in a 250 degree oven. It’s best if you let it sit for a couple of days. Yummy!

4 lbs            pork shoulder 
2 lbs            tomatillos, outer skin removed, halved
4-6              jalapeno peppers, seeds and membranes removed, 1/8″ slices
4-6              pasilla peppers, seeds and membranes removed, diced
2                  onions, large, diced
8  cloves     garlic, smashed
2 1/2 cups  chicken stock
1 bottle       dark beer
1/4 cup       masa harina
1 cup           cilantro
1                   orange, juice & zest
2-3 tbl         ancho chili powder 
                     dried mexican oregano, optional, to taste
                     salt & pepper, to taste

1.  Roast tomatillos, jallapenos, pasilla peppers, onions, and garlic on a large sheet pan in 450 degree oven until brown. Set aside vegetables in a bowl. Deglaze the sheet pan.

2.  Cut the pork shoulder into 3/4″ cubes, removing large pieces of fat. Sear in hot frying pan in small amount of oil.

3.  Combine seared pork shoulder and the rest of the ingredients, except the roast vegetables and cilantro, in a large, covered casserole. Bring to a boil on your stovetop. Put in a 250 degree oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Add the roast vegetables and cook for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

4.  Puree cilantro with a little water, salt and pepper, just before serving.

5.  To serve, stir pureed cilantro into casserole. Spoon chili into large bowls, garnish with cheese - a soft Mexican cheese or Monterey Jack - sour cream and fresh cilantro leaves. Serve with jallapeno corn bread.

Notes:
1.  Masa harina is ground lime-soaked corn, used as a thickner in this recipe. You can substitute a cornstarch slurry.
2.  To make ancho chili powder, remove the seeds and grind dry ancho or pasilla peppers in coffee grinder.
3.  Taste the jalapeno and pasilla peppers to see how hot they are. This will help you decide how many to use. They get milder as you roast them.
Feel free to email me or post if you have any questions or suggestions!

 bj @ vineyard picnics to go