Featured Grower: Earthbound Farm

Over 25 years ago, Earthbound Farm began with a backyard garden, a roadside stand, and a big commitment to organic farming and protecting the environment. Today, we work with 150 dedicated family farmers on 35,000 acres to bring the benefits of organic food to as many people as possible. Organic produce is all we do.
We offer more than 100 varieties of healthy, delicious organic salads, fruits, and vegetables — plus 100% post-consumer recycled PET plastic clamshells, which have a much smaller environmental impact than virgin plastic. And in 2010 alone, our organic farming will keep about 11.5 million pounds of conventional agricultural chemicals out of the environment.

Earthbound Farm’s organic promise:
•Certified organic: no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
•All-natural ingredients and BPA-free packaging
•Unrivaled food safety from farm to fork
Earthbound Farm offers 100+ varieties of certified organic salad greens, fruits, and vegetables.
These beautiful organic whole-leaf lettuces are pre-washed and trimmed, then packed in our protective clamshell. Crunchy, colorful and ready-to-use, they’re the perfect organic option for salads, wraps, sandwiches, and more.

Featured Products:
Heirloom Lettuce Leaves & Butter Lettuce

Our 2-pound container is a self-shipper, just the right size for storage in the walk-in — and no corrugate carton to deal with!
•The clear, rigid container protects the quality of these delicate leaves and makes it easy to identify product visually.
•Now made from post-consumer recycled PET, the best eco-friendly choice: PCR plastic makes less than 20% the environmental impact of virgin plastic in terms of energy, greenhouse gas emissions, water, and solid waste.

From “The Earthbound Cook: 250 Recipes for Delicious Food and a Healthy Planet” by Myra Goodman (Workman Publishing, 2010). Photo by Patrick Tregenza.
Heirloom Lettuce Salad
with Strawberries, Walnuts, Goat Cheese, and Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Sweet-tart and succulent, strawberries are a true joy of spring and summer. This light and delicious salad uses whole heirloom lettuce leaves as a beautiful and flavorful base for the delightful blending of sweet strawberries, creamy goat cheese, and toasted walnuts. The flavors are melded perfectly by a quick-to-make balsamic vinaigrette that features toasted walnut oil.
1 pint fresh strawberries, rinsed, dried, and hulled
Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette
7 ounces heirloom lettuce leaves, left whole, or 5 ounces mixed baby greens, rinsed and dried if not prewashed
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
Cut the strawberries in quarters, place them in a small bowl, and toss them with about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Set aside.
Place all of the lettuce leaves in a large bowl and add 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Toss to lightly coat the leaves; then taste and add more vinaigrette if needed.
Transfer the lettuce to individual salad plates. Top the lettuce with the strawberries, toasted walnuts, and crumbled goat cheese, and serve immediately.
Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette
Makes 1/2 cup
Good-quality balsamic vinegar and walnut oil make all the difference in this dressing. If you can find a roasted walnut oil, its intensely nutty flavor will not be overpowered by the rich balsamic vinegar. This vinaigrette is also delicious with delicate baby spinach, mâche, or baby greens.
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons toasted walnut oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine the vinegar, mustard, and both oils in a glass jar and seal the lid tightly. Shake the jar vigorously to combine. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. (The vinaigrette can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 month. Let it return to room temperature and shake vigorously before using.)