NOTED CHEF ENDORSES FROZEN, CANNED ORGANICS

SEATTLE (FNS) -- Launching her "Organic Kitchen" cookbook tour at the Dahlia Lounge restaurant here, nationally recognized chef Jesse Cool recently hosted a sampling of recipes taken from the book.

oking with fresh ingredients is preferable, it is not always possible," she said. "Particularly in the winter months, certain types of fresh organic fruits and vegetables are scarce or of not particularly good quality. At those times, when you really want the flavor organics can bring, consider the tried and true methods our grandparents used to preserve. Look for canned and frozen organic ingredients. These offer the flavor and quality in the winter that may be missing in out-of-season fruits and vegetables."

Organic frozen vegetables and fruits are the perfect answer to winter's "fresh" produce, she said. Cool also pointed out the convenience frozens can offer consumers, such as stockpot-ready pre-washed and cut vegetables; a wok-ready ingredient for quick stir-fry dinners; or a convenient side dish.

One of the dishes served was an upside-down pear chocolate cake topped with frozen berries that had been heated.

Known for her commitment to sustainable agriculture and support of organic growing practices, Cool owns restaurants in California and a catering company, and recently opened a food-service operation at Stanford University. She is also a frequent instructor at Draeger's Markets cooking school focusing on cooking with organic ingredients.

Small Planet Foods, Sedro-Woolley, Wash., owner of the brands Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen, sponsored the event.

"The term 'organic' means that the products are grown without the use of synthetic chemicals or pesticides and processed according to organic industry guidelines," explained Craig Weakley, vice president, agriculture, Small Planet Foods. He talked about how farmland can move from conventional to transitional to organic and described the various regulations currently in place in several states. "Hopefully, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will release national organic standards by the end of this year to offer some national standards," he said.