Need a reason to go to the OSU-OKC Farmer's Market (open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) during the winter months?  Try Wagon Creek Creamery 's luscious Greek Yogurt, which can be incorporated into an amazing array of dishes.

The price is reasonable - comparable or cheaper than the Fage brand available in stores. Also, it's healthy – Wagon Creek Creamery Greek Yogurt is made from milk from their own pasture-fed cows, which means that, according to many sources, it has a higher nutritional content - more CLA, Omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins. 

Taste tests conducted by the Okla-vore showed that the low-fat and full-fat versions had equivalent flavor; and the low-fat version has no bizzare fillers as commercial low-fat versions sometimes do. So don't be afraid to get the low-fat greek yogurt – it's quite tasty.

It's also incredibly versatile – substituting for both sour cream or unsweetened yogurt! Use it plain to substitute for sour cream, or add some honey or sugar to make it sweeter. Here are just a few ways that you can use this healthy dairy:

1. A main ingredient for dips – tzaziki sauce, raita, herb veggie dip, and pumpkin dip come to mind.

2. A tangy, tasty topping for pancakes, waffles, muffins, oatmeal, or granola.

3. An ingredient in creamy soups.

4. A great snack when combined with fresh or dried fruit, or used in a fruit smoothie.

5. A base for sauces like creamy curry sauce or for creamy pasta dishes.

6. A general sour cream substitute for dishes like seven-layer dip.

7. A handy ingredient for desserts or dessert toppings (like Peach Yogurt Pie or Bulgarian Yogurt Cake, for example).

As you can see, it's vital to have some on hand at all times.

More ideas and recipes are available here.  You can order the Wagon Creek yogurt (and other locally made products) from the Oklahoma Food Cooperative or find it at the OSU-OKC Farmer's Market.

Full disclosure: In case you are curious as to my fascination with this product, I have not been paid or been given free Low-Fat Greek Yogurt to write this post. I just like the stuff, and by the way, their butter is pretty good too!

Posted by Christine Patton

Cool, meatless and prepared with a blender, gazpacho has a bad rap in the land of chicken-fried steak. But I think this simple summer dish deserves more respect, especially when the mercury rises above 100. I hope these explanations and easy tips will woo a few gazpacho converts:
• While vegetables are key to this dish, so is bread. If you have ever had bowl of gazpacho that was the consistency of juice, missing bread might be the culprit. In Spain where the soup originated, stale bread always forms the base of the dish.
• Gazpacho is the ultimate “clear the cupboards” cuisine. Stale bread and vegetables that don’t need to look pretty are exactly what is required for this dish. And two typically prolific garden producers—tomatoes and cucumbers—are among the best veg­gies to use.
• Here’s my favorite thing about gazpacho: It doesn’t have to be exact. You need bread, olive oil, raw fruit or vegetables, salt, and vinegar or lemon juice. That’s it. Some combinations will be better than others, but since nothing has to cook or set or jell, you can’t really go wrong. And it comes together quickly, with no heating elements.
• When deciding what to throw in the blender, ask yourself what vegetables you like to eat raw. Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, avocado, onions, garlic and fresh herbs all work well, as do melons, mangos and peaches. Consider your ratio of especially wet produce, like tomatoes, to drier items, like onions — and find a balance you like.
• Start by tearing about 1 cup of stale bread into small pieces and soaking it in a bowl with a little vinegar and cold water. Toss the wet bread mixture in a blender, add veggies and start pureeing. Some recipes call for tomatoes to be blended separately and for olive oil to be added while they are blending, but again, experiment and see what works for you.
• The soup doesn’t have to be entirely pureed. Reserve some of your veggies, dice them and add them to bowls. Grilled shrimp could be another good addition. Also play with spices like curry, and don’t be afraid to add more vinegar, lemon juice or salt to taste. Bonus: The acids you add will help keep the soup a nice color if you store it in the fridge overnight.
— Posted by Chelsey Simpson; origionally published in the August issue of Oklahoma Living magazine.

There is a one-word reason for my involvement in Transition,
and that is Permaculture. Permaculture, to me, has the best toolkit for
changing the various elements of our worlds for the better, and for facing the
challenges posed by peak oil, climate change, and societal instability. The
Transition movement is firmly rooted in the ethics, principles, and practices
of Permaculture.

One of the definitions of Permaculture (which means both
"permanent culture" and permanent agriculture") is: a design
system for creating sustainable human settlements. It is founded on three core
ethics, which are care for the earth, care for people, and equal shares all
around. It is guided by a set of principles largely developed from a close observation of how nature works. For a powerful
demonstration of Permaculture in practice, see greening the desert

Transition was begun as an class exercise in a Permaculture
course taught in Ireland by Rob Hopkins. It is the response to the question of
how can we best prepare for the impacts likely to come from the one-two punch
of peak oil and climate change. Both of these developments have the potential
to seriously, seriously disrupt what we think of as normal life, and to do it
in the near future. We don't know and can't know exactly what these disruptions
will entail, but we can make some pretty good guesses. It seems smart to
prepare. 

As part of the preparation Transition emphasizes the building
of community. We become more resilient when we have strong bonds with diverse
people with varied outlooks, talents, and knowledge. It encourages localization
because the long supply lines for goods and services are likely to be damaged
when fuel becomes expensive or scarce. It promotes self-development in skills
necessary for the functioning of a society and culture. There is much more, and
you can read about some of it here: TransitionUS. Or, start by reading about the our own local efforts at TransitionOKC.

John Michael Greer has recently suggested (Archdruid)
that we get over our infantile projections onto the future by using the mantra
"There is no brighter future ahead." I agree. But there is a
worthwhile future, and we have a responsibility to make it as good as possible
for those who come after us.

Life requires that we are always in transition. Big events
are likely to conspire to make transition dramatic and compelling. Transition
aims to make that transition as bright for the planet and its citizens as
possible. 

Posted by Randy Marks, Transition OKC initiating group, Sustainable OKC board member, and owner of Land+Form, whole systems land use planning and design.

Sustainable OKC is hosting a special Green Drinks with COOP Ale Works.

This Oktoberfest themed Green Drinks is a great opportunity to bring friends for a fun evening.
Enjoy great company and local brews! 

Tuesday, October 20th
5:30-7:00 pm

Learn more about COOP here.
Learn about Green Drinks here.

The Sustainable Community Calendar offers information on a broad range of sustainable happenings, events, news, projects, and meetings hosted by a variety of organizations in central Oklahoma and throughout the state.

To view the calendar ::: click here.

To add info on an event, meeting or happening to the calendar :::

• If you have an event you’d like added to the calendar, please send an email to calendar@sustainableokc.org.
• The calendar is managed and maintained by volunteers who will review and add the events to the calendar.

The Sustainable Community Calendar is a project of Sustainable OKC.

Fresh Greens is a collaborative blog project of Sustainable OKC, featuring a rotating slate of 13 contributing bloggers and occasional guest bloggers.

The goals of Fresh Greens are to:

• inform
• educate
• spark discussion
• raise awareness for sustainable issues
• and yes, even entertain

© 2008 – 2010 Fresh Greens. All posts are copyrighted by Fresh Greens for initial publication only. Rights to subsequent publication of posts are owned by our contributors. For permission to reprint a post and to negotiation payment of the writer, please contact the contributor directly. Failure to do so is a violation of U.S. copyright law.

Views expressed on this blog by contributing and guest bloggers and those commenting, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sustainable OKC.

Contact us at: freshgreensblog@gmail.com

Fresh Greens is a collaborative blog project of Sustainable OKC.

SOKC is a grassroots organization working at the crossroads of business, environment, and social justice in Oklahoma City. SOKC is a local chapter of the statewide group, Oklahoma Sustainability Network, and promotes community sustainability by facilitating grassroots action, fostering awareness of sustainability, and serving as an informational and networking resource in the Oklahoma City area. For more information about Sustainable OKC, please visit our website.

David Brooks
David Brooks is a sales executive with a large Oklahoma Food Producer. He is a Past President of the Made-In-Oklahoma Coalition and currently serves as the National spokesperson. David has been on the corporate side of the food industry for over 30 years. He and his lovely wife have a small cattle ranch in central Oklahoma. It is considered a small ranch due to the fact that on cold winter nights the entire herd can be brought inside to share a cup of hot chocolate by the fire. David likes books, especially when they come out on DVD. He likes sailing, but is not very good at it and will probably perish in a small storm some day while all the other boats are quietly making there way to port. He teaches a Southern Baptist Sunday School class filled with young adult couples. The Lord has blessed David and his wife with two beautiful children, and a new son-in-law. All three of them have made life the joy it is. 

John Cheek
When John isn’t editing Fresh Greens, he teaches English as a second language to secondary students in a metro area school district. At home he enjoys gardening in the back yard, cooking with fresh ingredients from the Oklahoma Food Coop, working on his long awaited (by his wife and mother) novel, and deciding between the Pulitzer winners and graphic novels stacked on his nightstand. To sate his inner masochist, he attaches deranged emotional significance to the fate of each Chicago Cubs season.

Ron Ferrell
 
Jennifer Gooden
Jennifer Gooden’s sustainability interests are all over the map.  At the top of her list are the interaction of social class and environmental responsibility; the exploration of an Oklahoma brand of sustainability; and the challenges (and occasional rewards) of the transition to a more earth-friendly lifestyle. Jennifer is the program coordinator at the Homeless Alliance in Oklahoma City and a founder and former president of Sustainable OKC.

Kristen McCarty
Kristen McCarty is a nurse, writer and farm hand living in rural Oklahoma. She has many more books on her bedside table than she can possibly keep up with, but she makes a valiant effort. She and her husband have a small organic farm with chickens, goats, and one llama who believes herself to be a human queen. Her two-year old daughter loves gathering eggs and picking vegetables while wearing all pink with her sparkly princess crown. Her mother hopes that the farm stuff will stick while the princess stuff falls to the wayside.

The Madfarmer
The Madfarmer is a little bit grumpy. He is inspired by the works of Wendell Berry, primarily his poem, The Mad Farmer Liberation Front. It is his long cherished dream to one day learn how to do absolutely everything by himself. So far he has learned how to make cheese and beer (but not at the same time or in the same pot), attract excessively large amounts of squash bugs, chase away hives of bees, kiss a llama, and grow copious amounts of organic vegetables for the many, many hungry pests on his farm.

Nancy Love Robertson

A think locally, act locally kind of gal, Nancy Love Robertson lives and works in Oklahoma City. She digs community involvement, especially with public education and has been known to show up at an art opening or two. An avid runner and newborn cyclist, Nancy loves Oklahoma and enjoys day tripping whenever possible. She constantly claims to be the richest person she knows due to the wealth she has accumulated in her family and friends. On warm days, Nancy can be found sitting on her front porch swing with her family, including her life partner and two dogs. She strives to “be the change she wants to see in the world,” and has learned it is best to love first and ask questions later.      

Chelsey Simpson

Chelsey is an editor and writer with a domestic streak that leads to haphazard gardening, cooking and sewing. If she had to put all of her interests on one bumper sticker, it would read: “The Goddess is my co-pilot, but I’d rather be doing yoga, traveling, buying local and watching my schnauzer (spay and neuter!) beat up your honor student.” She is the outreach manager for the Oklahoma Food Cooperative and the Edmond route manager. She spends the rest of her spare time watching HBO programs on DVD with her husband, Jeff.

Shauna Lawyer Struby
I’m a 52-year-old writer, mom, wife, avid locavore, gardener, and passionate advocate for sustainability. Lately karma posted me to the vibrant and growing non-profit group Sustainable OKC, where I’m privileged to serve as president. In my day and sometimes night jobs, I write and edit for the Oklahoma Department of Tourism & Recreation, Sonic America’s Drive-in, and The Dustbowl Conspiracy, an alliance of architects and designers committed to smart, sustainable design. I like this quote from Wendell Berry, “I am more and more impressed by the generality of the assumption that human lives are properly to be invented by an academic-corporate-governmental elite and then either sold to their passive and choiceless recipients or doled out to them in the manner of welfare payments.” I’ve decided to stop being passive and choiceless. In this journey, I’m blessed in Oklahoma City to be inspired by many gracious friends and family. Follow my adventures thinking, living and loving life out loud at ThinkLady blog.

Lindsay Vidrine
Lindsay: I’m a 27-year-old Oklahoma enthusiast who enjoys being a part of our community’s artistic, cultural and sustainable evolutions. My passions include gardening, reading and baking a mean chocolate chip cookie. The people I meet through Sustainable OKC continually inspire me with the often simple, yet innovative ways they improve our world everyday. I look forward to learning more from the thought-provoking discussion sparked by this forum.

Bob Waldrop
Bob Waldrop is a native, fourth generation Oklahoman.  He is the president and general manager of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, the director of music at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, and the founder of the Oscar Romero Catholic Worker House.  He is one of the instructors for the Barking Frogs Permaculture Online Permaculture Design Course.  He lives in central Oklahoma City, where he growns more than 100 varieties of useful or edible plants on his former lawns.  His Craftsman era bungalow, originally constructed in 1929, has been extensively remodeled and incorporate superinsulation in the walls and attic, passive solar, and other energy and resource conserving features.  He moderates an extensive collection of internet discussion groups, including runningonempty2@yahoogroups.com, which has 7400 members and has been discussing energy issues since 2001.  His websites include www.energyconservationinfo.org, www.bettertimesinfo.org, www.bulgarbugle.com, and www.bobwaldrop.net.

Robbie White
Robbie White is a former teacher who now works for worthy causes in her community while raising her three children.  Robbie’s passions in sustainability (for the moment) are: consistent changes in small ways, learning about new ways to bring conscious living into the lives of her family and 
creating opportunities for intelligent discourse on the topic of intentional stewardship of the earth with anyone who will join in!  Robbie loves being in the mountains, riding her Electra bike around Midtown and reading good books.

Tricia Dameron
Tricia is a map-maker and researcher by day and an aspiring domestic goddess by night. She was raised in a small town south of Fort Worth, Texas, and attended the University of North Texas, where she studied emergency management, geography, and environmental journalism. She is especially interested in wildlife habitat loss, waste management, and issues surrounding food: eating, growing, selling, marketing, cooking, etc. You can also find her at oklavore.com. Tricia moved to Oklahoma nearly three years ago and lives in southern Logan County with her husband and two dogs.