In July, the domestic tomato season really starts to take off. While the southern states have been producing for some time, local growers throughout the country start to see the first blush of color on the vine. This is an exciting time for tomato enthusiasts everywhere — the long winter and spring of flat-flavored, off-season fruit is over and the brief but sweet domestic season has begun. The beefsteaks of August are still a few weeks away and cherry tomatoes dominate the start of the season.

A few years ago I noticed a change in the commercial cherry tomato business – it was as if a form of variety Darwinism had taken place brought on by the introduction of a variety called the grape tomato. The grape is actually a very good cherry tomato in its own right; it’s a red, slightly oblong, firm variety that has a very good balance of acid and sugar. It’s also a sturdy, prolific producer and herein lies the problem: like many modern varieties of produce, the productivity of the grape tomato has made it a favorite of farmers and a champion in the fight for farm acreage. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re approaching that time of the summer when, if you garden, you may find yourself knee deep in zucchini and wondering what to do with your harvest. One of our favorite ways to deal with this happy summer abundance is to make loaves of zucchini bread for our families, friends and neighbors.

There are dozens of versions of this classic quick bread. What makes ours different from your standard zucchini bread recipe?

• We use whole wheat pastry flour.
• We use fragrant spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for warm flavor and aroma.
• We replace some of the oil with applesauce and plain nonfat yogurt for a lower calorie, healthier treat.

This recipe is a hit with everyone, even younger crowds.  According to one commenter on the recipe:

“We love this recipe- it’s one of the only ways my 2 year old will eat green veggies… She loves it and always asks for more.”

Check out all the comments on this recipe for interesting ideas on adaptations people have made to this recipe, like subbing brown rice flour for the wheat flour, honey for sugar, and more.

Tell us: what’s your secret for making great zucchini bread? Share your ideas in the comments below. Let’s see who has the best zucchini bread recipe!

Amy, a Whole Story reader, requested a healthier version of the traditional lemon bar that she loves. Traditional lemon bars contain a lot of empty calories in the form of white flour, butter and white sugar, so we decided to approach this request in a different way: how could we come up with a nutrient-dense lemon treat? We went back to basics and used whole foods—nuts, coconut and seeds for richness, and dates for natural sweetness.

One of our readers has already become a big fan of these treats. Check out the comment myiatrou wrote on the recipe:

I was so skeptical… I mean, for someone who never touched a date before … WOW! What a neat and easy treat to make! This is perfect for those “I need something sweet NOW” moments and you won’t regret later. I added a little extra zest and used walnuts…

You can check out our complete recipe, as well as leave comments and ratings, on our Lemon Treats recipe page. Did we mention that these treats happen to be gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan?

Here’s how we chose the ingredients for our Lemon Treats:

• Dates provide several nutrients including protein, iron, calcium, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, potassium, and vitamin A, just to name a few. They are thought to aid in digestion and are rich in potassium but naturally low in sodium to support a healthy nervous system and blood pressure levels. This energy-boosting dried fruit is packed with fiber, natural sugar, and other carbohydrates that provide long-lasting energy. They are extremely sweet, so a small amount goes a long way.
• Did you know that sesame seeds are a good source of calcium and other minerals such as magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc? And don’t forget the fiber and monounsaturated fats they contribute.
• Lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C and lemon peel contains essential oils that add bright citrus flavor.
• Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Coconut adds not only a rich flavor and creamy texture, but also medium chain fatty acids which are more easily digested and absorbed.

We really can’t do a side-by-side comparison of these treats to traditional lemon bars, but trust us that they’re very lemony and delicious. Each treat has 3 grams of fiber, only 7 grams of sugar, and 140 calories. Bring a batch to your next summer bash.

Did you miss the recipe link above? Here is the complete Lemon Treats recipe.

Beef burgers rule this week! It’s week seven of our collaborative 8-Week Recipe Contest with food52, an online community for home cooks. If you have a great beef burger recipe, go to the food52 contest page to submit your recipe for a chance to win a $100 gift card from Whole Foods Market.

All recipe submissions must meet Whole Foods Market’s Quality Standards, which means that they must be free of hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners.

To enter, go to the food52 contest page, create a log-in account, and then follow their instructions for entering. (While we love seeing your recipes, entering one in the comments section of this blog post will not get you entered into the contest.)

Food52 is accepting beef burger recipes starting today, July 19th and ending on July 23rd, so make sure to get your recipe in quickly.

Winners of the eight weekly contests will be eligible to win a grand prize of a $1,000 Whole Foods Market gift card!

There’s one more week before the grand prize voting, so get your recipes ready for that star of late summer: heirloom tomatoes! They will start accepting recipes for those on July 26^th.

Good luck!

Thanks to Jimmy Dunne, President of Inspire — a music and branding company partnering on music initiatives with Whole Foods Market — for providing this blog post.

When I think of the albums that have withstood the test of time— that continue to impress themselves on new generations of listeners— they tend to share a few common elements: a sense of “location,” a narrative thru-line, an authentic sensibility, a rooted trademark “sound.”  And they’re always risky.  Kind of Blue. OK Computer. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  London Calling. Jesca Hoop’s Hunting My Dress boasts all of the promising elements of a timeless album, and it’s already garnered the affection of critics worldwide.  Through our Artist Discovery Series, we’re joining the cause of launching her inventive artistry to center stage.  You can find Jesca Hoop’s new album, released by Vanguard Records, in your local Whole Foods Market starting August 6.((Read on for a video of Jesca and an opportunity to hear the new album.) Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve decided to chill out this summer, you’re going to love my fast fun ways to serve up some serious summer snacks while keeping your kitchen cool. I’m talking about delicious dips and spreads!

Actually, not just great for snacking, a good dip or spread can make a healthy, refreshing addition to just about any meal. But a lot of typical dips and spreads are too high in fat and sodium and too low on good nutrition, not to mention all the chemical additives, preservatives and MSG that might be added. We can do so much better than a packet of flavored dry powdery stuff sprinkled over cream cheese or sour cream surrounded by something that resembles a chip but is really a 10% potato-fluff thingy that comes in a box with an ingredient list so long you fall asleep just reading it! Yuck…I can feel my stomach churning as I type.

Boosting your health with a delicious, all-natural dip or spread is really very simple. Serve it alongside antioxidant-packed and fiber-rich cooling fruits and veggies for a complete healthy summertime menu. Here’s how to get started.

Read the rest of this entry »

As an avid homebrewer who is also environmentally conscientious, I’ve looked for creative ways to use the byproducts of brewing beer, including the spent grain. Spent grain is the byproduct of an early stage of the brewing process called mashing and consists of a couple pounds of grain that is used up for beer but still quite nutrient rich. Spent grains are primarily made up of carbohydrates, proteins and lignin, which make excellent compost for the garden and delicious whole grain for baking bread (in fact, some of our stores actually use spent grain from local breweries to bake bread).

I’d also heard that spent grain acts as a great source of protein and vitamins for animals. Always looking for new ways to delight our loving lab, Yampa, I decided to bake dog treats out of the grain. I found a few simple recipes on homebrewer forums and modified them to fit Yampa’s palate (she served as the official taste tester). Read the rest of this entry »

The Five Worst Environmental Pollutants in Your Beauty Products

This is a reprint of an article featured on GOOD.

By now we’ve already covered a little of how products can affect our health, but it bears reminding that what’s good for us is also generally good for the planet—and vice versa. Because Whole Foods is a pioneer in natural personal-care, even issuing new organic labeling guidelines to their suppliers, we asked them to tell us the top five most environmentally noxious ingredients used in personal-care products, and why we should avoid them.

1.  Antibacterial Compounds
Triclosan and chlorphenesin are often the active ingredients in antibacterial soaps. They do not break down in the environment and may contribute to bacterial resistance. These ingredients are also known to cause aquatic toxicity. A recent FDA advisory panel report even stated that antibacterial soaps are no more effective than regular soaps. Triclosan and chlorphenesin are not allowed in any products sold in Whole Foods Market stores. Read the rest of this entry »

Congratulations to Patricia for winning Putumayo’s 5-CD reggae collection and thanks to all of you who shared your favorite Bob Marley song with us!

Dan Storper is the CEO and Founder of Putumayo World Music.

Few people have made the kind of lasting, universal impact that Bob Marley has made with his music. In his short 36 years, Marley managed not only to introduce hundreds of millions to reggae but also spread powerful messages of peace, love, human rights and acceptance. It’s no surprise that almost 30 years after his death, one can travel to any part of the globe and witness his far-reaching musical legacy. (Read on for a chance to win a 5 CD Putumayo Reggae collection.)

Bob Marley would have been 65 in 2010, and in celebration, Putumayo World Music is releasing Tribute to a Reggae Legend, a multi-genre album featuring artists from around the world performing many of his best-loved songs. The collection is the first tribute album Putumayo has produced and its first with five exclusive, original tracks. Read the rest of this entry »

Matt O’Hayer’s happy hens are pasture-raised outdoors at Vital Farms near Austin, Texas.  Matt’s hens move among open pastures, ensuring fresh grass for the chickens while fertilizing the land in return.  Because the hens feed on these grasses high in beta carotene and other vitamins, Vital Farms eggs have a dark, thick yolk with great egg flavor.

Vital Farms is a recipient of a Whole Foods Market Local Producer Loan, which they have used to purchase equipment to help them expand their production.