Easy, eco-friendly summer entertaining

Planning your (outdoor) summer soiree? This year, plan it Verde-style with the following three fabulous eco-chic tips: The big question on everyone’s mind… what’s to eat? First, whatever you’re preparing, be sure to include lots of fruits and veggies that are in season and locally available. For the Inland Northwest that means lettuce, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, and bok choy all summer long; tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, peaches, apricots, onions, peppers, potatoes, squash, blueberries, and raspberries July through September/October; corn, melons, and apples August through September/October; and leeks and pumpkins September through October. A local Farmer’s Market is always a good place to find these fruits and veggies fresh, and more often than not, organic. To find a Farmer’s Market near you visit http://www.localharvest.org. A couple of our favorite, easy, eco-friendly summer eats—recipes included—are listed here: Kebabs on Bamboo Skewers (Serves 4) 4 - 8 bamboo skewers ½ lb. red cherry tomatoes 4 green bell peppers 1 onion Soak bamboo skewers in water for about an hour before grilling. Wash tomatoes and peppers with a natural produce wash like Veggie Wash. Peel back dry skin of onion and first fleshy layer and set aside for compost. Cut onion into quarters, set aside. Prep green peppers by slicing off the tops, and scooping out the seeds/insides with a spoon. Cut peppers into squares about 1 inch by 1 inch. Set all items on a large platter and let people make their own kebabs. Grill each kebab for 6-7 minutes on medium high. Yields 2 kebabs per person. Bruchetta (Serves 4) 2 loaves French bread (baguettes), freshly baked ¼ cup garlic salt ½ cup fresh basil ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 lb. red tomatoes Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut baguettes into slices up to 1 inch thick and arrange all pieces on a cookie sheet, flat and not touching. Sprinkle small pinches of garlic salt over the slices. Next stack 3-4 basil leaves, roll tightly and chop into little sections until basil looks like short strings. Combine basil, remaining garlic salt and olive oil in a medium bowl. Dice the tomatoes until pieces are about dime-sized. Combine tomatoes and olive oil mixture, mix, chill in the fridge. Bake baguette slices for 8-11 minutes until tops are barely crisp. Let baguette slices cool for a minute or two, then transfer to a large plate. Spoon tomato-olive oil-basil-mixture onto each baguette slice to cover about half of the area of each. Tip: to add some color include some yellow tomatoes as well. To give your bruchetta a little kick, add some red pepper flakes. Also, grilling any vegetable with a little bit of salt, pepper, and fresh butter, or extra virgin olive oil, is superb. Second, what to use at the table—or for a table at all! If you don’t have outdoor furniture already, check out thrift shops, antique shops, and places like Habitat for Humanity stores to find low-cost, unique, reusable goods like tables, chairs, sun umbrellas and items for a fire pit. End of the season-sales are always a good bet as well, if you can wait to purchase these items. As for utensils and plates, you can always use your regular “indoor” silverware and plates to avoid creating the extra waste of disposable items. But if you’re in the market for some new outdoor plates and cutlery, check out eco-friendly Preserve Tableware for a range for products from cutlery, plates and tumblers to colanders and cutting boards, in bright, juicy colors. The line is dishwasher-safe, made from 100 percent recycled #5 plastic, and can be recycled just like glass when items wear out. Other options, for larger parties, include Spudware, which is cutlery made from potatoes that biodegrades in 180 days. Finally, our third tip is to remember the details and special touches that make a party fun. From eco-friendly and free e-vites (invitations via email) through sites such as www.evite.com and www.mypunchbowl.com, to incorporating sprigs of fresh, organic lavender to your table (rather than using fresh flowers) entertaining the eco-friendly way is a creativity-inducing, eye-opening way to gather with those you care about. Other ideas include filling glass bowls with apples or other seasonal fruits for décor and using solar lights to set off your garden at night. And don’t forget to set a recycling bin and a compost bucket next to your trash bag, so trash, recyclables, and compostables aren’t unnecessarily mixed. To take it even one step further, use biodegradable trash bags like those from Perf Go Green, and natural cleaning products like those from BioKleen, Seventh Generation, or Maid Naturally (created here in Spokane!) when the party is all over and after the last guest has gone home.