Staff picks

This article was originally published in November 2016

Satsuma Mandarin oranges

In season

Organic produce

  • Organic Satsuma Mandarin oranges — from Rich Johansen in Orland, Calif. (arriving late November)
  • Organic Texas Rio grapefruit — from South Texas Organics in Mission, Tex.
  • Organic Comice Pears — from Northwest orchards
  • Organic Navel oranges — from California orchards (arriving mid-month)
  • Organic Cara Cara oranges — from California orchards (arriving mid-month)
Andalou Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask

HEALTH & BODY CARE & MERCANTILE

Andalou Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask

Organic pumpkin blended with Manuka honey gives my skin an instant boost of radiance. I face the day feeling lighter and looking brighter!

— Brandy L., Columbia City

Lunch tiffin

Makes packing lunch a breeze! It’s induction ready, so I can heat up my lunch directly on the stove. I frequently pack soups and it never spills. It’s durable, lightweight, dishwasher-ready, non-plastic and compact.

— Jess H., office

Stress relief products

Rhodiola is my favorite adaptogen/botanical to balance frazzled adrenals and support the immune system. I like a full dropper of the Herbpharm liquid extract in water or tea, or the Gaia brand, in pill form.

— Marilyn W., nutrition educator

Honey Mama's chocolate

DELI/CHEESE

Honey Mama’s chocolate

The texture of this raw, honey-based chocolate is almost like a brownie. It has an amazing amount of flavor — all the tastes inside jump out as it melts right away in your mouth, not locked inside waxy blandness.

— Andrew H., IT

Petit Basque cheese

One of my favorite quick lunch solutions is this cheese melted on an English muffin or slice of bread, maybe with a fat slice of tomato. A little bit of luxury at lunchtime.

— Alicia G., PCC Cooks

Jasper Hills Harbison cheese

A deliciously rustic, earthy and buttery cheese wrapped in bark. Makes me swoon.

— Suzanne P., Redmond

That Brown Girl Cooks Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

GROCERY

That Brown Girl Cooks Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

I love the Slow Burn variety. It’s lighter textured than chickpea hummus and the flavor is deep and rich with a bit of a spicy kick.

— Jill L., food writer

Field Day Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

I eat this organic oatmeal almost every day.

— Scott O., merchandiser

Republic of Tea sampler

I love this seasonal tea sampler with Hibiscus Cranberry, Pumpkin Spice and Hot Apple Cider flavors. It tastes like fall in a cup.

— Tami L., Issaquah

Jackson’s Honest Sweet Potato Chips

Simple sweet potatoes and coconut oil. Naturally sweet, light and crunchy. It’s hard not to eat the whole bag in one sitting!

— Sue M., Bothell

Also in this issue

Raise a glass to organic and biodynamic wine

Good grapes equal great wines — wines that are especially expressive of the dirt and place they're grown.

Letters to the editor, November 2016

Supporting choice at PCC, The PCC difference, Avoiding carbs?, and more

Conserving farmland for greater impact

Since 1999, the PCC Farmland Trust has protected almost 1,700 acres of sustainable and organic farmland across Washington. After many frank conversations with farmers over recent years, we realized we needed to do more than just buy development rights to make a difference. We needed to take risks to seek out vulnerable farms with great potential — even if that meant looking beyond their current condition.