Frontier Natural Products Co-op (ARA) - Been wondering what the term "Fair Trade certified" means when it comes to food? If you have a general idea that it may be a "good thing," but aren't sure where to find these foods, or how to use them, fall is your season.

When you see the Fair Trade certified mark on food and other goods, you can be assured that the producers in developing countries have received a fair price for their products, allowing them to make investments into improving their local community and infrastructure.

October is Fair Trade month - but you certainly don't have to limit yourself to only that month to buy and eat Fair Trade foods.

With Fair Trade certified ingredients ranging from pasta and spices to cocoa and tea, you have many options for making a positive contribution to the lives of producers, sustaining the earth and the global ecomomy. And now you can even use Fair Trade certified spices to enhance your dishes.

You can prepare entire Fair Trade meals for any time of day. As you plan a meal, simply check through your list of ingredients to see which ones may be offered in a Fair Trade version. Here are some suggestions for easy ways to integrate Fair Trade ingredients into your cooking.

For main dishes, you might go with Fair Trade pastas, vegetables and spices. Here's a particularly delicious example:

Creamy pasta with sauerkraut and veggie sausage

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 1/2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegan mayonnaise
2 cups plain, unsweetened soy yogurt
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (not brewer's)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 package veggie sausage or veggie dogs, thinly sliced at an angle
3/4 cup water
1 pound whole wheat pasta (gobetti, fusilli, penne, etc.) cooked al dente and drained
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced

Directions:
In a large saucepot, saute onion in olive oil until golden brown. Add drained sauerkraut, mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, nutritional yeast, cumin, garlic powder, and sliced sausage (or veggie dogs). Add 3/4 cup water. Stir ingredients until mixed well. If mixture is too thick, add another 1/4 cup of water. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add cooked pasta, and toss well. Cover and cook 12 to 15 minutes, until well heated and mixture begins to bubble. Garnish with diced tomato. Serve.

Enhance your meal with home-baked breads, cookies and desserts using Fair Trade fruits. Did you know you can get Fair Trade bananas at almost any food store these days? They were one of the original fruits to become widely certified; now the products available are much broader. This treat allows for your own creative fruit combinations.

Fall fruit crumble
Forgo the pie crust and offer up a generous portion of fruit crumble. Serve warm with ice cream, frozen yogurt, or freshly whipped cream with a hint of vanilla extract.

Ingredients:

Filling
5 cups fruit (sliced pears, sliced apples, and whole cranberries or raspberries make a great combination)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons rum or water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients. Pour into a baking dish (do not drain).

Combine the topping ingredients (cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly) and sprinkle over the fruit.

Bake about 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is soft and topping is lightly browned.

Your support of Fair Trade doesn't have to end with food items. More and more Fair Trade kitchen and table items are becoming available: place mats, tableware, napkins, serving dishes, etc. Now is the time to explore the possibilities - many stores will be offering suggestions and specials for Fair Trade month so check with your local natural and organic retailer.

Visit www.frontiercoop.com/fairtrade for more information on Fair Trade and a selection of Fair Trade Certified food products you can buy online.

Courtesy of ARAcontent