Health Hotline Magazine | September 2021

APPLES By Charity Isely ORGANIC HEADQUARTERS ® FOR THE LOVE OF ORGANICS:

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Apple Crisp

Who doesn’t love the flavors of apples and cinnamon baked to perfection with a crispy

“Wanted” posters, old maps, and conversations with strangers at small-town country stores—these are the methods apple detectives use to find lost varieties of a fruit that once grew in orchards around the country. According to The Illustrated History of Apples in the United States and Canada by Daniel Bussey, more than 16,000 unique types have been documented in these two countries; yet, only an estimated 20 percent of that number is commercially available in the U.S. today, with approximately 11 to 15 varieties accounting for 90 percent of the fruit produced. And the forgotten fruit symbolizes more than dwindling numbers: It represents lost knowledge, lost traditions, lost flavor, and the essence of it all—lost biodiversity.

Organic apple microbiomes have more biodiversity

crumble topping? Yum! Made with prime-season organic apples and topped with a sweet and nutty crispy crumble made with our Natural Grocers ® Brand Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, this delicious treat is not only gluten free, it’s also grain free, paleo friendly, and vegan!

One hundred million bacterial cells. That’s the content o f one apple (from stem to core), which may sound alarmi ng, but it’s actually normal. Fresh produce has a microbiom e, just like the human gut, and it’s essential for the health a nd growth of the plant. However, the way an apple is grown may impact the benefits or drawbacks of those 100 mil lion cells. An Austrian study published in Frontiers in Microbi- ology in 2019 found that the microbiota in organic apples was significantly more diverse, balanced, and distinct th an conventional. A core strain of the organic fruit was Lacto- bacillus , the “good” bacteria of probiotic fame. By contrast, the study found more pathogenic bacteria on conventio nal apples, including some that weren’t present in organic a t all. Pesticide residue news flash Conventional apples have made an annual appearance o n the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list of produce with the most pesticide residue for at least the last 12 years, including 2021. They even held the top spot fo r five years running, from 2011 through 2015.

SERVES: 8 | PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 35-40 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR AND 10 MINUTES

“Biodiversity—the variation of life on Earth—is essential to healthy ecosystems and serves as nature’s own system of checks and balances.” —Rodale Institute

Ingredients • 11 tablespoons Natural Grocers Brand Organic Plant Based Buttery Sticks or Spread, divided • 2 teaspoons Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Organic Cinnamon Ground, divided • ¾ teaspoon Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Real Salt, divided • 5 medium organic apples (Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, or any combination), washed, cored, and cut into bite-size pieces • 1 cup Natural Grocers Brand Gluten Free All Purpose Flour • ½ cup Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Organic Coconut Sugar • ½ cup Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Organic Pecan Pieces

Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. For the filling, place a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat and melt 3 tablespoons plant-based butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt. 3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the apple pieces with the melted butter, cinnamon, and salt. Once coated, add the apples back to the skillet and increase heat to medium. Cook the apples for 5-7 minutes, stirring gently every minute or so until the apples soften. 4. While the apples soften, make the topping. Melt the remaining butter. Stir the flour, coconut sugar, pecan pieces, and remaining cinnamon and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined for a crumble topping. 5. Remove the apples from the heat. Use your hands to crumble the topping over the apples and gently press down. 6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until apples are tender and topping is crisp. Let cool for five minutes and serve with topping of your choice.

Cultivating biodiversity is a core principle of organic farming, which relies on an ecosystem’s natural resources to make it productive. Consider an organic apple orchard, where native plants function as weed control, natural predators as pest control, and synthetic fertilizer is replaced with manure. A three-year study comparing the impacts on biodiversity in just such an orchard to its conventional counterpart found that the proof is in the pudding, or rather, the pie. The organic orchard scored higher on critical measures of soil health, including bacterial diversity and a greater abundance of Rhizobium , a nitrogen-fixing bacteria that plays an important role in soil productivity and fertility. It had an average of 20 times more earthworms, which is significant because they help with water movement, nutrient cycling, plant growth, and improving soil structure. Finally, the study found that organic management had the potential to deliver up to 103 percent higher economic benefits, “on the premise of no irreversible damages to the environment and biodiversity.”

Send your taste buds in search of heirloomflavor

Look for Cox Orange Pippin, Ribston Pippin, and Orle ans Reinette, apples that have histories dating as far back as the 1700s. And be sure to choose organic, because they’re extra delicious—the Austrian study found orga nic apples had higher levels of Methylobacterium , which is known to enhance flavor compounds!

Optional Toppings: Whipped topping or ice cream of your choice

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