Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/648009
W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | 2 5 ■cr Modern Sprout Living in Los Angeles means that, despite our love of fresh produce, there's not much room for a garden. Even our windowsill boxes get rav- aged by thieving squirrels, which is why Modern Sprout is such a genius idea for those of us cooks who live in urban areas. Launched through Kickstarter, their garden jar is a self-sustaining environment that uses a hydroponic method called wicking to provide nutrients and water to the plants. We also love that the kits are assembled through an agency that hires people with developmental disabilities, "helping empower them to assume their rightful roles in society as productive, valued citizens." The kit, which includes a reusable jar, comes with everything you need to build your own mini garden. You can grow basil, parsley, oregano, cilantro, mint or pansies. So even if your botanical specialty is killing your plants, this kit will have you growing fresh herbs for your kitchen in a flash (without all those pesky squirrels). modsprout.com Forager's Cocktails Forager's Cocktails, the delicious new cocktail book by Amy Zavatto, a contributing writer for our sister magazine THE TASTING PANEL, celebrates the use of local ingredients in the carefully curated cocktails. And by local we don't just mean your local farmer's market, but your backyard, park or that field behind your house (it might at first sound like a sketch from Portlandia). The book is a nod to the current trend of craft cocktails—as well as the Slow Food movement, a celebra- tion of all that is local and organic. The cocktails are divided by seasons, and Zavatto's book is both a manual for crafting cocktails as well as a field guide to finding edible flora. From using chamomile flowers to create an infused genever used in the Sleepy Time Tipple or picking wild crabapples to make a Wilds of Manhattan, these drinks will appeal to the adventur- er and urban forager in you. As Zavatto states in her book, "Be brave, be curious, get your hands dirty . . . may you never look at weeds the same way again!" Steaz Green Tea Nothing makes a more refreshing beverage than iced tea, but with things like high-fructose corn syrup and other chemical sweeteners, they can feel more like desserts than drinks. Steaz, on the other hand, makes iced tea that's organic and comes in three styles: lightly sweetened (with organic sugar), zero calorie or unsweetened. With fun flavors like Goji Blackberry, Dragonfruit and the clas- sic Arnold Palmer—half iced tea and half lemonade—it beats most of the other sugar-filled beverages out there. Plus, they use Fair Trade tea and cane sugar, so it's good for both your body and your conscious! steaz.com Love Bottles By now, most people understand the importance of spurning one-use plastic water bottles in favor of something a little more eco-friendly. However, finding a reusable water bottle that is also esthetically pleas- ing can be challenging. That's why Love Bottles, with their fun designs and commitment to the environment, are a diamond in the rough. We love the vintage glass milk bottle style and the cute designs that adorn each bottle. They're also BPA-free and dishwasher-safe. And it's not all about looks; for each bottle sold, Love Bottle donates 5% of profits to one of three different charities: Global Water, Arbor Day Foundation or No Kid Hungry. While toting these bottles around makes drinking water a little bit more fun, we also love the idea of using them to infuse olive oil, spirits—hello jalapeño vodka!—or even filling them with sparkling lemonade for picnics in the summer. lovebottle.net o u m q