Peak flavor
We loved the rich flavor of Pasture Butter from Organic Valley, a cooperative of organic farms. The limited-edition, lightly salted butter is made with milk from cows that grazed during the peak summer months, and has an 84 percent butterfat content. An 8-ounce package costs $3.70 for a limited time at Whole Foods Markets.
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A kinder, gentler tea
We loved the flavor of Equal Exchange’s line of loose leaf and bagged teas. These environmentally friendly, Fair Trade Certified green, black and red teas come from small-scale cooperatives in India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. A box of 25 bags or 3-ounce tin costs $4.30-$11.50 at Ten Thousand Villages in Evanston, Glen Ellyn, Grayslake and Oak Park, and New Leaf Natural Grocery in Chicago (tea bags only).
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Recipes for you, meals for them
We love the kicky approach in the “Chefs Out of the Kitchen to Fight Hunger” cookbook to benefit Meals on Wheels’ holiday/weekend programs for the elderly. The book spotlights 24 area chefs photographed in retro, often comical settings and has 40-plus recipes — such as Colombian corn arepas with crabmeat salad (Fredy Hernandez, Chef Fredy Cuisine in Chicago). The book costs $20 from the Northeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging: to order, 630-293-5990 or ageguide.org.
