If you're interested in organics, the Slow Food movement and other wholesome ways to get dinner on the table, a new title could be your cup of (locally produced, nonendangered) tea.

The Ethical Gourmet: How to Enjoy Great Food that is Humanely Raised, Sustainable, Nonendangered, and That Replenishes the Earth by New York chef Jay Weinstein (Broadway Books, 2006) pays homage to our agrarian past as it encourages treating our bodies, our environment and our food sources with respect.

In the 19th century, small family farms abounded and many people consumed produce that was field- and tree-ripened and grown close to where they lived. Fruit and vegetables were just a few hours or days old, so they didn't need a thin film of wax to protect them. Produce wasn't irradiated to make it more sanitary, nor was it genetically modified to keep the bugs away, make it ripen more quickly or last longer on the shelf.

Do we wonder why our grandmothers love to reminisce about the delicious produce of their youth — and wonder why they say today's supermarket peaches just don't taste the same?

Today "buy local" — interpreted by many to mean buying produce grown within 200 miles of where you live — is the new mantra of those who seek to preserve our health and environment.

Weinstein goes one step further. "We must also buy ethically, taking into account pollution, ecologically sound production and support of deserving economies," he writes in The Ethical Gourmet. "This applies to produce, dairy, seafood, meat and even packaged goods."

"If you live in a region where organic food is grown or produced nearby, that's the gold standard," Weinstein said in a recent phone interview. The produce that is often our only choice at the supermarket is picked while it's still hard, and ripened in a gas-filled truck as it winds its way across country, he said, polluting the environment as it goes and increasing our dependence on petroleum products. Foods shipped in by airfreight are even worse offenders, Weinstein said.

"There's still hope for good produce at the more enlightened specialty or supermarkets, he said. "Just be careful to read the labels which tell where they were grown. If it's on the other side of the country — or the world — think twice."

The ethical chef recommends that we educate ourselves about companies that are socially responsible, and that we support Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance products that address problems such as the alleviation of poverty and the end of inhumane practices in the developing world. Co-op America's National Green Pages (www.greenpages.org) and National Geographic's Green Guide (www.thegreenguide.com) offer suggestions for getting started.

Weinstein also advocates buying directly from small farmers who use environmentally sound farming practices because they have a bigger stake in sustaining their land. (And there are a number of farmers and farmers markets in Northen New Mexico that make that easier to do.)

"Fruits and vegetables taste best eaten immediately after they're picked," Weinstein said. "Not only are the natural sugars and essential oils at their peak, but they can be picked at perfect ripeness when they don't have to travel so far."

Weinstein praises these farmers who don't use chemical fertilizer and pesticides, citing the devastating effects these products have been shown to have on our bodies and to the soil when they become part of the ecosystem. He said he looks forward to the day when organic production is considered mainstream.

A different Labor Day picnic

For a Labor Day menu that departs from the usual hot dogs and burgers, Weinstein suggested offering some new taste experiences — dishes that he said make use of ingredients that put what he preaches into practice.

For this holiday that marks the end of summer and a respite from the workaday world, he suggests we ace the burgers — and consider Chinese yak buns with scallions and rice vinegar dipping sauce instead. Yak meat is eco-friendly, he says, as the high-altitude loving animals eat less and tread more lightly on the soil than cattle. Yaks and yattle — a crossbreed of yaks and cattle — are a realtively new livestock industry in the United States, he said, with the animals raised and slaughtered in more humane ways.

The bonus: yak meat is highly flavorful.

Weinstein believes that meat is best served as the accent of a meal, not the main event. Since farmers are still testing the viability of large-scale farming of alternate meats, yak probably won't be waiting for you at your local market. But if you plan ahead, you can order it over the Internet from www.yakmeat.us and www.schreinerfarms.com. Sometimes, you can pick some up in Taos at Cid's Market.

If you can't find yak meat, Weistein suggests substituting ground beef sirloin.

Cole slaw has become a staple at picnics, but Weinstein said he loves cabbage as much for the taste as for the fact it uses only one quarter of the water that it takes to grow lettuce. Water is a scant resource in the West, so switching to cabbage — or at least bulking up your salad with it — will help in conserving already overtaxed water supplies, he said.

Our Asian slaw also features ethically produced, organic evaporated cane juice.

There was a time when you could only buy ethically produced sugar from Canada, Weinstein said, but today organic sugar is widely available in the United States.

The importance
of tasty water

When using water for culinary purposes, Weinstein recommends keeping a Brita pitcher filled with water on the counter. However, he is a fan of good-tasting tap water and suggests that sensible consumers pass their tap water through a simple filtration system and taste it before heading for the bottled-water department. As we have learned lately, much of the bottled water on grocery shelves is just tap water with a pretty label.

Having worked at the Culinary Institute of America and in various restaurants including that of renowned chef Jasper White, Weinstein insists that many chefs, especially on the East Coast — where water historically tastes better — cook with it and drink it straight from the tap.

Weinstein also admits, with a laugh, that when he worked as a chef in San Diego, where high mineral content gave the water a different taste than he was used to, he quickly adapted and joined his friends huddled around the faucet as the freshly filtered water streamed out.

• • •

Recipes adapted from The Ethical Gourmet:

Although Weinstein suggests yak meat for the intensity of its flavor and the fact that the animals are less damaging to the environment than cattle, if you can't find it he suggests substituting ground sirloin of beef. If using sirloin, add half a beef bouillon cube that has been diluted in 2 teaspoons water to the recipe.

CHINESE YAK BUNS WITH SCALLIONS AND RICE-VINEGAR DIPPING SAUCE

(Makes about 24 small buns)

For the dough:

1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast

2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil for frying

For the filling:

Olive oil as needed for frying

1 pound ground yak meat or ground sirloin of beef

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 to 4 scallions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

For the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup light soy sauce

1 teaspoon dark honey

To make the dough: Place yeast in 1/4 cup of very warm water. In another bowl, combine sesame oil, sugar and salt in 3/4 cup very warm water. Combine yeast, water mixture and flour by hand to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth, elastic and very stiff, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover loosely, put in a warm place, and let dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

For the filling: Pour olive oil into large frying pan. Over medium heat, fry scallions for 1 minute; add meat and cook until pink is nearly gone, about 6 minutes more. Add soy sauce, salt, pepper and ginger to meat mixture. Stir and simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Meat should be light brown. Remove from heat.

To form and cook buns: Set oven to 250 degrees. Divide the risen dough into quarters. Roll each quarter into a long, thin log. Cut or pinch off so that each log is 1 to 11/2 inches long. Roll each into a rectangle. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of meat filling onto each rectangle. Fold corners inward like the back of an envelope and roll flat so there is no open seam.

Heat a 1/2 inch layer of cooking oil in a frying pan. Add a dash of sesame oil for flavor, if you wish. Fry each bun until golden brown, turning once. Stack cooked buns in layers on a baking sheet, with absorbent paper under each layer, and place in oven to keep warm until serving.

To serve: Combine vinegar, soy sauce and honey. Serve buns hot with the dipping sauce.

• • •

SOUTHEAST ASIAN SLAW

(Serves 4)

1/4 head (about 1/2 pound) Napa or other cabbage, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, grated

1 small red onion, cut into julienne

1 to 2 teaspoons Thai bird or jalapeño pepper, minced

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar, preferably evaporated cane juice

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

A few drops of Asian toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine cabbage with carrot, onion, chile pepper and cilantro. Combine lime juice, vinegar, cane juice, vegetable oil, sesame oil and salt. Pour dressing over salad. Toss thoroughly. Let rest, refrigerated, for at least 30 minutes before serving.

• • •

COCONUT RICE

(Serves 6)

One 14-ounce can coconut milk

11/2 cups jasmine rice

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon salt

Combine 1 cup water, the coconut milk, rice, coconut and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Place over a low flame. Bring to a simmer; cook, covered, very gently for about 25 minutes.

Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

• • •

SUMMER RADISH SOUP WITH BERRIES AND BALSAMIC SYRUP

(Serves 4)

1/4 cup white or black balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups chopped onions

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups radishes (mixture of daikon & red) with greens, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, stemmed

1 quart vegetable, mushroom or chicken stock

1/2 cup assorted berries, such as raspberries or strawberries

In a small pan, simmer balsamic vinegar until it is reduced to about a teaspoon, being careful to retain its liquid consistency. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan heat olive oil; add garlic and onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sweat (cook slowly, without browning) for 5 minutes, until onions are soft and juicy. Add radishes, radish greens, thyme and stock. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer; cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until radishes are soft.

In a blender at high speed, purée soup in batches until very smooth. Return to the pot and reheat. Serve soup in shallow bowls, arranging a small group of berries in the center of each portion. Drizzle a few drops of balsamic syrup over the berries just before serving.