Dinner Belle
Laura Axelson
Dinner Belle
Hi! Sometimes it's hard to find the time to eat the way we really want to eat. We value eating local and organic, but it takes a lot of time and planning to make it happen. With two little boys and a part time job, it was hard for me in spite of the fact that I love to cook, teach a cooking class, truly value local ingredients, and want to feed my children wholesome, organic ingredients. (Read: Too. Much. Pizza.) Dinner Belle was born because I want you to be able to eat the way that you value, too.
Local
Not only is it socially responsible to eat local, but it is incredibly delicious here in Middle Tennessee. The last few years have seen an explosion of creative farmers raising colorful heirloom ingredients. Dinner Belle will source as many local ingredients as possible and all the meals revolve around the harvest seasons. All local sources will be listed in each Dinner Belle recipe.
Organic
There are wonderful, certified organic farms here in Middle Tennessee. We especially love Bloomsbury Farms and Delvin Farms. There are also many farms that use organic practices but are not yet certified because the certification process is expensive. Dinner Belle visits farms that are not certified or has a representative visit to make sure they really are using organic practices. We try to use organic ingredients as much as possible and never use any non-organic produce on the “Dirty Dozen” list; however, we may occasionally use a non-organic ingredients from the “Clean Fifteen” list.
No Processed Foods
Instead of foods made with refined flour or sugar, Dinner Belle uses only whole foods like rice, potatoes, corn and whole grains like barley, farro and quinoa. The only sweeteners we use are local honey, local sorghum, or unrefined cane sugar.
High Protein Meatless Meals
We encourage you to eat a few meatless meals every week. It is good for your health and more sustainable. Unfortunately, factory farming has made many Americans accustom to eating meat at almost every meal, but high-quality meat cannot be produced in that volume.
Pastured Meat
The hilly Middle Tennessee landscape actually makes it more conductive to raise meat here than to grow crops. We only offer meat from free-range animals that have been treated humanely and never given hormones or steroids. Cows are grassfed, but may be finished with organic, GMO-free grain. Chickens are never given antibiotics. Pigs and cows are never given antibiotics unless in an extreme, isolated circumstance where it is inhumane not to treat them.
Dairy
Our dairy comes from cows or goats that are grass-fed on pesticide-free land and pasteurized at a low-temperature to preserve flavor and enzymes.
Less waste
Instead of plastic, we package your food in reusable Mason jars and Pyrex with BPA-free lids. Each week Dinner Belle sterilizes the returned glass packaging for use again.