We Love Our Farmers! Pgs. 12 & 13
LGBTQ+ Love in Our Watershed Pgs. 18 & 19
The Vine Team
Director of Marketing
Rebecca Torpie
Editor Paula O’Brien paulao@briarpatch.coop
Art Director Holly Pesta
Contributing Photographers and Designers
Xea Barrett, Jamie Ferré, Patti Glenn, Seanan Maher
Content Contributors
Rachel Berry, Chris Maher, Seanan Maher, Paula O’Brien, Rebecca Torpie, Sasha Scott
290 Sierra College Drive Grass Valley, CA 95945 530-272-COOP
Rock
By Paula O’Brien, Editor
Summer is wall-to-wall with colorful fruits and veggies, the rainbow of variety is a feast for the eyes! Keep things simple and easy while you enjoy the best of what the season has to offer.
Makes 6-8 servings
Be sure not to stand between anyone and that plate of fresh spring rolls, you don’t wanna get run over!
½ red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
½ yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small-medium carrot, peeled/cut into thin batons
1 cup butter lettuce leaves, cut into 1-inch strips
2 Persian cucumbers, cut lengthwise into thin strips
¼ cup mint leaves
¼ cup cilantro leaves
1 cup red cabbage, cut into thin shreds
8 rice paper wrappers (plus a few more if some break)
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
¼ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup sesame oil
Dash toasted sesame oil
Squeeze of lime juice
Sugar or honey to taste
Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mix hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice and toasted sesame oil. Add desired amount of sugar/honey.
Boil carrots in water 1-2 minutes and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Let cool for 3 minutes, drain.
Get a pie plate or bowl that’s big enough to lay rice paper wrappers in and have
hot water on hand for rehydrating. Gather veggies and sesame seeds to assemble rolls.
Add hot water to pie plate and submerge a rice paper wrapper. Once softened, remove from water and lay on a plate or other flat surface.
Add a rainbow of veggies in a compact pile at the center of wrapper and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Fold sides snugly towards the center without veggies piercing wrapper. Fold bottom flap over the center and roll tightly with a gentle hand in the direction of the top wrapper flap until you have a fully encased roll. Place on a plate lightly oiled with sesame oil to prevent sticking. Repeat with other wrappers. Once all rolls are complete, cut in half and serve with hoisin dipping sauce.
Makes 6 servings Fun, deliciously dippable fruit goodness.
1 cup vanilla yogurt
½ cup sour cream
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp Local Spicery Moroccan Breakfast Spice
1 tsp orange zest
12 strawberries
12 suprêmes, cut from oranges or a grapefruit
12 pineapple chunks
12 green grapes
12 blackberries
12 bamboo skewers
In a small bowl, combine yogurt, sour cream, honey, spice and orange zest. Thread fruit onto bamboo skewers in rainbow order of colors. Drizzle with or dip into sauce.
Makes 6 servings
Fruit salad meets citrusy bubbles. Just the thing to sip on a summer day. Remember your paper, agave or reuseable straws.
1 bottle dry white wine, chilled – like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
½ cup lemon-flavored vodka
1 can lemon-lime seltzer
4 cups watermelon, cut in ½-inch cubes
2-3 kiwis, cut into rounds
4 cups mango, cut in ½-inch cubes cup blueberries cups strawberries
Place layers of fruit into serving glasses, leaving berries for later. Stir together wine and vodka in a pitcher. Add in lemon-lime seltzer and pour mixture into fruitfilled glasses, up to about ½ inch from the rim. Top with berries and serve with straws and spoons.
BriarPatch donated $2 for each vote cast in this year’s Board of Directors election** to the Northern Foothills Partnership — a collaborative coalition of Placer Land Trust, Bear Yuba Land Trust and the Trust for Public Land that’s coordinating conservation work in the American, Bear and Yuba River watersheds.
Established in the fall of 2009, the partnership formed in an effort to increase “strategic protection” and conservation of woodlands, waterways and historic ranches. Pooling efforts and resources allows the group to achieve something more easily than if each was working independently. Focusing on the Sierra Foothills and Oak Woodlands, the Northern Foothills Partnership
recognizes the important role this land plays in the well-being of the people and wildlife living there.
Placer Land Trust’s second largest preserve — Harvego Bear River Preserve — was protected because of the goals identified by the Northern Foothills Partnership. The Preserve is a working cattle ranch protected since 2010 through a public-private partnership between Placer County, the Trust for Public Land and Placer Land Trust as well as private donations. Its 1,778 acres of blue oak woodland and riparian habitat are located at the heart of nearly 7,000 acres of land protected by members of the Northern Foothills Partnership and Placer County.
Says Jeff Darlington, Executive Director of Placer Land Trust, “Protecting land in the Bear River and Raccoon Creek watersheds started many years ago. The partnership works to facilitate
investment in landscape-level conservation of Sierra foothills across the Bear, Yuba, and American rivers for the economic and ecological health of our local rural communities, benefit of all Californians, and future generations.”
Goals identified by the partnership have also been met by other conservation projects and funding partners, such as the creation of the Kotomyan Vista Preserve. The Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy teamed up to fund this project, named to honor the Nisenan tribe that occupied the area in the past. The 60 acres connects vital wildlife corridors and is located in an important watershed area between Raccoon Creek and the Bear River that’s the largest remaining contiguous area of oak woodlands remaining in Placer County. Projects such as this that preserve and connect blocks of land help protect biodiversity and keep wildlife corridors and migration routes open and safe.
** (As of press time, we didn’t have the donation total ready for the print edition — check out our digital version to see what we gave!)
AWe call ourselves a “neighborly grocery store”
We call ourselves a “neighborly grocery store”
By Chris Maher, CEO General Manager
s a co-op, BriarPatch follows a set of “principles of co-operation" that serve to guide cooperatives around the world. The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) espouses seven core principles, including (#7) Concern for Community: “Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.”
it, the 8th principle goes hand-in-hand with the 7th, officially recognizing that organizations such as ours can serve as a beacon of support for those marginalized and oppressed.
We take great pride in how the Co-op lives these and all the other principles, and we also like to have fun along the way, offering events that welcome
“This August at BriarPatch we’re recognizing Love Local Month with a fair at our Auburn store.”
In August, 2023, our Board also adopted an 8th principle gaining momentum throughout the cooperative community but has yet to be officially adopted by the ICA: “BriarPatch Food Co-op recognizes an 8th Cooperative Principle that asserts an unambiguous commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. They (the Board) further resolved that ‘this Resolution is adopted as a Call to Action for the Cooperative Movement to do likewise.’” As we see
everyone to join us in celebrating our community. June is Pride Month, and this year we will have events at both stores! Folks can join us at our Auburn store for Pride Bingo on our back patio. Then, our 4th annual Pride on the Patio event at our Grass Valley store will feature local organizations, entertainment and plenty of fun for all.
And this August at BriarPatch we’re recognizing Love Local Month with a
fair at our Auburn store where shoppers can meet local vendors. We love to see you at our stores shopping for food and products to nourish and care for you and your families, and when you buy from these folks living and doing business within our area, you’re keeping dollars in the local economy and helping them make a living.
At BriarPatch, we call ourselves a “neighborly grocery store,” and from the feedback we’ve received it’s gratifying to hear our efforts are well-received. Customers often share how shopping at the Co-op lifts their spirits, how they feel better about their day after visiting us, how sometimes they go to the store just to see who else is there so they can say “hi” and be a part of things...just like they might swing by a friend’s house for a catch-me-up. They’re pleased at how our staff greets them and remembers them from visit to visit. It’s these kinds of day-to-day exchanges that make the community strong and vibrant and make us proud to be your neighbor.
By Rachel Berry, BriarPatch Board President
his is the second summer season that BriarPatch Food Co-op is in full operation of two amazing grocery stores. As a Nevada County resident, I enjoy the familiarity of shopping in my community, and when I stop by Auburn during my travels, I am always grateful for its location and the welcoming and attentive staff who work there.
As a board member, my lens on two stores is a little different. One of the primary drivers for our expansion to a two-store model was to provide more stability for the long-term future of the Co-op. I am excited to report that we are already seeing the benefits of having a multi-store operation — bringing administrative costs down in relation to total sales, new opportunities for prepared food sales, and more tracks for employee promotion and retention.
In addition, we are expanding all the ways our cooperative model benefits the communities where we do business. With over $50M in total sales for the
first time ever, we expanded our nonprofit donation program to include organizations in the Auburn area, we’ve seen a 25% increase in organic sales and sold $1 million more in products from our local watershed. That is something to celebrate!
the strength and stability to continue to serve our growing communities far into the future. Our board members are very pleased with the skill and dedication of our staff and applaud them as they continue to find ways to grow our beloved cooperative. We
“With over $50M in total sales for the first time ever, we expanded our non-profit donation program to include organizations in the Auburn area, we’ve seen a 25% increase in organic sales and sold $1 million more in products from our local watershed.”
It is projected to take several years for a grocery business like ours to become profitable after the investment of a second store, but by all accounts, BriarPatch is well on its way to becoming a thriving, multi-store cooperative with
also have much gratitude for you, our owners and shoppers, for being part of our unfolding story — you are the heart of our success!
There are hundreds of varieties of the “love apple,” from the teeny snackin’ size to the large heirloom varieties like water balloons waiting to burst. If you're looking to store firm, fresh, unblemished tomatoes for MONTHS, you can layer them with wood ash in a clean container and keep
Robust and aromatic with a wild past, these grapes were developed in the 1840s in New England when a farmer took the native species and planted a succession of 22,000 seedlings in an effort to come up with the ideal grape — early ripening to avoid the frost with a rich, full-bodied flavor. Concord grape jelly is the original “J” in PB & J.
Before you eat or juice one, be sure to zest the peel. Other uses for the peel include boiling in water for a cup of sinus-clearing tea and to help your house smell nice, stopping your brown sugar from hardening, sprinkling it over growing veggies to repel slugs. And, there’s a mountain range in Wales — Blorenge — that rhymes!
Besides the deep, dark purple Globe variety, you have a lot of egg-cellent varieties out there: Italian, Graffiti, Japanese, Green, Chinese, Rosa Bianca, Santana, Tango, Fairy Tale, Black Beauty, Orient Express, Barbarella, Indian, Kermit and Turkish...which is bright orange and looks like a teensy pumpkin!
Called musa sapientum in Latin, “fruit of the wise men,” due to their nourishing properties and ease of cultivation. Bananas are possibly the world's first cultivated fruit, and the tree is not actually a tree but a giant herb! Take that, Ken Jennings!
Also known as hakurei, or Japanese turnips, these are relatively new to the produce pantheon. Japanese farmers began growing them during a famine in the 1950s. Their sweet and almost fruity flavor dazzles when sliced raw in salads or pickled, seared or baked. Like with cilantro, some folks with a certain genetic makeup may perceive the flavor as bitter and unpalatable.
The abundance of summer fruits and veggies. So many colors and flavors and CHOICES…what to try first? Stroll through Produce and see what calls to you, it’s all good.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it’s considered to be a cooling ingredient that helps balance energy in organs like the lungs, stomach, brain and kidneys. One of its many names is “Spoon Cabbage” as the spoon-shaped leaves are perfect for scooping up dips that pair well with the sweet, fresh green flavor.
Makes 8 servings
The perfect balance of heartiness, cozy comfort and fresh flavors. Baking instead of frying, and arrowroot starch instead of the usual all-purpose flour make it lighter.
2 lb Globe eggplant, sliced about ¼-inch thick
1 Tbsp salt
½ cup arrowroot starch
4 eggs
2 cups breadcrumbs
2 tsp each garlic and onion, powder, divided
½ tsp dried basil, oregano and thyme
2-4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup olive oil
Additional salt and pepper to taste
The most used herb in the U.S. Sweet and slightly peppery Genovese green basil is perfect for lending a sassy vibe to savory dishes and green, grounding notes to ethereal fruit combos. For the maximum possible punch of herby freshness, add leaves as the final touch to your creations, savory or sweet.
Preheat oven to 425º. Line two sheet pans with paper towels. Sprinkle salt on eggplant. Let sit 20 minutes, pat dry. Remove paper towels from sheet pans, line with parchment paper.
In three shallow bowls, put: (1) arrowroot starch, (2) eggs, (3) breadcrumbs, ¾ cup Parmesan, 1 tsp each garlic and onion powder. Whisk eggs, stir together breadcrumb mix.
The vibrant color of blueberries comes from natural pigments known as anthocyanins. They protect the berries from oxidative damage and provide various health benefits. Add to chicken salad instead of grapes for a twist.
pressed garlic to a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Adjust salt/pepper to taste.
Lay an eggplant slice in arrowroot starch so some sticks, then dip in egg. Coat/pat with breadcrumb mix. Place on prepared sheet pans. Repeat.
Drizzle with olive oil, bake about 20 minutes, flipping slices halfway. Meanwhile, add tomatoes, remaining garlic/onion powder, dried herbs and
Lower oven to 400º. Spread 1 cup tomato mixture in a 9” x 13” casserole dish. Layer with ½ of the eggplant, 2 Tbsp fresh basil, more crushed tomato mixture, half of remaining cheeses. Repeat layers, finishing with cheeses. Bake about 25 minutes until golden. Serve garnished with fresh basil.
Auburn’s August Round Up at the Register recipient, Gold Country Wildlife Rescue, was chosen by both our Owners AND staff. Since 1991, Gold Country Wildlife Rescue has been rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing injured and orphaned wildlife in Placer County.
The 2026 Round Up at the Register application opens July 1st so keep your eyes on our website and social media for that official release!
Whether it’s pulling invasive plants with Placer Land Trust, helping students with their math homework at Bright Futures for Youth, or educating fellow community members about river safety with SYRCL, we appreciate the work of every single one of our 639 PatchWorks Volunteers! There is a volunteer opportunity for everyone through the needs of our Nevada and Placer County Nonprofit Neighbors. Learn more about PatchWorks and sign up for this Owner Benefit here: briarpatch.coop/patchworks.
Did you know that your apple purchases help grow nonprofit and schoolrun gardens in our community? Our October 2024 Grass Valley recipient Bear River High School purchased a rototiller, which can be seen being utilized on their cut flower field. At the BRHS garden, students learn about agricultural science, floral planning and design, and the general hard work that goes into growing your own food.
Apply to be an Apples for Gardens recipient: briarpatch.coop/apples.
To find out more about the Board’s standing committees, please add the following Committee names to the subject line when you email us at directors@board.briarpatch.coop.
Board Development Committee
Each year Owners can take 10% off one shopping trip in February, April, July, September and December. This schedule is subject to change.
5% off all BriarPatch brand supplements. Be well and save!
Opt into E-Receipts and automatic Register Round Up
Email hellobriarpatch@briarpatch.coop to sign up.
Owners 67 and wiser may apply to receive 2% off every day and 5% on Wednesday.
Be a PatchWorks Volunteer
Receive 15% off on up to two shopping trips each month when you volunteer at select nonprofits.
Owners can get special savings for case discounts at our Grass Valley location.
Check out more owner benefits at briarpatch.coop/join-the-co-op.
Board Members and Meetings Board of Directors
Check our website for our Board roster.
To contact all the Directors, email: directors@board.briarpatch.coop. For individual Directors: first name and last initial (i.e. alanal@board.briarpatch. coop). Letters may be left at Customer Service.
The upcoming meeting agenda is available at least one week prior to the meeting. Owners are welcome to attend Board Meetings. Please contact Mary Hunter for more information: maryh@briarpatch.coop.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Finance Committee
Executive Committee Governance Committee
BriarPatch Food Co-op exists so that members of the communities in which we live, work, and serve will benefit in ever-increasing ways from:
• Vibrant and sustainable organic and natural foods grocery stores.
• An inclusive and resilient regional food system.
• An equitable and expanding cooperative economy.
BriarPatch Food Coop has long valued fresh, local produce and the farmers whose labor of love is growing organic fruits and veggies. Years ago, “back in the Joerschke Drive days,” folks would bring in food they’d grown in their own home gardens to sell!
Fast forward to today and you’ll find we’ve got a number of ways to make sure our Produce department is
brimming with organically grown, delicious, farm-fresh possibilities, and that we’re able to lend support to farmers to achieve this abundance. We’re a part of some great cooperative efforts with farms and local and statewide organizations.
The process started back in 2010, somewhat out of necessity. Senior Produce Department Manager David Benson had joined the team the previous year at Sierra College Drive, looked at what was being offered to customers in the way
“Some of the produce you see on the shelves today was ‘reserved’ last year when commitments were coordinated and secured with them to grow and deliver certain crops to the Co-op throughout the year.”
of produce and set about reaching out to farmers to get more organic produce on the shelves. Reflecting on this journey, Benson shares, “The synergy between local farms, BriarPatch, and partners like Bear Yuba Land Trust, Sierra Harvest and California FarmLink has fostered an ecosystem of local agricultural activity that really serves the community.”
Ever gone grocery shopping with a list of items you’re going to use six months from now? The Co-op does it for you, in a way, with the production planning the Produce team does with area farmers. Some of the produce you see on the shelves today was “reserved” last year when commitments were coordinated and secured with them to grow and deliver certain crops to the Co-op throughout the year.
Cultivating these direct relationships is a winning solution all around. Farmers have a plan locked in for where their crops will go to market, BriarPatch can offer organically grown produce primarily grown within the Sacramento watershed (some planning takes place with a few farmers further afield) and shoppers enjoy a selection of fresh items — some of which may have been picked and delivered that very morning. It’s a way to provide some reasonable certainty to farmers (and us!) in a business where there are a lot of details
left to chance — like weather and market fluctuations.
Having a production planning agreement with a farmer can also lend credibility to their efforts to secure a loan or other financial support, since the lender knows they do business with the Co-op and will have income from the planned crop deliveries. And for us, there’s a palpable buzz from our staff when someone shows up with their freshly harvested fruits and veggies.
“Seeing farmers come in, dirty from the field, with lettuce still warm from the sun...that’s everything to us,” says Danielle Wilson, Grass Valley Produce team member.
In 2024, BriarPatch coordinated with 15 different farms to supply the Grass Valley and Auburn stores. Last year, production planning for produce, plant starts and fresh
flowers accounted for 19% of overall department volume across both locations.
After years of production planning with just the Grass Valley store, many of the farmers now supply to both stores. The continued delays in opening the Auburn store meant that production planning with local farmers wasn’t immediately feasible, and once the opening date was set the Co-op could work to bump up the amount of farmer-direct produce offerings. The groundwork laid over years of coordination certainly played a part in getting up to speed more quickly than having to start from scratch.
“Farmers have a plan locked in for where their crops will go to market, BriarPatch can offer organic produce primarily grown within the Sacramento watershed and shoppers enjoy a selection of fresh items.”
The combination of farmer relationships and staff knowledge and experience from years of production planning gave customers the local produce they’d been asking for — a great example of the customer service that most likely played a part in the Auburn store’s being recognized in the Auburn Journal’s 2024 Best of the Best contest for Best Produce.
Read the rest of the article in the digital edition mobimag.co/bp-vine/su25
How many times have you thought, “The s’more is so... last century”? At The Vine Editorial Headquarters, we’ve said it enough times that we finally decided to do something about it. The result? A s’more makeover for those who crave bold, salty, and umami-packed flavors.
Some of us just don’t possess the sweet tooth. Even as kids, while others were gnawing on chocolate Easter bunnies or diving headfirst into pillowcases of Halloween candy, we were busy raiding the chip bowl and pilfering the cheese drawer.
So, why not take that preference and give the humble s’more a bold new identity? Enter the Savory S’more — or as we affectionately call it, the S’vore. Rules? Out the window. Traditions? Shattered. Taste buds? Forever changed.
Think about it: At its core, a s’more is just a sandwich toasted over an open flame. Swap the marshmallow and chocolate for cheese, jams and vegetal bites, and suddenly you’ve got something rustic, smoky and downright addictive.
But where do you start? The secret to the perfect savory s’more lies in choosing the right cheese, the ideal bread vehicle and the ultimate condiments.
The Art of Choosing the Correct Curd Cheese is the star of your savory s’more, but not all are campfire-friendly. Here’s a quick guide to picking the right meltable magic:
• Semi-Hard (The MVPs of the Fire) Cheddar (non-aged), provolone, Swiss, Gouda and Havarti are your go-to options. They melt beautifully, hold their shape decently and deliver flavors that range from mild to smoky.
Pro Tip: Cut your cheese into ¾-inch slices that match the size of your bread or cracker for even melting.
• Semi-Soft (For the Bold and Brave) Fontina and Muenster fall into this category, offering a range of flavors from mild to funky. These cheeses melt faster, so cut them thicker to avoid an oozy outflow.
Pro Tip: Experiment with smoked or peppered varieties to add an extra punch.
• Soft (Handle with Care)
Brie, fresh mozzarella and feta are easy to melt but tricky to manage. They turn gooey in seconds, so be ready to assemble your s’vore quickly once they’ve hit the flame.
Pro Tip: Pair Brie with a touch of fig jam or fresh mozz with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar for a salty-sweet combo that’ll blow your mind.
Your bread choice is just as important as your cheese. A good s’vore needs a sturdy, smushable base that can handle gooey cheese and toppings without crumbling in your hands.
• The Best Graham Thing: Yes, go OG! Their mild sweetness pairs surprisingly well with cheeses like Brie or mozzarella, especially when you add a dollop of fig jam and/or a slice of prosciutto.
• Wisecrackers: Hard tack crackers, like water crackers or whole-grain varieties, are strong enough to hold their own but neutral enough to let the toppings shine.
• Easy to Baguette: For a more gourmet touch, use thinly sliced baguette rounds. Lightly toast them over the fire before adding your cheese and toppings for extra crunch and flavor.
The accoutrements, the condiments, the fillings — however you want to say it, this is where you can really get
creative. There’s no wrong answer here — just follow your taste buds.
• Sweet Meets Savory: fig jam, apricot preserves, tomato jam, honey drizzles, or a square of high-quality dark chocolate (trust us, it works!)
• Pickle Your Fancy: cornichons or dill pickle slices for a tangy bite or African peppers or pickled onions for a spicy, briny kick
• Grilled or Roasted Veggies: slices of zucchini, eggplant, or roasted red peppers or cherry tomatoes for a smoky, tender addition
• Go Bold: olive tapenade, caramelized onions, pesto, capers. romesco or a dab of zhug
The key to a successful s’vore is timing and technique.
1. Preheat Your Bread: You can use a shallow grill basket to lightly toast your cracker or bread base over the flame to warm it up and give it a little crunch.
2. Melt with Precision: Place your cheese on a metal skewer or a small grill-safe pan. Hold it over the flame, keeping a close eye to avoid over-melting. Alternately, you can make your s’vore sandwich in your grill basket.
3. Assemble with Speed: Once your cheese is gooey, quickly place it on your bread, add your toppings, and press the other side down. Alternately, you can make your s’vore sandwich in your grill basket and carefully toast, making sure it stays intact
Try Indoor Toaster or Broiler S’vores — Add Smoky Flavor Without a Fire
Use smoked cheeses, smoked paprika, or a dash of liquid smoke to replicate the campfire vibe.
4. Savor the S’vore: Take a bite and revel in the salty, melty, smoky goodness.
Whether you’re camping under the stars or just grilling in your backyard, this twist on a classic treat is
guaranteed to impress your taste buds. And the possibilities are endless — and deliciously gooey.
Now go forth, and cheddar your own path!
Get some great recipes to “Go Bold” with your S’vores in our digital edition mobimag.co/bp-vine/su25
Ahhhhh, the fresh taste of ripe summer fruit! Maybe you watch for the cherries to show up as if they’re the swallows returning to Mission San Juan Capistrano, or summer doesn’t officially start until you've drenched half your face in peach juice… we’ve all got our summer fruit faves that we (sometimes not so patiently) wait for.
Celebrate the return of your long-awaited loves with some dessert ideas that showcase the lusciousness of the sunny season...with little to no cooking needed.
6-8 servings
Fresh fruit comes together with a simple pie crust to make a fun and easy dessert. You can also pair the fruit and creamy whipped topping with puff pastry shells. Just prepare one box puff pastry according to directions.
1 9-in pie crust
½ cup sugar
¼ cup strawberry jam
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp arrowroot starch
1 cup water
4 cups fresh sliced strawberries
3 tsp agar powder
Zest from ½ orange
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 cup Greek whole milk yogurt
½ tsp vanilla
2 – 3 Tbsp caster sugar Pinch of sea salt
For more recipes see our digital edition
Preheat oven to 450º. Place foil and pie weights on pie crust and bake 8 minutes. Remove foil/weights, bake 5 minutes more. Cool on a rack.
Stir together arrowroot starch, water, jam and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes, until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in agar until dissolved. Cool in refrigerator 15-20 minutes.
Fold orange zest carefully into strawberries and arrange in the cooled crust. Pour chilled mixture over berries and refrigerate until set. Serve with Yogurt Whipped Cream.
Yogurt Whipped Cream: Whip heavy cream on medium speed until you get soft peaks.
Keep whipping, and add yogurt and vanilla. Slowly add sugar and sea salt.
Whip until peaks hold when you lift the whisk.
Use immediately or store in refrigerator for several days.
These are great for snacking, or as an unexpected side for your next barbecue.
1 lb red or green grapes
1 cup red wine vinegar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar — white or brown
1 shallot, cut into slivers
1-inch piece peeled ginger, chopped
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
Move over, cucumbers, there’s a whole passel of pickleworthy produce dancing around, and summertime’s perfect to explore the pickle-icious possibilities of quickpickling. Quick pickles can be stored in the fridge for a week or two and are a great way to get your dill on. It may just inspire you to invest time and money in the equipment for processing and canning your own stash of shelf-stable pickles. Here are a few recipes to get your own personal production line in process.
1 ½ tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 star anise pod
1 dried allspice berry
Make sure all the grapes you’re using are firm and unblemished. Leave whole or cut in half (for greater absorption of pickling liquid) and place in quart-size Mason jar.
Add all other ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until shallot is softened,
about 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, cool 15 minutes.
Pour liquid over grapes, gently swirling so spices incorporate. Let jar sit on counter until it reaches room temperature and then cover and refrigerate 2 hours to one day before serving. Should keep up to one month in refrigerator.
For more recipes see our digital edition mobimag.co/bp-vine/su25
With recent changes in policies about LGBT rights across the country, it’s critical we remember — and utilize — the power of love at the local level.
Here are some of our favorite local orgs supporting, celebrating and embodying the spirit of cooperation, equity, inclusion and working to be a source of strength for our LGBTQ+ friends!
The Lavender Library isn’t just a non profit library focusing on collecting queer media and uplifting queer voices, it’s also a thriving community space for LGBTQ+ people of all ages! Weekly events range from book clubs to craft nights to support groups. And best of all, it’s free! Learn more at lavenderlibrary.com.
The Center’s mission is a simple but important one: to make the Sacramento area a place “where all LGBTQ+ people thrive.” They provide health and wellness information and services, communitybuilding events and opportunities for allies and queer people alike to volunteer and give back to their community! They also provide a variety of support groups and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, safety and success. Visit saccenter.org.
TQYC is a nonprofit organization led by POC and local youth community members that aims to support and care for local LGBTQ+ youth and young adults in Sacramento. They support not just the community but also the dedicated young people who run their programs, with gender affirming supplies and weekly support groups, empowering their young leaders to develop projects based on their interests and their community’s needs. Check out tqyc.org.
Nevada Country Pride is “a social network of gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, and transgender persons, and their allies, who celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community in western Nevada County.” They maintain a calendar of queer-oriented events throughout Grass Valley and Nevada City and provide opportunities for volunteers to help out too! You may even have seen them at our Pride on the Patio events in the past. Learn more at nevadacountypride.org.
Established in 2019, Color Me Human was founded with the goal of fighting systems of oppression and amplifying marginalized voices of BIPOC people locally. It has since expanded to include all historically marginalized community members. They host a number of events aimed at supporting LGBTQ+ people and work hard to make our community a more diverse, equitable and inclusive one. Go to colormehuman.org.
Started in 2014 as PRISM-Q LGBT & Allies Resource Center, this amazing group has been responsible for organizing Placer Pride since 2022 and working within Placer County to uplift the local queer community through outreach and events. Their ongoing goal is creating a permanent “brick and mortar” safe space for LGTBQ+ people in the area. Visit their website to learn how you can help advance their mission! placerlgbtqcenter.org.
Tri-Country Diversity provides resources, information and support to the LGBTQ+ community of Yuba, Sutter and Colusa Counties. They host events like potlucks, the annual Pride in the Park, weekly support groups and so much more! They also have a special program focusing on supporting LGBTQ+ youth and giving them a safe space to learn leadership and living skills, receive and provide peer-to-peer support and participate in fun social events! See tricountydiversity.org.
Dedicated to aiding the queer community in Chico. They do so tenfold by not only offering help for those in crisis and providing gender affirming resources, but also with tips and trainings for allies and LGBTQ+ people alike to educate them on LGBTQ+ struggles, resources and support. They host many local events and a library as well as provide counseling, direct aid, and free HIV testing! Learn more at stonewallchico.com.
Located just outside downtown Redding, the NorCal OUTreach Project upholds its mission of “supporting and uniting the LGBTQIA+ community and its many allies” by offering support groups for both youth and adults, as well as workshops and trainings on how to make their community a more inclusive place. They also host monthly socials (with delicious treats!) and a food bank for LGBTQ+ people struggling with food insecurity. See Norcaloutreach.org for more information.
These amazing local organizations are doing their part to uplift and protect their LGBTQ+ neighbors, friends and families. We can draw inspiration from their example and take it as a reminder to care for those around us, especially those more vulnerable than ourselves. Because, as you may know, we are stronger together!
“De gazpacho no hay empacho.” — Spanish saying for “You can never have too much of a good thing.”
Makes 4 servings
Orange you glad to have a recipe like this? Subtle and refreshing notes of Asian flavors come together with joyful, sunshiny carrots.
1 stalk lemongrass
1 lb carrots (about 3 medium), peeled/sliced
1 14-oz can light coconut milk – reserve 3 Tbsp for garnish
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1-2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
½ - 1 tsp red curry paste
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup celery, diced small
Water to help with blending
When the temperature is hovering just this side of uncomfortable, what wonderful dish checks all the boxes for summer simplicity and deliciousness without the oven? Gazpacho! You can blend it just as quickly and easily as a smoothie.
Gazpacho’s been around a looooong time, originating in the region of Andalucia within the Iberian Peninsula during the Roman Empire, even before tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers made their way there from the “New
World.” It started out as breadcrumbs, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, water and almonds and veggies pounded in a mortar. Roman soldiers had rations for the non-perishable ingredients and could whip it up pretty easily during long marches.
These days, “gazpacho” is pretty much generic for cold soup. There are lots of possibilities just waiting for you to explore. Sure, the tomato version is the one that gets the most attention. And there are others that are just as refreshing and delicious — or more? These days, ingredient combos can get pretty creative. With fresh summer produce as a starting point, the sky’s the limit!
Here are some of our favorites, spanning the spectrum of flavor and colors.
Optional garnishes: Lime wedges, diced hearts of palm, slices of pickled ginger
Cut root end and upper stalk off lemongrass. Peel off a few layers to get to the tender part. Chop tender part and reserve the rest for another use.
To a high-speed blender, add lemongrass, celery, garlic, carrots, coconut milk, vinegar, curry paste, olive oil and a few pinches salt and pepper. Pulse to see how well the mixture turns over, adding just enough water through the hole in the lid to get things going. Blend until completely smooth. You may need to strain it and blend again depending on your blender.
Chill 4-6 hours. Stir in some cold water right before serving if needed. Adjust salt and pepper. Drizzle with coconut milk and olive oil and serve with optional garnishes.
Makes 4 servings
When the Moors came from Morocco to Andalucia, they brought Ajo Blanco with them, a cold soup that’s popular in that region to this day.
1 cup cubed stale bread — baguette or similar — crusts removed
1 cup blanched almonds, soaked 1 hour/ drained
2 cups green grapes, plus ½ cup more sliced for garnish
¼ sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ lb Persian or English cucumbers, peeled/ chopped
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
½ tsp sherry vinegar
¼ tsp coriander powder
½ - 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, like Califia Farms
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Soak bread in water for 10 minutes.
Squeeze excess water from bread and set aside.
To a high-speed blender, add almonds, bread, 2 cups grapes, onion, garlic, cucumbers, lemon juice/zest, coriander, vinegar, 3 Tbsp olive oil, a few pinches salt/pepper and ½ cup almond milk. Blend until incorporated. Add up to ½ cup more almond milk and blend again, until smooth.
Cover and refrigerate/chill 2-3 hours. When ready to serve, adjust salt/pepper/ vinegar and top with sliced grapes and a drizzle of olive oil.
Makes 4 servings
Go on, throw the entire garden in there! Celery and apple lend juicy flavor, while you’ve got all kinds of creaminess from the avo and yogurt or cashews.
Check out more recipes in our digital edition
mobimag.co/bp-vine/su25
2 English cucumbers, diced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, or raw unsalted cashews soaked for 2 hours and drained
½ green apple, cored/diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 avocado
½ tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
¼ cup basil leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnish: Grillo’s Pickle de Gallo, diced red onion and yellow bell pepper
In a high-speed blender, combine 1 ½ cucumbers, yogurt (or cashews), avocado, apple, celery, coriander powder, lemon zest, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, garlic, green onions, 3 Tbsp each dill and basil, 2 Tbsp olive oil and a few pinches salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust salt/pepper and add remaining lemon juice if needed. Blend again briefly and chill 4-8 hours.
To serve, shake well, top with reserved cucumber, chopped fresh herbs, drizzles of olive oil and other garnishes (if using).
Hot dogs have ridden the waves of cultural and culinary “coolness” for centuries. Some place the origins in ancient Greece pointing towards a mention of cooking sausage over an open fire in Homer’s Odyssey as perhaps the great-greatgreat-granddaddy of today’s dawgs!
Since then, plenty of folks have stepped forward to claim credit for “inventing” the modern hot dog, and we are not going to walk into that mosh pit here... what we will say is that hot dogs are great and have captured the taste buds and creativity of aficionados around the globe.
Here are a few faves from points near and far, to make this summer one of the most delicious yet. Grab your “hot dog passport” and come along...
4 German brats – or stadium brats or jumbo hot dogs
2 tsp olive oil
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
1 cup ketchup
2 tsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp water
Makes 4 servings
One of the most iconic street food meals in Germany, the secret’s in the flavorful curry-tomato sauce.
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp smoked paprika Pinches of chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Buns, ½ tsp white vinegar, dashes of hot sauce, more curry powder for serving
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté about 2-3 minutes. Turn up heat a little, add tomato paste and cook a few minutes more. Stir in 1 Tbsp water. Turn heat down to medium-low and add bay leaf, ketchup, balsamic vinegar and honey. Cook/stir for a few minutes. Stir in Worcestershire, curry powder, smoked paprika and chili powder. Remove bay leaf and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning –adding white vinegar for a more tangy flavor, hot sauce for more spice. Sauce should be thick like honey.
Cook hot dogs/sausages. Serve on a plate or (non-traditional) on a bun, with sauce ladled on top. Sprinkle on additional curry powder to taste.
Makes 4 servings
South America is a hotbed for sausages with chimichurri, aka the choripán. You’ll find them for sale on street corners, at fútbol stadiums, even as appetizers in swanky restaurants.
4 chorizo sausages
4 6-inch hero rolls, split in half lengthwise
½ cup flat-leaf parsley, packed
¼ cup cilantro leaves, packed
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp white onion, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp dried oregano, or 1 Tbsp fresh, finely minced
¼ tsp cumin
Pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Pepper to taste
Make sauce: Combine all ingredients minus sausages and buns in a bowl, stir to combine. Adjust salt/pepper as desired. Let rest at least 15-30 minutes before serving. Cook sausages until deeply seared.
Optional: They can be cut in half lengthwise to speed cooking process. Warm the split rolls briefly.
Bun the sausages, and slather one side of the roll and the sausage itself with chimichurri. Serve immediately.
For more recipes see our digital edition mobimag.co/bp-vine/ su25
Makes 4 servings
These fixins are what many of the bestdressed hot dogs will be wearing this year, trust us.
4 hot dogs
4 buns or French rolls, halved and toasted
12 slices deli pastrami
2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
4 slices Swiss cheese, halved diagonally
1 cup sauerkraut
1 tsp caraway seeds
Woodstock Burger Sauce or Sir Kensington’s Special Sauce
Toast caraway seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant, allow to cool.
Spread spicy mustard on a hot dog and wrap 3 slices pastrami around it. Repeat with other dogs.
Grill dogs or cook under oven broiler for about 15 minutes, turning every few minutes.
Add hot dogs, cheese and sauerkraut to buns. Top all with sauce, toasted caraway seeds, and serve.
An air fryer with eight cooking options. An Instant Pot you program with the app. A highspeed blender that purrs like a Ferrari. An espresso machine that grinds, brews and throws shade like a snarky barista. For those of you who pride yourselves on having the latest and greatest kitchen gadgets and cookware, does your collection include an iron skillet?
There may not be a better deal in cookware, dollar for dollar, for the value. Give it some time to heat up, and it’ll retain that heat for a long time. It’s as at home “out on the range” — cooking over a campfire — as it is on your kitchen
range. Thoughtfully care for your iron skillet and it can last for generations. What can you cook in an iron skillet? The list of what you CAN’T is much shorter — acidic foods like tomatoes, wine and vinegar can react with cast iron. If you do want to use cast iron to cook these things and still keep your pan in tip-top shape, limit the cooking time.
Back to that list of things you CAN cook: pizza, cornbread, Dutch babies, giant chocolate chip skillet cookies, fruit crumbles, tortillas, baked cheese, roasted veggies, steak, one-pan dinners, toasted chilies and spices…the list goes on.
What else can you do with your iron skillet? If you’ve got two, you’ve got a panini press! With a skillet to cook the sammie in, and another to press it down, you’re guaranteed crispy crust in no time. Need to thaw something? Put the food on an upside-down skillet, turn it every 15-20 minutes, and the temperature of the thawing item will transfer to the pan.
‘Tis the Season to Season — Deep cleaning your skillet with a salt scrub is good when you’ve got some build-up on the pan’s surface, areas that aren’t as smooth and visibly a different layer of gunk. When to do a full-on seasoning depends on how much you use the pan. If you start to see an all-over sticky or dull coating, rust, or its magical nonstick powers wane — then it’s time.
How to keep your cast iron skillet happy for many years? Avoid dish soap, overly abrasive cleaning tools and the dishwasher. Hot water and a soft sponge generally work well. Dry immediately after washing and reapply a thin layer of oil to maintain the seasoning each time you use it.
If you need to deep clean, do a salt scrub. Simply pour 2 - 3 Tbsp coarse kosher salt into the skillet and scrub it with a paper towel or brush. Anything stuck to the pan will get absorbed by the salt. Wipe the salt off and add a thin layer of oil to the pan.
Seasoning your iron skillet is part of maintaining its nonstick surface. Thoroughly clean it and apply a small amount of vegetable, flaxseed or other oil with a high smoke point all over using a cloth or paper towel – including the handle. Put it into a 400º preheated oven, upside-down on a rack with a sheet pan or foil on the next rack down to catch drips. Bake for an hour, then turn off the oven and let the skillet cool completely in the oven. This allows the oil to “polymerize” or form a protective nonstick coating. Most pans come pre-seasoned these days, so you can immediately jump right into enjoying all it can do. By the time you need to season it yourself, you’ll be old friends.
The Latin root of focaccia is focus, “hearth or place for baking.” While turning up the heat of the hearth mid-summer might seem like the last thing you’d want to do, the joy of making a focaccia from scratch is easy and a short bake. The added fun here is getting creative by sneaking in those veggies front and center — and turning your bread into a work of art!
With a little cutting and chopping while your dough is rising, you can make a beautiful edible de resistance that is sure to please and be quite the summer eye candy, er, veggie, for any occasion.
Makes one 9"x9" square or 9" round pan
Garden Toppings:
Dealer’s choice: red pepper, olive, shallot slices for flower anatomy, scallion stems, parsley, dill or basil leaves/grass, mushroom slices, halved cherry tomatoes... what’s in your fridge?
More olive oil for drizzling over veggies
Spray pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper. Brush parchment with 1 Tbsp olive oil.
In a large bowl, add yeast, sugar, remaining olive oil and 2/3 cup warm water. Sprinkle 1 cup of the flour over mixture. Do not stir in. Allow to rest 15-30 minutes, or until the flour has “cracked” — this tells you the yeast is working. Mix salt and Italian herbs, if using, with remaining flour and mix in with yeast/flour. Knead together until a dough forms and is slightly stretchy, meaning it doesn’t tear when pulled –you can do this with your hands (10-20 minutes) or with a mixer/dough hook (5-10 minutes). Place in pan, and with your fingertips, gently shape it to the shape of the pan. Let rest for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
While your dough is proofing, you can slice your vegetables and plan out your “garden art” in advance of placing it on the dough.
Preheat oven to 425º.
Dimple your foccacia gently with your fingertips, pressing lightly about ¼ of the way in around the surface of the dough. Place your flower art on top of the dough, carefully pressing it in enough to stick, but not enough to deflate it. Give it a heavy drizzle of olive oil right before going into the oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on your art — and if it is starting to burn, you can cover it gently with a piece of foil. Bake until golden brown. Let cool slightly until firm and remove from pan. We recommend you let cool completely before cutting and enjoying.
By Sasha Scott, Sustainability Coordinator
Looking back on last year, we’re reminded of the many vibrant shades of sustainability that make BriarPatch a beacon for change. Like a rainbow, each aspect of our sustainability journey contributes to a brighter, greener future. Here’s a quick look at our impact in 2024, each color representing a facet of our efforts.
While our emissions increased this year to 1,451 tons CO2e, much of this rise was due to adding a second store and increased refrigerant usage. However, through our Skycharger program, we avoided 220,740 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions from 6,290 charging sessions, saving 16,621 gallons of gasoline. We’re continuing to work on strategies to further reduce our impact and emissions.
This year, we diverted 316 tons of waste from landfills, 69% of our total. We also recycled 2,859 lbs of plastic film through our partnership with the Rotary Club.
Unfortunately, our 2024 HFC (hydrofluorocarbons) usage increased, reaching 431 lbs at our Grass Valley location. We remain committed to improving our systems, and have already started a refrigerant retrofit that will cut HFC emissions approximately 70%!
At our Grass Valley store, 42% of our energy comes from solar. We also purchase 100% renewable energy through Pioneer’s Green100 program for both stores. We support 193 local suppliers, with 32 farms directly supplying fresh, organic produce to the Co-op. This reduces transportation emissions and strengthens our local economy.
Since 2021, we’ve reduced water usage by 25% — a vital part of our sustainability work helping conserve one of our planet’s most precious resources.
We donated 3,173 lbs of food from the Grass Valley store, supporting eight organizations in need, including local BIPOC groups. With PatchWorks volunteers donating over 25,574 hours to our local Nonprofit Neighbors, BriarPatch’s community impact is felt far and wide.
We sent over 240,000 lbs of organic food waste to local farms and raised $20,135 through the sale of apples to support local gardens. These efforts highlight our ongoing commitment to sustainability and community support. Each step we take on our journey adds to the vibrant spectrum of sustainability. Together, we’re creating a brighter future. Sustainability isn’t just a set of goals for us; it’s a way of life we’ll continue to cultivate. Thank you for being a part of our rainbow!
Fun time camping in nature
Daily yoga and meditation to energize your life
Exploration of ancient yogic wisdom
Nourishing soul friendships
Living and growing together in community
Creative service projects! July 11 20,
Homer L. Nottingham Qigong Master
Please be my guest!!
First Time Attendees may attend free!
Pioneer Park-Nevada City Monday-Wednesday-Saturday 10 AM
homer@homernottingham.com Phone/Text 530.263.1627
