News from the Lexington Cooperative Market
Summer 2012
LexTalk
Owner Appreciation Days July 26, 27 & 28
Owners...Shop one time with a 10% off discount on everything including sale items! Meet some local vendors on those days and sample their delicious foods!
Summer is Sweet!
Cherries & Berries – the Ultimate Summer Treats
Get out and grab them while they last the season is short and the fruit is delicious from our local farms. Try the Honey Sweetened Cherry Pie recipe, page 6 you won’t be disappointed!
Inside Expansion News:
Where are we? What’s coming? General Manager Tim Bartlett fills us in on what’s happening now. page 2
Summer Steaks:
Which cut is best for your summer barbecue? page 4
Urban Roots Community Garden Center:
A fellow Buffalo co-op! Read more on page 7
CO-OP EXPANSION VISION 2015 After 18 months of study, reflection and engagement with owners, in April 2012, the Board of Directors finalized its vision for the Co-op’s future…
Our Goal is to Double the Co-op’s Impact by 2015.
• More Access to healthy local foods
• More Knowledge about
consumer issues and co-ops
• More Local farmers, owners, food jobs and community
• More Sustainable food
practices and infrastructure
• More Space to shop and work in
“What we mean by more local is that we want to deepen the economic and social connections that make our community strong”
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“What is Happening with Expansion?” Revising our bylaws and overhauling our management systems. We have had an exciting spring and early summer here at the Co-op. The local harvest began a month early this year, with lettuces showing up in late April and Tony Weiss strawberries arriving in late May. We finalized our Shared Vision for Expansion (see column at left) in April and have been working at the Board and staff level to get our house in order for the next big step. AND we’ve received lots of nice recognition this spring for the hard work of our staff that I’ll share with you as well.
proud of the work that we’ve done; we think it will make the Co-op stronger and lay a good foundation for our growing co-op. Please read the full draft of changes on our website and come to an owner forum if you’d like to weigh in.
like. This summer most of our energy will go into revising our bylaws and overhauling our management systems. These projects will help us build a strong foundation of transparency and accountability that will allow us to grow and change without losing the grassroots strength that has served us so well.
Lastly, we want to thank you for all the recent recognition. In last fall’s owner survey, you rated us higher than any other Co-op in the country for friendliness. In this year’s Artvoice readers’ poll, the Co-op won the award for Best Natural/ Organic Foods for the 9th year in a row.
The co-op’s Bylaws are the means by which the owners delegate power to the Board and articulate how you will hold the Board accountable if they screw up. We haven’t changed our bylaws since 2001, when we had 1,200 members (we now have nearly 9,000) and they needed work. The Board worked hard this winter to draft a set of bylaw revisions that would allow for maximum transparency and democracy AND adequate practical flexibility. We are pretty
We enjoy working at your business, and we’re glad you feel good about the work that we do.
We have always been a business that shares the numbers with our staff, but we have never had a good system for discussing them. That changed in early June when we hired Zingermans Deli in Ann Arbor, MI to come in and teach us their brand of Open Book Management (OBM). An earlier harvest means a longer OBM is a system for making work a Tim Bartlett summer of eating delicious peaches, General Manager game popularized in the book Great corn, and tomatoes from our local Game of Business by Jack Stack. growers. Did you know that farming is the larg- Every Tuesday we have an open huddle for est industry in New York State at $4.5 billion? staff where different staff members report on Buying local produce is definitely a win-win how we did last week and project out what for your tastebuds AND for the local econo- they expect to happen next week. Usually my. And with this long season, there is more the huddles turn into big conversations time for canning the local harvest to eat all about how we can get more local items in year round. Learn how at our “Prepare to produce or how we can get all our owners to Preserve” classes; find the full schedule know how delicious the Piave cheese is. online at lexington.coop. We’re very early on in the process, but so far Daily, we are asked “what is happening with our staff love it. Next time you are in, ask a expansion?” and the truth is that to an out- staff member about how the Co-op is doing sider, most of the work we are doing right and see if they don’t surprise you with the now would seem downright un-expansion- depth of their understanding.
Have a wonderful summer everyone! Enjoy the ice cream cones, local fruits and veggies, and lots of long, hot days spent outside. Happy Summer everyone! – Tim Bartlett, General Manager
“These projects will help us build a strong foundation of transparency and accountability that will allow us to grow and change without losing the grassroots strength that has served us so well.”
Bylaws Changes are Coming! make sure I want to is here the Co-op come. to s ar ye for
sh they Boy, I wi lain were in p language!
I don’t understand the bylaws!
Is it your turn to run for the board? Do you know someone who’d be a great candidate?
Think about it...and find the materials you need to make your decision to join our board either on our website or at the customer service desk, including the application. Deadline for submissions is Wednesday August 15th For questions please email board@lexington.coop Thank you Owners!
Bylaws are exciting
because as a community, we get to write the rules for our business. Our ultimate goal is a vibrant democracy with thousands of engaged owners who are shopping, voting and communicating with each other. The bylaws are the foundation of that relationship. It’s been 10 years since the last bylaw revision. As we grow, we need to make sure our bylaws reflect our size and complexity as well as our current practices and thinking. Please help us with this change by getting involved in the discussion!
Get involved!
BOARD ELECTIONS
As ow to talk ners, we ge discu , listen an t s togeth d then s er v a cha ote to mak , nge . e
• Review the draft documents on the website or request a copy from gina@ lexington.coop • Attend an owner engagement session June 12 , 14 / July 16, 18 rsvp to gina@lexington.coop • Sign up for updates via e-mail at www.lexington.coop
Timeline:
Winter- Spring 2012- Board drafts bylaws revisions. Summer 2012- Owners comment on draft. Board finalizes proposal.
Talk to real live Board members! Ask them questions about what they do. Saturday, July 14th, 3pm - 5pm at the Co-op. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jen Nalbone, Hope Hoetzer Cook, Derek Bateman, Chris Putrino, Caitlin Merna, Patrick Finan Marty Knauss, Roy Cunningham and Amy Holt For questions please email board@lexington.coop
BOARD MEETING DATES JULY 2ND AUGUST 6TH SEPTEMBER 10TH Please e-mail board@lexington.coop if you’d like to attend a meeting PLEASE UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS! We won’t be able to send you mail if we don’t have your proper address, e-mail: gina@lexington.coop with any changes.
Fall 2012 - Owners vote on proposed bylaws.
Farmer’s Market Excitement We’ll be there once a month during the summer giving a free Co-op bag to all who come by our tent! Check out the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Incentive Program we also helped sponsor along with Erie-Niagara Tobacco-Free Coalition: Purchase $10 in EBT tokens and receive an additional $2 coupon to be used only at participating EBT vendors at the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmer’s Market. Just stop by the Elmwood Village tent to purchase your tokens and receive your $2 coupon. 3
Steak Out – best options for grilling, stewing or braising The spectrum of steak is wide-ranging, from the prized and pricey filet mignon to the tough and oft-overlooked chuck. Here’s a breakdown of five basic cuts, with the best options for grilling, stewing or braising.
Top Round
Cut from the top of the round (the rear leg) the top round is lean and somewhat tough. It’s best prepared by braising – browning it in fat then cooking it low and slow in a small amount of liquid. Best cooking method: braise, broil.
Rib Eye
A boneless cut from the rib section, rib eye is revered for its heavy marbling and flavor. This tender cut is a nice choice for those who prefer their steak cooked medium-well as the high fat content protects against dryness. Best cooking method: broil, grill, sauté.
Flank
Taken from the underbelly, flank steak is extremely lean and therefore relatively tough. To counter the toughness, it’s best to marinate the steak to help tenderize it. Then grill it and thinly slice it across the grain. Flank is great for tacos and fajitas. Best cooking method: broil, grill.
Top Sirloin
Sirloin cuts come from the section in between the short loin and the rump. Top sirloin is boneless, flavorful and somewhat tender. It’s best marinated and can be grilled, broiled, sauteéd or panfried. Best cooking method: broil, grill, pan-fry, sauté.
New York
This cut comes from the most tender section of the cow, the short loin. A good New York doesn’t need much to achieve fantastic flavor: Add a little seasoning and throw it on the grill. Try our recipe for Grilled Garlic-studded New York Steaks. Best cooking method: broil, grill, sauté.
All Beef on Lexi’s Hot Bar is locally raised & grass fed from Tim & Rachel Grant’s Standfast Farm in Forrestville, NY.
Grilled Garlic-studded New York Steaks Serves: 4 From Lynne Vea, PCC Chef Ingredients: •¼ cup olive oil •1 tsp coarse salt (or more to taste) •Zest of ½ lemon •1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper •4 NY Strip Steaks, about ¾-inch thick •4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
Directions Combine the oil, salt, lemon zest and pepper. Rub the paste over all the steaks. You may let the steaks marinate in this mixture up to overnight. With the tip of a paring knife, cut about 6 to 8 slits into the meat and insert a sliver of garlic into each one. Brush each steak with a little olive oil and grill over hot coals or a hot gas grill, or use a grill pan if you have it. (Preheated over mediumhigh heat.) Cook the steaks about 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium-rare. GOL783-Coop Newsletter Ad:Layout 1 11/15/10 4:43 PM The internal temperature will be 130º F for medium-rare.
295 Main Street, Suite 914 Buffalo, New York 14203 p (716) 842-0145 f (716) 842-0189 www.jmgoldfarbcfp.com
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Pag
Go Local!
We love local produce - they come to us faster, fresher, and allows us to support local families and businesses. During the season, we source as much local produce as we can. This year may be trying for our fruit growers in particular because of the early warm spell followed by hard frosts, but we hope to be stocking as much fruit from our favorite farmers as we can! We’re lucky to have great relationships with several area farms that provide your food - check out some of the names you’ll be seeing in our produce section this summer!
1 Weiss Farm Eden, NY - 26 miles away Tony Weiss was among our first local farmers supplying the Co-op he starts early with asparagus and strawberries then moves into tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onions, raspberries, eggplant and more!
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2 Lyman Hill Kent, NY - 63 miles away Lyman Hill grows almost every leaf of local, organic lettuce and greens that pass through our registers during local season. Leaf lettuces, all varieties of kale, collards and dandelion, we’re always happy to see Mr. Hill at our door with a delivery of fresh, organic goodness!
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3 Dan Tower Farm Youngstown, NY - 34 miles away Dan Tower Farm, a fourth generation family farm, has supplied cherries, apricots, plums and our famous 69¢/lb apples for years! Their fruit is wonderful, look for it all season!
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4 Porter Farm Elba, NY - 43 miles away Porter Farm is certified organic and grows a wide variety of heirloom fruits and veggies! Beautiful quality and delicious, we’ll have lots to choose from Porter Farm this summer! 5 Draudt Farm
Hamburg, NY - 15 miles away Draudt family farm has been in Hamburg for decades. Brad Draudt brings us all your summer favorites - lettuces, green beans, sweet corn on the cob, plus many of our flowers!
6 Singer Farm Appleton, NY - 50 miles away Singer Farm grows delicious tree fruits and garlic in Niagara County! This year we expect their cherries, plums, apricots, peaches and garlic, plus dried fruits and tart cherry juice!
Lyman Hill’s lettuces in the fields!
Tony Weiss with peppers
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7 Arden Farm
East Aurora, NY - 22 miles away The farm is owned by Elbert Hubbard’s great grandson (!) They grow a variety of heirloom vegetables. You may have tried the delicious kale, spinach and greens we’ve had this spring - we’re excited to have Arden this year for the first time!
8 Mike Weber Greenhouses
West Seneca, NY - 9 miles away All of our fresh potted herbs, perennial plants and many flowers come from Mike Weber Greenhouses. Mike Weber is famous for their nasturtiums, and less than 10 miles from the Co-op!
Apples at Dan Tower Farm
Porter Farm veggies!
Check out our handy local/seasonal guide on the back page! A Home-like Environment Where Children Learn Through Play
E A R LY C H I L D H O O D C E N T E R
Offering LifeWays Programs For ages 1½ to 5 years old Full and Half days • Year round Enrolling Now! 81 816-0078 816 816www.therosegarden.us 257 Lafayette Avenue • Buffalo 5
Hot Weather & Cool New Stuff Try the “Raw Deal Salad” in Lexi’s Kitchen The perfect combination of Swiss chard, spinach, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, lemon, herbs, jalepeno and grape seed oil. This is so good it is sure to be an award winner! It’s summer – you have an urge for ice cream! We now carry local, hand made “Sweet Jenny’s Ice Cream” from Main Street in Williamsville, with flavors like orange chocolate and cinnamon nutmeg – yum! Whip up an ice cream sandwich in no time for a truly local summer dessert! Stock up on local SUGU Snacks Cookies they’re frozen and ready to bake in Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Orange for a light, citrusy flavor, or Ginger Snap.
We might was well stay on ice cream thoughts – check out all the new flavors of Coconut Bliss, frozen non- dairy deliciousness. We love the new chocolate coconut-covered bliss bars.
Handy Hint...If your cheese slicer is MIA try using a vegetable peeler. It works very well on Cheddar. Thanks to member-owner, Valerie Niederhoffer.
Honey Sweetened Cherry Pie
Buttery Pie Crust: from Tony Fucina at Lexi’s Kitchen
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups all purpose white flour 1-2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoons salt 1 cup butter 1 /3 cups ice cold water + more as needed Filling: from Eating Well Magazine 3 tbsps instant tapioca 5 cups pitted sour or sweet cherries, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) ¾ cup honey, warmed 1 tbsp lemon juice ¼ tsp ground cloves(optional)
Directions Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together, and then cut the butter into the dry mixture. Crumble by hand until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the ice cold water, just enough to bring it together. Be careful to add just a bit, then mix some as it will incorporate after a few kneads. It is a common mistake to add too much water before it has hydrated the dough. Let the dough rest in the fridge for fifteen minutes, then roll it out and fit into a pie dish. After you’ve rolled out the pie crust and put it into your pan, fill with the cherry filling (drain excess liquid if there is any) To make your lattice top go to eatingwell.com/go/latticecrust for step by step photos. In preheated 425º oven, bake pie for 20 minutes then rotate 180 degrees and lower oven to 325º until it begins to bubble- about 40-50 minutes more. Let the pie cool about 2 hours before serving.
Lexington Co-operative Market members are eligible to join the Buffalo Co-operative Federal Credit Union. Borrow from us for purchasing a car, making home repairs, or paying off high interestbearing credit cards. ...You'll be directly supporting Buffalo's economy! Visit our website at www.coopcreditunion.com for more information and to download a loan application.
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International Year of the Co-op Urban Roots: Co-ops within your Community Urban Roots Community Garden Center opened its doors in 2007 after West Side neighbors had been plant swapping with each other and quickly became frustrated with nowhere to buy gardening supplies and plants close by. The answer came as a cooperatively owned garden center. To start out, over 100 people became member- owners which allowed the cooperative to purchase their building and adjacent lot on Rhode Island Street in the city’s West Side. Talk about growing! Urban Roots now rents to Five Points Bakery, and has an outdoor yard that houses annuals, perennials, vegetables, shrubs, and trees. Inside the avid plant lover can find house plants, seeds, and gardener’s needs. Everyone is welcome to shop there, and there are regular deals for member- owners. Over the years, they have worked closely with local growers to meet the demand for different and unusual plants, offering a guaranteed market for local nurseries and a great selection for gardeners. Urban Roots is actively involved in community education projects of all kinds:
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In collaboration with Grassroots Gardens and Journey’s End, they have created community gardens in refugee neighborhoods where residents can grow fresh foods.
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School 30 elementary classes are tending to container test gardens at Urban Roots, trying the viability of native Asian and African vegetable and herb varieties not commonly found in our area.
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Winter and spring, they host various gardening and homesteading workshops, forums and swaps.
Go fellow co-op in Buffalo! Check them out for your summer gardening this year! Urban Roots Community Garden Center 428 Rhode Island Street, Buffalo; (716) 362-8982. Member – owner share: A one time investment of $100.
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Jamie Lawrence Director of Marketing
Energy Cooperative of America, Inc.
1408 Sweet Home Road, Suite 8 Amherst, New York 14228 Tel: (716) 580-3506 • Fax (716) 932-7337 Toll Free: 1-800-422-1475 Web: www.ecamerica.org E-mail: jlawrence@ecamerica.org
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JU N JU E LY AU G SEP T
Arugula Asparagus Basil Beans Beets Boy Choy Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Cilantro Collards Corn, sweet Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Kale Leeks Lettuces Mushrooms Mustard Greens Onions Parsley Peas Peppers Potatoes Pumpkins Radishes Rapini Rhubarb Rutabaga Shallots Spinach Swiss Chard Tomatoes Turnips Zucchini/S. Squash
FRUITS
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Prepare to Preserve
LEARN TO CAN OUR LOCAL HARVEST!
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Local Harvest Season is Here!
Keep this chart to know when to look for your favorites in our area!
VEGETABLES
Apples Blackberries Blueberries Cantaloupe Cherries Currants Grapes Peaches, Nectarines Pears Plums Raspberries Strawberries ● Watermelon
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Just $15 for Co-op owners/$18 non-owners Learn to can with master canning teacher, Kathy Manley. You’ll go home with a jar of local harvest and a recipe to make it yourself – bring along a friend for the fun! All weeknight classes are 6-8pm • Saturday 10am-noon
Dill Pickles Monday July 9
Bread & Butter Pickles Thursday July 19
Apricot Jam
Tuesday August 7
Peaches
Tuesday August 28
Tomatoes Tuesday September 18
Tomato Salsa Saturday September 22
Hot Pepper Jelly Tuesday October 9 Thursday October 18
Pickled Beets
Corn Salsa
Tuesday October 16
Plum Jam
Tuesday October 23
Monday September 10
Giardiniera
Wednesday September 12
716.886.COOP
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Pre-registration IS REQUIRED, sign uP at the Co-oP or Call 886-2667 QUESTIONS? EMAIL heather@ lexington.CooP
Open to Everyone | 8 am - 10 pm daily
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ALL CLASSES AT ARTISAN KITCHEN AND BATH 200 AMHERST ST.
807 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14222
