Lex Talk Spring

News from the Lexington Cooperative Market

Spring 2013

LexTalk

HOP TO TH

E

CO-OP

ALL THINGS SPRING! Silly Egg Sayings

Eggs at the Co-op

To have "egg on your face" is a very old saying. It means to be embarrassed because you were caught doing or saying something that you have no excuse or alibi to get your way out of it. In other words: Yup, you did it!

Indian Run-free range, Dundee, NY Happy Hens-cage free, Interlaken, NY Hidden Camp-Cert.org, pasture raised in Canajoharie, NY

Organic Valley- Cert.org, pasture raised Eggland’s Best- Cert.organic Kreher’s- local, Clarence, NY Lexi’s Kitchen uses farm fresh eggs from Jeff’s Eggs in Ransomville, NY in 90% of their recipes. Every morning from 8-10 am their soft and fluffy eggs in the breakfast burritos will fill you up on the go!

In the old days to be an "egghead" mean to be brainy or intellectual. Today they just call that person a geek or nerd.

To "egg someone on" - you keep pestering them, or emotionally pushing them to do something. In some cases it also means to keep annoying someone in some way until they get mad.

By the year 2050 the Co-op hopes to be buying from 10 local egg farmers... That’s 3.5x as many as we buy now!

That’s part of our BIG DIRECTION! (see page 2)

What Comes First?

To want "egg in your beer" means to feel that you are entitled to some special treatment or advantage.

The egg tracks it name back to a prehistoric Indo-European source related to words for 'bird'...The Old English term was oeg, which survived in Middle English as ey. But in the fourteenth century the related egg was borrowed from Old Norse language.

“You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.”

In order to reach a goal, it is necessary to do unpleasant things.

The trick to perfecting this classic is to steam your eggs, helping them cook evenly.

4 large eggs 3 Tbs. mayonnaise 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard Hot sauce, to taste from finecooking.com Kosher salt fresh ground pepper Paprika Thinly sliced fresh chives, for garnish

Classic Deviled Eggs

Prepare an ice water bath, set aside. Arrange the eggs in a single layer in a steamer basket set over boiling water. Cover the steamer with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit, covered, for 5 minutes more.

Plunge the eggs into the ice bath. Working with one egg at a time, crack the shell by rolling it on a flat surface. Under a stream of cold running water, peel the shell.

Let the eggs come to room temperature.

Slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks, transfer them to a small bowl, and mash them with the back of a spoon.

Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and hot sauce and continue to mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Pipe or spoon equal amounts of the mixture into the hollows of the egg whites. When ready to serve, sprinkle with paprika and chives.

Co-op Agility

our

BIG

DIREC TION

is our intention to foster or create a phenomenal co-op in every community that wants one.

(Lexington or otherwise)

Co-op Values: 1 store and $10 million in Annual Sales, 2013 With Lexington creates a lot of good in the world!

Local & Sustainable Food

Your purchases support 3 local egg producers

Knowledgeable People

Our canning classes had 700 attendees in 2012

Happy People

Each week, 10,000 people come through our doors and leave happy!

Co-op Economy

Last year, Lexington returned $5.5 million to the economy and provided 85 good jobs to the Buffalo region

Sustainability

We currently recycle 47% of waste annually

more co-op stores, online ordering and 2050 With $100 million in annual sales, we could create a lot MORE good in the world!

MORE Local & Sustainable Food With more stores and sales, Lexington could support 10 local egg producers

MORE Knowledgeable People

With more capacity, 5,000 people could learn about canning, cooking and co-ops each year

MORE Happy People

Imagine the ripple effect of 200,000 people experiencing a kind and caring co-op shopping trip each week!

MORE Co-op Economy

With more sales, co-ops could return $50 million to the local economy and employ 500+ people with quality jobs.

MORE Sustainability

Our goal is to be a net zero business by 2050

Board of Directors Jennifer Nalbone, Marty Knauss, Hope Hoetzer- Cook, Derek Bateman, Alison Wilcox- Lanfear, Caitlin Merna, Patrick Finan, Matthew Caldiero, Roy Cunningham For questions please email board@lexington.coop

...agile (and wise) in seizing opportunities that move us toward our vision & meet our owners’ needs.

Spring is our favorite time of year at the store, watching the produce signs as the growing region moves ever northward from Florida to New Jersey and eventually to Eden Valley.

Watching the first asparagus, peas and fiddlehead ferns trickle in, anticipating the first Tony Weiss strawberries. The displays of plants outside move from onion sets to tomatoes. This year, our produce buyers and our cooks are working together more closely than ever before to make sure that these fresh local, seasonal ingredients are at the center of our menu and kitchen.

intention to foster or create a thriving co-op in every community that wants one over the next forty years. We really like the process we used to build this shared vision – it is fun to get so many owners involved in the conversation about the future of the Co-op.

And now we are even more excited because our owner engagement process and Board readiness work has gained us some great recognition among our national peers. On the next page, we are thrilled to reprint an article from the Co-operative Development Ser vices (CDS) As of this writing, we are about to Solutions newsletter on your Board’s update most of our prices in deli. work to prepare for the difficult Tim Bartlett Our overall pricing strategy is to General Manager expansion decisions they will serve delicious, natural food that make in the coming months. And people love at a price that is exciting to our at the spring meeting of our National Co-op customers and sustainable for the Co-op. Grocers Association this April, our co-op Over the years, we have added many local, will present a seminar on our Board’s seasonal and natural ingredients to our preparation for expansion. kitchen, including Boar’s Head meats in the Last fall, a study of co-operative businesses sandwiches, Freebird chicken, Standfast Beef, across the globe by McKinsey & Company T- Meadow Heritage Pork and all local eggs in found that co-ops “excel at gaining organizathe grab & go and hot bar recipes. Through tional alignment, …but can be slow in better recipe management and cost control, responding to emerging…opportunities.” we have been able to do this without raising This will be our challenge over the coming prices – our hot bar has been the same price months and years: to be agile (and wise) in since we opened in 2005! Our margins have seizing opportunities that move us toward dropped significantly as food costs have gone our vision and meet our owners’ needs. up over the past three years. One of our biggest changes will be that the hot bar & From our BIG Direction to price changes to salad bar will go from $6.99 to $7.99/lb deli menu, please remember that this is your starting April 1st. We’re excited about the co-op and it works a lot better when we all change because it will allow our cooks to participate in the conversation on how it can keep sourcing more local, seasonal and organic be better. I love to hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to email me at tim@lexington. ingredients for the foods you already love. coop, fill out a 2 cents form or ask for me Over the past several newsletters, we’ve been when you are in the store. talking about our vision for an expanded Lexington Co-operative Market. In our last Have a wonderful spring everyone!

– Tim Bartlett, General Manager issue, we unveiled our BIG Direction – our

Board Preparation for Co-op Expansions In January, board president Jennifer Nalbone was interviewed

by Co-op Development Services (CDS), a national consulting co-op. Our board’s dedication to our co-op is exceptional – learn how they’ve worked to prepare for our future below!

From February 2013 CDS Consulting Co-op Publication When the Lexington Cooperative Market in Buffalo, N.Y. had its first major expansion a few years ago, sales and membership grew so rapidly that the board needed to put a process in place to plan for the next one. Resting on their laurels wasn’t an option and while the first project went well, they did believe that their approach to expansion planning could be even more effective. “Expansions can be a scary process because it’s often the biggest real estate transaction anyone Jennifer Nalbone, on the board has been involved in. Planning Board President has a calming effect,” said current board president Jennifer Nalbone. They used the Expansions and Relocations toolbox by Bill Gessner as their guide, as they had before. But this time they decided to refine their board’s preparation, making sure that everyone knew what the decision points would be, and how to act on them.

First, the board and management have worked in partnership to gain understanding of the marketplace. Tim Bartlett, Lexington’s general manager, took leadership laying the groundwork for growth, helping the board have a context to understand the potential of the co-op’s development. Bartlett said, “My job as general manager is to help the board be successful leaders of the co-op, to ensure that they have information and support. They don’t spend as many hours a week in the co-op like I do, but they make decisions that profoundly impact the co-op.” Bartlett understands that board process and decision making are critical to the co-op’s success and development. “It helps me and the board work together, as well as improving the expansion process.”

The board and management’s work in learning about different types of expansions and understanding the pros and cons of expanding their current space, relocating, or pursuing a second store, has enhanced their ability to make better decisions.

They also spent time evaluating alternative ways to grow, including offering non-food services, internet ordering or buying a local farm. According to Nalbone, the board spent the first year of their planning process exploring potential expansion scenarios while also gaining a strong understanding of the needs and demands of the co-op and its owners.

During the past year, the board focused its energy on engaging owners in the process to answer the question of what they wanted.

This included conducting community meetings with a wide variety of stakeholders, including the board, members, staff and local growers. “What we learned was that people want more of what we do,” Nalbone said. This includes outreach to the community, supporting local agriculture, and providing access to healthy food. “The need for a natural food co-op in Buffalo is growing and we want to fill it, as well as encourage more cooperative business in general.”

For 2013, the board is actively focused on internal readiness.

Their focus is on having a good decision-making process in place and ensuring that the cooperative is financially prepared.

This has meant honing in on an important basic: decision-making practice. “I’ve never gone through an expansion process, so as president my job is to make sure the board is ready. But for me as a board member going through it for the first time it’s uncharted territory. This is a practical way to make the whole board familiar with the process,” Nalbone said.

Nalbone also trusts the CDS Consulting Co-op with the professional assistance they needed to address the questions of growth, board education, member engagement and in-depth preparedness.

“Understanding it conceptually was the first step, and actually working through a readiness process has been critical for understanding the big decisions. Even if you’re not in expansion mode, any skills you are enhancing will make board process better,” Nalbone said.

Find out more about Lexington Cooperative Market’s expansion plans at www.lexington.coop.

“Working through a readiness process has been critical for understanding the big decisions” Jennifer Nalbone, Board President

Board Meeting dates April 1st • May 6th • June 3rd If you would like to attend a meeting, please e-mail board@lexington.coop 2

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Bunashimeji or Beech

Canning Season is Coming!

Portobello

We’ve added new classes to our Prepare to Preserve Series starting in May. Come on out and join us!

Canning Basics: The Science Behind Preservation Tuesday, May 21, 6 - 7pm New Class, just $5! Master canning teacher Kathy Manley explains the nuts and bolts of hot water bath canning with a short demonstration. All about the why, how and best practices of canning.

Rhubarb Jam: Thursday, May 30, 6 - 8pm Pickled Asparagus: Monday, June 3, 6 - 8pm Strawberry Jam: Thursday, June 20, 6 - 8pm $15 owners/per class $18 non-owner/per class Sign up at the Co-op or by calling 886-2667.

Questions? Email heather@lexington.coop Full schedule coming soon!

Tiny mushrooms that grow in a cluster, bunashimejis have their roots in Japanese cuisine. They should not be eaten raw, as they are bitter before cooking. After cooking, they are firm with a nutty flavor.

Use the stems and caps, just remove the very bottom.

White Button The ubiquitous ‘mushroom’ you’d find on a veggie platter, sauteed, or on your pizza.

White buttons are light in color and texture with a slightly earthy flavor. These can be used wherever a recipe calls for ‘mushrooms’ without specifying a variety.

These giant mushroom caps are often used on the grill or as a vegetarian burger.

Roughly 5 inches across, portobellos are the same variety as white button and criminis, they’ve just been grown the longest to produce the large caps.

They have mild earthy flavor and meaty texture.

Magic of Mushrooms

The

Crimini In the same family as the white buttons and portobellos, but are picked before they grow large like portobellos.

Flavor, size and shape are very similar to white buttons, with a darker brown color.

Shiitake

Mushrooms go great with... · Onions, bell peppers, celery · Goat, mozzarella, provolone, and blue cheeses · Grains

The second most common mushroom in the world!

Known for its distinct woodsy, smoky flavor and meaty texture, shiitakes are native to Asia, but are now popular in all types of cuisine.

· Walnuts · Eggs · Summer squash · Pancetta

Mushrooms are an exciting and versatile food - they are used as food and medicine, in many cultures and regions of the world.

Almost all commercially available mushrooms are cultivated, many people ‘forage’ for wild mushrooms as well (carefully, with a good guide book!), and its becoming a popular food to grow at home!

King Trumpet The largest variety of the Oyster mushroom family, king trumpets are big - about 6 inches long and 1-2 inches thick. Relatively tasteless raw, the cooked mushrooms (use the cap and stems!)have a strong unami* flavor that has been compared to abalones. *unami: a distinct, pleasant savory taste; meaty, often found in broths

Try a new mushroom dish!

Yummy recipes from strongertogether.coop

Here’s the rundown of fresh mushrooms you can find in the Co-op’s produce department. Happy eating!

How to Use

How to Choose

How to Store

Choose firm, dry mushrooms that smell earthy, not moldy. Slightly wrinkled caps are ok - they might have more flavor!

Avoid limp or slippery mushrooms.

Remove from packaging, wrap with dry paper towels and place a perforated bag, or a bowl covered loosely OR place in a paper bag. Refrigerate for up to five days.

Brush off before eating or cooking.

If you prefer to wash, wash gently. Grill, roast, sauté, fry, or bake! Great in pasta sauces, stir fry, risottos and grain dishes, casseroles, and egg dishes.

Mushroom Artichoke Flatbread Pizza

Wild Mushroom Spread

Mixed Mushroom Ragout

3 tbsp olive oil, divided 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried basil 3 cups sweet onions, diced 2 cups mushrooms, finely chopped 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped 3 tbsp minced garlic, divided

1/2 pound white button mushrooms, sliced 1/2 pound wild mushrooms (such as shiitake or crimini), sliced 1/4 cup white onion, chopped 1/2 cup white wine 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/4 pound unsalted butter 2 pounds cream cheese 4 scallions, sliced (optional)

8 oz crimini mushrooms, halved 2 large portobello caps, cut in 2 inch slices 3 oz dried or1 lb fresh exotic mushrooms (shiitake, morels, chanterelle, or porcini) 1 cup parsley, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved 1 cup canned or marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped 1 cup leeks, rinsed and sliced 2 tsp ground black pepper 1 10-inch premade pizza crust

Preheat oven to 450˚F. In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp of olive oil, oregano, basil and 1 tbsp of minced garlic. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté onions for 10 mins until they begin to brown. Add mushrooms, sauté 5 minutes, then add leeks, 2 tbsp each of minced garlic and rosemary, sauté 3 mins more.

Place pizza crust on a sheet tray, brush the entire crust with half of the olive oil mixture, then top with mushroom/onion mixture. Arrange sliced olives and artichoke hearts on top. Reduce the oven to 425˚F, place on a center rack in the oven and bake 12 minutes or until browned on the edges. Remove and drizzle or brush the remaining olive oil mixture, sprinkle with black pepper and serve.

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In culinary applications, mushrooms are prized for their meaty texture and unique, earthy flavors. In addition to having immune-boosting benefits, many varieties are protein-rich, high in fiber, and contain vitamin D! Mushrooms have also been used as medicine for thousands of years, particularly in Chinese medicine. Reishi and maitake are two of the medically significant varieties, usually used through extracts and tinctures. Our options are in aisle 1.

2 medium shallots, minced 2 tbsp walnut or olive oil 1/3 cup sherry 1 teaspoon salt Ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Melt the butter in a small stockpot and add the mushrooms, onion, wine, and cream. Simmer 30 minutes, or until reduced by half.

Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse until fairly smooth.

Add cream cheese and blend again.

Add scallions (if using) before serving.

If using dried mushrooms, soak them overnight. Drain soaked mushrooms and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Heat oil in a large wok or saucepan. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and toss gently. Cook until mushrooms are tender, about 8 mins.

Add sherry, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook another 5 mins, or until mushrooms are soft and sherry is absorbed.

Serving Tip: Wild mushroom spread can be used on sandwiches, meats, or as an elegant dip with vegetables and crackers.

Serving Tip: Garnish with pine nuts and serve with pasta, or heap on top of grilled meats or poultry.

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Genetically Engineered Salmon: Comment to the FDA by April 26!

Earth Day: What makes your Co-op Green?

Your comments count! After the public comment period, the FDA will decide whether or not to approve the salmon, which will be the first genetically modified animal to enter the food supply. Labeling is not required on GMOs, so the salmon will be indistinguishable from other farmed salmon. The Center for Food Safety put a nutritional label for GE salmon, showing their fats to be high and a overall negative profile.

How does it work?

GE salmon was created to grow to market size in half the time that a natural salmon would. The growth hormones in the salmon are triggered to be ‘on’ all of the time, rather than just seasonally just as nature intended. This is accomplished by combining the genes of Atlantic Salmon, Chinook Salmon, and a deep ocean dwelling fish called the Ocean Pout.

More information

Just Label It Campaign: Justlabelit.org/blog Center for Food Safety : Ge-fish.org Aqua Bounty Technologies (developer of GE Salmon): Aquabounty.com

How to Comment

Go to regulations.gov, and search for FDA-2011-N-0899-0685

“I Shop at the Co-op Because...”

NEW Reusable Tote Bags These bold, colorful bags feature key statistics from NCGA’s 2012 study “Healthy Foods, Healthy Communities: the Social and Economic Impact of Food Co-ops.” Each color emphasizes a different set of reasons why your co-op is more than just a place to buy good, healthy food! Use them with pride!

More local foods.

More sustainable food.

More sustainability.

Earth Day began in 1970 - the year before us! It has its roots in the hippie movement, just like us! We still hold true to the values that Earth Day was founded on - sustainable, earth friendly practices. It’s a key part of our BIG Direction (a quick reference is on page 2) to be more sustainable! Here’s a peek at some of the ways you allow us to positively affect the environment by being an owner of our business.

We support 121 local farmers & producers What makes it green? Much of the food coming to us in the United States has traveled on average thousands of miles!

By buying local food that travels maybe just a few dozen or hundred miles to get to our store, you’re supporting a more environmentally sustainable food system.

Plus, you get foods that are fresher, better tasting, and retain more nutrients. It’s a part of our BIG Direction core value of supporting local and sustainable food!

Compost!

What makes it green? Organic (mostly plant) materials like apple cores, wilted vegetables, or eggshells are being “reused” once they’ve decomposed and become nutrient-rich dirt.

Then we can nourish other plants that produce food for the future! Several organizations pick up food scraps collected from Lexi’s Kitchen, the produce department, and our employee breakroom weekly.

100% Alternative Energy Electricity What makes it green? All of the electricity used by the co-op is purchased through an energy co-op (woohoo!); 44% of that is hydro, electricity produced by the energy harnessed from moving water; 29% is biomass, which burns methane produced by landfills to create electricity.

Biomass electricity also produces carbon dioxide, and for each unit of methane burned, it removes the equivalent of 20 units of CO2 out of the environment!

The final 27% is from wind power from wind farms right in New York State!

Biodiesel from Cooking Oil What makes it green? All cooking oil produced by Lexi’s Kitchen is recycled into alternative automobile fuel through Buffalo Biodiesel. It’s not going to waste, AND its being reused to create fuel that replaces petroleum based gasoline in our community! That’s a two-fer!

191,000 Pounds of Bulk Sold in 2012 What makes it green? By offering bulk foods for sale, thousands of tons of packaging is unnecessary. It’s never produced, transported or disposed, saving materials, energy, and our environment! Plus, since you can buy as much as you want or as little as you need, food waste is less likely!

47% of Co-op trash is recycled What makes it green? Waste from our store - that’s boxes, packaging, cans and bottles and paper - is repurposed or reused rather than filling a landfill. Considering a single metal can would take up to 100 years to decompose in a landfill, we feel like our little 47% is making a big difference long term. We’re always searching for new opportunities and ways to increase this number; our BIG Direction goal is to be a net zero business by the year 2050.

111562-bc_Layout 1 9/27/11 9:10 AM Page 8

Jamie Lawrence Director of Marketing

Energy Cooperative of America, Inc.

GOL783-Coop Newsletter Ad:Layout 1

11/15/10

4:43 PM

Page

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

A Home-like Environment Where Children Learn Through Play

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!

E A R LY C H I L D H O O D C E N T E R

295 Main Street, Suite 914 Buffalo, New York 14203 p (716) 842-0145 f (716) 842-0189 www.jmgoldfarbcfp.com

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Values-based financial planning and socially responsible investing for individuals, families and businesses.

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC

Visit our website at www.coopcreditunion.com for more information and to download a loan application.

Offering LifeWays Programs For ages 1½ to 5 years old Full and Half days • Year round Enrolling Now! 816-0078 www.therosegarden.us 257 Lafayette Avenue • Buffalo 7

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

807 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14222 716.886.COOP

Open to Everyone 8 am - 10 pm daily

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BUFFALO NY PERMIT #801

Become an Owner and get Great Deals too!

Ask at the registers. Look online. We’d love to have you join!

START YOUR SEEDSPLANT YOUR GARDEN! Creating a garden from seed is rewarding and economical!

Optimal time to start your seeds is over the next 2-8 weeks.

The best selection of seeds are out now and plants come soon after. The Co-op carries Local Faerie Garden Seeds, organically grown and packaged by Upstate Faerie Herbal Collective and High Mowing Organic Seeds, certified organic by Vermont Organic Farmers. The varieties are fruitful... but don’t delay, map out your garden before it’s too late!

ALL THINGS SPRING

SPECIALTIES ARE HERE FOR YOUR SPRING HOLIDAYS! Garrett County Spiral no nitrate Hams Local Grass Fed Lamb Passover Specialties: matzoh, Knudsen's kosher grape juice Corned Beef Brisket Lexi's famous Flourless Chocolate Cake Lexi's Irish Soda Bread Artichokes, Asparagus and Florida Strawberries 8