Around The Table by ptfoodcoop

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WINTER 2021-22

THE FOOD CO-OP QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

AROUND THE TABLE

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Repose, Reflect, Revive

COOPE

WHATS INSIDE: SELF CARE, CAKE, NEW YEAR TRADITIONS & SAUCINESS

WELCOME TO THE TABLE General Manager Kenna Eaton

From the GM

Managing Editor

From the Board

Board Elections

Mindy Dwyer

Winter Wellness

Copy Editors

Gleaners

Meet the Locals

Save the Date - We’re Having A Party!

I Am Saucy

New Traditions

Celebrate with Cake

Bioengineered Food Labelling

Mocktails For All

Learn to Cook!

Celebrating Staff Anniversaries

Nhatt Nichols: PT Peddler

Andrea Stafford

Layout

Lisa Barclay, Deb Shortess

Contributors

Lisa Barclay, Liam Cannon, Juri Jennings, Kenna Eaton, Kate Nichols, Nhatt Nichols, Sidonie Maroon

Board of Directors

Juri Jennings, Claire Thomas, Michael Flowers, Dave Dunn, Lisa Barclay, Owen Rowe Around The Table is published by The Food Co-op on a quarterly basis and comes out in the winter, spring, summer, and fall. If you are interested in contributing content for Around The Table, please contact marketing@foodcoop. coop to discuss your article idea. Articles should include stories about food, community, sustainability, or cooperation.

Around the Table is a celebration of the changing seasons, our local farmers and producers, what’s happening in our local kitchens and community, and lots of opportunities to learn and share.

50 YEARS OF COOPERATION

A GOLDEN MOMENT BY KENNA S. EATON, GENERAL MANAGER

Winter is a good time for us to ponder on the past year and build plans for the new. As a business, we also take this time to reflect on how we did financially: Did we meet our budget? Were we successful in meeting our fiscal goals? And what did we learn as a result? Then, as we prepare next year’s budget, it’s also the time to plan our work for the upcoming year, thinking about how to best focus our attention, from operations inside our store to working with partners to strengthen our community. Financially, it looks like 2021 will be pretty good year for us. Sales will break $19 million, and we think it’ll turn out to be a break-even year. Whew! Ongoing challenges ran from supplychain disruptions to labor shortages, making it more difficult than ever to achieve financial success, but the team came through it well by working together and by being creative and flexible—not to mention by buying pallets of key pantry items whenever we could. We think 2022 will continue to be challenging with many of those same factors still at play, including mounting expenses for the cost of supplies, utilities, and insurance, plus those all-important wage increases. All of which will force us to stay flexible and focused—much like my yoga class!

This upcoming year will also be our 50th anniversary, and we’re looking forward to celebrating that milestone with our co-op community. We have such a long and rich history—from starting in the back of a candle store to moving to a bowling alley to expanding into our current store—and it’s well worth commemorating. We’ve already filmed a cool video full of stories (and love) from our members, staff and community. We’ve also been in conversation with local vendors to develop some fun golden-themed products from ice cream to kraut to cider, and naturally we’re planning an awesome party. I’ve also been working on several exterior projects for the store, like solar panels for our roof. We’re hoping this is year we can make our long-held dream of capturing the sun’s energy a reality. It is likely we’ll need our members help to buy those panels, but more on that later. Other projects include permanent awnings for our main entry and receiving doors, and possibly repainting the outside of the store—all weather dependent. Other than that, we want to continue working together to nourish our community, the best way we know how, by sharing our love for good food with you and by working with our partners to strengthen the local economy. Thanks for being part of the next 50 years!

LOOKING BACK

LOOKING FORWARD BY JURI JENNINGS, BOARD PRESIDENT

Hello from your board president! Alright now, I’m going to try not to talk about the pandemic in this article, but we’ll see how long I can go. I’ve set this mini challenge for myself because recently my body has maxed out on how much bad news it can take before transforming into one of those super-spooky demons from old Japanese folklore. Let me focus on the positive changes in the air with the new year of 2022, which is also The Food Co-op’s 50th anniversary! Wow, 50 years. Holy gadzooks!

SAVE THE DATE Date: Wednesday, May 4th Place: Jefferson County Fairgrounds Time: 4pm - 9pm The celebration is on our actual birthday : ) It goes without saying that this will be an outdoor event, and we have hired The Production Alliance to guarantee a fun and safe time for all! Now a little bit of what the board did in 2021, so we can tie that story into what we have lined up for the new year. To start, we held one-too-many meetings staring at each other through a tiny screen on an online platform called Zoom. You might have heard of it. Jokes aside, it has actually been pretty challenging to develop a sense of team spirit when we can only meet online, so the board has been trying to meet in person in smaller groups through our mentorship program. We have also talked about how we can incorporate more team building in 2022 by revisiting our co-op’s seven values: Inclusion, Respect, Participation, Integrity, Love, Stewardship, Resiliency. Our board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion steering committee has been meeting once a month to prepare to dive into a substantive conversation when we tackle the job of renewing the Co-op’s Strategic Plan in 2022. This past year we’ve been studying together—reading books and listening to podcasts; attending DEI related 4

conferences, workshops, and classes; and holding teambuilding sessions to practice talking about controversial subjects. So we are as ready as could be to tackle the Strategic Plan with the guidance and knowledge we have acquired. This will be a big step forward for us. Also, most of us have just been appointed in new roles, such as Claire becoming a vice president (graduating from her role as secretary), Owen retiring as president and taking the treasurer’s role, Lisa (our emeritus board member who has been so supportive) continuing to fill in as our secretary, and myself becoming board president after being vice president for two years. And then, of course, there is Dave (also known as the Front End manager at the store), who is such a valuable voice in our group and who brings real-time insights, and our newest member, Michael, who is a natural at being a board member with his diverse background and with the clarity and calmness he offers the group. It usually takes time to really become comfortable in new roles, whether as a board member, officer, or committee chair, so we like to assign new roles slowly and give training. This means we are continuously recruiting to make sure we do not overload ourselves and so we have enough time to train a board candidate or board member in the new role. In summary, here is what we are up to in 2022: 1) Reviewing and renewing our Strategic Plan 2) More team building 3) Strengthening recruitment And yes, I didn’t talk about the pandemic. I can hear my 2.5 year old son cheering, “Mama, you did it! Good job!” Please take a moment to pat your own backs for ALL that you have done in 2021, perform a chi-gong shake of your body to get rid of all the excess negativity one might have accumulated, and lastly, meditate upon something that brings you joy. With sincere joy, Juri Jennings Board President Working together to nourish our community

A BOARD

FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS BY LISA BARCLAY, ELECTIONS CHAIR When I joined the board a few years ago, I was the nextto-youngest board member. Today, I’m next to oldest, which makes me pretty happy. Not that I’m happy to be getting older and crankier, of course, but because our efforts to make board service possible for busy younger people—like those with small children—have paid off. We now have two parents of toddlers on the board— Claire and Juri. Our work is not done, of course. We continue to work toward a board with members from a variety of backgrounds and experience, both to best represent our community and our members and to bring a range of ideas and perspectives to our work. We have been exploring ways to reach people who might not think of serving on the board (and who might not always have time to read newsletters). For instance, we’ll be reaching out to different groups in our community, such as farmers and producers, to find out how we could best make board service possible for them.

You, too, can play a part. You don’t have to serve on the board yourself, but think about friends and acquaintances, or perhaps a farmer or producer at the Farmers Market, or the coach of your child’s soccer team or their piano teacher.… Who might make a great board member? Being a great board member does not take particular expertise because we train our candidates in board work. What it does take is a willingness to learn, a desire to truly absorb different opinions, and an ability to work well with other people, which includes the strength to admit mistakes. So, if you know someone like that, send them our way and I’ll meet with them over coffee to fill them in on the details of board work. To complete the candidate process before the next election, they need to contact me by mid-January. They can email me at coopboard@foodcoop.coop. Here’s to fifty more great cooperative years!

TAKE CARE

THIS WINTER WAYS OF WELLNESS

Repose

RELAX, YOU MADE IT. REST EASY AND TREAT YOURSELF. Functional Chocolate

The sweet taste of health. Try Carefree Chocolate Mellow Mint Truffle Bar formulated for stress & anxiety, don’t Stress another day.

Evanhealy

Whipped Shea Butter with Olive Leaf rejuvenates and protects extremely dry and dehydrated skin, having a remarkable effect on wrinkles, softening and smoothing fine lines, all signs of stress held in our face and eye area.

One with Nature

Lemon Sage triple milled soap with moisturizing argan oil and shea butter provides a truly luxurious bathing experience.

Reflect

WINTER IS A TIME TO CONSIDER YOUR SELF CARE. Genuine Health

Advanced Gut Health 15 billion CFU vegan probiotic: Supports digestive health & immune system:

Garden of Life

My Kind Women’s Once Daily is specifically for women’s health. The formula is crafted from real food and promotes energy, metabolism, blood and heart health.

Perfect Bar Dark Chocolate

Peanut Butter 15 g whole food protein and 20+ organic superfoods in every melt-in-your-mouth bite, it’s a guilt-free go-to that’ll satisfy any craving.

Revive!

HOW CAN YOU INVIGORATE YOUR BODY IN 2022? CV Sciences

CBD Extra Strength Balm makes your skin vibrant, responsive and healthy looking.

Wiley’s Finest

Wild Alaskan Fish Oil 1000mg EPA + DHA Omega 3 with 4x more Omega-3 than regular strength fish oil. Natural anti-inflammatory for joint flexibility

Alba Botanica

Find Original Body Lotion with our personal care bulk products. Very emollient, unscented hypo-allergenic, and provides 100% daily hydration.

APPLES

PEARS On the Ground Oh My! BY KATE NICHOLS “Local organic food often has the reputation of being too expensive for many folks, especially seniors, food bank patrons, and schools. Yet it was falling on the ground uneaten all around town,” explained Seth Rolland. The desire to connect that fruit to people who needed it motivated Rolland, Cathie Wier, and Judy Alexander to start Quimper Community Harvest Gleaners. When a tree owner emails the gleaners for help, it’s usually about older trees in their yard that have grown too big to easily pick or trees that bear more fruit than their family can eat. Homeowners who can pick their fruit usually deliver it to the Food Bank, so the gleaners donate most of the fruit they pick to schools. They also provide fruit to organizations such as senior centers and the Dove House. About a dozen gleaners also maintain the Blue Heron Middle School orchard, where students pick the fruit. Wier and Alexander have mostly retired from gleaning, but others have taken their place. There are now four organizers: Kathy Darrow, Suzanne Wilson, Gabrielle 8

Vanwert, and Seth Rolland. They have a core crew of about ten gleaners and tree checkers (who make sure the trees are ready to harvest), and another 20 people who come occasionally to help with picking or organizing the gleanings. The gleaners always get permission to gather the fruit. The most perfect fruit goes to the school kitchen for lunches, but some fruit goes to classroom teachers, who can encourage children to try the fruit so they learn that fruit doesn’t have to look perfect to taste good. Some apples are too blemished for fresh eating, so Jim Moore came up with the wonderful idea making delicious, fresh applesauce. He found an Italian sauce machine named Fabio. Mary Hunt acquired a food-grade apple chipper. The Health Department requires that food be kept between 40 degrees and 140 degrees for less than four hours, so Moore invented a heat exchanger, or what Hunt calls the “Killer Chiller,” for rapid cooling. This year 900 pounds of apples were turned into 700 pounds of applesauce for the schools to use throughout the year.

During peak season, gleaners pick twice a week for about two hours, on Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. They start in August with cherries, early plums, and figs. September offers pears, Italian plums, and apples, and they end with Asian and apples in October. This year they delivered a remarkable 11,796 pounds of fruit to 20 organizations! At the end of the season, the lead gleaners send a message of appreciation to their volunteers: “By donating your time and care, you have helped care for a vast community orchard that is feeding our neighbors and friends with healthy local food.” The Food Co-op donates to this great organization. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, go to their webpage on the Local2020 site: https://l2020.org/local-food/ community-harvest/.

Seth and gleaner buddy

Cheryl

Apple Press

Jim, Seth and David

MEET THE

LOCALS

TWO CROWS BAKERY

Kendra Wind was working at the Two Crows Bakery last year when the owners asked her if she wanted to purchase it. She was able to buy it with the help of GoFundMe and friends in January 2021. Kendra’s been in love with baking since she was six or seven years old when she baked with her mother. She was home schooled, so her mother used cooking measurements to help teach her math. Owning a retail bakery or cupcake bar became a dream of hers. When she bought Two Crows Bakery, Kendra hoped to make it into a cupcake bar but Covid prevented that dream. So she switched to baking cookies to sell wholesale, and to her delight, her cookies “took off.” Kendra grew up vegan, so it was natural to make her cookies vegan. They are also gluten free. She’s working on baking with the best, most healthy ingredients. Recently, she was excited to find plantbased sprinkles so she can create colorful cookies for kids. The recipes are all her own creations, and she keeps dreaming up new ones, including innovative flavors such as her Matcha Mint and Golden Milk. So far, she’s created twelve varieties. She said it has been surprisingly easy for her to come up with new flavors, combining a variety of ingredients to please different tastes. She and her fiancé, Kourtney, do all the work for the bakery, from writing labels to mixing, baking, packaging, and finally, delivering the cookies. Kendra intends to keep her business wholesale so she can work around her family’s schedule. A flexible schedule was especially helpful last year when her son had to be home schooled and now when she needs to come in late at night to catch up on orders. Two Crows cookies are gaining national popularity through various outlets that have requested them. When tourists from Alabama bought her cookies at 10

Kendra Wind owner of Two Crows Bakery

The Food Coop, they were so excited they went home and asked their local store to sell them. Recently Kendra shipped a trial order to a New York shop after the owner saw Two Crow cookies on The Co-op’s social media feed. And friends in Ohio and Colorado have asked local shops to carry them as well. To keep her customers up on flavors and news, Kendra has a Facebook page. She had to start a new page after the old one was hacked, so she asks people to make sure they’ve got the correct page when they look up Two Crows Bakery. Kendra delivers her cookies to the Co-op on Mondays and Fridays, so that’s the best time to buy your favorite flavors.

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HELP US

CELEBRATE!

WE ARE CELEBRATING ALL YEAR LONG WITH MEMBER DEALS, 50TH YEAR MERCHANDISE, VENDOR COLLABORATIONS, & A BIG OLE’ PARTY!

SAVE THE DATE!

MAY 4TH, 2022 4-9PM JEFFERSON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

SHARE YOUR FAVORITE CO-OP STORY at www.foodcoop/50yearsofcooperation

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I AM SAUCY! BY LIAM CANNON, POS TECH I am saucy! Now say that in your best Michael Keaton Batman voice. You can put your hands on your hips if you want. The term saucy refers to a person with a bold and lively personality. Culinary sauces can do the same for food, turning your entree into an epicurean masterpiece. Sauce is a French term derived from the Latin salsus, meaning salted, indicating its flavor enhancing capabilities. Sweet and savory sauces are present in almost all cuisines around the world. Some of the oldest known sauces come from the ancient Romans. Mustard, not unlike the condiment we have today, was made by crushing mustard seed and combining it with fermented grapes into a paste. The most popular sauce was garum, a highly pungent liquid made from small fish, like anchovies, mixed with the intestines of larger fish and salt, and fermented in the sun for up to two months. Although the French did not create the first sauces, they were responsible for establishing the principal sauces that all present-day sauciers must master. (As you can probably guess, a saucier is a chef who specializes in sauces.) While the French created hundreds of sauces used globally in one form or another, there are five primary sauces known as “grand” or “mother sauces.” Any sauce derived from one of these is a “daughter,” “secondary,” or “petite” sauce.

Béchamel—a

white sauce of milk thickened with roux. King Louis XIV’s court chef Francois Pierre de la Varenne (1615-1678) probably created the sauce, honoring the Marquis Louis de Béchamel, a French financier and patron of the arts.

Espagnole—a

brown sauce of reduced stock and tomatoes, thickened with brown roux. For the wedding feast of King Louis XIII of France and Princess Anne Mauricia of Spain, her cooks made a sauce combining France’s brown sauce with Spanish tomatoes.

Velouté—

a blond sauce made by reducing clear stock (from un-roasted bones) and thickening it with a white roux.

Tomate (you say tomato, I say tomate)—a tomato-

based sauce made with pork belly, onions, bay leaves, and spices.

Hollandaise—

a warm emulsion of butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice, originally called sauce Isigny after a town in Normandy known for its creamy butter. During WWI, butter production ceased in France, so it was imported from Holland, hence the name change. Although not an official mother sauce, the honorable mention award goes to…mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil, egg, and vinegar or lemon. When the list of mother sauces was being decided, there was quite a debate whether to include mayonnaise. Everybody loves mayonnaise, so many countries and regions claim to be

its creator, with elaborate stories about where the name comes from. Its name, though, probably comes from the old French word “moveu,” meaning “egg yolk.” I must admit that when I was a kid, I enjoyed going to fast-food restaurants. My parents liked eating out too, although it didn’t happen frequently as the painful memory of food rationing during WWII still had its grips on them. To be fair, fast-food places then were not the fast-food establishments of today. The phrase just meant they prepared meals more efficiently to shave off some of the wait time—early McDonald’s called it their “Speedee Service System.” Back then, when we went to A&W for frosty mugs of root beer and ate the Mama, Papa, and Baby Burgers, we watched the cook make the hamburgers from fresh meat. I remember seeing for the first time a futuristic looking restaurant with the strange yellow—sorry, golden— arches coming right out of the building. I thought that the burgers were a little plain with their single patty, chopped onions, two pickles…and no sauce! Still, not bad for fifteen-cent burgers. I had to wait until 1968 and the Big Mac before I got a good sauce. In my opinion, it’s the sauce that made the Big Mac famous. Willard Scott, famed weatherman for the Today show, used to be a real Bozo. Eventually, McDonald’s asked Scott to stop clowning around and come up with a mascot for them. In 1963, Scott made his first appearance as Ronald McDonald.

During my teen years, we moved back to my dad’s ancestral home in Nevada, where no fast-food restaurant existed. When an Arby’s opened up in Las Vegas in 1968, my dad and I took a road trip to check it out, 2.5-hours each way. The first thing that greeted us when we walked in was the wonderful aroma of freshly prepared roast beef. After ordering our sandwiches, we watched the cook slice the roast beef right in front of us. One bite and we were in love. The sandwiches were wonderful, but that peppery sauce is what got my attention. Before we left, my dad ordered enough sandwiches to put in our freezer to last us a year. It became an annual event. I prefer not to eat at these places any longer, but those two sauces from McDonald’s and Arby’s kept calling to me, so I made it my mission to try to create organic homemade versions. I tried several recipes from the internet, but they came up short. After a lot of experimentation, I finally came up with the following recipes I would like to share with you. You will note that I also include a recipe for French dressing. It’s one of the ingredients for the sandwich sauce. I tried using store-bought dressing or just adding the dressing ingredients directly into the sauce recipe, but neither technique gave me the result I wanted. Timing is a key component to this recipe. After making the French dressing, you must wait at least one hour before using it as an ingredient in the sauce, and the final sauce tastes better if you let it sit for an hour. Enjoy…. 13

Liam’s French Dressing

Ingredients ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup ketchup ½ cup sunflower oil 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup yellow onion, mince 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon granulated garlic ¼ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon sea salt Preparation Thoroughly mix all ingredients. Allow to sit for at least one hour before using to allow flavors to meld.

Liam’s Sandwich Sauce

Ingredients ½ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons French dressing 4 teaspoon sweet pickle relish 1 tablespoon whiteonion, minced 1 teaspoon whitewine vinegar 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon sea salt Preparation Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Allow to sit for at least one hour to allow flavors to meld.

Roast Beef Sandwich Sauce Ingredients 1/2 cup organic ketchup 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 4-6 tablespoons water* 4-5 drops cayenne-based hot sauce 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic 2 tablespoons brown sugar** 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium/low heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, especially the last 10 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Use within 1-2 weeks. Notes: * Use filtered water because chlorinated tap water will change the flavor, adding just enough to achieve a pourable but still thick sauce. The sauce will thicken more when cooled. ** If you don’t have brown sugar, maple syrup is a good alternative.

NEW YEAR NEW TRADITION

COOK UP THESE TASTY STUFFED COLLARDS FEATURING TURKEY, RICE AND CAROLINA-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE. Reprinted with permission from grocery.coop. Find recipes and articles about your food and where it comes from at grocery.coop.

Stuffed Collard Greens By: Co+op

Total Time: 1 hour; 30 minutes active Servings: 8 rolls

Ingredients 8 collard leaves, large stems removed 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup diced yellow onion 1 celery stalk, diced 1/2 red or green bell pepper, seeds removed, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 pound ground turkey 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme Pinch of cayenne (optional) 3/4 cup chicken broth 1 1/2 cups cooked rice Pinch each of salt and black pepper 3/4 cup Carolina-style barbecue sauce Preparation Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil or butter an 8 x 8 inch casserole dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently place the collard leaves in the water and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until just tender. Remove the leaves, drain and cool. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic 16

for 5 minutes. Add the turkey and spices and cook another few minutes until the turkey is almost cooked through. Add the broth and rice and cook another few minutes until the broth is absorbed. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. Gently lay out a collard leaf on a dry cutting board, stem end facing away from you. Divide the turkey mixture into eight portions. Place one portion of turkey near the stem end of the leaf. Fold in the side edges of the leaf and roll up the collard around the filling, like a burrito. Place the collard roll in the casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat with the rest of the collards and filling. Drizzle barbecue sauce over the top of the rolls, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until the collard rolls are tender. Serve warm. Serving Suggestion Serve with Louisiana-style dirty rice, topped with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and additional hot sauce on the side. Use turkey sausage if you prefer a spicier dish. Nutritional Information 180 calories, 3 g. fat, 30 mg. cholesterol, 260 mg. sodium, 26 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. fiber, 7 g. protein

Black-Eyed Pea & Edamame Succotash By: Co+op

Total Time: 25 minutes Servings: 4-6

A delicious hearty side or main dish salad. Serve with soup, green salad and whole wheat rolls to round out the meal. Ingredients 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1 cup edamame, shelled, frozen 1 cup sweet corn, frozen 1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced 2 tablespoons scallions, chopped (about 3 scallions) 1 1/2 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon honey Pinch cinnamon, ground 1/2 teaspoon chili power 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 8 chicken or turkey sausages (optional)

Preparation Place oil in a large pan and saute onions and garlic until translucent. Add black-eyed peas, frozen corn and frozen edamame. Stir until frozen vegetables are thawed. Remove from heat. Combine honey, mustard, vinegar, cinnamon, chili powder, and chives, and whisk to make dressing. Stir all ingredients together with the dressing. Prepare the sausage links according to directions. Serve sausages with succotash on the side. Serving Suggestion Add additional vegetables, such as mushrooms or carrots, for a more substantial salad. Serve with a hearty soup, green salad, and bread or rolls. Nutritional Information Per Serving: 303 calories, 11 g fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 34 g carbohydrates, 10 g dietary fiber, 22 g protein, 729 mg sodium

Black-Eyed “Peacadillo” Salad By: Co+op

Total Time: 30 minutes; 15 minutes active Servings: 6

This zingy bean salad makes a delicious accompaniment to bean and rice burgers, fried green tomatoes or cornbread. Ingredients 2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced 2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced 1 cup corn kernels, cooked 1 medium tomato, diced 1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, roughly chopped 1/4 cup raisins 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 lime, juiced 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) 3/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Let stand for about 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve cold or at room temperature. Serving Suggestion Serve this zingy bean salad with vegetarian bean and rice burgers, fried green tomatoes or cornbread studded with jalapeño peppers and cheese. Nutritional Information 211 calories, 8 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 532 mg. sodium, 32 g. carbohydrate,2 g. fiber, 7 g. protein

Turn the page for Coop Chai Spice Cake with Vanilla Coconut Whipped Cream recipe

CAKE

CELEBRATION BY SIDONIE MAROON, THE FOOD CO-OP CULINARY EDUCATOR, ABLUEDOTKITCHEN.COM

We are what we eat, and our beliefs reside in what we buy. In honor of The Food Coop’s 50th, I wrote a special cake recipe that includes my top five shopping values. 19

BY SIDONIE MAROON

Minimal Processing

raised children, worked, formed friendships, and forged alliances within my weekly rounds of Coop shopping.

Buy in Bulk

Over the past 27 years, The Food Coop has given me a lot, professionally and personally, and I am grateful. I take my responsibilities as a food educator and family gatekeeper seriously, and they make my job worth having.

I prefer to cook from scratch, so I want minimally processed whole foods. My rule of thumb, with exceptions, is if the ingredient list on the package has over three items, then it doesn’t go in my cart.

Buying without excess packaging is important. I want the food to speak for itself, not with idealized images and snappy marketing. Because I cook from scratch, I need quality dry goods, so legumes, seeds, nuts, pseudo grains, dried fruits, and spices make up most of my pantry.

Buy With A Conscious

I shop with concern for how we treat animals, plants, land, water, air, and people. I appreciate the decision making that happens before products arrive on the Coop’s shelves. No business is perfect, but I shop somewhere that strives to care.

Buy Local and In Season

Our Coop supports and promotes local farms and small entrepreneurs. The center of my culinary philosophy is eating in season and as close to home as possible. I’ve followed with pride our steady increase in commitment to locally grown food, and believe that besides teaching people how to cook, it’s the best investment we can make.

Build Community

My values would mean little without the strong bonds, history, continuity, and fellowship of community. I’ve

HOW TO GRIND YOUR OWN SPECIALTY FLOURS AT HOME 1. Use a Vitamix on high speed for one minute and then sift. 2. Use a Kitchen Aid with a grain mill Attachment. 3. Try a Nutrimill or Mockmill or a large coffee grinder. 4. Borrow equipment from a friend, or get together to mill up baking mixes and put them away for later. 20

Extra Food For Thought

Our inner community, the microbiome, also matters to our health and wellbeing. When I buy bulk, cook from scratch, use my conscience, and purchase seasonal food, I’m by default feeding my gut flora what it needs.

A Beautiful (Cake) Mind

Question: How many prebiotic foods are in this cake recipe? Answer: There are 18 sources of fiber that feed gut bacteria for a healthy microbiome! Question: How many are in a standard American cake? Answer: Hmm…not so many.

Homemade Cake Mixes

My cake recipe calls for grinding your own flour, but don’t let that scare you off!* It’s easy and efficient once you get the hang of it. I measure and mill the dry ingredients in separate bowls for several cakes at once. Then I label and freeze the mixes in baggies with the recipe inside. When you’re ready, just add the wet ingredients and bake. It’s that simple.

For The Food Co-op’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2022 COOP CHAI SPICE CAKE WITH VANILLA COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM A light, fluffy, sweet, spicy, and completely cake-like cake. Perfect for celebrations and children’s birthday parties. Recipe can be made gluten-free, egg-free, processed-sugar-free, and dairy-free. Cake Ingredients Dry ½ cup pre-washed raw quinoa ½ cup raw chickpeas ½ cup carob powder ¼ cup roasted chicory root ¼ cup flaxseeds 1 tablespoon psyllium seed husk powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon 100% monk fruit powder or sweetener of your choice 3 teaspoons chai spice (recipe below) 2 teaspoons cinnamon Wet ½ cup melted butter or non-dairy equivalent—I melt my butter in the preheating oven 1 ½ cups apple sauce ½ cup pitted Deglet dates, chopped 1 ¼ cups whole milk or plant-based milk 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Directions 1.Using a Vitamix, large coffee grinder, or home flour mill, grind the dry ingredients and sift into a large mixing bowl. 2.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. 3.In the Vitamix, a food processor, or by hand, blend the wet ingredients together, including the dates. Once blended, stir into the dry ingredients. Smooth the batter into the cake pan. 4.Bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm with Coconut Whipped Cream.

COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM Ingredients 14-ounce can of traditional coconut milk, left overnight in coldest part of the fridge to solidify ¼ teaspoon 100% monk fruit powder or liquid sweetener 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Directions In a food processor, whip the solids from the coconut milk, monk fruit powder, and vanilla into a thick cream. If needed, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the coconut water to thin the cream.

HOMEMADE CHAI SPICE Makes 1 cup ground powder, so you’ll have extra chai spice for tea or other baking. Ingredients 3 tablespoons fennel seed 4 tablespoons whole green cardamom pods 1 tablespoon cloves 2 tablespoons allspice berries 4 tablespoons dried ginger root, not powdered 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 1 whole nutmeg 4 tablespoons broken pieces of cinnamon sticks 2 tablespoons coriander seeds Directions 1. Start with whole fresh spices. 2. Measure and grind the spices, using a Vitamix or spice/coffee grinder. 3. Keep mix in a sealed tin or jar, in a cool dry place, and use within 3-4 months. To make chai tea, add 5 teaspoons loose-leaf black tea and 1 to 2 teaspoons chai powder to 1 quart boiling water and steep for 5 minutes. Strain. Add milk and sweetener to taste. *The Co-op also carries Nash and Finnriver flours if you cannot grind your own.

NEW LABELING BIOENGINEERED

FOODS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

For nearly a decade, food co-ops have advocated for national, mandatory labeling of foods produced with genetic engineering (commonly called GMOs). We have called for a clear, simple label that can tell people at a glance if a product contains ingredients that were produced using genetic engineering. Our motivation has always been simple: we believe that people have a right to know what’s in their food. A strong grassroots effort that included the voices of many co-op shoppers and staff succeeded in raising the call for GMO labeling to the attention of Congress. In 2016, Congress passed the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, a law that requires labeling of genetically engineered (“bioengineered”) foods. Accordingly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed and released labeling requirements in late 2018 that offer food companies several options for disclosing the presence of genetically modified materials in their products. Although companies have until January 1, 2022 to label qualifying products, you’ll probably start to see products with genetically engineered ingredients labeled well before then. Learning more about labeling requirements and what you’ll see on packages can help you make informed choices. What’s in a name? GMO to bioengineered Despite widespread familiarity with the terms GMO and genetically engineered, the new labels will exclusively use the term bioengineered to refer to food that

contains genetically modified DNA. In fact, companies are prohibited from using the terms GMO, genetically modified and genetically engineered to describe products that do contain genetically modified material on the label. Products that do not contain genetically modified material (such as those verified by the Non-GMO Project) will be allowed to continue to use the term Non-GMO in labeling. What to look for on the package Despite the potential for confusion, USDA offers food companies several different ways to legally label bioengineered foods, to be determined at the company’s discretion. 1. Written disclosure The most direct option companies can choose is to provide a written disclosure on the ingredient panel that says bioengineered food, or contains a bioengineered food ingredient. 2. Symbol Companies may instead choose to disclose using a symbol designed by USDA that reads BIOENGINEERED. 3. Electronic or digital disclosure Companies can choose to include a QR code on the package that will lead to a written bioengineered food disclosure when a customer scans it. One of

the least transparent options, a serious drawback of this method is that it is unfair to shoppers who do not have a smartphone and/or reliable internet access to view the bioengineered food disclosure online. In certain circumstances, companies could also use text messages, phone numbers or web addresses to provide a bioengineered disclosure.

The desire for transparency is here to stay Although the exemptions in this rule mean that these labels do not achieve the level of transparency food coops and consumer rights groups had hoped for, we take heart in the fact that many companies have heard from their customers and food co-ops when it comes to this issue.

Which foods are required to be labeled? Many (but not all) foods containing detectable amounts of genetically modified materials must be labeled. For example, cereal made with GMO corn must be labeled.

Consumer research continues to demonstrate that people expect and appreciate transparency about where, how and from what their food is made. The trend is for companies to become increasingly forthcoming about these matters. Companies that champion their customers’ right to know how their food was produced will likely choose the on-package written disclosure or symbol, and use USDA’s voluntary labels to the extent allowed by law, even if their product is exempt. For products where disclosure is prohibited by law, some companies may even join consumer groups to legally challenge those exemptions.

Labeling exemptions for highly refined oils and sugars It may surprise you to know that highly refined oils and sugars, like those extracted from corn, soybeans and sugar beets, lose so much of their unique DNA during processing that it is no longer detectable by currently available tests. Foods made with these extremely common ingredients, even though they may have been derived from bioengineered crops, are not required to be labeled unless there is other detectable bioengineered DNA in the product. Companies may voluntarily choose to disclose these processed ingredients using the options listed above, with the language “derived from bioengineering” (see example shown). Labeling exemptions for dairy products, eggs and meats Products like milk, cheese, ice cream, eggs and meats that come from animals fed a diet that includes bioengineered feed like corn, alfalfa and soy are not subject to labeling. To make matters even more confusing, companies are actually prohibited from disclosing GMOs in any multiingredient food that has beef, poultry, catfish or eggs as a top ingredient, even if they contain other GMO ingredients. This means that if the same GMO corn used in the cereal example above is also an ingredient in beef soup, the cereal manufacturer must disclose the GMO corn, but the beef soup manufacturer cannot disclose the GMO corn to you. Because this exemption is complex, you might want to read up on it here.

USDA organic certification remains the gold standard for transparency Although the bioengineered food labels fall short of the transparency that many shoppers want—there is still a popular food label that provides transparency in production—USDA organic certification. Organic food, by law, cannot be produced from GMO plants or animals, making it a meaningful way for people to know how their food was produced and what’s in it. Food co-ops will continue to work within our supply chain to encourage transparent and straightforward labeling. If you have further questions, check out USDA’s answers to frequently asked questions about bioengineered labeling requirements.

MOCKTAILS

LET’S CELEBRATE!

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MOCKTAILS EVERYONE CAN ENJOY With very little effort, and fresh and organic ingredients from the co-op, it’s easy to whip up an impressive mocktail everyone can celebrate!

GRAPEFRUIT & LYCHEE FIZZ

TURMERIC ORANGE TONIC

Ingredients: 1 large red grapefruit, peeled and seeded 2 Tbsp lime juice 8 Canned lychees, drained Sparkling water mint leaves (optional)

Ingredients: 3 oranges, peeled and seeded 1 inch knob gingerroot 1 inch piece fresh turmeric root, peeled 1 cup ice Ginger kombucha

Directions: In a blender, combine grapefruit, lime juice, and lychees until smooth. Strain, discarding solids; divind juice equally among 4 champagne glasses and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a grapefruit twist, lychee, and some mint, if desired. *To make this a cocktail, add a shot of vodka or gin.

Directions: In a blender, combine oranges, ginger, turmeric, and ice until smooth. Strain, discarding solids, and divide juice equally among 4 ice-filled tumbler glasses. Top each glass with ginger kombucha. Stir to mix and garnish with an orange wedge, if desired. *To make this a cocktail, add a shot of rum.

POMEGRANATE & FENNEL ELIXIR

GLORIOUS GREEN COOLER

Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice 1 Gala apple, cored 1/2 cup roughly chopped fennel bulb 2 Tbsp lime juice Sparkling water

Ingredients: 2 English cucumbers, roughly chopped 2 cups green grapes 3 kiwi fruits, peeled 1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves 1 cup brewed green tea Still mineral water

Directions: In a blender, combine all ingredients, except sparkling water, until smooth. Strain, discarding solids, and divide juice equally among 4 highball glasses filled with ice. Top each glass with sparkling water. Garnish with some pomegranate seeds, if desired. *To make this a cocktail, add a shot of vodka.

Directions: In a blender, combine all ingredients, except mineral water, until smooth. Strain into a pitcher, discarding solids, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour. Divide among 6 ice-filled tumbler glasses and top with still mineral water or extra chilled green tea, if desired. Garnish with slices of cucumber, frozen green grapes, and mint leaves, if desired. *To make this a cocktail, add a shot of tequila.

https://www.wheatsfield.coop/mocktails-everyone-can-enjoy/ Recipes courtesy of DeliciousLiving.com Find more recipes at https://www.foodcoop.coop/blog/bitters

CO-OP MEMBERS LEARN TO COOK LIKE A CHEF FOR FREE!

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ONLINE COOKING SCHOOL

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