Kale Chips... from the 'hood

Behold - new kale chips have arrived at the Coop, and they are made locally. Sure, the Coop defines local as anywhere within a 500 mile radius, but what do you call it if it's made half a mile away? I'd say that's loco local. The new raw kale chips are from NY Naturals, the natural food store on Flatbush & 6th Avenue, and are delivered to us -- freshly made! -- several times a week. They are selling for a very fair price: $4.84 for a 3.5 oz package. Look for them in Aisle 7 in the small chip section.

In the News.....

LA Times has a review of the various "milks" you can find in our dairy case and in Aisle 3A. It gives a nutritional profile of each and, for those of you with allergies, also what each does not contain. Soy is no longer the only non-dairy alternative to milk. The new "milks" have cut into sales of soy milk at the Coop.



Grab a glass of O.J. before rushing out the house each morning? Persuade your kids to drink one too? Buy Tropicana because it is not made from concentrate? "Not from concentrate" seems to be a term of art--it actually is pasteurized, stripped of oxygen and stored in huge aseptic tanks. When it is packaged for sale, "flavor derived from orange essence and oils is added to make it taste fresh," according to Alissa Hamilton, whose book, Squeezed: What You Don't Know about Orange Juice, has just been published by Yale Press. The citrus juice industry is dominated by Pepsi (Tropicana) and Coca Cola (Minute Maid), and the juice is increasingly being imported from Brazil.

The Smart Choices food labeling program is being phased out as reported in NYTimes. A major concern with the program was that the largest food companies (Kelloggs, General Mills) were applying the label to highly processed foods. The FDA is allegedly considering establishing standards for front of the box nutrition labeling.

And in case you missed it, the work requirement at the Park Slope Food Coop made the Metro section today (and the online version, Friday). The online version has a terrific evening photo of the coop compared to the dreadful drawings in the print version. Lots of comments--

Dancing Deer cookies have moved

We've found a home for Dancing Deer brownies and cookies in Aisle 7A. It is a little squished but we know that you'll make the effort to find your favorite brownies.

VOTE! T-SHIRT! CONTEST! VOTE! T-SHIRT! CONTEST! VOTE! T-SHIRT! CONTEST!

The entries are in for the Coop’s first-ever T-shirt design contest, and now it’s time for you to vote for your favorite(s).

Check out the entries and vote online or in person at the Coop.

The winning design will be made into a T-shirt to be sold at the Coop in time for the holidays! (Did we mention the lucky winner gets a year’s worth of FTOP shifts?) 

California Cheese Invasion!!

Celebrating the 98th anniversary of the discovery of Ishi, give a warm welcome to 7 new cheeses from the Golden State:

Two Cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station:

Just North of the San Francisco Bay, Mt. Tamalpais rises like a monument to Northern California's natural beauty. In deference, Cowgirl Creamery named its signature cheese MT TAM. It's a smooth, creamy, elegant, 10-oz, triple-cream - made with tasty organic milk from the Straus Family Dairy. MT TAM is firm, yet buttery with a mellow, earthy flavor reminiscent of white mushrooms.



Cowgirl Creamery captures the essence of West Marin with its Red Hawk, a triple-cream, washed-rind, fully-flavored cheese made from organic cow's milk from the Straus Family Dairy. Aged six weeks and washed with a brine solution that promotes the growth of a bacteria that tints the rind a sunset red-orange, Red Hawk won Best-In-Show at the American Cheese Society's Annual Conference in 2003.


Two Cheeses from Bellwether Farms in Sonoma County:


Carmody is an artisanal cow's milk cheese made with the milk from Jersey cows. The cheese is aged for at least 6 weeks. This gourmet cheese has a golden color, a smooth texture and a wonderful flavor with buttery intensity. As it ages the flavor becomes sweeter with hints of caramel.

Rich and buttery with stiff notes of tart yeast to balance it, Crescenza is modeled after the centuries-old Italian cheese, Stracchino di Crescenza. Bellwether's Crescenza is a soft-ripened cow's milk cheese without a rind to hold back the luscious ooze. Spread it over crackers, bread, fruit -- anything you want imbued with creamy intensity.

And Three cheeses from Redwood Hill Farm in Sonoma County:

Camellia is a luscious, goat milk Camembert-style cheese. It has a mild, buttery flavor and firm texture when young, becoming softer and more complex with age.

Crottin has a wrinkly, geotrichum candidum rind, a fluffy texture and robust, earthy flavor.

Redwood Hill Raw Goat Milk Feta is a pure raw goat milk formed it into blocks by hand. It is then brined for 18 hours before being bagged for aging.

It's chilly! It's chili!

So I know it's not that cold yet but it will be soon and you need to be prepared. You can't expect to make it through your day in a freezer fueled by salads and berries anymore. You need a good warm meal if you want to even have a chance of getting through the frigid months ahead. What is the best weapon in this war on cold? CHILI! Normally I would suggest putting a big pot on the fire and making your own. Such practices build character and are good for the community (don't be selfish, you need to share the pot of chili) but when you have Manhattan Chili Co. at your finger tips, I say go for it. Less time in the kitchen means more time fighting the good fight!

Currently there are three different kinds to try, with the possibilities of more to come in the future. High Plains Turkey is a medium heat chili filled with tomatoes, corn, and white beans. Totally Vegetable is a mild vegan offering with kidney beans, bell peppers, corn and peas. Finally, we have Ginger Chicken. Ginger Chicken? We were also a bit skeptical about this one. "What is this impostor doing here? This stuff has ginger and mushrooms in it. We were given strict orders to eat chili!" After extensive testing and research, we have approved this chili for deployment to your bellies. Eat well, smile at your friends and most importantly, stay warm.