Tortillas with a Purpose

The Coop has been selling Hot Bread Kitchen corn tortillas (white and yellow) for over a year, but we think they deserve a new shout-out for the purpose behind the product.

HBK is a social purpose bakery that preserves bread baking traditions from around the world while creating professional opportunities for foreign born and minority women. Their bakers receive paid, on-the-job training in commercial baking and kitchen management as well as English as a Second Language so they can become managers and business owners in the culinary industry.

While many commercial tortillas are made from a

processed, dehydrated corn flour, HBK tortillas are made in the traditional way by soaking and grinding whole-kernel corn, adding nothing but a little lime. Each tortilla is then pressed and cooked by hand. They use only 100% organic, non-GMO corn and add no preservatives. Also they recently improved the recipe, making the tortillas slightly thinner, softer, and more taco-friendly.

The Coop also carries HBK's My Mom’s Nutty Granola. It is a crunchy, not-too-sweet blend of rolled oats, lots of almonds and peanuts, unsulfured raisins, wheat germ, seeds, and pepitas, all mixed together and baked with organic honey. We think it is subtle and honest, a good choice for those who don't want huge chunks of chocolate or exotic ingredients in their morning...

Ronnybrook Farms Butter in the house

New in the butter case today... Ronnybrook Farms Salted Butter! (unsalted is pictured here, but the salted looks pretty much the same.) It's local, it's a family farm, it's affordable, it's yummy.

Here's a sweet story about Ronnybrook, if you want to know more about them.

Bye Bye Mendon, Hello Hillcrest (butter)

Lovers of the delightful Mendon Creamery butter will be saddened to hear that we are no longer able to get this product. Can't even get in touch with the folks who make it. The empty space in the butter case has instead been filled with 1-pound tubs of butter from Hillcrest Dairy. also local and made from rbST-free milk.

Pesto con pinoli, per favore!

Some of us were dismayed that none of the fresh pesto sauces sold at the Coop were made with pine nuts. Sure, technically the word "pesto" just means "pounded" in Italian, but the classic pesto sauce from Genoa is made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. No offense to walnut and almonds but those nuts would never have made it into a batch of mom's fresh pesto in the summertime when the scent of fresh basil from the garden filled our house.

So let's give a big welcome to Whole in the Wall Pesto -- made locally at the semi-cooperatively run Whole in the Wall restaurant in Binghamton, NY -- with pine nuts, no silly substitutions. They make the pesto by hand on Sundays when their restaurant is closed. If you like these we'll get some of their other flavors (red pepper, sun-dried tomato, and dairy-free to name a few). Find them in the Egg/Tofu case with the other refrigerated condiments!

Brussels sprout stalks

Organic, locally grown brussels sprout stalks are $1.87 a stalk at the food coop. We have hundreds of stalks. I bought a stalk yesterday morning and it barely fits in my fridge. There are 3 brussels sprout recipes in the 101 Thanksgiving recipes article in the New York Times, so stock up on stalks.

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.

Barrel-churned, old-fashioned creamery butter

The butter case in the Coop just got a lot more interesting. It now contains butter from Mendon Creamery in Mendon, Mass, just 200 miles from Park Slope. Gabrielle Proia, owner of Mendon Creamery, has been churning butter for about three years in a "farmstead" operation. She rents space on a 150-herd dairy farm to produce and hand-pack six varieties of butter. She is frequently the one milking the cows as well. Proia churns about 1,000 lbs of butter a week. Using the barrel churn creates a butter with a distinctively fresh, sweet taste. "Butter is the perfume of dairy," says Proia. We say "Move over, Land O'Lakes."

Sprout Creek Farm

The local cheese of the month (I know I'm a little off on the month, timing-wise - but anyhoo) is Sprout Creek Farm I picked up five great cheeses from them and they'll be on the shelf later today.


Toussaint

A Robustly flavored cheese with a distinctive Alpine flavor.
Toussaint becomes more complex and peppery with age, and rounds out with a smooth, tight texture. Natural edible rind.






Ouray

An earthy buttery cheese with a sweet floral flavor, Ouray has a firm creamy paste with a crisp edible natural rind.




Batch 35

A crisp coppery rind sheaths a straw colored interior of this smear-ripened cheese. Smooth, with an open texture and a scattering of eyes, this cheese is meaty, pungent, and earthy.


Eden

Smear-ripened with an elastic texture and a golden interior, Eden has a pungent nose but a sweet apple butterscotch finish.

Sophie

Beneath the rind of this soft-ripened goats’ milk cheese is a white pearly paste with a balanced herbaceous flavor.

(Sorry that there's no pictures for all the cheeses - trust me, they're great!)

Bulk going local...

As changes keep happening around us, the world of bulk is no exception. Recently we switched three of our dry beans (black, navy and pinto) to locally grown. They are now coming from Cayuga Pure Organics in the Ithaca area upstate N.Y., as opposed to China for the blacks beans and Canada for the navy and pintos. You may have noticed a price increase for these local beans. We feel that it is in keeping with the Coop mission and important to support local growers whenever we can. Cayuga also has other locally grown products that we carry-Spelt Berries-and look forward to their Farro, Vinton Soy Beans, small Red Beans, Barley, Oats, steel cut and groats.

Most of our flours are now local too. Whole Wheat Bread flour is grown and milled in Ithaca at Farmer Ground, near Cayuga Pure. The Whole Wheat Pastry is milled at Daisy in Lancaster, Pa. The Spelt is also from Lancaster grown there and milled at Small Valley Milling. The exciting thing about these new flours is that not only are they local, but they are very fresh. They are usually milled a week or two before being delivered to us.

In a world where availability of products is uncertain, I will continue to bring in more local bulk when I can. Just a footnote: the price of Red Lentils will be coming down soon due to the fact our supplier International Harvest has them available again. They also will be selling us organic Chia (Mexico) and Black Sesame (India) Seeds at a lower price. These products are not grown locally.

Cheers till next time I see you in the bulk aisle

Ron

Rawson Brook Farm Goat Cheeses

From the Great Farming for Justice website:

Every goat has a name. Susan tells me the stories behind each one as she places the milking machine on their udders. I was able to learn the technique very quick, as it takes a few days for some people.

There is quite the rhythm to the whole process.

Please look for the three flavors of Rawson Brook Monterey Chevre: Plain, Thyme & Olive Oil and Garlic & Chive.

Cardoons and Rhuuuuubarb!

Okay you Batali fans . . . hold onto your orange clogs, the elusive "cardi" – cardoons to the rest of us – are making a cameo appearance at the Coop.

No need to sub artichokes for this very, very Italian vegetable for a wee while.



Located next to another seasonal gem, organic rhubarb.




Holy cow,
Anngel
photos by Lisa Guido

Life by Chocolate

We've added some new chocolates from Life by Chocolate in Greenville, New York in time for Easter. The bunnies are hopping out of here very fast. (More are coming Thursday afternoon.) We've also added bars with unusual flavors (choc covered smoked peanut butter, anyone?) Some of the chocolate is fair trade and some of the bars are vegan. One of their best selling bars is Bee's Knees, made with honey.

Tofu & Tempeh, totally new

We recently began carrying a new organic tofu made by a worker-owned cooperative located on 400 acres in central Virginia (which makes them local by Coop definition). Twin Oaks Community Foods happens to be one of the businesses of the economically self-supporting Twin Oaks Intentional Community, which has existed since 1967. Twin Oaks also supports local agriculture by using only Virginia grown soybeans. You can find Twin Oaks Extra-Firm Fine Herb Tofu in the Egg & Tofu Case.

Another delicious addition to our selection of soy foods is also from Twin Oaks. Vegetarian Chorizo Sausage can now be found in the Dairy Case near the other non-meat "deli" items.

Tempeh lovers now have a second option in addition to the Lightlife brand. Look for organic Soyboy 5-grain Tempeh in the Egg & Tofu case.

Transport yourself to the sunny Mediterranean (or maybe Canada) with these delicious yogurt delights

Expanding our local selection with another 2 great flavors from those Canadians at Liberte

Liberte's New Coconut and Lemon Mediterranean Yogurt

If you think it's cold here in Brooklyn, think about how cold it is in Quebec?!?

Imagine the yogurt makers up there at Liberte sitting in their creamery one cold day chewing on some hay, milking their cows when they said "Goodness I could use a holiday! Somewhere warm, with beaches and coconuts. I miss those lazy summer dog days, evenings with lemonade on the porch..."

That's all it took. Mediterranean-style, like the Greek isles crossed with sandy white palm tree beaches of the tropics. "I've got it! Coconut flavored Mediterranean style yogurt. Take me away!"

Or maybe thoughts were closer to home. "Say, I miss those warm summer evenings, fresh squeezed lemonade on the portch. What should I make for that picnic? Hmmm... Lemon Meringue Pie!"

Eureka! That's all it took.

Liberte recently announced 2 new flavors to their already stellar lineup of Mediterranean-style yogurt - Coconut and Lemon. We want 'em. I know we do. Heck, yesterday I brought the Coconut upstairs and put it on the shelf for the first time. 15 minutes and BLAM-O. Over half a case was gone, disappeared into the neverending pit, that fantasy shopping cart that holds everything you'd ever want to eat...delicious.

Think coconut cream pie. Think lemon meringue pie. Think BREAKFAST just got a whole lot better. In the yogurt case now! (Unless it already sold out! I'll try to keep up with demand.)

UPDATE: Today, Friday the 6th, we were shorted both the Coconut and the Lemon yogurts from our Supplier. OH NO! We should get many more cases on Monday though. Sorry if you missed out, but once we get it in stock, it should never leave again...except in your belly.

Southern Tier Brewing embraces winter with it's strong seasonal line-up

New York state has been putting itself back on the brewing map for a couple decades now. One brewing company that has been building up a good head of steam recently is Southern Tier. Based in Lakewood, NY they've been brewing up a storm since 2004.

Southern Tier started out with a fairly conservative stable of solid beers and from there has built a creative, diverse, and, delicious portfolio. Here is a shortlist of some of the limited release, seasonal brews are worth exploring at the coop:

Gemini - Hoppe & Unearthly blended together & placed in this vessel, the mission of our Gemini is to travel high & take passengers on a journey far into the heavens. 10.5% abv
Krampus - Dark malts and aromatic hops create the diabolical spirit of this brew. It is finished with lager yeast and aged cold for no less than 30 days. This Imperial Helles Lager will warm even the darkest hearts. 9.0% abv • Imperial Helles Lager
Cuvee 1 - ALE IMPRESSIONS: Light copper color, slight malt flavor with mild bitterness, dry finish with subtle hop aroma. FRENCH OAK IMPRESSIONS: Qualities of toasted coconut, almond biscotti and toasted almonds with a taste of honeysuckle. 11.0% abv
Choklat - Moving through centuries, the circular journey of cacao has been realized in our brewing house, encompassing the complexity of the darkest, bitter-sweet candy together with the original frothy cold beverage of the ancient Maya to bring to you our Blackwater Series Choklat Stout. We have combined the finest ingredients to tempt your senses & renew the power & interrelation of history in every bottle. 11.0% abv • Imperial Chocolate Stout
Oat - Pour Oat into a snifter, allow its thick tan head to slowly rise, releasing unbridled aromas. The color of Oat is as dark as a moonless night. The first sip reveals Oat’s thick and nourishing taste. Like a haversack to a horse, a bottle of this stout is a meal in itself. Enjoy responsibly. 11.0% abv • Imperial Oatmeal Stout

*info courtesy Southern Tier Brewing

Local Beer Stuff

So, you all may have noticed that the Northwest is busting at the seams with good beer. New York alone is producing a prodigious amount of quality beers – Blue Point, Brooklyn beers, Butternuts, Schmaltz, Ommegang, Southern Tier, Original Sin, and the rare and delicious Captain Lawrence. And Pennsylvania is no slouch either with Stoudt's (a serious trailblazer), Weyerbacher, Troeg's, and Victory. Delaware has Dogfish, NH and MA are getting in on the action with Smuttynose and Southampton respectively. And of course Vermont is kickin' it with the organics – Wolaver and Orlio – not to mention Long Trail, Magic Hat, Otter Creek, and Woodchuck.

Cali and Colorado may be the #1 and #2 biggest producers of craft beer in the country but as a region the Northeast is giving them a run for the money. (Somebody do the square miles to barrels of beer conversion please!)

At any rate, the coop hasn't been promoting local beers per se but, I just wanted to draw attention to the wealth of local products that are on the shelf. There will always be Stone (CA), Oskar Blues (CO), Samuel Smith (UK), the Belgians, and the growing cadre of fine Midwestern brewers and I will continue to make these beers available but, as Northeasterners we certainly have cause for pride of place and beer.

- Anngel

More on Produce

It's been a month since I have written and a lot has happened. We continue to experience scattered high prices. As you would expect, high prices are driven by higher fuel costs, poor growing conditions and product scarcity.
You might be surprised to learn that much of the higher prices that you experience right now in produce is entirely normal and what you should expect in April and May, and follow a pattern that happens every year. (But certainly worse than ever this year.) The world food shortages and highest fuel costs ever have coincided with the predictable, seasonally normal high prices to produce a "perfect storm."

At the General Meeting on April 29 I reported that organic broccoli had gone to over $4.00 a bunch. I predicted that the price would soon fall as the current growing regions begin to warm up. Today the price is $2.52. There is every reason to be concerned about the future of our food, its cost and even its availability, but don't forget that late spring is when produce stops growing where it has all winter and is just starting up where our warm weather supplies come from, including of course, our local farms.

Here's what's locally available so far (not much):

Minimally treated apples continue to be available from Hepworth Farms: empire, fuji, golden delicious, honeycrisp, jonagold, mutsu, stayman winesap.

New York State organic asparagus started May 14, and the New Jersey conventional started on the 15th.

Other conventional local items are dill, arugula, mint and parsleys.

Sporadically available local organics include dandelions, mustards, arugula, spinach, lettuces, shallot greens, watercress, radishes, rhubarb, kale, pea tendrils and collards.

Fiddlehead fern supplies remain strong, but the local ramps are already winding down.

Remember that you can learn which produce is local by checking elsewhere in our website, or on the individual shelf signs, or by looking for the green highlights on the produce banners at either end of the produce aisle. Seek out the local items, learn how to eat something new; in exchange for a fair price, you will get the freshest, finest foods and do a little bit to keep local family farms alive.
—Allen Zimmerman

First Local Produce Has Arrived!

Our first local organic produce items have arrived in small amounts:
Paradise Farm PA- tarragon
Elm Tree Farm PA- wild watercress
Chesapeake growers- green mustards, radishes, kale and spinach
All are limited quantities and only sporadically available.
We are hoping for some daylily shoots and nettles from Amy Hepworth and will keep you posted.
**Caution: Daylilies, especially the raw shoots, may cause digestive distress in some people. Eat only 5 or 6 shoots to gauge whether you are sensitive to them.
Use the shoots raw in salads, or sauté, steam, stir-fry, deep-fry, bake,
simmer in soups, or pickle.

Do you remember that the Park Slope Food Coop made the news when a member found a frog in her spinach? We all would like to think that that was a unique event but see this link.
—Allen Zimmerman

Local Items of the Week

Tilsit from Harpersfield, NY
Ron and Corrine Brovetto have done it again with two new Tilsit style cheeses from their small dairy farm in upstate NY near the Catskill Mountians. I visited them last weekend and saw the "cave" that they age the cheeses in and tried some new raw-milk varieties they were working on. This week we got in Rosemary Tilsit and Cranberry Tilsit. Both are brilliant and compliment full, rich holiday flavors.

American Vintage Wine Biscuits
Delicious little biscuits perfect for cheese or eating all by themselves. Made right here in NYC - Long Island City to be exact - Right now we have Red Wine and Black Pepper and we'll try out some new flavors as the holidays progress.