Blood orange on a red plate . . .

. . .With 59 year-old-hand.
Blood oranges available now at the Food Coop no matter how old your hand is.

Jasper Hill Farm and Cellars - Vermont

We've carried cheeses from Jasper Hill Farm and the Cellars for quite a while, but we have so many things right now that I think its worth blogging about.

Right now we have the three cheeses made by Jasper hill:
Constant Bliss, loosely based on a Chaource recipe, a slow ripened lactic cheese.
Bayley Hazen blue, a natural rinded blue cheese. And

Winnimere, washed in Lambic beer, this lush cheese smells "rowdy" but has a smooth sweet milky flavor accented by a woodsy aromatic depth.


AND, we also have Weybridge: a delightful, delicate little organic cheese with a fluffy whipped texture and big farm fresh flavor made by the Scholten family farm. Did I say Organic already?

But wait, there's more . . .

Also on the shelf is the amazing Cabot Clothbound cheddar - aged at Jasper Hill of course - a handsome natural rinded traditional cheddar. Bandaged with muslin and skillfully aged a minimum of 10 months.


And, last but not least, we have Hartwell by Ploughgate creamery. A soft-ripened little guy that is creamy and delicious.

This just in!!! Also available is Moses Sleeper. The compatriot to Constant Bliss (Story about the two Revolutionary war heroes here ) This creamy, delicious triple cream delight is Not to be missed.


So, instead of driving to Vermont, just take a trip to the cheese case and pick up one or more of these great cheeses.

Brown Rice Sushi rolls on in...

Today marks the debut of Brown Rice Sushi here at the Coop. It is brought to us by Premium Foods -- the same local sushi makers you have come to love and depend on for your daily dose of raw fish (or avocado & cucumber). Roll on over to the Prepared Foods Case to find your favorite combo, dressed in brown.

Hello, goodbye

The freezer welcomes some new friends and says "Adios" to some old ones. Well, it's a bit less like "Adios" and a bit more like "How could you? After all these years and all these stir-frys...more like stir-lies!"

I will report the upsetting news first as good news leaves a much better taste on your brain palette. It has come to our attention that a few of the frozen vegetables we carry have some pretty unclear organic labels. Joe sent me this link http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=JQ31Ljd9T_Y and then we discussed. The long and the short of it is we may not be able to trust the organic labels on products from China. Until we hear otherwise, we are going to discontinue the Cascadian California blend, the Woodstock snap peas and the Seapiont edamame (don't worry about the edamame, I have good news to report below.)

Now here's the good news that gets totally awesome the more you read. We're replacing the Seapoint edamame with Sunrich edamame. Sunrich isn't organic but it is domestic and non GMO.

Also, we started carrying Gardein brand meat substitutes in the freezer. A select few Gardein products have been residing in the egg cooler for some time and now have brethren in colder climates. Look, they even say "Party with me!" How could I not party with those things?

And this is probably the most exciting news I've ever had to report...COOKIE DOUGH! The people have been asking for years and I have had to ruin their days. Well, I've had it with ruining days. We have peanut butter cookies currently but will be getting chocolate chip in the near future.

Finally, here's some news that got some people real happy for about a second. A bunch of people requested Mochi ice cream. I found some in the catalogue of one of our local distributors who specialize in natural products. When we received them though, the ingredient list read like a who's who of totally funky ingredients that aren't welcome in the coop. meh.

CIAO!

Yep, Liberte invented another fantastic flavor: Apple Crumble

I heard about this flavor a few months back and have been waiting & waiting...but WAIT NO LONGER! Liberte Mediterranean Apple Crumble is HERE.

So many of us love this line of local yogurt. It's creamy and delicious. Eat it for breakfast - or even desert. The Apple Crumble flavor has wee little apple pieces and a few joyous raisins with a touch of cinnamon to spice it up. Mmmmm, like the other Mediterraneans, this one I expect you'll love.

Vive le Liberté

The Artistic Garden seeds are here!

The Artistic Garden vegetable, flower and herb seeds are now in the produce aisle above bags of potatoes. We are selling small packets for $.25 each.

-Delia

In the news...

The Daily News profiles local kale chip purveyor's crisp green business.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports on misleading food labels.

Ear candles? Wall Street Journal covers FDA's concerns regarding sticking a burning wax object into your ear..

Daiya Vegan "Cheese"

Well, it was one of the most requested items and now its here. Daiya Vegan Cheese is available in "Cheddar" and "Italian" - for sale on the top shelf of the cheese case next to the Tree Nut "Cheese".

Evidently this "cheese" melts.



Right now its sold in chunks that we cut and wrap, but when the pre-packed "cheese" is available we will move it to the dairy cooler next door.

Expiration dates on food..

Slate has an interesting article on expiration dates on food. The author contends that the dates are based on the habits of the most careless consumer and actually extend much longer than what is posted on the packaging.

The food we sell at the Coop is very fresh. For example, cereals on the shelves are delivered several times a week and each particular cereal is restocked two to nine times a week. We try very hard to sell our refrigerated products with extended dates. Milk and produce arrive six days a week. Sushi twice a day. We don't have space in our basement to store an entire week's worth of food.

BTW, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings are very, very good evenings for shopping. We receive many deliveries early in the week, the shelves are fully stocked, and the store is not nearly as crowded as on the weekends and Monday and Friday evenings.

vegetable and flower seeds coming march 1st

Our seeds packets from Artistic Gardens, Fedco and Seed Savers should arrive in the beginning of March. This year we have added dozens of tomato, pepper and herb varieties. Look for the seed near the potatoes in the produce aisle. We usually sell out of many varieties in the first few days, be sure to check for them. -Delia

Cigar City beer has hit the shelves.

Check out the Warmer Winter Winter Warmer from this sweet little brewery in Tampa.

Here's what they say about their beer:

We brew this English-style Old Ale with American hop varietals to celebrate the idea of a snowy winter landscape, if not so much the reality of it as we experience it here in Florida. Dark copper to amber in color, it has a complex citrus and caramelized toffee aroma with underlying notes of chocolate. The flavor begins with a dark caramel to medium toffee sweetness balanced by a firm citrus dryness and then moves into a forward malt character with hints of chocolate and rye in the finish and a lingering citrus and pine note. It pairs well with spiced ham and ridiculously warm winters. Enjoy one with the air conditioner turned down low.

The Warmer Winter is the only thing available in bottles at the moment but there's a beer store down the block (Bierkraft) that often has their beer available in growlers if you like this one.

Cheers, Anngel

No spring chicken.

When you want a full-flavored, wintertime chicken soup, there's no bird like an old bird. Bobo Farm stewing hens are tough old birds, retired egg-layers whose flesh, fat, and bone melts into the most scrumptious broth you can make from any Coop chicken.

Our other chickens are all broiler/fryers. They're young and tender. They're for roasting, broiling, grilling, sauteeing, and frying. The stewing hens, though....when it's cold outside, when there's a dark drizzly rain coming down, that's when they come into their own.

So get out the tattered file-card recipes for Aunt Rose's matzoh balls and Aunt Rosa's albondigas. Google pho. Lay in a supply of onion and garlic, ginger and scallion, carrots and celery root, noodles and rice.

In a celebration of the current national economy, Bobo stewing hens are only $2.20 a pound.

BLACK OPS!

Just in time for Christmas. The second incarnation of the Brooklyn Black Ops is now on the shelf. It's a really limited release so, get it while you can.

In other brew news, we are blowing through the holiday beers. We've got some swell gift packs on the display shelf as well as a couple gems like the Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza and the Dieu du Ciel Solstice Hiver.

cheers, Anngel

Geese are here.

The Christmas geese arrived on Monday afternoon. Pasture-raised at Dines Farms in upstate New York. All around 10-11 pounds. Beautiful.

Festive Holiday Meats

Turkeys, organic and non-. Ducks, and duck breasts. Rabbits. Whole beef tenderloins. Legs of lamb, bone-in, bone-out. French racks of lamb. Geese show up on Monday the 21st. Spiral-cut hams: bake 'em for dinner, or just leave 'em out on the sideboard with a loaf of good bread and the mustard-pot.

All I Need is Just a Little More Time...

So I'm sitting here listening to Jack Wagner's mega-hit "All I Need," which you may remember from the eighties when music was music and blackberries were fruit. His poignant words made me think of all the new products in the freezer and what one might say to themselves in aisle three while shopping. If "All I need..." is a new burrito, then look for the EVOL brand (formerly Phil's) Cilantro Lime Chicken burrito. A new addition added to meet the needs of certain General Coodinator's hunger for new and exciting hand-held vittles. If "All I need..." is a two pound bag of big, wild, frozen shrimp, than head to the meat freezer. We got two different brands of uncooked, shelled and devained shrimp from Mexico which is a responsible choice as far as Seafood Watch is concerned. Take a quick walk to the left if all you need is some new breakfast ideas and check out the free range turkey sausage from Stonewood Farms. Walk to the left and you might find that all you need is some five cheese, whole wheat ravioli from the Ravioli Store. And, if "All I need..." is some new ice cream, than it might actually take "...just a little more time to..." decide because there's a lot going on in there. A few weeks ago a member suggested a honey vanilla ice cream from Haagen Dazs. While I was checking this out online, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only was the name clever, but Honey Bee Vanilla supports saving the bees! I'm running out of inspiration. The song is only a few minutes long and I can't write that fast. The other new ice creams include Coconut Bliss pineapple pints and chocolate bars, and the favorite of a certain freezer fan, Haagen Dazs Rocky Road. Ciao.

So much good beer, so little room in the fridge

The Coop is bursting at the seams with some amazing holiday and winter beers. Get them while you can because many had to be special ordered months in advance and when they run out, they're gone for a whole year.

Most all of these holiday gems can be aged to very good effect. Keep them cool and in the dark and they will treat you well in the coming years.

Here are some of the beers that are on the display shelf now:

• Brasserie De La Senne X-Mas Zinnebir
  
• Haandbryggerie Christmas Ale
• Jenlain Noel
• Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza
• La Choulette Noel
• Mahr's Christmas Bock
• Mikkeler Santa's Little Helper
• Nogne-O Winter
• Nogne-O Peculiar
• Nogne-O/Jolly Pumpkin/Stone Holiday Ale
• St. Bernardus Christmas

Cheers, Anngel

Wisconsin Cheese

December is shaping up to feature some of the best of the Midwest.

From the Wisconsin Dairy Cooperative comes Dante. Aged at least 6 months and made from pasteurized sheep milk, it is slightly sharp, nutty and almost a bit meaty in flavor.







Dunbarton Blue is an earthy cheddared-blue, open air cured, giving it the feel of an English cheddar, but spiked with the delicate, subtle flavor of a fine blue. Made by Chris Roelli in Southwest Wisconsin.










Marieke Penterman moved to Thorp, Wisconsin in 2002 from her native Holland. No one makes Gouda live the Dutch. No one. Add to that farmstead fresh milk and unique wooden aging shelves and voila! Real Wisconsin Gouda. We have the one year and Foenegreek varieties currently.








Made with their own homestead milk, Saxon Creamery creates some of the most original, beautiful cheeses available anywhere. And now the Coop has two: Green Fields - a semi-soft washed rind raw cow's milk cheese. And Big Ed's - a young, mild, yet flavorful table cheese.

Sourpuss!

The days of too much are upon us – richly larded meals, holiday parties o’ plenty. ‘Tis the time of year to ride the savory-sweet express. As an antidote to this delicious mess, I offer a quiet and rare selection of tart, dry, palate-en-living beers. These are light, refreshing beliner weisses, Flemish reds, and lambics.

I love the tart beers and tend to serve them as the champagne course. They play well with the wine crowd and are more affordable than the usual champagnes or white wines that are recommended for appetizers and salads. All of these beers are relatively low in alcohol, another plus when you have a lot of merrymaking ahead of you.

Here is a shortlist of what will rotate on one corner of the display beer rack, more description to follow:

• Brauerei Weihenstephan1809 Berliner Weisse
• Rodenbach Red
• Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
• Hanssens Mead the Gueuze
• Hanssens Oudbeitje Lambic

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.

Amaryllis and paperwhites

Van Engelen amaryllis and paperwhite bulbs are here. These bulbs come with a flower pot and potting soil and instructions. They are high quality--we've been selling them for years without complaint. If you start them now, they should be blooming in about 6 weeks. They do best in sunny window in a cool room. They should be planted soon as they are programmed to grow and will burst out of their box toward light if neglected. They will keep for a few weeks in the dark in the refrigerator. This is the only shipment of bulbs we'll be getting--they don't ship as the weather gets cooler

Time to Eat Everything!!!

Hey Co-owners,

Turkey Shmurkey I say. This time of year has much more to offer than some big old bird. The freezer alone is a veritable cornucopia of festive vittles. There's familiar faces like Adirondack Creamery's pumpkin ice cream, apple pie from Vermont Mystic Pie Co. and vegan pumpkin pie from Wholly Wholesome. Oh, and don't forget the Tofurkey. What forward thinking host would even think of leaving out their vegan/vegetarian friends. I shudder to even think of it. The freezer would also like to welcome some new members such as Gillian's gluten free pie shells, Vermont Mystic Pie Co. pie shells, and peppermint ice cream from Adirondack Creamery. This ice cream is pretty awesome. The peppermint pieces floating around in there are made just over the river and through the woods (locally).

Go Eat!

Were we hornswoggled by Silk?

Grocers around the country report feeling misled -- "hornswoggled," in fact -- by the reformulation of Silk Soymilk from organic to 'natural'. A recent article from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram depicts the same scenario that we experienced here at the Coop earlier this year.

Holiday Turkey Arrival News!

Buy your 2009 turkey early!!! Why? Because veteran Coop Thanksgiving shoppers know they need to pick theirs early to get EXACTLY the size and style they want. The smaller birds sell out especially quickly.

All turkeys are delivered fresh, except for the frozen Wise Kosher Organic. All are free-range, locally raised, hormone-and antibiotic-free. Some are from smaller farms than others, though NONE are raised by those evil farmers you read about in the papers. Some are certified organic. See listings by date for details.

Tuesday, November 17
FROZEN, Wise Kosher Certified Organic (Pennsylvania)
10 to 24 lbs., $4.85 lb.

Thursday, November 19
Bell & Evans (New Jersey)
8 to 26 lbs., $2.31 lb.

Friday, November 20
Plainville Farms Pasture-raised (New York)
16 to 24 lbs., $2.75 lb.

Eberly Certified Organic (Pennsylvania)
8 to 24 lbs., $4.25 lb.

Koch Certified Organic (Pennnsylvania)
8 to 24 lbs., $3.96 lb.

Monday, November 23
McDonald Farm Heritage Breed (American Bronze) (New York)
12 to 26 lbs., $4.26 lb.

Stonewood Farm Pasture-raised (Vermont)
12 to 20 lbs., $3.12 lb.

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.

MELT your butter

MELT Buttery Spread is a new choice in the Butter Case. It's made primarily with organic virgin coconut oil. Not your mama's butter.

Smart Choices in the news....

If you occasionally shop at a supermarket, you may have already seen the green "Smart Choices Made Easy" label on food packages. In an article entitled "Smart Choice Foods: Dumb as They Look" in Forbes, the writer, Rebecca Ruiz, details the absurdity of the label. The subhead for the article says it all: "Processed-foods giants spent more than $1 million to create nutritional guidelines for a labeling system that favors their own products."

So what products made the cut: Fruit loops and Fudgsicles. I haven't noticed the Smart Choice label on any products that the Coop carries--maybe Kellogg's Raisin Bran is too, too healthy. But then I haven't looked.

Have you tried these delicious new Lebanese products yet? Made in the neighborhood at Tripoli Restaurant on Atlantic Avenue—now that's LOCAL!

 NEW PREPARED FOODS FROM TRIPOLI RESTAURANT:

Mujadra Burgule (lentils with cracked wheat) Pint- $3.93

Mujadra b’ riz (lentils with rice) Pint- $3.93

Wara Anib b’ zeit (vegetarian grape leaves) 8 oz $3.80

Baba ghanouj 8 oz $3.75

Hummus 8 oz $3.15

Bamia b’ zeit (okra w/tom & pomegranate) 8 oz $3.33

Khair ‘b leban (cucumber salad) pint $3.15

Spinach pie 2 piece- $4.11

Foul m’damas (fava beans and chickpeas) pint $2.42

Baklava 4 oz. $3.63

Rice Pudding 4 oz. $3.63

 Black Olives (in the Cheese case) $2.52/lb

 NEW NON-REFRIGERATED ITEMS INCLUDE:

Ancient Tree Olive Oil 750 ml $9.68

Distilled Rose Water 250 ml $7.05

Distilled Orange Blossom Water 250 ml $7.05

Pomegranate Nectar 350 gm $7.87

(Non-refrigerated items are currently being stocked on the display end cap across from the chicken.)

Ancient Tree Olive Oil Soap 5.33 oz $3.03 (located in aisle 5A)

Three new cheeses from Valley Shepherd.

Let's give a warm welcome to Valley Shepherd, a creamery located in Long Valley, NJ in the heart of Morris County. The 600 East Friesan ewes graze on over 120 acres of wild pasture and the cheeses are aged in caverns built directly into the hillside. The result is cheese worth eating.

Valley Thunder is raw mixed milk cheese (cow and sheep milk) hand milled in a process similar to traditional Cheddars. Crumbly but smooth - cave-caged a minimum of 9 months.











Oldwick Shepherd - is a raw sheep milk cheese in the Ossau-Iraty style - semi-firm and smooth with a nutty flavor. Cave-aged a minimum of 3 months.









Nettlesome - another mixed raw milk cheese with stinging nettle leaves. Smooth texture and chive-like flavor and aroma.

Pur replacement water filters are now in stock

Our previous supplier of the Pur products was recently sold, and we were unable to get the Pur replacement filters. Karen tracked down a new supplier, and we expect to be able to get these filters on a regular basis.

Saffron in the news

Saffron--the world's most expensive spice topping off at $3,000/lb according to WSJ. Adulterating saffron was a cause for burning at the stake in medieval times! Must be picked before sunrise! Eat too much and it'll shut down your liver! Lots of other facts in this WSJ article, accompanied by a video of a former Deadhead, who is from Iran, purveying by bicycle the world's best saffron to NYC's finest chefs.

The coop does indeed sell a low-grade saffron, packaged by Roland, hanging in Aisle 2A over the bulk spices.

Supplements in the news

Interesting article on supplements in today's Wall St Journal. The message seems to be you can never be too careful when taking supplements, especially those claiming to lead to weight loss and/or muscle gain. But even the most basic multivitamin may be suspect. The FDA does little to nothing to regulate the industry. At the end, the article cites some sources which may help in selecting a supplement.

Taza stone ground organic chocolate

It's not smooth or milky. But no, it's not like eating cocoa-dusted ground glass either. Taza chocolate is grainy, crunchy, chocolatey, not too sugary, with a hint of vanilla. And that's all that goes into it, all organic and minimally processed. It's produced by a small, environmentally- and socially-responsible company based in Massachusetts. Find it on the display endcap across from the Coop Tees.

Also look for Taza discs—for hot chocolate, cooking or eating out of hand. They come in flavors like yerba maté, guajillo chili and salted almond. Don't bother looking for instructions on how to turn those discs into hot chocolate anywhere on the packaging. It's not there. But it's here, from Taza's website. You won't see it below, but Taza's detailed recipe mention something about adding rum, bourbon, tequila, vanilla...

Field Day Facial Tissues--100% Post consumer

We just replaced the Marcal facial tissue "cubes" with Field Day tissues. The Field Day tissues are softer than Marcal, yet made of 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Please consider making the switch from Kleenex, which has no recycled paper content. And you'll save money--Field Day is at least 40% cheaper than Klennex.

You can download Green Peace's recommendations for purchasing paper products here.

Tales of the Unexspeckted

You may have noticed the cured meat item next to the new prosciutto and pancetta down in the meat cases. The La Quercia brand. And you may have wondered, what the heck is Speck?

Speck is a smoked prosciutto from the Tyrol, a region on the border of Italy and Austria. After being cured in salt and spices, the ham is cold-smoked, using a hardwood like beech or (as ours is) applewood.

Okay, so what does this mean to us?

In short, it means we now have a delicious and comparatively low-fat alternative to smoked bacon, which can be used in dishes that call for prosciutto or pancetta but in which you want a hint of smoke flavor. Or in dishes that use smoked ham or bacon, but you want to strike a more subtle note.

The classic Roman pasta all'amatriciana is a fine example. This simple combination of bacon, onion, and tomato benefits enormously from the flavor of speck. The other night I sauteed 3 ounces (one package) of speck, chopped, in a tablespoon of olive oil. When it began to color I added a chopped onion and a few gratings of black pepper. When the onion went transparent, in went a half-dozen large quartered plum tomatoes. A half-hour of simmering yielded a thick and aromatic sauce to be stirred into cooked linguine and topped with grated asiago. Best all'amatriciana we ever had...and I've made in in the past with everything from deli ham to guanciale.

When we sampled the La Quercia pancetta and prosciutto, we didn't think speck was something that would become a Coop favorite. But after tasting it, everyone here agreed that it certainly deserved to be.

Two New Buffalo (Bufala) Cheeses

Casatica di Bufala - A soft-ripened wonder with a soft, delicate and sweet flavor










Moringhello di Bufala - A semi-soft table cheese with a natural-mold rind. Intense and slightly spicy but well balanced.

smooze! coconut ices

Now that they are about to disappear as it will soon no longer be the season....... Smooze! coconut ices have been a big hit this summer. They come in shelf stable packaging, ten to a box, that you freeze. Four flavors--passion, mango, guava and pineapple. The aseptic package is admittedly difficult to wrangle: you need kitchen shears rather than kiddie scissors.

They are vegan, relatively inexpensive, not too heavy on the calories (70) and refreshing. But soon they will disappear along with the ever-popular Cool Fruits pops, so stock up now.