Produce Notes From Allen.....128 local items

Despite the problems farmers are having with the heavy, unrelenting rains, we have 128 local produce items.

More than 70 of these items are coming (entirely or in part), from Hepworth Farms. Amy Hepworth reports that it feels like she's functioning in a swamp. There are some items like Cucumbers and Zucchini, that are still out there, but they can't be harvested, and it is feared that the rest of those crops will be lost. Amy is not complaining when she reports this and says that most of the farmers around them are already shut down for the season. It does look like a great deal of the local harvest will end early, and Amy as well as other local farmers are hoping for a strong supply of storage crops to help pay the bills. There is some fear however, that some of the late crops, like Pumpkins, will not fare well at all.

We have heard from our major supplier of California Avocados, Sundance Natural Foods Company, that the avocados that we will receive on 9/29 will be their last of this year's harvest. The next harvest out of that region will begin in December. In the interim, we will have to make do with Avocados from Mexico, and if that crop in turn becomes exhausted, we will begin buying Avocados from Chile. Since we have been buying Avocados directly from Sundance, we have been able to keep the Avocado prices down, relative to what they will be in a couple of weeks. Prices are at a record high; our members have been slightly shielded from them by our relationship with Sundance. Prices will go from bad to horrible in October.

The external quality of the Thai Coconuts is not that great, and no improvement is in sight. What we have is as good as it is going to be for the near future. Please try to get past the cosmetics. After all, you don't eat the hull anyway.

In addition to the minimally treated Asian Pear, we are now carrying a Pennsylvania pear from Subarashii Kudamono. Their first offering is the AsaJu Pear, a thin skinned juicy variety.

Organic Pineapples are scarce; we expect to sell out this weekend

The harvest of local Baby Arugula that we have been carrying in cups, as well as loose, has failed due to the rain storms. We are lucky that a new local harvest of bunching Arugula has begun.

We were lucky to learn of a farm in Pennsylvania that has managed to produce some Green Beans. (There were none in the entire Hunts Point Wholesale Produce Market of any quality.) We have been offered a small amount of local Organic Beans for Monday.

Local Broccoli has returned and we expect Local Organic Broccoli Rabe to return this Monday.

Oyster Mushrooms this Monday will herald the return of an expanded selection of Mushrooms for the fall.

Enjoy the Local Corn while it lasts (not much longer!)

We have a new, very cute product from Amy Hepworth, cups of Mini Sweet Peppers. The harvest of Local Sweet Peppers will end very soon. Don't wait to try these!

Look for gorgeous new Blue Potatoes under the Avocados, opposite the display of the other Potatoes.

Many members are aware that there has been a recall of Cantaloupes in the past 2 weeks. The Cantaloupe in the news is causing listeria infections and calls have come to the coop from members who fear that we may have this melon. The offending fruit was grown in Colorado, ( we have never ever had a Colorado Cantaloupe in the coop. Really never ever). The recalled Cantaloupes are conventionally grown. All of our Cantaloupes were organically grown in California. They are delicious, SAFE, and are helping me get over the end of the Watermelon season. Enjoy them without fear!

Gerry of Hepworth Farms

Small but MIGHTY!

Gerry of Hepworth Farms in front of $23,365 of local produce ready to be received last Friday.

Produce Notes From Allen....125 Local Items

Excepting the organic Red Delicious (in their last week of storage season), All Apples Are New Crop. New crop organic apples are scarce or unavailable. Local Macintosh and Jonamac begin next week.

Pixie Tangerines, unexpected at this time of year, are delicious. Try them now or wait until November for clementines.My advice-don't wait!

Cherries will end this weekend. Champagne Grapes ended today. Concord Grapes were delayed until next Tuesday by rain.

The Hepworth Peaches and Nectarines are fantastic. They won't be here forever...

Watermelon season winding down, but not done yet. Yellow Seedless arriving Saturday Sugar Baby with seeds arriving Monday.

A great deal of Arugula was destroyed by flooding and we won't see bunched Arugula for a while. Organic Green Basil, Organic Thai Basil, Organic Purple Basil, may have been entirely lost to flooding, but perhaps may have a brief return before the fall.

Local Broccoli is back, but ltd. this week. Lots more starting Tuesday. Local Scallions, loose Salad Mix, and Cilantro ruined by excessive rainfall.

Look for a brief return of many varieties of Summer Squash this Monday for a day or two.

Local Baby Tatsoi is tender and a great addition to your salads. Try something new; buy just a tiny bit and find out if you like Tatsoi. By the way... you DO.

There were huge losses of Cherry Tomatoes in the Hepworth fields this past week. Price has gone up a bit as a result, but Amy Hepworth is working hard to keep up our supply through the end of the season. We are discussing a tryout of Mini-Heirlooms Tomatoes; look for them soon!

Welcome back Local Organic Watercress, hot and spicy. Think wasabi in a green leaf. Your sinuses will thank you.

Allen Zimmerman
General Coordinator
Produce Buyer

Flood Updates

LANCASTER FARM FRESH COOPERATIVE
(A Non Profit Organic Farmers Co-op in Lancaster, PA)
"Thanks to everyone for having patience with us in dealing with the weather. Bridges have been washed out and fields have been flooded. Eli from Elm Tree Organics called me Wednesday evening around 1am and said the water in his basement is above his shoulders. A small portion of his field had winter squash bobbing in the water are splitting by the second."

Angello's Produce
"I was re-routed twice just on my way to work (of course I live an hour north of the office)....the streams are wild and wicked up this way too. Westminster (Farm) is all but done except for some roots they were able to salvage, and Markristo (Farm) is out too. Miller's Crossing (Farm) is reassessing currently, and won't have anything available for a while. Soggy.... We've had more massive flooding here in the Hudson Valley this week, so Saturday availability is, well, perhaps a bit lackluster. Taliaferro (Farm) in New Paltz lost 16 of 33 acres. Stoneledge Farm is completely flooded and finished for the year. Lucky Dog (Farm) completely flooded and shut down."

Finger Lakes Organic Growers' Cooperative
"Mary Dolan just informed me that their fields are under water. They
cannot harvest anything for Monday. That means we have no more kale available,and of course, no mesclun. There must be a lot of farmers out there hurting worse than we are
here on the high lake plain."

Hepworth Farms could not deliver on Thursday because the highway outside of their farm (NY route 9W) was closed due to massive flooding.

Frozen Delicious Dog Food!

Zoe's Premium Dog Food is now available in the freezer. you can learn more about them here-

http://www.zoespremium.com/

You can find them in the lower section of the freezer a few doors to the left of the waffles.

Zoe's Premium is full of nutritious minimally processed ingredients.

oh and they're local! from Brooklyn.

Produce Notes From Allen.......136 Local Items

Local Apples are starting to increase in variety. Ginger Gold, Golden Supreme, and Tydeman apples will be joined by Gala next week. Apples from the southern hemisphere are disappearing or already gone, so this weekend's apple supply at the coop will be tight.

Local Pear varieties added this week are the Devoe and Seckel. The Devoe, with it's classic European look, now fairly well known in the northeast, was actually developed at Hepworth Farms, first bred by Amy Hepworth's father. He appreciated its classic look, and gave it it's French sounding name.

Champagne grapes should end this weekend, and local Concord Grapes begin next Tuesday.

Although Lychees will gap this weekend, we expect more on Tuesday.

North American Mango season now nearly over. The last arrival of the last decent variety out of Mexico, the Kent, does not change color from almost entirely green as it ripens. You can test for ripeness by feel and smell, but color will not help you know.

Donut Peaches have returned. They are a yellow flesh variety, bigger than other donuts. (Bagel peach?)

Planning your Labor Day menu? 3 tons of personal size and small Sugar Baby Watermelons arriving on Monday.

Pea Tendrils have returned with cooler weather, and are very limited.

This same cooler weather has slowed growth of Summer Squashes. The local season has not at all ended, but varieties and quantities are becoming limited.

136 local items, despite the ravages of the hurricane!

Beans!!!

We have a BEVY of beautiful and delicious local beans today.
From left to right: Sequoia, Yellow, Red Swan, Edamame, Dragon Tongue, Green.

Something Wicked This Way Went...

Below you will find some notes on Irene's effects on a few of our local growers.
The map shows their locations.

Chesapeake Organic Farm Marion Station, MD
Underwater with no rain forecast. Things will dry out, but some crops may be lost. Late season watermelon and cantaloupe are gone. Hard squashes probably gone too. Fall greens (collards / kale) are ok.

One Straw Organic Farm White Hall, MD
Stripping plants...may be back in biz this weekend.

Spiral Path Organic Farm Loysville, PA
Spiral Path only had inch of rain, and some gusts. They are pretty far out there and protected by a high ridgeline.

Lancaster Family Farms Cooperative Upper Leacock, PA
Pretty good so far. Our farms seem to be fine.

Grindstone Farm Pulaski, NY
Thanks for checking in. We were very lucky and only experienced rain. It was actually great for our fields. There was no damage, though the turkeys got a bit sick of it.

Blue Heron Farm Lodi, NY
We were lucky this time; high wind and moderate rain but no damage to crops, trees, or buildings.

Finger Lakes Organic Growers Cooperative Rose, NY
We had winds that knocked down some trees, but not much rain. The Finger Lakes region did not see any really severe weather. It was just like any typical blustery, rainy October day.

Lucky Dog Farm Hamden NY
Irene did manage to flood the fields at Lucky Dog Farm, so their produce won't be available until they dry out a bit.

Happy Valley Organic Farm South Deerfield, MA
Came through pretty unscathed. Couple of unavailable items are Baby Bok (Choy), Mustards & Lettuces.



View Local Farms in a larger map

Hepworth and the Hurricane

Things are remarkably well....AMY and a crew were out before the storm reinforcing tomatoes with additional stakes and cross wires. We farm on hills so most of our fields are doing fine...Some of the green fields are too wet to go on...but I think things are draining there.

WE just picked your Eggplant, Peppers, Zucchini and Cukes...they look great.

Tomatoes are doing just fine...

There are a few down apple trees but amazingly the apples held on and we are poised for a good apple crop (this was our biggest concern)

The wind was not a brutal as we expected and the rain was more...Amy was on the excavator repairing streams and flooded ponds yesterday... It's been intense but we fared well. There are disaster stories, but they are not ours, and our heart aches for many of our farmer friends.

Just wanted to send you a quick note..

All the best,

Gail

Hepworth Farms

Produce Notes From Allen .....138 Local Items!

Thai Coconuts will return Monday.

We declare this to be The Week Of The Bean! In addition to Green Beans, we have Cranberry (for shelling), Dragon Tongue , Red Swan, and Yellow. I have heard that beans, beans are good for the heart, and the more you eat...

Blueberries are ending soon. A 1 0r 2 day supply coming Monday.
We may not sell out of Cherries this weekend, but we may not get any more this year.

Non-organic Honeydew are grown by Turlock in California. They are the growers of the "Sycamore" label, which many aficionados consider to be the finest honeydews of the year. The "Sycamore" is actually their Number 2 label. Their premium label, the one that we have now, is "Best of the West", a Honeydew that is so limited that it almost never makes it to the East Coast. Enjoy this rare treat now!

Welcome back the first Asian pears of the season from Hepworth Farm, NY.
If you only try one Pluot this year, try the Dapple Dandy now.
Organic Lemons are so scarce (normal for this time of year) that price will keep rising every week, until strong harvest starts well into the fall. That's why Zeigler is no longer producing organic lemonade; they have no lemons!

An Arugula story that that unfolded in less than 10 minutes last Friday:
Five minutes after I produced last week's notes, which included the following "We tried local bunched organic arugula, but it is still too hot in NY, and the attempt failed", our farmer, Amy Hepworth called to apologize for not sending bunch Arugula earlier that morning. I told her that I was glad, that I thought it was not good enough anyway. She called back 5 minutes later to say that she checked a different planting and we should try again. I said OK. She called back to say that she had been hit by a massive, brief storm, and the arugula was flattened, completely destroyed in less than 5 minutes. Just a little insight into the experience of a farmer.

Good strong supply of Organic Mints, the return of Tatsoi.

Vidalia Onions may have ended. We'll know more next week.

Hot Pepper Mix keeps coming in prettier and "mixier". Try the little purple one (if you dare).

New Produce Items of Interest

White Sapote

Creamy white inside.
Let it ripen like an
Avocado and enjoy!

Carambola (Star Fruit)

Lightly sweet with a touch of sour.
When the green edges are a touch
brown they are considered ripe.

Produce Notes From Allen.....130 Local Items!

Last week for Blood Oranges!

Why is the Red Grapefruit not exactly red....well, barely red or practically yellow?
When the nights get cooler in their growing region (these are from Southern California) the color will turn pink to red. Try eating them with the lights out!

Steadier supply of Ginger Gold Apples coming 8/23
Prune Plums begin 8/23
Florida Avocados here today gone tomorrow!
Harrow's Delight organic heirloom Pear from Rose Valley Farm of Finger Lakes Organic Growers Cooperative coming 8/22
Comings and going in Plums and Pluots-
Sweet Jewel Pluot ending and Flavor Queen beginning 8/22.
Simka Plums start 8/22, and Local Prunes start 8/23

All Berries are having troubles!
There is too much rain in their growing regions. We gave up on Blackberries and Raspberries this week, and will give it another go on raspberries 8/22. Strawberry prices are steadily rising, so we are trying smaller containers to make it easier to buy strawberries. Quality is still pretty good, but our own humidity isn't helping them very much

Local Arugula has a fair amount of insect damage. We are trying to support the local grower and provide good product at same time. We don't expect much better overall quality out of California, where we would experience yellowing and wilting. Not much of a trade off, but fresher and from small local family farms swings the vote in favor of the arugula that is so favored by New York State bugs. We tried local bunched organic arugula, but it is still too hot in NY, and the attempt failed.

Nappa Cabbage is returning, hopefully with a steady supply.
Look for the next cooking workshop at the coop featuring Kimchee!

We will probably manage to convert to all Local Celery next week.

It's easy to buy Organic Corn, if you think that small ears or dried kernels, or lack of sweetness is OK. We don't, and have held out for great quality organic corn only. Big juicy sweet organic corn out of Massachusetts coming 8/23!

The attempt to carry Organic Sugar Snap and Snow Peas has failed. With high prices, fair quality and only sporadic availability, we give up. Conventionally grown peas from Guatemala and Peru return 8/23

Gorgeous Red and Yellow Organic Peppers this week!

To encourage greater sales of Frying Peppers (see post below), I am including my favorite recipe: Fry them and eat them!

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...

Remember that great kielbasa? It's back.

Lancaster Farm Fresh Coop smoked kielbasa returns to the shelves this week. This is the kielbasa we loved so much we used to commit to an entire hog to obtain -- now we can get it for its own sake, and at a better price: $7.70/lb.

Fresh pork from Sweet Stem Farm, seasoned only with sea salt, black pepper, and garlic. No antibiotics, no added nitrates, no hormones, no junk. Though I hesitate to admit to prejudice, the Amish certainly know their sausage.

First Fall Fruit!

This year's crop of apples and pears has begun to arrive!

Ginger Gold Apples, Red Clapp Pears, and Green Clapp Pears.

Have you given Frying Peppers a shot?

Hepworth Farms has been providing us with these beautiful peppers. They hold up very well to.....wait for it.....FRYING! Carmelized onions and peppers make a tasty addition to eggs, sausage, tofu, etc. One member loves to simply fry them in Olive Oil (on both sides), salt to taste, and put them on crunchy Italian bread.

Produce notes from Allen... 127 local items!

Watermelon: What a watermelon week! Orange seedless, orange with seeds, yellow seedless, sweet beauty (personal size), sugar baby, red with seeds (including sangria, red crimson, moon and stars), red seedless. That's 14, 00 pounds or about 19 bins for the week! 34 cases of personal size watermelons, about 3 pounds each, a one day supply, coming Monday.

After the heat, welcome back local organic bunches of arugula.

Price plunges on many local organic items, mostly thanks to Amy Hepworth. Look for new low prices on all summer squash, suyo and Jade cucumbers, eggplants, cherry tomatoes, organic red peppers, okra, and more

Red peppers contain many varieties, almost none of which are bell. Try some. If it helps, cut them first. Frying peppers now include a good deal of red ones in the mix. We call one of the peppers "yellowish". They didn't quite make it to yellow, but they are still a sweeter variety than the green

New items to try: "Wild Caribbean lemon grass" organic and a different variety; Red celery--limited item--add some color to your chicken salad.
Champagne grapes in on Monday. Rainier cherries out.

Surprise appearance: Blood oranges in August! Next thing you'll try to imagine is tangerines in August. (Coming Thursday 8/18)

127 local items, a new record!

Looking for hot peppers...

The Park Slope Food Coop has them--come get them. Gorgeous and hot, hot, hot.

In the news....

WSJ headline: Government Knew about Bacteria in Turkey--more on Cargill, Inc and salmonella in turkey processing plants. Bottom line: who is the USDA protecting?

Coconut water: ConsumerLab.com tests electrolyte content of three coconut waters: Zico, O.N.E. and VitaCoco. Zico comes out the winner as reported by Huffington Post.

In the news... salmonella +++

Salmonella has been detected in ground turkey but this turkey is not being sold at the Coop. Although Shady Brook is one of the brand names that Cargill uses, our meat buyer has been assured that the pre-formed Shady Brook turkey patties we sell were packed in Virginia, and that the contaminated ones were processed in Alabama. However, upon discovering Cargill's and Shady Brook's ties, we have decided to no longer carry Shady Brook turkey products.

Our meat buyer notes that Shady Brook was the last of the "supermarket" brands in our meat and poultry section; the sort which met our standards back in 1987 when the GM voted to carry poultry. We've kept it around as a low-price alternative to Plainville and D'Artagnan turkey products, bearing in mind that turkey growers -- unlike chicken farmers -- are modest enough in their profit-making that they do not resort to drugging, hormone shots, and other factory-farm evils.

Mark Bittman has written several posts at the NYT on this issue. He links to a thorough post on salmonella contamination written by Mary McKenna on Superbug.


On a happier note, the Wall Street had several interesting articles this week:

• appealing chilled summer soups (almond grape; cucumber honeydew sake..);
• Who gets drunk and why? how alcohol is metabolized
• linen- fascinating look at how plant is processed
• nut oils- great to perk up salads or other dishes. We sell the La Tourangelle brand at the Coop. The lightly roasted hazel nut is a personal favorite.
  

You asked for it...from the Product Suggestion book

New products that we have added from the Product Suggestion book, which is kept at the front desk at the entrance.

Les Contes preserved lemons on an end cap. Apparently an essential ingredient for Moroccan cooking, often paired with meat. The Sprouted Kitchen blog has interesting vegan recipes using preserved lemons plus a recipe to make your own. Probably best to do that when Meyer lemons are in season.




Red Star fresh yeast is now in the cottage cheese and butter case, at the end of the produce aisle. I'm not sure if August is the best time to fire up your oven, but if you have air conditioning....

• Vintage seltzer is back on the shelf. If you find yourself lugging lots of seltzer home in the heat and see the plastic bottles pile up, consider purchasing a Soda Stream seltzer maker. I love mine, you can tailor the amount of bubbles in the water and over time it saves money, plastic and your back.
• Herrell hot fudge sauce. We can't bring you their ice cream, but we have the fixings.
• Goya pigeon peas
• 10 pack Bic pens
• Casa Fiesta sliced nacho jalapenos
• Pop Corners chip
• Gringo Jack tortilla chips
• Klean Kanteen ring tops
  

Red quinoa is back in the bulk bins

Look for organic red quinoa back in the bulk bins. Quinoa cooks up so quickly, it is great rice substitute, and, I think, works better in salads than rice. Cook up extra, and it keeps for a week in the refrigerator. Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day cookbook has an intriguing quinoa burger recipe that I plan to try.

New products, changes.....

Hail Merry tarts are new in the Deli case, next to Steve's Key Lime Pies--flavors are chocolate and key lime. Raw, vegan, gluten-free--what are the ingredients? In the chocolate tart, just dark cocoa, organic cold pressed coconut oil, organic maple syrup, almond flour, sea salt. They are not organic. But they are flying out of the Coop. Quite tasty, small, but substantial enough to share. Other Hail Merry products including granola and lightly sweetened nuts are on the endcap across from the eggs.






Newman's Own has joined the steady stream of manufacturers who have downsized their products, citing the price increase in flour, sugar, oil, chocolate and freight. In addition, you might not recognize them as they have changed both the packaging and the recipes for some of their cookies. So far, it has been thumbs down on Newman's reformulated alphabet cookies. However, staff has given a thumbs up to two new cookies from Newman's Own: crispy, spicy gingersnap with a lot of snap and oatmeal chocolate chip. In unattractive brown bags, 7A

Theo has two new chocolates: a salted almond milk chocolate and a dark chocolate coconut. Theo chocolates have never done well at the Coop. They are organic, Fair Trade, and reasonably priced. Maybe it is an East Coast vs West Coast thing--if you are ever in Seattle, you can visit their factory.

In the news....

Improving the food label design continues to make news. Color coding appears to be leading the pack--you can see the many designs submitted.








Fish: Time magazine did a rundown on aquaculture early July. Interesting comments in later issues.

Which fish are ok to eat?--color coded chart from info gathered from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Marine Conservation Society, FishWatch, and the Greenpeace Red List.

The Food Coop received a nice shout out in the WSJ on Saturday from dedicated coop members John Turturro and Kathy Borowitz. FYI: the WSJ didn't get their membership status quite right--they are both members but Kathy does both workslots.

Wall Street Journal reviews sweeteners replacing high fructose corn syrups, focusing on restaurants.

Watts vs lumens--replacing incandescent lightbulbs soon

Wysong dog and cat food is back!

Wysong dry dog and cat food has finally returned. I'm not sure why it were not available for so long, but here it is Aisle 4A.

Gringo Jacks Flour Tortilla Chips

As dubious as it sounds, Gringo Jacks flour tortilla chips are the chips of my dreams! They taste a bit like crunchy fry bread and are handmade in Vermont. They come in 3 flavors: flour, whole wheat, and spicy. They will be stocked above the veggies in the produce aisle but for now they are in a tall stack next to the egg case. Enjoy!

In the news....

Think there are no nitrates in your hotdogs? Not true. Applegate tries to come clean but the USDA seems determined to prevent clear labeling.






New York State is considering lifting the ban on hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas, a process that has raised many environmental concerns.

50% off Sale on Aisle 3 Frozen Meat: Cherchez la Green Dot

The Coop needs to reduce inventory on frozen meat, so here's your opportunity to savor (economically) such high-ticket items as Pollo Rosso heritage chickens and grass-finished short ribs of beef. Also a variety of sausages and pork roasts, ready for your 4th of July grilling pleasure.

Check the Aisle 3 meat freezer -- across from the soy milk -- look for the "Special Sale" Coop price sticker, and the green dot. The green-dotted items will scan at their newly-marked prices, which are 50% off the original price.

Bon appetit, snowball.

In the news

More on sunscreens and how to protect yourself from the sun from Jane Brody.

Do you need to take multivitiamins? Wall Street Journal does a review.

Mushrooms, shallots, garlic and lemon ricotta anyone? Interesting vegetarian recipes by an Isreali-born chef working in London are featured weekly in the Guardian, with archive access.

Eat like a Prince; Pay like a Pauper

You DO know that everything in the Aisle 3 frozen-meat case is 20% off the original fresh-meat price, don’t you? Of course you do.

So this is a great opportunity to make beef broth out of discounted short ribs and shank bones. They make the richest, silkiest, most flavorful broth you’ve ever tasted. Let the beef cool in the pot, chill and remove the fat the next day.

The French serve the broth as the first course and the meat as the second: pot au feu.

But you can use the broth for onion soup gratinee, or mushroom-barley soup, or minestrone, or beef borscht, or a hearty risotto.

The meat can be torn up and used any number of ways. It makes a great ropa vieja, with yellow rice and black beans.
Or a simple, delicious hash: sauté it with chopped onion and potato and add a bit of the broth.

In the news...

Bearded brothers of Williamsburg bring in 20 tons of cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic by sail and unload in Red Hook--avoiding using that expensive fuel. So retro but apparently so expensive--the Mast Brothers predict that their "Black Seal" line of chocolate bars made from these beans will cost 25% more.

FDA issues new rules for labeling of sunscreens. Look for these changes next year.

You might want to get out your Microplane grater and forgo shredded cheese: it is likely to contain wood pulp. The plant fiber prevents the shredded cheese from clumping. Ditto for low fat ice cream--the powdered cellulose yields a creamy mouth feel. You may be comforted to know that "Only powdered cellulose in its least manipulated form can be used in foods labeled "organic" or "made with organic" ingredients by the U.S. Department of Agriculture," as reported by the Wall Street Journal. And the FDA only allows 1% to 4% wood pulp in meat. But hey, it is fiber and it is not synthetic.

Your DVR uses more energy than your refrigerator, according to a study published by the National Defense Research Council. DVRs continue to drain almost as much energy when they are programmed to record as when they are actually being viewed. The Gothamist has a nice graphic.

Wheat-free Gluten-free cookies

There are a number of wheat free cookies available through our distributors. Some are also gluten-free and dairy free. We are trying out some on the front endcap across from the eggs.

Nairn's chocolate chip oat biscuit has already proven to be very popular and has a permanent home in Aisle 7A. All of the Nairn oat biscuits are wheat-free, tasty and relatively inexpensive. Each compact box has four individually wrapped packets of 5 cookies each, which is handy for lunch boxes and keeps the cookies fresh.



Newman's O's are wheat-free and dairy-free.






Aleia's cookies are gluten-free. Standard flavors like chocolate chip and peanut but the Almond Horn made with almond paste and egg whites is the most popular. $$$

Smooze is back or DIY pops

The very popular Smooze ice pops are back--shelf stable (just put in freezer), dairy-free and gluten-free. And not just for kids--a sales rep recently suggested that they make a quick and easy pina colada.

However, if you want to go the very adult DIY route, here is a recipe for paletas--some cherries, some sour cream, some tequila......

We sell the molds for making the pops at the end of Aisle 4A

Vote for your favorite cheesemonger (me)

This summer will be the 2nd annual Cheesemonger invitational. And while I might not win, I know I have the most loyal following of members who want to support this crazy good-natured event.

Vote now and often!

http://www.cheesemongerinvitational.com/competitors/

Hey there, vegetarians - an old favorite is back!

Several months ago a popular product left the Coop shelves. Healthy Korner provided us with "vegetarian chicken" & "vegetarian turkey" (in both sandwich and salad form) until the company liquidated itself so that the owners could part ways. Now one of the former Healthy Korner partners has founded a new company, Nature Boy Foods, and he has developed new and improved versions of the beloved veg chicken, veg turkey, and spicy tofu. Best of all, he is custom making packs of vegetarian turkey slices just for the Coop.

Look for the logo of a smiling Nature Boy face in the Prepared Food Case and the Dairy Cooler...

Easter Lamb is In.

For the Sunday joint. Bone-in legs. Boneless legs. French racks. We also have the spiral-sliced hams, for those so inclined.

Got a minute?

With warmer weather nearly here, we've had our livestock farmers switch over from winter cuts -- stews, roasts -- to less robust fare. Some of the round primal of beef is now being shaved into minute steak, economical and easy to prepare. What to do with it?
Korean bulgogi, for one thing! Separate the tissue-thin slices, and toss with soy sauce, mirin, a little sesame oil, plus minced scallion, garlic, black pepper, and toasted sesame seeds. Let it marinate for a hour. Grill on a hot grill or broil under a hot broiler for 1-2 minutes, until slightly charred and cooked through, and serve with rice and kimchi.
Philadelphia cheesesteak. Saute sliced onion in olive oil. Take a couple of Rustic Hero rolls (aisle 3, near bagels), split them, cover one side with sliced or grated cheese, and set in a slow oven to melt. Cheez Whiz is tradition in Philly, but, hey. Don't do that to yourself. The Coop's NY cheddar is an improvement. Or go further upscale with fantal, Muenster, or fresh mozz. Separate the steak slices and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Set the browned onions on the roll, saute the steak in the same pan until cooked through (1-2 minutes, again!), and assemble the sandwiches.

Holiday Brisket - Buy Early or Settle for Matzoh Balls

We're getting lots of brisket for Passover!

A word to the wise....the Coop carries locally pasture-raised, grass fed- and finished beef. 80% of our beef comes from whole animals, purchased weekly from Slope Farms and McDonald Farm. It's difficult for us to receive enough brisket within one week to satisfy the holiday wants of our membership. We supplement with Hardwick and Natural Acres, and they've started to give us as much as they can.

Brisket is coming in briskly, beginning this week. It's the only way we can get enough. Don't wait until the last minute to get yours -- it really is not going to be here at that point. And no wails of remorse, please.

Vegetable, Herb and Flower Seeds are Here!

Spring is here! We have seeds from three companies. Small packets of vegetable and herb seeds from Vermont-based Artistic Gardens are all $.25! The larger white packages of vegetable and herb seeds are from the Maine-based worker coop FEDCO; they are priced as marked. The colorful packages are from Seed Savers Exchange (mostly flowers), most packages are $1.80.

All seeds are either stored above the bagged potatoes in racks or above the onions and potatoes in trays. There are green planting guides hanging by the trays of herbs and for more plant care info try the Cornell Cooperative Extension website at http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/

Also there is an interesting article in the NYtimes about seeds http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/garden/24seeds.html?emc=eta1

Coop raffle--Win a bike and protect NY's Watershed!

If this is your dream ride, hustle on over to the coop and buy a raffle ticket now. The coop is raffling off a slightly updated version: Schwinn Coffee Cruiser. You can check it out--the bike is parked above the entrance.

That's the first prize. Second prize is $100 Visa gift card; Third prize is a $25 gift card and there are four Fourth prizes--a Park Slope Food Coop t-shirt. Tickets are $5.

All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to Chenango Delaware Otsego Gas Drilling Opposition Group. This group is working to prevent hydrofracking in New York and to protect our watershed.

The bike was donated by Cliff bars. Gift cards donated by Small Planet Foods (makers of Cascadian Foods, Larabar, and Muir Glen). T-shirts donated by the Park Slope Food Coop.

Try a fresh "hand"! Organic Red Bananas!

The most popular fruit in the world is the Banana. But, the most popular variety is undoubtedly the Cavendish. You see their familiar yellow bunches at neighborhood stores the world over.



What is much harder to come by is Organic Red Bananas! Great for eating or baking. They are generally considered to be sweeter and softer than Cavendish when eaten ripe.



*Produce Fun Fact*
Red bananas are often the variety used for dried bananas because of their higher sugar content.

Golden Pig

Milano's Suino d'Oro is new to the meat shelves this week. Handmade traditional fresh sausage, containing no preservatives, antibiotics, or other gunk, made from small-farm Duroc pigs and free-ranging chicken. Made in NYC by Charles Ventre, a genuine Brooklyn boy whose family has been crafting magnificent sausages for over a hundred years.

We're currently stocking a sweet Italian with fennel; a cheese & parsley; Irish bangers; and a chicken sausage with broccoli rabe and provolone. Spicy lamb merguez arrives next week.

Perfect quick dinner on the grill, in a saute pan, or just pop in a 375 oven for 20 minutes, turn once for even browning. Mashed spuds and onion gravy are the best accompaniment for bangers, sauteed peppers and onions for the others.

Best of all, these sausages are TOTALLY DELICIOUS. No fooling.

As Seen at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue earlier this week....

The Black Trumpet Mushroom.

A great french favorite, the "poor man's truffle is widely considered to be more flavorful than a chanterelles. It is commonly used in risottos and cream based sauces, but was served at this week's state dinner with glazed carrots.

The link below has some information & a couple recipes from the NY Times for some tasty ideas.

http://www.wildpurveyors.com/Black_Trumpet_Mushroom_Recipes.html

Quinoa

NPR recently reported on the increasing demand for quinoa--Bolivian farmers cannot plant enough. Prices are rising. Red quinoa has become scarce and is no longer available in bulk. We were able to find Eden packaged red quinoa, currently at a price similar to the bulk price. It is being sold on the endcap across from the cheese.

The Yogurt from Upstate, the Culture of Bulgaria

When I was approached about bringing in Bulgarian Yogurt, I didn't undertand. I wondered, "was this like skyr? Does every country have it's own yogurt?" Well, I can't answer that question. But Bulgaria certainly does have a style of yogurt - and it's in the culture.

Atanas Valev of Trimona Foods brings Bulgarian Yogurt to us here at the Park Slope Food Coop. He went to Bulgaria to fetch the live active cultures that now flourish in the containers of yogurt on the shelves of our very own yogurt cooler. And let me tell you, Bulgaria's got some good culture.

This yogurt is tangy. It's the word I keep saying when I describe it even though I hate saying it. I'm not sure how else to talk about the flavor. It's a bit sour, but more, it has tang. The ph is different from most yogurts, giving it a longer shelf life (naturally) and the distinct flavor that it has. I now eat it for breakfast everyday and I'm the yogurt buyer (for my family and the Coop).

But you needn't stop there. This yogurt would be fantastic for your savory recipes, too. Tomorrow, I'm using it in Melissa Clark's recipe "Turkish Dumplings, Deconstructed." It'd be great for riata, too.

The yogurt is made upstate at the same creamery where many of our local yogurts are produced with the milk of grass fed, local cows. I like it a lot.

Lula's vegan ice cream is here...

New in the ice cream freezer, Lula's direct from Manhattan. We started out with four flavors: pistachio, strawberry, birthday cake and maple walnut waffle. Even if you eat dairy, give them a try. The cashew-based flavors are a big step above most soy based ice creams.

The main complaint about Lula's shop on E 6th Street is that it is too small and crowded--so now you can grab a pint and enjoy wherever you find the space.

Almond milk in the news..l

Wall Street Journal does a comparison of non-dairy "milks."

Coop carries both refrigerated and shelf-stable almond milks along with soy, hemp, hazelnut and rice milks in Aisle 3A. We currently sell much less soy milk than we did years ago when the coop membership was much smaller. Then soy milk was the only non-dairy alternative.

Tomme Delay not convicted

Please enjoy Tomme Delay (not Tom Delay) from Lazy Lady Farm - laundered money not included.