Craft Fair!

I'm so stoked for this, wanna know why? Because I'll be selling paintings!!! Here's some shameless self promotion...

These paintings and more, they'll be hanging out front of the Co-op at that there craft fair. YAY!

Roast That Kohlrabi!

Roasted Kohlrabi w/ Egg over Mustard Greens (Mustard Vinegarette Dressing)

I know! Theres so much you can do with this bulbous brassica. This is the Roasted Kohlrabi Recipe I use because its basic and easy to play with. I would definetly add some fresh herbs to the mix. Get creative!

Post-Thanksgiving Dirge

Happy after-Thanksgiving food coma! I hope everyone had their fill of potatoes and gravys... oh boy I did.
Speaking of potatoes (you can never have too many potatoes) I have something exciting here at the Co-op,

FRENCH FINGERLING POTATOES!!!

Seriously yummy. And for some reason the words "gourmet" and "fingerling potato" go together in my head.

Plus! Coming in tomorrow evening:

KOHRABI!

First of the season... I'm stoked. I'll hunt down a recipe on the interwebs, but in the mean time:

Slice the bulb nice and thin, salt, and munch raw or with hummus! Its reallll good. Trust me :)

CHANTERELLES!!!

Yup, you read what I wrote right! The first harvest from our friend Seth just came in. They are absolutely beautiful, he really cares about our co-op and brings us the prettiest little shrooms he can find :)
Also... I'm putting them on SUPER DUPER MEMBER SALE!!!

$14.99 Members
$19.99 Non-Members
Beat that Whole Foods Imperial Food Corp.

Potimarron Squash

A champion of winter squashes, locally grown Potimarron Squash (also called Red Kuri) just arrived at the Co-op. Here's what Wiki has to say...

"Full-flavored, sweet and very fond of butter and fresh herbs, Red Kuri squash is a perfect ingredient for a variety of soups, stews and casseroles. Make cakes, quick breads, muffins, cookies and pies with its succulent nutty-tasting flesh. Excellent baked, boiled, microwaved, steamed, sautéed or fried, this special squash adds sweet flavor and texture to stir-fries. Its seed cavity is ideal for stuffing."

$1.49 / lb while I got em'. Here's a great little article about Roasting your Squash.

Cranberry Sauce Research

I was overcome with an intense desire for cranberry sauce this morning. Perhaps it was from tasting our Grab n Go's department new Holiday Wrap... a delicious cranberry-y turkey-y tastebud experience. It'll be available at the Coop soooon :) Until then, make some sauce! I've done the research for ya, here's four ideas!
Regular Cranberry Sauce
Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Persimmon Cranberry Sauce (YES)
Cranberry Sauce with Dates and Orange

No excuses now!!! Come get your fresh organic cranberries while I got em... it wont be for long.

Persimmon Sale!!!

Our (local growers') trees are loaded with Persimmons! What's that mean? Cheap Persimmons! I just bought about 100 pounds of beautiful Hachiya and Fuju Persimmons from a couple Santa Barbara/ Goleta residents. Homegrown unsprayed Persimmons... $1.99 per pound.
Ohhh ya, and check this out... I'm trying it today
Hoshigaki Recipe

Organics Unlimited Bananas

So, several people have recently asked me, "Why doesn't the Co-op carry the Fair-trade Bananas anymore?"
The answer is simple, they aren't available through our distributor currently. I'm not sure when they'll be available again to be honest, but in the meantime I have a good alternative.
We currently stock Organics Unlimited G.R.O.W. bananas. They are organic, and while they arent Fair-Trade certified, the G.R.O.W. label follows many of the same ideals as Fair-Trade. Here's a link to their Values.
Bananas Bananas Bananananananas... I'll bring back the Fair-Trade kind as soon as I can :)

Weekend Produce Update

WOW! I love the autumn produce season. Pies, potatoes, grrreens... not to mention persimmons, citrus, apples, winter squash... its just so much heartier than summer produce!

So, this weekend theres a ton of new autumn produce coming in. Here's a look!

Chidori Kale (Roots- Los Olivos)

Electric pink leaves, super sweet taste, and a soft easily cooked stem make this kale one of my absolute favorites. Plus, we're selling it in bulk! Pink and Purple Grrrrrrreens!

Organic Cranberries

Gotta have em for sauce! Read more in the last post...

Satsuma Tangerines!

They're back! Not local... but I've been told they taste great!

Organic Cranberries

Organic Cranberries!
So, most people know that buying organic produce is better for the environment and a good way to avoid all those nasty conventional chemicals when buying from a farmer that you dont personally know... but what people don't understand is why it costs more. Cranberries are the perfect example of why organic produce necessarily (not arbitrarily) costs more.
Cranberries grow in bogs. So do lots of other things like insects and weeds. Conventional cranberry growers solve this problem quite simply... they destroy the other living things with whatever chemicals work best. Once that detail is taken care of conventional farmers saturate they're bogs with chemical fertilizers (drugs). This forces the plants to produce unnatural amounts of berries, obviously making the farmers happy because more berries = more money. (Usually)
Now, the Organic Cranberry grower doesnt have it so easy. Disarmed of pesticides, herbicides, and magical chemical fertilizers, these silly environmentalists are forced to wade around pulling weeds by hand, practicing the original forms of cranberry production (very interesting, check this out) and using organic fish emulsions and other less magical/artificial forms of fertilizers. So, they're crops are half as large and they spend wayyy more time producing that crop... just to keep the local ecosystems healthy and pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals out of your body. How dare they ask for higher prices!
So, next time your shopping for produce and scoff at that $8 per pound pricetag on ORGANIC cranberries ... remember that there is a reason. Its called the true cost of production, and its very important. Thanks for listening to my rant...

Roots' Roots

Howdy folks!
I'm back, and I've been workin' hard to bring in some awesome new produce. What's got me most stoked right now is Roots' Roots.
Here's a silly little article in the Indy on Roots Organic... it equates farmers to rockstars (they're so much cooler than that). Anyways... Here's what's in from Roots in Los Olivos.
Bulk Carrots

Super crispy, sweet, and way better than the non-local carrots I usually have to buy.

Celery Root

The ultimate in soup roots. I'd do just about anything for a good Celery Root Soup (with bacon & green apples).

Parsnips

Like carrots? Well, the parsnip is richer in vitamins and minerals than its close relative, the carrot. So there :) These are delicious, and really a great way to broaden your vegetable variety. Yummy yummy Roots' roots!

Bunched Golden Beats (Givens)

My favorite beets... golden beets get me hiiiiigh... seriously.
Are you a beet eater? Wanna be one? Roast your beets and pair them with goat cheese. Trust me, you'll win. Here's proof,
yummm.

BANANA EXODUS!!!

a recent overstock of bananas from Isla Vista's past Halloween weekend has resulted in large quantaties of extremely ripe bananas!!! Thus, come in to your local co-op's produce department to pick up some bananas for just ninety-nine cents per pound!!!  Perfect for banana bread, or just a friday afternoon snack!!!

HAWAII!!!

Well, I'm takin' off! Taking one of those new fangled jet planes to the Hawaiian Islands...

WOOOOO!!! Ill be back to blogging next Monday, Aloha!

New Produce Update

On the local front...

I'm proud to announce the return of Fair Hills Farms Pink Lady Apples!

They're as pink as ever and tastetastic! This brings our Fair Hills Apple set to 4 varieties: Fuji, Cameo, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady!

Also in: Ebbys Organics Bunched Spinach

I love big fat thick-walled spinach leaves. I also think its the perfect amount... not to mention a bunch is only 99 cents! Great for getting big and strong... at least thats what moms tell me.

THE Grapes to eat right now: RED CRUNCHY Grapes from Todd Burkdoll:

These have been unanimously voted the best grapes ever by Co-op staff. I buy them from Farmers Direct (who buys them from Todd Burkdoll @ Farmers Market) and all they say is "Red Crunchy Seedless". Such an understatement. These things are crisp as apples, sweeter than your average grape, and pushing the size of a quarter (HUGE) I can't keep them on the shelves. The next load will come in Saturday morning.

Local Persimmons

A persimmon tree is a beautiful thing...

...and local persimmons are even better!
I just talked to John, one of our local persimmon providers, and we're set to bring in about 30 pounds of Fujus and 30 pounds of Hachiyas for the Halloween weekend! I KNOW!
He's delivering this afternoon or friday, so for all you brave enough to venture here this weekend there will be a delicious bright orange fall favorite waiting for you. YUM!

Got Squash?

Squash is such a funny word. SQUASH!!! It reminds me of making playdough animals... only to be SQUASHED upon completion. I digress...

We got squash!

The folks at John Given's Farm are cranking out an absolutely gorgeous assortment of hard winter squashes. Butternut, Delicata, Kabocha, Acorn... I'm loading up on all of em' because the price is great! (around $1/lb)

I know I've been overloading on recipes, but how can I deny great recipes submitted by awesome people?

Here's how Julia (one of our sandwich makers/ clerks) made Butternut Squash & Walnut Pasta.

Butternut Squash & Walnut Pasta

Ingredients:

-2 cups butternut squash

-2-3 cloves garlic

-pasta of your choice

-olive oil & butter

-rosemary

-parmesan (optional

1. Sprinkle oil over squash and rosemary in an oven-safe dish. Roast until tender (about 20 minutes)

2. Toast walnut pieces on stovetop

3. Add butter, olive oil & chopped garlic to walnuts. Sautee

4. Toss with squash and pasta.

5 Parmesan it up! Great with white wine!

Tom Shepherd's Local Beans!

You heard right! We're bringin' in local dried beans! Hopefully they'll be out and ready to buy this afternoon.

If you've never tried truly fresh, local beans your totally missing out. Fresh beans are MUCH easier to cook, because while they are dried, they were dried very recently. Here's a little description of the varieties we're getting:

Black Turtle Beans

These are your  basic black beans. They have a dense, meaty texture and flavor reminiscent of mushrooms. If you've had mexican food recently, this is most likely the bean you ate. YUM.

Canario Beans

A classic bean from Peru, the Mayacoba is also known as Canario or Peruano. It's a small but meaty thin-skinned bean that will take on all the flavors you can throw at it but still hold its shape. Great as a substitute for Canellini or great Northern beans but unique in its own right.
Suggestions: Pot beans, chiles, salads, stews

New Produce Update

Just off the truck...

Seckel Pears  ($3.79/ lb) are incredibly sweet, soft, and cute little pears great poached in red wine. I know I'm poaching a few for my girlfriend this weekend.... I suggest you all do the same :)



Artichokes!!! ($1.49/ each) are my favorite vegetable. And, with the weather cooling down and Autumn on the rise, artichokes are coming into season. Yum Yum Yum Yummm! I'm steaming them up tonight.

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Pie

If you've been shopping at the Co-op for a while you've probably met Steve, our Grocery/Bulk Manager. If you haven't met Steve, you should stop by and seek him out. Tell him you've heard he makes the best vegan pumpkin pie this side of the Rockies. He'll love to hear from you, even if he looks at you like you're an alien. I digress... here's Steve Snyder's (no longer) top secret....

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Pie

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups mashed baked pumpkin (preferably a sugar pie pumpkin from the Co-op)
- 1 1/2 cups firm Tofu (Silken works well)
-1/2 cup maple syrup
-1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
-1/2 tsp. Ginger
-1/4 tsp. allspice
-1/4 tsp. cloves
-1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
-Walnuts, pecans, almonds... to top if desired.

1. Combing Pumpkin, tofu, syrup, salt, and spices in food processor or blender and puree until mixture is consistent
2. Pour into 9" crust and bake in oven at 375 for 30minutes. Check firmness and bake for another 5-10 minutes as required.
3. Place the pie on a rack to cool and set for at least two hours.

Now, check this crust recipe out. Its totally different from what I usually do... because I'm way into butter, but it looks delicious and hearty none-the-less.

Nut Pie Pastry

Ingredients
-3/4 cup whole flour
-3/4 cup rolled oats
-3/4 cup mixed Almonds, walnuts, cashews & sunflower seeds (chopped)
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. cardamom
-pinch of sea salt
-1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. Canola oil
-4 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
-1 Tbsp. Water (optional
-oiled 9" Pie Plate

1. In a large bowl blend flour, oats, chopped nuts, salt & spices
2. In a liquid measuring cup whisk together oil & syrup
3. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in the liquids. Stir with a fork or hands to form a coarse dough.
4. Press dough into oiled pie plate firmly without creating thin spots.
5. Fill with pie or freeze for later use.

Wooooohh... now thats a pie.
Don't forget, Co-op Country Fair Bake-off! But be careful, this recipe might be popular now that its publicized :)

Better Late Than Never...

...especially with delicious Tom Kha Soup.
So, my friend Shawn Von and I had a Tom Kha Cook off this weekend. MMMMmmm... it was absurdly good. Shawn Von started the adventure with his Tofu Tom Kha, which was delicious. Crispy tofu, smooth coconut, spicy gingery broth... it survived about 15 minutes. This is what he did...
Ingredients:
-2 cans coconut milk (not juice)
-tofu (cut into small chunks)
-2-3 inches galangal thai ginger
-lime juice, about 1/2 cup
-carrots
-lemongrass (about 3 stalks) -you can find this at Indochina by Kmart fresh or in our bulk department dried.
-hot peppers to taste (jalapeno, habanero, we used a few Bolivian Rainbows I'm growing)
-fresh cilantro
-fish sauce
-red thai curry or hot madras curry
-veggie broth
-coconut oil

1. Heat up a few spoons of coconut oil. add generous portion Curry powder to hot oil and simmer about 30 seconds.
2. Fry the tofu in curry coconut oil until crispy and golden
3.  add 1 can coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, peppers, and carrots
4.  simmer 10 minutes, then add second can coconut milk, fish sauce (not too much, its strong), lime juice and veggie broth.
5. let simmer for about 15 minutes or until everything is nice and soft. Garnish with cilantro
*I generally don't measure, just go by what feels right. You want it nice and rich and not watered down tasting. if you do add too much broth, just simmer it for longer without the lid on.

After gorging ourselves on his meatless wonder I new what needed to happen. Chicken.
So, I followed this basic recipe, but instead of tofu, I got a Dey Dey's Half Chicken from the co-ops frozen section, cleaned it up cutting all the nice meaty bits into small pieces, then fried them in the curry coconut oil for a couple minutes (not nearly as long as the tofu).
I believe my friend Kelli said, "That might be the best Home-made soup I've ever had."
Good luck,