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UPCOMING EVENTS
  
Produce
Springtime Delights
 

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Staff Pick
Dates

Dates are natural caramels and have the highest sugar content of any item in the Produce department. Lots of sugar and low moisture mean these treats have a long shelf life and whether fresh or dried, dates are high in vitamin C and energizing. Since they don’t need to be refrigerated, they make a good camping and hiking treat. Try dates with yogurt for breakfast or stuffed with almonds or cheese as a simple snack. Look for soft tip medjools, fresh picked and packaged by Del Real, available soon in Produce. - Travis, Produce Manager

  

There’s nothing better than the first vegetables of spring after a long winter — even such a mild one as this one. Fava beans, asparagus, morels, ramps and over-wintered spinach all make their appearances in April and May. Tender and verdant, bursting with juice, and ephemerally available, when you have the opportunity to try these delicacies, take it, for they’ll be gone before you know it. None of these foods requires long preparation — in fact, the simpler the treatment, the better the dish.

Fava beans: remove from their pillowy pods and steam the large beans for a few minutes. Pour into a bowl, sit down with a friend and peel them to eat as a snack with pecorino cheese or queso fresco.

ramps
Ramps are good used as a gamier green onion or grilled, pickled, or even raw.

Local asparagus is so fresh the ends are often still moist when they arrive in our cooler from the farm. Steam asparagus lightly and serve with a light lemon vinaigrette.

Morel mushrooms and ramps (also known as spring onions or wild leeks) grow wild in wooded areas and have proven to be nearly impossible to cultivate. After a careful cleaning, morels should be sautéed, preferably in butter.

Over-wintered spinach is a treat, when we can get it. It is deeply crinkled, dark green, and sweet from surviving a winter covered with snow. It usually requires a washing in a couple of baths of water, but what you get is worth it. Use it in a spinach salad or steamed with a little olive oil and salt.

All of these springtime delights go well with eggs and would make a delicious addition to an Easter or Mother’s Day feast!
 

Seward's Co-op's Produce Department is a seasonally focused, information-based department. Our goal is to carry a wide variety of fresh, healthful produce at reasonable prices. We receive multiple deliveries daily and support our local growers as long as the season permits.
 
In addition to carrying a consistent supply of standards (several varieties of carrots, apples and citrus), we also carry seasonal, specialty items (Treviso radicchio, Cippolini onions and scarlet and golden turnips and kumquats).
 
At least one of our 15-member produce staff is always available for questions, comments or requests. We begin work each day at 6 a.m., receiving orders, assessing quality and refurbishing displays. The appearance of the department changes daily and seasonally. Combined, our staff offers more than 100 years in produce, grocery retail and farming experience. For the produce buyer, the challenge is clear: Know what to carry for the day and how much.
 
The vibrancy and aliveness of the Produce Department attests to Seward Co-op’s overall quality and commitment to freshness and quality. Our members appreciate this, and that's what we strive for.
 
One delightful part of our job is meeting and developing relationships with our local growers. We are in contact with more than 30 local providers, many of whom deliver directly to the store. It’s also not unusual for growers to make appearances in the store, getting to know the people who support them — Seward Co-op shoppers!

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Special Orders
Seward Co-op gladly accepts special orders of case quantities and items not stocked on our shelves. Click here to read our guidelines.
   
Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily | 612-338-2465 | 2823 East Franklin Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55406