Seward Co-op is issuing a voluntary recall of Kevita Strawberry Acai Probiotic Beverage (16 fluid ounces; retail $3.39) due to the possible presence of glass pieces in the product. We have pulled the product from our shelves.

The affected product’s UPC code is UPC: 0085331100305 with a Best by Date of 2/7/2016. The product would have been sold between June 21, 2015 and Sept. 21, 2015. If you have purchased the product and are in doubt, do not consume the product. Recalled products will be fully refunded at our Franklin store Customer Service desk.

Enjoy Life Foods announced a voluntary recall involving Semi Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips (10 oz.; retail $5.69). The recall is being issued due to the potential presence of the following undeclared allergens: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and/or dried fruits.

Recalled products will be fully refunded at our Franklin store Customer Service desk.

The affected product’s UPC code is UPC: 853522 000306 and would have been sold between May 31 and Aug. 31, 2015. Complete information about the recall is available here.

General Mills announced a voluntary Class 1 recall involving 10 ounce bags of frozen Cascadian Farm Cut Beans produced over two days in March 2014. The recall is being issued as a precaution after one package of finished product tested positive for the presence of Listeria Monocytogenes. No related illnesses have been reported.

Affected product is not currently on the shelves at Seward Co-op; we are not currently stocking this item. We have carried 10 ounce cut beans in the past as a promotional item ($2.00 sale price; $2.79 reg. price). Other sizes and varieties of Cascadian Farm products have not been affected.

If you purchased 10 ounce bags of frozen Cascadian Farm Cut Beans between July 30, 2014 and Aug. 7, 2015 with “Better If Used By” dates of 04-10-16 or 04-11-16, please return them to Seward Co-op for a full refund.

The affected product’s UPC code is 21908-50345 and has “Better If Used By” dates of 04-10-16 and 04-11-16. Complete information from General Mills is available here or by calling 800.624.4123.

Blue Fruit Farm
This year we began working directly with Blue Fruit Farm (Winona, Minn.) to bring us a selection of berries and fruits unavailable elsewhere on the market. Earlier this season, they brought us black currants and, in the next few weeks, we will be receiving a few deliveries of aronia berries and elderberries.

Native to North America, the aronia berry (chokeberry) is the most recent antioxidant rich superberry to create a stir. Higher in polyphenolic compounds and anthocyanin than blueberries or cranberries, the aronia berry has become one of the highest ranked foods for its health benefits.

Aronia berries may be eaten raw, but cooking tempers the tartness of the berry and softens its often tough skin. Substitute aronia berries for any recipe that calls for blueberries or currants.

To make aronia berry jam, place a pound of aronia berries in a saucepan, cover with water and the juice of one lemon. Cook on medium to low heat for 20–30 minutes or until they soften. Chop up a large tart apple (try any of Hoch Orchards’ summer apples) with the skin on. Place in a separate saucepan with a little water until it cooks down. Strain out the solids through a sieve and set aside. A little at a time, add ¾ cup of sugar and stir until it is fully incorporated before adding the apple pulp (apple provides the pectin that aronia berries lack). Bring the mixture to a boil until thickened (about 15 minutes). Store in a jar and refrigerate.

Elderberries are another native North American berry. Raw elderberries are quite astringent and contain a small amount of a poisonous alkaloid. Cooking transforms the taste and destroys the harmful alkaloid. Elderberries are high in vitamins A, B, and C and are a powerful immune booster.

Blue Fruit elderberries will be sold on the stem. To remove the berries from the stem, freeze them and the berries will easily separate from the stem.

Elderberries make delicious jams and sauces. Boiled down with ginger, cloves, and cinnamon and fortified with honey, an elderberry syrup is a natural remedy for the cold and flu.

Summer Squash
About this time of year, summer squash is a production powerhouse. Each week we bring in hundreds of pounds of green zucchini, yellow squash, zephyr squash, and patty pan squash from Wisconsin Growers Cooperative (Mondovi, Wis.) and even more green zucchini from Featherstone Farm (Rushford, Minn.).

For tender, delicately flavored summer squash, select firm, unblemished, and smaller fruits (under 6 inches in length). Store unwashed in a plastic bag in the crisper for up to four days, and wash before use. Most of the nutritional value is in the skin, so avoid peeling.
Summer squash is commonly a supporting flavor and texture added to sauces (think ratatouille) or sweet quick breads or muffins. When prepared well, however, summer squash can shine as the main ingredient both cooked and raw.

For a quick poached summer squash, slice two small patty pan squash thinly and place in tin foil with a tablespoon of butter, a splash of dry white wine, a clove of crushed garlic, a few sprigs of thyme, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Close the foil and place on a grill or in the oven for 10–15 minutes or until the package is fragrant and the squash is tender but not soft.

On hot days when I am loath to either heat up the kitchen or eat warm food, I have also been enjoying a marinated zucchini salad using a mixture of small green zucchini and yellow (or zephyr) squash. Using a peeler, create thin slices of the squash, salt layer by layer, and set aside for 15–20 minutes. In the meantime, mix three tablespoons olive oil, three tablespoons lemon juice, and a clove or two of crushed garlic. Rinse the zucchini and drain excess moisture. Add the dressing and allow to marinate for a few hours. Just before serving, toss with a mixture of chopped chives, basil, mint, and parsley; add salt and crushed red pepper to taste.

Local Peaches
This year has been an outstanding year for stone fruit all around. We have now received a few deliveries of peaches grown by Jim and Crystal Barnard on orchards in Wisconsin and Michigan, and the quality and flavor are excellent. In addition to yellow peaches, Jim has brought small amounts of donut peaches. These smaller, flat peaches tend to have thinner, less fuzzy skin with a sweeter flesh, sometimes with almond notes.

For those looking for cases for preserving, these will be available for a limited time. We are offering a case deal, but unlike other years with abundant seconds (blemished fruit), these will mostly be first-quality peaches due to the health of this year’s crop.

Seward Co-op today issued a voluntary recall of Bulk Commodity Peanut Butter (PLU 2301), located in the Bulk Aisle, due to a piece of plastic found in the peanut butter grinding machine. No illnesses or injury have been associated with this product.

All peanut butter was removed from the grinder on Saturday, July 25. This recalled product was on sale for $3.99 per pound, regular price $6.19 per pound. Affected product may have been purchased between Wednesday, July 15, 2015 (when the machine was last serviced) through Saturday, July 25, 2015.

If you purchased the above product during that time, do not consume. Recalled products will be fully refunded at our Customer Service desk.

The co-op is also sending an email to all members who have purchased this item alerting them of the situation. (Customers who wish to be contacted via email about recalls should make sure we have their up-to-date contact information. Sign up here, on the left under “e-newsletter.”)

Dear Seward Co-op Owners,

Just months from now is the scheduled opening of the Friendship store, which is a realization of the co-op’s long-term vision of expanding our community-owned business. In October 2015, nearly 2,000 households that are current owners of Seward Co-op will have a store less than 1½ miles from their home. We are writing to address the conversations the board of directors has been having, and the questions and comments we have been hearing regarding the Friendship store.

We started this project over two years ago when The Carrot Initiative, a non-profit formed by residents of the four neighborhoods around 38th and Chicago to attract a grocer to the community, invited Seward Co-op to consider opening at the former site of the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. Their building had been on the market for a couple of years. It proved to be a good site. We decided to call it the Friendship store to honor this history. We believe it will be a place to bring neighbors, family and friends together.

Since our very first community meeting at Sabathani Community Center in July 2013, co-op board, management, and staff have been engaged in conversations and outreach with the neighborhoods surrounding the Friendship store. For example, members of the co-op management, staff, and board have attended and participated in the Future of East 38th Street community meetings; engaged in conversations and education with community members through door-to-door outreach; and attended many neighborhood events, fairs, and educational programs. The board is energized by the support and encouragement the co-op has received in our direct conversations with members of the community throughout the surrounding neighborhoods of Bryant and Central.

At our May meeting, the board welcomed owners who presented a petition and wished to discuss the decision to postpone the conversation regarding creating a Mutual Benefits Agreement (MBA). After that meeting the board expressed its continued agreement with the decision made by Bryant Neighborhood Organization (BNO) and co-op management that our focus needs to be on opening the Co-op Creamery Café and Friendship store. We responded to those owners who signed this petition to inform them of our continued support of that decision.

At the June board meeting, representatives of Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO) were given time to state their reasons why Seward Co-op should accept the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) that they drafted as a starting point for negotiations. The board discussed their request and decided to continue, as planned, with the decision made by Seward Co-op and BNO to defer this conversation until after the Friendship store opens. You can find a letter to CANDO on our website.

The board agrees that management’s efforts to enter into an MBA is the correct approach. The proposed CBA is not congruent with co-op values. However, we want to be clear that this does not mean that the co-op’s board and management have ceased our conversations with the community or compromised our goals, aspirations, or ideals related to the Friendship store. To the contrary, many of the provisions that have been proposed in the CBA have already been addressed by the co-op, independent of the recent proposal by CANDO. For example:

• The co-op voluntarily set construction hiring goals that are used by the City of Minneapolis.
• The co-op has set hiring goals to be a more inclusive workplace.
• The Seward Co-op Nourish program offers both a needs-based ownership option and a discount.
• Seward Co-op has used the Minneapolis living wage model for more than eight years. Factoring in discounts, benefits and insurance, all vested co-op employees earn at least $15 per hour.
• Seward Co-op has engaged in outreach and partnerships throughout the neighborhoods surrounding the store. We have supported, and will continue to support, many Bryant-Central based organizations and nonprofits.

Our website has more information about the co-op’s efforts with respect to the Friendship store. In addition, we must note that the CBA proposed by CANDO has several provisions that could potentially put the co-op in fiscal jeopardy, including a stipulation that the co-op can be fined $1,000 a day (up to $100,000) if it does not operate in accordance with the CBA. We cannot accept these kinds of terms as a starting point for any conversation.

The board believes that management’s actions and decisions on these issues are entirely consistent with and further Seward Co-op’s Ends Statement and the International Cooperative Principles. The board supports management’s efforts to ensure that any agreement that the co-op enters into be consistent with the International Cooperative Principles. Finally, and fundamentally, the board believes that the co-op has had, and will continue to have, a positive effect on the communities within which the co-op operates.

From the beginning of this process, we heard concerns regarding racial equity and social justice. We invite owners to review our Scorecard to see our progress on our goals. Make no mistake, we still have work to do, and we look forward to doing that work in the months and years to come. We thank everyone who has been involved with the Friendship store to this point. Promoting healthy food, living wages, affordability, accessibility, and concern for community have long been a priority of the cooperative and we look forward to building trust and meeting the expectations that our shared values require.

In Cooperation,

Leah Janus – President, Board of Directors
Joe Riemann – Vice-President, Board of Directors

For a list of common questions we have received and how we are responding, follow this link.