Know Our Grower featuring Keewaydin Farms

Keewaydin Farms, founded in 1976 by Richard and Mary Haucke, is now run by their son, Rufus Haucke (above) with help from his children Karma and Aurora (in Rufus’s lap).

Previously a dairy farm run with sustainable practices, the farm is now a MOSA-certified organic vegetable operation. Rufus and his family raise 15 acres of produce for wholesale markets and a Community Supported Agriculture program.

Located in beautiful rural Southwestern Wisconsin, Keewaydin Farms enjoys the serenity found only in the quietest places. It is a place where the scenery nourishes the soul, and the bounty of the farm nourishes the body. In these times of global markets, Keewaydin Farms is rooted in providing high quality products to its local community, because they believe these products are not only better for the planet as a whole but that people who eat locally grown products are eating healthier, better-tasting goods.

Keewaydin Farms’ Organic Rhubarb is in stock at Seward Co-op (June 2, 2015)

By October, Seward Co-op will have a total of three business units: The Franklin store (our current location), the new Friendship store, and the Co-op Creamery Cafe, due to open in late July.

In anticipation of that, the co-op is hiring right now (you may have heard that Seward Co-op has already hired a chef for the Creamery Cafe) so if you’re job-hunting and interested in good work with a socially responsible business, now’s the time to look at Seward and keep an eye on us over the next few weeks and months.

At the moment, eight jobs are posted on our Careers page, several of which are only posted for a few more days. Be sure to sign up for Job Alerts so you can get the word immediately as jobs become available.

Also, heads up: In August, Seward Co-op will be holding a Hiring Fair specifically for finding candidates for the friendship store. Watch seward.coop for details as we get closer to that date.

The construction of the Friendship store is now more than half way complete! Activity is ramping up and will accelerate in the coming months. In the past few weeks, the retaining wall on the east and south side of the parking lot was completed, as were roof and siding installation. On the inside, the concrete floor was poured for the second floor, the walls have been framed, and the rough-ins have been wired and plumbed. The underground plumbing, electrical and refrigeration lines were also installed prior to pouring the concrete floor on the main floor.

In the coming weeks, the installation of the underground storm water retention system will be completed (the Franklin store also has an underground storm water retention system, which runs into the rain garden). The cast stone base and the exterior insulation and siding installation has begun and will continue throughout May. The new concrete floor will be ground down to its final finish, HVAC and other system rough-ins will begin, and the second floor walls will be prepared for painting. The windows, which arrived last week, are being installed now through early June.

Looking ahead, the construction schedule shows the completion of the store in late September. Broadly speaking, the exterior of the building will be finished by early summer, and the landscaping and paving will be completed throughout the summer. The interior rough-ins will finish up this spring, mechanicals and finishes will go up in the summer, and the store’s equipment and fixtures will be installed in the two months leading up the opening of the store in October. We have planned two weeks to clean, hang signage, set the shelves, and do all of the other little things that need to be done before we open the doors.

Think of your grill like it’s the bat-signal from the old Batman series.

Your grill is a beacon of good smells that alerts your neighborhood what veggies and meats are best at Seward right now.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a delicious plume of grill-smoke from a co-op shopper’s Weber is probably worth twenty times that.

That’s because grilling has to be the best way to cook, whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or committed carnivore. In fact, many vegetarians agree that the grill is the best way to prepare veggies there is and look forward to summer as much as carnivores do. By cooking vegetables quickly over a grill’s hot coals, you’re searing the outside of the grillable while keeping moisture in and slightly carmelizing the natural sugars in your vegetables and fruits. A win/win/win for the smart vegetarian.

Grilling tip! Place thin or delicate vegetables in a foil packet and rest it over high heat. Poke a holes in the foil to let that smoky goodness in. That will keep them from getting burned on the grill.

Huffington Post has some very inventive veggie grilling recipes here. Highly recommended. The broccoli marrow recipe is a great one and we’re also enticed by the Quinoa Sliders.

As for meat, grilling is great, of course, but a long, slow barbecue is even better. Local Blooming Prairie ribs that have spent four hours smoldering in a bed of smoke at 275 degrees? Slathered with Daddy’s Sam’s Slopping Sawce? That’s going to send quite a delicious signal about co-operative ownership to your neighbors.

Want to try your hand at something really tasty, like our Korean Short Ribs from Blooming Prairie? Here’s an excellent recipe for Korean BBQ Ribs that can be adjusted for more natural ingredients found at Seward Co-op.

One more grilling tip! To test meat to see if its done, a metal skewer is the way to go. Stick it into the middle of the meat while it’s still on the grill, then hold the skewer to your forearm. If the metal is cool, keep it on the fire. If it’s warm, you’re at medium-rare. If it feels hot on your skin, tell the neighbors to grab their plates and come on over.

We have some delicious organic blueberries in the Produce Department right now, some of the sweetest of the year so far. They’re from California, but the price makes them a great choice for all the grilling you’re going to do this Memorial Day Weekend.

What? Grill blueberries? Oh, yes. Here’s a simple, tasty recipe for fruit cobbler on the grill — or, better yet, cobbler on a campfire — that will wow your friends or camping mates this weekend.

Grilled Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

3-4 medium-sized ripe peaches, pitted and halved
Olive oil or melted unsalted butter for the fruit
4 tablespoons unsalted butter for cast iron pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, sucanat, turbinado sugar, honey, syrup, or other favorite sweetener
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup blueberries (or whichever berries are local, in-season)

A cast-iron skillet, especially if you’re grilling/cooking on a campfire

Directions:

Stoke a grill or campfire to medium-high heat.

Cover both sides of peaches with olive oil, melted butter, or other fat to keep peaches from scorching too much; place on grill (or in cast iron skillet if you’re cooking on a campfire), cut-side down, cover, and cook until charred/softened, 4 to 5 minutes per side — less if the peaches are quite ripe.

Once the peaches are grilled/cooked, transfer to a cutting board with a spatula and, when cool to the touch, cut the halves into slices.

Put the butter in a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet and place it on the grill to melt butter.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until well-mixed. Add buttermilk; whisk it up.

Once butter is melted, pour batter from bowl into in cast iron skillet; do not mix with the butter. Scatter the grilled fruit and berries over the batter beautifully (do not mix this either. Arrange stunningly and lovingly.)

Cover pan with foil and grill cobbler until the juices are bubbling and the batter is golden, about 45 minutes on a grill — maybe an hour on a campfire.

Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with a fruity stout by the lake.

Seward co-op today issued a voluntary recall of our Seward Co-op Bakery’s Sweet Lovin Brownies due to a piece of metal found in today’s batch. No illnesses or injury have been associated with this product.

All Sweet Lovin Brownies were removed from the shelf today, Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

The price of this recalled product was $8.99 per pound on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

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

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While we anticipate the regional greenhouses and fields to produce in earnest, we are already enjoying an ephemeral bounty from forest and stream with wild-crafted watercress, nettles, and ramps. Harvested by trusted and familiar P6 farmers from Keewaydin and Harmony Valley farms (both in Wisconsin), these wild-crafted plants are nutrient dense, distinctly flavorful, and fleeting.

Watercress is a semi-aquatic perennial that grows in clean, flowing waters. A member of the Cruciferae family (think kale, mustard greens, arugula) watercress has a verdant brightness with a gentle bite. Watercress is high in vitamins A, C, E and K, calcium, iron and potassium, as well as numerous trace minerals and phytochemicals. To take full advantage of these robust nutrients, eat watercress raw. Add to salads and sandwiches or use as a bed for grilled or baked fish.

Many may have unpleasant memories of the stinging sensation brought on by a brush with nettles and would be full of surprise to hear that when prepared correctly they are both safe to eat and nutritious. Nettles are high in iron, potassium, manganese, calcium and vitamins A and C. Prepare nettles by rinsing and discarding the stems. Plunge the leaves in a pot of boiling water and cook until slightly wilted (2-4 minutes). Drain and press gently to remove excess water. Add to egg dishes or substitute for basil to create a woodland pesto.

Ramps are wild allium found in wooded landscapes of eastern North America and Canada. Their broad, flat leaves are milder than the bulb – the flavor of which is equal parts onion and garlic and can be quite pungent. If you enjoy this flavor, eat ramps raw –add to salads or garnish meats and fish. If raw ramps are too strong, cooking takes a little of the edge off. Brush with olive oil and grill or chop and add to egg dishes.

Pick up these spring ephemerals while they are still available as their days are numbered. On the horizon is rhubarb and hopefully wild-crafted morels.

Foragers Soup

4 TBSP butter
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 medium gold potato peeled and diced
2 cups hot water
2 cups creamy milk (1 cup whole milk, 1 cup cream) brought to a boil
9oz chopped wild greens (nettle*, watercress, dandelion, ramps)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan until it foams. Add diced onion and potatoes – stir until well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Add hot water and boiled milk. Return to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are fully cooked. Add the greens and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook at this point or the soup will lose its bright green color. Blend and serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil. If prepared in advance chill quickly after blending to retain the color.

*the nettles will cook in the soup so there is no need to prepare them in a hot bath beforehand

(adapted from Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen)

The Co-op Creamery isn’t open yet, but you can almost hear the happy co-op owners inside chatting about a food revolution when you see the new sign, can’t you?

At Seward Co-op, organic ramps are like robins or the first day of baseball for some: Traditional signs of spring that we dream about longingly in winter.

But ramps might be unknown to many folks. That’s why we found this great recipe, to spread the love we have for ramps — a green, delicate, but oh-so pretty celebration of springtime.

RAMP PESTO PIZZA

Step One. Take this terrific recipe for Ramp Pesto from the Rodale Institute’s Organic Life website.

2 bunches ramps, washed, trimmed, and roughly chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/4 lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if more needed
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a food processor, mix together Ramps, parsley, pine nuts, Asiago, and lemon juice until you get a chunky puree.
2. With a machine running, add olive oil in a slow stream, until mixture is smooth; add more oil if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Store covered in the refrigerator. Makes about 1 cup.

Step Two. Use the finished Ramp Pesto in this pizza recipe.