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Co-op Presents Check to February SEED Recipient

Seward Co-op staff presented a SEED check today for $15,708.88 to Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA), representing 35,108 individual donations.

Funds will be used to support the Apetito por el Liderazgo/Appetite for Leadership program, envisioned by PPNA’s Latino Advisory Council. The program combines community building, leadership skills development and cooking.

“Yes, it’s a cooking class,” Community Organizer Sara Lopez explained, “but what we’re really doing is building leadership and strengthening our community.” Participants learn about healthy Mexican cooking for families while also sharing resources on topics as varied as financial planning, public health and self-defense. Planning is already underway for a similar model that will meet the needs of other cultural communities in Powderhorn.

Funding will support the expansion of the program in addition to equipment and fixtures for the kitchen. Congratulations, PPNA and thank you, Seward Co-op shoppers!

Picture: Seward Co-op staff with members of the PPNA during a small SEED celebration this morning. Picture by William H.

Spring Allergy Remedies

File:Bees Collecting Pollen 2004-08-14.jpg

Spring is coming and there’s such a sweet balm in the air already.

But along with the lovely temperatures, allergy sufferers (and bees!) know there’s pollen in the air already, too.

If you’re prone to spring-time allergies, now is the perfect time to start taking preventative measures against allergy symptoms for the coming year. Some of Seward Co-op Wellness’s favorite items include:

  • Nettles
  • Quercetin
  • Essential oils like the Baraka Sinus Oil

Ask at the Wellness Desk which one is right for you!

Feed 4 for Under $10: Mushroom Polenta Bowls Recipe

Try our latest Nourish recipe for Mushroom Polenta Bowls. It’s one of our “Feed 4 For Under $10” recipes (find more in our recipe rack by the Customer Service Desk) and it’s a great one for using up leftover vegetables – a budget-friendly recipe in every regard.

Mushroom Polenta Bowls

Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 cup cornmeal / polenta
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced (Nourish Hint– substitute or add any leftover vegetables you might have)
¼ tsp dried thyme
8 oz. frozen chopped spinach
1 cup marinara sauce
2 oz. feta cheese (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
Bring 3 cups of vegetable broth to a boil in a sauce pot. Stir together the cornmeal and one cup of water, then pour into the boiling broth. Stir the mixture and allow it to come back up to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low, place a lid on top, and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until very thick. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add the olive oil, mushrooms (and/or vegetables), garlic, and thyme to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms are limp. Season the mushrooms lightly with salt and pepper.

Remove the mushrooms from the skillet (leaving any liquids behind in the skillet) and add the frozen spinach. Sauté the spinach until heated through. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Spoon one cup of polenta into each bowl, then top with ¼ cup of marinara sauce (warm the marinara sauce in the microwave or a small pot if desired). Divide the mushrooms and spinach between the four bowls, then crumble ½ oz. of feta over each bowl. Serve warm.

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from budgetbytes.com

More about Seward Co-op’s Nourish .

The Lone Grazer Rides in Northeast Minneapolis

The Lone Grazer Creamery is a new cheese producer in Minneapolis, and Seward Co-op is proud and eager to carry their cheeses.

“We got them in last Friday (February 27). That was the first delivery,” said Scott Heard, Seward Cheese Department Manager, “and we’re very excited to have them in the store.”

Located in Northeast Minneapolis, just a 12 minute delivery drive from Seward Co-op, the Lone Grazer is currently one of the few urban creameries in the United States and one of our nearest P6 food vendors.

“People in the city want to know the farmer,” says Clark Anderson, one of The Lone Grazers’ grass-fed milk producers, “and the farmer should know the people in the city.”

Anderson’s milk is turned into delicious cheese by Rueben Nilsson who learned the art at the Caves of Faribault in Faribault, Minn., one of the finest cheesemakers in the country.

“Cheesemaking is a creative endeavor that blends art and science and physical labor with technical knowledge,” Nilsson says. “I love making cheese.”

Right now, The Lone Grazer is producing one kind of cheese, curds. “These have a nice salty bite,” Scott Heard says of The Lone Grazer’s cheese. “They make you want to eat a whole lot more cheese curds.” Several months down the road, The Lone Grazer will produce string cheese, ricotta and aged cheeses as well. When available, Heard says, we’ll be carrying them.

“Putting a delicious piece of cheese on a crusty bread or cracker is one of the simple joys in life,” says Lone Grazer founder Kieran Folliard. “I’m drawn to the making of cheeses from fresh, pure milk.”

One of Folliard’s other endeavors is 2 Gingers (local Irish whiskey) which is located in the same building as The Lone Grazer. Mike Phillips’ Red Table Meat Co., which brings such great salumi to Seward’s Meat Department, is also located in that building and soon, Chow Girls Catering will be housed there too.

For such a young company, The Lone Grazer finds itself at the center of a superb local food-hub.

Seward Co-op Seeking Artists for Friendship Murals

Seward Co-op is planning on the creation and installation of original pieces of artwork for the Friendship store. The building design designates two wall locations for local art work, one on an exterior wall, and one on an interior wall that will be visible from the outside.

Our goal is to honor the history of the site and its cultural impact. We want to celebrate the communities and events that have made the neighborhoods around Friendship home.

For more information, contact LaDonna Sanders-Redmond at lsandersredmond@seward.coop.

Download the RFP for the project here.

Please submit proposals via email. The submission deadline for proposals is 10 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31, 2015.

For a brief background on the cooperative movement within the African American community, read these articles by LaDonna Sanders-Redmond:

Black Co-ops and Their “Collective Courage” Black History Month

Additional historical materials:

Bryant Central Co-op 1977 (PDF)
Bryant-Central Co-op facade
(image)
Kenneth “Mo” Burton (image)

March is Banana Month

March means Banana Month at Seward Co-op, so watch for specials and deals on Equal Exchange bananas throughout the month. According to the USDA, the average American eats 26 pounds of bananas per year. That’s a lot of bananas — and a big opportunity for impact. Most bananas are grown on giant plantations as a monoculture with bananas stretching as far as the eye can see. The banana industry is notorious for low wages and heavy chemical use, causing major health problems for humans across banana-producing regions. Together, Equal Exchange and their banana partners are creating a trade model that supports small farmers, builds communities, and supports the environment.

Equal Exchange’s mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound; to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers; and to demonstrate, through their success, the contribution of worker cooperatives and fair trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world. Next year is Equal Exchange’s 30th anniversary, and the 10th year of their banana program. Equal Exchange bananas are sourced from small-scale farmers located in Ecuador and Peru. They work with El Guabo cooperative, a farmer-run cooperative with 350 small-scale banana farmers in Ecuador, and The Central Association of Small Producers of Organic Banana (CEPIBO), a group of seven different farmer associations with a total of 800 families operating 900 hectares of land across northern Peru.

Seeing the Equal Exchange brand on a banana (or an avocado) guarantees a customer that their fruit is sourced from a small farmer who receives a fair price for their fruit. It’s not just a better wage, it’s a better way of life. Farmers own their land and are helping to rebuild their own communities through hard work and enterprise. It also guarantees that the grower cooperatives are working directly with the Equal Exchange produce team, rather than through a go-between like the majority of farmers and plantations in the produce industry.

Check out this interesting web documentary called Beyond the Seal that was created by Katherine Nagasawa and Leah Varjacques that talks a lot about Equal Exchange, small farmers, and the banana industry.

Banana Curry Stir Fry Sauce

Ingredients:
2 bananas, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tsp. curry powder
1 Tsp. agave nectar (or honey)
1 Tsp. onion powder
1 Tsp. coconut oil
3/4 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk

Method:
Combine all ingredients together in a blender and blend to a smooth texture.
Sauté any veggies you have on hand (peppers, onions, carrots, celery, leeks, etc.) until tender. Add the banana curry stir fry sauce and heat through evenly.

Adapted from therawproject.com

Welcome, Raynardo Williams

Friendship Store Manager: Seward Co-op has hired Raynardo Williams as the store manager of the new Friendship Store. As a former entrepreneur, Raynardo is accustomed to the work required to bring a vision like the Friendship Store to fruition.

“I’m used to being very hands on,” he says. “I like getting my hands dirty on projects.”

Raynardo has an undergraduate degree in business administration from National American University and a master’s degree in management from Hamline University. His financial service and retail management background means he’s used to a immersing himself into projects like the Friendship store, working long hours as he did when he was a retail manager for Aldo Shoe Stores.

“I think the goal with the Friendship store is to make it a staple in the community by upholding and representing our owners and constantly taking steps to create something that reflects the Seward Co-op Ends Statements,” Raynardo says.

“We need to bring good food to people at the Friendship store,” he adds. “Strengthen the community that way.”

After he left the corporate world, Raynardo was an entrepreneur, running his own business as a personal fashion consultant. He’s been recognized by both the “Star Tribune” and “Vita.mn” for his exceptional sense of style.

“I love fashion,” he says, “and I am an active site council member for Patrick Henry High School in North Minneapolis. I think it’s important for young men in the community to respect themselves and develop confidence, and I think part of that is dressing well to reflect who you are.”

Raynardo says his favorite thing about Seward Co-op since he started in December 2014 has been the staff’s passion.

“Everyone has been so warm,” he says. “People here exude so much passion about what they do.”

Project Update

Work on the Co-op Creamery at 2601 E. Franklin Ave. is in full swing. In late January, co-op administrative staff moved into the second floor offices. This move has helped to alleviate space constraints at the Franklin store offices. The staff at the Creamery will support all Seward locations.

On the first floor of the building, construction has begun on the central production kitchen and Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Café. We recently finalized the branding and aesthetics of the café, including a new logo, with the help of our architects at LHB and designers at Replace.

Throughout the next several months, the first floor will begin to take shape, as new windows are installed and the interior is finished. We plan to be ready to begin food production as early as July, with an eye towards opening the café in September.

As with the Friendship store, we’ll post several new positions for Creamery staff. Check our careers page for updates. Be sure to visit our project expansion page and watch for future emails with more updates.

Easy Valentine’s Recipe: Inamorata Pastry


Searching for a Valentine’s Day recipe? This one is a real keeper.

Made with phyllo dough and baked brie, this scrumptious delight will wow your loved ones and make you look like a kitchen rock star (even though it’s so simple to bake).

INGREDIENTS
¼ c. Lucille’s Kitchen Jam (any flavor, but Strawberry Verjus is lovely for Valentine’s Day)
½ lb. wheel brie or camembert cheese (leave rind on)
½ lb. frozen phyllo dough, 10–12 sheets, thawed
½ c. (or more!) butter, melted
Fresh rosemary, thyme or lavender; optional
Red and green grapes; optional
Apples, sliced; optional
Pears, sliced; optional

METHOD

Thaw phyllo dough thoroughly before using. Keep dough ready for use and moist by covering with a damp cloth.

Spread preserves heavily on top of the brie.

Lay out three sheets of thawed phyllo dough in an asterisk pattern — like an X with a third “line” of dough across the middle of the X. Spread melted butter on each individual sheet of dough.

Place the wheel of brie in the center of the “asterisk” and begin folding the dough around the wheel of brie, spreading more melted butter on the phyllo as you wrap.

When finished, make another asterisk of dough and wrap as before. Turn cheese over after applying each wrap of phyllo (for even distribution). No need to be too precious with the dough, though. Wrinkles, slight tears, and odd folds in the dough actually make the pastry look beautiful and unique after baking! Brush phyllo-wrapped brie with more butter. When in doubt spread more butter.

Place the completely wrapped cheese in a shallow, greased baking pan. Bake in a 425 oven 8–12 minutes or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with optional herbs and pears if desired.

Serve with crackers.

Serves 6–8

Photo via Wikimedia Commons. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.