It feels like fall, which means our new seasonal sausage is right on schedule.

We craft our Seward-made sausage in our production facility at Seward Co-op Creamery Café with fresh ingredients. Both are made with chicken from Kadejan in Glenwood, Minnesota.

Chicken Wild Rice and Blueberries
Chicken Wild Rice and Blueberries is full of fresh herbs. It’s a nice mellow sausage, great for kids or breakfast. It pairs well with roasted veggies, eggs and hashbrowns, and quiche.

Thai Chicken
The bird’s eye chili is the star of Thai Chicken. Other fresh ingredients include garlic, shallots, fish sauce, cilantro, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, shrimp paste, salt, black peppercorn and makrut lime leaf. Thai Chicken is great for adding some heat to stir-fry, soup or sticky rice.

Nürnberger
Oktoberfest starts Sept. 22, but our Seward-made Nürnberger sausage is serving that festive flavor a week early. It’s a limited-run sausage, which means we only make one large batch and when it’s gone, it’s gone. Available in the Meat department, starting Sept. 15.

Head to our Meat department to find our seasonal and everyday varieties.

Seward Co-op’s annual Know Our Grower program hosts local farmers who supply our stores and kitchen with produce grown using sustainable practices, soil restoration, organic pest control methods, and more. In addition to those farms growing during temperate months, we also work with growers that push the limits of our northern growing season by using hydroponic systems and greenhouses. Visit our Classes and Events calendar often this summer to read about our featured Know Our Grower producers. We’ll have lots of opportunities to meet farmers in the stores, sample unique and delicious recipes using their produce, and get great sale prices on selected items.

The first farm we’re featuring is Keewaydin Farms out of Viola, Wisconsin. Rufus Haucke from Keewaydin will be sampling on Thursday, May 17 at the Franklin store from noon-2 p.m. and at the Friendship store from 3-5 p.m. Check out the Eating Wild class Rufus is hosting that evening from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Friendship classroom.

About Keewaydin Farms

At the end of Haucke Lane in southwestern Wisconsin, you’ll find Keewaydin Farms, home to 15 acres of organically certified market garden produce, maple sugaring operations, a 40-cow dairy, grass-fed chickens, and a herd of swine. Founded in 1976 by Richard and Mary Haucke, Keewaydin Farms is second-generation owned and operated by Richard and Mary’s children, Jacob, Rufus and Jessica Haucke. In 2008, Keewaydin Farms began reaching out to neighboring certified organic farms. Jason and Jennelle Thimmesch grow Swiss chard, parsley, and cilantro on Thimmesch Farm. EZ Farming is a collaboration between Brian Wickert and his sons Zach and Ethen, who grow summer squash, beets, shallots, cabbage and winter squash. Tilth Farm grows around 20 acres of certified organic asparagus. Keewaydin Farms is honored to work with neighbors to provide fresh organic produce to stores like Seward Co-op. They believe farming is about community, that cooperation and sharing of markets makes us all stronger in the long run.

The month of March is a time where we see a juxtaposition of fresh, spring vegetables coming from California and Mexico and winter storage crops available from local farms. A perfect pairing of spring and winter crops can be enjoyed with the following recipe; Creamy Asparagus Soup. It’s vegan; the cream comes from one of my favorite potatoes, the German Butterball. We are still getting these golden spuds locally from Driftless Organics in Wisconsin, where Josh and Noah Engle are selling a large bounty of stored potatoes harvested in the fall. Organic asparagus is in season in Mexico and California and we are selling it at the lowest prices I have seen in all my years as Produce Buyer. I would definitely sauté some asparagus to have alongside the soup. In fact, I ate a pound of asparagus last night, simply sautéed in butter with salt and pepper.

Asparagus contains anti-inflammatory phytonutrients as well as anti-oxidants. It contains significant amounts of inulin, fiber and B-vitamins. Inulin is a pre-biotic which helps with digestive issues and inulin also promotes healthy blood sugar levels. Inulin can be found in other foods such as artichokes, bananas, garlic, leeks, onions and sunchokes.
Speaking of sunchokes, I hear the C-op Creamery Café will be featuring overwintered sunchokes from a local farm on their upcoming new Evening menu. Overwintered vegetables have been left in the field during the frozen months and dug in the spring when the ground thaws. Overwintered produce is another great example of the winter to spring transition. Keep an eye out for overwintered parsnips and sunchokes in our stores this spring!

Creamy Asparagus Soup

1 ½ lbs. asparagus spears, trimmed
1 ½ Tbs. olive oil
1 ½ cups finely chopped shallots (about 10)
½ lb. boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Coarsely ground black pepper for garnish

1. Reserve 8 spears of asparagus for garnish. Cut remaining asparagus stalks into 1-inch pieces.

2. In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add potatoes, cut-up asparagus and 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add bouillon and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in wide, deep pot of lightly salted boiling water, blanch reserved asparagus spears until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove spears to colander and rinse under cold running water, drain well and set aside.

4. In food processor or blender, process soup in batches until smooth and creamy. Return to pot and add freshly ground pepper to taste and lemon juice. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish with asparagus spears and ground black pepper. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy of Vegetarian Times

The month of March is a time where we see a juxtaposition of fresh, spring vegetables coming from California and Mexico and winter storage crops available from local farms. A perfect pairing of spring and winter crops can be enjoyed with the following recipe; Creamy Asparagus Soup. It’s vegan; the cream comes from one of my favorite potatoes, the German Butterball. We are still getting these golden spuds locally from Driftless Organics in Wisconsin, where Josh and Noah Engle are selling a large bounty of stored potatoes harvested in the fall. Organic asparagus is in season in Mexico and California and we are selling it at the lowest prices I have seen in all my years as Produce Buyer. I would definitely sauté some asparagus to have alongside the soup. In fact, I ate a pound of asparagus last night, simply sautéed in butter with salt and pepper.

Asparagus contains anti-inflammatory phytonutrients as well as anti-oxidants. It contains significant amounts of inulin, fiber and B-vitamins. Inulin is a pre-biotic which helps with digestive issues and inulin also promotes healthy blood sugar levels. Inulin can be found in other foods such as artichokes, bananas, garlic, leeks, onions and sunchokes.
Speaking of sunchokes, I hear the C-op Creamery Café will be featuring overwintered sunchokes from a local farm on their upcoming new Evening menu. Overwintered vegetables have been left in the field during the frozen months and dug in the spring when the ground thaws. Overwintered produce is another great example of the winter to spring transition. Keep an eye out for overwintered parsnips and sunchokes in our stores this spring!

Creamy Asparagus Soup

1 ½ lbs. asparagus spears, trimmed
1 ½ Tbs. olive oil
1 ½ cups finely chopped shallots (about 10)
½ lb. boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Coarsely ground black pepper for garnish

1. Reserve 8 spears of asparagus for garnish. Cut remaining asparagus stalks into 1-inch pieces.

2. In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add potatoes, cut-up asparagus and 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add bouillon and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in wide, deep pot of lightly salted boiling water, blanch reserved asparagus spears until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove spears to colander and rinse under cold running water, drain well and set aside.

4. In food processor or blender, process soup in batches until smooth and creamy. Return to pot and add freshly ground pepper to taste and lemon juice. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish with asparagus spears and ground black pepper. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy of Vegetarian Times

When we began discussing a fair trade avocado program with Equal Exchange, we were told that not only were the avocados organically grown by PRAGOR, a small, farmer-owned cooperative–therefore P6– they were supposedly more delicious than other organic avocados on the market from both California and Mexico. Satisfying our values and our palettes is something for which we strive–but having eaten our fair share of avocados, we were a bit skeptical.

In preparation for Seward’s avocado month this February, we began to bring in cases of Equal Exchange avocados. We were blown away. These were the creamiest, nuttiest, most flavorful avocados many of us had ever tasted. They also steadily ripened and were nearly blemish free with small seeds. Pretty much the perfect avocado.

Taking full advantage of the superlative quality and the sale price ($2.99/pound), I have eaten at least an avocado a day for the past three weeks. Some days for breakfast sliced over rice and a poached egg bathed in lamb broth and topped with kimchi. Other times as a snack with just a little salt and a squeeze of lime or mashed onto a piece of toast with some arugula lightly dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and thinly sliced shallots. I’ve also been mixing a few avocados (2) in with hard boiled eggs (8), lemon juice and salt to create an incredibly creamy, mayo-free egg salad. Surprisingly, I haven’t made guacamole once in the past few weeks –although these avocados would make a delicious guacamole as well.

Avocado season in Michoacan, Mexico where the PRAGOR farms are located, is long – from September to March – but it is nearly over for this year. With citrus season waning as well, now is the time to make the following salad!

Roasted Citrus and Avocado Salad

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 blood or Valencia orange, sliced ” thick, seeds removed

1 Meyer or regular lemon, sliced ” thick, seeds removed

4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ small red onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbp. fresh Meyer or regular lemon juice

1 bunch watercress or arugula, thick stems trimmed

½ cup fresh mint leaves

1 avocado, cut into wedges

Method

Preheat oven to 425°. Toss orange and lemon slices with 1 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast citrus, tossing occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and starting to caramelize, 10–15 minutes. This makes the citrus flavor more complex. Let cool.

Meanwhile, combine onion and lemon juice in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper and let sit 5 minutes (onion will soften a bit and get slightly sweeter and less harsh).

Add roasted citrus to bowl with onion along with arugula and mint. Drizzle remaining 3 Tbsp. oil over; season with salt and pepper and toss everything to combine and coat. Add avocado and very gently toss until lightly dressed (avoid crushing the avocado). Serves 4

It has not been truly hot so far this year, and for that I am grateful.

Where I grew up in central Kansas, you could count on the mercury hitting 100 by the first week of July and staying that way for two months. We adapted our cooking to fit the season — that is, we ate a lot of salads, grilled things, and we used a toaster oven installed on the screened in porch for any baking projects. Even though it’s been so pleasant there are a couple of low-fuss, low-heat dishes that I’ve been eating night after night simply because they are delicious.

Salad Nicoise

Salad Nicoise is a composed salad – -that is, vegetables and proteins arranged prettily on a nice dish and dressed with a vinaigrette. Traditionally, the proteins are quartered hard-boiled eggs and tuna. In Nice, I have read, it is always canned tuna, not fresh (note coupon pictured on this page, available now! — Editor, 7/15/14). The usual vegetables are all things that we carry from local farms at this moment. From Wisconsin Growers, new red potatoes with skins so thin they can almost be rubbed off. Tomato King cherry tomatoes, so full of flavor and sweetness. Wisconsin Growers green (or purple, or yellow) beans, Featherstone butter lettuce or HeartBeet salanova and pearly Keewaydin green top onions (sliced thin). And then a few capers and olives top off the whole arrangement.

What I have described is traditional. But we Americans are an independent and innovative lot, and there are lots of options. Substitute arugula or romaine for butter lettuce. Bela Sardines, available in cute little tins in the grocery aisle, are great in this salad. Vegetarians could use cubed cheese or marinated chickpeas instead of fish. And as far as vegetables-almost anything goes. Red pepper strips, sliced radishes, tender white turnips, cucumbers, small roasted beets — you name it.

It has been my custom to prepare a salad dressing for the week on one of my days off, and, lately, it’s been a lemony vinaigrette with shallots and tarragon or basil, which goes great on Salad Nicoise. It’s also helpful to steam the green beans, boil potatoes and eggs for use throughout the week, and to wash whatever greens you choose ahead of time. It is a gift to your future self to do this rather pleasant task when time allows, so that later, when you’re hungry and busy, you can have something delicious without a lot of work.

Baked Apricots

The other dish I have been working on perfecting is baked apricots.

In the last week we have finally received the first shipment of Robada apricots, a large variety with a deep red blush and juicy flesh. Many customers and staff members have been eagerly awaiting their arrival. The other day I had three not-quite ripe apricots at home. I cut them in half, removed the pits and nestled them together in a small baking dish. The seed cavities I filled with honey and then the dish went into the toaster oven for 15 minutes at 320 degrees, which is one of five options my particular oven allows. They became soft and mellow, and the honey became one with the apricot. After they had cooled, I sprinkled a few drops of rose water on them, and served them with a little sweetened ricotta and chopped pistachio nuts. The same dish made a nice breakfast the next morning.

One thing that I like about apricots and plums is the slight bitterness that the peel contributes. The contrast with the sweetness of the juice enlivens the palette. In that vein, it is bittersweet to say that this will be my last Produce at Its Peak. I have so enjoyed writing this column over the last year, and serving the Seward Co-op community over the last six. I’m leaving to go to graduate school, but I will always be grateful for the opportunities to learn and to teach that this store and its owners have given me. Thank you!

It’s definitely apple season in Minnesota. A coworker and I were reflecting on how lucky we are to have Hoch Orchard with its nearly infinite number of organic apple varieties. They change by the week, and sometimes we only have the more unusual kinds, like Akane and Golden Russet, for a few days. So if you’re an apple fan, it makes sense to pay close attention to that part of the department. Apples aren’t the only good thing around right now. Lately, the Produce department resembles Aladdin’s magic cave — it’s never more colorful around here than right now. Here’re a few notable jewels:

Blue potatoes from Wisconsin Growers: Hurrah! I can make my favorite potato dish. Potatoes, sliced thin on a mandoline, coated in a slurry of olive oil, shallots, thyme and a pinch of saffron, roasted with chopped pistachios. The combination of blue and green makes this dish especially appealing.

Ripe hot peppers, such as pimento, Jimmy Nardello, and cherry bomb. I’m not much of a chili connoisseur. However, I do like just a little rising heat combined with ripe sweet pepper, and in varying degrees, these peppers deliver. I’ll probably cut one into rounds and toss it with the sliced potatoes mentioned above. Ripe, hot peppers, as opposed to the green Jalapeños and serranos we always carry, are only seen at this time of year.

Last of the local corn. It’s not so tender as it is in the summer, and it may have lost some sweetness, but try it chopped in hunks, rolled in olive oil and a little cayenne, and roasted at the same time as the potatoes. It browns a little and gets quite chewy and savory. It’s just fine as is, but you could dress it up with grated cheese and crema for an approximation of Mexican style elote.

The small pome fruits. Very cute. At the time of this writing, we have tiny Seckel pears, which are sweet and hazelnut flavored in an astringent jacket — I’d recommend peeling them. Hopefully, they’ll be around for a while. They’re perfect for a rustic fruit and cheese plate. But if we don’t have them, there’s always the reliable chestnut apple. It’s like a full-sized apple condensed by half. They’re the perfect size for a child’s lunch.

Pomegranates. To open, slice just below the part that sticks up like a little crown. Then score the sides and pull apart. This technique is much more fun and less messy than just chopping the fruit in half. I’ve used chunks of pomegranate like this on a fruit plate, and the whole thing resembled those Dutch still-life paintings.

Local Raspberries. There’s really no way to avoid eating a whole container of these things — and why would you? The season is so short. Carpe diem! They are excellent with a little Crème fraîche.