It may not feel like spring yet, but that doesn’t matter to L.T.D Farm ducks and geese.

Our friends at L.T.D. reported a week ago that, in defiance of the Upper Midwest polar vortex, their ducks were laying. Last year, L.T.D.’s ducks laid much later, so we presumed here at the big green co-op that we wouldn’t see their duck or goose eggs till the Seward CSA Fair or so.

“We were so excited that they started laying early this year,” Khaiti French said told us when she made the delivery today.

Khaiti brought a quick, first shot of duck and goose eggs today, and, for now, the only place you can get them is Seward Co-op — as fresh as you can get, short of living on LTD Farm.

If you’ve never cooked with duck or goose eggs before, you should give it a whirl. These eggs are thicker, heavier in consistency and are much richer. You’ll have to adjust your recipe or proportions if you want to switch out hen eggs for duck/goose eggs because their bigger, too ( a goose egg is roughly the size of your fist). Also, be prepared to use some muscle cracking these eggs, as the shells are much thicker.

Recipe: Hole-in-the-Wall Breakfast

This one’s great for kids who might need a little wooing when it comes to trying ducks eggs, which are richer and heavier than the hen eggs they’re used to.

Ingredients:

1 duck egg

1 slice of bread

2 strips bacon or 2 Seward Maple Sausages

Butter for the pan

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

– Fry the sausages/bacon as usual

– With a drinking glass, cut out a hole in the slice of bread

– Place a pan on medium-low heat. Put in the butter (or butter the bread, both sides). Let your kid eat the bread circle. Place the bread-slice in the pan when the butter is melted and crack the duck egg into the hole you made with the glass. When the duck looks almost done, and before the bread is too brown, flip it and fry till finished.

Serve with bacon or sausages criss-crossed over the duck egg.

Landscape plantings at the Friendship store will be designed in the same style as the Franklin store.

Valentine’s Day is about more than just chocolate — although it’s easy to appreciate the fact that chocolate is packed with natural antioxidants! Look to Seward Co-op for a living gift, such as local and sustainably grown roses from Len Busch and Jasmine wreaths, azalea trees, orchids and cyclamen. On the afternoon of Valentine’s Day, Thursday, Feb. 14, we’ll offer complimentary bouquet wrapping near the floral cooler. Locally made valentines by Miriam Simmons and Nora Alice are right there, too. Pair one with a bouquet, and you’ve got a lovely gift for your sweetheart.

Recipes for a romantic home-cooked dinner are available in-store, and we’re featuring deals with recipes on all the popular cuts from local suppliers Hill & Vale, Grass Run Farm, and the Lamb Shoppe. Don’t forget our fresh selection of seafood, and consider creating a surf ‘n’ turf feast for your sweetheart.

Seeking for an alternative to mainstream cartoon valentines? Check out Equal Exchange‘s boxed set of valentines & mini chocolates, for kids and kids at heart.

Use Valentine’s Day to indulge in something rich, decadent and irresistible: a triple-cream brie fits the bill beautifully! Delice de Bourgogne and St. Angel are great choices. To really say “I love you,” however, go for a wedge of Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam or Brillat Savarin from France.

Look and feel your best on this holiday of love. We have all the products that will help you look appealing, from cosmetics to hair care. Check out the many herbs available that can help get you in that romantic mood, too. One popular option is maca, which is good both for sexual vitality (regardless of gender) and great for energy and stamina. So whether you are an athlete or a Casanova (or both!) you might give maca a go and see what it will do for you.

Keep an eye out for Seward Co-op’s new commercial. We filmed it after the sales floor renovation was complete to capture the store’s new look. The ad runs on channels such as Food Network and the Travel Channel.

We’re excited to be part of the Seward Winter Frolic! Join us for a holiday fair at the co-op on Saturday, Dec. 1 to sample holiday foods from local producers:

Featherstone Farm
Barsey’s Almonds
Alemar Cheese
Gudbar

Browse the aisles for gift ideas and warm up with live music, hot beverages, local art and prize drawings.

Seward Co-op staffer, Chrys Laramy, will have her beautiful pottery on display and for sale in our dining area from noon to 5 pm.

From 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., we’ll host local author Anne Sawyer-Aitch as she signs copies of her children’s book, Nalah and the Pink Tiger.

This year’s Seward art crawl—“Art in the ’Hood”—kicks off Friday, Nov. 30, and runs through Sunday, Dec. 2, throughout the Seward neighborhood. See schedule of events and details at www.sewardarts.org.

In recognition of our 40th anniversary, we are publishing Growing with Purpose: 40 Years of Seward Community Cooperative, a commemorative book chronicling the co-op’s history. Researched and written by local authors Patricia Cumbie and Kari Cornell, this account features interviews with many of the individuals who have played a part in the co-op’s four decades in the Seward neighborhood. The book also features beautiful original photography by local photographer Chris Bohnhoff.

Looking for the perfect gift? Growing with Purpose is a valuable resource for Seward Co-op members, new and old, and anyone interested in the cooperative natural foods movement. Purchase your copy in the store today.

Seward Co-op has been named one of the Top 100 Workplaces in Minnesota based on an employee-based survey project from the Star Tribune. The Star Tribune Top Workplaces special section was published in the Star Tribune on Sunday, June 19, 2011.

Twin Cities Business featured Seward Co-op as one of nine Small Business Success Stories of 2010. The article, featuring our LEED-certified building, the Scorecard and Ends Statement, can be found here.

This spring, Seward Co-op is partnering with local business Dero Bike Rack Company to promote healthy travel to and from the co-op for member-owners. We’re calling it “ZAP,” and it’s a great way to see how biking to the co-op reduces your impact on the environment.

For the second year in a row, Seward Co-op has been named Best Natural Foods Grocery in the City Pages’ annual “Best Of” issue. The article notes the co-op’s shopper-friendly store, impressive cheese section, great meat department and newly renovated deli as reasons for the honor. Read more here.

Read the new Hot Dish blog at City Pages praising Seward Co-op’s selection of local foods.