Chestnut trees once made up a significant portion of North America’s hardwood forests. The nuts were widely eaten by Native Americans and later by European immigrants, until the chestnut blight of the 1930s, which nearly eliminated the American chestnut tree. There has been a recent revival with the planting of blight resistant breeds from Europe or Asia. This year, Seward shoppers will find local chestnuts from Badgersett Farm out of Canton, Minn. on Seward shelves.

Badgersett Research farm grows chestnut, pecan and hazelnut trees using sustainable and organic methods. With roots going back to 1978, Badgersett Research Corporation works on bringing “Woody Agriculture” into the mainstream world of full scale staple food production. Local pecans are certainly a novelty, these are the farthest north growing trees.

Technically a nut, chestnuts are low in oil (9% compared with walnuts at 83%), high in water content, and nutritionally resemble grains because of their high carbohydrate content. Select tight, shiny, dark brown nuts that feel heavy for their size. Fresh chestnuts should be stored in the refrigerator in a paper bag for around a week.

Chestnuts are an incredibly versatile nut. While many are familiar with roasted chestnuts, they may also be boiled, mashed, candied or pureed – and used in both savory and sweet applications.

When roasting score an “x” on side of the shells with a paring knife, soak in hot water for a few minutes, then roast for 15-20 minutes until you begin to see the shell peel back along the scored lines. Peel while warm and be sure to remove the thin inner skin. I love to roast up a few pockets full before heading out for a brisk autumn walk – peeling as I go to warm the hands and the belly.

To mash, puree, or sauté, score the flat side of the shell and simmer in water for 15 minutes. Remove both the outer shell and the inner skin. Return to the pan to simmer further until soft for a puree or mash – enjoy as a side on its own or mixed with potatoes, butter, and cream for a nutty variation on the traditional mash. To sauté, finish in a hot buttered pan with garlic and halved Brussels sprouts.

For a chestnut stuffing, either roast or boil 1 pound of chestnuts before removing the shell and inner skin. Then simmer in 2 cups of vegetable broth for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of dried cranberries – let sit for 5 minutes. In a large saucepan, brown wedges of two large onions. In a large bowl combine the chestnut mixture with 10 cups cubed dry or toasted whole grain bread, the browned onions, chopped parsley, thyme, and sage. Add 1 ½ cups of broth and salt and pepper. Bake in a shallow baking dish at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Sin Fronteras (Without Borders) is a Stillwater, Minn-based family-farm growing fresh, healthy Latino food. Farmers Eduardo Rivera and Madeline Shaw bring to the Twin Cities sustainably grown – and at times challenging to find – varieties of chile peppers, tomatillos, and epazote along with familiar roots, greens, and herbs. These foods can be found at area coops and restaurants, the Linden Hills Farmers Market, and through a culturally appropriate Latino CSA. Look to their Facebook page (Sin Fronteras Farm & Food) for recipes using Sin Fronteras produce.

On June 7, Rebbl voluntarily recalled drinks from their Elixir beverages line due to sour flavor. Between March 9, 2016 and June 7, 2016, Seward Co-op sold products affected by this recall at both the Franklin and Friendship stores. Impacted product can be identified by the “Best By” date indicated below:

• Elixir – Matcha Latté $4.19
UPC: 8-58148-00310-6, 12oz., Best By Date 10/20/2016
• Elixir – Turmeric Golden-Milk $4.19
UPC: 8-58148-00311-3, 12oz., Best By Date 10/20/2016
• Elixir – Maca Cold-Brew $4.19
UPC: 8-58148-00313-7, 12oz., Best By Date 10/19/2016
• Elixir – Ashwagandha Chai $4.19
UPC: 8-58148-00307-6, 12oz., Best By Date 10/19/2016
• Elixir – Reishi Chocolate $4.19
UPC: 8-58148-00309-0, 12oz., Best By Date 10/18/2016
• Elixir – Maca Mocha $4.19
UPC: 8-58148-00308-3, 12 oz., Best By Date 10/18/2016

If you purchased any of the above products at Seward Co-op between March 9, 2016 and June 7, 2016, they will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk. Questions may be directed to Seward Co-op’s Franklin store at 612.338.2465 or Friendship store at 612.230.5595. Consumers can find more information at 1-855-732-2500.

Stone fruit season has begun! When we talk about stone fruit, we are talking about peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, apricots, and cherries. The name “stone fruit” comes from the stone-like seeds inside. These varieties peak from June-September and the harvest spans warm climate regions. About a month ago we welcomed the first yellow peaches from Mexico and they were luscious and juicy–best eaten over the sink. It’s fun to watch as the season progresses to see from which regions the stone fruit is sourced. As mentioned the first harvest comes from Mexico, then California, followed by Washington’s, mid-summer yields Colorado peaches, and we close out the season with local Wisconsin and Michigan fruit from Partner Farms. Some notes about stone fruits:

Apricots have velvety skin and flesh, and are smooth and sweet with a faint tartness.

Cherries are the smallest stone fruits. There are many varieties of dark sweet cherries as well as the even sweeter yellows. The most popular yellow cherry is the Rainier and it has a delicate honey like flavor.

Peaches have soft and fuzzy skin with juicy, luscious flesh. Yellow fleshed peaches tend to have a balanced sweet/tart flavor unless they are the late season sub-acid varieties which are very sweet. White peaches have little to no acidity and are very sweet.

Nectarines are smooth skinned and very similar to peaches yet often have a thicker texture and become more syrupy when ripe. White nectarines have little to no acidity.

Plums are generally grouped into red and black categories though there are a great number of varieties of sweet, juicy plums. Plums sometimes have tart skin which compliments the ultra sweet flesh.

Pluots are hybrids of plums and apricots. There are numerous varieties of pluots resulting from different combinations of plum and apricot varieties as well as plum to apricot ratio variance. Pluots usually have a more complex flavor profile than plums. Some varieties you will see this year are flavorosa, flavor grenade and dapple dandy.

While stone fruit season is exciting, one of the most disappointing occurrences in the produce department is coming across a mealy, dry peach or nectarine. We taste test the stone fruit that goes onto the sales floor whenever possible, but sometimes the fruit just isn’t ripe enough to be able to decipher its future. There is a scientific explanation as to why stone fruit becomes dry, or mealy. Enzymes that help break down the undesirable qualities are produced in the ripening process. These enzymes work to break down chloroplast and pectin. Chloroplast is responsible for the green color in unripe fruit and pectin is the reason unripe fruit is hard. As the chloroplast is broken down, you may notice a change in color from greens to reds and yellows. With the disintegration of the pectin, the cell walls are broken down, starch is converted to sugar, and the fruit becomes juicy and soft. These enzymes do not work correctly if the fruit is not handled properly from the time the fruit is picked to the time is arrives at our stores. When unripe fruit is harvested, then lowered to 50 degrees, then brought up to room temperature, these enzymes can be compromised. The pectin is either not disrupted at all or entirely dissolved, and the starch never quite makes the transition to sugar causing gritty, undesirable fruit.

Growers cannot ship peaches that are fully ripe in most cases; therefore, temperature control for peaches is of the utmost importance. It is every peach growers challenge to wait to pick the fruit until it has ripened enough on the tree but not so much that it will bruise during shipping. When selecting peaches you should look for ones that are heavy for their size and have a peachy scent. Avoid peaches that give to slight pressure and feel light. Do not refrigerate stone fruit at home unless it is fully ripe and you have an excess.

There are so many ways you can use stone fruit. Eating out of hand always works, but you can also roast, poach, sauté, bake, make pies and crisps, toss in salads, make jams, sauces, salsas and chutneys, or grill stone fruit. Now that we have an abundance of local tomatoes and peaches and nectarines coming in, it would be an ideal time to try this peach salsa recipe.

Ingredients

1 ripe peach, peeled, pitted, diced (could use nectarines)

1 medium yellow or orange tomato, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia

1 Tbsp. lime juice, plus more to taste

1 tsp. minced, seeded jalapeño, plus more to taste

¼ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

Preparation
Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with additional lime juice, jalapeño or salt, if desired. Serve salsa with tortilla chips, or spoon onto grilled chicken or fish.

Stone fruit season has begun! When we talk about stone fruit, we are talking about peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, apricots, and cherries. The name “stone fruit” comes from the stone-like seeds inside. These varieties peak from June-September and the harvest spans warm climate regions. About a month ago we welcomed the first yellow peaches from Mexico and they were luscious and juicy–best eaten over the sink. It’s fun to watch as the season progresses to see from which regions the stone fruit is sourced. As mentioned the first harvest comes from Mexico, then California, followed by Washington’s, mid-summer yields Colorado peaches, and we close out the season with local Wisconsin and Michigan fruit from Partner Farms. Some notes about stone fruits:

Apricots have velvety skin and flesh, and are smooth and sweet with a faint tartness.

Cherries are the smallest stone fruits. There are many varieties of dark sweet cherries as well as the even sweeter yellows. The most popular yellow cherry is the Rainier and it has a delicate honey like flavor.

Peaches have soft and fuzzy skin with juicy, luscious flesh. Yellow fleshed peaches tend to have a balanced sweet/tart flavor unless they are the late season sub-acid varieties which are very sweet. White peaches have little to no acidity and are very sweet.

Nectarines are smooth skinned and very similar to peaches yet often have a thicker texture and become more syrupy when ripe. White nectarines have little to no acidity.

Plums are generally grouped into red and black categories though there are a great number of varieties of sweet, juicy plums. Plums sometimes have tart skin which compliments the ultra sweet flesh.

Pluots are hybrids of plums and apricots. There are numerous varieties of pluots resulting from different combinations of plum and apricot varieties as well as plum to apricot ratio variance. Pluots usually have a more complex flavor profile than plums. Some varieties you will see this year are flavorosa, flavor grenade and dapple dandy.

While stone fruit season is exciting, one of the most disappointing occurrences in the produce department is coming across a mealy, dry peach or nectarine. We taste test the stone fruit that goes onto the sales floor whenever possible, but sometimes the fruit just isn’t ripe enough to be able to decipher its future. There is a scientific explanation as to why stone fruit becomes dry, or mealy. Enzymes that help break down the undesirable qualities are produced in the ripening process. These enzymes work to break down chloroplast and pectin. Chloroplast is responsible for the green color in unripe fruit and pectin is the reason unripe fruit is hard. As the chloroplast is broken down, you may notice a change in color from greens to reds and yellows. With the disintegration of the pectin, the cell walls are broken down, starch is converted to sugar, and the fruit becomes juicy and soft. These enzymes do not work correctly if the fruit is not handled properly from the time the fruit is picked to the time is arrives at our stores. When unripe fruit is harvested, then lowered to 50 degrees, then brought up to room temperature, these enzymes can be compromised. The pectin is either not disrupted at all or entirely dissolved, and the starch never quite makes the transition to sugar causing gritty, undesirable fruit.

Growers cannot ship peaches that are fully ripe in most cases; therefore, temperature control for peaches is of the utmost importance. It is every peach growers challenge to wait to pick the fruit until it has ripened enough on the tree but not so much that it will bruise during shipping. When selecting peaches you should look for ones that are heavy for their size and have a peachy scent. Avoid peaches that give to slight pressure and feel light. Do not refrigerate stone fruit at home unless it is fully ripe and you have an excess.

There are so many ways you can use stone fruit. Eating out of hand always works, but you can also roast, poach, sauté, bake, make pies and crisps, toss in salads, make jams, sauces, salsas and chutneys, or grill stone fruit. Now that we have an abundance of local tomatoes and peaches and nectarines coming in, it would be an ideal time to try this peach salsa recipe.

Ingredients

1 ripe peach, peeled, pitted, diced (could use nectarines)

1 medium yellow or orange tomato, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia

1 Tbsp. lime juice, plus more to taste

1 tsp. minced, seeded jalapeño, plus more to taste

¼ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

Preparation
Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with additional lime juice, jalapeño or salt, if desired. Serve salsa with tortilla chips, or spoon onto grilled chicken or fish.

Seward Community Co-op is a 42-year-old natural food cooperative located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Seward Co-op has 15,000 owners, and it is looked upon as a leader among natural food cooperatives nationwide.

Unique to Seward Co-op is its “Ends Statement,” which is similar to an organization’s mission statement. Developed by the board, the Ends Statement states that Seward Co-op will sustain a healthy community that has: equitable economic relationships, positive environmental impacts, and inclusive, socially responsible practices. Because of this powerful Ends Statement, Seward Co-op decided to build a second store in the Bryant-Central neighborhood in South Minneapolis.

Unknown to Seward Co-op leadership, however, a group of community residents had formed what they called the Carrot Initiative (CI), the purpose of which was to attract a grocer to the Bryant-Central neighborhood. CI contacted a number of local food cooperatives, as well as national grocery chains, yet none of them were interested in a mixed-income community of color as a site for a new grocery store.

But then CI spoke with Seward Co-op. After looking at several spaces together, CI suggested that the store leadership consider the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church as a location. The site seemed to be perfect for building the new location. Due to the enthusiastic response from CI, it was assumed that the community would be excited about this development as well. So, Seward Co-op began the process of acquiring the property and several surrounding parcels of land.

The Announcement

A community meeting was scheduled to announce the project. Prior to the announcement, another neighborhood group, At the Roots, emerged. At the Roots felt that the CI members were not true members of the neighborhood and should not be considered representatives of the community. The majority of residents in the Bryant-Central community are African American and Latino. The CI members are primarily white and are considered new arrivals to the community. Thus, the announcement of the new store was met with mixed feelings, including distrust and hostility. Many people felt that the new store was a “done deal” and were concerned that Seward Co-op could not and would not address issues of racial and economic equity.

The leadership of Seward Co-op was taken aback by the criticism, feeling like they were the “good guys.” They had walked into the intersection of race and class in a community that had been ignored for decades. But, along with the arrival of hipsters and coffee shops, the new cooperative seemed to signal that gentrification had arrived. It was feared that racial equity would be a challenge, as the majority of those representing the cooperative were white.

Addressing Racial and Economic Equity

Seward Co-op had received heavy criticism about everything, from the aggressive building timeline, to the appearance of its operations team and board members, to the cost of the food. The cooperative acknowledged that its employee demographic included just 14% people of color. In order to address the community concerns regarding hiring and jobs, the cooperative had to deliberately tackle its unconscious bias in the hiring process. The leadership began an intense process of gaining cultural competency, and this work led to the development of diversity goals for construction and store hiring.

Most food justice projects tend to focus on the consumer end of the food system when dealing with communities of color. Usually, the effort is around making the food more affordable. While this is important, it ignores the true capacity of the community. Most communities are comprised of residents and entrepreneurs who buy food, but who are also skilled and valuable to local emerging food stores. What many non-profit food projects miss is the connection between food access and fair wages.

So, Seward Co-op developed multiple access points to address food access concerns. One access point is a program called Nourish. While an ownership share of the cooperative is normally $75, via Nourish, anyone on SNAP, WIC or any other government-assistance program can access ownership for only $15. Additionally, a 10% discount on every purchase is available for those who request it. Another access point is the cooperative’s goal of having 32% nonwhite employees by 2018. Saying these numbers were soft and inadequate, however, community organizers called for a 70% goal.

The new store opened on October 6, 2015. By November 1, over 1,000 new owners had joined at the new location. Seward Co-op also exceeded its 2018 diversity goal ahead of target in 2015 by 3%, and today 61% of the new store’s staff are people of color. Moreover, the owners of the cooperative have confirmed their commitment to racial equity, as five of the nine board members are now people of color, making the cooperative the most diverse one of its scale in the country.

While this success is admirable, it should be noted that this kind of equity work in the food movement is the exception and not the rule. Indeed, it should be the goal of every food cooperative to embrace diversity by strategically working on racial and economic equity.

Living Water Gardens is located on the outskirts of Wells, Minn., about 100 miles southwest of the Twin Cities. Three generations work together and handle the operation that grows 7,000 tomato plants and a variety of other vegetables in hot and humid greenhouses situated on roughly an acre of land. Like many of the producers that make their way onto Seward Co-op’s shelves, Living Water Gardens looks for opportunities to incorporate sustainable practices whenever possible. But the real difference is that they’ve traded in soil and earth for water and hydroponics. The water used at Living Water Gardens is the secret ingredient in the cultivation of their delicious produce. It tends to have high levels of iron, which cause frustration when they build up and clog the irrigation system, but it yields a tasty and nutrient-dense tomato.

The hydroponic process is quite involved and begins with starting seeds in rockwool, a fabric that promotes growth and decreases the spread of disease. Once the seeds bloom into healthy seedlings, they are moved from the nursery to the greenhouse, which provides ideally controlled growing conditions. To keep the greenhouses between 70–85F., old pallets are burned. Living Water Gardens partners with an organization that collects, bundles, and delivers pallets that would otherwise end up in a landfill. In the greenhouse, tomato plants are strung up on a single-string trellis system where they are able to reach their ideal “working height” and produce fruit from April­ to December.

In the spring, the well-being of honey bees is at the forefront of our minds. After all, we all benefit from a thriving bee population. Learn more below about how to get involved in supporting a healthy bee population!

Beekeeping 101 with the Beez Kneez
Monday, April 4, 6:30–8 p.m.
Kristy Lynn Allen, the Beez Kneez
$12/$10 co-op owners
Franklin store

Learn about the basics of starting your own hive, bee biology and bee advocacy from the Beez Kneez, a social enterprise working to “revive the hive for healthy bees, healthy lives.”

Click here to register!

Healthy Bees, Healthy Lives
Saturday, April 9, noon–3 p.m.
Both stores

Join our friends from The Beez Kneez bicycle-delivered honey to celebrate “Healthy Bees, Healthy Lives”, a campaign created by The Beez Kneez to protect pollinators from harmful pesticides and other chemicals. On Saturday, April 9 they will be in the stores promoting the annual Dandelion Honey Pastry Chef Challenge coming up on Wednesday, April 13th. We’ll be sampling their different honey varieties in store as well as the return of Honeybee Cream Puffs made by our bakery using Beez Knees honey.

Maytag Dairy Farms is expanding its voluntary recall of Maytag blue cheese wedges, wheels and crumbles because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Between Nov. 24, 2015 and Feb. 28, 2016 Seward Co-op may have sold products with lot numbers affected by this recall at both the Franklin and Friendship stores. See list below.

If you purchased any of the above products at Seward Co-op between Nov. 24, 2015 and Feb. 28, 2016, recalled products will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk. Questions may be directed to Seward Co-op’s Franklin store at 612.338.2465 or Friendship store at 612.230.5595.

Jack and the Green Sprouts is issuing a voluntary recall of its Alfalfa Sprouts and Alfalfa Onion Sprouts out of caution due to illness that is unofficially linked to the sprouts. All tests done for contamination have come back negative. There are no known contaminations. Between Feb. 1, 2016 and Feb. 25, 2016, Seward Co-op sold products affected by this recall at both the Franklin and Friendship stores.

Jack and the Green Sprouts Alfalfa Sprouts – 5 oz. ($1.49/ea.)
UPC: 76324719891

Jack and the Green Sprouts Alfalfa Onion Sprouts – 5 oz. ($1.49/ea.)
UPC: 76324719594

If you purchased the above product at Seward Co-op between Feb. 1, 2016 and Feb. 25, 2016, recalled products will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk. Questions may be directed to Seward Co-op’s Franklin store at 612.338.2465 or Friendship store at 612.230.5595.