In past years, the Twin Cities Area Food Co-ops have participated in the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign, a program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches that provides funds, food and educational materials to more than 300 food shelves across the state. Last year the Minnesota food co-ops that participated together raised a total of 126,489.19 lbs./dollars for food shelves across the state, making it the third most successful corporate campaign in the state!

This year campaign’s collaborative efforts include food co-ops throughout the state of Minnesota. This means that co-ops across the state will be running similar campaigns for their communities, and the food drive will make an even bigger impact on Minnesotans!

All donations made at any of Seward Co-op’s locations will go to this month’s SEED recipient: the Brian Coyle Food Shelf. Brian Coyle Community Center’s Basic Needs program offers a choice model food shelf, healthy cultural cooking classes, free produce giveaways, monthly senior NAPS food program, and is working toward expanding its community garden on site. Funding will support the purchase of fresh produce, dairy, whole grains and culturally-specific foods for the food shelf.

Spring, the season of new beginnings is on the way, and that calls for celebration. Soon, the scent of cherry blossoms and blooming tulips will fill the air, and the days will start to get a little longer. Everything will transform from brown to green before we know it. Farmers and gardeners are already starting to chatter about planting seeds, and there’s a local buzz about farmer’s markets and CSA opportunities. However you choose to honor spring, we have everything you need for a bountiful one!

Produce: Green-top carrots and asparagus make a great accompaniment to any feast. Spring lilies, azalea trees, and hydrangeas make great centerpieces and are another way to bring the outdoors in. We also have a vast selection of vegetable and flower seeds for starting seedlings indoors!

Cheese: Gruyere, the perfect melting cheese is on sale for $12.99/lb. (reg. $17.99/lb.) through 3/29. Add it to home-made quiches, potatoes, or have it in fondue!

Deli: Our Deli makes an assortment of quiches daily, stop in early for the best selection! Prices range from $8.89/lb.–9.59/lb.

Grocery: We have an abundance of candy ranging from jelly beans to chocolate, just waiting to be tucked into a basket! We also offer frozen pastry crusts sure to make a foolproof foundation for a quick quiche!

Home & Gifts: Wooden Eggs craft kits with Natural Earth paint are an excellent vegan alternative for “egg” dyeing, stop in to pick one up soon because these won’t last long!

Meat & Seafood: Looking to try something different at this year’s Spring Feast? Roast a whole Wild Acres duck now only $4.99/lb. through 3/29!

Saturday, March 26: Look for special demos throughout the stores featuring Spring celebration-inspired items.

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.

Jack and the Green Sprouts is issuing a voluntary recall of its Alfalfa seeds out of caution due to illness that is unofficially linked to the seeds. All tests done for contamination have come back negative. There are no known contaminations. Between Nov. 27 2015-Feb 25 2016, Seward Co-op sold product affected by this recall at both the Franklin and Friendship stores.

Jack and the Green Sprouts Alfalfa Seeds – bulk item ($17.49/lb.)
PLU: 2604

If you purchased the above product at Seward Co-op between Nov. 27 2015-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.

Seward Co-op is issuing a voluntarily recall of its Chicken Italian Sausage Links because they have the potential to contain bone fragment. Between Feb. 3, 2016 and Feb. 24, 2016, Seward Co-op sold the product affected by this recall at both the Franklin and Friendship stores.

Seward Co-op Chicken Italian Sausage ($8.99/lb.)
Links, approximately 1/3 pound per piece
UPC: 00207316xxxxx

If you purchased any of the above products at Seward Co-op between Feb. 3, 2016 and Feb. 24, 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.

As we enter into the month of March many of us are craving tropical fruits and the warm, sweet sunshine they bring to our kitchens. I am reminded every year by Travis, the produce manager at our Franklin store, that March is mango month. I then remind him that mangoes don’t really come into season until April or May and that we should call it “May-ngo” month instead. I like his catch phrase “March On Mangoes” though, because at this time of year, I really feel like I’m just “marching on”; waiting for spring to come, waiting for local farmers to start selling their first harvests, waiting for the days to get longer and the air to become fragrant with tree blossoms.

Mangoes are one of the world’s most popular fruits and there are hundreds of varieties, yet we are only fortunate enough to sample a few here in Minnesota. The types of mangoes that come through our doors are: Tommy Atkins, Kent, Keitt, Ataulfo, and if we’re really lucky, the Francique mango from Haiti.

Tommy Atkins, Kent and Keitt mangoes are rounded and green to golden red skinned. When ripe, the fruit is sweet and luscious.

Ataulfo Mangoes, also known as champagne mangoes, are oblong with a smooth skin ranging from greenish to deep golden. The smooth, custardy flesh is piney sweet, sometimes accented with a bit of a tang.

A related variety, the Francique, comes from Haiti tasting musky sweet. These mangoes are Haiti’s top export crop and, in some areas, represent a solution to the country’s massive deforestation problem – if small farmers can sell export-quality fruit from grafts on weed-mango trees, they won’t chop the trees and sell them for charcoal. We hope to see some this season.

Pick a mango by its smell and feel. A ripe mango will smell exciting, and will give when you press it very gently, like a peach. Ripen mangoes by leaving them on the counter in a paper bag or with a banana. Whatever you do, don’t refrigerate them! This discolors the flesh and leaches out the flavor. If you cut one that’s gray inside, it’s probably been chilled. Mostly, skin color doesn’t indicate ripeness; sometimes what’s green on the outside is sunshiny orange inside.

Mangoes complement many foods including: ice cream, soft cheese, fish and seafood, chicken, and black bean soup, to name a few. They can be diced and added to salsas, mixed with banana and papaya for a tropical salad, or blended into smoothies. Mango chutney is a classic condiment for Indian meals. While most people love the mango for its sweetness, you can eat them even when green. Sprinkled with chili powder and lime juice, they taste a lot like pickles.

Most mangoes that come from outside the US are dipped in a hot water bath. Mangoes hate this! They are dipped in this hot water bath to remove a potentially invasive fruit fly species that are prevalent in certain areas of Mexico and South America. It changes the texture and flavor-which is why we are always especially excited when we can source undipped mangoes. The Baja region doesn’t have these types of fruit flies, so they are usually undipped when they sourced from that region. Once ripe, they are especially sweet and juicy. Undipped mangoes are only available infrequently, so indulge!

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

On Saturday, Feb. 13, P6 vendors, local artists, and Seward staff came together to make the Friendship Grand Opening Celebration a success. Local musician, Chrys Carroll performed with Ayanna Muata for eventgoers in the classroom, while Seward staff painted kids’ faces and handed out free cookies from Seward’s Bakery. Just Coffee Cooperative, a P6 coffee vendor out of Madison, Wis., served 18 Milk Wagons, a coffee made especially for our Co-op Creamery Café. P6 producers Red Table Meat Company, Lone Grazer Creamery, and LUV Ice Cream shared samples with attendees. In addition to meeting local producers, shoppers had the opportunity to connect with staff and learn more about Seward’s recent expansion and our Nourish program, as well as talk with Chef Lucas Almendinger from the Co-op Creamery Café. It was a well-attended event with great energy; thank you to everyone who came out to show their support! Click here to see a photo gallery.