Hello,

Garden of Life LLC is voluntarily withdrawing a Garden of Life RAW MEAL protein powders because they have the potential to contain Salmonella Virchow. Between Sept. 1, 2015, and Jan. 30,2016, 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 Sept. 1, 2015 and Jan. 30, 2016, please return them to either the Franklin or Friendship store customer service desk for a full refund. Various products were offered at a sale price in the time frame that the recall is covering. If you bought the product at a sale price, the Customer Service desk will be able to identify the sale price for the refund. The products that remain on the shelf are lot numbers unaffected by the recall. Questions may be directed to Garden of Life at 1-866-465-0051, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST. Any additional updates can be found at www.seward.coop/posts/productrecalls .

Blood Oranges and Beets

There are a few fruits that I look forward to all year and when they are finally in season, I eat as much of them as I can as often as possible. Not only eaten out of hand, but added to dishes sweet and savory alike. In the winter, during citrus season, the blood orange is my fruit of choice with its sanguine flesh and raspberry flavor.

Blood oranges likely originated in the Mediterranean and they are still the primary orange grown in Italy. In the United States, blood oranges are grown in both Texas and California. The characteristic garnet colored flesh develops with low nighttime temperatures. In Minnesota, most of the blood oranges are imported from California where cool nights this winter have produced a stunning crop.

There are three different varieties – Tarocco, Moro, and Sanguinello. The Moro and Sanguinello have deep red flesh and often a ruddy blush to the skin as well. Moros are more bitter and tend to be more commonly grown in the United States than the sweeter Sanguinello. The Tarocco are the other variety commonly grown in this country. Taroccos have a mostly orange flesh with red veining. They are the sweetest of the three varieties and reportedly have the highest vitamin C content of any orange.

One of my favorite flavor pairings with blood oranges is beetroot. The earthy sweetness of the beetroot is offset beautifully by the ripe brightness of the blood orange. For winter vibrancy, both red and gold beets lend saturated color to the plate and a rich array of vitamins and nutrients to the body. Full of vitamins A, B, C, potassium, folate, manganese and dietary fiber, beets are hailed as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidants, and detoxifying. An added bonus – even in February, our selection of beets is still coming from Heartbeet Farms in Zumbro Falls, Minn.

Blood Orange, Beet, and Fennel Salad

Adapted From Bon Appetit Magazine

2 medium red beets, tops trimmed

2 medium golden beets, tops trimmed

3 blood oranges

1 medium navel orange (preferably Cara Cara)

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced crosswise on a mandoline

1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced on a mandoline (about 1/3 cup)

Good-quality extra-virgin olive, pumpkin seed, or walnut oil (for drizzling)

Coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 400°. Wash beets, leaving some water on skins. Wrap individually in foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let cool.

Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from oranges; discard. Working over a medium bowl, cut between membranes of 2 blood oranges to release segments into bowl; squeeze juice from membranes into bowl and discard membranes. Slice remaining blood orange and Cara Cara orange crosswise into thin rounds. Place sliced oranges in bowl with the segments. Add lemon juice and lime juice.

Peel cooled beets. Slice 2 beets crosswise into thin rounds. Cut remaining 2 beets into wedges. Strain citrus juices; reserve. Layer beets and oranges on plates, dividing evenly. Arrange fennel and onion over beets. Spoon reserved citrus juices over, then drizzle salad generously with oil. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and pepper. Let salad stand for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Garnish salad with cilantro leaves

Pi(e) Day is Monday, March 14! Celebrate by picking up some homemade pie from Seward Co-op. We have whole pies and pies by-the-slice available in a wide range of flavors— key lime, French silk, and raspberry, just to name a few. Whole key lime pies are on special for $21.49 or $3.49/slice. Our pie is handmade by our bakers with the freshest ingredients possible, so be sure to stop in and get a taste.

Right now, the Seward Meat Department offers goat cuts from P6-producer Peters Family Farm in Fountain, Minn., and we’re very excited for you to give it a try.

Seward Co-op was introduced to Travis and Jen of Peters Goat Farm by our former beef producer Bonnie Austin of Hill and Vale. In 2008, the couple acquired a 40-acre plot, situated on a hillside in Minnesota­ — perfect for raising goats. The goats graze mixed grass pastures in season and are fed hay in the winter. This diet makes them slightly sweeter and more delicate than lamb.

While goat might seem an unusual meat to some, the truth is it’s only unusual in the United States. Goats’ popularity throughout the world is a result of their ability to thrive in nearly any environment. Additionally, because they are “browsers” rather than grazers means they have a relatively low impact on farmland.

Here are five other things you maybe didn’t know about goat:

1. Goat is the most widely consumed meat in the world. Seventy percent of red meat eaten worldwide is goat.
2. Goat is quite similar to lamb in how it cooks, so you can cook goat all the ways you’re used to cooking lamb: grilling, roasting, stews, and braising.
3. Goat comes in most of the same cuts as lamb: shoulder, stew meat, ribs, shoulder, etc.
4. A key reason Seward Meat Department is excited about carrying this meat is that goats are a far less environmentally impactful livestock than cattle. They require far less space and are a small footprint livestock.
5. Goat is one of the leanest meats. Comparatively, chicken is twice as fatty, lamb is six times fattier, and pork has nine times the fat of goat.

So, come and get your goat from Peters Family Farm and see what others are eating worldwide.

Nourish Recipe: Two-Ingredient Pancakes

Eating healthfully and affordably can be challenging. Whether you have budget constraints or are just looking for ways to save on your grocery bill, Nourish offers something for everyone. These simple, protein-packed, wheat-free pancakes taste amazing — and they will feed four people for under $10.

Two-Ingredient Pancakes

Ingredients per person:

4 bananas

8 eggs

Method:

Mash up bananas in a large bowl.

Whisk eggs and add to banana paste. Alternately, you can blend eggs and bananas in a food processor.

Fry in a pan with a little heated oil or butter like you would a regular pancake.

Serves 4

Feel free to mix in or top these pancakes with other ingredients from your pantry. Here are some suggestions:

For the batter:

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Small handful of nuts

1 Tbsp. raisins

1 tsp. cinnamon

Small handful of cubed apples or pears

Topping ideas:

Honey

Maple syrup

Cherries, strawberries

Yogurt

Sugar and lemon juice

Friendship Store Grand Opening

Saturday, Feb. 13, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Some of you may have been at our Friendship Store Ribbon Cutting during our Annual Owner Meeting last October. Now it’s time for our Grand Opening celebration! Join us at the Friendship store for a variety of activities, including samples from favorite P6 vendors and raffles for gift cards, meat bundles, and more. Just Coffee Cooperative, a P6 coffee vendor out of Madison, Wis., will be serving 18 Milk Wagons, a coffee made especially for our Co-op Creamery Café. Stop by the Friendship store classroom to grab a cup to sip on while you check out the new store. Local musician Chrys Carroll will perform live music from 11 a.m.–2 pm., and face painting will be available from noon–2 p.m. Be sure to stop at our information tables to learn more about P6, Nourish, and the building of the Friendship store. Hope to see you there!

Valentine’s Day at the Co-op

Sunday, Feb. 14

This Valentine’s Day, treat your sweetheart to brunch at the co-op! The dining areas in both the Franklin and Friendship stores will be decorated with table linens and fresh flowers. You may also choose to wine and dine your valentine at the Co-op Creamery Café, open for brunch from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Otherwise, make sure to stop by one of our stores to get your fresh flowers and dessert. We’ll offer bouquet wrapping at both store locations between 1–5 p.m., and our flourless chocolate cake is the perfect sweet for two to share. While you’re at it, pick up some P6 Sweet Science ice cream and have your cake à la mode.

Care to charm your sweetheart at home? Register for our Valentines Dinner with Jess Delicious class offered at the Friendship store Friday, Feb. 12 from 6:30–8 p.m. and learn how to make a fun and unique dinner for that special someone!

Garden of Life LLC is voluntarily withdrawing a limited quantity of its Raw Meal Organic Shake & Meal chocolate, original, vanilla and vanilla chai because they have the potential to contain Salmonella Virchow. Though Garden of Life routinely performs pathogen testing on every finished good lot to ensure safety and no product has ever tested positive for the presence of Salmonella, the company felt it was in the public’s best interest to take this voluntary action. Between Sept. 1, 2015 and Jan. 30, 2016, Seward Co-op may have sold nine raw meal products with lot numbers affected by this recall at both the Franklin and Friendship stores. If you purchased any of the products below at Seward Co-op during that time period, please return them to either the Franklin or Friendship store customer service desk for a full refund. The products that remain on the shelf are lot numbers unaffected by the recall.

RAW Organic Meal Chocolate (32-35 oz.) retail $57.99
UPC:0065801011593 Lot Numbers: 47198800, 47225900, 47249200, 47226000, 47226100

RAW Organic Meal Chocolate (16-17.4 oz.) retail $26.99
UPC:0065801011695 Lot Numbers:47226200, 47226201, 47247800

RAW Organic Meal (2-3 oz.) retail $5.49
UPC:0065801011553 Lot Number:47214800

RAW Organic Meal (32-35 oz.) retail $57.99
UPC:0065801011414 Lot Numbers: 47214600, 47236000, 47248901, 47246500

RAW Organic Meal (16-17.4 oz.) retail $26.99
UPC:0065801011696 Lot Number:47225800

RAW Organic Meal Vanilla (2-3 oz.) retail $5.49
UPC:0065801011612 Lot Number:47248000

RAW Organic Meal Vanilla (32-35 oz.) retail $57.99
UPC:0065801011602 Lot Numbers:47216100, 47225500, 47198601, 47225600, 47253900, 47216200, 47225601

AW Organic Meal Vanilla (16-17.4 oz.) retail $26.99
UPC:0065801011693 Lot Numbers:47226400, 47257401

Questions may be directed to Garden of Life at 1-866-465-0051, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.

Cajun Boudin sausage returns to the Seward Co-op Meat departments just in time for Mardi Gras! This fantastic variety of sausage will be on sale for the entire month of February at both of our store locations. Cajun cuisine is typically rustic, consisting of rice, hand-stuffed sausages, seafood, and whatever plentiful vegetables that are available. At Seward Co-op, Cajun Boudin is a unique house-made sausage, with a one-to-one ratio of rice and sausage, and a course, loose texture. This sausage is peppery and rich bursting with flavor. Traditionally, the sausage is cooked and then sucked directly out of the casing. However, once heated through and removed from the casing it would make an excellent accompaniment to eggs. Stop in and try this sausage out for yourself, we will be demoing it Friday, Feb. 5 from 4:30–6:30 p.m. at the Franklin store.