People often joke about how much Minnesotans like to talk about the weather. When it comes to produce, however, weather is not just small talk–for the most part, it is the reason we have or do not have produce to sell.

This is true locally – a late frost in spring can wipe out an entire autumn apple crop and a hot summer can cause cool weather loving lettuces and radishes to bolt requiring our buyers to bring these items in from California. Perhaps because we know and expect extreme weather fluctuations in the Midwest uncertain produce availability is easier to understand.

On the contrary, we have come to expect a constant, consistent, and copious supply of produce from California and Mexico. But uncertain weather conditions on the Western seaboard can have a dramatic impact on the produce we take for granted.

The drought in California over the past few years has been the topic of weather conversations and has raised fears over produce prices and availability. However, it was winter precipitation courtesy of El Nino that caused recent disruptions in the supply chain. In the first week of January, from the deserts to the mountains there was anywhere from a quarter-inch of rain to 12-feet of snow in the Sierras. As a result, despite sourcing daily from four distributors we saw some significant shortages in the produce department.

For vegetable crops, the rain came at a critical time of transition. Some parts of the state were already harvesting but others were preparing fields for planting. The rain prevented crews from doing either. The delay in planting will continue to impact availability in the coming weeks.

Luckily, we still have root crops stored from local harvests to sustain us. Some such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and onions are familiar staples. Others, like celeriac, are less frequently used but offer hardy substitutions when their tender counterpart (celery) is unavailable. Underappreciated and underutilized in the winter months are the roots in the brassica family: turnips and rutabagas.

Turnips are one of the earliest cultivated vegetables. What began as a spindly root has developed over centuries into several varieties ranging in color from pure white to deep magenta and in flavor from sweet to pungent. The white salad turnips of the summer tend to be crisp, juicy and sweet. The gold, scarlet, and purple top turnips are also crisp but tend to be denser and more assertively flavored. While winter turnips have a lovely mustardy flavor raw, their buttery sweetness is drawn out when tossed in oil and roasted.

Rutabaga or swede is closely related to the turnip and may be a cross between the turnip and cabbage species. Rutabaga is milder, sweeter and starchier than a turnip. The pale yellow flesh is rendered sweeter and more golden by cooking. Boil and mash rutabagas for a rich and peppery alternative to mashed potatoes, add to soups, or roast with rosemary and thyme along with other winter vegetables such as squash, onions, potatoes, and beets.

Winter Roots Soup

1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped

4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch fresh thyme

1 ½ cup celeriac, peeled and roughly diced

3 cups mix of rutabaga, turnips, and russet potatoes, peeled and roughly diced

2 ½ quarts organic chicken stock

½ cup single cream

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3-4 Tbsp. truffle oil

In a large pot, cook the onion in the olive oil for about five minutes until translucent and soft but not browned. Add the diced vegetables, a bunch of thyme tied with kitchen twine, and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the cream, bring back to a boil, then remove the thyme and purée. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then add the truffle oil tablespoon by tablespoon until the soup is flavored to your taste. Keep in mind, the oil can vary in strength depending on the brand. Finish with chopped parsley and thyme.

Ginger Glazed Turnips
Now is the perfect time to make these ginger glazed turnips as all of the ingredients are in their prime.

The yellow ginger harvest has begun in Hawaii and we are once again receiving weekly shipments direct from Kolo Kai farm. This ginger is the freshest we see all year – harvested on Mondays we receive shipments each Wednesday. The papery skin is just starting to develop so for the most part no peeling is required. Juicy and tender, the ginger grates like butter.

Citrus season is also in full swing and while a navel or Valencia orange would work well for this recipe, one could also play around with specialty citrus. Try a TDE tangerine for a robust orange flavor with a pert but balanced acidity. Or a blood orange for its berry-like accent. Or choose from any of the many rotating oranges, tangerines, or mandarins that will come and go over the next few months.
When selecting turnips, choose from scarlet, gold or purple-top turnips.

1 lb. turnips, scrubbed and cut into wedges

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1-inch piece of ginger, grated

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. honey

Juice and zest from ½ orange

3-4 sprigs thyme

Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the turnip wedges and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the turnips begin to caramelize (about 10 minutes). Add the ginger, garlic, honey; stir to combine. Add orange juice and thyme and cook until the juice has reduced into a glaze. Finish with zest and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Rutabaga Latkes
Just about any recipe that calls for potatoes can be made more flavorful and healthful by substituting with rutabaga. Latkes, or potato pancakes, are often associated with Hanukkah but they have far reaching roots in many European cuisines. They are incredibly versatile–they can be made with a number of different vegetables and can be made savory or sweet. My personal favorite are rutabaga latkes with smoked salmon and crème fraiche.

1½ lbs. rutabaga, grated

½ cup white onion, grated

1 tbsp chopped garlic

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

4 eggs, beaten

4 tbsp Grapeseed oil

Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until translucent but do not brown. Add rutabaga and cook until just tender. Remove from the skillet and allow to cool in a large bowl. Once the vegetables have cooled, add the salt, pepper, and eggs. Stir to coat the vegetable mixture. Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Using a small ladle or measuring cup, add scoops of mixture to the skillet and flatten. Cook until browned on both sides. Serve with lox and crème fraiche garnished with chives.

Low and slow is the way to go whenever cooking goat. As a starting point, follow the same cooking techniques that you would when cooking lamb. This slow cooker goat taco recipe is accessible to both newbies and seasoned veterans.

Ingredients

1 14 oz. can tomato sauce

3 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely minced

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 Tbsp. plus 2 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 teaspoons dry mustard

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 lb. mountain goat roast

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Season the meat simply with salt and pepper. Over medium high heat, add a bit of oil to a frying pan and sear quickly on all sides, then remove meat from frying pan.

In the same frying pan, over medium heat add the chopped onion and sauté for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the cider vinegar and deglaze pan.

In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine tomato sauce, chiles, agave nectar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder and salt.

Add the goat roast, onion, vinegar and garlic and stir to cover meat thoroughly.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low until the meat can be pulled apart – about 12 hours.

Check often to make sure it’s not getting dried out. If the liquid levels are getting low add some water, broth or more tomato sauce.

When done, shred mountain goat with a fork right in the crock. Stir well then serve.

Co-op Creamery Café Updates

The co-op’s new restaurant finished 2015 with a bang, having been named one of the best new restaurants of the year by Mpls St. Paul Magazine and a Top Ten new restaurant by the Star Tribune’s Rick Nelson. As we head into 2016, we have several Creamery updates to announce. As of January 18, the café has new winter hours:

8 a.m.–2 p.m. Daily
4–10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Beginning Jan. 19, we will have a robust new happy hour, running Tuesday through Saturday, from 4–6 p.m., featuring two-for-one tap beers and $4 glasses of house wine. The new happy hour boasts great food specials too.

Also starting in January, Tuesday nights are Owners’ Night. All Seward Co-op owners receive 15% off their entire purchase between 6 and 10 p.m. (not valid with any other discounts or incentives).

We’ll announce more Creamery specials in the months to come. If you’re interested in receiving updates about the café and special incentives, visit the Co-op Creamery website to sign up for the Co-op Creamery e-newsletter.

In 2011, Seward Co-op launched SEED, a fundraising program that allows customers to “round-up” their grocery bill for recipient organizations that share our commitment to a healthy community. Since then, the co-op has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that have gone back into the community.

This past December, the co-op set a new SEED record when it raised $24,099 for Isuroon Ethnic Food Shelf in a single month. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the 50,081 customers who made this possible. Isuroon is dedicated to building Somali women’s self-sufficiency so that they can lead healthier, more productive lives in Minnesota, nationally and in Somalia. Funding will support the creation of an ethnic food shelf serving the Somali community in South Minneapolis.

Seward Co-op worked with local design firm Replace on many of the internal and external design elements of the Co-op Creamery Cafe. The design elements call out the building’s history as home to an early 20th-century milk drivers cooperative. Watch the video tour of the Creamery that goes behind the scenes through the production kitchen.

Seward Co-op’s Annual Super Bowl Snack Off! Saturday, February 6, noon–3pm

The Seward Co-op has everything you need to prep for the big game! Stop by the Franklin and Friendship stores on Saturday, Feb. 6 from noon–3pm to sample your favorite game-day munchies and pick up some ready-made snacks from our deli to make entertaining a breeze.

Evan Healy announced a recall involving Chamomile Eye Cream (0.5 oz; retail $31.99). The recall is being issued due to reports of contamination and mold. We have removed all product from the shelf and will discontinue the item.

We will be providing an alternative from Evan Healy, their Certified Organic Wild Carrot Nourishing Eye Balm. Recalled products will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk.

The affected product’s UPC code is UPC: 6081783501030 would have been sold between January 26 and December 30, 2015.

More specific information, with manufacturer codes and dates of affected product, may be found at http://www.evanhealy.com/.