Where you live shouldn’t determine whether or not you have access to healthy, affordable foods. Unfortunately, that’s the reality for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans who currently live in communities without sufficient access to a grocery store.

The MN legislature is currently in final budget negotiations. It, along with Governor Walz, will decide whether to help address Minnesota’s food access challenges by reinvesting in the Good Food Access Program. Seward Co-op is collaborating with coalition members from the Good Food Access Campaign, and other Twin Cities co-ops, to support food access for all at a policy level.

The Good Food Access Program was created in 2016 to provide resources and support to small food retailers – from grocery stores to corner stores, farmers’ markets and more – who are working to increase access to healthy, affordable foods. Despite this progress, food access challenges still exist in Minnesota, and now this work is at risk. Without a new investment this legislative session, funding for the Good Food Access Program will run out this year.

Please take a moment to contact Gov. Walz and ask him to support the Good Food Access Fund. Thank you to Hunger Solutions for supporting our food access efforts and setting legislative priorities.

This small-business, big-ideas competition helps bring together, support, and celebrate the entrepreneurs in our community. This competition is proudly brought to you by the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association and is for both small business owners who are growing and emerging. Compete for cash prizes and business incentives in a supportive, community environment. Seward Co-op is proud to be a sponsor of this event.

Q: Why Powderhorn Shark Tank?
A: To create a community-focused space to support home-grown businesses and ideas to succeed and thrive. Unlike many traditional business competitions, Jurors rank the proposals based on more than profitability; applications are evaluated on how deeply they address a societal need and how rooted the business is in the community.

Q: Who is an entrepreneur? Who is eligible?
A: Any Minneapolis resident with an idea to sell is eligible to apply to Shark Tank. Many applicants are first-time entrepreneurs, and most have never participated in a business competition before. All competitors must be over the age of 16 at the time of the competition

Q: Who wins Shark Tank?
A: We have prizes for start-ups and established businesses. Winners were from a range of industries – food, drinks, repair, salon, craft – but they were all ranked highly for their presentations and proven need in the community. Here are the winners from last year’s 2018 Shark Tank Competition:

Start Up Winners:
rabbit Grub (fb @rabbitgrub)—bike-powered vegan food
Good Barrel Kombucha (ig @goodbarrelkombucha)—Minneapolis kombucha in Minnesota barrels

Emerging Winners:
Support Local Hustle (ig @picklewitch)—Black, Indigenous, People of Color collective
Jaxonmade (ig @jaxonmade)—home of handcrafted design, custom upholstery and furniture repair

Established Winners:
Curl Power (ig @curlpowersalon)—presents Curl Camp! Curl education, cleanse, and style session for parents of curly kids
Hamburguesas el Gordo (@hamburguesas_el_gordo)—Authentic Mexican food in the Twin Cities

Q: Where do I go for further information?
A: All information about applying for Shark Tank and attending the event can be found at https://www.ppna.org/powderhornsharktank

Application Deadline: Feb. 28, 2019 | Powderhorn Shark Tank Event: May 18, 2019

Watermelon Water Recall

A recall of Watermelon Water has been initiated by World Waters, LLC due to the potential presence of soft plastic that may be loosely floating in the finished product. While they are unaware of any adverse events associated with this product to date, the presence of the plastic could potentially be a choking hazard. This is a voluntary recall made with the knowledge of the Food and Drug Administration. Affected product was on the shelves at both Seward Co-op stores at the time of the recall.

Seward Co-op has removed all affected product from shelves. The recall includes:

Watermelon Water
UPC: 852921005004
$4.49

Affected product has a lot code and expiration date of:

AW00719 3/9/2019
AW01419 3/16/2019
AW00219 3/4/2019
AW00719 3/9/2019
AW00319 3/5/2019
AW00919 3/11/2019

If you purchased this product at Seward Co-op between Nov. 8, 2018, and Feb. 8, 2019, you will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desks. For questions and additional information, email customercare@wtrmlnwtr.com, or call (719) 284-9699.

WIC began transitioning from paper vouchers to an electronic payment card on Jan. 24. We’re excited that the new system provides a more consistent checkout experience for all customers, as well as some added flexibility for customers as to how and when to use WIC benefits. Seward Co-op shoppers may notice some changes around the stores as part of the federally required switch to eWIC.

Our Commitment to WIC
WIC (Women Infants and Children) is a program that provides resources to eligible families with young children. Seward Co-op became an authorized WIC retailer in the 1980s. We share WIC’s goal of ensuring young children receive good nutrition, and Seward Co-op’s mission is to sustain a healthy community.

New WIC Product Requirements
While Seward Co-op continues to negotiate alternatives, we now stock items required by WIC such as prepacked cheese, non-organic whole wheat pasta, and white eggs “with no attributes.” WIC determined “attributes” include cage-free, organic, brown and nutritionally enhanced.

Seward Co-op remains committed to the WIC program. We are proud to support access to healthy food for children and families. To participate in WIC, stores are required to carry all products specified in the program. At this time, we can’t opt out of certain items or provide alternatives as we have in the past.

For years, Seward Co-op subsidized key products to ensure access to cage-free eggs and certain organic products, such as baby food. Now that eWIC has launched, we must adhere to the new approved product list.

We worked with our distributors to bring in WIC-eligible cheese. Seward Co-op continues to look for distribution options to help expand our offerings while complying with the approved product list.

Contact WIC Office
Seward Co-op prioritizes products from humanely raised animals. We are working with the MN WIC office to advocate for quality food we believe should be available to everyone.

Your feedback may help create change. Seward Co-op staff encourages you to share your thoughts and concerns with the MN WIC office at 651-201-4444.

Busy and on a budget? Our Nourish program is a great resource for meal planning or feeding a family of four in a snap. Reach for our list of Nourish staples (food and wellness items offered at a low price every day) and Nourish recipes, available at Customer Service. Nourish also includes needs-based discounts and classes.

Seward-made rotisserie chicken and ready-to-eat beans and brown rice serve as building blocks for easy, budget-friendly meals.

Try this simple recipe using ingredients from Community Foods producers that are also part of our Nourish program. Our rotisserie chicken is sourced from Kadejan in Glenwood, Minnesota. Salsa Lisa is a small, local, woman-owned business in St. Paul.

Easy Weeknight Chicken Burrito Bowl

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
•2 cups shredded Seward-made
rotisserie chicken
•1/2 lb. each Seward-made rice
and beans from the Deli
•1 cup Salsa Lisa salsa
•1/2 cup sour cream
•2 cups shredded green lettuce
•1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
cheese

Directions
Grab your ingredients at Seward Co-op. Assemble at home. Enjoy! Vegetarian? Use avocado instead of chicken. Vegan? Make a simple guacamole instead of using sour cream and cheese. Or try our selection of vegan cheeses. We love Punk Rawk Labs, a small, local, woman-owned Community Foods producer that makes nut milk cheeses right here in
Minneapolis.

For a super easy meal, top the burrito bowl with ingredients from our salad bar that have already been washed and prepped. .

“Staples” signs on the shelves highlight great everyday deals and some of the co-op’s most affordable foods and wellness products. All Seward-made products are part of the Community Foods program

Pro tip: Save the chicken bones and make stock that could be used to repurpose the leftovers from this recipe or add flavor and nutrients to another dish.

Features:
•Kadejan Rotisserie Chicken (salt & pepper, herb, or Cajun) $9.99 whole | $5.99 half
•Beans and Brown Rice | Available fresh daily and served hot at the deli counter | $1.99/lb.

Come sit around the “farm table” at the Seward Co-op Creamery Café and learn more about the Cultural Wellness Center, our February SEED recipient.

The Cultural Wellness Center is working on a new project that will create a blend of culinary heritage, self-love, and business incubation for African American food entrepreneurs.

Their new café space will be a cooperative and supportive environment focused on reconnecting, rediscovering and reinventing the culinary traditions of our past.

Enjoy a meal designed by Creamery Café staff and inspired by this work, with ingredients sourced from Community Foods producers.

Three-course dinner: $40

Non-alcoholic beverage pairing: additional $7

Beer, wine and other beverages will be available for purchase.

Click here to purchase tickets now.

Our Sweet Spanish Sausage is based on a traditional Catalan sausage—called Butifarra Dulce. It’s popular during the winter holiday season, with flavors reminiscent of egg nog or mulled wine that are only enhanced by the traditional cooking method of poaching in water or sweet wine with cinnamon and lemon zest.

This sausage features pork and honey from Community Foods producers Peterson Craftsman Meats and The Beez Kneez, as well as sherry, heavy cream, salt, black peppercorn, grains of paradise, lemon zest and sweet cinnamon. Seward-made Sweet Spanish Sausage pairs well with caramelized apples, polenta, braised kale and chickpeas and Tortilla Española.

Grab yours at Seward Co-op to celebrate the season. Here’s how we prepared ours:

Ingredients
2 Seward-made Sweet Spanish Sausage links
2 firm, tart local apples (cut into large wedges)
butter
1/2 c. honey
2 strips lemon peel
1 stick cinnamon
1 c. sweet wine (juice or apple cider works, too, but you may want to cut down the amount of honey so it’s not overly sweet)
1/2 c. water

Directions
In a sauce pan, saute sausage and apple wedges in butter, 2-3 minutes a side, until browned. Remove sausage and apples to separate bowls for later use. Add honey to the sauce pan used for sausage and apples. Add lemon peel, cinnamon, wine and water. This may sputter a bit so use caution. Whisk or swirl to incorporate the honey and wine together. Bring to a bare simmer.

Add the sausage back to the sauce pan and cook 15-20 minutes. You want the liquid to reduce by about half. Flip the sausages occasionally to cook evenly.

Plate with sausage cut on bias. Add browned apple wedges and pour honey/wine mixture over the top. Can be served atop polenta (pictured) or braised kale.

Seward-made Sausage
Seward Co-op’s in-house Sausage team crafts Seward-made sausages, meatloaf, meatballs and pâté with premium ingredients from local Community Foods producers like The Beez Kneez, Whetstone Farm and Peterson Craftsman meats. The department works to be a sort of extension of our whole carcass butchery program—by expanding our charcuterie offerings and making use of everything our farmers and ranchers have to offer. Find Seward-made products in Seward Co-op stores now.

Beef Bourguignon is one of the most quintessential braises. This recipe utilizes a lower cost cut of beef: the shank. It’s flavorfully marbled and ideal for a long, slow-cooking recipe. Your home will smell amazing, and the meat will fall off the bone.

Seward Co-op’s Meat and Seafood department is accepting orders now for special holiday cuts. Place your order now at the Meat counter!

Ingredients

1 large beef shank, approximately 2.5 lbs.

1 large onion, diced small

3 stalks celery, diced small

3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 lb. button mushrooms, quartered

salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. clove or several whole cloves

3/4 c. red wine

2 c. organic Seward-made beef stock (suggest doubling if using Dutch oven)

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 heaping Tbsp. minced garlic

2 rosemary sprigs

4 thyme sprigs

4 Tbsp. Seward-made tallow or duck fat for searing

Cast-iron skillet

Directions
Heat 2 Tbsp. tallow in skillet on high heat. Pat shank dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Sear shank on all sides. Set aside. With tallow, sauté onion, carrot and mushroom. Add garlic and herbs. Stir frequently. Remove vegetables; set aside. Add wine and scrape to deglaze. Add vinegar and stock. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and cover tightly with lid. Braise 3.5-4 hours. Add vegetables and herbs back into the skillet for last hour to 90 minutes. When the meat is tender, remove and set aside tented in foil to rest. Strain liquid, return to pot, simmer and reduce until thickened. Enjoy!