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.

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

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

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.

For the most part, even a light frost signals the end of the growing season across the north. But for many members of the brassicaceae family (Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, collard greens), cooler temperatures trigger a survival response that enables them, to not only survive, but improve with hard frosts. As temperatures plummet, these plants sweeten, as starches are converted to sugars as a form of anti-freeze.

Unlike local kales and cabbages, which have grown sweeter as the seasons progress from summer to fall, local Brussels sprouts reappeared a little over a month ago and are truly a seasonal treat both in timing and flavor. A slow-growing crop, Brussels sprouts are started in the spring but aren’t harvested until the late fall, ideally after a transformative frost. We source organic Brussels sprouts from the Thimmesch Farm (La Farge, Wis.), Keewaydin Farm (Viola, Wis.), and Wisconsin Growers Cooperative (Mondovi, Wis.) and receive fresh deliveries up to four days a week.

Select small, bright green sprouts with tightly compact heads. Store in an uncovered bowl in the fridge for a few weeks or longer. The outer leaves may wilt with time but they can be removed just before cooking.

Brussels sprouts may be prepared whole, halved, quartered, chopped, or pulled apart leaf by leaf for salads or tossed in oil and baked for a variation on a kale chip. If cooking whole, be sure to score the base with an ‘x’ to allow the heat to penetrate the core for more even cooking. In their prime, Brussels sprouts are delicious very simply seasoned withbutter or olive oil, lemon juice, salt and roasted in the oven until browned and tender.

I also love a sweet late season Brussel sprouts salad with a warm vinaigrette.

5 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. grainy mustard

1 Tsp. sugar

1 small shallot finely sliced

¼ cup lardons

¼ walnuts

1 lb. Brussels sprouts finely sliced

½ cup loosely packed arugula

Shaved Pecorino Romano

Salt and pepper

Warm the vinegar, mustard, and sugar in a small saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. When the sugar has dissolved, pour the mixture into a small bowl with the sliced shallot. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

In a skillet, brown the lardons then remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon. To the same skillet, add the chopped walnuts and cook also until slightly browned. Remove from heat and add the shallot mixture and a pound of thinly sliced Brussels sprouts. Toss until the sprouts are well coated. Transfer to a bowl, mix in the arugula, thinly shaved Pecorino, and the reserved lardons. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make-ahead meals are great to have waiting in the freezer during the busy holiday season. Healthy family dinners are a priority to many, but sometimes can be difficult. Practical expectations are important for maintaining a manageable and low-stress season. This pasty recipe is easy to multiply or divide to suit any family size, and it keeps well in the freezer for up to eight months. Not to mention, this recipe fits our Nourish standards by feeding a family of four for under $15 ($10 for recipes without meat).

If cooking is out of the question, our Deli offers an extensive selection of other options in the Grab n’ Go. Our Co-op Creamery Café is another option for getting a P6 meal on the go. The daytime menu is served 8 a.m.-3 p.m., and the evening menu is served 5-10 p.m. Stop in for a snack or drink special on your way to and from your holiday shopping during out social hour between 3-5 p.m.

Pasties

Recipe makes 4 servings

Crust:

¼ lb. lard

½ cup boiling water

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ Tbsp. salt

Filling:

1 potato, peeled and diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

½ large rutabaga, peeled and diced

½ lb. ground sirloin

1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped

1 Tbsp. salt

½ Tbsp. black pepper

1 egg whisked for wash

Crust:

Pour boiling water over the lard until the lard is dissolved. Add salt to flour and add this to the water and lard. Mix together until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Filling:

Combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Let sit and meld together, while rolling out the crust. Cut the dough into four even pieces, about five ounces each, and form into balls. Make sure the dough is cold for easier handling. Flour a work surface and roll out each ball of dough into an eight-inch circle, inch thick.

Evenly divide filling into four portions. Put large cupful of filling on one half of the dough circle; dab ice water around the edge of the crust to seal. Add a tsp. of butter on top of the filling before sealing. Fold crust over top of filling like a turnover, and seal edges well. Make three small slits on top of each pasty for venting. Brush top with egg wash.

At this point, you have some options. You can either pop these directly into the oven or freeze the pasties uncooked for up to eight months. To freeze and cook at a later date, wrap individually in aluminum foil then place in a freezer bag to avoid freezer burn. When you wish to cook the frozen pasties, remove from freezer and defrost and follow the instructions that follow. If baking right away, place fresh pasties on parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 425° F for 15 minutes; then turn oven down to 350° F for 60 minutes or until nicely browned.

This time of year is all about gathering, no matter what your celebration looks like. Most soirees are centered around food, family and/or friends. At some point during this season, your host may ask that you bring a dish to pass, a prerequisite for attending most holiday get-togethers. We’ve investigated many potential offerings and landed on this delectable wild rice dressing. We carry a variety of wild rice options at both the Friendship and Franklin stores, but one of our favorites is from the P6 producer Native Harvest.

The Native Harvest product line was founded by legendary Anishinaabe activist and author Winona LaDuke and is produced by White Earth Land Recovery Project (WELRP). Native Harvest was created as part of an effort to preserve indigenous traditions and knowledge, including the protection of native seeds and heritage crops, as well as naturally grown/raised fruits, wild plants, and animals. WELRP also seeks to preserve and restore traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, and community development. Native Harvest’s Mahnomin, or wild rice, grows naturally in the lakes and rivers of Northern Minnesota and is hand harvested and wood parched by tribal members using traditional methods. The wild rice dressing below is not only delicious, but it is also so beautiful it will turn heads as you walk in to your next gathering.

Kale and Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients

2 large bunches of Kale, leaves torn

1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

4 Tbsp. flour

1 cup milk (recommend 2%)

1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

¼ cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk

4 cups cooked wild rice

1 ½ cups gruyere cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 large sweet onions, sliced into thin rings

Salt and pepper

Instructions
Grease a 2–3 quart casserole dish. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add all of the torn kale to the skillet with one cup of water, then cover. Wilt the kale in the skillet for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the kale is wilted and all of the water has been absorbed, remove the kale from the skillet and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the mushrooms into the skillet in a single layer, and let them sizzle until they have caramelized on the bottom. After approximately two minutes, toss them once and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue to cook without stirring for about five minutes.

Add the butter to the skillet and cook until the butter begins to brown. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, thyme and nutmeg and cook for about 10 seconds.

Add the kale back to the skillet with the mushrooms, garlic and spices and toss well.

Sprinkle the flour over the kale and mushrooms and cook for one minute. Add the milk and broth, bring to a boil, and cook two–three minutes or until there is a thick sauce. Add the cream and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked wild rice. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Increase the temperature to medium-high heat and add onions and ¼teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook mixture while stirring constantly, until the onions begin to soften and turn golden brown for about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle half the cheese over the casserole and then add the onions and the remaining cheese.

Bake the casserole for 20–25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the onions are crispy.

Recipe adapted from “Half Baked Harvest”