Quick Tastes of Summer
The season of our gardens’ bounty is upon us (or it’s about to be). And while we have more daylight to enjoy and more fresh foods than ever, sometimes our precious days seem to fly away before we can even think, “What’s for dinner?!” Fortunately, this is also the perfect season for uncomplicated meals. Most nights, something for the grill, crisp lettuce, a juicy tomato and corn can be the most satisfying thing. Whatever your summer food challenge, we have the goods to liven up your palate.
What to pack for a long bike trip?
Wayne—one of those wacky cats whom you might find biking to Duluth or Grand Rapids on his days off—swears by the nutritious and delicious “live food” Raw Revolution bars that contain sprouted flax seeds. Gorp, sold in bulk, is always wonderful by the handful. Don’t forget the fruit and water all the way. Take along some energy nuggets, too. We have more flavors than ever, from Cacao Goji Berry to Wild Cranberry-Apricot … they’re great for munching as you Cha-Cha Chia your way into Cotton.
What to bring on a picnic?
Hit that deli cooler for ready-made sandwiches, salads and cold drinks. Grab a new snack mix from the bulk department; pack some fresh carrots and fruit, like a juicy red pear to go with some smoked gouda, Poplar Hill’s creamy Minnesota Montrachet (goat cheese) or extra sharp Tillamook cheddar. For another natural match with cheese, don’t forget we now have summer sausage in the freezer, where you can also find a delicious guacamole that goes great with Stacey’s multigrain pita chips. Delicious Holy Land hummus makes a great dip or spread for veggies, grain crackers, pita or their own flat bread called lavash, also stored in the cooler.
For a make-your-own dish, Anne Carter likes a cool pasta salad with fresh veggies. Now is the time to enjoy more raw foods, too. Zucchini, cucumber and green pepper, sunflower seeds and sprouts add a little raw power to your summer salad. Give the salad a kick with a liberal handful of fresh basil, and enjoy!
What to eat after a long day in the garden?
We asked busy farmer and co-op board member Janna Goerdt for her most common quick meals. In the summer, she likes to make an everything salad and heirloom tomato bruschetta. “For the salad, we just take whatever is fresh and growing outside—greens, spinach, radish, tomatoes, basil, cilantro, cukes, carrots, strawberries, whatever— and add what we might have in the fridge—a sweet pepper, feta cheese, hard-boiled eggs, pickled beets—then we cook one of our free-range chicken breasts, simply sauté it in olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper, cut that up and add it to the salad. If we have any good bread, we rip up some chunks, heat up more olive oil, and sauté the bread until it’s crispy and chewy, and those are our croutons. Add dressing, and you have a meal!
“But my absolute favorite is the bruschetta. Chop up a few cups of heirloom tomatoes, add a few tablespoons of chopped basil, a good drizzle of good olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar. Mix all that up and let it sit a minute. Meanwhile, slice some good crusty bread, I like sourdough bread, and heat a layer of olive oil in a small sauté pan. When the oil is hot, add the bread, let it crisp on one side, flip over and crisp the other side. When you have all your bread made, the tomatoes are ready to be piled on top. Just pile and munch, pile and munch. Don’t put the tomatoes on top too early or the bread will get soggy.”
Local Farmers’ Produce Sings
Summer is surely the most enticing season for our fresh produce offerings—not only are so many delicious fruits and veggies in season, but they are often raised by some of our fabulous producers just miles from our store! Just take a look at the lettuce, it’s practically whistling a happy tune. So lush and bright and big and green, this is the season when our organic local produce really shines. And the taste is divine. Here’s what you can expect from our local farmers this year. If you don’t know them already, stop in for a taste of their delicious labors.
Mike Olund (Brimson)
– Green and red leaf lettuce in now!
– Kale – also an early season favorite
– Tomatoes
– Cherry Tomatoes
– Cukes
– Flowers
Diane Dickey (Brimson)
– Basil
– Chard
Gail Hilgendorf (Gilbert)
– Snap Peas
– Green Beans
– Summer Squash
– some cukes
– some tomatoes
Janna Goerdt (Embarrass) – We just started getting produce and eggs from her Fat Chicken Farm last year. We have her greentop radishes and spring mix in now!
– Swiss Chard
– Spinach
– Parsley
– Cilantro
– Radishes
– Broccoli
– late-season Lettuce
– Greentop Carrots
– Black Cherry Tomatoes
– Sweet Potatoes
– Winter Squash
Tim & Becky Pretasky (Meadowlands) – The Pretaskys started selling to us last year, and they are gearing up to sell us asparagus next year! They also are a part of the Moose Lake Farmer’s Market.
– Green Cabbage
– Potatoes
Dave Pearson (Cook) – We started carrying Pearson’s deliciously abundant root veggies last year.
– Rutabagas
– Onions
– Beets
Karla Melnotte (Cherry) – wild Blueberries
Al Mobraten (Forbes) – Raspberries
Sherri Erickson – Strawberries and more
Board Report
Food was on the minds of those who attended the Natural Harvest Co-op’s annual meeting on April 29 at the Mt. Iron Community Center—from enjoying the pasta bar meal to watching clips of “Food, Inc.” to having a lively discussion about building a local food community.
About 65 members were at the meeting. General Manager Anne Carter presented an update on the store’s activities, including installing new automatic doors and participating in the recent Earth Fest events. Store sales in 2009 totaled more than $1.4 million, Carter said, with a net profit of $26,000. In March, the store saw its second highest sales month ever.
The Co-op’s board of directors welcomed returning board members Joyce Giblin and Karen Lillibridge and new board member Janna Goerdt. Following the meal, board members moderated a conversation about creating a vibrant local food scene—from growing to buying to cooking fresh, local ingredients.
Perhaps, co-op members said, that means utilizing the Virginia Greenhouse to grow food right in town. Perhaps it means holding more cooking classes at the co-op so people know just what to do with that fresh, locally-grown kale and rhubarb. Perhaps it means teaching people how to make the most of our short growing season.
It will certainly mean placing enough value on fresh, local food to be willing to pay for it, members said. And it will mean helping both adults and children understand just where their food actually comes from. Board member Jessica Cox suggested trying to answer this question: where does pizza come from? Tracing the origins of that ordinary food — from the cheese and the sauce and the crust all the way back to the milk and the tomatoes and the wheat – is a way to start talking about how food moves from the ground to our shopping carts.—Janna Goerdt
NEW GROCERY PRODUCTS – April/May 2010!
Condiments/Oils/Vinegars/Spreads/Cookies/Crackers/Granola Bars
Cholula hot sauce; Santa Cruz Strawberry-Apple sauce; Native Forest organic pineapple rings; Glutino Lemon wafer cookies; Seeds of Change organic salad dressings: Greek feta vinaigrette & roasted red pepper
Soups/Chilies/Indian/Asian/Salsas/Canned Tomatoes/Tuna/Pasta/Beans
Frontera salsas & taco, enchilada and fajita sauces; Seeds of Change Korma simmer sauce; Lundberg brown rice GF couscous; Edward & Sons roasted garlic instant mashed potatoes; Annie’s skillet pasta meals; Eden Mexican flavored rice & beans
Cereals/Baking/Mixes/Tea/Instant coffees
Earth’s Best baby food & teething biscuits; Bakery on Main Fiber Power GF granola; Udi’s GF granola’s; Erewhon GF strawberry crisp cereal; Republic of Tea cherry vanilla traveler tins
Chips/Snacks/Pretzels
Stacey’s Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips; Pirate Booty original puffs; Lundberg wasabi rice chips
Chocolate/Energy bars/Candy/Licorice
Endangered Species dark chocolate blueberry bar; Alter Eco dark chocolate bar with quinoa crisps (think Nestle crunch for adults!); Panda Cherry Chew Box
Local Pork – Limited Time Only!
We are pleased to announce that we were finally able to replenish the shelves at Natural Harvest. We brought bacon, sausages, pork chops, roasts, ribs (both country style and spare ribs), and pork cutlets.
I hesitate to brag….but I just have to! The sausages are even better than last year. Super moist and juicy. McDonalds Meat did a wonderful job taking our pork and making regular brats, wild rice brats (our top seller), Italian links, and little breakfast links. You won’t believe how yummy they are.
New this year are pork cutlets. We hadn’t had those made before. So we held back 3 packages before we delivered The Coop’s meat so we could play with them here at home. Think of it as a pork minute steak. It’s a small piece of meat that was run through the tenderizer. There is no waste and it cooks up super fast.
All I did to prepare them was put a little olive oil in the bottom of a pan (I use cast iron…but you can use whatever you like). Fry on medium (or a smidge higher) heat ’til you see the blood rising to the top of the meat, flip over and brown nicely. You only want to cook them til there’s no pink in the middle. They cook up super fast. And boy, were they ever juicy. Two of them I cooked plain, two I just salted and peppered, and two I sprinkled with garlic, salt, pepper and ground fennel. All were just great.
The bummer? We only had those made for the Co-op, so our family has none for our freezer and none to sell at the Farmer’s Market. — Mary Ann Wycoff, of Bear Creek Acres
