|
La Montañita Co-op BlogWhat your CDC is up to this FallSeptember 3rd, 2010 | No CommentsAs promised, here’s some of the awesomeness your Co-op Distribution Center (CDC) is currently involved in:  Yes yes yes! With the recent success of those (delicious) local peaches, currently they’re working an order of local cucumbers into APS. Likewise, the CDC is working with Farm and Fiddle to help local melons make their way into Santa Fe schools, and begun working up north with Lynn Waters at Cooking with Kids. Yum! Meanwhile, certified organic apples and pears are appearing from San Juan Orchard in the Nimbres Valley of southern NM. Once the largest apple-growing area of New Mexico, SJO continues supplying some of the tastiest organic fruit our state offers. Look for those in the coming weeks at your home Co-op.  Organic. And destined for your freezer. For those who haven’t acted on the epic quantities of organic chile purchased from Seco Spice with your freezer in mind, worry not. The CDC has purchased a staggering 16,000 lbs. of chile, from which the delis have dutifully roasted, chopped and frozen an entire year’s supply. But while the delis have you covered this winter, wouldn’t you rather stock your own freezer? It’s time to clear those sausage patties and bags of frozen veggies from last April out, anyway. CDC director Michelle Franklin has challenged the Co-op community to prompt another huge purchase, pushing the goal to 32,000 lbs. of fresh, organic chile. If 1,000 people purchased a 25 lb. bushel each, we’d wipe most of that right out! Chile season should last to the first weeks of October, but that’s no reason not to pick up a 25 lb. bag or two for only $34.49! Call your local store for roasting info. While you’re there, don’t forget the new Co+op Deals have started, now twice a month, loaded with great coupons, discounts, and even interesting food profiles. Get your savings on! Heating UpAugust 27th, 2010 | No Comments
 Fire never tastes so good! It’s that time again. You’re driving to the post office or standing in your doorway, and the air’s a little sweet, a little pliant. For the next five weeks, the whole city smells like dinner. And you’ve got all of September to pickup (and roast, on weekends) bag after bag of Seco Spice certified organic chile. Seco Spice is one of New Mexico’s top chile producers, and having been in the game since 1997, with exports all over the world. The Co-op has a ton of it available, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a comparable value anywhere. Call your local store for roasting schedules. We’ll see you in line. Nob Hill 265-4631 Optionally, you’ve also got Rancho de Las Rosas organic chile on sale on their behalf in the Valley and Nob Hill parking lots. In his retirement, Albert and Connie Bustamante sit on over 70 years of swear-by-the-stuff customers. Roasting lights up at Nob Hill on Sept. 11; Valley on Sept. 18. Sign up at the info desk and be there before 11:00 AM or call Christine or Arnold at 575-835-4951 to arrange pick up. Both varieties will feature varying levels of heat. Veggie Madness!August 26th, 2010 | No CommentsIf you’ve been keeping up on Rianne’s output, you’ve got some great ideas for getting kids to eat veggies. I want my son to eat lots of vegetables, but he doesn’t like many of them, and his resistance can be fierce. I recently began to look into their importance in the diet; when he says “Why do I have to eat my vegetables?” I’ll have the answer.  Why not blend and season it? For one, they’re packed with vitamins. And I mean packed! I think of vegetables as a vitamin delivery system. I should say vitamin and mineral, because vegetables also have safe and absorbable doses of many minerals. For example, just one cup of cooked bok choy contains 158mg of calcium, 631mg of potassium, and 19mg of magnesium. The fiber content of vegetables also makes them good for you. Beans actually contain a lot of fiber, as well as protein, making them an important, healthy food also. Fruit, depending, also contains a lot of fiber and vitamins. Kids have many more taste buds than adults. Vegetables have strong bitter flavors and inspire equally strong resistance from kids. Developing a taste for veggies can take repeated exposure. In fact, some research suggests that kids require an average of 17 “introductions” to a vegetable to begin accepting it. A parent should look for vegetable recipes that are mild in flavor and put a small amount on their child’s dish, encouraging them. Fights and force make children more resistant. I recently spoke with Shannon Gregg, who left the Co-op to pursue a career in nutrition. I asked for her thoughts on veggies, considering it’s so much easier to get kids eating fruit. She brought up the diabetic point exchange system for selecting food.  Best enjoyed in moderation. Fruit has a lot of simple sugars. It’s better than candy–with vitamins, fiber and enzymes–but it’s still sugar. A point in the diabetic diet refers to a food’s effect on blood sugar. Fruit points add up quickly, while you can eat an almost unlimited amount of veggies. Lower, steady blood sugar levels mean better energy, behavior and mental function. Vegetables deliver their goods without pumping up blood sugar, causing crashes, or affecting behavior. I’m not naïvely that these answers will convince a 10-year-old to eat something he doesn’t want to. But at least now, I’m prepared with a better answer than “Because I said so.” So pay your Co-op’s Produce dept. a visit and fill your basket with all the veggies you can cook, many of which are routine Smart Buy specials. And couple them with Rianne’s clever vegetable tactics, several of which I have plans to implement this Fall. Beating the Back to School BluesJuly 30th, 2010 | 1 Comment
Fortunately, there’re ways to ensure you and your kids still eat well without spending all evening in the kitchen. Always keep simple fruits and veggies on hand for the kids to snack on when they get home. Bananas and apples are easy enough to keep on the counter and storing berries and grapes low in the fridge lets kids help themselves. Chop up veggies they can grab out of the fridge – carrots, celery, broccoli are easy to get kids to eat and can last most of a week. If you spend one good night a week prepping, it will save time later, when you may not have the time or energy. I love sneaking the good stuff into my girl’s diet. Try this: steam a couple peeled sweet potatoes, some carrots and cauliflower (cheddar is best), purée then freeze them in freezer-safe silicone trays. It’s more than enough to last for weeks. This blend mixes great into anything “cheesy.” One of my favorites: Start with a pasta of your (kid’s) choice, boiled and drained. Melt two tablespoons of butter/margarine with two tablespoons of your choice of milk. Add a few cubes of the mix above and two tablespoons of nutritional yeast for special bang. Add cheese if you like. My picky eater doesn’t mind the veggies mixed-in if she can’t see them.  There's good reason it's a classic. Another great way to get the kids to eat well is to involve them. Let them help you make dinner or their own healthy snack. My daughter’s favorite is “Tomato Surprise.” I halve large cherry tomatoes, scrape out the seeds, and she stuffs them with her favorite vegan cheese (Follow Your Heart Mozzarella, of course). This also packs well in her school lunch and she can make it in minutes the night before. “Ants on a Log” is also a favorite. Cut the celery, let them spread the nut butter and place the raisins. Also, try halving and pitting dates, then stuffing them with nut butter and raisins. Yum! For more ideas and chance to try some great school time snacks, come by our “Back to School” event at the Valley Coop Saturday August 14th. And remember to check back during the year for more ways to keep kids – and Mama – happy and healthy! Co-op DealsJuly 15th, 2010 | 1 Comment
 How awesome are co-ops? Pretty Awesome. Doubtless by now you’ve read this month’s newsletter (right here; we won’t tell), with a few words on the inspiring numbers associated with co-ops functioning today. While the figures can be big at first, we find them exciting. They’re a reminder that a strong movement for equity, community, and justice is afoot, the world over. A few of my favorites:
It’s an alternative economic model, in which everyone involved wins. Across the world, co-ops are returning profit and opportunity to countless otherwise disenfranchised people. Meanwhile, stateside, and speaking of you and winning there are some big things happening. Our familiar monthly Co-op Advantage flyer is becoming Co+op Deals. It’s the evolution of a national program through the National Cooperative Grocers Association, with whom we’ve been a member Co-cop for about ten years. The upshot? Over a hundred co-ops are leveraging our purchasing power to get you even better deals on quality favorites and unfamiliars. And we’re increasing the frequency of those deals. You’ll see a new flyer twice a month—plus other promotions (our weekly sales flyer and managers’ specials). Keep an eye out for this logo:
We’re also, of course, giving attention to the flyer’s ecological imprint. You can still find the print version (on FSC-certified paper), but many of our sibling co-ops are working to distribute it via web email, which are possibilities for us as well. Many folks already receive our weekly flyer by email on Tuesday afternoons, and many more grab it from our website. It certainly makes planning easier. We’re discussing other ways to get you this sweet packet of deals quickly and conveniently every few weeks. Got any grand, paperless ideas for distribution? Leave them below! Don’t forget: we’re all looking forward to September to inaugurate new great sales, but our weekly member specials and the already formidable Co-op Advantage steals are still here, and still helping you save. We’ve got six weeks of deals before Co+op Deals hits your mailbox, so don’t miss out! Santa Fe Bandstand Opening Night Recap!July 8th, 2010 | No Comments
Some folks who didn’t make it out to the Bandstand’s opening night Monday have been asking for a little recap. Here’s my take: I was there from 4:00-8:00, and loved every minute. If you were around later, please share in the comments!
It was a bright night on the Plaza. I showed an hour before setup, in time to hear Pedro working his ancient, magic accordion, with a friend on percussion. Got a cup of tea from the Plaza Café and staked some lawn for myself. The air was warm with anticipation. Setup went fast. By 5:30, we had our little tent set up, Co-op posters festooned, and twenty pounds of organic lollipops, vegan chocolate, BOGO coupons, soap and vitamin samples, and kid-friendly Cliff bars ready to deploy. Clan Tynker Family Circus was setting up, with antique trunks and suitcases, expert makeup and gorgeous vintage costuming. Hot Sauce was sound-checking. Folks were gathering. It was time to wait. And eat. At 6:00 prompt, Clan Tynker took the reigns with magic, juggling, and kid-friendly jokes. Unlike so many other family-friendly variety shows, they exuded professionalism, sincerity, and a love of craft. From a knot jumping around a rope (or were they three ropes?) to bad-but-loveable puns while juggling, to the “Danger Show” finale, their tone matched the air: bright, warm, electric. Next up was Shannon McNally and Hot Sauce, a northern Mississippi blues rig. Shannon sounded a bit like a smoother-voiced Gillian Welch, and her band earned the name. Great style and technique rippled through the crowd. We served the remaining goodies and answered questions on the side. Then Santa Fe got to dancing, at all ages and skill levels. To be blunt, it was beautiful. As my throwing arm isn’t destined for the majors, Wayne from the SF store had toured the back of the plaza with lollipops while I talked. When he returned, I took the last of the lollipops in a large wicker basket and saw that every wanting mouth received one. Also, in its way, beautiful.
Have you liked the shows this week? Be sure to come by in Santa Fe and tell Will, our loveable Store Team Leader. And come by especially if you got one of those tasty-looking Buy One/Get One deli sandwich coupons. I wish I’d snatched one. Getting Figgy With ItJune 25th, 2010 | No CommentsWhat is up produce enthusiasts?! First off, Summer’s here and that’s official. Second let me just say that if you haven’t stopped by the Co-op lately, what are you waiting for? It’s all here: peaches, nectarines, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, cherries, plums, green beans, blueberries, strawberries, apricots, corn, and finally, after what seems like an eternity, figs. The stone fruit has been very nice this year, and plums and peaches have been outstanding. Once again the Co-op has again lined up some great deals with local farms; soon we will all be feasting on apricots, cherries, donut peaches and peaches from a farm near you. As I understand it the fruit is ripening beautifully and we should all be in for a real treat.
 Now's no time to skimp on your Stone Fruit anatomy.
Before I get into figs I would like to address some concern about stone fruit ripeness. It is a good idea to let your stone fruit sit out for a day or two. Softness is the key to flavor. You may not be able to find fruit ripe enough to enjoy today but trust me, if you can bear to let this beautiful fruit sit on your counter for a couple of days you will be rewarded. Patience is essential to fruit enjoyment. Now, figs. Figs are an oddity, as they are not a true fruit. They are called inflorescence, which are flowers and fruits all in one. The fig is actually an inside-out flower made especially for very small wasps. The wasps enter though a small opening and pollinate from within. This particular inflorescence happens to be quite tasty.  Don't you want some dessert in your salad? I was of course first exposed to figs at an early age in the traditional “Newton” form. I’ve been a fan ever since. And guess what? We don’t need to add all that extra sugar to enjoy figs; they make a great snack all by themselves. But if you’re daring, try them with some goat cheese and honey. Figs add a special something to salads, too. Just wash and quarter them and abracadabra, instant super-awesome salad. Balsamic vinaigrette goes well with a figgy salad, as do olives. Oh man, just writing about a salad with figs and olives gets my mouth a waterin’. Though figs are sweet and fragrant, and used primarily for desserts, they also make an excellent entrée addition. Add chopped figs to pasta sauce, marinara or Alfredo; it doesn’t matter. Throw some figs into the rice water for out-of-this-world rice. Next time you’re grilling shish kabob, skewer a few figs. They also roast well; add them to roasting meats about 30 minutes before the meat is done. Pork, lamb, and poultry all go well with figs. Domestic fig production dates back at least ten thousand years and may be in fact the first instance of agriculture. Humans were planting figs almost 1,000 years before wheat or barley. The oldest living plant of known planting date is a fig tree known as the Sri Maha Bodhi, planted in the temple at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka by King Tissa in 288 BC. Long have humans celebrated and revered this sacred (and sometimes forbidden) inflorescence. Come down to the Co-op and discover what all the fuss is about. A Few Words on Men’s HealthJune 18th, 2010 | No CommentsAs a wife and mother, I care about the quality of life for the men I love. I also feel a certain responsibility to my male customers, to help them navigate and enjoy their best possible health. I’ve looked into men’s health for a while, and boiled most of my findings to the following list. Many issues of men’s health also touch women’s lives, but there are a few standouts. So let’s get to it!
 Small investment, big difference. Eat Vegetables, Man! For the biggest result for the smallest lifestyle change, eat those vegetables. Veggies are packed with fiber and vitamins, yet contain few calories. Spinach contains a whopping dose of folate for heart health, as well as fiber and beta carotene. Squash contains lutein for eye health, and broccoli contains compounds known to reduce cancer risk. With the exception of potatoes (which you should enjoy in moderation), pile ’em high. Some vegetables target huge issues. Tomatoes, and thus most cooked tomato products, contain lycopene. Lycopene exerts a strong positive effect on prostate health. Bitter greens and green super foods are cleansing to the liver, which clears out toxins and excess hormones. Those compounds work against overall health, as well as raising the risk level for prostate problems, so a simple, effective cleansing is crucial. Get Lean, High Quality Protein Everyone needs high-quality protein for muscle health and cellular repair. But men’s sexual and cardiovascular health is tied to essential amino acids. Where female vegetarians must get enough iron and vitamin B 12 for blood building, male vegetarians must carefully combine vegetable proteins to ensure they are getting complete proteins and essential amino acids every day. This helpful (vegan) food pyramid can help you plan. For men who eat meat, it’s equally important to avoid proteins high in saturated fat. Protein sources like wild salmon, chicken breast and yogurt reduce the likelihood of building abdominal fat. Abdominal fat raises the inflammation level in the body, and predisposes it to a variety of bad health effects. An adequate serving of animal protein for a man should be no larger than his palm in any one meal. Exercise For Life  20-30 minutes/day is all you need. Of course, everyone benefits from exercise. But it contributes so much to a man’s overall health that it warrants mention here. Exercise reduces stress, supports cardiovascular health, improves metabolism and improves physical appearance. Do yourself a favor and let loose on any physical activity you enjoy! See? Not so bad. A healthier you is easier than you think, and all the goods in this post are available right at the Co-op. Tonight, have yourself a 20-minute walk and see how much better you feel. Then stop in for fresh, organic veggies, and consider a vitamin supplement. Honoring the Fathers in our LivesJune 17th, 2010 | 1 CommentIn light of Father’s Day, I am grateful that my own father knew how much I loved and respected him before he died. I want my own son to have that relationship his father. It seems such a small thing to pick a Father’s Day gift, but I see it as an opportunity for the two of them to have a conversation. I am always a little stumped buying for men, anyway, even the ones I know well. So this year, I’ve hunkered down on the matter. From a “greater good” sense, since that’s what we do at La Montañita, here are some great, holistic options. All of these are available right here at the Co-op, so what easier way to check ‘em all out? 
Help Dad Go Greener For the many things men carry, a Chico Bag is perfect because it’s tough, lightweight, stores in its own pouch and comes with a belt/storage clip. To eliminate disposable plastic and paper food bags, a stainless steel, 2-tier Tiffin by ToGoWare can either carry lunch to work or contain leftovers from restaurants. You could also consider a reusable Co-op coffee mug and Preserve razors and replacement blades, made from recycled plastic and recyclable after use (the handle part). For His Healthy Personal Care Throw in Dr. Bronner’s Shave Gel and he’ll have an all natural, certified organic alternative to harsh, mainstream products. Or sooth his skin with
Organic Grooming After Shave Balm with carrot oil and shea butter. For allover healthy relief from dry skin, give him one of the wonderful Alaffia shea butter lotions in ginger spice or unscented. For Chef Dad If your father-of-the-house liked to barbecue, Blacky’s Barbecue Sauce and Dry Rub is delicious. A garlic garland would be perfect to flavor his dishes–while promoting a strong, healthy heart. Fill a gift basket with organic ingredients for his favorite dishes, like Bionaturae pastas and tomato paste, New Mexico cheeses, or condiments. Yum. For Dad’s Health & Vitality Many men aren’t even taking a multi-vitamin. Show your love with Rainbow Light Men’s One Multi. Help him get the benefit of more green foods with a bottle of Green Magma barley grass juice powder. It’s packed with nutrition and system support, especially for men who travel or skip their vegetables. Or how about a box of his favorite flavor of EmergenC packets? Or maybe just a Co-op gift Certificate he can use for his own healthy choice? Many of these items go great together in a gift basket. I hope you’ve gotten some ideas for the fathers you love. Want some clarification, or got a better idea? Comment below or come by the Co-op. I love hearing from you. Val Fresh from the Field: Avocados and You, pt. 2June 11th, 2010 | 1 CommentHowdy, fellow Produce-faithful. Phil’s back with the latter half of his avocado treatise. Read on for surprising, delicious insights, to get your pallet ready for some weekend guac. Without ado… –Ed.
Even without knowledge of all their extra benefits, our demand for Avocados has grown in leaps and bounds. It should come as no surprise to learn that avocados were immediately prized by the first Europeans to taste them. Below is the description of avocados by Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo, historian for the conquistadores traveling with Hernando Cortez in 1519. His account was published in 1526 in the Summario de la Natural Historia de las Indias:
Note that though avocados are prized and guarded, the “Indians” do not appear (at least to a conquistador) to cultivate them in our typical domestic sense, yet they’re very large and tasty. Now we get to the heart of the avocado mystery. What is supposed to eat this thing? Seeds as we understand them are designed to spread genetic material. Some blow with the wind, some catch in animals’ fur, most are eaten and passed. One look at the avocado, however, and it just doesn’t make sense.
 The gomphotheres in question. Avocados are a leftover super-food of gigantic mammals that fell extinct roughly 12,000 years ago. Giant Sloths, Glyptodonts, Toxodons, Mastodons and Gomphotheres probably dug on avocados, and probably ate the whole thing, and giving the seed a hearty bed of fertilizer to sprout in. Toxodons looked like giant horses crossed with giant elephants, Glyptodonts were like huge elephants, and the Glomphothere was an armadillo the size of a truck with a spiked club like a mace at the end of its tail. Although these awesome creatures survived until just-before historic times, we have only a slightly better understanding of the dinosaurs’ fate than their own; it’s called the Quaternary Extinction Event, and no one can pin it down.
 Really, it's hard to do them wrong. For a long time we thought that since their extinction occurred at the same time humans appeared on the Western continents,we must have hunted them into extinction. But there’s no way a relatively small population of primitive hunters armed with spears could hope to wipe out all the saber-toothed cats or all the Short-Faced Bears from one pole to the other in a few thousand years – never mind all other species. Another theory is climate change due to the retreat of the last Ice Age. But then, these species had already survived several such cycles. One more possible explanation is the asteroid impact/climate change theory. There appears to be a layer of geologic evidence to support this, however, knowing what we do about global climate systems it seems odd that the large mammals of North and South America would die out while those in Africa and Asia survived. And to further stir the pot, keep in mind this event occurs at the very beginning of recorded history. Most ancient cultures spoke of a cataclysmic flood that wiped out the previous age. Luckily, the avocado survived “whatever it was.” And we’re all the beneficiaries of millions of years of evolution. So the next time you’re in Produce,wondering what in the world an avocado is, imagine a 20’ tall, five-ton ground sloth contentedly munching on these remarkable berries in the lush South American forest, 12,000 years before your mom was born. Come by the Co-op tonight, and get your ancient world on. peace, |
|
