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What's new at your store
What’s new at the Co-op: Expanded seating and catering!
You may have noticed that we’re re-arranging some areas of the store this week. We are expanding the seating area in preparation for new lunch and dinner options. Soon you’ll be able to have made-to-order sandwiches from the Co-op kitchen. Right now you can try the new stir-fry in the grab n’ go area. Tell us what you think!
The Co-op is proud to offer catering services for your next gathering. We create beautiful displays of the season’s finest local and organic fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and all-natural meats. Check out our catering menu, and call 877-0947 to let the Co-op cater your next event.
Beer o’ the Month: Stouts
By Jen Lister
I’m featuring two types of Stout this month: Dry Irish and Russian Imperial. All stouts are burlier descendants of British Porters.
Stouts almost disappeared in England becaue of wartime energy saving efforts that shut down malt kilns. The Irish, who were feeling a bit rebellious, were allowed to keep their kilns going. This gave us the most famous stout, Guinness. Don’t let the dark color fool you, Irish Stouts are very light and low in alcohol. Highly roasted malt gives Stouts their dark color and the roasted flavors of dark chocolate and coffee.
On a trip to England, Catherine the Great fell in love with Stouts. Being a woman that you didn’t say no to, brewers started shipping across the Baltic Sea. To make the voyage the beer was brewed stronger, and the higher alcohol level kept it from freezing, resulting in the Russian Imperials.
Irish Stouts are friends with corned beef and other cured meats. Try an Irish Stout with your next Rueben. They also work well with beef, be it burgers or stew. A classic combination is shellfish, crab and lobster with Irish Stouts.
I have two words for Russian Imperials, chocolate and dessert!
Try these great stouts right here at the Co-op: Central Waters Satin Solstice Russian Imperial, Furthermore Three Feet Deep Dry Irish and Lakefront Snake Chaser Irish.
Take 25 cents off a six-pack of these three beers, from March 5 through March 18.
We’ll be sampling these great stouts from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 13.
Enjoy Meyer lemons
If you like the tang of lemons, but not the pucker, Meyer lemons are for you. Like a regular lemon perfected, the color and juice are amped up and the peel, which is slightly sweet, is thinned down.
Like so much citrus fruit, the Meyer lemon was originally found in China. In 1905 the U.S. Department of Agriculture hired Frank Meyer as a plant hunter and in 1908 he "discovered" the Meyer lemon in Peking (now Beijing). It is believed that the Meyer lemon is a hybrid between the lemon and the mandarin orange. The lemons have become a coveted food item in the U.S. with many chefs and Martha Stewart using them.
Meyer lemons are great in many recipes where you would normally use regular lemons like souffle, lemon curd and with seafood. Other ideas for Meyer lemons:
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Make a fresh salsa to top grilled fish or bread, add lemon chunks (with rind) to chopped oil-cured olives and green onions and a splash of olive oil.
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Whip up a vinaigrette using one part juice to three to four parts olive oil for vegetable salads, especially good with cooked or raw carrots, brussels sprouts, radishes or spinach.
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Use the juice in a lemony risotto and top with a bit of the grated peel.
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Roast lemon quarters with potatoes to serve as side dish.
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Bake a Meyer lemon pound cake or Meyer lemon pudding cake.
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Mix with honey to make a dressing for fruit, especially good with blueberries and bananas.
Grab ‘n go deli and soup and salad areas continue to grow
The Co-op's grab ‘n go deli section is filled with delicious items for your lunch or dinner. Pick up a meal that’s ready to heat and eat, with offerings such as roasted chicken with vegetables, veggie stir-fry, veggie and chicken quesadillas, enchiladas and more. The selection varies each day because the meals are created fresh in the Co-op’s kitchen with available ingredients. Lora, the staff and a host of volunteers offer their culinary talents to both the deli and soup/salad bar.
The salad bar is open every day, featuring fresh greens, vegetables and a variety of interesting and tasty salads. Add a cup or bowl of soup and your meal is complete! Two soups are made fresh each day. Or try Taco Tuesday when the soup area is turned into a southwestern bar. Our hot soup will continue until the end of April, when we’ll turn to warmer weather foods. So there’s still time for you to pick up a “Winter Warm-up Soup Card!” If you purchase 8 bowls of soup, you’ll get your next bowl free!
Stay warm with a beef and winter squash stew
This flavorful Moroccan-spiced stew combines beef with nutrient-packed winter squash. Chunk up a Wisconsin Meadows grass-fed chuck or arm roast and kabocha squash and serve with couscous or rice to soak up the rich tomatoey sauce.
Kabocha squash is also called Japanese pumpkin. You’ll find all the ingredients for this stew at your Co-op!
Aromatic Beef Stew with Winter Squash
PREP: 40 min. COOK: 30 min. YIELD: 6 servings
| 2 tsp. olive oil | 1-1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth |
| 1 lb. Wisconsin Meadows grass-fed beef chuck or arm roast, cut in chunks | 1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin |
| 1 large onion, chopped | 1 tsp. ground cinnamon |
| 1 Tbsp. peeled, minced fresh ginger | 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes |
| 2 garlic cloves, minced | 3 cups cooked couscous or rice |
| 1 lb. peeled cubed winter squash cut in 1-1/2-inch cubes (2-1/2 cups) | 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted |
| 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes | 1 to 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley |
| 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce |
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Brown beef in oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Transfer meat to plate leaving juices in the pan. Add onion to the pan; cook 6 minutes or until softened. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute more.
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Return beef to pan. Stir in squash, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, cumin, cinnamon and red pepper flakes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover. Cook until beef is tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
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Serve with couscous or rice. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley.
Great ideas from the January health seminar on weight loss
The January monthly holistic health series featured a seminar on weight loss. Here's three key ideas that were discussed at that meeting:
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Why we eat matters. Food is meant for energy, good food is pleasurable.
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What we eat matters. Processed food is not real food. Let your body be your guide. You should feel light and energetic after a meal!
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How we eat matters. If food is energy then our efficient burning of fuel is key. Think of digestion as Fire, keep a perfect fire going by adding small "kindling" (less than a fist) foods often, rather than huge meals less frequently.
The next holistic health series will be held on the Thursday, March 4 from 6 to 7 p.m. It is hosted by Anne Adametz of Adametz Organic Health Care and the Co-op’s own Lora Larson.
Pledge to eat better in 2010
The time is ripe for your annual pledge to eat more healthfully in the coming year – but this time you're sticking with it.
The American Dietetic Association offers five easy resolutions for healthful eating in 2010:
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Make it a habit to buy fruits and vegetables every time you go to the Co-op. Variety is important: If you typically eat apples and green salads, work in some citrus, bananas and grapes. Fresh is best, but canned and frozen also work as long as they don't contain added salt and sugar.
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Cook at home more often. When you eat out, typically the portions are larger and you can't control the ingredients.
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Lower your salt intake. Everyone should consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, and people with heart disease and other risk factors should get less than 1,500 milligrams. Check nutrition labels. Some foods, such as breakfast cereals, are surprisingly sodium-heavy.
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Eat something with protein and fiber within an hour of waking up in the morning to jump-start your metabolism. Try a hard-cooked egg and a glass of milk or mix a couple of spoonfuls of granola into a cup of yogurt.
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Experiment with natural flavor boosters so that you don't depend so much on packaged foods. Buy or grow fresh herbs and add them to tomato sauce. Try lemon (it's Meyer lemon season) or orange zest in soups, salads and marinades.
Learn more about healthy ways to feed yourself and your family by attending the holistic health series that meets the first Thursday evening of the month at the Co-op.
229 East Main Street,
Stoughton, WI 53589
Phone: 608-877-0947
HOURS
Monday to Saturday– 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Grab 'n go deli and soup and salad areas continue to grow
Stay warm with a beef and winter squash stew
Great ideas from the January health seminar on weight loss
On the Road with Jen the Beer Lady
