The Natural Grocery Company

40th Anniversary Raffles

February 1, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

The Natural Grocery Company is turning 40! We are giving away totes full of groceries this month to thank you for your support over the years! Each tote is valued at upwards of $200 with great items from many of our vendors. Stop by to see us and enter to win in one of our weekly drawings.

Official Rules:

Eligibility: Limited to individuals over the age of 18. Void where prohibited.
No purchase necessary
Sweepstakes run weekly: February 1-4, February 5-11, February 12-18, February 18-25, 2022.

Method to enter: in store (The Annex, Berkeley Natural Grocery, El Cerrito Natural Grocery).
Customers may enter once per week, per location. Multiple entries at the same location will be discarded.
Employees and their immediate family are not eligible.
The odds of winning will vary based on how many people participate in the drawing/sweepstakes. Entries will be cleared with each drawing and start fresh for the following week.
Prizes: a grocery gift tote with goods and apparel from companies whose products we sell in our stores. The total prize value varies from $200-300.
The winners will be drawn on Saturday mornings and notified by phone/email. Drawings February 5^th, February 12^th, February 19^th & February 26^th. Winning is random. You can only win once during the month from all locations.
By participating in the drawing, participants recognize and accept that they may be asked to pose for a photo to be used on social media sites or our Natural Grocery website. By entering, participants also recognize that their participation is voluntary and no payment will be made for use of their photo or commentary.

Organic Rio Red and Star Ruby Grapefruit

January 29, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: This month our Red Rio and Star Ruby Grapefruit are grown in California. This is peak season! Grapefruit tend to grow in clusters, so much so that they can resemble grapes on a vine. (Fun fact! This is how grapefruit got their name.)

Flavor: Sweet, mildly tart, and super juicy they are mostly seedless with deep red flesh.

Storage: Store it at room temperature if you plan to eat the fruit soon, because citrus fruits are always juicier when slightly warm. If planning to store grapefruit for a longer period, make sure the skin is dry before placing the fruit in a mesh bag and store in your fridge crisper.

How to use: Many people like to eat grapefruit fresh and on its own. The juice is great but the sugar can add up quickly when you don’t have the fiber to balance it out. Grapefruit is delicious in salads, as a salsa for fish or added to your favorite grain bowl.

Nutrition: There’s a reason grapefruit is sometimes referred to as a superfood. In addition to its other health benefits, a serving of grapefruit is packed with vitamins and minerals. These include Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Calcium and Iron.

Organic Yellow “A” Potatoes

January 27, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: These potatoes will be coming from Canada this month.

Flavor: subtly sweet; rich; buttery; medium-sugar content the texture is slightly waxy, velvety, moist with a light tan to golden skin; yellow to golden flesh appearance.

Storage: Store potatoes in a cool, dark place with low humidity (a basement is ideal). Kept dry and in a dark place, most potatoes will keep for at least a month and up to three months (or more!). We don’t recommend storing them in the refrigerator and do not store with onions! There’s a chemical reaction that happens when potatoes and onions are in close proximity that will cause your potatoes to sprout and your onions to rot.

How to use: Potatoes are extremely versatile. Yellow “A” Potatoes are a great all-purpose potato. Their texture is right between starchy and waxy so you can use them in any recipe. They are great mashed, roasted, in salads, in soups or “smashed”.

Nutrition: A 5 ounces serving and has just 100 calories (not including the fats or oils you might add). Some of its nutritional offerings are highly superior. A single potato of this size offers 21% of the US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of potassium. It’s also a great source of vitamin C, with about 45% of the US RDA. They also give people about 10% of the vitamin B6 they need for the day and have 3 to 4 grams of dietary fiber. They are lower in total carbohydrates than most white potatoes as well. Potatoes have gotten a bad rap in the last few decades for being high in carbs, but the truth is, the tubers are actually pretty good for you.

Organic Brussels Sprouts

January 25, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: This month our Brussels Sprouts will be coming from either Mexico or California

Flavor: Raw or lightly cooked Brussels sprouts have a mild, sweet, almost nutty flavor. But they’re very easy to overcook, which can lead to a bitter taste, mushy texture, and a strong, sulfur-like smell.

Storage: Store unwashed and untrimmed in a closed container in the refrigerator.

How to use: Look for bright green Brussels sprouts. Black spots or yellow leaves are signs of decay.

To cook, rinse your sprouts well to remove any dirt. Slice off the bottom (which has a tough texture, even when cooked), and remove any outer, wilted leaves. I like to cut mine in half length wise. It helps me to keep from overcooking them. You can steam them, sauté or toss with oil and roast them. You can add raw, shaved Brussels sprouts to soups and salads.

Don’t boil your Brussels sprouts. This can lead to the mushy, bitter taste that many people hate. It also wipes out many of this veggie’s nutrients.

Nutrition: They are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Iron and Potassium.

Organic Navel Oranges

January 20, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: Grown in California! January through April is the best time for these. Named for the “navel” at the blossom end of the fruit, California navel oranges are considered by many to be the best oranges for eating out of hand.

Flavor: Richly flavored. Great balance of sugar and acidity. Seedless, the fruit separates into easy-to-eat segments. Has bright orange skin that peels easily when fully mature.

Storage: If you are not planning on consuming all of your navel oranges within three to four days, refrigeration is recommended. You can safely store them in the fridge for up to two weeks. The thick outer peel will protect the fruit inside but make sure you dry the outside of the fruit properly so the peel will not rot due to excessive moisture. The ideal refrigerator temperature for navel oranges is somewhere between 45 and 48 degrees. This will keep them as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

How to use: Peel and eat them! Try sectioning them to make a citrus salsa You can also juice them to make a marinade or combine pieces of fruit and juice for a sheet bake with vegetables and chicken.

Nutrition: Oranges are an excellent source of Vitamin C! Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which prevents cell damage and boosts the immune system. They are also a good source of fiber, calcium, potassium and folic acid.

El Cerrito Mayor Issues Mayoral Recognition to The Natural Grocery Company

January 17, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

In a brief ceremony today in The El Cerrito Natural Grocery’s Prepared Food Annex, El Cerrito Mayor, Gabe Quintos, issued a Mayoral Recognition to The Natural Grocery Company that commends and congratulates our company for providing 40 years of service to the El Cerrito community.

From left to right:

Gabe Quinto, Mayor of the City of El Cerrito

Jennifer Sandkuhler, General Manager of The Natural Grocery Company

Bob Gerner, Founder of The Natural Grocery Company

John C. Stashik, El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce

“I was really very moved by the reading of the document!” said The Natural Grocery Company General Manager, Jennifer Sandkuhler.

We have included it here if you are interested in reading the full text.

EC Mayoral Recognition

Merry Christmas

December 24, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Live Music at The Annex, Friday, December 10, 2021

December 4, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

The Natural Grocery Company is featured in a new video sponsored by The Independent Natural Foods Retailer Association. We will be premiering it in The Annex, 10387 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito at 6:00pm. Bob will be there to say a few words, we’ll have sparkling beverages available, food and live music from The George Cole String Band from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Come early for the music and stay after the video presentation for more music, more food, more drinks and gather with community.

SunJams is partnering with us to provide the music for the evening. Please consider making a donation towards their mission to provide music education in our schools.

For this event in The Annex Dining Room we are requiring proof of vaccination or a negative Covid Test to attend. All individuals must wear face masks while inside the Annex except when actively eating or drinking.

The video will be published on our social media for those who cannot attend the event; after the premiere.

We’re Turning 40 on Friday, December 10, 2021!

December 4, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

We are planning two community gatherings on Friday, December 10, 2021 to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of our company, which began with the opening of our first store.

First – stop by our Original Location, The Berkeley Store, 1336 Gilman Street, Berkeley, for a meet & greet with our founder, Bob Gerner. He will be outside, in front of the store from 3:00pm-4:00pm. All organic hot chocolate, hot spiced apple cider & cookies will be available while supplies last!

Please be cautious for the sake of our community and consider wearing a mask unless actively eating/drinking even though this is outdoors.

Second – The Natural Grocery Company is featured in a new video sponsored by The Independent Natural Foods Retailer Association. We will be premiering it in The Annex, 10387 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito at 6:00pm. Bob will be there to say a few words, we’ll have sparkling beverages available, food and live music from The George Cole String Band from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Come early for the music and stay after the video presentation for more music, more food, more drinks and gather with community.

SunJams is partnering with us to provide the music for the evening. Please consider making a donation towards their mission to provide music education in our schools.

The video will be published on our social media for those who cannot attend the event; after the premiere.

Sweet Potatoes or Yams?

November 9, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

We all love to make “yams” for Thanksgiving, but did you know that you are actually eating sweet potatoes? Perhaps you already know that they are different, but I think there are still some folks who do not. Keep reading if you want to know more.

I was a docent at The UC Botanical Garden for several years back when I had another life as a professional cook in the East Bay Area. I love learning about our foods both botanically and culturally and I hope I can interest you as well. In the United States we refer to an orange fleshed sweet potato as a yam, but they are really two completely different species. Botanically yams are a root while sweet potatoes are a stem (tuber). The true yam does not grow in the northern hemisphere. They are only grown in the Caribbean, Africa and parts of Asia. The Yam can grow up to 150lbs and 4.5′ in length. Their flesh ranges in color from white to yellow to pink and they have a very thick, scaly, alligator like skin. Their flesh is also very starchy and dry. Yams are more closely related to lilies and grasses than to sweet potatoes, which are in the morning glory family. Sweet potatoes are native to tropical regions of South America. Peruvian sweet potato remnants dating as far back as 8000 BC have been found. You can eat them raw, baked, boiled, steamed, roasted, broiled, grilled, fried and just about any other way you can think of!

There is a food origin documentary on Netflix called High on the Hog and in Episode 1 it delves into the differences between the two species and discusses how some traditional “American” dishes came into our combined cultural heritage while the origins were historically obscured. The series is based on the book “High on the Hog” by Dr. Jessica B. Harris and is well worth the read if you are at all interested in how our “American” food culture came to be. It is about the literal “roots” of our food culture.

At The Natural Grocery Company, we have a variety of different sweet potatoes to
choose from year round. The orange flesh varieties are known as “moist fleshed” and the white
fleshed varieties are known as “dry fleshed.” Here are the types we carry at both our stores:

Garnet-An orange fleshed variety that is the most popular. This is the traditional “yam” we eat at
Thanksgiving. With a dark red skin and bright pumpkin colored flesh, this sweet potato is great
prepared almost any way. It is very sweet and has a nice creamy, velvety texture when cooked.

Jewel and Beauregard-Both types have an orange flesh. These varieties have tan skin and tend
to be a little sweeter than the Garnet. I like to use the Beauregard in my sweet potato pie recipe.
It is very moist when cooked and has a texture that is not as velvety as the Garnet. Great for
making sweet potato fries or chips!

Hannah– This variety has a light tan, almost white skin with white flesh. The white flesh is
crumbly and has the texture of a russet potato when cooked. This year, I will be making a
Hannah sweet potato pie with cardamom and vanilla.

Japanese– Also a white fleshed variety, this sweet potato has a very dark purple skin. Because of
its drier texture, I like to slice these, drizzle with olive oil, cinnamon and cayenne and bake at
350 degrees until they soften and turn a golden brown color. They are also nice in soups.

Purple Stokes/ Okinawa sweet potato- This super food variety is my favorite! With a bluish
purple skin and deep royal purple flesh, this sweet potato has a texture very similar to the Garnet
but has an extra sweet earthiness to the taste. Originally from the Americas, this variety was
introduced to Japan in the 14th century and has become a staple on the Island of Okinawa where
it is eaten almost every day. This is believed to be the reason why Okinawa has the largest
percentage of people living over the age of 100 (more than any other country). This variety has
150% more antioxidants than blueberries and is wonderful prepared almost any way. Try using
these in a pie (beautiful) or mashed instead of regular potatoes.

Add some extra antioxidants to your Thanksgiving table and gain some insight into where OUR foods come from, celebrate our diversity and give thanks for the ability to come together!

By Laura Wilt, Communications & Marketing, The Natural Grocery Company

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