Staff Pick – Violife

September 23, 2019 by The Natural Grocery Company

STAFF PICK – VIOLIFE by Kristy, Housewares Buyer

“Many people know this about me; I am … was a cheese junky. Cheese on pasta, cheese on sandwiches, cheese on crackers… you get the idea. Then one day my world changed, and I could no longer digest lactose or casein (milk sugar and protein). Oh, no! Now what?

I tried all kinds of alternatives, none of which satisfied me in the same way as “real” cheese, and none of them tasted too great either. I soon gave up, and while brushing a small tear from my eye, realized that my cheese-eating days were over.

Luckily, my despair was short-lived, as it appeared one day, at El Cerrito Natural Grocery – Violife! I couldn’t believe it! Finally, an alternative cheese that tasted like the real thing! No soy, no gluten, no funky aftertaste! This is a non-GMO plant-based cheese that has the same feel and consistency as “real” cheese, and the flavors are spot on. I put it to the test and ate it plain – fantastic! I melted it on a burger – beautiful!

If you’re vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, lactose intolerant, or if you just want to cut down on cholesterol, this may be a good choice for you. I could go on about how great these products are, but really, I think that it’s best that you try it yourself.”

Broccoli and Quinoa Salad

October 9, 2017 by WineAndBeer

RECIPE

Broccoli and Quinoa Salad (adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine)

Good make-ahead side dish or vegetarian entrée.

Serves 6 as a side or 2-3 as an entree.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Alter Eco dried white or red quinoa, rinsed (ON SALE)

2 small or one large head of broccoli, stalk end trimmed (about 1 pound)

6 pitted dates, chopped

3 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced

4 ounces (about 1 cup) Rumiano sharp cheddar cheese, cut into ¼-inch cubes (ON SALE)

1/3 cup diced roasted almonds

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons or more fresh lemon juice

Salt—for boiling the quinoa and to season the dish

PREPARATION

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 cup of quinoa and return to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a lively simmer, uncovered, 12-15 minutes. Taste quinoa to make sure it’s tender. Once tender, drain quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, shaking off as much excess water as possible. Dump the drained quinoa back into the saucepan and cover saucepan, placing two layers of paper towels underneath the lid.

Shave off thin layers of the broccoli florets with a knife, rotating the stalk, until you reach the thicker stems. Trim stems off the stalk and peel the stalk with a vegetable peeler until you reach the tender, light green interior. Chop stalk into ¼-inch cubes and add to the bowl.

Add the dates, scallions, cheese, almonds, and quinoa. Add several generous pinches of salt and the red pepper flakes and toss to combine. Add olive oil and lemon juice and toss again. Cover salad with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the salad. Let sit at least 30 minutes before serving (or transfer to an airtight container and chill for up to 3 days). Toss again, taste, and re-season with additional salt, red pepper flakes, and/or lemon juice if needed before serving.

Quinoa

Broccoli

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Burroughs Family Farms

March 7, 2017 by WineAndBeer

Burroughs Family Farms – Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

We recently started selling Burroughs Family Farms organic, non-GMO, cold-pressed extra-virgin organic olive oil [aka EVOO]. This exemplary family-owned farm, situated in the Sierra foothills below Yosemite, is one of our favorite regional producers. We already source quality pastured eggs, organic cheese, and almonds from their property. The Burroughs Family Olive Oil is a blend of Arbeqina, Arbosana and Gretchenina olives (originally from Spain). The oil has a pleasant fruitiness with hints of grassy undertones. It is very versatile and may be used in sauces, salad dressings, as a topping to bread and for low heat cooking.

Here is what Burroughs Family Farms says about their oil:

Our olives are first cold-pressed at temperatures that do not exceed 80 degrees F. This protects the polyphenols, antioxidants, and vitamins that give the oil its nutritional value and its aroma and flavor.

Why extra-virgin olive oil?

EVOO is known to contain stronger concentrations of phytonutrients (especially polyphenols) that have well-known anti-inflammatory properties

EVOO supports blood vessels not only by providing antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene, but also also providing unique molecules like HT that actually work at a genetic level to help the cellular walls of the blood vessels remain strong.

Cholesterol lowering and blood pressure lowering benefits of monounsaturated oil (olive oil contains 75%)

High quality extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of around 405ºF (191ºC), making it ideal for lower temperature cooking such as light sautés and non-cooked uses such as dressing salads and dipping bread. Such uses protect the nutritional value and beneficial qualities of the oil.

Why California Olive Oil?

As with wine, it has taken years for people to discover that some of the world’s finest olive oils are produced in California. Our family owned and operated farms rest on the rolling hills near Yosemite National Park, where the combination of the moderate Mediterranean climate with good soils and water grows some of the world’s finest quality olives.

Buying California olive oils vs. imports supports our farm economy, and California olive oils have a lower carbon-footprint because their shipping distance is much shorter than that of imports.

Conservation on our farms

Ours is not the easiest way to grow olives, but we think it’s best for our land and for our family who lives and works here. From organic production to state-of-the-art irrigation systems, we do whatever we can to protect air, soil, and water from herbicides, pesticides, petrochemical nitrogen fertilizers, and genetically-modified organisms. All that, plus our hedgerows of native plants support the health of native species and bees who have the most important job – the pollination of the olive flowers.

We do it for the future of our farms. For you, it’s deliciousness and more.

Burroughs Family Olive Oil is certified annually by the California Olive Oil Council (COOC). Year after year it’s labeled “extra-virgin” by the council. To get the seal the oil is lab tested and undergoes a critical analysis by an expert panel. The trained sensory panel (think of these people as the sommeliers of olive oil) ensure that the oil is free of defects in flavor or odor. In the U.S., many oils are labeled “extra-virgin” but do not undergo any such testing.

Kohlrabi – Snack Attack

February 22, 2017 by WineAndBeer

If you are anything like me and you love crunchy, crispy, salty snacks, I invite you to try this delicious (and simple) recipe using kohlrabi!

Kohlrabi is one of the most underrated and forgotten vegetables in our winter produce line up. It is a cultivar of cabbage and is part root, part leafy greens. The root part can be eaten raw (think slaw) or cooked. The greens can be used as you would kale, collards or other winter greens. With so much versatility, it’s a wonder this root doesn’t get more love. Perhaps the recipe below will help to change all that!

Savory Kohlrabi Crisps

Ingredients:

3 bulbs of kohlrabi (select those with unblemished leaves and bulbs that are not cracked)
1/4 cup of olive oil
Salt (to taste)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
Peel the kohlrabi, taking off a significant portion of the outer layer. You want to remove the layer that looks fibrous as this will not soften and will remain stringy and unpleasant to eat. The inner core is where you will find the sweet “meat” of the plant. Save greens for another use.
Once peeled, cut the bulb into ½ inch round lices to resemble chips.
Toss the sliced kohlrabi in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 tsp of salt.
Once coated (and glistening), place one layer of the kohlrabi on a sheet tray lined with a non-stick sheet (like this Silpat sheet) or coat the bottom of your sheet tray with cooking oil. Tip: the Silpat is less likely to stick to the veggie chips.
Mix the kohlrabi around and rotate the tray every 15 to 20 minutes in order to cook each piece evenly.
The total cooking time will range between 30 minutes and one hour depending on your oven and the size of your kohlrabi slices.
The end result should be golden, chip-like crisps.
Once they are cooked, remove them from the oven, slide them off the hot tray and onto a plate with paper towel (or cloth) to soak up some of the oil and cool. Toss with salt (to taste) immediately so that it soaks in while the crisps are hot.

Enjoy!

If you end up baking these at home, please feel free to share your results with us on Instagram @naturalgroceryco

Little Trees – A.K.A. Broccoli

February 1, 2017 by WineAndBeer

In our house, we refer to broccoli florets as “little trees.” We’ve done this since our son was starting to eat solid foods. He LOVES broccoli and other green vegetables to this day (now he’s five)!

With winter in full gear, broccoli becomes one of our winter staples. It’s in the brassica family (along with other cabbage) and is hearty enough to withstand the chilly winter weather.

The word broccoli has Italian origins and stems (pun intended) from the word “broccolo” which means cabbage sprout or flowering crest of the cabbage. The word broccolo is rooted (another pun!) in the Latin broccus which means “projecting.”

Now that we have the etymology covered, here’s one of our favorite ways to prepare our “little trees”:

Steamed Broccoli with Pistachio-Orange Dipping Sauce

Prepare the Broccoli:

Cut 2 heads of broccoli into bite sized pieces. Steam or blanch until just tender. Set your timer for 5 minutes then test a piece with a fork, or knife point. When cooking the broccoli, remember to lightly salt the water, and that the broccoli will continue to cook with residual heat once you remove them from the steam or water, so you want them to be almost ready when you remove them to cool.

Prepare the Pistachio & Orange Sauce:

Ingredients:
2 Valencia oranges
2 cups roasted, salted pistachios (shelled)
1 tbsp. Champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 small clove of garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. water
¼ cup olive oil

Juice the oranges.
Combine all ingredients in the blender. Blend on high.
Taste the mixture, adjust for thickness (consistency) and salt levels.

If it tastes flat, add a teaspoon more vinegar and a dash of salt. If it tastes too sharp (indicating too much garlic), add the juice of another 1/2 orange and another handful of pistachios.

The consistency of the dip should be like hummus. Add olive oil and water to adjust as needed.

This recipe will be a little different each time you make it because all these ingredients vary… oranges are different sizes and have different amounts of juice, garlic is more or less potent depending on its age and olive oils are different depending on varietal and harvest date. So, play with your ratios each time. Taste along the way. Try the sauce with the steamed broccoli to get the full flavor profile.

If you have a little one in your house, this is a great recipe to make together. At this point our son instructs us on salt level, acidity and overall balance. And he LOVES dipping his “little trees” into this sauce!

See you soon,
Sarah Valor

Slow Cooking – Groats

January 16, 2017 by WineAndBeer

Whole Groats

While shopping in our El Cerrito store bulk section, I was tempted to try the organic oat groats instead of the rolled oats. I was both inspired by the current sale price ($1.19/lb) and want the healthiest option for our five year old son. Our bulk buyer, David gave me another reason. He said, “why not eat things as close to the way mother-nature produced them as possible.” I can’t argue with that logic so I bought a bulk bag of groats.

Here’s what I did to process the groats:

1 cup of groats in 3 cups of water

Before bed, I put one cup of groats in a heavy bottom stainless steel pot along with three cups of water.

Simmering groats

In the morning, I turned the burner on medium heat and started cooking in the same pot where I soaked the grains.

Every 10 to 15 minutes, I checked the pot and stirred. 30 minutes into cooking, the groats were sticking to the bottom of the pot so I added more water (1 cup). I also added ¼ cup of raisins, a pinch of salt and a dash of cinnamon. 20 minutes later I added another 1/4 cup of water because the water was nearly absorbed. The groats cooked for a total of 1.5 hours. I added additional water (1/4 cup) another three times during the cooking process.

If you cook groats at home, add water as you see fit. It takes a lot to overcook groats but very little to burn them when there is not enough water in the pot. In other words, keep ’em hydrated.

Toppings: pecans, maple syrup and whole milk

Hearty Breakfast

Leftovers – tomorrow’s breakfast!

The groat cooking process took longer and required more attention than the rolled oats. However, the nutritional benefits make the extra time worth it (when time allows!). For hurried mornings, consider cooking a larger batch. Soak the groats before heading off for your day, cook them in the evening and re-heat them with a little extra water and/or milk in the morning. Or, make enough for leftovers every time you prepare groats.

Why Eat Oat Groats? Here’s what one of our wholesalers (Hummingbird Wholesale) writes about this wonder grain:

Organic Oat Groats are whole oats with only the outer husk removed.

In general, oats have more protein and healthy fats, and less carbohydrates than most other whole grains. This grain is high in beta-glucans, which work to stimulate the immune system. They contain more soluble fiber than any other grain, and oats are also beneficial for their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-itching qualities.

Sounds like a great food if you ask me! Here’s to your morning meal!

Produce notes by Tim Kilkenny

January 9, 2016 by The Natural Grocery Company

Cocktail Grapefruits are not just for cocktails even tho’ they are virtuous in that regard! Their deep, super-saturated yellow tender flesh is amazingly buttery for a grapefruit—who would have thought a grapefruit could be so likable. Let Jimmy Cagney (film actor of the mid 20^th Century) smash it in my face: I’m just gonna eat it. For the month of January these gems are on sale for $1.99/lb—IF supplies last! That brings up a sad anticipation: all these cold rains and frosts have “done a job” on satsuma mandarins in particular—it’ll be a short reason for them. Their rinds got waterlogged, swelled those tissues, and rot followed. Large swathes of carrot plantings got swept away in torrential floods; supply went to near nil, and prices shot up.

Meanwhile, it’s still a good idea to cook (tender and ready for a puree) Gold Beets–then blend them seamlessly in with mashed Russet or Gold Potatoes. Yum. This also applies to Parsnips (you’d be surprised), Rutabagas (maybe even more surprised), or Turnips, especially the tender mild white “Tokyo” varietals. Or you can roast some Honeygold potatoes, along with any and all the roots aforementioned, in the pan under the rack which has the turkey and duck parts basting and savor-izing/umami-izing the roots & potatoes below. Don’t be afraid of that fat! For most people in those amounts with those vegetables, it’ll metabolize grandly, actually helping “burn” those potato carbs. Next day, you’ll wake up refreshed and energized, with the joyful ennui of a tasty meal’s memories curling the corners of your mouth.

Health professionals loathe to tell you to take-up drinking wine, if you don’t already, but are happy to say that one-to-two glasses with such a meal, (studies continue to say), would be just swell for you and your moderate drinking guests. This author found Sierra Nevada Brewing Co’s “Celebration Ale”, to cut through the roast-pan gravied aspect of the above roots-meal suggestion, clearing the pallet for a fresh sensation of the next bite, its effervescence and vegetal hops dancing around the Parsnips, and oh, the Brussels Sprouts (forgot to mention those above). That beer will disappear soon, so experience it ASAP if you at all tolerate IPAs.

Silent Spring

January 7, 2016 by WineAndBeer

The book “Silent Spring,” written in 1962 by Rachel Carson (1907-1964) may be one of the most important warnings against the use of agricultural pesticides and herbicides written in the 20th century. She was one of the first to question man’s inclination to control nature and decide who and what dies and when. Through story telling and scientific research, Carson showed that all biological systems are dynamic and that interfering with synthetic chemicals would cause problems elsewhere. The stories told in Carson’s book catalog the complicated consequences of what has become known as conventional farming. Those stories are why we (The Natural Grocery Company) have been committed to buying organic products for decades. We support agricultural practices that foster the brief picture of life painted in her stories before the advent of chemical additions. That life is bucolic, serene, abundant, healthy, green and ever-changing. In the pages leading up to her story, Carson includes the following quote. It is an important one to remember.

“I am pessimistic about the human race because it is too ingenious for its own good. Our approach to nature is to beat it into submission. We would stand a better chance of survival if we accommodated ourselves to this planet and viewed it appreciatively, instead of skeptically and dictatorially.” -E.B. White

From her website (www.rachelcarson.org):

Carson’s passionate concern in Silent Spring is with the future of the planet and all life on Earth. She calls for humans to act responsibly, carefully, and as stewards of the living earth.

Additionally Silent Spring suggested a needed change in how democracies and liberal societies operated so that individuals and groups could question what their governments allowed others to put into the environment. Far from calling for sweeping changes in government policy, Carson believed the federal government was part of the problem. She admonished her readers and audiences to ask “Who Speaks, And Why?” and therein to set the seeds of social revolution. She identified human hubris and financial self-interest as the crux of the problem and asked if we could master ourselves and our appetites to live as though we humans are an equal part of the earth’s systems and not the master of them.

As we step into 2016 (52 years after her publication), it is clear we have come along way in terms of organic agriculture. It is even more clear that we have a long way to go. So thank you for your continued support of organic foods. You choice has a broad ripple effect, like pebbles tossed in a pond.

The Power of Brassicas + Recipe Ideas!

December 28, 2015 by WineAndBeer

Winter Vegetables. Dark greens, brilliant whites and yellow flowers…nature offers up all the flavors and vitamins necessary to get you through the cold months of November through February. Brassicas are widely available at this time of year.

Members of brassica commonly used for food include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

Brassica vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value. They provide high amounts of vitamin C and soluble fiber. They also contain multiple nutrients with potent anticancer properties. Researchers at UC Berkeley discovered that some of the properties in Brassica vegetables have a potent modulator of the innate immune response systems with potent antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer activity. In addition to amazing restorative powers, Brassicas are tasty. Check out the links for some great recipes below.

Broccoli Recipes: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/broccoli-recipes

Kale Recipes: http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/easy-recipes/recipe-items/kale-and-brussels-slaw-with-quinoa/?order=default&category=1346,1073,1248,1260,1271,1262,5385,5387,7772

Happy Winter Eating!

From her website (www.rachelcarson.org):

Carson’s passionate concern in Silent Spring is with the future of the planet and all life on Earth. She calls for humans to act responsibly, carefully, and as stewards of the living earth.

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