Holiday Menus

Thanksgiving 2024 Meals, Sides & Pies from The Natural Grocery Company

November 8, 2024 by The Natural Grocery Company

The Annex is preparing organic dinners for eight (turkey & vegetarian) as well as individual meals (turkey, vegetarian & vegan) plus pies and all the sides.

You may order and pre-pay online for pickup at The Annex or Berkeley Store. You may also call or come in and place your order at either The Annex (510-526-5150) or Berkeley Store (510-526-2456).

https://naturalgrocery.com/orderthanksgivingmenu/

Pickup day is Wednesday, November 27, 2024 from 8:30am to 8:30pm.

Last day to order dinners and meals is Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 8:30pm.

Last day to order pies is Monday, November 25, 2024 at 8:30pm.

Acorn Squash filled with Wild Rice Stuffing with Dried Apricots and Pecans

November 4, 2024 by The Natural Grocery Company

Acorn Squash filled with Wild Rice Stuffing with Dried Apricots and Pecans

Makes enough for 2 entrée portions or 4 side dishes depending on the size of the acorn squash

1-2 Acorn Squash
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Miyoko’s Vegan Butter
1 cup Lundberg Wild Rice Blend
1 cup vegetable broth stock
¹⁄₄ cup chopped pecans
¹⁄₄ cup chopped dried Turkish apricot
1 stalks celery, chopped well
½ yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon date molasses
salt
pepper

Directions

Roasting the acorn squash

Carefully cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place on a baking sheet, cut side down and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, until tender.
Remove from oven and flip to cut side up. Put ½ tablespoon of vegan butter in each and allow it to melt before stuffing.

To prepare the filling

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat combine the rice and vegetable stock.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
If all the liquid isn’t absorbed don’t worry about it, as long as the rice is done. Drain if needed.
In a saute pan heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until lightly caramelized. Then add 1 tablespoon vegan butter, nuts, apricots and celery and cook until heated through. To finish, add the chopped sage and thyme.
Add the apricots, celery, onions and nuts to the rice. Add the chopped parsley and date molasses, mix thoroughly.
Taste and salt if you want and pepper to taste.
Stuff baked halves of acorn squash and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Holiday Cheeseboards Made Easy

December 21, 2016 by The Natural Grocery Company

Assemble a cheeseboard with these seasonal delights and you are sure to wow your guests! Find these gems at our El Cerrito Store in the cheese section!

Bricat Al Tartufo

Bricat Al Tartufo, Raw Goat- Italy-13.99 ea. – delicious raw goat’s milk cheese dappled with black truffles throughout. It’s so ready to eat, boasting a crumbly texture but smooth mouth feel. Subtle nuttiness with a warm and earthy finish. My favorite pairing is a Langhe Arneis from the Piedmont Region of Italy.

Capra Cremosa

Capra Cremosa, Pasteurized Goat- Italy- 9.99 ea. – Customer favorite! Tangy goat cheese topped with fresh earthy black truffles. This will be delicious atop the holiday prime rib. Pair with a light white like the Anselmo Mendes Passaros from Vinho Verde in Portugal (available at Annex Wine & Beer).

Moser cru Blanc

Moser cru Blanc, Raw Cow-Switzerland-10.99 ea. – Having notes of chanterelle and fresh cream, the slight tang will have your guest wondering if the New Year came early, pop some bubbly and get the party started. This is a great addition to your any party! Pair with the Hubert Meyer Crémant d’Alsace (available at Annex Wine & Beer).

Robiola Tres Latti

Robiola tre latti, Pasteurized Cow, Goat, Sheep – Italy- 10.99 ea. -Piemonte, Italy. WOW. This cheese is literally the trifecta of deliciousness. Made using cow, goat and sheep milk; every bite will showcase the best attributes of each milk. The richness of sheep, buttery notes from the cow and that wonderful lactic tang from the goats milk. Its pastoral taste explosion will make you wish you bought two, one for you and one to share! Pair with Agnès and René Mosse Magic of Juju (Available at Annex Wine & Beer).

Robiola Nostrana

Robiola Nostrana, Pasteurized Cow- Italy- 8.99 ea.– hailing from the Lombardy region in Italy, it’s easy to say that this cheese is a typical representation of the quality of milk the region produces. On the front there are notes of sweet milk followed by the live notes of yeast and brioche. Pairs perfectly with fruity whites and lagers.

Winnimere

Winnimere, Raw Cow- Vermont- 16.99 ea. – T ’is the season of Winnimere, glorious Winnimere. It’s a take on the classic Vacherin Mont d’Or. What makes this cheese not only special to me and other mongers is that, like the Swiss, they only make this during the winter months because Jasper Hills Ayrshire cows are giving rich, non GMO hay-fed raw milk. It’s wrapped in White Spruce bark (hand harvested on the farms woodlands) then aged for approximately 60 days. This cheese has great notes of bacon, sweet cream and spruce. I always tell customers to peel away the top rind and feel free to dip or spoon. What we have in stock is from the first batch, which means if you don’t get one now you’ll have to wait until after New Year’s because they’ve sold out! Pair Winnimere with the Dust Bowl Brewing Black Blizzard Beer (available at Annex Wine & Beer).

Winnimere by the spoonful!

Yams or Sweet Potatoes?

November 16, 2016 by The Natural Grocery Company

Purple Yam

Orange Sweet Potato

Yams or Sweet Potatoes?
We all love to make yams for Thanksgiving, but did you know that you are actually eating sweet potatoes? In the United States we refer to an orange fleshed sweet potato as a yam, but they are really two completely different species. 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 grown 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 they are 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!
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!
By Casey Goode, Produce Manger at ECNG

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