Apple Season is Here!

September 7, 2016 by The Natural Grocery Company

Roxbury Russet Apple

Ashmead’s Kernal

Belle de Boskoop

Red Gravenstein

Every year at the Natural Grocery Company we bring in different types of organic, local heirloom and biodynamic apples, most of which we get from The Apple Farm in Philo, CA and Filigreen Farms in Booneville, CA. At the peak of the season we may have more than 50 different types of apples available at our El Cerrito store, with more varieties to come as the season changes. Right now we have 44 varieties at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Co. From The Apple Farms’ Ashmead’s Kernal, Roxbury Russet and Belle De Boskoops to Filigreen Farm’s Kidds Orange Red, Red Gravenstein and Pink Sparkle. With all of these apples in abundance one might ask, what makes these two farms and their apples so special? They are both certified Biodynamic, a method of organic farming originally developed by Rudolf Steiner that is described as a holistic understanding of agricultural processes. This type of farming has an astrological sowing and planting calendar. Choosing to plant, cultivate or harvest based on both the phase of the moon and the astrological constellation the moon is passing through. One of the first sustainable agriculture movements, it treats soil fertility, plant growth and livestock care as equally interrelated tasks emphasizing spiritual perspectives. The whole farm is conceived of as an organism. Soil, plant, animal, human. Biodynamic farmers focus on the open pollination of seeds (with farmers thereby growing their own seed) and the development of locally adapted varieties. Biodynamic Farming has about 20% smaller yields than traditional organic farming but the flavors really stand out! Some think of it as Organic 2.0!

Now, about those apples! Ashmead’s Kernal and Roxbury Russet are funny looking apples. Their rough brown skin looks like that of a russet potato. They are juicy and tart and as they age and start to soften and wrinkle, their flavors intensify. Look for these to make an outstanding juice or applesauce! Belle De Boskoops are tart and fragrant. They are a great cooking apple as they tend to hold their shape. They also have four times the vitamin C as a Granny Smith! Kidds Orange Red is aromatic, sweet and sharp. Great for juicing, drying and eating out of hand. It is also one of the parents of the Gala apple. Red Gravenstein is a natural mutation of the Gravenstein apple. Extremly floral with a sweet/tart taste, this is one of my absolute favorite apples. The Red Gravenstein is a little sweeter than the Gravenstein and is a great cooking apple. Try making a pie using half Red Gravenstein and half Belle De Boskoops! Pink Sparkle is a variety that is new to The Natural Grocery Company. Just under the skin, there are lovely pink polka dots in the flesh! Traditionally used in cooking, this apple purees well, so it would be great to make an applesauce or apple butter! Tart and slightly sweet, this apple looks like it was grown upside down with a broad base and narrows near the stem.

Come in and taste a new kind of apple as we will be getting in more varieties every week! This really is a special time of year at The Natural Grocery Company. I don’t know of any other stores in the area that can come anywhere close to carrying this many varieties of local organic apples. Can you?

By, Casey Goode, Produce Manager at ECNG

Tomato, Basil and Avocado Salad

June 30, 2016 by WineAndBeer

The smell of basil is a sure sign of summer.

It’s that time of year when “cooking” gets easier because you don’t really have to cook!

The veggies, herbs and fruits are so stellar in their raw form that minimal preparation is necessary.

Ingredients list (enough for four adults)

Basil – one bunch

Tomatoes – 4 medium to large tomatoes (Romas or Heirlooms)

Cherry tomatoes – one basket

Avocado – 4 medium sized avocados. Select the ones that have just a little give when pressed gently.

Shallot – one

Garlic – one head (although you only need one tiny bit of one clove)

Acme baguette – one (sweet or sourdough depending on your preference)

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Salt

Preparation:

Dressing first (that way the flavors meld while you cut the produce):

Dice the shallot and throw it into a jar (with a lid).

Throw in a pinch of salt (don’t be too shy with your pinch)

Add 2/3 of a cup of olive oil and 1/3 of a cup red wine vinegar. You may have some left over dressing with this quantity. Just store it in the fridge and temper it next time you are making a salad!

Shake the mixture and let it sit.

Salad:

Cut the large tomatoes into bit size pieces

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half

Cut the avocados in bite size pieces (same as tomatoes)

Put all ingredients in a bowl. Mix together with fingers (try not to crush the avocados)

Break the basil leaves off one at a time (leaving the stem behind). You should use about five plentiful stems of basil*. Then break each leaf into pieces. Be gentle so as not to bruise the basil.

Re shake the dressed, and then mix it in…use as much as you think is necessary for great flavor.

Cut the baguette into pieces, toast lightly in the oven or toaster. While it’s still hot, take one pealed clove of garlic cut in half and rub the crumb side of the bread with the garlic. Then take olive oil and drizzle over the top. Finish with salt (to taste).

If you eat cheese and cold cuts of meat, have some on the side. If not, enjoy this salad as a great vegan salad. It’s one of our favorite summer dishes.

*If the basil bunch was more than five stems, store the rest (unwashed) wrapped in a damp paper towel or cloth in the produce drawer of your fridge.

Frog Hollow Stone Fruit

May 29, 2016 by WineAndBeer

We wait patiently every year for the Frog Hollow flat bed truck to pull into our driveway with stacks of perfectly ripe, organic apricots, peaches, plums, pluots and nectarines.

Frog Hollow is a family run farm in Brentwood, California. Not only to they grow impeccable, tree-ripened produce, they also make amazing conserves (with low added sugar), tasty (and pure) olive oil and dried fruits.

Swing by either market to buy their most seasonal fruits!

Photos borrowed from the Frog Hollow website.

Hummingbird Wholesale

May 11, 2016 by WineAndBeer

We choose our business relationships carefully. The folks at Hummingbird Wholesale live and breath values that align with our own. Headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, they serve their immediate area on down to us folks in Northern California. We are lucky to be within their distribution territory because they bring delicious, organic bulk products at competitive prices. Look for a list of products we carry from them below! Their philosophy about business is to be like a hummingbird. This beautiful and poetic entry from their website describes the metaphor in more detail.

Sustainability at Hummingbird Wholesale

by Julie and Charlie Tilt

What if, like the hummingbird, all people would sip the nectar of the earth without harming the flower? Is it possible? At Hummingbird we know it is possible, and we will never give up until this vision comes to fruition.

We can enjoy the sweetness of the harvest and the delicious nourishment of the earth while remembering to be grateful, and taking only our share. We honor the earth’s abundance through doing good work with the energy we receive from its sustenance. We are focused: with adroit maneuvering we extract the flower’s nectar in a manner that ensures the flower remains for others to be nourished. We share in the delight of its beauty, now and into the future.

We grow ourselves in collaboration with others, in service to the community. Our work at Hummingbird is essentially love in action. We use our willpower, along with positive thought and actions, to move the world into a sustaining momentum. We humbly learn from our mistakes, laugh at ourselves, and respect the different opinions of others. We do this with an attitude of joy and reverence; aware of the mystery and grandeur of the planet we all steward.

The hummingbird is a tiny little creature, and we recognize that the fragility and workings of the complex interaction of humans in nature is dependent on the smallest of things: the birds and the bees and the earthworms. We strive in every action to enhance the existence of all creatures with our caring attention.

We never give up, and remain positive despite any obstacles. We take 100% responsibility for our lives and our future. We feel complete and whole in relationship to our world. Our hearts are filled with love from our good and courageous deeds every day.

At Hummingbird, we model a business continually striving to deepen our understanding of sustainability by improving our systems to reflect these values. We represent positive change for a hopeful future for all beings.

Hummingbird Wholesale

Find these products in our bulk section:

Michigan Tart cherries dry organic

Regional Snack Blend organic

Granola- Bucky’s Raw Hazelnut organic

Granola- Higher Power GRAWnola organic unswtned

Nutritional Yeast organic

NUTS Tamari Almonds organic

NUTS Hazelnuts organic

NUTS Sprouted Mixed Nuts and Seeds organic

Pumpkin Seeds Oregon grown organic

TRAIL MIX – Northwest Blend w/cinnamon organic

Persimmons dry organic

Blueberries dry organic

Pear slices dry organic

Peaches slices dry organic

Bing cherries dry organic seasonal

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.

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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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