December: Cookies or Citrus?

Turn the calendar page to December and some people start to think about cookies. Lots of cookies. Now I love a good peanut blossom as much as the next guy, but in December I start thinking about citrus. It’s been months since we’ve had any in the house, but now is the time! Last winter my family received a box of grapefruits and oranges as a gift, and I finally understood why so many people love to give (and receive) citrus for the holidays. We absolutely loved this fruit! The bright colors, the surprisingly fresh taste — it all made winter so much sweeter, and the holidays so much healthier.

Ours came from Pete and Cindy Spyke at The Orange Shop. Pete and Cindy grow their fruit in the heart of Indian River country in Citra, Florida, where the warm ocean breezes sweeten the fruit. Their Citra navel oranges, Indian River Ruby Red grapefruit, and Sunburst tangerines are all marked down 15% from now through December 15.

With best wishes for healthy, happy holidays,
Erin

Erin Barnett
Director
www.localharvest.org

Know Your Food

The food we eat is a multidimensional aspect of our lives. Food provides us with the energy that enables us to grow and prosper. Yet it can be, and frequently is, much, much more. Our food can be an experience in and of itself if we allow it to be. The dishes we remember from childhood offer unmatched comfort. The act of preparing meals can be an art form of the highest caliber. And the nourishment we derive from this fare promotes wellness within us. But many of us, distracted by daily affairs, forget that the profound pleasures of eating go beyond simple sustenance. We eat foods that are convenient or we eat unconsciously, snacking on whatever happens to be on hand. To understand the true value of food and the impact it can have on our lives, we should acknowledge and honor it by eating close to the earth. Read more

Potato Salad Recipe just in time for Labor Day

This summer’s wet weather has caused a rapid spread of late blight. Farmers across the East coast are scrambling to get their potatoes out of the ground before they are ruined by the disease. At Syracuse Real Food Co-op is helping our local farmers by purchasing large quantities of potatoes. As you know, we have a tiny little backspace, so we can only buy as many potatoes as we can sell in a reasonable amount of time. Please help New York state farmers save their potato crops by buying lots, and lots of potatoes.

Variety of Local, Organic Potatoes    $3.29/lb

Recipe of the Week Potato Salad:
Enjoy this recipe at your Labor Day picnic, it serves 6-8 people.

Ingredients:

• 5 medium potatoes. Peeled, cooked, squared and cooled
• 4 hard boiled eggs cooked, peeled and chopped (best if chopped finely with pastry blender)
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 large stalk celery finely chopped
• 6 Tb chopped fresh or 2 Tb dried parsley
• 2 cloves fresh garlic pressed or one teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 1 Tb. fresh or 1 tsp. dried basil
• ½ C Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1-2 tsp. salt or to taste
• ½ tsp pepper or to taste
• 1 c Mayonnaise or to taste
• ½ c fresh chopped peppers -optional

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix it up! Let it rest for a few hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator before serving.

For more information please call the Syracuse Real Food Co-Op at 315.472.1385 or visit their website here.

Green Hills Market hosts Hometown Tasting Festival

Green Hills Market will be hosting their 2nd Annual Hometown Tasting Festival on Friday, Sept. 11, 2009 from 4-7 PM at Green Hills, 5933 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, New York.  Over 20 local farmers and manufacturers will be on hand sampling their products. There will be a very wide variety of local products available to taste, from fresh produce to beer and ice cream to hor d’oeuvres!  Some of the local participants sampling their products are Aunt Bee Farm, Brick Farm, Byrne Dairy, Navarino Orchards, Wyllie Fox, Organically Hip, Mama Bulls, Joey’s Italian Restaurant, Eva Hummus, Ramona’s, Ommegang Brewery and Saranac Brewery to name just a few.  All are invited to come and sample the local bounty and meet their Central New York farming and manufacturing neighbors. Read more

Grilled Peaches Recipe

Locally Grown Peaches: Peaches From Mills Fruit Farm in Wolcott, NY

These locally grown peaches were allowed to ripen right on the tree, giving them a chance to fully develop their natural sugars. The result? A delicious, sweet, and REALLY messy peach! How fun!
Organic, Local Peaches $1.29/lb!

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Peaches!

Ingredients:

• Mills Fruit Farm locally grown peaches
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla
• 1/4 Cup Quick Oats

Mix butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and quick oats together in a small bowl.

Slice the peaches in half and remove the pits. Place your halved peaches on the grill, flesh side down, on medium heat for about 6-10 minutes. When the peaches start to get soft, flip them over so the skin side is down and fill the peaches with the oat mixture. Cook on medium heat for another 5-8 minutes.

Serve will vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat! Read more

What’s your Local Motive?

This week marks the launch of our ‘Local Motives’ Challenge. We’re asking our shoppers to think about why eating local food is important; then make a pledge to do it! (Eat local, that is.)

Come into the store and make a pledge. Don’t forget to leave your contact information on the back of your pledge form. On September 15, we’ll draw one pledge card and the winner will receive a gift certificate to Empire Brewing Company!

This Week’s Fresh Produce: Local Garlic
Here’s one of my ‘local motives’: Local food just tastes better. This garlic is no exception.
Organic, Local Garlic  $4.99/lb

Local and Delicious! Cheeky Monkey Dipping Sauce:
Local doesn’t stop at produce. Have you tried this Cheeky Monkey dipping sauce? Cheeky Monkey Foods is located in Syracuse, and their sauces are sold locally. This sauce is “breads best friend”. Try it with our fresh, local Pasta’s stretch bread!

For more information about ownership, please call the Syracuse Real Food Co-Op at 315.472.1385 or visit their website here.

Basil-wrapped Mozzarella and Grape Tomatoes

The Syracuse Real Food Co-Op shares their weekly news and often times delicious recipes with our readership here. Here’s a recipe they’ve shared this week and below that some news about the Co-Op.

This is a nice, light and tasty summer meal.

Ingredients:

• Grape Tomatoes
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Fresh basil leaves
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:
You will need Wooden Skewers. Soak your skewers in cold water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Cut your fresh mozzarella into small cubes (about 1 inch). Brush the cubes with olive oil and a little salt, then wrap them in whole basil leaves (you may need to use two or three leaves to wrap the whole cube.)  Skewer mozza cubes and tomatoes alternately for a colorful and tasty appearance. Read more

Syracuse Read Food Co-op News, July 12th, 2009

This Week’s Fresh Produce: Reeves Farm Blueberries
They’re here! Certified organic, local blueberries. Strawberry season whizzed right by us, so make sure to take advantage of these delicious, local, fresh blueberries while you can.

Half Pint Organic Blueberries  $3.29

Blueberry Compote: Good on Just About Everything
You know that its really summer when you can sit down to a bowl of yogurt with fresh blueberry compote, or enjoy ice cream smothered in blueberry compote, or pancakes, or toast, or (well, the list goes on and on – try it on everything!).

Ingredients:

• Blueberries (Half Pint)
• 3/8 Cup of water
• 3/8 Cup sugar
• Lemon juice
• Lemon or orange zest

Bring water, zest, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in blueberries and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until blueberries begin to break down. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Enjoy it warm, or at room temperature. Read more

LocalHarvest tweets for lavender on Twitter.com

I’m convinced there are two kinds of people in the world: those who love zippy new things, and those whose first question upon meeting zippy is, “Wasn’t the old way good enough?” When it comes to technology, both camps are well represented at LocalHarvest. Take Twitter, for example. Our founder Guillermo loves it. Me, I’ve yet to see the light. He’s trying to convince me, though, and I’ve worked myself up to keeping an open mind.

Last month we promised to take our next giveaway to the world of Twitter. Now, it also happens that July is the beginning of the much anticipated lavender season. I may be wrong, but my hunch is that the crossover between diehard lavender fans and lovers of Twitter is quite small. So we should consider this an opportunity for mixing it up — cross-pollination, if you will. Twitter folks: if you have not had a bouquet of lavender grace your table, you have missed one of life’s most delicious pleasures. And flower lovers, what ABOUT dipping your lavender scented toes into the Twitter waters, just to see? Read more

The 3/50 Project

This project was suggested to us by Tim Smith of Smile-Therapy.com and one of his subscribers RC shared the information with him. Thanks to both of you!

Saving the Brick and  Mortars of our Local Economies, our National Economy.

We’ve all heard the United States Economy is having some trying times. Not the worst ever, not the best ever. Regardless, we certainly can use a BOOST. What can we do as individuals? As you might guess, everything large, starts small. Everything on a big national scale, usually begins at home.

Enter the 3/50 project:::

3… What three independently owned businesses would you miss if they disappeared? Stop in, say hello. Pick up something that brings a smile. Your purchases are what keeps those businesses around.

50… If half of the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent  businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion($42,600,000,000) in revenue. Imagine the positive impact if ¾ of the employed population did that? Read more