What makes the story of teff so fascinating is the fact that aside from the Great Riff Valley of Africa, the center for its cultivation just so happens to be located in southwest Idaho.

I love to point out local products to Boise Co-op customers. Depending on where in the store I encounter our shoppers, the objects of my enthusiasm could be grapes from Ron Mann, salsa from Amigos, coffee from Full Circle Exchange, grass-fed beef hot dogs from Homestead Natural Foods, or soap from Dr. Susan. When you buy from more than 180 local and regional suppliers, you’ve got a lot to love at Boise Co-op…if you love local.

One of my favorite local products to introduce customers to is an ancient grain that you’ll find in Aisle 2 of our store: teff — which we purchase from (appropriately enough) The Teff Co. of Nampa.  About the size of a poppy seed, teff grains come in a variety of colors, from white and red to dark brown. Its history traces back thousands of years to the ancient civilizations of Abyssinia and beyond. With a physiology that can withstand high heat and bright light, teff thrives even in unpredictable and difficult climates, and historically has been cultivated predominantly in Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it has long been the staple grain of those countries’ diets. Ground into flour, teff is used to make injera – a flat, pancake-like, slightly sour bread that complements the exotic spices found in Ethiopian food, as anyone who has enjoyed the cuisine will attest.

Some other interesting teff trivia, while we’re on the subject:

• Eragrostis tef borrows its name from Greek, meaning “the grass of love,” — from eros (love) and agrostis (grass).
• For its survival, teff uses a type of photosynthesis called Carbon 4, which developed early in the ice ages and allows teff to be most efficient in temperatures as high as those of the human body, in contrast to wheat, whose optimal temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
• One pound of teff can produce up to one ton of grain in only 12 weeks. The amount of seed required for this yield is hundreds of times less than that required for planting wheat. This productive potential and minimal time and seed requirement have protected Ethiopians from hunger when their food supply was under attack from numerous invaders in the past.
• Three thousand grains of teff weigh one gram – a testament to teff’s small seed size.

All of the above would certainly be enough to make teff an appealing, if not exotic, grain choice for everything from gluten-free baking flour to a hot breakfast cereal. But what makes the story of teff even more fascinating is the fact that aside from the Great Riff Valley of Africa, the center for its cultivation just so happens to be located in southwest Idaho. And for that, we can thank a former Peace Corps volunteer turned public health expert turned teff advocate and agricultural entrepreneur: Wayne Carlson.

Carlson grew up in Southern California – long enough ago, he points out, to witness what he describes as “the transition from commercial agriculture to urban development that was in progress after World War II.” Carlson went to Ethiopia in 1973 as a Peace Corps volunteer.  This was a time of revolutionary change as the country transitioned from a feudal land system during the last year and a half of Emperor Haile Salassie’s reign.  “Almost everyone at that time was a subsistence farmer, as had been the case for thousands of years,” says Carlson.

As a public health expert, Carlson saw first hand the impact of modern medicine and public health policy on the life expectancy and population of Ethiopia, and the subsequent inability of the country’s outdated agricultural system to feed itself as the population grew. He witnessed a famine in 1973 that led to the downfall of Ethiopia’s feudal regime.

“At the time there were hordes of development experts coming into the country from both the West and the Soviet Union telling Ethiopians that all they had to do was to reorganize their system of agriculture to resemble the models they championed,” Carlson remembers. “This meant bringing in the latest corn seed and eating corn instead of teff as a hedge against famine. Teff, however, was an integral part of the food system – not just as a food, but as a means of paying obligations. It was essentially the coin of the realm.”

Following his Peace Corps stint, Carlson eventually journeyed to Idaho as a public health expert, and was almost immediately struck by the geological and climatic similarities between the Snake River region and the East African Rift – both of which were the result of major dynamics in the earth’s crust, and both of which were subject to hot summers with intense sunlight. The idea came to Carlson that it might be possible to grow teff in southwest Idaho, and he already had in mind a domestic consumer market: the expatriate Ethiopian community.

“I thought about the huge historical transformation that was going on in Ethiopia and the loss of language, culture, and crop plants,” Carlson recalls. “Since these individuals were now in a new environment, the fun thing to do would be to try and re-establish the relationship between a group of people and a plant — that was my motivation. To do this, I would have to make it work in a cash rather than subsistence/barter economy, so it was also a sociological experiment.”

With the help of a friend with an agriculture background, Carlson began his “sociological experiment” by not only growing teff himself, but also recruiting southwest Idaho farmers to do the same. To target their initial market of Ethiopian refugees, many of whom were settling in the Washington, D.C. area, Carlson and his wife Elizabeth went through the D.C. phonebook and began making cold calls to anyone with an Ethiopian surname.

“They were disbelieving at first,” Carlson’s wife, Elizabeth, recalls, “but then some elderly Ethiopian ladies got their hands on it and starting telling everyone else that this was the real thing. The relationship between Ethiopians and teff is one I can hardly compare anything to.” Wayne has vivid memories of taking teff flour to newly arrived refugees from Ethiopia and seeing tears in their eyes from simply smelling it.

Now in its 30^th year of operation as a supplier of teff grain and flour, which it mills at its Nampa, Idaho facility, The Teff Co. has roughly 30 Idaho farms on its roster of suppliers, and has expanded its market beyond the Ethiopian community to include natural food stores and gluten-free food producers such as Sun Flour Mills in Eagle – which in turn finds its way into finished goods from Teddy’s Bakery. Over the past 10 years, Carlson finds that his company has benefitted from a convergence of trends towards local food sources, incorporating more whole grains, and an interest in gluten-free alternatives, as well as from people who have always been interested in healthy food and ethnic cuisines. Carlson also cites the work of the Whole Grains Council in raising awareness among American consumers of the benefits of teff and other grains.

Click here for a YouTube video with Gareth Carlson

Remarking on the continued importance of the Ethiopian community to his business, which now includes his son Gareth, Carlson can’t help but see some irony in The Teff Co.’s success. “Our question in starting this business was, ‘why not change the direction of cultural influence?’ Rather than exporting development practices to Ethiopia, why not take some wisdom from an ancient culture? From there it was a small step to contact Ethiopians living in the American metropolitan areas and re-establish the relationship between the Ethiopians and their favorite grain.” Thanks to this “sociological experiment,” the Carlson Family has also shared a unique and ancient grain with the rest of us, and in so doing has added yet another bragging point to Idaho’s agricultural credentials.

Rapp, who grew up in Seattle, suffered from digestive ailments that resulted in her being placed on a restrictive diet that severely limited her intake of fats and oils, and quickly took the joy out of eating. Items off limits included red meat, hard cheese, butter, and peanut butter.

“I came out of a healthy lifestyle culture,” said Rapp, “but I just couldn’t resign myself to a strictly vegetarian diet.” 

Although trained as a geologist rather than a nutritionist, Rapp drew on her research skills to uncover little-known information about saturated fats and oils and their influence on health and well-being. Her discoveries of the digestive healing properties of coconut and flax seed oils, along with palm fruit oil, canola oil, and hi-oleic sunflower oil, evolved over a period of many months into a “formula” for an organic alternative to butter which became known as Melt Organic.  Coupled with a move from Washington to Hailey, Idaho, Melt became the basis in 2007 for the creation of Prosperity Organic Foods.

In 2009, with the aid of seed capital and a select group of food undustry experts that included Meg Carlson, a former senior vice president of specialty products for Ore-Ida, Prosperity Organics undertook the re-launch of Melt to more successfully compete in the butter substitute market segment.

Cyngnia Rapp

“We used our investor money to develop a professional look, and at the end of last year our consultants were converted to an employee-based team with a stake in the company’s success,” Rapp said.

Prosperity Organics currently employs a staff of seven, with Carlson acting as president and Rapp functioning as the company’s Chief Science Officer. While Melt is currently the company’s only product, plans are in place to introduce a new product in the first quarter of 2012, with other product introductions on tap for next year as well. Prosperity Organics has also just completed a federal grant for nutritional research that Rapp will conduct with a professor from Columbia University.

“A critical difference with our company is that we are the only one in our industry that was created out of personal need, rather than solely on the basis of a marketing opportunity,” Rapp said. “I didn’t realize when I first started out that our product category is worth $3 billion, but we’ve been fortunate to catch the upsurge in coconut oil and a growing consumer knowledge regarding the whole health benefits of fatty acids.”

While Rapp acknowledges that butter substitutes may not occupy the most exciting retail space in a grocery store, she cites the success of another recent product in shaking up its category: “We want to be the Greek yogurt of butter substitutes,” she said.

I grew up in the Golden Age of the Percolator — a more innocent time to be sure, and one dominated by ground beans that typically came out of large red or green cans.  My parents were exhorted to “head for the hills,” “shake the can and see,” and enjoy a watery brown effulgence that was touted as “good to the very last drop.”  As a youth, I just didn’t get the appeal.  But that was well before the concept of “French press,” “dark roast,” or espresso entered my vocabulary.  We’ve come a long way, my friends.

Label me a coffee snob, but the reason I started drinking coffee lo these many years ago was simply because it actually started tasting good to me — along with clearing the mental cobwebs of the morning.  And while I typically don’t have more than one or two cups a day, my morning ritual always begins with a latte, courtesy of my $80 espresso machine.

If you have a person on your holiday gift list who feels the same way about coffee that so many of us at Boise Co-op do, I would encourage you to consider a small gift basket gleaned from the best of Aisle 8 in your favorite local grocery store.  That’s where our coffee lives.

We carry a wide variety of both local, domestic, and foreign coffees.  To say that there is something for every caffeinated taste is an understatment.  It’s much closer to the heart of the matter to say that your biggest challenge in putting together a coffee gift pack will be in narrowing the selection down to a manageable four or five…with a bit of room left for some biscotti or chocolate!

Let’s start with a true local hero: Dawson Taylor.  This much loved Boise coffee roaster (and coffee shop) has been sourcing, buying, roasting and blending specialty coffees for over 15 years, utilizing traditional European-style drum roasters in the conviction that this hands-on method “ensures that our coffees are crafted to perfection, resulting in maximum flavor.”  As a matter of pride, we call your attention to Dawson Taylor’s Co-op Primo Blend, which it describes as “a very smooth rich blend, producing the golden crema.”  Personally, I’m all about the golden crema.

From a little further up the road…Post Falls, Idaho to be precise…we bring you Doma.  The company has been around since 2000, with the goal of being “an environmentally sound company that roasts great coffee.” Or a company that roasts great coffee and is environmentally sound. Doma purchases certified organic, fair-traded and direct relationship coffees, and has made a commitment to place the farmers, their identity, and their product front and center.  Also front and center is the taste of their brews.  Take “The Chronic,” for example, which Doma aptly describes as “hot umber fuel to re-whiten the reddest of eyes, (and) warms the palate and the tummy with hints of cocoa and walnut with a concise, smooth finish, with hints of remembering the previous evening.”

From the good folks who brought you one of the coolest venues in which to nurse a cup of joe (Rembrandt’s Coffee House in Eagle, Idaho) is Full Circle Exchange, another local roaster founded on the principles of fair trade and giving back to the global community.  As the company’s website proudly proclaims, “From the day we opened our doors we have been committed to sourcing only the finest green coffees, grown using naturally sustainable, organic farming practices. Each coffee is hand-crafted in small artisan batches, creating a gourmet coffee with bold, intense and rich flavor. Equally as important is our dedication to ethical trade with small coffee estates and cooperatives.”  If you’d like to experience just how delicious that dedication can be, add a bag of their Holiday Blend to your gift basket.

Another great roaster that trades directly with democratically organized small farmer cooperatives is itself a co-op (you gotta like that): Equal Exchange, which was founded 25 years ago in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts.  You might want to consider amping your relationships up a notch or three with their Organic Love Buzz, a “dark and smoky favorite (with) sweet velvety layers of chocolate brownie, caramel corn, malt and toffee.”

Winter is a great time of the year to pick up on holiday blends from a number of coffee roasters.  Along with Full Circle Exchange’s Holiday Blend, Doma recently brought us Santa’s Little Helper (which I’m currently drinking at home), and from a favorite of mine since discovering their beans at the Toad Hollow Coffee Shop in Bellingham, Washington — Raven’s Brew Coffee – here comes Santa Caws.  If Raven’s Brew Coffee wasn’t as good as it is, it is probably the one brand I would buy simply on the basis of its blend names and label art, which include Wicked Wolf (my intro to the company), Dead Man’s Reach, Resurrection Blend, and Dharma Beans (with apologies, I’m sure, to Jack Kerouac).  Be warned, however, the company’s website admonishes that, “All of our brand names, images and text are protected by trademarks, registered trademarks, copyrights and attack-dogs with law degrees.”  Send more money, guns, lawyers, and coffee, please.

All these coffees represent just a sampling of what you’ll find in Aisle 8 of the Co-op.  If you’re looking for something a bit more exotic, you might want to include some Hula Girl from the Hawaiian Royal Trading Co., or go to the Mother Lode of great espresso, Italy, with ground or whole bean coffees from illy or Lavazza — the latter of which includes another favorite of mine, Super Crema.  And if you’re looking for coffee makers that will do justice to the beans we sell, you’ll also find Bodum French Press and drip coffee makers, or kick it old school with a Bialetti Moka Express espresso maker. 

In short, if you’re wracking your brains for some gift ideas for anyone who appreciates great coffees (with the added benefit of social consciousness), head down to Aisle 8 and…yes, I had to say it…wake up and smell the coffee.

While buying high quality chocolate costs more than the mass produced stuff that most of us probably grew up with as kids, there’s a secret I’ll let you in on in case you haven’t already discovered it: just like buying high-quality meat, less is more in the case of good chocolate.

My children are grown and no longer at home – or even in Boise – but one long standing Christmas tradition that my wife and I refuse to give up as “empty nesters” is the Christmas stocking. And now that we no longer have to take up precious stocking real estate with yo-yos and comic books (a satsuma mandarin or tangerine is still required at the toe, of course), there is more room for what really matters most in life: chocolate.

We’re fortunate at the Co-op to carry what I believe to be one of the best assortments of cocoa-based confections in the Treasure Valley – a selection that includes not only internationally known brands, but a number of great local products as well. I recently took a spin of our store with grocery employee (and fellow chocolate lover) Meghan Corr, for an overview of some of her favorite treats.

“If you’ve ever travelled in Europe,” says Meghan, “you would know about Ritter chocolate bars – they’re everywhere, and they’re absolutely amazing. So many flavors! The packaging is really cool as well: you can break the bars into segments and then open a seam in the package and hand them to people.”

Speaking of chocolates that may bring back memories of the Continent, Meghan also likes Lindt balls (“A perennial favorite!”), and although they’re not chocolate per se, she also has a nostalgic soft spot for Manner Cream Filled Wafers in a variety of flavors for “The Taste of Vienna.” And on the subject of European chocolate confections, one would be remiss in not including Toblerone bars, which combine honey and almond nougat in their distinct triangular form.

Along with brands that have made Europe famous for their chocloates, the Co-op features plenty of local stars as well. From way up north in Moscow come Cowgirl Chocolates, who in addition to chocolate bars that include ingredients such as sarsaparilla oil also make individually wrapped bon-bons and soft caramel infused with chili peppers for a hot time in the old town, pard.

Closer to home, Dream Chocolate of Boise has been putting out a dizzying and delightful variety of chocolates for years now — some of which benefit local causes such as Trevor’s Trek.  If their chocolate wasn’t as good as it is, you might be tempted to buy a bar of “Idaho Christmas” milk chocolate just for the label alone: a cowboy on horseback carrying a Christmas tree through a winter scene that looks as though it could be set in the Long Valley.  Among the Dream Chocolate bars you’ll find at the Co-op are Gift of the Gods, Rich Dark Chocolate with Balinese Sea Salt and Almonds, Dark Organic Chocolate with Cocoa Beans (70% cocoa), and Rich Lavender Milk Chocolate.  And this is just the tip of the Dream Chocolate cocoa iceberg!

If you’re looking for a tempting variety of chocolate flavors and a local producer that is Fair Trade, be sure to stuff your stocking with Full Circle Exchange chocolates – and maybe throw in a bag or two of their coffees as well. Another local chocolatier who has been making waves nationally for the quality of their sweets is Good Cacao.

Along with chocolates, we also carry Jason’s Cosmic Caramel, which comes in bricks for dipping apples or carving into bite size chunks, and rich almond toffee from The Toffee Cottage in Emmett, Idaho – both of whom will give you a renewed respect for the quality of our local confectioners. In fact, we have an entire checkout line endcap devoted to many of them!

If you have a loved one who is diabetic, we have wonderful European-style chocolates from ChocoPerfection, which in addition to being sugar-free are also low-carb and high-fiber. Another lower glycemic alternative to all that sugar are our honey sticks.

In addition to chocolate, we carry old-fashioned candy canes made with organic peppermint oil – so they are more likely to cure a tummy ache than cause one. And if you are more inclined to light a menorah than hang a stocking with care, you’ll also find gelt coins made with all-natural chocolate.

While buying high quality chocolate costs more than the mass produced stuff that most of us probably grew up with as kids, there’s a secret I’ll let you in on in case you haven’t already discovered it: just like buying high-quality meat, less is more in the case of good chocolate. It just doesn’t take a lot to give you a sense of satisfaction – which for those of us whose increase in wisdom has been accompanied by a decrease in metabolism is a blessing when indulging our inner child’s sweet tooth.

The ultimate eco-friendly food, Zürsun heirloom beans are grown on small-scale farms in the Snake River Canyon region of south central Idaho known as the Magic Valley Growing Area. The area’s arid climate, rich, well-drained loamy soil, moderate temperatures and stable moisture level – internationally recognized as having ideal environmental conditions for bean growing – produce pure, distinctly flavorful beans, superior to common store-bought varities. But then, we all know that there is nothing common about Idaho.

When it comes to tales of local food, you can think of Boise Co-op as the Library of Congress — or at least a compendium of brilliant short stories. Walk down an aisle, turn a page.  Aisle 8 of our Grocery Department is the repository for a number of splendid culinary yarns, including the story of Zürsun Idaho Heirloom Beans – the source for our packages of Cassoulets U.S.A.

Founded in 1985 by Lola Weyman, Zürsun Idaho Heirloom Beans is the original U.S. company to offer authentic heirloom beans and unusual legumes worldwide. During the late 1980s, Lola began distributing American-grown lentils, with orders coming from America, Canada, and Europe. She also helped develop new heirloom lentil varieties like Montana’s Black Beluga, named for its resemblance to caviar; Petite Crimson, smaller and quicker cooking than the standard Red Chief; and an American version of Lentilles du Puy.

Produced by nature and cultivated by world cultures through thousands of years, heirloom beans are untouched by genetic science or modern technology. Today there are over 10,000 known varieties of heirloom beans and legumes that have been handed down from generation to generation. Discovering and enjoying heirloom beans helps preserve traditional varieties for future generations 

The ultimate eco-friendly food, Zürsun heirloom beans are grown on small-scale farms in the Snake River Canyon region of south central Idaho known as the Magic Valley Growing Area. The area’s arid climate, rich, well-drained loamy soil, moderate temperatures and stable moisture level – internationally recognized as having ideal environmental conditions for bean growing – produce pure, distinctly flavorful beans, superior to common store-bought varities. But then, we all know that there is nothing common about Idaho.

A Very Merry Christmas Lima to you!

Jim Soran, a second-generation “bean guy” with 60 years of family roots in the Idaho bean industry, acquired Zürsun in 2004. Under Jim’s guidance, and with help from the 300 farmers who grow beans for him, Zürsun heirloom beans are continually inspected during the growing season for plant health, pure strains and consistent appearance. Zürsun delivers beans to customers fresh from the field and impeccably clean, and Jim’s passionate focus on producing the best-quality beans ensure Zürsun Idaho Heirloom Beans provides the most amazing, high-quality bean-eating experience. We also have it on good authority that Jim plays a mean guitar.

Heirloom beans’ life-giving properties are as important today as they were for our ancestors. Beans are recognized as a near-perfect food. They contain the highest percentage of protein of any vegetable and are packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients – plant substances that have beneficial effects for human health. The high-fiber content of beans protects against heart disease, and helps manage blood glucose levels and control weight.

In addition to being an excellent source of dietary plant protein, bean plants enrich the earth by aerating the soil, obtaining nitrogen from the air, and fixing and releasing nitrogen into the ground – thus helping fertilize the soil. Beans require less water and fertilizer than many grain crops like corn.

Each package of our Cassoulets U.S.A. beans comes with a recipe that primarily involes the addition of time, love, and temperature – not necessarily in that order. Take the Christmas Limas, for example – prepared “Provence style.” With the addition of two slices of slab bacon, beef bouillon (optional if you are vegetarian or vegan), olive oil, garlic, onions, and seasoning, the beans are baked in a casserole dish rather than boiled. With a garnish of chopped fresh parsley or green onions, a green salad and some multigrain bread, you’ve got dinner for four.

Linda Ledbetter can look a turkey in the eye with nary a pang of guilt!

As a confirmed omnivore there is a point in the process of celebrating Thanksgiving at the Co-op when I find myself feeling strangely guilty. And then it hits me: a lot of our customers are vegetarians and vegans. My bad.

It’s during these moments of carnivore insensitivity that I turn to my vegetarian proxy here in the Co-op Tech House, Member Services Director Linda Ledbetter. While Linda practices the gustatory discipline of not eating anything with a face, she is always gracious about the food habits of others…so long as they eat what is good for them (which includes ice cream).

I asked Linda the other day to walk me through the store and point out some things she would grace her Thanksgiving table with as a person who clearly isn’t going to be cooking a turkey, ham, or standing rib roast for the holidays. I’m happy to share her recommendations in the hopes that our vegetarian and vegan friends will share theirs as well, especially considering that I’ve never eaten anything prepared by Linda that wasn’t delicious.

• Quorn Turk’y Roast – Thanks to Linda, I’ve had the pleasure of eating other products from Quorn…and Linda assures me that no actual Turks were harmed in the making of this one. I can definitely say that I’ve never had mycoproteins that tasted this great, and while some might ask why others find it necessary to “disguise” a vegetarian product as faux meat, my experience is that many people who are uncomfortable eating animal proteins still enjoy the mouth feel of a “meat-like” food. To quote Bobby Dylan, “To each his own it’s all unknown.” Or as Linda puts it, “I don’t think of it as a meat substitute, just something that goes really well with other things that I like to serve for Thanksgiving.”
• Wild rice stuffing and squash – This is the time of year when you’ll find a variety of wonderful squash in our Produce Department, including the ever popular acorn and butternut, as well as what may be less familiar Delicata, Sweet Dumpling, and Kabocha. While the key ingredients for preparing tasty squash are pretty much time and heat, our Deli Department has prepared a wild rice stuffing that will take a baked squash to a whole new level – or simply work as a vegan side dish.
• Mashed yams – With a pinch of pumpkin pie spice and a little maple syrup, you’ve got a nutritional orange vegetable option to mashed potatoes. Not that I’m knockin’ spuds, y’all. I also recommend Japanese sweet potatoes for their nutty but less sweet flavor.
• Cranberry relish – Put down that can opener and back away slowly, ma’am. The real deal when it comes to cranberry relish starts with real cranberries boiled in half orange juice and half water. Linda likes to add some orange zest and organic raw sugar or honey. She also recommends making it a day ahead of your feast and serving it chilled. It only takes about 20 minutes of boiling down to make this perfect side to your Quorn Turk’y Roast and wild rice stuffing, but mind the sweetener since you’ll want to balance the tartness of the cranberries.

So, dear vegetarian and vegan friends of the Co-op…what do you like to serve for Thanksgiving?  We’d love for you to share.

We could, of course, do something simple like a drawing to give away the Weber, but what would be the fun in that?

No, rather than make you sing for your supper, we’ll ask you come up with a creative summer BBQ menu to win this grill. After all, that’s just how we roll at the Co-op.  Besides, before we know it we’ll be huddled around the fireplace wondering where the sunshine went and jonesing for a whiff of grilled burgers. So before we strike a match to that last batch of mesquite lump charcoal and throw on that New York steak, let’s indulge in a Fantasy BBQ Contest. Here’s how it works:

• Create a Fantasy BBQ menu to include a main dish (protein or veggie, your choice), two sides of your choice, a dessert and a beverage (wine, beer, or non-alcoholic). All items must come from the Boise Co-op (diabolically clever of us, don’t you think?).
• Provide a mouth-watering description of your recipes/preparation (unless, of course, your sides and/or dessert came from our Deli). Include a description as well of why you chose your particular beverage to pair with your Fantasy BBQ meal.
• Include pictures of your Fantasy BBQ feast.
• Send the above to me, Michael Boss, at mboss@boisecoop.com.
• A panel of judges will select the winning Fantasy BBQ meal.
• Entry deadline is August 31. The winner will be announced on Labor Day (Monday, September 5).

Along with the Weber grill, we’ll add a bag of charcoal (click here for a video of IT guy Justin Rupe expanding on the wonders of lump charcoal), BBQ sauce, condiments, a $10 Gift Card to apply toward the fulfillment of your Fantasy, and, need I say, a bunch of Kettle chips. In addition, we’ll shoot a short video of you describing your winning Fantasy BBQ for the delight and edification of our followers and customers.

Don’t you think it’s high time to tell that poseur Guy Fieri that there’s a new sheriff in town? All you need to do is share your BBQ genius, and that Weber is as good as smoking on your patio.

“As a baker, I’m very passionate about gluten-free food, but I’m also very proud of the fact that nobody notices the absence of gluten in what I make,” says Tina Garcia of Teddy’s Bakery.  “Everyone can enjoy it.”

Anyone who has raised kids can appreciate the honesty in Tina Garcia’s reply to the question, “What do you do?”  “First and foremost,” she says, “I’m a mom.”

Click here for a video interview with with Tina Garcia

While Tina’s primary occupation leaves precious little time for anything else besides a few hours of cherished sleep, she also happens to be the founder of Teddy’s Bakery, a gluten-free creator of some delightful breads and cookies — and one of the newest  additions to the Co-op’s illustrious ranks of local food producers.  I recently had a chance to visit Tina in her kitchen, which she rents from the Sweet Valley Cookie Company in Eagle, Idaho.  Whatever stereotypes you may harbor about gluten-free recipes, one can safely say that when it comes to Teddy’s Bakery, what you notice is what’s in the goodies that Tina Garcia bakes — not what’s been left out.

“As a baker, I’m very passionate about gluten-free food, but I’m also very proud of the fact that nobody notices the absence of gluten in what I make,” she says.  “Everyone can enjoy it.”

Tina’s inspiration came from several quarters, starting with her own love of cooking.  She also has family members who are gluten intolerant, most notably her sister-in-law Lanae Phillips — who just so happens to be one of the owners of another Co-op supplier, Sun Flour Mills.  Lanae and business partner Barbie Doherty are mainstays of the Co-op’s Aisle 10 selection of gluten-free foods, and their popular whole grain mixes are milled free of dairy, soy, gluten/wheat, nuts, and eggs.

Tina had participated in a number of Co-op in-store demos with Sun Flour Mills, and one thing she quickly noticed was the interest that Co-op customers showed in the end results of their mixes.  “They would ask Barbie and Lanae if they sold the baked goods that they prepared for the demos, but they didn’t…so I had the idea of making them myself.”

As it turns out, it was a good idea…and one that quickly fell into place without the necessity of a second mortgage.  Although Tina had never baked commercially, she had experience baking in volume, thanks to catering gigs with her mother.  She raided her pantry at home, cleaned out her fridge, expanded her cooking utensil inventory, and then got her biggest break: she found a commercial kitchen she could rent.  All that remained was transferring her Kitchen Aide to Sweet Valley Cookie Company.

In addition to providing its kitchen to Teddy’s, Sweet Valley Cookie Company’s owner Hedi Tilby also sells its cookies to a clientele that has come to see going gluten-free as anything but a sacrifice.  Tina’s recipes have largely been the result of experimentation with more traditional gluten-based breads, muffins, and cookies that she has admired over the years.  “I take recipes that I like and play around with them until I get something that is gluten-free,” she says.  Her glazed lemon cookies, known as Lemon Lillys, were actually based on a similarly inspired cookie baked by the Co-op and named after her daughter.  “My son wants me to name something after him, but what do you do with ‘Cooper’?”  We’ll gladly take suggestions and pass them along to Tina. 

Teddy’s Bakery’s recent debut on Aisle 10 of the Co-op came about when Tina’s sister-in-law introduced her to Meghan Corr in our Grocery Department.  All it took to convince Meghan to buy from Tina was a sample of the products she had brought along with her.  Meghan was excited about being able to offer fresh baked goods to our store’s gluten-intolerant customers.  Along with Lemon Lilys, we carry Teddy’s Whole Grain Honey Bread and Coco-Loco Chocolate Chip Cookies.  In the past, Tina has supplied us with gluten-free muffins as well.  And, of course, sitting right next to Tina’s baked goods are the ingredients from Sun Flour Mills that she uses in all her recipes.  It’s vertical integration, Treasure Valley style.  You can also special order products from Teddy’s Bakery through the Sweet Valley Cookie Company website.        

In many ways, the story of Tina Garcia and Teddy’s Bakery could be the story of so many of our local food producers.  A person with a love of cooking and healthy food sees a need in the community and decides to get into his or her kitchen and do something about it.  A spouse with some marketing savvy, as in Tina’s case, gets a new evening project besides reading a bedtime story to the kiddies.  Another relative knows a friend who has a  friend who has a food business background, or has access to a commercial kitchen — and the next thing you know, a local food star is born.  At the Co-op, we’re awfully proud to be listed in the credits when a company like Teddy’s Bakery hits the big screen.

The verdict in the case of “lump vs. briquette” comes down to this, says Juice: “Once you go lump, you’ll turn your nose up at briquettes.”

Just when I thought I’d truly made the grade barbeque-wise, and purchased a CharBroil Quantum Infrared Grill, Justin Rupe, the Co-op IT Guy, had to go and introduce me to the virtues of lump charcoal.

It’s like you just got married and your best friend walks up to you at the wedding reception and says, “Hey, have I introduced you to Ms. Universe yet?  Dude, she can’t stop talking about how much she’s wanted to meet you.  Oh…wait, you’re married now.  Bummer.”

What Justin has known for over a year — when he made the switch from briquette-based barbeque — is that lump charcoal can help fulfill every grill master’s desire to raise the bar (or the grill, if you will) on their culinary skills.

“Lump burns hotter and faster than briquettes, and you can maintain a nice, steady temperature with lump just as easily as briquette,” says Justin (aka, “Juice”), although it produces four times less ash. Lump is also very easy to light, and can be used as soon as you have sufficient heat.  There’s no need for it to ‘ash over’ like briquettes.”

To this last point, Juice recently demonstrated the convenience of lighting a lump charcoal fire by simply placing a square of paper towel in the middle of some of our Chef’s Delight mesquite lump charcoal (you can pick up a 40-pound bag in our Grocery Department for the member price of $14.99) and striking a match.  Fifteen minutes later it was “go time.”

Convenience aside, what really seals the deal for Juice when it comes to “lump vs. briquette” is taste: “Lump wins in my opinion.  It has a natural wood smoke flavor with no lighter fluid residue, and no strange ingredients of any kind.”

“Strange ingredients,” you say?  With lump charcoal, it’s less about what goes into it (charred wood) than it is about what doesn’t.  Read the list of ingredients provided by the largest briquette manufacturer, Juice points out, and you’ll find some things you might not have expected: wood char, mineral char (a type of brown coal), mineral carbon, limestone, starch, borax, sodium nitrate, and sawdust.

The verdict in the case of “lump vs. briquette” comes down to this, says Juice: “Once you go lump, you’ll turn your nose up at briquettes.”

One of my recent discoveries has been Fentimans, a line of “botanically brewed” carbonated drinks in funky little bottles that look like they’d be more at home in the old apothecary shop than the modern supermarket.  Aside from the old fashioned whimsy of the Fentimans labels, I was struck by several of the things printed on them.

The first was the “botanically brewed” reference.  The second was the instruction, “Up end before pouring” (not your everyday soda guideline).  Finally, there was the source: Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.  Seriously…how could something brewed in a place with the name Newcastle Upon Tyne be anything but cool?  I could picture Shakespeare cracking open a bottle of Fentimans as he took the pause that refreshes while penning (quilling?) A Midsummer Night’s Dream — except for the fact that Fentimans was founded in 1905.  But never mind.

So, what’s it all about, Alfie?  Let’s start with the “botanically brewed” reference.  A visit to the Fentimans’ website reveals the following explanation:

Botanical Brewing is a simple process involving herbs and plant roots.

The original recipe saw us take ginger roots, mill them before tumbling them into copper steam jacketed pans and leaving to bubble and simmer, releasing all their flavour. Adding finest herbs, natural flavouring, sugar, brewer’’s yeast and fresh spring water the liquid was transferred to wooden vats where it was left to ferment.

The liquid went on fermenting as it was bottled and corked in the old stone “Grey Hens” – where it would fully mature and be ready to drink by the end of the week.

Today our processes have been updated through the addition of mild carbonation to replace the carbon dioxide lost in pasteurisation, which gives the product a longer life and keeps the level of alcohol to no more than 0.5

Click here for a great little video on Fentimans' Curiosity Cola

We carry a number of different Fentimans sodas, which on any given day might include not only Curiosity Cola, but Victorian Lemonade, Ginger Beer, Shandy, and my current fave Dandelion & Burdock (carbonated water, sugar, pear juice concentrate, glucose syrup, ginger, dandelion & burdock flavor, dandelion strong infusion, burdock strong infusion, and aniseed flavor). And then there’s something about the notion of Victorian Lemonade that makes me want to don a pith helmet and brush up on my Kipling.

So, whether you’re an Anglophile, have an interest in carbonated arcania, or simply enjoy chasing your whimsy when it comes to new and different beverages, a trip to our beverage case for some Fentimans is a heckuva lot shorter distance to travel than across The Big Pond.

Hail Britannia, and God Save the Queen!