While in France, I had many opportunities to talk to my friends and family about my job as Culinary Educator at the Boise Co-op. The subject seemed to open up very interesting and insightful conversations regarding the choices we all have to make as consumers.  Even though buying local has always been part of the French people’s shopping habits, I noticed that the focus has been shifting more toward buying organic and seasonal as an important element in that set of choices.

In many towns in France you will find stores called “Biocoops.” These were the first network of organic stores in France with more than 300 locations, and the original one that opened more than 30 years ago happens to be in Alsace, just 10 minutes from where I grew up. I absolutely had to pay that store a visit. The name of this particular co-op is the Colmar Sonnebluem Biocoop. In the Alsatian dialect, “sonnebluem” means “sunflower.”

As I entered the store, I was instantly reminded of the Boise Co-op, back when it was still located on Hill Road…and when I decided to become a member many, many years ago. I felt inspired and started a conversation with the employees, who graciously invited me to take photos and who were excited to share our commonality. We were instant family, exchanging amazing stories of the longtime relationships nurtured with local growers and ranchers.

There are striking similarities and important common values between the Colmar Biocoop and Boise Co-op. These include supporting local vendors, prioritizing sustainable, fair trade, and organic products, diversifying the business relationships and goods we carry, initiating fundraising events to support local non-profit organizations — just to mention a few.

The Colmar Biocoop is just a small version of ours, with only four employees and a handful of volunteers to run it, but it felt so warm and familiar that I thought I’d share with you how even on different continents, connections can be possible around a common set of food values.

Looking to reset after weeks of holiday feasting? Shelley Spurlock from our Produce Department offers a simple recipe for miso soup that makes four servings in less than half an hour (Shelley says 10 minutes, but I’m allowing for slow prep technique). Some silken tofu, miso, chopped green onions, a little Nori or Wakame seaweed and some water and all that’s left is to simmer and add a dash of Gomasio and Tamari…then sit back and feel the warm!

Click here for a YouTube interview with Shelley on making the perfect bowl of miso soup. 

Our Culinary Educator, Sylvie Ryan, will be rejoining us soon from her visit with family in France.  In the meantime, she shares this culinary postcard with us from her New Year’s Eve celebration in Paris.  Oh, la la!

Sylvie (far right) in Paris

New Year’s Eve, also called Saint Sylvestre, offers a perfect reason for feasting surrounded by friends and family, so I decided to visit my friends in Paris for the holiday. I took the bullet train from Mulhouse to Paris, which took a little over 2.5 hours, and enjoyed an easy, relaxing trip that allowed me to appreciate the gorgeous French countryside.
 
Though I admit it feels like I have not stopped eating for the past two weeks, the evening of the 31st promised to be irresistibly delicious and very gourmet! The celebratory drink of choice for the occasion is, of course, Champagne — and our hosts had plenty of bottles to last for the long evening of feasting and sharing! Each guest brought a special dish, and I was really excited to try all the delicious recipes. There was some smoked salmon served with toasted light bread, a real staple of this most celebrated evening. My favorite dish of all was a Salmon Terrine — it was delightful, rich and creamy with many subtle flavors that married perfectly with the Champagne. The cook promised to share the recipe with me!
 
We toasted the New Year with a precious view of the shimmering Eiffel Tower. What a treat!

We concluded this paced dinner with a beautiful cheese tray, featuring Goat Cheese from Provence, a creamy Roblochon, a Comte, and a tangy, rich Roquefort. It was a fabulous way to begin 2012!

Christmas Market in Mulhouse

One of my favorite events of the season is the Christmas Market. It lasts the whole month of December and gives many artisans an opportunity to showcase their creations. These markets are found in nearly every town throughout Alsace, but the one in Mulhouse was particularly beautiful this year, with gorgeous Christmas lights and decorations! While there, I had the opportunity to eat some perfectly roasted chestnuts and some Kougelhopf, a traditional brioche made only in this region.

In my family, December 24 is when we open presents and gather around an incredible feast! This year, oysters were served first, and it was truly humbling to try to shuck them, as they are so fresh that they seemed nearly impossible to open. I guess I am probably better at eating them! We also had some small toast topped with smoked trout and a deliciously rich and creamy butter from Normandy.

My brother and I spent some quality time in the kitchen, and he suggested preparing a very gourmet dish of sea scallops with a parsnip puree and truffle sauce emulsion. My brother spent countless hours slowly simmering the truffle sauce to be used for the emulsion. It was divine!

My sister-in-law, Karine, loves to bake, and this year she prepared many different sorts of Bredalas, which are traditional Alsatian cookies offered specifically during the holidays. These small cookies are buttery, flaky and delicate.

We of course concluded this light supper with a Buche de Noel. This Christmas Log dessert was a little different from the norm. Traditionally, it is prepared with a rolled genoise cake and then frosted, but this one was made of caramel ice cream with fleur de sel (a gourmet sea salt). It was truly a new take on a most traditional Christmas dessert, but it was the perfect way to end such a feast, and somehow seemed light and refreshing!

We are now resting a bit, preparing for yet another celebration. I will spend a few days in Paris for the New Year’s feativities and will be sure to share more of my culinary adventures!

Happy New Year to you all!

“Our big push this year with our Thanksgiving menu is to increase our focus on more local and organic sources, and to make this food not only delicious but ’accessible.’  You won’t find Thai fusion turkey or anything ’outlandish’ –  just a really solid menu with quality products that have been carefully picked.” — Brook Slee, Co-op Deli

Show of hands: who among you still cling to that Norman Rockwell image of the Ultimate Holiday Tribute to All Things Family otherwise known as Thanksgiving?  Now, keep your hands up if your Thanksgivings have typically lived up to that stereotype.  I thought as much.

I like to think that Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays precisely because we DON’T buy into all the commercial hype that characterizes the rest of the holiday season — that we’re content to bask in the warmth of family, friends, the blessings we hopefully take time to count…and, of course, the joys of good food.  And while we can’t help with the friends and family part of the holiday, Boise Co-op can certainly help with the good food part.

Brook Slee and Meat Department Manager Elisa Jordan

Aside from being your source for turkeys, hams, and other traditional proteins — not to mention squashes, brussels sprouts and myriad other local and organic side dishes — the Co-op can prepare your entire Thanksgiving Day menu from soup to nuts…literally.

So…let’s take a look at this year’s Thanksgiving Menu line up, which once again has been lovingly prepared by Deli Manager Brandi Wilson and head cook Brook Slee with more than a little assistance from our Meat and Produce Departments.  And if I may, let me offer this advisory: if you’re already hungry, don’t read this.  You’ve been duly warned!

By the way, the quotes in the descriptions below come from Mr. Slee himself.

• Turkey: The protein mainstay of our feast comes from our very own Meat Department, courtesy of Robbins Family Farms.
• Wild Rice Stuffing: ”We use an organic wild rice with pecans and lots of colorful roasted and fresh vegetables that will be perfect to stuff into a bird, although we’ve prepared it as a pre-roasted vegetarian side dish that is ready to warm in the oven.  We also feature it stuffed into acorn squash.”
• Grandma’s Stuffing: “This recipe actually comes from our Deli manager’s family and is a classic cornbread stuffing heavy on the pork and prepared with chicken broth.”
• Turkey Gravy: “Folks should know that the turkey stock we use comes from the dark meat and bones of the turkeys we’ve broken down in the kitchen.”
• Mushroom Chestnut Gravy: “This represents a new collaboration among our kitchen staff, and we’ll be using the locally grown chestnuts that you can buy in our Produce Department.  This is definitely a vegetarian dish, but we may even be able to pull it off as a vegan dish as well.”
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes: “What can I say…it’s a classic!”  The potatoes for this recipe come from King’s Crown Organic.
• Parsnip & Yukon Gold Puree: ”This is a new creation that will use parsnips and peeled Yukon Gold potatoes.  You can expect a dish with a saffron color, lots of butter and a little bit of cream.  It can be used in place of mashed potatoes or thinned down with a little stock and used as a gravy.  This could be another vegetarian option or work as a side dish.”  The local sources contributing to this menu item include Rice Family Farms for the parsnips and M&M Heath Farms for the Yukon Gold potatoes.
• Herb Roasted Root Vegetables: ”We’re going with parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, potatoes, gold and red beets and brussels sprouts. We want to feature a lot of other brussels sprouts dishes among our new Deli items.  I love brussels sprouts.”  Our roasted roots are coming from Peaceful Belly Farm.
• Green Beans & Shallots: ”This is the same dish that we currently feature in our Deli case.  It’s a really solid dish that you can serve warm or cold that we make with blanched green beans and roasted shallots.”
• Maple Roasted Butternut Squash: “This is always a handsome addition to our Deli case with oven-roasted butternut squash, maple syrup, and craisins.  It’s a really versatile dish as well.  We can put out 25 pounds of roasted squash a day and sell out — it’s that simple and delicious.”  Hats off to Rice Family Farms for the squash!

“Our big push this year with our Thanksgiving menu is to increase our focus on more local and organic sources, and to make this food not only delicious but ’accessible.’  You won’t find Thai fusion turkey or anything ’outlandish’ – just a really solid menu with quality products that have been carefully picked,” Brook concludes.  “Folks looking for vegetarian alternatives should also know that we won’t sneak chicken stock into any of our vegetable dishes — only into our gravy!”

The table is set.  For what we are about to receive, let us truly be thankful.

All the items on the Thanksgiving Menu below are available for order by calling the Boise Co-op Deli at (208) 472-4520.  Beginning Tuesday, November 22, we will also feature them in our Deli case.  Select items will be available in the Deli “Grab & Go” case as well.  We want to make sure you’re well fed on November 24!

As a cook, I’ve learned that quick and delicious are not mutually exclusive concepts in the kitchen, depending on your timing and basic ingredients.

Behind the comedic references to Jewish mothers there is an eternal and abiding truth: feeding those we care for is part of the language of love.  Even if your culinary skills result in something that doesn’t quite measure up to the take out at Colonel Bucket’s Chicken Blasphemies, the intention you lavish on a home cooked meal, not to mention the integrity of the food itself, speaks volumes to those for whom you cook.

It’s another abiding truth that creating a special meal doesn’t have to be for any particular reason.  Surprising your significant other(s) with a memorable repast may engender the same question as an unexpected bouquet of flowers: “What’s the occasion?”  The answer “Just cuz” is the shorthand version of “Because I love you even when there isn’t an obvious reason to remind you that I do.”  And really, who needs long-stemmed roses when we’re talking wild Alaskan spotted prawns and scallop pasta?

This particular inspiration hit me the other day as I was passing by the Co-op Meat Department.  I asked Sky about the aforementioned prawns, which were certainly more than I’m used to spending for a protein source.  His description of their taste, “like mini lobsters,” got me to thinking that half a pound certainly wouldn’t break the bank.  As it turns out, half a pound of wild Alaskan spotted prawns is actually quite a few, especially when supplemented with scallops (a favorite of my wife).

I grabbed some egg linguine from local supplier Ferranti Fresh Pasta (in our Deli) and some artichoke pesto from our Grocery Department that was featured as one of our Member Specials for October.  From our Produce Department I picked up a pound of asparagus.  Ingredients in hand, I journeyed across the parking lot to the Co-op Wine Shop to get a pairing recommendation from Leil Cardoza.  Having laid down some serious coin for the prawns, I figured I’d best economize with the vino — which led me to the back-wall Bargain section of Leil’s domain.  Leil noted that pairing any wine with artichokes and asparagus is a challenge, but that didn’t stop him from coming up with a selection: Quattro Mani Toh-Kai.  Quattro Mani is described by its winemaker’s notes as “Floral and fresh with rich melony fruit flavors and a brisk, elegant finish” – attributes that Leil maintained would be essential to breaking through the pesto and asparagus while complimenting the sweetness of the prawns and scallops.

As a cook, I’ve learned that quick and delicious are not mutually exclusive concepts in the kitchen, depending on your timing and basic ingredients.  Once I’d shelled the prawns, boiling the water was the gating factor since Ferranti pastas typically only take a few minutes to come to an al dente state.  While that bit of chemistry is happening, you can heat the pesto, steam the asparagus, and sautee the prawns and scallops — all of which take roughly the same number of minutes.  Then uncork the wine, combine the pasta ingredients, sprinkle on some grated Romano, and wait for the spouse to walk through the door with the question, “Wow…what’s the occasion?”

To which I, of course, would answer: “Just cuz.”

Click here for a YouTube video with Leil Cardoza on the appropriate wine pairing for this pasta dish.

Shelley works her magic

We’re counting the days until our Culinary Instructor, Sylvie Ryan, returns from her family visit in France.  Will she bring us cheese?  Will she return laden with recipes from the Alsace?  Will we be treated to a slideshow or some home videos?  We can’t wait!  It will be enough, of course, just to have her back home with us.  France’s loss is Boise’s gain, after all.

In Sylvie’s absence, we’ve done our best to hold aloft the banner of local cuisine, thanks in no small part to Shelley Spurlock from our Produce Department, who has graced our Demo Counter on more than a few occasions with wonderful recipes based on fresh produce from nearby growers.  One of her most recent inspirations (and one we know that Sylvie would have loved) was a Chopped Beet Salad.  It’s a recipe that with only a few simple ingredients and a little prep time will earn you some mad culinary street cred…as well has put something healthy in your loved ones tummies.  All you need is some beets (with greens), soft goat cheese, a tangelo, some flavored vinegar, and walnuts (I suspect pecans would make for a worthy susbstitute as well).

While Shelley made this recipe using regular beets, I’m planning to make mine with chioggia beets…just because I can.  I’m also thinking that some crusty artisan bread would be a perfect compliment…along with more cheese, of course!  All that remains is to check with our Wine Shop as to some pairing options.  Right now I’m leaning toward the L’Ecole Chenin Blanc that Leil Cardoza hipped me to awhile back.  Life is good.

Click here for a video interview with Shelley Spurlock

Growing up on a white bread American diet, the closest my family got to cooking with herbs was stuffing a Thanksgiving turkey.  Thanks to our Culinary Instructor Sylvie Ryan, however, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the difference that herbs can make in everything from appetizers to desserts.  And if you’ve ever tasted the wonder that we call our Apricot Cornmeal Sage cookies, I don’t need to convince you that herbs in dessert are just as tasty as they are in turkey stuffing.  I was reminded of this fact just the other day when I came upon a demo hosted by Shelley Spurlock, who you may be more familiar with from our Produce Department.

Shelley’s produce credentials give her a first hand experience with a variety of herbs, many of which come to us from our friends at Purple Sage Farm in Middleton, Idaho.  And while Shelley loves to use herbs in her salads (a topic worth its own blog post), she also loves herbal tea infusions.  Among her favorites are basil and mint sun tea and basil-infused lemonade.  Admit it…you want to party with this woman.

At one of our recent Demo Counter events, Shelley baked several delightful batches of Lemon Rosemary Butter Cookies, featuring rosemary from Purple Sage.  While Shelley is more used to cooking with herbs, she describes baking with them as “a different type of magic’.  It certainly is when she is involved.

Here is the recipe Shelley followed, for which she credits the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times.  Let the magic begin!

Sylvie holds forth

One of the more popular programs that we introduced back in 2009 (how time flies) were our Co-op Cooking Classes — presided over by our inestimable Culinary Educator, Ms. Sylvie Ryan.  With the demise earlier this year of the downtown business where we rented our demo kitchen, we were forced to come up with “Plan B” — which as it turns out is the construction of our very own demo kitchen!  I could tell  you more, but I’d hate to spoil the surprise…so stay tuned.

In the meantime, Ms. Sylvie has put together a monthly series of Co-op Tasting Tours, which is among the benefits we introduced with our new Member Program back in March.  Each Tasting Tour is a unique event designed to introduce you to what I like to refer to as the “hidden gems” of the Co-op, along with local foods and guest appearances by the folks who create them.  We nosh, we talk, we learn…we have a good time, C0-op style.

In addition to our Tasting Tours, Sylvie has also created a series of monthly demos that take place at our Demo Counter in back of the store between the Produce Department and our bulk bins.  Like the Tasting Tours, each Demo has a culinary theme, and they are open to anyone who is interested, member or not.

Here’s our current line up of Tasting Tours and Dem0s for June…so mark your calendars and come hang out with us:

June 2011 Tasting Tour and Demo Schedule
 
Tuesday June 14 from 5.30-6.30
Tasting Tour: Featuring samples from our Deli, Cheese Island and Meat Department, along with local wine and an appetizer prepared with fresh herbs!
  
Thursday June 23 from 1.30-2.30
Tasting Tour: Featuring local, gluten-free desserts provided by Fuel for the Soul!
  
Thursday June 16 from 12-3.30
Demo: Featuring Purple Sage Farms fresh herb with recipes such as Herbes de Provence and Fines Herbes.
 
Tuesday June 28 from 12-3.30
Demo: Featuring fresh herbs used in savory and sweet dishes.

Reservations are required for our member-only Tasting Tours, so please call us at 472-4500 to save your spot!

Mustapha Haddouch left his home in Tangiers, Morocco – just across the Mediterranean Sea from southern Spain – with just $600 in his pocket, a very basic grasp of English, and a passion to experience America.

You call it Aisle 9. I like to think of it as a portal to culinary adventure – especially now that we’re stocking items from Mustapha’s Fine Foods of Morocco.

Moroccan dishes are a unique and complex blending of flavors and textures that are unmatched in any other cuisine. Take bisteeya as an example: flaky pastry filled with three layers – spicy chicken; eggs cooked in a savory lemon-onion sauce; and toasted, sweetened almonds, with the whole pie dusted on top with sugar and cinnamon. Tagines (a sort of North African stew) also combine several bold flavors, which when cooked together slowly, achieve perfection. If you’re a fan of sweet and savory combinations, you’ll love Moroccan food.

A Le Creuset Tagine

It is over two millennia of collective skill that make Moroccans some of the most discerning buyers of spices and herbs today, and it is the choicest spices and herbs used in Morocco that Mustapha Haddouch brings to us under his Mustapha’s Moroccan label.

I’ve loved Moroccan cuisine for years, and I was delighted a few years back to get a tagine cooker as a Christmas gift. Moroccan food is not particularly difficult to make at home, compared to some other ethnic cuisines that I’ve tried my hand at – but there are a few key ingredients that you simply can’t do without if you’re going for authenticity. One of these essentials is the Moroccan spice blend known as harissa (think of it as the North African equivalent of curry powder). Another “must have” is preserved lemons.

Preserved lemons are very easy to make, but they do take time to properly “cure.” And while I typically don’t plan a Moroccan meal on the spur of the moment (“Hey, hon, what say I whip up a chicken tagine before the Smiths get here in 15 minutes?”), it’s reassuring to know that when the mood strikes, preserved lemons are as close as my pantry – thanks to a guy named Mustapha.

Mustapha Haddouch left his home in Tangiers, Morocco – just across the Mediterranean Sea from southern Spain – with just $600 in his pocket, a very basic grasp of English, and a passion to experience America. It was certainly difficult adjusting to life in the USA, and Mustapha’s culture shock was almost overwhelming, especially given the fact that his first home in America was in Texas (just sayin’).

A very young Mustapha Haddouch

He eventually made his way to Seattle and began to work at a Moroccan restaurant. From prep cook to waiter, he soon found himself at one of the most respected classic French restaurants in the city, Rover’s, owned and operated by Thierry Rautureau. Now Mustapha was living at the other end of the spectrum of American dining, where everything was carefully prepared and presented for a very discerning and appreciative clientele.

Chef Rautureau shopped daily for the freshest and best ingredients available, and this reminded Mustapha of the daily trips he and his father made to the market in Tangiers. He also remembered the wonderful meals he had enjoyed at home, and he began to wonder why Moroccan cooking and ingredients didn’t have a presence in the U.S. When Mustapha returned from his next trip to Morocco with some olive oil, he created an immediate demand. Thierry Rautureau was his first customer.

From olive oil, Mustapha has branched out into a number of different Moroccan seasonings and condiments, including a variety of spice blends, sea salt, harissa, capers…and, of course, preserved lemons. If the thought of cooking Moroccan cuisine seems a bit intimidating, spend some time on the company’s website and look over the recipes there (I’m going for the chicken, fennel, and olive tagine).

Wish we were here -- a Moroccan market

A Co-op employee with a very special connection to North Africa and its cuisine is our own culinary instructor, Sylvie Ryan, whose father spent a number of years in that part of the world. Sylvie remembers the cuisine well from her childhood in Alsace, and she has taught Co-op cooking classes on preparing Moroccan food. Most recently, she held forth at the Co-op Demo Counter, where she prepared a wonderful vegetable tagine (using Mustapha’s Fine Foods of Morocco) and a Moroccan bread known as “harsha”. She also provided recipes for harsha and preserved lemons to folks lucky enough to sample her dishes.

If you feel inspired to take the plunge into Moroccan cuisine, Aisle 9 can help you dip your toe in the waters of this incredible culinary heritage – with the help of Mustapha. And if you really want to up the ante, stroll over to our Housewares Department and take a look at our Le Creuset tagine makers. They will not only make a great tagine, but you can also display them as a dramatic piece of kitchen art. Like Sylvie, you’ll be rockin’ the casbah in no time!

Click here for a video of Sylvie Ryan rockin’ the casbah at the Co-op Demo Counter!