Cathy Anderson, manager of the Boise Co-op Health and Beauty Department, believes that our store not only has an obligation to nurture our customers’ bodies, but their souls as well. Last year she was instrumental in bringing a film to Boise from the annual Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival.  The film, “Blessings”, depicted the lives of the Nangchen Nuns of Tibet and what Cathy describes as “an expression of pure joy – the foundation of what the world really is if we decide that it is going to be that way.”

Cathy has once again joined forces with the Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival promoters to host a couple of local events.  Here is the lineup of coming events, starting this Saturday:

Saturday September 4^th

Location: Center for Spiritual Living, 600 N. Curtis Rd. Boise (208-375-0751)

Film: “GRIEFWALKER” will be shown at 6:30 pm

Admission: $10-$15 donation to benefit Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival (no one turned away —inspired donations welcome…or get involved as a volunteer!).  You can see the trailer for this incredible journey into a shunned aspect of western culture at http://www.svspiritualfilmfestival.org or on YouTube. Tickets are available at the Boise Co-op or at the door, but there is limited space available, so reserve your spot now!

Saturday September 11^th

Location: Geodesic Dome — 3802 Taft St. Boise’s North End (around back of house)

Film: “BLESSINGS” will be shown at 6:30 pm

Admission: $10-$15 donation. There will also be a silent auction with proceeds and ticket sales benefiting the Nangchen Nuns of Tibet. Join us for an evening under the stars with a potluck dinner celebration of the Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival. Please bring food or non-alcoholic drinks to share.

Tickets are available at the Boise Co-op or at the door. Seating is limited in this special outdoor venue, so reserve your spot!

Friday September 17-19^th

Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival, Sun Valley, ID

Official Website: http://www.svspiritualfilmfestival.org

If you are interested in carpooling from Boise to the event, contact David Coney at 208.602.1774

The 6th Annual Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival is unlike anything of its kind on this continent: it is a gathering that illuminates us through a journey of film, community, and celebration—not to mention some top notch panels and speakers providing insights and tools for our own journeys and inspired offerings in our work and lives. This years festival features a very exciting new segment: A Children’s Film Festival!

We at the Boise Co-op are proud to be associated with the Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival, and we are deeply grateful to Cathy Anderson for her efforts in promoting this event.

About B.U.G.S.:

Boise Urban Garden School began in 2003 as a seven-week summer gardening and literacy program for young people ages 11 to 16. From June through early August, approximately 30 youth from diverse backgrounds share enriching experiences around gardening, giving them a deeper understanding of nature, food, and the power to make responsible, healthy choices that serve them and their communities well into adulthood.

The idea behind the Boise Urban Garden School came one winter afternoon while cofounders Wendy Young and Amy Hutchinson were talking over a cup of tea. Amy, a junior high school teacher, was reflecting that her most positive experiences with students occurred outside the classroom, planting gardens, taking nature walks, and collecting sagebrush seed in the Boise foothills. The pair also discussed the role the natural world, especially the family vegetable garden, played in their childhood. From this simple discussion, the seed of inspiration was planted for BUGS.

After more discussions and planning, the dream for the garden school started to take shape when they received a call from a fellow gardener and a member of the Wright Congregational Church who had the idea to turn the extensive church grounds—then unused and un-landscaped—into a productive garden. Amy and Wendy formalized a proposal and presented it to the congregation, who was fully supportive and even signed on as the fiscal sponsor for the first year. Soon other community members offered their help and support with setting up the irrigation system, prepping the soil, building a tool shed, and gathering tools. The following spring, BUGS was ready to begin accepting applications for the 2003 summer program. The program has been growing ever since.

For more information, visit the BUGS website at: http://www.boiseurbangardenschool.org

]]> http://www.boisecoop.com/bugs-annual-harvest-dinner-tickets-now-on-sale/feed 0 http://www.boisecoop.com/the-incredible-bulk-farro-is-a-tough-nut-to-crack-and-thats-good http://www.boisecoop.com/the-incredible-bulk-farro-is-a-tough-nut-to-crack-and-thats-good#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:21:47 +0000 boisecoop http://www.boisecoop.com/?p=7913 Welcome to “The Incredible Bulk” — a series we are dedicating to the many splendors of our bulk bin section.  Why dedicate a blog to the seemingly mundane world of bulk foods?  OK…they may not be as sexy as the deli case, but when it comes to whipping up some innovative meals with high nutritional “bang for the buck”, we think the bulk bins should always be a part of your Boise Co-op shopping experience…so on a regular basis we’ll be bringing you stories from those tall plastic silos, along with the insights of the C0-op folks who lovingly tend them.

Awhile back we posted a “Co-op Cognescenti” photo on the Boise Co-op Facebook page of a mystery grain.  It didn’t take long for our followers to identify the photo as “farro” — an ancient grain, also known as “emmer”, that is a primitive relative of wheat.  If you think the term “primitive” seems perjorative, that is most definitely not the case with farro.  But before we sing the praisies of a grain that sounds like it was named for gunslinger in a Zane Grey western, a short history lesson is in order.

Triticum diccocum (say that five times, quickly) was cultivated by the first generations of farmers, long before wheat.  In fact, pre-agrarian peoples gathered emmer as far back as 17,000 years ago.  Like the later ocurring spelt, emmer belongs to the class of hulled grains, which worked against its popularity in North America, especially when compared with wheat.

But what brought the decline in the production of spelt is now thought of as a benefit.  Farro has a tough hull, or husk, that makes it more difficult to process than modern wheat varieties – but that husk, separated just before milling, not only protects the kernel, but also helps retain nutrients and maintains freshness.  While modern wheat has been bred to be easier to grow and harvest, and to have a high gluten content for the production of high volume commercial baked goods, farro has retained many of its original traits and remains highly nutritious and full of flavor.  Also, unlike other grains, farro’s husk protects it from pollutants and insects and usually allows growers to avoid the use of pesticides…an added bonus!

Farro is unusually high in fiber and contains significantly more protein than wheat.  Farro is also higher in B complex vitamins and both simple and complex carbohydrates.  Another important benefit is that some gluten-sensitive people have been able to include farro-based foods in their diets.

Cooking with Farro flour is similar to cooking with wheat flour.  You can make all the same dishes such as pancakes and waffles, muffins, cakes, crackers and cookies, pastas and breads — the good stuff in life.  Because of its lower gluten content, however, you will probably not wish to let it rise as high as regular wheat flour bread.  When baking, Farro flour doesn’t require as much water, so if you are substituting farro flour for wheat flour in your favorite recipe, start by only using 3/4ths as much water.

So…let’s review: a potential wheat replacement for folks with wheat sensitivity…high in protein…contains all eight essential amino acids…high in vitamins…high in complex carbohydrates…high in fiber…great flavor…easily digested.  That’s our kind of primitive, for sure!

We have found a new product that has so many reasons to give it a try.  With a name like Happy Goat, don’t you just want to know more? I did!
The folks at Happy Goat, located in the Mission District of San Francisco, are “obsessed with making the best caramel in the world.” Who doesn’t like that idea?

Here’s some “dirt” about Happy Goat, and the milk they use to make these excellent caramels:

They use 100% all-natural grade ‘A’ quality goat milk that is Kosher certified. Absolutely no growth hormones or antibiotics are allowed to join the party. The protein and fat structures in goat milk are much simpler and smaller than those in cow milk. Indeed, goat’s milk is the food closest in nature to (human) mother’s milk. Who would have thought that? Goat milk also contains less lactose than cow’s milk, making it easier to digest. And, about those goats…

What makes them so happy? The milk that they produce comes from a free range life, being raised on small California farms that do not use sprays, insecticide, or pesticides. They get a steady diet of clover, alfalfa, legume hay, grass, water, and salt. They are provided shelter from the elements and a wide area to roam, and are never separated from their mother’s at birth. (Just how long is a mother goat’s umbilical cord, anyway?).

The folks at Happy Goat make these delectable morsels by hand, using organic sugar and Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean seeds. This amounts to quality through and through.
These touches ensure that the end result will not be a candy that is “goaty” in flavor, and I think you know what I am talking about. Some goat cheeses are just a bit too tangy, or “goaty” for me, and many others. This is not the case here. All the right reasons for using goat’s milk are “in play”, and nothing too cheesy about it!

The 2 oz offering, attractively packaged, retails in the Deli Dept. for $3.99, and the 4 oz size goes for $7.99. A plastic pouch allows you to see how pretty they are, individually wrapped, with a cute little goat on the label. Just the thing to pass along in a “welcome wagon” basket for a neighbor, or share with a co-worker.

Happy Goats, Happy taste buds.

-Todd Giesler

1. Locally grown food tastes better

Food grown in the Treasure Valley was probably picked within the last day or two and is crisp, sweet, and loaded with flavor. Produce flown or trucked in from California, Mexico, China or New Zealand is much older and possibly picked green and gassed to coax ripening. We are lucky in Boise to have a staggering diversity of fruit orchards, 3 season vegetable farms, grass-fed beef & lamb, range fed poultry, fresh dairy and more.

2. Local produce is better for you

Fresh produce loses nutrients quickly, sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality. Buying local lets you get food that is at the peak of flavor and nutritional value. Our bodies naturally crave seasonal crops, requiring more hearty potatoes and cabbages when weather turns colder, and lighter salad greens and cucumbers when it is warmer. Shopping locally tunes you in with the seasons.

3. Local Food Preserves Genetic Diversity

The modern industrial food system favors varieties with thick skins that can survive packing and shipping, leaving little variety. Family farmers place value on different things, like choosing varieties that are uniquely suited to the Treasure Valley, often favoring heirloom varieties that have been passed down from generation to generation. Old varieties contain genetic material from hundreds of years of human selection; they may someday provide the genes needed to create varieties that will thrive in a changing climate.

4. Local food is Genetically Modified Organism Free

A June 2001 survey by ABC News showed that 93% of Americans want labels on gmo food – most so that they can avoid it. Biotech companies currently only license gmo fruits and vegetables to large commercial growers, which means that local farmers will guarantee a non-gmo source.

5. Local food supports local farming families

We need to support talented and hardworking farm families from disappearing, as each 5 year agricultural census shows they are – less than 2% of the population is currently a farming family. A typical farmer gets paid 10 cents of the retail food dollar, but buying directly from the producer or conscientious retailer keeps more $ in their pocket and their family on the land. A few of our local farm families include: City Gardens, Earthly Delights, Rice Family Farms, M&M Heath Family Farm, Sunset Butte Organics, Ballard Cheese, Rolling Stone Goat Cheese , Jack Kleeb-Turkey Ridge Farm, Morning Owl Farm, Clover Leaf Dairy, The Mushroom Ranch, Canyon Bounty Farm, Purple Sage, H&H, Gastons Bakery, Granny’s Farms, Hard Ball Farm Pork, Lava Lakes Lamb, Meadowlark Farm and numerous others.

6. Local food builds community

Chat with Becky Morgan at Boise Urban Garden School (BUGS) or discuss heirloom wheat with Beth Rasgorshek at Canyon Bounty Farm – it’s a great connection for eater and grower. Knowing farmers gives you insight into the seasons, the weather, and the accessible miracle of raising food. Go to www.treasurevalleyfoodcoaltion.org for a complete listing of local farmers.

7. Local food preserves open space

When more people put their dollars into the pockets of farmers and show that their work is valuable, farmland becomes less likely to be developed. We face enormous pressures in the Treasure Valley with a high migration rate, putting our area at particular risk.

8. Local Food benefits wildlife

The habitat of a farm – the patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings – is the perfect environment for many beloved species of wildlife, including bluebirds, herons, bats, rabbits, and eagles.

9. Local food supports a clean environment

If recent air quality alerts are any indication, land-use in our area may not always be in our collective best interest. A family farm however, is a place where resources like fertile soil, clean water and pollution free air are valued. According to some estimates, farmers who practice conservation tillage can sequester 12-14 % of the carbon emitted by vehicles and industry.

10. Local food is about the future

By supporting Treasure Valley farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms in our community tomorrow, and that future generations will enjoy all the jerusalem artichokes, heirloom potatoes, goat cheese, kale, eggs, strawberries, peaches, pasture raised poultry, grass fed dairy & beef and more that this region has to offer.

Think Local First

*List courtesy of Dave Krick, owner of Red Feather and Bittercreek restaurants

Recently, Beernews.org, a leading craft beer blog, counted 80 craft beer companies that canned at least one of their beers, with another 16 companies developing canning operations.  Why the sudden surge?

For one, craft beer sales have been steadily increasing over the past decade as consumers demand more flavorful and more interesting options.  Market forces simply filled a void.  The same folks that enjoy bottled and draught craft refuse to settle for the alternative in cans.  The technology is there:  the idea of canning beer has been around for about a century, but successful commercial ventures took root post-Prohibition. (please follow the link for a brief history)

 Oskar Blues Brewing (OBB), sadly no longer locally distributed, is generally recognized as a canned craft beer pioneer.  With Dale’s Pale Ale and Old Chub Scotch Ale, OBB created a new paradigm in fall ‘02 – full-flavored, high-quality, handcrafted ales in cans.  Others have chosen to follow. 

Where glass is unwelcome, cans usually have access.  Here in Idaho, many outdoor recreationists frown on glass not only for its weight but also for its potential to break and cause damage.  Cans pack in and pack out well and cool quickly in snowbanks and mountain streams.  Many parks prohibit glass for the public safety, but these same parks have no problems with cans. 

Currently at the Co-op, we carry craft beer cans from Caldera Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Big Sky Brewing, and Anderson Valley Brewing Company.  As summer is in full swing, our stock fluctuates and periodically we’re out of something.  Have no fear though, the next delivery is usually mere days away.  If you do plan a special adventure that requires a tasty, canned adult beverage, please contact Matt: beer@boisecoop.com  Cheers, ~m

The Boise Co-op Produce Department has the distinct pleasure of introducing you to one our beloved local vendors, Global Gardens, purveyors of some of our favorite “pesticide free/conventional” lettuces located along the back, north wall of produce. Global Gardens Farm is a cooperative of Somali Bantu and other African refugee growers operating on 22 acres in Star, ID.  The Boise Co-op is uniquely situated and equipped to provide shelf-space for just this type of smaller-sized produce vendor; our intimate stature compared to that of larger, chain-style grocers provides us the flexibility to work with a small, independent outfit such as Global Gardens:

Global Gardens is a program of the Idaho Office for Refugees. The Office “sponsors refugee agriculture projects at 8 locations in Boise, Eagle, and Star providing garden/farm space for around 100 refugee families as well as training in horticultural production and marketing.”

The intentions of the program benefit not only the refugee families, but also our community and world. By cultivating local food networks grown in the organic spirit, we expend less fossil fuels bringing products to market. “At Global Gardens Farm each family receives land, equipment and training enabling them to build capital and knowledge [in order] to one day start their own farm business.” Local family farms are the key to the new local aesthetic that is defining the local food moment of which the Boise Co-op is a major part. 

By purchasing produce from Global Gardens we not only support a local farm, reducing fossil fuel use, but we are directly supporting refugee families in pursuit of their integration into American society – diversifying and enriching our local community in general. The support of the Boise Co-op, working directly with the produce department enables the refugee farmer to gain entrepreneurial skills that are transferable to many jobs, helps them to improve their English and western communication skills while allowing them to spend quality time with their families and communities.

Global Gardens is also seeking land to farm that is closer to Boise. They are looking for property that is available for at least two years, one acre or larger, and has irrigation water. We support their endeavors and hope that others will also help to grow our community – please contact the Refugee Agriculture Coordinator at the Idaho Office for Refugees if you can help.
 

 Currently we offer various lettuces grown by Global Gardens in our “pesticide free/coventional section” along the back, north wall of produce. Get them quick as our local lettuces season is fast approaching an end judging by the heat we’ve been experiencing recently.

Enjoy this heat, and get ready for local melons and grapes!

~Douglas Bolles

The highlight items, occupying the “top shelf” of the jewelry display, are several pieces from Hazel Cox, a burgeoning legend of jewelry art in the greater Northwestern area. Hazel’s line consists of pendant necklaces of fossilized flowers and diaphanous bits of crocheted silk, bracelets crafted from handmade rope, pressed metal earrings and necklaces as well as earrings and adornments designed from found feathers or fabricated elegant metal fibers.

Hazel has become a fixture of the latest jewelry art scene from Berkeley to Portland, and for good reason. It is truly an honor and a privilege to make her pieces available here at the Co-op.

Hazel Cox’s collection may occupy a “signature series” position in the jewelry display, but there are several other artisan craftworks available as well, not the least of which being a wonderful array of high-end pieces by our very own Alta Rehkugler, including earrings and bracelets made from precious and semi-precious gems and metals. Alta founded “High Designs” handmade jewelry in the early turn of this century, after decades of crafting pieces for friends and family. Alta’s line of tribal, every-day elegant statement pieces are a beautiful addition to our selection!

The High Designs and Hazel Cox displays are complemented nicely by the fine craftworks from Calla Lilly Designs, the jewelry line crafted by Leslie Young from the Boise Co-op Wine Shop. Calla Lilly offers several bracelets and necklaces following a post-modern, Native American/western theme, including a turquoise and earthen-tone motif.

Come check out all of our fine jewelry and artisan pieces available in the Health and Beauty department today!

“Why did the chicken cross the road?” Well, you may have to ask Rudy the Rooster, the all seeing, ( and perhaps all knowing) bird who sits atop Jim’s Diner. Not my name for him – it was coined by St. Joes’ Elementary students across Fort St. years ago. He looks so confidant, so vigilant.

With Spring here, and weekend picnics and Shakespeare Festival outings about to commence, this seems like the perfect time to make you apprised of the numerous variety of chicken choices available to you at the Co-Op Deli when you’re planning to pack your outdoor mealtime gathering.  All of the following items are fully cooked, and ready to reheat or serve cold – but keep in mind that although these are all Deli favorites, they may not always be available simultaneously nor at every trip to the deli…But if you come around often enough, you’re bound to find them all.

Chicken Parmesean - $10.99 per pound. A breast, pounded flat, and dressed with Marinara and Parmesean. 

Shitake Mushroom Chicken Breasts – $6.99 each. Breaded, stuffed with delicious shitake mushrooms

Apple Almond Stuffed Chicken Breasts – $5.95. One of my personal favorites- cold or warm.

 Coconut Chicken Tenders - $12.99 per pound. Small strips, a little breading, and dressed with Apricot Barbecue Sauce. A good snack size, finger food idea, and “unmessy” kid chow for outdoors.

Inferno Wings – $6.99 per pound. Ok, probably not kid chow, but tasty nonetheless. Please enjoy responsibly.

Chicken Cordon Bleu – $ 5.95  each. Breast traditionally stuffed with ham and cheese,  ( the “Blue Ribbbon” awarded to women chefs going back to a story involving Madame de Pomadour and King Louis XV- do tell) Probably best served warm, so the cheese can melt a bit. Very satisfying.

Apricot BBQ Chicken – $4.95 per breast, $2.95 per leg-thigh. Bastedand baked with our popular Apricot BBQ sauce, simple and very picnic worthy.

Chicken Marbella  - $4.95 breast, $2.95 leg-thigh. Baked and served with plums and olives, this is a Co Op customer favorite. Many regulars to the Deli get it every time ( almost every) they come in for dinner.

 Chipotle Wings – $6.99 per pound. Not quite as hot as the Inferno, but “up there” . A rather savory side to them as well, good with a cold beer or Dry Riesling.

Apricot Olive Chicken – $4.95 breast, $2.95 leg-thigh.  Also popular with our regular clientele. Colorful Yellow Apricots and Green Olives to “dress up” the plate.

Buttermilk Chicken – $4.95 breast, $2.95 leg-thigh. A more “homestyle” looking selection, but not deep fried. (None of our chicken, or anything, is)  . Crispy crunchy, another kid friendly idea, without the paper bucket to tow along.

 Lemon Chicken – $4.95 breast, $2.95 leg-thigh. Topped with slices of fresh lemon, for a citrussy flavor, versatile with sides such as green beans, asparagus, or wild rice. We have them all, ready to go.

 Look for others as the Spring and Summer roll on.. you never know what new chickens may “cross the road” ( Only Rudy knows…)

Perhaps one of the most memorable marketing-driven catch-phrases of all time came from the old Smucker’s Jam campaigns, “With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good!” Well, here in the Co-op Deli, we have a number of cheeses with intriguing if not peculiar names—so ridiculous sounding, in some cases, that one must pause and consider, “Well, with a name like that, it has got to be tasty.”

For assistance, I turn once again to Jane, our resident “knower of all things Fromage” in the Deli. I asked her to provide some quick descriptions of the cheeses in the cheese case, giving special attention to those with the quirkiest names, to provide the perspective cheese-buyer a sense of what to expect. For clarification, I have included my own two-bits in parenthases, otherwise it’s all Jane!

Harlech- A nice balanced English Cheddar with medium Horseradish flavoring. From England.

Myzrithra- A great tasting “accent” cheese. A good alternative to Parmesean, try it on pasta, pizza, and salads. (white in appearance, packed in small chunks, and located on the top shelf under the mural in the “cheese cove”) From Greece.

Denhay- One of our favorite aged English Cheddars. Packed in parchment paper.

Mowbay- this cheese looks great on a cheese platter, packed up for Shakespeare. Sheep and Goat’s milk cheeses, separated by grape vine ash. (Who thought of this? It does look cool, and is a nice little “flavor duo”)

Stringles (Okay, I snuck this one in- these are the kid-popular string cheese sticks we offer from Organic Valley. Three varieties available; Colby Jack, Cheddar, and Whole Milk Mozzarella. Packaged in 6 oz bags, look for the smiling worm on the front. “With a name like Stringles… it’s gotta be good for kids, and they are.

Shropshire- A classic English Cheddar, blue veined, with a pronounced Orange color. Very good with some slices of Boars’ Head Black Forest Ham, and some zesty mustard. Dee- lish!

Nederlander- As the name implies- a perfect cheese for a cross country skiing picnic ( With the unbelievable weather we have been experiencing around here lately- this doesn’t seem to far-fetched for an outing right now!)Lightly smoked. From Norway. (Just like me- except for the lightly smoked part.)

Snofrisk-Creamy Goodness! Try it on a toasted bagel. Made from Cow and Goats’ milk. ( we have bagels from H&H in New York in the Freezer aisle, the quintessential New York bagel. packed in thin, triangular wedges, they will fit perfectly into the corner of a picnic basket bound for the park).

Tintern-Onion and Shallot accents found in this one. Very good with a Poulichette baguette from Cafe Du Paris, which we do offer, in the display right next to the Deli.From England, also packed in parchment paper.

No Woman- The folks at Beechers’ had some fun with Jamaican Jerk seasonings, and their lovely “Pride of the Fleet” Cheddar. From Washington State. (We also offer the Beechers’ Flagship, which I enjoy immensely, with a few slices of Organic Fuji Apples.)

Idaho Goatster- From Parma, Idaho. Aged Goat cheese, “seriously delicious” it has even been written about in Bon Appetit, and other food magazines.

Petit Basque- One of the most sought after cheeses in the Service Case- this is a firm-textured piece, with a creamy flavor, and lovely pale-golden color. (along with its’ sibling- Petit Pyrenees, I haven’t met anyone who didn’t try this, and come back for more. Very pleasin). Molded in attractive rounds, about the size of a saucer, and can be cut to your needs.)

Halloumi- The ultimate grilling cheese, creamy white, and a bit less salty than most cheeses. It can withstand a higher temperature before melting, so slice it and put some grill marks on it for flavor and fun. (We have one from Greece, Cyprus, and yes, a local one from the Ballard Family Dairy, in Gooding, Idaho.Theirs competes on a Global scale, and is one that has become a good seller for us, as well.)

Look for other interesting and seasonal cheeses from our Idaho friends at Rollingstone Chevre and Ballards’ Family Dairy as the Summer rolls on… we are proud to have such high quality from good folks- so close to home.