holiday news

Howdy! Hope all is well.

We've got some quick news for you, hoping you'll stop down for a quick visit to fill your fridge and fruit bowls!

Doesn't a fresh salad with lots of greens sound good right now? If you're like me, you've eaten a lot of heavy and sugary foods recently - well, more than usual anyway. A fresh green salad wouldn't only hit the spot, it will give your body a boost of vitamins, minerals and the building blocks for new red blood cells - chlorophyll! We are so proud to work with Maurice and Gail at Dragsmith Farms, and are quite flattered that they bring us their fresh locally grown greens every week, even though they have a lot of requests and not enough growing! Help make us proud and keep the greens coming by stopping in today to help us sell out!* SOLD OUT 12/29! more thursday...

Fresh micro (mississippi) greens pictured here, colorful short leaf mixed (wissota) greens, and tender small hand picked spinach leaves. I just have to say one thing about spinach here. When it is grown patiently and carefully in the winter, the plant has plenty of time to build up some cold tolerance - some oomph, flavor and a shelf life you'll never experience because you'll eat it right up. These beautiful bags of baby spinach are seriously grown over an hour North of here. Why would you bother with mystery greens when we can get these? (at least for awhile)

If you're not convinced, how about we give you a seven+ dollar bottle of Native Harvest maple or strawberry vinaigrette (dressing) completely free with a purchase of a $3.70 bag of spinach. While supplies last, which means I shouldn't probably bother to send this out!

So that's why we're also giving away Native Harvest jam with any purchase of Positively Third Street bread (most $3). We have an abundance of freshly baked bread from Duluth's longstanding worker owned cooperative bakery. Take a loaf, and some jam.

From the produce case I'd like to feature the local items (instead of the incredible (but limited) supply of domestic seasonal fresh organic citrus) that include:

• the greens mentioned above from Dragsmith in Barron
• organic soup mix from flood devastated ($750,000 loss) but still harvesting Harmony Valley near LaCrosse
• two kinds of big radishes (black or white!) and red sunchokes (recipe), also from HV
• hydroponic tomatoes from Blair
• organic white mushrooms from Eden
• red cabbage from minnesota

Also fresh: another crate of freshly picked, crispy and nutritious (florida) green beans, fresh ginger, broccoli, kale, green peppers...

And remember, that empty spot on the shelf - that doesn't mean we're careless, it means we're waiting for the fresh, good stuff. We don't keep a whole warehouse full of food sitting around waiting for you. Next week's milk is grass yet to be eaten by the cow, next week's spinach is super baby sized and being prayed over (grow, grow grow! along with a sun dance), and next month's ground beef may very well be wandering along the shores of the Chippewa (thank you, dear animals)... thank you for your understanding and sharing this vital information with your friends, so they start to understand how our store is different too!

By the way, the chickens are totally into winter now and we have local EGGS coming out our ears! Make deviled eggs, or an omelet this weekend, or pickle a bushel, just come in and buy eggs! You were just complaining last month about how we didn't have any!

*sorry if we already did sell out of greens, they come in late Thursday if you want some next week, or call and have us set one aside for you!

closing early New Years Eve

Hey there. The store will be closing down early on New Years Eve, around three.

Closed New Years Day, and back at it again on Wednesday for a great new year!

Thanks!

For your enjoyment, I've included a picture from our first summer (2005) at the downtown eau claire farmers market, back when it was in the old dirty parking lot, back when we didn't have a storefront, back when we had uniforms, back when Ralph was still allowed, back when there were only four workers, back when local food wasn't on the minds of most, back when we were forging new ground with milk, cheese, & coffee at the market...

Just In! New items for your holiday feast(s): pork tenderloin, roasts & more...

The meat department just received some new items for your holiday feasting pleasure.

Pork tenderloin -- beautiful lean tender pieces, easy and fast to cook, and delicious.

Pork roasts – these are from the hind quarter, and should make a very special dinner with plenty of yummy leftovers.

Salmon – wild-caught in Alaska and frozen at sea, these beautiful whole salmon fillets would make a great party plate. (we normally carry these, but we’re getting in a big delivery, and they do deserve special mention)

Breakfast sausage (1# package) – what better time to linger over a special breakfast? Cook up some sausage, an awesome omelet, toast that bread you got a few days before at Marie’s Bakery, break out the good jam and coffee, oh yeah…

All are from Beaver Creek Ranch, and have now arrived.

Please let us know what you think of these new items, and if there is anything else you’d like us to carry.


In case you need any ideas…

Pork Tenderloin with roasted apples and onions
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/109169

Pork Tenderloin with balsamic-cranberry sauce
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/100314

Pork Tenderloin Cubano
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/5874

Glazed Salmon Fillets with Dill Mustard Sauce
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/13238

Salmon with Soy-Honey and Wasabi Sauces
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/105026

just local dinner

This is what we're having for dinner with our neighbor tonight. All from Just Local Food! From top left: Beaver Creek Ranch porkchops; fresh organic white mushrooms grown in nearby Eden Wisconsin; organic russett potatoes; and fresh green beans that don't just "taste" fresh, they are fresh - picked just days ago in sunny Florida and flown to us. A sinful treat, come and get some while they are fresh!

This is what will happen to the chops & shrooms. The beans just need butter and some Zalta. Ditto with the russets!

Tuesday's Fresh Produce

Just in!!!
Tuesday morning
New this week are bean sprouts from Minnesota. Also we have more of the great fresh broccoli. We received more Meyer lemons, baby romaine, local mushrooms, and potatoes. We still have plenty of delicious locally grown Conell apples.

Lambfest 2007 (Lamb-o-rama ??)

Looking for new ideas for dinner? How about lamb?

We carry lamb from Lambalot Acres, and now have leg steaks, shanks, ground, kebabs and strips, uncooked brats (no msg), and gyro strips. Also, we're taking orders for boneless, butterflied leg-of-lamb, if you're thinking of something different for your holiday meals. These may be ordered anytime, or if you'd like it for Christmas, order by Dec. 19 for delivery or pickup on Dec. 21.

Here are 3 recipes to get you started...

Braised lamb shanks with caramelized onions and shallots
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/1197

When it's really cold and dark outside, this is one of the ultimate comfort meals. Lamb goes really nice with a Syrah; a good dark beer would probably be a good match as well.
I've used this recipe as a starting point. The important thing with lamb shanks is seasoning them with the salt and pepper, browning them nicely, and cooking them s-l-o-w-l-y (2 or more hours) in a tasty liquid until the meat falls off the bone. This can be done covered on the stove, or in a low oven (e.g. 225 degrees). When the meat is done, uncover and reduce the sauce while you're cooking up some mashed potatoes (the root veggies in the recipe make a nice addition). Once you try lamb shanks, you'll be hooked.


Spiced lamb in pita
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/104033

There are lots of ways to make tasty lamb patties/burgers/meatballs; this is one of them. Paired with some good HolyLand pita or lavash, and a yogurt sauce and/or caramelized onions, and you've got yourself a really yummy sandwich. Add some hummus on the side, maybe some tabouleh or a greek salad, and it's vacation on a plate.


Rosemary lamb kebabs with tapenade-rosemary aioli
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/5487

This gives you one idea of what to do with lamb kebabs. We've got kebabs pre-cut and packaged; if you prefer thinner slices, try the "stir-fry strips". Or, get the leg steaks and cut them yourself. When I saw tapenade-rosemary aioli, I thought a good shortcut might be to use Becky's Olive Salsa, possibly mixed with some mayo or yogurt. If you don't want to get out and fire up the grill, try pan-searing the chunks of meat until they're nice and caramelized.

Epicurious.com has lots of interesting lamb recipes. Give it a try!

local apples and pears

This fall we got a call from Ron at Schaeffers Orchard Run, he had a LOT of great looking connell red apples on the trees, but nowhere to immediately store or sell them. Their on-farm store was now closed, and their wholesale partners wanted more than he had. We at Just Local Food were sad at the thought of all these great local organic apples rotting on the tree, so we took action. We called up a local cold storage warehouse and arranged to store 50+ bushels of organic apples, planning (OK, nervously hoping) that in a month or two, we could pull the apples out and find a general public ready to embrace local apples! We also put away a few bushels of local clean-grown heirloom Kieffer pears that were rock hard and not selling well, curious more than anything at how time would treat them.

Well, we just visited the cold storage warehouse for the first time last week and the apples are incredible! And the kieffer pears? Better than ever! We've already sold several bushels of kieffers and only have a few left. Due to their funky look we will not be putting these on the sales floor, rather taking special orders from folks who know what they are getting into!

We are very proud to offer these unique products, that, without your support, simply would not be available this time of year! Now you have a local organic option for apples, at least until we run out again!

Call or email our produce department to special order larger quantities of these fruits.

So, what are connell red apples and kieffer pears? Read on and follow the links...

This is a great article on the origins and characteristics of connell red apples.

And here is some information on heirloom pears from Slow Food USA and the following recipe from backwoods home magazine specifically for kieffer pears! We have all ingredients at our store, including fresh organic ginger!

Pear honey

Pare and core hard-ripe Kieffer pears. Cut in chunks small enough to easily feed through food grinder fitted with coarse blade. To each quart of ground pears add the following:

3 cups sugar
Juice of one lemon
Grated rind of one-half lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Boil mixture in stainless steel, porcelain, or graniteware pot stirring frequently until thickened (Do not use aluminum). When desired thickness is achieved, immediately put in hot, sterilized jars and seal. Remember that this is a spread and should not be overcooked to a jelly stage.

A tasty variation is to substitute orange and nutmeg for lemon and ginger.

This weeks produce

Just in Today! Green beans, green kale, broccoli, local Connell Red apples and local heirloom Kieffer pears, honeydew melons and Dragsmith greens as well. Also we have lots of citrus and root veggies.

Here is a complete list of fresh produce in our store at this moment, most prices listed at the end are the per pound price. (We're working on getting this info to format better):

apple, connell local $0.99
Apple, fuji OG Canada $0.99
Avocados, Hass OG mexico/each $1.79
Bananas OG FT ecuador $0.99
bananas, frozen organic $0.75
Bananas, Ripe OG FT ecuador $0.75
Beet, Green Top Chiogga OG CA $2.39
Broccoli OG CA $1.99
Carrot 2# OG CA $2.59
Celery, OG CA/each $3.99
Garlic, White OG california $5.00
Ginger, Yellow OG Peru $6.69
Grapefruit, Ruby OG CA $1.25
green beans fl org $2.79
Green Kale CA $1.79
Greens, Mississippi/bag <100mi $5.30
Greens, spinach/bag <100mi $3.70
Greens, wissota/bag <100mi $3.90
hvf burdock root 10oz og $2.99
hvf soup mix, 3 pounds og $6.75
Kale, Green OG CA $1.79
kiwi 1 pound bag $2.96
Lemon, Meyer Biodynamic $4.29
Lime Biodynamic CA $2.49
Melon, Green Honeydew OG MX $1.79
Mushrooms, White OG eden, wisconsin $2.75
Onion, Red Jumbo OG CA $1.49
Onion, White OG CA $1.19
Onions, Og yellow jumbo, CA $0.99
Orange, Og Navel, CA $0.79
Orange, Valencia OG CA $0.49
Peanut, roasted/salted NC $1.90
Pear, Red D'anjou OG Oregon $2.79
Potato, Og Red, CA 5# bag $8.05
Potato, Og Russet 5# bag WA $3.91
Potato, Yukon Gold OG ND 5#bag $4.69
Shallot, Golden OG $8.39
Squash, Og Butternut, MN $1.16
Squash, Og Spaghetti, WI $1.16
Squash, OG Winter/Misc $1.29
sunchokes, organic local $2.59
Tangerine, fairchild OG CA $2.15
Tomato, Hydroponic OG local WI $5.49
Tomato, roma OG Mexico $2.75
Yam, Sweet/Grnt/Orntl/Jewel OG CA $1.99

best beer in town

While our focus is definitely on local food, we've also made friends with a number of local brewers and we're proud to offer their products along with the food you've come to trust at our store. If you haven't tried any of the beers, you might find a recent review of microbrews (and another in the works) in the Leader Telegram worth reading. Check out Jeff and Audrey's review of a few local beers at the leader telegram website click on features and then food to find a list of pretty decent restaurant and food reviews (check out their review "high quality chocolate..." for a descriptive and flattering review of the chocolates we carry from Obsession!)! And remember - we sell single bottles of local microbrews for only $1.50, and always offer "mix and match" 6 packs for $7.99, which make a great gift for party hosts and packer fans alike. Oh, and we are stepping up to be the regions biggest seller of Point Beer in returnable glass bottles! Bottoms up!

eggs and nog

As of today we have plenty of fresh free range brown eggs. Mary's chickens have started to lay again. We also have a consistent but small supply of organically fed eggs coming from Matt Buvala. the price of Matt's eggs have gone up, a direct result of organic chicken feed prices going up, which is mostly a result of higher corn prices overall in the area. Ethanol is made from mostly genetically modified corn varieties, not the organic corn that Matt includes in a balanced diet for his chickens, but the price goes up anyhow!

Have you had any eggnog yet? It will only be around another few weeks. We have organic egg nog from Organic Valley, a regional farmer-owned cooperative that has this to say about their eggnog:

What is Organic Valley Eggnog?
Eggnog is a thick, creamy and sweet drink made by beating certified organic egg yolks with organic milk, cream, sugar and sweet spices. Traditionally served from late fall to mid-winter, Organic Valley Eggnog is a favorite holiday treat.

What makes our Eggnog organic?

The eggs, milk, and cream for rich, satisfying, and delicious Organic Valley Eggnog are produced by cooperative family farmers working in harmony with nature.

just local news early december

just local news early december

inside:
wreaths
eggs
spices
this saturday: winter market, anderson tasting & art opening
share your thoughts?

Wreaths

We have only 8 sustainably harvested wreaths remaining. No trees were cut down, and in fact they come from a co-op of responsible landowners working to preserve our forests for generations to come! Please stop in and pick one up for your home or tie it to the front of your SUV or bike. These wreaths come to us form longtime customers and friends Linda and Jack Corey, who are part of the co-op that produces the wreaths. Thanks, folks!

Eggs!

It happens every year. A few times even. The local egg "market" gets sketchy and noody has eggs for awhile. Why? Well, let's start with why you buy eggs from Just Local Food and local farmers in the first place. You want to know where they come from – a local farm, and you want them to run free when they want. And we try to bring you this consistently. You want the chickens to live a "natural" life, which means when the weather changes – it gets really hot or cold, for instance – the chickens don't "naturally" lay eggs. So, the weather changed to cold recently and the chickens that reliably lay for you most months of the year are holding out. What do we do as a store dedicated to local food? Do we buy sub-par, inferior factory eggs to make up? No. We work with other farmers that meet (y)our standards (we've called over 12 local egg suppliers in the last two weeks – NONE have eggs, well, Matt brought in 15 dozen but they disappeared in as many minutes), and if we can't find anything, we patiently wait for Mary's chickens to start laying again (they will), and try to explain why we don't have eggs to our customers, and HOPE they don't get angry (and when they do, we try not to take it personally!)... so thanks, really, to the chickens, who will soon get used to the cold...

Spices

We've stocked up on spices this month to meet the needs of your holiday culinary demands, and we've added some new flavor to the existing flare on the shelves. Bay leaves for your traditional, chili powder for your pot of warmth, lemon pepper per request and some cayenne to answer that winter chill. We've also got some new seasoning blends: Mama Garlic and Pepperman. Stop in and stock up!

This Saturday, December 8:

Lynn from Anderson Farms is coming with corned beef, kielbasa, and ground beef to sample and sell starting at 10am. In the evening, Just Local Food presents an art exhibit: A Taste of Place ~ works by Paula Gorski, Tere Hering, Dana Johnson, Christine Dickman Loew, Noriko Slowinski and Barry Weiss Opening reception, 5-6:30 pm.

We'll also be tabling at the Winter Farmer's Market at St. Raymond of Penafort Catholic Church, S10444 Hwy 53 (1 ½ miles south of Brackett, WI on Mallard Road) between 9:00 am-1:00 pm. There should be 12-15 farmers there bringing a variety of excellent meats, cheeses, dairy, honey, pork, maple syrup and more.

Give us your thoughts?

Hey, here it is that time of year, the giving season. We would very much like to show our appreciation and listen to you tell us how we can do our job better. We are open to suggestion, criticism and even detailed accounts of how your shopping experience at Just Local Food can improve. We would like nothing more than to give you, our valued customer, the gift of knowing that we are listening, interested and willing to make Just Local Food Co-op your favorite grocery.

As always, thanks for reading!

~aaron, jen t and the many merry jlf elves

Thanksgiving Newsletter

Hi there!

Hope all is well for you. We're having a ball working with so many great farmers and awesome customers. Please read on for a variety of news items, including a moving/development update at the end!

Have a great weekend! ~aaron and the nine other workers & owners (yes, you've helped us grow to ten... or is it eleven...)

inside:
turkeys produce beer grocery gift certifiates sample saturdays JLF moving?

turkeys

Turkeys are in! We've had a few last minute requests for birds but we are sorry (and a little happy) to say we've sold out of extra turkeys. We're already planning next year's turkey season with Vince and Julie, and rumor has it they'll be increasing production yet again next year. Happy thanksgiving! Thanks to our many hard working local and regional farmers, this holiday is cooking up to be a delicious one!

produce

Winter season changeover of our produce case is in progress. And as we approach the one year anniversary of our produce section you can be assured that the workers at Just Local Food are doing our best to get you the freshest, best tasting fresh produce we can find. We've got some seasonal specialties in stock now that you might consider. Citrus season is kicking in and we have valencia and navel oranges as well as lemons, grapefruit, and two types of lime. We have a special on juicing limes right now, a nice big bag for a few bucks. We also have plenty fresh organic cranberries in clamshells – use these local nutritional powerhouses in classic recipes or try something new. Cranberries are good for you and good for our region! Also check out our selection of sweet potatoes – four varieties going fast, but don't worry we get more in every week!

beer

While our focus is of course on food, we do continue to carry a variety of beer exclusively from small regional breweries. Our stock hanges continually, as most small brewers make small batches and change their beers with the seasons. In particular, we've been fond of the selections from Viking Brewery like the Big Swede – big and rich (like us, or espresso). But now I want to inform you of a new company that we've started to deal with. Their name is Furthermore beer and they make excellent brews, but unlike any other beer in Wisconsin it is distributed directly by the brewers. So the fellas who brew the beer bring it right to us. My favorite beer of theirs right now is the fallen apple – it's fresh pressed local apple cider mixed with cream ale. Yum. Check out their website and come try a six pack! As always, almost all of our beer is available in mix-your-own six packs, a personalized beer sample session in a box.

furthermore beer

grocery items

As always, something new fell off the truck from Natural Farms (our regional distributor) this week! A selection of wheat and gluten free baking mixes, including a wheat-free biscuit and baking mix just in time for dinner! We also have some rice pastas, new fair-trade organic chocolates, canned organic pumpkin, and hopefully all of your old favorites too.

gift certificates

We know you love our concept and care about just local food and our regional farmers as much as we do. Why not share that love with someone else this holiday season? We have gift certificates in any amount that would allow your friends and family the opportunity to try the local food that you love! Give them the gift of great taste and vitality! We've got a number of great local, organic and fair trade gift ideas for the season, and are preparing an in-store display to help you along. Thanks for your support!

sample saturdays

The first farm featured in our seasonal Saturday sample sessions will be Anderson Farms, sampling their products at our store from 10-3 on Saturday Dec. 8. Their beef is 100% grass-fed, and all products are MSG & nitrate free. Samples of their delicious corned beef (cured brisket), deli roast beef, hot dogs, and kielbasa will be available.

Are you moving or what?

Hey, I'm sure most of you have heard directly or through the grapevine that Just Local Food is moving. Well, it turns out we may not have a choice in the matter as Eau Claire County has just recently told us they will be buying the building from our landlord and ripping it down next summer to build a new riverfront jail. While many of us may oppose the jail expansion, we've determined that our thriving business cannot survive a lengthy neighborhood or county-wide battle over property rights. The good news, as you also may know, is that we have spent a great deal of time and resources in business planning and negotiating with the City of Eau Claire and various property owners in the South Barstow redevelopment area and other locations downtown. While we have nothing concrete to bring to you at this time, we will be presenting you with our growth opportunities in the near future. A few things are certain, though: we are commited to keeping our store in downtown Eau Claire, we want to expand in several key areas, and we'll need your help and input to make the next step a success! In the interim, please keep supporting us as much as you can and help spread the word. Let us know if you have any ideas or know of interesting properties for sale or lease, too. Every little bit helps!

Thanks!

You rule.

~aa

www.justlocalfood.com