Harvest the flavors of your own backyard!

 

The Harvest is here! Come in to enjoy extraordinary local produce from our own neighbors!

Day in the Valley This Saturday!

Saturday, July 24th -Just Local & Jazz88- Day in the Valley! We invite you to join us for a Day in the Valley, a day long tour celebrating four innovative, sustainable and local food/agriculture projects in the beautiful Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin. The tour is Saturday, July 24th and will start at 10:30 a.m. at Piney Hill Farm CSA in Glenwood City and then journey to Dave's Brew Farm in Wilson, Bullfrog Fish Farm in Menomonie and wrap up with Dinner and Jazz at The Creamery Restaurant and Inn in Downsville, WI. There is no cost for the day but attendees will be responsible for their lunch and dinner costs. RSVPs for the tour are requested by e-mailing Zac & Kevin Barnes at zac@justlocalfood.com and KevinB@Jazz88fm.com

for more info on the four stops visit the following link!http://jazz88.mpls.k12.mn.us/restaurantour.html or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eau-Claire-WI/Just-Local-Food/228354881132?ref=ts#!/event.php?eid=135032266529541&ref=mf

   

Seedlings are HERE!

Piney Hill Farm of Glenwood City, Wisconsin has delivered heirloom, non GMO seedlings! We have eggplant, 8 varieties of tomatos, herbs, cabbage, brocoli and other brasicas. As always, enjoy cowpot potting soil or cowsmo compost for your gardening needs. Learn more about piney hill at the link below! http://www.pineyhillfarm.blogspot.com/

Minneola Tangelo

We have the privilege of having access to a number of small citrus farms in Florida, California and Texas that have been sending us some amazing fruits. I just finished up a nice display of these goodies that will greet you as you walk in the store. Here's more info on one of our favorites:

Minneola Tangelo

The fruits are the size of an adult fist and have a tangerine taste, but are very juicy, to the point of not providing much flesh but producing excellent and plentiful juice. Tangelos generally have loose, thin skin and are easier to peel than oranges. They are easily distinguished from oranges by a characteristic knob at the top of the fruit. Like most tangelos and mandarin oranges, the Minneola tangelo is pretty easy to peel. Many people like the fact that the fruit doesn’t have very many seeds, usually about ten on average, so they’re easy to avoid. Since Minneola tangelos have such a burst of both sweet and sour flavors, they’re excellent for use in a variety of dishes, though you can make a good argument for simply peeling and eating them. You can add them to either fruit or green salads. They’ll be delicious when dressed with most vinaigrette dressings. They can also top focaccia, be used in marinades, or grilled. They provide a delicious way to add that sunny summer feel back into your diet, even when the weather outside is gloomy or cold.

get back to your ROOTS!

In our wondrous winter wonderland, it's easy to forget that our local farmers STILL have plenty of fresh produce for sale. The majority of this fresh produce is in the form of roots. Many vegetable plants store their own "food" in their roots, typically in the form of carbohydrates. Today we'll be focusing on locally produced taproots in the form of turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, carrots, beets and burdock. For now, we won't confuse our taproots with tuberous roots like yams, potatoes or sunchokes...

Here is a rundown of our current local taproot supply:

Beets come from Harmony Valley Farm in Viola. Experts at certified organic growing, post harvest storage, cleaning and packing, Harmony Valley provides us with a consistent supply of roots throughout the winter. You may be familiar with their 3# bagged soup mix which we stock with vigor while it's available. A simple solution to your evening meal quandry is a bag of soup mix with a few recipes right on the bag. You'll also find burdock root, a culinary thistle that was the inspiration for Velcro, organically grown by Harmony Valley on the shelves. Burdock is also a traditional medicinal herb that is used for many ailments.

We've got carrots coming out our ears. Easily the most popular taproot out there, and
our signature product, we've always got carrots in stock. You will find California carrots on our shelves - and we carry these for a variety of reasons. Our local supply of carrots can vary in quality, size and appearance. The California Carrots are consistently great, and we carry these out of convenience for those of you looking for the standard American carrot! From time to time throughout the winter we do happen upon local carrots, and we are happy to present a variety of carrots brought to us by our friends at Six Rivers Cooperative based in Barron, WI. These bright orange carrots were grown by Dragsmith Farms, who you know from their incredible Mississippi Greens. Maurice is pictured at right with carrots grown on his farm.

Rutabaga and turnips, interestingly enough, are from the genus brassica, whose esteemed family members are also referred to as cabbages, mustards, and cole crops. Rutabaga and turnips are associated with the same potent anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activity as their relatives. Thanks to Grandma Ingrid up in Hayward, nothing says "holiday!" to me like a pot of boiling 'bagies on the stove. These roots also come to us from Six Rivers Cooperative and are sourced from a variety of Amish and English farmers north of Eau Claire.

In sad news: Jalapenos are on short supply, Piney Hill Salad with Pizazz won't be back until the middle of January and we're sold out of Sylvan Hills garlic for the season!

This week in PRODUCE

 

new to a produce cooler in your reach:

local, Naturally Agave Sweetened Salad Dressings from Elder Valley Farms and Local, Organic Apple Sauce from Hoch's Orchard


Cara Cara Navels, Grapefruit and Valencia Oranges, Satsuma and Fall-Glo Tangerines (Organic)


Last of the Season's local Cranberries (but keep looking in our frozen section to find Sno-Pac Cranberries from MN!) and naturally beautiful Spencer, WI peppers


Organic Green Beans


a multitude of local, organic heirloom squash


and back in this week: Brent Douglas (locally grown!) Flowers

Just Local Flowers now at JLF!

Brent Douglas and Just Local Food are proud to bring you fresh, local, gorgeous flowers now at your community co-op. Working to source flowers from growers in Plymouth, MN and Wausau WI, we are hoping this will add great color, scent, and growing convenience and thoughtfulness to each visit to our store.

Lusciously Local

Future Fruit Farm Pears

By Ellen Lane, Future Fruit Farm Ridgeway, WI

Our family farm is located on the beautiful ridges above the Wisconsin river valley. Here, we have chosen to specialize in and grow only "old-time" and exotic pear varieties. The unusual and delicious pears that we produce are harder to grow, but far superior to the common Bartletts. The richer flavor and perfume of our pears is often lacking in the more commercial varieties of pears. Our pears are delicate and require careful methods of husbandry. We practice organic methods of agriculture to grow our fruit. Each tree is given special attention. Each of our pears is handled gently and hand-wiped. We value quality over quantity.

Luscious Pears

The Luscious pear is buttery, very sweet, and aromatic. It has a butterscotch and honey taste. At first, many people told us, "They're not beautiful enough. They're not big. They're not shiny." But after tasting this pear, people have embraced the Luscious as one of the best tasting pears grown. Due to the nature of this variety of pear, it would be smaller in size - a lovely dessert pear - and highly russeted. Luscious pears are difficult to grow and would require the use of toxic chemical sprays to produce a blemish-free fruit. We use only certified organic methods in growing our pears. This pear is not as attractive as more ordinary or hybrid pears, but the taste and flavor are extremely Luscious!

As the pears ripen they have a golden yellow color with a reddish blush. Luscious pears are to be eaten while still firm. These pears have enjoyed a loyal following by all who have tried them. They bring back memories to many people who miss the "old-time" pears their grandfathers used to have growing in their yards.

We hope you enjoy our certified organic pears.

$3.79/# while supplies last at Just Local Food!

stone fruits

We are blessed to have access to some amazing stonefruits coming into ripeness. These fruits, typically coming from California, are certified organic and carefully handled every step of the way. Pictured here are just a few of the varieties we're seeing come in and out our door these days. Dapple Fire Pluots packed by the Peterson family. Sweet Treat Pluots from Twin Girls farms. Spring Bright Nectarine from D.B. Harris in Parlier California. Get your Vitamin A with these sweet treats!

rhubarb

A good local spring meal is almost always topped off with Rhubarb, a perennial that has been cultivated for centuries (4500 years!) for both medicinal purposes and as plain ol' food.

Here are a variety of recipes from a site that has more information about Rhubarb than you ever thought possible.

fresh produce

Howdy. We wanted to post up a variety of fresh produce we received this week.

Morels! In and out as soon as we get them! (pictured at right are actual mushrooms from the store)

We're now carrying portobella mushrooms, big firm and fresh. Spaghetti squash all the way from California if you have a hankerin'. Kumquots are back for a limited time, their season is almost through. Red Bartlett pears from across the globe are here. Give one a try and you'll know why we have them, certified organic of course.

Some early snap peas are here for your pickin'.

And in addition to the ramps and asparagus, we've got local certified organic rhubarb from Otter Creek Valley Farm (on Hwy 53).

Try this simple idea for morels, asparagus and ramps.

Or Barbara Kingsolver's crazy bread pudding (substitute ramps for spring onions if you dare!).

And I'll ramble more variety in no particular order: local spring mix, shiitake, crimini and white mushrooms, celery, broccoli, red & green peppers, red & green cabbage, red & green lettuce, apples, blood & navel oranges, cilantro, chives, rosemary, cucumbers, lemons, ginger, local micro greens, spinach, kale, chard, bananas, avocados, red & yellow & white onions, red & yellow & white potatoes, shallots, yams, roma & cherry tomatoes... and more!

ramps aka wild leeks

Local produce of the week:

Ramps

Information straight from our grower, Harmony Valley:

Ramps grow wild in our part of the country, preferring deep forest soils and cool springs. We harvest them judiciously, selecting large bulbs with healthy leaves, leaving behind plenty to replenish the population for sustainable harvest for years to come. The flavor of ramps is inimitable, though they are reminiscent of leeks, hence their local name, wild leek. Their season is fleeting, three to four weeks in late April and early May, depending on the spring temperatures. Their supply is limited, so enjoy them in abundance while they are available.

asparagus! ASPARAGUS!

Ahhhh. Maple Season has passed (it was a good one, too!) The next major rite of spring is Asparagus. Fresh, firm, local asparagus. Deep green. Supremely healthy. ASPARAGUS!

We ask a mere $5.29 per pound for the good stuff coming up from the Kees family farm near Durand. Certified Organic and grown with care, love and attention. Handled carefully by our worker owners. It's good for you.

And its only for a short time each year!

produce

Here's the quick buzz in produce:

Citrus season is still on with great cara cara (red navel) oranges, plenty of firm kumquots, bright blood oranges and a variety of tangerines. Check out the honey tangerines later this weekend. Also from down south we've got some great looking zucchini and bright delicious rainbow chard. A variety of local Blackberry hills potatoes are still available in bulk. Still a good supply of pears and apples. Plenty of garnet and jewel yams, nice and firm. Special purchase of scallions and cilantro. Nice looking red and green bell peppers, prices way down from last month. A new box of lemons is in and our last two local Harmony Valley soup mixes of the season are on the shelf (other local roots still available - try!). All items listed are certified organic.

And Seed Savers Exchange just notified me that our heirloom seeds should be in next week. That's over 100 varieties of heirloom and organic seeds that will be in store soon! Local potting soil, compost and other early gardening supplies will come as well!

produce

Now that football is pretty much over, it's OK for you packer fans to try out some viking purple potatoes. Organically grown in Wisconsin by Blackberry Hills. We also have their red skinned sangria and yellow nicolai potatoes. We also have plenty of Harmony Valley Soup Mix in 3# bags - inside each one: Carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, celeriac or sunchokes. Don't forget local mississippi greens grown by Gail up in Barron! (give a little shout to send some sunshine their way!) These are the healthiest most nutritious thing you can get - a mixture of over ten varieties of leafy greens and herbs. Fresh rosemary too.

Minneola tangelos. Giant pomelos. Yellow "cheddar" cauliflower. Fresh deep green leafy chard. Three kinds of organic apples. Sunburst and satsumas are almost out. Plenty more citrus yet to come this season!

A Seed rack for your gardens is on order and soon to come...

This week's featured supplier is Blackberry Hills . This family farm has been bringing late season potatoes and onions for us all to enjoy. Thanks, Hermann's, for the wonderful food!

Blackberry Hills Farm
Blackberry Community Farm is located in Otter Creek Township, Dunn County, Wisconsin. Our family farm is a 30-acre homestead surrounded by woods. It consists of: a mixed orchard; flower, herb and vegetable gardens; honeybee yard; berry patches; beautiful rolling hills; and woods with abundant wildlife. 2009 will be our 19th season doing organic farming and the 14th season of CSA farming.

Please Ponder the Persimmon

We have organic persimmons in our produce department, and they are a real treat. I wasn’t very familiar with them, but bought one out of curiosity. After some reading, I learned that they are at there best when mushy, and are NOT ready to eat until that point. I’m on my 4th one this week, and the photo shows how beautiful it is when sliced. All you need to do is cut one open, take a spoon and scoop out the yummy inside for your own personal treat, and get happy about how delicious and different and beautiful it is. You can cook with them too – I posted a recipe for Apple Spice Bread (substitute persimmon) in the store, and here are a few links for you. So, if you’re new to the persimmon, or haven’t had a good one in a while, I encourage you to come in and try them.

You may also find that “persimmon” is a fun word to use, such as “Percy, please pass the persimmon, pronto.”

Portuguese Kale and Chorizo Soup

This is hearty and warming soup for lunch or dinner, and makes enough for several meals or lots of leftovers. I was inspired by the “dino” kale and giant leeks in our produce cooler, and thought chorizo would be perfect for the wintery weather. All ingredients are from the store. This recipe was adapted from one by Emeril Lagasse in the book Becoming a Chef.

1 large leek
2 cloves garlic
5 stalks celery
2 zucchini
3 bunches kale
5 large red potatoes
1 cup green split peas (optional)
1 pound chorizo
2 quarts tomatoes (or 28-oz. can)
2 quarts chicken, turkey, or veggie stock or water
Salt
3 bay leaf
¼ t. thyme
Red pepper flakes
Black pepper
Pecorino Romano cheese

Carefully rinse leek, chop, sauté in olive oil in a large stockpot. Add chopped celery, a good pinch of kosher or sea salt, then the chopped garlic, and continue cooking carefully. Brown the chorizo in a separate pan, crumbling to desired size, and add cooked meat to stockpot (leaving the oil behind). Add the tomatoes with their juice and stir, and add the stock or water. Add another pinch of salt if you think it needs it. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and a good sprinkle of red pepper flakes. [Add the green peas, if using, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook about an hour or two until those darn peas are soft enough. They are a nice addition, but seem to take forever to cook!]

Thoroughly rinse the kale, then stem and chop it and add to the pot. Cube the potatoes and add, and check the liquid level; add more liquid if necessary. Bring the pot back to a boil, then reducing to a simmer. Cover and cook at least until the potatoes and kale are tender, adding the chopped zucchini to the pot along the way (zucchini doesn’t take long to cook).

This is the kind of soup that tastes good the first day, but gets much better the next day, when the flavors have more time to blend. Taste and adjust salt, and serve with a fresh grind of black pepper and maybe a good shaving of Romano cheese.

fresh produce

Now that the downtown farmers market is closed for the season, you may think that there is no more local produce. Well, let us set you straight on that one. We have been cultivating relationships with local farmers for nearly five years, and we can tell you with complete confidence that there is plenty of local produce to be had these days.

One big category of great local fresh produce is squash. On hand today we have: buttercup, butternut, spaghetti, orange kabocha, red kuri, delicata, sugar loaf, sugar dumpling and acorn.

We are also carrying local organic cranberries, organic and heirloom apples, organic hydroponic tomatoes, beautiful red and orange carrots, brussels sprouts, fennel, turnips, rutabaga, beets, broccoli, kale, chard and cabbage.

Our certified organic cranberries come directly from Ruesch Century Farm (100 years in the family!) near Wisconsin Rapids, right in the heart of cranberry country. They built their first cranberry bog in the early 1990's and have added 3 beds since then. They dry rake some of the berries and actually use hand rakes which was the traditional harvesting method for many decades until mechanical pickers were invented. The downside is that it takes much longer to harvest. All the berries are hand sorted, placed in containers by hand, labeled by hand. All very time consuming stuff.

We sell the cranberries in bulk, so feel free to bring your own container to fill with these delicious, seasonal berries.

fresh produce

Roasting?

Local late season harvest continues! New in this week are purple top beets from Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua, these awesome roots are certified organic and certified delicious - start your oven.

Also local, and also certified organic, are a wide variety of squash. Acorn, butternut, delicata, red kuri, spaghetti, sugar loaf and sweet dumpling are all in - pumpkins are squash, too. Prices vary from $.79 to $1.19 per pound - a great deal for some great squash.

We also have a variety of potatoes (yellow, red, red fingerling, russet, yellow fingerling) and yams.

Other fresh stuff:

Greens are rolling in on a regular basis. A new box of figs just came in, as well as some late season emerald beauty plums from California. Local pears & grapes. Plenty of mushrooms and garlic too!

pomegranates, potatoes, peppers plus +

Well the weather is cooling off but our fresh, organic & local produce section is still pretty hot. We just received a van load of a variety of certified organic squash from Larry at Sylvan Hills. Check out the recipe for butternut kuri curry squash soup we sampled at last Saturday's market, available in the store. We have some Wisconsin grown luscious pears in today, along with a box of pluots, more great avocadoes, 80# of fresh sweet potatoes, delicious small green grapes, some huge mangoes and two boxes of organic fair trade bananas.

Pomegranates are weird. Looking, that is. But they pack a nutritious punch. Full of antioxidants ready fight cell damage, their seeds and juice are known for their healing powers. Be like an ancient priestess and adorn yourself with the fruit. Or just eat one and live longer, as the Chinese have long known. Take one home today! Check out this awesome website for everything you need to know about pomegranates!