Citrus Season is here!

Organic Tangerines (Satsuma and Fall-Glo) have arrived!

Cranberries, papaya (pictured on the right), kiwi, dates, bananas, local IPM or local+organic apples, lemons and limes, grapefruit, grapes... quite the possibilities right now for a wonderful fruit salad right here in Eau Claire!

recipe ideas:

-lunch box favorite salad

-Persimmon Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Dried Cranberries

-Roasted Ratatouille Pizza

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.

The ULTIMATE Turkey Sandwich?

A memorable sandwich starts with really good bread, and in my opinion, there is nothing better than a loaf from Marie’s Original Bakery (from Marie's, or from our freezer case). Next comes the main ingredient for which the sandwich is named, in this case, turkey, leftover from your Thanksgiving feast. Or, if you finished off your leftovers, you could always cook up some turkey tenderloin, always available in our meat department. A little cheese might be called for, such as a Crystal Ball Farm cheddar (smooth and on the mild side), Vern’s aged cheddar (sharp!), or whatever your favorite is. I like Dijon mustard, just enough for some flavor without overpowering everything. Now, to make it really tasty, put it on a griddle or pan with a little olive oil or butter to get the bread nice and crispy. After the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown, the sandwich is ready to go. Unless, you choose to indulge yourself with some avocado slices, Becky’s Olive Salsa (this is unbelievably good on a sandwich!), or perhaps go Reuben-esque with some sauerkraut/Powerkraut…
Here’s to making a sandwich you can get excited about!

Easy recipe for Stone Fruit Chutney

Thin sliced peaches/nectarines, plums/apricots, and cherries in a lightly spiced syrup of sugar, garam masala, and white wine or white balsamic vinegar...

I found this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine, and since I had an abundance of ripe stone fruits (nectarines, plums, and cherries) from Just Local, decided to give it a try. It was wonderful! I reduced the amount of sugar by half, and also the amount of white wine vinegar and garam masala, to just give it a subtle Indian flavor.

For an appetizer, I spread toasted slices of Marie's Bakery baguette with Bass Lake chevre (goat cheese, also from JLF!), and topped with some of the chutney. So good! We finished it off later that weekend as an ice cream topping.

http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2008/08/stone_fruit_chutney

what's local: garlic scapes

It's a little early for this year's hardneck garlic yet, but we're thinking of it. It's about this time most garlic growers visit the rows and trim the top of the plant, called a scape, to encourage bulb development. The garlic scape is a completely edible, green vegetable with plenty of true garlic flavor. Use it in pretty much anything calling for garlic or green onions, or do as Larry does and eat garlic scape omelets (we served these briefly at last Saturday's farmers market as well).

You won't find garlic scapes in any other grocery store in town, and probably not again here until next year. If you have ever seen a recipe that called for garlic scapes, now is your chance. And if you are growing your own garlic at home, now is the time to trim your scapes!

I've made garlic scape pesto in the past, and had a few customers remind me of it. Here's a recipe that looks like the right proportions, and I stole their picture too!

Romar Chicken

Romar Greenhouse, one of our favorite local growers of amazing arugula and heirloom tomatoes, brought us a nice selection of chicken. It is naturally raised, but is not certified organic. In addition to whole chickens, we have 8-packs of legs, 4-packs of thighs, and packages of wings. It has been difficult at times to find good local chicken by the part, so we’re excited to offer it. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

While we’re on the subject of chicken, Coon Creek Family Farm has more of their great organic whole chickens available again. We also carry boneless, skinless chicken breasts in individual packages from Beaver Creek Ranch. And, the chicken hot dogs from Gifts from the Good Earth have been hot sellers this summer.

AllRecipes.com has some good information and recipes for chicken. Here are a few tidbits to get you started…

Deboning a Chicken Thigh
Cooking meat on the bone keeps the meat juicier and more flavorful, but some people prefer boneless. Here’s how to do it yourself (this method works for the leg, and there are also links to cutting up a whole chicken, and deboning a chicken breast).
http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Deboning-a-Chicken-Thigh/Detail.aspx

Grilled Chicken Thighs Tandoori
"Moist, luscious, and delicious. Just the right blend of spices make this chicken dish one of my most requested. Great hot or cold. If using thighs with skin, you can put over direct medium heat for the last few minutes to crisp skin."
JLF note: Another recipe where all ingredients can be found in our store. Consider ditching the olive oil spray, unless you use it already, and dab with real olive oil instead.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Chicken-Thighs-Tandoori/Detail.aspx

Spicy Stuffed Chicken Thighs
"An easy recipe to make that's full of flavor. Boneless chicken thighs are stuffed with spicy Italian sausage, then baked with diced tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Can be served with rice or pasta."
JLF note: We have Italian sausage in the store, but not the spicy variety; you could add hot red pepper flakes if you wanted to add the heat.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spicy-Stuffed-Chicken-Thighs/Detail.aspx

Quinoa Burgers

Last night we had a lovely meal entirely from Just Local Food and I thought I'd share it with you. We had Quinoa Burgers.

1 cup quinoa - cooked
4 carrots chopped
1 onion chopped
garlic chopped
broccoli chopped
(you can add any vegetable you wish)
1 - 2 eggs
spice as you like (I add mock chicken broth, salt and pepper)
flour as needed

mix all together. form patties and pan fry (we used canola oil from the store) until golden

I then add a dollop of BBQ sauce and a slice of gingerbread Colby cheese and bake in the oven for a few minutes.

Serve this up on a bun or not, serve with Sno Pac french fries and some fresh green beans from the store. Delicious.

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!

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!

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.