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Blog Entry #10 - July 13, 2009

Getting a Jump-Start on Freezing and Canning

Caroline Homan, City Market's Food Education Coordinator

The beige local produce signs are sprouting like mushrooms at City Market (and mushrooms are sprouting in my potted flowers - thanks, rain!). What you will find when you come in to the Co-op: All the local greens I mentioned in my last post, plus local radishes, garlic scapes, snow peas, sugar snap peas, green onions, summer squash, and greenhouse tomatoes that are getting redder and juicier by the day. The strawberry season was short this year, and now we're just waiting for the blueberries to hurry up and ripen.

            It's not too early to think about freezing and canning. At the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, students in the Community Kitchen program are learning to cook with and freeze surplus foods that might otherwise go to waste for the local food shelf and food banks around the state. Likewise at City Market, we'll be offering the summer edition of our Eating Well on a Budget class on July 26^th from noon - 1:00 p.m., where we'll go over some easy canning recipes and the best way to freeze most fruits and vegetables we'll be seeing this summer (call 861-9700 to register). These are great, inexpensive ways to preserve the harvest. One thing I'll be freezing soon: the thickly seeded row of kale I planted this spring!  

            Kale is a member of the cabbage family and one of the most nutritious foods around. I can imagine Michael Pollen was thinking about kale when he recommended, "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." Now is the time to chow down on kale - it likes the cool weather and has a sweeter flavor in the spring. To freeze it, I will remove the thick stems, blanch it in boiling, salted water for two minutes, and then drain it. After it cools, I will pack it in small freezer-safe Ziploc bags to use in the future for lasagna, soup, pizza toppings, and tomato sauce. But first, I will make this recipe, my absolute favorite way to eat kale (with thanks to the folks at Penny Cluse Café, who shared this recipe with me a few years ago when I fell in love with it). I usually double it because it's so good (in which case, I sometimes cook it in the oven instead of the stove).

Garlicky Kale Quesadillas

1 large bunch of kale, de-stemmed

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup green onions, minced

Pinch cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

6 corn tortillas

3/4 cup feta cheese, such as Does' Leap goat milk feta, crumbled

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop kale leaves in water and blanch for about two minutes or until just tender. Run cold water over kale and squeeze out. Chop kale up into small pieces.

In a sauté pan, sauté olive oil, garlic, green onions, cayenne pepper, and salt. Let cool and add kale. Mix together.

Place a flat pan over medium heat with a small amount of olive oil. Place a corn tortilla directly on the pan. Spread with 1/4 kale mixture and 1/4 of the feta cheese. Place second corn tortilla on top of mixture and repeat. Top with a third corn tortilla. Warm the quesadilla on each side for about 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Remove and cut into quarters to serve. Repeat.

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Serves 2.Blog Entry #9 - June 29, 2009

Rain, Rain Go Away. My garden is starting to drown.

Nicole L'Huillier Fenton, City Market Marketing Manager

            Wow, it has been a wet June. According to National Weather Service data, June has been 3.2 degrees cooler than normal and has had 1.13 more inches of rain than usual. Not ideal to make a garden grow. Last time I checked, the missing element here is sunshine. Plus, in the past my tomatoes have flourished in the hot, balmy weather that I'm still waiting for.

            Never the less, I'm still hopeful. I have small tomatoes blooming on not only the San Marzano plum tomatoes (I'm already dreaming of the homemade tomato sauce in the fall), but also on the cherry tomatoes that are my favorite snack. My green beans have sprouted, the green cabbage is reaching great highest, the strawberries are overflowing and my blueberries are close to turning into a vivid blue delicacy.

            However, the extra row of green beans that I planted for the Food Shelf hasn't faired well. My carrots and Delicata squash are also suffering from too much rain. I still have a few seed packets donated by High Mowing Organic Seeds, as part of the Grow an Extra Row program, left over that I will use to try once again.

            If I've learned anything in my short time as a gardener is that you can't get too discouraged, because in all reality it's still early in our growing season. I am continually inspired by the gorgeous local berries, spinach, asparagus, tomatoes and so much more that are delivered daily to the Co-op. If they can figure out how to make it work in a wet, cool June, so can I.

            However, keeping the hungry neighborhood bunnies out of my strawberries is another conversation, for a later day.

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Blog Entry #8 - June 25, 2009

Growing an Extra Row is Critical this Summer

Clem Nilan, City Market General Manager

Remember the song, "summertime and the living is easy"?  Not so fast says Rob Meehan, Director of the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. 

Meehan continues to monitor the trend in attendance at the Food Shelf and reports it's way up.   More and more people are in need and are visiting the Food Shelf.  Meehan reports, "there is definitely more need in our community.  For several months it's been the same old song."

What's even more disturbing is that the recent food drives have netted 50% less food, just when it's needed more than ever. Our recent food drive at the Co-op brought in over 500lbs of food for the Food Shelf. It was a great effort, but I think we can do better. Our next Fill a Truck food drive is scheduled for August 5. Perhaps in the meantime, community members can set aside a can of food or a box of cereal in anticipation of the food drive in August. Non-perishable food items that are most needed: tuna fish, peanut butter, cereal, meals in a box (mac & cheese, hamburger helper, etc.), canned fruit, canned vegetables, pet food, diapers, and baby food.

We can all make difference in the lives of our neighbors this summer.

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Blog Entry #7 - June 23, 2009

City Market Customers Donate Over 500lbs of Food for Local Food Shelf

Nicole L'Huillier Fenton, City Market Marketing Manager

Residents of Burlington helped to donate 530lbs of food to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf at the first of three Fill a Truck for Hunger food drives. The Vermont Foodbank was on hand at the Co-op to collect food from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1. A variety of non-perishable food items were collected and donated to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. 

"While we don't often think of summer as a time of high food insecurity, as children recess for the summer, many families are left scrabbling to fill the void left when school meals are no longer available," said John Sayles, Vermont Foodbank CEO.  "Hunger knows no season, so programs like Grow an Extra-Row and the City Market Fill a Truck offer much needed assistance for Vermonters in need of food."

Rachel Moss, Development and Communications Director at the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, says that in the past year, they have seen over 1,000 new people needing food assistance services. And unfortunately, due to the economic crisis, their donations are down across the board. The Food Shelf works to alleviate hunger by feeding people and cultivating opportunities. As the largest direct service emergency food provider in Vermont, CEFS serves over 11,300 people each year.

City Market and the Vermont Foodbank plan to hold two more Fill a Truck for Hunger events on August 5 and October 1. More details can be found at www.CityMarket.coop.

Non-perishable food items that are most needed: tuna fish, peanut butter, cereal, meals in a box (mac & cheese, hamburger helper, etc.), canned fruit, canned vegetables, pet food, diapers, and baby food.

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Blog Entry #6 - June 2, 2009

Greens are Here!

Caroline Homan, City Market Food Education Coordinator

Well, they've finally arrived: luscious spring greens from our local farms! Lewis Creek Farm baby spinach, Pete's Greens famous braising mix, Digger's Mirth mesclun and baby lettuce, full-size heads of lettuce - 3 different kinds! - from Arethusa Farm, and the list goes on and on including arugula, mustard greens, and broccoli raab. Everything's coming up green in our Produce department. There's something amazingly fresh-tasting about the first spring greens.

This time of year, I like to think of Barbara Kingsolver's observation that in the course of the growing season we ate our way down the plant, starting with the leaves and working our way down to the roots, each plant part giving us exactly what we need.       

With strawberry season right around the corner, I will share one of my favorite salad recipes pairing tangy mesclun greens and strawberries.

Mesclun Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

1 pint strawberries

½ pound mesclun greens or arugula

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup walnuts, lightly toasted

½ cup olive oil

2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs. honey

Wash strawberries, remove stems, and slice in half. Mash enough strawberries to measure 1/3 cup. Place remaining strawberries in the salad bowl. Add greens, feta cheese, and nuts. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and honey. Whisk in mashed strawberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salad; toss to coat.

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Blog Entry #6 - June 1, 2009

The garden is planted and so are the plans for the first Fill a Truck food drive.

Nicole L'Huillier Fenton, City Market Marketing Manager

When I began my first garden, I was always told you had to wait to plant until Memorial Day weekend. That way you would be guaranteed to avoid any frost that a Vermont spring might toss your way. Well, I have followed that advice most of the time throughout my short gardening career, with only a few early plantings as a test to Mother Nature.

The recent Memorial Day weekend proved to be a busy one, combining visits with family and friends, throwing an improtu BBQ and of course, finally planting my garden. Each year I try a new plant to see what will grow in my small side plot in my backyard. This year it's Delicata squash, one of my favorite winter squashes. I've also moved a few veggies around this year to determine if they will perform any better in a new location. Carrots have been planted, generously donated by High Mowing Organic Seeds, as part of the Grow an Extra Row program. Next to the carrots are the green beans also provided as part of the Grow a Row campaign; followed by three varieties of tomatoes mainly from Red Wagon Plants in Hinesburg; basil, peppers, and strawberries; framed by two beautiful blueberry bushes. I was fortunate to inherit the blueberry bushes when I purchased my home, and the smaller of the two is really starting to bloom this year.

Neighbors on both sides are also avid gardeners, so there is never a lack of advice, comparisons, encouragement, and conversations surrounding each of our gardens. One of my neighbors has extended her garden this year to fill her pantry and her family during the summer months. I've been talking a lot about the extra rows that I have planted this spring, including the carrots and beans. I'm hopeful that they'll also consider donating any extra produce to the local shelter.

In the meantime, while we all are weeding, watering, and praying for sun; there are three chances this summer to help folks that can't access fresh produce or afford it, even before our garden tomatoes are ripe. City Market, WCAX, and the Vermont Foodbank will hold several food drives at the Co-op, called Fill a Truck for Hunger. The first one kicks off on Monday, June 1 from 1-6 p.m.. It will be a great chance to donate non-perishable food that will be given directly to the Food Shelf. Folks at the Food Shelf say they have seen over 1,000 new people needing food assistance services. And unfortunately, due to the economy, their donations are down across the board.

Non-perishable food items that are most needed: tuna fish, peanut butter, cereal, meals in a box (mac & cheese, hamburger helper, etc.), canned fruit, canned vegetables, pet food, diapers, and baby food.

Join us for a Fill a Truck event and keep eye to the sky, as the sunshine is sure to return soon!

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Blog Entry #5 - May 29, 2009

Garden Time

Thea Lewis, WCAX

You know there are lots of reasons why starting a vegetable garden is a good thing. Eating foods grown close to home is better for you. Varieties from your own back yard are cheaper and often tastier than the ones in the produce aisle at your local supermarket. But, there's one valuable commodity a garden can provide that we don't think much about.

Growing a garden can give you time.

Last year, I started my planning and planting late. Then, I was in such a rush to get the soil tilled and plants in the ground, (not to mention how busy I was trying to document it all for you!) that is wasn't until later in the season that I began to notice how weeding between the rows or examining my bean teepees for signs of progress, the real world began to evaporate.

In the garden I wasn't worrying about my job or the clutter on top of my microwave. I wasn't mentally labeling clothes for camp or wondering if I should stop buying drugstore glasses and schedule an appointment with the optometrist.

Spending time in my garden, the hustle and bustle of an 18 hour day seemed to fade.

I noticed things I didn't have time for in my every day rush to get things done. I felt more in tune with the sound of the wind, the bend of the grass, the lilacs beginning to pop. I noticed the sun on my back and the feel of the hoe in my hand. I could recognize the distinct songs of the birds that visited my yard.   

I worked and I puttered. When reality did come calling, even though I knew I still had to go inside and tackle the laundry pile in the basement, I felt so much better for having spent that simple, peaceful time in rhythm with nature.

There's a commercial on television now that asks whether we're doing more and feeling less. My guess, with everything that's going on in the world today is that for most people the answer is "You'd better believe it!"

So do yourself a favor. Head to your local garden center this weekend and pick up some baby plants or seed packets. You wouldn't believe the variety of vegetables available. With a little imagination and some expert advice you can tailor your garden to your needs based on your available space and level of commitment.

Bring your bounty home and head out to the back yard for a little "me" time. Get some fresh air, get a little dirty, and get to know Mother Nature again.

Before you know it, you'll walk out to the garden one morning and discover the fruits of your labors.

Enjoy your plants while they blossom and grow, and don't forget to Grow an Extra Row to help feed someone in need.

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Blog Entry #4 - May 18, 2009

Why We Are Growing an Extra Row

Clem Nilan, General Manager of City Market/ Onion River Co-op

One of the things I love about being a part of a community-owned food cooperative like City Market is that this store exists solely to meet the needs of the member owners. Our profits are not being siphoned off to Bentonville, Arkansas, to pad the list of the richest people in the world. Our members, over 3000 strong, live in a city nationally acclaimed as one of the healthiest places in the country.  But what does this mean to the child who doesn't have enough food to eat? We know that you can't do well in school or in life without adequate food.

I'm sure if we could find a magic wand, we'd use it to eradicate childhood hunger. It's not going to happen this way.   It's going to take us rolling up our sleeves and putting our fingers in the dirt.   The idea is simple.   There are lots of backyards that need planting. There are free vegetable seed packets. Dedicate a small part of your garden to grow some fresh produce to feed our hungry children.

The Grow An Extra Row campaign will deliver your fresh food to the food shelf and then on to the tables of those who need it most. When I visited the food shelf last February there wasn't any fresh produce at all. There were lots of canned food commodities but not a fresh carrot or onion or apple to be seen. Fresh food from our gardens is a great gift to those most in need in our community.

It's a feel-good thing for those growing food too. Bringing a bag of produce down to the food shelf is a self-esteem builder of the first magnitude.

At our May member meeting at Edmunds school, Tom Stearns from High Mowing Seeds donated enough packets of seeds for anyone interested in growing An Extra Row.  He told a great story about how up in Hardwick some of the town's residents made pumpkin pies from his seeds and brought them to the food shelf. He was smiling and beaming as he told the story.  

Want to know why members of the Onion River Co-op love The Grow An Extra Row campaign? It's easy...let's connect the dots. There are children living right here in Burlington who don't have enough food to eat.  Yes, hungry kids right here in America's healthiest city.  Estimates have it that one in five children goes to bed hungry each night in Burlington. In the old North End it's closer to two in five who are below the poverty line. The Grow An Extra Row campaign offers us a way to help remedy this situation.

Seed packets are available at every register at City Market.

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Blog Entry #3 - May 12, 2009

Foraging Wild Edibles

By Caroline Homan, City Market's Food Education Coordinator

2 weeks ago, I finally got to do something I've been wanting to do for a couple of years but didn't quite know how to go about: forage for fiddleheads. I love the idea of foraging for wild edibles, but a suburban upbringing kept me from really knowing my way around fields and woods. My father's side of the family lives in Germany, and I can remember on trips to visit my relatives picking little yellow plums called Mirabellen on long nature walks, cracking open hazelnuts growing in bushy clumps along the sides of roads, and - not of much interest to me then! - picking the sour, tangy watercress greens that signified the beginning of spring.

With a child of my own now, I wanted to make sure that he learns to appreciate where food comes from - not just the supermarket, but our garden (the Easter bunny brought seed packets this year), our local farms, and our fields and woodlands. At age 2 ½, he revels in discovery.

            On a bright and sunshiny Friday morning, I set out with two friends and their children on a trail that starts at the Winooski Falls and meanders up along the Winooski River. The adults carried baskets and the kids ran ahead with walking sticks, stopping now and then to throw some stones in the river.

We didn't quite know what to expect. One of us had taken a foraging course with local expert Melanie Putz Brotz in the late summer the year before, and Melanie had said that this might be a good place to find fiddleheads in the spring. About 10 minutes into our walk, half hidden in the shade of some trees by the side of the trail, we spotted them - verdant green fiddleheads growing in clumps of the ground. It was fun to push aside last fall's leaves and dig down to pluck the fiddleheads close to their base - you  want them furled up tight and neat, not reaching for the sun - and plop them in our baskets. The kids quickly caught on and plucked their own fiddleheads with their chubby hands.

            That night, we served sautéed fiddleheads with our dinner, and my son got to recount - in his own choppy way - our story of going out to forage them. I feel blessed that my son will grow up knowing where his food comes from. In my role as City Market's food educator, I try to help make these connections happen for other people too. I'm so glad that the Grow an Extra Row is happening this summer and that more Vermonters will get to grow and eat vegetables from our own backyards.

            If you would like to learn how to forage for wild edibles, there's still room in City Market's spring foraging class with Melanie Putz Brotz on Saturday, May 23^rd from 10:30-12 p.m. Read the description on City Market's website (http://www.citymarket.coop) under the News and Events/Calendar section, and call the Customer Service Desk at 861-9700 to sign up.

Sautéed Fiddleheads

1 pound fiddleheads

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 Tbs. soy sauce

¼ cup olive oil or butter

1 tsp. honey

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup white wine

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Steam fiddleheads until just tender. Meanwhile, heat butter or olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté shallots and garlic until just softened. Mix together soy sauce, honey, and wine. Add to pan along with steam fiddleheads, turning to coat them well in the sauce. Serve at once. Serves 4.

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Blog Entry #2 - May 6, 2009

Growing an Extra Row helps to fosters community connections

By Nicole L'Huillier Fenton, City Market's Marketing & Community Relations Manager

I just returned from a full day of networking and seminars at the spring conference for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. This is the second year that I've attended and found this year to be a great opportunity to spread the word about the Grow an Extra Row Campaign to what proved to be a very receptive audience.

While sipping on coffee before the event began this morning, I noticed Judy Stermer from the Vermont Foodbank setting up her table in the vending area. Judy, the Director of Communications & Public Affairs, was thrilled to learn that the Grow an Extra Row program had launched this past weekend at City Market's Co-op Member Meeting. I shared seed packets with her which provided a nice opportunity for some cross-marketing of the program. We also started brainstorming new outlets to distribute the seeds across the state and ways that we can potentially strengthen the chance that fresh produce out of Vermont gardens will make it to local food shelves this summer and fall. It was probably the most meaningful connection that I made at the conference because I feel confident that the results of that one conversation could potentially benefit many of my hungry neighbors.

This is the third time in the past four days that I've had the chance to explain how the Grow an Extra Row Campaign works and why we at City Market are supporting it. In a meeting on Monday with three women from the Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, we shared seeds, garden stories, and our joint missions of making sure that no child in Vermont goes to bed hungry. They promised their help in making sure that the service providers that they work with on a daily basis will also distribute the seeds and share with their clients the benefits of eating fresh produce.

Our Co-op Member Meeting this past Saturday was the launch of the Grow an Extra Row program. After dining on a delicious brunch, members heard a keynote address from Tom Stearns from High Mowing Organic Seeds (who donated the seeds to this campaign). Our members walked out of the meeting with seeds in hands and good will on their minds. It's folks like the Co-op members, staff of the Vermont Foodbank and the Campaign to End Childhood Hunger that will work diligently over the next few weeks to not only sow the seeds that have been given but perhaps even more meaningful, they will share with others why we should care that someone in our town, neighborhood, or even street might be hungry and that with a small effort of planting a seed, you can do something to help.

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Blog Entry #1 - April 30, 2009

Spring is in the air, and on the ground. 

I'm mentally slipping past mud season and looking at my yard and garden with a more critical and a more hopeful eye.

On a recent drizzly day the sight of earthworms coming through the dirt made me smile. It's planting time, and even though it means adding one more thing to my already hectic schedule I can't wait.

The seedlings I thought I'd start early indoors never materialized, but local nurseries have fantastic varieties of vegetables for me to choose from.

I've been secretly plotting about my plot, deciding what to include.

One choice is easy; with the season ahead stretching out before me, I imagine August and the first big Beefsteak plucked from the vine then sliced, salted, slathered with mayo and tucked between thick slices of sourdough bread.

Yes, indeed. Tomatoes are non-negotiable. 

Practicality sets in, and my fruity mirage turns back into moist, untended earth.

Last year was wet, and my tomato plants didn't fare well.

Do I need better drainage? Maybe I should amend the soil.

What about pests? Last July something ate my beans, before they were beans.

I'll want to handle the problem as naturally as possible, without harming my little woodland neighbors.

I suppose there's always the chance I could end up with too much of a good thing. Putting things by is a great way to save money. How can I do it easily and safely?

You may have similar questions. If you do, you've come to the right place. 

WCAX is happy to bring our Grow an Extra Row campaign back again this year.

Partnering with City Market, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, the Vermont Food Bank and High Mowing Organic Seeds, Grow an Extra Row encourages viewers like you  to grow an extra row of vegetables in your home garden this year, to donate to a food shelf near you.

We'll help, bringing you information and special tips on our morning news and right here in our blog, where guest bloggers and area gardening experts will give you the lowdown on the best ways to make the most of your plot, however large or small.

The idea behind the campaign is simple: 

If we all plant just a little more, it will mean a lot to someone in need.

The bonus is more delicious local foods and better gardens for all.

We hope you'll join us, and Grow an Extra Row.