As The Crow Flies
WHERE EVERYONE
IS WELCOME!
Fall 2012
Hours
Monday-Saturday: 9a.m.-7p.m.
Sunday: 10a.m.-4p.m.
Crow Wing Food Co-op • 8th & Washington, Brainerd MN • 218-828-4600
We
Accept
EBT
Our STAFF
+
Nov/Dec
Owner/member
Specials...
All of our organic extracts, our
stuffing mix, pie crusts, cranberries,
and other holiday items are on sale.
LEFT TO RIGHT:
Fallon Froemming - Falllon has an amazing talent for detail.
From beautiful produce displays to always being available to
help members and customers find what they are looking for!
Our Spirit Creek Farm, lacto-fermented raw living foods are 15%
off until Dec. 14th!
Andrew Church - ITS THE BEST DAY EVER! Andrew has such
a bright outlook on life ! He is kind, and a great listener! He
also LOVES Star Wars..!!!
We are still running our "new
Freezer Sale" With all Thousand Hill
Cattle Company Products inside it
for 10% off!!
Jessy McShane - Manager - Jessy has been with the co-op 4
years; as Manager since early spring. Jessy enjoys getting to
know the members and customers on a personal level!
When the co-op gets new products in she knows exactly
who is going to be excited about them!!
Debra Aske - Deb’s longtime experience in the health field
makes her the "GO TO" gal on staff! If you have a health related question, she is the one to GO TO for answers. She can
also tell you almost anything about our supplements and
herbals. A walking encyclopedia!!
We have a LINE DRIVE sale on our
Kate's Granola Bars at 15% off!!
Plus Bulk Items like Flax, and Dried
Mangos on Sale TOO!!
This Just in!! Raw Organic Chestnuts from Iowa, ready to be roasted
for a delicious treat! Only
$10.99/lb!
Dear Jessy,
am just starting to use agave juice as sweetener in baking cookies, scones, etc.
Q: IWhat
ratio should I use when replacing sugar in a baking recipe?
nectar may substituted for part or all of the sugars or liquid sweeteners in many recipes.
A: Agave
Drinks, salad dressings, sauces and many desserts are among the easiest substitutions. More
experimentation may be necessary when substituting for sugars in recipes containing precise
chemistry - for example, cooked candies and some baked goods.
Candy recipes like toffees and nut brittles rely on chemical reactions provided by refined sugars which may be disrupted by substitutions. It may be possible to substitute, but ratios could
take some tinkering to produce optimum results.
Similarly, recipes for baked goods containing white sugar may be too sensitive to changes in
the moisture level of ingredients. If replacing all the sugar in a recipe (while reducing liquids)
does not produce good results, try replacing only half the sugar with agave nectar.
Substituting Agave Nectar for Liquid Sweeteners
Honey - Replace each cup of honey with one cup of agave syrup.
Maple Syrup - Replace each cup of maple syrup with one cup of agave syrup.
Brown Rice Syrup - When replacing a cup of brown rice syrup, use 1/2 to 1/3 as much
agave, and increase other liquids in the recipe by up to 1/2 a cup.
Corn Syrup - When replacing a cup of light corn syrup, use 1/2 as much agave, and
increase other liquids in the recipe by up to 1/3 of a cup. Like corn syrup, agave nectar
will not crystallize.
Substituting Agave Nectar for Granulated Sugar
White Sugar - For each cup of white sugar replaced, use 2/3 of a cup of agave and
reduce other liquids by 1/4 to 1/3 cup. This substitution will also work for Demerara
Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, Evaporated Cane Juice, or Sucanat.
Brown Sugar - For each cup of white sugar replaced, use 2/3 of a cup of agave and
reduce other liquids by 1/4 cup. Because the moisture content of Brown Sugar is
higher than that of white sugar, liquids may not have to be reduced as much when
substituting agave nectar.
Other Considerations
Agave syrup may cause baked items to brown more quickly, so reduce oven temperatures by
25°F is and increase baking time slightly.
Owner/Member
ecipe Corner
Andy’s Brussels Sprouts
The key to makeing brussels sprouts taste good and avoid that unpleasant smell is to cook
them as quickly as possible. The total cooking time here is 10-11 minutes.
For two servings:
• 15- 20 sprouts, trimmed and cut in half the long way
• 1 knob butter
• 1 garlic clove pulverized with 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley- crush it with the garlic or add it at the end
• mixture of beef stock and water- just eyeball it
• 4-5 quart saucepan with tight cover.
Put sprouts, butter, garlic and pepper in the cold pan. Add stock and water just to cover.
Bring to a hard boil and cover with the lid. Set timer to 10 minutes. Do not let the pan go
dry during the next few minutes. Add liquid as needed to stop that happening. When the
10 minutes are up, remove the lid and keep your sprouts moving as the cooking liquid reduces into a sauce. Toss with parsley and serve as a side or even by itself with a heel of
bread. For an asian variation use an equivalent amount of ginger instead of garlic, and just
water with soy sauce to taste instead of water and stock. This works well with other tender
veggies like green beans.
Andy Pucko - Crow Wing Food Co-op Owner/Member
Wanted:
WE’RE LOOKING FOR NEW
CO-OP BOARD MEMBERS
Crow Wing Food Co-op encourages Owner/Members to
participate in the life of the Co- op and provide input into
its long-term direction and policy-making. Serving on the
Board of Directors is a rewarding and challenging way to
be involved.
The Board of Directors plays a critical role in ensuring the
continued success and health of this vital organization.
The Board represents the Owner/Members in determining
appropriate organizational performance. The Board provides overall direction and ensures the long-range security
and viability of the Co-op, and makes decisions in the best
interests of the Co-op and its entire membership. It does
not handle the day-to-day operations of the store.
Requirements to become a board member:
• be a current Crow Wing Food Co-op member
• willing to meet with the board for 2 hours/once a
month. Committees meet outside of the full meeting at
varying rates. Expect to commit another 5-10 hours a
month working on projects, researching issues, communicating with other board members and staff, and helping
out at events. Officers may have additional time commitments.
• an interest in helping the Crow Wing Food Co-op fulfill
its mission
For more information about how to become a board
member:
• call the co-op at 828-4600 or stop by the store at
702 Washington St, Brainerd to pick up a board information packet
• email Sarah Hayden, Crow Wing Food Co-op
Board President at [email protected]
Co-op Board Meetings are open to Owner/ Members &
held every 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:30. Call
the Co-op at 828-4600 to confirm time & location.
November Print &
Clip* Coupon
* You don’t actually have to print it- just
tell us you saw it in As the Crow Flies, but
please use only once.”
10%
Off
Produce
December Print &
Clip* Coupon
* You don’t actually have to print it- just
tell us you saw it in As the Crow Flies, but
please use only once.”
10%
Off
Produce
You are Cordially invited:
ANNuAl MEETiNg
&
POTluCk
JOiN
uS
FOR A CO-OP CELEBRATION
AT YOUR
ANNUAL MEMBER/OWNER MEETING
& POT LUCK
Nov. 18, 2012
Brainerd Public Library
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.,
Doors open at 1:00 - Let’s eat & visit
Followed by a short Annual Meeting to:
• celebrate the past year & look to the future
• elect new Board Members - the owner/members decide
who will represent them at the co-op
• vote on proposed By-Law revisions
~ Bring a dish to share
~
We’ll supply the beverages & plates/utensils
Producer Spotlight!
gET
TO
kNOW
A
CO-OP PArTNEr
Alaska Wild Fish Co., Cushing, MN
Alaska Wild Fish Co. provides our co-op
with a steady supply of amazing smoked
salmon, smoked lake trout, salmon fillets,
and pacific cod.
Roger Pietron (president/ founder) talks to
Jessy about his family run business.
J: How long has your family been fishing?
R: Our family has been fishing in Bristol
Bay, Alaska for over 30 years!
J: Does your whole family fish with you?
R: YES!! My wife and I and our 3 boys,
fish each season!
J: What has changed in the last 30 years?
R: Not a lot has changed with the overall
health of the fishery. In Bristol Bay the
salmon runs are well managed by the
Alaska Dept of Fish and Game. It was one
of the first 3 fisheries in the world to be certified sustainable. That is something we are
proud of. Our major challenge was the lack
of a local processing facility so fish could
be cleaned and frozen quickly. Two years
ago we joined with other fishing families in
the area to form Ugashik Bay Salmon LLC
(a producer owned cooperative). Our coop was able to become a part owner of the
Cape Grieg processing vessel, which has
spent the past two seasons operating in our
fishing district. This enables us to process
and label our own fish!
J: How many fisherman are owners of your
coop vessel?
R: 9 families! 15 people total!
Our MiSSiON:
“To be a community owned grocery store dedicated to providing natural
foods & products for ourselves & the larger community in a manner
consistent with cooperative principles & values that support and sustain healthy individuals, communities & the natural environment.”
The International Cooperative Principles
1. VOLUNTARY AND OPEN MEMBERSHIP.
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all
persons able to use their services and willing to accept
the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
2. DEMOCRATIC MEMBER CONTROL.
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled
by their members, who actively participate in setting
their policies and making decisions. Men and women
serving as elected representatives are accountable to
the membership. In primary cooperatives, members
have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and
cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.
3. MEMBER ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically
control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of
that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. They usually receive limited compensation,
if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the
following purposes: developing the cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would
be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to
their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting
other activities approved by the membership.
4. AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations
controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments,
or raise capital from external sources, they do so on
terms that ensure democratic control by their members
and maintain their cooperative autonomy.
5. EDUCATION, TRAINING AND INFORMATION
Cooperatives provide education and training for their
members, elected representatives, managers and employ- ees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general
public — particularly young people and opinion leaders
— about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
6. COOPERATION AMONG COOPERATIVES
Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and
strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
7. CONCERN FOR COMMUNITY
While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work
for the sustainable development of their communities
through policies accepted by their members.
Crow Wing Food Co-op...
Building Community in the Brainerd Area
Since 1979
This “As the Crow Flies” newsletter is contributed by:
R IVER P LACE
C O M M U N I C AT I O N A R T S
SPiCE uP YOur liFE
Allspice - Pimenta dioica
Bouquet: pungent and aromatic, like a combination of nutmeg, clove , ginger and cinnamon.
Flavour: warm and sweetly pungent like the combination described above with peppery overtones.
Allspice is the dried fruit of a tree that is native to Central & South America. The flowers are small
& white, and the fruits are gathered unripe & dried in the hot sun until they turn a reddish brown.
The tree can grow to over 50 ft. high. “Allspice” is the name given to this aromatic spice by John
Ray (1627-1705), an English botanist who thought it tasted like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The Aztecs used it to flavor chocolate. You can use allspice in much the same
way you would use any of the 3 spices it resembles - in hot spicy drinks & mulled wine, as a pickling spice, for puddings and custards. If you buy the whole berries you can grind your own.
Cardamom - Elettaria cardamomum
Bouquet: Pungent, warm and aromatic. Flavour: Warm and eucalyptine with camphorous and
lemony undertones. Black cardamom is blunter, the eucalyptus and camphor suggestions very
pronounced.
When cardamom, a native of India, was first introduced to Scandinavia, it had to survive a
lengthy sea voyage before reaching markets. The long exposure to sun, salt and air bleached the
pods white and slightly altered the flavor of the seeds. Traditional Scandinavian recipes will still
call for the bleached pods in pastries, breads and glögg, although you can certainly substitute
green. Cardamom, related to ginger, was used in old recipes for pickled vegetables, fruits, and
herring, custards, spices wines, liqueurs, and in saurbraten. It can be used in cakes and pastries
(use it instead of nutmeg in pumpkin pie), curries, jellies and sweet potatoes. Cardamom is available in several forms. The seed-containing capsules are sold as green or bleached pods, and the
seed is sold without the pod (decorticated) in whole or ground form.
Cinnamon - Cinnamomum burmannii
Bouquet: sweet and fragrant • Flavour: warm and aromatic
Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of an evergreen in the bay laurel family (Lauraceae). As the
bark is laid to dry in the sun, it curls into quills (cinnamon sticks). These quills are sorted for quality, and chips are produced by breaking up large quills with a machine. Most often, though, cinnamon is used in its ground form. Use ground cinnamon in baked goods, stewed fruits,
vegetables, spiced teas, and coffees.
Cassia - Cinnamomum cassia
Bouquet: The buds have a slight aroma - the bark is sweet-spicy like cinnamon, but more pungent. Flavour: The bark and the buds have similar flavours: warm, sweet and pungent.
What we typically know as cinnamon is usually Indonesian cassia (a close botanical relative of
the true cinnamon tree). Cassia and cinnamon are closely related, but their taste does differ;
cassie being less delicate. In many countries cassia and cinnamon are used interchangeably. In
the United States, cassia is used as a sweet spice for flavoring cakes and pastries, while in Asia it
is used as a flavoring for curries and savory dishes.
Cloves - Syzygium aromaticum
Bouquet: Warm, pungent and aromatic • Flavour: Sweetly pungent, astringent and strongly aromatic.
Cloves are the most prominent of the spices known as "flower spices." Intensely aromatic and richly
flavored, cloves have been a major player in the spice world since ancient times. Actually dried
flower buds, you'll often find cloves in seasoning blends alongside cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
Although cloves are now grown around the world, originally cloves were native only to a handful
of tiny islands near Indonesia. At the height of the Age of Exploration, European nations fought each
other for control of these Spice Islands, the only place in the world to get precious cloves and nutmeg. Used in baked goods, curries, baked beans, and beef stew, and as a pickling spice.
Ginger - Zingiber officinale
Bouquet: warm, sweet and pungent • Flavour: Fiery and pungent
Europe had Jamaican ginger as early at 1585. It was used to protect against plague during the
Black Death. It was already used in medieval times as an ingredient of gingerbread. In the 1880s,
a tincture of ginger (“digest an ounce of ginger in a pint of spirits in gentle heat for a week”) was
an “expellant to purgative droughts” and a cure for seasickness. Use it in pies, pickles, puddings,
cookies, cakes, cheese dishes, salad dressings, and soups. It’s also an important ingredient in Chinese, Indian, and Arab dishes.
Nutmeg - Myristica fragrans
Bouquet: sweet, aromatic and nutty • Flavour: Nutty, warm and slightly sweet
The nutmeg tree is a large evergreen native to the Moluccas (the Spice Islands) and is now cultivated in the West Indies. It produces two spices — mace and nutmeg. Nutmeg is the seed kernel inside the fruit and mace is the lacy covering (aril) on the kernel. Nutmeg has a flavor that is quite
strong. In small amounts, it blends in with great subtlety. In addition to its uses in desserts, breads,
and pound cake, nutmeg is often a good secret ingredient for stew, cream soup, sauces, preserves
and meatballs. It is also a Christmas tradition sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on your eggnog. Nutmeg has
a long history of acclaimed healing and magical powers. Most of these were for inducing romance
or enhancement of beauty or popularity. It was considered good for headaches and eyesight.
This is a great spice blend that is easy to mix up with bulk spices from the Coop and will keep up to 6 months when stored in a container with a tight-fitting
lid. Use this mix in cake batters, quick bread, whipped cream, pancakes,
muffins, squash, etc. If the recipe calls for various spices, just add up the
amounts and sub this spice blend.
Baking Spice Blend
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon dried orange zest
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients with a wire whisk until thoroughly
blended. Pour mixture into a 1/2 cup container with tight-fitting lid, label & date.
STOrAgE & ShElF liFE
OF
SPiCES
Storage & Shelf Life of Spices
It’s easy and economical to buy your herbs & spices in bulk at the co-op. If you have questions about
how to do it ask one of the co-op staff - they are happy to help in any way. Here are some suggestions
for keeping your herbs and spices fresh.
The best storage temperature for herbs and spices is one that is fairly constant and below 70° F. This
means you need to stock them away from the furnace, stove, and the heat of the sun. Temperature fluctuations can cause condensation, and eventually mold, so if you store spices in the freezer or refrigerator,
return them promptly after use.
A good storage system keeps herbs and spices dry and in the dark, too. Amber glass jars with airtight lids
are ideal. You might also keep them in a cupboard or drawer, cover the jars with large opaque labels, or
use a curtain to cover them when not in use.
So basically, store your herbs and spices in clean, airtight containers, away from heat and light.
The shelf life of each herb and spice is different, and all age, even under the best conditions. Check your
herbs and spices to see that they look fresh, not faded, and are distinctly aromatic. Replace them as soon
as you detect deterioration.
The shelf life of herbs and spices will vary according to the form and plant part, too. (Those that have
been cut or powdered have more surface area exposed to the air and so lose their flavor more rapidly
than whole herbs and spices, for example.) Here are some guidelines:
Whole Spices and Herbs:
Leaves and flowers
1 to 2 years
Seeds and barks
2 to 3 years
Roots
3 years
Ground Spices and Herbs:
Leaves
1 year
Seeds and barks
1 year
Roots
2 years