Hello dear citizens of summer~

It’s time for some recipes!  My fellow co-op worker-owner and food lover Kathy Whipple recently shared with me these two recipes for delectable sauces to use on zucchini noodles– you heard that right!  Sounds tasty, huh?  Read on for more!  These lovely recipes and more good food ideas can be found here on Kathy’s food blog.

SATURDAY

To follow with previous posts I would like to just remind everyone that there is the Spring Festival at Swallowtail Farm in Alachua from 12 noon until midnight on Saturday, enjoy some talented local music artists, farm tours, a slip-n-slide for the kids (or even some of the braver adults too, I’m sure), local brews, and buy a ticket for the 4 Chefs 4 Courses Farm-to-Table dinner, served from the fields and in the fields!  We’ll be there slinging refreshing beverages and spreading the word about our food co-op.

There is the Spring Farm Festival & Field Day at Frog Song Organic Farm in Hawthorne… 2 pm to 8 pm, music, farm tour, great eats locally grown and prepared

Also, Environmental Horticulture Graduate Student Association will have their annual plant sale from 9 am to 5 pm. http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/academics/graduate/EHGSA/plant-sale.shtml

If you can’t make it out to any of these events but still want to celebrate, some great ideas include:

1. Finally start that compost pile you’ve been meaning to get around to. Here’s a helpful site with some great advice.  http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/composting/by_compost.htm
2. Cleaning out your closet and donate some of those clothes that have been collecting dust so that they may be given new life.
3. Planting a small tree or some flowers in your yard.
4. Give the car a break and take a walk or bike ride instead.
5. For the kids, show them how to make their own green house/terrarium. http://www.stormthecastle.com/terrarium/soda-bottle-terrarium.htm

Swallowtail Farm CSA share

Happy April to you all!  This month’s abundant events schedule got off to a great start last Friday when we joined some of our local growers and producers in tabling at the UF Campus Earth Day Celebration.

We got to chat with UF community members about the co-op, and we shared the fine company of some of the local producers who supply their goods to the co-op, including Frog Song Organics (vegetables), High Springs Orchard & Bakery (baked goods and fruits), and Cognito Farm (pastured eggs).

Looking ahead, we have some other great events coming up that celebrate our wonderful community of local farms and food producers!

Saturday, April 21st- Spring Festival at Swallowtail Farm in Alachua… 12 noon til midnight, enjoy music by local artists, farm tours, slip-n-slide, local brews, and buy a ticket for the 4 Chefs 4 Courses Farm-to-Table dinner, served from the fields and in the fields!  Citizens Co-op will be in attendance, vending cold drinks and spreading the word about our food co-op.

Sunday, April 22nd- Spring Farm Festival & Field Day at Frog Song Organic Farm in Hawthorne… 2 pm to 8 pm, music, farm tour, great eats locally grown and prepared!

Sunday, April 29th- Eat Local Challenge Kick-off Party at Citizens Co-op! We’re hosting this lovely event from 2 to 5 pm in our very own courtyard… come on down for cooking demos, music, and goods and info from local vendors and organizations!

Plus:

Not just one but TWO Beer + Cheese Tastings this month!  Next Friday April 13th, and Friday April 27th for ArtWalk!

Enjoy a selection of locally- and regionally- produced beers and cheeses in our courtyard, $5 donation.

And don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook for up-to-the-minute announcements about our events and new products!  And share with your friends

Spring is officially here! Not only does it bring wildflowers, hot weather, and plenty of sunshine to brighten your weary-eyed days… but an abundance of LOCAL PRODUCE is flooding the shelves at the Co-op. Check out the latest Fresh & Local Produce Report , emailed to all newsletter subscribers, to find out what’s in stock these days.

Oh the joyful tastes of Spring Onion, Green Garlic, Crisp Carrots, & Golden Beets! Butterhead Lettuce, Bright Rainbow Chard, & Other Fresh Greens… Oh My! The promise of summer squash, tomatoes, blueberries, and cucumbers just weeks away.

It’s an exciting time to shop at your local Co-op. Not only will you find the freshest foods available in the local and regional areas, but we’ve got some wonderful new specials this month. Fresh Local Eggs from Cognito Farm for $5.69/dozen and Organic Apple Juice at just $7.99/gallon! Stop in to try one of Armadillo Chocolate‘s latest creations, snack on High Springs Orchard & Bakery’s famous cookies, or pick up some local grass fed beef or chicken from Tracy Lee Farms if you are so inclined.

Using some of the great tastes of the season, here is a recipe that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser for any taste bud in town:

Tempeh Beet Lettuce Wraps with Mango Ginger Sauce

1/2 lb of Jose’s Tempeh Thins
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tsp local honey
2 tbs water
1/2 cup chopped florida mango
1 tbs peeled, minced ginger
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
soy sauce or local honey to taste
1 large local golden beet
1-2 local spring carrots
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
6-8 large buttercrunch lettuce leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together the soy sauce, oil, honey, & water in a small casserole dish. Add the tempeh and coat well. Bake for 15 minutes.

2. Blend together mango, ginger, red pepper, and lime juice with about 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Season to taste with honey or soy sauce. Set aside.

3. Shred the Beet and Carrots into a bowl. Sprinkle vinegar, salt, & pepper over them and mix well.

4. Arrange the tempeh, beets, carrots, and mango sauce on top of a lettuce leaf. Roll it up and Enjoy!

makes 6-8 wraps

This event will take place from 11 am to 3 pm on the Reitz Union North Lawn.  Stop by our table and say hello!  And tell us what you love about the co-op!

In other events news, this past Friday we hosted another stellar Beer & Cheese tasting in honor of  the monthly downtown Art Walk.  We were in good company with a book-signing at the Sequential Artists Workshop (SAW) and an art show at Display gallery.  A good time was had by all in our neighborly little courtyard!

A very special treat at this event (in addition to the fantastic brews from Swamphead and Cigar City paired with some of our favorite local & regional cheeses) was the traveling poster exhibit that we hosted, entitled “The Lexicon of Sustainability.”

This wonderful poster series was created by a couple of film and photography artists in California– they developed the posters in order to explicate some often-heard concepts within the sustainable food movement, as well as tell the stories of folks around the country engaging in this work.  With themes ranging from “Biodiversity” and “The Edible Schoolyard” to “Food Security” and “Urban Farmer,” the images are beautiful and deeply informative– we encourage you to check out the images and stories on the project’s website here.

Thanks as always for supporting your local food cooperative, and stay tuned here for news & events updates, producer profiles, seasonal recipes, and more!

Winter Survival Fest music schedule:

12:00-12:30 Mike Dorsey

12:45-1:15 The Shambles

1:30-2:00 Coffee Project

2:15-2:45 Little High Little Low

3:00-3:30 Lindsey Mills

3:45-4:15 Company Man

4:30-5:00 Cassette

5:15-5:45 The Rochevanies

6:00-6:30 Dirty Fist!

6:45-7:15 Greenland is Melting

7:45-8:30 Scuttered the Bruce

8:45-9:15 Nomore

9:30-11:00 Heavy Petty

Expires 12/20/11

Pederson’s Natural Hams
humane certified & minimally processed in Texas
HONEY CURED, BONELESS, UNSLICED, 4 to 6.5 LBS, $7.99/lb – $25 Deposit
UNCURED, BONE-IN, SPIRAL SLICED, 4 to 7.5 LBS, $6.99/lb – $25 Deposit

Mary’s Turkeys
FREE RANGE ORGANIC, 12 to 16 LBS, $4.59/lb – $30 Deposit
FREE RANGE HERITAGE, 12 to 14 LBS, $2.79/lb – $30 Deposit

High Springs Orchard and Bakery
Fresh Baked Pies
4″ Apple Pie, $5.50
9″ Apple Pie, $11.45

4″ Blueberry-Pear Pie, $5.50
9″ Blueberry-Pear Pie, $11.45

4″ Peach Pie, $5.50
9″ Peach Pie, $11.45

4″ Sweet Potato Pie, $5.50
9″ Sweet Potato Pie, $11.45

4″ Pumpkin Pie, $5.50
9″ Pumpkin Pie, $11.45

4″ Pecan Pie, $5.50
9″ Pecan Pie, $12.85

Holiday Logs (Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting):
Small Log (7″) – $20
Large Log (15″) – $40

Holiday Novelties (6 Macaroons, 6 Rum balls) – $8

Holiday Basket A – $25:
Local Wildflower Honey
6 Holiday Rum balls
6 Macaroons
2 Snowflake Molasses Cookies
2 Vegan Pineapple Coconut Cookies
2 Vegan Cranberry Walnut Cookies

Holday Basket B – $18
6 Holiday Rum balls
6 Macaroons
1 Snowflake Molasses Cookie
1 Vegan Pineapple Coconut Cookie
1 Vegan Cranberry Walnut Cookie
1 bag of Gourmet Caramel Candies (Assorted flavors – Gville Sweets)

I AM REMINDED EVERY DAY why we are coming together to shape a new kind of food store – One that meets our needs without treading so heavily on the earth beneath us. I was fortunate to be in the Co-op when a pair of wonderful citizens came through on their cross-country bike trip to gather knowledge, learn, document, and share about sustainable communities along the way. Wes and I were so inspired by their journey, we invited them to dinner, played music together, and connected face to face with fellow human beings for a few precious hours.

I realize that the pressures of our current society do not necessarily promote this type of interaction. Inviting strangers into the home, speaking to the person next to you at the grocery store, or taking time out of a busy schedule to slow down and get to know someone new.

I have come to appreciate that these things are more possible for me now thanks to the Co-op becoming an actual physical place in our community. The store serves as a connecting hub for people of all walks of life and zip codes to meet one another, to share together, to inspire one another, to support those in need, and to feel more whole and complete by being a part of this. For this singular effect of the Co-op, I am grateful.

But our work is not over. In fact, the Co-op continues to need your support with every shopping trip you make. The Co-op Staff, Managers, and Board are doing everything they can to improve the store every day.

ALL THE CO-OP NEEDS FROM YOU ARE THREE SIMPLE STEPS:

1) SHOP HERE. Spend at least $100/month. That’s $25/week. We’re not asking for charity – You will receive some amazing food items in exchange for your dollars.

2) PURCHASE A $10 GIFT CARD for a friend, fireman, postman, or co-worker this holiday season. Give the gift of supporting local independent merchants and send new people to the Co-op while you’re at it.

3) HELP OUT IN THE STORE. This one is easy, fun, and doesn’t cost a dime! In fact, you’ll earn store coupons for hours worked. Simply fill out this online form to Volunteer and schedule even just 30 minutes to help rotate produce in the evening. Or, organize a dinner party with fellow members to discuss what else you can create with the Co-op.

It is in all of our hands, as the co-owners of this business, to turn this place into the store that we want to shop at. HELP US. PARTICIPATE. For it is only together that we can create the reality, the future, that we’d all like to be a part of.

With blessings and gratitude,

Gretchen McIntyre
And the Citizens Co-op Board of Directors

From High Springs Orchard and Bakery:
FRESH BAKED PIES: 4″ / 9″

• apple $5.50 / $11.45
• blueberry-pear $5.50 / $11.45
• peach $5.50 / $11.45
• pecan $5.50 / $12.85
• pumpkin $5.50 / $11.45
• sweet potato $5.50 / $11.45

CHESTNUT STUFFING $7.25

FRESH BAKED BREAD

• Sourdough Rolls, 8 PCS $8.59
• Rosemary Corn Muffins, 8 PCS $10.00

TURKEYS

• Mary’s Organic $4.60/lb.
• Mary’s Free Range $2.79/lb.
• Local $8.50/lb.

LOCAL FREE RANGE CHICKENS $5.50/lb.

VEGETARIAN

• QUORN ROAST $6.99 (serves 4-5)
• TOFURKEY ROAST $9.99 (serves 4-5)
• TOFURKEY FEAST $22.35 (serves6-8 & includes extras)
• FIELD ROAST $7.49 (serves 4-5)
• GARDEN ROAST $7.99 (serves 2)