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Muhjadarrah

Muhjadarrah is an Arabic dish, made with a few, very basic ingredients: rice, lentils, onion and oil. That’s it! It’s vegetarian (vegan, even), very inexpensive, delicious and easy to make. Plus, you’ll find the green lentils featured in our weekly sale from June 22nd – 28th!

This recipe is beautifully simple as it is, but, like most classic dishes, there are dozens of different variations. You could introduce middle eastern spices such as cumin or cinnamon, roasted red peppers, cubed feta cheese, or a swirl of thick yogurt, but we recommend trying this first just as it is. It’s revolutionary to taste something so delicious and satisfying that comes from using the simplest and most humble ingredients imaginable.

A few bits of advice – be sure to caramelize the onion very deeply and to use plenty of salt and pepper. These are your only seasonings, so they’re very important. Also, be sure to use brown or green lentils, not the orange ones which will just dissolve to a mush.

Lacto-fermented Ramps

We’re celebrating gut health this week at the Co-op and our weekly sale from May 18th – 24th offers lots of gut-healthy foods to bring balance to the microbiome within! Another economical option is to try making your own probiotic veggies at home. It’s much simpler than you might think and provides a great way to preserve the harvest of seasonal veggies without the hassle of canning or blanching/freezing.  This kind of pickling is different from traditional vinegar pickling in that you’re not using vinegar or heating the mixture, thus preserving the natural cultures and rich enzymes present in the vegetables. All fruits and vegetables have beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus on the surface. In an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment, these bacteria convert sugars into lactic acid, which inhibits harmful bacteria and acts as a preservative. You’ll need one special piece of equipment called a “Perfect Pickler”. This handy little gadget turns any canning jar into a lacto-fermenting machine without the much larger investment for a ceramic fermentation crock. You can find one online at perfectpickler.com and it will pay for itself after just a few batches.  A quick google search of “canning jar fermentation lids” pulls up lots of similar options.

Lacto-fermented vegetables pack a healthy punch of probiotics (at a cost well below most supplements and ready-to-eat lacto-fermented foods on retail shelves) to heal and maintain a healthy gut. These beneficial microorganisms help our bodies perform myriad functions including digestion, detoxification, nutrient absorption, and immune system response.  Plus, they happen to taste amazing! This particular recipe is for lacto-fermented ramps, but feel free to sub in any veggies you have in abundance. Chunky veggies do best if they are chopped up or shredded into smaller bits of relatively uniform size. Get creative with the combinations! Just remember to use non-chlorinated water and non-iodized salt. Chlorine and iodine will both deter the beautiful chemistry that must take place for successful lacto-fermentation. Instead, choose distilled water or spring water.  Kosher salt makes a great option, or check out the “Real Salt” we sell in our bulk department. It’s unrefined, non-iodized, and contains over 70 minerals!

Mother’s Day Mimosas

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there! Are you planning a Mother’s Day brunch?  We’ve got you covered! Our weekly sale from May 11th – 17th features everything you’ll need to whip up a fresh, healthy, delicious menu to honor the fabulous mothers in your life! This mimosa recipe is super simple and utilizes both the sparkling wine and the strawberries featured in the sale, so raise a glass to toast all the hard-working moms who make the world go ’round!

Best of Breed Dog Biscuits

We’re celebrating Pet Week at the Co-op and wanted to share this fun recipe for DIY doggie treats. Making healthy treats for your favorite four-legged friends is easy and economical. Plus, when you make your own treats at home, you can add a little love into every batch! We dig this recipe from the folks at King Arthur Flour, and we think your pup will, too!

Ramp Pesto

Happy ramp season! Ramps, allium tricoccum, are wild leeks that can be found in wet, densely wooded areas through central and eastern US and Canada.  They grow in dense clusters in marshy areas and around rivers, streams, and brooks.  They thrive in early spring when the leaves of the forest canopy are thin, allowing light to pass through to the forest floor.  They can be identified by their broad, smooth, green leaves and their garlic-like aroma.  Their taste can be described as a pungent mix between a green onion and garlic.  Ramps are extremely sensitive to over-harvesting and habitat disturbance so, when harvesting ramps in the wild, please do so responsibly:  tread lightly; move often, never harvesting more than a few ramps from each cluster; and harvest from the center of each cluster rather than from the outskirts.  The ramps can repopulate an area in the center of a cluster more easily than they can from the outer edges. Of course, if you’d prefer to purchase your ramps, you can find them in our produce department during their brief & fleeting season!

Wondering what to do with them? Check out this fresh, simple ramp pesto recipe. It makes a delicious spread on crusty bread, a perfect add-in to your favorite hot or cold pasta dish, a flavorful pizza topping, or a tasty chicken marinade.

Refried Black Bean Burrito

Our weekly sale from April 27th – May 3rd offers everything you need for a budget-friendly fiesta! This recipe is versatile, so feel free to make modifications based on your preferences. Want a meatier burrito? Add some of the Black River Meats ground beef that is featured in this week’s sale. Like a lot more spice? Add a dash of cayenne and a generous splash of your favorite hot sauce!

Beet Treat Smoothie

It’s smoothie week at the Co-op! Smoothies provide a great vehicle for sneaking a lot of healthy raw veggies into your diet and they also provide a great way to use ‘inglorious’ fruits and veggies from your fridge that might be a little past their prime. It’s fun to be creative and experimental with your smoothies and our weekly sale from April 20th – 26th offers up a handful of items to inspire your creative smoothie endeavors. This particular recipe is a favorite for its gorgeous color and nutrient-dense punch. It’s so delicious and refreshing that you’ll forget that it also happens to be super healthy.

Asparagus with Lemon & Garlic

There are a handful of glorious green veggies whose presence on our produce shelves seem to announce the arrival of spring, and our weekly sale from April 13th – 19th highlights one of these — asparagus! This recipe is unbelievably quick & easy to prepare and it makes a perfect side dish for any spring feast.

Gluten-Free Apple Almond Pie

Thankfully, going gluten-free doesn’t have to mean giving up your favorite baked goods. This Gluten Free Apple Almond Tart is proof positive that you can still have your pie and eat it, too! Many of the ingredients are featured in this week’s gluten-free baking-themed sale (March 2nd – 9th), so it’s a great time to give it a try.

 

Black Bean Chili

Planning a Superbowl party? This spin on classic chili is sure to score with your party guests. You’ll find many of the ingredients featured in the weekly sale, so it’s a score for the food budget, too! Even if you’re not entertaining guests this weekend, you’ll love this one-pot meal for its simplicity. It might be even better leftover, as the flavors really have a chance to marinate, and the leftovers freeze beautifully for a quick, easy meal on a busier night.