Eat like a king or queen tonight!  We have a new, fresh way to combine healthy greens, wild salmon and forbidden rice! The salmon is cooked in coconut milk and flavored with traditional Thai spices, Kaffir lime leaves and ginger. Your choice of greens, such as kale, collards, mustard, dandelion or swiss chard are in in our simple Garlicky Braised Greens recipe, a recipe suitable to make even for the inexperienced cook. If you are not familiar with greens, start with kale, as it has a milder taste. Serve the salmon and greens alongside black forbidden rice, which was once truly "forbidden" as it was considered the Emperor’s rice and no one else was permitted to eat it. 

Thai Salmon and Garlicky Braised Greens
Serves 2 (large portions) or 4 (small portions)

For the fish:
2 small shallots, chopped
1 large lime, halved
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. slivered ginger root
13.5 oz coconut milk
1/2 C. vegetable or chicken stock
2 Tbsp. soy sauce or fish sauce
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 lbs salmon filet, skinned and cubed
1/2 C. fresh basil (Thai, if possible), coarsely chopped

For the rice:
1 C. black forbidden rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. onion, minced
1 3/4 C. boiling water
1/4 tsp. salt

To cook rice: In a 1 quart sauce pan heat the oil over medium flame, add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes, making sure not to color. Stir in rice and coat with oil until rice is hot. Stir in salted boiling water. Simmer, covered with a lid, over low heat for 30 minutes, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a 4-quart pot, combine the shallots, lime halves, lime leaves, garlic and ginger, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce or soy sauce, and jalapeno and bell peppers. Heat to a simmer. Cut the salmon in 1-inch pieces, and when the peppers are tender, add the salmon cubes. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes, cut a piece of salmon in half to test for doneness. Check to see if the broth needs more fish/soy sauce. Just before you take the pot off the heat, add the basil leaves. Scoop some forbidden rice in each serving bowl, and ladle stew over the top.

Garlicky Braised Greens with Balsamic Vinegar and Capers
Serves 2

4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. capers, drained
1 lb greens (kale, collards, mustard, dandelion or swiss chard)stemmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Use a heavy knife turned on its side to first crush each garlic clove, then slice each clove in half. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes, stirring until it begins to brown. Add capers, and continue stirring for another minute. Add greens, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of water. Keep the greens moving as they wilt, then turn the heat down and cover the pot. Let the greens cook for a few minutes. Just before serving, remove the cover and turn up the heat to cook off any remaining liquid. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, and serve hot.

If you’re someone who shops our bulk spice area, you may have noticed some pleasant changes! The shelves have been refitted in order to accommodate our new glass containers which now hold our spices. Visually, it’s much easier to see the spices, helping you find what you need more efficiently. And the wider mouths make it easier to scoop out your selections.

Most of these flavorful, all-natural spices come from Frontier Natural Products Co-op and we are now in the process of switching many of our non-organic spices over to organic from the same company.

You can enjoy great savings when you purchase your spices in bulk because you buy just what you need rather than an entire (and sometimes expensive) jar. You can be assured that you are getting the freshest product–we restock our spices often due to the high volume of sales resulting in quick turn-around.

If you’re ever wondering what you should do with old cell phones you’re not using anymore, why not donate them for a good cause!

River Valley Girl Scout Troop # 21481, out of New Market, MN is proud to announce their support in the Cell Phones for Soldiers campaign as a community project for bridging from Brownies to Juniors. Valley Natural Foods is one of the official drop sites for the troop. Look for the official Cell Phones for Soldiers collection box located in the exit area of the store (near the shopping carts.)

To learn more about this program, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com

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We’re hosting a screening of Food, Inc on April 8. A panel of local food leaders will be present to discuss their work and will be available for a question/answer period. Here is a glimpse of three of the six panelists. Check back next week for Pat Schoenecker, John Peterson and Larry Schultz. Read more about the event.

Atina Diffley (Gardens of Eagan)

Eagan, MN www.gardensofeagan.com

Atina Diffley is an experienced organic vegetable farmer, educating consumers, farmers and policy makers about organic farming and related issues. She provides consulting services to organic vegetable farmers through her business, Organic Farming Works LLC. She presently serves on the board of Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture, as Secretary of the Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Services Board, and as Board President for the Organic Field School at Gardens of Eagan.

Jeff Jirik (Faribault Dairy Company, Inc.)

Faribault, MN www.faribaultdairy.com

Jeff grew up on a third generation dairy farm near Lonsdale, MN. He began working at the plant that is now Faribault Dairy on December 26, 1979 as a “Cheese Scraper.” He moved up in the cheese business holding multiple positions, and then in 1996 he accepted a position as VP National Operations for a transportation specialist.

In 2001, Jeff purchased the cheese caves with wife Brenda and then began Faribault Dairy Company, Inc. with two other friends who were former employees as well.  Today Faribault Dairy employs 26 full-time and several part-time employees. Their hand-made artisan cheeses have won national and international awards. Jeff is also a Certified Organic Farmer, producing corn, milling oats and food grade soybeans on the family farm. He is a member of the Sustainable Farming Association of MN and Slow Foods. He is active in the American Cheese Society and a Director of the North Central Cheese Industry Association. Still a licensed Wisconsin cheesemaker, he also belongs to the WI Specialty Cheesemakers Association and the WI Cheesemakers Association.

Byron Korus (Chef / Owner of Special Events Catering and ChuckWagon Catering)

Plymouth, MN www.mncatering.com

Byron is an entrepreneur and owner of Special Events Catering Company and Chuck Wagon Catering. A Certified Executive Chef, Certified Culinary Educator and Certified Sommelier, Byron is a member of the American Academy of Chefs. Byron shares his professional culinary credentials and real-world experience as a chef and educator in The Culinary Education Center’s Certification Program to be based in Burnsville.

Prior to joining The Culinary Education Center, Chef Korus was an instructor at the Art Institutes International School of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis for the past 20 years. Byron is active in teaching students about aspects of sustainability and the green movement.

Gardening Matters Presents:

 

6th Annual Community Garden Spring Resource Fair

Saturday March 27th 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Sabathani Commmunity Center 310 E 38th Street, Minneapolis
 
$5 suggested donation

A day filled with workshops and information about great local resources with a focus on community gardening, local food and community building. Valley Natural Foods is proud to be a sponsor of this fantastic event. Read the PDF flyer for more information or visit www.gardeningmatters.org

For more information, contact Gardening Matters at 612-492-8964
www.gardeningmatters.org
 

Colcannon, traditional fare in Ireland is a delicious dish; the cabbage, kale, leeks and potatoes provide a wallop of nutrients: Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, minerals, protein and fiber. An old Irish Halloween tradition was to conceal charms in the colcannon that would reveal someone’s future, such as remain a bachelor or a spinster or become rich. Serve colcannon paired with a corned beef brisket (this week’s Fresh Meal Solutions) and you have the perfect celebratory meal for St. Patrick’s Day, for the Irish in all of us, at least for a day!

Colcannon

1/2 head of green cabbage, shredded
1 bunch dino kale, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 lb. baby potatoes
1 C. cream
1/2 C. salted butter
2 medium leeks, most green trimmed off
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt

Wash potatoes well. Fill a large pot half full of water, add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until very tender. Take out potatoes with a slotted spoon reserving the water. Drain potatoes in a colander until dry, then mash in a large bowl. Add the kale and cabbage to the water and boil for 5 minutes (or until tender). Empty out pot into colander and let drain for a few minutes.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Thoroughly wash leeks, chop them and add them to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the cream. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and stir occasionally. Add kale and cabbage to the potatoes and mash. Stir in cream and leek mixture and mash.

Serve by making a small mound with an indent in the center and top with a small hunk of butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

It won’t be long before we’re back in our gardens again. If you are the kind of gardener who likes to grow fruits, herbs and veggies from seed, come check out the great selection of High Mowing Organic Seeds now available in the Valley Natural Foods produce department.

According to their Web site, High Mowing Organic Seeds is an independantly-owned, farm-based seed company dedicated to supporting sustainable agriculture and providing farmers and gardeners with the highest quality certified organic seed. To learn more, visit highmowingseeds.com.

At this time of year, you can find many seasonal products stocked on our shelves for your convenience. Though many Kosher items are available year round here at Valley Natural Foods, look for a dedicated shelf of Kosher products this month including a variety of matzo items, cake meal and macaroons, among other good items suitable for dietary and cultural needs.

Other seasonal items for the month include:

Fresh seafood - take a look in our fresh seafood case to find a wide variety of fish items available.

Nitrate-free, all-natural hams fresh from Hidden Stream Farm are available in the meat department.

As you approach our store registers, you can find a nice selection of Bissinger’s natural candies including chocolate Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies and natural jelly beans among other tasty candies sure to delight everyone.

Valley Natural Foods will host a free screening of Food, Inc. at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley on Thursday evening, April 8.

This documentary film uncovers surprising, and often unsettling, truths about what we eat, how it’s produced, and the long-lasting impact on the health of each one of us, our children, our local economy and our community.

The screening will be followed by a panel of local fair-trade farmers, food producers and a community gard ening advocate who will share their perspectives, offer sustainable healthy alternatives, and respond to audience questions.

“In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

“We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. Featuring interviews with experts and forward thinking farmers and social entrepreneurs, Food, Inc. reveals who we have become as a nation and where we can go from here.” Read More

Tuesday April 6, 2010
7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Cost: Introductory Class on April 6 is FREE
Full course: $300 per person/$400 for team of two

New Directions is a course to health. Come in for a free introductory class. Are you ready to begin making some changes to achieve a healthier lifestyle?

This is not a step by step answer to your health questions, but an all-inclusive look at your total health such as diet, exercise and stress relief. You’ll receive three personalized private consultations with the course instructor (scheduled outside of class time).

Eileen Johnson, RN, leads the course through a close look at food options, stress relief techniques and exercise habits. In a group setting you’ll have an opportunity to learn healthy lifestyle techniques through demonstrations and discussions.

Come in for a free sneak peak at this 12-week course on April 6. See what it’s like and decide if you’re up for it. (Ask about how partners can save $200.)

New Directions Class Schedule*:
Tuesday April 6 | 7-8:30 p.m. – Free introductory Class
Tuesdays April 20-May 18 | 6-7:30 p.m. – First Semester
Tuesdays June 1-June 22 | 6-7:30 p.m. – Second Semester
*Three private wellness consultations are included in this course. Consultations are scheduled in between semesters.