Recently some alert members spotted an article on this very topic and were concerned by what they read.

Eggs need to be porous, allowing air to pass through to the inside of the egg so that it can breathe, yet at the same time the egg is protected from bacterial invasion by a natural waxy coating called the bloom.

Commercial industry practice is to wash eggs thoroughly. On the surface this appears to be a positive thing, but as they say, the devil is in the details. Unfortunately, this washing removes the bloom, opening the egg to infection. To compensate for this, commercial industry practice is to replace the bloom with a mineral oil coating. More unfortunately, mineral oil is a petroleum-based product that can penetrate the porous egg shell. The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) states, “exposure to mineral oils should be kept to a minimum.”

Valley Natural Foods offers organic eggs from two providers: Organic Valley and Schultz Organic. According to Organic Valley, their “shell eggs are never washed or sanitized with chlorine, and they are never oiled.” Instead, the eggs are “washed with a soap approved for organic use. The eggs spend less than one minute in the wash process. After being washed, the eggs travel through a rinse section, and into an air dry section.”

If you’d like to go one step further, consider this from Larry Schultz: “Our eggs typically reach the store before they are over a week old. We do not use any oils, chlorines, lye, peracetic acids, or sodium carbonates. Our eggs come to the store as clean and natural as we can with nothing applied.”

So if you like healthy fresh petrochemical-free organic eggs, stop by our dairy department for the best eggs nature can provide!

Our annual Cinco de Mayo Staff Salsa Contest was once again, a big hit! Several shoppers got to sample and vote for their favorite salsa on May 5th. Each recipe was prepared by staff from our various store departments.

And the winning recipe……..Kathleen’s Salsa! The recipe, submitted by our IMS department, received the most votes for two consecutive years. IMS shares Kathleen’s tasty recipe below:

KATHLEEN’S SALSA

2 – 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 – 17oz package frozen whole corn, thawed

2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 large avocado, peeled and diced

1 small onion, diced

1/4 C. chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp. of lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped jalapeno with seeds

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill. Serve with favorite tortilla chips.

For more department staff recipes, click on the link below:

Staff Salsa Contest Recipes

Micro Greens are a delicious and nutritious mix of very young sprouts including:

Chinese Cabbage, Red Russian Kale, Vates, Dwarf Blue Curled Kale, Early Purple Vienna, Kohlrabi, Early White Vienna Kohlrabi, Red Giant Mustard and Green Wave Mustard.

And they are local, organic and delicious! Here’s a great recipe to try:

Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Onions with Herbs

2 lbs. parsnips                                       

2 bunches of green top carrots

1 lb. red onions

⅓ C. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (can substitute dried if needed)

2 tsp. chopped fresh sage (can substitute dried if needed)

¼ C. water

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cut the ends off the parsnips and the carrots. Cut the parsnips in half lengthwise, then cut them diagonally into ½” thick slices. Cut the carrots diagonally in ½” slices as well. Cut the tops and bottoms off the onions, then peel them and cut them in half. From there cut them into ½” slices. Toss the cut parsnips, carrots, and onions with the oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and sage in a large bowl. Spread in a large shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and pour in water. Roast vegetables in lower third of oven until tender, 50-55 minutes.

Prep: 15 minutes          

Time: 1 ¼ hrs  

Yield: 8 servings

Yes! Local,  hydroponic-grown tomatoes are available April thru December from Living Waters Gardens  (Wells, MN). These delicious vine-on tomatoes are grown in unique greenhouses, using a special drip irrigation system.

If you would like to know the whole story about these delicious tomatoes, please visit

http://www.valleynaturalfoods.com/newsletters/1213133420.pdf 

to see the June/July 2008 issue of This is Living Naturally, which features a local profile on Living Waters Gardens.

Eggplant has a very long history of consumption that dates back possibly to early man, with Chinese agricultural records describing it from the 5^th century CE. It made the European scene during the 8^th century and the Italians picked it up while trading with the Arabs during the 13^th century. Thomas Jefferson was known to grow it in his garden and it was a favorite delicacy of President Andrew Johnson.

There are many varieties, including the Japanese version that is long and slender, but the Western, or globe eggplant, is the variety we are most familiar with. This variety is easy to stuff, sauté, grill or bake.

Cooked very differently in each country it touches it is interesting to explore each method of preparation:

• Baingan Bharta is an Indian curry prepared by roasting the flesh of the vegetable and cooking it with tomatoes and spices
• Europeans will scoop out the flesh, then mash with butter and salt
• In Turkey, cubes of eggplant are placed on skewers of shish kebab
• Italians make it into a parmigiano
• France creates ratatouille
• Chinese prepare it Szechuan style
• Middle Eastern countries make a fabulous sauce called Baba Ghanoush
• The Greeks place it in Moussaka, a tasty dish with eggplant and lamb
• Americans like to dip chunks into a batter and deep fry as a Tempura

Medicinally, eggplant has most often been used to treat uterine tumors, and some forms of bleeding and diarrhea. Low in cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium, it is also a great source of manganese, Vitamins B6 and C, Thiamine, Vitamin K and fiber. Because eggplant is part of the nightshade family, some people, especially those with arthritic conditions or migraines, avoid its consumption.

Here are some cooking tips and ideas:

• Most people peel eggplant before cooking as it may make it less bitter tasting, although leaving the peel on increases it fiber content a great deal.
• Handle eggplant carefully as it bruises easily
• Eggplant tends to absorb a lot of cooking oil, so you may want to use some water to pre-cook.
• Salting may help decrease its bitterness but be moderate.
• Oven roast thick slices on lightly oiled cookie sheet at 450 degrees
• Bake easily by pricking the skin and placing it in a 350 degree oven
• Sauté cubes of peeled eggplant in olive oil after blanching quickly in water
• Broil or grill after brushing thick slices with olive oil. 5 minutes per side is usually enough
• Dip in a breading mixture and sauté in olive oil

ENJOY!

Preparation, uses, and tips

Wash peppers just before using; remove the stem, seeds, and interior membranes, and add to salads, soups, or stir-frys. Peppers can be sautéed, steamed, or baked. Roast peppers by holding them over an open flame, or broiling them about 1/2-inch from the broiler flame and rotating every minute or so until they blacken evenly. Put charred peppers in a plastic bag for about 10 minutes, then pull off the blackened peels and rinse the peppers under cold water. Pat dry, remove seeds and stems, and slice peppers. Use roasted pepper slices in salads, or purée in soups.

Buying and storing tips

Peppers can be found in the produce section of health food stores and supermarkets. Choose firm, heavy peppers with deeply colored, shiny skin, and avoid any that are shriveled, soft, or limp. Store peppers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Varieties

Sweet peppers range in color from green to yellow, orange, red, purple, and black. Red bell peppers are fully ripened green bell peppers, with a milder, sweeter flavor. Other peppers include the red, heart-shaped pimiento; the pale green, slender and curved bull’s horn; the long, tapered Cubanelle, which ranges in color from yellow to red; and the sweet banana pepper, which is yellow and banana-shaped.

Nutrition Highlights

Peppers (sweet, green, raw), 1 cup (chopped) (149g)
Calories: 30
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 7g
Total Fat: 0g
Fiber: 3g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (119.80mg)
*Good source of: Vitamin A (551.30IU), and Vitamin B6 (0.33mg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.

Copyright © 2009 Aisle7 All rights reserved. www.Aisle7.net

The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires February 2010.

Nutrition Highlights

Garlic (raw), 3 cloves
Calories: 13
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 3g
Total Fat: 0g
Fiber: 0g

Copyright © 2009 Aisle7 All rights reserved. www.Aisle7.net

The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires February 2010.

Preparation, uses, and tips

Raspberries are very versatile. They are delicious eaten out of hand, combine well with other fruits, and can be enjoyed in baked goods, salads, or as an elegant garnish.

For a special salad dressing, raspberries can be blended with oil and vinegar to make a pleasing vinaigrette.

Raspberries are very popular in jams; seedless raspberry jam is available, too.

Raspberries of any color can be used interchangeably in recipes. Raspberries are a good substitute for strawberries in most cases, too. When freezing raspberries, select fully ripe, firm, well-colored berries. To freeze, place berries in a single layer on a cookie tray; once they’re frozen, store them in a sealable plastic bag in the freezer. Frozen raspberries can be used as “ice cubes” to chill lemonade or iced tea on a hot summer day.

In general, raspberries do not dry well because of their high seed content and slow drying rate.

Varieties

The three main types of raspberries are red, black, and yellow. Other varieties may be colored apricot, amber, and purple.

Red raspberries are the most widely available. They are moderately tart and well suited for exquisite desserts, as well as for jams and jellies, and they keep well when frozen.

Black raspberries are sometimes known as “black caps,” and they are especially popular in jams and ice cream. The fruit is blue-black, round, and small, with a faint whitish bloom on the exterior of the berry. Their flavor is moderately tart. Like red raspberries, these have drupelets arranged around a hollow core; however, the black ones are seedier.

Yellow varieties, considered a variant of red raspberries, are called “white raspberries.” This variety is rarely available commercially because it is very soft.

Purple raspberries are considered a hybrid between the red and black varieties, and are a little more tart than the other colors.