Get those cameras rolling, because My Co-op Rocks is BACK and better than ever! This year, they have added a new component to the contest—photos! Starting September 1, you can submit your original online videos AND photos showing all the ways your co-op rocks. What’s in it for you? How does an iPad 2, a $500 co-op gift card, or a Bloggie HD camcorder sound? Three winners in each category will get these super sweet prizes.

Now’s your chance to get shooting and be one of the first people to tell the world why your co-op rocks! Need inspiration? Visit www.myCoopRocks.coop to learn more and see how last year’s entrants showed their love.

Three People’s Choice Winners in Both Video and Photo Categories!

• iPad 2, with WIFI (64 GB)
• $500 Co-op Gift Card, good at any NCGA food Co-op
• Bloggie Duo HD Camera (mini digital camcorder)

COUPONS! Visit our online coupon page and save on products produced by cooperative companies: Equal Exchange, Frontier Naturals, Ivy Farms, Rochdale and Alaffia!

Grapes are refreshing, sweet, and low in calories. What more could you ask for in a snack? They provide fiber, vitamins, and those highly-touted antioxidants. No preparation (beyond a good rinsing) is required, and they’re already perfectly bite-sized!

As ideal as they are as snack food, grapes also enliven many other dishes. Try them in a chicken curry or a rice salad, for example. A range of colors — red, purple, and frosty green — makes a pretty plate for easy entertaining or an after-school treat.

What to Make: Waldorf Salad

You can find this recipe located in our produce department, in the August 31  Co+op Deals flyer and Stronger Together website.

by Loris Sofia Gregory, Healthy Kitchen Coach

August brings some of the healthiest peak pleasures of the summer.  This month gives us a dazzling abundant palette to tantalize our taste buds: the crisp greens of broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, kale and zucchini; the succulent oranges and reds of beets, carrots, peppers, radishes, melons and tomatoes; the sunny yellows of sweet corn and summer squash, not to mention a fragrant riot of flavorful herbs.

Satisfying meals and optimum health are not the only benefits of eating a rainbow of our FRESH & LOCAL produce. You are also supporting 25 Amish families who comprise the Wisconsin Grower’s Cooperative. These farmers of rural Black River Falls and Mondovi use horse-drawn plows and hand tools to provide Valley Natural Foods shoppers with some of the highest-quality produce grown in the Midwest. Most of the farms are certified organic and all grow their produce to organic standards. Nourishing their soil and growing crops without pesticides is a time-proven way of life for these farmers, while supporting health for themselves, their farms and our shoppers.

Al Weinrich, former logger and neighbor of one of the families, serves as the cooperative’s sales and delivery man. Al only delivers farmer-satisfied produce. Hand picked fresh the day before, stored on ice and delivered twice a week to VNF, buying produce from these farmers enables parents and children to work side by side in their fields while making a living. Wisconsin Cooperative Growers exemplifies sustainable agriculture at its best and is proof that small family farms can still thrive.

The best medicine for our fast-food culture is as close as a kitchen brimming with FRESH & LOCAL food. Gather family and friends for a satisfying summer picnic of life-sustaining local food and conversation. As author Barbara Kingsolver has noted, “Food is the rare moral arena in which the ethical choice is generally the one more likely to make you groan with pleasure.” What’s fresh, local and inspiring in your kitchen right now?

Look for this FRESH & LOCAL blog the first Wednesday of each month and be inspired by our FRESH & LOCAL class series starting on August 16. See class details on our Facebook page and sign up by calling 952-891-1212 ext 221 or by stopping by the customer service counter.

Loris Sofia Gregory is a holistic health coach and writer based in Apple Valley. Explore more at lorissofiagregory.com and contact her at 952.431.5586 or lorissofia@frontiernet.net.

Looking for coupons? Save $.50 on one lb. minimum purchase of  local candy onions, save $.75 on one lb. minimum purchase on local cucumbers and $3.00  on our  August FRESH & LOCAL class purchase with online coupons! Coupons good through August 9, 2011.

Is there any savory dish that isn’t improved by onions? Make them sweet onions and you’ve, well, sweetened the deal! Sweet onions are mild and easy on the palate, so they’re a great choice for adding raw onions to salads, side dishes, burgers and sandwiches. Cooking them (try them roasted) brings out their sweetness even more.

Sweet onions are easy on the eyes, too, causing little to no tearing like their storage onion relatives. Varieties to look for include Vidalia, Walla Walla, Maui, Sweet imperial, and Supersweets; sweet onions tend to be most abundant in spring and summer.

What to make: Carmelized Onion Pizza

You can find this recipe located in our produce department, in the May 11 Co+op Deals flyer and on our website.

One of our very own member-employees here at Valley Natural Foods created an easy and tasty casserole recipe that was featured on “In the Kitchen with FOX 9 News” recently. To view the clip, visit: Chicken Enchilada Casserole-FOX 9 News.

The next time you pick up a rotisserie chicken, take a free recipe as well, located next to the rotisserie hot shelf!

Green or black? Nearly everyone has a preference when it comes to olives! But did you know that there are many, many varieties of olives that distinguish themselves well beyond color?

There’s the mild and nutty French picholine, and the strong, sweet, Spanish Picual. There are olives from Africa and Israel, Egypt and Greece. There’s also the California Mission olive and a host of Italian olives used for distinctive olive oils.

Even if you’re not interested in becoming an olive (or olive oil) connoisseur, you may enjoy taking note of the varied tastes of olives—whether you’re slicing a handful onto your pizza or dropping one into your martini.

What to make: Muffuletta Sandwich 

You can find this recipe located in our produce department, in the March 2 Co+op Deals flyer and on the co+op stronger together web site.

 Click here to watch Matt from our produce department prepare White Nectarine and Tomato Salsa on FOX 9. Then, stop by our Valley Natural Foods demo kiosk on Saturday July 24, anytime between 3:00-5:00 where Matt will present a demo and free taste experience of that recipe!

“Savoring the Season” is a phrase often used here at Valley Natural Foods. In fact, some kind of seasonal language is used every day in the produce department. This week’s recipe features some local produce but what we tend to forget about is that the local season doesn’t always run together with what we think should be in season right now.

For example, there is no local season for white nectarines here in Minnesota but some of us don’t want to miss out on this delicious fruit. The best way to take advantage of our produce department is to ask the broader question of “what tastes good and is fresh?” Certainly the peak of the California watermelon season rivals that of Minnesota’s, so why wait for great quality when one can have it multiple times.

One example of using the local season as an advantage for better taste comes in tomatoes. For local tomatoes, the amount of time between being picked and coming to your table can be as little as one or two days, yet it may be a few weeks for California or Mexican tomatos. Some of our local tomato varieties are vine-ripened which adds even more flavor and nutrients to the tomatoes. Because of the high quality in both nutrition and flavor of all our organic produce, one can never go wrong with what’s local and in season.

Click here to see this weeks Produce Possibilities recipe

Click here to see all the Produce Possibilities Menus

This week’s recipes celebrate 2 of the harvests of high summer. Blueberries and summer squash are abundant this time of year, and there’s no better time to eat them than right now! Like most produce, the vitamin content of these items decreases dramatically when they are not used fresh!

In northern MN, late July means berry-picking time. Blueberries start to ripen about now, dotting the forest floor with tiny blue delectable treats. Blueberries are a very good source of vitamin C and fiber. Added to wild rice– another native crop of northern MN—blueberries make this week’s salad a stand-out addition to any summer meal. Top the salad with a refreshing orange vinaigrette dressing, either pre-bottled or that you make yourself!

As any gardener knows, summer squash plants produce an abundant harvest. We are getting in new local varieties everyday. Try the standard green zucchini, or mix it up with little yellow Patty-Pans or multi-colored Zephyrs. While they vary in color and size, most summer squash carries a similar mild slightly-sweet flavor. (Even the tender squash blossoms are edible. If you’re lucky enough to have some, toss a couple on top of the sauté). Summer squash are notable sources of B-vitamins and folate. This weeks’ recipe is a simple summer favorite that pairs well with almost any summer meal.

Click here to see this week’s Produce Possibilities recipe!

Click here to see all the Produce Possibilities Menus!

Summer is around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with great food from the co-op? The Co-op Advantage coupon book offers big savings on your favorite brands including Amy’s Kitchen, Muir Glen and Organic Valley!

This coupon book is just one small way for us to say “thanks” to you, our co-op member-owners. Your continued support makes our co-op more than just another grocery store. Your investment, patronage and input help us better serve you, support our local community and build connections with other communities across the country and around the world.

Look for the coupon books at Valley Natural Foods throughout July. Coupons are valid through August 31, 2010.

Shortcakes with Fresh Strawberries and Cream

We have a new summer recipe from our friends at PastureLand: Shortcakes with Fresh Strawberries and Cream.

It’s great with fresh-picked raspberries, too. PastureLand’s CEO, Steve Young-Burns, tells us that he loves to add a touch of balsamic vinegar, some black pepper, even lavender to the finished recipe. Ah summer fruit and local, sun-kissed butter from grass-fed milk.