The recipes in this week’s Produce Possibilities features 100% local produce as well as local sunflower seeds and cheese.  Not only is the cheese local, but the milk comes from cows that are grass-fed. Grass-fed milk is unique because it has been shown to have consistent higher levels of ALA and CLA than conventionally produced milk. Both of which promote heart health, and in the case of CLA has been shown to considerably reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease while promoting immune system health.

Another Important note about the salad recipe is that it uses dandelion greens as a main leafy vegetable. Some may think of them as mere weeds, but according to the USDA Bulletin #8, “Composition of Foods” (Haytowitz and Matthews 1984), dandelions rank in the top four green vegetables in overall nutritional value. According to this data, dandelions are nature’s richest green vegetable source of beta-carotene, from which Vitamin A is created, and the third richest food source of Vitamin A, after cod-liver oil and beef liver! They also are particularly rich in fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and the B vitamins, thiamine and riboflavin, and are a good source of protein. Next time when you think of dandelion greens as just a weed, think again.

You are invited  to experience the taste at our demo kiosk this Saturday, July 10, anytime between 3:00-5:00 p.m.

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

Click here to see all the Produce Possibilities Menus!

Many people envision healthy nutritious eggs to be those raised organically or naturally with free-range pastured hens, but have you ever thought about what happens after the eggs are collected?

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!

FLAVOR BLAST
It’s the season for grilling, parties, and fireworks. What better way to celebrate the summer than with good taste and great friends? Stop by the natural chip section of Valley Natural Foods, and be sure to bring this coupon for $2 off 3 bags of Food Should Taste Good® chips. Stock up on your favorite flavors or get adventurous and try some of our new ones.

TASTEBUD TEASERS
Summer means parties. Lots of them. So kick off your next one with two of our favorite nutritious and tasty recipes: Grilled Peach Salsa, a healthy and delicious accompaniment to our Blue Corn, Lime, and Jalapeño chips, and Cobb Salad Dip, perfect with our Multigrain or Yellow Corn chips. For more summer recipes and to enter our recipe contest, visit our website.

TASTE BUZZ
Food Should Taste Good recently won a sofi™ silver award from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc. for Most Outstanding Product Line! We’re proud to have won, and to continue to show that our healthy, wholesome snacks really do taste good, as they should.

New demo on Saturday, June 19 from 3:00-5:00 pm at our demo kiosk! Looking for a new fresh salad recipe to make just in time to take advantage of special priced produce? Here it is: a tasty refreshing, side salad to complement any dish.  Sample it during our demo and you will be convinced. If you grill, our peach and dill relish is a perfect topping for chicken, fish or tofu.  Any questions? Ask our knowledgeable produce staff who will be on hand during the demo.  Don’t forget, most ingredients are on sale the entire week.

Fresh and exciting new recipes at our demo kiosk Saturday, June 12 between 3:00 and 5:00 pm!

Love yams? Never tried catfish? Now’s the time to have both of these with an easy, delicious, homemade grilling sauce. Sample a healthy pudding that rounds out any meal and is nutritious too! Our produce staff will be on hand during the demo to answer all your questions. Take home a recipe and take advantage of specially priced ingredients! Click below for this week’s recipe and while there check out our archive of equally fresh and healthy recipes!

Join us at our demo kiosk on Saturday June 5^th from 3:00-5:00 p.m. for a surprising new demo for your warm weather fare! Get your grill started as you prepare this exciting recipe that features a variety of specially priced ingredients for a meal in a pouch! Find out how to make your own healthy and great tasting ice cream using fresh fruit and juice! You may impress yourself and you surely will impress your guests!

It is early summer and we can already anticipate the fresh flavors this time of year brings. If you are a true mid-westerner then you have already been firing up the grill. What better to go with great grilled meats than a couple of fresh produce sides. Be sure to check out our Produce Possibilities recipes this week found at our Fresh Meal Solutions.

Be sure to join us at the Valley Natural Foods demo kiosk this Saturday from 3:00-5:00 p.m. for an early summer taste of field-fresh avocados.  This climateric fruit matures on the tree, but ripens off it. To help speed the ripening of an avocado, place it in a paper bag for three days. Our produce experts will be on hand to demonstrate two great sides to serve with grilled brats, chicken or portabella mushrooms.

 On Saturday, May 15 between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m., be at the co-op for a new and exciting demo at our demo kiosk! Taste a sample, grab a recipe and shop for specially priced ingredients!  While here, learn once and for all how to cut open your own coconut to use in the recipe and in any other recipe that calls for fresh coconut. Click on Produce Possibilities below and see the possibilities yourself!

The Taste of Lakeville was here again and Valley Natural Foods was there with our cheese. We sampled some of our best local and natural cheeses to pair with the fantastic wine and beer tastings at this event.

This was an exciting opportunity for Valley Natural Foods to participate in a community event to share in the discovery of new tastes and interesting combinations of flavor.

The Taste of Lakeville was held at the Lakeville Art Center on May 13th. This event was sponsored by the Lakeville Rotary Club as an annual fundraiser. Proceeds raised from this event are given to the Lakeville Rotary Foundation which supports community projects and high school student scholarships. Last year’s Taste of Lakeville proceeds contributed over $70,000 to support programs and non-profit groups including the Community Action Council, the Lakeville School District’s S.A.D.D. program, LNHS/LSHS Band, STRIVE, and the new Miracle Field, just to name a few.

 On Saturday, May 8th  between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m., watch our very own Produce department prepare and serve up two delicious salads at our demo kiosk!  Take advantage of specially priced produce!

Want to make something great for Mother’s Day or even a graduation party? Are you grilling and looking for tasty side dishes? We’ve got the perfect potato salad you can make in a jiffy that everyone will love! As well as a unique and colorful salad that is not only nutritious but sure to be a hit! You can’t go wrong with our easy to make recipes and the freshest available produce right here in our store. Any questions? Ask our produce department who will be on hand during the demo to offer samples and answer all of your questions. Don’t forget to check out our meat department where we have an exciting variety of homemade brats and sausages to complement all of your salads. 

Butterball Potato Salad and Spring Fruit Salad

Butterball Potato Salad

2 pounds German Butterball potatoes
6 Tbsp. canned white tuna, drained and flaked
2 Tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1/3 C. sweet onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
3 small celery stalks, chopped
1/4 C. mayonnaise
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Rinse potatoes in cold running water. Cook in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 35 minutes. Cool and let dry. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds then quarter. Set aside in a large bowl. Whisk oil, garlic, onion, and vinegar in a small bowl; add 2 hard-boiled egg yolks and mash. Add tuna, salt and pepper and whisk. Coarsely chop remaining egg and egg whites. Wash and dry the celery and parsley before cutting. Add the vinaigrette, parsley, mayonnaise, and celery to the potatoes and mix well. Serves 3-4.

Spring Fruit Salad

1 pound strawberries, quartered, then sliced lengthwise
2 Abate Fetel pears, cut into 1/4 inch wide by 1 1/2-inch long slices
1 package blueberries
1 head Bibb lettuce, cut into 1-inch strips
4 oz Salad Girl Savory Strawberry Dressing
1/4 sweet onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 package feta cheese crumbles
1/3 C. walnuts, chopped, toasted

Wash all fruit well before cutting.  Mix strawberries, blueberries, pears, onion and feta cheese. Add half the dressing and toss. Rinse and pat dry the lettuce before cutting. After cutting, toss with remaining dressing. Dish out a bowl of lettuce and top with fruit mixture. Sprinkle with walnuts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 3-4.