In this month's newsletter:

• A Word from the GM: Meeting Our 3rd End
• A Word from the Board of Directors: NCG Guest Speaker
• Tour of Prairie Fruits Farm
• Nominate Round Up For Good Organizations
• Run For the Board of Directors
• Upcoming Cooking Classes
• Save the Date: September Owner Appreciation Days
• Back to School Week
• Round Up For Good
• Where are the Blueberries?
• Recipe Features
• New Products

Meeting Our 3rd End

By Gary Taylor

Dear Cooperators,

I am dedicating this newsletter to our 3rd End which states "The Co-op is an educational resource on food issues." This End covers a multitude of topics ranging from farming practices to cooking classes to food security and affordability issues. At this point in time the greatest issue weighing on my mind is the latter. 

We all know that food security has always been an issue worldwide with many thousands not able to secure enough food to fill their needs. We here at the Co-op have done our best to help ease this problem locally with our Food For All (FFA) program, our Basics program, and, before Covid, free classes for cooking on a budget. Stay tuned, we are making plans to resume budget cooking classes in the future. Information on FFA and our Basics program are available in the store.

NCG Guest Speaker at Next Board Meeting

by Robert Taylor

In last month's newsletter I mentioned the Board of Directors have a focal area around food inflation. We are kicking off our discussions on this with a special guest at the August board meeting. Tony Alongi from National Co+op Grocers (NCG) will present on Inflation in Grocery and Co-ops. Tony gave me a sneak peek of his presentation. It really is full of very interesting information, including ideas on what Co-ops can do to help with this problem.

Do you have the passion to not just think of the Co-op as a grocery store but instead as a pillar of the community? Do you want to help make change in our local food network? Come join a group of dedicated people that serve on the board and the amazing staff we have in our store. Experience is not necessary, but passion is.

Applications due by August 14th, 2022.

Keep an eye out in the store and the weekly sales flyer for our newest promotion - BOGO! BOGO deals will be available select weeks. Some restrictions apply. 

Virtual Sola Gratia

Cooking Class & Meal Kit

In-Person Class Series with Paul Young

Taste of Asia Demonstration Class

In this introduction to Asian cuisines, we'll survey the flavor profiles of Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Japanese traditions. Our tasting menu for the evening will consist of four easy-to-make appetizers and a variety of beer and wine to taste. This class will be limited to ten people for an in-person cultural cuisine class!

This demonstration cooking class is designed for beginners who may not have tried to make Asian dishes at home. Join self-taught home cook Paul Young as we learn how to break down the flavor principles of Asian culinary traditions, deconstruct recipes and customize the ingredients to your liking. Come hungry because we’ll be making and tasting at the same time.

All the planned menu items below will use locally-sourced ingredients but are subject to change based on availability of fresh ingredients at local markets:

• Chinese Woodear Mushroom Salad
• Vietnamese Spring Rolls
• Thai Green Papaya Salad
• Japanese Tuna Poke

$60/person with $10 OFF promo code for Co-op Owners. Apply promo code: OWNER

Limited seating available - only 10 seats per class. Ticket includes class plus tasting menu. Must be 21 or older to partake in alcoholic beverage tasting, valid ID required. No refunds due to limited space, but waiting list will be made available once tickets are sold out.

Taste of China Demonstration 3-Part Class Series

Do a deep dive into the world of Chinese cooking with Co-op instructor and self-taught home cook Paul Young as we survey the vast flavors of Cantonese, Sichuan, and Shanghai cuisines. In this hands-on series, learn how to break down the flavor principles of each culinary tradition, deconstruct recipes and customize the ingredients to your liking. Students will have the opportunity to watch demos and participate in the preparation of our dinner party. Do come hungry and thirsty because we’ll be cooking and tasting at the same time. The tuition also includes beer and wine tastings.

Students will leave each session with easy-to-follow recipes of all the dishes on the menu. These recipes have all been adapted for the typical home cook and contain many tips & tricks to help minimize your time in the kitchen while staying true to the spirit of the original flavor profiles. All menu items below will use locally-sourced ingredients but are subject to change based on availability of fresh ingredients at local markets.

Sign up for one class or all three in this series!

About the Instructor

Paul Young is a self-taught cook, educator and graphic designer with over 30 years of experience in the marketing communications industry. His favorite pastime is trying new dishes in restaurants and then attempting to recreate them at home. He's a curious foodie and an adventurous international culinary explorer who has traveled to 25 different countries (so far). He has also been a regular contributor to Smile Politely since 2007.

Save the Date!

Back to school week is just around the corner! We've got you covered for any situation - whether you're packing for a kiddo, a mid-day lecture, or all day office snacks & lunch. Look to Common Ground for a variety of reusable containers, snacks, grab n go options, and drinks! We'll be putting a ton of Back to School items on sale the week of August 17th - 23rd. You won't want to miss it!

Usually this time of year, we're up to our ears in blueberries. We would have organic blueberries, regional blueberries, with local blueberries and regional 5 pound boxes on the horizon. People would be eating and freezing blueberries to their heart's delight.

And no one ever seems to get tired of them.

This year? Yeah, that's not happening. It's hot and dry here, putting local and regional blueberries at risk. It's too hot in California, shortening the season and reducing the yield. And it's been cooler than normal in the Pacific Northwest, meaning that crop is delayed. And blueberries are not alone; we're having trouble sourcing any number of things off and on this year, because the weather is awry all over the place. As climate change progresses, we'll see this more and more. We'll have to do whatever we can to adapt to the omnishambles. 

Our order of priorities in sourcing produce will remain the same; local and regional first, non-local organic next, and non-local conventional last. Our first priority, however, is simply keeping the shelves full. If a local or organic item we usually have is not available, it's prohibitively expensive, or the quality is consistently poor, we will switch to conventional simply to have it. And of course, just because we order a conventional item doesn't mean we'll get it; it's been difficult to get conventional blueberries too. 

So please bear with us. We'll do what we can to make sure we have what people want to buy available. But between climate change, the pandemic, and inflation, we've found we have to be more flexible than ever, and I don't think this is a situation that will be changing any time soon. 

-Anne Bargar, Produce Buyer

Halloumi Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

This beautiful salad pairs local, seasonal vegetables with our newest cheese to hit the shelf - Kynthos Halloumi! Halloumi is a salty, Greek cheese that has a high melting point so it is perfect for frying. The result is an incredible, balanced salad with a fresh tangy vinaigrette, all perfect for summer. 

Co+op Basics:

Strawberry, Blueberry & Banana Smoothie

We recently added Field Day frozen fruit to our Co+op Basics list, so we came up with this super simple fruit smoothie! Featuring frozen blueberries & strawberries, as well as banana, yogurt, and almond milk. This smoothie is only $2.16 per serving and is perfect for a quick breakfast on the go. 

Co+op Basics:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars

These chocolate peanut butter bars will have you snacking all week long! This recipe makes a huge tray of delicious dessert bars that sneak in some healthy rolled oats for added nutrition. Featuring 7 different Co+op Basics, this is a great affordable option for a big batch dessert.