Cambridge Food Co-op Blog

Yummy Muffin Recipe by ktjc

Maple Nut Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup maple sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup whole milk

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled

2/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup pecans, butternuts, or walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups.

2. Mix flour, maple sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the egg, milk, butter, and maple syrup in another medium bowl. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until almost combined. Gently fold in the nuts.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake muffins in the oven until they are golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

4. Transfer to cooling rack. Serve warm with maple butter or maple cream.

From Dishing Up Vermont: 145 Authentic Recipes from the Green Mountain State, by Tracey Medeiros (Storey, $19.95); contributed by Connie Brooks, Battenkill Books.

THANKSGIVING AT THE CO-OP by louisamatthew

Holiday fixings are appearing on the shelves! You will find new temptations and old favorites, so come visit us soon.

FRESH TURKEYS have been ordered and will be in the Co-op for pick-up MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22 (please note that this date has changed). This is a special order item, but there are usually a few extras.

Canned pumpkin and sweet potato purees

Organic cranberry sauce

Olivia’s stuffing mix in traditional and cornbread – from Vermont

Robertson’s mince meat in 13oz. glass jars

J. Crow’s Mulled Cider Mix

Organic gravies for the culinarily-challenged: wild mushroom and roast trukey varieties.

Gluten free bread crumbs as well as Panko bread crumbs in plain and Italian Herb varieties

Frozen puff pastry (and PLEASE NOTE that our new freezer is coming soon!!)

Soppressata salami for a delicious hors d’oeuvre – pair with some of our cheeses!

And on an Italian note…a new product: FARRO (Triticum dicoccum). Looks a bit like wheat berries. Delicious nutty flavor, usually cooked in advance and can then be used in many different ways. Great in turkey stuffing! Mix with herbs, red onion, capers and/or your choice of other diced vegetables, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper for a perfect fall appetizer. Great with sauteed mushrooms or as a replacement for pasta. Stir in to hearty soups.      [Some farro needs to be pre-soaked, some not, so check package directions. Once cooked, it stores well in fridge for 3-4 days]

The following soup recipe comes from Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s The Italian Country Table, New York, Scribner, 1999 – a very good cook book for those interested in Italian food!

1/2 cup farro (or wheat berries)

for the Beans:

2 1/8″ thick slices pancetta, minced [NB pancetta is an unsmoked bacon. The Co-op is waiting for its order...if you can't wait to try this, Roma Deli in Saratoga carries it]

2 1/8″ slices soppressata salami, minced) (yes, it’s at the Co-op!)

1 small carrot in 1/4″ dice

1 small stalk celery with leaves in 1/4″ dice

1 medium onion, 1/4″ dice

6 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 large clove garlic

1 1/4 c dried beans : Borlotti, Lamon or pinto, soaked in hot water for 1 hour and drained

2 med. red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4″ dice

about 1 1/2 cups diced butternut squash (peeled first)

For the Soffritto:

1 Tablesp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/8″ slices pancetta, minced

2 1/8″ slices soppressata salami, minced

1 scant tsp. dried rosemary

salt and pepper

1 med. onion in 1/4″ dice

1 clove garlic minced

3/4 to 1 cup canned whole tomatoes, with their liquid

1. cook farro according to package directions (wheat berries will take longer)

2. For the beans: Saute the pancetta and salami in a 6qt. pot over med. high heat to release some of their fat. Stir in the carrot, celery, onion, and sage, sauteeing until golden brown. Adjust the heat to keep the vegetables from burning. Stir in the garlic, cooking another minute. Add the drained beans, the potatos, squash, and water to cover by two inches. Partially cover the pot and simmer gently for one hour or until the beans are tender. Add salt to taste. Let the beans stand, off the heat, 10 minutes, then drain, saving their liquid.

3. For the soffritto (while the beans cook): Heat the olive oil in a 10″ skillet over medium heat. Saute the pancetta and salami 1 minute. Add the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, and the onion and cook until the onion is golden brown. Blend in the garlic and tomatoes and simmer until thick. Remove from heat and cover.

4. Puree half the beans with 1/3 cup of the bean liquid in a food processor. In the bean pot combine the puree and the remaining beans, the soffritto, cooked grain, and 4 cups of the bean liquid. Gently simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning. the soup should be the consistentcy of heavy cream; add more bean liquid if necessary. Serve hot, swirling each serving with a little olive oil and some freshly-ground black pepper.

September, 2010 Board Meeting scheduled by louisamatthew

The September, 2010 meeting of the Co-op Board will be Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 6:30 pm at the Co-op. The agenda is posted at the Co-op. Any questions should be directed to Louisa Matthew, acting Board Chair (until Sept. 14) at 692 9323.

Thank you.

Fedco Information – March/April 2010 by cambridgefoodcoop

The FEDCO spring seed, tuber and gardening supplies orders have been
submitted (and the “early bird” order has already arrived at the Co-op).

We will be doing an explanatory write-up on FEDCO in the near future.
For those of you who missed odering and still need garden seeds, the
Village Store is carrying a selection of Fedco seeds – heritage varieties of
vegetables, and a few flowers. A number of the varieties are organic.
They are reasonably priced, and include desirable vegetables such as

“Moon and Stars” Pumpkins, Scarlet Runner Beans, Lincoln Peas, and
Danvers Carrots. If they sell well we will order more, so go over and
take a look!!
Fall Bulb Orders are due by July 15th