Spring Around the Table 2024

General Manager

Kenna Eaton

Managing Editor

Andrea Stafford

Layout

Christopher Bunch

Copy Editor

Lisa Barclay

Contributors

Amanda Milholland, Daniella Chase, Dave Dunn, Juri Jennings, Kenna Eaton, Lisa Barclay, Loren Alexanian, Marko Colby, Red Dog Farm, Sailor Vineyard, Sasha Kaplan, Sidonie Maroon, Soul Cedar Farm, Wilderbee Farm

Board of Directors

Owen Rowe, Juri Jennings, Michael Flowers, Lisa Barclay, Dave Dunn, Cameron Jones, Sasha Kaplan

Around The Table is published by The Food Co-op on a quarterly basis and comes out in the winter, spring, summer, and fall. If you are interested in contributing content for Around The Table, please contact marketing@foodcoop.coop to discuss your article idea. Articles should include stories about food, community, sustainability, or cooperation.

SPRING INTO ACTION

BY KENNA S. EATON, GENERAL MANAGER

Whenever I start seeing the green shoots of bulbs popping up in the garden, I know that spring is on its way. I connect this time of year with regeneration, growth, new possibilities, and the idea that we can make a difference, which seems to coincide with our annual celebration of Earth Day (Monday April 22, 2024). Earth Day was created to help bring awareness of and support for environmental protections at home and around the globe.

The Food Co-op’s value of Stewardship ties directly into this aspirational time: We steward our resources to sustain and regenerate our community. Here at the Co-op, stewardship is manifested in many ways, both large and small, from how we manage our inputs (and outputs) to purchasing equipment with a lesser carbon footprint. The trick usually lies in measuring this impact and reporting on it. Some things are easier to track than others. For instance, we can relatively easily track our purchases from local suppliers (one of eight key areas of how we measure sustainability), while other areas are far more difficult to measure, such as our impact on community health and wellness.

One of the most important (and trackable) measures is the amount of stuff going out our back door: trash, recycling (paper, cardboard, glass, and tin), and compost. Prior to the pandemic, our “green team” was invaluable in helping us measure the waste going to the landfill. Not a pleasant job by any means, this task meant emptying our three dumpsters, opening all the trash bags, and then separating,

counting, weighing, and measuring what we were throwing away. It was quite informative and helpful to find out exactly what was going to the landfill on that day. The pleasant surprise was that not much of it could have been recycled or composted, and certainly there was nothing edible. A waste audit is just a snapshot of a moment in time, but repeating the process helps create a bigger picture of our impact, and it informs our next steps. Now, post pandemic (we hope), we’re ready to begin the process again.

This spring our staff is reviving the green team, and while they will undoubtedly have many positive effects on our coop culture, I am particularly looking forward to the return of the waste audit. So much has changed in the past five years. We’ve grown our physical footprint by 23%, and our sales have grown by a similar amount—what has that done to our waste? Are we throwing away any edible food? I sure hope not, but the data will tell us, and based on that information, we can act. Or simply thank our staff for doing such a great job in not letting anything go to waste!

How I Survived Being on the Board

BY JURI JENNINGS, BOARD TREASURER

This year is my eighth and last year serving on the Food Coop’s board, and I am so proud of myself that I did it. I ran for the board promising myself that I was going to be on the board for a full cycle* and I made it through despite the fact that I had two pregnancies and births, got caught in a pandemic, changed jobs because of the pandemic, built a house, and saw my mom go to the next realm. My 30s were probably the most heightened chapter in my life (at least when everything happened all at once and I had to juggle them all).

My interest in becoming a board member began when I learned that my husband, Roarke, was invited to join the city’s Park and Rec board, and I was like, “What!? I want to be on a board, too!” You see my competitive side coming out here :-P.

And then, coincidentally right around that time, Owen asked me if I wanted to run for the Co-op board when we ran into each other at the Co-op. I don’t think we knew each other then, so honestly, I don’t know why he did. Roarke and I had just moved to Port Townsend a year before, and we were newbies here. I made it to one of the board meetings, and the meeting seemed streamlined and professional, and it also had a welcoming vibe. And before you know it, seven years have passed.

It was the teamwork, friendship, mentorship, monthly stipend, and being inspired that got me through these three terms. Board members were quick to pick up my slack when I needed help and took the load off me several times this term, like when I was on pregnancy leave or taking care of my mother.

Amongst all of the things I am proud of, what stands out for me is serving as board president and gaining the confidence to lead meetings, while continuously being involved in highlevel governance thinking. I had another title when new friends started to call me “Niko’s mom.” I found having this other identity was important to me. I don’t mean to undermine the importance of being a mom or say that being a mom in itself is not enough. I actually mean that being a mom is A LOT more than I ever imagined, and that having another identity helped

me deal with this A LOTness of being a first-time mom. I had this community of support as a board member that saw me through and made sure that I didn’t just fall into a hole. And this support includes not just the board members and our board assistant, Sharon, but the staff members, who are always so kind, and general manager Kenna, who understands.

Recently, a new board member reminded me of how passionate we all are, too. I find that true for all board members I have seen, whether they are on the board for 10 years or do a quick term. Everyone has been passionate about one thing or the other, usually about community and/or about healthy foods. And being around passionate people is uplifting.

On a more personal note—I am pretty proud that my now two kids (Niko and Chiyo) have seen me on the board since they were growing inside me. Their first years were hearing me at board meetings, hearing the clicking of me typing up monitoring reports or articles, and being a part of the board and committee meetings. Niko and Chiyo are used to being in the various meeting rooms at the Co-op. Niko knows where to go first—Sharon’s desk, where she has a bag of hot wheels he can choose from and also get one for his lil sis.

Well, that’s my short story of being on the board. I have totally left out my husband, who made sure the house was taken care of while I was away or that we do something together in addition to family nights—but this is not an afterthought. It’s hard for me (coming from Japan) to express a public thank you to a family member and that’s totally a cultural thing. I am forever grateful for this opportunity, Roarke!

With love to our community, Juri Jennings with Niko and Chiyo, future board members (or Co-op members at least)

The Food Co-op Board of Directors

OWEN ROWE PRESIDENT

LISA BARCLAY EMERITIS

MICHAEL FLOWERS SECRETARY

JURI JENNINGS VICE PRESIDENT AND TREASURER

DAVE DUNN CAMERON JONES SASHA KAPLAN

JURI AND LISA SAMPLING, 2019

Outside the Box

BY SASHA KAPLAN, BOARD MEMBER

At some point in your life you may have heard the expression, “Think outside the box.” It applies in the kitchen, too. We all get into recipe ruts. We turn to the same recipes over and over. But when you look into the back corners of your refrigerator’s veggie bin, you just might find some aging produce that becomes the star of your next meal.

Recently I was given a copy of a terrific book called Perfectly Good Food: a Totally Achievable Zero Waste Approach to Home Cooking by Margaret and Irene Li. I couldn’t agree with them more! Even the book cover includes delightful illustrations and suggestions on how to use all those bits of food you have in your fridge and cupboards. Find a forgotten partial bunch of spinach, parsley, or cilantro? Blanch it a few seconds to revive it, toss it into ice water, dry it off, and you’ve brought it back to life! Turn it into a little pesto sauce for pasta or a grain, add it to a stir fry, or spoon that pesto over a baked sweet potato.

Have a teaspoon or two of jam left in the jar? Add a little Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, and vinegar or citrus juice, put the jam lid on tight, and shake the jar until it has emulsified into a salad dressing for your dinner salad! And speaking of salad dressing, I got the idea of roasting pears that had seen better days. Then I puréed them, along with the same mustard, olive oil, garlic, and vinegar, into a delicious salad dressing for greens.

Join Us 1st Thursday of the month for a demo from 3-5 pm and a chance to win a book.

I guess it boils down to this: Try to use what you have, and resist throwing out the forgotten items at the back of the fridge before they become science experiments!

With fellow board members, I’ll be demonstrating recipes based on Perfectly Good Food at the Co-op in the next few months. The first Thursday of each month from 3 to 5 pm, you’ll generally find us outside the store under the gazebo next to the entrance (but when the vegetable starts arrive, you’ll find us on the water side of the store). Stop by, have a taste, say hello, share ideas, and above all, infuse some new recipes into your repertoire, while keeping your food waste to a minimum.

The Problem of Plastic

BY LISA BARCLAY, BOARD EMERITUS

Plastic waste is an immense problem. Small and large particles of plastic are everywhere, in the air, the ocean, and the soil. There is no single solution to this intractable issue— it must be addressed from many angles, from legislation and regulation to research on alternatives to finding ways to remove the plastic already in our environment.

As consumers, plastic is a particularly thorny problem. On the one hand, we see plastic everywhere, so we are constantly reminded of the issue, but on the other hand, we all use plastic, even if we try hard to avoid it. Packaging is the most visible form of plastic, but it’s akin to the tip of an iceberg. Our food system is awash in plastic. Farmers use plastic— they couldn’t afford to farm if they didn’t, and it is a tough profession as it is. Or take fish—Rick of Cape Cleare says his catch requires plastic many times over the course of its journey to us. He wishes it weren’t so, but regulations require it, even if the fish is flash frozen as soon as it hits the boat. Another unseen source of plastic is that food delivered to grocery stores is often wrapped in plastic or comes in plastic bags. Plastic keeps food fresh and the weight of packaging down, reducing fuel consumption, but its use has come at a terrific price.

Food Co-op shoppers work to reduce their use of plastic, prioritizing glass, paper, cloth, or cellulose, and buying local and in season when possible. We know these actions will not

solve the problem by themselves, but they work towards an alternative to the status quo, creating an atmosphere where change can happen. And it is happening, albeit slowly. For instance, the behemoth Amazon is phasing out its plastic bags in favor of paper as one of its initiatives to drastically reduce its use of plastic.

Along with our members, the Co-op works constantly to address the intractable problem of plastic—by reducing the store’s use of plastic, finding alternative packaging, enabling shoppers to use less plastic and to recycle plastic, and encouraging producers to use alternatives to plastic.

To reduce our use of plastic, staff have spent many hours looking for viable alternatives to plastic containers, in particular in the deli and meat/fish department. Unfortunately, non-plastic alternatives start disintegrating the moment you add food, and currently there are no good alternatives available to us, although a member did recently give us a tip about an alternative, and we’re following up. Finding reusable containers for the deli was another goal, and after much searching, we found a container for the hot bar and deli which the county approved for reuse. Those black plastic containers with opaque lids can be returned (clean), and the kitchen sterilizes and reuses them. So please bring them back!

You can find these containers in our hot bar, clean and return them to help us reduce waste and uphold our commitment to sustainability!

In the meat and fish department, we use plastic because people want to see what they are purchasing, plus paper leaks and doesn’t keep the meat as fresh. I asked our meat manager what he’d like to use and he said reusable aluminum containers, but they don’t exist yet. One partial solution would be an industrial composter in the county so we could use heavy-duty compostable packaging, and we’ve worked with other organizations like the Farmers Market to urge the county to purchase one, but they are very expensive, and although space for a composter will apparently be allocated in the county’s new site plan, at this time there is no funding for building or operating one.

In the bulk department, we offer paper, plastic, and compostable cellophane bags, and our in-house-packaged bulk items are in cellophane bags, except when those bags are not available. We recently found a new source for cellophane bags, so hopefully we’ll have better luck keeping them in stock. For bulk items, we also have our Jar Savers program—people bring in used jars with wide mouths (so they can be sterilized in the dishwasher) and labels removed (so they don’t clog and damage the dishwasher), and kitchen staff sterilize the jars and put them out in the bulk department. It took quite a bit of effort to get this program approved by the Health Department, and it takes considerable staff time as well as space to wash and dry these containers.

In produce we have compostable bioplastic and paper bags available and reusable cloth/string bags for sale. (Bioplastic is similar to BioBags, which are made from plant starch, vegetable oil, and compostable polymers from non-GMO plants.) We tested how the bags composted in local gardens, and they broke down well, something that isn’t true for all types of compostable containers. Our in-house repackaging of local greens is in cellophane bags, provided cello bags are available. We currently sell potatoes in kraft paper bags, a test over the last two years to gauge customer response. This kind of work on packaging is ongoing, a perpetual staff endeavor.

We also work to encourage producers to use paper containers instead of plastic clam shells, and there has been improvement. Cardboard pints have become more common, for instance. Sometimes producers make progress only to be forced to backtrack. For instance, Organic Girl originally sold their greens in PLA biodegradable containers, but the containers are only compostable in industrial composters, which few communities have. Consequently, the containers ended up contaminating the bins of recyclable plastic, causing more waste. So Organic Girl changed to 100% recycled containers, which can also be recycled themselves, although not, unfortunately, in Jefferson County.

Sometimes we are able to help local producers move away from plastic. For instance, in the wellness department, two local vendors have switched from plastic lotion bottles to glass. We also worked with the Humble brand as they changed from deodorant in plastic to a paper tube, and we continue to ask vendors about their plans for the future—can they provide refillable packaging and/or move away from plastic?

Improvements continue in the grocery world, although not always consistently. Organically Grown Company, which distributes organic produce in the Northwest, now sometimes offers cauliflower without plastic, for instance. Plastic-free produce is still not readily available, but staff continue to look for it, and they check in with OGC to see what progress is being made with growers on this. In the meantime, we recycle dry plastic with the Trex program, and our shoppers can also bring in their clean, dry plastic to be remade into Trex lumber and outdoor furniture. In addition to the recycling area at the front of the store, we provide a place outside for shoppers to leave bubble wrap for other shoppers to use. We have also collaborated with PT Potential in their endeavor to collect and reuse plastic locally by paying them to take certain kinds of plastic. (See their website for more information on their current projects, collection events, and volunteer opportunities: https://ptpotential.mystrikingly.com/#home.) And don’t forget, while it’s great that corporate stores have begun phasing out plastic shopping bags, the Co-op has always used paper bags at the check stands, never plastic, and our Beans For Bags program is 16 years old!

These are just some of the measures we take, but since plastic waste is a huge, systemic problem, it will not be solved without legislation and extensive research on solutions. Still, we believe it is important to continue to work to reduce our use of plastic and to help members reduce theirs, partly to lessen our impact on the environment, but also to keep awareness on the issue. As things stand, we cannot eliminate plastic, though, because it is so interwoven into the food system. In addition, focusing principally on eliminating plastic in the store would endanger our ability to fulfill other important goals, like supporting local and making food as affordable as possible. The Food Co-op’s mission is “working together to nourish our community,” and our community is varied, with different needs and income levels. Lower-priced food items tend to be sold in plastic rather than paper or glass, and local producers often use plastic for a variety of reasons. We do our best to balance the diverse and conflicting desires and needs.

Solutions for plastic often seem far away, but there are some signs for hope. As large corporations get more interested in reducing plastic, they propel research into alternatives. As we learn more about bacteria and fungi, we are finding there are ways to consume plastic or break it down into reusable parts. Researchers are creating new kinds of plastic that can reused over and over without being reprocessed. And individual states are passing laws to reduce plastic waste—although unfortunately, some states are actually passing laws to prevent municipalities from enacting regulations to reduce plastic use, showing the importance of voting. It’s a conundrum of democracy that voting doesn’t usually get us everything we want, but not voting frequently gets us what we don’t want. We have hope for the future, and we all work together to make it possible.

Sustainable Living: Discover Bulk, Zero Waste Bliss

BY LOREN ALEXANIAN, MARKETING ASSISTANT

Step into sustainability at The Food Co-op with our diverse range of bulk products and zero-waste essentials. From everyday necessities to gourmet treats, make conscious choices that minimize waste and embrace a greener lifestyle with us.

Eco-Conscious Deoderants

Discover a trio of eco-conscious deodorants. Clean Age Natural Deodorant utilizes natural ingredients for a refreshing, chemical-free solution. Humble Plastic Free Deodorant commits to sustainability with plasticfree packaging, keeping you confidently odor-free.

Island Thyme (Local WA) Natural Deodorant captures the essence of the Pacific Northwest with locally inspired ingredients. Elevate your personal care routine with these natural alternatives, prioritizing both your well-being and the planet.

Dr.Tung’s Smart Floss

goes beyond dental care with packaging that is biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable. This eco-conscious dental floss not only promotes oral health but also aligns with a commitment to minimizing environmental impact through its thoughtfully designed packaging.

The Humble Co. Toothpaste Tabs

Elevate your oral care routine with The Humble Co. Toothpaste Tablets – a dentist-developed, vegan, and cruelty-free alternative. Free from plastic, SLS, parabens, and dyes, these tablets offer a sustainable and conscious approach to oral hygiene, contributing to a brighter smile and a cleaner planet.

Food Co-op Ocean Bottles

Make a splash for a cleaner planet with Food Co-op Ocean Bottles. With every purchase, you fund the collection of 25lbs of plastic, preventing it from entering oceans. Each bottle sold is a pledge to a sustainable future, equivalent to saving 1000 plastic bottles from polluting our waters.

Stasher Food Storage

presents a simple and reusable alternative to plastic, offering a range of platinum silicone bags and bowls in various sizes. Durable, versatile, and eco-friendly, these products are designed to help you store food sustainably without compromising on convenience.

Bee’s Wrap

is a sustainable food storage solution that follows a simple mantra: wrap, rinse, reuse. Made from beeswax-infused cotton, this eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap is both practical and environmentally conscious, allowing you to store food with ease while minimizing single-use plastic waste.

Down To Earth Bags

100% Organic Unbleached Cotton Produce Bags provide a sustainable and chemical-free solution for grocery shopping. Available in various sizes, these bags are a down-to-earth choice for those seeking organic, unbleached alternatives to traditional plastic produce bags.

Buy Better In Bulk

Make a conscious choice to reduce plastic waste and contribute to a healthier planet by exploring the wide array of products available in bulk at our store. From household essentials to gourmet delights, you can find everything you need while minimizing your environmental footprint.

Refill your containers or take advantage of our jar saver program when you shop for items like liquid and powder laundry soap, dishwasher powder soap, and liquid dish soap. Pamper yourself with eco-friendly options such as bulk shampoos, conditioners, hand and body lotions, and Dr. Bonner’s liquid soaps. We also offer a selection of oils, extracts, and pantry staples like peanut butter, organic almond butter, honey in three delightful varieties, blackstrap molasses, and organic vanilla extract.

Elevate your culinary creations with our premium selection of organic extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, toasted sesame oil, avocado oil, canola oil, tamari, shoyu soy sauce, liquid aminos, organic apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, and balsamic vinegar – all available in bulk.

For tea enthusiasts, explore our diverse range of loose-leaf teas, including black, green, and herbal varieties. Enhance your culinary skills with our extensive collection of bulk spices and dried herbs. Join us in making a positive impact on the environment by choosing to buy better in bulk!

A Clean Lifestyle Reduces Cancer Risk

BY DANIELLA CHACE, MSC, CN

In our increasingly toxic world, navigating all the daily decisions we must make to live a healthy lifestyle can feel overwhelming. Shopping for food at corporate grocery stores like Safeway, QFC, and Walmart is a landmine of disease-causing products that contain toxicants, including GMOs, microplastics, PFAs, and heavy metals. This is because of a lack of regulation by our protective agencies, which leaves consumers vulnerable.

You may not realize, and I just learned this myself, that the Food Coop steps in where our government lacks to help protect us from toxic ingredients. The Food Coop has a list of ingredients that are not allowed in the store. The list is called Watching Our Pea’s and Q’s Food Ingredients Acceptable & Unacceptable. As a nutritionist and toxicologist, I am comforted to see that health-damaging synthetic sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and triclosan are unacceptable at our coop. I was also thrilled to see that parabens are banned, as this class of food preservative was recently found to be carcinogenic, meaning cancer-causing.

Want to Detoxify your life?

Pick up a copy of “Home Detox” in store today!

While we can rest in knowing that food products sold at the Food Coop are carefully vetted, we can also be active in protecting ourselves from exposure to toxins. The Food Coop carries Home Detox (Storey, 2023), a guidebook I created to help folks identify toxic items that can be removed from the home to reduce the risk of disease. Common toxins drive our most prevalent health conditions, including heart disease, autoimmune conditions, and cancer. A majority of cancers, 90-95% of all cancers, are caused by lifestyle - primarily toxic exposures and poor diet. More specifically, toxins found in our homes, including aluminum, phthalates from plastics, and parabens, are breast carcinogens, which means they trigger the development and growth of breast cancer. This discovery led me to create a program, beatbreastcancer. com, to help women avoid breast carcinogens for prevention and healing. One of my favorite resources for living a nontoxic life is the Environmental Working Group at EWG.org, which provides a database of toxins in foods and cosmetics to quickly look up specific ingredients to learn whether they are safe.

Until we have better policies and stricter regulation of toxic products, we can take control of our homes and diets with help from The Food Coop and increase our awareness.

The Journey of a Brussels Sprout

BY MARKO COLBY, MIDORI FARM

You’re about to eat a Brussels sprout. It’s perfectly cooked, just the way you like it. There is a moment of hesitation before you pop it in your mouth, and you wonder… “How did you get here, Brussels sprout?”

First there is the seed, chosen by humans over centuries to look and taste the way it does.* Then came years of modern research and plant breeding to get the tiny buds firmer, sweeter and more adaptable. Next it is grown to seed by skilled seed farmers, cleaned, packaged, shipped, sold, and shipped again to an expectant vegetable farmer who is willing to take a chance on it, who puts that little seed into the soil alongside thousands of other seeds like it. Seeds planted together help coax each other to their fullest potential.

There is the soil. One year before that sprout is eaten, the farmer is planning its entire life-cycle. A location in the field is selected, one that drains well, and one that will have enough water and fertility to guide this plant in its journey towards your plate. In early autumn, a crop of annual grasses and legumes is seeded—this will grow slowly through the winter and put on a toddler-high jungle of growth in the spring before being mowed and incorporated into the ground. Microscopic life is fed and tilth is built up.

There is the farmer who performs each task as an act of love, an act of service, and also because it’s a job that needs doing. They prepare the soil, tend the seedlings in their nursery so they grow strong enough to eventually get tossed into the real world of wind and insects. Hands and backs place the little plants in the warming ground over and over again. A gambler’s mantra for survival: water, weed, repeat, water, weed, repeat. Then autumn again, and cold hands are back for inspecting, harvesting, washing, packing and selling… nudging this sprout towards your dinner table.

Brussels sprouts are an incredibly finicky crop to grow well organically. They require a very specific amount of soil fertility, consistent irrigation, appropriate temperatures at bud formation, and perhaps a bit of luck or magic. They are expected to be pristine and when they are not, they are usually unsellable. Please be kind to farmers and try not to haggle on prices, no one is getting rich growing vegetables.

*The Brussels sprouts we are familiar with were first grown in 13th century Belgium, most likely from a cabbage plant that had been selected over many seasons’ time for its tendency to produce many small heads instead of a single large one.

Marko and Hanako from Midori Farm

Our First Farmer Fund Grants

BY THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE

In February, we were thrilled to award our first Farmer Fund Grants to six local farms— Woodbridge Farm, The Longhouse for the People First Food Project, Goosefoot Farm, Hopscotch Farm and Cannery, Midori Farm, and White Lotus Farm. These grants support a range of projects, from kraut production to indigenous farming practices, that we believe will bring more good food to the community and increase our resilience.

On Woodbridge Farm in Chimacum Valley, Peter Mustin grows flowers, produce, and chickens. The 24-acre farm was not tended for many years, so he’s been working to gradually bring more acres into cultivation. He needs a tractor attachment to remove rocks and smooth the land, and the Co-op grant will enable him to purchase a rake riddle bucket. Look for Peter at the Chimacum Farmers Market, and check out his website: https://www.woodbridgefarm.net

The Longhouse for the People’s First Food project is an effort to restore Indigenous foodways by planting native edible plants in order to learn and teach traditional methods of growing, processing, and serving these foods. They are building a longhouse in Quilcene where they plan to celebrate local food relationships and share traditional knowledge. Funds from the grant will be used to rent equipment for preparing garden beds and to purchase plants and tools. Their website is https://www.thetamanowasfoundation.org

Goosefoot Farm is a collective farm in Chimacum, formed to reduce food insecurity in our county. Their mission is to provide free, high-quality organic produce, and in 2023, they distributed over 16,000 pounds! Goosefoot began in 2019 with help from Finnriver and the Tri-Area Food Bank, and their work has been very collaborative, including nonprofits, neighboring farms, volunteers with and without experience in farming, etc. They will use the grant money to purchase organic vegetable seeds, farm amendments, and for essential repairs and maintenance for their farm truck and tractor. For more info visit

https://www.rootsproject.org/food-access1.html

At Hopscotch Farm, Meghan Mix grows heirloom produce to sell at the Farmers Market, local groceries, and in CSAs. She also processes her farm’s bounty into shelf-stable jars of pickles, jam, and relish, one batch at a time. She farms using no-till methods as well as other practices that improve the soil and require few “off-farm” inputs or fossil fuels. Meghan currently preps all her vegetables by hand, and as her business has grown, this work has become very time consuming, so she will use her grant to buy a Robot Coupe Vegetable Preparation Machine. See her website at www.HopscotchFarmPT.com

PC: Woodbridge Farm

PC: Finnriver Farm and Cidery

PC: Hopscotch

Midori Farms grows a myriad of organic produce, from basics like potatoes and onions to less common vegetables like bitter greens, amazing squashes, and various kinds of radicchio. Hanako Myers and Marko Colby are also well known for their delicious and award winning range of krauts, from Kimchi to Curtido to leek and more. Making this kraut takes a lot of garlic and peeling garlic is a very time-consuming task, so Hanako and Marko will be using their grant to purchase a garlic peeling machine. Their website is at www.midori-farm.com

engineering careers to immerse to become part of the Olympic Peninsula’s vibrant food system. Over the last six years, they have gradually expanded their production from eggs, cut flowers, and bread to lamb and wool, in addition to offering farm stays and an event venue. They work with other local farms, such as Chimacum Valley Grainery for their organic flour and Space Twins Provisions, land tenants who grow vegetables with the no-till method. Natalie and Niall had planned to use their grant to buy a bread slicer, but their circumstances changed and they will be using it for much needed repairs to the roof of their bakery. Check out their website at www.whitelotusfarmandinn.com.

The Food Co-op was able to give grants to six farms, instead of the single grant we anticipated, because our new prompt at register, which began in November 2023, increased our donations to the fund from $1700 in eight months to $10,000 in one month! Next year we should be able to fund many more grants due to the generosity of our members.

you so much for your generosity!

Natalie and Niall Motson of White Lotus Farm left their

Talking About The Co-op and Community

BY DAVE DUNN, FRONT END MANAGER AND BOARD MEMBER

The board wanted to invite the community to come together to think about how our community and co-op might grow to fit the ever-changing dynamic of our community.

To help facilitate this discussion, we invited Jon Steinman to help us start looking at what that future might look like. Jon, author of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants, has done extensive work researching and understanding what makes co-ops like ours so special. Due to his experience, Jon seemed an ideal candidate to help bring this discussion to our store and community. The Co-op sponsored two community meetings, one held at the Northwest Maritime Center and the other at Finnriver, with a separate and unique discussion held for all Co-op staff.

Each day contained two presentations, one concerning the future of co-ops and the second spent practicing a dialogue technique to get folks sharing ideas about the Co-op’s future. Jon’s initial presentation confronted the pressures co-ops experience due to huge grocery mergers. Other issues arise from brand consolidations, where major food labels buy up small businesses. We’ve seen this for years, but the scale is only increasing. Many of these smaller brands have been part of the collective identity of co-ops and natural food stores for years. How do we distinguish ourselves and remind everyone about what makes co-ops truly special? We also delved into this question during the staff presentations.

Of course, the big answer...we support local! As we all know, when you support local businesses, money stays local, enriching everyone in the community rather than getting sent on a one way trip out of town. Jon gave a great example: He followed the money he spent at a café in his town, which, after circulating through the community, ended up going to his wife’s workplace. We all know the identity of our co-op is much more than the brands we carry—it’s in how we take care of each other and work to boost our community rather than send our wealth out of the community.

We spent the second portion of each evening in a cooperative dialogue, a supportive and nonjudgemental technique that encourages creative ideas without getting distracted by focusing on solving problems. This is a good practice for bringing up fresh ideas in a space where fixing things is not the goal, but adventuring new ideas and listening is.

I feel it is really important to initiate these discussions, since we know change is inevitable, and we have all been feeling changes in our community. How we respond to these changes and develop our community is up to us. Hopefully, this was a small step forward in thinking about how we want our community to reflect us in the future.

STAFF SESSION TAKEAWAYS

What was the most notable part of the events for you?

I loved how Jon empowered us to create our own stories to explain how important coops are. His story about the cheesecake he bought, made by the woman who would also spend her money in the community was a perfect example. I also liked the image of Safeway trucks leaving our community, not empty, but filled with our community’s wealth. Maybe most importantly, though, was the fact that no food coop has ever been bought out by a large chain – we learned that the model itself has strength and longevity.

One of the key points that Jon Steinman made, was to remind us that we truly are a collective with a say in what happens to this business. He let us know that not once in all of Co-op history has a Cooperative business closed or shut down due to selling out. While larger corporations owned by only one individual or small group can simply decide to sell the business and move on, leaving the employees and community dealing with the devastation of being unemployed and possibly no realistic food source close by, a cooperative must have that collective vote by the membership (which included employees) in-order to sell. This is just one more reason to feel good and have peace of mind when shopping and supporting local. It’s easy to get lost in the day to day shuffle of life in the store. Stock, rotate, re-stock… But after hearing Jon Steinman speak it reinforced how important food co-ops are for a local community. It was inspirational hearing how not one food co-op nationwide has been bought out because it’s member owned. He talked about how it’s about trust. Customer’s can trust their co-op has their best interest at heart because as Steinman says, “store profits are customer profits.”

It was so important for the staff to hear about the power, leverage and foothold the organization and, by extension, the staff have with regard to the food industry in our community.

Tradition and Change at the Jefferson County Farmers Market

BY AMANDA MILHOLLAND, JCFM

The nonprofit Jefferson County Farmers Markets (JCFM) will cut the red ribbon, ring the cowbell, and parade goats through uptown Tyler Street for our Port Townsend Farmers Market (PTFM) season opening on Saturday, April 6th. Please join us! This will be a year of traditions and change. We are thrilled to welcome back beloved vendors, our friends and neighbors, the season-opening goat parade, our community-supported food assistance programs, live music, and more! As fresh growth springs from fertile soil, new farm, food, and artisan businesses will join the PTFM and Chimacum Farmers Market (CFM) this year. JCFM also embraces change this summer with a temporary move of the PTFM to make way for road repairs on Tyler Street.

In addition to our beloved returning farm, artisan food, and arts businesses, JCFM looks forward to welcoming a lovely group of new small businesses to our markets this season. Your excitement for everything our markets bring, as well as your desire for more prepared food and diverse farm products, came through in the community survey many of you participated in last fall. You are in luck! This year, we welcome a dozen new vendors with a wide range of products to the PTFM. Businesses like Ground Control Goats bring us farm-inspired art (and cute kids for the goat parade), while A & N Farm and Food offers Thai drinks and fresh Thai spices. Good JuJu Ghee offers ghee made with organic, grass-fed milk, and Nature Girls Achers will bring eggs, honey, beeswax products, and sourdough starter to the Market.

Along with welcoming new vendors, this summer, the PTFM will temporarily try out a new location while the City of Port Townsend completes much-needed repairs to Tyler Street. Last

year, JCFM worked with the City of Port Townsend and the local nonprofit Disability Awareness Starts Here! (DASH) to assess the accessibility of our PTFM street location. DASH and the City of PT identified major repair needs on Tyler Street– potholes, crumbling crosswalks, a lack of curb cuts, and sections of broken sidewalk. With grant funds from the Transportation Improvement Board, the City will resurface Tyler Street, add ADA curb cuts, and repair the sidewalk. This much-needed road improvement project will most likely start by mid-July and conclude by mid-September. While some of you will read this with dread, there is a brilliant flip side. At the end of the project, we will have a more accessible, user-friendly uptown and market space. (Thank you, City of PT and DASH, for your partnership!)

The JCFM board of directors is exploring alternate PTFM locations for this summer. We look forward to sharing more as our plans develop. The success of our local farmers markets and the small businesses we support is deeply tied to you—our community. Please join us for our season opening of the PTFM on Saturday, April 6th, and throughout the year, especially through our market move. Your weekly grocery shopping supports local jobs and makes agriculture and the arts viable parts of our local economy. Thank you for your investment in our community. See you in April!

Stay tuned for updates on our PTFM move and how the JCFM board is incorporating community and vendor survey feedback into our strategic planning by signing up for the JCFM weekly newsletter at www.jcfmarkets.org

Thank you!

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Sailor Vineyard

PORT TOWNSEND, WA

As we enter our second decade as one of Port Townsend’s local vineyards and wineries, we have achieved a good understanding of the buzz word “sustainable”. Our farming methods through to our final product encompasses truly adhering to the least impact on the environment while producing the most favourable wine. Our future as both farm and winery looks bright, with new plantings of Dolcetto, Pinot Noir, and seedless table grapes coming into maturity. Our primary crop of Marechal Foch keeps us happy with great wine! Not to mention our delicious “Field Blend” which has drawn an enthusiastic following of its own. Cheers!

SoulCedar Farm

QUILCENE, WA

Our ‘Shrubs’ - or sipping vinegars - have been reformulated to allow for a cold-fill process! This means that our line of shrubs will retain all of the benefits of the living apple cider vinegar mother and raw local honey. Hooray for beneficial microbes! Shrubs are currently available on a 500 ml bottle, with a smaller 250 ml bottle coming soon. New bottles are corked and feature new labels with informational back panels. Find us at the co-op, the Chimacum Corner Farmstand, and the PT Farmers market the first Saturday of the month!

Red Dog Farm

CHIMACUM, WA

It’s CSA signup time here at Red Dog Farm! These weekly boxes of locally grown, certified organic produce are available April through December on Wednesday afternoons at five pickup locations in Port Townsend, here at the farm in Chimacum, Port Ludlow, and new this year, Kala Square. Each share is designed to feed 1-3 people and come with recipes, usage and storage tips, and news from the farm. Sign up on our website for the full season or by the month to fill your plate with farm-fresh strawberries, carrots, salad mix, winter squash, tomatoes, potatoes, tulips, and so much more!

For more info visit www.reddogfarm.net/shop

Wilderbee Farm

PORT TOWNSEND, WA

Spring greetings from Wilderbee Farm! The pond is full, the frogs are singing, and the bees are peeking out of the hives to soak up warmer days and forage a dandelion or two. Did you know honey aromas, flavors, and colors can vary widely every year even in the same location? This variation provides a unique flavor profile for our meads each year. The 2022 blackberry blossom honey harvest provided us with a wonderfully rich, dark, and caramelly honey with toasty notes. Our traditional and whiskey barrel aged meads produced with this varietal are available now at The Food Co-op and at our tasting room on the farm, open Saturdays & Sundays 12-5pm. Thank you to all of our local producers! You can find their products and over

EAT LOCAL FIRST

community supported agriculture

For consumers eagerly awaiting fresh spring and summer produce, now is the time to choose a CSA farmer. CSA stands for ‘Community Supported Agriculture’, a convenient way to keep the kitchen stocked with the very best the season has to offer while directly supporting and engaging with a local farm. By choosing local, we minimize food miles, reduce packaging waste, and support sustainable agricultural practices that are kinder to our planet. For those that might be new to CSA, Eat Local First can be a trusty guide. Eat Local First’s CSA Finder helps consumers in Washington find local food subscriptions near them, and is also offering the chance to win $300 toward their choice of a CSA share from any CSA farm in Washington. Additional resources, tips and stories of local CSA farms and CSF (Community Supported Fisheries) are also available on the Eat Local First website. There are over 300 farms listed on the CSA Finder – something for everyone!

The Beauty of Beans

BY SIDONIE MAROON, CULINARY EDUCATOR FOR THE FOOD CO-OP

There’s an Economy and a Creativity in Limits

I learned to cook dry beans and lentils during the 1980s as a single mom. Juggling life as a full-time student with side jobs, I strove to match my ideals with what I could afford and manage. This was before Instant Pots, and I didn’t own a slow cooker, so it was the stove top for me.

I began with lentils, progressed to pinto beans, and eventually reached chickpeas. Packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, legumes made an incredibly nutritious ingredient, versatile and within my $50 a month budget. Little did I know I was charting a path towards a lifetime of preparing delicious legumes that’s both creative and sustainable.

Cooking was my key to nutritious eating. I loved buying bulk, and in terms of cost and carbon footprint, it was the smart choice.

Valuable Lessons

When I think about it, I acquired valuable lessons from everyone I met. A macrobiotic mom taught me to prepare large quantities of beans and grains in advance and store them in the fridge for easy meals. As part of a community garden, I learned to steam or stir-fry seasonal greens and add them to my legumes. I lived in a group house where we roasted trays of root vegetables, squashes, and onions to use as flavor bases. We made batch sauces and froze them.

To Have Time, Make Time

People who have limited funds but a love for good food prioritize cooking. Back then, it was our social time—we raved over each other’s cooking and built a community around growing, buying, and cooking healthy food. I learned that to have time, you make time. I invested in a skill set that’s served me ever since. It’s pretty magical how I can turn a handful of dried beans into something delicious no matter where I am.

Become Someone Who Cooks Legumes

Buy in bulk, place the beans in glass Mason jars, and store them within sight. You want to see them every day. Which colored legume calls to you? Three times a week, choose black, red, white, pink, or green.

Have one favorite way to cook legumes. The Instant Pot is easiest, slow cooker next, while the stove top comes in third. They all work and produce flavorful beans. Countless YouTube videos are available with people eager to teach these methods. The Instant Pot is my favorite option. I combine 2 cups of dried beans, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and enough water to cover by two inches. Occasionally, I spice things up with garlic and dried chilies. I set the pot for the bean cycle or 30 minutes with a natural release. Lentils take less time.

Make sure to utilize your bean broth! I often pressure cook kale in the water after I’ve strained the beans. I add the bean water back to the pot, along with chopped kale, and cook on high pressure for two minutes using an instant release. You could do something similar on the stovetop.

Familiarize yourself with the essential herbs and spices for different types of beans.

Have a few basic recipes for each bean type in your back pocket.

Know which grains, vegetables, and condiments go with which beans.

Embrace simplicity and economy

Running low on both time and money? Discover how to save both through bulk cooking. This is a lifestyle investment that promises endless adventure and no regrets. A well-cooked pot of beans invites gathering. Life, love, and singing minstrels will fill your kitchen. You will live a blessedly bean-u-ti-ful life! Hooray for integrating your values into action, practicing conscious consumption, and making a beneficial contribution to our world. Learn to Cook Dry Beans From Bulk.

Red Kidney Bean Dip

Makes 2 Cups

Find more recipes like this one in the Co-op’s “Community Cook Pamphlet—The Caucasus.” This red kidney bean dip is an everyday standby recipe, perfect in lavash cracker roll-ups or stuffed into pita breads. Serve with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, or with olive and walnut tapenade.

For Instant Pot or stove top

1 and 1/4 cups dry kidney beans

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 medium onions, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Fresh herbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup chopped parsley

In an Instant Pot, cook the kidney beans with salt and water to cover by 2 inches at high pressure for 30 minutes with an instant release. You can also cook the beans using the stovetop. You’ll want 3 cups of cooked beans. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Grind the spice mix in a spice grinder. Toss the onions in the olive oil and spices and roast for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

Stir the tomato paste and vinegar together and mix into the roasted onions. Roast for another 5 minutes.

In a large food processor, pulse the beans, roasted onions, and herbs until they are chunky smooth. They can also be mashed by hand but will be even more on the chunky side.

Scoop into a bowl and enjoy with lavash crackers or in lavash roll-ups with cheese and herbs.

Black-Eyed Pea Skordalia

Serves 4-6

Find more recipes like this one in the Co-op’s “Community Cook Pamphlet—Greek.” A luscious lemon-garlic black-eyed pea spread. Serve it with crusty bread and a salad. The lemon-garlic sauce needs time to temper its bite. When it’s settled, usually overnight, it’s amazing. If you are short on time, use roasted garlic instead of fresh.

Ingredients

2 cups dried black-eyed peas cooked as per directions below

1 teaspoon salt

Sauce

3-6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

1/3 cup walnut oil

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or more to taste

Zest from the lemon

Topping

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Combine garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the oil through the feeder tube until the sauce emulsifies into a smooth paste. Taste for salt and acid. If you are using fresh garlic, let the sauce temper in the fridge overnight, or as you like.

Mash the sauce and black-eyed peas together into a semi-puree. You should be able to see some whole beans, but overall it should look like mashed potatoes. Spread the toasted walnuts and chopped parsley over the top. Serve at room temperature.

Greek method for cooking black-eyed peas

If you follow this method, you’ll end up with flavorful and digestible beans that won’t give you any trouble. Once you get into the habit, this method is straightforward. I don’t change my cooking water for any legume but black-eyed peas.

Soak the peas in water overnight, covered by two inches. After the peas have soaked, drain and put them into a heavybottomed pot. Cover with water by 2 inches. Bring them up to a boil and then drain off the boiling water.

Return the peas to the pot, adding the same amount of water and bring them back to a simmer. After bringing them back to a simmer, skim off any foam and add whatever aromatics you are using. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt for every 2 cups of dried beans. Cook them at a simmer for 45-60 minutes depending on the age of the beans. They’re done when they taste smooth with no raw flavors, yet hold together with few broken skins.

Chana Masala

Makes 2 1/2 quarts

This is my version of the classic Indian dish, a guest favorite. It’s a delicious main dish chili, full of flavor with a sour-sweet pop. Serve it hot with rice or naan and a side salad.

Ingredients

For Instant Pot or stove top:

2 cup raw chickpeas

6 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 dried ancho chile

1 dried pasilla chile

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, ground into a paste

1 teaspoon turmeric powder or 1 tablespoon fresh turmeric paste

For Oven

2 large onions, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil or ghee

Oven Spice Mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoons black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon decorticated cardamom or 5 whole green cardamom pods

5 whole cloves

1 tablespoon whole cumin seed

1 tablespoon whole coriander seed

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

To Finish

2 tablespoons tamarind paste

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, or 2 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes

Add unsoaked chickpeas, salt, chilies, ginger, turmeric, and water to the Instant Pot. Set it to the bean cycle or for 45 minutes at high pressure with a natural release. You may also use the conventional stove-top method for cooking chickpeas.

Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. As the chickpeas cook, prep the oven ingredients Using a spice grinder, reduce the spices to a rough powder. Mix the onions, garlic, oil or ghee, and spices together on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes and stir. Continue to roast for another 15 minutes or until the onions are sweet.

When the chickpeas have finished, put the cooked chilies, with tops removed, into a blender jar with the chickpea liquid, the oven ingredients, and tamarind paste. Blend until smooth and stir the sauce into the chickpeas. Add the tomatoes and serve hot.

Sicilian Style Chickpea Salad

Makes 5 cups

Find more recipes like this one in the Co-op’s “Community Cook Pamphlet—Italian.”

Ingredients

For Instant Pot or stove top:

2 cups dry chickpeas, cooked with 1 teaspoon salt

Stems from the parsley (below), tied together

For Salad

2 stalks celery, minced

1 cup Italian parsley, minced

1/4 cup raisins, minced

1/4 cup whole pine nuts or minced pepitas

Parmesan on the table

Dressing

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoons black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon decorticated cardamom or

5 whole green cardamom pods

5 whole cloves

1 tablespoon whole cumin seed

1 tablespoon whole coriander seed

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

To Finish

2 tablespoons tamarind paste

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, or 2 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes

Cook chickpeas, soaked if you are using the stovetop or a slow cooker and unsoaked if using an Instant Pot (30 minutes at HP with a NR). Cook with water to cover and 1 teaspoon sea salt.

Blend the dressing ingredients together in a small food processor. Prepare the raisins, parsley, and celery.

Drain the chickpeas and add to a salad bowl. Add the minced raisins, seeds or nuts, celery, and parsley. Pour the dressing over and combine. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve at room temperature with parmesan on the table.

Yes, peas!

Mint Pesto Pea Soup

Serves 6. Total time: 30 minutes

Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable broth

6 cups fresh or frozen peas

2 green onions, diced

2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced

1⁄4 cup sour cream

Pesto

1⁄2 cup fresh parsley leaves

1⁄4 cup fresh mint leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

1⁄4 cup pine nuts

1 lemon, zest and juice

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with the butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute 5 to10 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add half the minced garlic, and cook another minute, then add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the peas, return to a boil, and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in the green onions, mint, sour cream, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Be careful — vent the blender to allow steam to escape or use an immersion blender. Taste for salt and pepper.

2. To make the pesto, put the parsley, mint, garlic, pine nuts and lemon zest and juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the Parmesan cheese and blend. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until blended well. Top each bowl of soup with a large spoonful of pesto, and serve warm or chilled.

Snow Peas

Snow peas are perhaps most popular as an ingredient in stir-fried dishes. The tender, flat pods are harvested while still young, before the peas inside fully develop. Snow peas may be eaten raw or cooked — slice them into salads or try a quick saute in olive oil with minced garlic, salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Snap Peas

Gardeners know it’s hard to resist eating freshly picked snap peas! Crisp and sweet, snap peas (or sugar snap peas) are a cross between snow peas and shell peas. Their edible, rounded pods are crunchy and the peas are larger than those found inside snow peas. Enjoy them dipped in hummus or tzatziki, a yogurt sauce flavored with cucumbers and mint.

Shell Peas

The frozen and canned peas found in grocery stores are shell peas, also known as garden peas, English peas or sweet peas. Whereas snow peas and snap peas can be eaten pods and all, this variety has a tougher outer shell — open it to reveal and remove the sweet peas inside, then discard the pod.

Chicken and Pea Salad

Serves 4. Total time: 40 minutes; 15 minutes active

1⁄2 pound snap peas

3 cups cooked chicken, roughly chopped

1⁄2 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 scallions, chopped

1⁄4 cup parsley, chopped

1⁄2 cup Greek yogurt, nonfat

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

Salt to taste

1. Trim the snap peas, chop into ½-inch pieces and place in a bowl with the chicken. Add the thawed peas, scallions and parsley.

2. In a cup, stir the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and tarragon. Pour over the chicken mixture and stir to mix.

Honey Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry

Serves 2. Total time: 20 minutes

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 large carrots, halved and sliced on a diagonal

2 cups snow peas, fresh or frozen, stems removed

1⁄3 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon canola oil

Red pepper flakes, optional

1. Slice the chicken breast across the grain in thin slices, then cut them into 3/4 inch strips. Set aside.

2. Prep the vegetables and reserve. In a cup, mix the teriyaki sauce and honey.

3. Place a large wok or skillet over high heat for a minute, until the pan is very hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add the chicken. If using red pepper flakes, add a generous pinch now. Stir frequently for about 3 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink and has some browned spots.

4. Add the carrots and snow peas and keep stirring for about 1 minute. When the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are crisp-tender, stir the teriyaki sauce mixture again and pour it over the chicken and vegetables. Stir to coat and thicken the sauce for 1-2 minutes, and serve hot.

Snow peas and carrots add color and crunch to this simple stir-fry. Serve over rice or stir in cooked udon noodles, coating them with the teriyaki sauce.

Carrot-Pea Fritters

Serves 3. Total time: 30 minutes

Raita

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon honey or agave

1⁄4 cup fresh mint, chopped

2 large scallions, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Fritters

3 cups finely shredded carrots

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1⁄2 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 cup chickpea flour

1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. For the raita, place the yogurt in a medium bowl and stir in the honey or agave, mint, scallions, salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

2. Heat the oven to 200°F and line a large, heatsafe plate with a double layer of paper towels. In a large bowl, combine the carrots, peas, onion

and ginger and toss to mix. In a small bowl, combine the chickpea flour, turmeric, cumin, cayenne and salt. Stir to mix, then stir into the carrot mixture, mixing until a thick dough forms. Use a quarter-cup measuring cup to scoop the carrot mixture and flatten each portion to a half-inch thick patty.

3. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat for about a minute, then drizzle in the oil, tilting the pan to cover the bottom. Place several portions of the carrot-pea mixture in the pan, leaving an inch of space between them. As they start to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 2 minutes, and use a thin metal spatula to carefully turn the fritters. Cook for 2 minutes on the second side, then turn and cook on the first side again for 2 minutes more, until the fritters are quite brown and crisp on the outside. Place on the prepared plate in the oven to keep them warm as you finish the remaining fritters. Serve warm with raita.

Called pakora in India, these fritters are dotted with peas and seasoned with warm spices. Pair them with dal (a traditional lentil soup or stew) and naan.