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Spudlove for You & Your Spudbuds by Leigha Staffenhagen
Delicious Dips for Your Organic Chips
With the big-game-we-shall-not-name right around the corner, potato chips are snack list must-haves. Snag a couple bags of Spudlove, and try out one of these dip recipes:
Avocado Herb Dip
Fresh and herby, this dip is cool and refreshing; the perfect break from hot wings and nachos. • 1 clove garlic, peeled • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon • 1 large avocado • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, fat free or low fat • 1/2 teaspoon salt • Baguette slices, pita wedges, carrot sticks or sliced veggies for dipping In a food processor, mince the garlic and tarragon by pulsing and scraping the mixture down until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the avocado, yogurt and salt and process until smooth.
When you reach for your usual bag of potato chips in the Co-op snack aisle, you may not think about much more than what flavor they are or if you’ll make it home without eating them all. Or maybe you consider whether they’re oven-baked or fried, but end up going with the current craving either way. Beyond that, you probably don’t spend time wondering about the potatoes in the bag or what their journey from soil to salty snack actually looked like—hunger is demanding like that. But when it comes to Spudlove, the story is everything. As the name suggests, this chip company loves spuds. In Spudlove’s words, from seed to soil, field to fryer, cut to crunch—they make their chips with a little extra TLC, if you will. Farmerowned and farmer-grown, Spudlove isn’t just interested in the final crispy crunchy snackable snack. The way the humble potato is grown is always at the forefront of their minds. As fifth-generation potato farmers, the folks at Spudlove know what it takes to produce the perfect potato. And for them, the perfect potato is more than one that simply tastes good. It’s a potato that’s sustainably and organically grown, and non-GMO, to maintain the long-term health of their farmland. Spudlove farmers are dedicated to closed-loop sustainability on their Oregon farm. By combining a dairy farm with an organic potato farm, they’re able to create a synergistic system in which the two farms benefit one another. Natural fertilizer from the dairy farm supports the organic spuds, while the potato plants act as a cover crop for the soil, aiding in the growth of feed for the cows. Spudlove’s dedication to the environment is also represented through their careful use of water and their wildlife protection initiatives: Spudlove recognizes that water is a precious resource. When they established their farm in Oregon, they voluntarily relinquished their water rights in order to protect the Columbia River. Instead, to conserve water in the potato growing process, they built their own irrigation system specifically designed to utilize less water than more traditional systems. The farmers worked directly with The Nature Conservancy to thoughtfully set aside 25% of their land to protect four native species most at-risk of endangerment in the region. Now, thanks to Spudlove, the Washington Ground Squirrel, Ferruginous Hawk, Loggerhead Shrike, and Sage Sparrow have a safe, protected habitat where they can flourish. So, next time you’re wandering hungrily through the chip aisle, fall in Spudlove with the crunchy potato chips made from 100% organic ingredients and cooked in small batches by a farmer-owned company set on protecting the planet one perfect potato at a time.
Transfer to a medium bowl and serve with dippers. Any leftover dip can be covered with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the dip to prevent air contact (which causes discoloration), for a couple of days.
Queso Fundido with Chorizo
Because who doesn’t love cheese dip at a football party? • 1 4 oz. link fresh chorizo or hot Italian sausage • 1/2 cup minced onion • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock • 4 oz. grated yellow cheddar • 4 oz. grated Monterey Jack Place a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the chorizo and onion. Cook, stirring and scraping with a spatula, until chorizo is cooked and onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. (If using vegan chorizo, cook in a tablespoon of olive oil.) Using a slotted spoon, lift the chorizo and onions out of the fat in the pan, and place in a small bowl; keep warm. If the chorizo didn't render much fat, add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the fat in the pan, stirring to mix well. Cook for a minute, until the mixture is bubbling. Remove pan from heat and add the stock gradually, whisking until smooth after each addition. When all the stock is added and the mixture is smooth, place back over heat and stir until the liquid bubbles. Add cheeses one handful at a time, stirring until melted before adding more. When all the cheese is incorporated and smooth, transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the chorizo mixture. Makes about 11/2 cups of queso.
Rustic Artichoke Spinach Dip
If you like a chunky dip with some veggies in it, this artichoke spinach dip is the ticket. Along with chips, you’ll want some baguette slices, too. • 1/2 cup canned or marinated artichoke hearts, drained • 2 cups fresh spinach, washed • 1 green onion • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese • 1 teaspoon pickled jalapeño peppers • 3 tablespoons roasted red peppers, drained and diced • 1/3 cup mayonnaise • 2 teaspoons lemon juice • Salt and pepper to taste Mince the artichoke hearts, spinach, jalapeño pepper and green onion. Place them into a mixing bowl, add the Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice and roasted red peppers, then fold the ingredients together with a spatula. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. All recipes adapted from grocery.coop
skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • january–march 2022 11
