The Insider April 2014 by Swarthmore Co-op

THE

INSIDER CREATED BY THE SWARTHMORE FOOD COOPERATIVE

! e m take ree! I’m F

APRIL 2014 ISSUE 010

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inside you said it page 3

upcoming events page 4

gm corner page 6

april specials page 18

features

benefits of bagless

@swacoop

food tent rides again

page 6 page 7

philly bread on the rise page 8

particularly interesting page 9

lilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; history of corn page 11

the hunger hikes page 13

(cover, pages 5, 7, 10, & 13)

looking to advertise?

contact HILLARY WICKLINE for a rate schedule marketing@swarthmore.coop

you said it Do you have a question, comment, or concern? Talk to us! Email Marc BrownGold, generalmanager@swarthmore.coop, or fill out a comment card in store I love the cheese case but I often become confused and frustrated. I have been told the cheese is organized by region, but that doesn’t mean much to me. Please alphabetize cheese or use a color coding system. - Jen Thanks for your comment Jen! Nick, the Co-op’s cheesemonger, is in the works of reorganizing the cheese case. Stay tuned for a more organized case! Sincerely, Swarthmore Co-op

Can you carry loose Japanese or Chinese green tea? Thanks! - Roberta Thanks for the suggestion, Roberta! We have a number of loose teas on the bulk spice end cap, located at the end of aisle 9. If you would like to order a tea we don’t carry, John, our grocery manager, would be happy to order it for you. Please talk to him in store or contact him at grocery@swarthmore.coop Sincerely, Swarthmore Co-op

DO YOU WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE INSIDER? we welcome outside content, including photography, editorials, essays, etc. contact HILLARY WICKLINE for more details marketing@swarthmore.coop

upcoming events wellness wednesday every wednesday, 11 AM - 2 pm first friday Quizzo april 4, 8 pm members appreciation day april 12, all day! sunday suppers benefit brunch april 19, 1:30 PM - 4 Pm earth day april 22 truckathon april 25, 6 PM

gm corner written by MARC BROWNGOLD Some issues that plague the body and mind start with a low hum and gradually make their way to the forefront of your being. For me, giving up hybridized wheat was that issue. I have always been a big guy, and never realized why, that no matter how in shape I was, I always had a small belly and digestion issues. I have been “wheat-less” for 2 months now and feel better than I have in years. Gone is the mid-afternoon lull and the late evening fog. I sleep better and have a healthy appetite. It was a small change that I felt that I had to try after receiving the suggestion from Ed Farace, our produce manager. I read the book Wheatbelly and it changed my life. Everyone does not have wheat issues, but if you do, eliminating wheat will have an incredible effect on your body and mind.

Do not let anyone tell you that it is hard to alleviate wheat from your diet. I focus on whole foods, vegetables, and small amounts of protein in my meals. I snack on fruits, nuts, yogurt, and even ice cream. If you have found that you bloat and experience gas after meals, accompanied by small headaches and fatigue, try eliminating hybridized wheat from your diet. You may have noticed that I wrote this article using simple terminology, and I did this for a reason. It is hard to sift through all the information that is written about the food we eat and I wanted to keep this note simple. While the gluten free diet can be considered a trend or fad diet, eliminating wheat was a simple decision that made sense for me, and it may make sense for you too.

BENEFITS OF BAGLESS written by MARIA CONTINO With the exciting announcement of the Co-op’s new bag policies, it’s important to understand why and how going bagless will be beneficial.

Less plastic bag production means less air pollution and energy consumption caused by the petroleum used in manufacturing.

Even though plastic bags can be recycled, many plastic bags end up polluting the environment. Not carrying plastic bags means that fewer end up in trees or floating in the ocean.

As always, we encourage you to bring in any disposable plastic grocery bags for recycling – be sure to wash out and clean the bags too! Going bagless is an important step in creating awareness and encouraging our customers and employees to think about the long-term effects of plastic manufacturing and use.

Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to degrade. In fact, they don’t even biodegrade, they photodegrade, meaning the bags break into smaller pieces that contaminate the soil and water.

PHILLY

ON THE RISE

SPONSORED BY PHILLY BREAD

written by HILL ARY WICKLINE

he Philadelphia area is known for a number of foodstuffs; cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, the historic Italian market, but Pete Merzbacher of Philly Bread is determined to make Philly known for its bread. Pete came to the Philly en route of western Massachusetts, where he had access to Hungry Ghost Bread, a local bread bakery near his college campus. “It’s the kind of bread you can enjoy without olive oil or butter – I was known to eat almost an entire loaf on my way back home on the bus,” says Pete. After graduating, Pete took a job at Talula’s Garden in Center City where he learned a number of kitchen fundamentals, such as cooking homemade stock, blanching vegetables, roasting chicken, and scrambling eggs to perfection. Bread, however, he learned to bake through trial and error. “When I started to bake bread, I tried to match the taste of Hungry Ghost bread. After much experimentation and with the help of the Tartine Cookbook, I found a recipe that brought me closer to the Hungry Ghost taste I know.” Philly Bread started as a CSA model, delivering loaves of bread by bike to its members. The support from CSA members allowed Pete to expand his business into a wholesale retailer.

The Tartine Cookbook is a big inspiration for Pete and is a musthave for all bakers.

Pete relies on Castle Valley Mill for non GMO, stone-ground grains. “If the goal is to make the very best bread, then you can only use

continued on page 15 ...

PARTICULARLY written by JOHN WIEME BIODIESEL PROGRAM MANAGER, THE ENERGY CO-OP re you familiar the Diesel Emission Reduction Act? Signed into law by President Bush as part of the excitingly named “Energy Policy Act of 2005,” the Diesel Emission Reduction Act or DERA “appropriated funds to federal and state loan programs to either rebuild diesel-powered vehicle engines to more stringent emission standards or install emission reduction systems, notify affected parties, and share the technological information with countries that have poor air quality standards.” The EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC), in conjunction with DERA funds, seeks to promote clean air strategies by reducing emissions from existing diesel engines. DERA makes funding available to retrofit older vehicles with new, advanced emission control technologies, replace older vehicles with new vehicles that include emission control technologies, reduce idling hours, and promote the use of cleaner fuels e.g. propane, biodiesel, or natural gas. As part of the act, the EPA was required to issue a report to Congress a year after DERA funds were appropriated. The report covers 2008 and was released in 2009. You can read the whole thing but here are some of the accomplishments in the first year: 46,000 tons of nitrogen oxide (precursor to smog and acid rain) emissions reduced 2,200 tons of particulate matter (implicated in a myriad of health issues) emissions reduced 3.2 million gallons of fuel saved Additionally, the EPA sought to quantify the health savings from reducing particulate matter emissions. Particulates are a particularly (ha!) harmful health 9 hazard and the main component of

air pollution that makes the air seem dirty. Literally. They have also been implicated in a variety of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases including asthma, lung cancer, birth defects, and premature death. Because of the health risks, the EPA has established health benefit savings as a dollar per ton reduced figure which varies county to county around the country depending on the county’s overall diesel fuel use, sectors where it is used (on-road, locomotive, marine, etc), and its population size and density. Each year the EPA designates priority county areas and all five (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia) counties in our region are designated, meaning that we have

continued on page 15 ...

LIL’ HISTORY OF

CORN written by KIRA MONTAGNO recipe p rovi ded by MEGAN LIEBERMAN

he history of corn in America is long and very complicated. Formerly known as maize, corn was domesticated in Mexico by indigenous tribes 9,000 years ago. It played an integral part in Native American culture due to its versatility and all parts of the plant were essential. Dried corn turned into hominy, ground corn was made into cornmeal or grits, fermented corn created chicha (maize beer), and husks were sewn into sleeping mats and other useful accessories. When colonist came to the Americas in the 1490’s, they quickly understood the value of corn and adopted its uses from indigenous cultures in the Americas. Fast-forward a couple thousand years, corn has completely transformed from the traditional maize grown by Native Americans due to genetic modifications. In fact, 90% of the corn grown in the world today has been genetically modified or altered from its original state, creating monoculture, nutrient-less soil and crops, and pest resistant plants, posing a threat to our health.

continued on page 16 ...

Castle Valley Mill stays true to its roots by using non GMO, stone ground grains

MEGAN’S

Whisk together in a separate bowl: 2 large eggs 2/3 cup milk 2/3 cup buttermilk

CORNBREAD

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until moistened. Fold in: 2 to 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Start by positioning a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Grease a 9x9 inch pan.

Pour batter into pan making sure to spread it into the corners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

CASTLE VALLEY MILL

In a large bowl thoroughly wisk together: 3/4 cups all purpose flour 11/4 cups Castle Valley Mill cornmeal 1 to 4 tablespoons of sugar (base on personal preference) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt

Test by inserting a toothpick in the center. The corn bread is finished when the toothpick comes out clean. Best if served warm. The texture of this cornbread will be a littler than traditional southern corn bread. The batter can be baked in a loaf pan or as muffins. It is a very forgiving recipce and works well with substitutions. This recipe also lends itself for add in’s such as raisins, nuts, hot peppers, and a varity of diferent spices.

THE HUNGER HIKES written by BROOKE PORCH

he approaching summer means one thing – more time outside. Hiking, cycling and other sports will often leave their participants rather hungry, and with good reason! A 20-mile bike ride can burn nearly 1,000 calories as well as ten miles of hiking or two hours of tennis. Even a day spent in the sun at the beach can leave us hungry. And when I say hungry, I’m referring to that all-consuming, almost animalistic appetite. I know this hunger well. In 2012, I hiked 2,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail (AT). There were times during my hike that I was so hungry that I felt depressed and even thought about quitting. But, to be honest, much of my diet on the AT was terrible. I ate a lot of candy, potato chips, ramen noodles, and pop tarts on the trail. At least once a week I would spend a significant amount of time in town gorging on buttered French fries and ice cream. I knew it was important to eat vegetables, especially in the local towns, but they don’t travel well and consist of mostly water. For example, the calories-per-gram of cabbage is 0.6 calories compared to the 6.5 calories per gram in walnuts. Dehydrated vegetables weren’t an option either because of their bland taste and lack of nutrition. Like myself, most long distance hikers don’t want to hike hundreds of miles on honey buns, but

many do because they are cheap and have a large amount of calories. Furthermore, when you are trying to buy 3 days worth of food at a gas station in Virginia your options are likely to be extremely limited. In these situations, Snickers seem healthy because of the peanuts. All the same, it doesn’t have to be this way! My “outdoor goal” this season is to eat better on the trail. Many long-distance hikers will laugh at my goal as there is good evidence that on-trail nutrition doesn’t really matter. “Flying Brian” Robinson hiked the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails in a single year – that’s 8,000 mile of hiking – eating Snickers on most of his hikes. That being said, I can dream. A great place to start is the bulk food aisle of the Co-op. GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) can get boring rather fast, but it is easy to mix up your trail mix with additions like walnuts, banana chips, or dried fruit of any sort – I love dried mango. One thing to note is that these items all have very high calories per gram ratios, meaning you are carrying less water weight. These foods tend to dehydrate the body so be sure to drink an adequate amount of water. For overnight trips, things like oatmeal, mixed with dried berries and nuts offers a great breakfast – just add water and soak. Stepping out of the bulk aisle, tortillas with nut butters or tinned fish offer a tasty lunch. An orange or an apple is a perfect day-trip food. It will help you stay hydrated, tastes great, and even comes with an ecofriendly package.* Happy Hiking! *Note: please don’t litter orange peels as they take a long time biodegrade and often treated with food waxes. Apples can be eaten whole. The few seeds in an apple are harmless as the amount of cyanide is very small and the hard coating of the seed means they will pass through you completely.

FUN FAIR FOOD

TENT RIDES AGAIN written by MARV GELB SWARTHMORE ROTARY In 2013, Scott Richardson, owner of Occasionally Yours, and Marc BrownGold, General Manager of the Swarthmore Co-op, entered into a partnership with the Swarthmore Rotary Club Food Tent at the Swarthmore Charity Fun Fair. The Fun Fair began thirteen years ago as a forum for dozens of charities to raise money for their various causes. In a spirit of community and caring, Marc and Scott donated their time and energy to cook and provide the work necessary to make the Food Tent a success for the benefit of ABC Strath Haven and Rotary grants. Relying on individual gifts and grants, ABC Strath Haven’s mission is to increase the number of well-educated young people of color who are capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in their communities. In 2013, the Food Tent Team raised a net amount of $6,000! For the 2014 Swarthmore Charity Fun Fair, to be held on Sunday, May 4th, Marc and Scott have once again teamed up with Rotary for the benefit of ABC Strath Haven and Rotary grants. To make this year’s Food Tent better than ever, Championship BBQ Pit Master Doug Keiles has joined the team. Doug and his team have been competing in the barbecue circuit for 11 years and have won a number of awards, including the Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association’s Team of the Year in 2011 and Frank Purdue’s Taste of Excellence Award in 2008. With the participation of Marc, Scott, and Doug, you can expect that the Food Tent will be a delicious and memorable food event at the 2014 Swarthmore Charity Fun Fair.

... continued from page 8 the freshest and best grains.” Each loaf is carefully crafted with minimal machinery. “Every step of the process other than mixing is done by hand. There’s no machine that compromises the quality of a baker’s hands.” One of Philly Bread’s most popular items is his notorious Philly muffin. A play on the traditional English muffin, Philly muffins were created by accident. “I had old dough and a hot skillet. I put the two together and my roommates loved the final product. It turns out everyone else did too.” It’s a muffin anyone can enjoy – the size, texture, and the mild sour taste all contribute to the Philly muffin’s perfection. His secret to great bread? Pete credits his employees. “The whole staff is passionate which is critical.” As a growing business, Philly Bread has had its fair share of challenges. Right now, distribution remains at the top of that list. “As we grow we are looking for partners to distribute our product. The less time we dedicate towards distribution challenges, the more time we get to spend making excellent breads.” Pete is optimistic about Philly Bread’s future but also the Philadelphia area’s relationship to bread as a whole. “Someday the world will see the Philadelphia region as the more than the home of the cheesesteak. But more broadly I want Philly Bread to be known as the bread with a unique flair.” Pete continues to push boundaries in his bread baking abilities and he continues to ask, “Baguettes will never vanish, but did innovation end there?” -Philly Bread is a new producer of slow fermented sourdough bread and aims to make bread lovers in San Francisco, Paris, and Munich jealous of Philadelphia. Find Philly Muffins in the bakery department of the Swarthmore Coop and other local area co-ops.

... continued from page 9 consistently high levels of particulate matter air pollution. Using EPA’s Diesel Emissions Quantifier (DEQ) , I was able to determine the health benefit saving amounts for each of the five counties for the on-road of diesel: • Chester: $1,185,125 / ton • Bucks: $1,835,564 / ton • Delaware: $2,659,574 / ton • Montgomery: $1,806,589 / ton • Philadelphia: $5,769,231 / ton As a biodiesel distributor, I tend to talk about and focus on the lifecycle carbon dioxide emission reductions of using biodiesel. Biodiesel, in its typical form of B20 (20% Biodiesel, 80% petro-diesel), reduces CO2 emissions by about 15% compared to regular petroleum diesel. In doing this research on the NCDC and DERA, I’ve realized the importance of also reducing particulate matter emissions. Using the National Biodiesel Board’s Emissions Calculator , I plugged in numbers for the biodiesel The Energy Co-op distributed in 2013 to four of the five counties (we currently do not serve any biodiesel members in Bucks County) then used the dollar amounts from EPA’s DEQ to calculate health savings. Here are my results:

You can clearly see the impact that reducing PM has. In 2013, The Co-op’s biodiesel members reduced PM emission by 0.5459 tons. This doesn’t seem like much but when quantified for health benefits, that little over half a ton turns into over $840,000 in health benefits. I spend a lot of time at work thinking about, calculating, and reporting on greenhouse gas emission reductions and what the continued release of these pollutants means for our planet. We see in the news the effects of greenhouse gas increases and what the rise of these and overall global temperatures entails. By using more sustainable energy, members of The Co-op reduce greenhouse gases while simultaneously reducing other harmful emissions that have a clear and direct health benefit for our region. -John Wieme is the Biodiesel Program Manager for The Energy Co-op, the only independently-owned, local, nonprofit energy supplier in Southeastern PA.

... continued from page 11 With the way corn is being cultivated and grown like it is today, it is refreshing to discover a vendor like Castle Valley Mill. Located in the heart of Bucks County, Castle Valley Mill grinds grains, including wheat, corn, faro, and more, with a buhr-stone mill. All of their grains are whole grain, contain no preservatives or GMOs, and are locally grown whenever possible. All of Castle Valley Mill’s products are stone ground too. Unlike conventional flour in which nutrients are essentially burned off in the production process, stone milling ensures that all of the nutrients are kept within the grains. Mark Fischer, the owner and operator of Castle Valley Mill, tells WHYY,

“There are two things we do that keeps all the nutrition in the food. One is that we are using the whole grain so that when we grind it we are grinding the outside bran along with the inside seed part called the germ and the endosperm which is the inside chalky part. So we are keeping the whole grain together in one piece and all the vitamins and nutrition associated with it. The other thing we are doing is stone grinding it. When you grind commercially using a roller mill, the grains are exposed to an extremely hot temperature which literally cooks out all the vitamins. Because of this, all flour has to say enriched or fortified so you know they have to squirt synthetic vitamins back in to give it nutritional value. When you grind it on stones it’s a very slow process and it keeps the product cool so all the vitamins and nutrition stay in.” Castle Valley Mill cornmeal is the newest item in the Back To Basics program as they are literally going back to the basics by preserving a dying tradition. In an effort to keep costs low, cornmeal will not be packaged in a cloth bag but should still be kept in the freezer to prevent spoilage. We are very excited to work with Mark and Castle Valley Mill at a deeper level. The Co-op truly stands behind this wonderful product, which will be available at a lower cost to everyone beginning April 1st!

EARTH DAYdate!

save the

APRIL 22 2014

CO-OP GOES

BAGLESS (PLASTIC THAT IS)

EASTER

PASSOVER

MENUS ARE HERE! ALL MENUS ARE AVAILABLE

ONLINE

IN STORE

DON’T SEE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?

TALK

ED ROJEWSKI

FRESHFOODSMANAGER SWARTHMORE.COOP

Monthly Specials FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE... Deli Applegate Oven Roasted Chicken Reg. $9.99 lb, buy at least a pound and SAVE!

$2.00 off 1 lb or more Seafood Whole Bronzino, Cyprus Reg. $11.59 lb, sale $9.59 lb

$2.00 off per lb Meat - NEW PRODUCT! Gourmet Chicken Sausages Reg. $9.99 lb, sale $7.99 lb

$2.00 off per lb Specialty Tres Leches

Reg. $15.99 lb, sale $13.99 lb

Produce

My House Bakery KEY LIME PIES

Reg. $4.99 ea

$2.00 off

Bolthouse 32 fl oz. (All Varieties)

$4.59 ea Prepared Foods

Co-op Certified Whipped Cauliflower Reg. $8.99 lb, buy at least a pound and SAVE!

$2.00 off 1 lb or more Featured Sandwich Old Mrs. Smith

Brendon’s spicy candied bacon with his Granny Smith’s apple chutney and aged cheddar, all melted together on the bread of your choice on our new panini press Reg. $8.95 ea, sale $7.95 ea

$1.00 off

$2.00 off per lb

Large Reg $14.99 ea, sale $12.99 ea, Small Reg $7.99 ea, sale $5.99 ea

Grocery Vesper Brothers Sauces

Reg. $5.99 ea, sale $5.39 ea

10% off Dairy Seven Stars Yogurt Reg. Prices Vary

10% off Frozen Woodstock Veggies Reg. Prices Vary

10% off

Member’s

FOR MEMBERS...FOR MEMBERS...FOR MEMBERS...FOR MEMBERS...FOR MEMBERS...FOR MEMBERS...FOR MEMBERS... Seafood - WILD CAUGHT Sustainable Day Boat Cod reg price $14.99 lb, sale $12.99 lb

Members $2.00 off per lb Specialty BEEMSTERMustard (Mustard Seed, Cow’s Milk) Reg.$ 13.99 lb sale $11.49 lb

Members $2.50 lb Bakery - VEGAN TREATS Chocolate Mousse Brownie Reg. $3.25 ea, sale $2.75 ea

Members save 50¢

Deli Cooper American Cheese Reg. $7.99 lb, sale $6.99 lb

Grocery Bobbie’s Hummus

Reg. $5.49 ea, sale $2.99 ea

Members $1.00 off per lb

Members $2.50 off

Prepared REAL DEAL MEAL DEAL Grilled Turkey, Mac& Blue Cheese & Roasted Sweet Carrots

Reg. Prices Vary , sale on entire line

reg. for 1 $9.99 ea, sale $7.95 ea, reg. for 2 $17.99 ea, sale $13.99 ea

Members $4.00 off meal for two Meat All Ground Beef Varieties

reg price sirloin $8.99 lb, round $7.99 lb, chuck $6.99 lb

Members $1.00 off per lb.

Ecover Cleaning Products

Members 25% off

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

Reg. $5.99 ea, sale $4.99 ea

Members $1.00 off Produce Fresh Tofu Reg. $2.49 ea

Members $1.99 ea

Back to Basics

FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVERYONE...

BACK TO BASICS Castle Valley Mill Cornmeal 2 lb bag Originally $7.99 ea

New Price $4.99 ea

Specials valid April 1-30, 2014 except Back to Basics (B2B prices are part of a permanent program).

F IFTEEN TRUC KS. ONE STOMAC H. T HE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU... J UST THE WAY YOU LIKE IT.

Coming to Swarthmore Co-op

April 25th starting 6pm

FOOD TRUCKATHON 4

EAT HARD p r e s e n t e d by a p p l e gat e Changing the meat we eat.