All posts by Gary Huber

IFC Pick-up is Thursday; Note Two Special Events!

June 19, 2018
by Gary Huber

Hi. If you are getting this by email, you’ve placed an order for this week’s distribution.

We had 227 members order this cycle. Sales totaled about $13,500, or about 20% more than the same cycle last year. That’s nice growth. Thank you. We are happy and we deeply appreciative of your purchases.

Now it’s time to make it all happen. Below is info regarding distribution this week. First, a couple of events during this week’s distribution:

  • Our summer Farmers’ Market will be Thursday during distribution(4-6p) at our Franklin location. Vendors are Meadow BlazingStar honey, Mendenhall Farms eggs, Pickle Creek Herbs, Taylor’s Mushrooms, Red Barn Produce, and native plants from Prairie Landscapes.
  • Free cooking demo on Sat., June 23rd from 10:30a–noon at our Franklin location. The coffee’s on us; come learn to make flawless Eggs Benedict (not so difficult!) using local + seasonal ingredients from IFC producers! More info here.

Instructions:

1. If picking up at Franklin Plaza, check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There’s good stuff you can add to your online orders.

2. Specifics on times and locations for all our sites are available with this link and to the left.

NOTE: IF YOU ARRIVE BEFORE THE START TIME, OUR VOLUNTEERS WON’T BE READY. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND BE PATIENT.

3. Our alternative pick up time will be from 10:30 am to noon on Saturday, June 23rd. If we don’t see you Thursday, we’ll assume you are coming Saturday or have made other arrangements.

4. We accept EBT cards for payment ONLY AT OUR Franklin Plaza site. If you are an EBT member and are picking up at another location, please send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop so we can arrange for processing your payment.

5. It’s a GOOD IDEA to check to be sure your pick-up site is correct. You can access your invoice by logging in, going to the shopping tab, and click “view in-process invoice”. If it’s not right, send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop.

Thanks.  Looking forward to seeing folks later this week.

IFC’s Thursday Farmers’ Market

June 12, 2018
by Gary Huber

Please join us EVERY Thursday from 4-6p for our Summer Farmers’ Market Series!

 

Every week you’ll find a variety of your favorite IFC vendors, offering fresh produce, grassfed meats, pastured poultry + pork, farm-fresh eggs, local raw honey, baked goods, and more! Our market will feature products that are 100% Iowa-grown, made + raised–come meet your farmer and buy the freshest available. All are welcome. You do not have to be a member to attend or shop! WIC/FMNP checks accepted here.

 

SPECIAL JULY 4TH WEEK MARKET: Market will be held TUESDAY, July 3rd, same time (4-6p). Stock up before the holiday!

Click here to invite your friends on Facebook

Lebanese Kofta w/ Yogurt Sauce

June 12, 2018
by Gary Huber

Another terrific recipe from IFC Recipe Wizard (and volunteer/board member), Robin!

 

“For this recipe, I decided to take the wonderful things that Nagi’s offers and pair it with a few of our other IFC producer items to create an entire meal that’s easy for anyone to make at home. Bonus, it doesn’t require heating up the house with the stove!”

 

Shopping list:

Lebanese Kofta w/ Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
  • *Yogurt sauce:
  • ž cup Country View Dairy Greek yogurt
  • 1 medium cucumber (peeled, halved long way, and seeds scooped out)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Âź teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
  • *Kofta:
  • 6 TB pine nuts
  • 1/4 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • ½ red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
  • ½ jalapeno pepper, seeds & ribs removed, roughly chopped (can add more if you like things spicier)
  • Âź cup cilantro leaves
  • 1 pound of ground meat (I used ground lamb from Griffieon Family Farm, which is more traditional – however, if you’re not a fan lamb, ground beef is also very good. )
  • 1/8 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 heaping teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/8 heaping teaspoon ground cloves
  • ž teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
  • Rosemary springs for grilling (optional – if you’re rosemary plant is going crazy like mine, then this is a great way to impart some extra flavor while pruning your bush. If you don’t have an overzealous rosemary bush, then using wooden skewers will work just fine, just make sure you soak the skewers in water for at least 20 minutes.)
Instructions
  1. *For yogurt sauce:
  2. Coarsely grate the cucumber until you have ½ cup of grated cucumber. Using your hands, squeeze as much liquid as possible from the cucumber. Save the remaining cucumber for a salad or slice it to serve as a garnish.
  3. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  4. *For Kofta:
  5. Place the pine nuts in a dry, nonstick skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Transfer the pine nuts to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium size bowl.
  6. Add the spices to the same bowl as the pine nuts and stir to mix well.
  7. Place the onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro into the food processor and pulse until vegetables are finely minced, but not pureed. Transfer the vegetables to a fine mesh sieve and use a rubber spatula to remove as much liquid as possible. Alternatively, you can also accomplish this by squeezing it in several layers of cheese cloth, or using your hands. Add the strained vegetables to the same bowl as the pine nuts and mix to combine.
  8. Add the ground meat to the bowl and use your hands to combine it.
  9. Divide the mixture into 5 or 6 even balls. Pat into oblong patties about Âź – ½ inch thick and then wrap it around the rosemary or wooden skewers.
  10. Grill over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
  11. Serve topped with yogurt sauce, with falafel, tabbouleh, hummus, and pita chips on the side for an authentic Lebanese-style meal.

 

IFC Distribution is Today; Native Plant Sale @ Franklin Site!

June 7, 2018
by Gary Huber

This is being sent to everyone who ordered. Today is distribution at all sites except Ames, which is tomorrow. Our alternative pick up is Saturday from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Plaza site.

For samples, at Franklin we’ll be sampling sauerkrauts from Bubbling Brine Brothers. We’ll also be sampling gluten-friendly aronia bread from Boone County Organics. At satellite sites, there will be cherry tomatoes from Salama Greenhouse.

We’ll have lots of fresh produce for sale, along with products from some of our new producers–Go Green Rain Barrels, mushroom kits from Taylor’s Mushrooms, sauerkrauts from Bubbling Brine Brothers, and ghee from Spring Sunrise.

Turn your lawn or garden into a bee + butterfly haven with native Iowa prairie plants. Pick them out yourself and talk to the experts from Prairie Landscapes of Iowa LLC who will be selling their plants farmers’ market style at Franklin during distribution again this week.

We can’t wait to see you this afternoon if you are picking up at Franklin. All are welcome, so bring a friend.

And if for some reason you need to call, use 515.450.6812. Thanks for your orders. See you later today or Saturday.

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

June 5, 2018
by Gary Huber

Hi. If you are getting this by email, you’ve placed an order for this week’s distribution.

We had 253 members order this cycle, and sales totaled about $15,500. That’s about 30% more in sales than the same cycle last year. That’s some nice growth, which really helps our producer owners.

Thank you. We are happy and we deeply appreciative of your purchases. Now it’s time to make it all happen. Here’s the relevant info regarding distribution this week.

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, please check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There’s good stuff you can add to your online orders.

2. Specifics on times and locations for all our sites are available with this link and to the left.

NOTE: IF YOU ARRIVE BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START TIME, OUR VOLUNTEERS WON’T BE READY. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND BE PATIENT.

3. Our alternative pick up time will be from 10:30 am to noon on Saturday, June 9th. If we don’t see you Thursday, we’ll assume you are coming Saturday or have made other arrangements.

4. We accept EBT cards for payment ONLY AT OUR Franklin Plaza site. If you are an EBT member and are picking up at another location, please send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop so we can arrange for processing your payment.

5. It’s a GOOD IDEA to check to be sure your pick-up site is correct. You can access your invoice by logging in, going to the shopping tab, and click “view in-process invoice”. If it’s not right, send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop.

Thanks again. Let the green of spring give hope for what this year will bring. We are looking forward to sharing it with you.

IFC Distribution is Today!

May 24, 2018
by Gary Huber

This is being sent to everyone who ordered. Today is distribution at all sites except Ames, which is tomorrow. Our alternative pick up is 10:30 am to noon Saturday at our Franklin site.

For samples, satellite sites will have summer sausage from Timber Ridge Cattle Company. At Franklin, we’ll sample the Timber Ridge summer sausage and a new sour cream product from Country View Dairy.

Note that our Retail Center at Franklin will have the Timber Ridge summer sausage available to purchase. Also, Simon’s Plant Collaboration dropped off abundant supplies of lettuce, baby kale, spring onions and arugula that you can purchase as well.

An added bonus for our Franklin customers: Prairie Landscapes of Iowa will sell native prairie plants farmers’ market style during distribution. Talk to the experts, pick them out yourself, and turn your lawn or garden into a bee + butterfly haven with these beautiful native Iowa plants. 

We can’t wait to see you this afternoon. If for some reason you need to call, use 515.450.6812.

And thanks for your orders. Together we can be the change.

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

May 21, 2018
by Gary Huber

Hi. If you are getting this by email, you’ve placed an order for this week’s distribution.

We had 254 members order this cycle, and sales totaled about $16,500. That’s about 25% more in sales than the same cycle last year. That’s some nice growth, which really helps our producer owners.

Thank you. We are happy and we deeply appreciative of your purchases. Now it’s time to make it all happen. Here’s the relevant info regarding distribution this week.

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, please check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There’s good stuff you can add to your online orders.

2. Specifics on times and locations for all our sites are available with this link and to the left.

NOTE: IF YOU ARRIVE BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START TIME, OUR VOLUNTEERS WON’T BE READY. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND BE PATIENT.

3. Our alternative pick up time will be from 10:30 am to noon on Saturday, May 26th. If we don’t see you Thursday, we’ll assume you are coming Saturday or have made other arrangements.

4. We accept EBT cards for payment ONLY AT OUR Franklin Plaza site. If you are an EBT member and are picking up at another location, please send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop so we can arrange for processing your payment.

5. It’s a GOOD IDEA to check to be sure your pick-up site is correct. You can access your invoice by logging in, going to the shopping tab, and click “view in-process invoice”. If it’s not right, send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop.

Thanks again. Let the green of spring give hope for what this year will bring. We are looking forward to sharing it with you.

IFC Distribution is Today; Plant Sale @ Franklin Site!

May 10, 2018
by Gary Huber

This is being sent to everyone who ordered. Today is distribution at all sites except Ames, which is tomorrow. Our alternative pick up is Saturday from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Plaza site.

For samples, satellite sites will have honey cream scones (made with local ingredients) and lemon curd from The Lemon Tree Tea House.

At Franklin, we’ll sample lemon aronia bread from Boone County Organics, cinnamon rolls from Chris’ Custom Bakery, and iced tea from Red Dragon Tea.

And we’ll have more than just plants at our plant sale. We’ll have a selection of baked goods, cheese (including goat cheese), fresh produce (green garlic, asparagus, rhubarb), eggs, frozen pies, and lots of unique Mother’s Day gift ideas.

We can’t wait to see you this afternoon if you are picking up at Franklin. All are welcome, so bring a friend.

And if for some reason you need to call, use 515.450.6812. Thanks for your orders. See you later today or Saturday.

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

May 7, 2018
by Gary Huber

Hi. If you are getting this by email, you’ve placed an order for this week’s distribution.

The number of folks ordering this cycle was 265, and sales totaled about $17,250. That’s about 10% more than last year’s same cycle sales. That’s what we budgeted for growth, and so we are happy and we deeply appreciative of your purchases.

Now it’s time to make it all happen. Here’s the relevant info regarding distribution this week.

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, please check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There’s good stuff you can add to your online orders.

2. Specifics on times and locations for all our sites are available with this link and to the left.

NOTE: IF YOU ARRIVE BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START TIME, OUR VOLUNTEERS WON’T BE READY. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND BE PATIENT.

3. Our alternative pick up time will be from 10:30 am to noon on Saturday, May 12th. If we don’t see you Thursday, we’ll assume you are coming Saturday or have made other arrangements.

4. We accept EBT cards for payment ONLY AT OUR Franklin Plaza site. If you are an EBT member and are picking up at another location, please send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop so we can arrange for processing your payment.

5. It’s a GOOD IDEA to check to be sure your pick-up site is correct. You can access your invoice by logging in, going to the shopping tab, and click “view in-process invoice”. If it’s not right, send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop.

Thanks again. Let the sun shine.

Carne Guisada + Mexican Rice (Delicious, SIMPLE, Local)

April 30, 2018
by Gary Huber

Check out this recipe from our recent cooking demo by IFC board member Robin. Participants loved the dish and its full-flavored simplicity.

 

 

Carne Guisada + Mexican Rice (Delicious, SIMPLE, Local)
Ingredients
  • 1 – 1.5 lbs. beef stew meat or chuck roast, cut into
  • roughly 1.5” pieces
  • • 1⁄2 medium onion, cut into quarters
  • • 1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
  • • 2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
  • • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • • 1⁄2 tsp dried oregano or 1 1⁄2 tsp fresh chopped oregano
  • • 1 tsp salt
  • • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • • 1 tsp ancho chile powder
  • • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • • 3⁄4 cup beef stock (can substitute water)
  • • 1 1⁄2 TB cornstarch
  • • 2 TB water
  • • Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a food processor or blender, combine the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, cumin,
  2. oregano, salt, black pepper, ancho chile powder, and smoked paprika. Blend until everything is
  3. purĂŠed.
  4. Place the beef cubes into the Instant Pot and pour the vegetable-spice mixture over it.
  5. Use the 3⁄4 cup of beef stock to rinse out the food processor or blender and pour into the pot.
  6. Stir to combine. Seal the Instant Pot.
  7. Cook on the manual setting at high pressure for 20 minutes. When the cooking cycle is
  8. complete, quickly release the pressure.
  9. Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 – 10 minutes to reduce the
  10. amount of liquid.
  11. Combine the cornstarch with 2 TB of water. Pour into the pot and stir to combine. Allow it to
  12. return to a boil and continue boiling, stirring often, to thicken the sauce to desired consistency.