All posts by Gary Huber

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

January 29, 2018
by Gary Huber

Another nice cycle. We had 249 members order 2,083 different items this cycle. Total purchases were a bit over $13,000. That’s about 12% more than the same date last year. 

We are happy to be growing, and we have our incredible members, both producers and consumers, to thank. Now it’s time to make it all happen, meaning fill these orders.

If you are getting this by email, we’ll have your products ready for you to this week. Here is some information on distribution:

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, please check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There’s lots of 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, Feb. 3rd. 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.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

January 22, 2018
by Gary Huber

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Recipe Type: Local Food
Author: Robin Meadows West
This soup has been taste tested and raved about!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • Âľ cup chopped celery
  • Âľ cup chopped carrot from Country Roads Produce
  • 8 cups cubed butterkin squash from Glenwood Century Farm or any winter squash
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple, cubed
  • 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
  • 6 pieces of bacon from Griffieon Family Farm, fried and crumbled
  • 2 TB butter
  • 2 TB Olive oil
  • 4 TB chopped parsley
  • ÂĽ cup roasted pepitas
  • 2 TB whole milk from Radiance Dairy
  • ÂĽ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ÂĽ tsp cinnamon
  • ÂĽ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ÂĽ tsp salt
  • ÂĽ tsp pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  2. Toss squash with olive oil and spread onto a rimmed cookie sheet.
  3. Roast for 10 minutes.
  4. Heat a large, heavy pot on medium-high heat. Melt butter in the pot and let it foam up. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté for 5 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables begin to brown.
  5. Add the squash, apples broth, and spices to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
  6. Purée the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer to blender and purée in batches.
  7. Blend in the milk.
  8. Serve garnished with parsley, pepitas, and bacon crumbles.
  9. I served it with a grilled cheese made with Farmhouse White Bread from The Wooden Bakery and Herbs de Provence Gouda cheese from Frisian Farms Cheese.

 

IFC Distribution is Today!

January 18, 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. Some quick notes:

  • We will be sampling live microgreens from Sunrise this cycle, and rumor has it that there may also be ice cream cake from WW Homestead, which is a new product they are thinking of adding to their selection.
  • If you are picking up at our Franklin Avenue site, please check out and see what’s available in our Retail Center. 

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!

January 15, 2018
by Gary Huber

We had a nice cycle. We had 259 members order 2,433 different items this cycle. Total purchases were a bit over $16,000. That’s 37% more than the same date last year.

We are so happy for the growth. There’s a bunch of reasons it’s happening, not the least of which are IFC’s incredible members, both producers and consumers. Thanks to all of you for your part in helping this happen. 

Now it’s time to make it all happen. If you are getting this by email, we’ll have your products ready for you to this week. Here is some information on distribution:

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, please check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There’s lots of 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, Jan. 20th. 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.

Denise’s Roasted Parsnip Soup!

January 13, 2018
by Gary Huber

 

 

Loyal member + volunteer Denise sent us this recipe for roasted parsnip soup. It’s one of her favorites, and perfect for cold weather!

Roasted Parsnip Soup
Recipe Type: Soup
Author: Denise D.
Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 2oz butter
  • 1lb parsnips, peeled, quartered and woody centers removed
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ pints chicken or veg stock
  • 4 oz cream (optional)
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a roasting pan on top of the
  2. stove. Melt 1oz butter and when bubbling add the parsnips. Allow
  3. to reach a golden color turning them in the pan. The parsnips can
  4. now be roasted in the oven for 15-20 mins.
  5. Toward the end of the roasting time sauté the onions in the
  6. remaining butter in a saucepan till softened but not colored.
  7. Transfer the parsnips to the saucepan. Add the stock and gently
  8. simmer for a further 15 mins. Add cream and puree in blender.
  9. Eat and enjoy

 

IFC Distribution is Today!

January 4, 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. Some quick notes:

  • We will be sampling Iowa Orchard apples this cycle at our drop off sites.
  • At Franklin, we’ll also be sampling tabbouleh salad from Nagi’s Falafel. It’s is a vegetarian salad they are thinking of selling through the IFC that’s made of tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, bulgur, and onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
  • Lost Lake Farm isn’t gonna be able to fill their order. We got this in an email last night: “We aren’t able to get our order filled. We had a crazy day with the furnace quitting in the cheesery (fixed now), a sick daughter, and all the young stock getting out, so I wasn’t able to make it to Ames to your house to drop off the order. Really sorry about this. I know being a reliable source of food is really important to the success of the food coop and it’s really painful to us to leave orders unfilled.”
  • If you are picking up at our Franklin Avenue site, please check out our Retail Center for gift ideas. 

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!

January 1, 2018
by Gary Huber

Welcome to 2018!

We had 191 members order 1,697 different items this cycle. Total purchases were a bit over $11,000. That’s not as big as usual, but its still 22% more than the same date last year when we had sales of $9,262.

We knew it was going to be a light cycle, but we did it mostly because of how it helped with the timing of distributions going forward. Thanks to all of you for your part in helping this happen.

Anyway, if you are getting this by email, we’ll have your products ready for you to come pick up this week. Here are some information on distribution:

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, please check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There’s lots of 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 9 am to noon on Saturday, Jan. 6th. If we don’t see you Thursday, we’ll assume you are coming Saturday.

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.

Marsala Burgers featuring goat, mutton, or beef

December 30, 2017
by Gary Huber

Our newest board member + brilliant chef, Robin, shared this recipe featuring goat from Lucky George Farm. Robin says mutton, goat, or beef all work Give it a try!

 

Marsala Burgers
Author: Robin W.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground meat such as goat, mutton, or beef – I used the ground goat from Lucky George Farms
  • 1 large Novae Vitae Farm egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 clove of Pickle Creek Herbs garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil, if frying in a pan
  • Provolone cheese for topping
  • Ciabatta rolls for serving
  • For the sauce:
  • 4 oz. of diced pancetta – I use La Quercia
  • 2 cups of mushrooms (white, cremini, or baby bella), sliced
  • 1 tbsp minced shallot
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups dry Marsala wine
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp of butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Mix the ground meat, egg, onion powder, garlic, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Form 4 equal size patties and refrigerate until ready to use. Note: for even more flavor, make the patties several hours before cooking.
  2. For the sauce, heat a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sautĂ©, stirring occasionally until the pancetta is crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel lined plate. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. SautĂ©, stirring occasionally until the liquid released by the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms are browned – about 8 minutes. Add garlic and shallot, sautĂ© for 1 minute longer.
  3. Return the pancetta to the pan and add the tomato paste. Stir while sautĂ©ing, until the the tomato paste begins to brown. Add the Marsala wine to the pan, increase the heat to high and simmer vigorously, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pan until the sauce is syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups – this will take anywhere from 5 – 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice followed by the butter. Keep the sauce warm, over low heat while cooking the burgers.
  4. Slice and lightly toast the cut side of the ciabatta rolls.
  5. Grill or pan fry the burgers until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side. Place a slice of provolone cheese on each burger and allow to slightly melt.
  6. Serve the burgers on the ciabatta rolls, spoon sauce over each burger and enjoy!

 

8 local foods to try in 2018

December 30, 2017
by Gary Huber

Iowa may not be known as the food trend capital but our local farmers + producers know a thing or two about healthy + delicious food. Here are eight items to try this year–all eight are made, grown, or raised right here in Iowa, quite possibly on a farm near your own neighborhood.

  1. Kombucha, the fermented, probiotic tea with herbs, fruit, and a burst of energy. Made from scratch and packed with nutrition, Agri-Cultured’s ‘World Famous’ kombucha is a local gem.

  2. Artisan-baked breads, focaccia, croissants, brioche, and other baked goods made fresh based on your order. Small-batch, high-quality items from local bakers.

  3. Alternative sweeteners ‘grown’ right here–of course you’ve had honey + maple syrup, but have you had creamed honey? Maple cream + maple sugar? And sorghum syrup? Try each and swear-off so much refined sugar this year.

  4. Pass the goat, lamb, rabbit, and duck eggs. These alternative proteins expand your culinary experience and support the small, diverse offerings of small farms.

  5. Fresh herbs year-round take ordinary dishes to the next level with a bold dose of flavor. Nothing like fresh basil to make a cold, Iowa winter seem sweeter!

  6. Aronia berries, Iowa’s native superfood. Try them frozen (add to a smoothie), in yogurt, freeze-dried, covered in chocolate, or in a syrup. Try the berry with one of the highest antioxidant content recorded!

  7. Heritage + rare breed dairy + meat. Try non-homogenized milk from Jersey cows–higher in protein + flavor. Try poultry from capons, heritage pork, and beef from Corriente, Dexter, Belted Galloway, Maine Anjous, Limousin, and other less common breeds of cattle, each boasting their own flavor + nutritional profile.

  8. Microgreens, the mini salad greens that pack a lot of flavor and a huge punch of nutrition. With up to 40x the nutrients of full-grown counterparts, microgreens are the young sprouts + shoots of common greens.

    Ready to shop or still need to join the co-op? Click here for more info (like how to join for free + start shopping today).

 

IFC Distribution is Today!

December 21, 2017
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. Some quick notes:

  • We’ll be sampling Wills Orchard toffee at our drop off sites.
  • If you are picking up at our Franklin Avenue site, please check out our Retail Center for gift ideas. We also have a nice assortment of items to help make your holiday meals special, including a nice assortment of frozen Mast Family Pies.

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