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seasonal eating

What’s Fresh? Green Top Beets!

What’s Fresh? Green Top Beets! Beets get all the glory, while their tops are often discarded. But beet greens offer tons of nutrition. Beet tops are loaded with iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and K. In fact, they are so nutritious that the World’s Healthiest Foods website ranks them within the top 10 […]

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What’s Fresh? Rainbow Chard!

What’s Fresh? Rainbow Chard! You know summer is on its way when the local leafy greens start coming in. This week, we have rainbow chard from Wild Hollow Farm in Marengo, Wis. Chard is high in vitamins A, B, C, and K. It also contains fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Top that off with a

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What’s Fresh? Ramps!

What’s Fresh? Ramps! Local ramps are here! These mild alliums (related to onions and garlic) offer a sweet, delicate flavor that pairs well with other lightly flavored foods, such as asparagus, eggs, peas, spinach, and other spring vegetables. Spring Salad of Asparagus, Ramps, Snap Peas, and Peas With Poached Egg and Lemon Zest Vinaigrette Ramp

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What’s Fresh? Green Onions!

Did you know the same organic sulfur compounds that give onions their pungent smell also are some of the micro-nutrients that make them so nutritious? Onions are packed with vitamin C, phytochemicals, and flavonoids. All of these combined pack a nutritional punch that can help reduce inflammation and decrease cancer risk, along with easing bladder infection

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What’s Fresh? Strawberries!

What’s Fresh? Strawberries! By Seth McBride, Marketing Intern   Did you know the French were the first to cultivate the juicy, tender strawberries we know of today? Although, ancient Roman poets Ovid and Virgil mentioned strawberries in their writings, the fruits they spoke of were small, tough, and bland in comparison to the modern ones.

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What’s Fresh? Beefsteak Tomatoes!

What’s Fresh? Beefsteak Tomatoes!

By Seth McBride, Marketing Intern

 

Did you know in the late 1700s, many Europeans feared the tomato was a “poison apple” because of its related to deadly nightshade? However, once that myth was dispelled, France started to believe that the tomato was an aphrodisiac and referred to tomatoes as “pomme d’amour” or the “love apple.”

Bay Produce’s beefsteak tomatoes are once again in stock at the Co-op. Bay Produce, began in 1986 when the Challenge Center built its first half-acre greenhouse as an employment and training project for its clients with disabilities. They grow all of their produce using a semi-hydroponic process, and since it is locally grown and distributed it reduces transportation costs and environmental impact.

Although this beloved vegetable was once thought to be poisonous, we now know that they are rich in vitamins A and C. They are also full of fiber. Tomatoes have the antioxidant lycopene which may protect against prostate cancer and heart disease.

Beefsteak tomatoes have a plump and meaty texture with a classically sweet tomato taste. Tomatoes are valued for their versatility. Beefsteak tomatoes are ideal for burgers, sandwiches, salads, and sauces. Try out these locally grown “love apples” with this week’s recipes:

 

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What’s Fresh? Pixie Tangerines!

What’s Fresh? Pixie Tangerines! By Seth McBride, Marketing Intern   March has been unofficially deemed Pixie Tangerine month due to their recent arrival at the Co-op. Pixie Tangerines are sweet, juicy, and easy to peel. However, they distinguish themselves from regular tangerines by being seedless. Tangerines were developed in 1927 at University of California Citrus

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What’s Fresh? Asparagus!

What’s Fresh? Asparagus!

By Seth McBride, Marketing Intern

 

Did you know that various species of asparagus were cultivated by Egyptian cultures as early as 3000 B.C. for food and natural remedies? Asparagus comes from the Greek word meaning “shoot” or “sprout.”

Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables, the main reason ancient cultures viewed it as a natural remedy. The people of Egypt, Greece, and Rome used asparagus as a treatment for everything from bee stings to infertility. Now, we understand that asparagus is high in folates, which help prevent atherosclerosis and heart disease, contains cancer-fighting antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E, and, most importantly, is rich in glutathione.

Glutathione is an antioxidant that fulfills numerous cellular functions, including: detoxifying the body of carcinogens, improving immune function, and protecting cell membranes and DNA from toxic compounds. Glutathione can be preserved by lightly steaming your asparagus.

These tasty spears are in season right now, which means they cost less than other times of the year. While asparagus has the potential to grow seven inches in once day, the fresh and local varieties are limited by season. “Shoot” for a healthy dose of asparagus to discover what spring is all “a-sprout” with this week’s recipes:

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