Co-Op Offers Terrific Tempeh

Tempeh is a plant-based alternative to meat that boasts a powerful serving of protein, plenty of fiber, and a healthy dose of magnesium, among other nutrients. Made from fermented soybeans, tempeh is easy to digest and readily available at the Co-Op. Check out the refrigerated section of the store, where both plain and Garden Veggie varieties can be found.

To prepare, tempeh is often sliced and lightly browned on a skillet. It makes a fantastic sandwich filler and a hearty addition to salads. Free of saturated fat and cholesterol, this protein-packed delight is perfect for anyone who wants to incorporate a tasty, heart-healthy ingredient into their weekly dinner rotation.

This week, stop by the refrigerated section of the Co-Op to pick up some tempeh. Be sure to check out the other delicious meat alternatives offered by the Co-Op as well--from seitan to seasoned tempeh "Fakin" (meatless bacon!), you'll be sure to find something that works well for you.

Looking for a new tempeh recipe? Try this flavorful take on meatless Sloppy Joes where tempeh serves as the star ingredient. While the sandwich pictured is topped with blue cheese crumbles, you can easily eliminate this ingredient for a vegan option.

Barbeque Tempeh Sloppy Joes

(recipe from The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook)

Barbeque Tempeh:

• 8 oz. of tempeh, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 - 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 2 cans of drained crushed tomatoes ( 14.5 oz. each)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 TBSP dijon mustard
• 3 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TBSP rice vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

Onion n' Pepper

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• a little olive oil

Sandwich Fixins'

• Bread or bun of choice
• Blue cheese crumbles, optional
• Optional: sweet pickle slices (bread n' butter pickles)

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh slices, allowing to brown on one side (approximately 3 minutes). Flip, and brown tempeh on the other side. Remove tempeh from the skillet and chop into smaller pieces. Set aside.

2) In a pot, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and saute for another 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients for the barbeque tempeh (through ground red pepper). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing to thicken. Stir occasionally. Add tempeh and allow sauce to cook another 5 minutes, until heated through. Your filling is done!

3) Heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add sliced onion and bell pepper. Saute until lightly browned, about 3 - 5 minutes.

4) Build your sandwich: Top bread with tempeh filling, onions and peppers, pickles, and blue cheese crumbles (if using).

Nuts for Co-Op Nut Butter

One of the Co-Op's shining-star products is their offering of all-natural peanut butters. Free from pesky add-ins like sugar or hydrogenated oils, the Co-Op nut butters feature one star ingredient: roasted nuts.

The result? A flavorful, nutritious, protein-packed powerhouse to spread on your classic PB & J sandwich. (Or, your AB & J sandwich if Almond Butter is your nut spread of choice).

The Co-Op offers a fantastic self-serve station for you to scoop your own peanut butter, too. Containers are provided, or you can bring your own jar and fill it up with just the right amount for you.

If you're seeking ways to incorporate more plant-based sources of protein into your daily dining routine, consider some of the following options to put your Co-Op natural nut butter to use:

• Top your morning bowl of oats with a scoop of nut butter, a handful of blueberries, a splash of vanilla, and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
• Spread nut butter on a banana slice for a mid-morning or after-work snack.
• Try your hand at a delicious peanut stew recipe--many recipes contain basic ingredients like sweet potatoes, tomato juice, all-natural peanut butter, and raw, unsalted peanuts (also available at the Co-op).
• Looking for a way to use up blackened bananas? Whip up a batch of peanut butter-banana pancakes or quick bread for breakfast.
• Cookies! The possibilities are endless with nut butters.

The following vegan cookie recipe features your favorite nut butter as its star ingredient--just about any kind will work! Don't expect them to last long in your cookie jar...

Vegan Nut Butter Cookies

(recipe from Love Like a Vegan blog)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 2 TBSP sugar

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/3 cup of your favorite all-natural nut butter (peanut or almond butter work great)

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp. almond extract

• 3 TBSP oil

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients (almond butter through oil). Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Bake for 7 - 8 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

Great Grains at the Co-Op

As frequent patrons of the The Mountain People's Co-Op have likely noted, our store boasts a full aisle of bulk grains, flours, rice, spices, and more. While you may be used to filling up a bag of rice, or picking up a pouch of curry powder, it's always fun to explore the grains and flours that may not be as common in your household.

Take bulgur, for instance. This fantastic grain cooks up fairly quickly and pairs beautifully with a variety of veggies, seasonings, nuts, and homemade dressings. As an added bonus, it's also a great source of fiber and vegetable protein.

So this week, as you peruse the bulk 'grains and spices' aisle at the Co-Op, try exploring some of the many healthy options you may never have tried before (Adding spelt flour to your pumpkin muffins? Or using quinoa as a bean burger base?)

Or, simply start with bulgur. This simple recipe for a vegan bulgur salad (pictured above) is crunchy, filling, and just plain scrumptious.

Bulgur-Apple-Almond Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked bulgur
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 2 cups chopped apple
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted (to toast, place chopped almonds on a dry skillet over low-medium heat. Toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned--about 3 - 5 minutes)
• 2 TBSP honey
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Bring broth to a boil in a small sauce pan. Stir in bulgur, remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit until liquid is absorbed (about 30 minutes).

2) In the meantime, whisk the honey, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil together in a small bowl.

3) When the bulgur is ready, combine it with the apples, celery, almonds, and cranberries in a large bowl. Pour dressing over the mixture and stir until well-combined.

Blue Moose Co-op Appreciation Night

Just a reminder of our night at the Blue Moose this Saturday. Come on out and say hello!

Diane Tarantini

Diane Tarantini here.

Starting second year as a board member.
Starting sixth (or is it the seventh?)year as a member of Mt. People's.
I love just about everything at Mt. People's but these are the things I get almost every time I'm in the store.
Garlic
Xylitol
Spices
Bulk Olive Oil
Maple Syrup
"Craisins"(for salads and for our three bunnies)
Dishwashing liquid
Also, I now make my own laundry liquid using the kits at Mt. People's. I scent mine with geranium essential oil. It's supposed to have an anti-depressant effect. I need that since housework depresses me. The kids think I am a very cool mom for making our own laundry liquid.

Vegan Marsmallows!

These have been in the co-op for a few months now. They come from the incredible all vegan company Chicago SoyDairy. Hopefully you have already tried them because they are amazing! If you haven't already, summer is the perfect time to eat them plain, roasted or any other way you can think of. Any ideas?

-aaron

Richwood Grill

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Richwood Grill for Co-op Appreciation Night. The food specials were amazing, the drink special was too awesome, and it was great seeing so many Co-op members in one place.

An extra special thanks to Chef Marion and the Richwood Grill for hosting. The tofu soltado is going to be on the menu for the entire season so head up there and check it out.

I also recommend the Crusta! Mmmmmm.

Co-op Appreciation Night

Just a reminder that this is happening tomorrow evening. Come out and join us.

what's in the bulk bin?

Dates are the sweet dried fruit of the tree known as the Date Palm. They are not the most beautiful fruit in the world but I think they have a great taste. Don't know what to do with them? Here is my suggestion: Make a smoothie. Sound a bit strange to you? Try it and you might like it.

This is what I do. Put all of the following into the blender:
6-8 whole dates
2 ripe bananas
1 big spoonful of peanut butter or tahini
about 1/2 tsp cinnamon
milk of your choice until you get the consistency that you like. I use rice milk.
The dates will still be a little chunky at the end but I think it makes it better.

What do you do with dates? Post your ideas in the comments.

produce anyone?

Just a few of the many produce items currently available at the co-op. Broccoli, rainbow carrot bunches, sweet peppers, blueberries and pineapple. Stop in and see everything we have to offer.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Hello out there! Not sure if many people read this(post a hello in the comments if you do). I know that it has been neglected for quite a while. Hopefully we can bring a bit of life to this blog. My name is Aaron and I will be posting here starting now and hope to do so somewhat regularly. Likely to be a lot of food related posts and probably some things that are going on inside and out of the store itself.

This post is about C.O.W.S or Co-Op Winter Shares. Basically it is a share of organic produce throughout the winter months when CSA's are not running and the farmers market is not regularly happening. If you are interested in the program contact email Carrie at eikler@yahoo.com for details. The program is only a few shares in but the produce so far has been great. Pictured is stuffed acorn squash with white bean gravy. The squash, swiss chard and celery are all from the last share. Most of my other ingredients were also purchased at the co-op. Great northern beans, Earth Balance margarine, flour, onion, spices, actually the only item purchased elsewhere was the bag of stuffing. Yeah, I didn't make my own stuffing. I'll add that to my long list of things to make from scratch.

Winter has finally arrived! It's the perfect temperature for hot soup, homemade bread and fire places. The first COWS order came this past week. The co-op is offering produce shares to it's members this winter. It's a great way to get fresh organic produce throughout the winter without having to shop at Kroger. For the first time round, I think that it went really well. The selection was awesome and the amount of goods each share holder received was hefty. Using the goods from our Cows share, I have already made butternut squash with coconut milk... so good. Last night it was potato leek soup, with all co-op ingredients, I love that! Tonight we are used the beautiful Bartlett pears and made a gluten free pear crisp..... just pulled it out of the oven, I can smell it cooling off in the kitchen. Tomorrow I'll make Broccoli and almond soup, maybe some steamed beets. We also got one pineapple in the share, I'm still pondering what I want to concoct with that.
The Venerable Bean offered some great goods to the co-op shoppers this last week. Coconut cherry muffins, oatmeal raisin cookies, granola bars, chocolate cakes, gluten free brownies (my personal favorite)... and many other grand creations. Aaron does an amazing job!
I've started selling hand made knit and crocheted hats at the co-op, so far they have been popular with the employees, I'm having a hard time keeping my goods stocked....but I'm not complaining. It's fun, and I sure hope that it picks up. We also have oodles of fair trade hand made gifts, bags, calenders, tie dye, soap, incense, candles, wall hangings, journals, scarfs... ect..ect. Check it out!

Christmas time will be interesting down at Mountain Peoples, with not only me, but Lee Casto, and Meredith going home to be with family, Lee and Ash are going to be busy bees! They are such rock stars and so good at what they do that I know it will be alright. I think Darien will be able to help out and maybe some other wonderful people.
Anyhow, on behalf of the co-op I wish you a wonderful holiday. Eat well and take care of your body, take care of the earth. Be good to one another!

Hello pretty people! My wonderful boyfriend volunteered my hands and random writing style to take up the Mountain People's blog. This is Natalie, for those of you who don't know me I am a relatively new(since August) employee at the co-op. I am there 6 days a week, so if you shop there, it is likely we have encountered one another.
I am going to try and write some interesting and fun ideas and stories... observations, news, and whatever else floats my boat. For starters I'll give you a heads up about who I am and what I am doing here, here being Morgantown, or here being Mountain People's. My boyfriend Brian and I just moved to Morgantown in April. I am a born and raised Californian, from a city called Santa Rosa about an hour north of San Francisco. Brian talked me into road tripping across the country and moving here with him so he could go to grad school and get his masters in Mechanical Engineering. To be quite frank one of his chief luring devises was the fact that the town had a health food co-op. Wooo! Well that trip is a whole different story.
So here I am in Morgantown, working at the co-op with some fabulous people. I am taking over the blog writing until the Force tells me otherwise. I'm not too sure what would be best to write about or what would most interest you... you being the person that may be reading this. Are you there? Can anybody here me? No really, I'm curious if anybody follows along in co-op realm. Let me know.
Something must be said in this first entry that bring the co-op to the stage.... so.. I'll tell you about the strange and wonderful dinner we just made. I brought home some of the brand new gluten free mung bean pasta, pretty good stuff, very mung beany. Then I made my standard "iron sauce". Don't let it scare you, it's actually pretty tasty. I start by grinding up pumpkin seeds, nettle leaves, kombu, sesame seeds, chia seeds, parsley, and turmeric, then I stir in some tahini and a dash of flax seed oil, water, and sometimes my homemade herbal iron tonic vinegar. It's yummy, and feels so good on the body. We usually eat the sauce with quinoa and steamed kale and other veggies, but the veggie situation was sad tonight, so sauce, carrots and mung bean pasta it was. I liked it, Brian liked it, there are things I would change for sure. Now I can't decide if I want to make a vegan, gluten free pumpkin pie for dessert or go for the usual chocolate hemp milk ice cream that I special order a little too often.... :)

Member Meeting

Our Member Meeting is Tuesday, April 21, at 6 PM, in the gym of First Presbyterian Church, 456 Spruce St. We will have a potluck dinner, update on the Co-op, membership information, vote for a change to the bylaws, and meet your candidates for the Board of Directors election. There is a kitchen facility available to heat food, and we will have plates and silverware available. Drinks will be provided. Thanks to First Presbyterian for providing us this space free of charge. We hope to see you there!

Cleaning Workshop
Are you ready for spring cleaning, but you want to avoid all those chemicals in commercial cleaning products and you want to save money too? Come to the Green Spring Cleaning Workshop and learn just how easy and inexpensive it is to make your own household cleaning products, and try them out on real dirt so see how they really work! This workshop is co-sponsored by Our Studio, an environmentally-focused, community art studio that offers classes for children and adults and a series of summer children's day camps (www.ourstudio.org). The workshop will be held on Thursday, April 16, 7:00 PM, at Our Studio, 601-D East Brockway Ave. There is a $10 fee, which covers the cost of a recipe booklet and a choose-it-yourself natural home cleaning kit. To register, email mpcboard@gmail.com.


Painting Rescheduled
The Co-op's new coat of exterior paint has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 26.

Co-op Painting Rescheduled!
Due to the high likelihood of inclement weather this Sunday, we are rescheduling the event. Please stay tuned for details!

We're giving the Co-op a fresh coat of paint!

On Sunday, March 29, volunteers will be giving our Co-op's building a spring sprucing-up. We will be painting the exterior of the store with an earthy, updated color scheme - we think it will look something like the image at right (please pardon my less-than-spectacular photo editing!). Volunteers will meet at 1 PM. In case of bad weather, the painting party will be rescheduled. If you would like to work on the paint crew or donate money toward the purchase of paint, please call the Co-op at (304)291-6131. We'd like to give a big thank you to Co-op member Joe Super for organizing this event!

Chunky Noodle Soup

This vegetarian soup doesn't claim to taste like chicken, but it sure is satisfying!

Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, cut in ½ inch chunks
6 oz. whole grain udon or soba noodles
6 c. water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 Tbsp. canola or other light-flavored oil
2 - 3 cloves minced garlic
½ c. whole wheat flour
3 c. dairy or non-dairy milk (unsweetened)
½ c. nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. sage (dried)
2 Tbsp. parsley (dried)
1 Tbsp. Frontier Salt-Free Herbal Seasoning (if you don't have this, you can use dill, but the depth of flavor is better with the Frontier blend)
2 tsp salt
1 lb tofu, cut into approx. ½” chunks
1 ½ c. frozen peas

Boil potatoes in 6 c. water. When they begin to get soft, add udon or soba and cook for 9 more minutes. When done, turn off heat but do not drain.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion and carrot in 1 Tbsp. oil in a stockpot. When the onion gets soft, add the garlic and sauté for one more minute. Remove from pan. Add the flour and 2 Tbsp. oil, mix well, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to achieve a smooth consistency. Whisk in the nutritional yeast. Stir in the onion-garlic-carrot mixture, sage, parsley, Frontier seasoning, and salt. Add tofu and frozen peas, then pour in the potatoes, noodles, and their water. Stir and heat until warmed through. Serves 4 - 6.

Barlean's Total Omega Vegan Swirl

Barlean's is well known for their flax oil and fish oil supplements. Last year, they launched their Omega Swirl line - smoothie-like liquids that are great for people who don't want to swallow bulky pills or choke down a spoonful of oily, fishy-tasting nastiness. There was a fish oil Omega Swirl to provide brain-healthy* DHA and a vegetarian flax oil Swirl for those who want omega-3's without the fish. But flax oil does not contain DHA, and individuals' ability to convert flax omega-3's to DHA varies greatly, so some felt that fish oil was a better supplement.

Fish get their DHA from the algae they eat, and now we can too. Vegetarian DHA is isolated from algae, and since it doesn't come from fish, it is less likely to contain certain environmental contaminants that fish can concentrate. Barlean's Total Omega Vegan Swirl contains flaxseed oil for essential omega-3's and lignans, borage oil for GLA, and algal oil for DHA. Check out the Barlean's web site for more information.

Does it taste good? In one word, yes. Even my 9-year-old son liked it, and given that he complains loudly every time I try to give him any other liquid omega-3 supplement, that is a victory.

The flavor is pomegranate/blueberry, but I don't think it tastes particularly strongly of either - I would call it more of a "mixed berry" flavor. It's sweetened with xylitol, a natural sweetener that is low in calories and used in chewing gum as an alternative to sugar that doesn't promote tooth decay. The texture of Omega Swirl is thick and smooth, and not oily at all. Sometimes flax oil tastes fishy to me, but this is not at all fishy. In a nutshell, I don't have to think of creative ways to hide the flavor of this omega-3 liquid in cereal or yogurt or pasta sauce... it's good to go just as it is.

I did want to mention one important thing about Omega Swirl. The package information warns not to feed it to your pets. This is because of the xylitol used to sweeten it. Xylitol has been shown to be harmful to dogs, and even a small amount can rapidly bring their blood sugar dangerously low and potentially result in death. Dog metabolism is very different from that of humans: chocolate, raisins, grapes, onions, and other human foods are toxic to dogs as well.

-KW

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Equal Exchange Mint Chocolate

I'm a serious chocoholic; some might even say I'm a chocolate snob. My favorites are rich, dark chocolates, but I'm pretty versatile when it comes to this favorite food. But after learning about child slavery on cocoa farms in Africa, I make a point of buying fair trade chocolate in order to avoid supporting this deplorable practice.

Today, on a whim, I bought a bar of Equal Exchange's Mint Chocolate with a Delicate Crunch at the Co-op. Equal Exchange is a worker-owned co-op based in Massachusetts. Their mission is "to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate, through our success, the contribution of worker co-operatives and Fair Trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world." I like supporting a company like this.

But warm-hearted feelings aside, did the chocolate taste good?

Wow. This is what Peppermint Patties should taste like, well, if they actually contained real chocolate and had enough of it in them. This was some really good chocolate.

The chocolate is 67% cacao - not quite the 72% cacao I usually crave, but it is clearly a dark chocolate. It contains no milk in its ingredients, and it isn't overly sweet. The clean, fresh note of natural mint is strong without being overwhelming. The crunch is kind of like tiny pieces of candy cane - really, only barely crunchy - not like chocolate bars with big rice crisps.

I gave a piece of it to my son, who usually doesn't like dark chocolate. He asked for another. And another. I had to draw the line. After all, I needed save some to share with my husband.

I think we have a new family favorite...

-K.W., mom, educator, chocoholic, and Co-op member