News & Events

Sorrel, Pea, and Leek Soup

In a large saucepan cook leeks in oil with salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Peel potato and cut into 1-inch cubes. Add potato, broth, and 1 cup water to leeks and simmer, covered, about 10 minutes, or until potato is tender. Stir in peas and simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes, or until peas are tender.

In a blender purée potato mixture with sorrel in 2 batches until very smooth, transferring to a bowl. Whisk in sour cream and remaining 1/2 cup water, adding additional to thin soup to desired consistency. Chill soup, covered, at least 2 hours, and up to 24.

Just before serving, stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish soup with egg and sorrel.

Originally found: epicurious

Sauteed Mustard Greens

News and Updates for Order #82

Order #82 opens tonight, 5/16, at 6 p.m.

Highlights this order (#82):

• Cedar Ridge Soaps will now be offering their body care products with every order cycle!
• South Mountain Coffee Roasters will not be available for order #83 (next order) so please be sure to stock up this cycle if you will be needing coffee at the next cycle!

Please volunteer to sort this Tuesday evening, May 21, or Pickup Thursday, May 23. We are now offering childcare at the church so Moms and Dads can volunteer. Sign up online for Order Sorting or Pickup day time slots at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/pickup2

Members: Go to VCShop to Order (Opens 5/16 at 6 pm; closes Monday 5/20, at 9 p.m.)
Not a member? See How to Join Valley Co-op as a member.
New to ordering? Visit our How to Order page.
Help out and Volunteer: What’s Needed and Signup
or contact Jane (janenbussard47@gmail.com or 301-302-5262)
Have questions about ordering? Email:  orders@valleycoop.org
Not receiving our YahooGroups emails? Email: info@valleycoop.org

Visit our website (www.valleycoop.org) for other Co-op news and info on upcoming events.

New Volunteer Policy

Please review the new volunteering policy below. Download a PDF copy of this new policy.
If you have questions about volunteering generally or how the policy applies to your individual situation, please don’t hesitate to contact us at membership@valleycoop.org.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Valley Co-op. A huge thank you to all those serving in varied capacities to keep our heart pumping!

Valley Co-op Volunteer Policy (4/7/2013)

This policy applies to any member who joined after 5/12/12 or renewed after 6/1/12.

Member Requirements: Valley Co-op (VC) is dependent upon volunteers to carry out its mission. To that end, VC requires each member household (“member,” below) to serve a number of hours (currently 6) per quarter.

Volunteer Requirement: We desire to give each member the opportunity to get oriented to the Co-op before owing the full 6 hours, which is why the requirement begins on the month after a member signs up or renews for the first time under this requirement. Thus, a member joining in the first month of th e quarter would owe a total of 4 hours for that quarter, and a member joining in the second month of the quarter would owe 2 hours for the third month of that quarter. A member joining in the third month of the quarter would owe 6 hours for the entirety of the subsequent quarter.

Member Responsibilities: It is the responsibility of members to seek opportunities to fulfill this requirement. The Volunteer Coordinator will provide information about such opportunities, publicized via SignUp Genius and also through emails via the VC YahooGroup. If difficulties are encountered, placement support may be sought from the Volunteer Coordinator. Members are responsible to log their service hours into the VC Volunteer tracking system accessed via the Member Panel of our Shop2 ordering system.

Failure to Meet Requirements: At the end of each quarter, members who did not complete their required hours will be notified of their need to catch up. They will be encouraged and supported to make up owed volunteer time. Those who do not respond or do not make up missed service within the following month will be placed on probation for the duration of the subsequent quarter.

Probation: Probationmeans that the member’smarkup is tripled (currently 10%,to 30%), and that they forfeit the voting privilege of a Member in Good Standing. Members who catch up with missed hours within 30 days of notification will not be placed on probation.

Suspension: Members who have remained on probation for a full quarter and still owe service will be suspended for the duration of their membership, unless they catch up with their hours. Suspension entails that members cannot shop nor vote until hours are made up. Suspended membersmay renew their membership only if, working with the Volunteer Coordinator, they present and gain approval of a plan for meeting their future volunteer requirement.

Adaptation of requirement: We realize that in exceptional cases it will not be possible for a member to fulfill the volunteer service requirement as posted. (1) Members experiencing a particularly challenging period (e.g., major illness) or who believe they face a life situation that would merit an exception are invited to communicate theirsituation to the Volunteer Coordinator. A waiver may be granted, for a limited period of time, with the approval of the Volunteer Coordinator and Chair of the Membership Committee. (2) Members who work three quarters of the year and are off work the fourth, or who leave the area for extended periods of time,may be allowed to accumulate all their volunteertime during the period they are not employed or living in the area. Adaptation arrangements should be made
in advance.

Donation of hours: Members in Good Standing who have logged hours more than double their required number may donate their excess hours into a pool to aid other membersin meeting their requirement.

Such donations must be approved by the Volunteer Coordinator and Chair of the Membership Committee. A record of donated hours will be kept by the Volunteer Coordinator. Application for donated hours should be submitted in writing to the Volunteer Coordinator before the end of the current quarter and should explain why the applicant cannot volunteer.

About Thyme

I have decided to start a series on the blog about herbs as they come into season. My bush of thyme is looking lovely and smells delicious, so i thought I would start with this often overlooked herb. Thyme is a delicate looking herb with a penetrating fragrance. Although it ends up being a secondary herb, not getting the attention of more popular herbs like basil or sage, thyme is invaluable in the kitchen. It has a light subtle minty flavor and a dry aroma.

Thyme leaves are curled, elliptically shaped and very small. The upper leaf is green-grey in color on top, while the underside is a whitish color. There are over one hundred varieties of thyme, with the most common being Garden Thyme and Lemon Thyme. The many types are so close in appearance, it is often difficult to differentiate them.

Along with fresh sprigs of parsley and bay leaves, thyme is included in the French combination of herbs called bouquet garni used to season stock, stews and soups. However you can add a variety of herbs to the bouquet depending on the type of stock you are preparing. Simply bunch the stems together and tie with a string. Add your combination to your stock while simmering to infuse the most flavor. Before consumption, the bouquet is typically removed.

Cultivation

Although thyme grows easily, especially in calcareous light, dry, stony soils, it can be cultivated in heavy soils, but it becomes less aromatic. It dislikes excess of moisture. To form thyme beds, choose uncultivated ground. If thyme grows up walls or on dry, stony land, it will survive the severest cold of that particular country.

Maintenance

If you are lucky enough to be able to grow your own, keep in mind that thyme leaves are sweetest if picked just as the flowers appear. You can start thyme from seeds to get a wider selection of varieties. Most nurseries carry transplants in spring and summer. It prefers a sandy, dry soil and plenty of sun. If your soil is acidic, add some lime. If you live in a very cold climate, protect the plants in winter by mulching heavily. Once established, the only care will be regular pruning of the plants and removal of dead flowers and pruning to remove old wood.

Selecting

Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A sprig is a single stem snipped from the plant. Fresh, dried, and powdered thyme are readily available year-round in most markets.

Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used (e.g. in a bouquet garni), or the leaves removed and the stems discarded, but you can save the stems and throw them your barbeque coals for an aromatic grilling experience. Usually when a recipe specifies ‘bunch’ or ‘sprig’ it means the whole form; when it specifies spoons it means the leaves. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for whole thyme. To strip a stem of it’s leaves, place the stem between your fingers and pulling the stem in the opposite direction of the leaf growth.

Uses

As mentioned earlier, thyme can be used in the French bouquet garni. But you can rub minced garlic and thyme over lamb, pork, or beef roasts. Season cheese, tomato, and egg dishes with thyme or blend fragrant thyme into poultry stuffing, spaghetti or pizza sauce, and chili along with any combination of marjoram, basil, oregano, sage, rosemary, or garlic.

There are also a lot of health benefits from making thyme tea. In Germany, concoctions of thyme are frequently prescribed for coughs, including those resulting from whooping cough, bronchitis and emphysema.

Be careful when using thyme, however. The flavor can sometime overwhelm dishes so use the herb sparingly until you become more aware of its properties.

Health Benefits

Thyme has a long history of use in natural medicine in connection with chest and respiratory problems including coughs, bronchitis, and chest congestion. Only recently, however, have researchers pinpointed some of the components in thyme that bring about its healing effects. The volatile oil components of thyme are now known to include carvacolo, borneol, geraniol, but most importantly, thymol. These volatile oil components of thyme have also been shown to have antimicrobial activity against a host of different bacteria and fungi. Staphalococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Shigella sonnei are a few of the species against which thyme has been shown to have antibacterial activity.

So plant some thyme and get in the kitchen! Happy Cooking!

Building a Window Box Salad Garden

(Originally found at National Gardening Association)

photo | Effortless Eating

Don’t let a lack of garden space keep you from growing and enjoying fresh veggies! With this plan, you can start harvesting fresh, flavorful, nutritious salad ingredients in about a month.

Materials List
• Two planters at least 8 inches deep (such as window boxes), with drainage holes
• Seeds: radishes, mesclun mix, baby carrots, beets (shredded raw beet is a tasty and colorful salad topping)
• Soilless potting mix enriched with compost
• Fertilizer

Steps
1. Moisten your potting mix. If you wish to use a slow-release fertilizer, add it as recommended by the product label. Fill window boxes, and firm soil gently in place.
2. Following the directions on the seed packets, sow seeds of radishes and greens in one box, beets and carrots in the other. Radishes are ready to harvest about 28 days after germination; baby greens (lettuce, spinach, mesclun), in 30 days; beets, in 55 days; baby carrots, in 70 days.
3. Water gently so that you don’t wash seeds out of the soil. Keep soil evenly moist, and watch for seeds to germinate.
4. Seedlings will come up thickly; thin them the first time to stand 1 inch apart. You can either pluck them out individually or use scissors to snip seedlings at the soil surface. (Eat the thinnings of greens and beet tops – your first unofficial harvest!) Thin the carrots and beets again when they’ve doubled in size; ultimately they should stand 2 to 3 inches apart.
5. Fertilize every two weeks, unless you used a slow-release fertilizer at planting time. Use a water-soluble formula, such as fish emulsion.
6. Sow some more. As your harvest of greens and radishes makes room in that container, prepare to grow another round. Work an inch of compost into the empty spots and sow more seed.

Tips
• If you have enough space, add containers for other salad favorites, such as tomatoes and cucumbers. (They need larger pots.)
• Watch out for pesky squirrels – they like to dig in freshly disturbed soil. If they’re a problem, cover your planters with wire mesh or fabric row covers.
• For color and spicy flavor, sow a few nasturtium seeds in your containers. The flowers are beautiful, fragrant, and tasty in a salad!

For more beautiful salad planters check out:

Just So Lovely: Windowbox Lettuce

Effortless Eating: Lettuce Garden

News and Updates for Order #81

Order #81 opens tonight, 5/2, at 6 p.m.

Highlights this order (#81):

• Slice of Heaven is offering reusable “bags” to cook your potatoes or corn in the microwave! Read more here…
• Waltz Family Farm is fully stocked with Beef, Pork and Lamb. They will be doing their best to keep it that way, and try to offer new items from time to time. However, they want to let everyone know that with farm markets starting to open up again their inventory will fluctuate. There will be times when they will be low on some items and won’t post them on their inventory… but feel free to send them an email to check if they have non-listed items in stock, and also for special requests.

Please volunteer to sort this Tuesday evening, May 7, or Pickup Thursday, May 9. We are now offering childcare at the church so Moms and Dads can volunteer. Sign up online for Order Sorting or Pickup day time slots at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/pickup2

Members: Go to VCShop to Order (Opens 5/2 at 6 pm; closes Monday 5/6, at 9 p.m.)
Not a member? See How to Join Valley Co-op as a member.
New to ordering? Visit our How to Order page.
Help out and Volunteer: What’s Needed and Signup
or contact Jane (janenbussard47@gmail.com or 301-302-5262)
Have questions about ordering? Email:  orders@valleycoop.org
Not receiving our YahooGroups emails? Email: info@valleycoop.org

Visit our website (www.valleycoop.org) for other Co-op news and info on upcoming events.

Hummus

• 2 c. cooked chickpeas (reserve the cooking water)
• 1/4 c. tahini (from VC!!)
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T plain yogurt
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 2-6 cloves garlic
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t paprika
• roasted red peppers, optional
• To taste: salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add the cooking water as needed to attain a good, smooth consistency.

Modified from: http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/hummus.php

What are Microgreens?

Microgreens are similar to sprouts in that they are early stage edible vegetable plants. But unlike sprouts, for the most part they are grown in light and air environment which removes the risks associated with dangerous bacterial growth. Also, unlike sprouts, they do not include the roots, and are increasingly popular with chefs for their bright colors and distinct flavors.

The health benefits are largely unknown in these newly emerging vegetables, yet many claims have been made to their health benefits. One study to date has been completed by the University of Maryland and shows a general trend of higher nutrient densities than their fully grown brethren for the examined nutrients. The study only focused on ascorbic acid, carotenoids, phylloquinone, and tocopherols.

Click here to download the PDF and read more…

Members Needed for Valley Co-op Booth at GreenFest

Each year Valley Co-op hosts a booth at the Boonsboro GreenFest to recruit new members and spread the word about our Co-op.  No experience is necessary, just a desire to let others know about VC and how we operate.

The day is Saturday May 11th; there are different shifts available between 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.  If you do not feel comfortable speaking with others, feel free to sign up for the setup or cleanup crew.

Remember volunteering counts toward your quarterly volunteer hours!  Sign up by clicking the link! www.SignUpGenius.com/go/70A0B4CABAF2BA13-sign

For more information contact Jessica Renner.