Produce

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Produce

This post is from our April/May 2012 issue of Living Naturally when our Produce Manager Kim Dvorak visited Equal Exchange banana producers in Peru. Written by Susan Budig Banana bread, banana splits, bananas straight from the peel, banana mashed for the baby, banana muffins with nuts, and sliced on morning cereal; the list keeps going: don’t forget the smoothies and pudding, too! Bananas, as an edible commodity, are sold more than any other fruit worldwide. Its importance as a food crop ranks after rice, wheat and corn. Unique to crop production of bananas, however, is that their growth is exclusive to the tropics. [caption id="attachment_30182" align="alignright" width="366"] "I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything,” -Produce Manager Kim Dvorak on her experience in Peru. Photos by Kim Dvorak.[/caption] Scott Patterson, Midwest sales manager and worker-owner at Equal Exchange, which supplies Valley Natural Foods with bananas, said,

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Departments, Produce

Valley Natural Foods carries fair-trade avocados from Equal Exchange. Keep reading to find out more about Equal Exchange and why fair trade matters. What is Equal Exchange? [caption id="attachment_30018" align="alignright" width="447"] Statistics from the 2016 impact of Equal Exchange avocados.[/caption] Equal Exchange works to create "a trade model that respects farmers, builds communities, and supports the environment." The company started in 1986 and initially began working to try to fix the food system with fair-trade coffee in Nicaragua. They have since provided support for small farmers of crops like bananas, chocolate, cocoa, nuts, dried fruits, olive oil and tea. Equal Exchange was founded on the ideas of being (from the Equal Exchange website): A social change organization that would help farmers and their families gain more control over their economic futures. A group that would educate consumers about trade issues affecting farmers. A provider

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Produce, Uncategorized

In the midst of the transition from summer fruits and veggies we get the super fruit that is the pomegranate. The fruit itself is in seed form underneath thick red skin, and offers a challenge for those seeking the vibrantly flavored fruit. The super fruit designation comes from the fact that pomegranate juice is super high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are useful in helping cells fight off damage from free radicals which can come from exposure to air pollutants, chemicals and UV rays. Antioxidants are said to fight off cancer. Pomegranates are also high in Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Vitamin C is essential for many processes in the body. Vitamin C also of course helps boost immunity. See below for more information about this super fruit and how to use them. Pomegranate Health Benefits Very high in antioxidants High in Vitamin C and K

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Departments, Meat & Seafood, Produce

Summer is the season for grilling. Why not make an impressive array of shish kabobs? It’s actually easier than you think; here are some tips to get you started. Start with a good marinade Salad dressings, marinade kits and teriyaki sauce work great for marinating vegetables and meat. Try experimenting with different sauce combinations for a truly unique flavor - like a 50/50 mixture of teriyaki sauce and Italian dressing with a little bit of chopped garlic. For food safety precautions, marinate your vegetables and meat separate. For best flavor, marinate animal protein for at least 8 hours before grilling – this will also help your protein from drying out. If you’re using tofu or plant based proteins, marinate for at least 2 hours before cooking, then continue to brush marinade over the plant-based protein every 10 minutes while grilling. Salad Girl Dressings are

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Departments, Fresh Deli, Grocery, Meat & Seafood, Produce

Making Summer Get-Togethers a Breeze! The highly anticipated season of summer gatherings is here! We’re here to help you throw a low-stress summer get-together. Whether you’re preparing all the food or just the main course here are some ideas to get you started: Make as much as you can ahead of time. Preparing a day in advance leaves the fun tasks like decorating and food presentation for the day of your party. Dips, desserts and cold salads can easily be prepared the day before, but leave the vegetable and fruit cutting until the day of. You can also marinate meat, vegetables or tofu for the grill the day before to give your dishes that extra flavor boost. Keep it Simple. Don’t feel like you have to make a seven course meal. It’s okay to supplement your main course with already prepared side dishes. Our deli offers

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New Products, Produce

A new seasonal item has joined the shelves of our produce department, Gourmet Garden Herb Pastes.  We carry 4 of their varieties including: basil, lemongrass, dill, and Italian herbs. Their pastes can be stirred into soups, stir fries, sauces, and dressings or used as a marinade. Their herb pastes can help reduce prep time and will maintain best flavor within 3 months of opening. Gourmet Garden is an herb farm based in Queensland and Victoria, Australia. Their team has dedicated their work to producing and researching fresh herbs and perfecting their herb products. Their herbs are picked at the peak of freshness when the essential oil yield is high which is important for the plant’s flavor, aroma and color. Once picked their herbs are transported in a temperature-controlled vehicle to an herb prepping facility where they are washed, cut and prepared within

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Produce

A showy variety of locally-grown daikon radish has recently arrived on our produce shelves! Purple Daikon radishes are easy to spot because of their pretty, lavender-colored exterior. When you slice these large tubular beauties into thin circles, you will notice an incredible, vibrant purple & white tie-dye design inside. However, purple daikon is not just another pretty radish, it has great flavor appeal too. They're very sweet and mild, without that spicy sharp bite you can expect from other varieties. Plus, they're super easy to peel using a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Try adding shredded daikon to your favorite coleslaw recipe, or pickle them. You can also just simply slice and and lay out on a tray, and serve with dipping hummus. Get creative with salads by adding them cubed or sliced to salads for a colorful presentation.  If you would like to make something on the exotic side, check out this Radish and Carrot Kimchi recipe from Co-op, Stronger

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Featured, Produce

Special Arrival on September 1st We're excited for Thursday's arrival of some very special peaches! Picked just this week and en route to our co-op right now is a one-time-only shipment of organically grown O'Henry Peaches from Barrett Orchards in Yakima, WA. Our meat and seafood manager, Jason Harstad and his wife Jenifer have been life-long friends with Tim and Sarah Johnson from the Barrett Family.  For seven years, they have enjoyed having direct access to purchase Barrett Orchard peaches annually. This year, Jason initiated a connection for our co-op to bring in these special peaches. If you're a peach lover, you don't want to miss visiting our demo kiosk, anytime between 11 am-1 pm on Thursday, September 1st, where you can taste O'Henry Peaches. While tasting, please let us know what you think! Your input matters to us - do we bring them back next season, or not? O'Henry Peaches will be offered for

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Featured, Produce

Stroll through our produce department and you will find some new fresh faves – some returning for the season, some brand new to Valley Natural Foods – and all might not be quite what you expect!  Amaranth Greens Those into the ancient grains may recognize Amaranth seeds, but the leaves of the plant are also edible and are enjoyed around the world in countries like India, Indonesia and Malaysia. While Amaranth leaves have a slight bitterness to them when eaten raw in salads, they are most often used in cooked dishes such as stir fry and stews.  The red-colored greens are high in protein, iron and dietary fiber, among other amino acids such as Lysine.  Mini Red and Yellow watermelons Back in living color – red and yellow mini watermelons make their return to Valley! A perfect one-person size, the standard red and slightly-sweeter

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Produce

The latest superstars to arrive on our produce shelves are these colorful and somewhat odd-shaped, exciting fruit varieties. Dragon Fruit This pointy, odd-looking, edible fruit of a cactus species is also known as Pitaya. The inside flesh will either be bright white or deep red, and both types have a similar texture to kiwi fruit, with very mild, subtle flavors. The thin leathery "dragon-like" skin is very easy to slice or peel off the soft, inner flesh. For a refreshing and exciting fruit salad idea, cube up some mango, pineapple and jicama; toss together in a bowl. Top the fruit mixture with slices of peeled dragon fruit to give your tasty tropical fruit salad a very subtle white or vivid red color pop. Star Fruit The mildly tart-tasting, multi-ridged greenish-yellow star fruit is popular throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, South America, Hawaii and Florida. Star fruit is completely ripe when the skin appears mostly yellow, with some brown spots

13750 Co Rd 11, Burnsville, MN 55337

Call us during store hours at: 952-891-1212

Valley Natural Foods Co-op works in partnership with the South Metro community to support health and well-being through education and expertise in local, sustainable food and wellness services.

Store Hours:

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily

Coffee & Juice Bar In-Store Hours 8:00 a.m. –7:00 p.m. daily

Coffee & Juice Bar Drive-Thru Window 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily

Holiday Hours

OPEN on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27 – 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

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