February 2011

Green Spotlight:  Notes from Nancy GrantCooking and serving lots of tasty foods from the deli kitchen takes great recipes and attention to the tiniest details. That includes thinking about energy use, water consumption, and ways to prevent waste.Deli manager Jill Webster says the job’s easier because she’s surrounded by helpful “green thinking” team members.Valley Natural Foods co-op general manager Susan McGaughey believes in purchasing the most energy-efficient kitchen appliances available that save money in operating expenses in the long run. Today’s co-op kitchen features large stand mixers, slicers, a high-tech convection oven, plus a ten-rack “combi” oven that can steam and bake different kinds of foods at the same time. Such multi-tasking is simple with programmable controls that help prevent energy waste.Webster also counts on her keen-eyed deli staff members to turn off equipment when it’s not needed. Webster says