Salad Days

In our books, kale will never be a #fail. But come summer, it’s time to swap some standbys for the fresh flavors of a new season. Here’s a list of some lean, mean, fabulous greens to pick up the next time you shop. Spice up your summer salad and impress your friends! Experiment with combining textures  and colors.

Dandelion Greens A wild and exotic green, dandelion greens are packed with nutrients. With more calcium, vitamins, and iron than most greens, dandelions are great for a detox and they add a roarin’ flavor to salads and sautées. The bitter, strong taste of dandelion is best served up with a bold vinaigrette. Don’t be afraid to feed on this weed.

Arugula A richly flavored, nutty green that’s versatile for cooking, arugula makes a perfect pizza topping and is great on a grilled burger or steak. Major culinary snaps if you pair it with mozzarella and garden fresh tomatoes at your next picnic or party. Plus, it’s fun to say. Arugula!

Mustard Greens Less bitter than its cousin kale (but trust us, just as “in”), and more peppery than arugula, mustard greens are a fab addition to Chinese, Japanese, and Indian cooking. These greens play well with strong and silent types, like ginger, garlic, and chilies. Slow-cooking mustards with collards and kale coaxes out a yummy mild flavor that is a staple for American southern cuisine.

Radicchio All good things happened in the year 1988 (am I right?), including the first U.S. cultivation of the Italian lettuce, radicchio. Not to be confused with red cabbage, radicchio is a brilliant red leaf with white veins. Radicchio has a bittersweet bite and juicy crunch eaten raw, and its kick mellows nicely when grilled or roasted.

Bibb This sweet little head lettuce has soft, round, floppy leaves that look just like a baby’s bib. Tender, buttery and delicate, Bibb lettuce makes a wonderful bed for soft meats like tuna or crab. Like all good things in life, Bibb doesn’t last long, so eat it up while it’s fresh!

Frisée Frisée is indeed a frizzy little fella. This spiky, crunchy ball of pale green and white lettuce is often used in salads for texture and color, but can also stand on its own with a strong dressing and a pair of chopsticks.

Iceberg The most popular lettuce in salad bar history is a favorite for its mildness and satisfying texture. Major crunch action here! If you grew up in the Midwest, this is also known as “Taco lettuce.” Ole!

Red leaf We all know redheads know how to have fun. Bringing more than a splash of beautiful bronzy color to your salad, this frilly red leaf lettuce is full of antioxidants and boasts a sweet, tender flavor.

Romaine Iceberg for grownups, Romaine lettuce has an elongated central rib that brings the ultimate crunch. Its dark, leafy green shade also makes it the most nutritious of all lettuce varieties. Bonus! You may recall Romaine from salads such as: every Caesar salad ever made.

Provided by NCG strongertogether.coop

Vinaigrettes & Dressings

Add an extra punch to meats, grilled veggies, and salads. Vinaigrettes and dressings are easy and leave room for improvisation.

News Roundup: May 18, 2016

Stay updated on what's happening in your community. Have a story you want to share? Email marketing@mariposa.coop

Taiwanese Dessert Shop Coming to 40th and Ludlow

When walking down South 40th Street over the weekend, we noticed a new sign in the window next door to The Green Line Cafe. A Taiwanese dessert shop is in the works for 32 S. 40th St., the storefront formerly occupied by Dr. Wyatt’s University Herbs. Read more.

Museum Showcases the Vibrant Creativity of Africa

The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s latest offering, “Creative Africa,” features five exhibitions that showcase a broad spectrum of the arts from across the African continent. The centerpiece is “Look Again: Contemporary Perspectives on African Art,” on display through Dec. 4, is a major exhibition drawn from the collection of the Penn Museum. It examines the rich artistic heritage of West and Central Africa, and is designed to acquaint visitors with the diverse styles and functions of African art. Read more.

Today Marks 31 Years Since Philadelphia Police Bombed Its Own Residents

The militarization of American police departments, on display during the Ferguson protests, has roots in numerous strategies for "dealing" with Black activist movements in the '60s and '70s. Few events symbolize the results of this warlike behavior more clearly—and scarily—than when, 31 years to this day, police bombed a West Philadelphia rowhouse occupied by the Black radical, back-to-nature group MOVE. Read more.

Teaching West Philly 4th Graders the Art of Protest with March Against Gun Violence

My mother flew in because I was in the hospital. She shouldn’t pick up and fly in from Trinidad, but she will and tickets were cheap. She’s the 4-foot-something rasta woman who Tony Sopranos our family. She flew to New York and made it to Philly on her own, even though legally she can’t see. How’s that for the queen of mothers? Isis, anyone? Read more.

Local Asparagus Spring Soup

Via Stronger Together

This lemony asparagus soup is spiced with a touch of curry and gets added richness from "lite" coconut milk and creamy red potatoes. Top it with a dollop of crème fraîche or plain yogurt and serve warm or chilled.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided
• 2 cups diced peeled red potatoes
• 3 cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces trimmed asparagus, (about 1 bunch)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche, or reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallion greens, or fresh chives

Preparation

1. Melt butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in curry powder, ginger, lemon zest and potatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in broth, coconut milk and asparagus.
4. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, partially cover and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
5. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or a regular blender (in batches) until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
6. Whisk crème fraîche (or sour cream), lemon juice and scallion greens (or chives) in a small bowl and garnish with a swirl of it.

Tips & Notes

Crème fraîche is a tangy, thick, rich cultured cream commonly used in French cooking. Find it in the dairy section, usually near other specialty cheeses. Sour cream can be used as a substitute, or you can make your own lower-fat version by combining equal portions of reduced-fat sour cream and nonfat plain yogurt.

Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop

News Roundup May 6

Stay updated about what’s happening in our community. Have something to share? Please contact marketing@mariposa.coop

Ice cream meets space in a project by Little Baby’s and The Workshop School

Little Baby’s Ice Cream is big on wild, outsized ideas. “Generally,” says CEO Pete Angevine. “They stay as that, just ideas.”

So it was with some surprise that Angevine found a group of local high schoolers willing to take on what may be his most outsized of all ice cream-related ideas: Sending a pint of Little Baby’s where no pint has ever dared to go—into space. Read more.

The Enterprise Center Helps Minority Businesses Get Over Their Startup Slump

For 25 years, The Enterprise Center in West Philly has launched hundreds of minority and woman-owned businesses all over the city and beyond, helping to create thousands of new jobs in Philadelphia. But a few years ago, the folks who run TEC realized something: They were successful at helping to launch businesses, but a few years in, many of their entrepreneurs were still in hustle and struggle mode, lacking the resources and big picture skills needed to grow, hire new staff, become pillars of their community and reliable employers. Read more.

At May Day Rally, Child Care Becomes a Radical Act

For a hundred or so activists who crowded into tents to escape the rain Sunday afternoon, the May Day U.S.A. March, Rally and Family Celebration at Clark Park in West Philadelphia was a chance to speak out on issues from the Verizon workers' strike to the perils of gentrification to the need for a $15 minimum wage. Read more.

Following the Footsteps of African-American Worker Cooperatives

New York City has invested more than $1 million to boost the number of worker cooperatives in the last couple years. Of a plan to do something similar in Rochester, New York, Mayor Lovely Warren recently said, “We liked the ability to improve neighborhoods by actively having employees build co-ops in a neighborhood that’s challenged, where people could actually walk to and from work, building wealth and keeping the money in the neighborhood.” Now Philadelphia’s getting a program that will promote the equity potential of the employee-owner model — and it’s taking a cue from African-American co-op history. Read more.

Congo Coffee Project

We’re gearing up for World Fair Trade Day on May 14 by celebrating our Fair Trade and Fairly Traded products, such as Equal Exchange. Adhering to the Authentic Fair Trade model, Equal Exchange - also a cooperative! - was founded in 1986 to challenge the existing trade model, which favors large plantations, agri-business, and multi-national corporations. Equal Exchange supports small farmers through direct trade and connects consumers and producers through information, education, and the exchange of products in the marketplace.

Fast forward to 2011, Equal Exchange founded the Congo Coffee Project in partnership with the Panzi Foundation as a means to bring Congolese coffee to market in the United States and raise awareness about the alarming rate of sexual violence that takes place every day.

Sexual violence has affected thousands of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the last two decades. While there are not many resources, survivors seek refuge and assistance at the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, DRC, a bustling hospital with more than 360 staff and thousands of visitors each year. Founded by Dr. Dennis Mukwege, a world renowned gynecologist, two time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and out-spoken activist, the hospital treats patients with various ailments, but has become known as a safe place for survivors of sexual violence to seek treatment and heal from their trauma.

The Congo Coffee Project has raised more than $50,000 for survivors of sexual violence and has worked with numerous organizations to tell the story of the DRC to the world. You, too, can make a contribution to the Congo Coffee Project by making a purchase in store. $1 of each sale directly benefits the Panzi Foundation.

For more information about Equal Exchange, visit equalexchange.coop/congo-coffee-project

May Day aka International Workers Day

Written by Rae Scoles, Grocery Coordinator

A little past...

Throughout history, the working class has been serially taken advantage of, treated unfairly, and forced to work in brutal conditions. Out of the Renaissance came a burgeoning capitalism which brought with it industrialization, the factory, and more injustices for laborers. Forced to work long hours in poor conditions, factory workers began to demand their rights, including that of an eight hour work day. In Chicago, this struggle came to a head in May of 1886 at the Haymarket Riot. What started as a peaceful rally to attain the 8 hour work day ended in police killing several activists. The next day, when the police tried to disperse their gathering again, someone threw a homemade explosive at them, killing seven officers and four civilians. While nothing could be definitively proved against any of them, eight anarchists were convicted of conspiracy in the bombing. Sentenced to death, they gave their lives for the eight hour work day which we still enjoy. May Day, also known as International Worker’s Day, is celebrated throughout the world on May 1.

A little present…

Capitalism still commodifies laborers--factories are built in countries without laws to protect workers, sweat shops employ children, companies structure hours in such a way as to avoid giving employees benefits,  laborers are paid a minimum wage which hasn’t risen in years while CEOs are making untaxed millions. It’s not that we haven’t come a long way in the struggle for human rights for the working class, it’s just that there is so far we still have to go. The cooperative model is working to close that gap by seeking to treat employees fairly, pay well, give workers benefits, do business with others who practice fair trade, and by valuing workers as human beings who are much more than a number on a spreadsheet. No system is perfect, but by consciously working to be less exploitative, the cooperative model is standing on the side of laborers. This month, Mariposa will be celebrating World Fair Trade Day to recognize the efforts of  the fair trade movement which are turning the tide against exploitative labor practices.

~With hope and solidarity~

Events in the Area

• May Day USA Education Committee of Philadelphia, Fight for 15, and 15 Now are hosting a march from the McDonald's at 40th and Chestnut to Clark park starting at 1pm
• May Day USA Education Committee of Philadelphia hosts the Stand Up Fight Back May Day Rally in Clark Park at 2pm. Keynote speaker - Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, theologian, activist and author Chris Hedges! Other May Day speakers include Dr. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor from Princeton University’s African American Studies Department whose latest book is From ‪#‎BlackLivesMatter‬ to Black Liberation (2016); City Councilwoman and education activist Helen Gym; Philadelphia Poet Laureate (2013-2015) Frank Sherlock; and Henry Nicholas, the President of District 1199C, National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees. Go to https://www.facebook.com/maydayphiladelphia/?fref=photo for more details.

What’s the deal with Castile?

Traditionally made from olive oil in the Castile region of Spain, Castile soap has come to mean any vegetable oil-based soap. Most commercially made soaps are animal fat-based soap, often a complex blend of detergents with a higher ecological impact due to the waste stream during manufacture and slower biodegradability. Dr. Bronner’s soaps are 100% true pure-castile soaps. The coconut oil based soap contains certified organic, fair trade and 100% vegan ingredients and uses no detergents, foaming agents or animal testing. The soap is packaged using 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, too.

You can use Dr. Bronner’s for more than just a body soap - in fact it has 18 uses! Lisa Bronner, granddaughter to the founder Dr. Emanuel Bronner, breaks it down for us.

Body Uses

Face 2-3 drops on wet hands, applied to wet face Body one small squirt on a wet washcloth, applied to a wet body Hair ½ Tbsp. in your hand, worked into wet hair, or dilute ½ Tbsp. in ½ a cup of water and work that into wet hair Bath Completely depends upon water amount, but roughly 2 Tbsp. soap in an average sized tub. (Doesn’t bubble, but still cleans) Shaving Face – 10 drops Underarms – 3 drops Legs – ½ tsp Work to a lather in wet hands and then apply to area. Teeth 1 drop on a toothbrush. (Yes, it tastes like soap.) Foot Bath 1 ½ tsp. in a small tub of hot water. Clearing Congestion 1 Tbsp. in a bowl of steamy hot water. Breathe in mist with a towel draped over the head.

Household Uses

Dishes (handwashing) Pre-dilute 1:10 with water. Squirt on a scrub brush and scrub dishes. Laundry 1/3-1/2 c. of soap for a large load in a normal washer. Add ½ c. vinegar to the rinse cycle. Use half of these amounts for HE Mopping ½ c. of soap in 3 gallons of hot water All-purpose cleaning ¼ c. soap in a quart of water in a spray bottle. Add ¼ tsp. tea tree essential oil if desired. Windows 1 Tbsp. soap in a quart of water in a spray bottle. Follow up with pure club soda, or half vinegar/ half water. Toilet Predilute 1:4 with water in a squirt bottle. Add ¼ tsp. tea tree oil. Empty toilet, squirt bowl thoroughly, sprinkle baking soda on the brush, scrub bowl, let sit 10 minutes, turn water on, flush.

Other Uses

Fruit and Veggie Rinse 1 dash (approx.. ¼ tsp.) in a bowl of water. Dunk produce and swish. Then rinse in clear water. Dog washing Amount varies widely depending on size, hair type and length, and overall dirtiness. I wet my dog thoroughly, then start to work in castile soap up and down their body until I have a good lather. Really massage it in down to the skin. Your dog will thank you for it. Plant spray for bugs 1 Tbsp. in a quart of water. Add ½ tsp. cayenne pepper or cinnamon, if desired. Ant spray (not on plants) ¼ c. tea tree soap in a quart of water. (This concentration will burn plants.)

News Roundup: April 29, 2016

Stay updated about what’s happening in our community. Have something to share? Please contact marketing@mariposa.coop

2016 Primary Election Results; How Some Sections of West Philadelphia Voted

The 2016 Pennsylvania Primary Election results are in, and here are some local results and a breakdown by wards on the vote for presidential candidates. Overall, West Philadelphia’s Democratic voters supported Hillary Clinton, except for the 27th Ward where Bernie Sanders came out on top. Read more.

Philly Expands Bike-Share Program After a Booming First Year

Indego, the city's bike-sharing system, celebrated its first birthday on Thursday. And as with any good birthday party, there were a lot of presents - from 24 new docking stations to 300 new bikes and a new way for low-income residents to pay to use the system.

Mayor Kenney led the celebrations on a sun-splashed Race Street Pier, one of the locations to get a new docking station. Read more.

New Lancaster Avenue Café Aims to Feed Everyone At the Table with Pay-What-You-Can Pricing

About 40 percent of food in the United States is never eaten, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. It’s tough to point fingers when there is no one to blame. We’ve all bought meat or produce that has gone bad before we have gotten around to preparing it. The EAT (Everyone At the Table) Café, a nonprofit subsidiary of the Center for Hunger-free Communities at Drexel University, aims to approach food resources a little differently to reduce waste and make access to healthy food more affordable with a pay-what-you-can price structure. Read more.

Socialize the Banks

These days observers worry about banks — European institutions like Germany’s Deutsche Bank, France’s Societé Generale, and Italy’s Monte di Pascoale, not to mention the zombie banks that populate the austerity-ridden eurozone periphery in Greece, Portugal, and Spain. These big banks are widely seen as global capitalism’s next weak link, capable of causing massive financial instability if they go bust. Read more.

Live Every Day Like Taco Tuesday

It doesn't have to be Tuesday for you to enjoy tacos. Tacos are versatile and quick & easy to make. Stuff them with veggies for an extra boost. Find some of our favorite taco recipes below.

Tempeh Taco Filling

Chicken Tacos with Charred Tomatoes

Total Time: 

35 minutes

Servings: 

2

Charring tomatoes in a hot, dry skillet makes them smoky and flavorful; in combination with fresh herbs and spices, they elevate this dish from "everyday" to "ta-da!" Serve the tacos with reduced-fat sour cream.

 Ingredients: 2 plum tomatoes, cored 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced 2 teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 scallions, chopped 6 small corn tortillas, heated (see Tip)

Preparation: Heat a medium skillet over high heat until very hot. Add tomatoes and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until charred on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise; squeeze to discard seeds. Remove cores and chop the remaining pulp and skin. Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan and heat over high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lime juice, the chicken and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and scallions. Divide the chicken mixture among tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.

Tips & Notes: Wrap tortillas in barely damp paper towels and microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds.

Fish Tacos with Grapefruit Salsa

Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4

Ingredients:Salsa 2 medium grapefruit, peeled and segmented 2 tablespoons red onion, minced 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced 1/4 cup cucumber, peeled and cut in small dice 1 garlic clove, minced 2 teaspoons jalapeño, seeded and minced 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1 teaspoon honey 2 tablespoons lime juice Pinch of salt

Tacos 8 corn tortillas 1 pound flaky white fish (such as tilapia or catfish) 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

Preparation: Carefully chop the grapefruit into chunks. In a mixing bowl, gently stir together all of the salsa ingredients. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving. While the salsa sits, prepare the fish. Fill a wide skillet with an inch of water or vegetable broth and add the bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring it to a boil and gently add the fish fillets. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pan and cook the fish through, about 10 minutes. Use a metal spatula to remove the cooked fish from the skillet and when cool enough to handle, break up the fish into small pieces and distribute it evenly among the tortillas. Top each tortilla with a heaping tablespoon of the grapefruit salsa and some shredded lettuce. Fold the tortilla over the fillings and enjoy.

Serving Suggestion: Cilantro-seasoned rice, guacamole, tortilla chips and a light ale bring out the bright, bold flavors of this dish. Substitute shredded leftover chicken or baked tofu for the fish, for a quick change of pace.

Find more recipes at http://strongertogether.coop/food-recipes