Spiced Apple Cider

Warm, spiced apple cider is the ultimate fall drink, perfect for cozying up on cool days. This simple yet flavorful recipe combines local apple cider with aromatic spices like cinnamon and cloves, creating a comforting beverage that's both refreshing and heartwarming. Whether you're enjoying it solo or serving a crowd, this cider is a delicious way to embrace the flavors of the season.

Bradley Tetrault, IT Systems Supervisor

Directions

In a two-quart crock pot add the dark brown sugar and pour apple cider. Add cinnamon sticks, orange peels, and nutmeg into the crockpot.

Place cloves and allspice berries into the center of a small washed piece of cheesecloth; fold up sides and tie with butcher twine or small length of string to create a spice ball. Drop the spice ball into the crockpot.

Set the crockpot to high and allow it to warm for two-three hours. After that you can set it to warm or low.

Use a ladle to add into a cup or mug, add a fresh cinnamon stick or extra dash of cinnamon to each serving if desired.

Ingredients

8 cups Apple Cider

1⁄2 cup Dark Brown Sugar

2 Cinnamon Sticks

8 whole Cloves

8 whole Allspice Berries

2 Orange Peels, cut into thin strips

1⁄2 tsp ground Nutmeg

Black Bean & Quinoa Soup

by Jenny Brizzi, Wellness Buyer

Directions

In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion, celery and garlic and cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chopped tomato and jalapeño and cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more.

Add quinoa, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and toss to mix.

Add broth, stir well, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is nearly tender. Add black beans and corn, and cook 5 to 10 minutes more. Taste for seasoning, stir in lime juice and serve, topped with diced avocado and any other optional garnishes.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Olive Oil

11⁄2 cups Onion, chopped

1⁄2 cup Celery, chopped

3 - 4 cloves Garlic, chopped

1 Roma Tomato, chopped

1 Jalapeño, seeded & minced

1⁄2 cup Quinoa, rinsed

11⁄2 tsp ground Cumin

1⁄2 tsp Oregano

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

1 quart low-sodium Vegetable Broth

25 oz canned Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup Corn Kernels, fresh or frozen

2 tbsp Lime Juice

2 ripe Avocados, diced

(optional) Scallions or Cilantro, chopped

(optional) Plain Yogurt

Southern Italian Lentil Soup

by Jenny Brizzi, Wellness Buyer

Directions

Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Cook and stir until softened and lightly golden, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add garlic and cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes more. Add lentils and cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. Add broth, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, then quickly lower to a simmer. Simmer about 40 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Add parsley and optional pasta, season to taste, remove bay leaf and serve.

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil

(optional) Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 medium Onion, chopped

1 medium Carrot, chopped

1 stalk Celery, chopped

1-2 cloves Garlic, chopped

11⁄2 cups Brown Lentils, rinsed

6 cups Vegetable Stock

1 Bay Leaf

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

2 tbsp fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

(optional) soup pasta such as Ditalini, cooked

Mushroom Soup with Farro

by Jenny Brizzi, Wellness Buyer

Directions

In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat coconut oil over medium-low heat. Add celery, onion and garlic and cook and stir until onion is soft and golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in crimini and beech mushrooms, salt and pepper and continue to cook and stir 10 minutes more.

Stir in farro, then add vegetable broth, tamari and thyme. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until farro is tender. Stir in parsley, remove thyme sprig, taste for seasoning and serve.

Ingredients

2 tbsp virgin Coconut Oil

1 stalk Celery, chopped

11/4 cup Onion, chopped

2 tsp Garlic, chopped

8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

3.5 oz Beech Mushrooms, trimmed

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

3⁄4 cup Pearled Farro

6 cups low-sodium Vegetable Broth

1 tbsp Tamari

1 large sprig fresh Thyme

2 tbsp fresh Italian Parsley

Parsnip Pear Soup

by Jenny Brizzi, Wellness Buyer

Ingredients

2 tbsp virgin Coconut Oil

1⁄2 cup Onion, chopped

1 tsp Garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp Ginger, finely minced

11⁄2 lbs Parsnips, peeled and diced

2 large Pears, peeled, cored, and diced

1⁄2 tsp dried Thyme

1⁄2 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground Pepper

4 cups Vegetable Broth

11⁄2 cups unsweetened Almond Milk

2 tbsp fresh Lemon Juice

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1 tbsp fresh Parsley, chopped

Directions

Heat coconut oil over medium heat in saucepan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until softened, about ten minutes. Add parsnip, pear, thyme, salt, and pepper and toss to mix. Add broth and bring to a quick boil, lower to a simmer and then simmer until parsnip and pear pieces are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Mash some of them, or remove and puree half of soup and return to pot. Stir in almond milk, lemon juice, nutmeg, and parsley. Heat just until warm and serve.

Cozy (and easy) Chicken Soup

by Arianna LaBosco, Fridge & Dairy Buyer

ingredients

1 Whole Chicken

1 White Onion, chopped

3 stalks Celery, chopped

3 Carrots, chopped

32 oz Chicken Broth

(optional) 1 Scallion, sliced,

for garnish

(optional) 1 pound Pasta

(optional) Escarole

directions

Fill your favorite pot with water, add your chicken, and turn up the stove. Let your chicken simmer for a few hours.

De-bone the chicken and throw the pieces back into the pot. Add all of your chopped veggies and let it simmer for an hour or two until they’re done!

Serve over pasta if you’d like, and optionally add escarole and scallions on top.

Tuscan Spaghetti Squash

by Hayley Ranolde, Customer Service Manager

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Rub all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake until the spaghetti squash is tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool until cool enough to handle, then use two forks to pull apart spaghetti squash into fine noodle-like strings.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium skillet until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Pour off half the bacon fat and add garlic, tomatoes and spinach to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Add heavy cream and Parmesan and let simmer until slightly thickened. Add spaghetti squash and toss until fully coated. Crumble bacon over the squash and stir to combine. Garnish with basil.

Ingredients

1 large Spaghetti Squash

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper, freshly ground

4 slices Bacon

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

11/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

2 cup Baby Spinach

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/3 cup Parmesan, grated Basil, for garnish

Creamy Lemon Orzo with Winter Greens

by Anna Sawyer, Café Asst. Manager

Directions

Cook kale in olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. Add vegetable broth and heavy cream; bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo and cook 9 minutes. Stir in baby spinach. Turn off the heat; stir in Parmesan and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

Ingredients

2 cups Tuscan Kale, sliced Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, sliced

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 cups Vegetable Broth

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 cup Orzo

2 cups Baby Spinach

3/4 cup Parmesan, grated

1 tbsp Lemon zest

1 tbsp Lemon juice

Always in the Fridge, Always in our Minds

by Anna Monaco, Seafood Buyer

There are a few things I always have in my pantry and fridge. These are not things I buy when I need some, I tend to panic buy these in large quantities and always have some on hand, no matter what! Below are some thoughts on these ingredients as well as some fun facts about them and, of course, my favorite uses!

Ode to Sour Cream

There once was some fermented horse milk

Resembling the color of corn silk

Mongolian diets

Insisted you try it

To turn into one of their ilk

Okay, not really but sort of. Some of the first domesticated horses can trace back to current day Kazakhstan. Horse milk has a much higher lactose content than cow or yak milk for example, and can be not so gentle on the human digestive system if consumed raw. Fermentation, however, allowed the natural bacteria to convert the lactose into lactic acid, making it both thicker and more tolerable to the human body. This fermented liquid was called Koumiss. The fermentation process, however, did transform some of the sugars into alcohol so this thick milk was a little boozy. As domesticated horses became the "it" trend throughout Eurasia, the nomadic Mongolian diet incorporated Koumiss as a staple. Years later, Russians substituted horse milk with cow milk and adjusted the fermentation process to prevent alcohol from developing et voila! Sour cream, as we are more familiar with it today, was born!

I put sour cream on lots of things from nachos and tacos to all sorts of bean dishes, but one of my favorite uses is in a hot soup - and it is soup weather! I put a dollop in the center and let the heat from the liquid melt it just a touch so when I take a bite from the center of said dollop, it's still a little cold and gives a nice contrast to the hot soup. How do you use sour cream?

O Chicken broth, my chicken broth

Two birds diverged in the wood and I put them both in a stock pot

With veggies veggies everywhere and not a piece to eat

Shall I compare thee to a summer stock

Thou art more flavorful and drinkable

To stir or not to stir, that is the recipe direction

What is broth and what is stock? Are they different? What about bone broth? Here we go folks, let's iron this out once and for all. Traditionally, stock is made from bones and aromatics and broth is made from bones with a little more meat on them and aromatics. For aromatics, both typically use celery, carrot, and onion (or mirepoix (meer-pwah) as it's often referred to). But what about vegetable stock? Vegetables don't have bones. How does that work? And bone broth is broth made with a higher proportion of bones. So you're telling me it's just stock, right? These days, the terms are pretty interchangeable, though most people tend to think of broth as more flavorful (which, if we go off of the traditional definition mentioned above, it technically is).

So for the purposes of the rest of this article, I will be referring to them both as STOTH (STOck + brOTH).

Is it easy to make your own STOTH? The answer is a resounding YES! Every time you cut any item from the mirepoix, take the scraps and throw them in a freezer bag/container. Keep adding to it until you have enough to fill a small saucepan. If you want to add meat to the STOTH, you can either use the remains of a roast chicken or pork chop or throw in some bone-in cuts of that meat as well. So you have your frozen bag of onion skins, celery ends, and carrot peels, and you have 3 chicken wings you forgot to cook and the body of a roast chicken pretty picked clean. Throw all of that in a pot and cover with water and add a tablespoon or so of salt. Bring it to a boil and then simmer it until you are satisfied with the flavor (at least a few hours, but up to 18 if you so dare). You can add fresh or dried herbs and additional vegetables like mushrooms or garlic too. Strain the STOTH through cheesecloth and you suddenly have a super concentrated homemade STOTH with very little actual work.

So what's the big deal about STOTH anyway? You can use it in a number of applications. Use it to make a delicious sauce for your seared chicken thighs. Throw some in a blender with steamed sweet potatoes for soup. Thin out refried beans so they are spreadable on your tostadas and tacos. Heat it up and drink it! STOTH is so versatile and nourishing and making your own is easy and one of those things in which you can really taste the difference.

Happy STOTH season all!

Not Your Average Cocktail Party

A growing category in our store illustrates the community’s desire for alcohol-free libations

by Kailyn Reilly, Center Store Assistant Manager

Growing up, I went to AA meetings with my mom and watched her drink virgin Bloody Marys on the holidays, as well as an O’Douls every once in a while. As I became an adult, I worked with many people in recovery. My boyfriend is also sober. When I first started working at the Co-op almost three years ago, I brought home a bottle of Töst (a local sparkling white tea drink) as a little treat for a special occasion since it’s non-alcoholic. He loved it and it is now our go to celebratory drink in place of the “traditional” champagne. When I was taking a pretty harsh acne medication last year, I was instructed not to drink for the six months I was taking it. I had a few events that I would normally drink at, but instead I drank some non-alcoholic wine and yes, Töst! From what I’ve heard from friends and family that are sober, they still like and want nice/fancy drinks, just not with the alcohol.

One of the things that I’m most proud of and excited about is our non-alcoholic set. Back in May 2022, David Kelly, the Center Store Manager, and I were meeting with one of our sales reps and she showed us a non-alcoholic beer, and I immediately convinced David to jump on the N/A train. Since then, I have taken on this whole category and it’s become my baby. This category is generally growing rapidly, and I am constantly looking and trying new products to sell in our N/A set. If you’ve been following along since 2022, you’ve seen that display change a lot. I’ve swapped a lot of products out to make space for higher quality options and more variety. Right now, I think we have a pretty great spread of options ranging from spirit alternatives, wines, beer, cocktails, and mixers – but of course there’s always room to grow. Our Co-op’s top-seller, Athletic Brewing Co., is actually holding four out of the top ten N/A beers according to Drizly’s 2023 consumer data.

While these alternatives can be great for anyone who’s sober, they’re also great for everyone. Yes, everyone.

On medication that you shouldn’t drink on and you have an event to go to but don’t want to feel awkward (not that you are!)? Have a glass of Leitz pinot noir.

You’re the designated driver tonight? Have some Atmos Brewing Co. golden ale.

Have an early morning but really just want to have a fancy drink? Make yourself a. N/A cocktail with any of the Ritual Zero Proof spirits or try one of the Free AF ready to drink N/A cocktails (the Paloma is my favorite).

Just trying to be more mindful with your drinking? Take a peek at our section, and if you have something specific you’re looking for, please let me know, I’m always open to ideas and suggestions!

I have spoken to many of our customers who are just as excited as I am and so grateful for this section, and it means the world to me that I’m able to provide these alternatives. As non-alcoholic beverages are trending, and people are reaching for them more and more, I can’t wait to see what’s to come.