Viroqua Food Co-op Recipe Blog

Enjoy this wonderful recipe by Bjorn Bergman, VFC's Outreach Coordinator (a.k.a. Ramp Man).

If you'd like to learn more, CLICK HERE to visit the article he wrote in Edible Madison!

If you or someone you love is allergic to wheat or gluten, then you know how hard it is to prepare tasty, worry-free food. From breads and pasta, to cake and cookies—many favorite foods typically contain wheat, which is the most common source of gluten. You will also find that many packaged and processed foods contain gluten. Things as seemingly unrelated to wheat as a seasoning blend can contain gluten. Today the need for living gluten free (GF) is accepted as a viable medical condition. It turns out there are several million people that lead a GF lifestyle.

THIS NEW YEAR MAKE A TEA FOR PASSION AND VITALITY!

8 Tbsp green tea
3 Tbsp rose petals, dried
3 Tbsp elderberries, dried
2 tsp hibiscus, dried
1 tsp rosehips, crushed dried

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl, keep stored in an air-tight container.
• Use 1 Tbsp of mixture to 1 cup of near-boiling water.
• Allow to steep a few minutes, add lemon and honey to taste.
Enjoy!
Mary Kehoe, Herb, Spice and Tea Buyer

This recipe was contributed by Luke Zahm, Viroqua Food Co-op Chef.
Luke is a Vernon County Native who returned to his roots after 13 years of professional cooking in Madison. He is passionate about family farming, buying local and strengthening the local community through food. He and his wife Ruthie (also from Viroqua) have 3 children and live in the countryside near La Farge.

Cranberry and Walnut Stuffing
½ lb dried cranberries, plumped
2 cups white wine
1/4 lb walnuts, toasted
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water
3 lbs onions, diced
1½ lbs carrot, diced
1½ lbs celery, diced
2 Tbsp butter
2 lbs bread, cubed
1 quart broth, pork drippings from pan
2 ounces fresh thyme
3 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp black pepper

• Place dried cranberries (found on endcap near bulk section) in a small sauce pan and cover with white wine. Place over medium low heat and allow to rehydrate slowly. Once rehydrated, allow to cool in liquid. Reserve liquid and cranberries.
• Toast walnuts in oven at 300 degrees until they are fragrant and golden. Allow to cool.
• Boil water and sugar together until slightly thickened to create a simple syrup. While syrup is warm, drizzle over cooled walnuts to create a sugar coating. Place on a cookie sheet to cool completely.
• In large sauté pan, heat butter and add onion, carrot and celery, and sauté until onions are translucent. Remove.
• In large bowl add bread, stock, carrots, onion, celery, plumped cranberries, toasted walnuts, fresh herbs, seasonings, etc. Bake in 300 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Serves 12

Rich, creamy butternut squash, juicy pears, a can of coconut milk and a dash of curry, and you’ve got a warm, spicy dish that’s sure to be a hit as an appetizer or a meal all by itself.

Every year as we come out of the holiday season and dive into the new calendar year, I have trouble shifting my local food eating gears. The switch from eating delicious local greens, like salad mix, spinach, and kale, to a wide array of root vegetables, like beets, parsnips, carrots, turnips is always difficult for me. It really takes a deliberate shift to get myself to focus the vegetable side of my cooking on root veggies.

1/2 cup Butter    
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Maple Syrup    
1 Loaf Sliced Bread
6 Eggs    
1 1/2 cups Milk
1T Vanilla
1/4 cup Caramel

As human beings we thrive on patterns. These patterns are great when we need to be on time for work or appointments, but tend to get us nutritionally stuck when we continue to eat the same old things. A raw foods diet doesn’t have to be “all or nothing”. I have had great success in making a couple of simple changes that make sense for me.

1 Tbsp honey
1 large wedge of lemon (¼ small lemon)
1½ cup hot water
1 shot (1½ oz) Irish whiskey
bourbon,scotch, brandy, or rum

1 cup dates, freshly chopped (I suggest the pitted Deglet Noors from the produce case)
½ cup unsalted butter (or ¼ cup butter & ¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil)
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp rum
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1½ cup grated dried coconut, lightly toasted