On Saturday, April 30, teams of volunteers from the South Philly Food Co-op will be at a couple events to answer questions about the Co-op, hand out brochures, and just get to meet people who may have only had contact with us through email or Facebook. At the LoMo event we will be reprising one of our most fun fund raisers with a bake sale supplied by our many supporters. So if you're reading this, please stop by one of the two events below (both are GREAT events) and say hi. We'll also be administering surveys which are a vital part of the planning process and will be used during for our feasibility study and market analysis. Below are details about Flavors of the Avenue and the LoMo Spring Market and Community Fair. Flavors of the Avenue Saturday, April 30, noon-5pm East Passyunk Avenue, between Dickinson and Morris East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District invites you to enjoy a true taste of East Passyunk Avenue from its award-winning restaurants, all offering samples of their signature dishes and drinks under the cover of a big top tent, making the event rain or shine!  Outside of the Flavors tent, enjoy a free street festival with live music and a craft market hosted by Crafty Balboa at the Fountain. Noon-1pm: VIP Hour - $50* ticket includes specialty cocktails and first tastes of premium menu items with limited attendance 1-5pm: General Admission - $30* ticket includes wine and beer Tickets will be limited and on-line ordering ends at midnight on April 27 or when the event sells out. After Flavors, East Passyunk Avenue’s boutiques and salons will be holding a Flavors Fashion Crawl, complete with trunk shows, sales, demonstrations, refreshments and other special events and The Bottle Shop will host a Beer Tasting block party between Moore & Mifflin Streets.  Both events are from 5-8pm and are free! For more info and to purchase your tickets, go to: www.visiteastpassyunk.com/flavors.. LoMo’s Spring Market & Community Fair Saturday, April 30, 2011 9 am – 3 pm (rain date: Saturday, May 7). Vendor spaces will be set up along the highly-trafficked area on Broad Street between Snyder Avenue & Jackson Street (streetside in front of South Philadelphia High School).

Back on March 27, the South Philly Food Co-op hosted one of our monthly educational events and welcomed Marie Winters, ND, of Two Rivers Naturopathy who taught about the benefits and medicinal properties of everyday fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. Marie discussed how eating seasonally helps to keep the body naturally healthy. That point cleared up a concern (at least a concern that I had) that strictly trying to eat local might cause deficiencies if we don't get, say, bananas or citrus fruit which don't grow locally. Not so. All of the nutrients we need, during the seasons we need them, can be found in locally grown foods. The nutrients we need in winter are found in the foods that grow around here in winter and so forth for the other seasons. Nature seems to have figured out what it's doing. Here's one last plug for Marie: her Two Rivers Naturopathy just recently moved into a space at South Philadelphia Acupuncture at 1532 East Passyunk Avenue. One of the goals of the Co-op as stated in its mission is to provide affordable, nutritious and locally sourced food. But it's also important to remember the Co-op's role in educating people in the community about the benefits of buying and eating those types of food. We hope to invite Marie back for more information sessions once the Co-op opens its doors. Eating local has a twofold benefit of supporting local and regional businesses, especially farms that use sustainable practices that try to minimize or eliminate damage to the land AND it improves public health. But it's a battle. Advocates for these practices are up against a system that has vast amounts of resources aimed literally changing people's palettes through marketing. When it's education and common sense vs. flashy commercials and messages and images that appeal to our subconscious, education and common sense aren't going to be able to put up much of a fight. But we press on. And you can help by spreading the word about the Co-op and getting your friends and neighbors in South Philadelphia excited for it. In fact, please direct all of your Facebook friends to "Like" us on Facebook. It might not seem like much, but it'll make it a lot easier for us to communicate with our most loyal fans when it comes time to appeal to them (and you) to become member-owners. In the meantime, here's another take on the benefits of eating locally and naturally from a blog that I've recently started following (and listening to their podcasts) - The Socio Capitalist:

At your local grocery store, think about where that fruit came from. Unless you live in Florida or California, chances are it’s not from around the corner. Is that natural? Of course not. We all know that fruit and vegetables are shipped all over the country, covered in chemicals, and no one wants to eat anything covered in chemicals. But what we don’t realize,is that more importantly than the chemicals (they wash right off anyway), is our food is losing its nutritional value before it even reaches us. What can you do? Buy local. The quality of the fruit and vegetables that are locally sourced – farmers markets are a good option, if you’re lucky there may be a local farm somewhere near you like this one – is markedly better. When you bite into a banana that was grown less than 20 miles away, the difference is immediately apparent, and the cause of that glorious taste is nutrients.

Just a reminder about our event this weekend. See you there! Ayurvedic Cooking: Demystifying Spices Sunday, April 24 · 6:00pm - 7:30pm Philly Community Wellness 1241 Carpenter Street Join Shruthi for a fun evening discovering key spices used in Ayurvedic Indian dishes. Together, we will discuss the nature of essential spices, what spices are best for specific constitutions, and different preparation methods such as frying, dry roasting, and making a masala. The event will also include: a written questionnaire to determine your Ayurvedic constitution, tips for mindful eating, and a hands-on cooking demonstration using fresh Springtime ingredients. www.cardamomkitchen.net Suggested donation to cover the cost of food: $5 You can RSVP via our Facebook event page.

It's getting to be the end of soup season.  A hot bowl of soup is so comforting right when the weather starts to get chilly and then through the winter, but as soon as there's a hint of a warm day here or there, soups can start to seem so heavy, so warm... still appropriate for a rainy day, but burdensome when the sun is shining. But April showers, right?  We still have a couple more weeks.  Pretty soon we'll be trading leeks for scallions - until then, we have potato leek soup.

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This is a very straightforward soup, with a short ingredient list.  Leeks, potatoes, stock, salt, white pepper (red if it's what you have), and olive oil.  And a blender.   I've done this with a friend's immersion blender, which works spectacularly, or in batches in my own blender. To make a stockpile of soup, use two leeks and six russet potatoes.

stored in jars for freezing and distribution, not canned

To serve 4-6, use three potatoes and one leek. Start by cooking the potatoes.   I scrubbed them, then scored the equator of the potato and then dropped it in boiling water until tender.   Once tender, I used tongs to remove the potato to a large bowl of cold water.  After they've cooled a bit, you can peel them with your hands. Peel and cut into manageable chunks. Coarsely chop the leek(s).  Remember everything will be blended in the end.  Add two tablespoons of oil to a soup pot (one tablespoon for one leek, two for two) and set to medium.  Add the leek(s) and cook until they smell great. Add vegetable stock.  Mine is frozen in cubes (the color reflects the amount of red cabbage in the stock this time).  I think this is about three cups, but really, you want enough stock to cover your leeks and potatoes.  I like my soup fairly thick, but the amount of liquid you add is very flexible - less liquid, thicker soup. Add the potatoes to the leek(s) and stock with white pepper and salt - one tablespoon of white pepper per leek, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt per leek.  Simmer 10 minutes or so. Blend the soup - either in batches in the blender or with an immersion blender, until you get a smooth puree. Serve the soup hot, with maybe a few croutons or a sprinkle of red pepper flake (not pictured). This recipe is cross-posted at Saturday's Mouse, where I'm working on making food out of food.

Potato Leek Soup (4-6 servings)

• 1 large leek, sliced up (white and green)
• 3 russet potatoes, cooked until tender, peeled and chunked
• 1.5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Saute the leek with the oil, add stock and potatoes, salt and pepper and simmer together 10 minutes.  Puree with immersion blender, or in batches in regular blender.

The SPFC crew at the Mid-Atlantic Conference for Start-up Food Co-ops at Lutheran Theological Seminary.

On which committee do you serve? I serve on the Outreach committee and am currently helping to recruit and organize people to contribute to our blog and other social media outlets. Through this we hope to stay regularly connected to potential members and shoppers, build a community of co-op supporters, give frequent updates on our progress and generally keep the co-op on everyone's radar until we have a physical presence to go along with the virtual one. What do you do for a living? Advertising/marketing for Democratic political candidates. How did you get involved with the food co-op? I married into it (or actually, the co-op married into me). Alison Fritz, chair of the steering committee, is my wife and inspiration. At first I came on board to help out because the project was so important to her. Since then I've seen how this local, food-related effort really ties into many of the issues that I'm very personally interested in (sustainability, awareness of the environment, responsible capitalism, energy conservation) and which I hope to move toward professionally as well. Why do you want a food co-op in South Philly? Economics 101 (or Ec 10 as it was called in college). I'm not a foodie in particular, though I would love to learn how to cook. I am, however, keenly aware of waste and inefficiency and have been turned onto the amount of waste, inefficiency, inequity and just general badness that exists in our current industrial food system. I'd like there to be a place where I can go and KNOW that everything I pick up was carefully selected to be on that shelf because it was locally grown, sustainably raised or harvested and produced in such a manner that doesn't exploit the humans or animals who worked to make it - truly guilt-free meals. Why should people join a food co-op? Everyone will have their own reason and the people who hear the term "co-op" and think "I know what that is. Awesome. Sign me up" probably don't need me to tell them why they should join. However, for folks who are less familiar and might not otherwise be inclined to do so, I would appeal to their pride in their community and their neighborhood - South Philadelphia. There are plenty of folks who go way back in these neighborhoods and who have plenty of reason to be proud of the area. A locally-owned, community-owned food store (and one that we hope is wildly successful) will not only bring and keep more wealth into the community, it will also be yet another reason for people to think of this area as progressive, forward thinking and part of the solution. What is your favorite meal to cook and why? I love rolling out the dough and making a nice pizza with extra cheese, kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts. It's my favorite food to eat and I can never quite get it as well as my favorite pizza place in the city (FrancoLuigi's at 13th and Tasker) but I love to try. Plus a badly made pizza can beat most well made dishes any day of the week so I can't really go wrong.

Please join us Wednesday, April 27 from 5pm - 7:30pm at Hawthorne’s Beer Boutique (738 S. 11th Street) for our next fundraiser: an appetizer tasting and growler happy hour. Meet your fellow co-op supporters and enjoy a sampling of Hawthorne’s tasty appetizers as well as $5 off growlers and $1 off drafts for our event. This event does not require the purchase of the growler container and growlers can be consumed on-site (about 4 pints per growler). So grab some friends and come out and partake in this fun happy hour event. Loaner growler containers will be available for on-site consumption. The suggested donation for this event is $15 and includes butlered appetizers. To make it easier for our host, this will be a CASH ONLY event. Please be sure to visit an ATM machine before you arrive. For more information and to RSVP please visit Facebook or contact [email protected].

If you are like me, at the end of a long day you love to kick back with a beverage. With the warm weather peeking its head up every few days, a cool refreshing drink is certainly in order.  Root has created a great drink for those hot summer days that are just around the corner. This Raspberry Lemonade is a wonderful way to cool down. Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon raspberry jam
• 1 1/2 cups soda water
• The juice of 2 lemons
• Several lemon slices
• 1 handful of fresh, chopped mint
• 4 parts ROOT
• Ice cubes

Directions: Muddle the jam, lemon juice, and mint in the bottom of a large jar. Fill the jar halfway with ice cubes. Add ROOT and soda water. Stir vigorously. Top with lemon slices and more fresh mint, to taste. Makes 4 servings.

I was informed shortly after posting the announcement about the 1st City Council District candidates forum at Neumann-Goretti this coming Thursday evening that there is also a forum for all of the 2nd District candidates that night as well. Our friends at the Newbold Neighbors Association are sponsoring the forum along with the South Broad Street Neighbors Association. Details: Date: Thursday, April 14, 2011 Time: 6:30 - 8:30 PM Location: St. Agnes Medical Center Auditorium, 1900 S. Broad St. All residents are invited to come and learn about the candidates for City Council in the 2nd district. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions, register to vote (remember, deadline is April 18), and meet your neighbors! Like I said before, I had a chance to see most of the 2nd District candidates at the Urban Sustainability Forum's candidate night last week. To put it mildly, they could stand to be questioned a bit more on sustainability and food access issues. We strongly encourage co-op members who live west of Broad Street to attend and, if possible, report back to us on what you hear.

I apologize for interrupting the flow of great recipes and praise from food writing superstars to bring a little dose of civic engagement to the blog. Since we are as much about community as we are about food, we want to make everyone aware of an upcoming event that will have huge ramifications for this area for at least the next four years. That's right. It's election time. But wait, you might ask, I thought elections in November and in years when we get to see our formerly dominant U.S. 4x100 relay team get schooled by the Jamaicans? That's not this year, is it? While we wait for 2012 and the grand national Bobby Flay-style Throw Down between Barack Obama's grilled endive and roasted pepper with a side of arugula and fava bean crustini and Sarah Palin's grizzly bear pot roast wrapped in wild boar bacon, we have our local, municipal elections for mayor, city council, sheriff, commissioner, and register of wills. Since the mayor's race has effectively been canceled this year by the lack of serious opposition, South Philadelphia is left with the important task of choosing new city council representatives for the 1st (east of Broad) and 2nd (west of Broad) Districts. Longtime incumbents Frank DiCicco and Anna Verna are retiring after a combined 328 years in public office leaving us with a situation that occurs about as often as you can find a vegan cheesesteak at Pat's or Geno's - two open seats. And if you're waiting to see extensive news coverage of these races on television or hear it on the radio or read in the newspaper, you may be waiting until Charlie Sheen decides to enter the race and his opponent is a structurally deficient Southwest Airlines 737. It's going to be up to you (a) to figure out which candidate to vote for and (b) show up at the polls on May 17th for the Democratic primary (oh yeah, all the declared candidates are Dems so if you want a say, better get that voter registration in order... deadline for that is April 18). I'd be more than happy to help with (b). Let me know and I'll knock on your door to remind you when the polls open at 7am (you'll want to beat the lines). As for (a), the civic associations in the area - Passyunk Square Civic Association, Lower Moyamensing Civic Association, East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association, the South Broad Street Neighborhood Association and Columbus Square Advisory Council - are sponsoring a candidate forum for the four guys who are running in the 1st District. They are Vern Anastasio, Joe Grace, Jeff Hornstein, and Mark Squilla. Those of you who attended our Spring Community Forum should be familiar with the location: What: District 1 City Council Candidates Night Date and Time: Thursday, April 14, at 7 pm Location: Neumann-Goretti High School (11th & Moore) Attendees will be able to submit questions for the candidates in writing on the night of the meeting. We hope at least a few of those questions will be about supporting a food co-op. Thanks to the folks at LoMo civic for asking us to post about this! Here's an extra link to their post about the event. As an aside, I had a chance to attend the Urban Sustainability Forum candidates night for districts 1-5 at the Academy of Natural Sciences, which basically turned into a forum for the 2nd Council District since that was the only race in which all the candidates showed up. Each of the candidates seems earnest though it's evident, judging from the way they talked about these issues, that none of them necessarily has sustainability as their top priority. Sustainability, access to fresh and local foods, food co-ops... these are issues that most candidates are only going to pay attention to if they keep getting questions about them from potential voters. Though it applies to everything contributors to this blog write, it should be expressly stated that any opinions above are solely those of the author and DO NOT reflect any policies, rules, or decisions made the South Philly Food Co-op’s steering, legal/finance, or outreach committees.