Have you ever tried making homemade ricotta?  I found a recipe on one of my favorite food blogs and tried it out.  It was so easy and delicious!  All you need is milk, lemon juice, salt, and a cheese cloth.

First, heat 1 quart or 4 cups of milk over medium high heat and stir constantly.

As it comes to a slow boil, add the 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Continue stirring until you start to see it curdle (about 2 minutes).

Then pour the mixture into the strainer that is lined with the cheese cloth.  Let the liquid discard for a few minutes then hang the cheese cloth for about an hour (I tied it to my faucet above my sink).

Transfer the curds to a covered container and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.  I used mine in a chocolate ricotta mousse for Valentine's Day.  Makes about 8 ounces.

Please note that I altered the recipe from The Italian Dish so if you decide to make your own, use one or the other to avoid any mishaps.

In this Issue:

• What We’ve Been Up To
• Upcoming Events
• Become a Member of the South Philly Food Co-op

You’re the best (yes you!): Our plans to open a food co-op in South Philly are really moving along and we wanted to THANK everyone for their patience and continued interest in what we’re doing! Keep reading to hear about what we’ve been up to, what we have planned and how you can support the effort.

What We’ve Been Up To:

We’ve been busy presenting the South Philly Food Co-op at neighborhood civic association meetings and collecting surveys of people’s opinions, including their level of interest in the co-op. Thanks to everyone who has filled out our survey—more than 800 of you—and those who haven’t can take the survey here. We held our first fundraiser at the South Philadelphia Taproom in early December and it was a huge success—more than 80 people turned out for drink and food specials. A great time was had by all! And have you heard of Ignite Philly? It’s a chance to present a “spark” of a great idea planned to happen in Philadelphia in short 5 minute bursts…they obviously thought our 5 minutes were explosive because they awarded us with $1000! _____________________________________________

Upcoming Events:

Come out and meet the South Philly Food Co-op! Spring Community Forum Monday, March 21 at 7pm (limited parking available) Neumann-Goretti High School Auditorium Entrance at 11th and Moore Streets We are hosting a community forum where we’ll share our progress and plans to open the South Philly Food Co-op. It’s a chance for everyone to meet one another and for those of you in the community to ask any and all questions you may have about the project. It’s also a chance for you to find out more about how you can lend a hand (we’re always looking for more people with time, energy and/or fancy skills). RSVP on our Facebook page. We hope to see you there! Whole Foods for the Whole Family Sunday, March 27th at 6pm Philly Community Wellness at 1241 Carpenter Street Keep your family healthy with the foods that you’ll be able to find at your local co-operative. Join Marie Winters, ND as she discusses the benefits and medicinal properties of everyday fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. Find out how eating seasonally helps to keep the body naturally healthy, and discuss ways to use the first spring fruits and vegetables to improve your health and wellbeing. Learn about gentle detoxing using food and juice, immune support for the whole family, keeping your heart healthy naturally, maintaining hormonal balance with your diet. RSVP on our Facebook page or by emailing [email protected] Are you interested in leading a discussion or organizing an educational/fundraising event? Email [email protected] We are planning additional education events and fundraisers for the spring and summer and are looking for people who are connected to businesses, restaurants, authors, speakers or performance artists. If you have a good idea for a co-op fundraiser or an educational event and are interested in helping get it off the ground, please email us. We have the volunteers and resources to help make it happen. _____________________________________________

Become a Member of the South Philly Food Co-op!

Ready to become a member of the co-op? We’re planning to kick off our Membership Drive this summer. Stay tuned for more details and come to the Forum to learn what it means to be a member-owner of the co-op. Remember: We own It – and we need to work for it! Thanks again and looking forward to seeing you soon! The Steering Committee Alison Fritz, Chair Maria Camoratto, Vice Chair Mary Beth Hertz, Secretary Cassie Plummer, Inter-Committee Liaison, Legal & Finance Committee Julia Koprak John Raezer Marsha Shiflet

Ever had a light money week and felt torn by the organic vs. conventional question? Here is a simple list of the 12 produce items that have been tagged as the "Dirty Dozen" (and you should ALWAYS purchase organically) and the "Clean 15" that you can scrape by with (although it might not taste as good!)

The fruits and vegetables on “The Dirty Dozen” list, when conventionally grown, tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67. For produce on the “dirty” list, you should definitely go organic — unless you relish the idea of consuming a chemical cocktail.

“The Dirty Dozen” list includes:
•celery
•peaches
•strawberries
•apples
•domestic blueberries
•nectarines
•sweet bell peppers
•spinach, kale and collard greens
•cherries
•potatoes
•imported grapes
•lettuce

All the produce on “The Clean 15” bore little to no traces of pesticides, and is safe to consume in non-organic form.


"The Clean 15" list includes:
•onions
•avocados
•sweet corn
•pineapples
•mango
•sweet peas
•asparagus
•kiwi fruit
•cabbage
•eggplant
•cantaloupe
•watermelon
•grapefruit
•sweet potatoes
•sweet onions

**list and images from (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/the-dirty-dozen-and-clean-15-of-produce/616/)

Come out and meet the South Philly Food Co-op! Community Forum Spring Monday, March 21 at 7pm (limited parking available) Neumann-Goretti High School Auditorium.  Entrance @ 11th and Moore We are hosting a community-wide meeting where we’ll share our progress and future plans to open a food co-op in South Philly. Come learn about who we are, what we’ve been up to and how to get involved. It’ll also be a great opportunity for those of you in the community to ask any and all questions you may have about the project. Stay tuned for more details and check out the Facebook event.

Join us Sunday, March 27 from 6pm - 8 at Philly Community Wellness (1241 Carpenter Street). We'll be talking about keeping your family healthy with the foods that you’ll be able to find at your local co-operative. Join Marie Winters, ND as she discusses the benefits and medicinal properties of everyday fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. Find out how eating seasonally helps to keep the body naturally healthy, and discuss ways to use the first spring fruits and vegetables to improve your health and wellbeing. Marie will provide recipes for making medicines and tonics from common kitchen cupboard ingredients, and she’ll provide food samples as well. Topics to be covered include:

• Gentle detoxing using food and juice
• Immune support for the whole family
• Keeping your heart healthy naturally
• Maintaining hormonal balance with your diet.

Bring your questions. She’ll answer them. Please check out our Facebook page for more info and RSVP for the event.

On which committee do you serve?

Chair of the Steering Committee and Inter-committee liaison to the Outreach Committee.

What do you do for a living?

Associate Director of Donor Relations at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

How did you get involved with the food co-op?

I really enjoyed being a member of Weavers Way in Mt. Airy from 2003 - 2005, and wondered why there weren't more stores like it in Philadelphia. When my husband and I moved to South Philadelphia in 2008, I was encouraged to learn about a local buying club and previous co-op start-up activity. With the help of Weavers Way, we presented the co-op model at a neighborhood meeting in April and got a great response. The initiative took off from there and I've met some really wonderful people who I wouldn't have known without the help of the co-op (see! it's connecting us already!).

Why do you want a food co-op in South Philly?

Well, I love food. Love Food. Love eating it, cooking it, shopping for it, and talking about it. More than that, I think it's important to know where our food comes from, how it was grown or raised, how it has been processed, and ultimately how it got to the table and into our bodies. By being a part of a member-owned co-op, we will all get to exercise some small measure of ownership and control over these issues - while supporting the local economy and working together.

Why should people join a food co-op?

Really good food, support for local and socially responsible food suppliers, and a chance to get to know and work with your neighbors. One of the reasons I wanted to move to South Philly was to have a chance at the "neighborhoodness" (is that a word?) that I remember from my childhood. With all of the change and residential turnover that our community has seen over the last few years, this co-op could be one of the things that helps unite us again.

What is your favorite meal to cook and why?

Gosh, I don't know. It's hard to pick one dish because I really like to test our new recipes and our menu tends to be dictated by whatever we picked up in our CSA share that week. I guess the staples in my house are: homemade pizza, black bean burgers, hummus, roasted broccoli, and braised kale. I've also been on a bit of a kimchi kick lately.

I love the ritual of looking through my cookbooks and picking out new things to try, and then the act of prepping, chopping, bubbling, and sizzling. Sometimes the experience of preparing a meal can be more soul satisfying than actually eating it.

Though it applies to everything contributors to this blog write, it should be expressly stated that any opinions below 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. Earlier this month the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) released "Eating Here: Greater Philadelphia’s Food System Plan" (abstract .pdf here). The report is the latest step in a process that began a couple years back with the convening of the Greater Philadelphia Food System Stakeholder Committee and the publication of The Greater Philadelphia Food System Study, "a large surveying effort and analysis that identified prominent stakeholders, successful programs, regional competitive advantages, recommendations for improvement, and differing interests." I spent the better part of the weekend reading through the full report specifically looking for ways that the report's message about food system security and its recommended actions could relate to the food co-op model and what we're trying to accomplish here in South Philadelphia. The report is full of recommendations that a co-op with the mission of the South Philly Food Co-op could help to make a reality. There are also a number of recommendations that if implemented could, in turn, make the co-op more viable and more competitive with corporate food retailers whose profit motive takes precedence - as it naturally should - often contributing to many of the poor dietary and environmental indicators cited in the report. (Keep reading below for some items I've pulled from the report. A warning, though, I tend to get a little wordy.) For example, on page 51 the report references the difficulties faced by farming and food businesses as they seek access to capital for start-up and expansion (a difficulty which this Co-op is seeking answers to right now). The report offers hope:

...many financial institutions have a growing interest in supporting sustainable businesses that have a triple-bottom line—people, profit and planet. Greater Philadelphia has a number of financial organizations interested in supporting the growing local food and healthy food movements, in addition to the emerging social enterprise movement.

It goes on to list a few of those institutions as examples. Obviously such institutions aren't going to throw money out there at every start-up food concern that comes along, but an organization with a large and growing number of dedicated individuals, who can prove that there is a market for the kind of mission-based business represented by this co-op can have hope of securing the support it needs. And while getting that critical mass of people is clearly the most difficult part of this process, being able to give them a reason to believe that their time, effort and money has a reasonably good chance of being leveraged into institutional financial support makes it just a little easier. The report also recommends making improvements to the supply chain so that the "efficiencies of the global food system" (think supermarket chains and big box retailers who also sell food) can be applied to the regional food system. The "direct market chain" - one system that a food co-op would support - in which producers are put directly in contact with consumers has the benefit "of providing consumers with detailed information about where and by whom the products are produced." (Actually, as a "middle man" of sorts, the co-op model may technically be an example of the hybrid or intermediated chain but connecting producer and consumer more directly can be among its goals.) In order to help, say, a small local co-op compete with the big players the report says:

Applying technological innovations already employed by the global food system to intermediated and direct market supply chains can increase transportation efficiencies, which in turn can lead to more affordable local products and more accurate information on product origins for the consumer.

The sooner the better! There are a number of ways the co-op (and existing co-ops in the region) could help the recommendations in the report become reality. In fact, a strong system of food co-ops (as mission-based, rather than purely profit-based businesses) could help implementation of all the recommendations in the report. But the following especially stood out: Promote the use of new technology and community-based communication outlets by all partners—government, private sector, and nonprofits—to educate people about healthy food. (p 59) Approaches to reduce hunger should emphasize creating jobs with livable wages and empowering those personally affected. (p 76) Though there's some argument about his motivations, Henry Ford's idea of paying his workers a high wage they could afford the cars he was selling is an example of how a co-op with a goal of paying its workers a living wage could help create a number of well-paying semi-skilled-labor jobs that in turn reduce poverty and hunger. Advocate for food labels that allow consumers to make more informed decisions and enable food producers to be more fully compensated. (p 77) I've written about fact-o-vore based eating before so it's no surprise that this is one of my primary motivations for wanting a co-op. Overall, the takeaway for any of us involved in starting a food co-op is that we're not doing this in a vacuum. As the report makes clear (just with its list of "stakeholders") these issues are being considered at some of the highest levels of regional government and by hundreds of different organizations. Food security, like energy security, will be one of the foremost issues of the 21st century. It's clear that the system that has been in place for the past 50 years or so needs to be fixed, if not totally overhauled. While we continue working on our community's part of this fix, the report ends with some recommendations for individuals:

Individuals can support the region’s economy and heritage by purchasing fresh, locally grown foods from a nearby farmers’ market or by joining a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm. If one has the space, growing a garden will improve a household’s food security. Many municipalities and some neighborhoods have composting programs. Private companies have started to meet the need to compost household food waste. The region has an extensive park and trail network, encouraging people to get outside, enjoy the outdoors, and exercise or commute to work. Lastly, individuals can protect open space and farmland by voting for municipal, county, and state funding referendums or becoming a member of a land trust.

Dan and I had some friends over for recently for dinner, and while that’s usually an excuse for me start ripping through cookbooks and narrowing down the endless list of recipes I’ve been meaning to try, all I wanted to eat was pizza.  I’d been sick all week, had just spent the morning at those not-to-be-named big box home supply stores on South Philly picking out bathroom tile and shower heads, and it was a cold Saturday night.  I wanted pizza.  Totally fair, right?  But could I order up a couple of pies from Marra’s or FrancoLuigi’s and not feel like I was shirking my hostess responsibilities?   Was that totally lame?  How do I reconcile my pizza passion with wanting to provide a fun, tasty, home-cooked meal for my guests?   The answer came to me in a cloud of Theraflu and gray floor tiles: Make-your-own pizza party.

Brilliant.  It would be fun, creative, and delicious – totally perfect for a Saturday night with friends.

To start, roll out some dough – store bought or hand made – into personal sized pizzas.  We pre-baked ours on a pizza stone at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

 

The toppings are the real fun part – so use what you like.  Based on what was hanging around in our cupboards, we laid out: heart of palm, crispy tempeh bacon, red onions, kalamata olives, steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, tomato sauce, pea shoot and walnut pesto (vegan, see below) and mozzarella cheese (of both the whole milk and vegan varieties).   We didn’t have any on hand, but roasted brussels sprouts would have been a slammin’ addition to the topping bar.  I love them on a pizza mixed with a little veggie bacon.

When guests arrive, invite them to take a pizza shell, add desired toppings, and put back in the oven for 10 – 15 (we did up to 20 minutes (depending on how crispy you like your crust).

We served the pizza with a green salad, (though in this case, I think the salad was just an excuse to toast up some gigantic croutons) and some cookies and cream (vegan) cupcakes.

 

And the recipes:

Pea shoot and walnut pesto:In a food processor or blender combine pea shoots (roughly 2 handfuls), basil (again, 'bout 2 handfuls), garlic (2-4 cloves) and pulse until roughly combined.  Add toasted walnuts (I used about half a cup) and pulse until walnuts are just chopped and incorporated.  With motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil; blend until well combined. Scrape pesto into a bowl.

Green salad with roasted tomatoes and croutons

For the Dressing

• 1 small shallot, minced

 

• 2 -3 tbsp. lemon juice

 

• 2 tsp. mustard

 

• ½ tsp. sugar

 

• Large pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

• olive oil

For the Salad

• 5 or 6 slices good bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used focacia)

 

• Olive oil

 

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

• Good balsamic vinegar

 

• 12 tomatoes – cherry, strawberry, or roma

 

• 1 tsp. sugar

 

• 12 basil leaves, julienned or torn

 

• 3-4 handfuls lettuce leaves

 

• ½ cup ricotta salata or feta broken into big crumbles (optional)

Make the Dressing
Mix shallot, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper in a wide mouth jar or other salad dressing making vessel.  Add the olive oil to taste.  Cover and shake or mix like hell with a whisk or fork.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Make the Salad
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  Place the bread cubes on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a large pinch of salt over top and a few grinds of black pepper.  Toss well with your hands.  Place in the oven and bake until starting to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Set aside to give time to firm up a bit.

Turn the oven up to 425ºF.  Slice each tomato in half.  Set aside a few of them of them and seed the others (though I didn’t take the time to seed mine and it was just fine…).  Place on small baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sugar (to help with caramelization), salt and a couple grinds of pepper.  Toss gently with your hands.  Carefully drizzle on just a bit of balsamic vinegar.  Bake until dark, caramelized and slightly collapsed, about 25 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

Place the croutons in a salad bowl.  Scrape the tomatoes and any juices over top.  Chop up the raw tomatoes and add them to the bowl along with the basil and the lettuce.  If using cheese, scatter it over top.  Dress the salad according to your taste, and toss carefully.  Add more dressing as needed.

Recipe for the vegan cookies and cream cupcakes can be found at the Peas & Thank You blog, a great resource for all kinds of vegan ideas. In fact, here I am with the computer on the kitchen island following that recipe:

Thanks to Phoodie.info for giving a mention of our upcoming Spring Community Forum! Questions about the forum can be directed to southphillyfoodcoop[at]gmail[dot]com or you can go on Facebook for more details and to RSVP.

Please join us for the South Philly Food Co-op's next event, "There's An App For That." It's Sunday, February 27th at 6 pm at the Philly Community Wellness at 1241 Carpenter Street. We're hosting an appetizer potluck and recipe exchange where we’ll also share and discuss our favorite food blogs, websites, apps, and cookbooks. By the end of the night will have full bellies, food inspiration, and a community generated blog post! What To Bring: Bring your ready to eat appetizer and a copy of the recipe. Also bring your a list of your favorite food or cooking blogs, apps, and cookbooks. If you feel like it, bring your copy of your favorite cookbook so others can browse through recipes and see what you like about the book. We'll Provide: There will be a sink and hot water for tea. We'll also provide plates, napkins and utensils. We will not have an oven available so if your dish needs to be hot, please cook it before you arrive. Please RSVP and look for more information on Facebook.