The Kitchen Gadget I Can't Live Without

by Jesica DeHart, Co-op Product Promotions and Education Coordinator, demo@moscowfood.coop

We call it the vegetable spiraler around my house and what it does is truly just simply magic! My children devoured vegetables of all kinds for years up until the notorious moment when they went to school and some child informed them that veggies were gross. Now being somewhat skeptical children they did not buy the "gross" statement completely but their passion for veggies did begin to dwindle and become quite selective. Some say that it is a naturally occurring shift that happens in children due to taste buds and the sort but I think their entrance into the world of outside influences played a large part in it. Around this same time, through a raw food demo, I discovered this incredible kitchen gadget that transforms any firm veggie or fruit into spiral noodles or paper thin slices. I watched, at the demo, as my child devoured a plate of spaghetti made with raw zucchini noodles and promptly went home and ordered one for our family.

I found that beets, daikon radish, carrots, zucchini, cucumber, squash, eggplant, sweet potatoes and more could easily be transformed into various size noodles to be eaten raw or lightly cooked depending on the vegetable and my kids loved them again because, well how can you not like eating something that boinnggs and is in such a fun shape. We add them to soups at the very end of cooking for an incredible rainbow affect that kids love. Beets in particular are very striking in a soup especially if you use a variety of colors of beets. I make spring rolls and fill them with either a mixture of rice noodles and raw veggie noodles or only the latter. I love arriving to a potluck or friends for dinner with a bowl of raw spiraled veggies of all colors, tossed with a simple tangy dressing and watch the oohs and ahhs and the bowl quickly empty.

Now where can you find one of these magical kitchen gadgets for yourself you ask? Well thanks to my trusting friends in the Health and Beauty department of the Co-op we are now carrying this incredible gizmo so that the children and adults of the Palouse can have as much fun with their veggies as we do at our house. Whether as a garnish or main ingredient, this is a kitchen must have. During my initial search for one years ago, I tried out a wide variety of them and found that for the price and quality that the World Cuisine model is my favorite which is what I have at home and what we now have on our shelves at the Co-op. I will be doing a plethora of demos in the coming months to showcase this fun spiral vegetable slicer. I am also more than happy to schedule a demo for you if you want to see how it works. Just send me an email demo@moscowfood.coop

Greetings from the Kitchen!

While shopping at the Co-op, you may find yourself wondering what goes on behind the scenes at the deli counter. Salads may come and go, specials may change, and that delicious cheesecake you tasted last week may be nowhere to be found. To many, changes that take place within the various kitchen departments may seem entirely random. We're hoping to change that. A few times a month we will be talking with representatives from each department, bringing you the latest news about all of your favorite in-house foods as soon as it reaches our ears. In the future you can expect to find many helpful things posted here, such as salad preparation schedules, monthly specials, seasonal menu changes, and any other information that we feel might improve your shopping experience. Keep checking this blog regularly for the latest news, and perhaps you'll find just what you're looking for on your next trip to the deli.

Fall is very close at hand, and many local farmers have already begun harvesting this year's produce. You may have already found yourself eating local kale, chard, cabbage, and many other delicious local vegetables in your favorite Co-op salads this month. Look for local eggplant in many of our salads throughout September, as well as potatoes, onions, and various other produce items we will be adding as soon as they become available. Our cooks tell us they have also been testing out a recipe for bacon hummus, and, if all goes well, you may just see it in the Grab & Go in the coming months.

Our pastry bakers have been working on some new dessert flavors for the fall season: pumpkin, hazelnut and apricot are just some of the things you will be tasting at the beginning of October. In the meantime, they've recommended you try their new Peanut Butter Blondies, made from whole wheat and peanut butter chips, as well as their equally delicious Almond Lovers Chocolate Chip Cookies. For our customers with gluten allergies, they have also begun making gluten-free Peanut Butter Oat Bars. All of these are available at this very moment, so be sure to look for them on your next visit.

We have added coconut water to some of our smoothies at our coffee bar, for anyone interested in trying something a little different. Be sure to ask for it when ordering your next smoothie, as it may put a new twist on an old favorite.

You may have noticed an increase in lunchtime traffic within the store over the past few weeks. This can only mean one thing: school is in session for students of all ages, and we would like to welcome all of our first-time student shoppers to the Co-op. If any of you are having a hard time deciding what to eat during your lunch breaks, take a tip from a veteran student and try our pesto rolls. They're inexpensive, delicious, and, on occasion, as big as your head.

More information about the kitchen will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.