Ingredients
    1/2 cup olive oil
    1/2 cup red wine or balsamic vinegar
    1 teaspoon minced garlic
    2-3 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped fine
    2 teaspoons fresh oregano
    3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    dash of maple syrup or honey
    2.5 cups cooked macaroni
    15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
    1 cup sliced red bell peppers, lightly steamed
    8 ounces cooked and cooled spinach
    3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
    1/2 cup chopped green onions
    4 ounces kalamata olives
    3/4 cup sliced pepperoni sausage, cut into strips (optional)

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta in salted water until just tender. Drain without rinsing and dump onto a large-lipped cookie sheet to cool and dry. The pasta may be somewhat sticky at this stage, but the dressing will break it up.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano,black pepper and (optional) maple syrup or honey.
3. Lightly steam spinach. Squeeze out excess moisture and set aside. Chop coarsely with a knife, or use a food processor to cut spinach into small pieces.
4. Lightly steam red peppers and set to cool.
5. Prep the cherry tomatoes, green onions, kalamata olives and feta cheese.
5. Slice (optional) pepperoni sausage into strips, and add to salad.

Combine all ingredients and toss with herbed dressing until evenly coated. Cover, and chill 2 hours or overnight.

Greek Pasta Salad is a great summer meal, ideal for picnics or get-togethers. During July you can use fresh local cherry tomatoes, basil, spinach, green onions, red peppers, and oregano. Organic Valley Feta Cheese is on sale all month at the co-op.

Use your favorite bite-sized pasta, such as farfalle (bow ties), fusilli (corkscrews), penne, ziti, rotelle (wagon wheels), macaroni or small shells, adjusting the cook time according to the size of the pasta. Gluten-free pasta is an delicious option for those who are sensitive to wheat. Call Amber Towne at the East store if you would like a gluten-free tour of Bloomingfoods: 812-336-5400.

The Weston A. Price Foundation recently posted the following report on efforts by the FDA to crack down on the production, sale, and consumption of raw milk.  The Complete Patient, meanwhile, reports on the probable role of the industrial dairy industry in shaping FDA activity, and it reproduces the FDA's position on the topic, as articulated in its response to the suit filed by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund:

     --There’s no absolute right to any raw unprocessed food, unless the FDA says it’s okay;
     --There’s no right to good health, except as approved by the FDA.
     --There’s no right for citizens to contract privately for their food.

Well, that certainly puts the consumer in his place, doesn't it? This is a fascinating development, at the very core of the food freedom debate. To what extent can and should the FDA control our personal food choices? And is the FDA truly attempting to protect us from ourselves, or is it merely struggling to shield the industrial agricultural sector from incursion by the growing demand for an alternative, raw milk, deemed perfectly healthy by many?  

Celebrate Earth Day 2010 at the Co-op

Look for Earth Day specials in all of our stores that will help you be more sustainable.

Here are a few of the great specials that will be available for just one day:
10% off all 7th Generation products.
Bring your own travel mug and get a free coffee refill.
10%off Stranger's Hill Organics Bedding Plants.
10% off all our bulk foods.
Get a free reusable bag when you spend $50.
20% off Fox Farm fertilizers for you garden.
Save $1.00 on Frey Organic Wine, Red or White just $6.99.

Get the Earth Day sale flier!

Sign up to receive sale fliers and special promotions by email.

Congratulations! Bloomingfoods members are now the proud owners of a rooftop photovoltaic system that collects electricity while you shop.  As of Wednesday, April 21, our new rooftop photovoltaic system at the West Store will be collecting the sun’s energy and converting it to power we can use. You can take pride in knowing that each year the system will:

• Convert 5,850 kilowatt hours of the sun’s energy into electricity
• Save at least $450 on energy bills
• Slow global warming by keeping 6.37 tons of CO2 out of the air
• Reduce local mercury emissions
• Set a local standard for environmental stewardship
• Help educate the community on the benefits of renewable energy

The rooftop equipment can produce enough energy to power two energy efficient households and is set up so that any surplus energy is fed back into the grid. We are able to collect information about how the system is performing and look forward to learning more about how the system works.

 We'll document the process, below, as it unfolds over the next few days.

Serves 8-10
Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Red bell peppers, chopped
   into small  pieces
4 Cloves garlic, minced
6 Green onions, chopped
6 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
4 Tablespoons canned green chiles
4 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

Preparation
1.  In a large pot, sauté red peppers, garlic, and
     green onion on medium heat until softened,
     about 5 minutes.
2.  Stir in corn, coconut milk, chiles, and tamari.
3.  Season to taste with cayenne, salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a simmer, reduce to low, and continue
    to cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring
    occasionally. Taste, and adjust seasoning if desired.
3. Strain out about half of the solids and some liquid
    into a blender (or bowl, if using an immersion
    blender). Puree. Return to pot, and stir.
4. Serve hot. Wonderful with tamales or tacos.

from Jacob Goodman's Vegan Cooking Class

Buyers at the East Store continue to seek out the best in gluten-free products. Here are some fo the latest and best.

Ian's Gluten Free/Wheat Free Cookie Buttons
You’ve never had cookies like Ian’s Wheat-Free/Gluten-Free Cookie Buttons before! These bitty buttons are the perfect addition to your lunch box or soccer bag and come in individual bags that are all your own—and it’s a good thing because you won’t want to share! Plus, they are made without wheat or gluten. So even kids with food allergies can enjoy them! You’ll love the taste, and your mom will love the all-natural ingredients!