Sweet & Spicy Summer Rolls (Vegan)

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These vegan summer rolls are the perfect snack when you’re craving something fresh and flavorful. Packed with filling veggies and a balance of sweet and spicy, you’re bound to make these rolls all summer long. We hope you enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 firm ripe mango
1 large carrot
½ medium cucumber
1 medium yellow bell pepper
4 oz firm tofu
¼ cup basil leaves
¼ cup cilantro leaves
6 rice paper wrappers
¼ cup neutral oil (or more if needed)
3 T water
3 T cornstarch
1 T sambal oelek
1 T soy sauce
1 T maple syrup

For the dipping sauce:

1 T sambal oelek
1 T soy sauce
1 T maple syrup

Instructions:

Prepare your vegetables. Peel your carrot and cucumber. Cut the top and bottom off your bell pepper, remove the seeds and pith.

Cut your carrot, cucumber and bell pepper into matchstick-size strips and set aside.

Cut your mango in half and separate the pit from the fruit. Remove the fruit from the peel. Cut the mango fruit into thin wedges and set aside.
Roughly chop your basil and cilantro. Set aside.

Drain your tofu and cut off 4 ounces from your block of tofu. This is about ⅕ of a block, for reference.

Cut your tofu into 1-inch strips. Set aside.

In a large skillet, add your oil and set to medium-high heat. You can test if the oil is hot enough to fry the tofu by flicking a little water into the pan. If it sizzles and bubbles, you’re ready to start frying.

In a small bowl, add your water and cornstarch. Stir well until combined.

Dip each piece of tofu in the cornstarch mixture and let the excess drip off. Carefully place them in the skillet and fry until golden, flipping them over occasionally to make sure each piece fries evenly. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your skillet.

As your tofu strips finish frying, transfer them to a small bowl.

Once all the tofu is done, add your sambal oelek, soy sauce and maple syrup to the tofu and toss gently to coat it evenly. Set aside.

Get all your ingredients close by to begin making your summer rolls. I recommend having a space to fold your rolls, like a cutting board, and a separate plate to set them on once they’re done.

Take a large dinner plate and fill it with warm water. Dip your rice paper into the warm water for about 5 seconds, until every part has touched the water.

Quickly lay the rice paper down on the cutting board and assemble your roll. Put your cilantro and basil on the rice paper, towards the bottom but not on the edge. Stack your carrots, cucumbers, peppers and tofu on top of the herbs.

Fold the bottom edge of the rice paper over your filling. Fold in the two sides, then roll towards the top edge of the rice paper until it is sealed. Make sure to move quickly, or the rice paper will become too sticky and difficult to fold. Set the roll on your plate and repeat until you are finished.

In a small dish, make your dipping sauce.

Add your sambal oelek, maple syrup and soy sauce. Stir to combine.

Serve your summer rolls with your dipping sauce and enjoy!

 

No-Bake Pineapple Tart (Vegan)

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This chilled tropical dessert is sweet and tangy and perfect for summer. Best of all, this tart has a no-bake crust, so your kitchen can stay cool while you work. We hope you enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 5.4oz can of coconut cream
1 ½ cup pineapple (canned or fresh)
¼ cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the crust:

1 ½ cup almond flour
⅓ cup brown sugar
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup vegan butter

Optional decoration:

Cut pineapple wedges

 

Instructions:

Add your almond flour, brown sugar and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

Melt your vegan butter. Add your vanilla extract and melted vegan butter to your dry ingredients, mixing until a loose dough forms.

Transfer your dough to an 8-inch pie dish or tart pan. Press the dough into the pan and up the sides until it’s firm and spread evenly around the pan. Set it in the fridge while you assemble the filling.

Blend your pineapple until it’s smooth. Set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, add your can of coconut cream. Stir until the coconut cream is smooth and is at a low boil.
Add your blended pineapple, vanilla extract, sugar and cornstarch to the coconut cream. Stir constantly for 15 minutes, until most of the cornstarch has dissolved and the mixture is thick.

Pour your pineapple filling through a sieve or a fine strainer and into another bowl. This will remove the pineapple fibers or any undissolved cornstarch and make your tart filling smooth.

Gently pour your pineapple filling into your tart crust, spreading evenly.

Put the tart in the fridge to set, covered, for at least 8 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Bibimbap

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Food is an important part of our culture and individual identities. It is something wonderful that can remind us of home and bring us together in unexpected places. For Asian-Pacific Heritage Month this June, we’d like to highlight one of the many dishes in Asian-Pacific cuisine for you to make in your own kitchen. Bibimbap is a Korean dish consisting of rice with meat, vegetables, and sometimes an egg on top. I first encountered this dish at one of my favorite restaurants in Downtown Harrisonburg in my late teens, and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since. Eating bibimbap for the first time felt as though someone was reaching across the table to me, opening up my kitchen to new perspectives.

While I love this recipe, it is not a perfect recreation of a traditional Bibimbap. There are many other vegetables and sauces typically served with it that you may not have access to at your local grocery stores. For that reason, I decided to keep it simple, but I recommend you do some research on the dish if you’d like to try a more authentic version.

Ingredients:

2 cups dry white rice (I recommend short grain)
1 lb. strip steak or ribeye steak
¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium works in this recipe)
2 T sesame oil (and more for frying)
1 T honey
1 T minced garlic
1 egg
1 carrot
1 cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
Sesame seeds

 

Instructions:

Cut your steak into ½ inch strips.

In a medium bowl, add your soy sauce, honey, garlic, sesame oil, and steak strips. Stir to combine and cover in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare your vegetable toppings. Wash all your vegetables and after you’ve prepared them, set them into a large bowl as you go.

Peel your carrots. I recommend using the vegetable peeler to get the carrots into thin strips as shown in the photo, as they cook faster. Finely slice your cucumbers. Cut your green and red pepper into strips. Set them aside while you continue to prepare your dish.

Prepare your rice. If you’re using a rice cooker, you will still want to wash your rice but you can disregard the cooking instructions.
Rinse your rice in cold water until the water runs mostly clear. This usually takes about 3 to 4 rinses.

In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add your rice and reduce to medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes. Keep it covered and stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.

Lower the heat and cook it for another 10 minutes, covered, until the rice is cooked through. Fluff the rice with a spoon to help release some steam. Keep it covered until you’re ready to serve.

While your rice is cooking, you can cook your steak strips.

Pour your steak strips into a skillet, with the marinade, and cook on medium heat until it’s cooked all the way through. Cover to keep it warm while you prepare your vegetables.

In a large pan, add enough sesame oil to coat the bottom of the pan. On low heat, add all your veggies. Stir to combine with the oil and cook on medium heat until they begin to break down and the cucumbers become translucent. Cover to keep them warm until you’re ready to serve.

In a small pan, fry an egg in a thin layer of sesame oil until the white is set and the yolk is cooked to your liking.

Assemble your bowl by adding rice as the base and topping it with the steak strips, vegetables and egg. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and even add your favorite hot sauce if you like it spicy. Enjoy!

Lavender Simple Syrup

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Making syrups in your favorite flavors might sound complicated, but with this recipe you’ll find it can be easy and simple. Lavender isn’t a flavor you’ll find on the menu of every coffee shop or cocktail bar, but it gives your favorite beverage a unique and delicious flavor. Try adding this simple syrup to your iced drinks and enjoy its earthy, floral flavor.

Ingredients

1 cup water
3 ½ T. lavender buds
2 cups sugar

Instructions

In a medium pot, bring your water to a rolling boil.

Add your lavender buds and sugar to the pot.

Reduce to low medium-low heat and stir in the sugar until it has dissolved.

Simmer the mixture for 15 minutes uncovered.

Remove the syrup from heat and allow it to steep for an hour, uncovered.
Using a fine strainer or sieve, separate the lavender buds from the syrup.

Put the syrup in a mason jar or container with a strong-sealing lid and refrigerate.

The lavender simple syrup will keep for 1-2 months if well sealed.

 

Serving Suggestions:

Add 1-2 T of syrup to your iced or hot coffee and stir to combine.

Drizzle it over waffles or pancakes.

Use it in sugar glazes for baked goods.

Add it to fresh lemonade.

Use as a one-to-one replacement for simple syrup in your favorite cocktails.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Muffins

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Strawberry and rhubarb are natural culinary companions. Sweet and tangy flavors create a delicious harmony that often reminds us of early summer. We hope you enjoy these muffins as much as we do and that they inspire you to create your own summer treats.

Ingredients:

2 cups diced strawberries
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup granulated sugar
8 T unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs (room temperature)
½ cup milk (whole milk recommended)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp baking soda

For the streusel topping:

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
4 T unsalted butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400℉.

Line 3 muffin tins with cupcake liners and set them aside.

Wash your rhubarb and cut off the fibrous ends. Depending on the size of your rhubarb, you may want to slice it in half longways before chopping it. Chop the rhubarb into ½ inch thick chunks and set aside in a small bowl.

Wash and dice your strawberries. I recommend dicing the strawberries into pieces slightly smaller than the rhubarb. Put your strawberries in the bowl with the rhubarb.

Add 1 T of granulated sugar to the strawberries and rhubarb. Stir to combine and set the mixture aside.

In a large bowl, add your flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk lightly to combine and set aside.

In a separate bowl, add your melted butter and sugar. Whisk until most of the sugar has dissolved in the butter.

Add your vanilla extract, eggs, and milk to the butter mixture. Whisk until combined.

Using a cheesecloth or a sieve, drain some of the excess moisture from your strawberries and rhubarb. They don’t have to be completely dry before going into the batter, so don’t worry about getting all the moisture out.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Add your drained strawberries and rhubarb to the batter and stir to combine.

Using a spoon, pour the batter into your prepared muffin tins. Fill each one until there’s about ¼ an inch of space left in the cupcake liner. This usually makes a little under 18 muffins.

Set your muffins aside and make your streusel topping.

In a small bowl, add your flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.

Cut your butter into small pieces and add to the mixture. Squash the butter into the mixture until it’s completely combined and resembles the texture of damp sand.
Sprinkle the streusel in an even layer on top of each muffin.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they’ve begun to brown on top and a fork inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow them to cool and enjoy!

 

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

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This bright and flavorful soup is perfect for when you’re craving something refreshing, but the chill of early spring hasn’t quite worn off. Flavorful, savory, and nutritious, this soup will be your latest obsession. We hope you enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
½ medium yellow onion, diced
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
2 T all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped kale
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 ½ lb. chicken breast or tenderloin
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
2 lemons, juiced
2 T chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

Peel and finely chop your carrots, dice your onions, and finely chop your celery.

Mince your garlic and set it aside if you are not using pre-minced garlic.

Chop your kale and parsley and set it aside.
In a large soup pot, add your butter and olive oil on medium heat.

Add your carrots, onions and celery to the soup pot and cook them for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add your garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.

While stirring, add your all-purpose flour in and cook for another minute.

Pour in your chicken broth and stir until the flour has dissolved.

Add your Italian seasoning, kale and chicken to the soup base and stir.

Cover it with a lid and reduce it to medium-low heat. Allow it to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

While your chicken is cooking, you can juice your lemons and set the juice aside.

Remove your chicken from the pot and shred or cut it into smaller pieces as desired.

Put your chicken back into the pot and stir in your uncooked orzo pasta.

Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

When your orzo is done cooking, stir in your parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Serve and enjoy!

Turkey Chili

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Chili is a go-to meal for anyone who’s not sure what to make for dinner. Throw everything into the pot and let it simmer, you can even bake some cornbread to serve alongside it while you wait. Our recipe for turkey chili is easy to make and sure to please, we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 T all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 lb. white ground turkey
28 oz diced or crushed tomatoes
30 oz pinto or kidney beans
4 T chili powder
2 T cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 T paprika
½ T salt (or to taste

 

Optional Toppings:

Crushed tortilla chips
Sliced avocado
Shredded cheddar
Sour cream

Instructions:

Chop your onion and red bell pepper. Mince your garlic if you are not using pre-minced.

In a large soup pot, add your olive oil, onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Cook them for 6-8 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally until your onions are translucent.

Add your white ground turkey to the pot and turn up the heat to medium-high. Break up the turkey into small pieces using your spatula or a wooden spoon as it cooks. Continue cooking the turkey and breaking it apart until there are no spots of raw turkey left.

Add your all-purpose flour to the pot. Stir until combined and continue to stir occasionally while it cooks for another 5 minutes.

Pour your chicken broth into the pot and stir until the flour has dissolved into the broth.

Add your chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, paprika, and salt into the broth and stir until combined.

Drain your canned beans. Pour in your tomatoes and beans, stirring to incorporate them into the broth.

Bring the chili up to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the chili from sticking to the bottom.

Serve immediately and top as desired. Enjoy!

 

Coconut Macaroons (Vegan)

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Springtime brings with it all kinds of seasonal treats, including the well-loved coconut macaroon cookie. We’ve created a simple vegan version of this springtime favorite that’s easy to make and enjoy. This recipe is great to make with your kids, or if you want a quick coconut fix that tastes just as delicious as the original. We hope you enjoy this spring-inspired recipe.

 

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups unsweetened coconut shreds (can be found in the bulk section)

¾ cup sweetened condensed coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add your coconut shreds and sweetened condensed coconut milk. Stir to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add more sweetened condensed coconut milk a tablespoon at a time. The mixture should be sticky but not wet when it’s ready to be formed into cookies.

Add your vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Using a tablespoon measure or a cookie scoop, measure out 1 ½ inch balls and put them on the cookie sheet 1 inch apart from each other.

Once you’ve finished measuring out the macaroons, form them into firm balls by pressing them together in your hands. Set them back down on the cookie sheet as you finish each cookie.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges and tops of the macaroons begin to turn a light golden brown.

Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for an hour to set. If you move them before they’ve set, they will crumble apart.

Serve and enjoy!

 

Honeycomb Toffee

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This crisp, airy candy is popular in the United Kingdom and is often coated in chocolate to help preserve its unique texture. It may seem intimidating to make at first, but it’s a fun and interactive dessert that’s easy to make. I recommend reading over the entire recipe before you make this candy, just to make sure you have everything ready to make it. We hope you enjoy this delightful candy recipe.

Ingredients:
½ cup granulated sugar
4 T honey
1 ½ tsp baking soda

Optional chocolate coating:
1 cup chocolate chips, melted
1 T coconut oil

Instructions:
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Set it within your immediate reach. The reaction to create honeycomb toffee happens very quickly and you’ll want the baking sheet near you to make pouring the toffee go smoothly.
Put your baking soda into a small cup or bowl and set it within your immediate reach. Place a spatula and whisk within your reach as well.
In a medium sized pot on low heat, add your sugar and honey. Whisk them together until they’re combined and continue whisking occasionally as the sugar dissolves into the honey.
Once the syrup becomes smooth and you see very few sugar granules in the syrup, turn the heat up to medium and continue whisking.
When your mixture has turned the color of maple syrup and is bubbling, turn off the heat. This will take almost exactly 3 minutes.
Get ready for the reaction to take place.
Grab the handle of your pot and add your baking soda. Quickly whisk in the baking soda and the reaction will begin.
Whisk until the baking soda is just combined and pour the toffee out onto the prepared baking sheet, scooping it out with your spatula.
When you pour the toffee, try to spread it out across the pan as you go. You cannot spread it by smoothing it out once you’ve poured it because you will crush the bubbles that give the toffee it’s texture.
Allow the toffee to cool, about 30 minutes.
Once it’s cooled, cut the toffee with a knife, or smack it to shatter it into smaller pieces.
Coat the honeycomb toffee in chocolate if desired.
To make the coating, add your coconut oil to your melted chocolate and mix.
I recommend using chopsticks to hold the toffee as you dip it in the chocolate.
Allow the chocolate to cool and set and serve. Enjoy!

Vibrant, Local Economy

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By Steve Cooke, General Manager 2/4/22

The first point of our Vision statement is “Friendly City Food Co-op exists so that the Shenandoah Valley has a vibrant, local economy.” This means that our goals include growing our local economy; creating and sustaining livable wage jobs; circulating dollars within the Valley; sourcing as much as feasible from area producers while inter-connecting with local economies outside the region for products not produced or grown here; and nourishing residents of the Valley. When you shop at Friendly City, you are supporting these values!

It’s important to note how the resiliency we create through our support of local has served us during the pandemic. The relationships we have with local producers kept our shelves full of fresh foods, even as the regular channels for food distribution were strained from unpredictable consumer buying. Sourcing locally strengthens our regional economy, builds sustainability, and provides ongoing regional food security.

We want good food to be affordable too! This means we’re constantly working on ways to honor the real cost of clean, healthy foods at a price you can afford. We will always feature our Co-op Basics, (purple tags) with organic, and natural grocery and wellness items with Everyday Low Prices. This program brings together the manufacturers, distributors and retailers like Friendly City Food Co-op, to bring the lowest price possible to our co-op community. Co-op Basics products are predominantly certified organic to bust the myth that organic food is too expensive.

The Co-op Deals sales flier (green topped sale tags) and complementary coupon program allow you to save big on many items, throughout the co-op – they change every couple of weeks – and sometimes combine coupons with sale prices to increase your savings. Our 99 cent Local Produce table offers great savings on healthy fruits and vegetables, grown here in the valley, throughout most of the year.

There is great value in spending any of your shopping dollars at our local co-op. Our commitment to support local farmers, local producers as well as programs that help keep organic groceries affordable, is at the heart of our Vision statement and exists for the betterment of our community. We never take it for granted that you choose to shop with us. Thank you for your support!