Getting down to grassroots

I’ve been meaning to visit Grassroots Grocery in De Pere since I first heard about the store, but you know how things go – it’s a little off my normal “beaten path”, so I just hadn’t made the time.  Was I ever happy that I finally did!  Pat Krienke (the owner) was so helpful and friendly, and the shop has a unique selection of goods that I haven’t seen anywhere else in the area. 

Pat and Mike make that extra effort to source as much of their food locally as possible.  Fresh weekly deliveries includes sustainably grown seasonal fruits and veggies, non-homogenized milk (yummy!), organic grass fed meat products from Kuene Authentic Foods (who also supply the Urban Frog), Caprine Supreme goat’s milk, yogurt and cheeses and homemade sourdough, gluten free breads, pizza crusts, hamburger and hot dog buns.

Grassroots also carries a large supply of specialty foods for restricted diets such as Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Soy Free, Salt Free food products.  With the growing number of people coping with allergy and other health issues, this type of selection is a wonderful help.  I also noticed kombucha and other probiotic beverages, and some natural fizzy fruits drinks just for fun.

We purchased some dried veggies (great for healthy snacking), some Izzy, and some bulk produce for freezing and canning.  After trying some of her local apricots, I asked Pat to order me 25 pounds of peaches, 8 pounds of apricots and 8 pounds of blueberries.  They were heavenly!  They tasted like I remember fruit tasting years ago – bursting with flavor, sweet and juicy and perfectly ripe.  Now they are stashed in my freezer and canning pantry, ready to be enjoyed year-round.

Take the time to take a peek at Grassroots Grocery, support local farmers and reduce your food miles.  You’ll be glad you did!

Recipes

Multigrain Wheatless Coffee Cake
Compliments of Bob’s Red Mill

Ingredients:

2 cups Spelt Flour  
1 cup 8-Grain Wheatless Cereal  
1 tsp. Cinnamon, Saigon (Premium)  
1 tsp. Nutmeg  
1/2 tsp. Allspice (ground)  
1 cup Evaporated Cane Juice  
1/2 cup Margarine (Non-hydrogenated)  
1 Tb Baking Powder  
1-1/4 cups Soymilk

Directions:

Combine flour, cereal, sugar and spices in a bowl. Use a pastry cutter and work margarine into flour mixture and blend into pea size pieces. Take out 1 cup and set aside.

Mix baking powder into flour mixture; add milk and blend. Pour into a greased 9” x 9” baking pan and place fruit of choice on top. Spread the remaining flour mixture evenly on top of fruit. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until top of cake is firm.

Makes 16 small pieces.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Salad
from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon apricot jam
1/4 cup sliced green onion
3 fresh apricots, pitted and diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 pound diced cold, cooked chicken

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar and jam. Add green onion, apricots, celery and chicken and toss until evenly coated. Chill and serve over lettuce leaves.

Blueberry Peach Parfaits
from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Whipped cream

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into eggs; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

In six parfait glasses, layer 2 rounded tablespoons of custard, two to three peach slices and 2 tablespoons blueberries; repeat layers. Top with whipped cream.