meat Archives - Community Food Co-op

Dear Nutritionist: Bone Broth

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Co-op News contributor

Selva Wohlgemuth, meal planning instructor

Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

Dear Nutritionist: I have heard a lot about bone broth. Is it really that much better than regular soup stock?

Dear Member: Although there is little scientific evidence to support the health benefits of bone broth, it does not discredit hundreds of years of tradition.

What bone broth provides in nutritional quality far outweighs any regular packaged chicken or beef broth found in stores today. It is rich in collagen and an easy-to-absorb protein source that, along with adequate vitamin C, supports joint health and skin, hair, and nail growth. Also, the minerals and vitamins leached from the bones and veggies into the broth makes this an easy to digest and nourishing food, especially during times of heightened stress.

Per the USDA Nutrient Database, one cup of homemade chicken bone broth contains about 90 calories, 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbohydrates, and some minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and sodium.

If someone cannot tolerate solid foods or is feeling under the weather, nauseous, and fatigued, broth can be very soothing and light enough for the digestive track to manage. However, even if you are not feeling sick, bone broth adds a lot of flavor and nutrition to simple soups and stews.

To make a delicious bone broth, all you need is time—not only for flavor, but also for heightening the medicinal quality of the broth. The longer the bones simmer, the more minerals are transferred to the broth, and the more nutrient dense the broth becomes. If you add a few staple vegetables, the nutritional value increases even further. Even a novice cook can make an excellent broth if the traditional methods are followed.

How to use bone broth? Sip between meals for a savory protein-rich beverage, add into soups for heightened flavor and nutrition, mix into sauces or gravies, braise veggies or meats in broth, or freeze for later use.

Are you vegan or vegetarian? Making a slow simmered veggie broth can be just as nourishing. However, you may want to add additional veggies such as leeks, tomatoes, and mushrooms for added flavor, and olive oil to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins. Just keep in mind that the protein content will be much lower and you may want to add beans to your final veggie soup.

SAVVY SHOPPER TIP

If making bone broth at home seems like too much work, the Co-op offers a variety of packaged collagen-rich bone broths from Kettle & Fire, Pacific Foods, Epic, and frozen chicken and beef broth by Bonafide Provisions and Cauldron Broths.

Learn to Make Nourishing Broths

Attend Selva’s Healthy Connections class on March 9, 2020, to learn how to make your own nourishing broths at home.

See more Healthy Connections classes on our website.

Ask the Nutritionist

Have questions? Send them to contact@happybellynutritionist.com. Selva Wohlgemuth is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Learn more about her approach to general health and well-being at her Happy Belly Nutrition website, and see her recipes and other kitchen tips at Poppies and Papayas.

Farm Fund Spotlight: Brittle Barn Farms

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team, and Hannah Coughlin, Brittle Barn Farms

brittle barn farms, local, farm fund, zack tyler, karl prisk,

Karl Prisk (left), Zack Tyler, and Tarquin, Zack’s trusty Australian Shepherd, take a break from tending their free-range turkey flock at Brittle Barn Farms in Ferndale. The farm prides itself in buying local and used a Farm Fund loan to purchase organic, Non-GMO Project Verified feed from Bellingham’s Scratch & Peck Feeds for their poultry flock.

Zack Tyler of Brittle Barn Farms, a local free-ranged meat producer, has been interested in animal husbandry for as long as he can remember.

Growing up on a half-acre in Arcata, California, with his younger brother and hobby-farm parents, Zack was inspired by his small community of do-it-yourselfers and small farmers. “Every Saturday I got to see farmers and artisans pour into an empty street and make it come alive with their hard work and passions,” said Zack.

His mom makes her living raising fiber animals (llama, sheep, and goats), spinning, and knitting their wool into wares that she’s sold at the Arcata Farmers Market for over 25 years. His dad taught Zack how to slaughter Thanksgiving turkeys when he was six. “My parents taught me to be respectful and compassionate to our animals from the beginning to the end,” said Zack.

After he moved to Bellingham to realize his dream as a small farmer, Brittle Barn Farms was born.

After he moved to Bellingham to realize his dream as a small farmer, Zack and his partner, Hannah, rented a five-acre plot just outside of Bellingham where Brittle Barn Farms was born. They raised meat chickens, egg layers, goats, ducks, geese, turkeys, and Icelandic sheep.

Zack noted, “Neither of us had any capital to start with—no inheritance, no wealthy relatives, and not much combined income.”

Zack works in the classroom with developmentally disabled or at-risk youth, and Hannah works for a local environmental nonprofit, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities.

“We had to start at square one—on a cheap rental with a falling down barn,” said Zack.

They named their farm after that barn to remind them of the virtue of small beginnings.

In 2014, Brittle Barn Farms moved to Cougar Creek Ranch in Ferndale, a 160-acre original homestead owned by the Prisk Family. “Karl [Prisk] and I have been friends for a long time. After he moved to town to farm his grandfather’s land, it was an obvious partnership,” said Zack. They went into business together and grew Brittle Barn Farms, increasing their overall production, and adding cows and hogs to the farm.

In the spring, the Co-op Farm Fund secured a low-interest loan for Brittle Barn Farms in partnership with Industrial Credit Union.

The farm used the loan to purchase organic feed from Scratch & Peck Feeds.

“It’s important to us to operate locally. That includes where we purchase our feed,” said Zack. Purchasing organic, Non-GMO Project Verified feed upfront from Scratch & Peck enables the farm to better control the price and quality of their free-range poultry, while keeping their money circulating in our local economy.

Zack’s dream is to farm full-time. “I love caring for the animals, being connected to the seasons and natural life cycles, and I love producing an important commodity for my community,” he said.

You can purchase Brittle Barn Farms’ chicken at the Cordata store. All their meats are available at both Bellingham Farmers Markets, Carne, and on the farm.

Learn more about Brittle Barn Farms or contact the farm at 360-610-7740 or brittlebarnfarms@gmail.com.

Grass-fed Beef: What Beef Was Meant To Be

by Matt Bernstein, Downtown Meat Assistant Manager

cows grazing free range on lawn near trees

Grass-fed cattle at Matheson Farms in Bellingham enjoy grazing native grasses in open fields. The farm’s philosophy is to “make holistic decisions that are socially, ecologically, and economically sound and balanced—and to help others do the same.”

Cows are ruminant animals, naturally adapted to digest grass, yet most American cattle are fed a supplemental diet of corn and soy. When presented with a grain-fed diet, cattle can face serious health problems, including the development of harmful bacteria. As a result, they are often administered antibiotics, and lots of them. Grass-fed cattle, on the other hand, live a much healthier, more natural life, and are much less likely to experience bacterial infection as they graze on native grasses in open fields that are generally pesticide free.

grass-fed beef is leaner and is much higher in omega-3 fatty acids

Feedlot cows are fed grain and soy in order to develop more marbled fat in their meat. In contrast, grass-fed beef is leaner and is much higher in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to promote better cellular and cardiovascular health, just to name a few of the many health benefits of choosing grass-fed beef. For omnivorous people who are avoiding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), eating grass-fed meat is a great way to go, as the vast majority of feed contains GMO corn and soy.

The Community Food Co-op is proud to carry two excellent local options for grass-fed beef that would be a great addition to your summer grilling line-up.

For a great summer burger try ground beef from Matheson Farms, located on Smith Road in Bellingham. In addition to their delicious ground beef, we also carry a number of steak options from Matheson Farms in our freezer section.

No summer barbecue would be complete without a juicy beef frank. 3 Sisters Family Farms, located on Whidbey Island, has been providing the Co-op with juicy grass-fed beef hot dogs for the last two years. They come in both regular and quarter-pound sizes.

When you light up the grill this summer, remember to do your taste buds, your body, and the environment a favor and go grass fed.

Learn more about the farms at: mathesonfarms.com and 3sistersbeef.com.

How to Charcuterie

New to charcuterie?

Try these simple serving suggestions. Add your favorite mustards or other condiments, but keep it relatively simple to let the flavors of these quality, handcrafted meats shine..

charcuterie salami cheese ale French bread

Fra’ Mani sopressata

Genepi Alpine tomme de savoie

hearty ale

Avenue Bread or Breadfarm crusty baguette

charcuterie mortadella salami, pickled peppers, artichokes, rolls

Fra’ Mani mortadella

Mama Lil's pickled peppers

Cucina & Amore jarred artichoke quarters

organic olive oil

crusty sweet roll

charcuterie prosciutto salami cheese slices French bread

Creminelli prosciutto cotto

butter

Avenue Bread or Breadfarm crusty baguette

use in any sandwich or recipe calling for ham

charcuterie salami, broccolini, jalapenos, and anchovies

Fra’ Mani capicollo

broccoli rabe

Jeff's Naturals pepperoncini peppers

anchovies

garlic

Braise the broccoli rabe in olive oil with anchovies, garlic, and a little salt until tender. Slice focaccia through the middle to create two sides. Toast the bread to medium brown on its cut side. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and rub with garlic. Arrange the broccoli rabe, anchovies, and garlic all over the surface of the bread and top with thinly sliced spicy capicollo and Calabrian peppers. Serve open-faced.

charcuterie salami and cheese slices and brie

Creminelli Calabrese Italian salami

Milano Italian salami

Coastal cheddar (England)

Fromager D’Affinois brie (France)

charcuterie salami pepper slices butter French bread

Fra’ Mani salame rosa

Mediterranean Organic roasted red and yellow peppers

Wildwood aioli

ciabatta roll

Charcuterie

by Robin Elwood, Downtown Deli Assistant Manager

deli worker handing wrapped package to customer, salami

Mike in the Cordata deli will slice your charcuterie to order (with a smile!).

The Co-op is proud to announce the arrival of Fra’ Mani and Creminelli charcuteries! Co-op deli staff sought out the highest quality, artisan, handcrafted, additive-free meats for our shoppers, and we are excited to share them with you. Curious to learn more about what makes these two purveyors exceptional? Read on, and ask for a sample the next time you are in the deli.

the highest quality, artisan, handcrafted, additive-free meats

Fra’ Mani, based in Berkeley, California, represents approximately a decade of artisanal, hand-packed, naturally cured meat. Started by slow-food chef Paul Bertolli, their mission is to “keep old world traditions alive...using ingredients of the highest quality from sustainable sources.” Their meat, chiefly pork, comes from family farmers committed to the well-being of their animals and their land. The animals are never given antibiotics, artificial growth hormones, growth-promoting agents, or meat by-products, and are raised on pasture or in deeply bedded pens.

Creminelli, the other main supplier of the Co-op’s new charcuterie assortment, is at least a fourth-generation family producer of Salumi. The current generation moved from Italy to Utah in 2007, bringing the company with them, and searched for a landscape and an heirloom breed of pig suitable for making their traditional recipes. Their Duroc-breed pigs are raised in open living conditions, with all-natural standards similar to Fra’ Mani’s.

Many artisan producers pride themselves on the “story” that goes with their food, and both Fra’ Mani and Creminelli’s websites put family origin and culinary vision front and center. However, any corporation can write a vague story to go with their product. What sets these producers apart is a verifiable commitment to specific animal welfare and sustainability practices. And, of course, by their insistence that what they do creates an especially delicious product.

The real test comes when a room full of professional meat eaters sits in a back room at the Co-op’s Cordata store passing around a plate of charcuterie. Andy Adams, a representative from Peterson (one of the Co-op’s distributors), was running the deli slicer and leading a training on the vocabulary and variety of Italian-style preserved meats.

Andy led the group quickly through the definitions: salumi is a general Italian term for salted, cured, meats including salami, mortadella, sopressata, lardo, porchetta, cotta, etc. The cuts of meat, spices added, and curing times vary, but all of them originated as ways of preserving meat before refrigeration. They have endured due to both their durability and their tastiness.

“One of the great things about salami calabrese is that, despite the Calabrian pepper flakes giving it some heat, you also taste the flavor of the heirloom pork. Unless a customer wants something different, slice it about as thin as a dime,” said Andy.

At this point, Andy pauses and looks around the room. Everyone is eating salami calabrese. No one is listening to him.

“Oh,” he said. “Should I slice some more of that and hand it around again?”

The Cordata deli launched the new line of charcuterie first, and customers have been wildly responsive. Additionally, the deli team has some blockbuster sandwich suggestions utilizing slices of the various offerings. Downtown, the deli remodel delayed the arrival of these new products, but some of the smaller salami is available in the specialty cheese case. If all goes as planned, the full assortment will also be available in the Downtown deli by early February—sliced to order, with descriptions and samples galore.

And, yes, it includes that salami calabrese that stops all conversation.

Learn more at framani.com and creminelli.com.