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April 1998

Whole Grains from the Whole Earth

Harvest Co-Op Board Action

Best Recipes: Jicama and Buckwheat Salad

Choose To Reuse

Best Recipes: Quinoa Salad with Dried Fruits and Pine Nuts

Chiapas Co-op Needs Help

Our distant ancestors throughout the earth cultivated grain as the staff of life, honoring the spring planting season with sacred ceremonies. With migration and conquest, the grains of one region spread to another in a process of globalization that has speeded up as we finish out the 20th century. Now the "new" grains from the ancient Incas and Aztecs are almost as popular as "World Music." What would my mother-who knew white rice and cornmeal, who knew whole wheat and rye only in bread, and oats only as oatmeal or cookies-what would she make of the spelt, amaranth, kasha, oat groats, and 30 other forms of whole grain in Harvest's bulk bins? Whole grains have lots more protein than we used to think; they're good sources of B vitamins and minerals like calcium. We're supposed to eat more of them-but how?

Millet, buckwheat, and rice from Asia
What to do with the little golden seeds of millet? This crunchy, nutty-tasting grain was the staple in northern Asia before rice was adapted for cold climates. It gets stale more quickly than other grains, so taste a seed or two to be sure it's sweet, not bitter or salty. You can steam this grain without it getting sticky, using a process that is easier than it sounds and that is adaptable for most grains. First toast a cup of it by stirring in a pan over medium heat until the grains begin to change color, "pop," and release a nutty aroma. Then place the toasted grain in a huge bowl of cold water and rub between your hands to loosen residue; rinse with cold water in a small-mesh strainer. Boil two cups of water or stock for each cup of millet and add a tablespoon of oil (I use unrefined organic sesame) and a pinch of salt. Add the washed millet to the boiling liquid, cover, and steam over lowered heat for 20 minutes. Remove and let sit for 5 more minutes, then fluff with a fork. If the millet does get sticky, all is not lost. Millet was the original polenta (after traveling to northern Italy where this currently popular dish is now made from corn meal). For millet polenta, keep cooking the grain for a total of 30 minutes (after toasting and washing as above). Let it stand for 5 minutes, then scrape into a square pan to stand for another 5. Cut into squares, pan-fry, and serve.

Along with millet, buckwheat is one of those grains that comes from a broad-leafed plant rather than a grass. It grows well in northern climates, is a favorite in Russia, and cooks quickly, saving fuel. Sold here toasted or raw, it grows stale more easily after toasting. Experts advise buying it raw and toasting it yourself before cooking it into a pilaf-like dish (called "kasha," which also means" banquet" in Russian). Buckwheat is rich in B vitamins, minerals, and the amino acid lysine (which protects against cold sores). I enjoy the hearty flavor and the energizing feel of this grain in casseroles and pancakes.

Rice needs little comment-as the main food of the most populous regions of the planet and a favorite here. Harvest offers sticky-cooking versions like sweet brown, sushi, and arborio (the basis of Italian risotto) and dark flavorful types like wehani and wild rice mixtures. (The wild rice we carry is neither "wild" nor-botanically speaking-a "rice." It is a cultivated form of an grain indigenous to North America, one traditionally harvested by the native peoples of the Great lakes region.) We also carry several white rices including "parboiled" (partly cooked) and many sizes and shapes of brown rice, both organic and conventionally grown. My current favorites are organic short grain brown rice, which has been my comfort food for many years, and organic brown basmati rice, an Indian version of the grain with a heavenly aroma. To cook brown rice, I rinse it with my hands in a large pot of water to remove starchy residue that will cause the grains to stick together. I pour off the water, then add salt and clean water to double the volume of rice and cook, covered, until the water is absorbed (about 30 minutes). Sometimes I saute or toast the rice first, with or without onions and herbs. Or I use stock instead of water for a richer taste.

Wheat and barley from the Middle East
Did you realize that the oldest evidence of wheat comes from a site inhabited 10,000 years ago in Iraq-the village of Jarmo? That's a place wheat-loving industrialized nations like ours should honor and protect! The whole grain is a good source of E and B vitamins, protein and trace minerals.

Wheat has been the staple of European cultures, especially in the form of white flour products where its high gluten content makes ideal, light, bread. Some say refined (white) wheat is calories without nutrient (though most commercially produced white flour is artificially "enriched.") Others say it's important to soak, toast, sprout, or even ferment whole wheat (and rye) to neutralize a substance called phytic acid which can prevent absorption of calcium and other minerals. The original users of the grain apparently knew this. Traditional west Asian wheat products include bulgur, which is precooked and parched (dried) before being coarsely ground. This is why it can be prepared merely by pouring boiling water over it and letting it stand until the liquid is absorbed. (Some say true bulgur is made from sprouted grain; the coarse-ground or "cracked" wheat sold in many stores looks similar but takes regular cooking.) Cous cous, another precooked wheat product, is also quick to prepare. Both are great for tabouli-type salads or hot dishes in summer when you don't want to heat up the house. Recently "discovered" ancient variants such as kamut and spelt can be substituted in wheat recipes and may be safe for the many who are sensitive to wheat. (This "sensitivity" can range from severe allergic reactions to harder-to-pinpoint joint pain, indigestion, headaches, or tiredness.)

Barley thrives in many climates-from Tibet, where it has become traditional, to the Sahara. Ancient Greeks made a sacred drink from the roasted grain. In our country it's mostly grown for beer or animal feed. Harvest sells two forms: hulled barley with the bran still on (darker, slower to get stale, more flavor and nutrition) and pearled barley (whiter and more refined with most of the bran shaved off). Pan-roast for a few minutes before steaming. Excellent when you want something chewier than rice. Adds a special quality to salads, soups, and stuffings.

Oats and Rye from Europe
Although these grains are associated with the cultures of eastern Europe (rye) and the Celtic peoples (oats) and grow well in northern climates, they seem to have originated in Asia and northern Africa. In rolled form, both make satisfying breakfast cereals. Harvest also carries oats in steel-cut (roughly ground for another genre of oatmeal) and whole form (groats) and would do well to carry whole rye grain as well. Both whole grains are delicious steamed (prior toasting brings out more flavor). In salads and casseroles, they are a pleasant diversion from the usual wheat and rice.

Quinoa, amaranth, corn, and wild rice from the Americas
Corn spread quickly over the earth with European colonization, finding special welcome among the peoples of Africa, and North American wild rice has recently entered mainstream commerce. Two extraordinarily nutritious Latin American grains are now available. Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah"), chief food of the Incas with the highest protein content of any grain (20%), was displaced by Spanish conquistadores, surviving only in remote villages. Now the delicate seed with an intriguing texture and a taste most people love is being grown in this country and is taking cosmopolitan cuisine by storm. Wash quinoa carefully before preparing it because these relatively small seeds are coated with a bitter residue. Add washed grain to twice the volume of boiling stock or water with a pinch of salt. Lower heat, cover, and cook about 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. The grain itself will be translucent and its curly "germ," white. Remove from heat and steam for 5 more minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve or add to salads or casseroles. You can also toast the washed, drained grain before you cook it or you can use more liquid and cook it longer for a creamier breakfast cereal.

Amaranth, the staple and sacred grain of the Aztecs, is a very tiny seed with an 18% protein content and lots of iron, calcium, vitamin E, and lysine. The flowers of amaranth, which is not a grass, are vividly colored, as are its leaves, which are eaten like spinach (an amaranth relative) in some parts of the world. Amaranth grain has a strong nutty taste and an unusual texture. It cooks very quickly. To avoid gooeyness, dry-toast the grain before adding to an equal amount of boiling water (with a little oil, as in directions for millet on page 1). Cook for just 7 minutes, then let the covered pot steam for twice that time. If you want a softer, more porridge-like effect, double the water and the cooking time.

Tef and sorghum from Africa
Neither of these is yet grown for human food in this country, though sorghum for animal fodder is a familiar crop along country roads. I sampled its delicate texture and taste on a visit to South Africa. Tef, an even smaller seed than amaranth, comes from a beautiful grass in East Africa and is the authentic grain of the pancake-like "injera" served in Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants (though often replaced with wheat and millet). Even in the global story of grain, Africa has not yet gotten its deserved share of the limelight.

Two wonderful new books will help to restore our understanding of ancient grains: M. A. Bumgardner's The New Book of Whole Grains and The Splendid Grain by Rebecca Wood, who has also authored an entire book on quinoa. I want to thank both authors, who know grain from growing as well as cooking it; both have researched the global human connections of the grains and have found and created delicious recipes.

[Editor's Note: Harvest will expand its selection of bulk grains, as well as other products, in the Cambridge store once renovations are completed.]

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Harvest Co-Op Board Action Allston outlook While third-quarter results are not available as of this writing, preliminary figures indicate that the financial condition of the Allston store is deteriorating and threatens the Co-op as a whole. We are thinking carefully about whether we can keep the store open until we find a new site, given these results. More information will be available by the time you read this. South End Site Proposed The site search gained momentum when a promising South End site was proposed. Board members visited it in February and authorized General Manager John Higgins to explore its feasibility. Unfortunately, the site fell through. Tips on how to search, evaluate, and develop the membership base of a new site was the topic at the Board's annual retreat in March. New Site Task Force The Board authorized formation of a New Site Task Force. Composed of Board, management/staff, and non-Board members, the Task Force will coordinate input and feedback on new store locations and set-up issues. Members interested in participating should send a letter of interest to Henri Furgiuele, Board Administrator, at the Cambridge store. Expertise in real estate, community development, neighborhood organizing, site selection, or related fields is especially desireable. Board Changes The Board accepted the resignation of Tom Hanlon-Wilde, who goes to Central America for several months. The Board appointed Mike Wiecek as his replacement. Mike was first runner-up in the November 1997 Board elections. He has been active on the Finance Committee and brings financial management skills to the Board. New Board Officers The Board elected new Officers. They are President: Jim Lindstrom, Vice President: Susan Altman, Secretary/Clerk: Ariane Cherbuliez, Treasurer: Mike Wiecek The next meeting of the Board will be at 7PM on Monday, April 20th in Cambridge. back to top

Best Recipes Jicama and Buckwheat Salad 2-1/2 cups steamed kasha 2 tsp roasted sesame oil 1 tsp ginger juice (squeezed from finely chopped fresh ginger) 1 small (10 oz) jicama root Juice of one lime 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup coarsely grated Granny Smith apple 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro tabasco sauce to taste 6-8 large red lettuce leaves Combine kasha, sesame oil, and ginger juice in a small bowl. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Peel jicama and cut into match sticks, place in a non-reactive bowl with lime juice and salt and marinate one hour. Toast pumpkin seeds in a saucepan over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, set aside 1 Tbsp of the whole seeds and chop the rest. Combine kasha, jicama, apple, chopped seeds, cilantro, and tabasco. Taste for seasoning and serve on lettuce leaves, sprinkled with whole pumpkin seeds. Watercress Garlic Soup with Barley 1/4 cup olive oil 10 cloves garlic 4 1-inch slices stale French bread 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock 1/2 cup dry pearl barley (or 11/2 cups leftover cooked barley) sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 cups chopped watercress Heat oil in large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and saute for 5-7 min or until lightly browned. Remove garlic and set aside. Add bread to oil and toast until golden on both sides. Remove and set aside. Add stock, barley, reserved garlic, salt and pepper to the oil, cover and simmer until barley is tender (50 minutes unless barley is precooked). Remove and discard garlic. Stir in lemon juice and watercress. Simmer one minute. Serve immediately in warmed soup bowls with the bread slice floating on top. Both recipes adapted from The Splendid Grain by Rebecca Wood back to top

Choose To Reuse
Aileen Bellwood

Each day a typical American receives some 300 messages urging him or her to consume more. This message asks you to consume less. Remember the 'Three R's'? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Although recycling seems to get the most attention, reduction and reuse create less air and water pollution and require less energy and fewer raw materials than recycling. Reuse saves money for society as a whole as well as for the individual reuser. Although the initial cost for reusable items may be higher than the initial cost of throwaway counterparts, reusable items usually pay for themselves within a year or two or less.

We urge our customers to reuse plastic bags and containers when purchasing bulk products. We stock reusable produce bags, grocery bags, string bags, and even lunch bags. Customers who reuse grocery bags at check-out receive a five-cent rebate per bag. So if you purchase an UnWrapped® Grocery bag for $3.89, it will pay for itself and begin to earn money for you after 78 uses. The Plastic Bag Laundry is a cleverly designed device that washes and dries plastic bags in an automatic dishwasher. It will launder all the plastic bags you pick up at the Coop, including produce bags, the small plastic bulk herb bags, and plastic bags with zipper-type closures. A reusable alternative to disposable plastic wrap is a set of 6 vinyl bowl covers that resemble small showercaps and fit snugly over glasses, bowls, and even cut fruit.

Menstruating women can seek alternatives to disposable tampons and pads. The average woman uses 10,000-12,000 such disposables during her lifetime. The Keeper is a reusable rubber cup that replaces tampons. It's available through special order in the Personal Care department for $35.00. Since The Keeper has a life expectancy of 10 years, that amounts to just 29¢ per month. Other reusable alternatives are Glad Rags, machine-washable cotton flannel menstrual pads, and Jade & Pearl Menstrual Sea Sponges.

Choosing to reuse not only means choosing reusable products rather than single-use items, it also means selecting durable, long-lived products rather than flimsy ones that will be tossed out in a few years. Harvest offers a number of items in this category. For example, a vinyl shower curtain tends to tear in the wash. A better alternative is a durable, machine-washable 100% cotton canvas shower curtain. Another sensible choice for the bathroom is Fuchs Ecotec toothbrush. This toothbrush allows you to replace the worn-out brush head and reuse the toothbrush handle.

These are just some of the reusable items that are available at the Co-op. We also carry cloth dish towels, cotton and hemp coffee filters, and ceramic coffee-to-go mugs which make excellent substitutes for their paper or plastic counterparts. All the products mentioned have been tested by Harvest staff and found to be amazingly satisfactory. For more ideas on how to reuse, see Choose to Reuse, by Nikki and David Goldbeck, available on the Harvest book racks.

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Best Recipes Quinoa Salad with Dried Fruits and Pine Nuts 2 cups freshly steamed (warm) quinoa 6 dried apricots finely diced 2 Tbsp snipped chives or finely chopped whites of scallions 1/4 cup dried currants, softened in hot water and squeezed dry 3 Tbsp finely diced yellow or green peppers 3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted Vinaigrette grated zest of one lemon 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp finely chopped cilantro or parsley 1/4 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp each ground cumin and coriander salt to taste 2 Tbsp olive oil Combine first set of ingredients, toss gently with vinaigrette, and serve nestled in lettuce leaves. Adapted from Deborah Madison, The Savory Way Serve the recipes below with a salad or steamed vegetables to make a meal. Barley with Nuts 1 cup unhulled barley 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup roasted cashews, peanuts, or almonds Brown barley in oil, add stock and salt; cook over low heat tightly covered until tender (about 1 hour). Stir in nuts, cover and simmer 5 minutes more. Hash Brown Rice 2 cups cooked brown rice 1 cup chopped roasted peanuts or almonds 1/2 c sunflower seets 2 eggs, beaten 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sage or thyme Combine. Moisten with water if dry. Spoon into well-oiled skillet and fry 8-10 minutes until crisp, then flip to fry other side. Recipes adapted from New Book of Whole Grains by M. A. Bumgardner back to top

Chiapas Co-op Needs Help

In the wake of the December massacre by government forces in the highland community of Actéal, in Chiapas, Mexico, Equal Exchange coffee company has created a fund to assist La Unión Majomut, a coffee farming cooperative of 1,200 members. La Unión Majomut's coffee is used in Equal Exchange's Organic Café Mexico and Organic Mind, Body, and Soul Blend, both of which Harvest sells. The fund will be used at Majomut's discretion.

Equal Exchange is making an initial contribution of its own and encourages its customers, partner organizations, and other businesses to contribute. Equal Exchange's goal is to raise $10,000 by May 1, 1998.

Forty-six percent of Mexico's coffee comes from Chiapas. Because of the recent violence, this vital source of income is almost nonexistent now. According to Victor Perezgrovas of La Unión Majomut, the co-op's processing plant has been occupied by the Mexican army. Farmers cannot process coffee for export and are afraid to complete the harvest for fear of further violence.

La Union Majomut was founded in 1983 to build economic self-determination for small-scale farmers. Majomut women recently developed an organic vegetable and free-range chicken project for local markets such as the tourist mecca of San Cristóbal de las Casas. On a regional level, Majomut assists other co-ops and communities in organic production and certification and in finding alternative markets.

Equal Exchange has been working with Majomut for three years and will continue to work with Majomut through this crisis and on a long-term basis. Although Majomut is unable to provide coffee this year, Equal Exchange has agreed to purchase coffee at the next available harvest. Jonathan Rosenthal, president of Equal Exchange, explains why Equal Exchange is establishing this fund. "We feel it is critical for the US coffee retailers and consumers to support these small farmers."

Founded in 1986 as a worker-owned cooperative, Equal Exchange sells coffees in the U.S. and Canada. Send contributions (checks payable to Equal Exchange) to aid the Chiapas coffee cooperative to: Equal Exchange, 251 Revere Street, Canton, MA 02021 USA. For more information about La Unión Majomut or Equal Exchange call (781) 830-0303 or see the Equal Exchange web site at www.equalexchange.com. You can also reach Equal Exchange by fax (781) 830-0282 or e-mail at eqex@igc.apc.com.

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