Outer Aisle Foods
In This Issue
Highlights of the Week
Pantry Highlights
Producer's Profile
What's up in the Garden?
Quick Links

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THURSDAY - NOON to  6pm
SATURDAYS - 10 am - 4pm
(Closed Thursday 25th and Saturday 27th November)
Please Note: Store open Wednesday 24th only.

Thanksgiving is around the corner! Starting next week you can reserve your Diestel organic turkey for pickup on Thursday 18th; Saturday 21st or Wednesday 24th. (Note: we are closed Thursday 25th and Saturday 27th to celebrate Thanksgiving!)





Outer Aisle FOODS & GOODS
1192 Highway 4
Douglas Flat, CA
outeraislefoods.com
Christine & Eric Taylor
209.728.9112
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News From Outer Aisle
Mid October 2010
Highlights of the Week!
Lots of fantastically new and delicious produce items this week, making this the most diverse combination of vegetables we have seen yet!

Just in!! Lamb and almonds (see Producers Profile below).

From our farm we'll have cilantro, baby carrots and French breakfast radishes, in addition to tomatoes, bell peppers, salad greens, potatoes and dark leafy greens.

From Rodoni Farms, on the coast north of Santa Cruz, we'll have the first artichokes and leeks of the year (yummy!).

From Quail H Farms in Livingston we'll have the new crop of sweet potatoes, all four varieties.

From Coke Farms in San Juan Bautista, we'll have Pasilla chiles, and five kinds of winter squash.

Fruit this week!
From Tyson Hill we'll have four different kinds of grapes and the Angelino plum. From Smit the last of the gala apples and from Sierra Glen Orchard on Big Hill Road, Sonora we'll have Golden Delicious apples marking the beginning of their mountain harvest which will last well into the winter months.
We were able to procure four different kinds of pears this week: Red and green Bartletts, Tosca, Starkrimson and the D'Anjou.
PANTRY HIGHLIGHTS: If you haven't visited Outer Aisle you may be surprised to know that we not only carry fresh seasonal produce but also a great selection of essential pantry and gluten free items. Back in stock is Katie's famous Hash Mash, a vegan, grain, nut and bean combo that can be shaped into a veggie burger, heated and served in a burrito - great for a protein breakfast or light lunch.

We have a great selection of organic grains: quinoa to pearl barley and over 8 varieties of Lundberg rice: wild rice blend to sushi; organic beans: adzuki to green lentils; seeds: cashews to filberts; dried fruits: apricots to prunes. Other pantry items to note: just arrived a fresh harvest of honey: Starthistle and Wildflower from BeeLoved in Copperopolis

RECIPE of the Week!
QUINOA Facts: Gluten free. In the same family as beets, originating from South America, the seed of the Quinoa plant provides  high protein and no gluten. Remember to wash the grain before cooking, this removes the bitter tasting substance called saponin (a natural insecticide for the plant). It takes repeated rinsing to remove the saponin; some people soak the grain first, then rinse.
Cooking Directions: Mix 1 part dry quinoa with 2 parts water or stock and simmer, covered, like rice, until all the water is absorbed (about 10 - 12 minutes). You'll know when it's done when the small white germs of the seeds soften and protrude in little spirals.

Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa and Black Beans
Yield: 4 - 6 servings
3 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes or canned if out of season
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 - 3 tsp chili powder
Cayenne pepper to taste
4-6 whole Red peppers (depending on size)
fresh lime juice

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, onion, chili powder and cayenne. Add a few spoonfuls of water if the mixture seems very dry. Cut the peppers in half if they are large and fill lightly with the quinoa mixture. Arrange in a shallow baking dish, skim the bottom with water, and cover with foil. Bake for about 30 minutes, remove the foil, then continue baking until the peppers are soft and filling is hot. Squeeze fresh lime juice over each one before serving.


Producers' Profile

Dennis Serpa of Paradise Ranch in Oakdale produces high quality lamb and numerous varieties of almonds.

Dennis breeds the Dorper variety of sheep that is renown for their supreme meat quality rather than their fiber. When I first met Dennis and his flock last year, I was quite surprised to see that they resembled goats and a far cry from the familiar "Bo-peep" white sheep predominantly seen in New Zealand and grown for their fiber. Dennis is well versed in the technicalities of raising animals on grass and in our first conversation he immediately referenced Joel Salatin, the famous spokesperson for the grassfed movement that is beginning to take a foothold in the diets of many a conscious meat eater.

We are currently carrying his lamb in a variety of cuts: racks, shanks, ground, loin and shoulder chops and a few legs.

In addition to sheep, Dennis grows numerous varieties of almonds. He rattled off the more common Carmel and Nonpareil varieties and some not so common, newer varieties: Butte, Padre, Monterey, Sonora and Wood Colony. Interestingly, many of the newer cultivars were bred right here in the Modesto area, the only almond growing area in the United States and one of a handful of locations throughout the world. Almonds thrive in a climate with a cold winter and a frost free spring. Each variety blooms at a different time, starting with the Nonpareil and Carmel varieties and then continuing with the Butte and Padre. The varieties are paired to maximize pollination and ensure a bountiful crop. Consequently the first of the harvest is the Nonpareil (sounds better if you say it with a French accent). Dennis belongs to a cooperative with 25 other organic almond growers, Big Tree Organic Farms, which process the nuts and package them for wholesale and retail. All of the almonds are certified organic and pasteurized by steam to a temperature of 185 degrees; a practice that maintains flavor and complies with health regulations.

We'll have Nonpareil and Butte/Padre varieties available in the store at $6 per pound, and feature the other varieties over the coming weeks!
What's Up In The Garden

Your dying to hear, right? The Potato Harvest Day on 10/10/10 was a huge success. We had over 60 people, all ages, abilities and strengths showed up to help harvest the hugest potato crop any of us have ever seen. A project of this magnitude could not be achieved without the dedication of community members! Planted on the land owned by the Hoffman family in June by a handful of Post Crash Course graduates, with direction from Eric and enthusiasm from Cooper Kessel, we hilled, watered and nurtured the 1/2 acre of potatoes for over 3 months. In one day, with the help of many hands, harvested, brushed clean of soil and graded into small, medium and large, the entire 7,500 lbs potato crop; a feat akin to an "iron man" competition or perhaps rivaling the recent "Mudder" event in Bear Valley.

Are you looking for potatoes??? We will have 20# burlap bags for sale starting this week for $20.
Outer Aisle FOODS & GOODS "Essentials for the 21st Century". Our mission is to facilitate a speedy transition to a sustainable economy by offering the essential tools, ingredients and knowledge to prepare us for the 21st century. 

Behind the scenes of Outer Aisle is Taylor Mountain Gardens. Located just around the corner on Main Street in Douglas Flat, our nearly two acre "beyond organic" farm produces a large variety of seasonal vegetables including these seasonal highlights: summer heirloom tomatoes, fall cauliflower, winter carrots and spring potatoes to name just a few! 

OuterAisle FOODS operates a year round CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. We distribute the highest quality, local, seasonal and regional produce and products to members all over Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties. We only purchase product from farms and producers who are committed to ecologically sustainable practices and go beyond the National "Organic" standards.