Put Yourself on Display
(or at least your crafts or veggies)
Fair season is here! One of the great things about Western Massachusetts is that we have fairs with attractions to suit just about any tastes. From small Grange fairs to town and county fairs to the behemoth that is the Eastern States Exhibition, each fair has its own  unique personality. Taking a car full of friends and family to your favorite fair is a great way to spend a dreamy late summer day. But have you considered actually being part of the attractions? It's not too late to submit an entry into several of the fairs in the area. The exhibit halls are full of baked good, canned items, fiber arts, photography, fine arts, prize vegetables, and just about anything else you can think of. Kenneth Howes of the Cummington Fair explains the importance of community participation, "Entries in the Main Hall and 4-H hall are very important to the fair. The competition between locals was, and still is, a great thrill today. People are very proud of their entries, and the Fair does its best to provide a beautiful hall for exhibitors and fair patrons." Remember that you can pick up the Cummington Fair program at the Old Creamery Co-op, so you can choose which of the myriad events you want to attend in advance! Is it possible that the gorgeous pumpkin you have growing in the backyard could earn you a blue ribbon this year? Here are some of the local fairs that are still accepting entry submissions:  Cummington Fair- deadline, August 16 Heath Fair-deadline, August 9 (today!) Three County Fair-deadline, August 19 Franklin County Fair-deadline, August 26 |
Wine Tasting at the Creamery What are you doing this Friday evening in Cummington? Why, coming to a wine tasting at the Creamery, of course! Come join us Friday, August 9, for a relaxed, casual sampling of offerings presented by Greg Meserole, Arorway Imports' certified sommelier. Drop in any time between 4 and 7 o'clock as we explore six delicious wines from France and Italy. Sip a little, learn a little, and have fun with your neighbors! Special discounts from 4 to 7 p.m.: 10% off six bottles, mix and match, your choice, and 15% off a preordered full case of the wines we're tasting. |
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Looking for Food on the Fly?
The new Grab & Go case is up and running, stocked with sandwiches and deli favorites like CousCous Salad, Sesame Broccoli Tofu, Lasagna, and Mac & Cheese. Selections will vary by the day, and we'll try to keep it well-stocked-please bear with us as we get a sense of how much food to package each day. Please let us know if there's something you'd like to see, packaged and ready to take home or on the road.
Speaking of "packaged," finding the best packaging for Creamery goodies is always a challenge, and one to which we give a lot of consideration and research. Currently, the best option for Grab & Go packaging appears to be 100% recycled plastic containers. They are made in the Northeast, can themselves be recycled, and keep loads of plastic bottles out of the landfill. We would love to move to compost-able packaging and hope to do so as the technology progresses. It is our understanding that currently these compost-able containers are primarily made in and shipped from China and mostly made of factory farmed GMO corn. Grab & Go sandwiches will continue to be wrapped in biodegradable cellophane bags, and we are experimenting with putting some deli items in compost-able paper containers with recycled plastic lids.
If you're on a tight schedule, but in the mood for an "In the Mood" (or any of our made-to-order sandwiches or panini), please ask the deli staff for an estimated wait time before ordering. We want to make you one of the best sandwiches you've ever eaten, but we don't want you to miss an appointment or get a speeding ticket. There are times when we have so many orders we may not be able to accommodate your schedule, try as we might. Keep in mind, we always welcome called-in deli orders, including orders for sliced meats and cheese.
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Are You Short and to the Point?
We're not talking about height or personality -- we're talking about note-taking style! The Co-op's board of directors seeks an individual to take notes at and draft minutes of board meetings. Like many others who are supporting our Co-op, the note-taker serves as a volunteer. In addition to refreshments provided during the meeting, the note-taker will receive a stipend to defray expenses associated with performing the duties. We are seeking an individual with experience as a minutes-taker for a business, nonprofit, civic, or governmental body. Ideally, the individual would make a minimum one-year commitment to serve. Examples of prior meeting minutes are available in the "board book" (the white three-ring binder in the east corner of the store near the card carousel). Interested? This is a great way to support your Co-op! Please contact Hattie Plehn at hattie@oldcreamery.coop or Kimberly Longey at kimberly@oldcreamery.coop for more information.
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A Big "Thank You" to Sarah Lee and Johnny!  We were so excited that Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion kicked off their tour in support of their brand-new recording, "Wassaic Way," at the Creamery Co-op on Tuesday. And we were delighted that many of you came out to show your support and were treated to a great get-together. This great collection of new tunes is now available for purchase at the Creamery Co-op, so if you didn't get the chance to come to the kick-off, why not take the music home with you? |
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Cheese of the Week
Thomas Hoe Stevenson Red Leicestershire
Not to spoil any surprises you might enjoy discovering at this Saturday's cheese tasting, but we have to share some interesting facts about "Thomas Hoe Stevenson, Leicestershire Red," our Cheese of the Week. It seems fitting that we should carry this cheese, crafted by Long Clawson Dairy, which began more than 100 years ago as a cooperative of 12 nearby farms. We and our supporters might feel a certain kinship with Long Clawson, don't you think?
This British, crumbly cousin of Cheddar comes from Leicestershire county in England whose cheese making history goes back at least to the 1600s. A cow's-milk cheese known for it's excellent melting characteristic makes it perfect over a baked potato, and is a preferred cheese in making Welsh Rarebit.
Just a little research reveals the answer to a question you may have always wondered about. Why do some cheeses contain reddish or orange coloring?
 As it turns out, the richer the pastures, the more carotene (the pigment in carrots), is found in a grazing animal's diet. The pastures in Gloucester County were lush enough that the cheese inherited some of the pigment that made its way into the cows' milk, giving it a reddish-orange hue. This natural coloration became a mark of quality. Cheese makers in other counties began to add annatto, a tasteless vegetable dye, to their cheeses to mimic the highly prized Gloucestershire.
Red Leicestershire is one such cheese. Although celebrated for its superior quality with or without annatto extract, the tradition of coloring continued. The Thomas Hoe Stevenson Red Leicestershire is the only pasteurized version of the cheese made in Leicestershire today.
And we're offering this mild cheese with its lemony, slightly sweet, nutty, caramelized flavor at a 10 percent discount all day Saturday!
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Help Wanted!
Love the Creamery? Why not work here? We have immediate opening for a part-time cashier. We are looking for a friendly, people-loving, detail-oriented person to join our staff. Interested? Call Karen (634-5560) or stop by to pick up an application.
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Alice's Recipe Curried Greens and Eggplant Aaah, the season of bounty. Harvesting and preserving are in full swing up at our homestead. Today we harvested three types of green beans, shallots, shiitake mushrooms, onions, basil, tomatoes, eight types of braising greens, okra, fava beans, peas, wheat, garlic, raspberries, blueberries, black raspberries, squash, broccoli, cucumbers, dill, lemon balm, anise hyssop, comfrey, and chocolate mint. We made dill pickles, raspberry fruit leather, blueberry fruit leather, lemon balm tincture, and calendula oil. We dehydrated shiitake mushrooms and hung to dry many bundles of herbs and several sheaves of wheat. We're planting the last of our summer crops to ripen in the fall and early winter. We've got another couple of months to put up enough food to keep our winter diet nourishing, varied, and delicious. But now is the time to enjoy the bountiful array of foods out our back door. Try this recipe for Curried Greens and Eggplant for a quick and delicious side dish. Our eggplant is ready to harvest, and we certainly have a great choice of wild and cultivated greens. Enjoy time harvesting in your gardens or supporting any of our local farmers, and enjoy time preparing a great meal for someone you love. These days are precious. Today I soaked up the sun, took delight in the songs of the birds, marveled at the stunning blue of the indigo bunting, reveled in the cool breeze, gazed at the ever-changing clouds, took pleasure in the aromas both inside and out, and enjoyed the fabulous flavors fresh from our farm. (Click here for a link to the recipe.) |
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Calling All Canners! Hooray for summer harvest! Wouldn't it be great to have some of the flavors of the season on hand year-round? While nothing beats a ripe peach right off the tree or a marina sauce containing fresh tomatoes cooked down for hours, you can come close to those tastes by canning your fave fruits and vegetables right in your own kitchen. The process is a lot easier than many people think, and provides a homey sense of self-reliance that is extremely satisfying come the Winter months. For your next canning adventure, be sure to stop by the Old Creamery Co-op and pick up any assortment of jars and lids you'll need to put up all those tasty treasures of summer. We have pint and quart jars. We have standard and wide-mouth. We have jelly jars (mmm...blackberry jam on a scone on a cold winter morning). The only other thing you'll need is inspiration, which we'll try to provide upon request. Not sure where to get started? You can find a wealth of information about canning online these days. Here is a collection of websites and blogs that can provide ideas and information that will help ensure your preserving success. The National Center for Home Food Preservation Canning Across America Ball Canning Jars Creative Canning (blog) Food in Jars (blog)
Happy canning! |
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Stay in Touch! We Love to Hear from You! For questions about Co-op membership, product requests, or suggestions or other feedback, please send a note to info@oldcreamery.coop. We'll make sure your note is sent to the appropriate person and that you get a prompt response. If you'd like to contact the Co-op's board of directors, simply send your email to board@oldcreamery.coop. Emails sent to this address are received only by the board. To reach Karen Doherty, the Co-op's general manager, send an email to gm@oldcreamery.coop. Emails sent to this address are received only by Karen. If you're thinking of becoming a valued volunteer of the Co-op, you can reach Shirley Todd, volunteer coordinator, at volunteer@oldcreamery.coop. There are many opportunities for volunteers. Emails sent to this address go directly to Shirley. |
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Help us spread the word! Consider encouraging your friends to sign on to receive the Creamery's weekly email newsletter. Better yet, encourage them to become member-owners of the Co-op. You can forward this email to your friends and relatives (for best results, use the "Forward email" link in the white space at the bottom of this page). Rest assured, we won't clog their inboxes and we will respect their privacy. We will not disclose your or their email addresses to anyone else. You can unsubscribe at any time. Thank you for your interest, commitment, and support.
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Many items are on sale every week at the Creamery. Look for the brightly colored shelf tags. These items are 15%-45% off regular prices. We work hard to find bargains on many different items, including staple groceries, treats like chocolate, juices, refrigerated items, personal care products, and supplements. The shelf tags indicate when the sale price expires. Some sale items are one-time opportunities that remain on sale until sold out. Many are purchasing opportunities that can be replenished over several weeks at great prices. Enjoy the savings!
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Your continued patronage supports the ongoing success of our community-owned, values-based cooperative. Thank you for supporting the Old Creamery Co-op as a member-owner, as a shopper, as a friend. We value every contribution to the success of the Old Creamery Co-op.
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