Great ingredients often lead to some of the simplest recipes.

We had the good fortune of being able to acquire some amazing maple syrup recently. Thanks to Connie and the great folks at Hartman Reserve, we were able to utilize a great seasonal local product. With just a few ounces of maple syrup, we were able to create an amazing, simple dish with some heritage pork tenderloin and roasted sweet potatoes. By balancing the sweetness with some stone ground mustard, we were able to extract the earthy flavors only great maple can express. Continue reading→

You will need:

• 2 lbs pork belly
• 1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons raisins
• 2 tablespoon caper
• 4 large heirloom tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 large eggplant 
• 4 ounces Georgia candy roaster or butternut squash
• Fresh fennel for plating

We wanted to revisit a dish we did late fall that really pulls a lot of late harvest elements together. It’s amazing how other cultures have aligned the seasonality of ingredients so well. Preparing a meal with items that all come into readiness around the same time seems like grand design gifted from the soil. Continue reading→

As part of the New Member/Owner Drive, we are seeking opportunities to tell groups throughout the Cedar Valley about the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market.

If you are affiliated with a group that you think would like more information about the Co-op, please email info@rootedcarrot.coop, with “Speaker Opportunity” in the subject line.  Include a contact name, group name, meeting times/place, and any other information you think would be helpful for us to know. The Membership/Communications Committee will do our best to arrange a speaker to share their co-op story.

Stay tuned to the Garlic Press, social media, YouTube, and the website! 2023 will be a busy year for the Co-op. We anticipate a site announcement and the launch of our second phase of the Capital Campaign. 

In addition, you will see our Membership Committee launching a HUGE membership drive! Please share the information and incentives with your friends, family, co-workers, and more! Membership is another key component of making the Co-op a reality. 

Thank you to all of our current and past volunteers! Please consider re-joining a committee or encouraging friends and family to join in the efforts. There is lots of work to be done to make the Co-op a reality. Each of our committees has lots to do from hiring a General Manager, writing grants, seeking grants, planning events and engaging old and new members. If interested in volunteering, please email info@rootedcarrot.coop or complete this volunteer form. Volunteer your Time and Talent – Rooted Carrot Co-op

EXCITING NEWS!!

The Membership/Communications Committee is kicking off a New Member/Owner Drive in January. Our goal is to add 100 new member/owners in the first 100 days of 2023. 

A strong, growing membership community is extremely important to the success of our future store, and WE CAN’T DO THIS ALONE!! Watch social media for a new member incentive or theme every 10 days in January. Be prepared to help spread the word and share YOUR co-op story with others! We CAN do this, TOGETHER!

The Rooted Carrot Board would like to welcome Theresa Westbrock to the Board. The Board appointed her at the November meeting to fill a vacant position with one year left in the term. Theresa joins new board members Tom Blanford and Dave Schachterle and returning board members Christine Sexton, Kate Dunning, Gina Brown, Paige Everly, Lisa Nelson, and myself. We are excited to have a full Board! 

Potlucks have returned! Please join us TOMORROW, Wednesday, December 7th at 6 p.m. at Second State for the Rooted Carrot Member Mixer Potluck! Bring a dish to share, table service (help us reduce waste), a friend (non-members welcome too), and copies of your recipe if you made your dish and want to share. Continue reading→

The cold weather brings upon us the season for braising. The opportunity to not only put something hearty and comforting on the table, but to perfume the house with the savory aroma of the best the season has to offer. 

Using good ingredients as a foundation, we can bring the very best out of some of the less utilized cuts on the market with very impressive results.

In this instance, I have used a pork shank. My favorite pork at the moment is coming from Marks Family Purebreds. The marbling and freshness of the products is second to none. This dish can also be done with beef, or certainly some of the great Lamb from Yellow Table Farm if it is available.Continue reading→

Planning your year-end giving? What a better time than now to make a tax-deductible, year-end gift to the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market Capital Campaign! 

Why choose the co-op?  

1. It’s easy
2. It’s tax-deductible
3. It’s a long-term INVESTMENT in a healthy, sustainable future for the entire Cedar Valley.

The capital raised will fund construction, hire staff, purchase equipment, and stock the shelves. All the things we need to open OUR Rooted Carrot Co-op Market! 

We are nearly HALF WAY to our goal to raise the funds we need to open our store. Help us get past that next mark. DONATE NOW

LEARN MORE about Rooted Carrot’s Capital Campaign and other investment opportunities.

Since around 2000, a couple hundred food co-ops have opened across the U.S. This spike in new stores is the first since the 1960s and 70s when food co-ops like New Pioneer (Iowa City), Oneota (Decorah), and Wheatsfield (Ames) also opened their doors. Today, over 1.6M people are members of food co-ops in the U.S. 

How did these co-ops come to be? The answer is simple: these grocery stores started because people joined together to make it happen. Community members worked cooperatively and invested time and resources to give birth to their own food co-op. That is what’s happening now here in the greater Cedar Valley – we are working together to make our community a better place to live.Continue reading→

Please join us!

We know that December is a busy time of year with all the decorating, planning, shopping, wrapping, baking, and more.  You know…making those lists and checking them twice!  But it is also nice to slow down, take a moment to enjoy the season, and visit with friends new and old.  The bonus is you only have to make one thing for dinner that night!

Please join other Member-Owners on Wednesday, December 7th for a Member Mixer Potluck at Second State Brewing (203 State Street, Cedar Falls).  The event will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00-ish p.m.  

Bring:

• One dish to share
• Your table service (‘tis the season to be green)
• Family and friends (non-members welcome, too!)
• The recipe (if you made your fabulous dish, people will want the recipe).

This event is family friendly.  But don’t forget that Second State Brewing offers 10% off draws for members if you would like a glass (or two) of holiday cheer! 

Hope to see you there!