FOOD E LETTER

Grand River Grocery. Good Food. Good Wine. Good Life.

April 2010 | FOOD E LETTER Forward To A Friend | Change your Email Settings

(photo above - Dewey Lucero of Corning California walking his olive grove)

GEORGIA'S APRIL CREW PICK

LUCERO OLIVE OIL

Arbequina, Ascolano, Anthony's Blend, Meyer Lemon and Mandarin Orange

Prices Vary but ALL are $2.00 off for the month of April

At the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this past January one of the products I was most excited to find was this beautiful line of olive oils and flavored vinegars from Dewey Lucero of Corning, California. Dewey is 3rd generation in his family "olive" business. The rural community of Corning, "The Olive Capital" has some of the oldest olive trees in California, and many flourish in the Lucero family groves. Dewey's grandfather produced small quantities of olive oil for family and friends. The olive oil was so popular, it would sell out in a matter of days. In 2004 Dewey took a leap of faith and started to develop a family label, pressed large quantities of oil and began to market and sell Lucero Olive Oil across California. And now . . . Michigan. All Dewey's oils we carry have won gold medals in California competitions. In fact it's difficult to purchase a Lucero Olive Oil that HAS NOT received some type of medal or Best of Show - current medal count stands at 59. That's pretty impressive. At Grand River Grocery we continue to honor our commitment to source as many local, Michigan, regional and US food products as we can . . . and even in California . . . we can know our supplier, know how they practice agriculture and know their story. To learn more about Lucero Olive Oils, check them out on line. http://www.lucerooliveoil.com/

Stop by the market this Friday, April 16 from noon to 5 to TASTE Lucero Oils and learn more about olive oils and how to use them.

To view the rest of our Crew Picks this month, please click on photo above.

WELCOME BACK (we've really missed you)

Starting this Wednesday, April 14 by 10:00 AM and every Wednesday hereafter. A selected assortment of Zingerman's breads, pastries, pies, cakes and specialty items available again . . . only at Grand River Grocery. To read more, click on the logo to check out our Market Chatter.

KNOW YOUR FOOD . . .

Just one more reason to know your food and where it comes from and what's been done to it. I read this article in Natural Awakenings this past month and am passing on to all our email subscribers. For many reasons at Grand River Grocery we are committed and passionate about the food we sell. Everything can't come from Michigan, but we're working hard to make it a point to procure products that we ARE familiar with so our customers can be assured they are getting "real food". This article is one of the reasons we get to know who is growing or producing our food.

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS RIFE WITH PESTICIDES: "US growers of genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybeans and cotton increased the use of weed-killing herbicides by 383 million pounds from 1996 to 2008, according to The Organic Center's analysis of Department of Agriculture data. This swamps the 64-million pound reduction in insecticides associated with GE corn and cotton, resulting in a net increase of 319 million pounds of poison." Source: Organic-Center.org

RECIPE - Spring Salad with Fennel

When I think of spring I think of citrus (especially lemon) and one of my favorite spring salad ingredients (although it's available year around) is fennel. Lucero's Meyer Lemon Olive Oil is a perfect pairing for this quick, easy and healthy salad. Fennel is a hardy perenial, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is generally considered indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean and therefore used widely in that cuisine. It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses, and is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. Florence fennel or finocchio is a selection with a swollen, bulb-like stem base that is used as a vegetable, and what you will find available around local Farmer's Markets in the summer. It tastes like black licorice. Click on the photo for the recipe which features Lucero's Meyer Lemon Olive Oil.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR - BBQ, BREWS AND A BIKE RIDE

BBQ, BREWS AND A BIKE RIDE
May 21, 2010

A Fundraiser for JDRF RIDE TEAM / 11-2 and 4-7

Oh boy . . . do we have a GREAT summer of grilling ahead and this first ever fundraiser will help us kick it off! Beer tent, great BBQ, music with Tiki O'Riley in the evening and a GREAT cause. We'll keep you posted. Sponsored by Magic Hat Brewery and Cascade Rental.

APRIL EVENTS POSTED

TASTE BLUEBERRY HAVEN
Apr 16, 2010

1:00-5:00 WITH THE QUEEN OF BLUEBERRY HAVEN, COMPANY FOUNDER TIFFANY BALK

TASTE LUCERO OLIVE OIL & FALK SALT
Apr 16, 2010

1:00-5:00 WITH PROPRIETOR, GEORGIA GIETZEN

NO PLONK HERE AUSTRALIAN WINE TASTING
Apr 21, 2010

6:00-8:00 at The Schnitz Ada Grill

Reservations are required and can be made by e-mailing events@grandrivergrocery.com. $40 per person plus tax and gratuity, includes all wine and generous food pairings.

DANCING GOAT CREAMERY
Apr 23, 2010

1:00-5:00 with MASTER CHEESEMAKER, BARBARA JENNESS

BLIS SPICE RUBS
Apr 30, 2010

1:00-5:00 with BLIS CREATOR AND CHEF, STEVE STALLARD!

For more information and detail on any of these events, please click on the title and we'll direct you to our website.