Swarthmore Co-op Education Committee International Series:
Sephardic Cooking
Co-sponsored by the Swarthmore Co-op and Temple Sholom in Broomall
Join us for an evening of inspired recipes for the Passover season interspersed with music and teachings with Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro. We will make delicious Sephardic charoset with dried fruits and a Persian fresh greens and herbs kuku (frittata). We will also sample Moroccan slow-cooked lamb shanks with green olives. Much of the cuisine known as Jewish (think matzoh ball soup, brisket, and the bagel) are actually from the Eastern European, or Ashkenazi, cultural heritage. Sephardic Jews have a very different cuisine, given their roots in Spain, and subsequent settling in the Middle East, Greece, Bulgaria, and North Africa.
So come spruce up your Passover table, or simply learn some mouth-watering new recipes to eat anytime. You will leave with a full belly, a packet of recipes, charoset to take home and inspiration to carry you through the season.
Join us at the Co-op for an exciting event, featuring Lancaster Brewing Company and Farm Fromage, both from Lancaster County, PA. Howard Field from Farm Fromage will guide you through the experience and teach you about his cheeses.
Thursday, March 14th, 8pm
Pop-up Abattoir: Pig Butchery with the Swarthmore Co-op
Join Bryan Mayer, rock star butcher, as he guides you through the process of butchering a pig, making cuts, creating sausage and more. After the Demo, bring a guest for a Pop-up Bistro dinner featuring fresh made pork products by our Chef and Lancaster Brewing Company beer.
Wednesday, March 6th, 5:30pm
SOUL FOOD:
a swarthmore co-op pop-up restaurant
Join us at the Swarthmore Co-op at 7:30pm on Saturday, February 23rd for another pop-up in our restaurant series. The theme is SOUL FOOD and will be a buffet style, BYOB dinner.
TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” will take place February 16th, in New York City. The one-day event will highlight several aspects of the sustainable food movement and the work being done to shift our food system from industrially-based agriculture to one in which healthy, nutritious food is accessible to all. If you would like to view the program from the 2012 event, please click here. The event program for 2013 will be posted on swarthmore.coop as soon as it is finalized, most likely in early February.
Speakers with various backgrounds in food and farming will share their insights and expertise. Relevant clips from the TED conference will be shown. And, hopefully, we’ll have a few surprises during the day. A highlight of the event is the ample time given for attendees to meet each other and look for new synergies and new ideas to help bolster the sustainable food movement.
The TEDx process is a little unique in that the audience is oftentimes hand selected, just as the speakers are. With TEDxManhattan, we will be looking for individuals with different backgrounds in the food and farming movement, including farmers, chefs, researchers, academics, activists, artists/creatives, health professionals, educational professionals, foodies and TEDsters. This is being done in an effort to bring different groups of people working on the same issue together to learn what each other are doing and to help create new partnerships and collaborations.
Because the event can accommodate a maximum of 300 people, not everyone who wishes to attend will be able to. In order to allow everyone the opportunity to experience TEDxManhattan, we will webcast the show and hold viewing parties around the country. As a very local option, The Swarthmore Co-op and General Manager Marc BrownGold are hosting a viewing party at the Wister Center of Swarthmore College's Scott Arboretum.
This will be a cold dish pot luck event. Please bring your own beverages.
Join Executive Chef, Brendan Dougherty, at the Co-op for an evening of dining in Swarthmore. Limited to forty place settings, The Chef's Table will focus on five courses and will finish with dessert and coffee. The cost for this BYOB Pop-up restaurant is $75 per plate for Members or $80 per plate for Future/Non-Members. Attire is business casual.
Love Indian food -- and always wondered how to prepare it at home? Join us for the second class in the Co-op's International series and create a complete Indian meal, including both southern and northern preparations. We'll grind spices and make ghee, and use moong dhal, basmati rice, popped mustard seeds, and local vegetables to create dishes such as moong dhal with cumin and ghee, veggie pulav, and aloo gobi. We’ll use several different spices, but keep the chili level moderately low, so that you’ll be able to taste all of them -- and bring home a dish too. This class will be led by Swarthmore resident Cecily Venkatesh, who has been cooking Indian food at home for over 20 years.
Learn the science and technique behind smooth, delicious ganache in all of its many guises. From classic cream ganache to ganache made with fruit purees and liqueurs, this luscious chocolate emulsion is used by pastry chefs in everything from truffles to tartlets, as the most luxurious of cake icings and as the most elegant of glazes. In our class, we will learn the technique of perfectly emulsified ganache, how to introduce flavors through steeping, and how to adjust recipe proportions for chocolates of varying cocoa mass percentages. We will make hand-rolled truffles and tartlets to bring home. Ruth Wells Fischer has been baking for over 30 years. Though mostly self-taught, she has studied at The Restaurant School in Philadelphia and at the French Pastry School in Chicago.
Now is your chance to visit an organic vegetable farm only 5 miles from Swarthmore! Join in a fun-filled celebration of autumn featuring local foods, apple cider pressing, hayrides, kids activities, farmer tours, cooking demonstrations, live music, and square dancing. We will meet at the Co-op at 2 p.m. and carpool to nearby Hillside Farm, located in west Media. If you choose to drive independently, meet us for a tour with the farmers at 3 pm.
Whether you are a vegetarian searching out alternatives to the bird, or an omnivore desiring new recipes for Thanksgiving, these mouth-watering dishes will enliven your holiday table.Chef Barbara of the Co-op will lead a hands-on class, preparing butternut squash gratin with gruyere cheese; roasted Brussels sprouts with caramelized red onions, toasted pecans and balsamic reduction; and a spinach and mixed mushroom strata -- a vegetarian twist on traditional stuffing.Everyone will go home with a delectable sample.
Tuesday, October 25th, 7:30-9 p.m. at the Co-op, $30 members, $35 non-members.
Come to our first ever book group!We will be reading The Righteous Pork Chop:Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms by Nicolette Hahn Niman, environmental lawyer and rancher.Michael Pollan called this book, “A searing and utterly convincing indictment of modern meat production.But the book brims with hope, too, and charts a practical (and even beautiful) way out of the jungle.”Join us for a great read, a great conversation -- and great snacks.
Many of us tremble at the thought of making piecrusts. Cast your fears aside for this class, where the motto is "Don't be afraid of the dough." Just in time for Thanksgiving, you will make, and take home, one savory crust and one sweet crust (using the fraisage technique). And you get to eat a piece of pie, of course! Baker Cindy Cassel (of Green Line Cafe and Audrey Claire) will lead this hands-on class. Please bring two pie plates (or quiche or tart pans), a rolling pin, and a pastry cutter/blender, and a mixing bowl.
Wednesday, November 16th, 7:30-9 p.m. at the Co-op, $30 members, $35 non-members.
On November 20th, 2011, the Swarthmore Co-op will be hosting its first Pop-up restaurant. Beginning at 7pm that evening, an intimate dining experience of several courses - using local, sustainable, and organic products sold at the Co-op - will showcase the talents of Frank Mosca and Lex Rozin.
Frank Mosca and Lex Rozin have brought multi-course, fine dining experiences to friends in Swarthmore at the Swarthmore Community Center, La Cucina in the Reading Terminal Market and in private homes. Their cooking is creative, seasonal, and surprising, blurring the lines between cuisines and drawing inspiration from Vietnamese, Mexican, Indian, Italian, Japanese, and French amongst many others. They use the most modern techniques, including cooking en sous vide and "molecular gastronomy," as well as the most ancient ones, such as smoking, curing, and pickling. Above all, they seek to create delicious experiences that emphasize seasonal ingredients presented in novel and interesting ways.
Please join us for this unique and delicious experience. Cost per plate is $75, BYOB. Payment can be made using PayPal or Google Checkout.
Happy Holidays! Bring 2 dozen (or more) homemade cookies to taste or swap with your friends and neighbors at the Co-op. You'll go home with a delectable variety, ready for holiday entertaining or nibbling. We'll provide the hot apple cider.
Friday, December 2nd, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Co-op
December Wednesday Workshop: Food Buzzwords - Organic, Local, Sustainable, Pastured, Grassfed, Biodynamic - What Matters and What Doesn't?
What's the better choice - organic apples from Washington State or conventional ones from Delaware County? What about conventional but "cage-free" chicken from the DelMarVa peninsula vs. conventional but "hormone-free" beef from Iowa? Can we say for sure which is healthier, better for the environment, or more socially-conscious (to name a few)? The answers may surprise you. Yet these though questions are ones many of us face daily as we navigate the complex world of food labeling and consider multiple competing - and often conflicting - desires about how we feed our families. We will shed light on these questions and help participants develop individual goals based on their priorities and eating habits. Join us! Led by Karen Shore and Sara Gordon.
Wednesday, December 7th, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at the Co-op, $5 members, $10 non-members.
After the holiday indulgences, many of us recommit to eating more healthfully. What surprising foods were linked to a healthy weight in a recent Harvard School of Public Health study? Which high-fat foods support health - and which don't? How can we break our less-healthy habits around sugar? By looking at both food choices and behaviors, we will commit to a few changes to make right now. Led by Helen Nadel.
Wednesday, January 11th, 7:30-8:45 p.m. at the Co-op, $5 members, $10 non-members.
In a world saturated with fast food, we decided to create a different breed of burger. Local, dry-aged, grass-fed, antibiotic & growth hormone free beef...fries made from organic potatoes...the best locally-sourced burger bun...local produce...and condiments, featuring ketchup by First Field make up our menu for January 20th. Forget what you know about eating in a rush...this is fast food, the Swarthmore Co-op way.
On January 20th, The Swarthmore Co-op is having a burgers and fries night. You can purchase a ticket, from now until the day of the event (supplies are limited), at the registers. Ticket Price (for a burger and fries): $8 for Members, $10 for Future/Non-Members.
Redeem your ticket on Friday the 20th, from 5pm to 7pm, for your sustainable burger and fries bag. Marc will be grilling burgers that evening and providing a side of sustainable education with the folks who bring you the Philadelphia CowShare...learn what the REAL costs of other burgers and fries truly are.
TEDx Manhattan Viewing Party
There is no charge for the event. This will be a cold dish pot luck event, so bring your favorite cold dish to share. Please bring your own beverages.
WHERE: The Wister Center, Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue
WHEN: Saturday, January 21, 2012 10:00am-6:00pm
WHAT: A one-day event highlighting the sustainable food movement and the work being done to shift our food system from industrially-based agriculture to one in which healthy, nutritious food is accessible to all. The experience will include:
The Swarthmore Co-op is having another Pop-Up Restaurant! This time, the theme is a Mexican Fiesta...the Swarthmore Co-op Way, cooked by Tiffany Tagliaferri, Co-op chef. Imagine yourself in the middle of Mercado Central in Acapulco...feasting while talking...eating while walking...drinking while dancing! Bring your own beer, toss in a lime and enjoy the bustle of our Fiesta.
Join us on Saturday, January 28th from 8pm until...the music stops for a buffet style party featuring Mexican fare.
Join master home chef Frank Mosca to learn how to make pizza from scratch. Does it make a difference what flour you use? How do you stretch a glob of dough into a magnificent orb? From the dough to the sauce to the toppings to the oven, you will learn how to create fabulous pizza pies at home. Everyone will go home with a delicious sample.
Monday, January 30th, 7:30-9 p.m. at the Co-op, $30 members, $35 non-members.
Join us Friday, February 3rd for a party to celebrate our new deli cases. We will be having prepared foods on sale all day and our Deli Manager, Jessica Haenn will be supllying samples of our meats, cheeses and prepared foods. Help us cut the ribbon and reintroduce our full service Deli to the community.
Friday, February 3rd, All Day
Sustainability Discussion
Marc BrownGold will be hosting a discussion about our world today and how our choices affect the environment, economy and animals. Come join our conversation and learn about some of his favorite books on the subject of Sustainablity.
Friday, February 3rd, 7:30pm-8:30pm, Free to all
Date Night!
Starting February 3rd, enter into our raffle (include a poem or drawing or your favorite letter from someone who loves you) for a chance to have Marc BrownGold cook an intimate meal for two at your own home. We want your Valentine's Day to be extra special so we're giving away a Date Night!
Friday, February 3rd-Saturday, February 11th (raffle entries), Date Night can be redeemed for the night of your choice, Free to all
Movie Night!
The popcorn will be popped and the movie starts at 8pm. Watch 'Forks Over Knives' with the Co-op community and try our house-made popcorn. It's Movie Night, The Swarthmore Co-op Way.
Saturday, February 18th, 8pm, Free to all, Information
Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday Celebration
Come help the Co-op celebrate Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) Tuesday February 21st, 2012.
2% of the Co-op’s gross sales for that day will go toward the Make It Right Organization.
The Make it Right Organization is helping to rebuild the lower 9th ward in New Orleans, which was the ward that got hit the hardest when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The Make It Right Organization is not only striving to rebuild, but to rebuild with purpose. Their goal is to build 150 affordable, green, storm-resistant homes for the families in the lower 9th Ward.
Drink with us as Swarthmorean, Hansjakob Werlen guides us through a night of fine beer and cheese pairings. We will be featuring cheese by Calkin's Creamery and beer from Yard's, Dock Street Brewery, and Victory. We will learn the basics of how to match beer and cheese and enjoy the flavors of some unique brews.
Thursday, February 23rd, 8pm-9:30pm, $18 Members, $22 Future/Non-Members
First Friday, March 2nd is Employee Appreciation Day!
Some History:
Employee Appreciation Day first arrived on calendars in 1995. One of Recognition Professionals International’s founding Board members, Bob Nelson, created Employee Appreciation Day as a way of focusing the attention of all employers, in all industries on employee recognition.
Our Observance:
The Swarthmore Co-op will be observing this “holiday” and invite you as Member/Owners and regular patrons of the Co-op to help us show our employees appreciation by bringing in a small dish of something for our employees to enjoy. The Co-op will be giving our employees an all-day “Appreciation Meal” to thank them for their dedication and hard work.
If you wish to bring a small side dish or dessert to show our Employees thanks, just bring it by the Co-op on March 2nd!
Cooking 101:Fish Fundamentals
Come learn some basic techniques of cooking fish!We will filet, sauté and grill small fish and large, as well as covering tips on buying fresh fish and making seasonal and sustainable choices.We will also talk fish serving and kitchen safety.Dishes may include such delights as sautéed Striped Bass with Lemon Relish, Grilled Black Sea Bass with scallions and ginger, or Spanish Mackerel Escabeche.Class will be taught by Michael Ryan, fishmonger at the Swarthmore Coop.
Wednesday, March 7th, 7:30-9:15 p.m. $30 members, $35 future members.
Members get 10% off everything, all day. There will be plenty of vendor tables with information and samples, the KnifeWorks Truck will be back and we will be having a Pig Roast outside. Everyone gets a free pork slider. More information is coming soon.
Saturday, March 10th, All Day.
Cooking 101:Fish Fundamentals Redux
Again! Yes, it's true, after a sell-out in 24 hours, we are happy to bring you another chance to learn from fishmonger Mike.
Wednesday, March 14th, 7:30-9:15 p.m. $30 members, $35 future members.
Join Michael Ryan, Co-op seafood manager, and James MacKnight from River and Glen as we explore the tastes of five different oysters, from both the East and West Coasts. The event is BYOB. More details and registration coming soon.
Thursday, March 22nd, 8:15-9:30pm. $30 Members, $35 Future Members
This month our selection is Four Fish:The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg, a New York Times bestseller and James Beard Award Winner.With knowledge and passion, the book explores our human relationship to four fish:salmon, tuna, cod, and seabass.From Nordic fjords to the Yukon to the Adriatic to the Long Island Sound, Greenberg follows fish, those who catch them, and those who eat them, uncovering the culinary, environmental, ethical, and economic complexities in a beautifully wrought tale. If you are interested in whether your future grandchildren will have the opportunity to eat wild fish, this book is for you.There are multiple copies of the book available through the interlibrary loan system.
Wednesday, March 28th, 7:30-8:45.Led by Jennifer Pfluger and Helen Nadel.Free.
The Co-op will be screening the Disney animated film Ratatouille. Bring the family and we'll supply the popcorn. This event is free to all and kicks off our Family Weekend at the Swarthmore Co-op.
Friday, April 6th beginning at 8:15pm. Free to all.
Easter Egg Hunt!
Continuing Family Weekend, The Swarthmore Co-op Way, we will be having a mid-afternoon Easter Egg Hunt for children of all ages. Bring the whole family and look for a special apprearance by the Easter Bunny.
Saturday, April 7th. Free to all.
Spring Mural Art Camp
Be a part of history! Design and paint a real life mural with experienced mural artists as our guide. The Creative Living Room has been invited by the Swarthmore Coop to bring a group of talented kids of all ages together to create an original work of art for the interior of the Coop store that represents our connection to the earth, nature and the environment. This creative opportunity brings living art to our neighborhood that represents our values while making something of beauty that directly impacts our community and can be shared by all.
Composing the Cheese Course with Mike Ristraino of Di Bruno Brothers
Learn from the experts, right here at the Co-op!.Join Mike Ristraino for a tutorial on creating the ultimate cheese plate – a variety of soft, hard, and semi-hard cheeses, a theme (Spanish?Local?Everyday mix?), plus the perfect sweet, savory, or crunchy accompaniments.Everyone will go home with a cheese plate of their own design.
Tuesday, April 17, 7:30-8:45.$30 members, $35 future members.
Creative Living Room & Swarthmore Co-op Mural Unveiling
Celebrate with us on Earth Day as we reveal the amazing work from the Creative Living Room's Mural Art Camps on the wall above our freezer department. Ceremony begins at noon at the Creative Living Room and continues at 12:30 at the Swarthmore Co-op. Stop by to meet the children who created the mural and to see it first hand. A reception will follow the unveiling.
Join the Community in a benefit for the Greener Partners. We will be having music, dance, and serving Tapas to all who donate to the Greener Partners Organization by purchasing a ticket. Click the link below for more information.
Join on on First Friday, Cuatro de Mayo and celebrate Taco Day at te Co-op! Build your own TACOS at the Co-op using our Grass-Fed Philly CowShare Beef, Organic Lettuce & Tomatoes, Local Freakin' Fresh Salsa, Organic Garden of Eatin' Corn Tortilla Shells and more cooked by our very own chefs.
Cost is $2.50 per taco for Members, $3.00 per taco for everyone else. Buy them ahead of time or at the door on Cuatro de Mayo.
Friday, May 4th, 5:30-8pm.
Beans and Grains: Secrets for Success
How do you get beans and grains on the table?And how do you make them delicious?You need recipes and strategies for preparing these economical, healthy, potentially mouth-watering staples.We will prepare and sample recipes like Caribbean black bean soup; quinoa and fennel salad with pomegranate and mint; chickpeas with butternut squash, lemon, and warm spices; and wheat berries with feta, herbs, and tomatoes.You will go home with food for the next day.
May 8th, 7:30-9:15.$25 members, $30 future members.Leader TBD.
To kick off the grilling season, the Swarthmore Co-op will be serving free Hot Dogs. Bring your dog to the Co-op and we'll be sure to have some tasty treats for them as well. What's a better way to spend your Holiday off than with your friends at the Co-op?
Monday, May 28th. 12pm-2pm, come get your free hot dog. Co-op hours are 9am-5pm on Memorial Day.
National Composting Day
Come to the Co-op to learn all about Composting, Bulk products and how to live more sustainably. Kitchen Harvest will be at the Co-op at 9am.
Tuesday, May 29th.
Movie Night at the Co-op
FARMAGEDDON!! Starting at 8:30pm we will be showing the documentary Farmageddon. "...Everyone should see this documentary because it takes up where previous documentaries have ended by answering the question: “Why is local food pricey and hard to find?” You deserve an answer, and this hard hitting video delivers..." - Joel Salatin
Friday, June 1st. 8:30pm, FREE TO ALL.
Frooishun Nutrition Club Info Table
Nancy Polutney of Frooishun Nutrition Club in Media, PA, whom is also an Herbalife wellness coach, will be available to chat from 5-7pm on Friday, June 1st. Nancy has extensive knowledge on nutrition, weight management and well-being. Swing by the Co-op for a meet and greet with Nancy. You can stick around or come back later for our 8:30pm documentary showing of Farmageddon.
Friday, June 1st, 5-7pm. FREE TO ALL.
Ice Cream Season Beginners Homemade Ice Cream Class
Come learn to make homemade ice cream - creamy, delicious, and easy in this encore class from master frozen treat maker Lex Rozin. He will take you through the classic Neapolitan trio of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, using basic techniques that you can adapt to make any flavor you desire from lavender to passion fruit to bacon. We will be sampling ice cream and even taking some home!
Monday, June 25th from 7:30-9. Members $25, Future/Non-members $30.
Can't make the Ice Cream Class? Or even if you can, stop by the Co-op on July's First Friday and create your own Sustainable Ice Cream Sundae.
Ice Cream Sundaes, the Swarthmore Co-op Way
Build your own Ice Cream Sundae at the Swarthmore Co-op! We'll be using local favorite, Bassett's Ice Cream, Fair Trade Chocolate sauce, Organic nuts, Local fruit, Whipped Cream made from Organic milk and more. Stop by the Co-op, pay and the register and create away.
Friday, July 6th from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Members $3, Future/Non-members $3.50
Community Arts Center Summer Concert Series
We are excited to introduce a new partnership with the Wallingford Community Arts Center for their Free Summer Concerts, beginning July 6th.
The Co-op will be offering boxed dinners, available by pre-order for the concerts. Meal choices ($12 for Members of the Co-op or CAC, $13.50 for all others) will be:
1. Cheese Platter with Brie, Manchego, Beemster Goat Gouda, Fresh Strawberries, Red Grapes, Apple, Ficelle Bread and Drink of Choice
2. Sustainable Sweet Stem Smoked Ham w/ Havarti, Our Own Made Honey Mustard, Fresh Romaine Lettuce and Tomato With Co-op Made Red Skin Potato Salad and Drink of Choice
3. Vegan Wrap W/ Bobbi's Garlic Hummus, Fresh Avocado, Tomato, Fresh Romaine Lettuce and Roasted Red Pepper With Co-op Made Cucumber Salad and Drink of Choice
Bring a blanket or lawn chair and BYOB to CAC's Duke Gallery. The concert schedule is:
July 6 - The Obsoleets - The Obsoleets play a blend of roots, blues and gospel music.
July 13 - Soul Fuego - Making their CAC debut, this Latin Jazz group mixes in some funk and soul to createtheir rhythmic sound.
July 20 - Don Jones Band - A blend of rock, blues, doo-wop, country and beyond with a band of highly skilled musicians for decades.
July 27 - Beaufort - Beaufort performs original compositions and covers the best of folk rock and classic rock genres making them their own with improvised jams.
Wellness Wednesdays
Beginning September 5th, each Wednesday a different department will provide samples from 11am-2pm featuring a local, organic or sustainable product.
First Friday Event, Co-op Chicken Shack
September 7th, Pop-up Chicken Shack featuring ¼ & ½ Chickens grilled to order with side of Collard Greens & Black Eyed Peas.Presale and at-door ticket sales, BYOB event with food prepared by Co-op Chef, Brendan Dougherty.
4H Poultry Festival in Newtown Square
September 9th
Chicken Coop Tour
Join us for a walking tour of four chicken coops in Swarthmore. At each site, the host will share with us a bit about their experience, such as coop type, their chicken breeds, solutions to seasons, animals and other challenges, and what inspired their family to raise chickens.
Our walking loop will be 1.5 miles long, and participants should wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle. We'll end our tour back at the Co-op, where we will enjoy deviled and hardboiled eggs made from backyard and/or pastured eggs.
Leading our walk will be Amy Johnson, Manager of Hillside Farms in Elwyn, and backyard chicken guru. She has presented on this topic at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Swarthmore Community Center, and Longview Center for agriculture, among others.
This event is free and limited to 25 participants.