Have You Tried...? June/July, 2008

—by Katharine Holden

Hampden Park Co-op is full of products you may not have tried yet. Allow me to introduce you to a few.

Sorrell Ridge 100% Fruit Wild Blueberry Spreadable Fruit

Spread on warm, toasted sunflower seed bread…mmmm! Wild Spreadable Fruit is 100% fruit, sweetened with fruit juice concentrate only. Produced in Port Reading, New Jersey.

Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves

While we’re in the jams and jellies neighborhood, try one of the Bonne Maman products. They’re made in France. In addition to the delicious fruity taste, these preserves come in cute jars with red plaid tops. Unlike many jar labels, the Bonne Maman's soak off cleanly, and then you have a pretty jar for reuse.

Breads

Near the checkout counter you will find a wide variety of fresh breads. Hemp, sunflower nut, and whole grain are only a few of the choices. You’ll also find dinner rolls, baguettes, and slice-your-own rounds. There are several yeast-free choices, but check the freezer near the pizzas for gluten-free breads.

Eden Organic Kuzu Root Starch

Kuzu root starch is an alternative to cornstarch as a thickener for sauces, pie fillings, gravies, and soups. Stir a teaspoon of kuzu root starch into a quart of hot broth, and some people say you have a stomach-soothing liquid to keep you hydrated when you have a tummy bug.

Cock Special Fish Sauce

Anchovies, salt, and sugar are the simple ingredients of Cock Special Fish Sauce. Use it to flavor curries, chowders, and rice, and to add saltiness to just about any recipe. Combine fish sauce, tomato sauce, and chili paste to make a dipping sauce. Made in Thailand.

Seeds of Change Jalfrezi Simmer Sauce

Introduced in 2007, the four varieties of simmer sauces are all good. But Jalfrezi is my favorite of the four. It’s hot and spicy but not too hot. Made of all organic ingredients, Jalfrezi simmer sauce contains fenugreek, coriander, cumin, ginger, and other spices in a tomato base. It’s tasty as a stir-fry sauce, a meat and fish simmer, or by itself over rice, quinoa, or noodles.

Fenugreek Seed

It’s easy to find fenugreek seed in the United States, but not so easy to find fresh fenugreek. The fresh leaves and stems of fenugreek are delicious steamed or braised as a side dish or as an accent to curries and other recipes. The dried leaves and ground seeds are a staple ingredient in many curries, soups, and Indian candy. You’ll find bulk fenugreek seeds from Frontier Spices in the bulk spice aisle.

Cardamom Seed

Cardamom is an aromatic spice used to flavor curries and other recipes, drinks, and candy. It’s one of the spices in chai tea. Cardamom also has medicinal qualities. Once the seed pods are ground, cardamom quickly loses its flavor, so to enjoy the best flavor, avoid buying the pre-ground little jars at the supermarket. HPC offers bulk decorticated cardamom from Frontier Spices, and it’s simple to whiz a teaspoonful in your coffee grinder.

Dark Chocolate Ginger Candy, Chocolate Covered English Toffee

Near the jams and jellies you will find bags of munchies. A favorite of mine is pieces of crystalline ginger coated in dark chocolate. They are so good that sometimes I have to close my eyes as I walk down the aisle where these treats live and say “No, no, not today” to myself. I recently gifted an I’ve-gotthe- blues friend with a bag of chocolate covered English toffee, and received an e-mail from him that said “Bless you, bless you, bless you.” Enough said.

[Katharine Holden is an HPC member. She’s getting by on freelancing, but still hasn’t heard, “Yes, you are our new marketing communications manager!” Katharine can be reached at holdenltd@msn.com]