Glacier Blue Cheese
December 18, 2017
Described by some as “Gateway Blue,” this treasure of a cheese has been found to be appealing even to those that cannot stand blue cheese. Also, it is aged in a very special lava cave.
Described by some as “Gateway Blue,” this treasure of a cheese has been found to be appealing even to those that cannot stand blue cheese. Also, it is aged in a very special lava cave.
These world-class Holden wines come from our neighbors up in Oregon. Don’t miss the beautiful art on the labels!
There’s nothing better than warm, fresh baked local bread, and there’s really nothing better than the loaves we get from Pacifica-based Rosalind Bakery. This popular bread sells out quickly, so act fast next time you’re craving a crusty treat.
All the way from Italy, these organic licorice spirals are a fabulous little sweet treat. Try just the one, or buy some to share; find them in our bulk snack section.
Austin-based Fitppl powders were created with the dream of a plastic-free protein supplement with simple, all natural ingredients. This company also uses a large portion of their profits to sponsor active cleanups in beaches, parks and other natural areas. As a bonus, the powders are delicious!
From Satsumas to Fairchilds to little Kishus to jumbo Minneolas, we have an abundance of tangerines this winter! This bite-sized citrus is packed with Vitamin C and healthy fibers that will help keep those holiday germs at bay.
November 26, 2017
Like many others in our Outer Sunset community, I was stunned and saddened to hear of our friend JB’s passing. I worked alongside him for over a decade at the store we both loved, Other Avenues Grocery Cooperative. What I will remember most about him is his generosity in teaching me and so many others about the all the many things he was passionate about. Whether it was the nuances of the flavor profile of a wheel of stinky cheese (Greyson!), or the proper way to make a gorgeous produce display out of unusual, hand-sourced exotic fruits, JB always found a way to make food seem like the most exciting thing in the world. I came to the coop as a youngster at 22, when JB was already a seasoned hand. He took me under his wing and trained me on the finer points of cheese mongering, always enthusiastic about imparting a new find, endlessly supportive and patient in the training process, and quick to find the humor in challenging situations.
One of the most inspiring things about JB were his visioning skills—whether we were dreaming up banal store improvement projects, or whether he was thinking of ways to be part of the bicycling zeitgeist by creating and hosting cheese tours (his famous “Tour de Fromage,” which ran for several very successful and fun years), or whether he was effectively petitioning the rest of us on the OA board that we needed something called a “parklet” to energize our street presence and create a welcoming space for our community to congregate, he was never afraid to dream big and, even more impactfully, he’d do the work to make things happen. I’ll always remember many delirious and jolly late nights with JB, doing nutty deep-cleaning or painting projects and listening to our pumping jams deep into the wee hours (Ladytron, anyone? It was the 2000s, after all…). He made work feel valuable and empowering, and led by example with his tireless work ethic and keenly aesthetic eye. There is no doubt that JB brought our cooperative into a more sustainable present via his amazing commitment to keeping the rest of us au courant and keyed-in to the newest trends and developments in food culture.
During our shared time at OA, JB married his lady Annora (whom he met in these very aisles) and eventually became a father to Huxley. The patience and kindness I observed and experienced from him as a new worker multiplied ten-fold when he had Huxley— he was, as others have said, a doting daddy. It was not unusual to see them come in on game days, wearing matching Oakland A’s or Giants hats and jerseys as they did their shopping for the week, Huxley’s cheerful voice ringing out “Daddy!” as he helped JB select the veggies and, of course, the perfect cheese for dinner.
When JB left Other Avenues after 14 productive and inspiring years, he went on to work in various capacities as a cheese monger throughout San Francisco (even placing in the fabulous and competitive Cheese Monger Invitational more than once). He also continued his inventive catering business, “Velo Fromage,” which he dreamed up as a CSA-style curated cheese delivery service. In recent years I always looked forward to seeing JB at the store or around town, and as we’d catch up in the chip aisle or in Golden Gate park, he’d fill me in on all the neat new things he was up to.
The news of JB’s death has left many of us reeling. I have spent the last few days remembering his wry sense of humor, his incredible aesthetic sensibilities, “fancy hat Fridays,” and his appreciation for poetry and challenging avant-garde jazz. I experienced JB as a generous and supportive co-owner and friend, as someone who was always seeking and striving and trying to challenge himself to learn more about himself and his relationship to the world. I’m still stunned at the news of his death. Our community is a little dimmer, the fog a little heavier, without him here. –Tulasi Johnson
If you can, please consider donating to JB’s memorial fund, https://www.gofundme.com/jb-rumburg-scholarship-fund
November 19, 2017
This mixed-squash recipe is a convenient side dish for the holidays, as it can be prepared on the stovetop, while the oven is occupied with other entrées. Select small squashes that will cook quickly. During the summer, you can make this easy to prepare dish with summer squashes such as zucchini and cruck-neck or gold bar squash. The flavor of just a few spices makes this dish versatile enough to go with any menu year-round.
1 small pumpkin
1 small butternut squash or a medium delicata squash
1 large sweet potato
1 large or 2 small carrots
3 tablespoons oil or butter
1 cup water, or more as needed
A few pinches of ground cinnamon
Powdered cayenne pepper and/or freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Wash the pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, and carrot. Using a sharp knife cut the pumpkin and squash first into halves and then into quarters. Scoop out and discard all the stringy fibers and seeds. Without peeling, rinse and cut the pumpkin and squash into chunks a bit larger than bite-sized. Set them aside. Cut the sweet potato and carrots into bite-sized chunks and set aside.
Heat the oil or butter in a large wok or frying pan. Add the pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, and carrot pieces. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes over moderate heat. Add the water, cover, and simmer for 15 to 25 minutes, checking after 10 minutes to see if the mixture needs more water. When the vegetables are cooked but not mushy, add the cinnamon, pepper(s), lemon juice, and salt. Stir well and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Serve hot or transfer the mixture to a covered casserole dish to be reheated before serving. When you serve, instruct your diners to remove the skin of the squash.
Makes six to eight servings
Our most magical corner of the store is featuring New York-based Etsy artist The Tamer Lane pins and art. The unusually dark and mysterious original art included in the pins and fixtures is terrifically one-of-a-kind.
Formulated with love and magic right here in the bay area, Taproot Medicine‘s Strong Woman Syrup, Wellness Syrup and Stabilizing Syrup are hand-crafted from local, organic herbs and honey. Gentle, yet effective, these sweet herbal syrups are designed to bring total wellness to the body.