Lemon Kale Soofoo Salad at Whole Foods Market Capitola. Photo credit: Michelle Fry, WFM Capitola
Whole Foods Market in Capitola has you covered for Summer 2014, with lots of goodies for sale and a fun party on Saturday, June 21.
First, your body can be literally covered with a vast selection of ‘green’ sunscreen. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) announced in 2014 that Whole Foods carries the highest percentage of “green” rated sun products of any retailer! “Sunscreen is one of the most important skin care products you can buy to protect your skin, and we’re happy to offer the largest selection of ‘green’ rated sunscreen to our shoppers,” said Jody Villecco, global quality standards coordinator at Whole Foods Market. One of the many green sunscreens WFM carries is BurnOut Eco-Sensitive SPF 35. Made by a Santa Cruz company, it’s fragrance-, chemical-, and oil-free, works on both the face and the body, and is enriched with plankton extract, aloe vera, and antioxidant vitamins. To see the EWG’s 2014 Guide to Sunscreens, visit ewg.org/2014sunscreen.
Next, Whole Foods has some great seasonal items that are perfect for taking to the beach. The other day I sampled the Summer Corn and Orzo Salad and the Lemon Kale Soofoo Salad. Both were delicious and refreshing, and they’d also make good side dishes for a barbecue. The corn salad was a hit with my three-year-old daughter. If you’re unfamiliar with Soofoo, as I was before doing some research, here’s a couple facts: It contains five types of grains, three types of lentils and brown rice. It has 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving. It was an excellent ingredient in the Soofoo Salad, which also has dried cranberries, almonds, and feta and was a nice blend of crunchy, sweet, and salty. Read more about Soofoo and get lots of recipes here. Whole Foods Capitola’s Marketing and Community Outreach Team Leader Michelle Fry shared with me that she often uses Soofoo as a base for a healthy dinner or a fun salad addition—especially in the winter, to add warmth and heartiness to a salad. I can’t wait to try her tip next winter, and in the meantime I’ll be buying more of the summertime Soofoo salads like Lemon Kale!
During the summer, blueberries are always popular with the whole family, and Whole Foods has some especially sweet ones this season. They’re organic, and they are yummy on their own at the beach or home, or as the ingredient for recipes like Blueberry Peach Crumble (see recipe below). Or if you want your berries all wrapped up in a ready-to-eat pastry, Whole Foods now makes “mini pies” in addition to their regular-sized pies. They come in flavors including blackberry lime, cherry, and apple.
Last but not least, the store is having a Summer Kick-Off BBQ Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. A lunch plate will cost $7 and will include two barbecued kabobs (chicken or beef) plus grilled veggies and potato salad.
Stay up to date with the Capitola store’s events through its Facebook page (click on the events tab under “More” for all upcoming activities). On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.
Store Details:
Whole Foods Market Capitola
1710 41st Avenue (across from Capitola Mall)
(831) 464-2900
Recipe from Chef Hollie Greene of JoyFoodly.com – Chef Hollie is working with WFM to help customers make the most out of their fruit and veggies.
Blueberry Peach Crumble
Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 55 minutes
Filling Ingredients
• peaches, 4 (small to medium sized)
• blueberries, 12 oz
• lemon, 1
• sugar, ½ cup
• all-purpose gluten free flour, ¼ cup
Crumble ingredients
• oats, gluten free, 2 cups
• sugar, ⅓ cup
• light brown sugar, ¼ cup (lightly packed)
• salt, ½ teaspoon
• cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon
• butter, unsalted, 1 stick
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Cut the peaches into medium dice, skin on.
Zest and juice the lemon.
To macerate the fruit: add the lemon zest, lemon juice, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup gluten free all-purpose flour to the diced peaches and blueberries and toss well.
Spoon the mixture into 6 small buttered ramekins, or a 9×13 buttered baking dish.
Make the crumble: combine oats, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cubed stick of cold butter in a bowl. Rub the mixture together with your hands. When the butter has incorporated into the oat mixture and it is the size of peas, stop mixing. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit.
Place ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake uncovered for 35 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly.