In this month's newsletter:

• A Word from the General Manager
• A Word from the Board of Directors
• Moroccan Virtual Cooking Class & Meal Kit
• Geothermal Power Hour
• Solar Power Hour
• Rum & The Daiquiri In-person Cocktail Class
• Smart Meals Class Series
• Punch Needle Workshop
• Knife Sharpening
• 2023 Impacts Report
• New Artist Installation: Brittany Heyen
• News Gazette People's Choice Awards
• Round Up For Good
• Recipe Features
• New Products

By Gary Taylor

Hello Cooperators,

We are excited to introduce a new program here at the Coop that will begin on June 5th! 

In the past we have offered a few items as "Owner Deals." National Cooperative Grocers (NCG) works with United Natural Foods Incorporated (UNFI) to offer co-ops a few items at a lower cost on a monthly basis to use as deals specifically for owners. We here at CGFC then choose a few of these items to promote and advertise as owner only deals. 

Due to the record amount of inflation we have seen over the past few years and a desire to reduce food costs as much as possible, we have made the decision to greatly increase the number of Owner Deals that we offer each month! We have also decided to reduce our margin on these items so we can offer much better pricing for our owners! 

This will greatly increase the benefits of our owners. Please click on this link to see the deals we will be offering in June. They will only be good through July 2nd, but when these are over we will introduce another round of different items for July and each successive month going forward. 

Thank you for your continued support!

In cooperation,

Gary

By Andrew Muller

Heading into the summer, the Board of Directors are excited for Urbana’s Market at the Square! Located right outside Common Ground, the amazing selection of vendors, produce and food trucks has been a mainstay of my Saturday mornings since I moved to Urbana. The Market features Illinois grown produce, baked goods, flowers, and a variety of amazing local artists. The Market at the Square is a great chance to have a taste of what Urbana has to offer, and is a wonderful weekend experience. Local musicians and the relaxed atmosphere make the Market a fun visit for anyone looking to get out and about.

The Market at the Square has existed since 1979 and is open every Saturday front the first week of May to the last week of October, 7am to Noon, rain or shine! I hope to see you there!

Find out more about the Market at the Square;

https://urbanamarket.org

https://m.facebook.com/urbanamarket

Moroccan Virtual Cooking

Class & Meal Kit

Saturday, June 29th

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Join us for our next virtual cooking class and meal kit highlighting Moroccan cuisine. Hind Mhaouer, Moroccan cook and owner of Casablanca Bazar, will be sharing her family recipes and teaching how to make three traditional dishes, including dessert! The menu includes:

• Kufta Tagine - traditional Moroccan dish with stewed ground beef meatballs in a flavorful tomato sauce with onion, cilantro, parsley, cracked local eggs, and kufta spices. A vegetarian tagine is also available modified with Beyond Beef crumbles.
• Zaalook Eggplant - a cooked eggplant side dish with tomato sauce, garlic, parsley, cilantro, and spices served with crusty ciabatta bread.
• Ghriyba Cookies - deliciously fluffy coconut and semolina sweet cookies dusted in powdered sugar.

Registration is $50 and includes meal kit portioned for 2-3 people. Co-op Owners can use promo code: OWNER for $5 off their registration.

Geothermal Power Hour

Wednesday, June 5th

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm in the Common Ground Mall Hallway

Join us for a free event and learn about Geothermal Energy! Geothermal Urbana-Champaign is a public education and bulk purchasing program that makes getting geothermal heating & cooling easier and more affordable. Geothermal systems are offered at a lower than market rate through the program, and the more people who participate, the lower the prices go for all participants.

Solar Power Hour

Thursday, June 6th

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm in the Common Ground Mall Hallway

Join us for a free event and learn about Solar Power! Solar energy is a great way to gain energy independence, support the local economy, and create a healthier environment. Property owners can participate in the cost-saving group buy program which combines volume purchasing with community education to make solar more accessible and affordable. Attend the power hour to learn the basics of solar, its financial benefits, and how the solar group buy program works.

Rum & The Daiquiri

In-person Cocktail Class

Friday, June 14th

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Join us for our next cocktail class with Katie Carrillo and learn all about Rum & The Daiquiri! A Daiquiri is a classic cocktail made with rum, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and bitters.

This class will consist of a charcuterie plate, lessons on the history and making of rum and The Daiquiri, a tasting of 3 rums, and a demonstration on how to make the classic cocktail. Students will then make their own Daiquiris using a unique combination of ingredients from the Co-op including herbs, spices, and fresh fruits.

Registration is $50 and includes class plus tasting. Co-op owners can use promo code OWNER for $5 off their ticket.

Smart Meals Class Series

Common Ground is partnering with OSF Healthcare to offer a free class series for seniors over 55!

Smart Meals is a program designed to provide awareness and education on buying affordable, healthy foods that can be easily prepared at home. OSF dieticians have created Smart Meal Kits with shelf-stable ingredients that can be cooked into a full meal, or supplemented with additional ingredients. Each kit also includes a recipe card, a shopping list, and other educational materials. Each Smart Meal recipe is uniquely created by a registered OSF dietitian. All meals are high in fiber and low in fat and sodium.

Each cooking class in the series will demonstrate how to make one Smart Meal kit, as well as fresh additions and recipes using local and organic food from Common Ground Food Co-op. Students will learn about a different nutritional topic catered to the meal, and then have the chance to sample all the food. At the end of the class, students will receive an additional Smart Meal kit to take home with them!

Classes in the series:

• Wednesday, July 17th: Tex-Mex Tostadas with Chips & Guacamole
• Wednesday, August 14th: Mandarin Orange Chicken and Green Chile Peanut Sauce with Cucumber Salad
• Wednesday, September 25th: Perfect Pumpkin Chili with Homemade Cornbread (Vegan!)

Punch Needle Workshop

Friday, July 19th

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Make your own food-themed rug magnets from start to finish using punch needle in this workshop led by our current featured artist, Brittany Heyen of High in Fiber Rugs! Keep the tools and enough materials to make more at home with your new skill.

Select two magnet patterns from various food-themed options. Class Ticket includes a glass of wine or a non-alcoholic beverage. Light snacks will be provided.

$30/ticket - only 12 seats available

Knife Sharpening

Every Saturday

9 am - 11 am

Make cooking a breeze with a sharp knife! Stop by the Flatlander classroom on Saturdays and get your knees professionally sharpened by Laurence Mate. Sharpening prices range from $4-7 based on the size of the knife. No appointment needed!

2023 Impacts Report

Every year, we measure all the ways we worked to meet our Ends, or missions.

In 2023 we reached a Round Up For Good milestone with over $500,000 raised, continued to grow our ownership and Food For All membership, increased the number of both in-person and virtual cooking classes, and launched our Link Match program! This report details how we specifically worked to meet our ends and highlights all the amazing work done by our staff.

New Artist Installation:

Brittany Heyen

Stop by the Flatlander Classroom & Art Gallery to see the newest local art installation featuring Brittany Heyen. Her artwork will be on display in the Art Gallery from June 3rd - July 29th.

High in Fiber Rugs are tufted by Brittany Heyen in Urbana, IL with sustainability in mind by sourcing primarily secondhand yarn, saving scraps for future use, and thrifting items to upcycle. Brittany came across rug tufting videos while itching for a hobby, as many people were, in 2021. After seeing enough satisfying videos of people painting with yarn to make their own carpet creations, she did the research and got started. Since then, she has started hosting workshops to invite others to learn and has popped up at over 30 markets and art shows across the Midwest to share the joy of stumbling upon a stack of rug ingredients that form a cheeseburger.

Brittany's early interest in art led her to a creative career, currently as both a fiber artist and freelance graphic designer. Her lifelong interests in food, gardening, and humor have led them to become major themes in her art and design.

2024 News-Gazette

People's Choice Awards

Help Common Ground by voting for us in the annual News-Gazette People's Choice Awards!

Voting begins on Monday, June 3rd.

Co+op Basics:

White Bean & Tomato Soup with Spinach

Even though the weather is getting warmer outside, we're still big advocates of tomato soup! This soup has extra hidden protein in the form of cannellini beans and raw cashews and added nutrition from fresh spinach. It's a super easy soup, perfect for a busy weeknight. Plus, it's a part of our Co+op Basics series and features 5 Basics items!

Everything Local Frittata

Summer is finally here, and for us, that means local produce! We're so excited to share this delicious frittata recipe that features completely local or regional items. We start with Allison Centennial Farm eggs, Kilgus Farmstead milk, and Prairie Fruits Farms fresh chevre. Then we added local asparagus, tomato, mushrooms, garlic, and herbs from some of our favorite local farms including Olive Berry Acres, Flyway Farms, Green Pantry Nursery, and Open Hands Farm! The result is a beautiful and tasty frittata that is perfect for a Sunday brunch or a weekday lunch.

Cucumber Salad with Ginger & Garlic

This is a refreshing cucumber salad recipe that we featured in one of our recent Smart Meals classes! It's a great side dish for rice or noodles and is light and healthy. The marinade blends sweet, spicy, and tangy all together and pairs perfectly with the crunchy texture of cucumber.