Posts tagged “produce”

Winter is rolling in quickly which means it’s time to roundup a long list of your favorite soup recipes to keep you warm and cozy this cold season. Nothing beats a hot bowl of your favorite soup when the weather is cold and grey, especially in the Pacific Northwest! What better way than to plan ahead for the new season with fresh winter produce and the ultimate winter soup recipe lineup?!

Tacoma Boys’ Favorite Soup

Okay, to be honest, Tacoma Boys doesn’t have a favorite soup – it’s too difficult to decide on just one! What we do know is that your local Tacoma Boys is stocked with every soup essential you can think of. From canned goods to broth, produce, and even bacon, you’re sure to be covered this winter season to whip up some of your favorite soup! 

Beans

Beans are a popular soup ingredient in various recipes – and for good reason! Legumes are packed with fiber, protein, and provide a hearty component to lighter soups. Some of Tacoma Boys’ favorite legumes for soups include black beans, kidney beans, lentils, and garbanzo beans.

Brands

Field Day Organic

• Black beans, pinto beans, ranchero chili beans, cannellini beans, kidney, and garbanzo beans.

Eden Organic

• Great northern beans, kidney beans, aduki beans, pinto beans, and black beans.

Pepper Creek Farms

• A great choice for dried beans vs canned. Offers more unique beans such as canary and black calypso beans!

Broth

Broth or stock is the base of most, if not all soups! Depending on what type of broth is chosen, it can add a great deal of flavor and richness to your soup. Beef broth works great for rich chili while seafood stock works great for creamy soups such as clam chowder. No matter the soup you have on your list, Tacoma Boys’ broth selection is stocked, pun intended.

Pacific Foods

• Organic Vegetable
  Broth
• Beef Bone Broth
• Chicken Bone Broth
• Turkey Broth
• Chicken & Beef Broth

Epic Artisanal

• Bison Apple Cider Bone Broth
• Turkey Cranberry Sage Bone Broth
• Homestyle Savory Chicken Bone Broth

Ocean’s Halo

• No Chicken Vegan Broth
• Ramen Broth

Other Soup Essentials

Depending on the type of soup you’re making, there are many different options for add-ins. Hempler’s Original Center Cut Bacon works great for potato soup while Smith Brother’s Whole Milk is a high quality option for a creamy based chowder. The possibilities are endless for winter soups!

• Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Sour Cream to top a vegan chili
• Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Uncured Ham for a ham & potato soup
• Tacoma Boys Carolina Reaper Salsa for a spicy tortilla soup
• Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk for a creamy curry soup
• Manischewitz Medium Egg Noodles for classic chicken noodle soup
• Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes for a hearty lasagna soup

Winter Produce

As always, produce is a must for any dish, including soup! Using produce in soup is a great way to hide leafy greens that may tend to scare some away when found in its purest form. Adding loads of fresh produce to soup recipes is a sure way to get nutrients that are needed for everyday life. Afterall, keeping your immune system in check during the cold season is essential. Some of Tacoma Boys’ favorite winter produce includes: Kabocha squash, carrots, pumpkin, parsnips, brussels sprouts, and swiss chard!

Winter Soup Recipes 

What’s on the menu for your winter soup recipe list?! If you don’t have any, Tacoma Boys has you covered, as always. We’ve gathered a list of soup recipes that are guaranteed to be soup-er.

• Immune Boosting Feel Good Veggie Soup from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
• Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup from Food Menu
• Creamy White Bean & Pumpkin Chili from Family Style Food
• Spicy Parsnip & Sweet Potato Soup from Kitchen Sanctuary 

Quick & Easy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

This tomato soup uses Tacoma Boys’ delicious fresh grape tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, herbs, and sweet onion for the ultimate comfort food dish. 

Ingredients

• 1 sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 2 cups fresh grape tomatoes
• 8 garlic cloves
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 cups Pacific Foods vegetable broth

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit while you prep. 
2. Place the onion on the bottom of a 9×9 baking dish. Add the tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, oregano, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
3. Bake for 30 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered and the onions are cooked through.
4. Pour everything into a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
5. Pour back into a saucepan and add the vegetable broth. Cook over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until hot. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.

Pre-Made Soup from Tacoma Boys

If making soup from scratch isn’t your thing, Tacoma Boys carries pre-made soup options ranging from mixes to canned soup. This is a great option to have on hand when you’re in need of throwing together something quick and easy for dinner! 

• Rao’s Sausage & Potato Soup
• Namaste Gluten Free Hearty Vegetable Soup
• Bar Harbor Clam Chowder
• Safe Harvest Dairy Free Shrimp Bisque
• Bear Creek Vegetable Beef Soup Mix
• Rill Foods Tekoa Split Pea Soup Mix
• Anderson House Chicken Noodle Soup Mix

Swing By! 

Hop into the Tacoma Boys closest to you to grab all of the ingredients to satisfy your soup needs! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to grab one of Tacoma Boys’ very own to guide you through the store to find what you’re looking for. 

Don’t forget to shop early this season for Christmas Trees! TREES ARE SELLING FAST. Click here for more info on Tacoma Boys’ Christmas Trees this year! 

Did you know that October is National Apple Month?! The humble apple is great for snacking — and can be used in so many recipes. Dishes can be sweet, savory, or anywhere in between. Crunchy, sweet, and tart, apples become nice and soft when cooked or baked with. And apples are known for being nutritious — They’re full of fiber, vitamins, plus carbohydrates and a low amount of sugar. Here in Washington, we’re all about apples! Many varieties of the state fruit grow in orchards far and wide. And as we settle into autumn and the harvest season for apples, it’s time to celebrate the season’s favorite fruit.

October is National Apple Month

National Apple Month fits perfectly into Washington’s harvest season! It’s a great time to try a variety of fresh apples and celebrate the fruit. Tacoma Boys offers a variety of apples and apple products, from Fisher Northwest Apple Cake Baking Mix, to Eden Organic Apple Butter Spread, Santa Cruz Organic Apple Sauce, and much more. This month, celebrate apples a few different ways:

1. Apple picking: Some local apple orchards offer apple picking to the public. Bring the family and experience picking ripe apples straight from the trees they grow on!
2. Cider making: Cider pressing makes apples into juice. Like apple picking, you can find some cider pressing events or spaces near you during the harvest season.
3. Taste test of apples: Grab a few different varieties of apples and slice them up. Try a taste test to compare the flavors and you may even find a new favorite!
4. Sweet apple recipes: Baking sweet recipes with apples is a go-to for many since they’re already so sweet.
5. Savory apple recipes: Get creative cooking with apples in savory dishes, like braised chicken or salads.

Local Apples at Tacoma Boys

It’s easy to come by local apples around here. In fact, it may be hard to find much else! The majority of the nation’s apples are grown in Washington. Several varieties of apple crops grow in orchards across the state — It’s common to find most of these for sale, but not all are the same. Some apples are more tart and crisp, like granny smith, while other varieties are known for being extra juicy and sweet, like the honeycrisp. Depending on how you want to eat or cook these local apples, you might prefer one over the other.

Different varieties of apples at Tacoma Boys include:

• Honeycrisp
• Cosmic crisp
• Red delicious
• Pink lady
• Gala
• Jazz
• Ginger gold

Apple Recipes to Try

Celebrate National Apple Month by trying out new apple recipes! Apples are quite versatile and can be used in many different cuisines and types of dishes. Apple recipes can be sweet, savory, or somewhere in between — Read on for a few examples of each. If you’re one to enjoy simply snacking on apples, try this tip: Squeeze some lemon juice over the sliced apples to prevent them from browning. And don’t forget that you can drink your apples, too! Try Ryan’s Honeycrisp Apple Cider or some hard apple cider. Tacoma Boys has a wide selection of hard apple cider, much of which is local to Washington and Oregon. 

Sweet Apple Recipes

Some of the simplest apple recipes can turn out to be the most delicious! One example of this is the granola-stuffed baked apple: Core an apple of your choice and place it in a baking dish. First, mix ¼ cup Made Good Crispy Light Granola with 2 tsp melted GloryBee Organic Coconut Oil and 1 tbsp Wholesome Organic Dark Brown Sugar. Then, press the granola mixture into the center of the apple. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-45 minutes or until the apple is soft and the granola is crisp. Enjoy warm with Umpqua Vanilla Ice Cream! 

Some other examples of sweet apple recipes include:

• Apple Cinnamon Bread by Plated Cravings.
• Gluten Free Apple Pancakes by Something Nutritious.
• Apple Crisp Parfait by Joyful Healthy Eats.
• Tacoma Boys’ own Apple Rhubarb Crisp.

Savory Apple Recipes 

Savory apple recipes are fun to experiment with — You can sometimes use apples in dishes as you would vegetables for added flavor and moisture. For one, try an apple brie prosciutto panini: Build the sandwich like you would a grilled cheese, with a layer of sliced Marin French Traditional Brie Cheese, Boar’s Head Prosciutto, and sliced honeycrisp apples surrounded by buttered Seattle Sourdough Bread. Then, grill the panini in a skillet on medium heat, flipping once, until the brie is melted and the bread is crispy. 

A few more examples of savory apple recipes include:

• Waldorf Chicken Salad by A Mindful Mom
• Apple Cheddar Quiche by Hip Foodie Mom.
• Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder by The Modern Proper.
• Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup by Farm Flavor.

Stop by Tacoma Boys for a variety of different apples and apple products to celebrate National Apple Month! And to stay up to date on insider deals and specials, sign up for Tacoma Boys’ text list. Just text (253) 246-1661 to tell Paul you want to be on the list!