Yay! 2008 is over and 2009, the year of the renovated Wheatsville is coming!!!
Wheatsville closes at 9pm tonight and is closed all day tomorrow, so get on in here if you need something for the next day or so!
Scroll down for:
Black Eyed Peas and Collards!
Champagne made with grapes harvested from heaven!
Coffee with the Board
Deli makes you food to eat!
Cheese news
Meat specials including a bunch of recipes!
Ask Obama about Co-op Development
Ever since I moved to Austin, my wife Rosie and I have picked up the tradition of eating greens and black eyed peas for New Year's luck and fortune. It's done well for us (plus it's delicious) so we do it every year without fail now!
We've got several options for you this year.
The simplest solution is to buy some Texas Caviar and Raw Tuscan Kale salad from our deli. These are delicious dishes and will have your New Year's food covered!
Or, you can buy greens and prepare them as well as fresh black eyed peas from our produce department. I'll include some recipes at the end!
We've got black eyed peas in bulk and they are a relatively fast cooking bean, they take about an hour or so. We also have canned black eyed peas, too if you just don't have time to cook them.
Collards and Kale are both really easy to prepare and are very versatile... here are a few ways that I cook them as well as some recipes that include Black Eyed Peas:
Steaming
Chop or tear your collards or kale into larger than bit size pieces (it cooks down some, though not as much as spinach or chard...)
Place in a steamer until bright green (Usually takes 5 minutes or so... try some, if it's too tough steam it for longer.)
remove and eat! (We sometimes use Annie's Goddess Dressing, but you can put anything you like on it.)
Sauteeing
Sautee some chopped onions in a sautee pan and cook on medium high heat until they start to get clear (stir to prevent sticking or burning)
Drop in chopped or torn bite-sized pieces of collards or kale
at this point, you can simply cook it until the greens are bright green and slightly soft or you can add flavorings like: salt, pepper, soy sauce, white vinegar, hot peppers, etc.
Hoppin' Black Eyed Peas and Collards recipe
http://tinyurl.com/88mhgp
Collard Green and Blackeyed pea soup
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/collard_black_eyed_pea_soup.html
Spicy Black-Eyed Peas with Grainy Mustard Collard Greens
http://www.oprah.com/recipe/food/recipessides/food_200605_peas
A cool history of collard greens:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/CollardGreens.htm
Beautiful Bubbly for New Years!
Piper Sonoma Brut
This sparkling wine is made from hand-picked Champagne grapes (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay) grown in the Northern reaches of Sonoma County and the wine is aged on the yeast for a minimum 2½ year period of time. This gives the wine a complex bread-yeast aroma and lightly yeasty flavor. The wine is aged in large, French oak barrels, prior to bottling and secondary fermentation. By aging this wine in oak, there is imparted to the wine a toasty/vanilla character in addition to the light apple and lemon flavors that the wine ordinarily possesses. Only $16.99 a bottle!
"The grapes must have been harvested from heaven... where that were nurtured by the tears of misunderstood poets and where they were kissed by the soft, delicate lips of blessed angels. I am transported to fields of love and fantasy... what bliss! Partake of this medicinal elixir, drink of this magical potion, and you, too, will be swimming in a dream." –Piper enthusiast Tom Carr
Coffee with the board!
Enjoy some coffee and treats on our new patio with the board as we reintroduce our monthly Coffee with the Board! Come by from 10-noon and talk to the board about your co-op! Make a note on your calendars, the first Saturday of the months is Coffee with the Board from 10-Noon!
What's happening with your deli in January?
Wow! A whole new year is beginning – and what better way to celebrate change than by enjoying all the fresh, new items in the Wheatsville Deli! Our two Fresh in the Deli recipes this month happen to be old favorites as well – Roasted Creole Yams are slices of sweet potatoes tossed in a spicy marinade and oven-roasted til `tender and perfect, and Asian Cabbage Crunch is a bok choy-based coleslaw dressed in a rice wine vinaigrette.
January's salsa of the month is the cold-weather favorite Salsa Verde, a garlicky dip chock full of poblanos, jalapenos and tomatillos!
Reflective of our ever-expanding current renovation-in-progress, which has now reached the Deli counter, we have brought back a recent favorite: Wheatsville's smoothie of the month is aptly named "Under Construction" and colored accordingly – the tasty safety orange blend consists of peaches, mangoes and orange juice.
As always, your classics are here: Popcorn Tofu, Curry Lime Chicken Salad, Catfish Po'Boys, Risotto Cakes, Walnut-Pecan Pate, Frito Pie, Tuna Salad… the list goes on and on, so you'll just have to come on in, check out the construction, and pick up your favorites! Happy New Year!
Cheese news!
We gave some new products in cheese! Check out the Organic Valley Mexican shredded cheese. This has been a real hot seller!
We also have Butternut Squash Ravioli! Made fresh by Pasta & Company. These are my (dana, deli manager) new all time favorite. Sweet & savory and oh so good!
Words and recipes from Bryan in the Meat Dept.
Hey folks hope you all had great holidays.
Our member coupons this month are goodies too! Niman ranch natural beef Ribeye and N.Y. Strip steaks are $1.00 off with member coupon. Also we have Grateful Harvest free range turkey Natural & Organic turkeys 50 cents off. This includes bone-in/boneless breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and ground turkey.
I case you didn't get enough turkey we got ya covered. You can pick up some turkey breast, ground turkey, drumsticks, or thighs out of the case for the next week. One good thing when you start out with great ingredients is that it doesn't take much to prepare it and make delicious food. Much is the case with our Grateful Harvest turkeys we have this year.
Recipes are plentiful for turkey after the holidays, but why use leftovers when you can just make it from start to finish?
Here a couple of recipes I'm fond of:
BBQ Turkey Breast
1 (approximately 7-pound) turkey breast with bone or without
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided use
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided use
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
Sprinkle turkey breast evenly with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Place turkey, breast-side down, on prepared grill. Cook to a golden brown, turning to sear all sides, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine barbecue sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper; mix well.
Baste entire surface of turkey with sauce. Continue grilling, allowing surface to caramelize and turn deep golden brown, but without burning, about 15 minutes.
Remove breast from the grill and wrap in aluminum foil, sealing all sides. Return to grill until turkey has reached an internal temperature of 170°-175°F, about 45 minutes. Remove from grill and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.
Makes 12 servings.
Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
1 (6 to 8-pound) fresh or frozen whole turkey breast
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse turkey breast in cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
Combine thyme, sage, pepper and garlic powder in small bowl. Loosen skin of turkey breast by lifting gently and pulling away from meat, leaving attached at neck. Use a sharp knife, if necessary to loosen connecting membrane. Rub herb mixture evenly over breast meat. Replace skin, tucking under bottom of turkey breast.
Place turkey breast, skin-side-up, on wire rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of breast; do not let thermometer touch bone.
Roast uncovered until thermometer reaches 170°F., 2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hours. Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes before carving. Thinly slice turkey breast to serve.
Makes 12 to 14 servings.
Grilled Boneless Turkey Thighs (BBQRecipes)
Ingredients:
4 med size boneless skinless turkey thighs scored on both sides
1 large onion chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 cup Wishbone Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup soy sauce
Cooking Instructions:
1. Mix all ingredients together. Mix well with hands
2. Place in a large ziplock bag, and let marinate 1 to 3 days
3. Heat charcoal or gas grill up to med high heat
4. Place thighs on grill and turn with tongs every 10 minutes
5. Should take around an hour to cook .Let rest for 10 minutes
Note:
This is a inexpensive new twist for your grilling pleasure
Co-ops for Change!
It's time for change! As cooperative supporters we know how to effect change - more member owned cooperatives! Our friends at the National Co-op Business Alliance (NCBA) have partnered with fellow cooperators to develop a question and post it on www.change.gov.
We're not sure when but President-elect Obama and his team will respond to the questions that receive the most votes so place your vote today. With your vote, you can help draw attention to the benefits of the cooperative enterprise.
Visit Open for questions http://lists.ncba.coop/t/673/11685/27/0/ and type in "Co-operative Development" (include the hyphen) in the "Search Questions" toolbar. Click "Sign-in" and create an account (if you don't already have one). After you create your account, go back to the question and click on the check mark to cast your vote.
You're not done yet! Now forward our e-mail to three more co-op supporters. Together, we can reach the votes necessary to become the number one question and help ensure cooperatives are part of the solution to the challenges facing our country today.
Cooperatives know the importance of voting! Cast your vote today – before the polls close and have a happy cooperative new year!
I hope that you have a great week and an incredible, healthy and fun 2009!
See you next year!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy
Austin's Community Grocery since 1976. We're a funky grocery store in one of the coolest towns in the country, Austin TX. We have all kinds of great food with a focus on local and organic!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Holiday hours
Hi folks,
in my rush to dash of last week's e-mail, I failed to actually tell you about our holiday hours.
So, we will close early on Christmas eve at 7pm.
We'll be closed all day on Christmas.
We'll close early at 9pm on New Year's Eve.
We'll be closed all day on New Year's Day.
I hope that you have a great week!
Dan
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
in my rush to dash of last week's e-mail, I failed to actually tell you about our holiday hours.
So, we will close early on Christmas eve at 7pm.
We'll be closed all day on Christmas.
We'll close early at 9pm on New Year's Eve.
We'll be closed all day on New Year's Day.
I hope that you have a great week!
Dan
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Holiday gifts, calendars, nog yourself out, yummy deli, meat and cheese and more! RECIPES included!
Hello Wheatsville friends!
Just so you know, we have some holiday hour
Have I got a lot for you this week!
Scroll down for:
2009 calendars including local ones that help awesome charities!
Local produce!
Beer! Beer! Beer!
Deli is delicious!
Cheese
Meat including Mom's Turkey Meatloaf and how to cook a turkey
2009 Calendars!
It's not too late to get your 2009 wall calendar at Wheatsville. They make great gifts too! Take a look at the fundraiser calendar for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas, featuring Wheatsville member Nasrine on the cover (strumming a guitar with Brad Pitt!). All proceeds go to DSACT programming-which includes dance/music classes, swim lessons, seminars and more for kids with Down Syndrome in Austin. http://www.dsact.com/
Another fundraising calendar is from Emancipet. The Emancipet Calendar features modern, original artwork of cats and dogs. Each calendar is printed with soy-based inks on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. And most importantly, the proceeds from every calendar allow Emancipet to expand their free and lowcost spay/neuter programs. http://www.emancipet.org/
Other Calendar favorites (get them while they last!) include the Slingshot pocket or spiral bound planner, We'Moon spiral bound datebook, the art of Nikki McClure, Cat Lovers Against the Bomb, Cat, Dog or Original Magnetic Poetry and more! Let Wheatsville help you organize your busy life!
Local Produce!
There are several varieties of greens available that are local right now. We are currently featuring organic lacinato kale, curly kale, red russian kale, and collard greens from out in Buda. These greens are looking very hearty and fresh. New this week, Guinea Hills Farm has brought us some beautiful mixed Asian greens, and baby bok choy. The mixed greens have a nice variety of flavors, some being peppery and spicy, others being more delicately bitter. Eat your (local) greens!
The Pure Luck organic herbs seem to be slow catching on, and I have faith that they will. These are replacing the fresh herbs that we were previously getting from California that were in the plastic clamshells. These herbs look really fresh, and taste great! They are grown in Dripping Springs, by the fine folks who make the delicious Pure Luck goat cheese. If you use fresh herbs in your kitchen, and don't grow your own, these are the next best thing. We are currently offering fresh organic thyme, marjoram, oregano, mint, peppermint, garlic chives, dill, chervil, rosemary, and sage.
Texas grown Meyer lemons have arrived! These lemons have a thinner skin, and sweeter taste than normal lemons, making them great for marinades, drinks, and sauces.
Squash!
This week in the New York Times Dining and Wine section, there is a nice, easy recipe for winter squash soup. Check it out here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/health/nutrition/15recipehealth.html?_r=1
Winter (hard) squashes can be intimidating to work with. They're hard to cut, but easy to work with once you crack'em open! You can do so much with them (more than soup!), such as slow braisng peeled chunks in apple cider, or simply steaming them and slathering them with olive oil or butter. Since their flavor tends to be more on the sweet side, they make great side dishes for savory meals.
In the Beer Aisle
Full Sail Brewing Company
Full Sail Wassail!
A deep mahogany color, Wassail is brewed with four different malts and a blend of Pacific Northwest hops, giving it a malty full body and a pleasantly hoppy finish that appeals to both hop and malt lovers alike. In other words, a Christmas miracle!
The deli is all about the holidays and every day!!
Happy Holidays from the Wheatsville Deli! We have an abundance of delicious treats to warm your soul and fill your belly! In today's deli case are so many of our staff and customer favorites: Crispy Fish Cakes, Curry Lime Chicken Salad, Lil Cheddar Meatloaf Muffins, Risotto Cakes, Asparagus and Orzo Pasta Salad, Spicy Cauliflower, Basil Pecan White Beans, and tons more! We have Sesame Baked Tofu, Southern Fried Tofu and Popcorn Tofu! Ward off cold and flu season (as well as any neighborhood vampires) with our Garlic Soup, or try a hearty cup of our Minestrone.
As always, sandwiches, tacos, and our rice 'n' beans are ready to be served just the way you like 'em. And don't forget our righteously famous Frito Pie, made with our own Tempeh Chili – it's a chewy, crunchy taste sensation and the perfect lunch on a chilly day. Or just grab a bite from our self-service deli case – green salads, chicken salad, Gingered Tempeh Pasta, tuna salad, pimento cheese, Thai pasta, hempseed hummus… all these and more await you, so stop in and let the Wheatsville Deli fill you up!
Don't forget that all of our custom made sandwiches can be heated up, it takes a little while in our toaster oven but worth the wait. Try our Italian or our vegetarian Italian Stallian sandwich warm with toasted ciabbata bread. Yummy!
Christmas is just around the corner and the Deli will be overflowing with holiday dishes for you to take home: Roasted Fall Root Vegetables, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Cornbread Stuffing, Festive Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans with Mushrooms, Leek-Roasted Carrots and Tempeh, Cranberry-Orange Relish, and Vegan Mushroom Gravy. We will also have appetizer spreads like Walnut Pecan Pate and Garlic Chive Cheddar Cheese Balls on hand Рjust add crackers or crudit̩s!
Plus, our bakery will be making homemade Vegan Rosemary Biscuits for your holiday table, as well as five kinds of pie: Vegan Pumpkin, Classic Pumpkin, Pecan, Vegan Coconut Cream and Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter. Be sure to come by before the holiday and pick up all of your favorites!
Cheese is the reason for the season (ok, not really, but it is great at parties!):
Wondering what to bring to the office Christmas party or the family get together. I recommend a cheese plate. They are simple and quick to prepare. You should serve 3 to 5 five types of cheeses with a variety of textures (soft and hard) tastes (mild to strong) and types of milk (cow, goat and sheep). Arrange the cheeses on a plate from mildest to the strongest in taste. Serve a crusty bread or crackers with the cheeses. Fruits and nuts compliment cheese really well. Also, serve a variety of wines to go along with the cheeses - maybe a couple of good reds (pinot noir or tempranillo), a white (pinot grigio), or a sparkling wine (Champagne or Cava). If you are serving it as an appetizer, generally 3 ounces of each cheese per person is what is recommended. Also, allow the chesses to sit out about an hour before serving. The flavors of the cheeses will become more robust if allowed to warm to room temperature.
Just a heads up. We will soon be stocking freshly made butternut squash ravioli made by our friends at Pasta and Co. If this goes well we will be introducing other flavors. Enjoy!!
From the land of meat:
Hey guys it's time to think about Christmas dinner. We have lots of options for those who are traveling this holiday or if you staying in Austin.
If you're traveling maybe take something to snack on during you trip. One of my favorite snacks is the Thunderheart bison Jerky sausage sticks. Thunderheart jerky sticks are grass-fed, low in cholesterol, high in flavor, and don't need refrigeration so you can throw them in you backpack.
If you'd like to take something special to show off to the folks back home, why not try some great breakfast goodies. You know Pederson's Natural apple/pepper bacon, and breakfast sausages are great tasting, but did you know that they are raised free of chemicals, certified humane treatment, and raised locally in Hamilton Texas. Maybe you're into our Richardson's pasture pork. Richardson's has pan sausage and uncured belly, as well as great bone-in chops and link-style sausage. Richardson's pork is chemically clean, pastured in Rockdale Texas, and their feed is from grains grown right on the farm.
Perhaps you are big into the Bastrop Cattle company (of course you are if you've tried it). Grass-feed beef has been the buzz food of this decade, and Patty Jacobs at Bastrop Cattle provides us with some great cuts. We have available frozen: 90/10 Ground Beef, 1 lb packs of lean stew meat, 2+lb bone-in sirloin steaks, large bone-in shoulder roasts, and great bones for stocks or your doggie. All of these can be provided to you frozen for easy transport. They might not be the traditional stocking stuffers, but they do much more than any gift card ever could.
Hey, but what about our turkeys? Fret not we got ya'll covered. Apparently the Grateful Harvest turkeys are pretty good, we sold more turkeys than ever, I thank you members for making that happen. I have heard nothing but good comments about how juicy they were and how they wish they had ordered two. I know that's right. Our Dairy buyer Mike Crissy cooked us up two turkeys on his "old red door" BBQ pit. Though not a traditional stuffing, we used "Remember When" butter and local rosemary from his garden under the skin. Oh man they were so good, when I got to the end of my drumstick I nearly ate my hand! I know what your thinking, BBQ turkey for Thanksgiving…but if you remember it was 80 degrees that day. So it was kind of a summery type of Thanksgiving.
What about our turkeys for Christmas, you ask? Don't worry I say. We're welcoming all reservations for turkeys. We have fresh Grateful Harvest natural and certified organic turkey available. Grateful Harvest natural turkeys are $2.99 lb, Certified Organic turkeys are $4.49 lb. We have sizes available from 8 pounds to 16 pounds. Some sizes we have less of so if you need something big get in touch with me soon. If you prefer the white breast meat we have bone in breast available too. Natural bone in breast $5.29lb and Certified Organics for $7.79 lb. if you need some part we can accommodate that too, just call.
There are also a couple of new items you might want to try for a change. Countryside Meats, run by Sabastien Bonneu, are locally raised, free from chemicals, and on pasture by a community of farms. We have fresh Rabbit for $8.99lb and Whole Duck for $9.99lb. Rabbits are great braised and duck are great roasted.
We also have some great coupons available for members.
All Niman Ranch meats are .50-off total price with member coupon. That includes all boneless pork, hams , and all Niman beef. This is great if you have wanted to try the Niman products, now is you chance.
We also have grateful harvest ground turkey, natural and organic, available with -.50- off total price with member coupon.
Try these recipes:
Mom's Turkey Meatloaf
By Ellie Krieger of the Food network
Ingredients
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1 medium onion, peeled
2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.F.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to15 minutes before slicing.
The Right way Roast Turkey
One 16 pound turkey
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For brine:
2 cups kosher salt
8 quarts water
If brining, dissolve salt in water in a large stock pot. Add turkey and refrigerate overnight. Remove from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Proceed as below.
For stock:
Neck, gizzard and heart from turkey, rinsed and dried
canola oil
1 medium onion cut in half
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon pepper corns
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
Place a small volume of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add neck, gizzard and heart and cook, turning until browned. Add the remaining stock ingredients and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming foam from time to time. Strain and set aside. This can be done well ahead of the rest of the meal.
Roasting turkey:
Rinse inside and out, dry with paper towels and bring turkey to room temperature, keeping skin covered with a moist towel to prevent drying. Preheat oven to 500 degrees (450 degrees works nearly as well; cooking times will be slightly longer). Sprinkle turkey with ground pepper and salt and place into a roasting pan; we place it directly into the pan, but a rack can be used. Cook, rotating pan 180 degrees after 1 hour; add 1 -2 cups water or chicken stock to pan if drippings appear to be turning too dark. ]
Check temperature in the thickest part of the thigh at 1 ¾ hours. Remove from oven when temperature is 170 degrees, about 2 hour's total cooking time for un-stuffed turkey. Add approximately 30 minutes if you have stuffed the turkey. Let turkey sit for 30 minutes, during which the temperature in the thigh should reach 180 degrees.
Gravy:
While turkey is resting, pour fat from roasting pan and place pan over medium – high heat. Pour stock into pan; boil, scraping up the browned fond from the pan. Boil until reduced nearly by half, check and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep hot and serve with turkey.
This high heat method reliably yields moist flavorful turkey and is remarkable for its simplicity. Brining is not essential and plain chicken broth can be used for making the pan gravy instead of the giblet stock. Cooking times are short: 3 hours for a 20 pound un-stuffed turkey, and an amazing 1 hour and 20 minutes for one of 12 pounds, according to Kafka.
Become familiar with high temperature roasting, and you will enjoy predictable results, simplify holiday cooking and have more time to enjoy this special time of the year with your family.
No e-mail next week! I hope that you have a great week!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
Just so you know, we have some holiday hour
Have I got a lot for you this week!
Scroll down for:
2009 calendars including local ones that help awesome charities!
Local produce!
Beer! Beer! Beer!
Deli is delicious!
Cheese
Meat including Mom's Turkey Meatloaf and how to cook a turkey
2009 Calendars!
It's not too late to get your 2009 wall calendar at Wheatsville. They make great gifts too! Take a look at the fundraiser calendar for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas, featuring Wheatsville member Nasrine on the cover (strumming a guitar with Brad Pitt!). All proceeds go to DSACT programming-which includes dance/music classes, swim lessons, seminars and more for kids with Down Syndrome in Austin. http://www.dsact.com/
Another fundraising calendar is from Emancipet. The Emancipet Calendar features modern, original artwork of cats and dogs. Each calendar is printed with soy-based inks on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. And most importantly, the proceeds from every calendar allow Emancipet to expand their free and lowcost spay/neuter programs. http://www.emancipet.org/
Other Calendar favorites (get them while they last!) include the Slingshot pocket or spiral bound planner, We'Moon spiral bound datebook, the art of Nikki McClure, Cat Lovers Against the Bomb, Cat, Dog or Original Magnetic Poetry and more! Let Wheatsville help you organize your busy life!
Local Produce!
There are several varieties of greens available that are local right now. We are currently featuring organic lacinato kale, curly kale, red russian kale, and collard greens from out in Buda. These greens are looking very hearty and fresh. New this week, Guinea Hills Farm has brought us some beautiful mixed Asian greens, and baby bok choy. The mixed greens have a nice variety of flavors, some being peppery and spicy, others being more delicately bitter. Eat your (local) greens!
The Pure Luck organic herbs seem to be slow catching on, and I have faith that they will. These are replacing the fresh herbs that we were previously getting from California that were in the plastic clamshells. These herbs look really fresh, and taste great! They are grown in Dripping Springs, by the fine folks who make the delicious Pure Luck goat cheese. If you use fresh herbs in your kitchen, and don't grow your own, these are the next best thing. We are currently offering fresh organic thyme, marjoram, oregano, mint, peppermint, garlic chives, dill, chervil, rosemary, and sage.
Texas grown Meyer lemons have arrived! These lemons have a thinner skin, and sweeter taste than normal lemons, making them great for marinades, drinks, and sauces.
Squash!
This week in the New York Times Dining and Wine section, there is a nice, easy recipe for winter squash soup. Check it out here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/health/nutrition/15recipehealth.html?_r=1
Winter (hard) squashes can be intimidating to work with. They're hard to cut, but easy to work with once you crack'em open! You can do so much with them (more than soup!), such as slow braisng peeled chunks in apple cider, or simply steaming them and slathering them with olive oil or butter. Since their flavor tends to be more on the sweet side, they make great side dishes for savory meals.
In the Beer Aisle
Full Sail Brewing Company
Full Sail Wassail!
A deep mahogany color, Wassail is brewed with four different malts and a blend of Pacific Northwest hops, giving it a malty full body and a pleasantly hoppy finish that appeals to both hop and malt lovers alike. In other words, a Christmas miracle!
The deli is all about the holidays and every day!!
Happy Holidays from the Wheatsville Deli! We have an abundance of delicious treats to warm your soul and fill your belly! In today's deli case are so many of our staff and customer favorites: Crispy Fish Cakes, Curry Lime Chicken Salad, Lil Cheddar Meatloaf Muffins, Risotto Cakes, Asparagus and Orzo Pasta Salad, Spicy Cauliflower, Basil Pecan White Beans, and tons more! We have Sesame Baked Tofu, Southern Fried Tofu and Popcorn Tofu! Ward off cold and flu season (as well as any neighborhood vampires) with our Garlic Soup, or try a hearty cup of our Minestrone.
As always, sandwiches, tacos, and our rice 'n' beans are ready to be served just the way you like 'em. And don't forget our righteously famous Frito Pie, made with our own Tempeh Chili – it's a chewy, crunchy taste sensation and the perfect lunch on a chilly day. Or just grab a bite from our self-service deli case – green salads, chicken salad, Gingered Tempeh Pasta, tuna salad, pimento cheese, Thai pasta, hempseed hummus… all these and more await you, so stop in and let the Wheatsville Deli fill you up!
Don't forget that all of our custom made sandwiches can be heated up, it takes a little while in our toaster oven but worth the wait. Try our Italian or our vegetarian Italian Stallian sandwich warm with toasted ciabbata bread. Yummy!
Christmas is just around the corner and the Deli will be overflowing with holiday dishes for you to take home: Roasted Fall Root Vegetables, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Cornbread Stuffing, Festive Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans with Mushrooms, Leek-Roasted Carrots and Tempeh, Cranberry-Orange Relish, and Vegan Mushroom Gravy. We will also have appetizer spreads like Walnut Pecan Pate and Garlic Chive Cheddar Cheese Balls on hand Рjust add crackers or crudit̩s!
Plus, our bakery will be making homemade Vegan Rosemary Biscuits for your holiday table, as well as five kinds of pie: Vegan Pumpkin, Classic Pumpkin, Pecan, Vegan Coconut Cream and Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter. Be sure to come by before the holiday and pick up all of your favorites!
Cheese is the reason for the season (ok, not really, but it is great at parties!):
Wondering what to bring to the office Christmas party or the family get together. I recommend a cheese plate. They are simple and quick to prepare. You should serve 3 to 5 five types of cheeses with a variety of textures (soft and hard) tastes (mild to strong) and types of milk (cow, goat and sheep). Arrange the cheeses on a plate from mildest to the strongest in taste. Serve a crusty bread or crackers with the cheeses. Fruits and nuts compliment cheese really well. Also, serve a variety of wines to go along with the cheeses - maybe a couple of good reds (pinot noir or tempranillo), a white (pinot grigio), or a sparkling wine (Champagne or Cava). If you are serving it as an appetizer, generally 3 ounces of each cheese per person is what is recommended. Also, allow the chesses to sit out about an hour before serving. The flavors of the cheeses will become more robust if allowed to warm to room temperature.
Just a heads up. We will soon be stocking freshly made butternut squash ravioli made by our friends at Pasta and Co. If this goes well we will be introducing other flavors. Enjoy!!
From the land of meat:
Hey guys it's time to think about Christmas dinner. We have lots of options for those who are traveling this holiday or if you staying in Austin.
If you're traveling maybe take something to snack on during you trip. One of my favorite snacks is the Thunderheart bison Jerky sausage sticks. Thunderheart jerky sticks are grass-fed, low in cholesterol, high in flavor, and don't need refrigeration so you can throw them in you backpack.
If you'd like to take something special to show off to the folks back home, why not try some great breakfast goodies. You know Pederson's Natural apple/pepper bacon, and breakfast sausages are great tasting, but did you know that they are raised free of chemicals, certified humane treatment, and raised locally in Hamilton Texas. Maybe you're into our Richardson's pasture pork. Richardson's has pan sausage and uncured belly, as well as great bone-in chops and link-style sausage. Richardson's pork is chemically clean, pastured in Rockdale Texas, and their feed is from grains grown right on the farm.
Perhaps you are big into the Bastrop Cattle company (of course you are if you've tried it). Grass-feed beef has been the buzz food of this decade, and Patty Jacobs at Bastrop Cattle provides us with some great cuts. We have available frozen: 90/10 Ground Beef, 1 lb packs of lean stew meat, 2+lb bone-in sirloin steaks, large bone-in shoulder roasts, and great bones for stocks or your doggie. All of these can be provided to you frozen for easy transport. They might not be the traditional stocking stuffers, but they do much more than any gift card ever could.
Hey, but what about our turkeys? Fret not we got ya'll covered. Apparently the Grateful Harvest turkeys are pretty good, we sold more turkeys than ever, I thank you members for making that happen. I have heard nothing but good comments about how juicy they were and how they wish they had ordered two. I know that's right. Our Dairy buyer Mike Crissy cooked us up two turkeys on his "old red door" BBQ pit. Though not a traditional stuffing, we used "Remember When" butter and local rosemary from his garden under the skin. Oh man they were so good, when I got to the end of my drumstick I nearly ate my hand! I know what your thinking, BBQ turkey for Thanksgiving…but if you remember it was 80 degrees that day. So it was kind of a summery type of Thanksgiving.
What about our turkeys for Christmas, you ask? Don't worry I say. We're welcoming all reservations for turkeys. We have fresh Grateful Harvest natural and certified organic turkey available. Grateful Harvest natural turkeys are $2.99 lb, Certified Organic turkeys are $4.49 lb. We have sizes available from 8 pounds to 16 pounds. Some sizes we have less of so if you need something big get in touch with me soon. If you prefer the white breast meat we have bone in breast available too. Natural bone in breast $5.29lb and Certified Organics for $7.79 lb. if you need some part we can accommodate that too, just call.
There are also a couple of new items you might want to try for a change. Countryside Meats, run by Sabastien Bonneu, are locally raised, free from chemicals, and on pasture by a community of farms. We have fresh Rabbit for $8.99lb and Whole Duck for $9.99lb. Rabbits are great braised and duck are great roasted.
We also have some great coupons available for members.
All Niman Ranch meats are .50-off total price with member coupon. That includes all boneless pork, hams , and all Niman beef. This is great if you have wanted to try the Niman products, now is you chance.
We also have grateful harvest ground turkey, natural and organic, available with -.50- off total price with member coupon.
Try these recipes:
Mom's Turkey Meatloaf
By Ellie Krieger of the Food network
Ingredients
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1 medium onion, peeled
2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.F.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to15 minutes before slicing.
The Right way Roast Turkey
One 16 pound turkey
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For brine:
2 cups kosher salt
8 quarts water
If brining, dissolve salt in water in a large stock pot. Add turkey and refrigerate overnight. Remove from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Proceed as below.
For stock:
Neck, gizzard and heart from turkey, rinsed and dried
canola oil
1 medium onion cut in half
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon pepper corns
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
Place a small volume of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add neck, gizzard and heart and cook, turning until browned. Add the remaining stock ingredients and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming foam from time to time. Strain and set aside. This can be done well ahead of the rest of the meal.
Roasting turkey:
Rinse inside and out, dry with paper towels and bring turkey to room temperature, keeping skin covered with a moist towel to prevent drying. Preheat oven to 500 degrees (450 degrees works nearly as well; cooking times will be slightly longer). Sprinkle turkey with ground pepper and salt and place into a roasting pan; we place it directly into the pan, but a rack can be used. Cook, rotating pan 180 degrees after 1 hour; add 1 -2 cups water or chicken stock to pan if drippings appear to be turning too dark. ]
Check temperature in the thickest part of the thigh at 1 ¾ hours. Remove from oven when temperature is 170 degrees, about 2 hour's total cooking time for un-stuffed turkey. Add approximately 30 minutes if you have stuffed the turkey. Let turkey sit for 30 minutes, during which the temperature in the thigh should reach 180 degrees.
Gravy:
While turkey is resting, pour fat from roasting pan and place pan over medium – high heat. Pour stock into pan; boil, scraping up the browned fond from the pan. Boil until reduced nearly by half, check and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep hot and serve with turkey.
This high heat method reliably yields moist flavorful turkey and is remarkable for its simplicity. Brining is not essential and plain chicken broth can be used for making the pan gravy instead of the giblet stock. Cooking times are short: 3 hours for a 20 pound un-stuffed turkey, and an amazing 1 hour and 20 minutes for one of 12 pounds, according to Kafka.
Become familiar with high temperature roasting, and you will enjoy predictable results, simplify holiday cooking and have more time to enjoy this special time of the year with your family.
No e-mail next week! I hope that you have a great week!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Hi Wheatsville friends,
Scroll down for:
Tweeting
Expansion update
Eat local
Produce goodness
Deli is your holiday HQ
Words from the meat and cheese departments!
Tweet tweet
I'm pleased to announce that Wheatsville is sticking our toe into the world of Twitter. If you don't know, Twitter is a web phenomenon that allows people to keep track of their favorite friends businesses and organizations though short frequent updates. www.twitter.com/wheatsville is ours. I'm still figuring out how we'll use it, but I'll try and keep it as lively as these weekly entries. If you have ideas on how we should use twitter, then e-mail or twitter them to me!
And the walls went tumbling up!
You may have noticed that the walls of the addition are almost completely complete! Hopefully, on Friday, we'll have the concrete poured in the last f feet and be done with the exterior walls for the majority of the main addition. Then, we'll start putting in the structural steel and the roof and stuff shooting to have he whole space "dried-in" meaning covered completely by a complete roof by the first of January.
On Monday, you'll probably start to see some construction begin on the overhangs on the patio side and Guadalupe side of the store. This shouldn't impact people too much, but you may find the bike rack moved to the patio and the sidewalk may temporarily be shrunk.
Overall, I am pleaed with the way the project is going. Hopefully, you are not finding it negatively impacting you.
What's Local Right Now?
Currently in the produce department, our local selection is a bit sparse, but we're looking forward to more local produce in the next month or so. We're currently stocking local curly kale, red kale, lacinato kale and collard greens, from out in Buda, as well as sprouts from New World, and button, crimini, and portobello mushrooms from Kitchen Pride.
I'm excited about a new addition to our local produce selection, Pure Luck organic herbs. You may be familiar with Pure Luck from their goat cheese, which is amazing, but this family farm from Dripping Springs, also offers a great selection of organic herbs. We are currently carrying organic chervil, sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, dill, garlic chives, and mint, all for the affordable price of $1.99 a bunch.
Season's Greetings (and eating)!
We'll be getting fresh citrus in the coming weeks as the season develops. Winter squashes are still here, and are delicious. If you haven't tried any of them yet, come out and pick some up. They are great cut in half and baked. Some butter or olive oil and the seasoning of your choice can make these a quick and easy side dish, or a main for your next savory seasonal meal. Concorde pears are still delicious, and go well in salads, especially when paired with arugula and English Stilton. Yum. Persimmons are back! Both varieties, Fuyu, and Hachiya are available for $1.79 a piece. Let them get really soft before consuming, like really, really soft. If you don't do this, your face will implode due to their astringency, you should avoid this.
Cider
We've got some really nice organic Apple Cider available for $5.99 a quart. This cider has a nice fresh taste, and can be mulled (like wine), and is delicious when mixed with some spiced rum. This makes a great Holiday libation, try it at your next Holiday party, serve next to the egg nog!
Your deli is rocking out the hearty foods!
Now is the time for warm sandwiches! While the Wheatsville Deli is always more than happy to toast any sandwich you like, we have some special hot sandwiches that will knock your woolen socks off! Our Catfish Jack Po'Boy is served on a hoagie roll with our spicy, homemade chipotle mayo. The ever-popular vegan Popcorn Tofu Po'Boy showcases our unique batter-fried tofu nuggets on a hoagie roll with our creamy cashew-tamari dressing. Both our Italian sandwich, made with two kinds of salami, ham and provolone, and our Italian Stallion, made with fresh mozzarella, organic basil pesto and red bell peppers, can be heated up until meltingly delicious and splashed with oil and vinegar on ciabatta. And, as always, all of our sandwiches come with your choice of eight fresh veggie toppings!
And to celebrate the season, our bakery has a new holiday item gracing the case as well – a bold, dark Spicy Gingerbread Cake made with Guinness Stout! Come in and try something new!
Get in your catering orders early for the holiday season! We have yummy crudite trays and meat and cheese trays for your holiday parties. We also have a creamy Very Berry Xmas smoothie, a blend of strawberries and raspberries with a splash of soymilk. Remember, we are always happy to make any of our case salads by the lb. for your New Years shindigs!
Christmas is just around the corner and the Deli will be overflowing with holiday dishes for you to take home: Roasted Fall Root Vegetables, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Cornbread Stuffing, Festive Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans with Mushrooms, Leek-Roasted Carrots and Tempeh, Cranberry-Orange Relish, and Vegan Mushroom Gravy. We will also have appetizer spreads like Walnut Pecan Pate and Garlic Chive Cheddar Cheese Balls on hand Рjust add crackers or crudit̩s!
Plus, our bakery will be making homemade Vegan Rosemary Biscuits for your holiday table, as well as five kinds of pie: Vegan Pumpkin, Classic Pumpkin, Pecan, Vegan Coconut Cream and Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter. Be sure to come by before the holiday and pick up all of your favorites!
From the land of cheese
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese that originated in the Brie region of France. It has a buttery texture and nutty flavor. Brie is traditionally made with raw milk and aged for a period of four to five weeks. Unfortunately government regulation requires that any cheese made with raw milk has to be aged at least 60 days. So, that means you have to go to France if you want to eat true Brie. The outside of the Brie is covered with a white mold (penicillium candidum) and is meant to be eaten. Brie tend to have a butterfat content around 45%. Then you have double cream bries like fromage d' affinios that have a butterfat content around 60% and triple cream bries such as Saint Andres with a butterfat content of 75%. Brie can be eaten with crackers, or a crusty bread. Fruits and nuts, like pistachios and pears. A subtle red like a Pinot Noir or a dry and lively white wine like a nice Champagne, would make a great accompaniment. Quince paste or fruit preserves could be served along with the Brie, bread and wine.
Word from the Meat department
Hey folks lots of good food in the meat case this week. We have new products from Countryside Meats, a favorite at the farmers market. Right now we have fresh pasture raised rabbit for $8.99lb average wt. 3-4 pounds each. We has have Countryside meats Whole duck for $9.99lb frozen. These products are raised on pasture without hormones or antibiotics. The result in a clean tasting meat that is never gamey.
Were also taking pre-orders on turkey for your Christmas gathering. Grateful harvest Natural turkeys 8-16lbs $2.99lb and Organic turkeys 8-16lb $4.49. We'll be taking orders till the 17th of this month. Grateful Harvest turkeys are raised on small farms, cage free without the use of hormones or antibiotics and are free of additives and gluten-free. When choosing a size of turkey the rule of thumb is 1 pound of turkey per person, 1/2–3/4 of a pound for kids, plus whatever you want for leftovers. Come in or give us a call to order your turkey. Just ask for the meat department, we are glad to help.
The Right way Roast Turkey
One 16 pound turkey
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For brine:
2 cups kosher salt
8 quarts water
If brining, dissolve salt in water in a large stock pot. Add turkey and refrigerate overnight. Remove from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Proceed as below.
For stock:
Neck, gizzard and heart from turkey, rinsed and dried
canola oil
1 medium onion cut in half
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon pepper corns
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
Place a small volume of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add neck, gizzard and heart and cook, turning until browned. Add the remaining stock ingredients and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming foam from time to time. Strain and set aside. This can be done well ahead of the rest of the meal.
Roasting turkey:
Rinse inside and out, dry with paper towels and bring turkey to room temperature, keeping skin covered with a moist towel to prevent drying.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees (450 degrees works nearly as well; cooking times will be slightly longer). Sprinkle turkey with ground pepper and salt and place into a roasting pan; we place it directly into the pan, but a rack can be used. Cook, rotating pan 180 degrees after 1 hour; add 1 -2 cups water or chicken stock to pan if drippings appear to be turning too dark.
Check temperature in the thickest part of the thigh at 1 ¾ hours. Remove from oven when temperature is 170 degrees, about 2 hour's total cooking time for un-stuffed turkey. Add approximately 30 minutes if you have stuffed the turkey. Let turkey sit for 30 minutes, during which the temperature in the thigh should reach 180 degrees.
Gravy:
While turkey is resting, pour fat from roasting pan and place pan over medium – high heat. Pour stock into pan; boil, scraping up the browned fond from the pan. Boil until reduced nearly by half, check and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep hot and serve with turkey.
This high heat method reliably yields moist flavorful turkey and is remarkable for its simplicity. Brining is not essential, and plain chicken broth can be used for making the pan gravy instead of the giblet stock. Cooking times are short: 3 hours for a 20 pound un-stuffed turkey, and an amazing 1 hour and 20 minutes for one of 12 pounds, according to Kafka.
Become familiar with high temperature roasting, and you will enjoy predictable results, simplify holiday cooking and have more time to enjoy this special time of the year with your family.
I hope that you have a great week/!
Dan Gillotte Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
Scroll down for:
Tweeting
Expansion update
Eat local
Produce goodness
Deli is your holiday HQ
Words from the meat and cheese departments!
Tweet tweet
I'm pleased to announce that Wheatsville is sticking our toe into the world of Twitter. If you don't know, Twitter is a web phenomenon that allows people to keep track of their favorite friends businesses and organizations though short frequent updates. www.twitter.com/wheatsville is ours. I'm still figuring out how we'll use it, but I'll try and keep it as lively as these weekly entries. If you have ideas on how we should use twitter, then e-mail or twitter them to me!
And the walls went tumbling up!
You may have noticed that the walls of the addition are almost completely complete! Hopefully, on Friday, we'll have the concrete poured in the last f feet and be done with the exterior walls for the majority of the main addition. Then, we'll start putting in the structural steel and the roof and stuff shooting to have he whole space "dried-in" meaning covered completely by a complete roof by the first of January.
On Monday, you'll probably start to see some construction begin on the overhangs on the patio side and Guadalupe side of the store. This shouldn't impact people too much, but you may find the bike rack moved to the patio and the sidewalk may temporarily be shrunk.
Overall, I am pleaed with the way the project is going. Hopefully, you are not finding it negatively impacting you.
What's Local Right Now?
Currently in the produce department, our local selection is a bit sparse, but we're looking forward to more local produce in the next month or so. We're currently stocking local curly kale, red kale, lacinato kale and collard greens, from out in Buda, as well as sprouts from New World, and button, crimini, and portobello mushrooms from Kitchen Pride.
I'm excited about a new addition to our local produce selection, Pure Luck organic herbs. You may be familiar with Pure Luck from their goat cheese, which is amazing, but this family farm from Dripping Springs, also offers a great selection of organic herbs. We are currently carrying organic chervil, sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, dill, garlic chives, and mint, all for the affordable price of $1.99 a bunch.
Season's Greetings (and eating)!
We'll be getting fresh citrus in the coming weeks as the season develops. Winter squashes are still here, and are delicious. If you haven't tried any of them yet, come out and pick some up. They are great cut in half and baked. Some butter or olive oil and the seasoning of your choice can make these a quick and easy side dish, or a main for your next savory seasonal meal. Concorde pears are still delicious, and go well in salads, especially when paired with arugula and English Stilton. Yum. Persimmons are back! Both varieties, Fuyu, and Hachiya are available for $1.79 a piece. Let them get really soft before consuming, like really, really soft. If you don't do this, your face will implode due to their astringency, you should avoid this.
Cider
We've got some really nice organic Apple Cider available for $5.99 a quart. This cider has a nice fresh taste, and can be mulled (like wine), and is delicious when mixed with some spiced rum. This makes a great Holiday libation, try it at your next Holiday party, serve next to the egg nog!
Your deli is rocking out the hearty foods!
Now is the time for warm sandwiches! While the Wheatsville Deli is always more than happy to toast any sandwich you like, we have some special hot sandwiches that will knock your woolen socks off! Our Catfish Jack Po'Boy is served on a hoagie roll with our spicy, homemade chipotle mayo. The ever-popular vegan Popcorn Tofu Po'Boy showcases our unique batter-fried tofu nuggets on a hoagie roll with our creamy cashew-tamari dressing. Both our Italian sandwich, made with two kinds of salami, ham and provolone, and our Italian Stallion, made with fresh mozzarella, organic basil pesto and red bell peppers, can be heated up until meltingly delicious and splashed with oil and vinegar on ciabatta. And, as always, all of our sandwiches come with your choice of eight fresh veggie toppings!
And to celebrate the season, our bakery has a new holiday item gracing the case as well – a bold, dark Spicy Gingerbread Cake made with Guinness Stout! Come in and try something new!
Get in your catering orders early for the holiday season! We have yummy crudite trays and meat and cheese trays for your holiday parties. We also have a creamy Very Berry Xmas smoothie, a blend of strawberries and raspberries with a splash of soymilk. Remember, we are always happy to make any of our case salads by the lb. for your New Years shindigs!
Christmas is just around the corner and the Deli will be overflowing with holiday dishes for you to take home: Roasted Fall Root Vegetables, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Cornbread Stuffing, Festive Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans with Mushrooms, Leek-Roasted Carrots and Tempeh, Cranberry-Orange Relish, and Vegan Mushroom Gravy. We will also have appetizer spreads like Walnut Pecan Pate and Garlic Chive Cheddar Cheese Balls on hand Рjust add crackers or crudit̩s!
Plus, our bakery will be making homemade Vegan Rosemary Biscuits for your holiday table, as well as five kinds of pie: Vegan Pumpkin, Classic Pumpkin, Pecan, Vegan Coconut Cream and Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter. Be sure to come by before the holiday and pick up all of your favorites!
From the land of cheese
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese that originated in the Brie region of France. It has a buttery texture and nutty flavor. Brie is traditionally made with raw milk and aged for a period of four to five weeks. Unfortunately government regulation requires that any cheese made with raw milk has to be aged at least 60 days. So, that means you have to go to France if you want to eat true Brie. The outside of the Brie is covered with a white mold (penicillium candidum) and is meant to be eaten. Brie tend to have a butterfat content around 45%. Then you have double cream bries like fromage d' affinios that have a butterfat content around 60% and triple cream bries such as Saint Andres with a butterfat content of 75%. Brie can be eaten with crackers, or a crusty bread. Fruits and nuts, like pistachios and pears. A subtle red like a Pinot Noir or a dry and lively white wine like a nice Champagne, would make a great accompaniment. Quince paste or fruit preserves could be served along with the Brie, bread and wine.
Word from the Meat department
Hey folks lots of good food in the meat case this week. We have new products from Countryside Meats, a favorite at the farmers market. Right now we have fresh pasture raised rabbit for $8.99lb average wt. 3-4 pounds each. We has have Countryside meats Whole duck for $9.99lb frozen. These products are raised on pasture without hormones or antibiotics. The result in a clean tasting meat that is never gamey.
Were also taking pre-orders on turkey for your Christmas gathering. Grateful harvest Natural turkeys 8-16lbs $2.99lb and Organic turkeys 8-16lb $4.49. We'll be taking orders till the 17th of this month. Grateful Harvest turkeys are raised on small farms, cage free without the use of hormones or antibiotics and are free of additives and gluten-free. When choosing a size of turkey the rule of thumb is 1 pound of turkey per person, 1/2–3/4 of a pound for kids, plus whatever you want for leftovers. Come in or give us a call to order your turkey. Just ask for the meat department, we are glad to help.
The Right way Roast Turkey
One 16 pound turkey
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For brine:
2 cups kosher salt
8 quarts water
If brining, dissolve salt in water in a large stock pot. Add turkey and refrigerate overnight. Remove from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Proceed as below.
For stock:
Neck, gizzard and heart from turkey, rinsed and dried
canola oil
1 medium onion cut in half
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon pepper corns
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
Place a small volume of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add neck, gizzard and heart and cook, turning until browned. Add the remaining stock ingredients and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming foam from time to time. Strain and set aside. This can be done well ahead of the rest of the meal.
Roasting turkey:
Rinse inside and out, dry with paper towels and bring turkey to room temperature, keeping skin covered with a moist towel to prevent drying.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees (450 degrees works nearly as well; cooking times will be slightly longer). Sprinkle turkey with ground pepper and salt and place into a roasting pan; we place it directly into the pan, but a rack can be used. Cook, rotating pan 180 degrees after 1 hour; add 1 -2 cups water or chicken stock to pan if drippings appear to be turning too dark.
Check temperature in the thickest part of the thigh at 1 ¾ hours. Remove from oven when temperature is 170 degrees, about 2 hour's total cooking time for un-stuffed turkey. Add approximately 30 minutes if you have stuffed the turkey. Let turkey sit for 30 minutes, during which the temperature in the thigh should reach 180 degrees.
Gravy:
While turkey is resting, pour fat from roasting pan and place pan over medium – high heat. Pour stock into pan; boil, scraping up the browned fond from the pan. Boil until reduced nearly by half, check and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep hot and serve with turkey.
This high heat method reliably yields moist flavorful turkey and is remarkable for its simplicity. Brining is not essential, and plain chicken broth can be used for making the pan gravy instead of the giblet stock. Cooking times are short: 3 hours for a 20 pound un-stuffed turkey, and an amazing 1 hour and 20 minutes for one of 12 pounds, according to Kafka.
Become familiar with high temperature roasting, and you will enjoy predictable results, simplify holiday cooking and have more time to enjoy this special time of the year with your family.
I hope that you have a great week/!
Dan Gillotte Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
Monday, December 08, 2008
I was ill last week, but got this cool e-mail from Aldia about the pouring of the concrete in the ICF walls.
"Sorry you missed the big fun, Dan. The pour went really well. No bust outs on the styrofoam and hardly any seepage at the joins. They poured it a few feet deep at a time all around the perimeter and made several rounds of pouring. I lost track of how many trucks of concrete came, but I think it may have been about 5 or 6. Construction Guy Steve got up on top of the office and took a few pics for me. They got through pouring a little bit after dark. The whole set up was not really in our staff's way.
Aldia"
ICF (insulating concrete forms) is a relatively new building material that is gaining in popularity for it's ease of installation, strength and green features. In particular, ICF walls can reduce heating and cooling use by 30-70%. We're excited to be using this innovative choice on our new addition! It seems like a lot of you are, too! I had a guy walk up to me and give me a "high five" the other day about it and on the day before Thanksgiving I caught two groups of people admiring the ICF walls!
It's cool to have the new building begin to take form, insulated concrete form at that!
Dan!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Artsfest this weekend at Adams Park!
Hello friends!
This weekend please make a point of heading over to nearby Adams Park for our Annual Wheatsville Artsfest! Normally, we have this event right her on premises at the co-op, but due to the construction, we are moving it off site for this year and into our great neighborhood park at 33 W. 30th Street (near Trudy's and the fire station.)
The Artsfest features 75 local artists and craftspeople personally offering their wares for you to peruse and hopefully buy! This is the perfect way to get great presents for friends, family or yourself (we won't tell!) AND avoid the dang malls! Plus, it's in the recently revitalized and historic Adams Park! (Scroll to the bottom to learn more about the park and how Wheatsville worked out hosting the Artsfest there!
Please consider taking the Number 1, 3 or 5 busses to stops near 3oth street and walk or bike to the site!
Artsfest is put on by the incredible Judith Craft and is co-sponsored by our friends at the Parks and Recreation Department and the Austin Parks Foundation (Hi Charlie and Rosie!) with special thanks to our neighbors in the North University Neighborhood Association!
I hope to see you at the Artsfest this weekend!
The Owners have spoken!
Our elction ended on Monday and was certified by the board. Thank you to all the owners who voted. We're very pleased to announce that the new bylaws and certificate of formation was overwhelmingly approved as well as a welcome to new board members: Ingrid, Steven and Aditya! I'll have a the full rundown of election results next week!
December in the Deli means a new month with new dishes!
Our two Fresh In The Deli dishes this month come from the Moscow Food Co-op in Moscow, Idaho: the Risotto Cakes are fried, panko-crusted patties of risotto, laced with shredded parmesan and fresh spinach. The combination of warm flavors, crunchy breaded crust outside and meltingly creamy rice inside makes these cakes absolutely delectable. They are even more amazing when spread with a spoonful of organic pesto, also available in our Deli.
The Broccoli Salad with Goat Cheese features sautéed broccoli florets tossed with salty kalamata olives, sweet red peppers and creamy, crumbled goat cheese in a light lemon dressing.
Our salsa of the month, Roasted Tomato Salsa, is a sweet blend of roasted tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos and onions, blended with cilantro and lemon juice for brightness: it's the perfect chip-dipping salsa for these cold weather days.
Of course, in Texas, it's not ALWAYS too cold in December, so have A Very Berry Christmas smoothie! Yes, in keeping with the theme of the season, the Wheatsville Deli's delicious smoothie of the month is indeed called A Very Berry Christmas and lives up to its name: strawberries, raspberries and just a splash of soymilk come together in one festive, rosy and tasty package!
And keep an eye out for our ever expanding selection of delicious baked goods – both the vegan Oatmeal Cream Pies and Co-op Chocolate Cream Pies feature chewy, oversized cookies sandwiching between them a sweet and creamy center. Whether you're a vegan, omnivore or somewhere in between, these cookies will have you coming back for more!
Thinking Christmas Dinner?
Don't forget to pre-order pies for your Christmas feast by December 17th! Just stop in or call the Co-op to fill out an order form!
We will have Grateful Harvest turkeys, both naturals and organics. Preorder deadline for turkeys is December 17th as well. We will be offering quite a selection for you to choose from including Niman petite hams & local ducks!
Swing by or check out our website in order to see our Deli Holiday menu. www.wheatsville.coop
From the Meat Department:
Greeting! Lots of goodies on special this month: Niman beef and pork coupons with a 50 cents member coupon on all Niman Ranch products. This covers it all: lots of great steaks and roasts, chops and ground meats. We will freezer wrap products that you might want to stock up on free of charge.
We will also have Grateful Harvest ground turkey this month and a coupon worth 50 cents toward your purchase.
Rush Hour Recipes
With the start of a new month comes a new Rush Hour Recipe! Yay! This month features Mediterranean Couscous.
Every month we'll feature a new entree recipe (featuring a mix of vegetarian, non-vegetarian and vegan options) at the Deli Counter and on our website. We will keep an archive of recipe cards at the member center as well, so that you can pick one up and use it for your dinner shopping. You can even use these recipes to build your own recipe book. These recipes come from various co-ops all over the States, which is pretty cool. Plus they have been kitchen tested so you trust them to turn out right. Increase your kitchen repertoire with these quick, easy, fresh, entree recipes. Follow this link to see the Rush Hour Recipes: http://wheatsville.coop/recipeindex.html
Free Art and Music Festival to Enliven Historic Adams Park
After extensive renovation by neighborhood volunteers, North University
Neighborhood residents were ready to celebrate. When Wheatsville Co-op
approached the neighborhood association with a request to hold their annual
Arts Festival in the park, it seemed like a match made in heaven. A new
location was crucial to the success of the festival, because of the major
remodeling project currently under way at the co-op.
Eighty juried artists will set up in Adams Park December 6 and 7 from 10 AM - 5
PM. The organizers hope to give Austinites a look at the transformation of the
park, which had fallen on hard times in recent years. Wheatsville, will give
the neighborhood a cash donation through Austin Parks Foundation to support
future improvements in the park.
In 1927 Fred Adams bought The Adams Vanilla Extract Company from his dad and
moved it from Beeville, Texas to 2216 San Gabriel, where it remained until 1955
when it outgrew the neighborhood and moved to South IH-35.
Mr. Adams, who lived just around the corner on West 23 Street, employed some of
the neighborhood children and university students to help with bottling and
packaging. When the 8.96 acre park at 201 W 30th Street was donated to the city
in 9 parcels between 1912 and 1929, it was named for Fred W Adams.
"We plan to fill the park with art," said chairperson Judith Craft. The larger
site will allow people to literally stretch out on the grass, while listening
to some of Austin's best live music. The Telephone Company, will perform
children's music and comedy at 10 am both days. Other favorites include The
Studebakers singing 30's harmonies; Ted Roddy and The Backwoods Hipsters, if the
name doesn't get you their music will; and the very young, very talented IMBIBE!
On Sunday don't miss the Diana Cantu Band, featuring special guest, Tomas
Ramirez. See the full schedule of entertainers at www.wheatsville.coop.
I hope that you have a great week!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
This weekend please make a point of heading over to nearby Adams Park for our Annual Wheatsville Artsfest! Normally, we have this event right her on premises at the co-op, but due to the construction, we are moving it off site for this year and into our great neighborhood park at 33 W. 30th Street (near Trudy's and the fire station.)
The Artsfest features 75 local artists and craftspeople personally offering their wares for you to peruse and hopefully buy! This is the perfect way to get great presents for friends, family or yourself (we won't tell!) AND avoid the dang malls! Plus, it's in the recently revitalized and historic Adams Park! (Scroll to the bottom to learn more about the park and how Wheatsville worked out hosting the Artsfest there!
Please consider taking the Number 1, 3 or 5 busses to stops near 3oth street and walk or bike to the site!
Artsfest is put on by the incredible Judith Craft and is co-sponsored by our friends at the Parks and Recreation Department and the Austin Parks Foundation (Hi Charlie and Rosie!) with special thanks to our neighbors in the North University Neighborhood Association!
I hope to see you at the Artsfest this weekend!
The Owners have spoken!
Our elction ended on Monday and was certified by the board. Thank you to all the owners who voted. We're very pleased to announce that the new bylaws and certificate of formation was overwhelmingly approved as well as a welcome to new board members: Ingrid, Steven and Aditya! I'll have a the full rundown of election results next week!
December in the Deli means a new month with new dishes!
Our two Fresh In The Deli dishes this month come from the Moscow Food Co-op in Moscow, Idaho: the Risotto Cakes are fried, panko-crusted patties of risotto, laced with shredded parmesan and fresh spinach. The combination of warm flavors, crunchy breaded crust outside and meltingly creamy rice inside makes these cakes absolutely delectable. They are even more amazing when spread with a spoonful of organic pesto, also available in our Deli.
The Broccoli Salad with Goat Cheese features sautéed broccoli florets tossed with salty kalamata olives, sweet red peppers and creamy, crumbled goat cheese in a light lemon dressing.
Our salsa of the month, Roasted Tomato Salsa, is a sweet blend of roasted tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos and onions, blended with cilantro and lemon juice for brightness: it's the perfect chip-dipping salsa for these cold weather days.
Of course, in Texas, it's not ALWAYS too cold in December, so have A Very Berry Christmas smoothie! Yes, in keeping with the theme of the season, the Wheatsville Deli's delicious smoothie of the month is indeed called A Very Berry Christmas and lives up to its name: strawberries, raspberries and just a splash of soymilk come together in one festive, rosy and tasty package!
And keep an eye out for our ever expanding selection of delicious baked goods – both the vegan Oatmeal Cream Pies and Co-op Chocolate Cream Pies feature chewy, oversized cookies sandwiching between them a sweet and creamy center. Whether you're a vegan, omnivore or somewhere in between, these cookies will have you coming back for more!
Thinking Christmas Dinner?
Don't forget to pre-order pies for your Christmas feast by December 17th! Just stop in or call the Co-op to fill out an order form!
We will have Grateful Harvest turkeys, both naturals and organics. Preorder deadline for turkeys is December 17th as well. We will be offering quite a selection for you to choose from including Niman petite hams & local ducks!
Swing by or check out our website in order to see our Deli Holiday menu. www.wheatsville.coop
From the Meat Department:
Greeting! Lots of goodies on special this month: Niman beef and pork coupons with a 50 cents member coupon on all Niman Ranch products. This covers it all: lots of great steaks and roasts, chops and ground meats. We will freezer wrap products that you might want to stock up on free of charge.
We will also have Grateful Harvest ground turkey this month and a coupon worth 50 cents toward your purchase.
Rush Hour Recipes
With the start of a new month comes a new Rush Hour Recipe! Yay! This month features Mediterranean Couscous.
Every month we'll feature a new entree recipe (featuring a mix of vegetarian, non-vegetarian and vegan options) at the Deli Counter and on our website. We will keep an archive of recipe cards at the member center as well, so that you can pick one up and use it for your dinner shopping. You can even use these recipes to build your own recipe book. These recipes come from various co-ops all over the States, which is pretty cool. Plus they have been kitchen tested so you trust them to turn out right. Increase your kitchen repertoire with these quick, easy, fresh, entree recipes. Follow this link to see the Rush Hour Recipes: http://wheatsville.coop/recipeindex.html
Free Art and Music Festival to Enliven Historic Adams Park
After extensive renovation by neighborhood volunteers, North University
Neighborhood residents were ready to celebrate. When Wheatsville Co-op
approached the neighborhood association with a request to hold their annual
Arts Festival in the park, it seemed like a match made in heaven. A new
location was crucial to the success of the festival, because of the major
remodeling project currently under way at the co-op.
Eighty juried artists will set up in Adams Park December 6 and 7 from 10 AM - 5
PM. The organizers hope to give Austinites a look at the transformation of the
park, which had fallen on hard times in recent years. Wheatsville, will give
the neighborhood a cash donation through Austin Parks Foundation to support
future improvements in the park.
In 1927 Fred Adams bought The Adams Vanilla Extract Company from his dad and
moved it from Beeville, Texas to 2216 San Gabriel, where it remained until 1955
when it outgrew the neighborhood and moved to South IH-35.
Mr. Adams, who lived just around the corner on West 23 Street, employed some of
the neighborhood children and university students to help with bottling and
packaging. When the 8.96 acre park at 201 W 30th Street was donated to the city
in 9 parcels between 1912 and 1929, it was named for Fred W Adams.
"We plan to fill the park with art," said chairperson Judith Craft. The larger
site will allow people to literally stretch out on the grass, while listening
to some of Austin's best live music. The Telephone Company, will perform
children's music and comedy at 10 am both days. Other favorites include The
Studebakers singing 30's harmonies; Ted Roddy and The Backwoods Hipsters, if the
name doesn't get you their music will; and the very young, very talented IMBIBE!
On Sunday don't miss the Diana Cantu Band, featuring special guest, Tomas
Ramirez. See the full schedule of entertainers at www.wheatsville.coop.
I hope that you have a great week!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Thanksgiving reminders
We are in the full flush of Thanksgiving fun here at the co-op! We hope that you choose us for your Thanksgiving shopping!
Here are some things that you might want to know about making the most of your shopping at Wheatsville this week!
Parking- So, due to construction, parking is not as free and easy as it has been traditionally, but it's not too bad. All of the parking along the new eastern fence is open. Please do your best to pull in straight and reasonably close to the car next to you! Scooter drivers, please consider parking along the edge of the patio. It's very wise to take the first spot that you come across, though. Shopping early or late are your best best for an open parking lot. We are open until 11pm tonight and tomorrow!
We are closed on Thanksgiving Day and open back up for normal business on Friday at 9am.
Turkeys! We have a lot of smaller turkeys available for pick up. They are all between 8 and 12 pounds, perfect for a small gathering or as a backup to a larger turkey. You can find them in the meat case: Natural 8-12lb turkeys $2.99lb, Organic 8-12lb $4.49lb (limited supply of organic).
If you're ready to think about the next food holiday, we're also taking pre-orders for Christmas turkeys. We're going to have 8-18lb natural and organic grateful harvest turkeys. Natural cost $2.99lb and organic cost $4.49lb. Please contact Bryan in the meat department for a confirmed pre-order. We'll also have Niman Rib roast cut to your specs $17.99lb, Loncito's Boneless Leg of lamb $12.99lb, Countryside meats Whole naturally raised duck $9.99lb.
Pies, Pies, Pies and sides! We've got a lot of sides and pies for your eating delight! (You don't even have to wait until Thanksgiving to eat them if you don't want to!) We've got whole pies and slices, too! We've got a great deal on Classic or Vegan Pumpkin Pie, $9.99 each while supplies last.
Tofurkys! We should have quite a few Tofurkys for your vegetarian holiday table and at the best price in town, $2-3 cheaper than the other (BIG) guys!
I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving filled with friends, family and delicious food and fun!
We are so grateful for your continued incredible support!
Dan Gillotte
Head Gobbler and e-mail guy!
ps the walls on the new addition are going up today!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Hey Wheatsville friends and fans!
We're working so hard to be here to help make your Thanksgiving as stress-free and tasty as possible, that I really feel like Thanksgiving COULD be our middle name. (Actually, I guess "Food" is our middle name and Thanksgiving is surely a lot about that!)
Before we start all the Thanksgiving stuff, I want to remind you that our excellent annual event, The Wheatsville Artsfest, is coming right around the corner (Dec. 6 and 7!) And, there's a new location this year, also around the corner in Adams Park! There is more info at our web-site and in the December Breeze coming out on Dec. 1st! Artsfest is always a great fun time to listen to awesome music and buy locally handmade specialties from local artists and artisans. Consider taking the But Handmade Pledge this year: http://buyhandmade.org/
Wheatsville Hoodies- Preorder only!
I am very excited to offer an exciting opportunity to our Owners. We'll be taking Pre-orders untill Monday Nov. 24 for Wheatstsville's first ever Hooded Sweatshirts! These great zip up hoodies will ONLY be avalible on a pre-order basis, they WILL NOT be for sale in the store. If you are interested in ordering one, ask your friendly cashier when you are checking out and they will give you the order form. These are kind of like those "Members only" jackets from the 80s, but less cheesy.
Color Choices: Irish Green or Black
SIZES: S-2XL, 3XL black only
COST: S-2XL $35.00
3XL $36.95
Remember this is a very limited time offer. The deadline to order is next Monday Nov. 24th!!!
Please do remember to vote in our annual election! We need about 100 more votes to close the election. If you haven't voted, please do: http://wheatsville.coop/election/index.html
Now back to THANKSGIVING!
Scroll down for:
The deli's delicious offerings! (Don't forget the pie!)
Cheesy delights
Turkey and more including hot to roast a turkey!
Tofurky at the best price in town (by FAR!)
Real Ale i real beer and it's really on sale!
FOOD DRIVE!!!
It's definitely holiday time in the Wheatsville Deli and we will begin our holiday production this weekend with all sorts of homemade Thanksgiving fare for your table!
By Monday, the full and self-serve Deli cases will be overflowing with holiday dishes for you to take home: Roasted Fall Root Vegetables, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Cornbread Stuffing, Festive Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans with Mushrooms, Leek-Roasted Carrots and Tempeh, Cranberry-Orange Relish, and Vegan Mushroom Gravy. We will also have appetizer spreads like Walnut Pecan Pate and Garlic Chive Cheddar Cheese Balls on hand Рjust add crackers or crudit̩s!
Plus, our bakery will be making homemade Vegan Rosemary Biscuits for your holiday table, as well as five kinds of pie: Vegan Pumpkin, Classic Pumpkin, Pecan, Vegan Coconut Cream and Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter. Be sure to come by before the holiday and pick up all of your favorites! ALl of our pies are very delicious and even the vegan ones are rich and sweet. They may not convert anyone, but they will delight them!
I wanted to say a big Thank You to all of the people that came by and raved about our yummy Thanksgiving side dishes at the holiday. The positive feedback was amazing and it is always my pleasure to share my love of our food with you. I really enjoyed talking to everybody and had a great time.
Smoothie of the month alert:
Only 2 more weeks left of our famous Pumpkin Pie smoothie! Come by and try this out before the end of the month.
Deli platters
Cold cuts and Cheese, and Meditterranean Trays are available for pre-Thanksgiving get togethers, just give us 48 hrs notice. Look for our yummy grab and go sandwiches in our self serve case, along with all of our salad selections. These are great for holiday shopping times. You don't even have to think about dinner, let us take that pressure off of you so that you can focus on more exciting things….like making your perfect holiday dinner. Also, keep these in mind for any of your December holiday gatherings!
Holiday Platter tips from the land of cheese
Wondering what to do for your next Holiday dinner or party? Why not impress your friends and family with a cheese plate. It is simple to present and can be served as an appetizer course, the main course or as a desert. Yes, desert. You should serve 3 to seven cheeses with a variety of textures (soft, semi soft, firm or hard) milks and (cow, goat, ewe) and tastes (mild to strong). The amount of cheese to buy is dependent on where in the meal the cheese plate is being served. If the cheese plate is being served as an appetizer, desert or as an hour dourve 3 - 4 ounces of each cheese per person and 6 ounces if the cheese plate is the main course. You should allow you cheeses to sit out an hour before being served. The flavors become stronger as the cheese warms. The cheese should be presented from mildest flavor to the strongest flavor, moving clockwise.
Don't know which cheese is the strongest in flavor? Then use your nose. The stinkiest cheeses are usually the strongest in flavor. That means that blues are generally the last on the plate. Use a different knife for each cheese so that the next person isn't left with a Drunken Goat Cheese that tastes like English Stilton. You can garnish the plate with grape or fig leaves, sliced apples or pears, maybe some edible flowers for bling. Crackers or crusty bread are generally served along with the cheese plate. Use plain crackers. Crackers with pepper or herbs will compete with the flavor of the cheese. Remember it is all about the cheese. You want to compliment not compete. To accompany the cheese and bread you could sever a fig spread, quince paste, olives, apples, pears and roasted nuts. Sliced onions go well with blues. Wines go great with cheese and for every good cheese, there is a good wine. Sweeter wines go better with the stronger, saltier cheeses. A good Port or Muscat would compliment a good blue. You could give your plate a theme. Serve French cheeses from different regions and serve a wine that is from each region. Remember, its all up to you and your cheese plate can be anything you want. There are no rules. Happy pairing!!!
From Bryan in the Meat department:
Wheatsville will offer Grateful Harvest Natural or organic turkeys and bone-in chef's breast. Grateful Harvest turkeys are raised on small farms, cage free without the use of hormones or antibiotics and are free of additives and gluten-free. When choosing a size of turkey the rule of thumb is 1 pound of turkey per person, 1/2–3/4 of a pound for kids, plus whatever you want for leftovers.
We will also have the following"
Local grass-fed boneless legs of lamb ($11.99lb) from Loncito's Lamb.
Boneless rib roast from Niman Ranch at $17.99lb.
The "Right Way" Roasted Turkey
one 16 pound turkey
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
For brine:
2 cups kosher salt
8 quarts water
If brining, dissolve salt in water in a large stock pot. Add turkey and refrigerate overnight. Remove from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Proceed as below.
For stock:
neck, gizzard and heart from turkey, rinsed and dried
canola oil
1 medium onion cut in half
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
1 bay leaf
1 tsp peppercorns
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
Place a small volume of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add neck, gizzard and heart and cook, turning until browned. Add the remaining stock ingredients and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming foam from time to time. Strain and set aside. This can be done well ahead of the rest of the meal.
Roasting turkey:
Rinse inside and out, dry with paper towels and bring turkey to room temperature, keeping skin covered with a moist towel to prevent drying. Preheat oven to 500° degrees (450° works nearly as well, cooking times will be slightly longer). Sprinkle turkey with ground pepper and salt and place directly into a roasting pan (a rack can be used if you wish but it's not necessary). Cook 1 hour then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Add 1-2 cups water or chicken stock to pan if drippings appear to be turning too dark.
Check temperature in the thickest part of the thigh at 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven when temperature is 170°, about 2 hour's total cooking time for unstuffed turkey. Add approximately 30 minutes to cooking time if you have stuffed the turkey. Let turkey sit for 30 minutes, during which the temperature in the thigh should reach 180°.
Gravy:
While turkey is resting, pour fat from roasting pan and place pan over medium-high heat. Pour stock into pan; boil, scraping up the browned fond from the pan. Boil until reduced nearly by half, check and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep hot and serve with turkey.
This high heat method reliably yields moist flavorful turkey and is remarkable for its simplicity. Brining is not essential, and plain chicken broth can be used for making the pan gravy instead of the giblet stock. Cooking times are short: 3 hours for a 20 pound unstuffed turkey, and an amazing 1 hour and 20 minutes for a12 pound turkey.
Become familiar with high temperature roasting and you will enjoy predictable results, simplify holiday cooking, and have more time to enjoy this special time of the year with your family.
We still have great discounts on great breakfast starters:
Pederson's Breakfast Sausage regular $5.49ea now 30 cents off with member coupon
Pederson's Applewood smoked uncured bacon regular $7.99 now get 30 cents off with member coupon.
This month the meat counter is offering a great discount on all sustainable seafood. Since sustainable seafood is the only seafood we support that means everything is 50 cents off total sticker price with member coupon. Enjoy this and thank you for supporting sustainable seafood at your local Co-op.
In the Beer Aisle
For a limited time only: REAL ALE SALE
For a short time, we are offering all Real Ale six-packs for $6.49, a dollar off of our usual low price! The time is now to stock up on your favorites like Fireman's #4, Full Moon Pale Rye, Rio Blanco Pale Ale and Brewhouse Brown. These are great to bring to Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanksgiving Treats Beyond the Norm from Johnny in Produce
As I mentioned in my last Breeze article, Thanksgiving doesn't have to be all about candied yams, and pumpkin pies. Traditional Thanksgiving sides appear year after year, just like A Christmas Story, and we all know how they taste. Sometimes, breaking the monotony of Holiday pastes and spreads can be as simple as adding a few, new, seasonal ingredients to the mix, or bringing something completely new to the table. If you like making pumpkin pie, try grating a little fresh ginger into it rather than using the powdered variety, or for apple pies, add fresh ginger, crystallized ginger, and some fresh raspberries of a new twist on an old favorite. One really nice treat for the Holidays, that stays within the theme of seasonal produce, are Poached Pears. Pears are so great, yet people often just don't know what to do with them. Here is a great recipe from the New York Times Bitten Blog, that tastes great and is easy to make. http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/recipe-of-the-day-poached-pears-with-asian-spices/?scp=1-b&sq=poached+pears&st=nyt
For other recipes that help rethink the norm for Thanksgiving, please refer to my last Breeze article.
Get Your Must Haves and Side Staples From Your Produce Department
There are plenty of things that you just need to have to pull off a successful Thanksgiving meal, and we'll have plenty of them available in Produce. Celery, carrots, onions and garlic are must haves for the Holidays, so make sure you come by and stock up. We also have a nice selection of organic fresh herbs available, such as sage, thyme, and rosemary. Don't forget your greens! We always have a great selection of organic greens, like lacinato kale, curly kale, several types of chard, mustard, and turnip greens, and even collards. Greens make easy sides when lightly steamed or sauteed and will help balance out your meal of starchy pastes, meats, or tofurkys. We have quite a nice variety of sweet potatoes right now, so you have your choice from Jersey Sweets, Japanese, Garnet and Jewel Yams. We also have fresh, organic cranberries, if you like making your cranberry sauce from scratch or enjoy getting creative with your side. Come on in, we'll have extra staff on hand to make your pre-holiday shopping experience as easy and friendly as possible. Happy Thanksgiving!
Give thanks and give back
As we give thanks for all that we have, I hope that a spirit of generosity will encourage you to fill up our food drive bin for the kind folks at the Capital Area Food Bank.
People often wonder what they should donate:
Healthy non-perishable food
Items with intact, un-opened, consumer or commercial packaging
Items with non-breakable packaging (no glass please)
Food within the expiration date on the packaging
What are the most-requested items?
Canned meats like tuna, stew and chili (pop-tops preferred)
Canned vegetables
Pasta & pasta sauce
Beans
Rice
Healthy cereals
Peanut butter
Baby food & baby formula
IN years past, we have filled the bin several times over. Can you help us do it again this year?
Thanks in advance for your generosity!
I hope that you have a great weekend, a wonderful week and the finest Thanksgiving ever!
We're working so hard to be here to help make your Thanksgiving as stress-free and tasty as possible, that I really feel like Thanksgiving COULD be our middle name. (Actually, I guess "Food" is our middle name and Thanksgiving is surely a lot about that!)
Before we start all the Thanksgiving stuff, I want to remind you that our excellent annual event, The Wheatsville Artsfest, is coming right around the corner (Dec. 6 and 7!) And, there's a new location this year, also around the corner in Adams Park! There is more info at our web-site and in the December Breeze coming out on Dec. 1st! Artsfest is always a great fun time to listen to awesome music and buy locally handmade specialties from local artists and artisans. Consider taking the But Handmade Pledge this year: http://buyhandmade.org/
Wheatsville Hoodies- Preorder only!
I am very excited to offer an exciting opportunity to our Owners. We'll be taking Pre-orders untill Monday Nov. 24 for Wheatstsville's first ever Hooded Sweatshirts! These great zip up hoodies will ONLY be avalible on a pre-order basis, they WILL NOT be for sale in the store. If you are interested in ordering one, ask your friendly cashier when you are checking out and they will give you the order form. These are kind of like those "Members only" jackets from the 80s, but less cheesy.
Color Choices: Irish Green or Black
SIZES: S-2XL, 3XL black only
COST: S-2XL $35.00
3XL $36.95
Remember this is a very limited time offer. The deadline to order is next Monday Nov. 24th!!!
Please do remember to vote in our annual election! We need about 100 more votes to close the election. If you haven't voted, please do: http://wheatsville.coop/
Now back to THANKSGIVING!
Scroll down for:
The deli's delicious offerings! (Don't forget the pie!)
Cheesy delights
Turkey and more including hot to roast a turkey!
Tofurky at the best price in town (by FAR!)
Real Ale i real beer and it's really on sale!
FOOD DRIVE!!!
It's definitely holiday time in the Wheatsville Deli and we will begin our holiday production this weekend with all sorts of homemade Thanksgiving fare for your table!
By Monday, the full and self-serve Deli cases will be overflowing with holiday dishes for you to take home: Roasted Fall Root Vegetables, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Cornbread Stuffing, Festive Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans with Mushrooms, Leek-Roasted Carrots and Tempeh, Cranberry-Orange Relish, and Vegan Mushroom Gravy. We will also have appetizer spreads like Walnut Pecan Pate and Garlic Chive Cheddar Cheese Balls on hand Рjust add crackers or crudit̩s!
Plus, our bakery will be making homemade Vegan Rosemary Biscuits for your holiday table, as well as five kinds of pie: Vegan Pumpkin, Classic Pumpkin, Pecan, Vegan Coconut Cream and Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter. Be sure to come by before the holiday and pick up all of your favorites! ALl of our pies are very delicious and even the vegan ones are rich and sweet. They may not convert anyone, but they will delight them!
I wanted to say a big Thank You to all of the people that came by and raved about our yummy Thanksgiving side dishes at the holiday. The positive feedback was amazing and it is always my pleasure to share my love of our food with you. I really enjoyed talking to everybody and had a great time.
Smoothie of the month alert:
Only 2 more weeks left of our famous Pumpkin Pie smoothie! Come by and try this out before the end of the month.
Deli platters
Cold cuts and Cheese, and Meditterranean Trays are available for pre-Thanksgiving get togethers, just give us 48 hrs notice. Look for our yummy grab and go sandwiches in our self serve case, along with all of our salad selections. These are great for holiday shopping times. You don't even have to think about dinner, let us take that pressure off of you so that you can focus on more exciting things….like making your perfect holiday dinner. Also, keep these in mind for any of your December holiday gatherings!
Holiday Platter tips from the land of cheese
Wondering what to do for your next Holiday dinner or party? Why not impress your friends and family with a cheese plate. It is simple to present and can be served as an appetizer course, the main course or as a desert. Yes, desert. You should serve 3 to seven cheeses with a variety of textures (soft, semi soft, firm or hard) milks and (cow, goat, ewe) and tastes (mild to strong). The amount of cheese to buy is dependent on where in the meal the cheese plate is being served. If the cheese plate is being served as an appetizer, desert or as an hour dourve 3 - 4 ounces of each cheese per person and 6 ounces if the cheese plate is the main course. You should allow you cheeses to sit out an hour before being served. The flavors become stronger as the cheese warms. The cheese should be presented from mildest flavor to the strongest flavor, moving clockwise.
Don't know which cheese is the strongest in flavor? Then use your nose. The stinkiest cheeses are usually the strongest in flavor. That means that blues are generally the last on the plate. Use a different knife for each cheese so that the next person isn't left with a Drunken Goat Cheese that tastes like English Stilton. You can garnish the plate with grape or fig leaves, sliced apples or pears, maybe some edible flowers for bling. Crackers or crusty bread are generally served along with the cheese plate. Use plain crackers. Crackers with pepper or herbs will compete with the flavor of the cheese. Remember it is all about the cheese. You want to compliment not compete. To accompany the cheese and bread you could sever a fig spread, quince paste, olives, apples, pears and roasted nuts. Sliced onions go well with blues. Wines go great with cheese and for every good cheese, there is a good wine. Sweeter wines go better with the stronger, saltier cheeses. A good Port or Muscat would compliment a good blue. You could give your plate a theme. Serve French cheeses from different regions and serve a wine that is from each region. Remember, its all up to you and your cheese plate can be anything you want. There are no rules. Happy pairing!!!
From Bryan in the Meat department:
Wheatsville will offer Grateful Harvest Natural or organic turkeys and bone-in chef's breast. Grateful Harvest turkeys are raised on small farms, cage free without the use of hormones or antibiotics and are free of additives and gluten-free. When choosing a size of turkey the rule of thumb is 1 pound of turkey per person, 1/2–3/4 of a pound for kids, plus whatever you want for leftovers.
We will also have the following"
Local grass-fed boneless legs of lamb ($11.99lb) from Loncito's Lamb.
Boneless rib roast from Niman Ranch at $17.99lb.
The "Right Way" Roasted Turkey
one 16 pound turkey
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
For brine:
2 cups kosher salt
8 quarts water
If brining, dissolve salt in water in a large stock pot. Add turkey and refrigerate overnight. Remove from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Proceed as below.
For stock:
neck, gizzard and heart from turkey, rinsed and dried
canola oil
1 medium onion cut in half
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
1 bay leaf
1 tsp peppercorns
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
Place a small volume of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add neck, gizzard and heart and cook, turning until browned. Add the remaining stock ingredients and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming foam from time to time. Strain and set aside. This can be done well ahead of the rest of the meal.
Roasting turkey:
Rinse inside and out, dry with paper towels and bring turkey to room temperature, keeping skin covered with a moist towel to prevent drying. Preheat oven to 500° degrees (450° works nearly as well, cooking times will be slightly longer). Sprinkle turkey with ground pepper and salt and place directly into a roasting pan (a rack can be used if you wish but it's not necessary). Cook 1 hour then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Add 1-2 cups water or chicken stock to pan if drippings appear to be turning too dark.
Check temperature in the thickest part of the thigh at 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven when temperature is 170°, about 2 hour's total cooking time for unstuffed turkey. Add approximately 30 minutes to cooking time if you have stuffed the turkey. Let turkey sit for 30 minutes, during which the temperature in the thigh should reach 180°.
Gravy:
While turkey is resting, pour fat from roasting pan and place pan over medium-high heat. Pour stock into pan; boil, scraping up the browned fond from the pan. Boil until reduced nearly by half, check and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep hot and serve with turkey.
This high heat method reliably yields moist flavorful turkey and is remarkable for its simplicity. Brining is not essential, and plain chicken broth can be used for making the pan gravy instead of the giblet stock. Cooking times are short: 3 hours for a 20 pound unstuffed turkey, and an amazing 1 hour and 20 minutes for a12 pound turkey.
Become familiar with high temperature roasting and you will enjoy predictable results, simplify holiday cooking, and have more time to enjoy this special time of the year with your family.
We still have great discounts on great breakfast starters:
Pederson's Breakfast Sausage regular $5.49ea now 30 cents off with member coupon
Pederson's Applewood smoked uncured bacon regular $7.99 now get 30 cents off with member coupon.
This month the meat counter is offering a great discount on all sustainable seafood. Since sustainable seafood is the only seafood we support that means everything is 50 cents off total sticker price with member coupon. Enjoy this and thank you for supporting sustainable seafood at your local Co-op.
In the Beer Aisle
For a limited time only: REAL ALE SALE
For a short time, we are offering all Real Ale six-packs for $6.49, a dollar off of our usual low price! The time is now to stock up on your favorites like Fireman's #4, Full Moon Pale Rye, Rio Blanco Pale Ale and Brewhouse Brown. These are great to bring to Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanksgiving Treats Beyond the Norm from Johnny in Produce
As I mentioned in my last Breeze article, Thanksgiving doesn't have to be all about candied yams, and pumpkin pies. Traditional Thanksgiving sides appear year after year, just like A Christmas Story, and we all know how they taste. Sometimes, breaking the monotony of Holiday pastes and spreads can be as simple as adding a few, new, seasonal ingredients to the mix, or bringing something completely new to the table. If you like making pumpkin pie, try grating a little fresh ginger into it rather than using the powdered variety, or for apple pies, add fresh ginger, crystallized ginger, and some fresh raspberries of a new twist on an old favorite. One really nice treat for the Holidays, that stays within the theme of seasonal produce, are Poached Pears. Pears are so great, yet people often just don't know what to do with them. Here is a great recipe from the New York Times Bitten Blog, that tastes great and is easy to make. http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.
For other recipes that help rethink the norm for Thanksgiving, please refer to my last Breeze article.
Get Your Must Haves and Side Staples From Your Produce Department
There are plenty of things that you just need to have to pull off a successful Thanksgiving meal, and we'll have plenty of them available in Produce. Celery, carrots, onions and garlic are must haves for the Holidays, so make sure you come by and stock up. We also have a nice selection of organic fresh herbs available, such as sage, thyme, and rosemary. Don't forget your greens! We always have a great selection of organic greens, like lacinato kale, curly kale, several types of chard, mustard, and turnip greens, and even collards. Greens make easy sides when lightly steamed or sauteed and will help balance out your meal of starchy pastes, meats, or tofurkys. We have quite a nice variety of sweet potatoes right now, so you have your choice from Jersey Sweets, Japanese, Garnet and Jewel Yams. We also have fresh, organic cranberries, if you like making your cranberry sauce from scratch or enjoy getting creative with your side. Come on in, we'll have extra staff on hand to make your pre-holiday shopping experience as easy and friendly as possible. Happy Thanksgiving!
Give thanks and give back
As we give thanks for all that we have, I hope that a spirit of generosity will encourage you to fill up our food drive bin for the kind folks at the Capital Area Food Bank.
People often wonder what they should donate:
Healthy non-perishable food
Items with intact, un-opened, consumer or commercial packaging
Items with non-breakable packaging (no glass please)
Food within the expiration date on the packaging
What are the most-requested items?
Canned meats like tuna, stew and chili (pop-tops preferred)
Canned vegetables
Pasta & pasta sauce
Beans
Rice
Healthy cereals
Peanut butter
Baby food & baby formula
IN years past, we have filled the bin several times over. Can you help us do it again this year?
Thanks in advance for your generosity!
I hope that you have a great weekend, a wonderful week and the finest Thanksgiving ever!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thanksgiving! New patio! Wow!
Hi Wheatsville friends!
Greg of Cheese Island says:
Owner Mark Ganske is keeping his milk as cold as possible for his 270-mile drive to bring Wheatsville his milk and we keep our refrigerated cooler between 32 and 41 degrees. The milk should be fine to drink after allowing the ice to thaw. Some people prefer to freeze their milk to make it last longer. The milk may be slightly grainy when thawed but should be all right after shaking.
Scroll down for:
New patio!!!
We want to be here for your Thanksgiving.
Deli, meat and cheese news and recipes.
How to get the most out of your Remember When Milk.
If you've been by in the past day or so, you've likely noticed that the front patio is looking mighty fine! It's in a non-complete, but still pleasant state and is open for use by you! We'll be tweaking it a bit further over the next week, but it is largely ready for you to relax on. JUst so you know, ultimately, the parking lot will meet up smoothly with the ramp that leads into the store and onto the patio. But, that step is a little further down the road. That's why we have so many edges and ledges right now. Please be careful when traversing the patio in its incomplete form. We'll have the patio open as is through Thanksgiving. After that, we will close it for a couple of days for demolition of the overhang. Then we'll partially open it up as they complete work on the overhang. We'll be awning-less for the time being as we complete the rest of the work on the patio and front facade of the store.
People have been enjoying the new entrance doors and I'm so glad of that. You have all been adapting so well to the changes! Thank you for that! We'll have several more parking spots opened up by the end of next week, so look for that along the east side of the parking lot. IMPORTANT NOTE: There will be no path around the building for the foreseeable future. The main entrance and exits are the only ones that will safely get you to and from the store.
When shopping the new temporary store flow, please don't forget your old friends the produce, dairy and vitamins and supplements departments! They no longer get to see you first thing upon entering and they miss you!
Wheatsville is your comfortable Thanksgiving supply station!
It's getting to be Thanksgiving time and hopefully, you are preparing for a nice meal with friends and family. Wheatsville would like to be your grocer of choice around Thanksgiving! We can be a comfortable and calm shopping experience for the number one food holiday of the year! We've got amazing deals in all parts of the store to help you have a wholesome and affordable Thanksgiving. Check out the latest issue of the Breeze (available on-line if you didn't get a printed copy) for an article about Thanksgiving on a budget! Look here for a pdf of our Co-op Advantage flyer highlighting many of our Thanksgiving deals and also featuring some nice holiday recipes, too! http://wheatsville.coop/CAP%20flyers/SW1108.pdf
Now, here's Dana in the deli and her friendly buyers!
The Wheatsville Deli is engaged in a full-on, fall frontal assault! The T-Day countdown has begun and we're getting into the swing of the season with a fabulous and complete array of homemade holiday fare for your Thanksgiving table!
We'll have creamy Garlic Chive Cheddar Cheese Balls and earthy Walnut Pecan P̢t̩ for your party spreads, as well as large containers of Cashew-Tamari Dressing for crudite dipping; hand-whipped Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with saut̩ed mushrooms and toasted walnuts, Roasted Fall Root Veggies starring potatoes, turnips and beets, fruit and honey-baked Festive Sweet Potatoes and a traditional yet vegan Cornbread Stuffing for your side dishes. We'll also be featuring flaky and vegan Rosemary Biscuits, veggie-packed Mushroom Gravy, and tart, gingery Cranberry Orange Relish Рmy favorite Рto go with your turkey. Leek-Roasted Carrots and Tempeh will be available as a hearty vegan main course unto itself, or a delicious side dish for your table. And as always, our bakery will provide an assortment of delicious pies for your decadent holiday dessert: Pumpkin, Pecan, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Coconut Cream and more!
Thanksgiving Sampler this weekend!
Saturday shoppers are in luck! We will be sampling our holiday creations so that you can get a lil' taste of what we will be offering for your Thanksgiving dinner in advance. Come by on Saturday, November 15th, between 12 pm - 4 pm and sample some items from our tasty holiday menu. You can also pre-order bakery pies from November 1st through the 15th. During the pre-holiday weeks, we will be offering plenty of pies and side dishes in the self serve case for you to purchase, but if you have your heart set on a particular pie, you might want to order that ahead of time. We know how important dessert is and would hate for you to miss out on your favorite! Special added treat: Dana will also be sampling out Tofurkey Holiday Roasts. If you've never tried it, now is your chance. We have a limited amount of Tofurky to sample, so come early. It's while supplies last!
Pick up a menu and order form at the Deli or Member Center, and give our Deli a call with orders or questions at 478-1164. We look forward to cooking for you and yours! Happy Holidays!
November is here and the weather has finally cooled off!
So come on into the Wheatsville Deli and warm up your chilly bones with a steaming cup of our creamy, dreamy African Peanut Soup, topped with freshly sliced green onions, or maybe your first Frito Pie of the season – our award-winning tempeh chili spooned over crispy, crunchy corn chips, and topped with your choices of cheese and veggies! Both of our Fresh in the Deli dishes for November have become staff and customer favorites in no time: the Kale Salad is a sweet and sour combination of chewy sun-dried tomatoes and tangy balsamic vinegar, and the Wild Rice with Apricots is a seasonal giant with almonds, celery, dried cranberries and apricots sharing the stage with nutty, organic wild rice. Alongside these items, today we have our Paprika-Rubbed Grilled Yellowfin Tuna Steaks, All-Natural Lil' Cheddar Meatloaf Muffins, Tomato-Braised Tofu, Curry Lime Chicken Salad and Crispy Fish Cakes, so come on in and pick something up! And be sure to try November's Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for a real holiday treat!
Last E-mail I talked about some local products from P/2 farms and Pasta and Company. I want to continue and talk about a few other products from local vendors.
Pure Luck Farms is a local herb farm and dairy located on Barton Creek in Dripping Springs. Started by Sara and Denny Bolton, they specialize in handmade artisan goat cheeses and culinary herbs. We carry a variety of their cheeses and cheese spreads. We currently carry four varieties of their chevre: plain molded, herb, Anaheim
Water Oak farms is a goat dairy nestled in the south end of Robertson County
From Bryan in the Meat Department:
Hey folks I hope you are all getting ready for Thanksgiving, we sure are. Just a reminder you still have till the 15th to order a Natural or Organic Turkey in order to get the 15% discount. After that you can still reserve a turkey but you won't be eligible for the discount. Also a heads-up if you're interested in a Christmas turkey you might be thinking about it now. We will have pre orders for turkeys from December 1st-13th.
Lots of folks have been pretty disappointed that we don't have local turkeys this year. I tried to contact some local producers for turkeys but none really had much to offer. As one vendor put it "raising turkeys can be a gamble". Particularly with the jump in grain prices this year that left little room for profit. Things for next year look very good. Our friends at Dewberry Hills farm or maybe Alexander farm should be a good source for local turkeys next year. The farmers markets are still the best place to find local, you might find your self lucky. Frankly, the only down side to Grateful harvest turkeys is that they aren't local. The turkeys are very high quality and sure to please the most discriminating critic.
Be sure to take advantage of our great member coupons this month. We have two items for breakfast, Pederson's Breakfast Sausage in 1lb package reg. $5.29 now get 30 cents off with member coupon. Pederson's uncured Apple smoked bacon reg. $7.39ea now get 30 cents off with member coupon. Both of these are real pleasers, so stock up for your Thanksgiving recipes.
Lastly a coupon I'm really proud to offer, 50 cents off all sustainable seafood. This is my way of thanking all my great customers for supporting something I really care about. This coupon covers all the fresh pack seafood options; Black Cod, Sockeye Salmon, Coho Salmon, Mahi-Mahi, Ruby trout, smoked salmon, Arctic Cod, and our organic 31/35 shrimp. Enjoy!
Rush Hour Recipes
Every month we'll feature a new entree recipe (featuring a mix of vegetarian, non-vegetarian and vegan options) at the Deli Counter and on our website. We will keep an archive of recipe cards at the member center as well, so that you can pick one up and use it for your dinner shopping. You can even use these recipes to build your own recipe book. These recipes come from various co-ops all over the States, which is pretty cool. Plus they have been kitchen tested so you trust them to turn out right. Increase your kitchen repertoire with these quick, easy, fresh, entree recipes. Follow this link to see the Rush Hour Recipes: http://wheatsville.coop/recipeindex.html .
TIPS TO GET THE BEST OUT OF REMEMBER WHEN DAIRY MILK
Dear Wheatsville shoppers,
We're very proud to offer milk from Remember When Dairy. It has been a long-term goal of the co-op to offer grass-fed, non-homogenized, low-temperature pasteurized milk. This is milk like none other you have likely had, and with a little care on your part, it can be the best you've ever had.
KEEP IT COLD
Because this milk is low-temperature pasteurized and non-homogenized, it should be kept as cold as possible. It should be one of the last items (along with other dairy products) that you grab from shelves before going to the register. Keep your refrigerator as cold as possible (between 32 degrees and 42 degrees) and try not to store this milk in your refrigerator door.
SHAKE IT UP
The layer of milk fat you may see at the top of the container is normal and natural for nonhomogenized milk. Milk is basically a combination of water and fat. Homogenization mechanically changes the fat molecules so they are all the same size and float equally throughout the milk. Mark Ganske, owner of Remember When Dairy, suggests that you pour out about a cup of the milk or cream to give yourself room in the jug and then shake it up. Or you could use the cream in your coffee.
HOW LONG SHOULD THIS MILK LAST?
Remember When gets their milk and milk products to Wheatsville about three days after the cows are milked each week. Remember When is using low-temperature pasteurization which gives the milk a roughly two-week sell-by date. After you open a container of milk, it should be good for about one week, according to the National Dairy Council.
MY MILK IS FROZEN, IS IT OK?
Though many of us at Wheatsville love this product, this milk may not be for everyone. If you are not satisfied with Remember When milk, we'll gladly allow you to exchange it for one of our other milk brands, regardless of the price.
Thank you,
Mike Crissey
Your Refrigerated Food Buyer
I hope that you all have a fantastic week!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!
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