The plan for Thanksgiving! Have a great one.

Hi folks!

I wanted to get together an e-mail that would help you in planning your Thanksgiving. This e-mail is a little long, but is THE definitive list of what we've got for your Thanksgiving meal. It includes specials, special prices and recipes, too. I hope that you find it useful as you plan your shopping trip.

Whatever your plans, I hope that you have an incredible Thanksgiving filled with friends, family and thanks.

We THANK YOU for your incredible support in our first few months in the newly renovated store and we look forward to many more Thanksgivings with you!

Remember, we will have complementary valet parking on Wednesday from 10am-9pm. I definitely recommend that you consider taking advantage of this first ever service at the co-op.

In order to help make your Thanksgiving shopping EVEN easier, we've assembled some of the most sough after Thanksgiving items in a refrigerated case right at the front of the store in produce. Look for: Celery, local Green Beans, fresh seasonal herbs, fresh cranberries, the deli's classic and vegan pumpkin pies, Natural by Nature Whipped Cream in a can, Soy-a-too soy whipped topping, farmhouse cage-free eggs and Organic Valley Butter, Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, Organic Valley heavy whipping cream, and Organic Valley half and half.

Scroll down for:
The deli=yummy Thanksgiving
The Meat department is Organic Turkey central!
Bulk makes Thanksgiving affordable
Produce is seasonal and delicious
Thanksgiving on Cheese Island
A whole pile of recipes! How to cook a turkey, fancy and simple; Artichoke and Salami Salad; Salmon Spread; Asparagus wrapped in crisp prosciutto; Scotch Eggs; Rutabaga Puree and Roasted Cauliflower. ENJOY!

The deli rocks Thanksgiving so you don't have to!
It's that time again! Your newly expanded Wheatsville Deli is now more than ever ready to make your Thanksgiving a roaring success with a complete, delicious meal for you and yours! With our new, larger space, we have the opportunity to cook up even more goodies for your holiday table this year.  So go ahead and start your T-Day countdown! By letting the Wheatsville Deli do all the cooking, you can have a full meal that is honestly homemade without spending hours in the kitchen!
 
Leek-Roasted Carrots and Tempeh makes a hearty vegan main course unto itself, or can simply be a delicious side dish for your table. On the side, as always, we will have a bountiful selection of seasonal dishes for you: hand-creamed vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with sautéed mushrooms and toasted walnuts, the hearty Roasted Fall Root Veggies, fruit and honey-baked Festive Sweet Potatoes and our best-selling vegan Cornbread Dressing. In addition to all of our classics, this year we'll have a traditional, savory Bread Stuffing made with our in-house sausage and even more tasty treats for your family and friends to enjoy! We'll also be featuring six-packs of flaky vegan Rosemary Biscuits, as well as our fresh-baked La Brea Bakery whole wheat dinner rolls. Our ever-popular, veggie-packed vegan Mushroom Gravy will also be on the menu alongside tart, gingery Cranberry Orange Relish – my favorite! – to go with your turkey or Tofurkey! We will be putting together sides for a family of four as well, available in our self-serve area. Just swing by, grab a bag of goodies and go!
 
And of course everyone knows what comes next – dessert! Your Wheatsville Bakery will be whipping up a delectable assortment of seasonal pies for your holiday dessert table: Pumpkin, Pecan, Coconut Cream and more, all homemade and fresh for you! With some organic vanilla ice cream, or vegan whipped cream, your meal will be complete!

The  Co-op Advantage for Thanksgiving-Niki Nash, Wheatsville Merchandising Manager
 
This Thanksgiving we've tried harder than ever to get the best deals on the packaged products you want to buy. As always, look for the bright yellow signs around the store that call attention to our great monthly discounts. In November and December we have the most specials of the year, so stock up now for your holiday needs and your basic staples. And since we're in a new store this year, stop by the Hospitality Desk by the front door for an aisle by aisle list of all the Thanksgiving essentials.
 
Here's a quick list of some of the most awesome deals that you can take advantage of for your feasting, (and all sale prices are good until the end of the month!)
 
In the Grocery aisles:
Arrowhead Mills Organic Herb Stuffing or Cornbread Stuffing Mix $2.29
Arrowhead Mills Organic Graham Cracker Pie Crust $2.29
Farmer's Market Organic Canned Pumpkin or Canned Pumpkin Pie Mix $1.69
Grown Right Organic Cranberry Sauce or Jelly $1.79
Imagine Meat or Meatless Organic Broth $2.49
Imagine Meat or Meatless Organic Stock $2.69
Imagine Turkey or Beef Gravy $1.69
Native Forest Organic Canned Fruit $2.29
Rapunzel Organic Corn Starch $2.29
Santini Sweetened Condensed Milk $1.79
Santini Evaporated Milk $1.19
Simply Organic Gravy Mix $.99
Spectrum 32oz Refined Canola Oil $4.99
Spectrum Organic, Non-hydrogenated Shortening $4.69
Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Dark or Light Brown Sugar $3.69
Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Powdered Sugar $2.99
And I've said it several times but it bears repeating…we have the Dandies VEGAN MARSHMALLOWS!!!!
And yes we even have Karo Syrup, those little Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, French's Fried Onions & Campbell's Cream of  Mushroom Soup for your convenience!
 
In the Dairy cooler:
Jumbo Giant 45 oz Earth Balance Buttery Spread $7.99
Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Shortening Cubes $3.49
Nancy's Organic Sour Cream $1.39
Organic Valley Organic Salted or Unsalted Butter $4.49
Organic Valley 8 oz Heavy Whipping Cream $1.69
Soyatoo Canned Organic Soy or Rice Whip $4.49
 
In the Freezers:
Alden's Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream $4.49
Cascadian Farms Organic 10 oz Petite Peas $1.99
Quorn Turkey Style Roast $4.99
Stahlbush Farms Cranberries $2.69
Stuffed Tofurky Roast $8.49- by FAR the best price in town!
Tofurky Giblet Gravy $3.49
Tofurky Vegetarian Feast $16.99
Tru Whip Natural Dessert topping $2.99
Wholly Wholesome Organic Pie Shells-Pack of 2 Whole Wheat, Traditional or Spelt $2.99
 
From Bryan in the Meat department aka Turkey central!
Hooray, Thanksgiving. This is a time for feasts with friends and family. You know Wheatsville has got you covered, no matter what your preference. Do you have a diverse crowd coming to celebrate this year? Wheatsville can be you one stop shopping this year, no exceptions! Our pals in the frozen department have the Vegans covered with lots of Tofurkeys, and celebration roasts. Over in produce you have all the great fresh local veggies you need. Of course the deli has you covered if this is the year you want to kick back and let someone else do the cooking. So what about the meat department? Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and dive in head first? Try these recipes out…

Check out these specials:
Organic Prairie organic turkey 10 lb -14 lb $2.99 lb! (Allow 48 hours for thawing of your turkey)

Niman Ranch smoked spiral cut hams w/glaze packet $6.99 lb! (Fully cooked just heat with included glazing packet for a great certified humane center piece) Heating directions are on the package.

Niman Ranch smoked boneless pit style hams $8.49 lb! (Small and quick to prepare for a variety of proteins at the dinner table, or maybe day after breakfast…)

That's the standard fare but what can you do for extra snacks and sides?

Niman Ranch BBQ pulled pork makes a great quick easy dinner and a great snack before Thanksgiving Day. I know that I do not really want to cook dinner the night before. The pulled pork is fully cooked and ready to eat, and at $8.49 for a full pound it's a great deal too.

Niman salamis make a great tasty snack, or mixed into a cold salad. You can pick-up either Niman plain for $6.99 or the herbed for $7.49. We also have pre sliced Applegate farms organic Genoa salami for $6.99. Also a nice black pepper salami from our friends at Boarshead $6.29.

Bulk makes your Thanksgiving great AND affordable!

The Wheatsville Bulk foods department is ready to help you create your best Thanksgiving offerings. No, neither Allen, Riley nor Konchok are going to show up at your home to help in the kitchen, but at the store, they have in stock the following super high quality holiday foods. The following are promotional prices:

Organic sugar-$.99/lb
shredded coconut-$2.99/lb
Organic dark chocolate chips-$6.49
dried conv cranberries- $3.99/lb
Organic Thompson raisins-$2.49/lb
whole raw cashews-$7.49/lb,
Organic calif almonds-$5.99/lb
Organic brown rice; short and long-1.29/lb,
Organic green lentils-1.39/lb
Organic black beans 1.39/lb

We also have candies on sale and we have several other tree nuts on sale as well, like pecans, brazils, filberts and a salted mix. Please come in and take a look.
The bulk coffee on promotion this month is the Equal Exchange Breakfast Blend medium roast, which in my opinion one of the best tasting coffee we have. Not very dark and yet it has a full rich flavor. It's smooth texture and delicious flavor will be great for after a meal or a morning pick-me-up.
Thank you for making the Wheatsville bulk foods department the best Bulk foods department in Austin.
 
From Johnny in Produce
Organic and Local
If your goal is to have an organic Thanksgiving, then your produce department is a great place to start for sides and staples. We got you covered. Organic onions, garlic, yams, celery, parsley, herbs, potatoes, root vegetables, apples and pears, leafy greens, squash, brussels sprouts, carrots, and much much more. We also have some wonderful local green beans from J&B Farms in Hondo, Texas, as well as gorgeous kakai pumpkins from Elgin. We will have plenty of celery and other staples so come on in!

Giving Thanks
It is easy to get carried away with the business of the Holiday Season and all the prep work it takes to pull off a Thanksgiving here at Wheatsville, so I'd like to take a second and give thanks. First off, I'd like to give a big thank you to the produce department staff for being so flexible during the expansion project and beyond. There has been a ton of changes over the past year and they have done a great job adapting to our new department and increased business. Thank you! Secondly, I'd personally like to thank all the other managers here at the store that also rolled with the many punches and cooperated to make our project a success. Lastly, I have to thank the thousands of owners of the co-op that have made everything possible and have supported us during our transition. It is your co-op and I hope that you are as thankful for it as we are. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and celebrate it safely and full of light and love!

Cheese Island Thanksgiving
We have a few sales going on for this holiday season.  Romanian Feta is on sale for  6.99/lb, regularly 7.99/lb. Drunken Goat is on sale for 16.29/lb, regularly 19.29/lb. Goat Gouda is on sale for 13.99/lb, regularly 15.99. Smoked Gouda is on sale for  7.99/lb, regularly 9.29/lb.
 
We have a wonderful selection of cheeses that will make your thanksgiving meal that much  more festive. What would make those mashed potatoes extraordinary? Cut the rind off a hunk of brie and mix the gooey insides with those mashed 'tators. Or how about Cabot Private Stock, Gouda and Reggiano Parmigiano for a great 3 cheese macaroni. Also we have a variety of cheese for that pre thanksgiving feast snacking. Why not present your guests with a  cheese plate made up cheese from our wonderful selection? Need help with selecting cheeses? No problem Whitney or I would love to help you with you selection.
 
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!
 
Lots of varied recipes!

Alton Brown's Turkey recipe plus some links to simple Roast turkey recipes
This is Alton Brown's recipe, it's elaborate but it works great. Your prep should be started Monday or Tuesday. Get inspired! (For a simpler turkey recipe scroll through to the end of this recipe for some links.)

Ingredients
·       1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

·       1 cup kosher salt
·       1/2 cup light brown sugar
·       1 gallon vegetable stock
·       1 tablespoon black peppercorns
·       1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
·       1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
·       1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

·       1 red apple, sliced
·       1/2 onion, sliced
·       1 cinnamon stick
·       1 cup water
·       4 sprigs rosemary
·       6 leaves sage
·       Canola oil

Directions
2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Epicurious Simple Roast Turkey with Rich Turkey Gravy
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/SIMPLE-ROAST-TURKEY-WITH-RICH-TURKEY-GRAVY-236409
Simple Roasted Turkey like Grandma used to make
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/a-simply-perfect-roast-turkey/Detail.aspx
Real Simple Roast Turkey
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/basic-roast-turkey-10000001549022

Try this recipe for salami:

Artichoke and Salami Salad
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounces salami, cut into thin strips
1 cup roasted sweet red pepper strips, drained
1 jar (7-1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
In a large salad bowl, combine the macaroni, mozzarella, tomatoes, salami, red peppers, artichokes and olives. Add the dressing, basil and pepper; toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Toss before serving. Yield: 8 servings

Did you know wild Alaskan salmon is now on the "super green" list?  You can enjoy the finest Alaskan wild caught sockeye salmon at Wheatsville for $32.79 lb. Great choice for snacking, with bagels or made into a great spread.

Salmon Spread
Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
4 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons capers, plus
1 tablespoon caper juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons dried chives
2 tablespoons dried dill weed

Serve on crackers or bread

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, caper juice, lemon juice, chives, and dill weed until well blended. Cover, and chill for 1 hour. Serve with buttery crackers.

What about a classic hors d'oeuvre, asparagus with prosciutto? These are simple and elegant, and a crowd pleaser.

Asparagus wrapped in crisp prosciutto

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed
16 slices prosciutto

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with olive oil.
2. Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear, starting at the bottom, and spiraling up to the tip. Place the wrapped spears on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove, and shake the pan back and forth to roll the spears over. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender, and prosciutto is crisp. Serve immediately.

I can't forget about our fresh made sausages! They're very versatile and useful in the kitchen. Try the Italian or the breakfast sausage mixed with your dressing for the best stuffing you've ever had. The breakfast is also for great for, breakfast! Pick up all flavors of our in store made sausages for the special price of $7.49 lb this month.

Scotch Eggs (4 servings)

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 tablespoon fresh parsley -- chopped
1 tablespoon grated onion
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 hard-cooked eggs -- shelled
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
Combine sausage, parsley, onion, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well. Divide sausage mixture into 4 portions; shape into patties. Place one egg atop each patty, shaping the sausage mixture around egg till completely covered. Roll each sausage-covered egg in breadcrumbs. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Produce Recipes
Here are a few recipes for some sides that will break from the normal fare on your table.

Rutabaga Puree
2 lbs rutabaga (about three)
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup heavy cream (or soymilk)
1/2 stick of butter (or earth balance buttery sticks)
3 cups chicken stock, broth (or imagine no chicken chicken stock)
salt and pepper to taste

Peel rutabaga and cut into one inch chunks. Heat stock and add chunks when it boils. Heat cream over medium low heat, add garlic, thyme and bay. Let simmer as rutabaga cooks. Cook rutabagas until fork tender, about eight minutes. Add chunks to blender of food processor. Strain cream into a measuring cup. Add butter to the blender and slowly pulse the chunks making additions of cream until the puree is the consistency you want, season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Cauliflower
2 heads of cauliflower
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs minced shallot
1 tbsp capers, minced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
a few sprigs of parsley, chopped
1 tbsp red wine or white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350º. Cut cauliflower into florets and toss with half of the olive oil to coat. Arrange cauliflower on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Place in hot oven, roast until golden and tender, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a good sized skillet. Add shallots and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add red bell peppers and saute until tender. Add capers, and garlic, cook for about 2 minutes. When the cauliflower is fork tender and golden place it in a large mixing bowl. Add sauteed aromatics, parsley and vinegar. Toss. Salt and pepper to taste. 

I hope you have a great week!

Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy