Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Spring is most awesome and delicious!

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans! Thank you for making last week our second best week ever, sales-wise! It was also the week with our most customer transactions ever, which means more peope are coming in to the co-op for the first time or coming in more frequently! Your positive word of mouth, blogposts, Facebook references to Wheatsville and your Yelp-ing all help us to achieve financial success and be a lively and exciting place! THANK YOU  THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Scroll on down for:
Cheese and vegan cheese
Grill up the humanely raised beef and pork and more!
Fruits and vegetables rule!
Nom nom the deli!
Surimi Salad recipe
Asparagus is delish and a video link

Cheese Island welcomes  you!
Well it look like Daiya vegan cheese is  a hit. I have heard nothing but positive feedback about this product. I am glad you we bring this product to you as we are the only people in town that carry daiya. Woop woop!!
 
We still have a few sales going on for you. I have a few blocks of cheddar that were discounted to me so I am going to keep the sale on the Boars Head mild print cheddar on sale for $3.99/lb until those blocks are gone then it will be return to $4.99/lb.  I also have the Organic Valley Sliced Cheeses on sale for  $3.99 each, regularly $4.99. Also,  the Neufchatel and Cream Cheese in an 8oz tub are on sale for $2.29 each, regularly $2.89 each. The Organic Valley  4 oz. Bleu Cheese Crumbles are on sale for $3.49 each, regularly $4.89. And the Organic Valley  4 oz. Shredded Parmesan is on sale for $3.49 each, regularly $4.29 each.
 
Oh and I cut the last wheel of the discounted Argentine Parmesan and after it is gone  the sale price of $6.99/lb will go back to the regular price  of  $8.99/lb. Greg Flores, Cheese Buyer
 
Words from Bryan, Wheatsville's butcher!

Hello, I hope everyone is loving the weather as much as I am. For me it's all about the grill, and we have lots of options to keep the grill and your belly full. Like….

Niman Ranch beef N.Y. Strip on sale for $16.99 lb regular price of $18.99 lb. NY strips are a top pick for the grill. You really can't go wrong.

Niman Ranch Bratwurst on sale for $5.49 ea regular $5.99 ea. Great tasting Brat goes great on a bun smothered is sauted onions and your favorite mustard. Or plain by it's self always works in a pinch.

Organic Prairie ground meat chubs: (Turkey & chicken) $5.29 reg. $6.99 (beef) $5.69 reg. $6.99. Make your favorite burger an organic burger!

Niman Ranch Pulled Pork-$8.49 16oz package, regular price $8.79. Quick and easy BBQ that took you hours to ma… not really its microwavable.

Surimi (imitation crabmeat) $4.99 lb regular $5.99 lb. Make the classic imitation crab salad- scroll down for the recipe! (Dan's dad and sister LOVE this!)

Look out for new items hitting the quick to fix case next to the seafood. Chicken kabobs made with Buddy's chicken and marinated in the Deli's Cilantro Lime dressing. Easy to grill cooking for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat will yeild a tasty dinner. Bacon Cheese burger Patty made with local beef will be in the case this weekend come in a pick some up.

Produce loves you
Cut Fruit is a Go!
We've been working on getting this program started for sometime, and we excited to announce that it has begun! We are offering mixed berry cups, and mixed melon cups currently, and will be offering cut, ready to eat pineapple within the next week. These cups are located in the salad cooler with the herbs and greens, and are ready to eat!

Local Strawberries
This week, we got in our first order of local strawberries from Oak Hill Farms in Poteet, Texas. They are dark red, sweet and pesticide free, although not certified organic. They are in the front cooler near the other berries, give'em a try.

Owner Specials
This month we are offering all three Wholly Guacamole varieties on sale (located under the cut fruit cups!) as well as Debbie Meyer's Re-usable Produce Green Bags. The green bags are really helpful in keeping produce fresher longer in your fridge, and the pre-pack guacs are the best I've tasted.

Grillables
We've got some awesome produce for grillin' in our department. If you need a  few items for those who don't do the meat, check out our organic portobello caps, organic eggplants, organic zucchini and yellow squash, and organic fennel. To grill most veggies, cut them to your desired size and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill until fork tender! Great as sides or mains, grilled veggies are a welcome addition to all BBQs.


April brings fabulous new springtime recipes for your Wheatsville Deli!
This week we are featuring two stellar Fresh in the Deli recipes that other co-ops have graciously shared with us! From the Sno-Isle Natural Foods Co-op in Everett, Washington, comes the stunning Puget Sound Artichoke Salad! We combine artichoke hearts with multicolored bell peppers, red onions, fresh kale and toss with salty kalamata olives and feta cheese! Dressed with a garlicky white wine vinaigrette, this gorgeous salad is a seasonal standout! On its own, spooned over salad greens, or slathered on a mozzarella sandwich, this salad is a definite winner.
Likewise, the spring-fresh Asparagus Potato Salad from Lakewinds Natural Foods in Minnesota is a beautifully assembled alternative to ordinary potato salad! Creamy Yukon Gold potatoes, blanched asparagus, carrots, green onions and cherry tomatoes are tossed in a honey-mustard-miso dressing!
Wow! The spicy and gorgeous Sweet Serrano, our new Salsa of the Month for April, has been selling out! A beautiful mix of orange, red and green, this tasty salsa blends peppers, peaches, red onions, fresh tomatoes and cilantro! Eat it with chips or spoon it over grilled fish or pork!
Our Smoothie of the Month also features peaches, but goes for the Cobbler effect, blending frozen peaches with a little cinnamon, vanilla and almond butter! This comfortingly cold, thick drink is "Just Peachy!"

April's Owner Specials in the Wheatsville Deli include our delicious Garden Bagel, your choice of any toasted Rock Star bagel spread with cream cheese and topped with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions, $3.49, reg. $3.99! Also on sale for owners is our classic Organic Iced Black Tea, $1.29, reg. $1.69! For you Mate lovers, our beloved Iced Yerba Mate is also back for the season! And in our self-serve case you will find the warm weather return of our cold, spicy Tomato Gazpacho Soup, 16 fl oz containers on sale for $3.25, reg. $3.75!
Also on sale at the Deli Counter are Boar's Head Honey Maple Ham at $8.49/lb, reg. $8.99 and Smoked Provolone, $4.99/lb, reg. $5.99!
Come on in and try something new!

Now is the time to be eating Asparagus
Nothing says "Spring!" quite like asparagus. We serve it in several dishes in the deli, but it's also easy to cook at home. Asparagus is low in calories, contains no cholesterol and is very low in sodium. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium. The amino acid asparagine gets its name from asparagus, the asparagus plant being rich in this compound. (This is from wikipedia, but I STILL think it's true!)

I made a video for youtube a couple of years ago about a quick and simple way of preparing Asparagus- if you're new to this great veggi, allow me to invite you to take a peek at this silly thing. If  you want a stronger flavor, you can roll your asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake it at 425 for 10-15 minutes until soft or grill it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djCfwniLecE

Surimi Salad         Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
    * 1/2 pound imitation crab (surimi - see Note), chopped and shredded
    * 1/2 cup finely-chopped sweet onion
    * 1/4 cup finely-chopped celery
    * 1/4 cup finely-chopped dill pickle
    * 1 Tablespoon sweet pickle relish
    * 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
    * 1/8 teaspoon white pepper or to taste
    * 1/4 cup mayonnaise or to taste
    * 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
    * 1 Tablespoon chopped chives
Preparation:
Toss imitation crab (surimi), sweet onion, celery, dill pickle, sweet pickle relish, dill weed, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, and chives until combined. Chill.

I hope that you all have an incredible week!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy