Thursday, February 17, 2011

Spring into Wheatsville, eat a local carrot and Peruvian ceviche recipe!

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!

It's Wheatsville's Park Day!

Once again this year, we are proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Austin Parks Foundation's It's My Park! Day on Saturday March 5th!. It's My Park Day is a citywide volunteer event to improve Austin's parks and green spaces.

Projects, led by neighborhood groups, individuals, and organizations, range from simple pruning and painting to highly technical drainage control improvements. Some groups include live music, an educational component, a picnic, or other activities. Meet your neighbors and make a difference!

Some awesome Wheatsville staff are volunteering to plant trees and Zilker park and YOU can help! We need 124 more volunteers to make this a huge success. Sign up here: http://s.coop/eg2

 

Honk! If you love community bands and Wheatsville!

We are also very proud to be the Grand Marshall sponsor of Honk! TX March 11-13.

HONK!TX is a different kind of festival that will present music to Austin in an unprecedented fashion. Twenty community street bands will participate in transforming everyday locations into organic stages where the line between crowd and performers dissolves. HONK!TX's unique format will demonstrate the potential for creative use of our public spaces without the need for amplification or artificial stages. We're especially pleased because our neighborhood and Adams Park is one of the key venues! Join us on Saturday from 11-7 in Adams Park and down Guadalupe for the fun! http://honktx.org/

 

Start your garden now!

We are proud to offer a new seed company here at Wheatsville. Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit that saves and shares heirloom seeds forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations. We carry organic and heirloom seeds for a variety of plants for your garden! We are also including some signs in the department to help you figure out what to plant when. Learn more about Seed Savers here:http://www.seedsavers.org/

 
 

Scroll down for:

Wheatsville Kombucha!

Green Grocer

New Deli dishes and remember, we do catering.

Gouda news

Meet our sustainable seafood with a Peruvian Ceviche Recipe

Hot New Ancient Grain!

Harpoon!

Save some dough at the co+op.

 

New Wheatsville exclusive!

For all you Kombucha fans out there I would like to introduce wheatsville's own exclusive flavor from the brew masters at Kosmic Kombucha. "Wheatsville's Pear of the Dog" is a prickly pear Mexican martini flavor that was named and flavor tested by the staff here. With its beautiful dark pink color and refreshing flavor it is quickly becoming a staff favorite and we hope that you all enjoy it too. It is found in the beverage cooler between bulk and produce and is priced at $14.99 for a 64oz glass jug.

From your Green Grocer

 

I hope you had a great Valentine's day!  We started a new relationship with a Fair Trade rose distributor this year and it was a big success.  We will bring more in for Mother's day this May.  One of the things that I love so much about working for the co-op is the ability to support businesses that have principles that are aligned with ours.  Paying fair wages and providing safe working conditions to the people who grow our food and make the products we buy is the right thing to do, even more so on holidays when we honor the people we love.

 

We've got some great local products this week. The Hydroponic Green Butter Lettuce from Amador Farms in Dripping Springs is fantastic.  One great thing about hydroponic agriculture, in addition to being extremely water efficient, is the level of consistency and quality possible.  Due to tightly controlled growing conditions, you can be assured that size, flavor, and texture will be consistent all year round.  The butter lettuce from Amador is tender, delicious, and fresher than anything imported from California. $2.49 each.

 

If you remember a couple weeks back, we had some terrific bunched carrots from Johnson's Backyard Garden, located in Southeast Austin.  This week, we're happy to offer 1 pound bags of organic loose carrots for $2.99 each. That is a bit more expensive than what you're used to paying for loose carrots.  The difference in price (and value) is freshness.  Typically, loose carrots are harvested en masse, bagged, and stored for weeks at a time.  While modern produce storage systems do a good job of retaining the nutritional value and flavor of food, nothing can compare to the freshly picked product.  One of the best things about locally grown agriculture is incomparable freshness.  We'll be sampling these carrots heavily, and I know we'll change your mind about carrots.  Seriously, these have to be tasted to be believed.

 

On the seasonal side, we just took delivery of some beautiful and delicious Organic English Shelling Peas from Mexico.  They're great eaten right out of the shell, but also make a great addition to soups and stir-fry.  Pick up a handful and try them on a salad. $3.49/lb.

New Dishes and New Owner Specials from your Deli!

New Deli Item Alert! That's right Wheatsvillagers, the Breakfast Sandwich has arrived! For just $2.99, you can get a heapin' helping of scrambled eggs and two fat slices of white Cheddar cheese on a tasty, toasted ciabatta! From this base, add-on whatever extras you like, from bacon and ham to tomatoes and avocadoes. Our breakfast sandwich can be ordered during our regular breakfast service – from 7:30am to 11am Monday through Friday, and all the way til noon on weekends! Come on in and try one today!

As always, our bakery case is filled with sweet treats like our scones, muffins and cakes – treat your tongue to the new, wonderfully tart and buttery Lightning Lemon Corncake – and be sure to check out chompalicious classics like our chocolate and cherry Black Forest Cookies!

And the perfect accompaniment to your baked treat is just waiting for you at our Organic, Fair-Trade Espresso Bar! The Deli's staff-initiated Featured Coffee program kicks off with the introduction of the Chocolate Strawberry Mocha! This subtly sweet strawberry-chocolate concoction can be made with any sort of organic milk you like – cow, soy or rice!

One of our four current owner specials in the Deli is perfect for the warming weather – pretty in pink Nile Valley Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea, refreshing and lovely at just 99¢ a cup, reg. $1.69!

Want to eat and run, or get something sweet for your little one? Our Featured Smoothie is the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie! Strawberries and organic, fair-trade chocolate syrup are blended with bananas, your choice of milk and apple juice, making one delicious drink! Come on in and taste the love!

On sale for owners right now is our wonderful Italian Stallion signature sandwich – a Mediterranean mélange of fresh mozzarella, house-made pesto and fresh red bell peppers on toasty local Sweetish Hill ciabatta, for just $6.49, reg. $7.49!

Speaking of Pesto, our two Deli pestos are the other two Owner Specials for this period: Basil Pesto and Vegan Pesto, just $5.99, reg. $6.99 for an 8oz tub, are an easy and delicious pasta sauce, sandwich spread, caprese dressing, or addition to a simple veggie dish! Our pestos are a delicious way to usher in our upcoming springtime and currently warm weather!

Our Featured Salsa right now is the Ancho Bomb, a longtime winner with the smoky taste of ancho chiles melding with sweet roasted red bell peppers and fresh orange juice! It's a gorgeous sunset-red salsa that would be great spooned over simple chicken or fish, and tastes great on an order of our Deli's famous $1.99 Rice & Beans!

Also on sale at the Deli Counter are classic cold cuts: Boar's Head Turkey Pastrami at $9.49/lb, reg. $9.99 and Muenster Cheese, $4.99/lb, reg. $5.99! Come on in and try something new!

Meeting up with old friends or just wanna make some new ones? Take a look at our new, affordable Catering Menu, featuring a complete assortment of platters and trays ranging from Popcorn Tofu, Sliced Meats & Cheeses, Raw Veggies, Middle Eastern mezze, Bakery Bars and Cut Fruit, perfect for every occasion, and for any size gathering! Check out our website athttp://wheatsville.coop/catering.html and call us at the Deli to place your order: 512-478-1164!

Cheese Island

We have our Aged Gouda on sale for $17.59/lb, regularly $18.99/lb. Also Our Applewood Smoked Cheddar is on sale for $11.29/lb, regularly $14.99. If you have not tried either of the cheeses they are amazing! The Gouda is aged for two years and has a very caramel flavor and a smooth texture. It will pair well with apples. I would go with a tarter apple, such as a Pink Lady. The Applewood Smoked Cheddar is from England and it is cold smoked with Applewood. It makes an amazing grilled cheese. I usually make mine with bacon and tomatoes. We also have Boar's Head Vermont Cheddar on sale for $7.99/lb, regularly $8.99/lb.

 

From the world of meat

This week in the self serve case, we've got a new  item. Tanka Buffalo Hot Dogs on sale @$6.99 reg. $7.99. These dogs are gluten, nitrate, MSG, antibiotic and hormone free. This is a great alternative for beef and poultry franks. They even come six to pack, so you only have to buy one bag of buns.

One of the best offerings we have from the Sea Food Case is the Halibut we receive from Trollerpoint Fisheries. I really love dealing with the man that pulls the fish out of the water. This fish is great in many preparations and with many kinds of cooking techniques. But one of my favorite dishes is made even sweeter with this delectable fish.  Here is a recipe for a Peruvian Style Ceviche.

Peruvian Ceviche

The Peruvian cook cleans the fish and lets it soak in salt water for 10 minutes and then removes it and pats it dry.

1 lb fish fillets of Halibut
juice of three lemons
juice of three sour oranges or limes
one medium onion, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 hot pepper, chopped fine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander)

Cut fish into pieces and place on a platter. Place the thinly sliced onions on the fish. Then add the remaining ingredients, covering with the juices. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving. Serve on bed of lettuce

I like to add corn to my Seviche.

In the freezer we have brought back the Bastrop Cattle Co. Beef Bones for Pets @3.39/lbs. There is more variation in size, which allows more selection for smaller pets. As always we have several bone and organ options for pets and their humans. We have some great Beef bones for stock and soups, and when you can catch them we even have the occasional Lamb bone.

Speaking of Lamb, here is a simple lamb recipe for our Niman Ranch Lamb Shoulder Chops that also stays in the Peruvian theme of the previous recipe:

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

4 lamb shoulder chops

1/4 cup salad oil

1/4cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup coffee

1/4cup sour cream

1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese ( about 1 ounce)

 

Combine flour, salt and pepper and oregano; mix well.
Pound flour mixture into lamb.
Heat oil.
Add lamb and scallions and 
cook over medium heat, until lamb is browned on both sides.
Arrange lamb and scallions in a greased shallow casserole.
Combine coffee and sour cream; mix well.
Pour sour cream mixture over lamb.
Top with cheese.
Bake in a moderate oven (350°F) 30 minutes.

 
 

An Ancient Addition to the Bulk Department

Hi folks, I'd like to tell you a little bit about Organic Pearled Farro, a form of wheat that has just arrived in the bulk department.  Farro is an ancient grain, it was one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East, and it is often used in Italian cooking.  Farro is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and it contains twice the fiber and protein of common wheat.  It has a firm chewy texture when cooked, making it great for hearty soups, grain salads, and in Italian risotto-style dishes.

I'd also like to remind you that Organic Thompson Raisins are currently on Co-op Deals for just $1.99/lb reg $2.39, so it's a great time to stock up on this bulk favorite!

 

Beer!

Harpoon Wintry Mix 12 packs are on sale for just $15.99 regularly $17.99! The package contains Winter Warmer (a dark copper ale blended with cinnamon and nutmeg), UFO Hefeweizen (an American, unfiltered wheat beer), IPA (the flagship brand of the brewery), and Chocolate Stout (a brew with an abundance of chocolate malt and a touch of chocolate only available in this variety pack), Harpoon Munich Dark(a blend of dark malts that creates a malty chocolate-like flavor and a warm malty nose that mingles with the subtle hop aroma.) and Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale,( A blend of Pale, Caramel, and Munich malts creates a golden amber hue with malty, sweet notes up front.  A generous addition of Amarillo hops delivers a floral, citrusy hop character throughout and Apollo hops lend a hint of bitterness to the finish. ) Grab one today!

 

Come in and enjoy our newest Co+op Deals @ Wheatsville! – Brooks Wood, Wheatsville Co+op Deals Assistant

 

Mornings made easy! Cascadian Farm Organic Cereals now $2.99 reg. $4.99, Nature's Path Organic Instant Oatmeal now $2.49 reg. $2.99, Arrowhead Mills Pancake & Waffle Mix now $2.89reg. $3.89, Nature's Path Organic Waffles now $2.29 reg. $2.99, Greek Gods Greek Yogurt now $1.19 reg. $1.49, Nancy's Yogurt now $2.29 reg. $2.89, Rudi's Organic English Muffins now $2.59reg. $3.69, Westsoy Organic Non-Dairy Beverage now $1.99 reg. $2.69, Cascadian Farm Organic Fruit Spread now $2.29 reg. $3.49, Organic Thompson Raisins now $1.99/lb reg. $2.39/lb,Organic Oats now $0.89/lb reg. $0.99/lb, Tazo Tea now $2.79 reg. $3.99 and Luna Bars now $0.99 reg. $1.59.

Bionaturae Pasta is ready to make your meal memorable; now $1.99 reg. $2.89, Napa Valley Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil now $8.99 reg. $13.99, Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes now $2.29 reg. $2.99 and Eden Organic Beans now $1.39 reg. $1.99.

 

We're excited to introduce a new line of soups from a favorite brand, Pacific Natural Foods. Each new 17.6oz soup is now $1.99 reg. $2.69, Barbara's Crackers now $2.79 reg. $3.59 and Lundberg Farms Organic Brown Basmati Rice now $2.79 reg. $4.19.

 

Our Deals are easy to reference! Go to http://www.wheatsville.coop and click on the Co+op Deals link.

 

Owner Deals are packed with savings! – Brooks Wood, Wheatsville Co+op Deals Assistant

 

Our Deli is offering the Italian Stallion Sandwich now for $ 6.49 reg. $7.49, Hibiscus Mint Tea now $0.99 reg. $1.69 and our house made Basil Pesto & Vegan Pesto, each now $5.99 reg. $6.99.

 

Amy's Pocket Sandwiches are now $2.29 reg. $2.49, Annie Chun's Meal Starters now $2.89 reg. $3.59, Crown Prince Baby Clams Smoked in Olive Oil now $2.49 reg. $2.99, Emperor's Kitchen Organic Chopped or Pureed Garlic & Organic Pureed Ginger now $1.99 reg. $2.79 and Sushi Sonic Wasabi now $4.49 reg. $6.39.

 

Do you have a four legged friend at home? Well of course we're including them in our current sale! Newman's Own Organic Turkey & Vegetable Canned Cat Food now $1.19 reg. $1.39, Castor & Pollux Organix Chicken Cat Treats now $2.99 reg. $3.69, and for the dog in your life, we're offering Newman's Own Organic Adult Dog Formula now $15.99 reg. $19.99, Newman's Own Organic Dog Treats now $2.99 reg. $3.99, Castor & Pollux Good Buddy 4" Meaty Center Dog Bone now $3.29 reg. $3.99 and Castor & Pollux Mac & Cheese Dog Cookies now $3.79 reg. $4.59.

 

Our Owner Deals are easy to reference. Access them from our web site @ http://www.wheatsville.coop and click on the Owners link.

 

I hope you have a most excellent week!


Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy



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