Spring Celebration!

 

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans! Spring is here! Seasonal spring fruits and veggies like sweet strawberries and artichokes are starting to pop up, folks are planting their gardens with seeds & starts, and customers are filling their carts in anticipation of sharing spring celebrations with friends and family. For Passover  we have a great selection of traditional favorites and some hard-to-find items. Read more about our selection below. We also thought it would be nice to share a vegetarian Seder plate tip from a coop owner. She suggested commemorating the Passover sacrifice with a cooked beet (Pesahim 114b) in lieu of a lamb shank in order to keep the plate symbolically meaningful. We've also seen references to olives, grapes, and grains of unfermented barley. For Easter we've expanded our vegan and traditional chocolate treats too include S'jaack's handmade truffle boxes, vegan milk chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs and coconut nests. We've also made sure to have natural egg dye kits, white eggs, beeswax hand-carved egg candles and lots of naturally flavored jelly beans. Oh and quick tip on egg coloring: we suggest boiling your eggs the night before you're going to color them so that you and the eggs have a chance to cool off and rest. And yes, we're open regular hours, 7:30am-11pm, on Easter Sunday, April 8th. And whether you buy your eggs from us or harvest from your own backyard, make sure you stop by the 4th Annual Funky Chicken Coop Tours this Saturday, April 7th from 10am-4pm. You can take a self-guided tour of neighborhood chicken coops, get design ideas and learn more about raising chickens sustainably! Buy a map and tickets ahead of time or visit Buck Moore Feed and Supply, Funky Chicken Coop Tours HQ. And yes, Wheatsville is once again a proud sponsor of the tour! Scroll on down for: This week's One Big Thing ·         Celebrate! ·         Eating Seasonally ·         Feasting ·         Sustainable Seafood & Meat ·         Party Dips & Spreads ·         Herbs ·         Beer & Wine ·         New at Wheatsville! ·         Owner Deals ·         Co+op Deals ·         Ecology Action WHEATSVILLE'S ONE BIG THING Every week, Wheatsville staff picks the product we're most excited about right now! This weeks One Big Thing is Sumo Tangerines! Why do we love them? They're seasonal! They're extra juicy and delicious! They're seedless, easy to peel! Celebrate! Passover Passover 2012 begins this Friday at sunset and we have some unique items you may want to stock up on. Traditional Matzo crackers are available as well as Whole Wheat Matzo, Matzo made with organic flour, Mini Matzo and Gluten-Free Matzo. We also have a nice selection of treats such as Barton's Chocolate Seder Mints and Fruit Flavored Slices plus delicious Elite Chocolate Spread and Milk Chocolate Bars. Essentials such as Manischewitz Gefilte Fish , Horseradish Sauce and Matzo Meal are also featured. All items are Kosher for Passover and specially displayed at the front of the store. Not seeing a favorite? Let us know on the Wheatsville Wish List at the Hospitality Desk. Check out this website for some healthy Passover recipes and more. L'chaim y'all!   Easter Chocolate Easter Bunnies and natural egg dye? Yes please! The famously bushy-tailed bunny has dropped off a large load of delicious organic, fair-trade chocolates in bunny and egg shapes. We're especially excited about the S'jaaks Vegan Milk Chocolate Easter Baskets and Almond Butter filled Vegan Chocolate Bunnies! The chocolate Adventure Bunny is handcrafted by Longgrove Chocolates with a little pack on his back of jelly beans and S'jaaks Vegan Truffles are tucked in to an adorable "tree-free" box made by a woman's cooperative in Thailand. If chocolate isn't your thing we also have brightly colored Annie's Homegrown Fruity Bunnies and Surf Sweets' Jelly Beans made with certified organic fruit juices. And, by shopper request, we have a new item this year, Eco-Kids plant-based egg dye! All natural and Made in the USA! Eating Seasonally It's spring!  We are featuring two of our favorite spring vegetables this week: Organic Asparagus and Locally Grown Artichokes from Michael Ortiz in Brownsville.  Both would be great components to a delicious Easter brunch.  They're both easy to prepare and hard to mess up (general consensus is they're both best steamed with garlic butter or Annie's Green Goddess dressing),  great on the grill, and make a great compliment to an Easter ham.  We're big proponents of eating seasonally at Wheatsville.  Not only do you get to enjoy food that is picked at its peak of flavor and freshness, you get to also connect the changes of the seasons and what you eat with the cycles of life: springtime means the start of berry season, gorging on grilled asparagus and artichokes, spending cool nights outdoors, and cleaning up the barbeque for the summer season ahead. Soon we'll see more berries, peaches, plums, nectarines, watermelons, and corn on the cob.  Homemade ice cream and popsicles, agua fresca, watermelon seed spitting contests, running through the sprinkler.  Once the weather cools again, domestic apples and pears will return, along with pomegranates, persimmons, cranberries, citrus, baking pies and cookies, hot apple cider, giving thanks and gifts.  Awesome. Feasting This upcoming holiday weekend is shaping up to be a delectable one at the Wheatsville Deli. We'll start off on Good Friday April 6 with a sustainable and succulent Catfish Fry on our hot bar, loaded with scrumptious Southern Comfort dishes! We'll also feature a fantastic Easter Brunch hot bar on Easter Sunday April 8 with Holiday Ham in Apple Jus, Colcannon, Garlicky White Bean Cassoulet, Savory Frittata and lots more! So come in and visit our tasty holiday hot bars this weekend, available from 11am-8pm every day! We'll also have an abundance of fresh springtime salads and dishes in the cold cases for you as well, including Grilled Asparagus, Risotto Cakes, Creamy Saffron Pasta, sliced quiche and raw kale salads! Have a relaxing weekend with family and friends, and leave the cooking to us! Of course our bakery is getting in the holiday spirit this weekend, too, with Easter treats like our pretty, pastel and vegan Easter Basket Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Jolly Bean Frosting, buttery, traditional Hot Cross Buns, Buttermilk Cookies, Lemon Bars and whole vegan Carrot Cakes! If you'd like to order some special items ahead for your holiday celebrations this weekend, take a look at our affordable Catering Menu, featuring a complete assortment of platters and trays ranging from Raw Veggies, Sliced Meats & Cheeses, Muffin Trays, Popcorn Tofu, Bakery Bars, Cut Fruit, Whole Cakes and fresh Sushi! Check out our website and call us at the Deli today to place your order: 512-478-1164!   Click here to read about all of our Deli's new items, deals & specials! Sustainable Seafood & Meat For the final week of Lent the Wheatsville Seafood Department is proud to have Sustainable Fish Fridays. This week we have Trollerpoint Coho Salmon Filets on sale for $12.99 lb reg. $15.99 lb. We literally buy this fish from the man that pulls it out of the ocean. Within minutes that fish is flash frozen on the boat, storing all of its freshness in deep freeze. When we thaw that fish, it is barely hours old. Coho is a larger species of Salmon, also called Silver Salmon. They are very versatile for cooking. All manner of glaze and marinade are great for this fish. Poaching, baking and grilling are all great ways of cooking Coho Salmon. Just cook until the flesh begins to flake easily with a fork. Easter is almost here. Let Wheatsville help out with your family's dinner. We'll have Niman Ranch Hams, halves & petites, both are boneless and uncured. Rub it down with your favorite glaze, heat it up and eat. Just in time for Easter and the start of the grilling season we have Niman Ranch Beef Briskets. We have whole Briskets and Brisket flats. Just ask one of our Butchers for a whole Brisket if that is what you need, or if you need a specific weight we will be happy to get you as close to what you need as we can. There is a recipe from season 4, episode 10 of America's Test Kitchen of Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket that allows you to cook a brisket without a grill and without heating the house up for hours on end.  We also have Roast options for you as well. Just give us a little notice and we can prepare Niman Ranch Boneless Beef Rib Roasts. The Beef Rib Roast is the king of Roasts and makes a fantastic Easter dinner. Lamb is another traditional Easter meat. We offer both boneless and bone in options for Leg O' Lamb Roasts as well as Lamb Shoulder Roasts. We also offer Pork Shoulder Roasts, both boneless and bone in as well. Check out our Co-op Deals in the freezer Henry and Lisa's Gluten Free Fish Nuggets which are MSC Certified Sustainable. Just think of them as square sticks. We will also have Organic Prairie Ground Turkey on sale. Party Dips & Spreads This weekend is Easter and what a great weekend for grilling!! We have sliced cheeses for your hamburgers and sandwiches, shredded cheeses for your hot dogs and a great selection of cheeses for your sides and appetizers. I cannot tell you enough about how much fun I am having making my own spreads, using Full Quiver Farm's Plain Neufchatel and this seasons berries. All you need is 4-6 ounces of ripe fresh berries, stems removed, 8 ounces of Full Quiver Farm's Neufchatel and 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar. Chop berries and add 1 tablespoon of sugar and let sit for 15 minutes for the berries and its juices to absorb the sugar.  Thoroughly mix berries and the Neufchatel. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes taste. Add sugar to taste.   Four Cheese Scalloped Potatoes Rachel Ray's Italian Mac N Cheese Avocado and Goat Brie Dip Corn And Goat Cheese Queso Paula Dean's Goat Cheese Stuffed Eggs Herbs " A Few of My Favorite Items in Bulk Herbs This Week!" – Wheatsville's Herb Nerd Herb Pick of the Week: Red Clover Blossom ($2.99oz)! Don't be fooled by this flower's delicate pink petals, this herb is a serious tonic. Red Clover is popularly used to purify blood and liver, and is a rich source of nutrients. Try it as a tea or a vinegar infusion! YUM! Tea Pick of the Week: "Lady Lavender" from Austin's own Zhi Tea ($4.61oz)! This elegant blend of white tea and a touch of lavender is only available in honor of Wheatsville's 36th birthday while supplies last! Seed Pick of the Week: is Organic Austin's Red Pear ($2.29 a pack)! Tomatoes prefer warm weather to cold (just like any self-respecting Austininte)! This variety is slightly larger than a cherry tomato and especially productive and delicious! Beer & Wine Victory Golden Monkey is back. Be forewarned, this is one BIG, strong beer! The richness of German malts and Belgian yeast in Golden Monkey are tempered by a sparkling approach and overall light body. Abundant herbal, fruity notes make this  a beer to  savor. Recanati Cabernet Sauvignon is Kosher for Passover!   Recanati Cabernet Sauvignon is a medium bodied dry wine with a bright ruby color. It's deeply fruity aroma of cherries and blackberries is layered with the scents of smoky oak, caramel and Mediterranean herbs. These Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are grown in vineyards in Israel's Galilee. Small Cabernet clusters are hand harvested in mid to late September. The crushed grapes are chilled and then "cold macerate" for two days prior to fermentation which preserves the wines fruity-spicy character. After ten days of fermenting the Cabernet is pressed into French and American oak barrels, where it ages for eight months prior to bottling. New at Wheatsville! We work hard to seek out exciting new products and flavors we think our members will love.  Here's what's new at Wheatsville this week! Owner Deals Have you tried Love Crunch Granola from Nature's Path yet? The flavors are over-the-top combinations that will leave you wanting more granola goodness for breakfast! Choose from Chocolate & Berry, Apple Crumble or Aloha Blend. Healthy, delicious and well priced, on sale for $3.79 reg. $4.69. Click here for more Owner Deals valid Wednesday, April 4th, 2012 – Tuesday, April 17th, 2012. —Brooks Wood, Co+op Deals Coordinator Co+op Deals One of my family's favorite cereals is Cascadian Farm Organic Raisin Bran. It's absolutely delicious with crispy flakes of organic goodness made even better by the plump and juicy organic raisins. The price of this cereal is the only thing better than the taste – on sale for $2.99, reg. $4.99. Click here for more Co+op Deals valid Wednesday, April 4th, 2012 – Tuesday, April 17th, 2012. —Brooks Wood, Co+op Deals Coordinator Ecology Action For the month of April, our owner-elected Community Action Group is Ecology Action of Texas. They operate a recycling drop-off and processing center in downtown Austin, conduct educational tours, provide training programs, and staff public events throughout the year. Do your part for the environment, challenge yourself to shop on Wednesdays and donate your reusable bag & container credits to Ecology Action. From April of last year to present our customers reused 309,423 bags for a total of $15,471.15!  All those nickels really do add up! I hope you have a most excellent week! Dan Gillotte Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy