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

 

Fresh in the Deli

On sale for owners is our heavenly, hot and toasty Caprese signature sandwich – a melted Mediterranean mélange of fresh mozzarella, house-made pesto and red peppers on toasty local Sweetish Hill ciabatta, for just $5.99 each, reg. $6.49!

Also on sale for owners is our bakery’s new Morning Glory Sweet Bread, made without wheat flour for those sensitive to wheat, or those just looking to limit the amount of wheat in their diet! On sale just $1.99 a slice, reg. $2.49! This item is vegan and soy-free, incorporating coconut milk, flaxmeal, organic carrots, coconut and raisins into a hearty and delicious slab of goodness!

Our first new Fresh in the Deli dish for April is the Potato Salad with Asparagus and Artichokes, courtesy of Central Co-op in Seattle, Washington. Yukon Gold potatoes, asparagus and artichoke hearts are dressed with fresh dill, tarragon and a Dijon mustard vinaigrette, just in time for spring!

Our second Fresh in the Deli dish this round is Zippy Fruit Salad from our friends at New Leaf Market in Tallahassee, Florida. Melons, berries, grapes and citrus fruits are tossed in a sweet and spicy south-of-the-border dressing featuring honey and lime juice to make this sensational side dish!

Sweet Serrano Salsa is a true staff favorite! Sweet peaches & spicy serranos are mixed with vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh cilantro & red onions! Try some of this addictive delight on your taco or order of $1.99 Brown Rice and Black Beans today!

Our featured Just Peachy Smoothie is delicious – organic almond butter, cinnamon & vanilla add awesomeness to this frozen peach cobbler of a drink! In fact, all of our all-fruit, no-filler smoothies are delicious! Try a Blueberry Banana Dream with peanut butter or a Strawberry Smoothie with rice milk and almond butter next time!

Also on sale at the Deli Counter through April are tasty cold cuts, sliced to order: Boar’s Head Smoked Ham at $8.49/lb, reg. $8.99 and Provolone Cheese, $4.99/lb, reg. $5.99! C’mon in and stock up on your lunchbox staples – these two make a stellar grilled cheese, as well!

Our Grab’n’Go Icebox has made its seasonal return in front of the Deli Counter. This icy box o’goodness is filled with our tasty, cold drinks for you to grab-n-gulp with no wait! In there, you’ll find our infamous 24-hour cold-brewed Iced Coffee Toddy, and sweet and fruity Gingerade! Also available behind the Deli Counter are our delightfully pink and refreshing Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea, sweet-tart Agave Lemonade, milky-sweet Thai Iced Coffee, homemade spicy Chai, herby Yerba Mate and organic Zhi Iced Black Tea! Definitely try a Lemonade Split! I love the classic Arnold Palmer, mixing Black Tea with Lemonade, but other favorites split our tasty Lemonade with Mate, Hibiscus Mint Tea or Gingerade – just ask!

Our brand new, delicious, seasonal drinks are available now from our Deli Counter to get you in the springtime spirit! Looking for a caffeinated pick-me-up? Sidle up to our organic, fair-trade espresso bar for an Irish Cream Latte, subtly flavored with a shot of alcohol-free Irish Cream syrup and blended to perfection with your choice of milk – cow, soy, rice, coconut or almond! Or maybe you’d prefer our Honey Nut Latte! This sweet treat blends our espresso with hazelnut syrup, local Goodflow honey, cinnamon and your choice of milk to make one fantastic cuppa Joe – get it hot or iced! Our Vanilla Iced Coffee Toddy puts a spin on our cold-brewed best-seller, adding a touch of warm vanilla syrup to this caffeinated classic! Looking to lose the caffeine? Try a cup of our fantastic Hibiscus Lemonade, a pretty and delightful split of our Hibiscus Mint Tea and Agave Lemonade! Bottoms up!

We are featuring a new menu of six hot and toasty sandwiches for you! Try our classic BLT on toasted local sourdough, or our cheesy Caprese with melted mozzarella, house-made pesto, fresh veggies and oil and vinegar on local ciabatta! The Italian will fill you up, piled high with two kinds of salami and honey maple ham on local ciabatta. Our Smoked Ham & Swiss comes with stone ground mustard, lettuce and tomatoes on local rye bread. Try my favorite, the Tuna Melt, which melts sharp white cheddar over our house-made tuna salad. Or have a WV Turkey Club, featuring oven-roasted turkey, crispy bacon and ripe avocado with veggies on organic wheat bread. C’mon in and try one!

Have you seen our new Dinners For Two? On the bottom shelf of our self service case are large portion meals-to-go: choose from Vegan Mac & “Cheese” with Broccoli, Turkey Florentine Meatballs with Spaghetti Sauce, vegan Tomato Braised Tofu over Brown Rice, Broccoli Cheddar Rice Casserole and Braised Greens with White Beans. These heat’n’eat meals-to-go will help you get a solid dinner on the table in a hurry – just boil some pasta to go with your Meatballs and stretch that dinner to feed four! Tomato Braised Tofu is fine on its own, but if you grab the Greens with Beans as a side to either item, you’ve got a well rounded meal ready in minutes. Also in self-serve you’ll see large portions of Popcorn Tofu, Buffalo Popcorn Tofu, Cashew Linguine, Green Beans Amandine, and our favorite Rosie Jane’s Spaghetti Sauce, so the options continue to grow – just mix and match for a number of great, easy, quick dinners!

And for those of you looking to limit the gluten in your diet, c’mon in for our Bakery’s Wheat-Free Wednesdays and choose from a scrumptious selection of gluten-free baked goods, like muffins, bars and cakes, like the fabulous Espresso Swirl Brownies! Also, be sure to check out our new Bakery table every day in front of the Deli Counter, where you’ll find an assortment of wrapped, sweet treats! And don’t forget to try a loaf of our yummy, fresh-baked LaBrea artisan breads – have you tried our homey Roasted Garlic Loaf?

From 7:30 til 11:00 am every day, the Deli is running a breakfast bar of grab’n’go goodness to start your morning right! Come on over to our hot bar, where you’ll find a variety of freshly made Breakfast Tacos wrapped and ready for you! Now, even when you’re running late, you can stop in for a super-quick and super-tasty breakfast with no wait! Grab a vegan Black Bean, Potato & Sausage Taco, a vegetarian Egg, Potato & Cheese Taco, or a meat-lovers mainstay Bacon, Egg & Cheese Taco on a wheat tortilla with a side of Salsa to start your morning right! Or, come up to the Counter and order a custom-made taco! Also, for just $1.99 a cup, our organic, vegan Steel-Cut Oatmeal offers a hearty, nutty bite, and an abundance of toppings are available to make it just how you like it: organic butter, maple syrup, agave nectar, local honey, coconut milk, cow’s milk, brown sugar, raisins, sliced almonds, cinnamon and more! Plus we have our homemade muffins, scones, sweet breads and more ready in the Bakery, so come in and have a delicious breakfast in a flash at the Wheatsville Deli!

We are delighted to introduce a wonderful line of local, organic Zhi Teas at the Wheatsville Deli! We are now carrying seven of Zhi’s best-selling, most indulgent, aromatic, colorful, fresh and flavorful teas – hand-crafted in small batches and sold in individual, biodegradable (non-GMO) corn silk sachets. The folks at Zhi use many of the finest organic and fair-trade ingredients in creating their tea blends, like red rooibos, coconut, cacao, anise, stevia leaf, peppermint, vanilla, pineapple, papaya, rose petals, orange peel and lavender. Choose from Austin Breakfast, Jasmine Green, Restful Blend, Sweet Desert Delight, Tropical Green, Turkish Spice Mint and Custom Earl Grey, and get a steamy cup at the Deli counter for just $1.39! We hope you’ll love our local Zhi Teas as much as we do!

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.

Blake's All Natural Upside Down Chicken and Waffle Pie

By combining hand-pulled all white meat chicken, mashed sweet and russet potatoes, and a hint of Vermont maple syrup under an organic waffle, Blake’s Upside Down Chicken and Waffle Pie has quite literally turned this favorite southern meal on its end. Blake’s All Natural Foods is a 4th generation family business located in Concord, New Hampshire. Meals are made completely from scratch in small batches using the finest organic and natural ingredients.

8oz, Reg. $6.99

Mamma Chia Coconut Mango

Mamma Chia pairs the highest quality organic chia seeds with delicious organic fruit juices, and is lightly sweetened with a touch of organic agave nectar. In this new flavor, enjoy yummy coconut combined with refreshing organic mango for a delightful and energizing experience. The pleasing appearance of the chia seeds suspended throughout the beverage adds a compelling quality full of heart and brain-healthy omega-3s, powerful antioxidants and dietary fibers, as well as complete protein, calcium and magnesium. All Mamma Chia beverages are gluten free and vegan, and are packaged in environmentally friendly glass bottles.10oz, Reg. $3.49

Honest Tea; Classic Green, Heavenly Lemon Tulsi, Passion Fruit Green Tea Zero

Honest Tea was created because there was a need for a less sweet, real tea beverage. Wheatsville has carried many of their teas for a long time, and we’re delighted to expand our selection with three new flavors. Both the Classic Green and the Heavenly Lemon Tulsi (a caffeine-free option) are certified organic and lightly sweetened, with only 60 calories per bottle. The Passion Fruit Green Tea is also organic, but is unique amongst the Honest Tea line in that it's only sweetened with Stevia and therefore is zero calorie. Find all three new teas chilled and ready to drink in our beverage cooler.16oz, Reg. $1.49

Kashi Steam Meals; Roasted Garlic Chicken Farfalle, Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

Always looking for new ways to bring out the best in every tasty ingredient, Kashi's latest creation is a line of new Steam Meals. With just a quick steam in the microwave, you get crisp vegetables, tender chicken, and perfectly al denté pasta. It's the healthy, natural choice for a great-tasting lunch or dinner.

The Spinach and Artichoke Pasta (vegetarian option) features Kashi's signature 7 Whole Grain Penne Pasta with artichokes, spinach, roasted red peppers & cannellini beans topped with a Parmesan cream sauce and a hit of lemon. The Roasted Garlic Chicken Farfalle adds natural white chicken, asparagus & spinach to farfalle pasta and is  tossed with a roasted garlic, tomato, red wine and basil sauce.

These wholesome, single-serving creations offer nearly 40 grams of whole grains and 13-15 grams of protein; the Chicken Farfalle and Spinach Artichoke contain 4 and 8 grams of fiber, respectively. 9.5oz, Reg. $4.79

Uncle Matt’s Organic Home-style Lemonade

On a hot day, what's better than chugging a tall glass of ice cold, refreshing lemonade? Uncle Matt's Organic Home-style Lemonade is made from freshly squeezed USA-grown organic lemons picked at the height of the season and grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. It’s the perfect balance of tart and sweet, so you can enjoy the fresh-squeezed taste of summer. Uncle Matt's Lemonade uses only organic ingredients and is offered in a family-friendly 59oz size. As with all Uncle Matt's products, no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers are ever used in the growing process. 59oz, Reg. $4.49