Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!
We're in a celebratory mood this Thursday! In honor of Mexican Independence Day we have a fun end cap with everything you need to make a tasty Michalada, the popular Mexican cocktail or cerveza preparada (prepared beer) that became popular in the 1940s in Northern Mexico. We have copies of this tasty recipe and all the ingredients to make your own festive cocktail and we've included it at the bottom here, so just scroll on down.
What else do we have?
Scroll down for:
Cheese news
Honey Crisp Apples!
Still Grillin' in the meat department
Deli deals
Granola Girl
New Organic bodycare
Co+op Deals are buzzing
Meet your board candidates
Many recipes, Tacos, Enchiladas, and more!
Cheese Island
We have a few things on sale this month. We have our New York Sharp Cheddar on sale for $6.39/lb, regularly $9.99/lb. White Mild Cheddar is on sale for $3.29/lb, regularly $3.99/lb. Yellow Mild Cheddar is on sale for $4.29, regularly $4.99/lb. Smoked Goat Gouda is also on sale for $8.39/lb regularly $9.99.
The Sixteenth is Mexico's Bicentennial Celebration of their Independence from Spain and the Centennial Celebration of the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. If you feel in a festive mood and want to help celebrate I have included some wonderful recipes that I have personally tried and love. These are recipes from Rick Bayless' cook books. Scroll to the bottom for the recipes!
Produce News
One of the great things about eating seasonally is enjoying food at its best. You begin to anticipate new crops while at the same time fondly remembering the outgoing ones. Soft fruit like peaches, nectarines, and plums, while still tasty, have already reached their peak and are on the decline. More and more new tree fruit is on its way in. USA grown pears and apples are increasing in variety and quantity, which will drive prices down and flavorful choices up.
Honeycrisp Apples are in! A longtime favorite of Wheatsville staff and customers alike, they have a perfect sweet/tart balance with a great, crisp texture. Even if you're not really an apple eater, I encourage you to give them a try. These apples taste great with cheese, and we've made it easy on you and merchandized some yummy sharp New York cheddar, mild white cheddar, and mild yellow cheddar alongside our honeycrisp apple display.
See you around! Adam King, Produce Manager
Grilling season isn't over yet!
Just cause labor has come and gone. It doesn't mean you have to stop grilling. We have plenty to choose from including some new, soon to be favorites.
Pederson's/Wendzel natural pork & bison Bierwurst are new to our store. Same great product we expect from Pederson's, and always certified humane. Pick some up for $9.89 10oz package.
Buddy's natural Leg Quarters are one the best sellers in the meat department. For good reason; humane treatment, no confinement, locally produced, and all vegetarian fed. Plus this month you can pick them up for $1.49/lb, regular $1.99/lb.
Be sure to look for a great mid month special on Applegate Farms Smoked & Roasted turkey breast sliced lunchmeat. Regular priced at $5.99/7oz., NOW ONLY $5.49 7oz starting on the 15th of September.
It's also the last week for our introductory priced Shrimp cakes. I recommend you try these. And now is as good of time as any. Only $10.49/lb regular price is $10.99/lb.
Don't forget to get some snacks for watching football!
New September Deli Deals and lots of tasty goodness!
To welcome back all of you who have been away for the summer, the Wheatsville Deli has so many new items to whet your palate! We are super-excited about our brand new vegan Greenburgers! We use great ingredients like fresh zucchini, chickpeas, fresh herbs and spices, and fry 'em up to get a crispy, crunchy outside and tender middle! We are delighted to present our Greenburgers as an incredibly tasty and affordable new item! Greenburgers are available in the Deli full service case for $2.49 each as a patty, or $4.99 as a sandwich!
Another new dish we've quickly come to love is Quinoa Polenta Corn Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce! Combining quinoa, polenta, roasted corn and red peppers, these gluten-free little cakes are chockfull of goodness and go for just $1.99 each with a bonus side of smoky red pepper sauce!
New items abound in the Bakery case, including two new vegan bars that have caused a lot of excitement and big grins among staff and owners: salty-sweet Peanut Butter Blondies and chewy, nutty Caramel Pecan Bars! At just $2.49 each, these big bars will satisfy your sweet tooth and then some. Try a sample at Deli Counter – I guarantee you will be coming back for more! We've also brought some other tasty treats back into production this month – Apple Squares and Dark & Spicy Guinness Gingerbread, I'm lookin' at you!
Also recently introduced to our Deli's grab'n'go case this week are two hit platters! Tom's Tabooley's Mediterranean Platter has generous portions of hummus, falafel, tabouli, and pita with a stuffed grape leaf for just $7.49. Kala's Kuisine's Nepali Platter features chole garbanzo beans, saag spinach, chapati bread, potato samosa, spinach pakora and two sauces for just $6.49! Both of these plates are ideal for a quick, easy and tasty lunch or dinner, or a picnic-perfect shareable snack for two!
Welcome to the second run of September Owner Specials – these ones will run through Tuesday September 28th. Come in and get a deal on our most popular sandwich, the vegan classic Southern Fried Tofu Sandwich, $4.49 each, reg. $4.99! Also on sale is our infamous 24 hour cold brewed Iced Coffee Toddy, just $1.49 each, reg. $1.99! I still say it's the best legal buzz around! Our best-selling wheat-free Thai Pasta Salad adds some peanutty goodness to the menu, $5.99/lb, reg. $7.49.
Beat the heat with our Acai Superfood Smoothie for just $6.29 each! This month's smoothie special blends acai with strawberries, bananas, apple juice and soymilk for a frozen drink that's good for your body and tastebuds, too! September's salsa of the month, Salsa de Otono, combines smoky ancho and sweet red bell peppers with organic apple juice for a taste that beckons autumn, $4.99/lb – ask for a sample at the Deli Counter!
Also on sale at the Deli Counter are tasty cold cuts: Boar's Head Honey-Maple Ham at $8.49/lb, reg. $8.99 and Muenster Cheese, $4.99/lb, reg. $5.99!
Come on in to your Deli and try something new!
Granola Girl: Fresh, delicious, local granola!-Niki Nash, Wheatsville Merchandising Manager
I'm happy to announce the arrival of new Granola Girl all natural granola to the shelves of Wheatsville. It is soooo delicious. Fresh and crunchy with an abundance of nuts-only lightly sweetened with brown sugar. Here's an excerpt from their webpage from the Granola Girl herself:
"Granola Girl LLC is a company founded here in Texas in 2010 that makes homemade granola from 100% all natural ingredients. My approach to making granola came from trial and error, experimenting with different kinds of nuts, sugars, spices and flavors. The tasty result is from years of practicing and getting my measurements down just right. I start from scratch with fresh ingredients. I bake my batches in the oven one at a time to ensure each granola grain is nice and toasty. My granola is made with love and care."
-Jessica Sturgeon Vogt A.K.A. Granola Girl
COMING SOON IN BODYCARE! NEW & FABULOUS!!!!! ACURE ORGANICS!
Acure Organics is a family owned and operated company founded on sustainable principles to provide the highest quality fair trade, natural and certified organic personal care products that are free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, and animal by-products. In addition, 100% of their carbon emissions are offset through a partnership with CarbonFund, and their office is completely green, having gone paperless with solar water heating, non-voc paint, and in-office recycling programs for every item they use. They also reuse shipping boxes and packaging materials and only ship their products using kraft paper- NOT FOAM PEANUTS—YEAH!! And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the company gives back to the community by donating $1.00 for each item sold to fight breast cancer through their partnerships with Bright Pink, a non-profit organization that provides education and support to young women who are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer and The Breast Cancer Research Organization, which is the most highly rated breast cancer organization in the U.S.! Wheatsville is so excited to offer you such an incredibly clean and socially conscious product line- so next time you're in, stop by and check it out!
New Affordable Water Filters!
We are excited to offer a new and inexpensive water filtration system from Culligan. These compact filters require no tools to install, attach directly to your faucet and eliminate bad tastes and odors from your tap water. The filters retail for just $20.99, replacement cartridges are $11.99 and each cartridge lasts for 2 months or 200 gallons.
Babushkups!
The M-Cup nesting measuring cups from Fred & Friends have been so popular that we've decided to bring in the equally adorable Babushkups nesting glasses, $13.99 for a set of 3. These colorful glasses make an excellent gift for someone special or a fun treat for your self. They look especially sweet lined up on a window sill and make nifty flower vases.
CO+OP DEALS ARE CREATING QUITE THE BUZZ! – Brooks Wood, Wheatsville Co+op Deals Assistant
Our new crop of Co+op Deals begins on Wednesday, September 15th. These Deals offer fresh solutions for every meal. For breakfast, try our Lakewood Organic Pure Pineapple Juice $3.49 reg. $5.39, Nature's Path Organic Optimum Cereal $2.99 reg. $4.59, and our wildly popular Organic Rice Dream $3.49 reg. $4.99. We've got four amazing yogurts on Deal this period; So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt 2/$3 reg. $1.89 ea., Nancy's Organic Plain Yogurt $2.99 reg. $3.79, Wallaby Organic Yogurt $0.79 reg. $0.99, and Stonyfield Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt $1.59 reg. $1.99. Our Cheese Department is featuring the most popular cheese in the world, Cheddar! Cheddar cheeses pair wonderfully with many items we carry in our Produce & Bulk Departments – apples, pears, dried fruits, grapes and toasted pecans – or, for something savory, drizzle a bit of local honey on a wedge of sharp aged cheddar!
Are you looking for a fresh & healthy lunch solution? Pick up our new Fresh in the Deli Curried Cauliflower, save $0.75/lb., gently heated and infused with East Indian spices, carrots and potatoes.
Want a warm and easy dinner idea? Try our Bionaturae Organic Pasta for $1.99 reg. $2.89, Napa Valley Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil $8.99 reg. $13.99, and our Muir Glen Organic Pasta Sauce 2/$5 reg. $3.99.
These and so many other items are on sale until Tuesday, September 28th. So come in and stock up before they're gone!
To make savings even easier, we have a terrific new Co+op Deals feature on our web site. Go to http://www.wheatsville.coop and click on the Co+op Deals link. Our Deals are now just a click away!
Board Candidates of the Week
The nominations committee has worked diligently to bring you seven candidates for four open seats on the co-op's nine-member board of directors. We'll be featuring one or two of them every week until voting starts on October 1.
Laurie Viault has over 13 years of professional experience including ten years in product management. Laurie has an MBA from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management and a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas. Prior to her MBA, Laurie worked in television news production as a production associate and later as an associate producer for major cable networks. Upon receiving her MBA with a concentration in global brand management Laurie went on to work in product management for major fortune 100 companies. Laurie has been an active member of the Austin community for the past 9 years donating her business skills to serve as treasurer and marketing director for several non-profit boards including the United Way Young Leaders Society as well as the Austin chapter of the American Marketing Association.
To find out more about all the candidates, visit http://wheatsville.coop/election/questionnaire.html
Have a great week and enjoy the recipes!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy
Micheladas!
* 1 ice cold Mexican beer
* coarse salt (for the rim)
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
* 1-2 dashes of hot chile sauce (such as Tabasco or Cholula)
* 1 dashes of soy sauce
* 1 dashes worchestshire sauce
* beer mug or large glass (chilled if possible)
* Ice
* lime wedge for garnish
Preparation:
Salt the rim of the glass by wetting the edge with some of the lime juice then dipping it into a plate with salt on it. Now fill the glass about half way with ice and pour in the lime juice, chile sauce, soy sauce and worchestshire sauce. Mix with a spoon then slowly pour in the beer to the top of the glass. Push the lime wedge onto the edge and serve immediately. When you have a few drinks, pour the remaining beer into the cocktail.
Variations include chili powder on the rim of the glass, pickled okra, salsa, clamato juice, black pepper, Tabasco and even Cooked shrimp!
These are recipes from Rick Bayless' cook books. We have a wonderful asadero cheese to top these enchiladas and tacos. You can find the achiote paste at any Mexican market.
Pork Tacos al Pastor
Ingredients
A 3 1/2-ounce package achiote paste
3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, plus 4 tablespoons of the canning sauce
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil, plus a little more for the onion and pineapple
1 1/2 pounds thin-sliced pork shoulder (1/4-inch-thick slices are ideal—the kind Mexican butchers sell for making tacos al pastor)
1 medium red onion, sliced 1/4- inch thick
Salt
1/4 of a medium pineapple, sliced 1/4-inch-thick rounds
20 warm corn tortillas
About 1 1/2 cups raw tomatillo salsa
Directions
1. Marinate the meat. In a blender, combine the achiote paste, chiles, canning sauce, oil and 3/4 cup water. Blend until smooth. Use 1/3 of the marinade to smear over both sides of each piece of meat (refrigerate the rest of the marinade to use on other meat or fish). Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. Grill and serve. Light a charcoal fire and let the coals burn until covered with gray ash but still very hot; bank the coals to one side and set the grill grate in place. Or, heat one side of a gas grill to high. Brush both sides of the onions slices with oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay in a single layer on the hot side of the grill. When richly browned, usually just about a minute, flip and brown the other side; move to the cool side of the grill to finish softening to grilled-onion sweetness. Oil and grill the pineapple in the same way. Finally, in batches, grill the meat: it'll take about a minute per side as well. As the meat is done, transfer it to a cutting board and chop it up (between 1/4- and 1/2-inch pieces). Scoop into a skillet and set over the grill to keep the meat warm. Chop the onion and pineapple into small pieces as well, add them to the skillet and toss everything together. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Serve with the tortillas and salsa for your guests to make soft tacos.
Enchiladas Cremosas de Pollo, Estilo Cafe Tacuba
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 fresh poblano chiles
1 cup (lightly packed) roughly chopped spinach leaves
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter—or you can use vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup flour
Salt
3 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (I usually use a rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken)
12 corn tortillas
A little vegetable oil for brushing or spraying
About 1 cup Mexican melting cheese (Chihuahua, quesadilla, asadero or the like) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar
A little chopped cilantro for garnish
Directions
1. Make the sauce. Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, turning regularly, until the skins have blistered and blackened on all side, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes under the broiler. Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and, when handleable, rub off the blackened skin, tear open and pull out the seed pod and stem. Quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin. Roughly chop and put in a blender jar. Add the spinach.
In a medium (3-quart) saucepan, combine the milk and broth, set over medium-low heat to warm.
In a large (4-quart) saucepan, melt the butter (or heat the oil) over medium. Add the garlic and cook for a minute to release its aroma, then add the flour and stir the mixture for a minute. Raise the heat to medium-high. Pour in the warm broth mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Pour half the hot sauce into the blender with the chiles and spinach. Cover loosely (I remove the center part of the lid, secure the lid, then drape a cloth over the whole thing) and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining sauce. Taste and season with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons.
2. Finish the enchiladas. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Smear about 1/4 cup of the sauce over the bottom of each of four to six 9-inch individual ovenproof baking/serving dishes or smear about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the chicken.
Lay half of the tortillas out on a baking sheet and lightly brush or spray both sides of the tortillas with oil; top each tortilla with another one and brush or spray those with oil. Bake just to warm through and soften, about 3 minutes. Stack the tortillas and cover with a towel to keep warm.
Working quickly so that the tortillas stay hot and pliable, roll a portion of the chicken up in each tortilla, then line them all up in the baking dish(es). Douse evenly with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the enchiladas are hot through (the cheese will have begun to brown), about 20 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and serve without hesitation.
