Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan Gillotte <gm AT wheatsville.coop>]

Hi Wheatsville friends!

In this e-mail: Herb Fair! St. Patrick's Day specials! Great recipe for Colcannon!


Yay for the Herb Fair!!!

One of the best events of the Spring time is here!

Wheatsville Herb Fair 2007
Saturday, March 17th 10am-5pm
3101 Guadalupe, Austin TX 78705
North parking lot.

Growers from all over the state will be selling:
• Native Plants
• Herbs
• Flowers
• Vegetable Starts
• Herbal Products
• Bird Houses & Baths

Expert Speakers & Topics
* 12:00 - 1:00 — Mick Vann — Cooking With Essential Herbs of Thailand
Mick Vann is an expert on Thai herbs who wore the chef's hat at Clarksville Cafe. He co-authored The Appetizer Atlas: a world of small bites winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for best foreign cookbook in 2004. He is a horticulturist, and enjoys teaching classes at It's About Thyme. Mick owns Atlas Culinary Adventures and leads tours to Thailand, Yucatan, Vera Cruz and Spain. He is a food and travel writer for the Austin Chronicle, and we think he critiques Texas BBQ joints through Centex High Holy Temples of BBQ, although what they really do is still unknown.

* 1:00 - 2:00 — Chris Winslow — Growing Culinary Herbs of Thailand
Chris Winslow is an expert on all things horticultural. He is the co-proprietor of the south Austin nursery It's About Thyme, where they produce thousands of herbs, natives, flowers, houseplants, antique roses, and just about any landscape plant for our hot Central Texas climate. Chris is an expert at growing the top culinary herbs of Thailand, thanks in part to his friendship with Madam Mam who has provided several varieties of seeds directly from Thailand. Chris also designs and installs landscapes including the new location of Madam Mam's. In his spare time, he is the gardening columnist for the Hays County Free Press.

* 3:00 - 4:00 — Colleen Dieter — Landscaping Mixing Herbs & Natives
Colleen Dieter has a degree in horticulture, and a green thumb. She has a respect for the earth-grounded practices of using organic gardening methods and maintains an organic plot at Sunshine Community Gardens. Her business, Red Wheelbarrow Plant Care, provides professional landscaping and plant maintenance. On summer breaks while obtaining her BA from Ohio State University, she interned at the Chadwick Arboretum, OSU's research lab. Colleen moved to Austin in 2001 and worked as an Americorp volunteer for the Sustainable Food Center. She offers organic gardening advice, and writes articles aimed at novice gardeners for the Austin American Statesman. 

Live Music
Celebrating Austin’s Women in Music!

10:00 - 11:30 — Laura Freeman
2:00 - 3:00 — Purly Gates
4:00 - 5:00 — Dana Falconberry

St. Patrick's Day food specials!

The deli is in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day (sort of!) with  smoothie special that tastes better than its name! SOYLANT GREEN is.... LEPRECHAUNS!!! Smoothie, Mango and pineapple with spirulina and orange juice. Try your luck for $3.99 available today through the weekend!
We'll also have Ginger Sesame Braised Greens and Edamame Arame Salad.
For dessert, try Chocolate Mint Pie!

In Meat and Cheese
Make your own corned beef! We'll have natural Brisket with spice packets ready for you to make this St. Paddy's day specialty! 
Look for special cheeses in the cheese department!

Yum! Recipe!
Colcannon is a traditional Irish Dish that would be perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day with! Here is a cool recipe from a blog called What do I know?  http://whatdoiknow.typepad.com/
I especially like her advice at the end!


Mashed Potatoes with Kale and Leeks (Colcannon)

1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup soy milk, in all (any milk will do...)
1 bunch kale, chopped
salt
olive oil
non-hydrogenated margarine (Earthbalance or butter will work...)
1 leek, sliced (white and light green part only)

Boil potatoes in water until soft enough to mash, about 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of the chunks). Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to boil and add chopped kale. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until kale is soft.

Sauté leeks in a tablespoon or so of olive oil for 10 minutes, until they appear golden brown and crispy on the edges.

When potatoes are done, mash with a potato masher or a hand mixer, along with a couple of tablespoons of margarine (or olive oil) and enough soy milk to make the mixture easy to stir.

Add enough kale to evenly distribute throughout mashed potatoes. You may have kale leftover. (If so, serve with a dressing of cider vinegar and a few drops of Tabasco.)

Top with sauteed leeks, and serve. (Do not allow your children to eat too much. Tell them greens are bad for them. They will tell their friends, who will then start a street cartel to import greens into their  schools. It will begin with retro dino kale, and end with your child mainlining collards every morning before algebra.)


A Non-Wheatsville event of note
Our friends at the Black Star Co-op Pub Monthly Beer Social will be this Saturday from 7-10 at Monkey Wrench Books on North Loop. All 21 and up are welcome!

Have a great week...

Dan
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!

Be our MySpace friend http://myspace.com/wheatsvillecoop