Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan Gillotte <gm AT wheatsville.com>]

Hi friends!

I hope that you're enjoying the heat! (Jes' kiddin'! Stay cool, Wheatsvillagers!)

We Appreciate YOU!

Remember to use your Member Appreciation Coupon (found in your Wheatsville Breeze) by this Sunday the 27th. Many people have enjoyed the extended Appreciation opportunity and you can, too! If you haven't done so yet, get your list and your 10% off coupon and come on in and stock up on all your favorites!

Lots of cool departmental updates today as well as an expansion update at the end, so scroll below for:

Deli specials

Cheesiness

Getting all up in your grill

Cold food

Berry season and more

The deli cooks so you don't have to!

Come on in to the deli and try our sustainable fish selections, like lemon-pepper seasoned locally-farmed Texas Catfish and grilled dry-rubbed Ahi Tuna steaks! Local, grass-fed Loncito’s Lamb stars in our delicious lamb meatballs, bursting with chunks of blue cheese, hazelnuts and dried cranberries. July’s salsa of the month, A-maize-ing Black Bean and Corn, is a great dipping salsa with its spicy blend of black beans, corn, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro. (It can also practically double as a cold soup/ stew it's so thick and yummy!) Try it on your favorite taco!

Our Iced Coffee Toddy, Thai Iced Coffee, Organic Black Iced Tea, Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea and Iced Yerba Mate are on hand to cool you off during these hot days. And don’t forget to try our Three-Berry Smoothie, a summery blend of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries for instant refreshment!

Be sure to check out our new little pink Staff Pick signs in the Deli case, highlighting dishes that are favorites of your Wheatsville employees!

 

 

On the cheese front:

 

Continue shopping local this month with Pasta & Co.’s fresh pastas! 

There are three delicious flavors to choose from: Five Herb Rotelli (my favorite! (sara smith – cheese buyer says), Garlic Basil Rigatoni, and Mild Jalapeno Fettucine.  Mmmmm!!!! 

Make it even more of a treat by choosing your favorite P/2 Pesto to top it off!  It’s local as well.

 

 

Our meat department is ready for your and your grill!

Annnnndddddd we're back. I hope everyone is grilling up a storm, cause i am. Shoot, it's just way to hot heat up the house cooking indoors. If you don't grill outdoors don't be intimidated;any thing you can do indoors you can do outdoors (with a few exceptions).

Wanna saute outdoors? Well why don't you? Just use a heavy skillet (recommend cast iron) right on the grill or on top of the fire. Plus, you get a nice smoky flavor in whatever you make.

    Along with meat you can grill a variety of veggies on the grill too. Or just combine them and make Kabobs. You can have the butcher cut kabob meat for you or do it yourself by cutting 1 1/2 inch squares out of Coleman Sirloin Steaks or Coleman Bottom round roast. Just pick out your veggies like red/green bell peppers, buttom mushrooms, squash, zucchinni, cherry tomatoes, or what ever else you like.

Then make a quick marinade and soak for 15 minutes before your ready to cook. Little secret: Italian dressing works great. If you don't like beef, Buddy's boneless breast and thighs also work great for Kabobs. My personal favorite, currently, is  locally produced Richardson's Farms Link sausage. I'll partially cook the sausage on the grill, pull it off before it's done, cut into desired size, and build you a kabob. I like to mix the sausage with chicken for a nice tasty meal.

I hope this inspires your next dinner.

Remember the meat department will, with notice, make anything you don't see in the case. -ciao!

 

Here's the latest from Mike Crissey, our Chill Buyer:

 

MORE FROM REMEMBER WHEN DAIRY

 

We’ve added a few new items from one of our newest vendors, Remember When Dairy. Besides farmstead, 90 % grass-fed milk from the Yantis, TX, dairy we’re also offering heavy cream and ½-lb. tubs of butter. Mark and DeOnna Ganske drive their milk, cream and butter 280 miles to Wheatsville each Saturday. The Ganskes’ dairy cows are given no antibiotics, no hormones and eat grass up until milking. Remember When Dairy is one of only three Grade A dairies in Texas to sell low-temperature pasteurized milk.  Pints of Remember When heavy cream will sell for $4.59, while ½-lb. tubs of butter are $4.49.

 

WE’RE EGG-STATIC!

 

We have another brand of local eggs in the dairy cooler and they’re organic. Vital Farm joins Alexander Family Farms (the pink carton eggs) and H& J Ranch (the white carton eggs) in the egg door.Vital Farm has about 2,000 chickens which are pastured and also eat organic grains from Coyote Creek Mills. The eggs are very much like Alexander Family Farm eggs, with dark yellow to orange yolks. Tom Gilliland, general manager of Fonda San Miguel, said he’s made his best flan with Vital Farm eggs. “So many thanks to all those hens who are so obviously happy,” Gilliland said. Our newest eggs will be $4.99 a dozen or $2.49 for a half-dozen in a nifty UFO-shaped container.

 

IOWA FLOODING BEGINNING TO TRICKLE DOWN

 

Floods across the Midwest last month sent corn and soybean prices soaring and the higher costs have prompted H&J Ranch to raise prices. Henry Ludwig said he tried to avoid increasing the price of his local eggs but couldn’t break even with rising feed costs. H&J Ranch eggs have gone up from $2.89 a dozen to $3.79 a dozen. The Associated Press reported last month that the floods engulfed an estimated 2 million or more acres of corn and soybean fields in Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and other key growing states. Beef, pork, poultry and even eggs, cheese and milk are expected to get more expensive as livestock owners go out of business or are forced to slaughter more cattle, hogs, turkeys and chickens to cope with rocketing costs for corn-based animal feed. At least two-thirds of the production costs for livestock are feed.

 

FREEZER COLD CASES

 

There are a couple more products that will soon disappear from the freezer: Boca Buffalo Wings  and Lifestream Waffles (11 oz.). The Boca Buffalo Wings are being discontinued either by Boca or our distributor, while the Lifestream Waffles will change to 7.5-oz. packages from 11-oz. packages. We may run out of Lifestream Waffles temporarily during the changeover.

 

 

Fresh and Local in Produce this Week

 

Texas peaches just keep getting better and better, so make sure you get them while you can. Right now your produce department has some really great local organic veggies. We've got amazing organic asian eggplant (check out the easy recipe below) from Indian Hills Farms out in Smithville, organic orkra from Tecolote Farms, Joe Parker New Mexico green chiles and Jalepenos (salmonella free, just in case your interested) from Onion Creek Organic Farm, and organic eggplant, bags of basil, red potatoes, and cucumbers from our friends at Buena Tierra Farms out in Fredonia. We will only be getting two more deliveries from them this season, and we thank them for their hard work and amazing products.

 

Stir-Fried Eggplant with Miso

 

Simple and quick to make, but a delicious family dish.

 

Ingredients:

4-6 Asian Eggplants

3-4 Tbs oil (your choice)

 

Seasonings:

3 Tbs red miso

2 1/2 Tbs sugar

3 Tbs water

Mix all together

 

1. Slice eggplant  1/3 inch thick.

2. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Add eggplants and stir-fry over high heat, turning the slices with a wooden spatula so they are all coated with oil. Stir-fry untli tender.

3. Add the mixed seasonings and stir well. Sprinkle on a dash of cayenne if you like.

4. Serve will hot.

 

Berry Season Going Strong, but Not For Long.

 

We continue to have great organic berries, but the season is almost over, so get them while they are fresh and delicious. Local Figs are also available, and taste super sweet. Get them while supplies last.

Expansion-asana (Be flexible and remember to breathe!)

Things are really starting to get exciting with our project. Demolition work on the patio is going well, (and we've still retained most of our seating for you...) and the first phase retaining wall work is almost complete. (We'll be getting a little parking back on the eastern side of the property in the next week or so.) The new office, break room and meeting room space is really making progress with the new addition walls up and the roof almost completely on. 

On Friday, expect a little more hairiness than we've come to expect so far in the front parking lot. We'll have a couple less spots than we've had lately for most of the day as we pour the footing for the new entrance. This will create an alternative drive lane out onto Guadalupe, just so you know. We'll still be open and would love to see you, but your patience is appreciated if the traffic is a little tougher than normal.

As always, parking is better at night and on weekends as there is no work going on and there is additional parking in the back.

Have a great week!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville gm, e-mail guy and traffic director