Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

["Dan gillotte" <dangillotte AT gmail.com>]

Hi Wheatsville friends!

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New patio!!!

We want to be here for your Thanksgiving.

Deli, meat and cheese news and recipes.

How to get the most out of your Remember When Milk.

If you've been by in the past day or so, you've likely noticed that the front patio is looking mighty fine! It's in a non-complete, but still pleasant state and is open for use by you! We'll be tweaking it a bit further over the next week, but it is largely ready for you to relax on. JUst so you know, ultimately, the parking lot will meet up smoothly with the ramp that leads into the store and onto the patio. But, that step is a little further down the road. That's why we have so many edges and ledges right now. Please be careful when traversing the patio in its incomplete form. We'll have the patio open as is through Thanksgiving. After that, we will close it for a couple of days for demolition of the overhang. Then we'll partially open it up as they complete work on the overhang. We'll be awning-less for the time being as we complete the rest of the work on the patio and front facade of the store.

People have been enjoying the new entrance doors and I'm so glad of that. You have all been adapting so well to the changes! Thank you for that! We'll have several more parking spots opened up by the end of next week, so look for that along the east side of the parking lot. IMPORTANT NOTE: There will be no path around the building for the foreseeable future. The main entrance and exits are the only ones that will safely get you to and from the store. 

When shopping the new temporary store flow, please don't forget your old friends the produce, dairy and vitamins and supplements departments! They no longer get to see you first thing upon entering and they miss you! 

Wheatsville is your comfortable Thanksgiving supply station!

It's getting to be Thanksgiving time and hopefully, you are preparing for a nice meal with friends and family. Wheatsville would like to be your grocer of choice around Thanksgiving! We can be a comfortable and calm shopping experience for the number one food holiday of the year! We've got amazing deals in all parts of the store to help you have a wholesome and affordable Thanksgiving. Check out the latest issue of the Breeze (available on-line if you didn't get a printed copy) for an article about Thanksgiving on a budget! Look here for a pdf of our Co-op Advantage flyer highlighting many of our Thanksgiving deals and also featuring some nice holiday recipes, too! http://wheatsville.coop/CAP%20flyers/SW1108.pdf

Now, here's Dana in the deli and her friendly buyers!

The Wheatsville Deli is engaged in a full-on, fall frontal assault! The T-Day countdown has begun and we're getting into the swing of the season with a fabulous and complete array of homemade holiday fare for your Thanksgiving table!

We'll have creamy Garlic Chive Cheddar Cheese Balls and earthy Walnut Pecan Pâté for your party spreads, as well as large containers of Cashew-Tamari Dressing for crudite dipping; hand-whipped Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with sautéed mushrooms and toasted walnuts, Roasted Fall Root Veggies starring potatoes, turnips and beets, fruit and honey-baked Festive Sweet Potatoes and a traditional yet vegan Cornbread Stuffing for your side dishes. We'll also be featuring flaky and vegan Rosemary Biscuits, veggie-packed Mushroom Gravy, and tart, gingery Cranberry Orange Relish – my favorite – to go with your turkey. Leek-Roasted Carrots and Tempeh will be available as a hearty vegan main course unto itself, or a delicious side dish for your table. And as always, our bakery will provide an assortment of delicious pies for your decadent holiday dessert: Pumpkin, Pecan, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Coconut Cream and more!

Thanksgiving Sampler this weekend!

Saturday shoppers are in luck! We will be sampling our holiday creations so that you can get a lil' taste of what we will be offering for your Thanksgiving dinner in advance. Come by on Saturday, November 15^th, between 12 pm - 4 pm and sample some items from our tasty holiday menu. You can also pre-order bakery pies from November 1^st through the 15^th. During the pre-holiday weeks, we will be offering plenty of pies and side dishes in the self serve case for you to purchase, but if you have your heart set on a particular pie, you might want to order that ahead of time. We know how important dessert is and would hate for you to miss out on your favorite! Special added treat:  Dana will also be sampling out Tofurkey Holiday Roasts. If you've never tried it, now is your chance. We have a limited amount of Tofurky to sample, so come early. It's while supplies last!

Pick up a menu and order form at the Deli or Member Center, and give our Deli a call with orders or questions at 478-1164. We look forward to cooking for you and yours! Happy Holidays!

November is here and the weather has finally cooled off!

So come on into the Wheatsville Deli and warm up your chilly bones with a steaming cup of our creamy, dreamy African Peanut Soup, topped with freshly sliced green onions, or maybe your first Frito Pie of the season – our award-winning tempeh chili spooned over crispy, crunchy corn chips, and topped with your choices of cheese and veggies! Both of our Fresh in the Deli dishes for November have become staff and customer favorites in no time: the Kale Salad is a sweet and sour combination of chewy sun-dried tomatoes and tangy balsamic vinegar, and the Wild Rice with Apricots is a seasonal giant with almonds, celery, dried cranberries and apricots sharing the stage with nutty, organic wild rice. Alongside these items, today we have our Paprika-Rubbed Grilled Yellowfin Tuna Steaks, All-Natural Lil' Cheddar Meatloaf Muffins, Tomato-Braised Tofu, Curry Lime Chicken Salad and Crispy Fish Cakes, so come on in and pick something up! And be sure to try November's Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for a real holiday treat!

 

Greg of Cheese Island says:

Last E-mail I talked about some local products from P/2 farms and Pasta and Company. I want to continue and talk about a few other products from local vendors.

Pure Luck Farms is a local herb farm and dairy located on Barton Creek in Dripping Springs. Started by Sara and Denny Bolton, they specialize in handmade artisan goat cheeses and culinary herbs. We carry a variety of their cheeses and cheese spreads. We currently carry four varieties of their chevre: plain molded, herb, Anaheim red pepper, and black peppercorn. Also a camembert type cheese called the Del Cielo, the Ste Maure and an assortment of spreads. We are also fortunate enough to be able to carry their award winning Hopelessy Blue blue cheese.

Water Oak farms is a goat dairy nestled in the south end of Robertson County. Started in  1998  by Mark and Pam Burrows, they produce some remarkable goats milk ice cream,  yogurt and ricotta. We are lucky to  be able to stock 4 types of their ricotta. We currently carry the garlic herb, basil garlic, jalapeno, and plain  ricotta. Talk about kicking your lasagna up a couple of notches. Mangia!! (Note from Dan: Many people think that I am crazy when I tell them this, but it's tradition in my family to have Lasagna as a first course at Thanksgiving. If you're bored of the typical holiday spread, think about a lasagna!)

 

From Bryan in the Meat Department:

Hey folks I hope you are all getting ready for Thanksgiving, we sure are. Just a reminder you still have till the 15^th to order a Natural or Organic Turkey in order to get the 15% discount. After that you can still reserve a turkey but you won't be eligible for the discount. Also a heads-up if you're interested in a Christmas turkey you might be thinking about it now. We will have pre orders for turkeys from December 1^st-13^th.

Lots of folks have been pretty disappointed that we don't have local turkeys this year. I tried to contact some local producers for turkeys but none really had much to offer. As one vendor put it "raising turkeys can be a gamble". Particularly with the jump in grain prices this year that left little room for profit. Things for next year look very good. Our friends at Dewberry Hills farm or maybe Alexander farm should be a good source for local turkeys next year. The farmers markets are still the best place to find local, you might find your self lucky.  Frankly, the only down side to Grateful harvest turkeys is that they aren't local. The turkeys are very high quality and  sure to please the most discriminating critic.

Be sure to take advantage of our great member coupons this month. We have two items for breakfast, Pederson's Breakfast Sausage in 1lb package reg. $5.29 now get 30 cents off with member coupon. Pederson's uncured Apple smoked bacon reg. $7.39ea now get 30 cents off with member coupon. Both of these are real pleasers, so stock up for your Thanksgiving recipes.

Lastly a coupon I'm really proud to offer, 50 cents off all sustainable seafood. This is my way of thanking all my great customers for supporting something I really care about. This coupon covers all the fresh pack seafood options; Black Cod, Sockeye Salmon, Coho Salmon, Mahi-Mahi, Ruby trout, smoked salmon, Arctic Cod, and our organic 31/35 shrimp. Enjoy!

 

Rush Hour Recipes 

Every month we'll feature a new entree recipe (featuring a mix of vegetarian, non-vegetarian and vegan options) at the Deli Counter and on our website. We will keep an archive of recipe cards at the member center as well, so that you can pick one up and use it for your dinner shopping. You can even use these recipes to build your own recipe book. These recipes come from various co-ops all over the States, which is pretty cool. Plus they have been kitchen tested so you trust them to turn out right. Increase your kitchen repertoire with these quick, easy, fresh, entree recipes.  Follow this link to see the Rush Hour Recipes:  http://wheatsville.coop/recipeindex.html .

 

TIPS TO GET THE BEST OUT OF REMEMBER WHEN DAIRY MILK

 

Dear Wheatsville shoppers,

 

We're very proud to offer milk from Remember When Dairy. It has been a long-term goal of the co-op to offer grass-fed, non-homogenized, low-temperature pasteurized milk. This is milk like none other you have likely had, and with a little care on your part, it can be the best you've ever had.

 

KEEP IT COLD

Because this milk is low-temperature pasteurized and non-homogenized, it should be kept as cold as possible. It should be one of the last items (along with other dairy products) that you grab from shelves before going to the register. Keep your refrigerator as cold as possible (between 32 degrees and 42 degrees) and try not to store this milk in your refrigerator door.

 

SHAKE IT UP

The layer of milk fat you may see at the top of the container is normal and natural for nonhomogenized milk. Milk is basically a combination of water and fat. Homogenization mechanically changes the fat molecules so they are all the same size and float equally throughout the milk. Mark Ganske, owner of Remember When Dairy, suggests that you pour out about a cup of the milk or cream to give yourself room in the jug and then shake it up. Or you could use the cream in your coffee.

 

HOW LONG SHOULD THIS MILK LAST?

Remember When gets their milk and milk products to Wheatsville about three days after the cows are milked each week. Remember When is using low-temperature pasteurization which gives the milk a roughly two-week sell-by date. After you open a container of milk, it should be good for about one week, according to the National Dairy Council.

 

MY MILK IS FROZEN, IS IT OK?

Owner Mark Ganske is keeping his milk as cold as possible for his 270-mile drive to bring Wheatsville his milk and we keep our refrigerated cooler between 32 and 41 degrees. The milk should be fine to drink after allowing the ice to thaw. Some people prefer to freeze their milk to make it last longer. The milk may be slightly grainy when thawed but should be all right after shaking.

 

Though many of us at Wheatsville love this product, this milk may not be for everyone. If you are not satisfied with Remember When milk, we'll gladly allow you to exchange it for one of our other milk brands, regardless of the price.

 

Thank you,

Mike Crissey

Your Refrigerated Food Buyer

I hope that you all have a fantastic week!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!