Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

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

Yay! 2008 is over and 2009, the year of the renovated Wheatsville is coming!!!

Wheatsville closes at 9pm tonight and is closed all day tomorrow, so get on in here if you need something for the next day or so!
Scroll down for:

Black Eyed Peas and Collards!
Champagne made with grapes harvested from heaven!
Coffee with the Board
Deli makes you food to eat!
Cheese news
Meat specials including a bunch of recipes!
Ask Obama about Co-op Development

Ever since I moved to Austin, my wife Rosie and I have picked up the tradition of eating greens and black eyed peas for New Year's luck and fortune. It's done well for us (plus it's delicious) so we do it every year without fail now!

We've got several options for you this year.

The simplest solution is to buy some Texas Caviar and Raw Tuscan Kale salad from our deli. These are delicious dishes and will have your New Year's food covered!
Or, you can buy greens and prepare them as well as fresh black eyed peas from our produce department. I'll include some recipes at the end!
We've got black eyed peas in bulk and they are a relatively fast cooking bean, they take about an hour or so. We also have canned black eyed peas, too if you just don't have time to cook them.
Collards and Kale are both really easy to prepare and
are very versatile... here are a few ways that I cook them as well as
some recipes that include Black Eyed Peas:

Steaming
Chop or tear your collards or kale into larger than bit size pieces (it
cooks down some, though not as much as spinach or chard...) 
Place in a steamer until bright green (Usually takes 5 minutes or so... try some, if it's too tough steam it for longer.)
remove and eat! (We sometimes use Annie's Goddess Dressing, but you can put anything you like on it.)
Sauteeing
Sautee some chopped onions in a sautee pan and cook on medium high heat
until they start to get clear (stir to prevent sticking or burning)
Drop in chopped or torn bite-sized pieces of collards or kale
at this point, you can simply cook it until the greens are bright green
and slightly soft or you can add flavorings like: salt, pepper, soy
sauce, white vinegar, hot peppers, etc.
Hoppin' Black Eyed Peas and Collards recipe
http://tinyurl.com/88mhgp
Collard Green and Blackeyed pea soup
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/collard_black_eyed_pea_soup.html
Spicy Black-Eyed Peas with Grainy Mustard Collard Greens
http://www.oprah.com/recipe/food/recipessides/food_200605_peas
A cool history of collard greens:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/CollardGreens.htm

Beautiful Bubbly for New Years!
 
Piper Sonoma Brut
This sparkling wine is made from hand-picked Champagne grapes (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay) grown in the Northern reaches of Sonoma County and the wine is aged on the yeast for a minimum 2½ year period of time. This gives the wine a complex bread-yeast aroma and lightly yeasty flavor. The wine is aged in large, French oak barrels, prior to bottling and secondary fermentation. By aging this wine in oak, there is imparted to the wine a toasty/vanilla character in addition to the light apple and lemon flavors that the wine ordinarily possesses. Only $16.99 a bottle!
 
"The grapes must have been harvested from heaven... where that were nurtured by the tears of misunderstood poets and where they were kissed by the soft, delicate lips of blessed angels. I am transported to fields of love and fantasy... what bliss! Partake of this medicinal elixir, drink of this magical potion, and you, too, will be swimming in a dream." –Piper enthusiast Tom Carr
 
Coffee with the board!
Enjoy some coffee and treats on our new patio with the board as we reintroduce our monthly Coffee with the Board! Come by from 10-noon and talk to the board about your co-op! Make a note on your calendars, the first Saturday of the months is Coffee with the Board from 10-Noon!

What's happening with your deli in January?
Wow! A whole new year is beginning – and what better way to celebrate change than by enjoying all the fresh, new items in the Wheatsville Deli! Our two Fresh in the Deli recipes this month happen to be old favorites as well – Roasted Creole Yams are slices of sweet potatoes tossed in a spicy marinade and oven-roasted til `tender and perfect, and Asian Cabbage Crunch is a bok choy-based coleslaw dressed in a rice wine vinaigrette. 

January's salsa of the month is the cold-weather favorite Salsa Verde, a garlicky dip chock full of poblanos, jalapenos and tomatillos! 

Reflective of our ever-expanding current renovation-in-progress, which has now reached the Deli counter, we have brought back a recent favorite: Wheatsville's smoothie of the month is aptly named "Under Construction" and colored accordingly – the tasty safety orange blend consists of peaches, mangoes and orange juice. 

As always, your classics are here: Popcorn Tofu, Curry Lime Chicken Salad, Catfish Po'Boys, Risotto Cakes, Walnut-Pecan Pate, Frito Pie, Tuna Salad… the list goes on and on, so you'll just have to come on in, check out the construction, and pick up your favorites! Happy New Year!
 
Cheese news!
We gave some new products in cheese!  Check out the Organic Valley Mexican shredded cheese. This has been a real hot seller!
 
We also have Butternut Squash Ravioli! Made fresh by Pasta & Company.  These are my (dana, deli manager) new all time favorite.  Sweet & savory and oh so good!
 
Words and recipes from Bryan in the Meat Dept.
Hey folks hope you all had great holidays.
Our member coupons this month are goodies too! Niman ranch natural beef Ribeye and N.Y. Strip steaks are $1.00 off with member coupon. Also we have Grateful Harvest free range turkey Natural & Organic turkeys 50 cents off. This includes bone-in/boneless breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and ground turkey.
 
I case you didn't get enough turkey we got ya covered. You can pick up some turkey breast, ground turkey, drumsticks, or thighs out of the case for the next week. One good thing when you start out with great ingredients is that it doesn't take much to prepare it and make delicious food. Much is the case with our Grateful Harvest turkeys we have this year.
Recipes are plentiful for turkey after the holidays, but why use leftovers when you can just make it from start to finish?
 
 Here a couple of recipes I'm fond of:
 
BBQ Turkey Breast
1 (approximately 7-pound) turkey breast with bone or without
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided use
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided use
1 cup barbecue sauce 
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar 
2 teaspoons firmly packed brown sugar 
1 teaspoon brown mustard 
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
Sprinkle turkey breast evenly with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Place turkey, breast-side down, on prepared grill. Cook to a golden brown, turning to sear all sides, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine barbecue sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper; mix well.
Baste entire surface of turkey with sauce. Continue grilling, allowing surface to caramelize and turn deep golden brown, but without burning, about 15 minutes.
Remove breast from the grill and wrap in aluminum foil, sealing all sides. Return to grill until turkey has reached an internal temperature of 170°-175°F, about 45 minutes. Remove from grill and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.
Makes 12 servings.

 

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
1 (6 to 8-pound) fresh or frozen whole turkey breast
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse turkey breast in cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
Combine thyme, sage, pepper and garlic powder in small bowl. Loosen skin of turkey breast by lifting gently and pulling away from meat, leaving attached at neck. Use a sharp knife, if necessary to loosen connecting membrane. Rub herb mixture evenly over breast meat. Replace skin, tucking under bottom of turkey breast.
Place turkey breast, skin-side-up, on wire rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of breast; do not let thermometer touch bone.
Roast uncovered until thermometer reaches 170°F., 2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hours. Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes before carving. Thinly slice turkey breast to serve.
Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Grilled Boneless Turkey Thighs (BBQRecipes)

Ingredients:

4 med size boneless skinless turkey thighs scored on both sides
1 large onion chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 cup Wishbone Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup soy sauce

Cooking Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together. Mix well with hands
2. Place in a large ziplock bag, and let marinate 1 to 3 days
3. Heat charcoal or gas grill up to med high heat
4. Place thighs on grill and turn with tongs every 10 minutes 
5. Should take around an hour to cook .Let rest for 10 minutes

Note: 
This is a inexpensive new twist for your grilling pleasure

Co-ops for Change!
It's time for change! As cooperative supporters we know how to effect change - more member owned cooperatives! Our friends at the National Co-op Business Alliance (NCBA) have partnered with fellow cooperators to develop a question and post it on www.change.gov. 
 
We're not sure when but President-elect Obama and his team will respond to the questions that receive the most votes so place your vote today. With your vote, you can help draw attention to the benefits of the cooperative enterprise. 
 
Visit Open for questions http://lists.ncba.coop/t/673/11685/27/0/ and type in "Co-operative Development" (include the hyphen) in the "Search Questions" toolbar. Click "Sign-in" and create an account (if you don't already have one). After you create your account, go back to the question and click on the check mark to cast your vote.
 
You're not done yet! Now forward our e-mail to three more co-op supporters. Together, we can reach the votes necessary to become the number one question and help ensure cooperatives are part of the solution to the challenges facing our country today.  
 
Cooperatives know the importance of voting! Cast your vote today – before the polls close and have a happy cooperative new year!  

I hope that you have a great week and an incredible, healthy and fun 2009!

See you next year!

Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy