Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan gillotte <dangillotte AT gmail.com>]

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!

Welcome to February!

This week scroll down for:
Coffee with your board!
We heart chocolate!
FREE Groceries?!?!
Valentine making station
The dairy department says, "We love you!"
Romantic food from the deli
Cheese and meat news and a recipe!
From the Beer aisle

Coffee with the board
Enjoy coffee and conversation with your board of directors this Saturday morning from 10am-Noon. Talk about the co-op, the weather, transformation of society or anything else you'd like right here on the patio!

We really like chocolate around here... well, actually we LOVE it! There is near universal appreciation of cocoa-derived gogodness and February is our chance to shout our affections from the rooftops! 

Chocolate Amore!
Be sure to take a look at our new monthly sales display featuring new varieties of chocolate bars at great prices!
NEW: Theo & 3400 Phinney Chocolate Bars with such delicious varieties as…
Coconut Curry Milk-chocolate with toasted coconut and savory curry spices.)
Bread and Chocolate Dark Chocolate-An innovative twist on a traditional pairing, featuring dark chocolate with buttery, toasted artisan breadcrumbs and the perfect amount of salt.)
Theo Ghana Dark Chocolate Bar 84%-The Fair Trade Certified™ cacao used in this single-origin dark chocolate bar is from the fertile growing region surrounding Kumasi, Ghana. The perfectly fermented and dried beans yield slightly floral notes over golden and round chocolate flavors.
Theo Jane Goodall 70% organic Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate
70% Organic Dark Chocolate – richly satisfying dark chocolate bar, organic and Fair Trade certified
Proceeds from the sale of these chocolate bars will benefit cocoa farmers, promote conservation in the tropical rainforest and directly contribute to the Jane Goodall Institute's efforts to save chimpanzees, develop community centered conservation efforts and direct youth education programs around the world.
For more information see https://www.theochocolate.com/
 
Also on sale: your favorite varieties of Chocolove, Equal Exchange and Dagoba Chocolate bars. We also have oodles of Valentine goodies such as the ever popular "Love Rats", Kids' Valentines, Valentine Greeting Cards, delightful bodycare products and NEW! Sjaak's Dutch stylechocolate in cute Valentine packaging, featuring Organic, Fair-trade and some styles are Vegan, delicious chocolate treats!

Free food for a year from Small Planet Foods!
Enter for a chance to win FREE GROCERIES for a year!
Small Planet Foods "Free Groceries for a Year" Promotion – February 2009
Small Planet Foods is excited to partner with retail food co-ops nationwide to give away free groceries for one year to one lucky co-op shopper in 3 U.S. regions ($5,000)! During the month of February, consumers can enter to win in two ways:
By purchasing 5 Cascadian Farm or Muir Glen items, and mailing in the official entry form along with your receipt.
By mailing a 3×5 card in accordance with the contest rules.
For every sweepstakes entry received, Small Planet Foods will also donate $1 to support Feeding American and its network of food banks (up to $10,000). All entries must be postmarked by 2/28/09 and received by 3/6/09. Entry forms are at the Wheatsville Member Center (the counter by the former front doors). We would love to see this go to a Wheatsville shopper, so enter as soon as possible!
 
Here's the latest from the Chill Department:
 
Say, "I love you," without the mess.
Need a way to melt someone's heart this Valentine's Day? Try locally-made Gelato's seasonal chocolate-covered strawberry flavor. Like all of Gelato's other flavors, the chocolate-covered strawberry is hand-made from scratch each day. Unlike some ice cream makers, Gelato's doesn't pump air into their gelato to make it fluffier; they use whole milk instead of heavy cream and use half the sugar of other ice creams. Great taste with less guilt and less mess for Valentine's Day.
More information can be found at: http://www.gelatos.net.
 
Where's the Water Oak Farms?!?!
Supplies of goat milk and yogurt from Wateroak Farms should hopefully rebound this month after a couple months of most of the milk going to growing kids. We usually start running out of goat milk from local farmer Mark Burows around late November through February during kidding season. Thank you for your patience this winter.
 
Remember When there was just whole milk?
Our local, farmstead dairy farmer Mark Ganske of Remember When Dairy has decided to add reduced-fat (2%) milk in gallons ($5.69) and half-gallons ($3.59) to his line of dairy products and we're going to carry them here at the co-op. Those of you who were grabbing whole milk and fat-free milk don't have to mix it yourself anymore. Mark Ganske had been using milk-fat from his skim milk production to make butter, buttermilk and heavy cream so supplies of those items may be short until he can fine tune his production. Mark Ganske says Wheatsville will be one of the few places selling the buttermilk, butter and heavy cream from here on out.

February's Fresh in the Deli Specials are here!
 
From the Community Food Co-op in Bozeman, Montana, we have our old favorite, Lemon Parmesan Tortellini! Cheese-filled tortellini pasta mixed with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and shredded parmesan are dressed in a lemon vinaigrette and available in our self-serve case every day!
The Tidal Creek Cooperative in Wilmington, North Carolina brings us a recipe for Persian Rice Salad, a wholesome brown rice salad seasoned with citrus and dill, studded with scallions, chopped dates and toasted cashews, and available in our Deli case through February 15th.
 
The Bakery has a new item as well! Hansel & Gretel's Ginger Bars are deliciously dark and chewy spice bars, combining cinnamon, ginger, and cloves with molasses and honey, studded with plump, sweet raisins, and finished with a delectable vanilla-sugar glaze. It's just like eating a gingerbread house!
Wheatsville's salsa of the month for February is the smoky, sweet Ancho Bomb! This ruddy salsa combines smoky, dried ancho peppers with the sweetness of roasted red bell peppers, plus a bit of fresh-squeezed orange juice and fresh garlic to round out the flavors. Try a dollop on your Rice & Beans or Custom Breakfast Taco! Ancho Bomb salsa also makes a fabulous enchilada sauce!

In the mood for deli love!
In the Valentine's spirit, the Wheatsville Deli Counter brings you a holiday-themed smoothie of the month: Chocolate Covered Strawberry! Strawberries and cacao nibs are blended with bananas, soymilk and apple juice, making a pretty and pink drink, spiked with tiny chocolaty chips of cacao!
 
And speaking of Valentine's Day, the Wheatsville Deli is now taking pre-orders for two specialty quiches to go for that weekend! Take home our delicious Broccoli & Cheddar or Ham & Mushroom Quiches, for $14.99 each, to share with your sweetheart on Saturday morning for a lovely, romantic Valentine's brunch! Or go the extra mile and add on a bottle of Piper Sonoma Brut and Tropicana Orange Juice for Mimosas. Pick it all up by Friday and you can have breakfast in bed ready in a flash!
 
 
From Greg Flores and the Land of Cheese
Hello all.  The cheese department is introducing 2 new cheese alternatives this month.  We have brought in Galaxy Rice American Slices and Galaxy Rice Mozzarella. I hope you enjoy. Also this month, the Follow Your Heart Soy Cheeses are on sale. (Note from Dan: Vegans and other cheese avoiders, the Follow Your Heart cheese REALLY and TRULY melts deliciously! We bring shredded over to Salvation Pizza and they're nice enough to cook it for us.)
Parmesan is the cheese of the month. We carry an Argentine Reggianito Parmesan. The first two things that the Italians did when they arrived in Argentina was build an opera house and started producing a replacement for their beloved Reggiano Parmiggiano, which is the Reggianito.  We carry the Grana Padano which is from the Lodi region in Italy. It is less dry and robust as the Reggiano Parmiggiano. And last and certainly not least, we carry the Reggiano Parmiggiano. It shares the title as "The King of Cheeses".  Certainly one of the older cheeses in the world, it was given to the members of the Roman army as part of their supplies, because of its nutritional value. Reggiano comes from the Parma region of Italy.  Parmesan is commonly used as topping for pasta dishes, but try eating it with honey, pine nuts and a sparkling wine.
 
 
From Bryan Butler, The Butcher
 
New month, new coupons! Due to the enormous popularity of last months Niman steak coupons I've decided to run Niman Boneless ribeyes on special for one more month. With the coupon you receive $1 off the total price of the steak. Also check out another great Niman product, Niman natural pork sweet Italian sausage. Get $1 off packaged price with member coupon.

The return of the great white whale! Well, not exactly but we do have something new in the seafood side of the case. Wild caught Alaskan Ivory white king salmon. And to get attention to this great fish, get $1 off with member coupon. Ivory King salmon, often referred to as "ivory kings", offer the same high levels of omega-3s with a more subtle and delectable flavor. 1 in 20 of all king salmon caught is of the white ivory variety and due to this cannot be regularly supplied. Much like Christmas you don't really know what you have till you open them up. Most folks are unfamiliar with this fish but it make for wonderful conversation when some ask you "what do you have there?" Just so you know I'll tell what makes them special. Caution nerdy meat talk ahead! The coloration of many seafoods including shrimp, lobster, fish and mollusks are determined by carotenoid pigments found in the muscle and integuments. Carotenoids, however, cannot typically be synthesized by fish, while most other pigments can. Most wild salmon get these carotenoids from eating krill (a reddish shrimp-like crustacean) algae, and tiny shellfish. The carotenoids affect the color of the salmon tissue depending on the dietary pigment source, dosage level and duration of feeding. So basically, the more carotenoid-rich prey that salmon eat, the deeper red their flesh will appear . . . to a point. At some point, the pigment level will reach its maximum regardless of prey type or quantity consumed. So are the white kings, which are often found in and among red kings, eating less carotenoid rich prey?
 
Recent research has shown that salmon muscle coloration, which is a complex trait, is attributed to genetic differences among individuals. Because of the wide scope of genetic variation, even in a single trait, we should see salmon on both sides of the color spectrum light and dark red, with most occurring somewhere in the middle. White king salmon do not have the ability to absorb the carotenoids from their prey, and therefore their unpigmented flesh is a smooth ivory color. White king salmon, sometimes called Ivory salmon, should not be confused with having the albino trait, which would also affect the eye and skin color.
 
Try this great recipe for king ivory, Yukon, and sockeye salmon.
 
Slow-Cooked Salmon with Creamy Leeks and Red Wine Butter  
SERVES 4

Gordon Hamersley, the chef and owner Hamersley's Bistro in Boston, created this dish to showcase Alaskan Yukon king salmon, which is the fattiest of all the Pacific salmon. Gently roasting the salmon at a low temperature allows its fat to melt slowly and baste the flesh, yielding a luscious, ultratender piece of fish.

1 cup red wine
2 shallots (1 roughly chopped, 1 finely chopped)
8 tbsp. unsalted butter (6 tbsp. softened, 2 tbsp. diced)
2 tsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley plus  1 tbsp. thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 medium leeks (white and light green parts only),  julienned and washed
1⁄2 tbsp. finely chopped marjoram
1⁄2 tbsp. finely chopped thyme
1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds
1⁄3 cup dry vermouth
2 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
4  8-oz. skinless boneless salmon filets
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1. Combine red wine and roughly chopped shallots in a 1-quart saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to 1 tbsp., about 13 minutes. Strain the wine through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard shallots. Let wine cool. Add softened butter and chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. Stir with a fork until well combined. Transfer red wine butter to a sheet of plastic wrap and roll tightly into a 1"-thick cylinder about 5" long. Twist ends of plastic wrap to seal tightly. Chill until firm. (The red wine butter may be made and refrigerated up to 1 week in advance.)

2. Heat remaining butter in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, marjoram, thyme, and fennel, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add the cream and lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are soft and the cream has thickened, about 25 minutes. (Add a little water if leeks become dry.) Season with salt and pepper. Keep leeks warm, covered, over low heat.

3. Heat oven to 275°. Arrange the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the remaining shallots, olive oil, and garlic. Rub salmon with the shallot mixture and season with salt and pepper. Roast the salmon until medium rare, about 12 minutes. Cut four 1⁄4"-thick slices of the red wine butter, place 1 on top of each filet, and let melt slightly in the oven, about 3 minutes.

4. To serve, spoon some of the leeks onto the center of 4 plates. Using a spatula, place a salmon filet atop each. Garnish with remaining parsley.

This recipe was first published in Saveur in Issue #112

 
Check out our "Staff Top Ten Picks" posted throughout the store, we work here and shop here!!!  Look for these signs in front of the products that our staff love.  These guys are featured for the month of January.
 
Featuring Gabriel Gallegos, Membership Coordinator:
 
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit and Baking Mix: The best gluten free mix I've tried so far.  It's a staple in my kitchen.
Enjoy Life Gluten Free Snickerdoodles: Hands down the best soft-baked gluten free cookie out there.
Amy's Black Bean Enchiladas: I never knew frozen enchiladas could taste so good!
L&A Coconut Pineapple Juice: It's like dessert in a bottle!
Tinkyada Rice Pastas: By far, the best gluten free pastas.  We also carry it in bulk.
Van de Walle Farms Salsa:Great on tofu scrambler for breakfast.
El Milagro Corn Tortillas:You can't find a better bargain for corn tortillas than this and they taste great too!
Ener-G Tapioca Loaf: It's packaged like a science project, but it makes great sandwiches when toasted.
Nature's Path Mesa Sunrise Flakes: I love to eat these for breakfast with vanilla almond milk.
Rice Dream Horchata: Nothing hits the spot quite like a glass of ice-cold horchata.
 
 
Featuring Mindy Dolnick, Deli Baker :
 
Coconut O.N.E. - Easily the most refreshing drink on the planet!
Dried Mango - This chewy all-natural snack quickly satisfies the sweet tooth 
Smart Puffs - WARNING: It's incredibly easy to eat this entire bag in one sitting...by yourself
South Austin People Sandalwood Vanilla Spray : A fresh, soothing scent from South Austin People
EmergenC Pink Lemonade packets - tasty hydration, on-the-go
Wheatsville deli's Vegan Colcannon - healthy comfort food?  yes, please! 
Wateroak Farm Goat Milk Ice Cream: Rich, creamy, flavorful, and locally made!
Yogi Tea Kava stress relief - sweet dreams in a mug
Naked Juice Peach Mangosteen Bliss - Peaches + Mangosteen = a perfect pair
Stonyfield Farm Caramel Underground Yogurt - It's good for you, but tastes like it should be bad for you.  Love it!
 
 
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 .

In the Beer Aisle
 
Beer of the Week: Duvel Belgian Ale
Duvel has the complexity and depth of an ale, with the ease and refreshing nature of a Pilsner. As you put the Duvel glass to your lips an uprush of complex aromas immediately gain your attention. Then as you tip the golden Belgian ale on to your expectant taste buds, mellow malt flavors lure you further into the beer's beguiling depths. Dive in and enjoy the difference! Find the little bottle with the huge taste in Wheatsville's singles cooler!
 
 Have a great week!

Dan Gillotte
GM and e-mail guy