Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan gillotte <dangillotte AT gmail.com>]

Hopefully, you are continuing to be amused and delighted by our many changes in our store.

This week, produce moved into it's new home which is veryu exciting. It's so great to have one of our favorite departments back up front where it belongs! This department is only partly moved in because they are working without a full-sized walk-in cooler or any prep space to speak of. Once that is built, they will move in completely to their new space. So, look for that in late May.

For now, enjoy the Organic Peaches from Mexico. We're pretty sure that the Texas peach crop will be minimal (if we even get any) this year, sadly, but we can't miss out on peaches. I had some earlier this week and they were really quite good. 

Other project stuff this week:

Our new eat-in counter opened up. A spot to eat or drink a cup of coffee inside was one of the major requests we heard over and over in planning the renovation. We had limited room for a full blown cafe, but I did what i could to fit a nice little counter in. I hope that you like it. It's made from recycled concrete and bottled from Ecology Action by local artist, John Newbold. Get some an espresso and chill out as the people pass by on Guadalupe!

The new bus stop! I'm pretty proud of the fact that we were able to work with the city and Capmetro to relocate the bus stop closer to our front doors and under our overhang. This makes it more convenient to bus to Wheatsville, but also makes it more comfortable for anyone who has to wait for the bus to be able to sit down under the shade. 

Early next week, cheer for the long awaited return of our new and improved awning! Bigger and better than ever, this awning will be just what the patio needs to beat back the sun of May. Get some lunch and relax in the shade some time next week.

This weekend is Mother's Day. We didn't go all out this Mother's Day honestly, but it's not because we don't love Moms, I promise! We've just been so dang busy! But, we still have some simple ideas to rock your Mom's day! 

Ice Cream and Berries for Breakfast? (OK, doesn't have to be breakfast) but you can delight your mom with a dessert of Ice cream and berries. We've got three kinds of frozen treats on deal! Green and Black Oragnic Ice Cream, Purely Decadent Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert (including the super popular So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream!) as well as the (new to us) Ciao Bella Sorbet. Pair them with our Stahlbush forzen fruit or fresh berries from produce. (We have convenienty placed this frozen goodness all together for you in the ice cream encap across from the deli delf serve case. 

How about a warm compote to put on the ice cream.... her is a quick recipe from www.allrecipes.com

• 1  tablespoon  butter
• 3  tablespoons  honey
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• Dash of ground cinnamon
• 1  (12-ounce) bag assorted frozen berries

To prepare compote, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add honey, juice, cinnamon, and berries; bring to a boil. Reduce heat;
simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep warm.

From the Deli:

This week your Wheatsville Deli brings you an abundance of delicious treats! A new addition to our full-serve case this month are the deeply flavored, oven-roasted Balsamic BBQ Chicken Wings, made with local, all-natural Buddy’s Chicken, a recipe that comes to us courtesy of the Putney Food Co-op in Putney, Vermont. These tasty wings are currently sharing the case with a slew of our old favorites like Couscous with Feta and Fava Beans, Curry Lime Chicken Salad, Lively Beets and Carrots, Potato, Onion and Caper Salad, Paprika Grilled Yellowfin Tuna Steaks, Tuscan Parmesan Turkey Penne… and so many more!

Another Fresh in the Deli item in our self-serve case this week comes by way of the Ashland Food Co-op in Ashland, Oregon: Raw Sundried Tomato Sunflower Pate! It’s a sweet, hearty, raw spread full of tasty and healthy ingredients like sunflower seeds, sundried tomatoes, tahini, green onions, fresh basil, lemon juice and garlic. It’s perfect on crackers or with crudités, and it makes a great sandwich filling, too!

This weekend, look for our delicious, local and all-natural Rosemary-Garlic Whole Roasted Chickens to make a return to the self-serve case as well. Take one home for an instant dinner, to shred over salads or soup, to make into tasty enchiladas or chicken salad, or just to snack on! They’re tender, flavorful, juicy, and ready to go!

Don’t forget all espresso drinks are 25 cents off this month, so make your way to Wheatsville’s new Coffee Bar and try something fancy! The Nutella is a popular choice, a delicious latte boosted with chocolate and hazelnut syrups! Make your own combination and save this month!

Fresh-baked breads remain in stock all-day, every day! Try the crusty, organic French Baguette or the Wholegrain Baguette, chockfull of seedy goodness, with a selection of soft, spreadable cheeses, or even just slathered with some creamy Remember When Butter!

Come on in and take a look at what we have to offer!

Bryan Butler, the Butcher
Hey peeps!  There is a lot to choose from this week in the Quick-to-fix case. We have all of your: Salmon burgers, turkey burgers, Morocan patties, crusted ruby trout filets, cajun catfish, and 2 types of House Made Sausages!  The sausages are selling like crazy - we are loving the freshness and flavor of the hot italian  and the sweet italian.  Add it to a red sauce and pasta for a great, quick dinner.
    Be sure to look over the seafood case when you are in. Everything is 100% sustainable. Be sure to try the Coho salmon from trollerpoint fisheries.  Look for large U-20 Driver scallops and frozen halibut filets to be coming in the next couple of weeks too. Thanks folks for your support. See ya at the meat counter! Chao 
 
 Have a really great week!

Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!