Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan gillotte <dangillotte AT gmail.com>]

Meet our newest cashier- John Mackey! 

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans and welcome to the April 1st edition of our weekly updates!

I'm pleased to announce the hire of our newest cashier, John Mackey. John has good experience working at another natural foods store in town and we're glad to have him working the registers. If this works out, he may even take over writing these weekly e-mails and running our Facebook account.

And, check out our newest deli offering- Bacon fried Tofu!

Ok now, on to the rest of our updates with NO FOOLING around!

Scroll down for:

Bunnies!

Easter brunch and hams!

Deli yumminess

Flowers, plants and more!

Candy!

Cheese island

other meat specials

BUNNIES BUNNIES BUNNIES BUNNIES!

 

From Sjaak's Chocolates, the makers of the fine chocolates we enjoyed for Valentine's Day, we are now happy to have chocolate Easter bunnies and boxes of vegan Easter truffles! These little cuties are made of Organic, Fair-Trade chocolate and are available in milk-chocolate or vegan dark chocolate. Other specialties from Sjaak's include a little chocolate basket with a mini chocolate bunny and eggs, a handmade paper box of truffles and cute little bags of brightly colored, foil-wrapped chocolate eggs. By the way, these are NOT just for kids! J

You can find them by the front door of the coop on display with bouquets of gorgeous flowers.

 

ALSO! We were sure to stock up on Chocolove's Almonds & Sea Salt in 55% Dark Chocolate Bars. If you haven't tried one of these yet…well let's just say that maybe you should stay away. They are AMAZING—creamy dark chocolate with little flecks of sea salt and slices of almonds. Easter Bunny approved!

 

Easter specialties in the Deli and Meat departments

Easter is upon us and we have the Spring Fever to prove it! This Friday, Saturday and Sunday we will be featuring a seasonal holiday brunch buffet on the hot bar from 11am-2pm and again from 4pm-7pm daily! On Easter Sunday we will be running the hot bar straight through from 11am-7pm! The tasty dishes we have planned for you include our Sweet Honey-Mustard Holiday Ham with Apple "Jus", Vegan Colcannon made with mashed potatoes, leeks, kale and cabbage, simply Roasted Organic Carrots, a Spinach Frittata with mushrooms, green onions and two kinds of cheese, and lots more! 

From Bryan, the Butcher

 

Hey folks it's time to get that grill fired up!  The weather is great AND it is Easter.  We have great specials to support a healthy grilling habit. Also, look in the quick to fix case next to the meat case for some new "grilling" ready items. The first weekend we will have chicken kabobs made with Buddy's chicken and marinated in the Deli's Cilantro Lime dressing, with lots more new items to follow soon.

 

For Easter we have Niman's petite hams.  These hams were rated  as one of the best  baked hams for Easter. Check out the link below to see what Epicurious has to say.http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/everydaycooking/tastetests/bakedhamtastetest

We also have Niman Lamb legs that are perfect for an Easter dinner.  Here is a great recipe that is quick and easy, really bringing out the flavor of the lamb. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/rosemary-and-garlic-roast-leg-of-lamb-recipe/index.html

  

Deli yumminess is springing up!

Today starts a new month and with that come fabulous new springtime recipes for your Wheatsville Deli!

In the cold cases we will have slices of our fresh basil and parmesan-stuffed honey-glazed Spring Ham, crispy and creamy Risotto Cakes, and our brunch favorites: Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche and Bacon Florentine Quiche, all made with cage-free eggs!

And what would Easter be without SWEETS?! The Wheatsville bakers have been busy baking up sweet treats for your holiday weekend: vegan Carrot Cake slices, pretty and tart Lemon Squares, soft and oh-so-Southern Buttermilk Cookies made with Organic Valley buttermilk, and our amazing Peanut Butter Cups will be available alongside packs of rich Tom's Fudge so come in and celebrate!

We are also featuring a couple of Fresh in the Deli recipes shared with us by other co-ops across the nation! From the Sno-Isle Natural Foods Co-op in Everett, Washington, comes the delicious Puget Sound Artichoke Salad! We combine artichoke hearts with multicolored bell peppers, red onion, fresh kale and toss with salty kalamata olives and feta cheese! Dressed with a garlicky white wine vinaigrette, this salad is a seasonal standout!

As an alternative to ordinary potato salad, the creative cooks at Lakewinds Natural Foods in Minnesota have created the spring-fresh Asparagus Potato Salad! Starting with creamy Yukon Gold potatoes, they have added fresh asparagus, carrots, scallions and tomatoes and tossed it all up in a honey-mustard-miso dressing! Yum!!

The Deli's new Salsa of the Month for April is the spicy and gorgeous Sweet Serrano, blending peppers, peaches, red onions, fresh tomatoes and cilantro!

The Smoothie of the Month also features peaches, but goes for the Peach Cobbler effect, blending frozen peaches with a little cinnamon, vanilla and almond butter! It's "Just Peachy!"

Deli Owner Specials for April include our delightful Garden Bagel, your choice of any toasted Rock Star bagel spread with cream cheese and topped with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion, $3.49, reg. $3.99! Also on sale for owners is our classic Organic Iced Black Tea, $1.29, reg. $1.69! For you Mate lovers, our beloved Iced Yerba Mate is also back for the season! And in our self-serve case you will find the warm weather return of our cold, spicy Tomato Gazpacho Soup, 16 fl oz containers on sale for $3.25, reg. $3.75!

Also on sale at the Deli Counter are Boar's Head Honey Maple Ham at $8.49/lb, reg. $8.99 and Smoked Provolone, $4.99/lb, reg. $5.99!

 

Produce Owner Specials

Historically, the produce department hasn't participated much in our Owner's Special Program, and I am proud to announce to that starting in April we will be! This month we will feature Wholly Guacamole varieties (Spicy, Classic and Pico Style) for $4.99 for the Classic and Spicy,  and $2.49 for the Pico Style. We will also be offering the popular Debbie Meyer's Green Re-Usable Produce bags on sale for $8.99 all month. There are twenty re-usable produce bags in each box of varying sizes. These bags can be re-used multiple time, and keep produce fresh longer in your refrigerator!

 

Flowers

Our floral program has kicked off this March, and people seem to be excited that we have fresh flowers for them to spruce up their homes during Spring cleaning. Currently, our flowers come from Ecuador, are certified sustainably grown and come in large and small bouquets. We'll have some special flowers for Easter weekend, too.

 

We've been asked about the availability of local flowers, especially flowers from the Aronofsky Family Farms in Wimberly. Unfortunately, the Aronofsky's are unable to do business with us due to difficulty to meet their current demand. However, we will be getting other locally source flowers when available, and they will be offered alongside our current selection. In the process of putting the program together, I've spoken to several Texas and local growers, and several of them were impacted by the low temperatures around the New Year. Look for local flowers soon!

 

Starter Plants

We are currently carrying starter plants from P/2 Organics and Thymely Herbs, both local companies with a variety of plants available. These are located at the entrance of the store, and the organic varieties are marked with a yellow sticker. Now is the time to plant, so get'em soon!

 

In The Grocery Aisle

 

Organic Candies:

 Sometimes you just need something sweet. If you don't want to sacrifice your standards, it's good to know that there is an option for natural treats. This week the Let's Do Organic Gummi Bears hit the shelf at Wheatsville in three flavors. These Gummi Bears are organic, vegan and gluten free. Whether you're in the mood for sweet or sour, they will fit the need. It is also worth mentioning that we have organic jelly beans and other organic soft candies from Surf Sweets. Enjoy. Justin Merrifield, Grocery Buyer

 

From Cheese Island!

I have decided to carry over the sale on our mild print cheddar through Easter weekend. It will be on sale for $3.99/lb, regularly $4.99/lb. Starting tomorrow we will have  a few sales  on Organic Valley our products. Organic Valley Neufchatel and Cream Cheese in the 8oz tub will be on sale for $2.29 ea., regularly 2.89. Organic Valley  Sliced Muenster, Cheddar, Montery Jack and Provolone will be on sale for $3.99 ea., regularly $4.99 each.

Organic Valley shredded parmesan 4oz is on sale for $3.49 ea., regularly$ 4.29 ea.  Organic bleu cheese crumbles  4 oz will be on sale for $3.49 ea., regularly $4.89 each.

 

For all you cheese burger fans here  is a link you should check out. http://www.cheeseandburger.com/

 

Meat specials

Niman Ranch Beef N.Y. Strip steak-regular price $18.99 lb. NOW $16.99 lb.

Organic Prairie 12oz ground meat chubs (Turkey & chicken) $5.29 reg. $6.99 (beef) $5.69 reg. $6.99.

Niman Ranch Pulled Pork-$8.49 16oz package, regular price $8.79

Surimi (imitation crabmeat) $4.99 lb regular $5.99 lb

 

You should also know (your) meat case has been re-organized. So next time you visit the meat case look around for a bit you might see somthing new! We have recently brought back two of our all time favorite products, Pederson's Bacon flavored sausage $6.99 for a 16oz package & Smoked kielbasa $4.99 for a 16 oz package. I don't need to hype these up much, because they are awesome and the quality of the product speaks for its self. Pederson's is locally raised and produced in Hamilton Texas, and is all natural & certified humane.

Have a great week and happy April fools day!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsvile GM and e-mail guy!