crackers

Have you tried Potter's Crackers?

They are the perfect local cracker for everyday and for that special party!

I called down to the Potter's cracker shed in Madison just before Christmas to place an order for us, and the freshly baked crackers are already here. Now that's fresh: baked, packed and shipped to order. And until someone more local than Madison (they gets their flour from a mill just south of here, and other ingredients from nearby places!) gets crackin', these are our local cracker. And you've been to Madison, it's not too far, and it's a pretty awesome town.

We've increased our selection along with the bakery - here's what we have: Garlic and baby onion, six seed, toasted sesame, caraway rye, washington island flax, hazelnut graham, cranberry graham, cranberry wild rice, sweet potato onion and classic white. Hand-bagged 4oz size.

Wondering what to do with a cracker like this? Check out their pairings page. We have most of the cheeses they recommend, right across the aisle from the crackers!

worker-owned co-ops... sustainability as a gift to our communities this holiday season

friends have me reading about worker-owned co-ops again... discuss amungst yourselves... then with others, this is barely scratching the surface in our communities. http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1947313,00.html and http://www.justpeace.org/mondragon.htm thanks tom and eric!

Last Minute Christmas Ideas.

Do you need a last minute Christmas idea? Under $15? Here are just a few you will find in the store;

Malted Milk Powder that comes already wrapped with recipes enclosed, made in Colfax, WI.

Obsession Chocolates syrup, chocolates, truffles, toffee and cocoa.

Many Health and Beauty items including, soaps, lotions, reed diffusers, chico bags.

How about a Just Local Food T-shirt?

Local Jams, Honeys, Maple Syrups.

Coffee and Teas.

Beer.

And there are always Gift Certificates in any denomination.

If you need assistance all the workers have great ideas for gifts, just ask!

Happy Holidays.

get back to your ROOTS!

In our wondrous winter wonderland, it's easy to forget that our local farmers STILL have plenty of fresh produce for sale. The majority of this fresh produce is in the form of roots. Many vegetable plants store their own "food" in their roots, typically in the form of carbohydrates. Today we'll be focusing on locally produced taproots in the form of turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, carrots, beets and burdock. For now, we won't confuse our taproots with tuberous roots like yams, potatoes or sunchokes...

Here is a rundown of our current local taproot supply:

Beets come from Harmony Valley Farm in Viola. Experts at certified organic growing, post harvest storage, cleaning and packing, Harmony Valley provides us with a consistent supply of roots throughout the winter. You may be familiar with their 3# bagged soup mix which we stock with vigor while it's available. A simple solution to your evening meal quandry is a bag of soup mix with a few recipes right on the bag. You'll also find burdock root, a culinary thistle that was the inspiration for Velcro, organically grown by Harmony Valley on the shelves. Burdock is also a traditional medicinal herb that is used for many ailments.

We've got carrots coming out our ears. Easily the most popular taproot out there, and
our signature product, we've always got carrots in stock. You will find California carrots on our shelves - and we carry these for a variety of reasons. Our local supply of carrots can vary in quality, size and appearance. The California Carrots are consistently great, and we carry these out of convenience for those of you looking for the standard American carrot! From time to time throughout the winter we do happen upon local carrots, and we are happy to present a variety of carrots brought to us by our friends at Six Rivers Cooperative based in Barron, WI. These bright orange carrots were grown by Dragsmith Farms, who you know from their incredible Mississippi Greens. Maurice is pictured at right with carrots grown on his farm.

Rutabaga and turnips, interestingly enough, are from the genus brassica, whose esteemed family members are also referred to as cabbages, mustards, and cole crops. Rutabaga and turnips are associated with the same potent anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activity as their relatives. Thanks to Grandma Ingrid up in Hayward, nothing says "holiday!" to me like a pot of boiling 'bagies on the stove. These roots also come to us from Six Rivers Cooperative and are sourced from a variety of Amish and English farmers north of Eau Claire.

In sad news: Jalapenos are on short supply, Piney Hill Salad with Pizazz won't be back until the middle of January and we're sold out of Sylvan Hills garlic for the season!

Dave's BrewFarm Beer Sampling and other tidbits...

We had a great time with David from Dave's BrewFarm down at the store sampling BrewFarm Select on Friday, December 18th from 4-6 PM. We also enjoyed meeting the wonderful folks behind Blue Collar Jams pairing their amazingly balanced habanero jams with this crisp and refreshing beer.

We also have some other exciting news. In the last few weeks we set up a new account with a small Wisconsin based distributor that is going to give us access to some New Products and New Everyday Low Prices on several staples we already have. To mention a few...

New Products

Salsa Lisa Mild/Medium Salsa (refrigerated)
Salsa Lisa Hot Salsa (refrigerated)
Salsa Lisa Roasted Chipotle Medium Salsa (refrigerated)
Alexia Mushroom Bites (frozen)
Alexia Mozzarella Stix (frozen)
Oikos OG Greek Yogurt Vanilla (refrigerated)

New Everday Low Prices

Mt. Sterling Feta $5.69->$5.39
Crave Brothers 8oz Fresh Mozzarella $3.79->$3.49
Crave Brothers Farmer's Rope $7.89->$4.99
GT's Kombucha (all varieties) $4.59->$3.99
Tofurky Slices (all varieties) $3.99->$3.49

Look for more prices to drop as we order more product, including brand lines Tofurky Vegan Products, Mt. Sterling Goat Cheeses, President Cheeses, and Crave Brothers Cheeses to mention a few.

Christmas Turkeys

Are you looking for a turkey for your Christmas dinner? Coon Creek Farm has a few organic turkeys from 20 - 25 lbs. They sell for $4.99 per pound. If you are interested give us a call and we can order one for you. 552-3366.

papaya!

Wreaths for sale!

Holiday Wreaths are in from Cook County's Sustainable Forestry Co-op in Hovland, MN!

enjoy the beauty and great smell of these seasonal delights at your home or place of work!

http://www.fscus.org/news/index.php?article=492

ForkMates by RP's Pasta is now in our Freezer!

from their website;

"RP's would like to introduce you to ForkMates, our newest line of microwavable frozen Entrees. RP's new ForkMates were developed with great taste, the farmer's well being,the reduced environmental impact of purchasing our ingredients locally, and the ultimate convenience for you.

The cheese is 100% Wisconsin made, the mushrooms are purchased directly from a Wisconsin farmer, and the pasta, well, we make that fresh for every order."

Now Available in four quick delicious meals:

• Four Cheese Ravioli in a Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce
  
  
• Four Cheese Tortellini in a Basil & Tomato Sauce
  
  
• Macaroni & Cheese Featuring "Hook's 3 Year Cheddar"
  
  
• Portabella & Parmesan Ravioli in a Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce
  
  

Ready in just 4 minutes.

Maple Syrup

Eric's Maple Syrup a.k.a. Watkins Maple Syrup is winding down for the season. What we have in stock is all we'll have until the Spring tapping, including grade B. So stock up now, while you can!

please join us this Saturday 10am-??? at your source for fair trade and simply unbelievable coffee for a tasting with our friends from Just Coffee in Madison. 

until then!

equipo cafeinado, Drew y Zacarias

www.justcoffee.coop

This week in PRODUCE

 

new to a produce cooler in your reach:

local, Naturally Agave Sweetened Salad Dressings from Elder Valley Farms and Local, Organic Apple Sauce from Hoch's Orchard


Cara Cara Navels, Grapefruit and Valencia Oranges, Satsuma and Fall-Glo Tangerines (Organic)


Last of the Season's local Cranberries (but keep looking in our frozen section to find Sno-Pac Cranberries from MN!) and naturally beautiful Spencer, WI peppers


Organic Green Beans


a multitude of local, organic heirloom squash


and back in this week: Brent Douglas (locally grown!) Flowers

Brew News December 2009

Welcome to another installment of Brew News!

1. New Products
2. New Beer Shelving
3. Sampling w/David of Dave's BrewFarm
4. Empty 6 Packs?

1. New Products
We have picked up several new and seasonal products recently. Stop down and check them out, they make great gifts/treats to share for the holidays.

Capital Eisphyre 4pk - limited release, 1st time since 2006
Summit Winter Ale 6pk - seasonal
Bell's Rye Stout 6pk - limited release
New Glarus Snowshoe Red Ale 6pk - seasonal
Sand Creek Hard Lemonade 6pk - back again from a brief hiatus
New Belgium Trippel 6pk - new to us, year round
New Belgium 2 Below 6pk - seasonal
New Belgium Fat Tire 12pk - new to us, year round
Dave's BrewFarm Select 12pk - new product on the market (on sale for $10.99)
New Belgium 1554 22oz - new to us, year round
Finnegan's Irish Amber 6pk - new product on the market

2. New Beer Shelving
A few weeks back we installed new beer shelving with the help of Matt, Chris, and Don from Park Ridge Distributing. The old shelves had many noticeable problems leaning 6 packs, shelves set to closely (inhibiting the ability to get your favorite 6 pack), 15 plus years of broken beer bottles and grime, and sharp edges covered in duct tape. The new (to us) shelving is much cleaner, adjusts easily, and is set perfectly for all those local beers we stock. Thanks for bearing with the old unit and please check out the fully stocked new one.

Thanks again Matt, Chris, and Don for the many hours of help installing!

3. Sampling w/David of Dave's BrewFarm
We are in the scheduling stages with David at this point. Look forward to a BrewFarm Select sampling in the third week of December. If you can't wait, stop down and buy a 12 pack and do a sampling of your own. Pairs well with burgers, pizza...actually this beer goes with everything.

Check out this old post for more info on Dave's BrewFarm.
Beer Advocate Review
Leader Telegram Article by Joe Knight

4. Empty 6 Packs?
We have a stock pile of empty 4 and 6 packs that needs to be dwindled. If anyone would like hundreds of them for a crafting project (think of that beer lover this holiday season) or some other functional use, let us know. If your idea is to the liking of Drew and I, we might even throw in a free 6 pack for taking them off of our hands.

Cheers to Beers,
Jordan (on behalf of The Beer Dudes)

"If you ever reach total enlightenment while drinking beer, I bet it makes beer shoot out your nose."
-Deep Thought, Jack Handy