Friday, September 30, 2011

Kudos To Pizzeria Locale

I'm usually too busy cooking at home to mention much about our vibrant Boulder restaurant scene, but I'd like to give a shout out to Frasca's Pizzeria Locale for making Bon Appetit's top five choices for one-page wine lists (check out the wine list itself here). You can read the article about the virtues of the slimmed down, well chosen wine list, mentioning Frasca specifically, in this article from the September issue of Bon Appetit.

Weekend Dinner Ideas

Happy Friday and happy last day of September (sigh), so it's time to get planning some dinner ideas for the weekend.

Tonight's a no-brainer, since I picked up some of the beautiful Columbia River salmon during Whole Food's one-day sale Wednesday, when my dinners were already planned and stocked through yesterday. With a lovely evening for grilling tonight, a great option for this time of year is grilled salmon with roasted corn relish from Cooking Light. The relish capitalizes on the remaining days of our fresh, local corn season while also incorporating roasted green chiles, while we are at the height of that season (roast them yourself as directed in the recipe, or simplify your life and buy them pre-roasted at Sunflower, Whole Foods, or the Farmers' Market). If you aren't lucky enough to have that Whole Foods salmon in your fridge, Sprouts has fresh farmed salmon on sale for $7.99 a pound.

Thinking about those roasted chiles, we've been dabbling with recipes that incorporate them as a flavoring since their first appearance a few weeks ago, but this weekend it's time to go all out by making a big pot of chili itself. (Or is it a big pot of chile? See this post for illumination re the spelling issues.) My recipe comes from a favorite old chile-centered cookbook and therefore doesn't have a link, but this Denver site gives you a selection of "award winning green chili recipes." (Since they're in Denver, rather than New Mexico, it's chili instead of chile.)

We'll want something a little different by Sunday, and with haddock just $3.99 a pound during Sprouts' 72 hour sale through then, I'm thinking about adapting it into a recipe from the current issue of Bon Appetit, baked flounder with tomatoes and basil. Haddock is a versatile fish that I think could easily substitute for the flounder. It's a beautiful time of year for tomatoes, whether from the Farmers' Market or a store (I'd consider the 20 ounce containers of EuroFresh super cherry tomatoes that are just $2.50 each at Sunflower, since EuroFresh promises to be pesticide-free), and the basil will come from my own herb plants, which continue to need a whacking, despite my best efforts.

And that will get us through to the weekday planning, our first for October.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Local Food Goes REALLY Local

There's a new player on the Boulder farm stand scene, and this one takes local to a new level. Check out the handsome "Local Food" stand at 1005 Cherryvale Road (Cherryvale is between 55th and 75th Streets, and the stand is between Arapahoe and Baseline). The stand offers food grown in nearby gardens and mini-farms. While sometimes unattended on the honor system (yay - there is still honor in Boulder!), I managed to catch someone a few days ago who told me that all the produce is organically grown, although it is of course uncertified, coming from gardens within a few blocks of the stand. I'll hopefully have time to get more information on this cool concept shortly.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Boulder Farmers' Market Today

What a beautiful fall afternoon for today's Boulder Farmers' Market, starting shortly at 4. For your planning purposes, here's the produce you can expect to find, from the Market's weekly newsletter, just out today. (And yes, corn is still in the list!)

GREENS
Arugula, Baby Greens, Braising Mix, Chard, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Mixed Greens, Mizuna, Mustards, Romaine, Salad Mix, Sorrel, Spicy Greens, Spinach, Tatsoi

HERBS
Apple Mint, Basil, Borage, Calendula, Catnip, Chervil, Chives, Chocolate Mint, Cilantro, Dill, Garlic Chives, Parsley (Curly, Italian), Lemon Balm, Lovage, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Shiso, Tarragon, Thyme

VEGETABLES
Artichokes, Beets, Beans (Cannelini Shell, Haricot Verts, Wax), Beets, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Edamame, Eggplant, Fennel, Fingerling Potatoes, Garlic, Leeks, Mini English Cukes, Mushrooms, Pepper (including roasted peppers), Potatoes, Pumpkins, Okra, Onions, Radish, Radicchio, Scallions, Shallots, Summer Squash & Blossoms, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatillos, Turnips, Winter Squash (many varieties)

TOMATOES
Cherry, Heirloom, Slicing

FRUIT
Apples, Melon, Nectarine, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Strawberries, Watermelon

FLOWERS
Mums
Glads
Dahlias
Sunflowers
Mixed Bouquets

"Kitchen Basics" Classes At WFM Pearl

With cooking coach Beth Pilar at the helm, the Pearl Street Whole Foods is starting a series of Cooking Basics classes (I've seen them called by both names, Kitchen or Cooking Basics). The first one, slated for tomorrow evening, sounds basic indeed, focusing on essential kitchen equipment and knife skills (although you get to pepper Beth with questions, and there's a gift card, too). Stay tuned, as the second in the series, scheduled for October 12th, will get the participants truly cooking, making a winter pot roast. Here's what they say about tomorrow's event:

Time Thursday, September 29 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm

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Location Whole Foods Market - Pearl Street (Cooking Dept)
2905 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO

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Created By Whole Foods Boulder

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More Info Our cooking coach, Beth Pilar, will be leading a series of Cooking Basics classes. Learn what essential kitchen equipment you'll need to succeed. Beth will also go over basic knife skills and techniques. No question will be left unanswered!

RSVP: Please sign-up at customer service or at the sign-up sheet located in the Cooking Department of the store.

-Before coming, be sure to create an account on cookingboulder.com
-You’ll get a $5 gift card at the end of the class!

This Week's Hot New Deals (IMHO)

We have a slew of new specials starting today at our Boulder natural grocery stores, with only Vitamin Cottage continuing, as they just started their new sale a couple of days ago. See below for my take on the best new deals at Sprouts, Sunflower, and Whole Foods. Alfalfa's should also have a new sale today, and I'll get that info out as soon as I get my hands on it.

Through October 5th at Sprouts, the big news for avocado fans is that they've taken on the cheap avocado mantle for the week at 49 cents each (these are conventional), while Sunflower has bumped up a bit from last week's sale to 77 cents (although that includes organic!). Sprouts' other big news is a 72 hour sale, running this Friday through Sunday. That mini-sale includes organic gala apples for just $1 a pound, boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.99 a pound (value pack), chicken sausage for $1.99 a pound (the lowest price I've ever seen), flash frozen haddock for $3.99 a pound, plus some other items (I'll bet the 10 pound bags of conventional potatoes will be flying out of the store at $1 each, although I wouldn't eat a conventional potato). In their weeklong sale, center-cut boneless pork loin chops are stellar at $1.99 a pound, and we're back to the farm-raised salmon for fresh fish, at $7.99 a pound this week. In organic produce, cluster tomatoes look great at $1.50 a pound, hard squash is just 88 cents a pound, yams are $1.49 a pound, a one pound package of strawberries is $3.99, and celery is 88 cents a bunch. My favorite (select) Ezekiel breads are good at $3.39 each, but even better at Vitamin Cottage, where they're $2.99. Finally, I'm also enthused about Rondele cheese spreads at $3.99 an eight ounce tub.

At Sunflower through the 5th, while I'm willing to eat conventional avocados, the organics at 77 cents each are impressive. Bone-in New York steaks are $4.97 a pound ($6.99 for boneless), all chicken sausage is $2.99 a pound (but $1.99 a pound during Sprouts' 72 hour sale), and ground pork is $2.99 a pound. In organic produce, grape tomatoes look good at $2.50 for 10 ounces, as does romaine, red or green leaf lettuce at $1.50 a head, and red or yellow onions or russet baking potatoes all 99 cents a pound (with Whole Foods basically matching on the potatoes). In non-organic produce, EuroFresh super cherry tomatoes, which promise to be pesticide-free, are $2.50 for a whopping 20 ounces. Finally, I have a weakness for Pamela's gluten-free cookies, especially when select varieties are $2.50 a box.

At Whole Foods through October 11th, one of their "favorites this week" is Imagine organic broth at $2.50 a box, and the current Whole Deal newsletter (in-store and online) has a $1 off coupon for it (that can only be used at Whole Foods). That results in a fantastic price for one box, but if you're stocking up, you're better off at Vitamin Cottage, where they're $2.39 a box all the way through October 29th. Whole Foods' own Maryland-style crab cakes are worth their full price, but are even better now at $10.99 a pound, $2 off. Organic russet potatoes are good at $1 a pound, effectively matching Sunflower's price, and organic black seedless grapes are $1.99 a pound. In their bakery, I like their own baby boules anyday, and even better at $1 each. That's not much of a price reduction, but the baby boules are already one of the best deals in their selection, provided you're not planning to feed an army.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

One-Day Sale at Whole Foods Tomorrow

For tomorrow only, the 28th, our local Whole Foods stores will offer us a trio of special sales, one of which has me quite enthused. I've never met a fish I didn't like from Whole Foods, and just for tomorrow, they'll have fresh wild caught Columbia River king salmon for $12.99 a pound, about half their usual price. (Bear in mind also that tomorrow will be the last day of Sprouts' current sale, which includes both fresh wild caught Columbia River king salmon and fresh wild swordfish, both for $9.99 a pound, and their swordfish last weekend was excellent.) Whole Foods' sale tomorrow also includes four ounce Organic Valley Farms feta crumbles nearly half price at $3 each, and the ingeniously-named Dr. Laura's Wholesome Junk Food Cookies half off at $3, regularly $5.99 (and they're vegan).

Cooking And Juice Demos At Pearl St.

The Pearl Street Whole Foods' new Healthy Eating Specialist, Sarah Morgan, is keeping busy this week with fresh juice and cooking demos, one today, and another on Thursday. Here's what they say:

Tuesday, September 27th

Fresh Juice Demo with Sarah
11 am - 1 pm FREE!

Meet Sarah Morgan Pearl Street's new Healthy Eating Specialist as she demonstrates Fresh Squeezed Juices from or 5430 Juice Bar!

Learn how fresh juice meet our Health Starts Here criteria how you can incoporate our Health Starts Here program into your lifestyle.


Thursday, September 29th

Bulk Cooking Demonstration with Sarah
5 pm - 7 pm FREE

Meet Sarah Morgan Pearl Street's new Healthy Eating Specialist as she demonstrates Colorado Heirloom Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing!

Learn how this salad meet our Health Starts Here criteria how you can incoporate our Health Starts Here program into your lifestyle.

New Deals At Vitamin Cottage

Vitamin Cottage has a new set of specials that last all the way to October 29th, practically to Halloween. My personal fave of the group is Imagine organic broth or cooking stock at $2.39 a box (to which I already dedicated an entire post just to rave about, so I'll spare you a repeat of that praise). Also looking good to me are big 25 ounce cans of Westbrae organic canned beans for $1.69 (for those autumn pots of chili), Boulder Natural Meats whole fryer chickens for $1.99 a pound, and three pound bags of organic Colorado apples or Bartlett pears at 2 for $6 (that's just $1 a pound for organics). Big 28 ounce cans of Muir Glen organic tomatoes are very good at $1.79 each (stock up!), and select varieties of my very favorite Ezekiel breads are great at $2.99 a loaf. Being Vitamin Cottage, there are of course tons of supplements at excellent prices as well.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Imagine Broth On Sale At Vitamin Cottage!

There's a new set of specials running all the way through October 29th at Vitamin Cottage. Since I'm very tight on time today, there'll be more about that later, but one of them has me so excited, I can't wait to tell. I am in adoration of Vitamin Cottage for putting my very favorite Imagine organic broths and cooking stocks on sale for $2.39 a 32 ounce box (with the kosher chicken broth at $2.79). As I've previously related (and have friends who concur), Imagine broth tastes fantastic, and does that with absolutely no variant of MSG in it. (Since MSG masquerades under quite a few names, you might be surprised to realize it is in some other "natural" brands.) Vitamin Cottage usually, very graciously, puts it on sale in time for the Thanksgiving through New Year's holiday cooking season, and since I've run out of my stock from last year (these boxes sport expiration dates that are very far out), I'm thrilled to see it on sale again this early. I caught some flak from the family last year when my stockpile not only filled the kitchen cupboard that is dedicated to broth for cooking, but also spilled into a spare room closet. But broth brings such a flavorful dimension to dishes like soups, casseroles, and risotto, that sure enough, my stockpile is gone. Another great facet of this sale is that Vitamin Cottage has the cooking stock at the same price as the broth, when it usually runs higher. I'll definitely have to experiment more with the cooking stock. Oh thank you, thank you, Vitamin Cottage.

P.S. I create my stockpile over the fall sale season, and as we get into the holidays proper, the sales may actually get even better. While $2.39 is a good price, especially for the cooking stock, the broth may get even cheaper. Last year, Vitamin Cottage went as low as $1.99 a box in December, with Sprouts countering at just a penny more.

Rosh Hashanah Dinner Planning

It may feel like August this week in Boulder, but we're really into fall, as evidenced by Rosh Hashanah beginning this Wednesday. If you're looking for inspiration for a festive table check out these helpful guides: Bon Appetit's Rosh Hashanah Recipes Slideshow, the best High Holiday recipes from Epicurious, and Saveur's Recipes for Rosh Hashanah.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Weekday Dinner Ideas

Sorry, folks, but it's just too nice a first Sunday of fall to linger too long in front of the computer, so this will be quick. In thinking about dinners for the rest of the week, the first thing that comes to mind for tomorrow has nothing to do with current sales, but everything to do with seasonality: whacking down my basil plants. I think I need to get ruthless, even though the forecast for the next few days looks forgiving. For that, I'll do a big batch of pesto, using some on pasta tomorrow night and probably freezing the remainder in ice cube trays. I just wing the pesto by feel, since it consists of just basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and parmesan. In the past, my finished product has often been too rich for my taste, and in my recent experiments, using a lighter touch with the olive oil and almost eliminating the pine nuts has produced more satisfactory results. For an entertaining and enlightened discussion of how to make a fine pesto, you can check out Pesto By Hand, from The Atlantic. Me? Sorry, I'll be making mine in a food processor.

For Tuesday, we always have our quick reheat of something big made over the weekend, which this week is sweet corn chowder with hot-smoked salmon from Cooking Light. A salad, some fresh bread, and that's it.

For Wednesday, I'm thinking about the freshly roasted green chiles so widely available right now. Those, in conjunction with our fresh corn season nearing its end (although Munsons says they'll make it into October!!), and the chicken tenders that are just $1.99 a pound at Sprouts through that day, spell chicken burritos with poblano chiles and corn. I do this with roasted chiles rather than raw, which is perfect for right now, and of course you can use any of the roasted Hatch chiles available in the stores, if you don't have the roasted poblanos available from Full Circle Farms at the Boulder Farmers' Market.

Thursday will be an easy dinner of pork chops, since I've been impressed with the new line that Sunflower is carrying that promise no antibiotics, in addition to the usual suspects. They're on sale for $3.99 a pound through Wednesday, and are already in my freezer, ready to be moved to the fridge Wednesday night to defrost. Since our cooler temperatures are making it possible to use the oven again, the sides will also come from the sale that runs through Wednesday at Sunflower: organic yams baked in the style of russets, and organic cauliflower (just 99 cent a pound!) roasted while the oven is going. While my roasted cauliflower will never match the dish I've had at The Kitchen, it comes reasonably close. Again, this is something I just wing, but for a recipe, you can check out this one from Gourmet. Love the way they call it "vegetable candy." Indeed, veggies, even cauliflower, can be addictive.

And that will get us through to next Friday's planning.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Boulder Farmers' Market Today

It's the first Saturday of fall, so what better way to spend the morning than strolling the Boulder Farmers' Market, starting at 8 today? The Market's weekly newsletter includes a very detailed list of the produce you can expect to find, and if you missed it, I included the list in this post regarding the Wednesday market. If you need even more to do, the Boulder Fall Festival starts next door in downtown at 11.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Munson Corn Into October!

Yahoo, Munson Farms replied to me on Twitter, "we'll have corn into early October!" Given that we only have one more week of September, that still means I plan to eat it practically every day while I still can.

P.S. I'm on Twitter as @Whatscookinbldr, but I blog far more than I tweet.

Weekend Dinner Ideas

Happy first day of fall, everyone. Does this mean I'll be diving into recipes filled with winter squash for the weekend? Quite the opposite, as we'll be clinging to our remaining weeks of glorious summer produce, and combining those with the grilling opportunities we'll still have in daylight.

To start that off, we'll hit the grill with some fish tonight, which I hope will be the fresh wild caught swordfish that's on sale at Sprouts this week for $9.99 a pound. If that doesn't work out, Sprouts also has fresh wild Columbia River king salmon at that same price, and I recently saw some beautiful swordfish at the Pearl Street Whole Foods for $14.99 a pound. We'll precede the fish with an appetizer of grilled fresh organic figs, which were recently just $3.99 a pound at the Pearl Street Whole Foods. The figs may or may not be wrapped in pancetta before hitting the grill, and as for the fish itself, I think it's best just simply grilled and served with fresh lemon. Some spears or foil packages of organic yams will also go on the grill (organics $1.50 a pound at Sunflower), and for a leafy side, I'm thinking about skillet greens with cumin and tomatoes from Bon Appetit.

For tomorrow, we'll hit the grill again (it would get a bit monotonous to do three days in a row, and Sunday is predicted to be breezy, not the best for grilling). As a deviation in an otherwise virtuous week of healthy dining, I'm thinking about grilling the bone-in country style pork ribs that are on sale at Sprouts for $1.99 a pound. We'll start off with grilled green chiles, a great two-ingredient appetizer that I need a picture of for my Whole Foods contest entry anyway. And what would be better as a side to barbecued ribs than ears of fresh Munson's corn, while we still have it?

For Sunday, we'll give the grill a rest but continue to enjoy that Munson's corn with another corn chowder, which will also serve as our quick reheat for later in the week. I've already tried two or three corn chowder recipes since our local corn season began in July, and this time I think I'll go with sweet corn chowder with hot-smoked salmon from Cooking Light. After tomorrow's rib indulgence, I like the idea of using smoked salmon instead of bacon in the chowder. A side salad dressed with my homemade salad dressing, using plenty of herbs from my herb pots, plus a loaf of fresh bread will round out the dinner.

And that will get us through to Sunday's planning for the rest of the week.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Vitamin Cottage Sale Near End

Just a heads up that the current, long-lasting sale at Vitamin Cottage runs through this Saturday, the 24th, in case there are any good deals you still want to catch. Prominent among them might be the seven ounce packages of Applegate's organic sliced turkey for just $3.99 each. That's an excellent price, and they usually have expiration dates a few weeks out (check the package), so they should keep well in the fridge. Other outstanding stock up items include Muir Glen organic pasta sauce at $2.49 a jar, and my fave MaraNatha no stir peanut butter at $3.19 for organic ($2.89 for the natural). But then, who knows what good deals their next sale may bring, too.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Boulder Farmers' Market This Afternoon

Just a reminder that the Wednesday Boulder Farmers' Market starts in a few minutes at 4 on this crisp, kind of fall-like day. Look below for the list of veggies, herbs, and fruits you can expect to find today, from the Market's current newsletter. Sigh, I do think the list is starting to get shorter, possibly because those four little words under Vegetables, "winter squash (many varieties)" represent our looming fate as we head into fall. At least corn is still in the list, so my vote goes to enjoying the summer veggies while we still can. Fall doesn't start until Friday, regardless of how it feels today, and there'll be plenty of months ahead to eat that butternut squash.

Now At the Market

GREENS
Arugula, Braising Mix, Chard, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Mixed Greens, Mizuna, Mustards, Romaine, Salad Mix, Sorrel, Spicy Greens, Spinach, Tatsoi

HERBS
Apple Mint, Basil, Borage, Calendula, Catnip, Chervil, Chives, Chocolate Mint, Cilantro, Dill, Garlic Chives, Parsley (Curly, Italian), Lemon Balm, Lovage, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Shiso, Tarragon, Thyme

VEGETABLES
Artichokes, Beans (Cannelini Shell, Haricot Verts, Wax), Beets, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Edamame, Eggplant, Fennel, Fingerling Potatoes, Garlic, Leeks, Mini English Cukes, Mushrooms, Pepper (including roasted peppers), Potatoes, Okra, Onions, Radish, Radicchio, Scallions, Shallots, Summer Squash & Blossoms, Tomatillos, Turnips, Winter Squash (many varieties)

TOMATOES
Cherry, Heirloom, Slicing

FRUIT
Apples, Melon, Nectarine, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Strawberries, Watermelon

FLOWERS
Mums

This Week's Hot New Deals (IMHO)

We have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts and Sunflower, while current sales continue at Alfalfa's, Vitamin Cottage (ending the 24th there, that's this Saturday), and Whole Foods. Here's what appeals to me in the new deals.

Organic veggie/fruit wars: both Sprouts and Sunflower are listing so many sales on organic fruits and vegetables in their new flyers that run through September 28th, I can't even list them all. See below for the ones I think are particularly good.

Sprouts has a number of sales of interest running through the 28th. I'm especially curious about the fresh, wild caught swordfish they have for $9.99 a pound. They also have fresh, wild caught Columbia River king salmon for the same price (and fresh wild coho is $7.99 a pound with card at King Soopers), so it's possible this is a great week for fish (any fish reviewers out there - comments most welcome!). Raw ez-peel 41/50 count shrimp would be a fine addition to a dish at $4.99 a pound, while in beef, t-bone steaks look great at $5.99 a pound. For inexpensive white meat chicken, tenders are just $1.99 a pound ($2.99 a pound for boneless skinless breasts in family packs at Sunflower). Bone-in country style ribs make a decadent early fall bbq at $1.99 a pound, and ground pork is $2.99 a pound. Highlights of all the organic produce on sale include gala apples for $1.29 a pound, romaine, green, or red leaf lettuce at $1.69 a head (I wonder how big), red plums 99 cents a pound, broccoli $1.49 a pound (a good price, but it's a striking 99 cents a pound at Sunflower), bananas 69 cents a pound (same at Sunflower), green onions 79 cents a bunch, and assorted fresh herbs for $1.69 each.

At Sunflower through the 28th, in addition to lots of organic veggies, the highlight to me is conventional Hass avocados at two for $1. It's nice to see avocado prices start to come down from the heights they've been at (although consider also the large avocados that King Soopers has this week for $1 each with card. I've heard their large size can be quite impressive.) In an "all natural grind extravaganza," various kinds of ground beef, turkey, and chicken are all 40% off. Beef stew meat is $3.99 a pound, and in their new line of pork (which promises no antibiotics, in addition to the usual suspects), boneless loin chops also look good at $3.99 a pound. In organic produce, a whole lot of choices are being offered at 99 cents a pound, including broccoli or cauliflower (an excellent price), and an array of winter squash, including delicata and Kabocha (with Whole Foods effectively matching on the butternut and acorn that are included). Organic baby carrots are good at $1.50 a one pound bag, garnet or jewel yams are $1.50 a pound, and bananas are 69 cents a pound (matching Sprouts). Finally, four-packs of ZenSoy organic soy puddings look good at $2.50, for the kid in all of us.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

50 Cent Avocados Starting Tomorrow

Good news, avocado fans. Starting with tomorrow's weekly sale, our Boulder Sunflower will have Hass avocados for 50 cents each. They're conventional, but you're going to peel them anyway. After so many weeks of "sales" of $1.25 per avocado, we're finally seeing a decent price. Next let's hope for three for $1...

One-Day Sale at Whole Foods Tomorrow

Our local Whole Foods stores will offer us a duo of special sales for tomorrow only, the 21st, one of which has me psyched, although I'm not sure how I'd fit it into menus already planned. Their own, in-house-made Maryland-style blue crab cakes will be $8.99 a pound, $4 off their usual price. I frankly think they're worth the full price, and I jump on them when they go on sale for $2 off, so a price of $8.99 a pound is quite special. The other sale for tomorrow will be a 95% lean ground beef for $3.99 a pound. While 95% lean is indeed exceedingly lean (some might argue too lean for burger), I'd go with the 100% grass-fed organic ground beef available at Sprouts for the same price through tomorrow.

Local Sampling At Sunflower

Our Boulder Sunflower plans to do Local Product Sampling from 4 to 6 pm tomorrow. According to their calendar, "we have some seasonal treats for you!"

Monday, September 19, 2011

Another Superior Supper Club

The Whole Foods store in Superior will hold another of their Health Starts Here supper clubs this Thursday. I've heard they're quite good, and also quite the deal at $10. Here's what they say about this one:

Thursday, September 22nd

Health Starts Here Supper Club
6:30pm-8:30pm Cost: $10.00

Join us on our patio for a three course vegan meal focusing on nutrient dense, whole foods, and healthy fats. Please sign up and pay at the Customer Service Counter to reserve your space today

Modmarket Offers BOGO

One of the few places I like for a quick bite when not eating something I've made myself is Modmarket, because of their fresh approach to food. Well, for today and tomorrow, they're offering buy one, get one free on their delicious flatbread pizzas, sandwiches, and salads. Click here to get to the link you need to show them to get the deal.

How Much Longer For Munson's Corn?

I'm obviously a huge fan of our local fresh corn from Munson Farms, so as we move past the midpoint of September, I start angsting about how much longer it might be available. When I was out at the farm stand at 75th and Valmont yesterday, I asked what the prospects were, and the very knowledgeable guy (not Bob Munson, but knowledgeable nonetheless) told me that they'll have corn until two days after the low temperature hits 28 degrees. Since their eastern location is lower than Boulder, you can expect that to happen earlier than it will downtown. He also mentioned that they've made it into the middle of October for the past couple of years. That seems pretty optimistic to me, but then I absolutely go into mourning when it is no longer available. I'll just keep it on the dinner table for as long as possible, whether or not we really have another three or four weeks.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Weekday Dinner Ideas

If it's Sunday, it's time to get planning the rest of the week's dinners. In addition to our natural grocery store sales, several other factors are motivating my planning this week: the need to keep working on my herb pots, enjoying as much fresh, local corn while we still can, and incorporating some freshly roasted green chiles somewhere. With those factors in mind, let's get going.

We'll want a pasta dish by tomorrow, and I have one in mind that will hit both the herb pots and the corn enjoyment: pasta with corn, zucchini, and tomatoes, from Mark Bittman in the New York Times. As Bittman notes, this is a very flexible recipe, so instead of the tarragon called for, I'll harvest mercilessly from my herb pots, so basil will be the dominant herb. As I've previously noted, my herbs will also go into my homemade buttermilk salad dressing for the side salad. The corn will obviously be fresh from Munson's, and yesterday, I saw organic roma tomatoes for $1.99 a pound at the Pearl Street Whole Foods, a low price for them. (And no, this isn't the same pasta with corn dish I made last week - that one had bacon, while this is purely vegetarian.)

Tuesday is our usual day for a reheat of something big made over the weekend, which this week is the soupe au pistou, with that vitalizing glob of pesto from my basil plants plopped on top.

With that much vegetarian dining, we can hit the red meat by Wednesday. With 100% grass-fed, organic ground beef just $3.99 a pound at Sprouts through then, I'm going to make my own green chile burgers, inspired by the delicious prepared ones I've previously bought at Whole Foods. All you have to do is incorporate some (or lots of) diced roasted green chiles from the Farmers' Market, Sunflower, or Whole Foods into the burgers. Since Whole Foods has some beautiful organic heirloom tomatoes on sale for the quite good price of $3.99 a pound, and they also have whole one pound logs of Crave Brothers fresh mozzarella for an astonishing $5.99 each, that calls for a caprese salad on the side, with more basil from my herb pots. No recipe really is needed for something that simple, but the current issue of Bon Appetit shows you the outine (although using unusual cherry tomatoes) with heirloom tomato caprese.

There should be a fair amount of that pound of Crave Brothers mozzarella left, and since we haven't had a rice-based dish yet this week, I'll take one more whack at my herb pots to invent my own risotto with herbs and mozzarella for Thursday. This goes well with a bit of smoked ham (like Black Forest) added to it as well.

And that will get us through to next Friday's planning.

Another WFM Event Tuesday

The Pearl Street Whole Foods will also get into the event action on Tuesday, with a green smoothie demo. Here's what they say:

Tuesday, September 20th

Green Smoothie Demo with Sarah
11 am - 1 pm FREE!

Meet Sarah Morgan Pearl Street's new Healthy Eating Specialist as she demonstrates Green Smoothies from our 5430 Juice Bar!

Learn how these smoothies meet our Health Starts Here criteria how you can incorporate our Health Starts Here program into your lifestyle.

Shop, Cook, And Eat Local

The Superior Whole Foods has a fun event coming up for free on Tuesday, in which you get educated in shopping, cooking, and eating locally. (This "eat local" phrase does bug me - a noble concept, but doesn't anyone believe in adverbs anymore?) Here's what they say:

Tuesday, September 20th

Shop, Cook, and Eat Local
6:30pm-8:30pm Free

Join us in the Café for our third and final class for the season. Join Cheryl, Healthy Eating Specialist as we shop for local products, return to the cafe and make two dishes out of our bounty. Please sign up at the Customer Service Counter to reserve your space today. Limited to 15.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Cheese Class At Cured

I hope you've had a chance to stop by Boulder's newest showcase for artisanal cheese and meats, Cured, at 1825 Pearl Street by now. They're getting in gear with their first cheese class coming up (although I just looked at the email, the class is tomorrow, yikes). It sounds like an excellent introduction to the world of fine cheese for $30, but class size is quite limited, so check it out quickly. Here's what they said in their email:

We are finally catching our breath and getting our feet under us and cant wait to roll out all the events and activities we have been scheming up over the last year: picnic baskets anyone? Or a cheesemonger designed platter for your next party? And the one we are most excited for: Classes!

First up, Cheese 101. We figured we would start with the basics, helping you to broaden your knowledge on one of our favorite subjects. It seems only appropriate to start this education journey with the history and process of cheesemaking and how many of the modern-day cheeses you have been enjoying thus far draw on that tradition. We will run through the basics of tasting, the categorization of cheese, and how to build your own cheese plate at home. And of course, we will taste just a cheese or two :) Class will be held Sunday, September 18th from 5:00-6:30 and will be $30/person. Space is limited to 12 people-please send an email to answers@curedboulder.com to reserve a spot.

Boulder Farmers' Market Today

Are you heading to today's Boulder Farmers' Market, starting at 8 this morning? Here's the wonderful summer produce, inching into fall as well, that you can expect to find, from their newsletter this week. Your nose will lead you to those freshly roasted chile peppers from a couple of blocks away.

Now At the Market

GREENS
Arugula, Braising Mix, Chard, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Mixed Greens, Mizuna, Mustards, Romaine, Salad Mix, Sorrel, Spicy Greens, Spinach, Tatsoi

HERBS
Apple Mint, Basil, Borage, Calendula, Catnip, Chervil, Chives, Chocolate Mint, Cilantro, Dill, Garlic Chives, Parsley (Curly, Italian), Lemon Balm, Lovage, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Shiso, Tarragon, Thyme

VEGETABLES
Artichokes, Beans (Cannelini Shell, Haricot Verts, Wax), Beets, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Edamame, Eggplant, Fennel, Fingerling Potatoes, Garlic, Leeks, Mini English Cukes, Mushrooms, Pepper (including roasted peppers), Potatoes, Okra, Onions, Radish, Radicchio, Scallions, Shallots, Summer Squash & Blossoms, Tomatillos, Turnips, Winter Squash (many varieties)

TOMATOES
Cherry, Heirloom, Slicing

FRUIT
Apples, Melon, Nectarine, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Strawberries, Watermelon

FLOWERS
Mums

Friday, September 16, 2011

Weekend Dinner Ideas

Oh my, Friday, already, with chilly nights, earlier sunsets, furnace coming on in the morning, and winter squash looming in the stores, farm stands, and Farmers' Market. That means one thing: time to clear out my herb pots! To get started with that, while still enjoying our glorious summer produce, for tonight I'll be doing soupe au pistou, the Provencal soup that showcases beautiful summer veggies topped with a vitalizing blob of homemade pesto from my basil plants. I've made mine for years from beloved old cookbooks, but Mark Bittman's soupe au pistou from the New York Times looks like a great online option. Oregano, basil, parsley, and savory from my herb pots will also go in the buttermilk salad dressing I always make from scratch for the side salad (more about that later, if time permits).

For tomorrow, with a sense of urgency in terms of getting more of our summer grilling in (yes, folks, it's still summer until the 23rd), I'm thinking of going decadent with the racks of spare ribs that Sprouts has on sale for just $1.99 a pound. We could healthy it up with diced yams grilled in foil packages, with some ears of Munson's corn on the side, flavored with some of the wonderful olive oil with Tuscan herbs from Alfalfa's, instead of butter. Or we could get a little bit more decadent, enjoying both the corn and our current freshly roasted chiles with creamy stovetop corn with poblano chiles from the New York Times. A little creme fraiche never hurt anyone, right? Or, my favorite Straus European-style nonfat plain yogurt also substitutes well in recipes like this, so long as you take care not to really boil it.

By Sunday, I'll be ready to make my first real capitulation to the impending fall season, turning on the oven to actually roast some chicken. The Rosie organic whole chickens on sale at Sunflower are my inspiration for this, in combination with a recipe I just encountered in the current September issue of Bon Appetit, roast chicken with herb-and-garlic pan drippings. Since roast whole chicken can get a bit on the greasy side, especially following a bbq of ribs for tomorrow, it's also possible that I'll substitute the boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale at Sprouts instead to lighten it up. With the oven running, I'll make the most of it, baking organic russet potatoes, and also some organic acorn squash, which is just $1 a pound at Whole Foods this week.

And that will get us through to the weekday planning.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Farm To Table Tonight! Plus A Demo

I just noticed that the Superior Whole Foods store has an excellent-sounding farm-to-table dinner featuring Isabelle Farm happening tonight, and for just $10! (That's in addition to the big $75 benefit dinner happening tonight at the Pearl Street Whole Foods that I previously mentioned.) Wonder if there's still time to sign up. Here's what they say:

"Thursday, September 15th

Farm to Table Dinner
6:30pm-8:30pm Cost: $10.00

Join us at the Superior Whole Foods Market and enjoy a Farm to Table Dinner featuring product from our own Local Isabelle Farm. Menu will include:

Grilled Flatbread with smoky Baba Ghanoush, Roasted Chili Spread and Shisto Peppers with Manchego.

Eggplant with Polenta and Red Pepper Coulis Braised Greens

Sweet Corn and Watermelon Granita will finish off this delicious, local meal.

Please sign up at Customer Service to reserve your space today."

Also, the Pearl Street Whole Foods plans a Health Starts Here food demo for tomorrow. Here's what they say about that:

"Friday, September 16th

Health Starts Here Food Demonstration
11:30 am - 1:30 pm FREE

Meet Sarah Morgan Pearl Street's new Healthy Eating Specialist as she demonstrates Vegetable Brown Rice with Feta Cheese!

Learn how the dish meets our Health Starts Here criteria how you can incoporate our Health Starts Here program into your lifestyle."

Living On The Cheap Comes To Whole Foods

The folks who do the Mile High on the Cheap daily emails evidently have a workshop to hone your ability to "fight the evil empire of high prices," which they are now bringing to Whole Foods stores (is there a bit of irony there?). They unfortunately don't have any scheduled yet around Boulder, but if you are in the area of a Denver Whole Foods, here's a dense paragraph with their schedule so far:

Laura & Claire Take “Living on the Cheap” to Whole Foods Markets

Starting next week, Claire and Laura will be presenting our “Living on the Cheap” workshop at Whole Foods Markets across the Denver metro area. As always, we’ll share tips and tricks for ways to save on groceries, dining out, shopping and attending local cultural & sporting events. The Mile High Cheapskates will show you the way to fight the evil empire of high prices and prove “cheap” is not a dirty word. Plus, in true MHOTC style, there will be a giveaway of gift cards and/or gift baskets. Because some of the Whole Foods Markets are tight on meeting space, be sure to reserve your spot by calling the store or stopping by their Customer Service Desk. All workshops are FREE and several of the stores will also give a $5 gift card to all attendees. Here’s the schedule, so far: Monday, September 19, 6:30 p.m. — Whole Foods Capitol Hill, 900 E. 11th Ave, Denver, 303-832-7701. Tuesday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. — Whole Foods Cherry Creek, 2375 E. 1st Ave., Denver, 720-941-4100. Wednesday, September 21, 6:30 p.m. — Whole Foods Tamarac, 7400 E. Hampden Ave., Denver, 303-488-2000. Saturday, October 1, 10 a.m. — Whole Foods Belmar, 444 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, 303-935-5000. Thursday, October 6, 6 p.m. Whole Foods Colorado Boulevard, 870 S. Colorado Blvd., Glendale. Monday, October 17, 6 p.m. — Whole Foods Westminster, 9229 N. Sheridan Blvd., Westminster, 303-650-2333. Tuesday, October 18, 6 p.m. — Whole Foods Wash Park, 1111 S. Washington St., Denver, 303-733-6201.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

This Week's Hot Deals (IMHO)

We have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts, Sunflower, and Whole Foods, while current sales continue at Alfalfa's and Vitamin Cottage (click those links for my prior reports). Here's what impresses me in the new sales, stores in alphabetical order, as always.

At Sprouts through September 21st, I'm happy to see the return of their 25% off the whole bulk department sale. This includes 25% off their bulk roast coffee, which makes their organic Fair Trade coffee offerings a fantastic deal. Also looking good are 100% grass-fed organic ground beef for $3.99 a pound, boneless skinless chicken breasts (value pack) or spare ribs for $1.99 a pound, boneless center-cut pork loin chops or their yummy stuffed chicken breasts for $3.99 a pound, and previously frozen wild caught Alaskan cod at $7.99 a pound. They also have fresh wild caught Alaskan coho salmon for $8.99 a pound, but I wonder how much I'd like that this late in the fresh wild salmon season. Organic produce is looking good to me, with baby carrots $1.50 for a one pound bag, red grapes $1.99 a pound (same at Whole Foods), celery just 99 cents a bunch, Bartlett pears $1.49 a pound, romaine hearts $1.99 for a three-pack, and bananas 69 cents a bunch. Tillamook medium or sharp cheddar looks good at $3.99 a pound, my favorite Straus European-style yogurt is $3 for the big 32 ounce container (same at Alfalfa's), and in Sprouts' own organic lines, all 8 ounce salad dressings are $2.50 and all spices are $3 a jar, wow.

At Sunflower through the 21st, they're having an "all natural chicken extrravaganza," with family packs of several cuts all 50% off. Chicken sausage is $2.99 a pound, and fresh whole Rosie organic chickens are $2.99 a pound. Avocado fans will note that Hass avocados are 77 cents each, by far not the best sale we've ever seen, but low for recent memory. In organic produce, plums are just 99 cents a pound, romaine lettuce is 99 cents a bunch, green onions are 50 cents a bunch, three types of apples are $1.88 a pound, and russet potatoes and red or yellow onions are all 99 cents a pound. Mozzarella Fresca fresh mozzarella balls look good at $3.99 for the half pound ball (but see below for an even better fresh mozzarella deal at Whole Foods), and I'll also check out the select Ling Ling appetizers for $3.49 each (they make some very good choices like potstickers that are great to have in stock in the freezer).

At Whole Foods through September 27th, there's an excellent sale that totally dismays me: organic butternut or acorn squash for $1 a pound. That's a great price on organic squash, but I am so not ready for fall. On a brighter summer note, organic heirloom tomatoes look good at $3.99 a pound, organic grapes are good at $1.99 a pound (Sprouts is limited to the red ones at that price), and organic Bartlett pears are also $1.99 a pound (but just $1.49 a pound at Sprouts through the 21st, and check out the King Soopers price below). I love their Market Made wild salmon burgers, and the flavor on sale this time is the incredible-sounding roasted red pepper and fennel one. WFM's own large pepperoni pizzas are very good at $8.99 each, and I like Ford Farm Seaside cheddar for $8.99 a pound, but the big news in cheese is the excellent Crave Brothers fresh mozzarella at $5.99 for a big, one pound log. Finally, my favorite Mrs. Meyers Clean Day liquid hand soap is very good at $2.99 each, and if you're really lucky, you might find one with a $1 off coupon hanging from it.

Finally, I don't usually cover King Soopers, but they're having a particularly good organic produce sale, including Colorado-grown Bartlett pears at $2.50 for a three pound bag (wow, under $1 a pound), yellow peaches, nectarines, or black plums at $1.49 a pound (Sunflower doing better on the plums), green, black or red seedless grapes for $1.99 a pound (matching Whole Foods), and mini carrots $1.50 a bag (matching Sprouts), all prices with K Soop card.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

One-Day Sale at Whole Foods Tomorrow

Our local Whole Foods stores will have a duo of special sales for us tomorrow only, the 14th. Cheese-lovers will enjoy an entire pound of Organic Valley Farms Vermont cheddar for half off at $5 each, while micro mini orchids will be $3 off at $6.99 each.

Tailgating Ideas At Sunflower Tomorrow

Our Boulder Sunflower says it will present Tailgating Snack Ideas tomorrow from 3 to 5 pm. Tailgating is definitely a hot topic in Boulder right now.

$10 Buys $20 At Whole Foods!

Hot tip! Today's Living Social deal gets you $20 of groceries at Whole Foods for just $10. You only have through today to buy the deal, but then you have until December 13th to redeem your voucher!

P.S. It looks like the Living Social voucher will be good at any Whole Foods in the country.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Doin' The Roasted Chile Math

I have a particular weakness for the local, organic chiles sold by Full Circle Farms, roasted before your eyes at the Boulder Farmers' Market. Not only are they local and organic, but you can also tell whether you are getting an Anaheim, a Big Jim, a poblano, or a Dynamite. However, you can also buy chiles roasted at the store here in Boulder, Sunflower and Whole Foods being among the stores I know of that are roasting. The store-roasted chiles are generally identified as being Hatch (NM) green chiles, in designations of mild, medium, and hot. The store-roasted ones aren't organic, but in a conversation with a produce guy at Whole Foods last year, I learned that chiles are natural pest deterrents (sometimes being ground up to be used as a natural pesticide themselves), and therefore don't get treated with nasty stuff.

I buy a bunch of chiles during the late summer roasting season and freeze them to get me through the rest of the year. In choosing between the local organic chiles and the Hatch ones at the store, here's the math to be done: the Full Circle Farms organic ones run $7 a pound (also available in half or whole bushels) at the Farmers' Market, while Whole Foods currently has their store-roasted Hatch chiles on sale for $1.99 a pound, normally just $2.99, and I presume Sunflower is running somewhere around that as well. (Aternoon update - the price today at Sunflower is $1.99 a pound as well.) My solution was to buy some of those organic Dynamites, while making the majority of my stock the mediums (also sometimes available in mild or hot) from Whole Foods. All those chiles are now happily in my freezer, laid out flat in plastic bags for easy removal of the right amount (the last thing you want is a big ball of frozen chiles, requiring a chisel to break them off, if you're lucky), ready to get me through to next year's roasting season.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Weekday Dinner Ideas

It's a somber morning for thinking about dinners, but the planning must go on, especially the celebration of the changing seasons, currently a riot of summer produce. For that, we'll turn to a favorite pasta dish for tomorrow, zucchini, corn, and basil fusilli with bacon from Gourmet magazine. The corn of course has to be fresh from Munson's (either from the farm stand at 75th and Valmont, or Whole Foods has recently been selling it at the same price, 50 cents an ear), and the basil will be my own, since it needs a serious whacking. I'll either make the pesto called for from scratch, or cheat and just use an abundance of basil ribbons. When the bacon is the thick, in-house smoked variety from Alfalfa's or Whole Foods, six slices is way too much, so that will be cut back. For the side salad, remember that Sunflower has organic spring mix or spinach at just $3.99 a pound right now.

Tuesday will be our customary reheat of something big made over the weekend, which this week will be the shrimp and scallop posole from Bon Appetit. Those organic mixed greens from Sunflower make an accompanying salad a snap.

We'll want something based on rice by Wednesday, so my thoughts are turning to shrimp and corn pilaf from Bon Appetit. I don't need to repeat where that corn is coming from, more basil will come from my own overachieving plants, and Sunflower has a good sale on a medium-sized shrimp going on through Wednesday.

We'll turn to pork chops for a quick dinner Thursday, as Sunflower has boneless loin chops on sale through Wednesday for $3.99 a pound. (Alfalfa's also has the excellent Beeler's center cut bone-in pork chops for $4.99 a pound through the 27th.) No recipe is required, but if you want to be ambitious, there's always cumin-crusted monster pork chops with peach chipotle salsa from Epicurious. You can catch those organic peaches at Sunflower for $1.99 a pound by Wednesday.

And that will get us through to next Friday's planning.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Full Circle Farms Is Roasting!

One of my favorite organic farms, Full Circle, has not one, but two roasters today at the Boulder Farmers' Market to roast their excellent, local, organic green chiles. They're roasting Big Jims, Anaheims, poblanos, and the vicious-sounding Dynamites today, and there's a line to get them. I went out on a limb and bought the Dynamites, to be used with caution. Since these wonderful chiles are $7 a pound (also available by the half or full bushel), I'll have a comment later on how you can also lay in a stock of very good chiles for the winter without spending quite so much.

Alfalfa's Goes Whole Hog

Sigh, it's that time of year when Boulder goes football-crazy. On a brighter but related note, Alfalfa's will host a post-game pig roast this afternoon from 4:30 to 7:30. $7 will get you a plate of all-natural smoked pig, beans and cornbread.

Chile Roasting At Sunflower

Our Boulder Sunflower is planning a Hatch Green Chile Roasting today from 11 to 2, if you like to get your chiles fresh out of the roaster. I'm also still hoping for roasting to be happening at today's Boulder Farmers' Market, which starts in just a few minutes.

Boulder Farmers' Market Today

It looks like it should be another beautiful day for today's Boulder Farmers' Market, starting at 8 this morning. With temperatures suddenly this cool, fall is just around the corner, so enjoy all the fresh summer produce while you can. I go into mourning when Munson's corn season ends, which will be all too soon. From this week's Market newsletter, here's the list of veggies etc. you can expect to find. With all those peppers listed, I hope Full Circle Farm will bring their roaster this week.

Now At the Market

GREENS
Arugula, Braising Mix, Chard, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Mixed Greens, Mizuna, Romaine, Salad Mix, Sorrel, Spicy Greens, Spinach, Tatsoi

HERBS
Apple Mint, Basil (Cinnamon, Holy Basil, Lemon, Purple, Siam Queen, Spicy Greek, Thai), Borage, Calendula, Catnip, Chervil, Chives, Chocolate Mint, Cilantro, Dill, Garlic Chives, Parsley (Curly, Italian), Lemon Balm, Lovage, Marjoram, Mint, Nasturtium, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Shiso, Tarragon, Thyme, Violas

VEGETABLES
Artichokes, Beans (Cannelini Shell, Garbanzo, Haricot Verts, Wax), Beets, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Edamame, Eggplant, Fennel, Fingerling Potatoes, Garlic, Leeks, Mini English Cukes, Mushrooms, Pepper (Anaheim, Aurora, Aji Crystal, Banana, Beaverdam, Cayenne, Cubanelle, Green, Czech Black, Hot Portugal, Hungarian Wax, Jalapeno, Jimmy Nardellos, Magic Dragon, Numex Conquistador, Pepperoncini, Poblano, Rio Grande, New Mexico Improved Hot, Sweet Bell), Potatoes, Okra, Onions, Radish, Radicchio, Scallions, Shallots, Summer Squash & Blossoms, Tomatillos, Turnips, Winter Squash (many varieties)

TOMATOES
Cherry, Heirloom, Slicing

FRUIT
Melon (Canary, Cantelope, French, Honeydew, Japanese Pear, Musk, Tropical), Nectarine, Peaches (Crest Haven, Red Globe, Roza), Plums (Black Amber, Red Heart, Santa Rosa, Shiro Yellow), Strawberries, Watermelon

FLOWERS
Mums

Friday, September 9, 2011

Weekend Dinner Ideas

Doing my dinner planning for the weekend this morning, I'm evidently in a pretty laid back mood, since ambitious cooking doesn't seem to be entering my thinking. Sometimes we deserve a weekend like that. For tonight, I'm thinking of using the ground chicken breast that's on sale at Sunflower as a possibly even lower fat replacement for ground turkey in spicy turkey burgers from Bon Appetit. With our daytime highs only in the 70s right now, I'll take a step towards fall by doing baked yam "fries" in the oven, using the organic yams also on sale at Sunflower. And a burger meal wouldn't be complete at this time of year without an ear of Munson's corn on the side.

For tomorrow, I'm impressed that Sunflower has MSC certified wild caught bay scallops on sale, which is turning my thoughts to shrimp and scallop posole from Bon Appetit. Sunflower also has 41/50 count shrimp on sale, a reasonable size to put in a soup. In addition to the salsa verde in the recipe, I'll probably add in a roasted chile or two during this chile-roasting season. For the side salad, Sunflower eases the work, with organic spring mix or baby spinach both $3.99 a pound, so you don't even have to tear up some lettuce leaves.

By Sunday, we'll need to get back out on the grill while we still can, and what's going on it is still a bit up in the air. I'm thinking about fish, but am not sure whether I'd like the current salmon sales. Two other possibilities appealing to me are the boneless pork loin chops or the country style pork ribs that are both on sale at Sunflower. The lean chops would be a bit tricky on the grill, while the ribs would tend towards the fattier side. Whichever of these choices does land on the grill, a perfect accompaniment would be peach and apple salsa from Bon Appetit. Sprouts has organic peaches for $1.99 a pound, and organic apples abound right now (Sunflower specifically has the Granny Smiths called for in the recipe for $1.88 a pound). The organic yams on sale at Sunflower will get diced into foil packages to also go on the grill.

And that pretty much gets us through a languid weekend.

Sprouts And Sunflower Sales

As I previously mentioned, most of our natural Boulder grocery sales are continuing ones this week, with prior reports. Sprouts and Sunflower do have new ones however, lasting through next Wednesday, September 14th, and I finally have found some time to look over those specials, so here goes.

Mysterious fresh salmon prices: both Sprouts and Sunflower have strikingly low prices on fresh salmon, farmed at Sprouts, wild at Sunflower, and both are so low, I have to wonder about them. Sprouts is offering farm-raised fresh salmon for $4.99 a pound, which they note is their "lowest salmon price in years!". Indeed, how are they managing this? At Sunflower, it's fresh wild caught Columbia River king salmon for $8.99 a pound, an excellent price, but how late does this season run for fresh wild salmon?

Other deals of interest to me at Sprouts through the 14th include boneless ribeye steaks for $9.99 a pound, chicken tenders for $2.99 a pound (same at Sunflower, and certainly not the best sale price we ever see), very big ez peel raw shrimp (16/20 count) for $8.99 a pound, and chicken (or pork) Italian sausage at $2.99 a pound. In organic produce, grape tomatoes are excellent at $1.50 a pint, yellow peaches are $1.99 a pound, baby carrots are $1.50 for a one pound bag, Italian squash (think zucchini) is $1.49 a pound, yellow onions are $1.99 for a three pound bag, and cantaloupe is 69 cents a pound. Select Brown Cow yogurts look good at 69 cents each, and Muir Glen organic pasta sauce is good at $2.50 a jar (Muir Glen organic tomatoes are also okay on sale at $1.50 a can for the smaller size, but I stocked up at a better price at last month's sale at Vitamin Cottage).

At Sunflower through the 14th, I'm interested in their grass fed 93% "super lean" ground beef for $3.99 a pound, chicken tenders family pack for $2.99 a pound (same at Sprouts, see the comment above), boneless pork loin chops or ground chicken breast for $3.99 a pound, beef stew meat at $4.99 a pound, ground pork for $2.99 a pound, and wild caught MSC certified Northern Chef bay scallops for $6.99 a one pound package. In organic produce, fall is looming, with acorn squash, sugar pie pumpkins, and jewel or garnet yeams all $1.50 a pound, and three types of apples from Colorado at $1.88 a pound. Organic produce bringing us back to summer includes celery for 99 cents a bunch, Hass avocados $1.25 each, and organic bulk spring mix or baby spinach looks great at $3.99 a pound. Wallaby organic lowfat yogurts are 69 cents each, and Sunflower is matching Sprouts on a great price for Muir Glen organic pasta sauce at $2.50 a jar (and on the Muir Glen canned tomatoes, see above).

Heirloom Tomato Tasting Tomorrow

Are we ever fortunate to have such variety in food events around Boulder. Curious about heirloom tomatoes, or have your own you'd like to compare and contrast with others? Tomorrow's Taste of Tomato sounds like it's made for you. Local tomato cognoscenti, along with the Daily Camera, will host the three hour event, and admission is either three samples of your own home-grown named variety tomatoes (10 for cherry tomatoes), or $3, for those of us without a backyard heirloom to offer. You can read all the details in this Daily Camera article.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Lotsa Health Starts Here

Sarah Morgan, the Pearl Street Whole Foods new Healthy Eating Specialist, is going to be very busy with demos in the next several days, with three coming up, starting tomorrow. Here's what they say:

Friday, September 9th

Health Starts Here Food Demonstration
1pm-3pm FREE

Meet Sarah Morgan Pearl Street's new Healthy Eating Specialist as she demonstrates the Bakery team's Kamut Bars!

Learn why these bars meet our Health Starts Here criteria how you can incoporate our Health Starts Here program into your lifestyle.

Saturday, September 10th

Health Starts Here Bakery Food Demonstration
11 am - 1 pm FREE!

Meet Sarah Morgan Pearl Street's new Healthy Eating Specilist as she demonstrates the Bakery team's Warm Superfood Crisp!

Learn why this crisp meet our Health Starts Here criteria how you can incoporate our Health Starts Here program into your lifestyle.

Monday, September 12th

Health Starts Here Food Demonstration
2 pm - 4 pm FREE

Meet Sarah Morgan Pearl Street's new Healthy Eating Specialist as she demonstrates Vegetable Brown Rice with Feta Cheese!

Learn how the dish meets our Health Starts Here criteria how you can incoporate our Health Starts Here program into your lifestyle.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Roasting Today At Farmers' Market?

A highlight of the season for me is when Full Circle Farm brings their roaster to the Boulder Farmers' Market to roast their wonderful organic chiles, identified by varietal, like Big Jim, poblano, and something dangerous called Dynamite, instead of just by heat, as you find with the ones roasted at grocery stores (and some of the stores don't even bother to do even that much). Last Saturday, the good folks at the Full Circle Farm stand told me they expected to bring their roaster for the first time today (the afternoon market starts at 4). I unfortunately don't think I'll be able to make it to the market today, so if anybody sees if it's there, I'd love a report!

(Non-) New Deal Update

Today's the day for new grocery sales, but most of our natural grocery stores in Boulder are in the midst of continuing ones. Check out my prior reports on sales at Alfalfa's, Whole Foods (look to the bottom paragraph on that one), and Vitamin Cottage. We do have new sales today at Sprouts and Sunflower, but I'm afraid things are a little crazy here for me right now, and it's going to be a bit before I have time to look them over. Meanwhile, you can check out their new sales flyers yourself through their websites: Sprouts and Sunflower.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow

Our local Whole Foods stores will have a trio of special sales for us, tomorrow only, the 7th. The one that considerably enthuses me is Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day liquid hand soap for $2.75 each (regularly $5.49 at Whole Foods - you can find regular prices lower than that elsewhere, but $2.75 is really good). Their natural oils and wonderful scents (I especially like the lavender and basil ones) make these a lovely kitchen soap. Also on sale are Garden of Eatin' tortilla chips, half off at $1.50 per nine ounce bag, and Norwegian salmon (that would mean farmed, but from a fine provenance) for $11.99 a pound. We should all support salmon sourced by sustainable means (as Whole Foods does), whether wild or farmed. As I understand it, there used to be wild Atlantic salmon, in addition to the Pacific we rush to buy each June, but thanks to overfishing, the only Atlantic salmon from our coasts these days is farmed.

Reminder Re Benefit Dinners

Just a reminder that the Pearl Street Whole Foods is doing some farm-to-table dinners that sound fabulous and feature local ingredients. I'd bet the one later this week is sold out, but maybe there's still a shot at the one on the 15th. Here's what they say:

Thursday, September 8th

Locally Inspired Latin with Bradford Heap
6:00-8:30 $75 Donation benefitting the School Food Project limited to 30 guests

Join us for an intimate Farm Dinner evening benefitting the School Food Project. Tonight's menu includes:

-Zesty Dooley Farm Gazpacho

-Roasted Munson Farm Corn with Manchego and Lime

-Panorama Organic Grilled Flank Steak Tacos

-Haystack Mountain Goat Cheese Stuffed Hatch Green Chiles

-Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chunk Studded Bread Pudding with Sweet Cream Boulder Ice Cream

-Courses will be paired with Local Wine and Beer!


Thursday, September 15th

A Local Autumn Dinner with BVSD Chefs Ann Cooper and Brandy Dreibelbis with Pearl Street Executive Chef Brad Defurio
6:00-8:30 pm on West patio $75 donation to The School Food Project limited to 30 guests

Join us for an intimate Farm Dinner evening benefitting the School Food Project. Tonight's menu includes:

-Grilled Flatbread with Avalanche Cheese Company Midnight Blue, Ela Farm Pears and Arugula

-Diamond Livestock Pork Tenderloin with Boulder County Honey Crisps and Fennel

-Grant Family Farm Kale and Winter Squash with White Bean Sauce

-Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

-Courses will be paired with Local Wine and Beer

Monday, September 5, 2011

Chili Inferno Cook-Off

Happy Labor Day, all. If you're looking for something food-related to do before firing up your own grill for dinner, don't forget the Boulder Creek Hometown Fair's Chili Inferno Cook-Off, happening today from noon to 4 pm (so long as they don't run out of samples too soon). There are several categories, including salsa, and when you purchase your samples, you also get to vote for your favorites. Here are all the details.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Be An Angel With Just A Comment

Please, please read this. Whole Foods supports a wonderful cause, Vitamin Angels, that strives to improve the lot of children around the world (including in the U.S.) by distributing vitamins to children at risk of deficiencies. Whole Foods' (and their suppliers') support is laudable under any circumstances, but right now, they're offering an amazing opportunity. Through September, all you need to do is leave a comment on Whole Foods' Whole Story blog here and Whole Foods will donate $1 for each comment made. Please, let's get the blogosphere and twittersphere going on this!

Weekday Dinner Ideas

Hope your Labor Day weekend is proceeding enjoyably. We've already laid out the dinner plans through the holiday tomorrow, which doesn't leave much to be figured out for the rest of the week, so I'll knock this one out quickly.

By Tuesday, we'll want to use up the rest of the big bacon-corn chowder with shrimp made over the weekend, which will require nothing more than a salad and some fresh bread on the side.

I'm thinking of an experiment for Wednesday, inspired by a recipe from Saveur magazine, masa cakes with spicy slaw (pupusas con curtido). Saveur calls this an easy weekday dinner, but making the cakes from scratch sounds like way too much work for me. Why not take an easy (and local) shortcut by using the wonderful ones made by Tres Pupusas right here in Boulder? They're available at Whole Foods.

Since we haven't had pasta on the menu yet this week, we'll want some by Thursday, and I'm thinking about another recipe from Saveur, pasta with tomato sauce and eggplant (pasta alla norma). Skip the canned tomatoes and use local fresh ones right now, and our local eggplant is also handsome.

And that will get us through to Friday's next round of planning.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

No Roasting Yet At Farmers' Market

I braved the crowds at the Boulder Farmers' Market this morning to see if Full Circle Farm might have brought their roaster for the first time this season to roast their wonderful chiles, but no such luck. The good news is they do plan to bring it to this coming Wednesday's afternoon market (although I unfortunately don't usually make it to that one). Otherwise, today's market is a total zoo, as you might expect, with the Labor Day weekend and the Hometown Fair going on downtown. I did manage to snag more of those exceptional purple potatoes (they're called Purple Majesties) at the Cure Organic Farm stand. They're purple all the way through, not just on the skin, and make a spectacular presentation.

Boulder Farmers' Market Today

Today looks like a fine day for strolling the Boulder Farmers' Market, starting at 8 this morning. If you missed it, this post from Wednesday lists the abundance of fresh summer produce you can expect to see this week. Our choices keep evolving from early spring through late fall, but if you want it all, now's really your time. I just wonder if Full Circle Farms will bring their chile roaster today for the first time this season. They have the most wonderful, organic green chiles, identified by varietal as well as heat, so you actually know what you're eating.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Return of the Sprouts Gift Card Deal

It's not in their weekly ad, but Sprouts just tweeted that they'll be doing their gift card special again in their Colorado stores from today through the 5th: a $100 gift card can be purchased for $89.99. That effectively makes everything you buy with the card 10% off, even if you're starting with a really good sale price, making it that much better. (And you don't need to use the card by the 5th - you just have to buy it by then.)

New Deals At Alfalfa's

Alfalfa's has a new set of specials, this time good all the way through September 27th. The one that has me really psyched is my favorite Straus organic European-style yogurt at $2.99 for the big 32 ounce container. I adore this yogurt - the nonfat plain variety is so delicious, you won't believe it's plain and you especially won't believe it's nonfat. Sour cream basically hasn't entered our house since I discovered this yogurt, but it has been harder to find since Whole Foods seems to have stopped carrying it. Yay Alfalfa's, and this is a good price, too. Other sales looking good to me include Voskos Greek yogurt at 99 cents for the 5.3 ounce cup, a case sale on Horizon organic milk aseptic packages for the school-bound, Kokopelli organic Palisade peaches at $2.49 a pound, Beeler's center cut bone-in pork chops at $4.99 a pound (kind of pricey for a bone-in chop, but it's $2 off, and they're so very good), Diestel smoked turkey for $8.99 a pound, and select Westbrae organic beans at $1.29 to $1.59 a can, including the big 25 ounce ones.

Weekend Dinner Plans, Including Labor Day

How could we be here already, at the unofficial last gasp of summer? But we are, and the good news is that temperatures are only expected to be in the mid-70s tomorrow and Sunday, which will be quite a shock to all our overheated systems (makes me start thinking about pulling things hot out of the oven again -- no, it's just too early for that).

We need a weekend that's full of grilling and celebrations of our glorious summer produce bounty, so let's get going with tonight. With boneless skinless chicken breasts just $1.77 a pound at Sprouts ($1.99 at Sunflower), we'll head out to the grill to do one of my favorites for this time of year, grilled chicken and ratatouille from Bon Appetit. You can shop almost all the ratatouille ingredients from the "local" signs at the Pearl Street Whole Foods, where organic zucchini is only $1.49 a pound right now (and yesterday was identified as being from Full Circle Farms, one of my favorites).

We'll head back to the grill tomorrow, since I'm thinking about some of the steaks that are on sale, either the boneless New York steak that's $5.99 a pound at Sprouts, or the bone-in ribeye that's $7.99 a pound at Sunflower. Last month's special grilling issue of Bon Appetit included a guide to grilling the perfect steak, and the simplicity of salt-and-pepper rib eye (okay, so is ribeye one word or two?) really appeals to me. For a side, I'm hoping that Cure Organic Farm will have more of their spectacular purple potatoes at tomorrow's Boulder Farmers' Market, or at their farm store at 75th and Valmont. I bought some last week, expecting them to be purple only on the skin, but found them to be a vivid purple through and through - they make positively stunning mashed potatoes (I have to get into photography). For a veggie, I've been so focused on Munson's corn recently, I've been neglecting the current bounty of green beans, so here's a compromise that includes both: green bean succotash from Bon Appetit.

By Sunday, we'll need a break from the grill, and also something big to serve as an easy midweek reheat. Corn chowder sounds good to me under any circumstances, but especially with temperatures back down into the 70s, so we'll try a new recipe from Cooking Light, bacon-corn chowder with shrimp. Sunflower has raw ez peel shrimp (31/40 count) on sale for $6.99 a pound, and the corn of course has to be Munson's. For the bacon, my choice is always the house-smoked variety offered by the slice at both Alfalfa's and Whole Foods.

For Monday, Labor Day proper, we'll of course have to get back out on the grill. We've already had grilled chicken and beef so far this weekend, so it will be time to grill some fish. Sprouts has fresh coho for $8.99 a pound, but this late in the salmon season, I'm frankly burned out on it, so I'm going to spring for some fresh swordfish. I've had excellent luck with the swordfish at Alfalfa's, which I've usually found at $16.49 a pound, a little lower than Whole Foods' usual sale price. I was talking with the fish guy at Alfalfa's a couple of days ago and was surprised to learn that, while their fish vendor is based in Boston, their swordfish comes from Hawaii, which he said is the only source of really sustainably-caught swordfish. This makes me feel guilty when I think of all the wonderfully fresh, right-off-the-boat swordfish I've eaten on New England coasts, quite the dilemma. A delicious but non-intrusive side for the delicate fish would be shaved zucchini salad with parmesan pine nuts from Bon Appetit. Our zucchini is always organic anyway, but for serving it raw as in this salad, I'd say that's mandatory ($1.49 a pound on sale at Whole Foods, and Alfalfa's organic produce prices always seem pretty good.)

Looks like a good Labor Day weekend coming up - hope yours is a great one!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

One-Day Sale at Whole Foods Tomorrow

Just in time for the Labor Day grilling weekend, our local Whole Foods stores will offer 100% grass-fed organic 85% lean ground beef at $4.99 a pound for tomorrow only, the 2nd. Perfect for burger fans.