Now showing in our Center Ring: Heirlooms!

by duluth, July 29, 2009 | Permalink

I love it when we get a big, colorful shipment of heirloom tomatoes in our Produce department. I watch customers walk by the display, stop, backtrack, pick up a loopy luscious orb and eye it like they would the bearded lady at a circus sideshow. “What,” their faces say, “in the world is THIS?”

Every carnival has them; the attractions that stop everyone in their tracks and makes them scratch their heads.  In the glorious Produce extravaganza that is at Whole Foods Market Johns Creek, we’ve just received a shipment of big, multi-hued heirlooms. Their taste is similar to that of their uniformly shaped cousins but is exotic enough to add the “wow” factor to even the simplest meal.   For me, those loopy, luscious orbs bursting with flavor are one of the definitive flavors of summer.

Heirlooms are cultivars that have been nurtured and handed down through generations of growers. These exotically named—and shaped—beauties all have a unique taste that lends itself to any recipe, but they’re robust enough to stand on their own. The dusky-dark hues such as the Cherokee purples are soft and bold, the pink-toned fruits such as the Mortgage-Lifter are big but mild, and the Emerald Evergreens are sweet and crispy.

So I really like to swoop in when I see a customer confronted with one of our tomato “bearded ladies” and suggest uses for them. Actually our display makes it convenient for you to get everything you need for a couple of recipes.  The classic treatment is a Caprese salad; simply cut the tomatoes in big, thick horizontal slices,  slice a creamy mozzarella  cheese in the same shape (we’ve got mozzarella iced down next to the tomatoes–convenient, huh?), and intersperse that stack with fresh basil leaves from local Sweetwater growers (also stored next to the heirlooms.) Then pick up a bottle of fabulous Sweetwater oils and a bottle of our 365 Everyday Value™ Balsamic Vinegar, mix it up and drizzle it over the stacks of tomatoes, cheese and basil arranged artfully on a plate. Looks fabulous, tastes even better and you walked maybe two steps to get everything you needed for a dazzling salad.  

The same efficiency can be applied to an heirloom tomato bruschetta. We’ve got bags of our bakery’s crostini right next to the heirlooms. All you have to do for that is chop the heirlooms, then mix them with the oil and balsamic. Slice the mozzarella, lay it on top of the crostini and then top the cheese with the tomato mix. Pop that in the broiler and when the cheese is melted remove it and top with some finely chopped basil.  Delicious, and you didn’t have to jump through hoops or swallow fire to make it.

So when you swing through the Produce department, don’t forget to stop and give our heirlooms a look. They may be the funkiest headliners in our three-ring circus but they’re a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for your dinnertime gigs. Truly, how could you resist name-dropping a tomato called the Mortgage-Lifter?

Shrimp Trips

by duluth, July 22, 2009 | Permalink

Ah, the tang of brine through an open car window. That was the moment you knew you were approaching the beach, after hours of travel confined in a car sticky with gas station candy and your brother’s elbows jammed in your sides. It wouldn’t be long before you could actually see water; it was usually a glimpse of a coastal waterway with docks jutting from a marsh. And then you’d see the boats, their nets lofted high into the late afternoon sun.

It was shrimp time.

The quintessential coastal vacation dinner is often a pile of shrimp. Fried, grilled, sautéed or boiled—any preparation will do. It’s often the first fish a child will venture to taste. The shape makes it fun to eat, the scent isn’t threatening, and there’s sweetness to the meat that makes it appealing to anybody’s palate.

As Forrest Gump would say: shrimp makes for fine eating, and that’s all I have to say about that.

But this is me, and I’m not done yet!  Whole Foods Market Johns Creek has some of the prettiest Gulf of Mexico shrimp you’ve ever seen in your life right this very minute. They’re on sale for $7.99 a pound and that’ll get you about 16-20 of these delectable little fellas. It’s a great value, and you don’t have to stuff all your worldly belongings in a station wagon and drive for hours and hours to get them.   I brought some home last weekend and used the recipe below to treat my family and friends to a shrimp supper with a southern accent. I found it on www.wholefoodsmarket.com . Kiss my grits, it’s good!

Cajun Spiced Shrimp and Grits Cakes

(Serves 4)

3 1/2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 cup stone ground grits
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
26/30 count Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined  
1 teaspoon Cajun spice seasoning
1 cup diced tomatoes

Bring water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot, add salt and reduce flame to medium. Slowly add grits and whisk until smooth and simmering. Reduce heat to very low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Slowly whisk in cheese and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Pour mixture into a jelly roll mold or loaf pan and cool until firm.

Heat heavy sauce pan, add oil and heat. Add shrimp, Cajun spice and then tomatoes. Sauté until shrimp just begins to turn pink (a little underdone is good as they will continue to cook off-heat in the warm sauce). Cut firmed grits into slices, about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. Brown slices in remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet. Remove and serve each topped with shrimp and tomato sauce.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET GOES MAD: FILM AT 11

by duluth, July 15, 2009 | Permalink

Nope, that’s not a teaser for the evening news. But we do have some sales going on at Whole Foods Market Johns Creek that are so crazy good they deserve their own TV show. We’re calling this our “Summer Madness Sale.” Now I’ve personally tasted and tested some of these great products and let me tell you folks, you need to grab your Sheryl Crow reuseable bags and haul your happy selves down here before these deals go bye-bye.  Here’s a sneak preview of a few of sale items: there’s not a boring rerun in the bunch!

Cherries Idol: These plump Washington beauties hit the high notes of “Summertime” with their higher fruit-to-pit ratio. $1.99 per pound is the best price we’ve had so far this season, so now’s the time to bake that cherry pie. My vote: they’re great as a snack, too, and if pitted and sliced they’re the perfect topping for chocolate ice cream.

Pick your own 6-pack, Cookie:  No, I’m not talking about the abs of the latest TV “bachelor” but your choice of six of your favorite cookies from our Bakery department for only $3.99. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, vegan, pecan pie, espresso chocolate chip—come in and pick and choose to your heart’s content. No rose ceremonies, please.

A delicious (not deadly) catch of shrimp: They’re fat, they’re sassy and they’re not from churning waters to the north but the calm and delightful Gulf of Mexico. A pound is $7.99 and that gets you 16 to 20 shrimp just aching to be grilled and served up at your next backyard cookout.

No “Bones” about-it chicken:  Chicken at its barest—boneless, skinless breasts raised without hormones or antibiotics. And at $3.49 a pound, it’s downright scandalous.  The good doctor would prescribe a purchase of several pounds to store in the freezer, stat.

The One About Ben and Jerry: All your “Friends” will line up to get Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream at buy, one get one free.   At these prices, everyone gets their own pint for movie and ice cream night—no sharing! How about Cake Batter for Monica (she’s a chef, remember?) or Cherry Garcia for Chandler Bing?

Passport to Europe in the bath: At buy-one-get-one prices, not even the most jaded armchair Travel Channel buff could resist these luxe French-milled soaps from the South of France company. They’re made with pure vegetable oils and natural fragrances, so you know they’re good for your skin.  Take a trip to Provence with lavender, or go to the tropics with citrus scents. No reservations necessary!

Face time or Face Book?

by duluth, July 8, 2009 | Permalink

In our marketing office we’ve been in a social networking tizzy.  Facebook and Twitter are dandy ways to keep in touch and tell our customers all about the great things happening at Whole Foods Market Johns Creek, but like Ringo says (or sings?), it don’t come easy. There’s enough technical flutternutter going on in setting up an account, adding pics and sending tweets that we’re scrambling to keep up. But scramble we do, since it’s truly an effective way to communicate.  Social networks are fast and use an economy of words that help us get the point across and get you excited about coming in to shop with us. But once you’re here? Ah, that’s a different story.

Let me give you an example.  Last Monday I was in the store early. I watched a customer come in right about the time the store opened. Before she hit the front door she looked stressed and had a phone glued to her ear. Once inside, though, her demeanor changed. The phone came unglued, the stress lines faded. Dare I say it—she looked relaxed. I watched as she worked her way through the store, stopping to smell the peaches, putting sunflowers in her cart, checking out all the great buys in the wine department.  She was here for a long time and when I stopped to thank her for coming in she was cheerful and upbeat. “I just love coming here,” she said. “I can unwind while I’m shopping. I can’t do that anywhere else!”

That’s music to our ears. We want you to be relaxed and informed and surprised and delighted whenever you come into Whole Foods Market Johns Creek.  Having face time with you is one of the most important ways our team members can make sure you’re having a great time and finding everything you need.  And it might be a good way for you to unwind and get some face time with the ones that matter the most, too.

Why not try a date night with your significant other? Come in the evening and sit at the bar of our Captain’s Corner or Trattoria and have a sit-down dinner with a glass of wine, then wander at your leisure through our glorious produce department or sample some of our exotic cheeses as you plan the menu for your next dinner club.  If you’ve got family in town, bring the gang in—we love tourists—and order a whole pizza after you’ve followed the Chattahoochee through the store and peered at our busy beehive.  And if those out-of-towners hit the road on Saturday or Sunday, you can feed everyone at our brunch and send them on their merry way.

Yes, we’ve got lots of ways for you to relax and enjoy yourself in our store, and we’ve got lots of great things happening in the next few months. Now that we’re working our way through the social networking scene, there’s a couple of places you can find—er, follow—us and we can find—um, friend—you.  Look us up and come on in. We promise to help you unplug!

Find us on Twitter at: @wholefoodsjc

And on Facebook at: whole foods market johns creek

Button, Lyman, George and Beer

by duluth, July 1, 2009 | Permalink

When I began research on my blog for the Fourth of July I started with the traditional themes of fireworks, picnics, baseball and the like. In all my readings about American history there was one theme that was more persistent than the others: beer.  This makes sense, right? After all, many historians believe that Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence at a tavern in Philadelphia.  The so-called “cradle of liberty” in Georgia at the time of the Revolutionary War was not a city hall or a field of battle but Tondee’s Tavern in Savannah, where Georgians gathered to debate the call to arms.  

No doubt, the three men that signed the Declaration representing the colony of Georgia were thirsty patriots.

For example, Button Gwinnett became the President of the Council of Safety in Georgia (an early euphemism for governor) and promptly proposed an invasion of British east Florida.  A gentleman named Lachlan MacIntosh took umbrage with this as well as other actions by Mr. Gwinnett, and challenged him to a duel. Both men were wounded, but MacIntosh’s aim was a bit better. Gwinnett died but his fervor for liberty did not go unnoticed and a county was named for him.

Lyman Hall was the first governor of Georgia after it became a state. He had to deal with frontier problems and a bankrupt, depleted state treasury. Not an auspicious start, but he did get to do one really great thing—he helped found the University of Georgia. Bulldawgs have been barking in gratitude ever since. He has his own county, too.

George Walton started humbly as a carpenter’s apprentice.  He served the Georgia colony as a colonel, and then wore many hats for our state as governor (twice!), congressman, and justice of the state court. His multitasking abilities allowed him to be honored with, yes, a county named after him. 

Whole Foods Market Johns Creek may not be Tondee’s Tavern, but we’ve got lots of brews that would make these Sons of Liberty happy. The Samuel Adams folks are going to be in our store Friday the 3^rd around 11 am to pour samples of all their great summer beers, so get here before you pack up for the lake, the mountains or the coast. We’ve also got some great deals on locals like Sweetwater and Terrapin, a new Vermont beer named Magic Hat, and of course the classic imports from Heineken and Amstel.

So after you’ve fired up the grill, the fireworks or the Sea-Doo’s engine, kick back and lift a cold one to our own trio of Georgia revolutionaries—Button, Lyman and George. But hear ye, hear ye good patriot—drink thee not to excess.  Enjoy thyself responsibly!