Smart Shopping at Whole Foods

by millvalley, August 19, 2009 | Permalink

Kevin, the receiving clerk at Whole Foods Mill Valley has been enjoying a great new tool on wholefoodsmarket.com - the electronic shopping list. Here’s his feedback…

I recently found a useful tool for both employees and customers on our website, wholefoodsmarket.com. It’s an electronic shopping list with many useful features. It allows you to add products from our website’s database, as well as products unique to the Whole Foods in your own neighborhood. Also, it has an option to temporarily remove a staple item from your list that you don’t need, and then re-add it with a click when you run out. Also, for iphone and blackberry users, you can send the list to your smart phone and really be “green” by eliminating the paper from the shopping list process. While the list is far from perfect, it does allow someone like me to take a step in the right direction.

After reviewing my credit card statement and seeing how much money I’m spending on “impulse buy” foods, I decided to become a smart shopper. My goal now is to take lunch to work, as opposed to buying everything prepared, and stock up on frozen items and pantry items, so I always have something to eat in the house. I also review our Weekly Specials flyer for coupons and then browse the aisles BEFORE I shop to take notes on Weekly Specials and Great Buy items. My goal now is to spend approximately $100 for 2 weeks. As you can see from my shopping list, after my employee discount (20%). I spent about $106 and have more then enough food for 2 weeks.  Shopping smart is all about awareness of what you’re putting in your basket. Take control and don’t let your stomach empty your wallet. Enjoy!

Create and share your own lists at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/users/lists.php

MM…Food: Shopping Smart With Kev Luv (prices may vary)
- Alvarado St. Bakery Bagels
  $4.19
- 365 String Cheese
  $4.69
- Organic Sausages
  $6.49
- Lean ground beef
  2LBS FOR $8
- Echo Falls Salmon
  x2 $12
- Spiracha Chili Sauce
  $3.39
- Simply Asia
  2 for $5
- 365 Bean and Rice Burrito
  x4 $6.36
- 365 Everyday Value Chicken Caesar Pizza
  x2 $10
- Amy’s Mini Pizza
  x4 $10
- Rudi’s Organic Bread
  x2 $7 (Coupon)
- HONEST TEA
  6 for  $5 (1 FREE WITH COUPON)
- Kettle Chips
  2 for $4
- Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies
  2 for $6
- EnviroKidz Rice Bars
  2 for $4.5 (Coupon)
- Crystal Geyser Flavored Mineral Water
  x2 $1.78
- Evolution Foods Grape Jelly
  $3.39
- 365 Everyday Value Creamy Peanut Butter
  $2.19
- 365 Everyday Value Blueberry Cereal Bars
  $1.69
- 365 Instant Oatmeal
  $3.39
- 365 pineapple cups
  2.29
- Tuna Cans
  x2 $2.98
- 365 Whipped Cream Cheese
  x2 $3
- Stonyfield Smoothie 4 pack
  2 for $6
- Nancy’s Organic Kiefer
  $4
- 365 Everyday Value Organic Orange Juice from Concentrate with Calcium - Pulp Free
  $5

When life hands you cherries…

by millvalley, July 8, 2009 | Permalink

…enjoy them with everything! This Friday Whole Foods Market in Mill Valley will have cherries on sale (1 day only!) for just $1.88 a pound. Wow! We have never offered cherries at such a low price and we’re all excited about having more cherries than we know what to do with. Here are my top 12 ways to enjoy cherries…

1. Give a bag to your friends
2. Take a bag on your next hike up Tam- cherries hold up great in a  backpack
3. Make homemade maraschino cherries (see previous post for recipe)
4. Make a cherry pie - ever done it with fresh cherries? You’ll be blown away. (If crusts aren’t your thing, consider a frozen one)
5. Cherry smoothies are extra-special. Try pairing them with coconut milk and banana
6. Make a cherry crisp (watch for recipe to be posted on this blog this week)
7. Give a bag to your neighbor
8. Add cherries to savory dishes, like green salads and picnic salads
9. Add to homemade muffins and scones (see previous blog posts for recipes)
10. Cherry salsa? Yes! Follow this link for the recipe: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=102
11. Pit and freeze them - they will be great in baked goods and smoothies later in summer
12. Looking for something to pair with chocolate for a simple dessert? Just set out a bowl of cherries and some of your favorite chocolate (like Green & Black’s 85% dark)

maraschino cherry - take two!

by millvalley, July 5, 2009 | Permalink

The maraschino cherry is a quirky, yet emblematic food. What would a Shirley Temple or a pineapple upside down cake be without these ultra-red jewels? But they’re not exactly a pantry staple…unless you’ve had homemade ones.

One summer a few years back I had the pleasure of having a neighbor with a cherry orchard and I was gifted with many brown paper grocery bags full of cherries. I ate all I could of the fresh cherries, but still there were  more. So, I started playing in the kitchen and discovered this excellent recipe for homemade maraschino cherries. Without the candy coating and FD&C red dye, these are a far cry from conventional ones. They are not super-sweet or amazingly red - they are a treat for your mouth and a really special jar to pull out of the fridge when company comes over. A simple glass of sparkling water on ice is made sublime with one of these fruits added. My favorite way to enjoy these is as an extra-special addition to iced drinks all summer long - but they will also be the crown jewel on an upside down cake.

The good news is that they are actually quite simple to make. And if you don’t have a neighbor with a cherry tree, the other good news is that this year’s cherry crop is excellent - the price is low and the quality is excellent - a perfect season to indulge.

Maraschino Cherries

Since grapes are also coming into in season right now, I make fresh grape juice in my juicer with organic red grapes. If you’re a little short on time, buy a bottle of a high-quality juice, like Santa Cruz Concord Grape. I use Rapadura granulated sugar because it contains all the molasses, making it richer in flavor and minerals. You can substitute your favorite granulated sugar.

In a saucepan combine:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup Rapadura sweetener
• 1/2 cup red grape juice
• 1 star anise

Bring to a boil, then simmer on low, stirring constantly until Rapadura dissolves. Add:

• 1 lb cherries with stems
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon top-quality almond extract.

Simmer just until cherries are tender, about 5 minutes. (Better to undercook then overcook - to avoid soft cherries.) Remove from heat & cool in the syrup. Place in a covered jar and store in fridge.

Mama mia - Homemade Pizza!

by millvalley, May 4, 2009 | Permalink

Whenever I pull a hot pizza out of the oven I ask myself, “Why don’t I make pizza more often - it’s so easy & so good!” If you’re not home during the day to let this rise, you can make it the night ahead and keep it in the fridge. Just pull it out to let it come back to room temperature before baking. This recipe makes 2 medium-sized pizzas, but the dough is very versatile. Sometimes I make one large pizza and a few bread sticks or just 6 large calzones.

The dough

In a mixing bowl, combine:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 teaspoons dry yeast

Let sit about 10 minutes. Stir in:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Mix well, then add:

• about 3 cups whole wheat flour

Add enough flour so that your dough is moist but not sticky. Form the dough into a ball and lightly oil; let rise in a towel-covered bowl for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Shape the dough and let it sit on a cornmeal-dusted baking pan for about 10 minutes. Add you toppings and bake just until crust begins to brown - only about 8-1o minutes. Enjoy!

The tops

In lieu of pizza sause, I like to just brush the top of my crust with tomato paste and then add fresh chopepd Roma tomatoes as one of the toppings. My favorite tomato paste at Whole Foods in Mill Valley is Bionaturae’s organic no-salt tomato paste in a jar - it has a rich, tomato flavor and is the next best thing to fresh. Another great choice is our 365 brand double-concentrated tomato paste in the tube. At the time of this posting it is just 99 cents! Not only is this a great price for imported tomatoe paste, but it also has a rich, sweet flavor and, unlike leftover jarreed or canned paste, the leftovers are well-sealed in the tube and more impervious to mold.

Can’t wait for fresh apricots? Try this…

by millvalley, May 1, 2009 | Permalink

Apricots, anyone?

Any day now I know we’ll have fresh, local cherries, peaches, and nectarines from Frog Hollow Farm, but not yet…Meanwhile, I find myself buying dried apricots to get through these last weeks before the fresh stone fruits arrive. The dried apricots we have in bulk at Whole Foods in Mill Valley are excellent and make a great snack - I love to eat one (well, maybe a few more than one) with a square of very dark chocolate for an afternoon treat.  

Here’s a super-easy apricot preserve I like to make from the dried apricots. It keeps for weeks in the fridge - but you probably won’t need to keep it for long. I love it on my morning toast, but it also makes a great filling for cakes or spread for sandwiches. 

I use Rapadura unrefined cane sugar, because I love the quality and flavor of this sweetener - read the label and you’ll see it contains 11% of the RDA of iron in just a teaspoon. Add that to iron-rich dried apricots, and you have a super-nutritious treat. (If that’s not your style, you can substitute your preferred sugar.) Present it in a pretty canning jar & you’ll have a sweet treat for Mother’s Day.

Dried Apricot Preserve

Combine the following in a saucepan:

• 3 cups unsulphured dried apricots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup water 

Simmer on low until apricots are very soft - stirring occasionally and adding more water only if needed. Stir in the following:

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup unrefined cane sugar

Stir continuously until sugar dissolves and mixture has thickened. Stir in:

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract 

Pack into jars and let cool. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

1-2-3 Biscuits

by millvalley, May 1, 2009 | Permalink

Who has time to make homemade biscuits? This recipe is simple enough even for those weeknights when making dinner is crammed in between getting home from work and doing everything else. The secret to speedy biscuits is to use olive oil in place of butter and drop the biscuits on the baking sheet.  (If you want a more sophisticated version, you can roll the dough out on a lightly floured counter and cut with a biscuit cutter.) Soy milk makes for a tender biscuit and, when combined with a little vinegar, makes a suitable substitute for buttermilk. 

Step 1 - the dry ingredients

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl combine:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Step 2 - the wet ingredients

In a small bowl, combine:

• 6 tablespoons olive (or other vegetable) oil
• 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
• 1 cup soy milk

Add liquid to flour mixture. Stir just until combined - don’t worry about the lumps.

Step 3 - the home stretch

Drop the biscuits onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake until light brown, about 15 minutes. Enjoy while warm!

This basic recipe can be jazzed up with the addition of fresh, minced herbs from our produce department. Wondering what the best pick in produce is? Ask Iain, Binh, Santiago or one of our other Produce Specialists the next time you’re shopping.

Blueberry Lemon Teacake

by millvalley, April 30, 2009 | Permalink

Treat your friends & family

Mother’s Day is the perfect time to appreciate not just our own moms, but also all our friends and family who are moms. A homemade batch of muffins for your best friend, neighbor, or your office-mate sounds like a great idea - but who has the time? You might just have time to whip us a batch of this bread - it is super-easy. This is also a great recipe for making with kids - the batter is all just mixed up with a wooden spoon and is virtually fool-proof. It can also be made as muffins - pour into muffin tins until about 2/3 full. 

We have excellent fresh, organic berries at the store right now, though they are imported this time of year. For a more local choice, check out our Columbia River Organics line in the freezer  - these come to us from a family farm that has been sustainably farming blueberries for over three decades. (You can also skip the blueberries altogether and just add some walnut pieces or poppy seeds.)

Here’s how…

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine:

• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup almond or safflower oil
• 1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• grated zest from 2 lemons

In a mixing bowl combine the following:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch sea salt

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, combining just until mixed. Fold in 

• 1 cup (or more!) fresh or frozen blueberries

Pour batter into an oiled loaf pan and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 15-20 minutes more or until springy in center. Cool in pan. Share & enjoy!