Sourpuss!

The days of too much are upon us – richly larded meals, holiday parties o’ plenty. ‘Tis the time of year to ride the savory-sweet express. As an antidote to this delicious mess, I offer a quiet and rare selection of tart, dry, palate-en-living beers. These are light, refreshing beliner weisses, Flemish reds, and lambics.

I love the tart beers and tend to serve them as the champagne course. They play well with the wine crowd and are more affordable than the usual champagnes or white wines that are recommended for appetizers and salads. All of these beers are relatively low in alcohol, another plus when you have a lot of merrymaking ahead of you.

Here is a shortlist of what will rotate on one corner of the display beer rack, more description to follow:

• Brauerei Weihenstephan1809 Berliner Weisse
• Rodenbach Red
• Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
• Hanssens Mead the Gueuze
• Hanssens Oudbeitje Lambic

Brussels sprout stalks

Organic, locally grown brussels sprout stalks are $1.87 a stalk at the food coop. We have hundreds of stalks. I bought a stalk yesterday morning and it barely fits in my fridge. There are 3 brussels sprout recipes in the 101 Thanksgiving recipes article in the New York Times, so stock up on stalks.

Amaryllis and paperwhites

Van Engelen amaryllis and paperwhite bulbs are here. These bulbs come with a flower pot and potting soil and instructions. They are high quality--we've been selling them for years without complaint. If you start them now, they should be blooming in about 6 weeks. They do best in sunny window in a cool room. They should be planted soon as they are programmed to grow and will burst out of their box toward light if neglected. They will keep for a few weeks in the dark in the refrigerator. This is the only shipment of bulbs we'll be getting--they don't ship as the weather gets cooler

Time to Eat Everything!!!

Hey Co-owners,

Turkey Shmurkey I say. This time of year has much more to offer than some big old bird. The freezer alone is a veritable cornucopia of festive vittles. There's familiar faces like Adirondack Creamery's pumpkin ice cream, apple pie from Vermont Mystic Pie Co. and vegan pumpkin pie from Wholly Wholesome. Oh, and don't forget the Tofurkey. What forward thinking host would even think of leaving out their vegan/vegetarian friends. I shudder to even think of it. The freezer would also like to welcome some new members such as Gillian's gluten free pie shells, Vermont Mystic Pie Co. pie shells, and peppermint ice cream from Adirondack Creamery. This ice cream is pretty awesome. The peppermint pieces floating around in there are made just over the river and through the woods (locally).

Go Eat!

Were we hornswoggled by Silk?

Grocers around the country report feeling misled -- "hornswoggled," in fact -- by the reformulation of Silk Soymilk from organic to 'natural'. A recent article from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram depicts the same scenario that we experienced here at the Coop earlier this year.

Holiday Turkey Arrival News!

Buy your 2009 turkey early!!! Why? Because veteran Coop Thanksgiving shoppers know they need to pick theirs early to get EXACTLY the size and style they want. The smaller birds sell out especially quickly.

All turkeys are delivered fresh, except for the frozen Wise Kosher Organic. All are free-range, locally raised, hormone-and antibiotic-free. Some are from smaller farms than others, though NONE are raised by those evil farmers you read about in the papers. Some are certified organic. See listings by date for details.

Tuesday, November 17
FROZEN, Wise Kosher Certified Organic (Pennsylvania)
10 to 24 lbs., $4.85 lb.

Thursday, November 19
Bell & Evans (New Jersey)
8 to 26 lbs., $2.31 lb.

Friday, November 20
Plainville Farms Pasture-raised (New York)
16 to 24 lbs., $2.75 lb.

Eberly Certified Organic (Pennsylvania)
8 to 24 lbs., $4.25 lb.

Koch Certified Organic (Pennnsylvania)
8 to 24 lbs., $3.96 lb.

Monday, November 23
McDonald Farm Heritage Breed (American Bronze) (New York)
12 to 26 lbs., $4.26 lb.

Stonewood Farm Pasture-raised (Vermont)
12 to 20 lbs., $3.12 lb.