Have you ever met a grocery store that you loved at first sight? One that you could instantly tell had isles of goods that were delightful and delicious? Carefully procured and displayed with care? That’s kinda how we feel about Wheatsville. It’s been in our lives for many years now, but upon that first visit, it was love at first sight.
Wheatsville South Lamar is one of our Monday pickup locations, and it feels like such a natural partnership… local farm, and local food coop. You can pick up your share anytime between 9am and 10:30 pm, giving you a lot of flexibility to fit a CSA pickup (and grocery shop!) into a busy day. Plus: Mondays are a good day to meal prep for the week. If you've never picked up at Wheatsville before, it couldn't be easier. The CSA shares are stored at the front info desk, and you just need to write down your name before grabbing your bag.
Brand new CSA members can get $5 off your first share when buy a bag for Wheatsville South Lamar pickup. Use code WELOVEWHEATSVILLE at checkout. (Book now. We'll stop giving you a free $5 on 1/31.)
While we love our vegetables, we know that eating only raw vegetables is a rather limiting diet. Here are a few quick dinner ideas to complement a CSA share that we brainstormed while perusing the Wheatsville isles.
WARM FARRO SALAD WITH ROASTED VEGGIES
We love the variety of bulk products at Wheatsville, and especially appreciate the fine aesthetics of perfectly portioned legumes and nuts, ready to cook. Wheatsville has tons of bulk grains to choose from, but we’ve been on a big farro kick lately. We love dense, chewy farro for deep winter dishes as it feels a bit heartier than other grains… but cous cous, rice, fonio, or even polenta would be a perfect base for a warm bowl of perfectly roasted VRDNT vegetables. Plus, grain bowls like this make THE BEST leftovers. Add cheese, or don’t. Add nuts, or don’t. Add fresh herbs, or don’t.
CARROTS + YOGURT
You can expect to see carrots in your CSA shares for the next few weeks. At this moment in the season when we’re waiting for some of our tender crops to size up, bulk root crops like carrots really shine. If you’re not roasting your carrots and serving them with an herby yogurt situation at least some of the time, you’re missing out. We adore the whole White Mountain Bulgarian Yogurt Wheatsville carries which is chock-full of good-for-the-gut live cultures. Bonus points because it’s made in Austin :).
If you’ve never used Bulgarian yogurt before, know that it’s very tangy and also significantly thinner than Greek yogurt. Unlike Greek yogurt which you may choose to spread under a bed of roasted carrots, try making a drizzle-able dressing with Bulgarian yogurt. You can take this formula of roasted carrots + yogurt in many directions. Mix the yogurt with honey and top with chopped nuts, or go crazy with za’atar and chopped parsley. Peanuts and cilantro or serranos and lime. Seriously, carrots are in your future, so you’ve got some time to find your favorite version of carrots + yogurt. For a creamier dressing, you can even mix some of the yogurt with a bit of tahini like this.
ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH TURNIPS & RUTABAGA Recipe Inspo Here
We file this recipe under a “barely a recipe”. Roasting a big tray of whatever VRDNT vegetables you have in your fridge and topping them with a protein like chicken thighs or fresh sausage is an excellent route to a one-pan, easy, and satisfying dinner. The riffs here are actually endless, and cooking chicken thighs and veggies for dinner is a formula that can carry you through the seasons. During winter, root crops like turnip, rutabaga, beets, or carrots work great for a sheet-pan dinner, and during summer, big chunks of zucchini and whole cherry tomatoes caramelize down to perfection.
Like yogurt, coffee, and tortillas, chicken thighs are a usual line item on our regular grocery shopping list. If you don’t have immediate plans for the thighs, throw ‘em in the freezer. With a CSA pickup in tow and chicken in the freezer, a complete meal is only a defrost away.
CASHEW TAMARI DRESSING
Oh, man. How to even put this into words? Wheatsville’s house-made Cashew Tamari dressing is our favorite bottled salad dressing, ever. We never go to Wheatsville without picking up a bottle. Like their popcorn tofu, this salad dressing has a bit of a cult following in Austin, and for good reason. This stuff is practically drinkable. It’s packed with garlicky goodness and sweet and savory umami with a texture that is simultaneously robust enough to coat a cabbage slaw and delicate enough to dress a salad of salanova. Snag a bottle of this magic and cover literally any VRDNT vegetable in it, and you’ve got yourself a meal. Looking for snacks? A plate of sliced radishes and a bowl of this sauce is the best snack idea we’ve had yet.
A REALLY EPIC AND FILLING SALAD
You can make some excellent salads using only VRDNT Veggies, but sometimes the only thing standing between you and a truly BOMB SALAD is a thinly sliced pear, a crispy apple, or a supplemental box of arugula. Or maybe, you want to make a salad that feels more like a meal, and you roast up some acorn squash or sweet potato, neither of which are in season at VRDNT but are still a delicious winter choice. Or perhaps you want to pile your salad high with sunflower sprouts and crispy pepitas. Whatever epic salad you’re trying to build, chances are you could use some supplemental, extra-special additions from the Wheatsville produce section.
I love Wheatsville as my pickup location. It feels like old but new Austin, and I always find something perfect to pick up to supplement my awesome VRDNT farm csa goodies. I haven't tried the dressing yet, but it's on Monday's to get items for me!