Posted January 10th, 2012
by Anthony, Night Stocker
A little more than a month ago, I wasn’t sure we’d have an NBA season this year. And like a lot of folks, I wasn’t sure how I’d make it through the long, hard Oregon winter without the Trailblazers to keep my mind off being trapped inside for the next 4 months. But now that the frightfully long NBA lockout has ended, the basketball season is officially in full swing! And if you’re like me, you can’t watch a basketball game without plenty of salty snacks and beer! Here are a few of my current favorite snacks I’ve been enjoying that the co-op has to offer.
Yummy Monkey Popcorn: Fairly new to the grocery shelves, this Oregon-made treat comes in three finger-lickin’ flavors: White Cheddar, Butter with Nutritional Yeast Flakes, and a deliciously sweet Kettle Corn (my personal favorite). The Kettle Corn is vegan and all three are gluten-free and made with organic ingredients.
Sina Baking Pao Bread: Found in our grocery freezer section, these delectable treats are a chewy, cheesy delight. Pao bread (pão de queijo in Portuguese) is a traditional Brazilian snack that is good any time of the day. Portland’s own Sina Baking company hand-makes their little balls of goodness from locally-sourced ingredients using an authentic recipe straight from the Brazilian homeland. Pop them in the toaster for about 20 minutes at half time and enjoy!
True Nature Guacamole: I can easily devour an entire container of this locally-made guacamole in one sitting. Perfectly spicy for my palate, this guacamole pairs perfectly with a bag of another personal favorite of mine: Have’a Corn Chips. Grab some of this guac from our perishables cooler the next time you’re in the store and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter: Of course, you need a cool alcoholic beverage to wash down all that salty goodness. Deschutes’ Porter has been my go-to beer for years now, especially in the colder months of the year. As far as porters go, Deschutes really nailed it this time. Good for celebrating another Blazers victory, or drowning in the sorrows of one more loss.
Hope your season is a good one! Go RIP CITY!!
Tags: appetizers, beer, gluten-free, local, vegetarian
Posted in Food and Drink, General Information
Posted January 10th, 2012
by Theresa
I’m pretty excited about the extensive variety of new cheeses Amber, our perishables buyer, has elected to bring in fromTillamook Creamery.
Not only are they a local staple here in Oregon, but I’ve recently learned that Tillamook is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative, too. Each farmer-owner, as they’re called, has a farm that produces milk for their co-op, which means that the proceeds from Tillamook Cheese go right back to the people that are contributing to its production. Additionally, all the farmer-owners associated with Tillamook Creamery live on or near the land they’re farming, which means that their quality of life is intrinsically connected to the health of the land and their animals. A nice incentive to keep things on the farm sustainable and clean. No artificial growth hormones in this dairy.
And now, let me briefly run through the breadth of new products we’ve gotten in this week from recommendedCreamery:
3 Year Vintage Aged White Cheddar
After 3 years time aging, this cheese comes out of hiding and is rich, sharp, and a delight texturally. Highly recommended.
2 Year Vintage Aged White Cheddar
This white cheddar is like the kid brother to its 3 year aged counter part. The texture is softer, the flavors are slightly less sharp. Overall just a bit more mild, yet still delicious.
2 Year Aged Smoked Extra Sharp Cheddar
The smokey flavor on this aged cheddar is clear and strong. If you like smoked cheese, this is going to be the winner for you. I thoroughly enjoyed tasting it, but it’s the kind of cheese that I can’t eat too much of (believe it or not, such a cheese does exist).
Garlic White Cheddar
This was a hit amongst staff at our informal taste-test. Roasted garlic flavors permeate the whole loaf of cheese, yet aren’t overpowering. You can still taste that white cheddar! I could see this being a great compliment on an otherwise plain sandwich.
Hot Habenero Jack
This was my personal favorite out of the ones we’ve gotten in. I love a good pepper jack cheese, but using habaneros instead of jalapenos was a genius move on the part of Tillamook Creamery. There’s an element of heat that I always anticipate in a regular pepper jack, but it wasn’t so spicy as to be inedible. A real crowd pleaser, for sure.
Pepper Jack
This pepper jack was nice. Not as spicy as the habanero jack, but a good, classic pepper jack cheese.
Smoked Swiss Slices
I had previously never heard of smoked swiss, so I was really eager to taste this one. Swiss is never one of my favorite cheeses, but I really enjoyed this one. The smokey flavor is mild, and acts as a really nice compliment to the usually sharp taste of swiss cheese. I could see this being delicious on a burger. Is it summer yet?
Tags: cheese, co-op, gluten-free, local
Posted in Announcements, Food and Drink, General Information, Spotlight
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