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Villa Mandori Dark Cherry Balsamic Vinegar

We found this product when we attended the Fancy Food Show. When we sampled it, we thought we had died and gone to heaven. Villa Mandori Dark Cherry balsamic vinegar is the lovechild of Chef Mossimo Bottura where he crafts artisinal balsamics and olive oils in small batches. This balsamic’s euphoric flavor comes from aging trebbian grape must in Vignola cherry wood. Vignola cherries are one of the most highly prized fruits of the Emilian countryside. Beautiful as a glaze for game, pork, or duck…but also suited to fruit and desserts. Shall we mention we’ve also got his two-time SOFI Gold medal winning “Artigianale” Balsamic Vinegar too?!

All Natural Colorado Chickens: it’s a first, and we have them.

Lots of room for the chickens

Denver, CO - Fresh, free range, antibiotic free chicken is one of the most desirable products in today’s foodie world. The texture is firm, and the taste is, well, chickeny.  Boulder Natural Meats, a Colorado company since 1985, has had a difficult time finding Colorado farmers who will raise birds to their standards: antibiotic free and plenty of room to roam. They have been working for 2 years to find a Colorado chicken provider, and have finally found one. The farmers, who are about 7 miles east of Ft. Collins, took over a Butterball turkey barn and refurbished it so the airflow is excellent and natural light shines in. The wood shavings are fresh, and the barn is kept at about 90 degrees to keep the chicks warm. Vegetarian feed, of course.

Marczyk’s is one of only 3 Colorado grocers to carry these all-natural fresh birds. 

“Our customers kept asking us, so we kept asking them” explains Pete Marczyk. “Sometimes it just takes a while.” In addition to providing our customers with something they’ve been clamoring for, it also created 75 Colorado jobs!

Antibiotics in chickens

Most chickens are given antibiotics prophylactically. This has 2 effects: it keeps chickens raised in cramped quarters from being sick, and it makes them grow faster and larger.* (Ever had a freakishly large chicken breast? Now you know.) And despite the fact that 80% of all antibiotics used in the US are used for livestock, this makes our meat no safer. **

What about the taste and texture?

We cooked a whole bird, and the meat was firm and the taste was excellent. (These are Cobb, or Blue Foot chickens, an American variety of the French Pullet de Breese.) Try Marczyk’s sticky lip chicken recipe http://www.marczykfinefoods.com/recipes/archives/sticky-lip-chicken/ or simply roast them.

Chicken braising in garlic and lemon

* “Both a 2008 USDA study and a 2007 study in Public Health Reports, a journal that focuses on emerging public health issues, found that the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in broiler chickens boosted feed efficiency enough to make the animals grow faster”.

** “But preventive health measures don’t guarantee safe food, according to environmental health scientist Ellen Silbergeld, who told News21 that thousands of ranchers…have ’squandered the use of antibiotics’ by feeding and injecting healthy cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys with the same drugs used to cure human infections. The result is bacteria that can no longer be killed by antibiotics and are still present in animals when they go to slaughter, said Silbergeld, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The bacteria end up in consumer meat products sold at grocery stores across the country.  The journal Clinical Infectious Diseases reported this year that nearly half of all beef, pork, chicken and turkey purchased from 26 retail stores in Chicago, Washington, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Los Angeles and Flagstaff, Ariz., contained drug-resistant bacteria. While thorough cooking may kill even resistant pathogens, Silbergeld said the risk of infection from cross-contamination is too high when handling raw meat and poultry. ‘Antibiotic resistance is an immediate health risk,’ she said. ‘This is the thing that will kill you.’” http://foodsafety.news21.com/2011/risks/antibiotics  

Polish-Irish Soda Bread

Freshly-baked soda bread. Pick up a full loaf, or we can break them down for you as well — a smear of Kerrygold Irish butter would be the perfect complement.

Quinn Popcorn!

We like it when people reinvent the wheel on products that we’ve all enjoyed, but then found out the real truth about their ingredients. Enter Quinn Popcorn. They took on the challenge of tackling microwave popcorn.

Contains organic non-GMO corn kernels, expeller pressed oils, and three amazing flavors: Lemon & Salt, Parmesan & Rosemary, Vermont Maple Syrup & Sea Salt. And it’s simple to enjoy…just pop, pour over the oil, shake, add seasoning, then shake again.

Boom…microwaved popcorn at the next level. $5.99

Pies!

Pick up a fresh pie today! See those crusts? Yeah — they’re rolled by hand, because that’s how we roll.

Delicious Knishes!

Freshly frozen! Check out our brand-new knishes in the frozen section. Transport yourself to NYC with these classic delicatessen delights, available in regular and pastrami. 2 for $8.

Time to reserve your Saint Patrick’s Day meal!

Corned beef will be ready to pick up next Wednesday, March 13th. $8.99/lb, Hash is $7.99.

Dinners include slow braised Niman Ranch corned beef, wilted cabbage and roasted red potatoes for $12.99 each.

When we’re out, we’re out, so don’t wait!

The Athena Salad!

Highs in the 60’s today here in the Queen City of the Plains. A crisp, crunchy salad sounds perfect for lunch. We’re hard at work making them for you.

Quick Breakfast Idea:

Creamy Noosa Finest Yoghurt and Purely Elizabeth ancient grain granolas. Noosa honey with the Cranberry Pecan is our favorite right now.

Orange you gonna eat me?!

Red Navel Oranges AKA ‘Cara Cara’ are one of nature’s sweet seductions and are in season at the moment. Not to be fooled, they look like an orange on the outside yet conceal a sweet pink flesh on the inside that looks and tastes like grapefruit, but sans bitterness. Flavor also evokes hints of cherry, rose petal, and blackberry. Does that sound too good to be true? Well, it isn’t, fortunately. $1.99/lb