Whole Story Category RSS Feed

My Field Trip to P&F Farms in West Texas

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

The best part of my job with Whole Foods Market®’s Local Producer Loan Program (LPLP) is the opportunity to build relationship with local farmers, ranchers and food artisans around the country. Every day, I’m inspired by what this small but tenacious group is doing for their communities, the environment and for our food system.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve worked with Robert Fisk, owner of P&F Farms in west Texas. After returning from deployments in the Army Reserves, Robert decided that he wanted to raise pigs full time. To show his four young boys the value of raising animals with dignity and respect, he and his wife built their farm so the pigs could be raised outdoors with plenty of room to act like pigs.

Their vision has earned their farm a Global Animal Partnership rating of Step 3. Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step™Animal Welfare Rating program outlines specific husbandry and management practices that promote farm animal welfare. At Step 3, Robert’s pigs have outdoor access and meet approximately 100 species-specific standards.

Now, Robert is using funds from LPLP to build feed storage, two new barns, pasture housing and fencing. The goal of this project is to assist him in upgrading to a Step 4 – pastured centered – a prestigious honor for any meat producer. Currently, P&F Farms is Whole Foods Market’s only Texas-based pork producer with a Global Animal Partnership rating. He’s a small producer and currently is only selling his product in our flagship store in Austin. However, his project will hopefully help him expand to more markets.

I got the chance to visit him, tour his farm, see the new project and meet his family.

I landed in Lubbock during a dust storm and drove to Matador, a tiny town with a population of a little over 600 people. Many of the mesquite trees lining the gravel road to the ranch were blackened due to a disastrous wildfire in 2011. Robert lost 75 pigs during the fire and had to replant a huge portion of his land. With the ongoing drought, this summer is not much better — locals call the huge dust storms that kick up and cover the sky “West Texas Rain.”

P&F Farm was filled with 30 free-range cows and donkeys, a few rescued horses and 200 pigs and piglets that were only too curious to come up and snuffle me on the legs. Robert’s three youngest boys ran ahead of us, rattling off the names of all the pigs, which ones they liked the most and which was the best mama.

The way Robert chooses to raise his pigs remains uncommon in the pork industry. Raising pigs according to Global Animal Partnership’s standards takes more time, energy and money. I ask him, is it really worth it? A 24/7 job, with no control over production variables like the weather? Robert tells me that raising pigs is his meditation; he wouldn’t be doing it if he didn’t absolutely love and believe in it. Through the years, he’s worked up to four jobs at one time in order to keep the farm. Imagine waking up and feeling the same way!

I am so lucky that my job connects me to such passionate partners who are committed to their work and their mission. Through the Local Producer Loan Program and with your purchasing power, we support these producers and help their businesses grow.

Do you have a favorite local producer near you that’s passionate about their product? Tell me about them in the comments below.

Food52's Favorite Big-Batch Summer Snacks

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

The Editors at Food52.com

Whether you’re hosting pool parties or sleepovers this summer, you’ll need snacks that can be made by the double or triple batch. These six recipes scale up to handle lots of eager hands and appeal to a wide range of ages. Test out your favorites now so you’re prepared for the biggest summer party of all: Fourth of July.

Recipe: Sara's Granola Bars

These homemade granola bars are chewy and rich; a jumble of nuts, cereal, seeds and dried fruit barely held together with almond butter and honey (no baking involved!). The little bit of salt really sets these bars apart. These are great to have around as a wholesome dessert or energizing snack.

Photo by Kyle Orosz

Recipe: 10 Minute Parmesan and Mustard Pinwheels

This is a great, simple hors d'oeuvre to throw together for last-minute snacking. With puff pastry stocked in the freezer and always at-the-ready mustard and Parmesan, these are as quick to roll up, slice and bake as they are to eat.

Photo by James Ransom

Recipe: Spicy Shrimp

We love Sriracha's heat, which is warm, lasting and assertive without being overbearing. This recipe combines the hot sauce with a few everyday ingredients -- olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and cilantro -- to create a sublime marinade for shrimp. The oil and sugar give the marinade some viscosity so it doesn't just season the shrimp but clings to it. But it's the sugar that makes this dish -- on the grill, the sugar caramelizes, giving the shrimp a lacquered feel, and its sweetness balances the kick of the Sriracha.

Photo by James Ransom

Recipe: White Bean Dip with Fresh Herbs

The perfect celebration of fresh herbs, this dip is wonderful with crostini, pita, radish slices, or even wrapped up in kale or romaine leaves. Serve with an extra drizzle of nice, fruity olive oil.

Photo by Karen Mordechai

Recipe: Tea Egg Salad

Cracked eggs soak in smoky Lapsang Souchong tea overnight before folding in the dressing ingredients. Serve on crackers, or in celery-stick “boats” for a snack that resists soggy just-out-of-the-pool fingers.

Recipe: Chevre Devils

The thyme-spiked chevre and crackly-spiced pecans are perfect foils for sticky sweet Medjool dates. They’re "thirsty-making" and therefore ideal for days when cool, refreshing drinks are close by. We liked ours packed with goat cheese, and advise doubling the filling amounts (if you're chevre devils like us). You might also want to go scant on the 1/4 cup of agave, to avoid runoff and concentrate the spice.

What are your favorite poolside snacks? Share your comments below!

Raised to Taste Better

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Elizabeth Smith

Our selection of meat and poultry is renowned for great taste and superior quality, and we believe that has a lot to do with the care that goes into raising the animals and the true partnerships we develop with farmers and ranchers who supply our stores.

Importantly, these partnerships allow us to know how the animals were raised for the meat you’re buying, including what they ate and where they came from.

Plus, these partnerships allow us to offer a wide selection — from grass-fed beef to pasture-raised chicken to organics – and support local farming and ranching, which means more local meat and poultry at your neighborhood Whole Foods Market®.

Transparency, Accountability & Responsibility
Our meat buyers seek out farmers and ranchers who raise animals with care, responsibility and respect in their aim for high quality, great-tasting meat.

Our farmer and rancher partners are dedicated to meeting our strict standards, meaning no animal byproducts in the animal's feed, no added hormones*, no growth-enhancing drugs and no antibiotics, ever.

*Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising pork, poultry, goats, veal and bison.

Plus, all beef, chicken, pork and turkey in our fresh meat cases must come from producers who have achieved certification to Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Rating. What does this mean for the ranchers and farmers?

Third-party audits of each farm every 15 months
There are about 100 species-specific standards that must be met just for a Step 1 rating.
Beyond Step 1, each successive Step requires more animal-centered practices.
The progressive nature of the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating program encourages producers to evolve their practices to attain higher Step ratings.

Take a look at this recent blog post where our global animal welfare coordinator explains how five of Whole Foods Market’s suppliers put the animals first.

Want to meet more of the farmers and ranchers we work with? Dig deeper at wholefoodsmarket.com/animalwelfare.

Great-Tasting Meat

Thanks to dedicated farmers and ranchers, we can offer the tastiest, most responsibly raised selection of meat and poultry around.

Now visit our meat counter and get cooking! Here are a few mouthwateringly delicious recipes for inspiration.

What’s the best cut you’ve had from our meat counter and how did you prepare it?

Calling All Corn Connoisseurs

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Alana Sugar

Corn is a summer staple in my house. I can think of three favorite recipes right off the bat:

In my hands, hot, buttered, right off the cob!
Summer Corn Chowder made with tomatoes, bacon, onion and poblano peppers.
Summer Corn Salad with avocado, blue cheese and pine nuts.

Most people think of corn as a vegetable, but it’s really a grain. In fact, it’s a whole gain dating back to prehistoric times in Central America. The large leafy stalk produces “ears” of corn and the kernels are actually the seeds that are attached to the cob.

There are numerous varieties of corn. The field varieties are mainly used as feed for animals and humans eat the sweet varieties. Corn is popular all over the world; some popular international corn recipes include:

Corn Arepas. These are South American corn cakes. Our gluten-free version is made with cumin and white corn.
Mexican-Style Grilled Corn with chipotles in adobo sauce and queso fresco.
Frascatelli Carbonara with Sweet Corn is a delicious Italian dish made with pancetta and Pecorino Romano.
Kenyan Corn and Bean Stew is a staple of Kenya. It’s made with kidney beans and potatoes.
Chilean Chicken Pie with Sweet Corn Crust is a casserole made with raisins, capers and spices, with a corn topping.

With corn, the possibilities are endless. Remember, leftovers can be used in appetizers, baked goods, salads and main dishes. Here are more ideas:

Make Coconut Ginger Corn on the Cob or Corn on the Cob with Feta and Herbs, or throw corn on the cob on the grill for your next barbeque. Here’s a recipe for Grilled Corn with Chili Lime Butter.
Add corn to leafy green, grain or pasta salads or make a corn salad with your favorite veggies and dressing. Here are a bunch of salad ideas:
Make your favorite corn muffins; add corn kernels to the batter before baking.
Add corn to tacos, burritos, tostadas and quesadillas, like this delicious Chicken, Corn and Roasted Pepper Quesadillas.
Make Sweet Summer Corn and Avocado Relish. Try it over grilled steak.
Add corn kernels to soups and stews.
Try Creamed Corn (way better than the canned version!)
A Seafood Boil with Corn and Tomatoes is the quintessential summer meal.
This Corn Pudding and this Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili are great for an outdoor party, picnic or barbeque.
Make corn cakes like these Fresh Corn and Zucchini Cakes.
Add corn kernels to pita pocket sandwiches, or try this amazing Shrimp, Corn and Red Pepper Sandwiches recipe.
On a hot summer day, make Sweet Corn Soup with Peaches.

Got a favorite corn recipe? Let me know.

Raised with Care

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Beth Krauss

Memorial Day kicks off grilling season and for many people, meat’s on the menu. We believe that the best meat comes from animals raised as nature intended – with plenty of room to move and things to do, in environments where they can be clean and safe.

In the spirit of enjoying meat from animals raised with respect I asked Anne Malleau, Whole Foods Market’s global animal production and welfare coordinator to point out how five of Whole Foods Market’s suppliers put the animals first.

White Oak Pastures – Beef

"I love all those trees. Many farmers cut down the trees because that makes it easier to move equipment around the farm, or because cattle tend to hang out under the trees, which can pack down the land. But not here – these cattle have trees for protection from wind break and shade. They love to rub up against the trees too; you can see one in the back right, going to town. That’s grooming and it feels good to them, like a big scratching post.

It’s also nice to see mamas and babies together; they’re not being weaned too early. They’re clean, too – no muddy bellies or sides. And lastly, the pasture looks great. Even though it’s brown, it’s full with plenty of grass, not matted down. You can tell the cattle have been moving around it."

Thompson Farms – Pork

"The first thing I see here is a muddy sow – which is great! That tells me she’s got wallows, which pigs love. Wallows provide a place to cool down and protection from insects and the sun (pigs have sensitive skin!). I can tell it’s outside of the growing season, but the pasture still looks good and isn’t denuded. This shows that the animals are moved around, and also they’re not rooting around in the soil.

In some systems, nose rings are used to discourage animals from rooting. This sow doesn’t have a nose ring AND the land’s not denuded – that’s a sign of an effective management system.

Now let’s get to those babies. She’s got lots of piglets and they all have their tails. There are mixed breeds here; these guys will do well outside. With darker skin, they won’t sunburn as badly as pink or white-skinned pigs."

Pitman Farms – Chicken

"When I look at the birds themselves, I notice their full feathers and that they’re ranging freely. They’re also sticking around for the photo, which means they’re not freaked out by the presence of a human. I also like seeing the right breed in the right system. David Pitman is holding a California Bronze. This is a bird that was born to be outside as they’ve got strong legs and a good immune system.

When I look at the environment, I see perches, with lots of room for the chickens to get up onto those perches without banging into each other. They have a house they can go into at night and spots to crawl underneath for shade or to escape from aerial predators. Short and tall grass means some variability for their diets, too, as they peck around. Their food and water is available inside or out, and the pasture looks great. This is a mobile system – by the look of the pasture you can tell it’s moved regularly so the birds have fresh area to forage all the time."

Niman Ranch – Pork

"These pigs look great. They’re evenly sized, and they’re the right breed for the system. Their darker skins protect them against sunburn and they have their tails. What I especially like here is seeing the Quonset huts, which are used for gestation and farrowing (having piglets!). It looks like here each sow has her own individual hut, which is nice because they tend to isolate themselves and want to nest before they give birth.

The huts are also good because the sows can stay there with their piglets for the first week or two while the piglets grow past the age/size where they might get picked up by hawks or eagles. In a good system, farmers place the huts strategically with prevailing winds so the animals inside get the air flow they need. They insulate the huts, too, so they’re not little ovens when the sun is shining. Last thing: look at that great green pasture!"

Icelandic Lamb

"The pasture looks nice, but what I really notice here are the animals. They look great: they’re well-filled out, not dirty and no broken horns. This photo was shot during the annual roundup. The sheep are being moved by people on horseback, rather than ATV, which is noisier and can stress the animals. What’s cool about Icelandic lamb is the sheep only see people twice in their lives: when they go out to graze, and when they come back.

They don’t know people, and yet they’re walking calmly, not at all stressed. The riders know how to move sheep – they can make them run, walk, slow them down to a stop, etc – all without a word. Sheep are a prey species (their first inclination is to run and get away from bigger animals), but these riders are using “points of balance” to silently urge the sheep in any direction, at any pace, just by showing up at a specific point in the sheep’s fields of vision."

Our selection of meat and poultry is renowned for great taste and superior quality. We believe this has a lot to do with the care that goes into raising the animals and the true partnerships we develop with the farmers and ranchers that supply our stores.

Find out more about our animal welfare standards at: wholefoodsmarket.com/animalwelfare.

Do you have any questions about our standards? Ask us in the comments below.

Fired Up About Great Wines for Grilling

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

John Stewart

Grilling, whether it’s with charcoal or gas, imparts an abundance of flame-kissed flavor and character to meat and veggies. From the sweet-smoky caramelization of grilled onions and lathered-on piquant sauces to the bold, peppery crunch of a nicely-charred cut, a range of flavors emerges. Many wines pair beautifully with grilled fare – sweet-leaning rieslings and big bold Reds; dry, cool Whites and round, spicy pinot noirs. Read on for wine-pairing guidance for grilled food.

Chilled Whites, Hot Pairings

Buttery chardonnays, light-bodied sauvignon blancs and friendly, fruity rieslings will take your just-grilled chicken, seafood and veggies down a flavorful path bursting with contrast and complexity.

The crisp lime, subtle spicy endnotes and lingering finish of Robert Mondavi’s Fumé Blanc pair beautifully with the firm, subtly salty richness of a well-grilled swordfish steak.

The buttery, bold flavors of grilled salmon, a rockstar summertime favorite, pairs nicely with a subtly oaked, sleek and slighty citrusy Vinum Cellars Chardonnay.

Chilled Cupcake Vineyards Riesling, with its slight sweetness and silky honeydew finish, responds perfectly to the sweet, piquant notes in Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Peaches.

If you’re laying out a cheese plate poolside before the main course, look for creamy to semi-firm goat cheeses for the fumé blanc and the riesling. The chardonnay’s richness brings out all the custardy, mushroomy complexity of triple-crème brie.

Reds with the Best Grillside Manner

They aren’t served chilled (although you might put your pinot noir in the fridge for a few minutes before serving), but Reds are can’t-miss summer hits for the delightful way they pair with the grill’s best offerings.

Seaglass Santa Barbara Pinot Noir, spicy with amazingly vibrant red fruit flavors stands up perfectly to the bold notes of a citrus-marinated grilled salmon salad.

Evocative earthiness, ripe red berries and deep harmonious tannins found in the Herdade Do Esporão Monte Velho Red bring out surprisingly complex and intense flavors in quickly-grilled flank steak.

So luscious, rich and velvety, Chateau Grand Claret Côtes de Bordeaux almost becomes the main course when paired with a simple grilled eggplant and tomato salad.

If Spain makes one wine for firing up the grill, it’s Lamatum Ribera del Duero Crianza. This wine’s mellow vanilla richness, abundant sweet red fruits and overall approachability make it a perfect pair for steaks, sweet-hot BBQ or beef short ribs.

A summer cheese plate for these Reds should include luscious bries for the pinot noir, firmer gouda-style cheeses for the Chateau Grand Claret, goat cheeses for the Monte Velho and a nice Spanish manchego for the Lamatum.

Cool Whites, luscious Reds and a hot grill: your main ingredients for a sizzlingly satisfying summer. Any wine-meets-grill pairing adventures you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them!

Food52’s Top 4 Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Grill

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

The Editors at Food52.com

We’re still a ways off from the first days of summer, but we’re already seeing the first signs of the carefree summer attitude: people have already begun sneaking out early from their Friday workdays, and perhaps most importantly, they’ve started dusting off their backyard grills.

We may not be able to help cover for your Friday afternoon absences, but we can help when it comes to cooking over an open flame. If you’re tired of conventional, familiar Memorial Day fare (pasta salads, chicken, pasta salads with chicken), here are five new dishes you never thought would work well with smoke and fire. This Memorial Day, go rogue: grill what no one else is grilling.

1. Bread

Grilled Bread with Thyme Pesto and Preserved Lemon Cream

Next time you’re thinking about putting your bread in the oven, toss it on the grill instead. It’s easier, tastier, and the smokiness it gets from the coals will give your crostini a whole new flavor dimension. (Because barbecue guests are always particularly discerning about flavor dimensions.)

Tip: You can apply the grilled-bread principle to all kinds of crostini, too. Try topping it with fresh ricotta, or spread it with pea pesto. Thanks to the grill, you'll have a new go-to blank slate for seasonal produce.

2. Paella

Tailgate Paella

No, it’s not a gimmick – you can really grill paella. This earthy rice dish – scented with saffron and made hearty with chicken, pork shoulder, chorizo and shrimp – garners a great smokiness from the grill.

And, you’ll get bonus points for being different. If Memorial Day barbecues were Jr. High, this dish would make yours the mysterious, cool kid at the highly-coveted lunch table. No one will even miss the pasta salad.

Tip: If you don’t have a paella pan (and we’re guessing you don’t), just choose the widest and shallowest pan in your arsenal that can take a bit of smoke and high heat – like a wide cast-iron skillet. A narrow, deep pot not only runs the risk of making your grill dangerously top-heavy, but also prevents the innermost rice from cooking through.

3. Brussels Sprouts

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

These aren’t your grandmother’s murky-green holiday sprouts. Brussels sprouts get a spring makeover, and a healthy amount of smoke, by being thrown on the grill.

Quickly tossed in oil seasoned with garlic, celery salt, and onion, they’re charred only long enough to let the fire wake up their flavors. Try them for a great side dish, or as a crostini topping. (We trust that you’re grilling your bread, too.)

Tip: If your grill grates are spread apart so wide that the sprouts will fall through, you can either put a layer of aluminum foil over the grill grates or put the sprouts in a heavy-duty skillet to prevent them from falling into the coals.

4. Peaches

Grilled Mint Julep Peaches

Peaches make a lovely companion for the grill. And, for that matter, so do cocktails. (We’re not just talking about the one you’ll be sipping while you make this.)

Inspired by the favorite Derby drink, this recipe combines quickly seared peaches with a brown-sugar mint julep glaze. Bourbon has never had so many summertime applications.

Tip: Peaches aren’t the only stone fruit well suited to grilling – try nectarines, plums, pluots, and even cherries (contained in a grill basket). You won’t have any trouble finding takers for the warm, slightly charred fruit – especially with a scoop of ice cream on the side.

How do you exercise creativity with your grill? What are your top grilling dos or don’ts? Share your comments below!

DIY Trellises: If You Build It, They Will Grow

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Amber Pollei

Trellises are essential for vining plants, such as pole beans, peas, and some varieties of squashes or cucumbers. (Check the tag or the seed packet. Varieties that don’t need a trellis are usually called “bush” variety.)

Providing a trellis allows these plants room to grow up — and makes harvesting easier. There are plenty of store-bought versions, in just about any material (wood, plastic, or metal), but you can make a custom support system with just a little bit of effort. You can even find creative things to reuse!

Build It: Fancy Style

For my vining plants, I built A-frame trellises with hinges on top. I can use them in any of my garden beds, they work with all of the vining varieties of vegetables I plant, and I can store them folded flat when they’re not needed in the garden.

To build your own, first determine what size you want them to be. I made my math as easy as possible and relied heavily on web searches for photo inspiration! Mine are 3 feet wide by 4 feet high, because the galvanized economy wire fencing I purchased was 3 feet wide, and I purchased cedar in 12-foot lengths.

Next, choose your materials. You’ll need enough untreated cedar to build your frames, commonly found at most home improvement stores. Cedar is naturally rot- and pest-resistant and doesn’t need harsh chemical treatment to stand up to the elements – making it the great choice for organic gardening projects.

You’ll also need galvanized metal fencing or hex poultry fencing (chicken wire), coated screws, two hinges per trellis, and a staple gun with heavy-duty staples. Because I built a total of four trellises, I was able to cut costs by purchasing a 50-foot roll of galvanized metal fencing for less than $30.

The frames are very simply built (I’m a novice DIY-er and built these by myself in one morning). To assemble the frame, simply lay out the pieces of 1x2 cedar into the shape of your trellis. I recommend three upright pieces, 4’ tall each, held together at the top and bottom by a 3’ length of cedar. Simply use one rust-proof deck screw at each intersection to create a sturdy frame. You can use a square if you feel the project needs to be perfect; I found that creating a rectangular frame with a support in the middle created its own right angles pretty easily. Repeat this process for the other side of the trellis. Staple the fencing on the backside of the trellis and carefully cut it with tin snips. Screw the hinges to the tops, and voila! I like to use tent stakes to keep these trellises in place.

Build It: Makeshift Style

Sometimes you don’t want to venture to the home improvement store for a project. Gather found materials and make a trellis out of just about anything! Bamboo stakes or strong twigs work well and can be easily bound together with garden twine. How about a trellis made from bicycle rims and some ingenuity?

Have you ever made a trellis? What kinds of materials do you like to recycle for garden projects? Tell us in the comments below.

Hot Value Tips for Summer Grilling

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Value Guru

Are you fired up for backyard barbeques but fearful of your budget going up in smoke? Thanks to The Whole Deal® value guide, it’s easy to get the fire going without burning a hole in your pocket.

Fire Up Flavor

Saving money shouldn’t mean skimping on taste – especially when summer offers some of the year’s best bites. Here are three budget recipes that make the most of the season and The Whole Deal’s savings. Bonus: they each have only five ingredients and ring in at under $4 per serving!

Grilled Sausage and Pepper Salad. Move beyond the bun and enjoy grilled, house-made Italian sausage, feta cheese and sweet, roasted peppers in a green salad that is ideal for summertime.
Beef Franks Mini Kabobs. Adults and kids alike will fall for these summer skewers, threaded with fresh zucchini, cherry tomatoes and beef hot dogs (download coupon), and basted with honey mustard.
Chicken Burgers with Goat Milk Brie. Topped with creamy goat milk Brie, juicy chicken burgers (download coupon) have never tasted better.

Money-Saving Tips

Whether it’s dinner for two or a backyard bash for 20, you can enjoy the season’s best flavors on a budget. Here are six of our favorite tips for keeping the fire going without burning through your cash.

1. Maximum meat for the moolah. Look for better pricing on lesser-known or leaner cuts such as boneless sirloin, flat-iron steak or skirt steak. Grill it hot and fast, then slice thin.

2. Go wild. Spotlight wild-caught Alaska salmon without overspending by serving seared chunks over a salad such as Mediterranean Orzo Salad.

3. Grilled goodness. Fill plates with grilled summer squash, corn, peppers and onions. Grilling intensifies their natural sweetness.

4. Spread the love. Go organic in your condiment cabinet without going broke by shopping for 365 Everyday Value® options. (Check out our shopping list below!)

5. Fruity finish. Use your fire to its finish by throwing fruit on the grill. Serve grilled peaches with organic ice cream or drizzle pineapple with honey before grilling.

6. Befriend your butcher and fishmonger. They’ll share tips for the right cuts at the right price and other ways to save.

Smart Buys
Yes, you can fill your plate (and your invite list!) without forking over too much time or money. Just look for 365 Everyday Value® for the best products at the best price. Here’s our shopping list for 365 Everyday Value® grilling season basics. They meet all our quality standards, meaning no hydrogenated fats and artificial preservatives, colors and flavors, ever.

Organic Yellow Mustard
Organic Dijon Mustard
Organic German Mustard
Organic Tomato Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Organic Pickles
Organic Relish
Simple BBQ Seasoning Grinder
Garlic & Herb Seasoning Grinder
Organic 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Organic Tortilla Chips
Organic Popcorn
Organic Potato Chips
Organic Ice Cream
Real Hardwood Charcoal
Aluminum Foil from 100% Recycled Aluminum
100% Recycled Dinner Napkins

From Sure Deals and more than $55 in coupons to 10 new 5-ingredient budget-friendly recipes and summery money-saving tips, you can discover even more savings in The Whole Deal.

What’s your favorite way to save on summer grilling?

Incredible Crab

megan.myers@wholefoods.com — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Alana Sugar

My Louisiana roots give me a deep appreciation for good food and, in particular, crab. I have fond memories of eating king crab legs, crab cakes, French Cajun creamy crab bisques and spicy crab salad. Dad used to say: “Us Cajuns get mighty crabby without our crab!”

There are two types of crab meat: lump and claw. Lump crab comes from the leg muscles. It’s the tastiest. Claw meat is the dark meat of the crab. Both are interchangeable in recipes, but as a general rule, lump meat is used in hearty crab cakes, crab cocktails and salads. It’s a pretty white color and stands well all by itself. The less expensive claw meat can be reddish-brown and is often used in mixed dishes such as soups, dips and appetizers.

Crab can be steamed, boiled, baked and fried (I only eat fried on very special occasions though). Soft-shell crabs are eaten whole, including the shell but otherwise just the claw or leg meat is eaten.

Crab makes a wonderful appetizer for parties and all kinds of get-togethers. You can bake it into mini-quiches or make crab cocktails. You can put out some chips and sliced veggie dippers and serve with Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip, or simply add crab meat to a favorite cream cheese dip. Here are some other appetizer ideas:

For lunch or dinner, try these ideas:

Stack crab meat, sliced avocado and sliced mango. Serve with light salad dressing and crusty bread or crackers.
Sprinkle crab meat over a leafy green salad or make this Crab Salad with Lemon Dressing or this Summer Tomato and Crab Salad.
Make Crab, Scallion and Tomato Quiche.
Make a crab salad sandwich.
Spread Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip on bread and eat with a green salad or a bowl of vegetable soup.
Make Maryland Crab Cakes or these Crab Cakes with Fresh Corn and Spicy Mayo.
Make crab bisque or this Quick Creamy Crab Soup. It’s a whole lot easier to make than it is to say!
Make grain pilaf and add crab meat or try this Seafood Paella with Crab and Sugar Snap Peas.
Add crab meat to homemade sushi rolls. Try these California Rolls.
Make this wonderful Panzanella Salad with Crab, Goat Cheese and Tomato Vinaigrette.
Make crab tacos.

If you don’t get your crab, do you get crabby? Got a good recipe? I’d love to know.