pears & goat cheese, a sophisticated snack

Looking Back
2009 was not a good year for Bashas because many stores in Arizona went out of business yet Sunflower Market expanded from two to four stores locally. El Super continues to draw crowds in South Tucson and Lee Lee Oriental Super Mart slid in under the wire with much anticipation.

Eat Healthy Initiative
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon unveil “Healthy Initiatives,” a $20 million pilot program that will offer cash incentives to urge lower-income shoppers to choose healthy foods. Hmmm. More details will be released in January.

I Have a Dream
This Saturday at all Sunflower Markets, you can sign up enter the weight loss makeover program. Sign up lasts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can read more about the contest here.

Deals this Week 12/30/09 – 1/3/10

Free Menudo
At select stores, Food City is giving away a pint of free menudo from 9 to 11 a.m.

Natural
Sunflower Market has ground turkey for $1.99/pound and assorted “natural” porkchops for $1.27/pound. I put the word “natural” in quotes because I don’t know what it means and it’s always overused. Regardless, a grilled pork chop sound good to me.

$5 Pizza
At Safeway in the Signature Cafe splurge on a 16-inch pizza with five-cheese blend or pepperoni for only $5. Now that’s a deal.

Healthy Snack
Pears are still for sale and in season. Quarter some pears, use a variety, sprinkle with soft goat cheese and dried cranberries. It’s festive and pairs well with sparkling apple cider or sparkling wine.

Happy 2010. Nice round numbers, I like that.

Santa Cruz Farmers Market
The hours are from 3 to 6 p.m. As usual the market brims with garden fresh produce such as green beans, melons, chilies, tat soi, mustard greens, winter squash, (I’m getting hungry), spinach, bok choy, beets, pomegranates, apples, locally roasted coffee, honey, red and sweet potatoes, hot peppers, and more. Fresh eggs are available for $3/dozen. Mark your calendars because next week – November 19, Desert Harvesters will be here grinding dried mesquite pods into flour.

What’s Tat Soi?
Tat soi or tatsoi is an Asian green that is also called flat cabbage, rosette bok choy, and spoon cabbage. It’s a member of the brassica family which includes broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, and kale. Tatsoi can be used in salads or sautéed, steamed or braised and mixed with sauces, chicken, tofu, and pasta. Tatsoi is low in calories and high in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Mesquite Pancakes
Last week I reported about Desert Harvesters mesquite pancake breakfast on November 7. This was their most successful breakfast ever selling over 2,000 pancakes, and milling over 960 pounds of mesquite pods with three mills on the pancake fiesta day and two mills the next day.

Sprouts Goes Green
Sprouts Farmers Market has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership and voluntarily committed to decreasing refrigerant emissions through innovative HVAC, refrigeration design and leak-tight practices. Sprouts wants to be your  environmentally conscious neighbor and grocer. Sprouts is located at 7665 N. Oracle Road.

Please send your Tucson farmers market and grocery news to eat.tucson@yahoo.com

the marketplace opens October 26

Chef Albert Hall and his wife Lila Yamashiro, owners of Acacia at St. Philip’s Plaza, are opening “the Marketplace” at Acacia which is located directly north of the restaurant in St. Philip’s Plaza. The new market will offer affordably priced quick service meals and snacks for the River/Campbell neighborhood and beyond.

A limited seating area for approximately 15 people will include a community table and a few intimate tables. As at Acacia, many items will be housemade by the talented kitchen staff from Acacia using local and sustainable products when possible.

Breakfast offerings will feature a changing array of assorted fresh baked pastries plus breakfast burritos and hearty breakfast sandwiches served on house baked English muffins. Other breakfast delights will include the full line of Ausperitea products served iced, hot and/or blended; freshly squeezed juices; and coffee and espresso drinks made in the European tradition using locally roasted Arbuckle’s Coffee. This is sure to become a favorite neighborhood place to read the morning paper over a great cup of coffee and peruse the Farmer’s Markets in the Plaza on the weekends.

Lunch items will be available daily from 11 a.m. A selection of hoagies, muffaletti, paninis, Euro sandwiches, healthy salads and wholesome soups will be offered.

An enticing array of ready-to-grill prime steaks and seafood as well as prepared complete dinners (including salad and dessert) that only require minimal preparation i.e. heating, will be available from 3 to 6 p.m. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free items will always here and special orders welcomed.

The retail area of the store offers gourmet and hard to find culinary goods as well as some of the special seasonings and ingredients used in the creation of the award winning cuisine at Acacia.

Located at 4340 N. Campbell, Suite 107, The Marketplace at Acacia will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. offering breakfast, lunch and dinner items to go. The Marketplace will also offer full service catering, monthly tasting events, and more. Chef Hall’s cooking classes, scheduled to resume in the fall, will take place in the store. Phone: 520-232-0124.