The Cultured Carrot at Wheatsville Co-op

The Cultured Carrot was founded by Palak Sadarangani, a health coach practicing an Ayurvedic lifestyle and Kristin Simpson, a pharmacist with a holistic lifestyle approach. Both busy moms of young kids were blown away by the research and study of the microbiome. Up to 80% of our immune system is found in the gut. Eating fermented foods adds good bacteria to our guts to help maintain the balance we need for a healthy immune system.  -- https://theculturedcarrot.com/pages/about-us

 

https://theculturedcarrot.com

 

We pick only the best organic veggies and preserve them like grandma used to, with salt and time. We transform these little jars of sunshine, mixing with herbs, quality oil and pure love. 

Each is bursting with color from the diversity nature gives us and loaded with a unique biodiversity of nutrition and microbes. Getting your daily dose of prebiotic-probiotic packed nutrition has never been easier. -- https://theculturedcarrot.com/pages/our-process

I bought the Beleafing with cabbage, turnip, and herbs. We generally eat salad for dinner and the leafy foods often benefit from a helpful dressing. I am just not a foodie. I do not remember a moment when I lost interest in it, but like smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol, food just got less and less compelling. 

Right now, my best meal is probably a handful of mixed vitamin pills and five or six tablespoons of yogurt. Well, that, and pizza. I hardly remember a bad slice. I really wish that Whole Foods found some skilled people to work their ovens. I look at the pies and slices and just shake my head and walk away. We have a new vendor here in Kyle promising "313" style, but I have not tried them out yet. (313 is the area code for Detroit and I miss that style of deep dish pizza heavy on the mozzarella and no skimping on the sauce. So, we'll see... And Detroit pizza beats Chicago pizza.)

Be that as it may, I have never commented on the ingredients or processes of any Wheatsville vendor. I understand that there are constraints to commercial food production. That said, my challenge here was to find a blend that did not have water as its second ingredient. $10.99 for a significant fraction of 8 ounces is a lot to pay for water. I have the same problem with mustard. Some years back, I finally bought ground mustard and began mixing it into commercial preparations such as Sir Kensington, Annie's, Woodstock, etc., etc. But you are looking at a guy who tips the scales at 60 kg and never crossed 70 kg. Then, again, there's that 313 pizza waiting for me.

 

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Daysmith Coffee

It is nice to see vendors in the store again in the wake of the continuing Covid concerns. Derek and Daniel, founders of Daysmith Coffee, were set up at the Wheatsville Co-op. 

https://drinkdaysmith.com

From their website:
COFFEE + BENEFITS

Our mission at Daysmith is simple: to transform wellness with everyday goodness. That’s why we make delicious coffees that combine the benefits of vitamins and plant-based nutrients to support your health and power your day

GOODNESS

It all starts with our ultra smooth coffees and creamy oat milks. We know taste is number one, so we've taken our time to perfect our recipes with ultra smooth coffee and creamy oat milk to maximize deliciousness.

WELLNESS

All our coffees are infused with vitamins and plant-based nutrients to provide targeted benefits and support your health.

LESS IS MORE

We pride ourselves on what’s IN our cans, just as much what we’ve left OUT of them. While other coffees are loaded with calories and sugars, we’ve cut them down. All our coffees have only 15-70 calories and 0-5g of sugar per can.

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How do you get your kids to eat sauerkraut? For Kristin Simpson, the solution was to develop a line of fermented foods that their palates would accept. The resulting array of garnishes is now available in Austin and around Texas. 

They say about themselves: 

Kristin Simpson and
The Cultured Carrot
https://theculturedcarrot.com

Launched by two women in Austin, the Cultured Carrot has revolutionized ancient fermentation. While we were amazed at the exploding amount of information about the microbiome, gut health and the amazing benefits of fermented foods we knew there had to be a better way to get them onto our plate and into our families tummies. 

The Cultured Carrot was founded by Palak Sadarangani, a health coach practicing an Ayurvedic lifestyle and Kristin Simpson, a pharmacist with a holistic lifestyle approach. Both busy moms of young kids were blown away by the research and study of the microbiome. Up to 80% of our immune system is found in the gut. Eating fermented foods adds good bacteria to our guts to help maintain the balance we need for a healthy immune system.  A healthy microbiome was the key to our families overall health. We knew we had to get more probiotics from fermented foods into our families tummies. Currently all the fermented foods on the market were traditional kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, miso etc. Remembering to take these traditional fermented foods everyday became difficult. We had to create something that was convenient and part of our everyday palates. That's when the idea was born, to create fermented vegetable dressings for salads, marinates and sauces. This concept is the new revolution of fermentation, making traditional ferments more convenient and bringing them to today's busy modern tables. -- https://theculturedcarrot.com/pages/about-us

Kristin told me that she graduated with a degree in pharmacy and worked for local hospitals in Florida before moving to Texas and working in a hospital here. Her goal has always been to introduce healthful, natural alternatives to the over-prescription of synthetic antibiotics. 

Her products have a three-month shelflife. She said that refrigerating it keeps the biotics more potent through that time.

It was really nice to meet another vendor at the Wheatsville coop. We went about 18 months without visitors from among our local providers. 

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Funky Mello: Feel Good Marshmellows

We have not been treated to vendors at the Wheatsville Co-op since Covid started and it was a pleasant shock to see Delisa and Zach of Funky Mello set up in the front aisle. 

As kids we were obsessed with marshmallows,
but as adults our bodies couldn't handle
the unfriendly ingredients.
Determined to keep the beloved marshmallow in our lives,
we spent tireless hours in the kitchen
crafting a new kind of marshmallow.
Today, we are thrilled to bring happiness
back to marshmallows!

Their products are plant based, dairy-free, and gluten free. The three flavors--Vivacious vanilla, Satisfying strawberry, and Creamy cookie--also are free of the top eight allergens. Of course, the treats have no artificial colors or artifical flavors and have no genetically-modified organisms in their contents.

You can get read their story and get more details about their products on their website https://www.funkymello.com and you can find them on Instagram.  

Their website features recipes based on marshmellows.

They have developed an impressive presence at natural, organic, and alternatives retailers here in Texas and they have already established sales through stores in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. The three-pack sample goes for $18.99 at the register. 

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Usually, I do the shopping on Sunday, but with the Labor Day weekend, Laurel and I ran errands together on Saturday. So, we were introduced to Grant Richardson from Crisp Farms in Smithville, about 40 miles east of Austin. They sell sprouts and other greens to retailers and they sell tilapia direct to processors and other users (though not to retailers).

We bought the Spice is Nice and Make it Mighty varieties of sprouts. We found them both to be a lot fresher than the other brands we have learned over time to pass up. We have grown our own sprouts in the kitchen. It is fine as far as it goes. As much as we enjoy working in the kitchen, we enjoy other work more. So, the Crisp Sprouts are an easy choice.

You can find their story on their website (https://www.crispfarms.com), of course. Their production mode is organic aquaponics. It allows them to grow all crops all year. They also have even closer control over the growing environment.

Father and son Bob and Chris Nagelhout developed the business plan for “a sustainable aquaponics farm that utilized a closed loop, zero waste design for growing organic produce and humanely raising tilapia to be shared with their community.” In 2017, they brought in Grant Richardson whose master’s degree is in environmental engineering.

In addition to the sprouts, they grow four lettuces (romaine, butter, green and red leaf), kale, chard, collards, spinach, and bok choy, along with  parsley, basil, oregano, cilantro, and mint.

(For other reviews and reports, put “Wheatsville” or “food” in the search box.) 

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Two Hot Mamas Salsa

New Mexico is the home of chili peppers. In both Las Cruces and Alburqueque, at Christmas time, people hang red and green chilis from their doors, the way people up north put up holly wreaths.  When we were newlyweds in Las Cruces, I learned that it is too easy to make salsa too hot for anyone to eat.  Chili peppers have subtle flavors that burst and blend if you treat them right. Two Hot Mamas of Austin understands that.

Two Hot Mamas Contact 

Last Sunday, I met Johnna from Two Hot Mamas at the Wheatsville Co-op. I tried several and settled on the Mambo Combo Hot. It was perfect for my taste.

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Traditional Marxism teaches that capitalist firms attempt to drive each other out of business by seizing markets. On the other hand, the Austrians point out that seldom are any two products identical to consumers. One of the best things about weekend shopping at the Wheatsville Co-op is meeting the vendors. Most are local. All are aligned to health, nutrition, and sustainable economics. This weekend, I met two coffee vendors. 

Catherine from Four Sigmatic with a Lion's Mane Mushroom
and Cory from Third Coast Coffee with (what else?) coffee.

"As a founding member of Cooperative Coffees, Third Coast Coffee directly imports coffee from small farmer cooperatives throughout Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Indonesia. We have gained mutually beneficial, long term relationships with our producer partners in the sixteen years of Cooperative Coffees' existence. Third Coast makes year-long commitments for our green coffee to ensure a reliable and steady supply of many varieties that we offer. 

"All of our coffees are certified Fair Trade and organically grown. The one exception is Colombian coffee from Fondo Paez, which is Fair Trade transitional, grown using organic methods and in the process of acquiring organic certification.

"We control each roast by hand, eye, and nose. Our roasting machines are lovingly maintained 12 kilo drum roasters, each designed and built by Diedrich Manufacturing in Sandpoint, ID. Constant care and attention keeps them reliable. We follow rigorous protocol, including set batch sizes for all roasts that guarantees the results we seek.
https://www.thirdcoastcoffee.com

"We make drinking mushrooms (yes, we said drinking mushrooms) delicious and easy-to-do with our wide variety of superfood (and super-good-for-you) beverages. From Mushroom Coffees, to Matchas to Hot Cacao and multi-mushroom Blends… we have it all.

"We’re obsessed with the everyday magic of mushrooms like reishi, chaga, cordyceps and lion’s mane — Helping you relax, be well, energize and support productivity. Enter your email for healthy recipes, tips and tricks, and learn more about the benefits of these amazing superfoods."
https://us.foursigmatic.com

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FOND Bone Broth

Not only is Fond Bone Broth good for you, being shelf stable for one year, it makes an excellent gift.  

On their website (here) they say that they took the name FOND because it is French for "base" or "foundation."  They do not say that the word "restaurant" comes from "restore." Following the disastrous policies of Louis XIV and his interventionist minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the middle class of Paris was starving amid plenty. The French cuisine we treat ourselves to now was designed to puff up severely limited resources with air.  Those who could afford it went to "restaurants" where they were restored with strong broths and other good foods from whole ingredients.  FOND broths follow in that tradition. 

I met Michal from FOND Bone Broth
of New Braunfels, Texas,
at the Wheatsville Co-op on South Lamar.  

You could make this yourself. My wife, Laurel, does. It takes her two days. She has the time because she works from home.  Most people do not have two days to cook the bones of happy free-ranging animals along with organic herbs and spices.  

And then there is the retail price. It is less than $15 per pint. ($154 for a case of 12.) That sounds like a lot if your head is still in 2008.

I had a couple of graduate classes in economics during the Bush-Obama Wall Street Bailouts. One of my professors, Steven Hayworth, was a good Marxist. He knew his stuff; and he was intellectually honest.  He put up a graph of the infusion of cash into the banking system. (He said $3 trillion. It was more like $4 trillion.  See Forbes magazine here. ) Prof. Hayworth asked, "What will happen to prices?"  No one said anything.  With two index fingers, he pointed to me up front and my conservative comrade in the back. "You tell them," he said.  "Prices are going to triple," we said.  Prices have not tripled over night because banks have been storing the imaginary money, eking it out slowly so as not to trigger public panic.  Prices today are only about 40% higher than they were a decade ago. The true cost of nutritious food has gone up while fast food chains sell "salads" of iceberg lettuce for the price of meat.

Biodegradable packing from corn starch.
Fond Bone Broth has a Kickstarter campaign (here). 

"A short cut tastes like a short cut, so we don't take any. We start with local farms, and carefully tended backyard gardens whenever possible. Then using traditional french cooking methods, and a lime-twist of modern mixology we arrive at our FOND™ signature flavors perfect for sipping or for use in your every day cooking."

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Bela Portuguese Kosher Sardines

Independent Chef Brands representative Brandon Allen was in the Wheatsville Co-op demoing Bela Brand sardines: locally caught (in the Atlantic, not Austin), and canned within eight hours, they are never frozen.  They have no detectable levels of mercury, pesticides, or effluents.  They meet the FDA Good Manufacturing Practice standards. Of course, they are certified for the European Common Market, as well.

Another Buyer is Impressed
(They are well worth the price, I say.) 

I bought two cans for my Go Bag.  The Texas State Guard deploys in six hours and supports itself for the first 72 hours.  MREs – the military standard meals-ready-to-eat – are meant for 20-year olds carrying 80-lb packs while on combat patrols.  That’s not me. I might help to unload a semi with palletized water or 200 cots. But I am not in GSAR (ground search-and-recovery), so I could not burn off a single meal of 2800 calories. My Go Bag includes one MRE for three days, some canned soup, and a couple of cans of tuna fish  -- and now two cans of Bela Brands (kosher-U) Portuguese sardines.  

Brandon recommended mixing the sardines with Sir Kensington mayonnaise for a treat that far surpasses simple tuna salad dressing. 

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Tofurky: For Paleolithic Vegetarians

If our ancestors had not eaten animals, we would not be here.  On the other hand, not everything paleolithic is appropriate to the 21st century. Bashing each other is just one example. To satisfy that primal need for the genuine down-home taste of burned meat - without the cholesterol and carcinogens - there is Tofurky.  

"In 1980, after making from-scratch tempeh to share with friends and family, 30-year-old teacher/naturalist/hippie Seth Tibbott opens his own company in Forest Grove, Oregon. He expands operations to a vacant elementary school in 1983 -- and decades ahead of the tiny house trend, he builds a 300-square-foot treehouse to call home. Fast forward to 1995, Tofurky debuts the very first Holiday Roast. It strikes a cultural chord with a nation hungry for a tastier meat-free Thanksgiving. 2000 and beyond welcomes even more deliciousness, with the addition of deli slices and sausage and frozen items. Today our growth plans include new products, but also new countries. We're so inspired by a world that is waking up to the benefits of veg cuisine."  -- www.tofurky.com (of course).

 

Lauren of Horizon Marketing in Austin
visiting Wheatsville Co-op to bring us
the new flavors.

"The tale begins in 1980, when Seth Tibbott’s beard was still dark and Forest Grove was home to a few thousand fewer people.

"Tibbott longed for alternative environmentally friendly menu options for vegetarians like himself. His quest led him through two states and the founding of Turtle Island Foods, a company now based in Hood River, poised to sell its 3-millionth Tofurky this year.

"That was unimaginable when Tibbott ventured out to Oregon and found a job that “changed my life” — teaching at an outdoor school in Cherry Grove, where he made $25 per week in addition to a place to stay.

“ 'It opened my eyes to the natural world I had been missing all these years,' Tibbott said."  (Portland Tribune here: http://portlandtribune.com/fgnt/36-news/123488-turkey-or-tofurky--its-still-thanksgiving).

When our vegetarian friends get insufferable, my lawful wedded wife, Laurel, says, "Carrots have feelings, too."

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Fitppl is a local firm that makes plant-based “superfood” supplements.  Each measured serving of both their cocoa and blueberry and their vanilla and goji flavor powders provides 16 grams of raw, organic plant protein, at 90 calories with 2 grams of fiber and less than 1 gram of sugar. Their powders have no artificial sweeteners, so-called “natural” flavors, or stevia.  The protein superfood blends are made from oat grass, barley grass, and spirulina. They are gluten-free, of course. Seeeking always to reduce the plastic footprint, they provide a wooden scoop for measuring servings. 

They also formulate a supplement from fresh-water and salt-water algae as well as cereal grasses. It specifically delivers a mix of chlorophyll, enzymes, vitamins, and anti-oxidants.

You can find them online at fitppl.com., but they also market through some retailers. They were the January Product of the Month at Wheatsville Co-Op here in Austin.

  

I met Eric from the Alltech Kentucky Brewing and Distilling Company at my neighborhood Whole Foods.  

They age their beer in whiskey barrels. The flavor experience was rich and rewarding, and the alcohol level was only 8%, not much more than an over-hopped IPA.  And it tasted a lot better.  

Find them online at www.kentuckyale.com or in person at your neighborhood Whole Foods. They sell in 4-packs and singles because it is a bit pricey. Nonetheless, when you deserve a treat, it can’t be beat.

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Saving the World Through Beer

Save the World Brewing Co. of Marble Falls, Texas, is “America’s first 100% philanthropic production craft brewery.”  They just extended their service to humanity from their tap room to the bottled retail markets.  They create about a dozen different brews. I tasted three at my neighborhood Whole Foods and bought a six pack.

Save the World Brewing Company is the mission of former physicians Quynh and Dave Rathkamp. Their volunteer work overseas distanced them from “the first world problems” of most of the people they saw in their pediatric practices. They found themselves called by God to follow a different path.  (Full story here.)

Their sales representative, Cory, was at Whole Foods. I recommended that he visit the Wheatsville Co-op; and he told me that he had just come from there, and they now have it on the shelf. 

Cory brought Agnes Dei, Lux Mundi, and Humilus Filus.  I purchased the third.  It was a hard choice because all of them were superb. I have never thought much of Texas beers.  (See here and here. ) These were heavenly. They are full-flavored with overtones. The Lux Mundi was light, of course, yet tasteful and pleasing. I chose the warm and toasty Humilus Filius, both for culinary and philosophical reasons. My previous favorite had been Arrogant Bastard, but now I am converted. 

(I wrote this last night. I went to post it this morning, and, of course, it was labeled "Draft.")

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In the movies, when those two guys are standing there, the streets are already cleared, so I am not going to say which one is better.  It depends … on you, the day, the time, the food, the stove, the grill, the guests…  They are different enough that you could serve them both. 

Royito's Sharon demoing at Whole Foods 

Don't do mild.  “Royito’s is dedicated to and inspired by Roy’s dad, Big Roy, who taught him three things: be kind to everyone you meet, keep it simple, and never do mild. “Don’t Do Mild” is therefore not just a clever hot sauce tagline, it is a way of life. The purpose of Royito’s is to inspire people to not “do mild” in life by following their own passion and purpose. At the heart of this movement is loving what you do and doing what you love, and never giving up on your dreams.” -- http://www.royitoshotsauce.com

84 Years in Austin “In 1931 a little Tex-Mex restaurant opened in Austin just steps from the University of Texas and the State Capitol. 40 years later, Jaime Tames, and ex bull-fighter from San Luis Potosi, Mexico took over the establishment, bringing with him his famous Jaime’s Margarita’s and charismatic

At Wheatsville Co-Op

personality. Jaime was behind the bar every night, telling stories, serving drinks, and making sure everyone was having a good time. The walls of the restaurant were covered with decades of photos of patrons doing just that. It quickly became an Austin institution, with politicians from the Capitol having lunch, University of Texas Students having dinner with their families, and Longhorn fans piling in before and after the sporting events. At the time that the restaurant closed in July 2010, it was the longest operating restaurant in Austin. The tradition lives on through our original Jaime’s salsa and queso.”--http://jaimessalsa.com/

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If you put "food" in the Search box, you will find about 20 posts, among them these:

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Casa Brasil Coffee

Austin runs on cerebral energy.  Dell, Inc., is headquartered here, of course, but even South by Southwest gives top billing to mathematician and cybernetic futurist Stephen Wolfram. So, as freely as technology start-ups bring beer to user group meetings, we love coffee more. 

"Tuca left the Vale da Grama at a young age for Sao Paulo, pursuing a career in architecture and never imaging that farming would be in her future. After her grandfather passed away, the family considered renting out the farm, exiting the business they had been in since 1907. However, in 2010 Tuca returned to the Vale da Grama and, along with family business partner Rodrigo Fernandes, took over the management of Santa Alina. Their mission was two-fold, to increase the production of high quality micro-lots and to increase the living standard of those living and working on the farm."  http://www.casabrasilcoffees.com/grower/santa-alina/

The Casa Brasil website explains safra zero, or zero harvest.  “In the zero harvest system a producer prunes the branches of a coffee tree completely back to the trunk. After a year of regeneration with no yield, the tree will then produce larger amounts of coffee the following year. The process can then be repeated.”

If you shop directly with Casa Brasil, you can get blends or single-source (currently from the Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza and Fazenda Recreio estates).  In all, they offer seven different roasts, including a Swiss water process decaf.

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Sunday at the Co-op

A co-operative recognizes the reinforcing roles of consumer and producer.  I discovered something of truism that at any marketplace with high cultural context, such as a hardware store or fabric store, you could take the people on one side of the counter and switch them with the people on the other side and get the same result.  Co-ops are like that.  A co-operative is a community of providers and users, buyers and sellers, all of whom share a common interest in mutual profit.  Here are the vendors whom I met last Sunday at the Wheatsville Co-operative store on South Lamar  in Austin.

In Austin, Central Texas Bee Rescue (CTBR) sells wild honey and rescued honey.  Wild honey is collected from feral bees.  

They also sell crayons.

 "CTBR has led classes in beekeeping and other agricultural sciences in two Austin Charter schools (grades 1-9) and the Austin Montessori School.  They have also led workshops with Master Gardener Associations, libraries, and other institutions dedicated to education about the environment. They have noticed that beekeeping and caring for other animals has a positive effect on kids who grew up in the city and previously had no experience nurturing and caring. It melts your heart to watch."

 

Karen (right) suffered several small but significant bone injury accidents
over a few years.  Having tried many products,
she became a supporter of SunWarrior. 
"I can't say enough good things about them," she said. 

SunWarrior mineral-rich plant proteins sells a broad and deep range of “super green”  products.  Most are glutine-free.  All are vegan.  Typical ingredients include nrown rice, quinoa, and fermented bio-barley. 

Ismar and Daniel came to Wheatsville to
run taste tests and give out drinking cups.

I first drank Topo Chico about a year after I moved to Austin.  I was guarding a residential high-rise downtown and one of the residents – a serial entrepreneur – treated me to a bottle.  As mineral waters go, I found it to be high quality, richer, more satisfying than the other brands I usually buy, Crystal Geyer, and Whole Foods’ (Italian) Mineral Water. In this product, the sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and manganese come directly from the geology of the spring.  They are not blasted in at a factory.

The legend of Topo Chico tells of an Aztec princess, a daughter of Moctezuma I who was cured of a mysterious ailment by bathing in the mineral spring.  Apparently, the entire royal troup all came home invigorated and refreshed.  

  

Topo Chico is great in cocktails (no surprise there) and, according to the AustinAmerican-Statesman, Topo Chico makes a heck of a coffee.  The company has its fan base, that's for sure.

"There are a plethera of records of co-operatives started out as small grassroots organisations in Western Europe, North America and Japan in the middle of the nineteenth century, however, it is the Rochdale Pioneers that are generally regarded as the prototype of the modern co-operative society and the founders of the Co-operative Movement in 1844." (International Co-operative Association.)

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