Fourth of July- Support the Troops!

In honor of the upcoming Independence Day holiday, the Azalea Wood Turners will be at the Windmill Market to honor our troops with a wonderful project- "Turning for Freedom" Pens.

This group of master wood tuners from across the Mobile Bay area will be here Friday night during ArtWalk and all day Saturday with 4 lathes and an expert eye to help you turn your own American flag wooden pen! They hope you will help them fund, produce and ship these patriotic pens to the brave men and women serving overseas. So far more than 126,125 pens have been placed in the hands of our troops.

The pens starts out as a pieced block of wood so that once turned it bears the pattern of an American flag! Its a fascinating art worth checking out.

Below is a letter from a Captain stationed in Afghanistan who received one of the pens from Azalea wood turners. Enjoy- and the come out and support this great project!

UNCLASSIFIED

To All who have contributed to sending us pens:

I'm Captain Ben Winborn, Commander of B Company, 2-211th General Support

Aviation Battalion, currently serving in Iraq.  This week our unit received

a package of pens from you all (and probably many others I did not get email

addresses from).

I would like to give you our sincere thanks from the members of our unit.

Getting mail at all is a thrill, and to receive such a generous gift (and

very useful), is really appreciated.  They are all so unique and beautiful.

It is obvious that considerable care and attention to detail went in to each

pen.

I picked out several email addresses from the pens that were left (I was not

the first one to discover the package).  I'm sure there are many others who

have contributed to this project and I thank them all.

We're all doing well over here.  Weather is starting to get warm; breaking

to 100F mark consistently.  Dust has kept us from flying as much as we

usually do lately, but expected to change and have a very productive summer

supporting the other units with several flights every day.

It's much easier to do our job over here knowing we have your support back

at home.  Thanks for recognizing our sacrifices.  All the men and women here

are doing a great job; you should be proud them...I know I am.  We are here

to help the Iraqi government stabilize and operate on their own.  We get

closer to that goal every day.

Keep up the great work supporting those deployed; putting a smile on their

face and a pen in their pocket.  These will be a treasured reminder of the

time spent serving our country and the overwhelming support from everyone

back in the great United States.

Please forward this email to those I have missed.

Sincerely,

CPT Benjamin R. Winborn

Commander, All Night Long

B Co. 2-211th

Taskforce Dragonmaster 1-171

Recipe Files

Produce Club recipes for the week of 6/20 include the following delicious ideas:

About Yellow Habanero Peppers

From The Lance Armstrong Foundation and LIVESTRONG.COM

Salsa de Piña Asada con Habanero: Roasted Pineapple Salsa

Eggplant Salad with Onions and Peppers (Escalivada)

Eggplant-Goat Cheese Tart

Watermelon and Cucumber Mint Tsatsiki Salad

Okra Beignets with Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce

Leaving Smaller Carbon Paw Prints

Come visit Eco-Dogs this weekend at the Windmill!

They will be here Saturday and Sunday with eco-friendly pet products made from natural, organic fibers or recycled material. They have a wonderful array of merchandise that is healthy for both our pets and our planet, and some darn right adorable stuff, too.

The business began when the owners were in need of natural dog food for two pups with digestive and skin issues. The more they researched, the more they realized it is hard to find healthy dog food in the traditional marketplace! Thus eco-dogs.com was born and they’ve never looked back, especially since the two dogs in question never had an issue after their diet was changed.

The company’s mission is to provide quality, all natural, grain free dog and cat foods enabling you to prolong the health and well-being of your companions all the while "leaving smaller carbon paw prints(tm)."

Besides being good for your pet AND good for the environment, their stuff is just plain adorable. Who can resist a old dog in a new striped collar or a pup with a colorful stuffed animal? Since we live by the coast, I'm a huge fan of the nautical leashes with lobsters or Vineyard Vines whales. 

Bring your pooch to the Windmill Market this weekend and he or she will get a FREE dog treat from the fellows at Eco-Dogs!

See their array online before you visit us this weekend.

http://www.eco-dogs.com/

Father's Day BBQ Feast

It's Father's Day this Sunday and Dad deserves a good time with his family! What Dad doesn't love a good plate of ribs or pulled pork? A side of beans or mac n'cheese??? And if he doesn't have to sweat in the heat getting the fire going himself, even better.

Our humble suggestion is a delicious BBQ lunch at Moe's this Sunday here at the Windmill Market. (And Bonus will be music by Phillip Cork noon - 3 PM)

Moe says "When smoking Chicken and Turkey, it's better to brine (in a sugar and salt mix) the poultry for 24 hours before grilling. It makes the meat more juicy, tender and will taste better". But keep in mind that not everyone can barbecue like a pro (though many may try) and it is important to spend time with your family over the holiday. So we recommend leaving it to the pros! You know it will be done right and you'll save a boat load of hassle! 

They also cater so if you having all the troops to your place this Sunday, let Moe's do the work and take it to go! Did you know Moe's BBQ has been voted BEST in Barbecue, American Food, Dessert, Family-Friendly Dining, Fast Food, Group Dining, Lunch Spot & Outdoor Dining???? It is a safe bet.

Become a fan of Moe's on Facebook. 

Summer Fruit Cocktails

It's hot and the weekend is drawing near. We've got a few delicious cocktail recipes made with the fresh fruit and flavorful herbs that we just got in to the WestSide Grocery! Come grab some blueberries, mint, peaches and watermelon for these refreshing drinks!

Blueberry Mojitos

10 large mint leaves

10 blueberries

3/4 ounce simple syrup

1 1/2 ounces light rum

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce club soda

Muddle mint, blueberries, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, rum and lime juice and shake vigorously. St rain into an ice filled glass and top off with club soda. You may add up to 2 oz of club soda as you like.

One of my fall-back summer cocktail recipes is a watermelon margarita. It is fresh and refreshing, bright and unusual!

Watermelon Margaritas

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 3 wide strips of orange peel to a boil over high. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves, 3 minutes. Let syrup cool. In a blender, puree 12 ounces of watermelon cubes (about 2 cups) until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids, into a pitcher (you should have about 1 cup juice). Stir in cooled syrup, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes), and 3/4 cup white or silver tequila (we used golden tequila in a pinch). Fill salt rimmed glasses with ice and pour over margarita mixture. Garnish with lime wedge.

Peach and Prosecco Ice

Bon Appétit  | May 2005

yield: Makes about 4 cups

This simply elegant ice is inspired by the Bellini, a mix of peach nectar and Prosecco made famous at Harry's Bar in Venice. Scoop it into flutes and top with Prosecco for a lovely aperitif. The ice is good on its own, too, especially between courses.

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup orange juice

1 16-ounce bag frozen sliced peaches, thawed, juices reserved

1 cup chilled Prosecco or other sparkling white wine

Stir first 3 ingredients in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Blend peaches and reserved peach juices in processor until peaches are finely chopped. With machine running, gradually pour in sugar syrup; process until smooth. Add Prosecco and blend well. Transfer mixture to container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

Recipe Files

Produce Club recipes for the week of 6/13 include the following:

Eggplant and Smoked-Gouda Open-Faced Grilled Sandwiches

Red Snapper and Eggplant with Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Cherry Tomato and Lemon Salad

Fresh Corn Soup Topped with Roasted Corn Guacamole

Blueberries and Cream

Watermelon with Mint Zabaglione

Media Frenzy

We've had a kind of media frenzy about the market recently! Here are the many places you can check us out:

Zalea
This beautiful local glossy mag did a 5 page spread on the market. Called "A Taste of the Green Life," the article shows us at our best! Only one major misprint- our windmill and solar panels don't produce all our power- in fact only a small percentage! But its a start, and a tool we are using to educate the folks in this area about all the possibilities in alternative power and green building.

Living Social
This deal website is making waves all over the country right now- you might have seen some of their cute ads on tv. The Mobile outpost of Living Social featured an incredible coupon for the Westside Grocery that tons of folks scooped up- stampede on the WestSide! Check out the deal here.

WHIL's last stand
As our local outpost of Public Radio enjoys its last few week before being moved to Tuscaloosa after being bought out, the hosts are featuring the stories THEY want to feature. Cathy Richardson aired an almost hour-long interview with Mac and Maggie Saturday, June 5 at 2PM. You can listen to it here.

Mobile Press Register
Did you see us in the Press Register Sunday, June 5? A group toured the facility with Rebecca Bryant of Watershed (Walcott, Adams, Verneuille's green building group) and Gina Walcott, and a reporter tagged along. The reporter was writing feverishly to take down all the green building tools we've used at the Market! You can find that article here.

Rebecca Bryant of Watershed Consulting at the Windmill Market. Photo by Mike Kittrell.

Recipe Files- Delicious Dietician

Last week's recipe files for the Produce Club came to us from the Delicious Dietician, a group of Registered Dietitians who provide nutrition services in offices located in both Mobile and Baldwin Counties. It goes without saying, then, that you can be sure these recipes incorporating our local produce and grass-fed meats are not only scrumptious but healthy- low in sodium, sugar and fat!

We are pleased to carry the Delicious Dietician line of spices and vinegars in the WestSide Grocery, and I am currently loving the Thai Spice flavor- a sugar and salt free way to spice up chicken, beef or lamb for a weeknight dinner! Come try them out. These popular spices are now carried in WholeFoods Stores and have been featured in National Magazines and on TV!

Thanks Haley Lacey of the Delicious Dietician for pulling together these recipe ideas.

Recipe Files

This week's produce Club recipes include the following:

Summer Fruit Crostata

Green Bean, Tomato and Chickpea Salad

Grilled Lobster Tails with Tarragon-Lemon Vinaigrette

Pickled Okra

Roasted Potato and Okra Salad