New Year's Already?!

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve! That means today is the official scramble-to-find-a-party-worry-about-where-your-kids-are-going day. New Year’s is one of those sneaky holidays full of high expectations and even higher stress levels. Everyone’s so busy with Christmas and you just got your family out the door and you wake up to the realization that tomorrow is New Year’s…You really don’t want to do anything…but it’s New Year’s, the one day a year when just about everyone has a little bubbly or at least stays up late enough to watch that excessively expensive ball drop (thank you Waterford-look at this thing!), so you feel like you have to do something.

So this year, why not relieve everyone’s party-hunting stress? Have your own last-minute New Year’s Extravaganza! Your house is clean enough, I promise…plus, after a few of these simple champagne-based drinks I found, no one will notice the dust bunnies. I can’t say that I’ve made any of these yet, but since my friends have informed me that I will be hosting the party tomorrow, I may just whip a few of these up tomorrow…Relay has all of the ingredients (including the champagne thanks to Rio Hill Wine and Gourmet) and our trucks will be zipping around town tomorrow, so make sure you get those orders in tonight if you want to try these out!

Cranberry Kir

1 1/2 cups chilled cranberry juice

3/4 cup crème de cassis (black currant-flavored liqueur)

1 750-ml bottle chilled dry champagne or sparkling wine

Place 2 tablespoons cranberry juice and 1 tablespoon crème de cassis in each of 12 champagne flutes. Pour 1/4 cup champagne into each and serve.

Strawberry Champagne Punch

1 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne

1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries, partially thawed

In a large punch bowl, combine champagne, ginger ale and strawberries. Gently stir and serve.

Black Velvet

For those anti-champagne Guinness-drinking men (or women…) fix these up and force them to try:

1/2 pint Guinness

1/2 pint champagne

Pour the Guinness into the glass first, then carefully add champagne so that the drinks layer.

If you are hosting a party and making these delectable drinks, make sure everyone has a safe ride home. Chandler Law Group hosts free taxi rides every year through the holiday season so there’s no excuse not to call a cab (or call one for your friends), the Charlottesville Yellow Cab number is 295-4131. Be safe and Happy New Year’s!

(As a side note--we, like you, are upset about the loss of TJ’s…today is the last day to order your Joe’s products, so stock up while you can.)

Phew!

It’s been ‘one of those days’ for the Relay team due to this so-called ‘snowpocalypse’.

We had to excavate one truck as well as our home delivery vehicle and make sure the pick-up locations were clear all before making the rounds to our retailers, who were also, as you can imagine, in a huff because of all the post-snow, pre-Christmas madness. We were slightly behind schedule but managed to get in all of the 20+ orders for the day and even delivered an order to one hungry family who couldn’t make it out to the pick-up spot!

The traffic and the roads are truly horrific…avoid them at all costs. Let us suffer through this mess for you. I just read on cVillain that the Virginia State Police are reporting over 3,237 crashes and 3,567 ‘disabled’ vehicles…I’m not surprised. I know that our lovely baker Shelia’s husband, from Belle Haven Farm Bakery, couldn’t make it home Friday night and she’s had her own share of trouble getting out of Scottsville. Thankfully, Shelia’s family braved the roads and pulled through today to bring us warm, fresh baked bread!

I hope all of you made it safe and sound through this mess and continue to be careful in the icy, slushy days ahead!

Stay Warm

SNOW DAY!! I don't think I've ever seen this much snow in Virginia...really, this is nuts.  Speaking of nuts, I think I'm going to spend the day baking (perhaps these candied curried pecans from Bon Appetit) and frolicking with my puppies.  

        But before I can do anything, I desperately need some hot chocolate to warm me up.  Did you know that the original hot chocolate drinkers were the Olmecs in Central America in 1500 B.C.E.?  Apparently, they discovered that the seeds they tended to spit out while eating the fruit of the cacao tree (which tastes like passionfruit!) could be turned into a delicious drink when mixed with chilies and ground corn...weird.  The Nibble has a pretty interesting article all about hot chocolate/cocoa.  

Check out some of the really interesting hot chocolates and drinking cocoas we offer through Retail Relay (including an Aztec Spicy Hot Chocolate that I'm planning to add in my next order)!  Or, think about wrapping your cold hands around a hot mug of one of the 190 different teas we offer...that's right, 190.

Has anyone made it out into Charlottesville today? Is it the ghost-town that I imagine it to be?  According to this Daily Progress article, officials are asking people with 4 wheel drive vehicles to help emergency crews. If you can help, please call the county Emergency Communications Center at 434-979-INFO.  

Don't forget the Christmas Cookies!

Nine days left of this crazy pre-Christmas shopping, baking, traveling, running around MESS and I do believe we’re right in the middle of Christmas Party season. I actually have my first Christmas party of the year to attend in approximately 1 hour and I’m proud to say I will not be showing up empty-handed. Last night around 10:30 pm I realized said party was quickly approaching and I would be a self-proclaimed bum if I didn’t bring some sort of baked goodie. So, 10:35 I started scouring the Internet for some inspiring new recipe, which turned out to be these delightful inside-out carrot cake cookies. I made it onto retailrelay.com by 11 o’clock, just in time to get my order in before midnight.

For all of you out there who need something fun to cook for your upcoming holiday party, I seriously recommend these unique little beauties—they’re slightly reminiscent of fruit cake (though so, so much better) and with a little extra spice they definitely taste “Christmasy.”
Here’s the Gourmet recipe as I found it (all the links take you to Retail Relay products!):

Ingredients:
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
1 scant cup walnuts (3 ounces), chopped
½ cup raisins (2 ½ ounces)
8 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup honey

Preparation:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in carrots, nuts, and raisins at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch, 12 to 16 minutes total. Cool cookies on sheets on racks 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

While cookies are baking, blend cream cheese and honey in a food processor until smooth.
Sandwich flat sides of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling in between.

I added more cinnamon, some nutmeg and some ginger to give them a little more kick…I also, shamefully, just realized that I forgot the brown sugar…but they turned out beautifully without it! I also threw in a bunch of cranberries and substituted the walnuts for pecans—just a personal preference. I made them pretty small and after the first batch realized that smooshing them down so they’re thick but relatively flat helps the sandwiching process. Based on the comments about the recipe on Epicurious, I actually avoided the honey cream cheese filling and made this one from Bon Appetite, though I had a ton left over so I would recommend halving that.
I really liked them but I guess we’ll see in a few minutes whether or not they’re a hit with the Christmas party-goers! Give ‘em a try and let me know how they turn out!

The Gift of (Difficult) Beer

Has anyone else realized that Christmas is in 10 days?!? YIKES!! I literally haven’t done any Christmas shopping (unless you count that Ghirardelli Chocolate assortment that never made it into my Christmas candy dish…).

My dad is always the most difficult person to shop for on my list. Sure, I could get him another tie, go for the 500^th Freakonomics-esque book, maybe some knee-high black socks…but I’ve reached a point where all of those gifts seem so thoughtless.

Last year I thought I had accomplished the impossible, summited the Mt. Everest of Christmas shopping, found THE perfect gift for my dad…a beer brewing kit! After some serious family time (“we need more honey, quick!!” “YOU’RE WASTING ALL OF MY GOOD HONEYYY!!”) and months of waiting, we had a fridge full of ugly, unlabeled bottles and a super-sweet, mediocre beer.

Although the two “Ale Pails” gathering dust in our basement may add to the ambiance of the room, I’m going to let you know right now that a beer brewing kit is NOT the perfect gift for dad. Why disappoint yourself with a probably not so delicious beer when there are so many top-notch local brews? This year, I think I may just opt for a fridge full of local brews for my dad; as Starr Hill’s motto states “give the gift of great beer” (notice it’s not “give the gift of mediocre, labor intensive beer”).

Retail Relay recently linked up with Charlottesville’s Rio Hill Wine & Gourmet which means we’ve got your Starr Hill Amber Ales, Pale Ales, Loves, and Gifts. Or, just go for the box set! We can also hook you up with some Blue Mountain Brewery delights like Rockfish Wheat, Blue Mountain lager, Lights Out, and the classic Full Nelson. Did you know they actually grow their own hops (according to their website, Virginia was once the hops capital of the New World!)?

Anyone out there have other good gift ideas for dad??

Get your Polyface here, folks!

Many of you Charlottesvillians are probably used to seeing Polyface Farm labels on meat at specialty stores or in your local restaurant menus, maybe you’ve eaten a bite or two…if you have you must know how delicious it is…but do you know what makes it really special?

Polyface’s proprietor, Joel Salatin and his family on their farm in Swoope, Virginia practice ecologically conscious, sustainable small-scale farming, also known as permaculture. Permaculture is a portmanteau word that combines ‘permanent’ with ‘agriculture’ as well as ‘culture’ which essentially means that farmers who practice permaculture focus on creating an ecological system that works with nature rather than against it.

In the case of Polyface, Joel Salatin has created a system of intertwined cycles—cows forage on fresh grass in their mobile enclosure each day, chickens follow behind them and eat the freshly clipped grass sprouts as well as the bugs in their cow paddies all while spreading out the manure. His animals are happy, his land is healthy, and we get delicious, clean meat…what could be better?? If you’d like to learn more about permaculture and its application in Central Virginia, check out the courses offered by the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network.

We’re proud to announce that Retail Relay has joined Polyface’s ecological system by offering fresh chicken breasts, tenders, legs and thighs to our site! So support your local farmer, your local business, the welfare of animals and the land.

UPDATE: Joel Salatin was just named "Person of the Year" by the Hook- Check out this great article about him and Polyface.

DP: 250East Growth Strains Highways, Residents

According to an article in the Progress the other day, "Virginia Department of Transportation traffic counts for last year estimated that 24,000 vehicles traveled on U.S. 250 between Interstate 64 and Route 22 daily, and the number is expected to increase to 42,185 vehicles by 2035."

Nice segue into our latest news: we are shifting our Peter Jefferson Place pickup location to the Topeka Steak House (and Saloon!) on 250East. You can reach this spot from inside the curving lanes of PJP or with an easy zoom-in-zoom-out from the right lane on 250East.

Aside from commuter woes and the implied sitting-in-traffic energy inefficiencies, another issue with congestion is the inability of folks who live east of town to actually get to places they would like to shop in a timely fashion. Solution? Go online -- over 27 different stores, restaurants, and farms. We collect it all for you and meet you with your purchases all bagged up. Get it on the way home! (End of commercial)

Relay Supports First Night 2009

It is a great time to support First Night Virginia -- they could use a boost!

Every year, 8,000 people come to Downtown Charlottesville to enjoy 70 performances in 24 different venues - all in one night. You can do your part simply by shopping at Relay. Starting Tuesday, we will be donating 25% of our gross profits for December. Start 2010 off right!

Big Doings on Friday

Grand Opening! We'll be at our new Monday/Friday pick up spot this coming Friday, November 13, at Sycamore House on 11th Street SW (off West Main St.) near the entrance to the UVA Hospital parking lot.

The opening of the site is the result of some good work by Robert Thiele and Matthew Sach, co-presidents of Housestaff Council, John Bartelt, owner of Sycamore House, and our own Neal Halvorson-Taylor, who got everybody talking. The new pick-up will not only serve the 700+ UVA Hospital Residents, but students and folks who live in the area. The hard-working-no-time-for-shopping Residents have already placed over 50 orders to be picked-up at this new spot! We will have to be on our operational game....

As part of the celebration, many of our Relay stores will be on hand with free foodstuffs -- apples from Ronnie in the Valley, home-made bread from Belle Haven, wraps from Rev Soup-- and other whatnot, like Burt's Bees stuff from Rebecca's. Come on down anytime from 3 pm - 7 pm and check out what's doing. As Fat Albert once said, "If you're not careful, you might learn something."

Avoiding Factory Farm Foods: An Eater's Guide

Saw this article, Avoiding Factory Farm Foods: An Eater's Guide, by Nicolette Hahn Niman at HuffPost and thought of all the Thanksgiving food decisions folks will be making in the next weeks. The piece is pretty comprehensive in approach and helpful to the uninitiated. And she is not holier than thou -- Niman refers to her journey as going "from East Coast vegetarian lawyer to West Coast rancher." Relay now has a bunch of options you can choose from that are sourced directly from humane, grass-based, local farms. Turkey, chicken, lamb, beef, cheese, and produce -- you can make a very good start at following this eaters guide just by sampling what these farmers have to offer.

Faster Slow Food

Nice little piece in the NY Times Magazine this morning re: Online Grocery Shopping. Faster Slow Food doesn't get too deep into the burgeoning trend Retail Relay is a part of, but it does -- as an opinion piece will do -- offer a bit of reverse thinking and common sense about how going online can change the way we go about shopping for the food we need. Mark Bittman, who writes the weekly Minimalist column in the Times Dining section, comes at the subject from the perspective of his own (in geek-speak) preferences, and ends up very succinctly listing customer-centric goals we at Retail Relay (six people and 24 stores and farms) hope to achieve one day soon.

"You could also immortalize your preferences (“Never show me anything whose carbon footprint is bigger than that of my car”; “Show me no animals raised in cages”; “Don’t show me vegetables grown more than a thousand miles from my home”), along with any and all of your cooking quirks (“When I buy chicken, ask me if I want rosemary”). You would receive, if you wanted, an e-mail message when shipments of your favorite foods arrived at the store or went on sale; you could get recipe ideas, serving suggestions, shopping lists, nutritional information and cooking videos. If poor-quality food arrived — yellowing broccoli, stinky fish, whatever — you would receive store credit without any hassle. You might even, I suppose, be able to ask the store to limit the amount of impulse purchases that you make — forget that second pint of Ben & Jerry’s or those Cheez-Its you have trouble resisting."

It's a big vision, but suffice to say, we're getting there -- though without the implicit automation. Some of you have no doubt suggested items we should carry and gotten a personal note from Dennis Bates, our operations dude, saying he was on it. He gets in touch with the best retailer for the job, takes the picture, enters the data, and emails you back when the item is up and available for sale (if you have been kind and trusting enough to include a return address). That's a lot of human effort to achieve one slice of what Bittman is requesting. Much effort (and capital!) will be needed before we reach the level of electronic customer engagement in his vision. For now, that's okay. We understand that very often the first preference our customers reveal is to ask, "Do you carry ____?" It is the beginning of a conversation. Thankfully, the best response is still human-to-human.

Know Your Farmer

A staple of the local food lingo, "Know Your Farmer" is actually a stand-in for know where your food is coming from as you place it before yourself and your loved ones on your table. As anyone who remembers the e.coli outbreaks of the recent past knows, it can be a matter of life or death. But actually getting to know your farmer? Aside from some quick banter at the City Market, how much do you really know about the trials and tribulations of your local earth workers? (Did I just coin that?)

Here's some real-life farmer drama: Just got word that Megan and Rob Weary, of Roundabout Farm in Keswick, are staring at VDOT plans that would slice an estimated 40 acres off their farm. Besides being good friends, excellent people, and amazing farmers, the Wearys were also a major supplier of Retail Relay's local produce this summer, so this could hurt you, me, Retail Relay -- and an entire community of locavores.

What are the Weary's like? Check out this video we shot back in the wet, wet, spring, when their buttery lettuces, garlic stalks, and red-white-and-blue potatoes were just getting under way. Get to know a real farming tandem, and shoot them an email at info@roundaboutfarm.net to see how you can help fight their good fight. Don't let the bumper sticker read, "Local Food Lost is Local Food Lost Forever."

You may have noticed, Retail Relay is growing -- by leaps and, ahem, trucks! Last week Arnie and Dennis went down to South Carolina to score a second truck. Now we've got the means to service two pick-up spots at the same time! Thanks, guys, for making the trip...

Slip Skin Grape Harvest is on!

The fall slip skin grape harvest is on in the Shenadoah Valley. The Concord and the Niagara varieties of grapes are both North American in origin. Concords are blue in color, and do not have a reddish glow in the sunlight when ripe. It is a bit more difficult to tell when a Niagara berry is ripe. The berries actually turn from a green shade to a somewhat yellow color when ripe, and they are often referred to as a "white" grape.

The amount of sugar in the Concord and Niagara berries continues to rise over the month of September. Both varities are very delicious to eat, great for making juice, jams, and jellies, and for making wine. Each variety has a unique flavor of its own. It's all a matter of taste as to which variety is your favorite.

What's a slip skin grape? Check the FAQs at Wengers.

Shameless Commerce Dept:
Today at Peter Jefferson Place Outpatient Care Center and tomorrow at the Martha Jefferson Hospital pick up, Retail Relay will have ultra-local fall fruit for sale. Come by for a sample and pick up a bag....

Slip-skin September Grapes!
Concord Grapes, from Wengers Grape Vineyard, Stuarts Draft -- Incredibly sweet, when popped in the mouth. Great for jellies and preserves. The best anti-oxidants! $2.49/ 1 lb container

Niagra White Grapes, from Wengers Grape Vineyard, Stuarts Draft -- Often called "white" grapes, fresh and delicious. $2.49/ 1 lb container

Big Red Apples
Big Red Apples, from Henley's Orchard in Crozet, are a winter-type apple -- sweet, crisp, firm. 1/2 Peck Bags, $5

Tomato Haiku

Planet Green held a Tomato Haiku contest back in July -- a bit premature by our season's timetable, but they received (and published) over 73 entries. Retail Relay didn't get that many for our Peach Haiku extravaganza, but an amazing number of excellent offerings (some of which bordered on the unpublishable!), for reasons that exist only in the realm of the senses and, indeed, the wide array of responses good haiku can elicit.

Now, with the arrival of the big Beefsteaks, the mad-shaped Heirlooms, the golden Pears, the explosive Cherries, we're posting Tomato Haiku from our customers, farmers, gardeners -- everyone in the C-ville and surrounding areas.

So let 'em rip. Again, follow the familiar 5-7-5 syllable rule -- or don't! Tell us about the challenges of growing them (what rhymes with blight?). Or about that moment just before picking.... and then just after picked. And of course there's always the eating. Depends on the la tomate, no doubt. Personally, I like them thickly sliced, with a dash of salt and pepper.... hey, that's a haiku!

Thickly sliced tomato
glistening, studded
with salt and pepper

Post your Tomato Haiku in your comment.

Cool Gazpacho Evenings

Sure, we're getting our late August heat, but you can cool off in the evenings with the infinite variety of Gazpacho. We've got everything you need to make your own -- fun for one, fun for two, fun for the whole family! Check out the ingredients list here -- all available from Retail Relay.

Of course, the easiest course of action is to order up a quart or a gallon from Rev Soup. No muss, no fuss!

The cool thing about Gazpacho is that it is very hard to mess up -- here are the basic recipe ingredients plus a few of the more popular variations. Blend it, taste it, add a bit more of this (or that) -- keep tasting! It's hard to go wrong.

Gazpacho Recipe

Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian option)
4 cups tomato juice

Method

Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.

Serves 8.

Caprese Crazy

Last night, we had dinner with friends. Cool outside, sweltering inside -- no A/C! -- these folks are old school. The body adjusts. After awhile you don't notice that you keep wiping your forehead on your short sleeve, your wife has a sweat-bead mustache, and the hostess is drenched when she straightens up from shoving the salmon fillet under the broiler.

The main diversions: a bit of wine, good conversation, and a delicious antipasto of Caprese Salad, that subtle combination of thick-sliced tomatoes, just-picked basil, and "freshe mozzarella" (as the guy at Christians Pizza used to say).

Anyway, our hostess gave her Caprese a sweet-wet twist by adding a round slice of watermelon to the stack. You didn't see it at first, but then the melony wetness busted through. Very nice, very beat-the-end-of-summer heat.

Shameless Promotion Department
Tomorrow, at beginning at 3:00 PM, at our pickup location at Martha Jefferson Hospital in town, we will be offering Caprese Salad fixin's for cheeeeeeep!

Heirloom Tomatoes, 2lb bags, $5.00
Slicing Tomatoes, 3lb bags, $4.00
Basil Bunches -- Purple or Green, $2.00

While supplies last. Cash and checks welcome. Hope to see ya!

Last of the Peaches

No, it's not the unpublished first draft by J. Fenimore Cooper -- it's the story of your favorite locally-grown stone fruit! As we approach the end of August and the beginning of school days, we say goodbye to local peaches with another pick-up spot 1/2 peck special!

Today, beginning at 4:30 PM, at our pickup location at on 250 West -- across from The Boar's Head Inn, we will be offering 1/2 Peck bags (about 5-6 lbs) of fresh, juicy -- and local! -- yellow peaches for the low, low price of $6.00! -- only while supplies last. Cash and checks welcome. Hope to see ya!

Food Inc, Asks, Retail Relay Answers

It may be tough to watch in some spots, but Food, Inc. is a thought-provoking film that raises questions everyone should consider. Playing right now at Vinegar Hill, it connects the dots between industrial food production's treatment of animals, workers, farmers, the land, and ultimately our own health.

Shamless Commerce Dept:
At Retail Relay, our Virginia's Bounty collection of farms offer you a direct from the farm way to bypass industrial food production. Check out just two of our farms, Wolf Creek Farm and Wild Oats Farm, which offer the best in humanely-raised, grass-fed, and tasty beef, lamb, and pork products.

Peach Haiku

The peaches are rolling in to our farms and produce stores. Some are local, some from points south. But all of them are ready for cutting up, cobblering, canning -- and, of course, eating right out of the bag.

To celebrate we are posting Peach Haiku, sent in from our customers -- and where-ever. You can follow the familiar 5-7-5 syllable rule or you can ignore it. The point of haiku is two-fold, maybe three-fold: to stop and savor a particular moment, and to get a reader to do the same. Then (here's the tricky third part), to go beyond succulent description, toward the unsayable, the ineffable, the fun.

Post your Peach Haiku in your comment. Let 'em rip!


Update:
You can submit Peach Haikus to our website in the field at the bottom of every page! Here are the beauties that have come in so far:

Fuzz on a rough tongue
Something firm, resisting, yields
Sweet juice down my chin

Tasty, fuzzy orbs
Nectar: such succulence sweet
Too bad for the pits

Warm breeze and linens
A window sill: picturesque
Who stole my cobbler?

Hanging high above
Steve Miller was right.
I would... Like to shake your tree

Not quite an orange,
Nor the forbidden fruit, no!
You are just peachy.

The original
Chin dribbler in the round,
Worthy of stickiness

Beau's favorite treat,
The pride of Fishersville farm
Thanks be to Ronnie!

One peach and two hands?
An infernal conundrum.
I'd better buy two.

Pepper or a peach?
Which did Peter Piper pick?
Oh, Peter you fool!

Scrumptious citrus spheres
Spongy suede spills sloppily
Slurp: sounds of summer

The secret to life?
Wise man, lost in reverie...
"To live peachfully"

More in Comments section... Thanks to all!