Vino, Vino- you know what I mean-o!

Aaaaah, a glass of vino.   A great meal is just so much better with a nice glass of wine.

With all the fresh and gourmet fare we will have at The Market it seems only natural to

offer our customers a great selection of wine to go with it.  We have submitted our paperwork to the ABC to get our alcohol license to allow us to sell wine and beer. With that, we plan to carry a wonderful and wide array of wines, especially those from our local area vineyards and wineries.

As with the rest of our agriculture, San Benito County is home to many successful wineries that produce high quality wines of all varieties. These include (just to name a few),  Calera Wine Company, Leal Vineyards and Pietra Santa Winery, who produces one of our personal favorites, Vache which is part of their Signature Collection.

Of course, we didn’t forget about beer.  You were worried for a second weren’t you?

With our many hours of recreational beer education we will hand select a tasty array of ales for your enjoyment. Along with good ol’ Coors Light we’ll feature, another one of our personal favorites, Fat Tire, a nod to our collegiate alma mater Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colorado. 

Now that you’re nice and thirsty, be sure to become a follower of our blog and keep updated on the latest news, opening date and of course, the status of our liquor license.

What is your favorite local wine? Let us know and you could win a free bottle of wine!

Become a follower of our blog, comment below on your favorite local wine. One follower will be chosen at random and will recieve a bottle of their favorite local wine!. The winner will be announced on the blog next week.

Beefology 101

Hollister is a beef town, not a beach town, which is why The Market & The Butcher Shop will proudly feature Prime and Choice, Dry-Aged beef. The grade of beef can be an important selection factor for many people. However, some don’t really understand what the grades are and how they are determined.

The USDA grades beef to place cattle into groups which are uniform in quality.

Beef quality refers to the expected eating characteristics (tenderness, juiciness and flavor) of the cooked product and is determined by the maturity and marbling of the steer.

Maturity

The age of a steer has a direct effect on the tenderness of the meat it produces. As cattle mature, their meat becomes tougher.  There are five maturity groups ranging from A to E, A being the youngest (9-30 months) to E being the oldest (more than 96 months).

Marbling       

Marbling within the ribeye is the primary factor for determining the USDA quality grade.

Beef cuts with highest levels of marbling are more likely to be tender, juicy and flavorful.

Beef grading of at least USDA Select is acceptable eating quality for most consumers. There are ten USDA scores for marbling.

Determining USDA quality grade

After maturity and marbling have been scored, the relationship between the two scores determines the quality grade the meat receives. In general Prime (the highest/best grade) and choice grades are beef from young cattle (maturity group A).

Dry Aging

Dry Aging beef enhances its flavor and tenderness. The process is more of an art than a science and is done by storing beef at refrigeration temperatures for one to five weeks to allow the natural process that results in improved tenderness and flavor described as “dry-aged beef.”  Often this beef is described as buttery and rich, mellow and intense or earthy and nutty.

Are you hungry yet?

Most of us are used to eating Select grade, wet-aged beef. 

We hope you will come down and see us at The Market & The Butcher Shop to find out what a little love can do to steak.

Sources: beefresearch.org/Daryl Tatum, Ph. D., Dept. of Animal Science, Colorado State University

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

The Bounty of our County

This weekend we went down to the ranch for a picnic, where signs of spring were in abundance. Green grass, blue skies, blooming trees, grazing cattle and chirping birds; all proof that spring has sprung!

So, what does this have to do with The Market? Well, everything! We believe in eating seasonally and our county has such a bounty of local, wonderful agriculture and we hope to bring much of it from the farm to your table at The Market. It’s also our belief that many of you would rather shop

Main Street

than Wall Street and support the local farmers, companies and families that can help our region thrive. 

Plus, an apricot or cherry grown a few miles away just tastes better than one that has spent days on a delivery truck.  So next time you’re out and about, take a moment to notice the bounty of our beautiful county.

History

During demolition this last week, we came across these old newspapers that date back to 1929 and 1933.

They included some interesting advertisements and articles, including one about a man who boxed 53 rounds on his 53rd birthday. Also, there was an eye-catching ad for Palmolive which apparently originated as a 'beauty soap.' Interesting. Maybe I'll give myself a facial while doing the dinner dishes tonight.

Here is a photo of the original drive-in market 

Are You Primal?

If the terms Primal, Gluten Free or even Organic mean anything to you, we want to hear from you.

What gluten free, organic, specialty, gourmet, local or other items would you like to see at The Market?
Please leave us your comments.