Category Archives: Producers

Coldani Olive Oil is Here! December 5, 2012

Posted on by
Reply

(Post Update on Friday: This was forwarded by a member: http://www.npr.org/2011/12/12/143154180/losing-virginity-olive-oils-scandalous-industry.  It’s a great reason why working with local producers is important!)

We received the first batch of fresh-milled Coldani Olive Ranch Olive Oil today. Sampled it at dinner…WOW! I must say that I’ve never had oil that tastes as fresh or as complex before.

Coldani Olive Oils

Olive Oils from Coldani Olive Ranch waiting to hit the garage shelves.

It was milled on Saturday, and Mike came in from flood control in their grove (they were expecting a lot of rain) and shipped it out to us that day. The freshness is key – Teresa tried it with gluten-free olive bread and said that it didn’t even taste like olive oil – it was more like fresh olives right off the tree!

It is unfiltered, so has all the ‘good stuff’ in it, and it sure shows in the taste and the mouth feel. We’ve got sampler bottles (1.5 ounces) and a few 20-ounce bottles, otherwise please bring your own bottles to fill. (You’ll need to know the size of your bottle in fluid ounces.)

I definitely under-ordered. We’ve already sold three bottles (we’ve only had it in the garage for 2 hours). I’ll be making another order later this week to make sure we have Christmas supplies.

Also, keep watching for a new post this weekend. We’ll be offering holiday gift baskets full of good stuff from the garage. (Hennie and Owen might use it as a kids’ fundraiser.) If you have someone hard to buy for, a garage gift basket might be just the thing!

See you in the garage

-Nels

We Have Coffee! July 9th Update

Posted on by
Reply

Hi garage dwellers,

We have fresh roasted coffee available in the garage! Black Mane coffee, a local Longmont coffee roaster (the man behind the roasts is Andy McNeil, who roasts his beans in his Longmont garage) will fresh roast and drop off coffee weekly.

We had his coffee last weekend – incredibly fresh and I love the fact that he doesn’t over-roast some of the varietals. We shared the coffee with several members, and we had two of them on our doorstep the next morning looking for more! I guess that means it’s a hit.

Ideally, try to pick it up the day it’s roasted, a rare treat. If not, I’ll make sure we have a couple of extra pounds of coffee available in the garage just in case. Email me by Wednesday each week if you want coffee and we’ll make sure it’s fresh roasted on Friday or Saturday.

Andy charges $11 per pound – for the quality, there is no better!

See you in the garage,

Nels

New in the Garage: June 7, 2012

Posted on by
Reply

We have a new arrival in the Garage this week!

Rosita Mary’s handcrafted lotions are available in several sizes and fragrances. These are hand-made lotions that Mary makes in Rosita, Colorado (above Westcliffe, Colorado) using beeswax from her own hives.

Mary’s lotions are one of the few we have found that don’t bother sensitive skin – great for our kids (and us too). She often uses herbs and plants she grows herself, and the wax she gathers from high-altitiude beehives in the Canon City and Westcliffe areas.

We have a number of garage members that almost refuse to use any other lotions - and since they aren’t available in the Boulder/longmont area at any retailers, it’s a privilege for us to have them. We have a tester in the garage, and try her lotions out the next time you stop in.

See you in the garage,

Nels

Music Meadows Ranch and Range-Raised Beef

Posted on by
Reply
Sangre de Cristo Mountains

9,000 feet up in the Sangres

I’ve just returned from Westcliffe, Colorado where I picked up another load of range-raised beef from Music Meadows Ranch. Elin Rusher, the ranch owner, trail boss, and wonderful host, is one of the most committed and passionate people I’ve met along our local foods journey.

She raises her cattle in some of the most spectacular and demanding environments in the world – between 9,000 and 10,000 feet high in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Elin raises her cattle the way they should be - range-raised, naturally managed herd – and the results show in every bite.

We’ll be doing a profile on her later this summer, but for now, you can stop by the garage to select from a range of beef cuts – roasts, steaks, ground beef, etc. One of our favorites is the stewing beef, which is a humbling name given how it transformed in our latest batch of New Mexico-style green chili stew. It was so tender it practically melted in the pot. We used the first tiny new potatoes (volunteers from last years’ crop) with fresh-roasted anaheim chiles. I’ll post our recipe in the next few days.

You can learn more about Elin, her Sangres Best beef, and Music Meadows Ranch at http://musicmeadows.com.