All About Our New Deli

Rasberrys has a new look and deli items to-go. By Sabina Dana Plasse. Sun Valley Property News (SVPN) August Issue, pages 246-247

Always striving to provide their customers with more choices and better service, the Rasberrys, Maeme and Callie, have completed a remodel of their downstairs dining room bistro café adding more space to their inside dining and kitchen to satisfy a demand for their take-out.  With a newly installed deli case and their signature antique cabinets, there is more room for distance dining downstairs and take-out for other Rasberrys' delicacies including bread, desserts, pantry items and whatever the girls feel like making that day. 

The past few months, Elias Construction, along with much time, consultation and genius design ideas from their Aunt Annette Frehling, owner of Sister in Ketchum, the Rasberrys were able to add more square footage to their downstairs dining room by opening up a storage area and moving their tables and seating.   The new space, painted a delicious French blue and sweet red with vintage chandeliers and ornamentations blending beautifully and cohesively with the eclectic art and put “perfectly where it wants to live,” as Aunt Tita says, has truly expanded their signature style. 

“We had a real need for more space,” says Callie.  “Our solution was to work with the space we had.  It was our landlady who offered over her storage space so we could expand and it worked out amazingly.  We are busy every day with diners dining outside and some inside, with proper social distancing and sanitizing of course.  But the deli has been off the charts, which is wonderful, considering all that is happening with the pandemic.”

When you come downstairs, the area has been made larger and is adorned with decor accents and other elements, some that were there before and some newly added.  “Our mirror and bench are the same, but now they look even better,” says Callie. “We write on the glass of the deli case so customers can see what's waiting for them on the other side.  When one offering sells out, we wipe off the writing to get ready for something new.  We think it's one of the best additions we've made since we opened the restaurant.  I can’t say if it ages us or makes us feel younger, but it takes me back to the time when we first moved here and worked at Esta.  It feels like yesterday, but oh how far we have come.”

Providing fresh, organic and local foods, the Rasberrys serve their celebrated Tex-Mex cuisine and all their signature salads, sandwiches, soups and daily specials.  And they never leave you wanting for homemade desserts, cookies, fresh baked goods and breads by their in-house baker Riley Heneghan, along with their house-made spice blends and seasonal goodies.

“We try and keep all the dishes local and organic as much as possible,” says Callie “to ensure the quality, flavor and bounty of what our community has to offer shines in the different dishes we create.”

If you adore Rasberrys, but still want to stay cuddled at home, your favorite items are available to go, including their Tex-Mex dishes, all day Monday through Friday.   You can also purchase local cheese from Picabo Desert Farms, specialty pastries, cakes and desserts by Mary Jones from the Chocolate Moose, farm fresh eggs from Harmony Eggs, crunchy kales, delicate salads and microgreens from Itty Bitty Farms, Squash Blossom Farms and Kasota Hydroponics (with new farmers being added every day), local pastured meats from CD Enterprises and a plethora of in-house made goods from seasonal produce.

The Rasberrys continue to serve the Valley’s needs for catering and are humbled that they have been chosen by their fans as an award-winning catering business.   They are adept at customizing any event, big or small, just for you.   Right now, though, they are most excited about their new deli counter, upstairs and downstairs distance dining and to-go service and hoping everyone who comes to the new space will feel special, just like the girls feel every time a customer walks through their brand-new door,  hand painted by local artist Karen Jacobsen.  

“We want to thank everyone who has allowed, helped and been there cheering us on through this expansion and all of you who have continued to support us, from all of our staff to all of our customers.  We want to be here for the community because they have been here for us.  Without community, there is no Rasberrys,” says Maeme. “Now we are able to do more of what we've always wanted to do.   Help keep everyone healthy, safe and fed.”

Food Trends 2020

Whole Foods in their fifth year of predicting food trends for the year, called out the following. Regenerative agriculture, West African foods, meat-plant blends and new varieties of flour are the food influences and movements anticipated to take off this year.

1. Regenerative Agriculture

Farmers, producers, academics, government agencies, retailers and more are taking a closer look at how to use land and animal management practices to improve soil health and sequester carbon. While the term “regenerative agriculture” can have many definitions, in general it describes farming and grazing practices that restore degraded soil, improve biodiversity and increase carbon capture to create long-lasting environmental benefits, such as positively impacting climate change. You can help by seeking out brands that support regenerative practices.

2. Flour Power

As seasoned and amateur bakers alike look to scratch a creative itch in the kitchen, an array of interesting flours are entering the market making baking more inclusive and adventurous. Consumers on the baking bandwagon are seeking out ingredients used in traditional dishes, like teff flour used for Ethiopian injera. 2020 will bring more interesting fruit and vegetable flours (like banana!) into home pantries, with products like cauliflower flour in bulk and baking aisles, rather than already baked into crusts and snack products. Consumer packaged goods are getting in on the trend by replacing traditional alternative flours with tigernut flour in chips and snack foods, and tasty pastries made with seed flour blends. As consumers look for more ways to boost their bake, “super” flours delivering protein and fiber join the trend. Let the adventures in baking begin!

3. Foods from West Africa

From indigenous superfoods to rich, earthy dishes, traditional West African flavors are popping up everywhere in food and in beverage. The trio of tomatoes, onions and chili peppers form a base for many West African dishes, and peanuts, ginger and lemongrass are all common additions. The 16 nations within West Africa share similar foods, but each have their own specialties based on subtle influences from the Middle East and Western Europe. Brands are looking to West Africa for its superfoods too like moringa and tamarind, and lesser-known cereal grains sorghum, fonio, teff and millet.

4. Out-of-the-Box, Into-the-Fridge Snacking

Life isn’t slowing down, but snack options are more than keeping up. The keyword is “fresh” in this new generation of grabbing and going—gone are the days when the only options were granola bars and mini pretzel bags. The refrigerated section is filling up with the kind of wholesome, fresh snacks typically prepared and portioned in advance at home: hard-boiled eggs with savory toppings, pickled vegetables, drinkable soups and mini dips and dippers of all kinds, all perfectly portioned and in convenient single-serve packaging. Even nutrition bars have made their way from the shelves to the chiller, thanks to the addition of fresh fruits and vegetables. These snacking innovations mean ingredients lists are shrinking and there’s a lot less guesswork in picking up a quick snack you can feel better about.

5. Plant-Based, Beyond Soy

Tofu scrambles may always have a place at the vegan breakfast table, but in 2020 the trendiest brands are slowing down on soy, which has traditionally dominated the plant-based protein space. Some of the products touting “no soy” in the next year will be replacing it instead with innovative blends (like grains and mung beans) to mimic the creamy textures of yogurts and other dairy products. In the supplement aisle, brands are swapping soy for mung bean, hempseed, pumpkin, avocado, watermelon seed and golden chlorella, maintaining the smooth textures in vegan protein powders and bringing a spectrum of plant-based amino acids to the table. As the plant-based movement gains traction with flexitarian eaters, brands are looking to avoid as many of the top allergens as possible, so look for plant-based prepared foods (especially meat alternatives) and traditionally soy-based condiments going soy-less!

6. Everything Butters and Spreads

Has (insert nut, seed, snack) been made into a butter yet? It’s likely to happen in 2020. Think seed butters beyond tahini – like watermelon seed butter – and seasonal products like pumpkin butter year-round. Nut butters beyond cashew, almond, and peanut (hello, macadamia) and even chickpea butters (no, it’s not a new name for hummus). Look for creamy vegan spreads perfect for toast, crackers, bagels and celery sticks that get their full flavors from trending superfoods like pili. It helps the trend that spreads and butters are touting paleo- and keto-friendly attributes, but transparency is also a key player in this trend. Many brands are looking to either eliminate the use of palm oil or promote a Responsibly Sourced Palm Oil certification and use nuts that are grown in ways with less likelihood for environmental impact.

7. Rethinking the Kids’ Menu

Are the days of picky eaters numbered? Judging from the number of kids’ cooking and baking competitions on TV, kids are kitchen-savvier than ever. By 2026, 80% of millennials will have children, and many parents are introducing their kids to more adventurous foods — with great results. (Seeing kids chowing down alongside parents at the Whole Foods Market sushi bar is a common sight.) Food brands are taking notice for the next generation – possibly our first true “foodies” – expanding the menu beyond nostalgic foods with better-for-you ingredients and organic chicken nuggets. They’re bridging the gap from old-school basic kids’ menus and taking more sophisticated younger palates into consideration. Think non-breaded salmon fish sticks. Foods that are fermented, spiced or rich in umami flavors. Colorful pastas in fun shapes made from alternative flours. Maybe it’s time adults start taking some cues from the kids’ menu.

8. Not-So-Simple Sugars

Sure, there’s sugar. But for those seeking sweetness outside of the usual suspects like sugar, stevia, honey and maple syrup, there’s lots more to choose from for your cooking, baking and tea- or coffee-stirring needs. Syrupy reductions from fruit sources like monk fruit, pomegranates, coconut and dates are one way to add concentrated, unique flavors into recipes for desserts, meat glazes and marinades. Sweet syrups made from starches like sorghum and sweet potato can be compared to the deep flavors of molasses or honey, and can be used for baking and sweetening beverages. Swerve, a cup-for-cup zero-calorie non-glycemic replacement for sugar, combines erythritol with ingredients from fruit and starchy root vegetables to produce a sweetener that’s available in granular, confectioners’ and brown versions.

9. Meat-Plant Blends

Butchers and meat brands won’t be left out of the “plant-based” craze in 2020, but they’re not going vegetarian. For the health-conscious at-home chef, adding plant-based ingredients to meatballs and burgers has an added bonus – it’s budget-friendly! Major brands like Applegate are seeing if meat-eating consumers will swap a traditional beef burger for one with 30% plant-based ingredients, touting benefits of less fat and cholesterol when compared to USDA data for regular ground beef . And other brands are taking note, too, with products like the Lika Plus Burger made using 75% ground beef blended with 25% Lika Plus (wheat, mushroom, barley yeast and water), showing up at meat counters in Whole Foods Market’s Southwest region. Flexitarians looking to strike a tasty balance between meats and plants can expect more blended products in their future.

10. Zero-Proof Drinks

With so many consumers seeking out alternatives to alcohol, unique non-alcoholic options are popping up everywhere, from menus at the world’s most acclaimed bars to specialty stores. Many of these beverages seek to re-create classic cocktail flavors using distilling methods typically reserved for alcohol, creating an alternative to liquor meant to be used with a mixer rather than a drink on its own. Think alt-gin for gin and tonics and botanical-infused faux spirits for a faux martini. Add to that options enjoyed straight from the bottle or can, like hops-infused sparkling waters and zero-proof apertifs, and you can be sure guests avoiding the bar cart will never get bored.

Powerhouse Pudding

This recipe was a crowd pleaser at a recent Earth Day event at Natural Grocers. It was super yummy and very easy to make.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: Approximately 2 half cup servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 medium ripe banana

1 medium ripe avocado

1/4 cup bulk cocoa powder

1 Tbsp honey

Optional addition: 1 tsp vanilla

Directions: Mash banana and avocado together with a fork until smooth with minimal lumps and well combined.

Add in coconut oil, cocoa powder, honey and vanilla. Mix until throoughly combined and develops a smooth, pudding texture.

Natural Grocers