Green Olive Market and Café

By Jennifer Muller

 

Earlier this year, I noticed a new market called The Green Olive Market had opened in Johnson City, TN. My interest was piqued and I made a mental note to stop by, but I had not yet gotten around to doing so. Word-of-mouth started to travel that a few weeks ago, The Green Olive was serving Ethiopian food!

 


The owner, Meseret Melesse (Marci), is a delightful bundle of energy. She is currently in the “soft-opening” phase of operation until the final preparations can be made. For now, she cooking the dishes fresh each morning and serving them buffet style. Once she has her kitchen fully operational, she is planning a grand opening, at which point she will be offering a sit-down menu while possibly keeping the buffet as a special twice a month event.

 


Of the roughly fifteen items on the buffet, all but five or so were vegan. Some of the vegan options on her buffet were Miser W’at – a semi-spicy red lentil stew,  Kik Alitcha W’at – mild stew of yellow split-peas, Gomen – collard greens, Alitcha Vegetables – a delicious stew of cabbage and carrots, and an excellently made Shiro W’at – a stew made from chickpeas that are sundried, roasted, and ground. The buffet also provided plenty of freshly-made injera – a spongy Ethiopian flatbread – with which to eat all the delicious items. Ethiopian food is not served with utensils, you eat it with the bread. However, utensils are provided if you prefer not to eat with your hands.

 

 


The food was authentic and flavorful, though I tend to enjoy food that is spicier than most people like. After the grand opening, I hope there are spice level options. Other than that, the taste is delicious. There is also a traditional coffee service from 3 pm – 7 pm on Saturday and Sunday. I experienced this service and was treated to the strong, flavored-packed goodness of freshly roasted coffee.

 


During the soft opening phase, the hours are 12:30 pm – 8 pm. After the grand opening, the hours will be 11 am – 9 pm. Veggin’ Out and About! will be following the progress of the grand opening and will report more in detail as that occurs.

Located at 800 West Market St in Johnson City, The Green Olive is roughly 3 miles off Exit 20 on -26. Drive towards ETSU until Roan becomes Market Street. You’ll see it on the right-hand side of the road.

Originally from Louisville, KY, Jennifer now resides is East Tennessee. Jennifer and her daughter are avid travelers searching for new healthy vegan dishes along the way. When she is not globe-trotting, Jennifer enjoys cooking spicy vegan meals at home with her two fur-babies; her dog, Amy, and her cat, Anna. Contact Jennifer directly to share your restaurant finds, make a comment, or just say hello.

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Spice World International Market – A Must-Visit Market in Johnson City, TN

by Danielle Bussone

 

 

New Apna Bazaar was once a fledgling concern in Kingsport, Tennessee.  After seven successful years, it outgrew its tiny, overcrowded space and migrated to a busy strip mall in Johnson City, TN. The name was changed to Spice World, and the store was a significant improvement in space and location. Cluttered, over-filled shelves gave way to clean lines of orderly products from India, refrigerated shelves of fresh produce, and freezers containing exotic items one can find nowhere else in the Tri-Cities region.

 

 

Five years later, Spice World took over the empty business next door, doubling its size. This acquisition provided an excellent opportunity to expand into other markets, and Spice World has recently morphed into  Spice World International Market.  I have been shopping at this family-owned store since it was the diminutive Indian market in Kingsport. When it moved to Johnson City, I began driving the thirty minutes extra so I could continue purchasing spices in bulk and fresh produce and herbs that are challenging to find elsewhere. I consider it well worth the drive.

 

Bulk herbs and spice blends

 

Hard to find produce, herbs, and spices.

 

Plenty of fresh produce to peruse.

 

Spice World’s owner, Chirag Patel, is knowledgeable and friendly. If you can’t find an item, he will order it for you. Over the years, I have learned from Chirag how to use products with which I was unfamiliar. I knew nothing about Indian food when I began, other than the fact that I liked it. Now I’ve become a relatively competent Indian cook and a familiar explorer of his aisles.

I once asked Chirag if he carried jackfruit and was delighted to be presented with a fresh one upon my next very next visit. You can now find baby jackfruit in cans on his shelves; far more convenient than wrestling with the whole fruit, which can be a messy endeavor.

 

Jackfruit in brine.

 

 

Chirag Patel and his lovely wife and partner, Pallavi

 

It is almost hard to believe how much Chirag and Pallavi have accomplished in twelve short years. From a  cramped little market with only two aisles, the Patels have turned their store into an international supermarket carrying a plethora of supplies from India, Asia, and the Middle East. Yet, Spice World has not lost its homey charm. Chirag is usually around, beaming a broad, authentic smile and chatting with customers on a first-name basis. He will always stop what he’s doing to answer questions or to explain a new product. One often sees his father there, manning the cash register or stocking supplies. His wife’s nephew is often seen busily stocking shelves or assisting customers. I’ve also met his brother filling in on one occasion when he was visiting Chirag from India. It truly is a family concern.

 

The uncluttered aisles are prominently labeled, but Chirag will gladly direct you to whatever you are seeking.

 

You can find a variety of rice, grains, and specialty oils on shelves against the back wall.

Rice, grains, flours,  & specialty oils.

 

Always available is an enormous selection of spice blends and whole and ground spices in bulk. Organic options are available as well.

 

 

 

As a vegan, I appreciate that the meat is separated from the vegetables in the frozen sections. Chirag works with a butcher who cuts and packages the meat for him fresh with each order. Chirag then freezes it for a longer shelf life.  The meat freezer is along the back wall, easily accessible but entirely removed from the packaged vegan and non-vegan meals.

 

 

A  wide assortment of frozen vegetarian prepared meals (defacto vegan), breads like naan and paratha, cut vegetables, frozen appetizers and snacks and non-vegetarian prepared meals can be found in the freezer section of Spice World.

 

Teas, Coffees, Crackers

 

Packaged Foods

 

Thai Curry Pastes, Soy Sauces, Soup Mixes (I LOVE the Vegan Tom Yum Paste!), Hot Sauces, Rice Noodles, and other Asian Ingredients.

 

Canned fruits, Coconut and Goat Milks, Shiitake Mushrooms, Seaweeds & More!

 

Beans, Sauces, and Indian Condiments

 

I usually make a beeline directly to the cookware area where I’ve found lots of useful items that are now part of my kitchen arsenal.

 

Interesting and Useful Cookware, Gadgets, & Supplies

 

If you arrive famished, no problem. Pallavi keeps an assortment of home-cooked foods available at the checkout counter. I’ve sampled all of the ones that are plant-based. These are what one might think of as Indian street food and are quite good. Most are fried, so I don’t partake of them often. Chirag can heat them for you at the counter.

You may imbibe on chai latte as you shop. The dhokla, a cake made from chickpea flour, is delicious; in fact, I liked it so much I had to learn to make it myself. It is the first thing Indian I learned to cook with Chirag’s sage advice. Now it is a favorite at my table.

 

Indian Homemade Snacks Can Be Purchased At the Counter.

 

Spice World International Market is a beautifully stocked grocery store tailored to meet the demands of the burgeoning Indian, Asian, and Middle Eastern communities of the Tri-Cities area. For chefs such as myself who enjoy preparing international cuisine, it is a godsend.

 

If you love to cook and live in the Tri-Cities area, (Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol, TN), you owe it to yourself to check out Spice World International Market. You are likely to find everything you need to go crazy creating healthy, delicious meals with astonishing flavor.

 

Spice World is located only about a quarter of a mile off I-26 on the corner of State of Franklin and Browns Mill Road in Johnson City, TN.

 

You may run into me prowling the aisles for novel culinary items. If you do, ask me what’s cooking!

 

Co-founder and editor of Veggin’ Out and About!, Danielle writes restaurant reviews, profiles, and interviews of people making a difference in the plant-based community. She is the author of, “Time For Change: Whole Foods For Whole Health,” and is a co-founder of the plant-based cooking blog, Time For Change Kitchen. Contact Danielle directly to share your restaurant finds, to make comments or just to say hello.

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Danielle’s Perfect Pita Bread

by Danielle Bussone

 

There is no good reason to suffer through chewing tough store-bought pita bread when making it yourself is this good and this easy. Try this recipe and see what you’ve been missing!

 

 

Danielle’s Perfect Pita Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

1¼ cups (10 oz by WT) filtered warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
(I like Fleishman’s brand. Always check the expiration date before purchasing yeast.)

1 cup (4 1/2 oz by WT) organic whole wheat bread flour

2 cups (9 oz by WT) organic unbleached bread flour, plus more for kneading and rolling

1 teaspoon good quality olive oil (optional)

 

Notes: You can omit the oil. I rarely use oil in cooking but in this case it does help prevent a skin from forming on the dough and makes it a little easier to manipulate. It is such a minute amount per pita I feel it is insignificant, though others may disagree.

It is always better to weigh ingredients rather than use volume measurements. Depending on how densely packed your flour is, you can come up with measurements that are not very reliable. Even measuring cups can vary slightly, so it is best to weigh everything if you can, even water.

 

 

Directions:

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Falafel Bistro & Wine Bar – A Mediterranean Experience In South Florida

by Andrea Medalie

 

 Falafel Bistro & Wine Bar

Falafel Bistro & Wine Bar

 

Don’t let either the name or the location fool you; this South Florida suburban strip mall dining establishment is far from your average neighborhood fare. When I say far, I mean Falafel Bistro & Wine Bar (FB) takes your palate on a journey to remote destinations along the Mediterranean, brimming with exotic herbs, spices, flavors and textures. FB is conveniently located in Coral Springs, FLorida,  just off the Sawgrass Expressway (869), at 5677 Coral Ridge Dr., in the Heron Lakes Plaza.  Hungry patrons come from near and far to immerse themselves in this sophisticated, multi-sensory atmosphere created by chef/owner and culinary genius, Ilan Cohen. But be forewarned, once you sample his fare, you will undoubtedly become addicted!

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Veggin’ Out at Mooney’s Mediterranean Café in Winston-Salem, NC!

by Laura Blankenship

 

Step into Mooney’s off of fourth street in Winston-Salem and the first thing you’ll notice is the chic interior for such a quaint little café. Actually, if you’re there during the middle of lunch, like my dining partner and I, the first thing you’ll notice is that it’s jam-packed and you’ll worry about your chances of getting a table. Luckily we snagged one of two vacant ones in the house; business is bustling and turnover is fast during lunch, where mostly business people from downtown are on their lunch breaks.

 

Mooney's Mediterranean Café In Winston-Salem, NC Interior

Mooney’s Mediterranean Café In Winston-Salem, NC
Interior

 

During lunch, customers order at the counter from the menu above it written in chalk on a blackboard. With tons of options–vegan, vegetarian, and meaty, too–in small handwriting and the long line that was moving fast, I didn’t have long to deliberate and quickly picked something that sounded vegan and delicious: the Tempeh Pita.   

 

 

Mooney's Tempeh Pita

Mooney’s Tempeh Pita

 

During my lengthy conversation with owner Ameen David, I learned that my wrap was developed by a strict vegan employee, Stephen (minus his consumption of two eggs a week per doctor’s orders, Ameen recalls). The Tempeh Pita isn’t the only menu item developed by his employees. Leah, one of Mooney’s servers, and her boyfriend, a chef at a neighboring downtown restaurant, suggested that Ameen start using olive oil rather than butter in the couscous when they became vegan. He listened.  And every time his wife saw him, Ameen says, he was eating this sandwich that wasn’t on the menu. “What is that?” she asked. Thus the Falafel Burger, the brainchild of an employee named Scott, was born.

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Grand Mart International Food, Alexandria, VA

Grand Mart International Food is a mecca of exotic fruits and vegetables.  I didn’t see anything in the way of organics but they certainly had a wide variety of unusual produce, much of which I was entirely unfamiliar.  What I did recognize were the isles of ethnic foods and spices.  Most prevalent were the spice blends which comes in handy when you are experimenting with various cuisines and would like to sample the flavors of a region without investing in all the individual herbs and spices contained in particular regional blends. Available were also rices, beans, noodles and other fare native to many regional cuisines, including Asian, Indian and Hispanic to mention only a few.

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