NORWALK, Conn., August 9, 2005 – Stew Leonard’s is renown for their fresh food offerings, with many products made right in front of the customer – from artisan breads, fresh mozzarella, fresh-roasted coffee beans and milk that is pasteurized and packaged in the glass-enclosed dairy plant, all in plain view of passing shoppers. It is this “show-and-sell” philosophy that prompted Stew Leonard’s to add their latest edition to the many foods made fresh on the premises everyday – Connecticut’s first grocery store tortilleria, where more than 10,000 hot tortillas are made weekly, right on the store floor in the bakery department.

According to the Tortilla Industry Association, tortilla sales now make up one-third of the bread industry, behind only white bread.

"With the increasing popularity of wrap sandwiches and people using tortillas in place of bread, we noticed we were receiving more and more customer requests to sell tortillas. So, we traveled to Texas to study some of the stores that make them in house," said Stew Leonard, Jr. President and CEO of Stew Leonard’s.

"The advantage to making tortillas in-house is that they can be made with little to no preservatives, which significantly improves the flavor and texture,” said Zita Sebastian, Executive Director of Stew Leonard’s Norwalk Bakery and Prepared Foods. “Since we started making the tortillas in front of the customers, sales have doubled. We currently offer regular and whole wheat tortillas, and are planning to add sun-dried tomato and basil, as well as a garlic and spinach variety."

To make the flour tortillas, bakers mix the dough and let it relax overnight. They then drop the dough in a two-ounce size ball for seven-inch tortillas, or a 3-1/2 ounce size ball for 10-inch burrito size tortillas, into a specially-made machine that presses and shapes the dough and passes it through a three-tier oven which evenly cooks the tortilla in one minute. The tortillas then come out on a cooling conveyer, and are packaged immediately.

Currently, the fresh tortillas are only available at Stew Leonard’s Norwalk store location, but based on brisk sales, the company plans on adding tortilla machines to the Danbury, Connecticut and Yonkers, New York locations shortly.

The seven-inch tortillas are packaged in units of 10, while the 10-inch burrito size comes five to a package. Both sizes are sold for $2.79 or two for $5.00.

Stew Leonard’s also uses the fresh tortillas to make their wrap sandwiches, which are prepared and sold at the hot/cold salad bar. As for any leftover tortillas not sold that day, they are either donated to charity or are made into tortilla chips – where the tortilla is flavored with parmesan and garlic and baked into chips.

Quesadillas are the Mexican equivalent to a grilled cheese sandwich – but since the tortillas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, they are much more versatile and can be served as an appetizer or entrée. Here is a recipe for Caramelized Onion Quesadillas from Stew Leonard’s Winning Recipes Cookbook, available in September, 2005:

2	tablespoons butter
1	large sweet onion, chopped
½	teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1	tablespoon light brown sugar
1	teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2	tablespoons drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes
4	flour tortillas (7-inch) plain, tomato, spinach or whole wheat
1	tablespoon olive oil
1	cup shredded smoked Cheddar cheese

Preparation:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and almost tender. Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar and cook for 10 minutes, or until very tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 375F.

Brush the tops of two tortillas with half of the oil and place, oil sides down, on a large baking sheet. Evenly divide the onion mixture between the tortillas, spreading to cover. Sprinkle half of the cheese over each tortilla. Top each tortilla with another tortilla, gently pressing to seal. Brush the top tortillas with the remaining oil.

Bake, turning once, for 8 minutes or until the quesadillas are lightly browned. Cut each 8 wedges and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Cooking Tip:
For a low-fat version of these quesadillas, substitute reduced-fat cheese, such as Cheddar or Monterey Jack. Omit the oil and spray the tortillas liberally with cooking spray. To pump up the fiber, use whole wheat tortillas.

Stew Leonard’s, a family-owned and operated grocery founded in 1969, has three stores in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, N.Y., with additional stores planned in East Farmingdale, N.Y. and Orange, Conn. The company was named among FORTUNE magazine’s "100 Best Companies to Work” for the past four consecutive years." For more information and directions to store locations, visit Stew Leonard’s website at www.stewleonards.com.