On the Menu: Westside food truck offers Mexican fare; Aver's adds pickles to pizza

Mexican food — from homemade tamales filled with chicken and green sauce to burritos and super nachos — is available daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Tony's food truck, which is changing its name to Tacos Al Pastor.

Yes, tacos (street tacos with either flour or corn tortillas) are on the menu and are available with vegetables or a choice of meat that ranges from chorizo to beef tenderloin, al pastor (marinated pork) and chicken. The food truck opened in mid August and is located at 2920 S. Leonard Springs Road.

Other options are tortas, quesadillas, and bowls, which are like a burrito without the tortilla. The super nachos are a favorite and have rice, beans, meat of your choice, lettuce, pico de gallo, corn, cheese and sour cream. Some Saturdays and Sundays, specials including soup are also available. Those specials will be posted on the Tacos Al Pastor Facebook page.

Aver's Pizza new signature pie features dill pickles

Aver's Pizza has added pickles as a pizza topping and crafted a signature pizza, Dillettante, that features pickles. The new pizza has a creamy base of green chili sauce and is topped with mozzarella, ham and dill pickle slices. A generous sprinkling of Everything Bagel Seasoning is the final touch. The specialty pizza costs from $10.80 for an 8-inch pie to $23.80 for a 16-inch extra large.

"We've had customers asking for us to give pickles on a pizza a try, possibly because of a buzz on social media about such a pie being sold at some state fairs around the country this year," said Brad Randall, co-owner of Aver's, in a news release.

"We wanted to offer something more than just pickles on tomato sauce and after looking at recipe ideas our inspiration for this was a wrapped pickle appetizer, usually made with sliced ham but sometimes with sliced roast beef. We unwrapped it, used one of our gourmet sauces with a cream cheese base, and added Everything Bagel Seasoning, which was twist on the original recipe we often came across."

Aver's Pizza has two locations: 1837 N. Kinser Pike (812-339-6555) and 317 E. Winslow Road (812-323-8333). For online orders, go to www.averspizza.com.

More food news: FARMbloomington has new dinner menu; farm stop celebrates 2nd year

Winter produce: Changes in some area farmers' markets

November signals the end for the Woolery Farmers' Market but many of the vendors will now participate in the Bloomington Winter Farmers' Market, which will be 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays from November through March 2024. The winter market will be in the Switchyard Park Pavilion, 1601 S. Rogers St.

For the first three weeks in November vendors from the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market will also be part of the winter market. It's the first time the two summer markets have combined. On Nov. 25, the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market vendors will be back outside City Hall, at 401 N. Morton St., for the annual Holiday Market, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., that includes lots of holiday extras, from special singing to possibly a chance to see a reindeer.

Changes at Goat Conspiracy: Goodbye cheese

The Goat Conspiracy, located in Brown County, has offered cheese and soap at farmers' markets in the area as well as other retail shops and online. The owners recently decided to stop making the goat cheese and soap because they are trying to be as earth-friendly as possible and not contribute in any way to climate change.

"Even as a small dairy, trying to do things right, we found it impossible to close all the gaps," the owners said in a news release on social media. Another factor was the sense it was "irresponsible for us to continue breeding goats for milk" when their goat herd was large enough.

Goat Conspiracy will make cheese until the current milk supply provided by the goats is gone. They estimate there will be no more cheese within the next three or four months. The supply of milk for soap is larger, so the farm expects to continue making soap for longer.

Goat Conspiracy will continue to raise goats and offer yoga and other recreational opportunities at its farm, 6022 E. Kent Road.

Champagne and wine dinner scheduled at Truffles

Truffles restaurant will host a Champagne social and wine dinner on Nov. 7 that will begin with a social reception —with caviar, Taiwanese popcorn chicken and lamb kebabs — at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $120 per person, including tax and gratuity.

The four-course dinner begins with oysters Rockefeller that include bacon, spinach, butter, breadcrumbs and herbs. Next, Hudson Valley foie gras, combining frog legs, fingerling fries, apple tart, quince paste and herbs de provence will be served. Third course will be Wagyu beef with sushi rice, black vinegar and sesame as well as jumbo sea scallops, with cauliflower puree and a green sauce of chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic. Dessert will be blood orange curd with short bread, Champagne and white chocolate mousse, topped with candied citrus zest.

Reservations can be made by calling 812-330-1111. Truffles is at 1131 S. College Mall Road.

Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com or 812-331-4359.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington gets new Mexican food truck; Aver's Pizza adds pickles