Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Fresh is best

I don't know about you guys but I have LOVED having fresh local grown produce in my house this week!! It seems that all week long I have been taking first bites of meals, only to be saying, "Man, that tastes GOOD!" I can't be the only one that has been happening too.

I thought I would share with you some of the things I bought last week and how we used them at our house.

  • Soaps ~ from Sagegold Soaps
You simply must stop and smell the soaps that Kerry makes at Sagegold Soaps. We are currently enjoying the Cucumber Lime scent in our house. We love how they last longer and don't dry out our skin like "regular" bar soap does. My husband is a mechanic and he says it is the best bar soap he has used for getting his hands clean. We tend to buy in bulk through the summer months so we are stocked up through the winter.
  • Green and Red Lettuce, Swiss Chard ~ from Crafton Farms.
Debbie Crafton does a great job with her veggies. You can find her next to the red food truck near the entrance of the market.  Stop and chat awhile with her, she is a great lady! 
Not only did we eat the obvious salads with our lettuce, we used the lettuce as wraps for our sausages, and hamburger patties. I sauteed up the Swiss Chard with Basque Chorizo and onions for a quick Sunday skillet meal.
  • Onions, snap peas, asparagus, cilantro, apples, and garlic ~ from Bautista Farms.
Isela is a busy lady. Her farm is in Sunnyside and I am pretty convinced she never sleeps. If you stop by her booth, when it isn't too busy, she is wonderful to chat with. I always get some garlic while she has it fresh.  I cut the green tops off, and use the stalks like you might use green onion.  It has a very sweet mild garlic flavor too it that compliments everything I have used it in. I save the garlic bulbs in the cupboard to use as needed.  As long as they are in a cool dry place they will last a very long time; well into the fall and winter months. 
We roasted the asparagus with garlic and olive oil.  The apples and peas were great snacks for the boys, and the onion has been added in to many dishes. 
  • Applewood Cheese Sausages and Ground Sirloin ~ from Neiffer Triangle 4 Ranch.
If you haven't met Duane, you haven't lived. He is the coolest cattle rancher I have ever met.  He loves to talk to  his customers and pass out samples of their great products.  This week we turned the Ground Sirloin into burgers, because it is summer, and grilling.... it just must be done! Our patties needed a bit of a binder (because the meat is so wonderfully lean) so I used a farm fresh egg to help them stick together. I added some finely chopped onion to the patty mix .... and they were wonderful.

but....  

The star of that dinner was the sausages. They are made with a combination of pork and beef, all raised at Neiffer Ranch. Let me just say, the smoke ring on those babies was perfection. The sausage was sweet from the wood smoke and savory from the cheese. These will definitely be something we will make a staple menu item. 
  • (gifted) Honey Wheat Bread ~ from Great Harvest Bread Co.
Sometimes being the assistant has its perks. Claire from Great Harvest was sweet to pop over to the market booth and gift a loaf of bread to Chera and me. I have had this bread before.  It is a slightly sweet whole wheat bread that just makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches sing. My boys have been in sandwich heaven this week!
  • Roasted Corn on the Cob, Roasted Anaheim Peppers ~ from Fat Daddys.
The mother-son team, are a new addition to our market family. Stop by, introduce yourself and welcome them! 
What started as an impulse buy, will become a staple menu item for us. I intended for us to eat the corn at the market as a snack, but my boys were too busy playing all evening, that we ended up enjoying it when we got home.  It was still warm and delicious. Adam's roasted peppers are..... well, just amazing. I love roasted peppers. I just don't love roasting them. I have to usually broil them and watch them like a hawk.... then I have to peel them and... well, it is just time consuming. Fat Daddys peppers were well priced and perfectly roasted. When I got them home I ran them under some cool water and the skin rinsed right down the drain. I air dried them for a bit and I have just pulled them out of the fridge to use in eggs or on salads all week. They have been a great time saver and flavor boost for our meals.

That is how our Market Meals worked out this week...  How did you enjoy all the great stuff you brought home? What should I make sure I buy this week?

Maybe next week, I will remember to take pictures...

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