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"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard, Southern writer and humorist
Celebrate another splendid month of summer... sample the bounty of seasonal local produce and great grilling meats available at Ranch Foods Direct.
| Another class on cultivating a seasonal kitchen |
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Spend a couple of hours sharing ideas about how to incorporate fresh seasonal produce into tasty, affordable dishes when Michele Mukatis brings her next cooking class to Ranch Foods Direct! Date is Saturday, August 14; time is 9:30 a.m.; cost to attend is $35. Call her at (719) 231-6265 to sign up. (Her e-mail is [email protected].)
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| Savor August Specials from Ranch Foods Direct |
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15% off Top Sirloin and Chuck Roast... Plus, 20% off fabulous New York Strips, Ribeye, Ribeye Roll and Prime Rib! Pork Sirloin Steak: Now $4.19 per lb.
For your pet: Pet Food In Bulk (40 lbs or more) $1.25 per lb. Marrow Bones: $2.50 lb.
Mondays Thru Wednesdays Take Advantage of the Popular Ground Beef Special! Buy 2 get 1 FREE (Available on 80% & 85% lean burger ONLY)
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| Alpine cheeses arrive from just over the mountains |
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Ranch Foods Direct now has cheddar and gouda cheeses from Twin Mountain Milkhouse, likely the highest altitude dairy making cheese in the U.S. The altitude concentrates the protein in the feed for extra nutrition. Combine that with Ayrshire and Swedish Red cows that produce a creamier richer milk, and the result is excellent cheese. "I give a lot of credit to the cows," says owner Andy Warner, who runs the business with his wife Michelle. They are parents to three small children.
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| How to get tangy garlic to mellow out |
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The bulk of garlic found in conventional grocery stores is the bland California white variety, not to mention that most of it is now shipped in from China.
Locally grown bulbs from area farmers like Dan Hobbs (shown here) tend to have a spicier character and flavor. If you find that the tanginess clashes with your tamed palate, consider oven-roasting as a simple way to temper the heat. Leave the bulbs intact, slice off the top third to expose the cloves, place in a oven-proof pan, drench in olive oil, cover with foil and then roast in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes. After the cloves cool, remove them from the skins and mash into a paste that can be used in spreads, dips, soups, pesto or on a traditional roast beef bruschetta!
Garlic Beef Bruschetta: Start with 1 loaf French bread, cut into thirty 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Brush both sides with about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place on
ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven about 5 minutes or until crisp. Cool 5 minutes. Mix 1/2 cup soft cream cheese together with some mashed roasted garlic.
Spread on bread slices, top with about 8 ounces of thinly sliced cooked deli
roast beef, a sprinkling of coarsely ground black pepper, thinly sliced roma tomatoes and sliced green onions.
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Free range eggs capture sunshine in their yolks |
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The way eggs are produced in this country has changed dramatically over the years, but Ranch Foods Direct customers can't seem to get enough of farm fresh eggs from free-ranging hens! At Greenhorn Acres, the moveable "egg-mobile" (above) insures the hens eat their greens daily... and the nutritional benefits are passed on to the lucky humans who consume their eggs.
Greenhorn Acres run by Marcy Nameth and her boys (that's David, above) started supplying eggs to Ranch Foods Direct last month (joining Echo Jones and Wisdom Natural Poultry of Colorado.) The Nameth family moves the hens from one patch of forage to another in their farm fields along the Arkansas River. At any given time, the hens are feeding on lush barley, oats, grass or even wheat sprouted on the windowsill in winter.
Eggs are already considered the most complete form of protein but producing them on fresh greens "increases the Omega 3s and the CLA," two unsaturated fatty acids known for their health benefits, Marcy says. Although CLA is most recognized for its anti-cancer properties, researchers have also found that it can reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and help fight inflammation. CLA is also known to contribute to body weight management.
DID YOU KNOW? ...
About 95 percent of the eggs produced in the U.S. come from large egg farms housing millions of hens under one roof. Prior to World War II, most egg production came from farm flocks of less than 400 hens. By the early 1960s, technological innovations caused that to shift. There are currently about 245 egg companies with flocks of 75,000 or more. Of
these 245 companies, 60 have at least one
million laying hens, and 12 have more than 5 million hens.
Visit Greenhorn Acres online....
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