June 10, 2016

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant."

- Robert Louis Stevenson

Stop in and find many great gifts throughout the store...

Make Ranch Foods Direct your Father's Day Central

Beef, bundles, books and more... plus many items that are
fresh, made from scratch, and

local.

It's high time for pie...

Try a new twist on Mountain Pie Co. pies

Matt Campbell, the mastermind behind the brilliant idea of introducing Colorado Springs to New Zealand-style savory meat pies made with only the freshest, purest, most local ingredients (including Ranch Foods Direct meats) is offering an ingenious new update: Mountain Pie Co. pies in a sourdough crust.

"Our new pastry is made using the same method and ingredients we normally use, but we added some sourdough starter. It's given us this really cool taste, unlike anything I've ever tasted before. It's got sourdough characteristics but it's also light and airy, with a slight yeasty personality. And because it's a butter crust, it just melts in your mouth. I've read that sourdough makes pastry more easily digestible and lowers the gluten content in addition to other health benefits, all of which combined sounded pretty appealing to me."

Tara, his wife and business partner, adds that she hopes customers will give both versions a try in order to experience the subtle flavor differences. Get your frozen pies in steak, chicken gouda and spinach feta flavors at Ranch Foods Direct or at three farmers markets this summer: at the Colorado Farm and Art Market at the Pioneers Museum (215 S. Tejon) on Wednesday and downtown at Acacia Park on Sunday; and in Woodland Park on Friday.

Why Sourdough?

The sourdough starter Mountain Pie Co. uses in their sourdough pie crust came from Shawn Saunders, owner of the Sourdough Boulangerie, bread supplier to Ranch Foods Direct and many great shops and restaurants around town. Shawn incorporates living sourdough into many of his breads, along with heritage grains like einkorn and emmer, and then ties it all together by using traditional artisan baking methods.

The starter contains natural (not commercial) yeasts that in turn create the enzymes needed to pre-digest the grain's starches and proteins. Fermentation breaks down the gluten, while the bacteria present in the sourdough eats the starches and sugars, lowering the carbohydrate content which helps keep blood sugar levels regulated. The process also increases the vitamin and mineral content and inhibits mold growth.

Limited space... Make your reservation now!

Judy Purcell's grilling class Saturday, June 18

Judy Purcell's obvious passion for healthy cooking and living shines through in her writing and teaching. The creator of an artfully designed blog, Savoring Today, she devoted much of last year to accomplishing her dream of publishing a cookbook. The result, titled Serve and Savor, is available for purchase at Ranch Foods Direct. And she's already at work on a follow-up edition that will focus on make-ahead meals.

Judy also teaches cooking classes. And on Saturday, June 18 (just in time for Father's Day) 11 a.m.-12:30, she's offering a class on grilling at Ranch Foods Direct, where the main ingredients in her demonstration will be available for purchase.

The class is $35. To sign-up, go to SavoringToday.com/events CLICK HERE.

Judy's favorite summer recipes...

Grilled steaks, burgers and tacos... those are some of Judy Purcell's summer favorites. "I like to get a bone-in rib-eye and have it cut an inch and a half thick... you want a nice crust on the outside when you grill it, and an inch and a half to me is the perfect thickness for getting a good crust on the outside but it's still nice and pink on the inside."

"Another great thing for summer-time is tacos. One of my favorite recipes is my skirt steak tacos with two different marinades, buttermilk and chipotle chile lime marinade. We've had parties centered around that. Just throw a few skirt steaks on the grill and then have a taco bar. It's an easy way to get people together to enjoy good, healthy food. The recipe is on my Savoring Today blog." CLICK HERE