Speaking from a farmers standpoint, the excitement of a new season, is really hard to contain. There are so many, new and exciting varieties, of local foods available in our small town. Not mention, so many ways of getting them onto your table! It is really special to be a part of such a flourishing community of farmers. I am happy to be able to give you all, a sneak peek of what our farmers will have, at the outdoor market this weekend!
The outdoor market is a wonderful place for us, to not only network with all of you, but also with each other. We are all tied to our land, and farmers market, is one of the few scheduled times to leave the farm. One of the beautiful things about the online market, is that it allows for farmers who can't leave their farms, to sell their goods at the market, regardless.
Ordering online has made it possible for meat from, Widdershins and Shaw Farm, to be available at the outdoor market. Leaves and Blooms is offering a new take out farm to table option. Seasonal Soups, Salads, Entrees, and Side Dishes will be available for pre order, and on hand at the market. Rollins Orchards and Dick's Baking will also be at the outdoor market. Reserve your syrup, cider, pickles, and pies, before they get sold out at the market!

I have heard some folks asking about organ meats recently. How do you prepare them? Why do people eat them? Organ meats are the leanest of any of the meats, and have LOTS of vitamins and minerals that you can't get in other meats. I personally like heart the best, it's absolutely the tenderest and sweetest of them all. Beef heart will also serve a lot of people, making it excellent for a dinner with guests.
Although it is lean, it does have fat and gristle which you will want remove before cooking. Many people render this fat for cooking in other dishes. Once the fat is removed, it can prepared in several ways. One way is to pan sear, or grill it. By slicing it as you would a loin cut, and placing it on a hot grill or pan for a few minutes on each side. It cooks to a medium rare, any more than that will cause it to be tough.
Another preparation is stew. Replace stew beef with heart cut into chunks. It makes a rich and robust twist on your favorite beef stew.
For the burger lovers and the kiddos, who might balk at the suggestion of eating heart, there are heart burgers. Just grind up the scraps and mix it in with regular burger. Because the heart has so little fat it doesn't bind well. The burger will help the heart bind together, and the heart will make a leaner and meaner burger.