Value Added Farm Fresh Sampling

 

I'm already a believer in local foods, the freshness of the products and safety in knowing the grower. Our local farmers market has built a community of growers, processors and consumers.  As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I've especially enjoyed working with a local farm family to provide one "farm fresh sampling" each month of the outdoor season.  Their grass fed meats and cage free eggs provide that center of the plate protein that exemplifies taste and nutrition.  

In supporting the other members of the farmers market association, we always include produce and other local products in our sampling.  This Italian Beef Sandwich Puff has fresh spring spinach added to the simmered beef and Italian sauce filling.  Many of the vendors sold bags of fresh spinach the this market.  The sandwiches were garnished with an aged cheddar cow cheese sold by the local creamery.

I was especially delighted when the market baker agreed to make the 3-bite size wheat puffs for the sandwiches. She ground the local wheat berries in her flour mill.

Thin sliced round steak, fresh spinach, cheddar cheese, wheat berries and eggs-all local and grown or produced by a community of artisans and growers. The value of this is close to priceless!

We gave away 220 samples of these sandwiches, made with 14# of the thin sliced round steak.  Here is the consumer size recipe: