Pumpkin Pie Bake Off

The Annual Farmer's Market Pumpkin Pie Bake-off is rapidly approaching. Again this year the proceeds will go to "The I'm Special" breast cancer support group.

The contest will be held Oct. 1 at the Westside Farmer's Market at the Lima Mall. We will be kicking off Breast Cancer Awareness month with the Mall.

For more info, contact us through facebook or at the farm. Lets have a great turn out!

Szechuan Marinated Grilled Green Beans

 

With it being so warm lately, I've been doing everything I can to avoid using the stove and oven and producing more heat in the house.  So tonight we tried grilled green beans.  My other half kept raving over them, so I'll take that to mean they were a success.

Approx. 1 lb of green beans, rinsed and ends trim. 
Place in a large zip lock bag for easy marinating.
Add to the bag:
2 tbsp olive oil (I was out of sesame seed oil, but I think that would work great)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp Szechuan sauce, depending on how much heat you want (I used San-J brand which is pretty spicy)
1 clove of garlic, minced
Seal the bag and mix until beans are evenly coated.

Heat grill to a med-high heat.  We place the green beans in a grill basket so they didn't fall through the grate, but if you are careful, you may be able to place them directly on the grate.  They take about 10-12 minutes on the grill.

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad is a very easy to make salad that is still full of flavor. It's perfect for those hot summer evenings when you don't want to heat up the whole house with the stove or oven.  It's also as easy to make for one person or the whole family - just figure one tomato per person as a side or an appetizer .



Cut tomatoes into slices or wedges.
Cut fresh mozzarella into manageable size slices or chunks.
Place on plate or serving dish. 
Sprinkle on a bit  of salt and pepper.
Top the tomatoes and mozzarella with fresh basil.  I'm growing boxwood basil this year, so my leaves are fairly small, but it you are using a variety with larger leaves, you may want to chop them up a bit.  Or not -  leaving them whole makes for a nice presentation, it's all up to you
Drizzle on a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Enjoy.

Works well on it's own as a meal or to go along with burgers or brats on the grill.   Or if you are like me and loving all the fresh produce that's just now ripening, have it with an ear of corn for a quick and easy meat free meal.

Green Bean and Fennel Salad

Another great salad that you can make with Ber-Gust Farms produce. The green beans can be blanched a day or two in advanced, but don't add the dressing until you are ready to serve the salad as the fennel will discolor.

Dressing:
 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
 2 tablespoon olive oil


Salad:
1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced
1 cups chopped fresh Italian parsley
Onion, thinly sliced
Bell pepper, cut into thing strips (I think the red, yellow, or orange add a nice touch of color)


Shave Parmesan and toasted walnuts  for topping.  When I toast the walnuts, I added just a touch of maple syrup to give some sweetness.

 Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend for the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook green beans in large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans. Pat dry.

Place beans in large bowl. Add fennel, onion, pepper, and parsley. Drizzle dressing over; toss. Top with cheese and walnuts.

Greek Style Zucchini Salad

This salad is a great way to use some of the zucchini, summer squash, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes that are in season this time of year. It can be made a head of time for your next picnic or family bbq.









Dressing:
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1/3 cup olive oil

Salad:
2 medium zucchini, sliced thin  (about 4 cups)
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced thin  (about 2 cups)
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 bell pepper, sliced into thin strips  (about 1 cup)


Garnish:
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 green onions, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and garlic in large serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Add zucchini, summer squash, bell pepper, and onion. Toss to coat. Cover and marinate overnight, or up to 2 days.



Top with tomato and sprinkle the feta, green onions, mint, oregano and parsley just before serving.

Tomato Season is Here!

Hope every one had a safe 4th of July weekend!
We now have locally grown tomatoes. Stop by the St. Rita's location today (Wednesday) or visit us at either of the Saturday morning markets - west side at the Lima Mall or the East side at TSC across from the fairgrounds to get some to enjoy.

CSA Boxes Start this Week!

Tomorrow, Saturday June 18th, will be the first day for the CSA boxes.  Boxes may include garlic scapes, strawberries, green onions, peas, lettuce and maybe a surprise or two.

This year there is again two Saturday morning markets on the west side at the Lima mall and on the east side at TSC across from the fair grounds.  Saturday market hours are 9am until noon.

Also this year there will be a Wednesday market all day on the St. Rita's campus for those that live or work near down town or have problems making the Saturday morning market.

Kicking Off the 2011 Season.

The Lima Area farmers markets will be starting soon.

Westside Farmer's Market at the Lima Mall will open Sat June 4 at 9 am. All kinds of goodies will be there. The Eastside Farmer's Market at TSC store onHarding highway will open Sat June 18 at 9 am. There will also be a market on Wednesdays at the St. Ritas campus. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the markets soon.

Due to the weather, our CSA boxes will not start until the week of June 13. The 15 will be the first pickup for St. Ritas and Saturday, June 18 will be the first pickups for the markets at the Lima Mall and TSC, eastside.

Ber Gust was recently featured in the local monthly publication "American Pie" Here's scans of the article if you missed it!