Tomato Cucumber Salad

Tomatoes are here....finally! Everything is ripe and ready for the picking and I couldn't be more excited. I'm like a kid in the candy store during this time of the year, so says my husband. I wait all winter for that first taste of a vine ripened tomato and when it arrives- life couldn't be more sweet.

I was at the farm earlier this week and mom and I were busy in the kitchen cooking dinner and I told her I would make the salad. We had just come up from picking produce from the massive garden my parents grow each year.

Grabbed a bowl and started throwing in a few Cherokee Purple Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and some seasonings. What was created was my ultimate favorite summer salad- made with truly fresh and local ingredients- straight from my family's farm. (Ahhh, life is so sweet!)

If you've never eaten a tomato cucumber salad, you're missing out. I would make a dinner out of this salad last summer, while pregnant with our son Caston. And, the best part is this is a healthy meal you can feel good about.

Be sure and stop in at the farmers' market to pick up your ingredients. Try and choose small cucumbers- as they are so much tastier when picked young. Enjoy!

Tomato Cucumber Salad

by Lane

3 small cucumbers, sliced

2 -3 medium tomatoes, cut in chunks
1 med. red onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced in rings
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar

Dash of pepper
1/2 cup feta cheese, optional
1/2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients and chill. Serve cold.

Blueberry Lemon Pie

Our family visited Persimmon Hill Berry Farm on Wednesday night in Lampe (which is just about 18 minutes from our house) and had an incredible time! The farm is a berry farm and agritourism destination for many each year…as the farm is famous for their Blueberry Thunder Muffins!

We picked up some muffins and blueberries while on our visit. And sampled the farm's newest treat- Blueberry Bread Pudding. We plan on going back next week for some blackberries!

With 3 pounds of blueberries I decided to try out a new pie recipe. I haven’t yet sliced the pie, but how can you go wrong with this list of ingredients? Enjoy!

Blueberry Lemon Pie
by Lane

Single Pie Crust (My grandmother Garrison’s recipe)
1 1/3 c flour
½ tsp salt
½ c Crisco shortening
3 T ice cold water
½ tsp vinegar

In a food processor pulse flour and salt. Add shortening and pulse into combined (it will resemble cornmeal). Add water and vinegar and pulse until combined- the mixture will form a ball. Roll out first dough and then repeat for second dough.

Filling:
¾ c sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ c water
3 c fresh blueberries
1 T lemon juice
Zest of 1 large lemon

Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and water in a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Cook until thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let mixture cool. After the mixture has cooled add blueberries, lemon juice and zest.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour filling into pie and top with second crust. Brush top of pie dough with mixture of (1 egg and 2 T milk).

Bake for 18 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 325 degrees for another 20 minutes. Let pie cool before slicing.

Roasted Leg of Lamb

I tried to have the Roasted Leg of Lamb recipe up earlier, but Blogger was having some issues. But, here it is!

It turned out beautifully...paired it with Augusta Norton. It's fairly simple, but we did have a little challenge cutting it perfectly- since it was a bone-in leg of lamb.

I bought the leg of lamb from my friend Nancy Rasmussen of Sunny Lane Farms in Lockwood. She sells at some area farmers' markets in SW Mo.

Lane’s Roasted Leg of Lamb
Marinade:
2 lemons, juiced
2 T. garlic powder
1T. onion powder
4 springs of fresh Rosemary
5 springs of Thyme
¼ c olive oil

Mix all together in bowl. Coat a 5-7 lb. leg of lamb with the mixture and place lamb in bag and place in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place roasting tray in a roasting pan and place lamb on tray.

Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 1 to 1 and half hrs. longer to medium rare. A digit thermometer will read 145 degrees. Remove lamb and let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes.

Sauce:
Place roasting pan on stove and turn heat to medium. Add to the pan:
1 c. chicken stock
1 c. dry red wine
1 tsp. Herb De Provence
3 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sea salt

Deglaze the pan to release the pan drippings from the leg of lamb by cooking mixture and scraping with a wooden spoon. Cook the mixture down, while continuing to scrape drippings on the bottom of pan. Strain mixture and drizzle sliced lamb with sauce.

Looking for the Best of What Missouri Has to Offer

Attention! Attention!

The 2010 Best of Rural Missouri is official...I'm always excited to see the annual results from this special contest. Best Agritourism Spot, Best BBQ, Best Pizza (BTW congrats to Hilltop Pizza in Fair Grove for winning that...I love, love their pizza) Best Outdoor Adventure, Best Ice Cream (oh, how I miss Central Dairy in Jeff City)...the list goes on and on.

My family enjoys each year when this contest is announced. We plan many weekend and day trips to visit many of the winners of this contest each year. We've discovered wonderful "hole-in-the-wall" eating establishments that have become some of our favorite places to visit when we are out and about traveling. It's funny how you can discover a new adventure right in your back door.

Make your own plans today and take a look at where your next family trip could be by looking at the contest winners.

Beef...it's What's Cooking at My Home

Being beef producers our family sits down to many meals that are centered around beef. It's always nice to have new recipes that incorporate hamburger. If your like me you go to your old standby hamburger recipes a lot, and always appreciate a new way to use hamburger for a fresh recipe.

I recently interviewed a farm family in my hometown for a article I'm working on for one of the publications I write for.

Rocking Z Ranch- the Sauls Family -Dale, Connie, Rolly and Megan are beef producers that sell at some local farmers' markets in southern Missouri. The farm raises all-natural Angus beef that is free from hormones, steroids, antibiotics and growth enhancers.

Their website is full of great tips for cooking beef and recipes that the family create.

Check it out...I'm sure you will find a new recipe to share at your dinner table tonight! And be sure and take a look at the Missouri Beef Industry Council's website for beef recipes as well.

Eat Local This Thanksgiving

Do you want "Eat Local this Thanksgiving?" Well it's not as difficult as you might think.

I just posted my Top 10 Ways to Eat Local This Thanksgiving on my other blog: A Taste of Missouri.

I've provided my list of ways you can shop for local farm products and recipes to go along with your holiday menu planning.

If you have other suggestions on how to eat local this Thanksgiving- please leave me a comment!

Praline-Apple Bread Using Local Apples this Season

My gal pal Tyne Morgan has been a busy cook it seems lately- she’s been baking up a storm and trying lots of new recipes. On a recent visit she was telling me about this Praline-Apple Bread recipe she had made and how simply delicious it was. She has Facebooked me the recipe about 3 weeks ago and I finally got around the making it the other day. She was right- a great recipe for this fall.

Be sure and visit a local orchard and pick up some local Granny Smith apples to make the bread and don’t forget to use Missouri Northern Pecans (they are wonderful to use in recipes like this). I just bought some at the recent Chestnut Festival this weekend for my holiday baking this season!

Praline-Apple Bread
From Southern Living Magazine

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 lb.)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.

Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.

Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.

Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).

Note: To freeze, cool bread completely; wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

(PHOTO: From Southern Living Magazine and recipe from Debbie Grusska, Hobart, Indiana)

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Fall has officially arrived in Missouri. It’s during this season that I love to try new recipes for comfort foods like soups, stews, chilis and even things like beef stroganoff- which is what was on the menu tonight.

I found a slow cooker recipe for beef stroganoff while thumbing through a recent issue of Cooking with Paula Deen. I remember thinking to myself…"I’m going to be a mother soon and I need all the quick recipes I can find to save myself some time around the house.”

This recipe comes from Carol Poppe, of Mandan, North Dakota and takes the hassle out of making your traditional beef stroganoff- which often takes a lot of time. I have a recipe for tradition stroganoff as well, but when you are on the run and don’t have time this recipe is truly number 1 in my book.

Tonight was the first time I made it and I don’t think I would change one thing about the recipe, except the recipe will call for canned mushrooms and I just bought some pre-sliced store bought ones.

This recipe is perfect for a cold night, paired with your favorite Missouri wine! Go even more local and use beef from a local farm as well as buy some local mushrooms and buy homemade noodles from the farmers' market.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
By Carol Poppe

2 lbs. beef tips
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can cream of onion soup
1 (8oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained ** I use pre-sliced fresh mushrooms instead
1 tsp. pepper
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1 (8oz) carton sour cream
1 (16oz) package of egg noodles, cooked and hot

In a slow cooker combine beef tips, onion, onion soup, mushroom soup, mushrooms, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours (it only took me 6 hours when I prepared this). When done cooking, stir in cream cheese and sour cream and mix until combined. Serve over hot cooked noodles.

You Make Lemonade

Sometimes life throws us lemons…and we make a choice. A.) We either dodge to miss the lemons being thrown at us or B.) We make lemonade. I choose B.

Life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns and everything in between, but it’s how we get through the tough times that truly matter. That’s what shows our character and our passion.

You all know me from the author of Home Cooking is What I Like, but I’ve also started a new blog that really represents Missouri Local Foods (Unmonitored, Unfiltered and Uncensored). Check out my other blog: "A Taste of Missouri...One Farm at a Time."

It is here that I hope to shed some light on the real issues facing Missouri local foods, its producers and food security. But, I also hope to introduce you to some of the most unique, tasty and sustainable farming operations around our state.

I’ve been so blessed to have met farmers, ag professionals, academia and others dedicated to excelling Missouri’s local food industry. Plus, being a former marketing specialist in the area of direct marketing, agritourism, farmers’ markets and organics I’ve learned marketing techniques that help to set our local foods system apart from other states.

Join me as we “Taste Missouri, One Farm at a Time.” Also, be sure and look me up on Facebook and Twitter as TasteofMissouri.

Missouri State Fair Will Bring Local Produce from the Farm to the Fork

The Missouri State Fair is right around the corner and I’ve been gearing up for some of the local food cooking demos that I will be conducting at the fair. Both professional and amateur chefs will putting on daily local foods cooking demonstrations centered on using local foods and simple fresh ingredients.

I wanted to make sure my recipes were simple and really made local foods the main component of the recipe. Here are the two recipes I will be performing at the fair.

Localvore’s Tomato Sandwich
By Lane McConnell, Missouri Department of Agriculture

1 large loaf ciabatta (local bread)
Herb Vinaigrette, below
2 large ripe, local heirloom tomatoes
1 large local yellow or red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and quartered
4 ounces of fresh local goat cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Herb Vinaigrette
¼ cup local basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped local parsley
1 small local garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons aged red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Slice the top third off the loaf of bread and set it aside. Pull out the inside (use to make bread crumbs for a later date). Paint the inside of the bread with some of the dressing, then make layers of sliced tomatoes, pepper and cheese. Bathe each layer with more dressing and season with salt and pepper.

Add the top, press down, the cut into quarters or sixths. This recipe packs well if wrapped up tightly.

Melon Salad with Thai Basil
Thai Basil
By Lane McConnell, Missouri Department of Agriculture

1 large shallot, finely diced
Seas salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup cilantro
Juice and zest of 2 limes
1/3 cup Thai basil leaves
¼ cup mint leaves
1 jalapeno chile, finely diced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ to 2 pounds melon (honeydew, watermelon, cantaloupe), chilled
1 bunch arugula

Put shallot in bowl with lime juice, zest and ¼ teaspoon salt. Chop the herbs and add them to bowl along with the chile, ginger, garlic and oil. Stir and taste for salt.

Halve the melon, remove the seeds and cut into wedges. Slice off the skins, then cut the melon diagonally into bite sizes pieces or into very small cubes, as you prefer.

Pour the dressing over the melon and toss well. Season with pepper. Arrange the greens on small plates and spoon the melon into the center. If the melons are extra sweet, add as extra lime wedge to each plate. Garnish with the purple tipped Thai basil leaves.

Hilton Head Here We Come

My vacation offically begins today, although we don't fly-out until this weekend. Hilton Head, South Carolina is the destination and we are really looking forward to a much needed vacation! Everyone keeps telling us better take a vacation now because when the baby comes it will be much, much harder to get away!

I'll have photos to post when we return! Until then here's a recipe that's sure to be a favorite. It's blueberry season in Missouri, be sure and choose local blueberries from a local you-pick berry farm.

Summer Blueberry Cobbler
1 cobbler top recipe (See Below)

2 qt blueberries

1-1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn starch

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs butter

TOPPING RECIPE:

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tbs sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 salt

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

TOPPING RECIPE:
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir in the cream. Knead by hand for about 30 seconds and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface until about 1/4 inch thick. Cover the top of the berries with the dough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except the butter in a non reactive bowl and place the mixture in a casserole dish. Dot the top of the berries with the butter, place the top over the berries.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until crust has become a chestnut brown color.

Goat Cheese Pizza

“Oh how yummy!” “One more piece….and another and another.”

Yes, that is what I sound like when I’m indulging in one of my favorite “treats” - goat cheese.

I had always liked goat cheese, but after our vacation to visit my husband’s family in Spain this past summer – I have become a fan of goat cheese. Goat cheese on crackers, with salami, top on a salad or pasta, stuffed with chicken….there are so many wonderful combinations.

Many folks say they don’t like the taste of goat cheese, but that’s probably because they have sampled goat cheese that wasn’t stored properly. Sometimes many of the grocery stores that sell goat cheese haven’t properly stored the cheese, therefore making the cheese have a “rancid” taste. I assure you there is nothing rancid tasting about goat cheese, quite the opposite – goat cheese is smooth, creamy and a “taste for the ages.”

If you are one of these type people that has tried goat cheese only once and now swears you will never try it again – I’m here to change your mind.

In Missouri we have lots of wonderful goat cheese operators that sell their products at many farmers markets and other marketing outlets.

One of my favorite goat cheese farms is from Goatsbeard Farm. The owners, Ken and Jenn Muno, are a wonderful couple whom I purchase lots of goat cheese from throughout the year at the Columbia Farmers’ Market. Goatsbeard is a small family farm dedicated to creating a sustainable livelihood from the land, as the family strives to produce excellent cheese while protecting the water quality of their watershed, enhancing the soils with natural fertilizers, and improving biodiversity.

Goat cheese, like goat milk, is easier on the human digestive system and lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than its bovine counterpart (but that doesn’t keep me from my cow’s milk). Goat cheese is rich in calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin K, phosphorus, niacin and thiamin. So, why not give it a try – improve your taste palate and your health!

One of my family’s favorite goat cheese recipes is our McConnell Goat Cheese Pizza. You can incorporate whatever your favorite vegetables are (we like to use bell peppers, eggplant, olives and sun-dried tomatoes).

McConnell Goat Cheese Pizza
Dough:
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
2 tablespoons yeast
3 cups unbleached white flour salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Toppings:
Sauce (try using a pesto instead of a tomato based sauce)
8 ounces Goat Cheese (Chevre, Teleme and/or Feta)
1 1/2 cups topping of choice: sliced bell peppers or roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, eggplant, chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes or anchovies.

Dissolve honey or sugar in 1 cup warm water. Add yeast, and set in a warm place for about ten minutes. Foam will form on the surface of the yeast.

Meanwhile, put the flour into the food processor (using metal blade) with a dash of salt. Drizzle in the olive oil, followed by the yeast mixture. When the dough forms a ball (motor will begin to slow down), place it in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.

Punch down and roll into desired shape.

Cover the surface of the dough with sauce, and top with 8 ounces of goat cheese and toppings of choice. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 10-14 minutes until crust turns golden. Brush the edge of the crust with a little olive oil before serving.

Christmas Dinner Menu

Many folks stress about the holidays and for good reason. Our country is in economic distress, food prices are sky high and Christmas is just next week…which means all those presents, decorations, wrapping paper that you paid for by credit will be coming to haunt you in January!

I have to make frequent trips to the grocery store during the holidays because all of the baking I do. I was there this week and could not believe just the few items I had totaled $69.54 – and I only had two bags! WOW – I was speechless.

Of course, looking back on the receipt I ask myself – “Did I really need those Goat Cheese Stuffed Olives, or the extensive selection of Spanish cheeses. Or how about those oh so tasty, but so darn expensive gourmet potato chips.” I did however skimp on some things: sour cream, cream cheese and marshmallows. But, it just goes to say that sometimes we splurge a little too much, when we could be more thrifty.

Saying that though, there are just some things I will never cut corners on – and that’s my Christmas dinner!

We are hosting the McConnell family for the holidays next week and I’m so very excited! Last year I hosted Christmas for my family and it was so much fun and less stressful. You see we live 3 hours from both sides of our family and our families live about 2 ½ hours apart. So, this makes for very long holidays and gets very tiring going to and from. This year though will be a piece of cake since we only have to drive south for one Christmas.

I finally have the Christmas dinner menu planned out (and as you can tell – I’m not cutting any corners on this menu). In my opinion when it comes to food, especially Christmas dinner – you can only buy the best in ingredients for the ones you care the most about!

Merry Christmas from my kitchen to yours!

McConnell Christmas Dinner Menu
Appetizers
Olives (Black, Spanish and Stuffed with Goat Cheese)
Spanish Cheeses, Burgers Smokehouse Sausage (local Missouri company) and Crackers
Spudmaster Potato Chips and a Dip
Rosemary Pinwheels

Dinner
Three Meat Dish (Chicken, Ham and Beef Roast)
Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole
Country Green Beans
Pecan Grape Salad
Croissant Rolls
Corn Casserole

Desserts
Southern Red Velvet Cake
Texas Pecan Pie
Very Cherry Pie
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes
Smooth as Silk Chocolate Pie

Be looking for these recipes to come…

Beef Tenderloin for Christmas Dinner

Why is it during the holidays we always cook up the traditional turkey and stuffing? Why not try something new?

I don’t know about you, but after having turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving dinners and then again at Christmas dinners – I’m turkey’ed out!

Now don’t get me wrong- I’m a huge fan of turkey and stuffing. I make chicken and stuffing throughout the year and occasionally splurge and buy a turkey, but there is nothing wrong with mixing it up a bit.

My family mixes it up during the holidays when it comes to the main course: sometimes wild turkey, venison, beef brisket or even pork loin (which I love).

A farmers’ market vendor in southwest Missouri passed along this recipe to me last year and it’s became one of my favorites. This makes a beautiful main course for entertaining special visitors and would be great for your Christmas dinner this holiday.

* Try and make this a local affair this holiday and try and buy local products.

Peppery Pinot Noir Beef Tenderloin

Makes 6 to 8 servings

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature, divided

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 cup finely chopped celery

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/4 cups Pinot Nor wine (try and choose a Missouri wine)

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 cups beef broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (3- to 4-pound) beef tenderloin roast (try and buy from a local farmer)

2 tablespoons heavy cream

4 to 6 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons butter and flour; set aside.

In a large frying pan over low heat, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion, carrot, and celery; saute approximately 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add tomato paste and stir until vegetables are coated. Add wine and boil approximately 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add chicken and beef broths; boil approximately 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 1/4 cups. Remove from heat and strain liquid, discarding solids. Return liquid to pan; add butter/flour mixture and whisk over medium heat about 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Add heavy cream at the very end (do not overheat the cream). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring roast to room temperature before cooking (usually about 20 minutes). Trim the tenderloin of fat.

Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Lightly oil outside of roast and sprinkle with pepper.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Without adding any cooking fat, brown the roast on all sides (approximately 10 minutes). When browned, remove from heat. Place the browned roast and cast-iron pan in the oven and bake, uncovered, until a meat thermometer registers desired temperature (see below).

Rare - 120°F Medium Rare - 125°F Medium - 130°F

Remove from oven and transfer onto a cutting board; cover with a tent of aluminum foil and let stand 15 minutes before carving (meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven).

In the cast-iron frying pan over medium heat, re-warm Pinot Noir Sauce over low heat; mix in any juices from roast.

Cut the roast into 1/2-inch slices and place them on a warm serving platter. To serve, spoon some Pinot Noir Sauce over the meat; pass remaining sauce separately. Serve immediately.

Thinking About Going Green...Stand in Line

It seems that it’s become the “in thing” to say “I’m going Green” and purchase only organic, cage-free, natural, certified humane, free range, grass-fed, blah, blah, blah and blah type foods. Now, I’m a foodie just like the next person, but I also realize where and how my food is processed and makes it from the field to my plate and I can say that many folks today are very disconnected from their food.

Coming from a farm I have the up most respect for the farmers that supply my table with food. So, when all these terms start showing up on food labels across the nation, it makes what should be a simple everyday choice very complicated.

I have to wonder if most of us really understand what the term “organic” means when it comes to the food we consume or what exactly is free-range poultry…

I work with organic producers around the state in my job with the Dept. of Agriculture and I help producers become certified organic through the USDA. I thought when I took this job a little over a year ago I knew exactly what it meant to be organic, but I’ve learned a lot since then.

I was very impressed that the Food Network has an entire section on its website that helps consumers understand what the term organic means and the differences in the growing and harvesting of organic foods, compared to conventionally grown food. If a product bears a "USDA organic" label, you are guaranteed that's it's at least 95 free of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and sewage sludge and that it hasn't been genetically modified or irradiated. No hormones or antibiotics are allowed; animals must be fed organically-grown feed and have access to the outdoors. While some experts have suggested that organic foods are healthier than conventionally-grown, the USDA doesn't support these claims.

The site also has a list of ways to become eco-friendly which I really enjoyed reading. Here is the list from the site so you can make steps to "Go Green" in your home.

10 Eco-Friendly Tips
Shop Locally. Look for locally grown produce at farmers' markets, farm stands and food co-ops. You get fresher fare, support your community and help reduce fuel waste and emissions from long-distance shipping.

Keep an eye on the "9." Check the numbered stickers on fruits and veggies. If they start with #9, your produce is organic, meaning it's grown pesticide-free.

B.Y.O.B. – "bring your own bag." Skip your supermarket's plastic bags and transport groceries in reusable tote bags or canvas produce sacks.

Ditch the plastic bottles. Outfit your kitchen tap with a purified water filter, and tote around a refillable sports bottle, made of glass, aluminum or recycled plastic.

Recycle! Kick those cleaned-out cans, jars, plastic bottles, pizza boxes and even used tin foil to the curb on recycling day. When sorting plastic containers, look for #2 and #3 on the bottom and trash or reuse the rest.

Reduce waste. Buy in bulk, pick fresh ingredients and look for products with limited — or at least recyclable — packaging. Switch to cloth napkins or buy paper towels and napkins labeled "recycled," "unbleached" and/or "post-consumer waste."

Grill it! Outdoor grills take less energy than your stove and keep heat out of the house, reducing costly strain on your AC. Better still: upgrade to induction cooking — it's most efficient.

Chill out. Fill empty space in your refrigerator or freezer with crumpled newspapers or full water bottles — it improves cooling and saves electricity and money.

Go compostal! Feed fresh kitchen scraps (no meats or oils, please) to a compost pile. Then use the nutrient-rich compost to perk up your herb garden.

Clean greener. Scour cast-iron pans with salt to preserve seasoning, turn off the tap while scrubbing dishes and only run a full dishwasher. Plus, stock your pantry with the best natural cleaners: baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar and club soda.

Cooking Spaghetti Squash

It’s fall and that means you have the opportunity to enjoy all the wonderful fall squash varieties that are available at your local grocery store or farmers’ markets. I laugh when I see spaghetti squash in the grocery store because I know most people have no idea how to even cook spaghetti squash. Same goes for acorn squash, butternut, ambercup, banana, buttercup, delicate…the list goes on and on.

Try something new tonight and don’t be shy – pick up one of those funny looking squash at your local market and experience the freshness!

Cooking Spaghetti Squash (this is a very easy recipe a farmers’ market vendor told me this summer)

1 spaghetti squash

2 heads of garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil and vegetable oil

Vegetables, meat or cheese (Your choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Halve raw spaghetti squash with a sturdy sharp knife, scoop out and discard.. Place halves onto an oven safe cooking dish face up. Clean heads of garlic and thinly slice garlic.Spread garlic into the bowl like shape of the squash, salt and pepper vigorously, drizzle with a 50/50 mixture of olive oil, and vegetable oil (get the oil everywhere inside the squash).

Place onto the upper middle rack of the oven for about 30-40 minutes. (You will know it is ready when the squash separates with little resistance from the skin). Remove from oven, and place in coldest location possible for at least 20 minutes, before separating from skin. Use a fork to scoop and separate squash strands, add any other ingredients you like at this point. I like to put everything together and place in a cooking dish and bake in the oven for a little while so the cheeses can melt.

Parmesan, Romano, or Pecorino, Feta, are all excellent additions to this dish, as well as, meat, sausage, veggies, olives, the list is endless. My personal favorites are veggies with feta cheese. I like to also sprinkle in some basil-dried seasonings. Enjoy!

Local Flavors, Local Colors

The weather is cooling off, the leaves are starting to turn and fall is on it’s way to the Midwest! Ahhhhh…how I love this time of the year. It’s warm enough during the day, but just cool enough to wear a light jacket at night.

The beautiful fall colors, harvest time in the fields, colorful mums start appearing, pumpkins of all sizes, corn mazes, apple pie, winter produce from the garden….there are so many wonderful parts of the fall!

As you might have caught on recently from reading my personal blog – I’ve become a huge “localvore.” Not that I wasn’t before, but with my job at the Dept. of Ag I’ve learned a lot about eating local and I have truly found my passion in life. (Yes, I know it might sound corny – but it’s true!)

In my job I work with farmers across the state that sell their farm products at farmers’ markets or off their farm. I also help producers become certified organic through the USDA and help our Agri-Tourism operations market their businesses. I get to spend the day at farmers’ markets visiting with the producers, going to do farm tours with specialty crops growers and I have the opportunity to learn something new everyday. I truly love my job and enjoy helping our producers across the state.

I really feel like everything that I have done before this job was preparing me for this position and the work that I now do. Yes, there are days in the office that aren’t so wonderful, but that’s why they call it a job – it ain’t all peaches and cream all the time.

I am just thankful for this position finding me and so thankful for the farmers that I have the opportunity to work with on a daily basis. Ok that said, back to cooking right?

If you haven’t been on the Farm to Fork Cooking Blog, you need to. It’s all about eating local food, with great recipes and stories! I’m addictive…I wish I could get paid to just cook and write about the pleasures of local food. The blog is a part of FineCooking.com, which is a great site that you can find lots of wonderful and tasty recipes on.

Today’s cooking treat: Butterflied Chicken! I watched Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network the other day and I knew this was one recipe I knew I would love, plus I have a ton of rosemary in my herb garden that needed to be put to good use.

Butterflied Chicken
By Ina Garten
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus 2 sprigs

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Good olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 roasting chickens (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), deboned and butterflied

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Mix the chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl to make a paste.

Place the chickens on a sheet pan, skin side up, and loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers. Place 1/2 of the paste under the skin of each chicken. Rub any remaining paste on the outside and underside of the chickens.

Turn the chicken skin side down and scatter the lemon slices and sprigs of rosemary over each chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Roll each chicken up, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Heat a grill with coals. Spread the coals out in 1 dense layer and brush the grill with oil. Unroll the chickens, place them on the grill and cook for 12 minutes on each side.

Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

Recently, I’ve had apples on the brain. Maybe it’s because I’m trying to eat healthier, maybe it’s because I recently visited Peter’s Market near Marshall, Mo for work or maybe it’s because it’s apples season in Missouri – but either way I’ve had apples on the brain.

On a recent visit to Peter’s Market for work I toured the very impressive orchard and came away from the market with the best Gala apples I’ve ever eaten! I also purchased apple butter, some pickled okra (because I didn’t pickle any of my own this year…ran out of time), home-grown nectarines, gallon of apple cider and a few other Missouri made products that I hadn’t tried before.

Paul Peter, owner of Peter’s Market, took me around the orchard to look over their extensive operation. I learned that Peter’s was the largest distributor of Jonathan apples in the nation, who would have known….right here in good ole Missouri.

There are over 7,000 named varieties of apples in the world – 7,000!

Since it’s apples season across the nation what a better time to try your hand at making a homemade apple pie or this new recipe I recently tried from Paula Deen. I didn’t know about stuffing a pork loin with apples, but this is a very simple recipe for dressing up a traditional pork loin, plus it makes a lovely presentation. And you know…it’s all about the presentation!

Apple Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
Photo and recipe from Paula Deen, Food Network

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
8 fresh sage leaves
2 cups thick-cut white bread cubes, crusts removed
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
1 (3 pound) pork loin roast, butterflied

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, apples and sage. Sauté until softened. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the bread, egg, butter and salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth gradually until everything is moistened. Let the stuffing mixture cool completely before putting it in the pork loin. Spoon the stuffing down the pork, horizontally, in a line. Roll the pork over the stuffing, jelly roll style, ending with the seam down and fat side up. Lightly score the fat, in a diamond pattern, with a sharp knife. Tightly tie the pork roast up with butcher's twine, season it with more salt and pepper, and transfer to a roasting pan. Roast the pork in a preheated oven for about 90 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with apples and fresh herbs.

Heirloom Tomatoes: Taste the Freshness

Although the farmers’ market season is winding down you can still get out to your local farm stand and markets and take part in one of the very best parts local food – heirloom tomatoes!

My family has grown heirlooms in our family garden since I was a child, as do I in my own garden. Heirlooms (or heritage tomatoes) are non-hybrid tomatoes. The definition of the use of the word heirloom to describe plants is highly debated, according to Wikipedia. I consider a true heirloom a cultivar that has been nurtured, selected, and handed down from one family member to another for many generations.

There are SO many varieties to choose from when it comes to heirloom tomatoes…endless possibilities. My favorites are Cherokee Purple and Green Zebra.

If you have never had the opportunity to taste the freshness of heirloom tomatoes, I highly suggest you visit your local market before the end of the season and give it a try.

This year at the Missouri State Fair visitors were able to taste 9 varieties of heirloom tomatoes at the Missouri State Fair Farmers’ Market I put together in the Ag Building. Read about the market events and the heirlooms on my Farmers’ Market Blog or check out other photos from the fair market.

Here are some good readings if you are interested in heirloom tomatoes as well. Or maybe you want to buy some heirloom seeds for your garden next season….take a look at Baker Creek Seeds (where I purchase a lot of my garden seed) or Morgan County Seed (both Missouri companies).

Suggested Heirloom Readings:
Smith & Hawken: 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden (book)
The Heirloom Tomato Cookbook (book)
Why Grow Heirloom Tomatoes
How to plant heirloom tomatoes

Now for a heirloom tomato recipe that I hope you all enjoy!

Creamy Polenta-Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. diced shallot
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream1 cup polenta (such as Bob's Red Mill brand)
1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup plus
2 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large Roma-style heirloom tomatoes
2 Tbs. chopped parsley

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the cream and then whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme and rosemary and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is tender, creamy, and thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/4 cup of the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400° F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and hollow them out. Cut a very thin slice off the bottom of each tomato half so the filled tomato can lie flat without rolling. Arrange the tomatoes on the baking sheet and season them lightly with salt. Fill each tomato half with some of the polenta, mounding just slightly (depending on the size of your tomatoes, you may or may not use all the polenta). Sprinkle the remaining 2 Tbs. of cheese and the parsley over each. Bake until the tomatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Squashing Around

This year has been a tough one for many farmers’ across Missouri. Floods, heavy rain, damaging winds and then more flooding has caused many farmers’ to loose their vegetable crops, meaning their farmers’ market business well also suffer this season.

But there are many folks that have salvaged their gardens or vegetable operations. I attended the recent Fahrmeier Field Day Monday for work and received a bountiful basket of fresh produce from the Fahrmeier family that included, tomatoes, squash, zucchini and raspberries.

My garden is almost ready to provide me with some wonderful squash, but I’ll still have to wait about another two weeks for tomatoes.

Reminder: Get out to your local Missouri Farmers' Market this season and enjoy the wide variety of produce and talking with the producers.

Here’s a new recipe for squash that I know you will all enjoy!

Italian Summer Squash

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

5 tablespoons olive oil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

2-1/2 tablespoons chopped dill (use the feathery portions only)

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 pattypan squash - trimmed and cut into

1/2 inch thick slices

3 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 3/4" thick slices

3 yellow (crookneck) squash, trimmed and cut into 3/4" thick slices

Combine lemon juice, oregano and garlic in a non-reactive bowl. Whisk in mustard and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the dill and feta cheese; set aside. Cook squash until tender, but not mushy. Carefully transfer squash to a serving plate. Stir dill and feta dressing to recombine, spoon over squash.