National Farmers Market Week kicked off on Monday, August 8. In addition to issuing a proclamation, the USDA announced there are now more than 7,000 markets listed in the USDA Farmers Market Directory, meaning it’s getting easier to do what we at Greensbury Market do every day: support family farms and sustainable, organic farming methods. Many local markets carry organic meat and grass-fed beef, as well as organic produce, dairy, cheese and other goodies.

Since summer is prime farmer’s market season, now’s the time to make the effort to seek one out, when you’ll find fresh and locally grown produce that’s full of flavor:  heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, juicy peaches and plums, and much more.  We hunted down some great recipes that you can pair with organic chicken, organic pork, or organic grass-fed beef for a delicious summer meal.

Zucchini and Tomato Gratin
Alice Waters, Chef and Owner, Chez Panisse
Pair with: Grilled 100% Grass-fed Strip Steak

Serves 6 to 8

1 yellow onion(s)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small bunch thyme
1 bunch fresh basil
6 to 8 medium tomato(es)
10 zucchini, or yellow squash

Preheat oven to 400F.

Peel and slice the onion and sauté it in olive oil until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and basil leaves. Remove the stem ends of the tomatoes and cut into ¼-inch slices. Trim the squash and cut into ¼-inch slices on diagonal.

Spread the onion and herbs on the bottom of a 9×12 inch baking or gratin dish. Make a row of slightly overlapping tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper. Make a row of zucchini or squash slices. Make alternate rows of slightly overlapping tomato slices and zucchini or yellow squash until the pan is covered and the vegetables are used up.

Press down on the vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and bake uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes until the gratin has started to brown.

Melanzane Ripiene (Stuffed Italian Eggplant)
Carmine Marzano, Chef and Owner, Ristorante Luigino
Pair with: Organic Italian Sausages

Serves 4

4 Italian eggplant
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion(s), chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 ounces sausage, pork
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 egg(s)
1 pinch dry marjoram
1 teaspoons parsley, chopped
salt
pepper(s)
Parmesan cheese, grated, as garnish

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and score around the outside with a sharp knife, being careful not to pierce the shell. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Poach the eggplant shells for about 45 seconds in boiling water, and set aside to cool off.

Chop the flesh of the eggplant and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the chopped eggplant and sausage and cook for about ten minutes. Set aside while the filling cools off. Mix the eggplant and sausage with the Parmesan cheese, eggs and herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill the eggplant halves with a pastry bag or spoon and sauteon both sides in a skillet with olive oil for about two minutes or bake in a 350F oven for 15 minutes. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Chile Rellenos
Grady Spears, Co-Owner and Executive Chef, Reata Restaurants

Pair with: Organic chicken

Grady Spears worked as a cowhand and cattle broker before becoming executive chef and co-owner of the Reata Restaurants in Alpine and Fort Worth, Texas, and in Beverly Hills, California. Named one of the Top 5 New Chefs of 1998 by Restaurants and Institutions Magazine, his work at Reata has been widely praised in newspapers and magazines from coast to coast. He is the author of A Cowboy in the Kitchen, Cowboy Cocktails and Texas Farm to Market.

Serves 2

Red Chile Sauce:
2 ancho chile(s)
2 New Mexican dried chile(s), or Mexican guajillos
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 onion(s), minced
1 clove of garlic, minced

Slit each chile with a sharp knife and remove the sees and stem. Place the ancho and dried peppers in a large saucepan, cover with chicken stock and add the onion and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the peppers are soft. Pour the pepper mixture and cooking liquid into a blender and blend on low speed, increasing to high speed as the pureé combines.
Chicken Stuffing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound, skinless, boneless chicken, thigh meat
1 3/4 cups tomato(es), peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup red chile(s), sauce (recipe above)
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper(s), to taste

Heat the oil in a sauté pan and add the chicken. Sauté the meat over medium heat, turning it several times, until it is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the heat and allow it to cool. Coarsely chop the meat and put it in a bowl. Add the tomatoes, chile sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix Gently.
Rellenos:
4 large poblano peppers
2 cups (about 8 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled

Roast peppers: Lightly oil their skins and roast them over a flame or under a broiler until they are charred on all sides. Set aside in a sealed plastic bag for 10 minutes to allow the steam to loosen the skin. Peel off the charred skin and discard it. Slit one side, remove and discard the seeds. The peppers are now ready to stuff.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Put one quarter of the chicken mixture in each pepper, with the cut side facing up. Place the peppers on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Mix together the Monterey Jack and goat cheese and divide it evenly among the peppers, piling cheese on top of the chicken mixture. Bake the peppers for 20 minutes or until filling is heated through and cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve at once.

Knowledge is power, as they say, and today many Americans want to know as much as possible about the food they eat: where it comes from, what’s in it, and whether it’s good for their health and the environment.

The government has responded to new concerns about food safety, quality and public health with more laws about nutrition labeling in supermarkets and restaurants. Especially where meat is concerned, however, it can be confusing to sort through all the information on packages and labels. What does “natural” mean? If it says “no growth hormones,” does that mean it’s organic? Where does “grass fed” or “free range” fit into the picture?

At Greensbury, we believe that “certified organic” provides the best insurance that meat is as natural, healthy and environmentally friendly as possible. Here’s why:

1)   Organic farmers do not use antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones. Organic livestock are never given antibiotics or synthetic hormones such as the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Their feed is organic and vegetarian. By eating organic meats, you also limit your intake of genetically modified foods, because organic farmers cannot raise genetically modified crops or livestock or use production aids that are genetically modified.

2) Organic meat comes from animals that are given 100% organic feed. Organic animals are raised the way nature intended, in an environment with fewer toxins, no pesticides, healthier soil, and 100% organic all vegetarian feed.

3) Organic animals are given access to the outdoors and/or pastures. Animals on certified organic farms are raised with special attention to their health and wellbeing. They have access to fresh air, sunshine, and the outdoors. This is good for them, and food for you, too. Organic meats come from animals whose good health is looked after.

4)   Organic grass-fed beef has special health benefits. When compared to grain-fed livestock, organic grass-fed, pasture-raised beef is among the healthiest protein sources on the planet. Grass-fed beef can have up to one-third less fat as a similar cut from a grain-fed animal. Because they are lower in fat than grain-fed animals, grass-fed meat is lower in calories. Grass-fed beef has two to four times more heart-friendly omega-3s than meat from grain-fed animals.

5)   Organic farms do no use most conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. Certified organic farmers do no use most conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. Organic agricultural practices prevent pesticides and other chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.

6)   Organic farmers emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Well-balanced soil is the foundation of healthy, nutritious food. Conventional farming depletes the soil over time. Organic farmers use practices that replenish and build healthy soil.

7)   Organic farms are inspected by a Government-approved certifier. The inspection process is rigorous and ensures the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic meats must be certified, too.

We were interested to see that the USDA recently launched a program called Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, which supports the growing movement to connect the food we eat with the people, places and methods that produce it.

Not too many Americans know what life is like on a farm. Most of us grow up with an idealized view of what a farm should look like: a big red barn, lush green fields or pastures, free-ranging livestock, and hardworking people who care about the land. Sadly, today’s industrial farms are far from ideal. In fact, you have to make an effort to find the kind of local American farm that is pleasant to visit, where the animals and the people and the environment seem to be harmoniously coexisting.

That’s why we are so proud to work with organic family farms. Greensbury is committed to working only with producers that meet high standards for sustainably raised organic meats. We spend time visiting our farms and farmers because we know our customers can’t. And we promise: these are farms you can feel good about.

Animals raised on organic farms are should have plenty of access to the outdoors. This is natural, humane, and essential to producing high-quality meat without antibiotics.

At Greensbury Market, we only work with small organic family farms that raise animals with plenty of year-round access to pasture, fresh air and sunshine. Our farms have always complied with standards requiring that meat labeled organic must come from animals with outdoor access and livestock with access to pasture.

Unfortunately, over the years, a few large organic producers have been exploiting loopholes in the USDA labeling laws, and not providing a truly free-range environment. Now, thanks in part to the advocacy work of Consumers Union,  the nonprofit publishers of Consumer Reports, the USDA has tightening up the organic standards by providing clear guidelines on what “pasture raised” actually means. Here are the guidelines that producers much comply with by 2011:

• all organic animals have year-round access to the outdoors
• ruminant animals, such as cows and lambs, will be required to graze on pasture during the entire grazing season (which will vary depending on region but cannot be less than 120 days) and get at least 30 percent of their dry nutrition from the pasture while they are grazing.
• beef and lamb must come from animals that were not confined during the finishing period (when animals are usually fattened on grain).

At Greensbury, we’re proud of our 100% organic label, and we stand behind every effort to ensure that consumers get what they deserve when they choose organic meats.