Here's what you'll find at Arlington and Dupont Circle farmers markets this weekend...
In
the poultry department, we have frozen whole chickens along with a good
supply of frozen parts including livers this week. We have a few whole
turkeys remaining for your post holiday table (Turkey…not just for
Thanksgiving anymore!). I know that we all make a big production out of
the turkey at Thanksgiving but they are so easy to cook! Now really,
what could be easier than popping a turkey into the oven for a few
hours to be rewarded with lots of wonderful, pastured-raised poultry…
sandwiches, casseroles, soups…SO GO FOR IT!
Our whole turkeys
will be available on a first come first serve basis. We also have
turkey breast cutlets. We also have frozen poussins to round out our
poultry selection. While fresh chicken season is over, we will have
frozen whole birds and parts for several more weeks.
As a
little sidebar to the poultry season, I used to be one of those people
who would say “Why should I buy a frozen chicken when I can get a fresh
one at the mega supermarket down the street?” That was back in the day
before I became aware of the environmental and health issues related to
commercial poultry production models vs. pasture-based ones. For all of
those reasons and then some, an EcoFriendly pastured bird is hands
down, better for you, your family and the environment. And they taste
better than anything you can buy in the supermarket! So don’t let the
fact that the poultry is frozen deter you. It’s still the best!
In
the beef department we have a limited selection of fresh, grass-fed,
dry-aged cuts (60 day aged!). We had one chuck quarter to cut and bring
to market. Out of that we’ve cut small briskets, chuck eye steaks, flat
iron, mock tender and tenderloin pieces. Speaking of the chuck eye, you
may not be familiar with this cut. It’s
a continuation of the loin where it passes underneath the shoulder
blade. This cut grills and pan fries very much like a higher end steak
but is much less expensive per pound. It’s worth a try for sure. We
also have ground beef for your chili, meatballs or meatloaf. Also, if
you’re an offal fan I’ll have a good selection of beef kidneys, livers
and hearts. And if you’re not familiar with these healthy, iron filled
cuts, I spent a good bit of time cutting and trimming the livers and
hearts into small, easily accessible packages for the weekend markets.
So come pick up a little bit of sliced liver or heart and give it a
try.
In
the pork department we have some good stuff this week! First of all,
you'll find several fresh tenderloins, but these are very popular so
come early to get your choice. In addition, our crew made chops with
four Farmer's Cross racks, so we’ve got one of the most beautiful and
best selections of high end, rib and butterfly loin chops that we’ve
had in a long time. They’re all frenched and ready for your grill, cast
iron skillet or broiler! We’ve trimmed some tight for those of you who
want a leaner chop and left the outer fat cap on for those of you who
appreciate that unctuous fatty layer! And one more little ditty about
this week’s pork… we have a few cuts from a purebred Red Wattle pig.
It’s a special breed that was near to extinction at one point just a
few decades ago. But through the efforts of small farmers like
ourselves and our producers, the breed is back and getting rave reviews
from the farmers and the chefs! There will be a limited selection of
chops, fresh ham steaks and shoulder chops available from this half
carcass. On the sausage front we’ll have a selection of our delicious
breakfast, hot & mild Italian and chorizo for the weekend.
And
last be not least, here's a sneak preview of something special for next
week. Many of you regular customers have probably heard an EcoFriendly
market staffer respond to a query about veal with a firm, “We don’t
sell veal.” We say that because, in our opinion, most veal production
models do not fall within our comfort zone of what we consider humane.
There is an alternative veal production model which produces what is
known as Rose Veal. Rather than being an adjunct of the dairy
industry, Rose Veal is a focused production model where the calves are
left with the mothers throughout their lives. These animals are
approximately five months old and have been raised with their mothers
on pasture. Their diet consists of mother’s milk and as much grass as
their developing palettes care to eat. It’s this limited grazing that
gives the meat its ‘Rose’ color and characteristic fuller flavor.
Generally
speaking, dedicated Rose Veal producers are few and far between. But
EcoFriendly has an excellent new producer, right here in Bedford
County, only 10 minutes from our plant. Next week (January 17th/18th)
we’ll have some beautiful cuts: rib chops, scallopini, osso bucco, stew
meat, etc. As we get this new veal program underway, the supply will be
very limited so if you’re interested, shop early. That first week,
we'll have the equivalent of one half carcass. We hope to harvest these
milk-fed, grass-raised animals about every 2-3 weeks for the next few
months, so look for this great new product at the market. We want to
hear what you think of it, so be sure to let us know. See you this
weekend!
