EcoFriendly Foods

At the Markets - April 18 and 19, 2009

Here's what you'll find at Arlington and Dupont Circle farmers markets this weekend...

The good news is… well it’s ALL good news! It’s a great weekend to shop with EcoFriendly Foods at the farmer’s markets! We have some beautiful meats for you to choose from.

First of all we have a good selection of our of grass-fed, grass-finished, dry-aged beef steaks. There are steaks galore; rib-eyes, NY strips, T-bones, a couple of porterhouses, sirloin steaks, top round steaks, eye of round roast, top round roast, flank, skirts, tri-tips and a whole tenderloin, ALL FRESH! And if all you really want is that first great burger on the grill, there is a limited amount of ground beef to satisfy.

Also FRESH, more of our spring lamb! These are true spring lambs, with a carcass weight of only 18-20 pounds. They are mild flavored, tender and just perfect for the season. As always these are 100% grass-fed/finished and are free of any chemicals or medications. Bev will have leg roasts, loin chops, rib chops, leg chops and shoulder chops. How about a few friends over for a little mixed grill action… some lamb rib chops basted with olive oil, garlic and fresh mint, a nice beef sirloin steak with a good salt & pepper crust and a couple of pork chops or tenderloin? What could be better?

Speaking of pork, come look at what we’ve got… center cut rib chops, tenderloins and BEAUTIFUL boneless butterfly loin chops. Add some of your favorite Cajun seasoning and grill away! Quick tip: Cook your pork chops on a low to medium heat, NOT the hot searing heat you may use for some meats. Be patient and let them cook slowly until they are still just pink in the center. Take them off the fire and let them rest for 10 minutes. The residual heat in the piece will finish the cooking and you won’t risk over cooking.

On the sausage front we’ll have a selection of our delicious breakfast, hot, mild and sweet Italian and Spanish chorizo for the weekend. These are handmade from our own clean, pasture-raised pork hams and shoulders. They contain no preservatives, fillers or mystery meats (you know what I mean). And don’t forget to try our country cured ham if you haven’t already. We also have a good supply of our traditional bacon, cured WITHOUT any nitrates or nitrites… a great taste without the chemicals!

And what else? How about rabbits? We have a few (6) rabbits. There have been many requests for rabbits recently so get ‘em while their available. And while you’re at it, ask Bev for a caul fat to wrap your rabbit. It’s a classic.

In the poultry department, we have frozen whole chickens along with a good supply of whole legs. We may also have a few more stock making parts; backs, necks and feet. So grab some parts and make yourself one more pot of chicken stock before the cool weather gives way to the summer heat of Washington. And while we’re talking chicken, this week we are bringing the very last of our chicken inventory for the year. Our fresh chicken season will start with the first harvest on April 27th and those birds will appear at the market the weekend of May 2nd & 3rd. So mark your calendars! We look forward to bringing all of our dedicated market customers that first fresh bird of the season. Bev and our producers have been working hard to put together our poultry schedule for the year so that we can bring a consistent supply of these delicious, clean, pasture-raised birds to the markets.

And it’s worth repeating…many thanks to all of you for your support throughout the winter market season! We know it’s tough to roll out of bed when it’s cold and damp and windy (boy do we know!) to come to the farmer’s markets. But you keep coming so THANK YOU! We look forward to a great spring/summer season and your continued support. Bon Appetit!

At the Markets - April 11 and 12, 2009

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 few breast cuts and a good supply of whole legs. We also have some stock making parts; backs, necks and feet. So grab some parts and make yourself one more pot of chicken stock before the cool weather gives way to the summer heat of Washington. Perhaps snuggle up to warm cup of chicken noodle soup this week! Or better yet, we’re real close to having the first fresh asparagus and peas of spring, so a nice chicken broth with asparagus and peas and little fresh mint would be the perfect seasonal soup dish! And while we’re talking chicken, this week we are bringing the very last of our chicken inventory for the year. Our fresh chicken season will start with the first harvest on April 27th and those fresh birds will appear at the market the weekend of May 2nd & 3rd. So mark your calendars! We look forward to bringing all of our dedicated market customers that first fresh bird of the season. Bev and our producers have been working hard to put together our poultry schedule for the year so that we can bring consistent supply of these clean, pasture raised birds to the markets.

In the beef department, most of our selection of grass-fed, dry-aged cuts will be frozen, but there is one rack of fresh high end steaks. These are 60-day dry-aged steaks, excellent for your grilling pleasure this weekend. We also have ground beef for that chili pot, meatballs or meatloaf.

In the fresh pork department we’ll have several fresh tenderloins. These are very popular so come early to get your choice. There will be a limited selection of freshly cut chops as well. On the sausage front we’ll have a selection of our delicious breakfast, hot & mild Italian and chorizo for the weekend. WE WILL BE OFFERING ANOTHER SPECIAL ON OUR SAUSAGES THIS WEEKEND: BUY 2 GET ONE FREE!. So take this opportunity to stock up on a couple of your favorite sausages. And keep in mind that these sausages are hand made by us, right here at our plant in Moneta, VA. They are made from our own clean, pasture-raised pork hams and shoulders and contain no preservatives, fillers or mystery meats (you know what I mean). And don’t forget to try our country cured ham if you haven’t already. Yes, we know it’s an intense flavor but a little bit in your pasta sauce, crispy lardons on your salad, or in a pot of your favorite southern greens or dry beans, it’s a wonderful enhancement to many dishes. A few thin shreds in a fresh asparagus risotto is DIVINE this time of the year! If you’ve never had it, or have any questions about how to use it, please let us know at the stand and we’ll help you understand this southern classic. We also have a good supply of our traditional bacon, cured WITHOUT any nitrates or nitrites… a great taste without the chemicals! What could be better?

And yes it’s Easter weekend so we’re bringing several of our pasture-raised spring lambs to market this week. We’ll have a good selection of all the classic cuts; chops, legs roasts, shanks, etc. These are true lambs, not a nearly grown sheep as is promoted by the industry. They are small, only 15-20 lbs and are the most tender, delightfully mild flavored lamb you’ll ever have. So come by and get something special for your Easter table!

Many thanks to all of you for your support throughout the winter market season! We know it’s tough to roll out of bed when it’s cold and damp and windy (boy do we know!) to come to the farmer’s markets. But you keep coming so THANK YOU! We look forward to a great spring/summer season and your continued patronage. Bon Appetit!

At the Markets - April 4 and 5, 2009

Care to help out EcoFriendly Foods with a little research and development?  We’ll have a new product at the Arlington Courthouse and Dupont Circle farmers markets this weekend.  Traditional, Spanish-style, air-dried sausages.  Chorizo.  Fuet.  Salchichon.  It’s the first time we’ve created sausages like these and we think they’re nicely seasoned, with some great pork flavor and cured chunks of lardo throughout.  We’ve been working closely with one of our regular chefs for the past year and a half on these sausages and we’ve finally put it together in a way that we believe really shines.  We hope you’ll think so too.  So pick some up this weekend and let us know what you think.  Be part of our tasting community.

What else will you find this weekend?  Our usual selection of fresh and frozen sausages. More dry-aged beef.  Farmers Cross pork chops, including bone-in and butterflied  rib chops, and tenderloins.  Also, we’ll have some whole shoulders and whole pork bellies.  Perfect for smoking.

In terms of chicken, we have some frozen whole birds and a few frozen parts still left.  Mostly leg quarters.  We expect to begin harvesting fresh chickens again at the end of April so it’s going to be a number of weeks before more chicken comes to the market, so get it while you can.  We also have boneless, skinless turkey breasts available.  And plenty of eggs!

Finally, we want to tell you about the lamb.  We’re not likely to have any at the market this weekend, but next weekend we’ll have plenty of fresh lamb in case that’s what’s in your plans for Easter.  If you want a special cut or particularly large order, be sure to call our plant early next week and we’ll make sure to have it for you next weekend.