Farms will be open on Saturday

The overflowing bins of fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, honey, meat and eggs that you find at Lexington Farmers Market are the result of hours of work on Central Kentucky farms by local farmers.
And now, consumers who would like to see how the farmers grow vegetables, raise honeybees and milk goats can participate in the first Lexington Farmers Market farm tour on Saturday.
Tour tickets are $10. They’re available at www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.com or at 7 a.m. the day of the event at the farmers market on Vine Street. Proceeds go to the farmers market.
Boyd Orchards, Chrisman Mill Vineyards, Garey Farms and Evans Orchards will serve lunch for an additional charge.
Here’s a list of the farms that will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (859) 608-2655.
* Abigail’s Apiary, 5555 Spirit Ridge Lane, Lexington, (859) 421-1302. Tours will begin every hour on the hour starting at 9 a.m. Learn how bees produce locust, clover and wildflower honey.
* Best’s Family Farm, 1033 Pilot Knob Cemetery Road, Berea, (859) 986-3204. Bill Best grows heirloom tomatoes and green beans. Three greenhouses will be on the tour.
* Bluegrass Chevre, 1175 Grimes Mill Road, Lexington, (859) 421-6983. Learn how goat cheese is made. Goats will be fed and milked about noon.
* Boyd Orchards, 1396 Pinckard Pike, Versailles, (859) 873-3097. Take a walking tour of the orchard and pick strawberries.
* Chrisman Mill Vineyards, 2385 Chrisman Mill Road, Nicholasville, (859) 881-5007. Winemakers’ tour begins at 1 p.m. by reservation.
* Evans Orchard, 180 Stone Road, Georgetown, (502) 863-2255. Tours through the orchard are every hour on the hour from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
* Garey Farms, 5199 Lexington Road (U.S. 68), Paris, (859) 576-1063. Walking tour.
* Hazelfield Farm, 1585 Butler Inn Road, Worthville in Carroll County. (502) 463-2492. Learn to cut flowers and visit a Jersey milk cow, a miniature donkey, a paint mare, chickens and golden retrievers.
* Home Pickin’s, 161 Pilgrims Road, McKee, (606) 493-7058. This farm grows vegetables, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and specialty cut flowers, and raises grass-fed beef and pastured poultry.
* Lone Oak Farm, 974 Carrick Road, Georgetown, (502) 863-1517. The farm has six acres of vegetables, surrounded by 13 acres of landscaping flowers and shrubs.
* Meadowbloom Farm, 1054 Duncan Avenue, Lexington, (859) 576- 5924. Chris and Sandy Canon will show how to grow food on a small plot of land.
* Prewitt Farm, Valley View Road, Butler, (859) 297-1906. Corn, pumpkins and cattle are raised on this farm.
* Three Toads Farm, 2234 Colby Road, Winchester, (859) 744- 2852. This stop has two greenhouses full of blooming lilies, a raspberry/blackberry vineyard and a sunflower patch.

Here’s what cooking on TV

Here’s the Quick Take recipe I prepared Friday on WKYT-TV’s 27 Newsfirst at Noon. My cooking segment airs between 12:35 and 12:40 p.m. Fridays on WKYT, then becomes available on Kentucky.com at 1 p.m.

Sautéed chicken with peanut dipping sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 small cucumbers, peeled and halved lengthwise, and sliced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ pounds chicken cutlets
Kosher salt and pepper
1 bottle prepared peanut dipping sauce (satay sauce)

Combine rice vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar and the cucumbers in a medium bowl. Gently fold in the cilantro; set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Spoon peanut sauce into small bowls for dipping. Stir the cucumber salad and serve with chicken and dipping sauce.

Lemonade and youngsters a great mix

Youngsters enjoy setting up lemonade stands, and this summer they can help raise money for homeless children by participating in LemonAid Days. They can register at The Salvation Army, 736 West Main Street, or online at www.lemonaiddays.org and receive a LemonAid kit. The kit includes instructions for running a successful lemonade stand, official badges and posters. The stands will operate July 4 through 23.

Here are some ways to get involved:

Get your church children ministries, sports teams, or scout troops involved and register as a group.

Let your family, friends, and neighbors know about your stand with flyers, e-mails, and signs.

Set up a stand at your yard/garage sale.

Decorate your stand with bright colors and perhaps some music.

When you register at The Salvation Army or on-line, you’ll receive a LemonAiD Kit in the mail that includes:

• Official LemonAiD badges for stand operators
• Poster to designate stand as an Official LemonAiD Site
• Instructions on running a successful stand
• Thank-you bookmarks for customers
• Sponsorship form
• Return envelope for proceeds

There will be a rally at the Fayette Mall on July 23 where kids can celebrate and put their proceeds into The Salvation Army giant red kettle. Call (859) 252-7706.

What’s the best supermarket olive oil?

How do you select a quality extra-virgin olive oil?
Unless you’re a professional chef, you probably don’t know the answer to that question.

The August issue of Cook’s Illustrated (www.cooksillustrated.com) tackles the problem with supermarket olive oils. The staff sampled 10 of the top-selling brands and conducted a blind tasting - first plain, and then warmed and tossed with pasta. Most were “simply awful.”

Columela, a product of Spain, was highly recommended. Lucini Italia premium select extra virgin olive oil and Colavita extra virgin olive oil were recommended. Columela is available in better supermarkets and at www.surlatable.com.

Unfortunately, the article said, the supermarket is not the best place to buy quality extra-virgin olive oil.

But occasionally, you can find a good extra virgin olive oil at Big Lots. It may not be a brand you’re familiar with, but on my last trip to Big Lots, I picked up a bottle of LIO, for about $8. LIO is the leading producer and exporter of olive oil in Turkey. I don’t know how it would rate with the Cook’s Illustrated tasters, but I was pleased with its flavor.

Cook’s Illustrated said olive oil has a shelf life of 12 to 18 months, but supermarkets frequently do not rotate their supply of olive oil accordingly, And while high-end oils usually indicate the harvest year, most mass-market brands do not, and lack sell-by dates on their labels; less than half our lineup had them. Oils that are beginning to break down have a “greasy” rather than rich texture.

Blueberry lovers can get their fill at Pancake Day

Fresh blueberries at Reed Valley Orchard in Paris are ripe and ready to eat. Farm owners Dana and Trudie Reed are holding their ­annual Blueberry Jubilee and ­Pancake Day from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m June 28 and ­serving blueberry pancakes until 1 p.m. Families can ­enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides, a nature hike, line dancing, and live music. Call (859) 987-6480 or visit www.
reedvalleyorchard.com. The farm is at 239 Lail Lane, Paris.

Tops in tailgating
Tailgaters extraordinaire the Brew Crew Six are getting more national attention.
Last summer, Sports ­Illustrated featured the group of University of Kentucky tailgaters on its Tailgate ­Nation Web site. Now they’re on the cover of the current issue of Tailgater Monthly. “We also have some pictures on the inside of the magazine and an article about us,” Brew Crew member Chris Dedic said. Read about it at www.tailgatermonthly.com and www.brewcrew6.us

Just for kids
The Arboretum on Alumni Drive offers garden programs for children on Saturday mornings. Hours are 9 to 10 a.m. and the cost is $1. ­Activities include planting and harvesting in the children’s garden and crafts. Topics and dates are: garden wind chimes on June 28; Make Our Garden Grow, July 5 and 26; mud pies, July 12; and veggies and herbs, July 19. Call (859) 257-9339.

Life in the slow lane
The slow food movement is changing the way consumers eat and shop. We’re thinking green. and we want safe food and quality for our food dollars.
If you haven’t joined the slow food movement, here’s the short version of what it is.
Slow food is a back-to-the-kitchen movement that extends to global issues. It includes the person taking the time to make bread or simmer a homemade soup, as well as the one frequenting the local organic restaurant and the lobbyist fighting for the rights of the family farmer.
According to SlowFood USA, the movement supports:
■ The small family farmer as well as small-scale gardening.
■ Artisan foods (like beautifully crafted breads and farmstead cheeses), the culinary arts (how to cook, not quickly, but skillfully), and seasonal celebrations of local foods and traditions (like an autumn harvest community potluck and the sharing of heirloom varieties of produce).
■ Local foods, which means foods that don’t travel a long distance from farm to plate and are more nutritious and delicious than those that are shipped across the country to grocers’ shelves. Eating locally produced food respects and supports our communities, the small family farm, traditional ways of growing food, and the concept of seasonal availability.
What consumers can do:
■ Buy from local food cooperatives and farmers markets and support restaurants that buy local food.
■ Be willing to invest in the cause. Sometimes it costs more to produce food that isn’t commercialized.
■ Learn more about the Slow Food Movement at www.SlowFood.com, www.SlowFoodUSA.org and www.SlowFoodBluegrass.org.

Bob’s Father’s Day gift was a great idea - for me

An e-mail from Williams-Sonoma a couple of weeks ago was touting a new mesh grill-top pan for Father’s Day.

I thought it was such a neat idea and showed the photo to a co-worker. She said it was perfect idea for her husband for Father’s Day and told me she would pick one up for me when she stopped by Fayette Mall.

On Sunday when we grilled a pork roast for Father’s Day, I used the mesh grill pan to cook a variety of fresh vegetables, including asparagus, zucchini, onions, and eggplant. The pan, which is made of heavy-gauge, stainless steel wire, allowed the vegetables to sear without burning.

I loved it, but I forgot to tell Bob it was his Father’s Day gift.

The fry pan is $29.95 and available only at Williams-Sonoma.

Here’s what’s cooking on TV

Here’s the Quick Take recipe I prepared Friday on WKYT-TV’s 27 Newsfirst at Noon. My cooking segment airs between 12:35 and 12:40 p.m. Fridays on WKYT, then becomes available on Kentucky.com at 1 p.m.

Pan-seared dumpling salad
2 tablespoons canola oil
12 frozen dumplings or pot stickers
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 bunches watercress, stems removed
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add dumplings; cook, covered, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining canola oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring ­occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in edamame, ginger and 2 tablespoons water. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until edamame are heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add watercress and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss until just wilted. Divide among individual bowls, and top with ­dumplings. Whisk sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a small bowl, and drizzle over each salad.

We drive to Clay City when we need comfort food

Even with high gas prices, we still make our occasional trip to Kathy’s Country Kitchen in Clay City. On a beautiful summer night, the drive is worth the additional cost.

On Wednesday night, my brother Gary and sister-in-law Dianna went with us and on this visit, we had to ask if there was a new cook in the kitchen.

Actually there are two — Erik Fountain and Rebecca Johnson.

They both have been there for several months, but together they’re really putting out great food. The food is always good, but last night’s dinner was more like Mom’s.

We like going to Kathy’s for country style steak, potato cakes, fried green tomatoes, yeast rolls, bean soup, and strawberry pretzel salad. Since Mom died, it’s the only place we can get homemade food that reminds us of being at her kitchen table.

Mom always cooked lunch on Saturdays and we all made sure we were free to be there. Our children’s fondest memories are of Saturday’s spent with Grandma Myrtle and Grandpa Claude.

As long as Kathy’s serves meals like our Mom cooked, we won’t let $4 a gallon gas keep us away.

Oh, by the way, gas prices are about 10 cents a gallon cheaper in Clay City than Lexington, so we top off the tank while there!

Kathy’s Country Kitchen is at 20 Black Creek Road in Clay City. Call (606) 663-4179.

Locally-grown tomatoes are safe

Can’t imagine your summer burger without a fresh, juicy tomato?

Then buy local.

Susie Quick, owner of Honest Farm Market in Midway, is selling tomatoes that were started in hoop houses in early spring by a group of Amish farmers. Most backyard gardeners and local farmers will have fresh tomatoes by July 4.

Bill Best of Berea said he would take his first tomatoes of the season to the Lexington Farmers’ Market on Saturday. “Because of a cold and wet May which gave the tomato plants in our high tunnels more disease and insects than usual, our early production will be down from last year. Our field tomatoes are doing well and we hope to have plenty of them by the middle of July. I suspect that most peoples’ tomatoes will be late this summer because of the cold and wet weather in May. I know that several growers were late getting their plants in the ground,” he said.

This week consumers were urged to avoid red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes due to possible contamination with salmonella. Tomato products such as sauces, soups, paste, ketchup and juice remain a safe choice.

Agriculture commissioners meeting in Lexington speak out

This information comes from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture:

On Tuesday, agriculture commissioners from the southeastern United States, meeting in Lexington, expressed their frustration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over its handling of the outbreak of salmonella in certain tomatoes and urged the agency to reform its procedures.

The FDA has tied raw red plum, raw red Roma and raw round red tomatoes to 167 cases of salmonellosis reported since mid-April. The agency has advised the public to consume tomatoes only from 23 states, part of Florida, Puerto Rico and six foreign countries or tomato varieties that its data suggest are not linked to the outbreak.

“We understand that the FDA has a big responsibility, but it is necessary for them to open the lines of communication with the public as well as the states,” said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA), during SASDA’s annual conference. “The FDA needs to work with the states to pinpoint the source of the outbreak and eradicate it without unnecessarily harming producers whose products are not affected by the outbreak.”

During a SASDA business meeting, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson said the FDA’s statements on the salmonella outbreak “have basically shut down the southern tomato growers.” He said growers in the northern part of his state only now are beginning to harvest their 2008 tomato crop. “They couldn’t have been part of this [outbreak],” Commissioner Bronson said. Later on Tuesday Commissioner Bronson announced that FDA has deemed tomatoes currently being harvested in Florida as safe to eat.
Commissioner Bronson said no FDA official has been to Florida or asked his state’s government to help trace the outbreak.

Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks pointed out that his state, which borders Florida, is on the FDA’s list of unaffected states. “It doesn’t make good sense,” he said.

Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens said the decision of some national restaurant chains to take tomatoes off their products comes at a time when U.S. hamburger consumption is at an all-time high. “This couldn’t come at a worse time,” he said.

West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglass said the FDA’s statements on the outbreak are affecting sales of hydroponically grown tomatoes from states farther north that are not on the FDA’s list of unaffected states.

Taping TV videos more trying than fun

I’ve done it twice, and I now can talk about it.

Taping 13 videos for the WKYT-TV’s Quick Take cooking segments that air on Fridays is painful. My feet and legs hurt after two days of standing for 8 to 10 hours each day. And my stomach aches for a week before the shoot. I stress over which recipes to choose, plates to use, and about the way I look.

Only a few people see me when I’m in the office, and really, nobody cares about what I wear, or if my lipstick clashes with my outfit, or if my new hair color is complimentary - or not.

When writing a Weekender dining column or an a la carte food story, I can change my mind a dozen times about a lead. If I use the wrong tense of a verb, an editor will catch it.

Video is a whole new ballgame.

Make-up, nail polish, and hairstyle matter. The way I talk is important. If I forget a line or get tongue-tied, we have to start over.

But we move on, thanks to WKYT videographer Chris Lipscomb, who is very patient, and Herald-Leader marketing coordinator Kathy Aldridge, who holds the recipe cards and gently reminds me when I include an ingredient not in the recipe, or delete one that is.

Housewarmings is where we tape the segments, and Housewarmings president
Ajay Gupta and his staff graciously let us use floral arrangements and tablescapes to change the set. That’s one thing I don’t have to worry about.

Because Housewarmings’ beautiful kitchen is for looks only - and not located near a supermarket - we’ve had to improvise with utensils and ingredients. Last week, I had to make broccoli pesto, seconds before we needed the jar of ready-made basil pesto I left at home, and wash herbs and spices off a chicken breast so we could use it for another dish.

What I have learned is to streamline my cooking. When the camera is rolling, it’s so much easier to use a tablespoon of a seasoning blend, instead of combining a variety of herbs and spices.

Beginning in July, many of the new Quick Take recipes are grilled and some of the prepared seasonings I used are from McCormick, which has introduced dozens of new products within the past few months.

I’ve tossed out many of my old spices and herbs and replaced them with the seasoning blends.
My favorite is the garlic-pepper blend in a grinder bottle which I discovered when Herald-Leader photographer Mark Cornelison and I were shooting photos for our Flavors of Kentucky cookbook. A grinding of garlic-pepper blend can jazz up any dish. Another product I like is Mediterranean spiced sea salt, which is infused with garlic, basil, oregano, lemon peel, red bell pepper, and a little red pepper heat. It’s great on pasta.

But now we’re good for another couple of months. I can go out to eat, and change my hair color if I like!