Whether you are planning a big Easter celebration for family and friends or just dying a few Easter eggs don’t forget to include Idaho grown ingredients. Fresh local ham, the first of the asparagus, grass-fed lamb, fresh baked breads, Idaho wines-and local eggs of course!

If you are looking for local eggs to dye head over to the Boise Co-Op where you can find a large assortment of local chicken or duck eggs. They also have one of the largest selections of local food in one place including meats, breads, produce, and wines.

If you are hoping to serve a local ham at your spring dinner you have several options. Vogel Farms in Kuna has fresh cured, no additives hams available. Hardball Farms in Nampa also has locally grown and processed hams for sale. Other options include Falls Brands Salmon Creek Farms Natural pork products and Homestead Naturals pork.

Another great option is local lamb. Try local grass fed lamb from Lava Lake Lamb, Blue Sage Farms, or Meadow Lark Farms. For a new recipe try Lamb Skewers with Mint Mayo or Rosemary Braised Lamb Shanks for these recipes visit www.idahopreferred.com/recipes.

Keep your eye out for the first of the local asparagus. You may also be able to find the first of local greens to include in a salad. Another option is to serve a local potato salad using local eggs, potatoes, onions, and mustard from Wagner Idaho Foods now available at Paul’s Markets.

If you are wanting something sweet to fill up those Easter Baskets then look for Weiser Classic chocolate Easter bunnies or homemade toffee from The Toffee Cottage. Want to bake something yourself then revisit  Put a Little Local in Your Holiday Baking to see all the “staples” grown right here in Idaho.

If you are visiting a friend’s house for Easter, a hostess gift is in order. Nestle a locally grown flowering plant or a bottle of Idaho wine in a colorful basket for a fun local gift.

Idaho Preferred  products will add flavor and meaning to your holiday dinner. To find more local products and producers visit www.idahopreferred.com

The Super Bowl is this Sunday! Even if you are not a big football fan it doesn’t mean that you can’t put together a fun football party. Everyone knows that no Super Bowl is complete without the food and commercials.  When planning the menu for this big get together don’t forget about your eating local resolution.

Make the perfect layered bean dip and serve with Casa Valdez tortilla chips made right in Caldwell. Include Idaho beans, sour cream from Meadowgold or Darigold, cheese from Ballards, Idaho onions, and delicious salsa from Treasure Valley Salsa. If you want to stick with the Mexican food theme, Quesadillas made with Idaho cheese are a crowd pleaser and easy to make. Look for corn, flour and even whole wheat tortillas from Casa Valdez or Fresca. Serve on the side with Idaho sour cream and Treasure Valley salsa.

Another great choice is hot dogs or chorizos.  Look for Falls Brand and Gem Pack franks that can be found at most local grocery stores. Another great option is Hard Ball Farms. They have a variety of different pork products including Basque style chorizos and you can easily order them online. Hog Heaven in Moscow makes a variety of different sausages as does Big Lost River Meats in Mackay.  Serve them on rolls made by Zeppole, Alpicella, Harvest Classic or Great Harvest Bakeries, all baked fresh daily in the Treasure Valley.

For something new and different try this Loaded Baked Potato Dip! It can be made in 10 minutes.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip (Recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com)

Yield: About 4 cups

16 ounces Idaho sour cream
16 slices (12-ounce package) bacon, cooked and crumbled Look for brands like Falls Brand or Hard Ball Farms
8 ounces sharp Idaho cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup thinly sliced Idaho onions

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to meld together. Garnish with extra shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped chives. Serve with homemade potato chips using Idaho potatoes. Dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

You can’t forget the beverages…local beer, wine, and spirits are great for the adults and regular or chocolate milk for the kids from Cloverleaf Creamery, Darigold, or Meadowgold. Don’t forget the local bottled water for your guests. Rocks Water from Boise is available in several stores including Paul’s and Albertson’s.

For dessert, serve Cloverleaf Creamery ice cream made fresh in Buhl. It is available in several flavors so everyone can have their favorites!

 

When you think about eating local – you probably think about fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and maybe even wine – but don’t forget about all of the “staples” grown right here in Idaho.  The Gem State is the third largest producer of wheat in the US.  Some of that wheat is ground into flour at the Pendleton Flour Mill in Blackfoot and sold locally and across the nation.  Here in the Treasure Valley look for Pendleton Mill’s flour at Paul’s Markets where a 25# bag is a great value at only $6.95!! If that sounds like too much flour – even for your holiday baking needs – consider sharing with a friend.  Flour also stores well and can be kept for a year or more if kept in an air-tight container in a cool dry pantry.  You can also find smaller quantities of local flour by going on line to http://www.idahosbounty.org.

You can’t make sugar cookies without the sugar – so look for White Satin brand white, brown and powdered sugar.  White Satin is the brand produced by the Amalgamated plant in Nampa from sugar beets grown by farmers from throughout the Treasure and Magic Valley areas.  Find White Satin at Paul’s Markets and some other independently owned local grocers.

Real butter is the key to delicious home baked goods and is made right here in Idaho. We are the third largest producer of milk, and although only a very small percentage of it goes to butter production, it is another way to support the largest agriculture industry that contributes so much to the economy of our state.  Darigold butter, made in Nampa, uses milk from dairies throughout southern Idaho and can be found at many local retailers throughout the state – or get it delivered to your home by Boise Milk at http://boisemilk.com.  Also, find local butter made in small batches by Cloverleaf Creamery in Buhl at their store, or at M&W stores, the Boise Co-Op Wissel Farms store, and through Idaho’s Bounty.

Finally, you will need eggs for almost everything you bake – and for your famous Uncle Mike’s eggnog!  And although eggs are a little harder to find this time of year, check out the Boise Co-Op, or go to Idahopreferred.com and find producers like Vogel Farms or Homestead Naturals.  Or - for extra richness and something a little unique – try baking with duck eggs from Morning Owl Farms.

Happy baking to all you Locavores! For more ingredients ideas go to www.idahopreferred.com

Halloween is a howling good time – but here’s a scary thought……what do you do with your jack-o-lantern on November 1st? For the eager beavers out there who carved their pumpkins the first week of October, your spooky orange ghoul is now a wizened toothless old soul with moldy age spots. Even if you only carved your pumpkin on Halloween eve, the candle inside has undoubtedly blackened the once bright orange flesh. So what to do now? Composting is probably the best use of this once proud pumpkin. Remove any candle and melted wax from inside and plastic eyeballs or other decorations from the exterior then, gently lay it to rest in your compost pile or bin. Come spring this year’s jack-o-lantern will return to the garden to help create next year’s prize pumpkin.

But wait – why not bake the pumpkin for holiday pies? Bottom line is there are jack-o-lantern pumpkins and pie pumpkins and they are very different in structure and taste. Pumpkins grown for carving are large, have thin, stringy pulp, thick rinds and little or no flavor if cooked. Baking pumpkins on the other hand are small with thick fine pulp and when baked mash easily and have a buttery tasting flesh. So, when Halloween is over go back to the grocery store or the nearest farm stand and look for baking pumpkins. Some common names you might see are Pick-A-Pie, Baby Bear or Sugar Pie varieties. These small varieties weigh 4-6 pounds and will yield 1 ½ - 2 cups of pumpkin puree.

To make delicious pumpkin puree that can be used in all recipes that call for canned pumpkin simply bake, peel and mash these small sweet pumpkins. First, wash and cut pumpkin in half. Remove seeds and stringy matter. (Reserve seeds and toast for a traditional fall treat).
Cut each half again to speed baking time if desired. Lay pumpkin pieces face down on shallow baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake in 375° oven for 1.5 – 2 hours until flesh can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove pan from oven and allow pumpkin pieces to cool. Remove skin and mash or puree the flesh with potato masher or in food processor. Pumpkin puree can be used immediately in pies, breads, cookies or soup but make sure to bake extra to freeze for Thanksgiving Day dessert!

When you Google blackberry it is not a great cobbler or jam recipe that comes up – it’s not even anything close to being edible. We are here to change that… Blackberries are ripe and ready to pick in Idaho. The berry, found throughout the state is a summertime favorite and a healthy addition to family meals. High in antioxidants, fiber and Vitamins A and C – blackberries can improve the nutritional quality of almost any dish you add them to...and they taste delicious!

So – where do you find blackberries in Idaho? Your best bet is your local farmers market. Blackberries are not grown commercially in Idaho, but many small farmers and backyard gardeners grow blackberries and sell directly to consumers at markets, farm stands and through U-Pick. In the Treasure Valley check out The Berry Ranch in Nampa for blackberries and while you are there, pick up some melons and sweet corn!

Blackberries are best when picked at peak of ripeness as they will not continue to ripen after picking. So, pick or buy only the darkest purple, nearly black colored berries and eat or freeze within 2 days as berries soften and spoil quickly. Berries are easy to freeze (if there are any left) – simply wash, drain and put into freezer bags and freeze immediately.

Great just plain, mixed into vanilla yogurt, or sprinkled on top of homemade or store-bought ice cream, blackberries are very versatile. Try adding blackberries to a salad with baby spinach, Ballard Dairy Feta cheese, grape or cherry tomatoes from your garden or farmers market and some green onions. For a quick easy dessert or breakfast treat, make a blackberry cobbler by pouring a basic cobbler batter over fresh berries and baking to golden brown.

Regardless of how you enjoy your blackberries, do it now. These summertime favorites are a real treat – probably because they are only available fresh for a short time each year.

When you think of apricots – what comes to mind?  Small, soft, mealy yellow fruit with a semi-fuzzy skin?  If so, you might want to think again.  Idaho apricots are a large, firm, orange fruit with a smooth skin - yet still juicy and delicious. The “Gold Rich” variety is popular with Idaho growers because of the large sweet fruit it produces in orchards on the slopes of the Snake River Valley. 

Apricots are a true sign that the hottest days of summer are upon us.  Ripened in the sun, and picked by hand, apricots are available for only a few weeks in late July and August.  Despite unusual weather patterns this year the apricot crop is abundant and the fruit can be found locally at roadside stands, farmers markets and grocery stores. 

 

Not only are apricots sweet and delicious, but they are packed with nutrition.  A great source of beta carotene, fiber and potassium, apricots also provide almost 100% of daily recommended amount of vitamin A.

 

For a light summertime dessert, breakfast or anytime snack, try this easy recipe idea.  Wash and cut in half a large ripe apricot and remove the pit.  Fill each half with 2 tablespoons plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt.  Drizzle with a little Idaho honey and top with a few chopped roasted pistachios.

 

...And much simpler ways to enjoy local Bings.

One of the best things about summer is the bounty of fresh fruits–and cherries are the first of the season to appear at farmers markets, farm stands and retailers. And whether you like them flambéed, baked in a pie, or fresh off the stem, Idaho’s dark sweet cherries are some of the best in America.

You may know Idaho for its potatoes, but did you know Idaho ranks 5^th in the nation in sweet cherry production, and last year we produced over 12 million pounds?  Cherries can actually be grown in most areas of Idaho but most commercial production occurs in orchards located in the Sunnyslope area of Caldwell, in the Emmett Valley and in Washington and Payette Counties.  But the cherry season is short – kicking off around the 4^th of July and lasting only about 4-6 weeks.  So get your cherries now.  Many local grocers are featuring Idaho cherries – check for the Idaho Preferred label to be sure.  Or for a fun family outing, take a trip to an orchard to pick your own.  For U-pick locations you can visit the Idaho State Department of Agriculture website or go the Gem County Chamber of Commerce site and download their U-pick guide to Gem County Orchards.

Idaho cherries are not only sweet and delicious, but are also packed with antioxidants, Vitamin C and potassium. So indulge yourself in this healthy, sweet treat – while supplies last!  And if you pick a few more than you can eat, cherries freeze well.  Simply wash, dry and freeze – with or without the pits.  But, if you are in the mood for something a little more decadent, try this recipe for Bing Cherry Ice Cream a delicious combination of cherries and ice cream - a lot easier than its flaming cousin the “Jubilee” - and no fire extinguisher required.

For a list of Idaho cherry growers and their locations visit our Find a Local Producerpage.