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

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.