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Health & Fitness

From Farm to Fork

This DIY New Baltimore post will feature one of many favorite farm to fork recipes in support of local farmers.

One of the many reasons I love the spring is for the farm fresh produce that this time of year brings. Growing up in Chicago, all of our produce was purchased from the local grocery store chains or what passed for a fresh fruit or vegetable market.  We had to drive for many a mile to get freshly harvested crops. The city of Chicago held a weekly farmers market in Daley Plaza, but it was a royal pain to get all the produce home on a train, bus or el.  Needless to say, I grew up thinking that the local Jewel and Dominick’s food chains were just where folks went to get vegetables, it didn’t matter to me if it came out of a can or was cooked fresh. I’ve come a long way in my thinking about food source options since my childhood.

I am a HUGE fan of the farm to fork delicious fruits and vegetable available within mere miles of my home here. The city of New Baltimore offers a Farmer’s Market every Sunday morning from July to October; community gardens flourish here, and the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in this area is amazing. I like to think of myself as a locavore and support the community by frequenting the local farmers market, road side stands, and by purchasing a CSA share from a local organic farm.

For those of you who have never heard of CSA, it is a marvelous option if you love fresh, organic, fruits and vegetables. You can purchase a half or full share of the entire year’s crop from a local farm (the one I belong to is within 10 miles of my home here in New Baltimore) and simply pick up your bounty on the designated pick-up dates. Those who purchase a full share pick up weekly June through October; those who purchase a half share pick up bi-weekly. Belonging to a CSA is not new, it has been around for 50 years or more, I am just a newbie to the whole concept, this being my 3rd year as a member. Members can even sign up to work the farm for 3 to 5 hours a week in exchange for ½ a share with their purchase of a full share as spots become available from year to year.

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Purchasing a share in a local farm is really the perfect choice if you are a vegetarian, vegan, or just love the taste of freshly harvested food. If you’d like to look learn more about CSA’s in general you can check out the Local Harvest website for the farm closest to you.

I am somewhat of a self professed “Foodie”. I have two brothers that are award winning executive chefs, both in the Chicagoland area who are a great source of inspiration, and truthfully, I love to eat good food!  So, on that note, today’s DIY New Baltimore comes from my recipe box in anticipation of the first farm to fork moment this spring.

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Zucchini Egg Bake

This dish is a lot like a casserole and is something that is great to serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner with a side a salad. I often make it ahead of time and heat up just before eating.

I modified the original recipe and replaced a few of the original recipe ingredients with my preferred ingredients, you many look at this recipe and think, boy that would be really tasty if only it had a shallot, or maybe mushrooms, and you may find yourself modifying this recipe as I did. 

What You Need:
4 tablespoons of butter
 ¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 cups zucchini grated
3 eggs beaten
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Optional ingredients: ¼ pound of one of the following - ground Italian sausage, bacon, turkey bacon, or ham for the meat lover in your house


How to Make:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  • In a sauté pan melt butter and add onion and zucchini
  • Sauté until zucchini is tender, about 5 – 7 minutes
  • Put zucchini in colander to drain
  • Optional step for meat lover’s - add Italian sausage or bacon to sauté pan and cook
  • Add eggs, zucchini, (and meat if included) season to taste and mix well
  • Pour into an 8 X 8 square pan.
  • Grate cheese on top
  • Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes

Remove from oven, let stand to cool & serve when ready (this recipe serves 4).

Please note: I try to attribute the recipe to the original source whenever possible. Sadly, all I can tell you about this recipe appeared on page 166 of a cookbook published in 2010. The cookbook title and the recipes creator are unknown as I didn’t photocopy that side of the page.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

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