I always love grilling at the Franklin Farmers Market during the Summer Chef Demos. It gives me a chance to share the best of our local meat producers with the Market customers and to talk about the quality standards of each farm. Recently South Fork was grilling at the Market and we featured different cuts of meat from 4 different producers- Bear Creek Farm, Tavalin Tails Farm, The Fly Farm, and Peaceful Pastures. 

For this week’s recipe, I grilled some hefty double-cut lamb chops form Tavalin Tails Farm that was simply seasoned with salt & pepper and lemon zest. I picked up a few cucumbers and fresh dill from Rosecreek Farms to make a small salad to help bring out the depth of flavor from the pasture-raised lamb. Hope to see you at the market this weekend!

Grilled Lamb Chops with Cucumbers, Yogurt & Couscous

Serves 4-6
For the Lamb
2 double cut lamb chops (Tavalin Tails Farm)
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced thinly (Rosecreek Farms)
½  clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbl of lemon juice
1 tsp Sea salt
Black pepper
Fresh dill (Rosecreek Farms)

For the Couscous
1 cup couscous
1 tsp olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
1 cup boiling water

Fire up the grill to medium-high. Season the lamb with ½ teaspoon of sea salt and some fresh ground pepper. When the grill is hot grill lamb on both sides, turning often until medium-rare. (145F) Set aside to rest. Toss the sliced cucumbers with the remaining olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of sea salt and some fresh dill. Set aside and make the couscous.

In a bowl stir together the olive oil and salt with the couscous, then add the boiling water and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove the plate and fluff with a fork. Spoon some couscous on a plate, add a dollop of Greek yogurt alongside, top with the cucumber salad and finally the lamb chops on top. Tear some fresh dill over everything, divide the lamb chops and serve.

Enjoy!
Michael R Martin
South Fork Catering Co.

The farmer’s market just comes alive when the first heirloom tomatoes arrive in June! There are so many ways to enjoy those sweet juicy tomatoes fresh: sliced on a BLT, chopped stirred into freshly cooked pasta or cut into wedges to go with your favorite salad. But another great way to make good use of a large quantity of tomatoes is the slice them in half and roast them. Use them to go alongside a grilled steak or a toasted flatbread.

A super tasty way to finish the roasted tomatoes is with a good drizzle of infused basil Olive Oil from Herban Market.

Oven Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes with Basil and Sea Salt

Find delicious Heirloom Tomatoes from Beaverdam Creek Farm and many of our other Farmers

2-3  lbs of large heirloom tomatoes, cut in half cross-wise
2 tbl olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Small hand full of fresh basil leaves
Fresh ground black pepper from the mill
A good drizzle of Herban market Basil Olive Oil

Heat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the tomatoes cut side up and drizzle with olive oil and season with the sea salt. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to take on some color and the juices begin to concentrate.

Set aside to cool, drizzle the Basil Olive Oli and tear the fresh basil leaves all over the tomatoes, serve room temperature.  Can be store in an air tight container for 3 days. Bring to room temp before serving. Enjoy!

Michael R Martin
South Fork Catering Co.

Recently South Fork Catering Co. was grilling at the Franklin Farmers Market and we featured different cuts of meat from 4 different producers- Bear Creek Farm, Tavalin Tails, Fly Family Farm and Peaceful Pastures. For this week’s recipe, I grilled a beautiful Wagyu NY Strip steak from The Fly Farm that was simply seasoned with salt & pepper, just to let the flavor and quality of the local beef to shine through, and it was delicious! I picked up some little cherry tomatoes from Lauren at Bloomsbury Farm, as well as fresh sweet corn from Cam at Conry Farm. Everything so fresh and delicious, it is so worth buying local produce! I hope you can make it out to the Market this weekend.

Grilled Wagyu NY Strip with Charred Corn & Tomato Salad
Serves 2

Beef Wagyu NY Strip from The Fly Farm

For the steak
1 8oz. Wagyu NT Strip, 1” thick (The Fly Farm)
½  tsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

For the salad
2 ears of sweet corn (Conry Farm)
1 pint of cherry tomatoes (Bloomsbury Farm)
A handful of parsley leaves (Rosecreek Farm)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Sherry vinaigrette
½ tsp salt
Touch of black pepper

Fire up the grill. Season with salt and pepper and allow the steak to come to room temp on a platter. Shuck the corn and rub a little oil on to it, season with salt and place on the grill.  Be sure to turn the corn often, and when it begins to char on all sides take off the grill and set aside to cool slightly.

Halve the tomatoes and reserve in a bowl, add the parsley leaves and set aside for later. Once the grill is hot, rub a little oil on the steak and then place on the hot grill and close the lid. Grill for 1 minute then turn over and grill for 1 minute more (you might need to turn down the grill or adjust the coals if it’s burning too hot).  Flip the steak once again and continue to grill until a meat thermometer reaches 130F for medium-rare and 140F for medium. When done reserve to a clean serving platter and allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes.

Trim the corn kernels from the cob and add them to the tomatoes and parsley. Add the salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar and toss lightly. Once the steak has rested slice into ¼ inch slices and while the steak is on the cutting board add the corn and tomato salad to the serving platter and stir to incorporate the steak juices accumulated during the resting period. Now place the steak over the salad and finish with a touch of fresh ground black pepper and maybe a splash of olive oil. Enjoy!

Michael R Martin
South Fork Catering Co.

I always love grilling at the Franklin Farmers Market during the Summer Chef Demos. It gives me a chance to share the best of our local meat producers with the Market customers and to talk about the quality standards of each farm. Recently South Fork was grilling at the Market and we featured different cuts of meat from 4 different producers- Bear Creek Farm, Tavalin Tails Farm, The Fly Farm, and Peaceful Pastures. For this week’s recipe, I grilled a beautiful flank steak from Bear Creek Farm that was simply seasoned with salt & pepper, just to let the flavor and quality of the local beef to shine through, and it was delicious! I picked up some heirloom Purple Cherokee Tomatoes from Ray at Rosecreek Farms and some little cherry tomatoes from Lauren at Bloomsbury Farm, as well as arugula form Karen at Norton Family Farm. Everything so fresh and delicious, it is so worth buying local produce!  I hope you can make it out to the Market this weekend and Happy Independence Day!

Grilled Flank Steak with Heirloom Tomatoes, Arugula & Mozzarella
Serves 6-8

2.5-3lbs flank steak(Bear Creek Farm)
4 heirloom tomatoes(Rose Creek Farms)
1 pint cherry tomatoes (Bloomsbury Farm)
8 oz whole milk mozzarella
½ pound arugula (Norton Family Farm)
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black pepper
Red wine vinegar

Season the flank steak on both sides with 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp olive oil. Set aside to come to room temp, about 30 minutes. Fire up the grill to medium high heat 10 minutes before you’re ready to grill.

Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and arrange on a large platter. Cut some of the larger cherry tomatoes in half and arrange them with the others on the platter. Add the arugula alongside the tomatoes and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over everything, then season generously with salt and pepper and a few drops of the wine vinegar. Once finished pop the salad platter in the fridge and grill the flank steak.

Once the flank has come to room temp place the steak on the grill and close the lid and grill for 2 minutes. Turn over and grill 2 minutes more, keeping the lid closed. Turn the flank again and season with a little salt and pepper and continue to grill for 2 more minutes. Repeat turning and seasoning the other side for another 2 minutes, for a total of 8 minutes. If you have an insta-read thermometer you can cook it to 120F for Rare or 126F for Medium Rare, just start to check after about 6 minutes on the grill.  When the flank is ready to remove to a large serving platter and let rest for 10 minutes before carving, this allows the meat to relax and retain all of the juices inside. Carve the flank steak into thin slices and serve along with the tomato salad, drizzle any steak juices over the arugula, it’s delicious. Enjoy!

Michael R Martin
South Fork Catering Co.

Enjoy this easy delicious recipe with the current summer harvest from our local farmers, it’s one of the best!

Last Saturday South Fork had a great time at the Franklin Farmer’s Market grilling and sampling meats and vegetables from local farms. We had 35-day dry-aged sirloin tip steaks from Bear Creek Farm, Italian sausages & grass-fed flat iron steaks from Peaceful Pastures, Waygu beef from The Fly Farm and ground grass-fed lamb and beef from Tavalin Tales Farm. Delvin Farms and Colbert Farms provided delicious summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, candy onions, cucumbers, and green & red cabbages. And we also featured Basil Infused Olive Oil & Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar from market sponsor Herban Market, which really complimented the grilled summer veggies.

As the Summer goes along feel free to add bell peppers, okra, and even tomatoes, also use fresh lemon juice in place of the vinegar if you’d like.

Grilled Summer Farmer’s Market Vegetables

2 summer squash
2 zucchini
2 ears of corn, shucked
1 eggplant
1 green or red cabbage
1 tbl Canola oil
Salt
Black pepper
1 tbl Olive oil
2 tsp Red wine vinegar

Fire up the grill to high heat. Cut the squash and zucchini in half, slice the eggplant into finger-width rounds and cut the cabbage into 1/6s or 1/8s depending on how large it is (be sure to keep the core intact to hold the cabbage together). Lay all of the veggies on a sheet pan, drizzle the oil over and season with salt and pepper, and lightly toss them together. When the grill is hot carefully place the vegetables on the grill cut side down and close the lid. Grill for 1 minute then turn over and close the lid and grill for 1-2 minutes more (the eggplant may take a little longer to get cooked through). Remove the squash, zucchini, corn, and eggplant to a platter and turn the cabbage over again and turn the grill down to medium, don’t worry if the parts of the cabbage are starting to char, that’s where the flavor will develop. Continue grilling the cabbage turning often until it begins to wilt somewhat, 4-6 minutes, then it’s ready. Add the cabbage to the veggie platter and re-season with a little more salt and pepper, then drizzle the olive oil and the red wine vinegar over everything.

That’s it, enjoy!
Michael R Martin
South Fork Catering Co.

Summer Cucumber Salad

One of my favorite Summer vegetables are cucumbers and they are so simple to transform into a delicious salad that serves well as a quick lunch or a great side dish for anything off the grill.

Right now in the Franklin Farmer’s Market, there are cucumbers all over the place, from English to Garden varieties, large and small, thick or thin-skinned, there are plenty of choices. Now is the perfect time to enjoy them at their peak, as the Summer grows on sometimes the cucumbers have a tendency to become bitter. When you try this recipe make sure your cucumbers are nice and cold when you start, and if not using right away hold in the fridge until serving, either way, make this at the last possible moment for the best result, that’s the main reason to keep it simple here. Also, a nice dollop of yogurt or ricotta would do well on top, as well as some fresh dill or mint if you have a few sprigs on hand.

Serves 4-6

2 large Garden cucumbers (Organic from Delvin Farms)
1 small red onion with the green tops
1 small clove of garlic, finely grated (a Microplane works well for this)
2 tsp White balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbl Olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Peel the cucumbers but leave a few green strips of skin, then slice as thin as possible and reserve in a mixing bowl. Cut the tops off the red onion and set aside. Half the onion and slice as thin as possible, as well as a few of the green onion tops and add them to the bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the cucumbers on onions and toss thoroughly.  Divide into little chilled bowls and serve. Enjoy!

Michael R Martin
South Fork Catering Co.

Roasted Beef Top Round with Market Vegetables & Rosemary
Serves 6-8

This week the Franklin Farmer’s Market is full of the freshest Spring vegetables! I saw carrots, English peas, tons of kale of all varieties, new onions both white & red, little potatoes, new garlic, so many delicious vegetables! For this simple yet flavorful recipe, I am using a beautiful beef top round from Bear Creek Farm and little potatoes, garlic and onions from Evans Produce and carrots and herbs from Rose Creek Farms. A little horseradish stirred in the cooking juices would be a great way to add even more flavor and is perfect with the roast beef.

A perfectly marbled roast from Bear Creek Farm!

For the beef-

1 4-5lb top round beef roast
1 tbl kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced
fresh rosemary
2 tbls olive oil

For the vegetables-

1 bunch of spring carrots, washed, unpeeled (you might need to cut some larger ones in half)
3 lbs golden potatoes, cut in half
1 bunch spring onions, cut in half
1 head of new garlic, top cut off
1 tbl olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 350F. Cover the bottom of a roasting pan with one sheet of parchment paper. Lay the top round on the paper in the roasting pan fat side up, and season both sides with salt and pepper. Lay the rosemary and thyme sprigs and the sliced garlic on top and drizzle over the olive oil. Take another sheet of parchment paper and cover the beef roast and kind of tuck it around the edges like a little package.

Place the beef in the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135F for medium rare to medium

While the beef is roasting toss the vegetables with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast on a baking sheet pan for about 20-25 minutes or until the veggies take on some color and become tender. When the roast is ready, remove the parchment paper and let the roast for 10 minutes before carving. Remove everything to a large serving platter and carefully pour the roasting juices that have collected in the bottom of the pan over the beef and vegetables, and squeeze the head of garlic over the vegetables and lightly toss. Carve thin slices of the beef and share the vegetables.

Enjoy!

Chef Michael R Martin
South Fork Catering, Co

The BECK (Bacon, Egg, Cream & Kale Toast)

Spring is in the air and the Farmers Market is full of kale(s)! Try this quick, one-skillet dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner as it’s a great way to utilize a lot of different local products, many of which are available year-round, like bacon, eggs & cream.  This is also a handy recipe which is great for an easy vegetarian meal, just omit the bacon and use olive oil instead of the bacon fat. In this recipe, I’m using kale form Bloomsbury Farm, Cluck Truck Eggs & cream from Hatcher Family Dairy. You can find some delicious local bacon from Bear Creek Farm, River Cottage Farm & Peaceful Pastures.

BECK (Bacon, Egg, Cream & Kale) Toast

Serves 4

1 small bunch curly green kale or Red Russian kale, torn into pieces
½ yellow onion, sliced thinly
4 slices of bacon
½ cup Hatcher Cream
¼ tsp salt
A few turns of black pepper from the mill
4 farm eggs
4 slices of country bread or toast
1-2 tsp of butter or bacon fat

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and fry the slices of bacon. When cooked through and slightly crispy remove and set aside. Reserve 1-2 tsp of the rendered bacon fat for frying the eggs later. Add the sliced onions to the skillet and fry the onions in the remaining bacon fat (add a little butter if needed). Once the onions have begun to lightly brown, turn down the heat a touch, and add the torn kale.  Stir-fry the kale with the onions until completely wilted, 2-3 minutes, then add the cream, salt, and pepper.  Let the cream reduce for 3-4 minutes, then remove to a bowl and keep warm while you fry the eggs and toast the bread. Wipe out the skillet and return to the stove over medium heat, add a little of the butter or bacon fat and fry the eggs, sunny side up just until the whites set, season with salt and pepper. Toast the bread in the toaster or in the oven, then assembly the BECK- Toast on the plate, creamed kale on the toast, a slice of bacon and top with the fried egg. Enjoy!

Michael R Martin
South Fork Catering Co.