Fire Up the Grill
There’s no better culinary combination than farm-fresh meat and produce and the fiery char of a grill. Whether you’re looking to grill some veg, or prefer to savor grass-fed beef grilled to perfection, we’ve got you covered with grilling recommendations from the team at Boulder County Farmers Markets. Got your own grilling tips you want to share? Send them to [email protected] for a chance to be featured!
Phil Chang, Online Markets Manager: For the Carnivores
Before coming to Boulder County Farmers Markets, Phil worked in meat butchering. For him, finding the highest quality meat for the best price is key to excellent summer barbeques. He recommends getting Buckner Family Ranch’s flank steak from our online store. This 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised beef sports a lean cut that makes it easy to grill quickly. It takes just a few minutes on each side for a rare to medium-rare doneness. Once it’s reached the right temperature, remove it from the grill and tent with aluminum foil to rest. Thinly slice perpendicular to the long muscle fibers that run lengthwise down the steak, and enjoy!
Liz Thomas, Boulder Markets Manager: Make it a Kebab
The beauty of a shish kebab is that you can make it out of whatever you find at the market that day (or happen to already have at home). For protein, you can choose whatever you’d like: beef, pork, or Project Umami’s tempeh are all wonderful choices. Find fresh, exotic varieties of mushrooms from Hazel Dell Mushrooms or MycoCosm mushrooms., and sweet cherry tomatoes from Rocky Mountain Fresh. Seasonal veggies like turnips and summer squash also make excellent additions to any kebab.
Ann Mattson, Longmont Market Manager: Grilled Pizza, Anyone?
We live for pizza night, and taking it out to the grill lets you enjoy the novelty of homemade pizza without turning your kitchen into a sweat lodge. All you need to do to get started is secure your dough (either by making it at home or grabbing pre-made dough from your favorite local pizzeria), create a tomato-based or cream sauce, and pick out toppings from the market. Think thinly sliced salumi from il porcellino salumi, spinach and arugula galore, black pearl mushrooms, and fresh ricotta from Five Freedoms Dairy. If you haven’t made pizza on the grill before, consider looking up instructions to make sure you’re set up for success.
Marian Diaz, Food Access Specialist: Grilling a La Carte
It’s no surprise that when we asked Marian what she loves to grill most, choosing just one thing was impossible. After all, Marian has years of experience cooking for local restaurants and is a passionate chef. Marian loves grilled peaches, which takes Colorado’s favorite fruit to its peak by breaking down their naturally present sugars and making peaches even softer and sweeter. As we wait for peaches to hit the markets (we promise, they’re coming!), Marian recommends grabbing a baguette from one of our local bakeries and throwing it on the grill. This will lead to perfectly crusty, flavorful bread for your next summer picnic.
Mackenzie: Miso-Glazed & Grilled Mushrooms
In addition to knowing the ins and outs of running a farmers market, our Executive Director, Mackenzie Sehlke, is an endless encyclopedia of food knowledge. She recommends trying miso-glazed mushrooms for a flavorful, meat-free grilled dish. Check out Hazel Dell’s King Oyster Mushrooms for the meatiness meat-free substitute out there! Simply score your mushrooms by creating small, surface-level cuts that will allow the mushrooms to absorb more of the marinade and cook more evenly. To make this dish hyper-local, buy miso from Project Umami to create your glaze. Combine the miso with tamari, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Then, brush the mushrooms with the glaze, and place on a hot grill. Flip and continue to coat with the glaze until thoroughly cooked. Remove from the grill and finish with a final brush of the glaze, and enjoy.
