You’ve likely heard the phrase reduce, reuse, repurpose – but have you ever thought about how it applies to the food we eat? We asked the Acorn Acres Farm team their go-to tips when it comes to repurposing in the kitchen:

• Slice stale bread or bagels into croutons or chips! Joe’s Bread sourdough bagels are perfect for this with just a little drizzle of olive oil over the top.

• Chicken backs are a multi-use star. Not only do they make great broth but you can use your kitchen scissors to chop them into smaller cuts perfect for your grill or oven. Enjoy the most delicious protein-packed meal in no time from a cut that otherwise goes to waste.

• When it comes to dairy, we have one rule: never throw out milk products! Our amazing non-homogenized, batch pasteurized milk products such as heavy whipping cream can easily become "double cream" which is lighter and contains less fat as the cream naturally rises to the top. It can also easily be stirred or shaken into butter or turned into fresh Ricotta with this fun recipe! 

• Does your baking recipe call for "shortening"? Avoid hydrogenated fats generally sourced from soy or palm oil (often unsustainably sourced) and substitute in your leftover bacon fat! Remember, it has salt in it, so you will need to adjust the salt ratios in any baking recipe. Experiment first to make a perfectly rich pie crust!!

Come on by the store to grab these versatile products along with this week’s fresh harvest from our fields and those of other local farms. We’ll see you soon!

Produce

We are excited to say that this week’s fresh harvest includes a growing number of delicious produce options! But, if you can't make it in until Saturday, please put a pre-order in so that we can either reserve some of the harvest or harvest again and have it waiting fresh for you.

Also of note, there are times you will see some heirloom varieties (such as certain golden beets) that are a wee bit more than other organic beet options, that is because the seed is rare and much more expensive for us to find. We are excited about being able to continue using seeds that would otherwise be unavailable if all of us didn't continue creating a demand for them. So, we hope you will enjoy the variety as much as we do!

• Arugula!!--Extremely limited so please pre-order for best results!

• Beets! (Both Red and Gold!!) Tops included!!--We have plenty so we will be harvesting daily in order to keep the beautiful tops as fresh and delicious as possible. So, please pre-order! 

• Blueberries (frozen) 

• Frisee endive!! Great for your seasonal detox programs!!--Plenty so enjoy while you can!

• Green Garlic—Ask Joanna for her Green Garlic Butter and enjoy the benefits of combining an aromatic ingredient with a fat in order to capture its flavor in a way we can use to enrich our cooking! You could also try her recipe with green onions, chives, or ramps, all of which we have this week!!

• Green Onions—Nice healthy bunches!! 

• Herbs —Fresh chives, chocolate mint, dill, giant red celery (still juvenile size), and parsley in abundance!! Many dried options! Limited so please pre-order to confirm varieties & availability!

• Horseradish

• Jerusalem Artichokes

• Kale 

• Lettuce & Greens--Mixed varieties!

• Mushrooms—Chef's Mixes (Alba, Brown, Trumpet, and Gray Oyster options) as well as dried Maitake and shiitake options (caps or sliced)!!

• Onions—dried (large) 

• Potatoes

• Ramp tops! --Enjoy that seasonal "wild leek" flavor and welcome in the spring!!

• Spinach—Plenty! This is the season for delicious, fresh, local spinach! Enjoy the benefits from the micronutrients in the soil when you need them the most! Steam it and add a little lemon juice and olive oil for a quick addition to any meal. Or make a lovely goat cheese and spinach salad (adding some almonds or other nut). Or use it to boost your smoothies! Of course, it's always best to eat fresh but, you can also buy in bulk, blanch, and freeze for later. Any way you cut it, don't miss the season! It will be over either by the time the spinach bolts or by the first week of June—whichever comes first!

• Sprouted Broccoli—Full of fiber, glucoraphanin, protein, vitamins (especially C), and other nutrients! Sprinkle over your salads and other dishes for an ultimate health boost and flavor! 

• Sweet Potatoes

• Swiss Chard!!

• Tatsoi —said to have more nutrients than spinach, what???

• Watercress --Limited so please pre-order for best results! 

As always, our produce is GMO-free and grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides — and we make sure it stays that way, even for crops that are tricky to grow naturally! 
Note: we are patiently waiting for asparagus! We may have a very small amount to harvest this week. But hopefully we will have an abundance of asparagus next week!

Dairy & Eggs

This week’s options include:

• A2 protein/grass-fed cow's milk, butter, buttermilk, cheese (cottage and a variety of others), French Dip, Kefir (plain), sour cream, yogurt (plain & vanilla), and whipping cream!

• Chicken & Duck eggs! If you must have and can't make it in until Saturday, please pre-order so that we can reserve at least 1 dozen! We can rarely reserve more than a dozen at a time! And this week, we will have an extremely limited amount of duck eggs!!

Learn more about our eggs and why the creamy, delicious dairy we carry tastes so good!

Meat Availability

This week’s options (while supplies last) include:

• Beef Prime Steaks: Thick cut Filets, NY Strips, Porterhouse & T-Bones and Ribeyes!! Also have sirloin steaks!

• Beef Savory Steaks: Cubed, Flank, Round (Top & Bottom), Skirt, and Tri-Tip Steaks!

• Beef Roasts: Chuck, Rump (or Rolled Rump), Round, Short Ribs, and Sirloin Tip Roasts!

• Beef Grill Options: Ground Beef or Round, Patties (3 or 4/pkg), Suet (for getting your skillet hot, with flavor), and more! We're also carrying The Brooklyn Hot Dog Company dogs: All Beef or Beef & Pork! Chef Tony takes great pride in his work as he seeks the best possible ingredients both in the quality of the meat and in the spices that go into his dogs!

• Beef Stew & Organ Meat Options: Soup Bones, Organ Meats including cubed hearts, kidney, liver, and tongue! Respect the whole animal and enjoy the health benefits! Ask our team what makes the organ meats so special!

• Chicken (frozen for the season): Whole and Cut-ups (breasts—currently boneless/skinless only, drums, leg quarters, thighs—boneless or bone-in options, and wings), Ground Chicken, Soup Bones (necks and backs) and Organ Meats (liver & gizzards). Try our yummy Mild Chicken Italian Sausage!!

• Lamb: 

  • Ground Lamb or Ground Lamb Patties—(3 or 4/pkg),

  • Lamb Loin, Rib, Shoulder or Sirloin Chops

  • Lamb Stew Meat, Neck Roast, and organ meats—savory, delicious & incredibly nutritious

• Pork: Hot and Sweet Italian (thick or thin links), Ethiopian Berbere, Fresh Kielbasa, Merquez, Mild Breakfast, Oaxacan Adobo, and Real Vermonter's Maple Sausage!  All from our pannage raised pork and organically sourced spice blends (featuring the Teeny Tiny Spice Co).

  • Pork Chops (bone-in Thick & Thin), Steaks, Shoulder Roasts (Boston Butt), spare ribs and more! Other cuts: Back Fat (Great for making your own lard, sausage, or using just like it is to grease your skillet!). 

  • Jowl and pork belly bacon!! 

  • We're also carrying a variety of hardwood smoked bacon sausage options from Big Fork (from Berkshire Hogs raised on pasture): Aged Cheddar, Bacon & Ale, Cracked Black Pepper, Chicken & Bacon, Hickory & Applewood, Maple & Brown Sugar, and Portabella Bacon Sausage. Request a letter from Chef Lance, for details about his practices when placing your order! 

• Turkey (frozen for the season): Whole, Breast, Thighs, Drumsticks, Wings, Soup Bones (including backs and feet), and Organ Meats. We also have ground turkey by the pound! If looking for boneless/skinless turkey breast, please order a week ahead!

Read more about how we raise our grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, pastured pork, and grass-fed lamb.

Fresh Features

Exciting things in store this week, while supplies last!!

• Joe's Bread: Fresh or Frozen (as preferred) Sourdough, bacon bagels, everything bagels, pretzels (Saturday only) and a few surprises along the way!! Order ahead to ensure we have what you're looking for when you come in!! Featuring Janie's Mill flour!

• Equal Exchange coffee (wide selection of whole, ground, and decaf organic beans)

• Teeny Tiny Spices (entire organic tin collection with recipes)

• Pure Indian Foods grass fed, organic ghee options, KICK ketchup as well as hot sauce and more!!

• Maison de Monaco jams (8 exciting varieties with half the sugars of other leading brands)!!