Winter Farmer's Market Coastal Coffee Roasters

Coastal Coffee Roasters

It was very early on a sunny, but cold morning, when we set out for Summerville, South Carolina and the Winter Farmer's Market at Coastal Coffee Roasters.

Many of us had missed our weekly jaunts to local farmer's markets, so this was a much anticipated trip.  Luckily the weather cooperated.

Driving down Highway 261 through Pinewood and Summerton to Interstate 95, we had a quick stop at the rest area at Santee where we met up with 2 more friends going to the market with us. After meeting up and stretching our legs, it was off for the rest of the drive to Summerville.

Taking a turn onto Interstate 26, and with just 30 more miles to go to reach our destination, we were all getting excited to get there.

The winter farmer's market is located at 108 E. 3rd N. Street, Summerville, South Carolina inside the popular local business, Coastal Coffee Roasters.

"Coastal Coffee Roasters began as a simple idea... to share our family's passion for fresh, sustainable coffees with the world. We use Organic, Fair Trade, Rain forest Alliance, Bird Friendly and Swiss Water Process certifications and are always looking for the best practices We love the coast as much as we love our coffee, so we headed toward the South Carolina coast with our vision for transforming the best organically grown beans into the most amazing, freshly roasted coffee. We use a creative, locally roasted process to bring our passion for great coffee to life in every bag. We want our name to be synonymous with the best cup of coffee that you have ever tasted. Period. Coastal Coffee Roasters is passionate about bringing the culture of coffee to your cup."

Coastal Coffee Roasters

So, while you're visiting the market, grab a fresh cup of your favorite roast to savor as you explore the many items offered. Or maybe chose a new brew or wine to take home to enjoy!

Outside and inside, the Winter Farmer's Market is bustling with many people coming out to buy and support local. There is on-street parking, or convenient off-street parking just across the road.

Checking out the pork products at Sunny Cedars Farm

David Gravelin, Wishbone Heritage Farm

Solo Verdi Meats

Taylor Family Farm

All Natural Dips

Caladiums Creations

We shopped and shopped, each of us getting a variety of things we had set out for; some got raw milk, bread and a King Cake, others bought produce, and still others bought pork, chicken and beef products from the various farms.

My personal haul included Beef Shanks/Ossobuco, Beef Tenderloin Filet's/Filet Mignon from Solo Verdi Meats and Beets and a Pheasant from Wishbone Heritage Farms.

My haul

Beef Shank or Ossobuco

Beef Tenderloin Filet or Filet Mignon

Lastly, we were lucky to have Pearson King, of Solo Verdi Meats, give us a brief explanation of the farming practices at Solo Verdi Meats, and the breed of cattle they raise.  

Cattle at Solo Verdi Meats

"Solo Verdi Meats unique Romagnola and RomaCross lineage make for naturally tender, delicately marbled beef. Our farm is located in the heart of the Southern Lowcountry region of South Carolina in the small farming community of Varnville. 

Cattle at Solo Verdi Meats

Unlike many other farms and beef producers, our cows are all born, raised, and finished here on premium quality grasses. There is no corn, no soy, and no wheat – absolutely no grain of any type – in their diet. While many farms will give grain to their grass-fed livestock during the last weeks of their life, a process called on-farm grain finishing, we prefer to preserve the quality and nutritional value of our beef product. 

Maintaining our farm at the highest standard of care means that our livestock receive the utmost humane treatment. Our cows roam freely on lush, liberally-fenced pastures. Our happy herd lives a highly social and stress-free life, something that improves their quality of life as well as the quality of the finished product."

See more about Solo Verdi Meats here:

Superior Genetics

We work to maintain a herd with ideal genetic composition. Our cows can be linked to a subspecies of Bos primigenius taurus – the long-horned aurochs that roamed Eastern and Central Europe during the Bronze Age!

Premium Forage

At Solo Verdi we like to say that we are actually just grass farmers. Just like any other farmed product, the value of our grass is dictated on the plant type and quality of care. Our Coastal Bermuda grass is the forage of choice for subtropical coastal climates. It requires more care than many other grasses, but it’s worth the effort to produce the best forage possible!

Humanely Raised

Our farm has always maintained the highest standard of care for our cows. Our open pastureland allows the family herd plenty of space to roam. As a smaller farm, we are able to attend to each individual animal very closely and can guarantee the quality of life of each of our cows!

Dry Aged

There are many different ways to age meat – all of which increase the tenderness of the finished product – but dry-aging is the best choice for creating an aromatic and flavorful cut of beef. In dry-aging, water evaporates from the meat, reducing the weight by as much as 20 percent and concentrating the flavor into each intensely tasty bite!

Dry Aged Beef - Solo Verdi Meats

After learning about the farming practices, breed of cattle raised, and humane husbandry from Pearson King, we were ready to head out to our next stop. We said our good-byes, and exchanged a few hugs, as we headed out the door.

With coolers loaded up, we drove just a few blocks to our lunch stop at Oscar's of Summerville. 

In a word, it did not disappoint; the food was fantastic! From Fish Tacos and the Classic Cheeseburger to the Hot Turkey Melt Croissant, it was all delicious (see lunch menu).

Classic Cheeseburger

Fish Tacos

Hot Turkey Melt Croissant

If you are ever in Summerville, I highly recommend Oscar's of Summerville.  The meal was outstanding!

Traveling home we all talked about what a great day this was. We got to see a couple of farmer's we've done business with many times in the past, as well as meet some new ones.

It was definitely a wonderful day and I was happy to once again "practice what I preach" and support local.

Once home, I was already planning when I'd make a traditional Ossobuco! What is it? Ossobuco is a Milanese specialty of cross-cut veal or beef shanks braised with vegetables, white wine and broth (wikipedia)

To see my recipe for Ossobuco using Solo Verdi Meats crosscut beef shanks, click here.

Until the next time ...

Enjoy,
Mary

Grilled Center Cut Pork Chops

Fire up your grill and get ready to have the best pork chops you've ever eaten.  I bought some pasture raised, antibiotic and hormone free 1-inch thick center cut pork chops from our friends at Sunny Cedars Farm and rubbed them with Willie's Hog Dust original blend. Amazingly juicy, moist and flavorful. You seriously won't think you're eating pork, it's that darn good. 

"Pork is now marketed as “the other white meat,” because that’s what you get in the grocery store – a nondescript, flavorless white meat that has to be brined or marinated to give it any flavor. At Sunny Cedars, we know how pork is supposed to be — dark rosy pink, perfectly marbled, rich and juicy, and bursting with flavor!" 

We are now "pork snobs" as I call ourselves, because we simply can't buy pork any other way than from our local farms.  It ... is ... seriously ... that ... good!

Recipe
Ingredients
1-inch thick center-cut pork chops (preferably from your local, small family farm)
Willie's Hog Dust Original Blend

Method
Liberally sprinkle Willie's Hog Dust over both sides of the pork chops and rub in with your fingers. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the grill to 350 and using direct-medium heat grill 5-7 minutes per side or until internal temperature is 145 for medium-rare. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes before serving (the total cooking time is dependent on thickness of chops).

Safe minimum cooking temperatures

Disclaimer - I do not have a financial arrangement with Willie's Hog Dust.  
All opinions expressed here are my own.

Enjoy,
Mary

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Grilled St. Louis Ribs

The BEST pork we've ever had was purchased from our friends at Sunny Cedars Farm. This is pastured pork, raised humanely without antibiotics or hormones.  You can taste the difference in the pork raised this way ... dark rosy pink, perfectly marbled, rich and juicy,bursting with flavor. No wonder these Grilled St. Louis Ribs are off-the-chain tender and delicious.

Ingredients
1 half-rack or full rack St. Louis Ribs
1-2 tbls. Spice Rub of your choice 
(we use Fein Tasting Foods)
Barbecue Sauce (make your own, or favorite brand)

Method
Unwrap ribs and rub liberally with your favorite spice rub. Wrap ribs tightly in foil and grill over indirect low heat for 2 hours. 

Uncover ribs, brush barbecue sauce liberally over all and continue to grill an additional 45 minutes (with foil open) or until meat has pulled away from the bone and is very tender. 

Remove from grill, brush on additional barbecue sauce, cut ribs and serve.

Enjoy,
Mary

Farm Fresh in the Kitchen - Sunny Cedars Farm

So what exactly is this "farm to table" or farm to fork" thing? 

By definition it means:  The farm-to-fork or table movement has arisen more or less concurrently with recent changes in attitude about food safety, food freshness, food seasonality, and small-farm economics. Advocates and practitioners of the farm-to-table model frequently cite as their motivations the scarcity of fresh, local ingredients; the poor flavor of ingredients shipped from afar; the poor nutritional integrity of shipped ingredients; the encroachment of genetically modified foods into the food economy; the disappearance of small family farms; the disappearance of heirloom and open-pollinated fruits and vegetables; and the dangers of a highly-centralized food-growing and -distribution system. 1.

As a result of this movement: A growing number of consumers have started to seek healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives to the processed foods that dominate grocery store shelves. 2. 

So what it comes down to is this: Making a conscious decision to eat better and more healthy by purchasing fresh ingredients from local farms or farmer's markets, or growing your own fresh produce, and incorporating it into your daily diet. Real food the way it was meant to be!

But Where do you start, or how do you begin? You start in your own community and that's where this blog comes in.  In this "Farm Fresh in the Kitchen" Blog I will feature a variety of local, small family farms, farmer's markets, and more throughout Sumter, S.C. and the surrounding communities. The "Farm Fresh in the Kitchen" Blog will also feature information on weekly food boxes or co-op produce shares, how to "put up" and preserve summer's bounty, gardening tips, yummy recipes and more to inspire you. Don't live in Sumter, S.C. or the surrounding area? You may still find something of interest here!

So let's get started on our first "Farm Fresh in the Kitchen" outing!

Our first FEATURED FARM is Sunny Cedars Farm located at 701 Singleton Lane (click address for map) just off Lewis Road, in Sumter, S.C. There you'll meet Russell Singleton, his wife, Lesa, and their family.  This is a great local pig farm, raising heritage breed pigs, all antibiotic and hormone-free. 

"We use old, heritage pig breeds such as Berkshire, Tamworths, Spotted Poland China, and others that have fallen out of favor with commercial growers because they take longer to mature than the Yorkshire/Landrace cross preferred by the industry. Our pigs have free access to woods and pasture. They spend their days rooting for hickory nuts and acorns, cooling off in the mud, and sleeping in the sun. To supplement their grazing, we grind and mix our own hog feed here on the farm using local grain and other ingredients. Because our hogs have a healthy environment and lots of space to roam, they are hardly ever sick, so antibiotics aren’t necessary."

Their pigs at Sunny Cedars Farm are raised on pasture and never caged. They are humanely put to sleep before being processed at the Williamsburg Packing Company, 
a federally certified humane animal processing plant by FSIS
(Food Safety & Inspection Service) of the USDA. 

Sunny Cedars Farm currently has nitrite-free Bacon prepared with brown sugar and sea salt (that's it, no other ingredients or fancy names you can't pronounce), Boston butt roasts, St. Louis Ribs, 15 kinds of Sausages including spinach-garlic brats, Italian sausage, chorizo, andouille, and breakfast sausage links & patties, all containing no preservatives or food coloring, no MSG, no fillers and are gluten-free. 

Are you going to pay more for it? Yes! Why?  "Commercial pork producers use indoor, intensive confinement operations to raise hogs who may never see the light of the sun. They’re crowded close together in hog parlors where the risk of contagious disease is high, requiring daily doses of antibiotics to prevent outbreaks of illness. These factory farms use pigs who have been bred to tolerate confinement, grow faster, and grow longer and leaner (to produce more pork chops) over the years. They are fed growth hormones such as Paylean (ractopamine) to speed their growth. As a result, commercial breeders can produce large quantities of pork at a low cost - but what has been sacrificed is flavor. Pork is now marketed as “the other white meat,” because that’s what you get in the grocery store ... a nondescript, flavorless white meat that has to be brined or marinated to give it any flavor. At Sunny Cedars, we

know how pork is supposed to be; dark rosy pink, perfectly marbled, rich and juicy, and bursting with flavor!"

What's the benefit? You know where your food is coming from! You feed yourself and your family a better product. You eat healthier. You support your local farms with your dollars, and they in turn can continue to do what they do to provide you and I with the best possible products. Seems like a "win win" to me!

Is there a difference? YES! So much so you won't believe you are eating pork. I've personally tried the pork chops, maple breakfast sausage links, bratwurst and bacon. The pork chops are tender and juicy, not dry and tough. So darn good and the bacon, brats and sausage are equally delicious. Plus with the new Safe Cooking Temperatures, you can now safely cook pork to 145 which will make it a nice medium and not over-done.

To buy at Sunny Cedars Farm, please call 803-934-6072 (or text) to make sure someone is home at the farm and they'll arrange a time for you to come out for a shopping visit to the farm. (Price List)

Find Sunny Cedars Farm on Facebook

Today's recipe: Grilled Pork Chops (click for "print friendly" version )

RECIPE
Ingredients
2 center-cut pork chops (from 
Sunny Cedars Farm)
Rub liberally with Feiny's Rubs 
(I used Original Barbecue or use the 
rub of your choice)
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 
1-2 hours

Method
Sear chops over high heat on grill, 1-2 minutes; lower heat to medium, turn chops and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, with lid closed or internal temp is 145 degrees.  Allow chops to rest 5-10 minutes before serving (loosely covered with foil).

Until next time!

Mary

Reference:

1.  Wikipedia.com
2. Culinaryschools.com

Note - Any of the livestock farms shared on this blog practice humane husbandry and use no antibiotics or growth hormones.

Farm Fresh in the Kitchen is a feature of sumter360.com