Southern Natural Foods

Nothing says summer like a steak on the grill! Lucky for me, I get to see a lot of both during the busy summer season. I love the change of the seasons in thinking about meals to prepare, but summer has to be in the top four (that was supposed to be funny, I think the heat in the kitchen is getting to me)! I do love the variety of garden vegetables and fruits that are only good this time of year. Summer has a distinct taste.

Back to that steak! We have a new friend I want to share with you, and that is Southern Natural Foods. I had the pleasure of getting to play with a few samples of their beef and pork a few months ago; they are special to say the least. We served their rib eyes and strip steaks at our Bluegrass Cookout back on the 4th of July to rave reviews (and it was not just my cooking). They are everything you would expect from an all natural, locally raised, sustain-ably farmed product.

I am very impressed with not just the quality, but also the supply. They have had what I needed and when, and delivered fresh...yes, fresh! This is almost unheard of in beef from local farms. This is key for me in trying to feed the variety of events from weddings to corporate retreats to an anniversary couple.

Southern Natural Foods also offers DNA trace-ability, so that you can trace your meal back to the very farm it came from; very cool. These guys have taken all the steps you need to take to create a one of a kind product and went even further to ensure you are eating the best. I have said it before, but starting with the best ingredients makes my job a whole lot easier.  There is a ton of information on their website  http://southernnaturalfoods.com/home  Check it out!

Evins Mill will give you your next opportunity to try their beef at our Stonehaus Wine Tasting, Harvest Cookout.  This will be August 22nd and will be a cookout style menu with loads of steaks off the CHARCOAL grill, local veggie salads and sides, local fruit cobbler with homemade ice cream...yeah, you better come! Have a great rest of the summer.

Turner & Sons Nursery and Produce

Tennessee is not usually the first place that comes to mind when talking about sourcing fresh fruit. We certainly do not produce the quantity that maybe a California or Florida does, but we do produce, and at a quality second to none.

If you were at Evins Mill for Mother's Day brunch, you will know what I am referring to.  It is strawberry season!  Our latest partner in procuring fresh ingredients is Turner and Sons Nursery and Produce. These guys are located on Hwy. 56 about half way between Smithville and McMinnville. They are a nursery specializing in fruit trees, but also bring in a healthy amount of fresh fruit and produce that you can purchase at the nursery or the Warren Co. Farmers Market.

If you were one of the few that missed Mother's Day Brunch, we will have another opportunity for you to taste these berries at our Memorial Day Cookout in a warm cobbler. Turner will also have blackberries, peaches, muscadines, apples, pumpkins, and much more as the season progresses. We plan on keeping up with the latest and will make sure we get our hands on more of these delicious fruits to share with you at our table. You can also check these guys out on Facebook and get some for your own table! Thanks John and Terri!

Spring!...Are We There Yet?

That seems to be the feeling of most here around the Mill and throughout middle Tennessee. Spring is still the next season...right? I hope it is because I have received all of my garden seed for this year! Don't get me wrong, I do love a little snow on the hemlocks as I look out of my kitchen here, but I thought we could all use a little glimpse of hope, a ray of sunshine, a daydream of what must be just around the corner of this cold, grey, snowy, icy winter.

I wanted to share a little ritual of mine that always energizes me and gets my attention focused on the warmer, dirtier days ahead. I love to go through all of my seed packs with their colorful pictures, and detailed descriptions and plan who is going to get planted when and where. I love to divvy them all out into different piles just as I did with baseball cards as a kid. I can almost taste those first greens and snow peas as I sort them into the different categories! Here is a list of what the Evins Mill garden is hoping to fruit this Spring...

Flashy Butter Gem Lettuce, Mizuna Red Streaks, Corn Salad Dutch, Lollo Rossa Lettuce, Cimmaron Lettuce, Parris Island Cos Lettuce, Merlot Lettuce, Brune D'Hiver Lettuce, Mascara Lettuce, Scarlet Kale, Salad Brunet, Lau's Pointed Leaf Lettuce, Tatsoi, Bronze Beauty Lettuce, Grandpa Admire's Lettuce, Sugar Snap Pea, Arugula, Tom Thumb Lettuce, German Giant Radish, Devil's Ear Lettuce, Oregon Sugar Pod, Extra Dwarf Pak Choy, Amish Deer Tongue and many more

I hope this helps get you over the Winter blues like it does me. You can even try getting yourself a few packs of seed! If all goes well, and Spring really does eventually get here then our dreams will begin to come true by the middle of April. Happy almost Spring everyone! Hope to see you soon at the Mill.