Beef & Broccoli

If you are a reader of this blog then you know that I am an Idylwilde farms regular.

Lately, my usual tab at the checkout has been less than $50.

You know what that means don't you - daily visits. Well, not on Tuesdays.

Feeding people with food allergies means the prepared foods section of the market is usually a minefield rather than a time-saver. However, this minefield, and certainly this has been the case for me, can be a goldmine. Everything in the prepared foods section was prepared with ingredients available within 50 yards or so.

Two points to consider here: One is the story of the grocery store chicken and the other is the story of "it will only contain what you add" if food allergies are an issue.

Consider the organic grocery store chicken: It comes to the market almost whole and recently dispatched. If it doesn't sell whole, it is cut up, a little bit older, and a little bit more expensive. If it doesn't sell cut up, the chicken is marinated or cooked, a little bit older and more expensive.
Extrapolate at will.

Before I review the selections at the meat chiller, I check out the prepared foods. I do not want the prepared foods, because they do or may contain prohibited ingredients, but that does not mean they are without value. Indeed, the prepared foods are inspiring. I find myself checking the prepared foods before I look to the fresh proteins. Tonight was no exception. The Beef & Broccoli was inspiring.

Ginger, carrots, red bell pepper, carrots, scallions, baby bok choi, and out-of-frame beef tenderloin, all from Idylwilde. The garlic was, of course, from Small Farm in Stow.


First, cook the beef and set aside. (Butcher Block teriyaki sauce makes an excellent marinade.)

Minced ginger and garlic first followed quickly by peppers, carrots. bok choi, scallions, oyster sauce and chicken stock.

Stir in steamed broccoli and finish with green scallions, blanched snow pea pods
and maybe some wasabi crunchy salad toppings.

No unwanted ingredients, all fresh and organic ingredients.

See you at Idylwilde, but not on Tuesdays.