I have this vision of summer, wearing Bermuda shorts and boat shoes, grill fork in one hand, and an ice-cold beverage in the other. It could be pool side with family, or on a small back porch with a couple of friends. Perhaps you have a similar idea.
Let’s fill in a few food details. The burgers we are grilling are made from DLM Local Grass-Fed Beef raised by Jack Gridley’s son-in-law, Jed, on his farm just a few miles from here. Some grilled chicken would be nice too, specifically from Ed Hill and Family out of Xenia. For a side dish, we have Branstrator Farms fat spears of asparagus from Clinton County, brushed with olive oil and grilled. A Caprese-style salad glistens in the sun, featuring fresh DLM Handmade Mozzarella and tomatoes from Jon Paul and Megan at Orion Organics in Yellow Springs. Maybe my friends Brad and Penny from Cincinnati are there, and Penny has made the most delicious fresh slaw with cabbages and carrots from her backyard garden.
So we need some dessert, and topping the DLM Bakery’s Vera Jane’s Shortcakes are strawberries, red raspberries, and gorgeous black raspberries from the Stokes family in Wilmington, topped with fresh whipped cream.
Ok, before you rouse me out of my idyllic daydream of a perfect summer day, let me tell you that whatever the setting, you can always eat well, especially this time of year when you buy food produced by local farmers that we feature at DLM. In fact, I just polished off a burger of local grass-fed beef at my desk, sans boat shoes, right off the “Jack’s Grill” in our Meat department.
Buying and eating locally produced food has many benefits. For one, you know who you are buying from. Dorothy Lane Market has always and continues to be entirely locally owned and operated. And when you get acquainted with the farmers I’ve mentioned here and other local food folks like them, you develop friendship and trust, and you feel good about eating their food. We are blessed to live in an area with rich soil to produce food that has such good flavor! As we say in our mission statement, we want to make you happy with the food you buy here. Look for signs in the store that say “Local” and eat well all summer.
BTW, there’s still time to support your local farmers and sign up for our Local Food Club! Our early summer period begins June 7!