Chef Pat from Lady Luck Casino in Marquette, Iowa, has shared her recipe for the perfect tomato salad that takes only minutes to make. What makes it perfect? Bacon, of course, because everything is better with bacon! Enjoy!
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Farmer’s Pick Buffet to feature winning guest recipe
Last month, the team at Isle of Capri Casino Hotel in Boonville, Missouri, held a recipe contest during their launch of the new Farmer’s Pick Buffet. The winning recipe is perfect for the summer, so we were holding off on revealing it, but with the warm weather lately, today may be a great time to share the delicious-ness!
The winning submission came from Lorin F., who says:
” As a young wife of a produce farmer here in Missouri, I find myself constantly playing with the fruits and vegetables we grow. All of the ingredients grow in abundance during the summer here and the unusual mix of ingredients often times leaves my friends and family curious what this salad is going to taste like and every time I make it, the platter ends up clean. The flavors are clean, fresh and the perfect combination of sweet and savory.”
Watch for this recipe to be featured on the buffet this summer!
Tomato, Watermelon and Strawberry Salad
Ingredients:
2 beefsteak (or other large variety) tomatoes, stemmed, washed and dried. (I like to use colorful heirloom varieties or yellow tomatoes to add a pop of color and keep the tomatoes at room temperature to ensure the best flavor)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, stemmed, washed and dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 pint local strawberries, hulled, washed and cut into very small pieces
6 to 10 ounces cold watermelon, rind removed, seeded and cut into bite-size cubes
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons superfine (or granulated) sugar
1 small container feta cheese
Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (Use a good quality balsamic. I’ve also used a strawberry balsamic before.)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a bowl, whisk together the balsamic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.
Place the tomatoes on a flat surface. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and the larger ones into slices. Arrange all of them in a single layer, flesh side up on a serving platter. Season them with salt, black pepper and sugar. Next arrange the strawberries over the top of the tomatoes. Add watermelon cubes as the top layer. Drizzle the dressing over the top. Finally, sprinkle the tarragon and feta over the top to finish the salad. Serve immediately.
On-site garden is a lot of work but guests can taste the freshness
This week we have a feature on our very own chef Jason Martin. Jason, the food and beverage manager at Boonville, has provided much of the inspiration for the locally-grown approach we’re using at Farmer’s Pick. In addition to working with all sorts of local food growers from central Missouri, Jason and his team actually built an on-site garden as a test program last summer. The on-site garden was a huge success, so we talked with Jason about what sparked the idea and what guests at Farmer’s Pick can expect in 2012.
How did you come up with the idea of an on-site garden?
Jason: Like a lot of great ideas, it started out as a joke. We were looking for local farmers for fresh vegetables and fruits, and someone commented that “we should just grow our own vegetables.” Then I said why not? Let’s do it! The next thing I knew, we were building an on-site garden.
What did you learn from running the garden last year?
Jason: A garden is a lot of work! It takes planning and more than one person looking after it. We started with the idea that it would just a small side project, but it quickly grew into something much bigger.
What changes are you making to the garden this year?
Jason: First of all, we’re tripling the size of it. We want to make sure we have plenty of fresh food for Farmer’s Pick Buffet and Farraddays’ this summer. I’m looking forward to being able to pick and serve food on the same day.
Beyond that, we’re more organized this year. We’re going to schedule people in advance to tend to the garden, weed it, and so forth.
What foods are you going to plant this year?
Jason: The main vegetables will be tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers and herbs. I know the tomatoes were a big hit last year with our guests and employees.
When can guests expect to start seeing our fruits and vegetables at Farmer’s Pick?
Jason: Hopefully we will have some on-site produce available by June. It just depends on the growing conditions and weather.
What’s the best advice you can give to home gardeners?
Jason: A garden is like any project–the end result will be determined by the amount of work put into it. If you want a great garden, you have to dedicate yourself to it. It’s definitely worth the effort.
Isle of Capri Boonville will be posting regular updates about the on-site garden on Facebook and Twitter all spring, summer, and fall. I’m sure we’ll have more to share about the garden on the blog this summer, too.
Missouri Legacy Beef supplies Farmer’s Pick Buffet with beef fresh from the farm
Based out of Salisbury, Mo., Missouri Legacy Beef is dedicated to producing beef that is healthy, sustainable, and full of taste. They feature grass-fed beef cattle raised on free-range farms, selecting only the best cattle and feeding them a diet rich in fiber, which increases the Omega-3 oils and CLA in their bodies. What does this mean? It means that the beef is healthier and more delicious.
Farmer’s Pick Buffet focuses on fresh, local foods that are better tasting and more nutritious. Missouri Legacy Beef’s dedication to healthier foods makes them the perfect fit for Farmer’s Pick and their products will be featured in numerous dishes at the buffet including the following recipe, Legacy Beef Wellington with Madeira Sauce.
Legacy Beef Wellington with Madeira Sauce
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
4 – 6 ounce beef tenderloin from Missouri Legacy Beef
6 ounces portobello mushroom caps – (approximately 2 mushrooms)
4 ounces olive oil
4 – 5”x 5” sheets puff pastry
1 ounce butter, melted
salt and pepper as needed
Sauce
4 ounces Madeira wine
8 ounces beef broth
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon onion, diced
salt and pepper as needed
Directions:
Slice mushroom caps into 2-inch match sticks about ¼ “thickness. Sauté’ in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and reserve. Season Beef with oil, salt and pepper, sear in moderately high sauté pan until golden brown on both sides. To wrap beef, place ¼ of mushrooms in center of puff pastry square, top with filet of beef and wrap corners of pastry around beef. Pinch to seal pastry closed. Invert and place on greased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter, and place in 400 degree oven, convection if available. Bake on high for approximately 8 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Filet should be medium at this point. Let rest a few minutes before serving.
To make the sauce, melt butter in small saucepan, sauté onions until translucent; add flour to create a roux. Combine wine and broth; add gradually to butter flour mixture creating sauce. Let simmer 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
Welcome to Farmer’s Pick Buffet!
Welcome to Farmer’s Pick Buffet, a new brand launched recently at Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Boonville that focuses on using fresh, local ingredients. Take a look inside with a personal tour by Chef Jason Martin, the property’s food and beverage manager.
Have you already tried the new buffet? If so, we’d love to hear what you thought!
Your recipe could be featured on our buffet!
The culinary team at Isle of Capri Casino Hotel in Boonville, Missouri, is looking for a new, delicious recipe using Missouri ingredients so that they can feature it at the new Farmer’s Pick Buffet. The best part? They are looking to our readers and their loyal guests, to submit that winning recipe!
If you think you have the best dish, enter by sending an email to isleofcapribv@islecorp.com with your name and that recipe, which must use local Missouri ingredients. The winning recipe will be featured at Farmer’s Pick and posted on this food blog.
Judging will be based on the creativity and current availability of the local ingredients used.
Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on February 20, 2012. All entrants must be at least 21 years old and not on the Missouri DAP list. See official rules for details.
Good luck!
Now open! Farmer’s Pick Buffet
The newest addition to the Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. portfolio is open for business! Farmer’s Pick Buffet was unveiled to guests recently at Isle of Capri Casino Hotel in Boonville, Missouri. Showcasing local ingredients, Farmer’s Pick Buffet features just-picked fruits and vegetables, plus locally-sourced meat, eggs, dairy and more.
On our way to Farmer’s Pick Buffet: Can you taste fresh?
St. Louis chef and consultant to Isle of Capri Casinos, Eric Brenner, tells us about the benefit of using the local farmers as part of the new buffet concept, Farmer’s Pick Buffet.
On our way to Farmer’s Pick Buffet: bringing a concept to life
As we continue working towards the opening of our first Farmer’s Pick Buffet at Isle of Capri Casino Hotel in Boonville, Mo., Isle of Capri Casinos Chief Marketing Officer Doug Burkhalter tells us about how the concept of the Farmer’s Pick Buffet came to life and what it means to the company.
On our way to Farmer’s Pick Buffet: The chef
As Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. gets ready to reveal the all-new Farmer’s Pick Buffet, Chef Jason Martin from Isle of Capri Casino Hotel in Boonville, Mo., talks about his experience working with the local ingredients which will be featured in the buffet, including the harvest from our own backyard.
