CONTENTSON THE COVERHomegrown peaches should arrive at your local farmers marketin July. Check our Chef’s Table column for Mark Alan’sPeachy Keen Georgia Grilled GrouperWell-BalancedEat Sweet15Try Jill’s refreshing and healthycocktail alternatives18Discover great ways to customizeyour homemade ice cream67891011121313141516CHEESE WIZLOCALLY GROWNASK THE EXPERTCOOK’S BOOKSCATEREDEAT SWEETPROFILEUNCORKEDWELL SEASONEDLIQUID LANGUAGETABLE HOPPINGREADER RECIPE171819<strong>20</strong>21222324252627TIDBITSCHEF’S TABLEHOW TOWELL BALANCEDCOOKING FROM THE HEARTIN THE DETAILSSPIRITED ADVISORROLLING PRAIRIE RECIPEHOP TALKCOLANDER OF EVENTSLAST CALLupcoming...Time for Tomatoes!• Reader Recipe: Tomatillo Salsa• Heirloom Varieties• Nancy O’Connor’s Great GazpachoPlus look for articles from our regularcontributing writers. Pick up tastebudat your favorite location and if you don’tsee it, ask for it!Find recent favorites and online exclusives at www.tastebudmagazine.com4 July, <strong>20</strong>08
EDITOR’S LETTERWith July comes two quintessential summertime foods: corn andtomatoes. It also officially starts the time of year when meals atour house stop following any kind of logical recommended diet.When corn comes in, that’s all we eat for dinner –maybe we add bread andbutter but not much more - just heaping plates of corn on the cob. Whentomatoes arrive we eat them 3 meals a day: tomatoes with eggs for breakfast,sliced tomatoes for lunch, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella over hot pasta fordinner. One beauty of this farm-fresh, locally grown, seasonal produceis that preparing it virtually requires no thought and is truly a lazy cook’sdream – shuck it, drop it in boiling water, serve it with a little butter andmaybe a dash of salt. Serving a great tomato just requires a good knife anda plate. Eating this way is a tribute to languid summer days that makes meglad I live where I do.One advantage of living in Kansas City is the nearly immediate accessto food grown in our area. You may have a pot of cherry tomatoes growingon your patio right now but if not you can find any number of convenientfarmers markets where you can get some that were grown nearby and pickedearlier in the day. This is especially relevant now that food prices haveincreased so dramatically. Will we always be able to afford produce that gets trucked to us when diesel fuel rises to$5 - $6 per gallon, especially considering that the average grocery store’s produce travels nearly 1,500 miles from farmto plate? Factor in inferior taste, lost local revenue, the negative environmental impact and that produce becomeseven less desirable. I know local farmers are spending more to operate their businesses today than they did a yearago and I expect to pay more for their produce this season. But buying peppers from Douglas County or Rich Hill,Missouri instead of California makes a whole lot more sense to me.The close proximity of great summer foods also reminds me of the role agriculture plays in our collective identity.My family’s been in Kansas for 150 years and I certainly don’t have to reach very far up in my family tree to find afarmer. Farming sustained our family for generations; all of my grandparents grew up on farms and I suspect manyof you have similar family histories. Making sure we keep a connection to our food roots by supporting and helpingto sustain local farms is critical. I never want to take local access to fresh produce for granted; it’s a luxury manyAmericans have to work harder to get.These terrific seasonal foods are the perfect accompaniment to hot sweaty parties on the patio. Add some icecold beer (like the ones Jason suggests in Liquid Language), turn up KCUR’s Fish Fry, heat up the grill (find a greatrecipe from the BBQ Queens new book that Maureen reviews), and whip up some of the great recipes found in thismonth’s issue. Heather covers the details of hosting an easy patio party in her column this month. You will fall inlove with her fruity/slushy/highly alcoholic cocktail. At our recent mother-daughter book club gathering I served anon-alcoholic version to the girls while the moms polished off a pitcher of the adult version. Trust me, you’ll slideright off your wrought iron chairs if you’re not careful.This month I hope you enjoy the fruits of our bountiful local farms and that you find inspiration on our pages!Don’t miss a single issueHave tastebud delivered straight to your home or office.One year (12 month) mailing cost is $24.00.NameAddressCity, StateZip codeEmailSend your check to:tastebud magazineattn: subscriptionsPO Box 8123Prairie Village, KS 66<strong>20</strong>8Volume 3, Issue 4 | July, <strong>20</strong>08Editor: Jennifer RoePublisher: Gordon RoeDesign: Joseph Wilperwww.wilper.comCover Photography: Sara Farrarwww.sarafarrarphotography.comtastebud magazine is publishedtwelve times per year. Subscriptionsare available. The contents of eachissue are protected by copyrightlaw. tastebud is a trademark ofGoRoe Works, Inc. Reproductionof any portion is prohibited withoutexpressed permission. tastebudmagazine can be contacted at:PO Box 8123Prairie Village, KS 66<strong>20</strong>8ph. 913.341.9993or by email at:info@tastebudmagazine.com.CONTRIBUTORSM & S GrillDiana EndicottGood Natured Family FarmsPatty Santee • Santee Floral DesignMaureen FitzsimmonsNichole Burnett • JoCo ExtensionGreater Kansas City Chefs’ AssociationAlan Hagedorn• Royal LiquorsMichael KricsfeldLon Lane’s Inspired OccasionsNancy O’ConnorThe Better Cheddar StaffJill McLaughlinMark Alan MollentineThe Governor’s Meeting HouseJason Burton • The RoasteriePenny SelleJoAnn JonesJenny VergaraVirginia LopezNeil SalkindHeather CoonesChris StengerErin ReynoldsJuly, <strong>20</strong>08 5
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