Eckert’s St. Louis Farm Market Produce

We feel so blessed to have a rainbow of fruits and veggies at our fingertips. Our favorite way to enjoy nature’s bounty is fresh from the orchard or field!

There are many delicious fruits available throughout the year for us to all enjoy, but summertime offers the most bountiful harvest of peaches, blackberries, watermelon and cantaloupe. The freshest fruits are always grown locally. When bins are overflowing with beautiful, ripe produce, this usually means it's in season. Smell fruit as you select it; ripe fruit smells fragrant. The skin should be smooth and free of serious pits and bruising. When you get home with your freshly picked or purchased fruit, remove fruits from their bags. Tender fruits that bruise easily should be stored in a single layer and at room temperature. Cut fruit should be put into the refrigerator because the fruit will not ripen further. Do not wash fruits until just before you are going to eat them. Once washed, the fruit begins to deteriorate rapidly.

Nature has also beautifully adapted vegetables to their season. When they are in season they require little if any cooking. At Eckert’s we all love summertime – homegrown corn, fresh tomatoes, beautifully colored peppers and so much more – how could you not love this time of year? With each season comes a new fantastic taste of nature. We are so blessed to be able to enjoy most of these items straight from the field. Each vegetable certainly has its time and place on our kitchen table.

Here are a couple of our family’s favorite recipes. We hope you enjoy them too!

Corn Okra & Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2.5 cups fresh corn, cut from the cob (about 4 ears)
1 cup sliced okra
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook first 3 ingredients in butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until tender. Add tomato and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add corn and remaining ingredients; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 9 minutes or until corn is tender.

Roasted Tomatoes Gratin Recipe

Ingredients

4 medium tomatoes, cut in half
Ground black pepper
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp garlic

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place tomato halves, cut side up on a prepared baking sheet. Place Season with salt and pepper and set aside. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, butter and garlic. Spoon over tomatoes. Roast tomatoes in a preheated over for 10-12 minutes or until bread crumb mixture is golden brown.

Eckert Apple Crisp Recipe

Ingredients

5 cups pared and sliced Eckert apples
1 cup sugar, divided
½ cup butter or margarine
¾ cup quick- cooking rolled oats
½ cup flour
½ cup chopped almonds or pecans
Eckert’s custard (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. in an 8 x 8 baking pan, combine apples with ½ cup sugar and mix well. In a small bowl combine butter, oats, flour, remaining sugar and nuts and mix well; sprinkle over apples. Bake for 1 hour or until topping is browned and apples are tender. Serve warm topped with a scoop of Eckert’s custard.

Click here for our homegrown ripening schedule