Happy Grilling!

      Meat, what can I say about Meat? Before I owned this natural food market I was a meat cutter for 30 years. I know hard to believe since I'm only 39. With the amount of knowledge I have about meat I could go on forever but I need to blog about other things also.
     Meat comes in several categories and sub-categories. The main ones are poultry, fish and red meats (beef and pork). There are many other red meats also such as venison, buffalo, yak, etc. To sub-categorize you can break them down into species for instance poultry could be anything from chicken, turkey or even rabbit. I won't even get started with fish because of the numerous species but I will tell you there is fish good for grilling and there is fish good for nothing
     Now days you can get meat that is raised naturally and also organically. These are the two ways that one should look for when purchasing any kind of meats. These meats will not have toxins such as antibiotics or hormones in then. They are usually raised in a more humane way also.
     Lets talk about red meats today and worry about the others another day. Most or at least some of you have looked at a steak and looked for two things. One, is it fresh? and two, is it marbled nicely. Marbling for those of you who don;t know is the amount or the flecks of fat that you can see throughout the meat. It is what gives it its flavor and also helps its tenderness. To get meat to marble nicely the grower has to at the right moment feed the cattle grain. Most of the grain has those toxins in it and are derived mostly from corn. Now on the other hand naturally raised cattle are not fed grain and are raised mostly on grass. Without being fed grain however you won't get that marbling that makes that steak so much more tender and flavorful. Don't get me wrong grass fed beef still has a great taste but it might not be what your used to if you have had grain fed beef. I  suggest you try grass fed beef for yourself since it is more healthy for you and your family. Here at Melvin's Market we sell grass fed beef right out of the freezer. No you can't look to see if it is marbled nicely because it is wrapped in white butcher paper but remember it is grass fed so it isn't marbled. The plus side of buying your beef from the freezer is that it is as fresh as you will ever get it. Think about it, it is butchered and put right in the freezer. The stuff you buy out of a fresh counter could have been there for days. Happy grilling!   

Melvin's Natural Organic Deli, Wine Bar and Market, 160 S. Fir Street, Sisters, Oregon 541-549-0711

Canned Fruit and Preserves

      Fill your pantry with canned goodness!

      Most of us can remember walking into our grandmothers, or in my case Momo's, fruit cellar or pantry and just be in awe at all the fresh and colorful canned fruit and vegetables. I mean lets face it it is not the same looking at an aluminum can with a picture of what is to be inside. I for one like to see what the product looks like before i purchase it.
      We would always grow a huge garden and eat as much as we could when it was fresh picked, talk about organic. Then as things started ripening faster and before it went to seed us kids and mom would go spend hours  picking the bushes clean, good times. Mom would get started on washing the hundreds of quart jars as us kids would snap the beans or play while mom and grandma did them, we were kids after all. My dad always had this sayin' he would bring out of the closest every year about this time. "Son, when it comes to the garden you eat what you can, can what you can't, then eat what you canned". Makes sense and I love my dad but you know how many times I've heard it.
      Well now you don't have to pick the fruit, clean the jars or steam up the whole house (in the middle of summer) trying to can your own preserves. From canned peaches, pears, dilled green beans, marinated mushrooms, sweet pickles to jams, jellies, marinades and even dressings you can see it in the jars and find it at Melvin's Fir Street Market.

Melvin's Natural Organic Deli, Wine Bar and Market, 160 S. Fir Street, Sisters, Oregon 541-549-0711

Organic Northwest Berries, Corn and Apples

You'll find the Freshest local and Organic Produce at Melvin's

       Looking for the freshest, local and organic produce in central Oregon. Look no further then Melvin's Fir Street Market. Melvin's produce section features seasonally local produce. Organic produce from Rainshadow Organic farm is raised just a few miles from the store.
       Fresh Oregon grown berries from strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and yes Oregon's own Marionberries are brought in fresh three times a week. As the seasons hit throughout the Northwest Melvin's is the first to have it in his produce section including Yakima corn and tomatoes, Oregon berries and cherries, Washington state apples and Oregon peaches and melons.
       Melvin himself drives to several Willamette valley farms just to get the freshest produce. Melvin's produce has been know to get so fresh you may have to slap it! 

Melvin's Natural Organic Deli, Wine Bar and Market, 160 S. Fir Street, Sisters, Oregon 541-549-0711