Farm To Fork

Laurentia Torrealba grew up on a family cattle and sheep farm in South Africa, and came to the University of Kentucky for a master’s degree in animal science. So perhaps it’s no surprise that when she decided to open a retail grocery and café with business partner and chef Craig DeVilliers last fall, she thought it should feature family-farm food.

Graze Market and Café near Winchester is a retail market with 15 indoor seats for diners who want lunch or an early dinner, along with a picnic area used in spring and summer. Shoppers can buy groceries (including locally produced meat), ask for recipe tips from DeVilliers, and maybe even see a cooking demonstration in the open kitchen.

“We really wanted to do the entire farm-to-fork experience,” says Laurentia, a Clark Energy Cooperative member who raises Katahdin and Dorper sheep on 15 acres she farms in Clark County with her husband, Sebastian. “We work with local farmers. We try to source everything from the county, and then from surrounding counties. That’s our definition of local.”

Graze Market and Café is at 150 Combs Ferry Road, on the Clark/Fayette County line. It’s open Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-11 p.m.

Graze Café Lamb Chops

4 to 8 lamb chops, enough to feed two people
1 clove garlic
10 mint leaves
1-2 Tbsp ground coriander
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Put lamb chops in a zipper-style plastic bag. Chop garlic and mint and add to bag along with coriander, lemon juice, olive oil, and Worcestershire sauce. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat grill to high. Pat lamb chops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chops for 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on desired degree of doneness (best if medium rare). Serves 2. Serve with grilled zucchini and couscous.

PEOPLE PLEASIN’

Beefy Burritos

Recipe by Sarah Fritschner

1 lb ground beef
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 C)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
2-3 C salsa
6 large flour tortillas (about 10-in. diameter)
3 C (about 12 oz) grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cook beef in a wide skillet over high heat, breaking up the meat. Put the cooked beef on paper towels to remove fat.

Heat the vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Return beef to skillet and add seasonings and 1 cup salsa. Simmer.

Heat oven to 350°. Warm tortillas by placing them in an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat. Turn them every few seconds until they are warm through and pliable. Stack them as you finish them.

Place 1/4 cup of hamburger mixture in the center of a tortilla and spread it out toward sides but not all the way to the edge. Sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese. Fold the tortilla in half, covering the hamburger mixture; fold each side in toward the center; then roll up the tortilla to seal the edges. Place the burrito, seam-side down, in a 9×13-inch baking pan. Repeat. Spread 1-2 cups salsa over the burritos and sprinkle the remaining cheese over all. Heat 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. (You can refrigerate the burritos after preparing them but allow 30 to 40 minutes to heat through.) Serves 6.

Spicy smoky beef burritos: Add a chopped chipotle pepper or 1 tablespoon of chipotle pepper powder to the pan with the salsa.

SARAH FRITSCHNER coordinates Louisville Farm to Table, a program bringing more Kentucky-grown food into local homes, restaurants, and institutions.