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Do you love your local farmer? Then mark your calendar for the Love Your Local Farmer Valentine Breakfast on Feb. 13.
You heart your local farmer. We know you do. Now you can prove just how much by doing what you love: eating local food. And you don't even have to cook!
Sound good?
Then you'll want to get your tickets for the Love Your Local Farmer Valentine Breakfast, hosted by Quad Cities Buy Fresh, Buy Local.
The breakfast event will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at Penguin's Comedy Club, 421 W. River Drive, Davenport. The club is located inside the renovated Freight House, which also is home to the Freight House Farmers' Market each Tuesday (3-6 p.m.) and Saturday (8 a.m.-1 p.m.).
Tickets are $12.50 each and must be purchased in advance at the market or from individual members of Buy Fresh, Buy Local. A list of members is online at bfblqc.org.
Seating is limited to 60 people, so get your tickets early, advises Cathy Lafrenz, one of the event's planners. Lafrenz, who owns Miss Effie's Flowers and Garden Stuff inDonahue, Iowa, will provide eggs and prepare her Spinach and Chicken Crepes with Cheese Sauce.
Attending locavores can show their devotion by munching on locally-grown delights served buffet-style, including crepes, egg casserole and potatoes from Miss Effie's; homemade cinnamon rolls from Allens Grove Greenhouse; honey from CrandallFarms; and breads and rolls from local bakers, Lafrenz says.
Guests also will have the chance to rub elbows with a few farmers and learn more about the local foods available in winter and all year round, says Lafrenz.
Quad-Cities BuyFresh, BuyLocal is a group of growers that sells products in several farmers' markets in the Quad-Cities and beyond. The group hosts educational classes (such as canning classes) in farmers' markets and has sponsored local-foods dinners and other learning events in the area.
For more information about theQuad Cities chapter of Buy Fresh, Buy Local, send an e-mail to bfblqc@bfblqc.org.Sausage, Cheese and Onion Strata 1/2 pound ground sausage (regular or Italian) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 garlic clove, minced 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped Salt and pepper 5 large eggs 2-1/2 cups milk 6-8 1/2-inch-thick slices firm French bread, preferably day old 1-1/2 cups grated cheese Crumble sausage into large skillet and cook until lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Drain to discard any fat, and wipe the skillet clean. Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked sausage and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy. Whisk in the milk until blended. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and a grind of fresh pepper. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with olive oil. Using half of the bread, make a single layer across the bottom of the dish, cutting the bread to tightly fit the dish. Spoon the sausage-and-onion mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Use the remaining bread slices to make a second layer, once again cutting them to fit. Pour the egg mixture over the top, making sure the liquid is absorbed evenly. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the strata and bake until puffed and brown, about 45 minutes. Serves six to eight. -- Notes: Cathy Lafrenz likes to make this recipe with ingredients that may be purchased at the FreightHouse Farmers' Market, Davenport:Sausage fromGeestFarms, bread from Allens Grove Greenhouse, and cheese from Milton Creamery. She uses eggs from her farm, Miss Effie's Flowers and Garden Stuff (www.misseffiesflowers.com).
