Why Dry Aged Meat is Better!

In a mass produced commercial environment where all attention is given to the profit margin, dry aging is being done only for a few discriminating customers.

Harter House Supermarkets in Springfield, Mo. has introduced Dry Aged Beef Products to the retail grocery market.

Quality dry aging makes the beef you buy not only more tender, but concentrates flavor and produces meat that is superb in taste and texture.

Up until 20 years ago, Dry Aged beef was the norm, then with the advent of vacuum packaging along with increased efficiencies in beef processing and transportation, we lost the dry aging process
Though rare in today's corporate, profit driven markets, the art of producing dry aged beef is still in demand for gourmet customers who know its unsurpassed quality.

There is the difference between Wet aged beef and Dry aged beef.
90% of aged beef is done by Wet Aging or aging-in-the-bag and has become the industry norm.
The beef is vacuum packed in plastic and sits at controlled temperatures for 7-28 days. Inside the plastic, the meat ages and becomes more tender yet there is no flavor development since there is not a concentration of flavor occurring with loss of moisture.

The method of Wet Aging has become more popular because it is cheaper and more profitable. Dry Aging is more costly due to the approximately 45% loss in shrinkage and extra trim required, time, storage, refrigerator space, and labor.
Dry aging occurs while the beef is in a refrigerated cooler, at a specific temperature and humidity, for 21 to 28 days after harvest and prior to cutting.
When beef is Dry Aged (Pork is NEVER aged!) two things happen. First, moisture evaporates from the muscle creating a greater concentration of beefy flavor and taste. Secondly, the beef’s natural enzymes break down the fibrous, connective tissue in the muscle, tenderizing it.
Some high quality restaurants and retailers age their meat for 28 days or more. Increased aging adds to the shrinkage and trim loss due to the drying and surface mold. Also, most of the tenderizing activity occurs in the first 10 to 14 days.

Humidity control is essential in managing dry aging and is perhaps the biggest reason why dry-aged beef costs substantially more, since the resultant evaporation causes significant shrinkage. Typical shrinkage is 35 to 45%. And dry-aged beef usually cost about 25-35% more than wet aged beef due to shrink and cutting loss.
But if you have ever had dry-aged beef, you know the cost is worth it!


Ask your friendly neighborhood butchers at either Harter House stores in Springfield to tell you more and visit Harter House at 1625 S. Eastgate to view the process in our Dry Aged Cooler.

Eating Right When Eating on the Run

Are you always on the run? Do you never seem to have quite enough time
in the day? Sound familiar? Lack of time is a major reason why many people
give up eating right, but you don’t have to. In fact, healthy eating is more
important than ever when you’re trying to keep up with a hectic schedule.
A good diet helps your body withstand stress better. But as you’re hustling through your day, you’re probably not thinking about making your next meal a healthy one.

Skip the fast food restaurants.

Learn to eat more meals at home!

Your local Harter House supermarkets have great-tasting nutritional products available to put quick meals together. Foods, so tasty you’ll be wondering why you haven’t been eating this way your whole life. You can learn about products and how to prepare new recipes through many websites.
Make a date to spend 2 to 3 nights a week, at least, to have a good quality family dinner all together. Creating a pleasant mealtime environment is critical to getting children and adults alike to eat healthful foods. Structure and routine are important to all, so the best mealtime environment includes setting routines and having consistent meal times.
I have friends who dine out for nearly every meal: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm sure they have a good time and eat well, but this is an expensive habit. Some people don't eat at home because they don't know how to cook. It's easy to learn, though. And cooking is a skill that you can use for the rest of your life.

Cooking at home is an excellent way to save money. But if you’re accustomed to dining out for most meals, it can be a difficult transition. Fortunately, there’s plenty of help available on the web.
Some points:
1. Always start with a game plan. This is really the hardest step.
Your game plan can be simple (1 meal for 2 people), but it works best if the plan covers the basic angles (1 fish meal for 2 people with a vegetable side dish). Two quick ways to make this easy:
* designate a meat (or protein source) a night.
* buy whatever’s in season, and on sale at Harter House, and cook it up fresh whenever possible.
Monday: Pasta
Wednesday: Beef (make it special with a Dry aged Steak from Harter House.)
2. Recipe sources. Cookbooks are great; but I also use the internet a lot. I can type into google: “recipe beef 30 min” and I get several hundred thousand hits for recipes that take 30 minutes (or less) to prepare with beef. A search on “recipe heart healthy 30 min” gives me almost as many heart healthy main dishes.
Get your recipes as an early part of the game plan. Once you have an idea of all the ingredients you need, write them down and take the list with you to shop.
3. Buy fresh. Whenever possible buy the ingredient fresh or frozen rather than canned. The cheapest vegetables tend to be the ones in season, and also are the healthiest. The more of these you can squeeze into your meals, the better.

However you cook, get in the habit of buying the best ingredients at Harter House Supermarkets.

An Evening with the Cattle Barons

We dusted off our boots and kicked up our heels in support of the American Cancer Society. We dressed in our western best- denim, diamonds, cowboy hats, and boots!

We were joined by the most benevolent and prominent citizens of the Ozarks as we gathered to help save lives and raise money. We enjoyed an evening of live entertainment, gourmet dining, dancing, Las Vegas style gaming, unique auctions, and more in a relaxed western atmosphere.

Here are just a few of the delicious recipes that we were served at the event.

Garlic Citrus Shrimp By Avanzare Italian Dining
12 Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/3 Cup Butter

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

Pinch of each - Crushed Red Pepper flakes, slat & papper

1/4 Cup White Wine

Juice of 1 lemon

Melt butter in saute pan and add shrimp, garlic, red pepper, salt & pepper. When the garlic begins to brown, add wine and lemon and thicken.Serve with baguette or toast and eat immediately.

Cranberry Pesto Goat Cheese Crostini

1 clove garlic

1 Cup Sweetened dried cranberries

1 Tsp Red Pepper flakes

1/2 Cup parmesan cheese

1/4 Cup Italian Parsley, minced

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Goat Cheese (from Harter House World Flavors)

24 toasted baguette rounds

Pulse garlic in food processor until finely diced. Add Cranberries and red pepper flakes. Pulse until blended but chunky. Place mixture in a medium bowl. Stir in parmesan cheese, parsley and oil until blended. Spred a tsp. of goat cheese over baguette round and top with 1 Tbl. of mixture.

Stuffed Pork Loin - this was my favorite!

1 Pork Loin (appx 3/4 lb.)

1/3 Cup Swiss Cheese, shredded

1/4 Cup Dried Apricots, thinly sliced

1 tsp. fresh Thyme, minced (1/4 tsp. dried)

4 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

dash cayenne pepper
1 Tbl. butter, melted

Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the roast to within 1/2 in. of the bottom. Open roast so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/2 inch thickness. remove wrap; sprinkle with cheese, apricots, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. Roll up jelly-role style, starting with a long end. Tie at 2-Inch intervals with kitchen string; secure ends with toothpicks. Transfer to baking dish coated with non-stick spray. Brush tenderloin with butter. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 160. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

7 Cups Potatoes, peeled & cubed

6 Cloves garlic, peeled, minced

1/2 Cup low-fat milk

1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbl. Butter

1/2 Tsp salt

1/8 Tsp White Pepper

Place potatoes in a saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes; drain. Place drained potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients; beat with a mixture until smooth.

Stuffed Mushrooms

2 Lbs. large mushrooms

3/4 lb. cooked baby shrimp

1 Cup Bacon Flavored Crackers, crushed

1 Cup Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking dish. Remove stems from mushrooms. Finely chop stems, cooked baby shrimp, crushed bacon flavored crackers and cream cheese. Stuff mushroom caps generously with the mushroom stem mixture. Top with sharp cheddar cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Salmon with Blackberry Wasabi Sauce - By Avanzare Italian Dining

1/2 Cup all-fruit blackberry jam

1/8 Cup Wasabi paste

4 Salmon Steaks

1/8 Cup Coconut milk

1/4 Tsp. black pepper

pinch salt

Mix jam, wasabi, coconut milk, salt and pepper. Brush salmon with mixture while grilling.

ENJOY!

A Gluten Free Diet

Harter House Supermarkets are committed to providing YOU, our customers, the products YOU’RE looking for!
A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, malts and triticale. It is used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent, often as "dextrin". A gluten-free diet is the only medically accepted treatment for celiac disease, the related condition dermatitis herpetiformis, and wheat allergy.
Today, there is a “fad” aspect because gluten intolerance, once thought rare, is getting overdue attention. Researchers believe that some people who do not have celiac disease, an immune disorder detected through a blood test and intestinal biopsy, do none the less have some gluten intolerance or sensitivity, causing symptoms from bloating to rashes.
The good thing is that the trend has produced more gluten free versions of foods, like cereal, bread and pastas, that the truly intolerant would otherwise have to give up.

Gluten FREE Products

Available at Harter House & World Flavors - 1500 E. Republic Road
– Many of these same items also available at Harter House - 1625 S. Eastgate location

GROCERY PRODUCTS
XOCHITL Tortilla Chips – Salted and No Salt
Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbs
Progresso Soups – Traditional Potato, Broccoli, Cheese
Progresso Soups – New England Clam Chowder & Rich & Hearty New England Clam Chowder
De Boles G.F. Pasta – Penne, Spirals, Lasagna, Spaghetti, Fettuccine
Lundberg Basmati Rice – Brown & White
Snap Dragon Vinaigrettes - Japanese Black Sesame
Snap Dragon Vinaigrettes - Java Ginger Sesame
Snap Dragon Vinaigrettes - Tangy Vietnamese
Head Country BBQ Sauce – Hot Hickory Smoke, Original
Organicville – Organic Ketchup
Smart Balance All Natural Peanut Butter – Chunky & Creamy
Hendrickson’s - Sweet Vinegar & Olive Oil Dressing / Marinade


Blue Diamond Nut Thins – Almond, Sea Salt, Hazelnut, Cheddar Cheese, Smokehouse, BBQ, Pecan, Country Ranch


Sesmark Rice Thins Crackers – Ancient Grains, Garlic Hummus, Sea Salt
Sesmark Mini Rice Crackers – Sesame Garlic
Quinoa G.F. Pasta – Veggie Curls
Konrico Wild Pecan Brown Rice
Konriko Artichoke Brown Rice Mix
Frontier Soups – Illinois Prairie Corn Chowder Mix
Frontier Soups – Minnesota Heartland – Eleven Bean Soup Mix
Koops Mustards
San-J Asian Sauces / Marinades
Bekemeiers Fruit Butters

Herb OX Bouillon – Chicken & Beef
La Tiara Yellow Corn Taco Shells
Roland Feng Shui – Seaweed Rice Crackers
Roland Feng Shui - Original Rice Crackers
Roland Feng Shui – Wasabi Rice Crackers
Allegro Marinades – Hickory Smoke, Teriyaki, Original
R.W. Garcia – Flaxseed Tortilla Chips
Michael Seasons Baked Cheddar Cheese Puffs
Food Should Taste Good Tortilla Chips – Lime, Cheddar , Sweet Potato, The Works, Chocolate, Multi-Grain, Jalapeno, Olive
Sunland Natural Peanut Butter – Creamy Raspberry Spread
Bakery on Main Granola
Bob’s Red Mill – Bread Mix, Cornbread Mix, Biscuit & Baking Mix, Pancake Mix, AP Baking Flour, Brownie Mix, Chocolate Cake Mix, Whole Grain Steel Cut Oats, Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal
Gluten Free Pantry Muffin & Scone Mix
Schar Pizza Crusts
Best Choice Beef Broth, Chicken Broth
Colgin Natural Hickory Liquid Smoke
General Mills Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Honey Nut Chex
Walden Farms Fruit Spreads – Grape, Raspberry, Strawberry, apricot, Apple Butter, Blueberry, Orange Marmalade, Creamy Peanut Butter Spread

Walden Farms Syrup – Chocolate, Strawberry, Blueberry, Pancake
Walden Farms Pasta Sauce – Tomato & Basil, Garlic & Herb, Alfredo
Walden Farms Dips – Chocolate, Marshmallow, Caramel, Veggie Ranch, French Onion
Walden Farms BBQ Sauces – Original, Honey, Thick & Spicy
Walden Farms Tomato Ketchup, Cole Slaw Dressing, Seafood Sauce, Mayo
Walden Farms Dressings – Raspberry Vinaigrette, Creamy Bacon, Russian, Sesame Ginger, Asian, Chipotle Ranch, French, Sweet Onion, Creamy Italian, Bacon Ranch, 1000 Island, Italian w. Sun Dried Tomato, Caesar, Ranch, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Honey Dijon, Blue Cheese, Jersey Sweet Onion

FROZEN
Van’s Natural Foods Waffles
Udi’s – Plain Bagel, Muffins, Cinnamon Rolls, Pizza Crusts, Bread
Food For Life Breads
Cedar Lane All Natural Omelettes

BEER
Red Bridge Gluten Free Sorghum Beer

DAIRY
8th Continent Soymilk – Chocolate, Original
Nestle Coffee Mate Creamers – Liquid – Assorted Flavors

BAKERY
Rocky Mountain Coconut Cream Dessert Cup
Food For Life Rice Pecan Bread

Stop by today and pick up some healthy Gluten Free Products from HArter House world Flavors!

Building A Strong Local Economy

When asked to name our favorite restaurant, café, shop, or even grocery store, we will almost always cite a unique local business. We embrace the idea of distinctive businesses with local character, but often forget their survival depends on our patronage.

It is easy for us to get so consumed by efficiency that we forget that much of our lives we spend eating out, shopping and doing other business. We owe it to ourselves to consider the quality of our experience, and ask if we win when we choose a community-based / locally owned business. Local owners with much of their life savings invested in their businesses have natural interest in the long-term health of the community. Community based businesses are essential to charitable endeavors, frequently serving on local boards, and supporting a variety of causes. Yes, there are some corporate chains that give back to towns in which they do business, but anyone who raises funds for local non-profits will tell you that independents are their base of support. Not that all local businesses are models to follow, and corporate chains are not inherently bad, but the overall impacts are clear: local businesses play a vital role in our community that corporate chains rarely do.
Harter House Supermarkets are proud Charter Members of Springfield's Best Locally Owned Companies
Founded in 1994, for over 17 years, this not-for-profit organization has been educating the public about the importance of buying from locally owned business, keeping our dollars in our own community, and buying from reputable, honest and ethical businesses.

Springfield’s Best - Building A Strong Local Economy
Springfield's Best is a business alliance taking a cooperative approach and working together for the benefit of everyone, members and community. Collectively our actions are significant in this community, by encouraging each other and supporting each other’s choices.
· Citizens are under-informed about the many important values independent businesses provide us individually and as a community. We do business where we perceive we receive the best for our time and money. Perceptions however are not always accurate when we are lacking some of the essential information for fully informed decisions.
· There is strength in numbers and if locally owned businesses join together we will be able to affect the scales in our favor and see success for local business.
Why Buy Locally Owned?
We realize it is not always possible to buy what you need locally and so merely ask you to Think Local FIRST!
Top Ten reasons to Think Local - Buy Local - Be Local

1. Buy Local -- Support yourself: Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms -- continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community


2. Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.


3. Keep our community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place.


4. Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.


5. Create more good jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.


6. Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.


7. Invest in community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.


8. Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.


9. Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.


10. Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

Host a Romantic Dinner at Home

You don't have to have a special occasion to host a romantic dinner.
Set aside the excuse you can't cook.
If you are culinary-challenged, you can still plan a romantic dinner at home for the two of you by either choosing simple recipes to follow or by purchasing some of the meal courses from a restaurant or store.

Time Required: As long as you want it to
Here's How:
1. Set the stage of your romantic dinner by making sure the two of you will be alone.
If you have children, arrange for babysitting at someone else's home.
2. Plan your romantic dinner on an evening of a week that you are sure your spouse won't have other time commitments already scheduled.
3. Do you want the romantic dinner to be a surprise or not? If it is a surprise, light candles in the entrance of your home to surprise your spouse.
If the dinner won't be a surprise, consider giving your spouse an invitation that you write yourself.
Send the invitation by mail, leave it on your mate's pillow, send it with a bouquet of flowers, leave it on the dash of your spouse's car, etc.
Your invitation needs to be specific as to when the romantic dinner is planned. Be creative!
4. Set the table with a tablecloth, cloth napkins, nice dinnerware, crystal, unscented candles, and flowers. The napkins can be rolled or folded in a pretty way.
Sprinkle the table with rose petals or sparkly heart shaped sprinkles. You can set floating candles in small glasses filled partly with cranberry juice.
5. Decide on your romantic dinner menu.
Keep it simple, but don't forget the appetizers. Plan on serving foods that your spouse likes. This isn't a time to experiment with a new recipe.

Spread a Little Joy

I'm back! I was in the Carribean eating coconuts and drinking rum. But now I'm home and I'm cooking again. Food is my passion and I love trying new recipes all the time! I enjoy the whole experience of presentaion and atmosphere, so much so that my husband makes fun of me. But that doesn't stop me. I'm a romantic!

It's amazing what a little PHILLY can do, It's more than an extra ingredient - It's a secret weapon. From making rosotto a more luscious experience to putting a new twist on ordinary chicken, ther's no limit to what you can do when you add a little PHILLY Cream Cheese.

While experimenting with different cheeses in 1872, dairy farmer William A Lawrence created a lush, spreadable cheese and named his discovery after the city (Philadelphia) famous for it's high-quality food. From it's origin, Philedelphia Cream Cheese has always been about the joy of discovery.

Make tonight a relaxing and romantic night of good eats, with ample time to gaze lovingly into each others eyes. Here's a favorite recipe of mine;

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken
4 oz. (1/2 of an 8 oz. package) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 Slices Bacon, Cooked, Crumbles
2 TBLs. dry Bread Crumbs
2 TBLs Chopped Kalamata Olives
2 TBLs coursely chopped slivered almonds
1 Egg
1 TBl plus 1 Tsp. fresh Thyme, Divided
4 Small boneless, skinless Fresh Harter House Chicken Breast halves (1 lb.)
1/2 Cup Dry White White
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

1. Heat Oven to 325 F



2. Combine first 6 ingredients. Add 1 TBL Thyme, mix well. Use small sharp knife to cut pocket in the thick long side of each chicken breast, being careful to not cut through to opposite side, fill pockets with cream cheese mixture.



3. Heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add Chicken, cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned on both sides. Transfer to 13x9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover. Reserve drippings in skillet.



4. Bake 25 to 30 Minutes or until chicken is done (165 F). Meanwhile add wine and broth to drippings in skillet; cook on medium heat 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half, stirring frequently to scrape up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Stir in remaining thyme.



5. Slice Chicken. Served topped with sauce.

For more philly cheese recipes visit spreadphilly.com.