Emma and I treated the girls to lunch this week at
The School House. I really like simple food in the summer so BLTs were the perfect lunch for a super hot July day. The School House has been open for 3 months now, so it was a good time to catch up with the team to get some feedback from them. They have done such an amazing job taking over the packaging and fulfillment and teaching themselves the business. We have very few packaging errors (and when one or two pops up - they take it so personally!) and they really do take pride in making sure each package is beautifully assembled. I LOVE how well they take care of my customers.
The School House is in my hometown of Lexington, Missouri. It is about an hour from my house, so try to get there once every couple of weeks.
When we do, we always stop by the local farmstands to see what's in season. Our favorite is my cousin's -
Fahrmeier Farms. They have strawberries early summer, and now they have blackberries and tomatoes. In the fall, they have beautiful pumpkins and family activities.
When I shared our berries on Instagram, I had so many of you ask where we'd found them, so I thought I'd share : )
9133 County Farm Rd
Lexington, Missouri
(816) 289-2496
Of course, there is no need for a recipe for BLTs... but using the right ingredients is important. I hardly ever order one at a restaurant unless I know they know what they're doing. Same with caprese salads. They can be great or terrible.
Good Bread : I used brioche from Whole Foods. It was my first time buying it there and OMG - I don't know if I'll ever be able to use any other bread again. So delish. Buttery, soft.
Good Tomatoes : Real tomatoes. When you slice them you shouldn't see a "wagon wheel" shape, but fleshy and red all the way through. They don't have to be heirloom, but usually the 'home grown' label is good enough. I've found now that some "heirloom" have been farmed to look right, but don't even taste great. I salt them with sea salt before putting on the sandwich.
Lettuce : Soft lettuce. I don't like romaine or iceburg on a BLT, but a soft lettuce like butter or this red leaf.
(Do I sound crazy yet?!)
Bacon : Has to be crispy. If there is any chewy aspect, I'm out.
Mayo
Whole Foods Brioche
I can't wait to make French bread with this... not that there is any left.
See the flesh all the way through? Wagon Wheel tomatoes (not these) were hybridized to ship and transport well without getting squashed. So, the made them firm and hard... instead of juicy and delicate like these.
This is my favorite pasta salad -
Barefoot Contessa's Pesto, Pasta & Peas. If you have pesto in the fridge (like I do in the summer,
here is my recipe), then it is super easy to make. I've simplified the recipe to be simply : Bowtie Pasta, Pesto, Thawed Sweet Baby Peas & Parmesean.
Blackberries from Fahrmeiers Farm.
There are a couple more weeks of blackberry picking, then tomato season will be in full swing. They would love for you to come visit! One of these days (maybe Fall?), we'll have an open house at The School House and you can stop by at both (we're just down the road).
9133 County Farm Rd
Lexington, Missouri
(816) 289-2496