Life’s Flavors ~ Farm to Table By Allison Libby-Thesing
Have you ever wondered about what breakfast is like at the Oaks Bed and Breakfast? Today is the day that we want to share with you some of our secrets to the amazing meal we provide our guests every time they stay with us. We truly feel that a great day starts with breakfast, and what is a better way to start than with a farm to table breakfast experience. Welcome to our bed and breakfast where we’re proud to serve a farm to table breakfast that encompasses the rich agricultural heritage of North EastTexas.
Some of you locals may remember my in-laws, Bernie and Susie Thesing, who now live out in the country and take care of a little hobby farm filled with animals and produce. The animals on the farm provide food for our table and theirs, and the garden provides produce. Some of the best eggs I have ever eaten have come from the farm and are far superior to the eggs you can purchase at the grocery store. There is just a better taste from an egg of a chicken that has had the joy of roaming the land and discovering the bugs that hop across their path.
As a rule, studies have shown that the benefits of pasture raised eggs include:1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more vitamin A, 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, and 7 times more beta carotene. Who does not want to have more benefits from such a tiny specimen? You can even see the difference between a store-bought egg and a pasture raised egg. That is our first step in providing a great farm totable meal for our guests to enjoy.
The second item we pretty much always use for breakfast is fresh herbs from the herb garden. Summer is the best time to enjoy the fresh cut herbs, sauteed into a delicious meal, and one of my all-time favorites, incorporates fresh tomatoes as well. Our crustless tomato quiche is a crowd favorite. The flavors of the fresh herbs mixed with the sauteed onion, baked with shredded mozzarella cheese, is nothing short of mouth watering. The summer is the best time for this dish, because we can usually pull tomatoes from the garden to include them as the topper. Each bite is a little taste of summer.
Now that the seasons are attempting to change, we will start to utilize those amazing fall garden staples. The remaining hot weather spinach will need to be used or saved, and sweet potatoes that were planted earlier in the year are going to be ready soon. When we prepare breakfast we always take into consideration the dietary needs of our guests. Most often that means gluten free items, which works out well, in a veggie and fruit heavy meal. You cannot forget about the fresh sausage or bacon from the farm.
The fresh meat that we use, tastes and looks so much better than their storefront counterparts. I will say when we have that fresh bacon and sausage, it goes quickly. The guests love the flavor and the family does too. Any meat that we do not grow ourselves we try to locally source from farms we know. Our beef often comes from The Tully Family farm or we shop at Tolleson Family Market for those odds and ends we might not have on hand.
It would be great to one day be fully farm to table, with our flour sources and the like coming from a local grower. Until then we will continue to grow fresh items on our farm and support other local farmers or shops who offer farm to table resources.
By Allison Libby-Thesing