Market Meals is a collaboration between Boulder Reporting Lab and the Boulder County Farmers Markets, featuring weekly seasonal recipes built around ingredients from local growers, ranchers and food producers. Find it in Nibbles every Tuesday and on Boulder Reporting Lab. Sign up to get Nibbles in your inbox.
All season long in this recipe series, we have highlighted local produce as it comes in and out of season. However, some local foods remain constant at the farmers market from April through November. One of those is protein — the beef, bison, chicken, pork and more that local ranchers bring to the Boulder and Longmont markets.
Just like knowing your vegetable farmer allows you to feel confident in the food you are eating, knowing your rancher does the same. You can learn where the animals are being raised, what they are eating and how they are being processed. And, if you’re lucky, you might be able to visit them and their animals on their land.
In our 40th season of running farmers markets here at Boulder County Farmers Markets, we have been hosting field trips to some of the farms represented at our farmers markets. Attendees get the chance to take a tour, ask questions and truly get to know their farmer.
A few weeks ago, our field trip program took us to Grama Grass & Livestock, which brings beef to the Boulder Farmers Market each week. The team at Grama Grass has a unique model: It grazes cattle on public and private property in a way that sequesters carbon in the soil, reduces the impact of drought and mitigates fire damage. These beneficial byproducts of its ranching practices are things you may only learn about by talking to the ranchers directly.
After the field trip, attendees sampled grass-finished meat from Grama Grass & Livestock cattle, including the chipotle meatball recipe we are sharing this week. Chipotle peppers are dried and smoked whole red jalapeño chilies. This recipe calls for canned chipotles in a thick tomato and vinegar adobo sauce.
Chipotle Meatballs
Meatballs
- 1 pound Grama Grass ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup uncooked white rice
- About 5 mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Vegetable oil, for cooking
Sauce
- 1 (12-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
- ½ medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt, to taste
Add the tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, onion and garlic to a blender. Blend until smooth. Set the sauce aside, keeping the bay leaves separate.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, uncooked rice, mint, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Shape the mixture into meatballs of your preferred size, keeping them similar in size so they cook evenly.
Heat a small amount of oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for about 3 minutes, turning them so they brown on all sides. Pour the blended sauce over the meatballs and add the bay leaves.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cover the skillet with the lid and cook over medium-low heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked and the rice is tender. Do not stir, as the meatballs may fall apart.
Remove the bay leaves before serving. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed.
What’s fresh this week? Farmers are bringing lettuce, greens, pears, melons, summer squash, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, sweet corn, tomatoes, green beans, okra, chilies, carrots, garlic, apples and more to the Boulder Farmers Market and the Longmont Farmers Market this week.
Visiting the Markets
- 13th Street between Arapahoe Ave. and Canyon Blvd.
- 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturdays, April 4-Nov. 21; 3:30-7:30 p.m., Wednesdays, May 6-Oct. 7
- More information
- Boulder County Fairgrounds
- 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, April 4-Nov. 21
- More information
Have a tip or suggestion? Send your comments, questions and ideas to nibbles@boulderreportinglab.org.
