It’s summertime! That means that the gardens at Mortimer Farms in Dewey are brimming with fresh produce like strawberries, zucchini, summer squash, potatoes and onions. Rita Carey Rubin, Registered Dietician, Diabetes Educator and host of YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen stopped by Mortimer’s for a tour and an al fresco cooking session with owner, Sharla Mortimer.
Sharla and her husband Gary both have a rich background in farming and ranching, so when the property became available seven years ago, they were thrilled to make it their own. With a passion for educating the public, Mortimer Farms offers a variety of ways that visitors of all ages can learn first-hand how farm fresh produce really makes a difference.
“There’s nothing like fresh vegetables, period,” says Sharla, “And when you get kids to come out and see it and dig it up and play in the dirt and enjoy that, and then go home and eat that same food that they just picked, it is just such a wonderful experience. It really gives them a connection and appreciation for where their food comes from.”
Take a look at the tour of Mortimer Farms, and Rita and Sharla’s cooking demonstration:
Rita and Sharla picked produce right out of the garden and prepared vegetarian tacos with Charred Tomato Salsa. Sharla showed Rita how to grill Mortimer’s grass-fed beef for another take on a family-friendly taco meal. Mock Mojitos featuring fresh strawberries from Mortimer’s you-pick strawberry patch rounded out the meal.
You can download the recipes here:
To learn more about cooking simple, fresh and delicious meals, along with all of Rita’s downloadable recipes, check out Your Healthy Kitchen at yrmchealthconnect.org. You can also follow Rita on Facebook at YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen, where Rita shares what she is making in her kitchen at home, as well as insider tips, recipes and great links to interesting news, websites, and videos about healthy food, cooking and gardening.
Your Healthy Kitchen is one of the many ways that Yavapai Regional Medical Center, your local not-for-profit healthcare provider, supports health education and wellness for the residents of western Yavapai County.