One Stop Dinner Shopping

Our dinner menu: grilled steaks, roasted corn on the cob, cucumber-tomato salad, toasted Como bread, and garlic herb butter.  And here’s the best part of it all…without going to a supermarket, we purchased almost everything for this dinner in one stop here in Gig Harbor.

On the corner of Purdy Drive and Hwy 302, Local Boys Fruit & Produce and Ray’s Meat Market share a building and a goal: to offer fresh, high-quality products with a superior level of customer service.  Our recent visit to these family-owned and operated markets proved out their success in these areas.

We chose our steaks first at Ray’s Meat Market.  They have been in business since October 2010 and offer a wide variety of cuts of all natural, grass-fed beef.  Rick chose an 18 oz bone-in Rib-eye with the perfect amount of marbling to guarantee maximum flavor and juiciness.  I opted for my standard 6 oz filet mignon, a magnificent cut that is almost fork tender when cooked properly.  No need for a bacon wrap on a filet of this quality.  The flavor stands on its own.

Owner Ray Schumsky helped us select our steaks and shared the story of how he and his wife, Debbie, came to open Ray’s Meat Market.  When I inquired about special orders, like extra thick chops for the stuffed pork chops I have been craving, he assured me that a quick phone call ahead is all I need for my request to be ready upon arrival.

We walked around to the other side of the building to Local Boys Fruit & Produce.  Their open floor plan lends a “farmers market” feel to the store.  I knew I wanted corn on the cob for our meal, but I needed to browse for inspiration for the rest.  The helpful staff answered any questions I had about the origins of the produce and samples were offered on many items.  I bought everything else I needed plus some peaches that were so ripe and sweet upon sampling that I couldn’t resist.

Both stores sold bread from Morningside Bread and Pastry Company in Port Orchard so a loaf of crusty Italian Como bread found its way into my basket.  Local Boys also offers a nice selection of salsas, jams, honey, chips, and wines.

Once at home, I removed the silks from the corn without completely shucking the husks then soaked them in cold water for about an hour.  Assembling the garlic herb butter was next.  Chopped fresh rosemary, chives, thyme, parsley, and a generous amount of minced roasted garlic were mixed into softened butter.

Rick grilled the steaks to a perfect medium-rare on the gas grill with a simple rub of minced roasted garlic, salt, and pepper.  The corn, soaking wet and still in the husk, was placed on the grill next to the steaks.  Frequent turning with tongs kept charring of the outer husks even while the water in them steams the corn perfectly.

While the steaks were resting, thick slices of the Como bread were lightly toasted on the grill.

I cut the vine-ripened tomato and peeled cucumber into large chunks and tossed with a little dab of pesto mayonnaise, a splash of balsamic vinaigrette, and fresh ground pepper right before serving. 

A small dollop of the garlic herb butter was placed on the steaks and then used as a spread for the bread and corn.

It was a quick and easy dinner, both to prepare and to shop for.  The clean up was pretty simple, too.  My favorite kind of meal!