Keep supporting your local business owners, by Angela Bullentini Wolf

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted virtually every industry, and small business owners are trying to keep up with the challenges presented by tweaking their business models to meet the changing needs of their customers, all the while doing what it takes to stay open in this difficult market.

Carson City businesses have had a few months to pivot their business models, yet the challenges presented to us by COVID-19 remain.

Now, more than ever, is the time to support your local restaurants, shops, farmers, and food producers. Many of you have probably heard that our national food supply chain has been significantly affected by COVID-19, with outbreaks of the virus causing processing plant closures, to the decrease in revenue streams causing worker furloughs and layoffs.

Without our processing plants open, our workers aren’t processing foods, and our truckers don’t have goods to haul. In the meantime, farmers can’t get their produce and meat to market, food goes to waste, consumers don’t get the products they want, and the farmer suffers incredible financial loss.

We are so lucky here in Northern Nevada to have an abundance of meat and produce ranchers and farmers who either sell direct to consumer or to restaurants. It’s farmers market season, and many of these products are available every Saturday at the Carson Farmers Market.

That means you have the freshest, most nutritious food available to eat and you get to support a local business, too.

Win win!

Summer is here, and barbecue season is upon us! In addition to the Carson Farmers Market, you can stop by Bently Ranch Butcher Shop in Minden and get yourself some of the most delicious grass fed beef and Borda Ranch lamb that you’ve ever tasted!

Pictured here are our Bently Ranch Short Ribs slow roasted with red wine and root vegetables along with or Borda Ranch grilled lamb chops.

The Borda family have raised their sheep herds throughout this area since 1914. Their commitment to their animals, the land, and their community is unsurpassed.

We also have a delicious and new take on the caprese salad, where we add grilled asparagus locally grown in Smith Valley and pair it with delicious fresh mozzarella made by Sand Hill Dairy in Fallon.

Add in some cherry tomatoes from Dayton Valley Aquaponics and top with fruit infused olive oils and balsamic vinegar from Big Horn Olive Oil Company in Reno for a refreshing, locally-sourced side dish to accent your Summer grill.

Asparagus Caprese Salad Serves

6 Ingredients

1 pound local asparagus spears with tough ends removed

1 pound Sand Hill Dairy fresh mozzarella

6 Tablespoons Blood Orange Olive Oil

6 Tablespoons Blackberry Ginger Balsamic

1 container of cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half

6 sprigs of fresh basil

6 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for grilling)

Directions: Prepare grill for asparagus using medium heat. Toss asparagus in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and place on grill. Continuously turn asparagus on grill after resting for about 2 minutes on each side until the spears have a light char on them and just begin to soften. Remove asparagus from grill and arrange on a plate. Add the fresh mozzarella and place tomatoes around the plate. Drizzle with the blood orange-infused olive oil and blackberry ginger balsamic. Roughly tear the basil and sprinkle over the top.

Garnish with basil and serve. Enjoy!

Angela Bullentini Wolf is Owner/Manager of Gather, a farm to table, fine casual restaurant located at 402 N. Carson Street in downtown Carson City. Gather remains open for takeout with curbside delivery Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Our dining room is open for dinner Thursday-Saturday, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Our menu can be found at www.gathercc.com/ourmenu, or on Facebook @GatherCarsonCity. Call us at (775) 433-0200.