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I BEEF TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE O COMMISSIONER SID MILLER JUNE 2016 EDITION GO LOCAL. GO TEXAN. TEXAS FOOD, WINE, RESTAURANTS, RECIPES, GARDENING, STYLE & MORE

Go Local. GO TEXAN. June 2016 ezine

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The latest information on Texas food, wine, restaurants, recipes, gardening, style and more.

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Page 1: Go Local. GO TEXAN. June 2016 ezine

I BEEF

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE O COMMISSIONER SID MILLER

JUNE 2016 EDITION

GO LOCAL. GO TEXAN.TEXAS FOOD, WINE, RESTAURANTS, RECIPES, GARDENING, STYLE & MORE

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HARDCORE CARNIVORE: TEXAS HAS WON OVER THIS AUSTRALIANJess Pryles wasn’t born in Texas, but as that old saying goes, she got here as fast as she could. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Pryles first visited Texas eight years ago and fell in love with the Lone Star State and our world-famous barbecue. She kept returning year-after-year, until she finally made the move to Austin in early 2015.

It was her first bite of Texas barbecue — a bark-crusted beef rib — that started her love affair with Texas cuisine and was a driving force in her move to Austin. These days, Pryles is a respected authority on barbecue, meat and grilling, and she keeps busy publishing recipes and stories on her website.

Pryles’ debut food product is Hardcore Carnivore™: Black, an unusual, charcoal-based seasoning rub that’s custom-made in Houston. Featuring classic rub flavors of garlic, chili, onion and black pepper, the food-grade charcoal in the mix creates a vividly dark, striking exterior crust on steaks and meat.

Before the product was even fully finalized, Pryles knew she wanted to display the GO TEXAN mark on her creation.

“It’s a matter of pride, showing fellow Texans — and the rest of the world — that I’m darn proud to have created and produced Hardcore Carnivore locally, right here in Texas,” Pryles said. Find her products on her website and try out her recipe on the following page.

Photo by Chase Stiles

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RECIPE: LEARN THE REVERSE-SEARED STEAK METHODIt takes a little longer than usual, but you’ll get a perfect steak from edge-to-edge, and it’s been hailed as the ultimate way to cook a perfect medium-rare steak every time. It’s easy to master the reverse sear method.

You will need a meat thermometer to take full advantage of this method and cook meat to perfection. One of the secrets is the resting period. Be sure not to skip this step!

Temperatures of doneness: • Rare: 125 degrees, • Medium Rare: 130 degrees, • Medium: 140 degrees

Ingredients:Rib-eye or New York strip steaks, at least one-inch thick. Steak or meat seasoning rub; try Hardcore Carnivore™: Black.

Cook:1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.2. Cover an oven tray with foil, and place a rack on top of the tray.3. Place steaks on the rack, and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season liberally on both sides with rub, ensuring the steaks are well-coated.4. Place tray in oven, and cook until to an internal temperature, depending on your preference of doneness (see temperatures above). This usually takes 45-60 minutes.

5. Once desired temperature is reached, remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes.6. Preheat a cast iron skillet or heavy skillet to smoking hot temperature.7. Sear steaks for one minute on each side.8. Serve immediately. Because the meat has already rested, you can eat them right away!

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CRYSTAL CREEK MOONSHINE: A NEW TWIST ON AN AMERICAN CLASSIC

Most GO TEXAN companies don’t start in a cave. Unless you look at Crystal Creek Moonshine. Shane Berber grew up near Crystal Creek in West Austin, where he met Sam Wakefield. The two friends both reunited after university and they then decided to open a distilling operation.

“While we were in the process of getting all of our distillery licenses and permits, we spent more than six months distilling in a nearby cave with a 13-gallon still to further strengthen our knowledge and experience of distilling,” Berber said. “We used the Crystal Creek water as our cool water source during the distillations.”

They have since moved to a better-lit distillery in Spicewood. Berber said they visit the cave every few months just to say hello. The company’s product comes in original, Serrano Cucumber, Peach Lavender and Coffee Pecan flavors. It can be found in stores across much of the state. Crystal Creek Moonshine is doing well — and they’re only getting started.

“The massive growth nationally of our specific spirit — moonshine — is a source of a lot of excitement for us. The category is one of the fastest-growing spirit categories in the U.S. and we feel so blessed to be part of it,” Berber said.

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Crystal Creek Moonshine is a GO TEXAN member, which was an easy decision for the small company. “Being a GO TEXAN member is essential to who we are as a brand and a company, as well as our identity,” Berber said. “We are proud to be made in Texas, proud to source all of our ingredients

from Texas, and we are proud to be Texans. Because of that, it was a no-brainer to put the GO TEXAN mark on the front of our bottle.”

For more information about where to find Crystal Creek Moonshine, scheduling a tour or to get ideas on mixing drinks with their unique flavors, visit their website.

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CRYSTAL CREEK MOONSHINE: A NEW TWIST ON AN AMERICAN CLASSIC

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THE BONNEVILLE: KNOWING, CONNECTING AND SERVING LOCAL

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Texans love their barbecue but don’t often think of lamb for their ribs. Chris Hurley and Jennifer Costello,

co-owners and chefs at the Bonneville Restaurant in Austin, set out to change this perception once they started collaborating with their friend and lamb rancher, Jeff Ruhle of IO Ranch, in Lampasas County. A while back, Ruhle said to the pair that he didn’t understand why his lamb spare ribs weren’t more popular. Texans love to barbecue, so it seemed like they would sell well, but the delicious cut proved to be confusing to retail customers who couldn’t quite figure out the best cooking method. Immediately, the two chefs decided to buy up his spare rib cuts, play around and see what they could come up with.

The three friends see each other all the time at their local farmers market, and one day Ruhle surprised the chefs with a gift: an enormous box of beautifully ripe Bartlett pears grown on his property. The pear trees were bearing fruit so quickly and abundantly that Ruhle was running out of ideas for what to do with them. Not wanting the fruit to go to waste, he gifted them to Hurley and Costello.

With the fruit and spare ribs in hand, Hurley came up with an idea for slow-roasted Korean lamb ribs, while Costello had pear butter on her mind. As they got together in the kitchen and started testing marinades and spice blends, they realized the two ideas would work beautifully together. A slightly salty marinade of soy, garlic, sesame

and scallions needed a little sweetness, and the accents of ginger and star anise in the pear butter complemented the soy-based marinade. Since IO Ranch’s lambs are pasture-raised and eat mostly clover, the flavor combinations only enhanced the slightly floral taste of the meat itself. In addition, IO Ranch raises a Dorper lamb, which grows hair, not wool, and so doesn’t create the lanolin that gives wooly lamb meat a gamey flavor. The resulting Korean-style lamb spare ribs have become a signature dish at the Bonneville Restaurant and are a representation of a true collaboration of Texas ranch-to-table cuisine.

Being and buying local is what the Bonneville is all about. It’s the only way Hurley and Costello know how to cook. “We believe that knowing your local farmers, ranchers and fishermen, and having a direct connection to them, is critical for any chef,” Hurley said. “No one knows the product better than the farmers, ranchers and fishermen themselves. When we look to start a menu change, the first thing we do is consult the producers about what they’re growing in abundance, what’s coming in season next and what parts of the animals are available now. Working with them to work around both the farm and the animal is critical to both of our continued success.”

For more information on the Bonneville Restaurant, visit their website.

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Like many inventions and companies, the initial idea for Shark Shade was stumbled upon long before the business plan was drafted. “I had not planned on making a shade when I started out,” Chuck Martin, CEO of Shark Shade said. “I just wanted some shade for a trip to the beach.”

The idea for Shark Shade came to Martin as he was preparing for a family trip to Mustang Island on the Texas coast. Fair skin runs on both sides of

his family, and he wanted something better than the umbrellas and other shade products he had owned. “Either they wore out too quickly under the heavy wind conditions or I would end up chasing them down the beach as the wind blew them away,” Martin said.

He sketched out some ideas on sticky notes and then started playing around in his shop to put a better shade together for this trip. Over a weekend,

SHARK SHADE: SHIELDING TEXANS FROM THE SUMMER SUN

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he made something that, though far from perfect, worked fabulously.

“We arrived at the beach and set up my shade creation,” Martin said. “The sun was hot and the wind was gusting up to 40 mph, but the shade stood solid. People walking by would stop and comment on the shade, asking where it came from.”

These events led him back to his garage to rework and get his design right. The finished product, Shark Shade, is easy-

to-assemble, durable and made with a stay-cool fabric that is unmatched in the marketplace. Shark Shade is a lightweight, go-anywhere shelter that provides more than 50 square feet of protection from the sun, wind and privacy from neighbors. It should perform well in the various settings and wind conditions that Texans will find themselves in as they enjoy the summer.

For more information on Shark Shade, visit their website.

SHARK SHADE: SHIELDING TEXANS FROM THE SUMMER SUN

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SEGUIN: TRUE TEXAS LIVINGEvery place you go in Seguin has something in common: a story. From the state’s oldest licensed bar to one of the world’s largest nutcracker collections, from a 6,000-year-old archeological dig to the latest in amusement parks, you’ll find that each has its own fascinating tale and a friendly voice to tell it.

Seguin is a community where families live among people of all incomes, ages and backgrounds. It is also the latest Texas town to be named as a GO TEXAN Certified Retirement Community, and for many good reasons. Seguin is located 30 minutes east of San Antonio and 45 minutes south of Austin. Seguin has easy access to two international airports, two deep water ports and two interstate highways — I-10 running east-west and I-35 running north-south. Seguin has a growing, robust economy that continues to diversify as more and more companies choose Seguin to

build their facilities. Seguin is big enough to boast a top-rated university and a state-of-the-art hospital. More than 30,000 folks here enjoy a range of cultural and recreational opportunities.

Visitors and residents of Seguin have many amenities to enjoy, including the cool waters of the Seguin Aquatic Center, which features a 15,000 square foot wave pool, splash pool and mushroom umbrella fountain. The new 48-acre Park West has athletic fields, a playscape, nature trails and splash pad for the little ones. The beautiful Guadalupe River winds through Seguin and offers free boat ramps, fishing piers, picnic areas and campgrounds. The city of Seguin also has established “float trails” on the river with no shuttle necessary so you can explore at your own leisure.

Come visit and find out why Seguin is a growing community. For more information, visit the city’s website.

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SUMMER GARDENING TIPS: STAY SMART & START EARLY

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As summer heats up, there’s work to be done on your lawn and garden. You’ll probably find it more

comfortable to get outside early in the day, particularly before the temperature begins its steady climb. Our friends at Neil Sperry’s Gardens have advice in the following four categories for us this month: plant, prune, fertilize and watch.

PlantMany nurseries will have good deals on landscape plants as spring winds down. Water the new plants by hand every other day throughout the summer. For heat-tolerant annuals, the best ones to plant here include hybrid purslane, moss rose, penta, lantana and cleome. When it comes to crepe myrtles, buy plants that are in full bloom to be sure to receive the correct color listed on the tag. Know their mature sizes and allow ample room for growth.

PruneIt’s time to prune spring-flowering perennials. Remove spent flowers, seed stalks and leaves as they brown. Remove the flower stalks before buds open on coleus, caladiums, lamb’s ear and basil, as these plants’ flowers stop further leaf and stem growth. Maintain lawns at recommended height (Bermuda: 1.25 to 1.5 inches; St. Augustine: 2 to 2.5 inches;

hybrid Bermudas: .25 to .75 inches; zoysias: 2 to 3 inches; buffalograss and fescue: 3 to 4 inches). If Bermuda is browned for several days after each mowing, raise mower one notch.

FertilizeFertilize lawn and landscape plants with all-nitrogen fertilizer in clay soils and high-nitrogen fertilizer in sandy soils. Half or more of the nitrogen should be in a slow-release form. You will want to water deeply after feeding. Unless a soil test suggests otherwise, use the same all-nitrogen or high-nitrogen fertilizer on flowers and vegetables that you’re already applying to your lawn, trees and shrubs. For hanging plants and patio pots, apply a time-release food to potting soil surface.

WatchKeep a vigilant eye on annual grassy weeds. If pre-emergent weed killer was applied in March, repeat in mid-June. Be on the lookout for chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass. Damage will show up as brown spots and dried-out grass that doesn’t respond to irrigation. Apply an insecticide that’s labeled for use specifically on St. Augustine grasses, if you have issues with pests.

For more information, visit the Neil Sperry’s Garden website.

SUMMER GARDENING TIPS: STAY SMART & START EARLY

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Have You Been Farming For More Than 100 Years?If your answer is yes, we want to hear from you! The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is in the final stages of collecting applications for our 2016 Family Land Heritage (FLH) registry. FLH pays tribute to families who have kept their land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years. It is truly an honor for TDA to recognize these Texas farmers and ranchers for their dedication to making our state’s agriculture industry a powerhouse.

We have more information and the FLH application on our website. Click here to find everything you need. Applications are due by Wednesday, July 1. We look forward to seeing you at the State Capitol this fall!

FAMILY LAND HERITAGE

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Celebrate the tastes of Texas throughout July by dining out at GO TEXAN restaurants during the GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up. We hope you will dine out to show your support for restaurants in your area committed to serving menu items with ingredients sourced from local farmers, ranchers and other producers. From shrimp and vegetables to wine and artisan cheeses, if it’s from Texas, you can bet it’s the freshest and most flavorful option around.

Find a GO TEXAN restaurant near you by clicking here and keep an eye on this page for special events planned at restaurants around the state. Events just for Restaurant Round-Up will be added in the coming weeks.

GO TEXAN RESTAURANT MONTHHIGHLIGHTS SOURCING FOOD LOCALLY

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GO TEXAN APPAREL: WEAR YOUR TEXAS PRIDE ON YOUR SLEEVE

Shop GO TEXAN at gotexan.org

GO TEXAN DENIM HAT

$18.95

GO TEXAN PINT GLASS

$10

WINE GLASS STEMLESS

SET OF 2$12

WINE GLASS 18 oz.

SET OF 2$15

LOCALLY GROWN ADULT T-SHIRT $20

MILITARY GREEN GO TEXAN T-SHIRT ADULT $20 BLACK

GO TEXAN T-SHIRT

LADIES $10

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Show the world that you are GO TEXAN proud. Sport your GO TEXAN colors at your next event with our GO TEXAN apparel or when serving guests at home with elegant GO TEXAN glassware.

The best part of all ... is that all shipping is FREE!

GO TEXAN APPAREL: WEAR YOUR TEXAS PRIDE ON YOUR SLEEVE

ASPHALT GRAY GO TEXAN T-SHIRT ADULT $20

GROWN TEXAN GREENONESIE $17

GO TEXAN BLUE CAMOONESIE $15

GO TEXAN PINK CAMOONESIE $15

CORK STOPPER $10 GO TEXAN TERVIS TUMBLERSET OF 2 $26

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SPOT THE GO TEXAN MARK CHALLENGEWant a fun way to share the best of Texas with the world? It’s easy!

GO TEXAN uses Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to post GO TEXAN events, share member news and increase awareness of the wide-variety of products grown and made right here in the Lone Star State.

Challenge: If you spot the GO TEXAN mark, let us know. Send us a picture of the mark on a product, sign or printed materials, and tell us where you saw it. Be sure to use the GO TEXAN hashtag #GOTEXAN when you post, so we can easily share your message, or send us an email.

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UPCOMING TEXAS EVENTS June 17-18: Stonewall Peach JAMboree and Rodeo, StonewallJune 18: Best Little Brewfest in Texas, LewisvilleJuly 4: Fourth of July Celebrations, From Alpine to WashingtonJuly 13-17: Marfa Film Festival, MarfaJuly 29-30: Messina Hof ’s Harvest Festival, BryanAug. 26-27: Messina Hof ’s Harvest Festival, FredericksburgAug. 27: 5th Annual Pearland Wine and Food Festival, Pearland

View more Texas events here.

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SPOT THE GO TEXAN MARK CHALLENGE

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About GO TEXAN

Launched in 1999 by the Texas Department of Agriculture, GO TEXAN, with its signature mark in the shape of Texas, celebrates, promotes and supports the business savvy and plainspoken grit Texas agriculture is known for throughout the world. Whether it’s grown, sewn or served up on a plate, nearly 27 million Texans shop, travel and dine out in support of Texas businesses, agriculture and communities, looking for the GO TEXAN mark to light the way. To learn more about the GO TEXAN program, call (877) 99-GOTEX or visit the GO TEXAN website. Tell others about GO TEXAN! One great and easy way is to forward them this electronic publication. All your friends have to do to is click here to subscribe, and they’ll start receiving the Go Local. GO TEXAN. free monthly e-zine.