Dear Customers,
Over the course of the summer, we get a lot of people in the store who don’t live in the area; tourists enjoying the Pennsylvania Wilds, visitors to families living in Smethport or the surrounding towns and people just out enjoying a beautiful ride through our gorgeous countryside. Often, these visitors are moved to comment on the cleanliness, friendliness, and overall selection of our store.
Some of the most frequently mentioned comments concern our “perishable” departments: meat, deli, bakery and produce. And it isn’t hard to see why. Our meat department features freshly cut beef, pork, poultry and our famous Italian sausage along with beef sticks, bologna, and jerky. Our meat department staff takes great pride in what they do; the array, the pricing and their willingness to do special orders. We’re one of the very few meat departments who still make their own sausage, bologna and beef sticks. We grind the meat, add the right spices and stuff them into casings right here on the premises. Then we either put it in the oven to continue cooking or in the large dehydrator where the jerky goes to finish. Most any other supermarket buys their sausage from a third party and it simply does not compare!
Our deli is well stocked and well-staffed. You can’t go anywhere around and get the selection at the price we offer for our pizzas, subs and hot foods. And every week a variety of each is on sale for less. The hot case is full of homemade items that are cooked right in our own kitchen by our amazing staff.
Our Bakery department is famous for their homemade offerings. When so many of our competitors are trotting out pre-made cookies, breads and cakes, it makes our selection and quality even more appealing. Our expert cake designers and decorators go that extra mile to make sure your order is just right and sure to impress your guests.
Our produce department is chock full of fresh fruits and vegetables, beautifully displayed and always fresh. One note here for those customers who have been anxiously awaiting homegrown local sweet corn. Normally, this annual delicacy is available about mid-July but this year, mostly because of weather this past spring, the onset of sweet corn was delayed a couple of weeks. As I write this, it is still early July but we have been told Sweet Corn should be available about the time you read this. The good news, I guess, is that the season will be extended later into the year because of its late start.
Add to that our new, state-of-the-art frozen food and dairy cases and the perimeter of our store really shines in the shopping experience we bring to our customers. Stop in and check us out if you haven’t done so lately!
Below is a recipe that I make using boneless chicken breasts that is called Chicken Saltimbocca. I’ve made this dish for decades so I can’t remember where I first obtained it.
| 6 – 3oz chicken breasts pounded flat | Salt and pepper to taste | 6 thin slices of deli ham |
| 10oz box of frozen spinach | 1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced | ¼ cupt grated Parmesan |
| 14oz can of chicken broth | 2 tbs fresh lemon juice | Panko bread crumbs |
- Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of ham atop each chicken cutlet.
- Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.
- Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the ham slices. Top with a tomato slice. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Roll in Panko bread crumbs then secure with a toothpick.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. With an internal temp of 160°F. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.