Stacey Schulz plans the Copper Beech takeout counter menu around the different seasons. This means finding inspiration each week in whatever happens to be on offer from nearby Long Island organic farms.

The Copper Beech kitchen works with Hamlet Organic Garden (H.O.G.), ELIJAH Farm, and Early Girl Farm to get the delicious organic fruits and vegetables in its daily takeout offerings.

This week there are several varieties of beautiful heirloom tomatoes from H.O.G., including Cherokee purples, Brandywines, and green zebras. These are prepared with fresh mozzarella and purple basil for a perfect summer salad, and also with fresh local dragon beans for a healthy string bean salad.

Also on the menu is fresh halibut flown in by Copper Beech’s fish supplier in Maine. This is prepared with a miso maple glaze, stir-fried organic brown rice, and locally grown Napa cabbage. Gorgeous summer squash from ELIJAH farm went into zucchini bread.  [these menu items can be changed for whenever the post goes up]

These local organic farms offer more than just beautiful and healthy vegetables—they are also important to the local community. H.O.G., with its fifteen acres of land in Brookhaven, is known for community events including an annual strawberry festival and an oyster shucking BBQ. It also provides locals with CSA farmshares.

ELIJAH Farm is a wonderful Huntington nonprofit that supports people with autism in addition to growing fruits and vegetables. 

Early Girl Farm takes farming very seriously. A member of the Bionutrient Food Association, it uses a combination of traditional and new techniques for soil stewardship. These methods ensure that the plants are grown in the most mineral-loaded and biologically thriving soil possible, which translates into the most delicious fruits and vegetables available.