The Machine Shed Restaurant supports their community by serving local produce. The local produce includes strawberry rhubarb, asparagus, sweet corn, fresh herbs, and tomatoes and will be served according to what is in season.
Strawberry Rhubarb is hand cut from Stems and Vines in Wheatland, Iowa. Each day, while it is in season, the chefs make Jeff Grunder's Family Rhubarb Crisp (see attached for Rhubarb Crisp Recipe).
Asparagus is hand picked from Stems and Vines in Wheatland, Iowa. It is at the Machine Shed in less than an hour after picking - never frozen or canned. At the Machine Shed, the asparagus is grilled to order and crisp.
Kurt's Green Acres in Bettendorf grows 10 acres of corn each year for the Machine Shed. Rows of eight are alternated so ensure peak freshness every week. Five hundred ears of corn are served each day at the Machine Shed. A local student shucks the corn nightly and it is cooked in a special corn roaster. The roaster is a corn rotisserie that caramelizes the natural sugars in the corn. Then, it is served fresh to each guest.
Each week, servers hand-cut more than 200 pounds of tomatoes from Kurt's Green Acres in Bettendorf. The tomatoes are sun ripened on the vine.
The Machine Shed plants their own and picks their own fresh herbs. They add flavor to the garlic herb sauce and steak stuffing.