Nebraska Food Contributors Episode Description | State Plate Seasons Daniels Produce | Kelly Jackson Cheese Frenchees, Corn, Popcorn Balls | Website Office Manager at Daniels Produce, Kelly knows what it takes to run a family farm. Her parents Andy and Tannie Daniels have been farming for more than 40 years. Once Tannie and the kids sold produce at a roadside stand. Today they operate five retail stands throughout Nebraska and sell at six farmers markets. That’s in addition to farming more than 500 acres of sweet corn, bell peppers, cucumbers, cabbage and zucchini, among other vegetables. The farm grows only bi-colored sweet corn that’s handpicked and hydro-cooled to preserve the natural sugars. Be Corny in the Produce Aisle! To make sure you’re getting the freshest corn, pull back the husk and poke a kernel with your fingernail. If juice squirts and it’s slightly cloudy, the corn is fresh. If there’s no juice or it’s thick, the corn is old. Johnny’s Cafe | Sally Kawa Steak | Website In 1922, with just enough money to purchase the building next to the South Omaha Stockyards, Polish immigrant, Frank Kawa opened a small, one-room, eight-table bar serving meals to the stockyard workers and cattle haulers. The building came with a huge sign that read “Johnny’s.” With no money to replace it, Frank not only acquired a restaurant, but a new nickname, too. Nearly 100 years later, having survived prohibition, wars, the relocation of the stockyards, Johnny’s is a bustling business and a South Omaha staple, still family-owned and operated, now, by Frank’s granddaughters, Sally and her sister Kari. The restaurant serves only USDA Prime or Choice grades of Midwest-raised, corn-fed beef, individually-selected, hand-cut and slowly aged on the premises in their own butcher shop. Johnny’s has been voted Best of Omaha for 9 straight years. Your Steak Style: Most people are pretty particular about how their steak is cooked. Here’s an ordering guide, courtesy of Johnny’s website: Rare – Red, cool center Medium Rare – Red, warm center Medium – Pink center Medium Well – No pink Well Done – Cooked throughout Kolache Korner Cafe | Mark Nemec Kolache | Website In 1983, Adolph and Gladys Nemec set up a table on the corner of Nebraska Highways 79 and 92, selling their fresh, baked pastries, including the traditional favorite, kolache—and Kolache Korner was unofficially born. The couple “employed” any number of their nine grown children, often among them, Mark. The stand was a success, and a few years later, Mark’s sister opened a retail store in town. Having been laid off from his office job, Mark agreed to help out at the store, just until he found another corporate position. Soon he realized he’d rather spend his days in a kitchen instead of a cubicle. Today, he runs the business, keeping it upbeat, warm and inviting, with good food, tasty kolache—and totally a family endeavor. And you just might hear him jamming a few polka tunes with the family band! Put a Ring on It! The Kolache originated as a semi-sweet wedding dessert in Central Europe. #StatePlateTV