Soup is at the center of my table as late November’s bluster sweeps the last leaves from trees and scours the sky to a leaden gray. If the frenzied swirl of holiday preparations threatens to overwhelm me, I’ll turn to a comforting pot of soup for an uncomplicated weeknight meal. Gathering with friends over a convivial supper of soup is, perhaps, a more authentic way to celebrate the spirit of the season than any glitzy party, and when the holiday glow fades, soup will be a soothing antidote to the overindulgence I’ll swear never to repeat.
In keeping with the holiday spirit, soup also resonates with a sense of sharing, connection, and giving. In the Soup & Bread Cookbook, Chicago food writer Martha Bayne, a self-described “author turned soup-wrangler,” dishes up stories about soup, community-building, social justice, and an idea that germinated one dark and lonely night in a Chicago bar and then grew into a nationwide movement. Since January 2009, that bar, The Hideout, has hosted a weekly Soup & Bread night, serving steaming bowls and crusty loaves prepared by volunteers to, as Bayne tells us “bring people together to serve a common good.” The food is free but donations are collected for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. In the last two years, she took Soup & Bread on the road to Seattle and Brooklyn and in the process discovered a nationwide network of fellow soup-makers who have built a fascinating spectrum of social ties.
Originally self-published, this newly revised and expanded edition gathers more than 80 recipes for soup (and a few for bread) from home cooks and some of Chicago’s brightest culinary lights (Paul Kahan, Stephanie Izard, Rob Levitt, and Cleetus Friedman, to name a few). Loosely subdivided into nine chapters, each one focuses on an inspiring story about the soup-based initiatives Bayne encountered in her travels and the community connection and social change it fostered. In visits to a Chicago church basement, a neighborhood soup swap in Seattle, a Detroit artists’ community, and the ongoing discussion about social responsibility at the Jane Adams Hull House Re-Thinking Soup project (which now echoes through the halls of the White House), Bayne stirs up an inspiring, joyful and delicious celebration of shared connections. It’s gratifying to know, too, that a portion of the book’s sales is donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Deck the halls with bowls of soup!
I still have some beautiful parsnips, leeks, and celery root from Geneisis Growers, sourced from the pre-Thanksgiving Green City Market, and along and with frost sweetened spinach from my garden, I’ll make this soup.
Roasted Root Vegetable Soup from Grace Tran
Serves 12
Bayne says: When Grace said she was bringing a soup built on roasted root vegetables to Soup & Bread, I was expecting heavy-duty winter starches like sweet potatoes and turnips. Instead, the soup is full of light and sprightly parsnips and celery root, mixed with earthy nutmeg and the surprise of spinach. Roasting the roots first brings out the sugar and helps build fantastic flavor in the pot.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 leeks, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup pearled barley
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups water
10 thyme springs
2 bay leaves
½ pound celery root, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound baby spinach
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss celery root and parsnips with olive oil. Roast for 35–45 minutes, until caramelized. Stir occasionally.
In a large pot, heat the oil. Add onion, leeks, and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in barley. Add vegetable broth, water, thyme and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Add celery root and parsnips and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over moderately low heat until barley and root vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes to an hour.
Stir in spinach and nutmeg and simmer for 5–7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve in deep bowls, along with hearty whole-grain bread.
Reprinted with permission from Soup & Bread Cookbook: Building Community One Pot At A Time, by Martha Bayne, Agate Surrey, November 2011.
We spent a long time looking for a house. Even in what was supposed to be a buyers’ market, we had a heckuva time finding sellers who weren’t still living in the real estate bubble and were willing to sell at the market price. But finally, we found a sizable plot of land that just needed a little remodeling. Or, as it turned out, a lot of remodeling (www.reluctantrenovator.com).
Additionally, I spent much of my summer helping manage another successful year of the Morton Grove Farmers’ Market (www.mgfarmersmarket.com) and planning our move to our new location next to the Morton Grove American Legion Civic Center (6210 Dempster St., Morton Grove) in Summer 2012. We are kicking it off with a Winter Market from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on December 3. And we might even work with The Local Beet to serve up a Locavore dinner sometime this summer. More on that in 2012.
The new owners of our old house were delighted to see the frames and cages I had built, but were dismayed by the crabgrass that had completely covered all the soil, as I had neglected the gardens completely while we were selling the house and I was starting a new job. Still, the new owners are avid gardeners. I have passed by the place since then, and they raised an 8-foot security fence beyond which nobody can see. However, vines of all sorts stick up above the fence line, and I imagine that they are making every square inch of the tiny backyard count toward raising crops.
The previous owners of our almost-ready-to-move-in new house already had a 5 x 12 weed-filled garden west of the garage, in which my oldest son planted autumn-harvest seeds (mini-pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, gourds and squash). We planned on using these for household decoration and ultimately were rewarded with more than a half dozen large table centerpieces. Problem was, the garden had been bordered with railroad ties, which are notorious for carrying, at a minimum, arsenic. However, the ties were decades old and a landscape architect friend thought the poisons from the treated lumber would have long leached out by now.
Well, we really wanted to grow something we could eat sooner than Halloween. As a compromise, we planted tomatoes as far from the ties (i.e., as close to the garage wall) as possible. The problem with that, of course, is that it cut in half the amount of sun the poor nightshades could enjoy. As a result, we had a crop of green, stunted tomatoes, with a few ripe red ones in our unseasonably warm fall.
On the other hand, the house featured a 2nd-story porch/balcony up to which I carried a potted tomato plant that would enjoy the full complement of out-in-the-open weather. That plant gave us cherry tomatoes in very short order, every one of which ripened to a delicious red until we picked the plant clean and took its spent pot of soil back down.
But these were poorly designed, almost spur-of-the-moment plantings done in the throes of cleaning the place and meeting with contractors. It wasn’t the carefully planned and exhaustingly cultivated type of garden I typically enjoy. Fortunately, there’s plenty of land to play with.
The house enjoys a large backyard separated by a wide-gap metal fence from an unimproved alley. The village has no problem with us growing veggies on the alley and the area adjacent to it, behind the garage, has no real purpose. It’s too tiny to play in, but wide enough that it has to be mowed. The biggest problem is that our neighbor feeds birds every day. Big nasty pigeons get the lion’s share of the seeds she provides them, although mice, chipmonks and squirrels get much of what’s left on the ground. I’m happy to say that owls and hawks have been spotted in the neighborhood preying on these pests (although my neighbor hates the predator birds). But in the short-term, I will likely need to build fresh chicken wire cages to keep out my neighbor’s invited and uninvited pets.
This spring we will build a few 4’ x 4’ raised beds on either side of the fence for plants that love full sun. West of the garage I can cover the soil with cloth and raise it up another few inches with fresh soil for shade-tolerant plants. And up on the 2nd floor balcony we’ll continue to take advantage of the full sun as well as the convenience of picking and eating off the plant without having to walk across the backyard.
At the moment, we’re completely focused on finishing the interior of the house. The front lawn has been largely destroyed by a plumber who installed overhead sewers in the basement and left hundreds of pounds of useless clay sitting atop the grass. Most of that clay is gone, and the remaining living parts of the lawn were further destroyed by the dumpster our general contractor leaves on the front lawn. So this is our opportunity to start something new. Perhaps terraces of wildflowers or native prairie species?
It’s been a long time since I’ve had the chance to plan, build and tend my own garden. Even my kids are looking forward to growing a lot of our own food. New neighbors moved in on the west side of us, and the grandmother, who speaks hardly a word of English, has already begun preparing a 20’ x 10’ plot of garden on the west side of their property. I look forward to the friendly, unspoken competition to see whose garden produces more, and to what I predict will be much neighborly sharing of our harvests next year. Just not sharing with the birds, I hope.
We hop you find yourself well stuffed from all the stuffing and other great local holiday treats from Thanksgiving and can afford a week without a Local Calendar. We will be back next week with your guide to what’s in season and where to find it.
With the holidays here, it is that time of year of giving thanks, eating, drinking and family. Yet, it is, also, the time of year of being spread thin in terms of time and money. However, issues that need your attention are still looming out there, like the Farm Bill. What to do, when you don’t have the time? Well, the answer is to do some armchair advocacy!! If you spend any time on your computer, Ipad or smart phone, then take 2 seconds and click away at some of the organizations that are doing all the adovcacy work for you and need your help.
I realize, the Local Beet community is pretty savvy and aware, so for many this may be old news, but click on FoodDemocracyNow and they are doing all the research on the Farm Bill for you and will alert you to changes and when action is needed, like a “click” from you. FoodandWaterWatch is doing the work on environmental action for you, all you need to do is access your computer, Ipad or phone and “click”. The Worldwatch’s Nourishing the Planet project is monitoring sustainable agricultural projects around the globe and needs your attention.
There are tons of local groups and organizations that could use your “likes” on Facebook, The Local Beet of course, if you haven’t already, Slow Food Chicago, Green City Market, Good Food Festival Chicago, Purple Asparagus, Green Grocer, City Provisions, Logan Square Kitchen, Edible Chicago and the list goes on, there are many more. Find the organizations that you want to support and “like” them on Facebook, it does make a difference. The big food companies are hiring the top social media agencies to help spread their word, so you can be an armchair advocate and take 2 seconds to support your local groups.
As the world continues to go cyber, “likes”, “epetitions”, “eletters” all make a difference and take 2 seconds for you to take action. Zina Murray at Logan Square Kitchen, put tons of time and money in her efforts to change the health inspection codes for small businesses but her epetition on change.org helped as well.
In this world where action is needed immediately, armchair advocacy is a small way but an easy, accessible way to make a difference. “Likes” make a difference, signing epetitions make a difference. If you are worried about too much email, I am sure some of you have done this, set up another gmail account for advocacy groups, so when you only have a few minutes, check your advocacy email, take action and “click”. For “Local Beeters” things like the Farm Bill still need your attention during the holidays, take a few minutes out and do some armchair advocacy and “click”. Though remember, do read before you “click” and “click responsibly”. Happy holidays, happy eating and happy “clicking”!!
Times are tough, and if there’s one thing we can take comfort in this Thanksgiving is not needing to sweat things like wine pairings. There are so many different flavors on the table, and so many different guests to please (I find that men by far prefer red wine, and women by far prefer white wine), that it’s probably not worth spending too much time thinking about, especially if you’re hosting a big group. Sure, most big Cabs are probably too much for this meal centered around turkey. But serving something local is a great nod to the regional traditions of Thanksgiving. So I am going to veer away from traditional wine-pairing knowledge, and make suggestions that are easy and affordable.
Tabor Hill Classic Demi-Sec (Buchanan, Michigan). Yes, it’s on the sweetish side. But, in a nod to the classic American demi-sec (Gerald Ford insisted demi-secs be served at the White House), it’s an American crowd pleaser. I would serve it as a wine to pour when people walk in the door. At 12% alcohol, it won’t blow people’s socks off so that they need a nap by dinner, and it’s sweet enough to appeal to Grandma or occasional wine drinkers. With its apple and pear flavors, and slight acidity, it’s also a good option to serve with dessert. Best of all: It’s $8.99/bottle at Binny’s.
I know I’m sounding like a echo chamber, but you can’t go wrong with pouring sparkling wines from L. Mawby (Leelanau Peninsula). Larry Mawby’s méthode champenoise Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs are great wines to start the day. (Sold at Binny’s throughout Chicagoland, Pastoral, Green Grocer, and Good Grapes in Glencoe & Winnetka.) For something different, try the Cremant Classic (available at Noble Grape in West Town). The cremant is made from 100% Vignoles, is whole-cluster pressed, on the dry side, and evokes yeast, nuts, apple and honey flavors. (For a saucy look at L. Mawby’s cremant, watch Peter and Allie’s short video.) A light on the palate, clean-finishing sparkler ideal for pouring while guests are milling about early in the day is Good Harbor’s Moonstruck (Leelanau Peninsula) (70% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Gris, whole-cluster pressed). (Available at Fine Wine Brokers and Good Grapes in Glencoe.)
Another easy-drinking wine from Good Harbor is Trillium, a white blend (50% Riesling, 25% Vignoles and 25% Seyval Blanc), which has long, full fruity finish (and lots of cherry flavors) balanced by a slightly spritzy acidity. (Available at Lush.) Another reasonable priced wine for $10.00.
Finally, consider serving Fenn Valley’s “42” Ice Wine with dessert (especially apple desserts). (Available at Lush and Dobby’s Worldwide Liquors.)
If you’ve found some good locapours for the upcoming holidays, please share and we’ll compare notes!
Sources:
Binny’s
Locations throughout Chicagoland
Lush Wine & Spirits (Three Chicago locations)
Dobby’s World Wide Wine & Liquors
15 S. Brockway
Palatine, IL 60067
(847) 359-0400
Fine Wine Brokers
4621 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625-2007
(773) 989-8166
Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine (Locations in the Loop, Lakeview and the French Market)
Noble Grape
802 North Bishop Street
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 846-1204
Good Grapes
809 Oak Street
Winnetka, IL 60093-2500
(847) 446-8000
Think that the farmers market season is over? Think again – several markets on the far north side of Chicago and its northern suburbs will be at your service. While some are a limited-time-only opportunity, there are a few that will be available all winter, and right through spring, something for which we can be truly thankful this coming holiday weekend.
The contenders:
- Andersonville Winter Farmers Market
Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W Foster Ave., Chicago; Sunday, 11:30am – 3:30 PM, starting 11/20
This market will be held monthly, on the third Sunday of every month. Vendors will include Brunkow cheese and River Valley Ranch mushrooms from Wisconsin, Bennison’s Breads from Evanston, and many others. Bonus convenience factor: the AWFM takes credit and debit cards, as well as LINK cards.
- Evanston Winter Market
Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd, Evanston; Saturday, 9:00AM – 1:00PM, starting 12/3 (no market on 12/24 and 12/31)
The North Shore’s new contribution to the farmers market scene should quickly become a weekly staple, as it will have an easily accessible location and a number of well-known vendors. Participants will include vendors from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan, including Henry’s Farm, Tiny Greens, Sunnydale Farm, Tomato Mountain, River Valley Ranch, Brunkow Cheese, Michigan Blueberries, C & D Family Farms, Patz Honey, Defloured, Pasta Puttana, Passion House Coffee, Ruth & Phil’s Ice Cream, De La Rue Patisserie and Foodie Bites – and the bread made by Dennis Carlson, who is not only the proprietor/bread maker of Crust&Crumb, but also the driving force behind the formation of this ambitious new venture.
- Morton Grove Winter Market
American Legion Memorial Civic Center, 6140 Dempster St., Morton Grove; Saturday 12/3 ONLY, 9:00AM – 2:00PM
This market is a single event, and will feature holiday gifts and decorations, as well as fresh fruits and veggies, baked goods, cheeses, meat and eggs, and freshly-made crepes. Live entertainment and children’s crafts should make this a festive day.
- Glenwood Sunday Winter Market (Rogers Park)
6956 N. Glenwood, Chicago; Sunday 11/20 and 12/11 ONLY, 9:00AM – 2:00PM
The Glenwood market is targeted toward holiday feasting and shopping, with its specific pre-Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas/Chanukah dates. The market is featuring two vendors who raise and sell free-range organically fed turkeys, Mint Creek Farm and Midnight Sun, and both will be taking holiday orders. In tune with the culture of Rogers Park, the market emphasizes organically-grown local products, and caters to vegetarians – even locally-made tofu will be available. With the offerings including rainbow chard, kale, cabbage, carrots, turnips, apples, pears, cider, and cheese, as well as lamb, chicken, and beef for non-turkey enthusiasts, locavores will be able to set a festive and bountiful holiday table.
Also keep in mind the troupers of the Lincoln Square outdoor market, which will hold its final outdoor market for 2011 on Tuesday, 11/22, from 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM. While not all of the summer vendors will be available, due to the limited seasonality of their wares, the bounty of the harvest will be on sale – late-season fruits, root vegetables and hardy squash, baked goods, mushrooms, and meat. Pay them a visit if you can, and wish the farmers and vendors happy holidays!
Thanksgiving is less than a week a way. Many of us have ideas of what to make; others have a vague sense that the meal will contain turkey and something. What that something will be, they are not quite sure. Over the years, for the Local Beet, I’ve provided many recipes suitable for this time of year. I’ve collected many of my recipes for Thanksgiving below. All the recipes consist of items available NOW from you CSA box, at area farmer’s markets, or at places like Green Grocer Chicago. Have a happy, sustainable, local holiday again this year.
There should be plenty of eat local on your Thanksgiving table, and you have plenty of opportunities to get the rutabagas (pictured) and other local produce for your table in the next few days. Actually, if you forget something this weekend, you have markets in Chicago next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to finish your shopping. Our Local Calendar clearly states: finish your holiday shopping now. Beyond the ample supply of fruits and vegetables, you can still find high quality, local turkeys. Ideas for your turkeys can be found at Edible Chicago or Slow Food Chicago.
Beyond Thanksgiving, the Local Calendar also says continue to make arrangements for your other family meals, holiday or otherwise. See our stocking up list here for assistance in being prepared.
You still may be able to find markets on our Farmer’s Market Locator, but we’ve made the switch-over and have listed all area markets for the next week below. As you plan ahead, also look at our master list of Chicago area winter markets (we will have up soon, a big list of winter markets around the midwest for those who want to travel for local food).
WHAT TO BUY NOW
Thinking Thanksgiving. We break our Thanksgiving meal into five categories: 1) relishes; 2) potatoes; 3) stuffing’s/dressing; 4) vegetable sides; 5) the meat. We noted places for the meat above. For the rest, you have wide choices still from local foods including celery root, kohlrabi, radishes, rutabagas, kales, collards and similar greens, leeks, bok choy, carrots, turnips, garlic, winter squash, apples, beets, potatoes, onions, lettuces, spinach, cilantro, rocket, broccoli, brussel spouts, cabbage and cauliflower. Remember, if you think categories, you can find use for any of the items still around.
Remember also, think first, what do I have (or see in the market) instead of what does the recipe in Food and Wine say. For instance, where does the great, frost kissed local spinach go? Well, the Other Cookbook Addict suggests adding some to your turkey dressing. Consider adding all those odd and end roots, the kohlrabi and celery roots lurking at the bottom of your vegetable drawer to your mashed potatoes. Throw extra lettuce into a soup. And don’t forget you can roast your radishes.
WHERE TO FIND LOCAL FOODS
Find a farmer’s market near you with our market locator.
These stores specialize in local foods:
City Provisions Deli in Ravenswood, Chicago
Downtown Farmstand in the Loop, Chicago
Green Grocer in West Town, Chicago
Dill Pickle Coop in Logan Square, Chicago
Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park
Butcher and Larder in Noble Square, Chicago
As Hammond notes in his root cellar diary, it is possible to buy good quality local food at your neighborhood grocery store. We see tons of Michigan apples at Caputo’s, and not just plain ones, but interesting varieties like fuji. Whole Foods has an assortment of stuff, primarily from Wisconsin’s Harmony Valley Farm. We’ve also spotted Michigan concord grapes at Whole Foods.
WHAT TO DO NOW
November 18
Chicago – Chicago Food Film Fest – Coming off its most successful and best-publicized New York City Food Film Festival to date, the Chicago Food Film Festival will be November 18th through 20th, hosted by festival co-founder and Travel Channel host George Motz. The lineup includes many of the most popular films from the New York festival, but it will also include a number of Chicago-made films about food in this part of the country (including the premiere of a new Sky Full of Bacon video about Pleasant House Bakery). Since the point of the festival is to taste what you’re watching movies about, it will also include food from a host of the city’s most-loved spots including Pleasant House Bakery, Hoosier Mama Pie Co., Doughnut Vault, The Butcher & Larder, Bobtail Ice Cream, and more. And the entire festival is hosted by and benefiting The Good Food Project. Go here for more details and a discount code. You can also check our their web site for details.
November 19
Chicago – Chicago Food Film Fest – Coming off its most successful and best-publicized New York City Food Film Festival to date, the Chicago Food Film Festival will be November 18th through 20th, hosted by festival co-founder and Travel Channel host George Motz. The lineup includes many of the most popular films from the New York festival, but it will also include a number of Chicago-made films about food in this part of the country (including the premiere of a new Sky Full of Bacon video about Pleasant House Bakery). Since the point of the festival is to taste what you’re watching movies about, it will also include food from a host of the city’s most-loved spots including Pleasant House Bakery, Hoosier Mama Pie Co., Doughnut Vault, The Butcher & Larder, Bobtail Ice Cream, and more. And the entire festival is hosted by and benefiting The Good Food Project. Go here for more details and a discount code. You can also check our their web site for details.
Chicago – St. Nicholas Cathedral is hosting the Ukrainian Village Winter Market & Artisan Fair from 10 to 3. Vendors include Peasant’s Plot, River Valley Ranch & Kitchens, Black Dog Gelato, and features Ukrainian embroidery for the holidays. More information here.
Chicago - Green City Market – You will now find the market in its cold weather home, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Expect a wide range of cold weather produce – 8 AM – 1 PM
Chicago - 61st St/Experimental Station – 6100 S. Blackstone – 9AM – 2 PM
Evanston – Indoor/Outdoor Farmer’s Market – Immanuel Lutheran Church – Vendors from the regular Evanston Farmers’ Market will be at Immanuel selling their produce. 616 Lake – 8 AM – 1 PM
Geneva – Geneva Community Winter Market – 11 N 5th – 9 AM – 1 PM
Grayslake – This market in the far north suburb starts early and ends late. Dress warm as it’s outdoors – Whitney and Center Streets 10 AM – 2 PM
Oak Park – They’re out of turkeys, but the Wettstein’s have all sorts of meats they organically raise themselves as well as eggs, wheat, and other goodies. They de-camp at Oak Park’s Buzz Cafe during the winter to keep you eating well. Find them here on Saturday. 905 W. Lombard – 3 PM – 5 PM
Woodstock – This large suburban market moves indoor this weekend to the McHenry County Farm Bureau building at 1102 McConnell Rd. in Woodstock, just off Route 47 – 8 AM – 1 PM
November 20
Chicago – Chicago Food Film Fest – Coming off its most successful and best-publicized New York City Food Film Festival to date, the Chicago Food Film Festival will be November 18th through 20th, hosted by festival co-founder and Travel Channel host George Motz. The lineup includes many of the most popular films from the New York festival, but it will also include a number of Chicago-made films about food in this part of the country (including the premiere of a new Sky Full of Bacon video about Pleasant House Bakery). Since the point of the festival is to taste what you’re watching movies about, it will also include food from a host of the city’s most-loved spots including Pleasant House Bakery, Hoosier Mama Pie Co., Doughnut Vault, The Butcher & Larder, Bobtail Ice Cream, and more. And the entire festival is hosted by and benefiting The Good Food Project. Go here for more details and a discount code. You can also check our their web site for details.
Chicago - Logan Square Farmer’s Market – This market moves indoor to the Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee. Randy Brockway says his Brockway Farms will still have many local vegetables including baby spinach and cauliflower – 10 AM – 2 PM
Chicago – Andersonville Winter Market – Ebenezer Lutheran Church – 1650 W. Foster – 1130 AM – 330 PM -
Chicago – St. Nicholas Cathedral is hosting the Ukrainian Village Winter Market & Artisan Fair from 10 to 3. Vendors include Peasant’s Plot, River Valley Ranch & Kitchens, Black Dog Gelato, and features Ukrainian embroidery for the holidays. More information here.
Chicago – Glenwood Sunday Market – 6956 N. Glenwood 9 AM – 2 PM
Glencoe – Chicago Botanic Gardens – Indoor market featuring Windy City Harvest, a unit of the Botanic Gardens. Windy City Harvest is one of the best source for cold weather vegetables.
November 21
Chicago – Ms. Mint and Burger Bar team up for the Double M Trading Post Pop Up Market – See their web site for details and how to order a local turkey. – 1578 W. Clybourn – 630 PM
November 22
Chicago - Lincoln Square Farmer’s Market – City Parking Lot adjacent to Brown Line Station, 4700 N. Lincoln - 7 AM – 1 PM
November 23
Chicago - Green City Market – You will now find the market in its cold weather home, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Expect a wide range of cold weather produce – 8 AM – 1 PM
Chicago - Ms. Mint and Burger Bar team up for the Double M Trading Post Pop Up Market – See their web site for details and how to order a local turkey. – 1578 W. Clybourn – 630 PM
SAVE THE DATE!
March 15-17
Chicago Good Food Festival – More soon!
The GoodGreens.org meeting is thriving with tons of information for farmers and local food advocates of any kind in Chicago land. The group is a meeting of meetings sponsored by the USDA and run by Alan Shannon of the USDA. It meets once a month downtown in the Loop and all information can be found on their website or contacting Alan Shannon whose email is on the website.
I was not able to attend the October meeting but Alan sends out an amazing summary email of what was discussed.
Some interesting tidbits from the meeting include:
1) The NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) is now accepting applications for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program and applications are due by November 22, 2011.
2) The NIFA has released the 2012 Request for Application for Community Food Projects. The Competitive Grants Program applications are due November 17, 2011. More information on this can be found on the NIFA website.
3) USDA Rural Development Communities Facilities Program grants and loans to upgrade community child nutrition facilities and purchase equipment that could improve access to healthy, locally, or regionally grown products can be found here:
4) The FNS (Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA) is compiling a list of USDA grants issued to Midwest organizations in the past two years, it will be posted on the Goodgreens.org website.
5) Specialty crop grants
6) How to become a vendor of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program of the USDA Agricultural and Marketing Service (AMS). The AMS purchases $1.5bn in domestic food each year and this includes $406mm in fruits and vegetables.
7) Karen Lehman with Fresh Taste spoke at this meeting, on the Great Lakes Food Shed, David Tuckwiller gave a presentation on the Fruit Vegetable program.
The USDA has so many programs going on, Farm to School program, Chicago Food Desert Report and much more! I strongly suggest anyone with interest of any of these things attend the next meeting, check out the website Goodgreens.org and contact Alan Shannon of the USDA if you have any questions. I think the USDA is trying to bridge the public and private sector in sharing information all in the effort to promote a more sustainable food system.
As of this post, the November meeting was cancelled, the December meeting is scheduled for December 15th, check the website for more detail.
Bah. Humbug. (Oh, wait, that’s for Christmas. I’m getting ahead of myself. Local Beet editor Rob asked me to write something about beers for Thanksgiving. Oh, well.)
I’m not doing much of a Thanksgiving this year. I’ll probably just go out to a restaurant (Lovell’s of Lake Forest) and drink wine, like everyone else.
But in an ideal world, I wouldn’t be like everyone else. I’d drink beer for Thanksgiving. (Well, I might have some food along with the beer, too).
And, in an ideal world, I’d have lots of friends and family over for Thanksgiving. Of course, I’d have a turkey, probably a heritage breed, like a Bourbon Red from Caveny Farm in Monticello, IL
And I’d probably get some cranberries from a grower near our summer place in Northern Wisconsin. (Did you know that Wisconsin is the world’s leading producer of cranberries?)
I’d skip the overcooked green beans with canned fried onions, and instead, maybe, serve some braised tat tsoi from Henry’s Farm in Congerville, IL (available Saturday morning 11/19 at the last-gasp of the Evanston Farmers’ Market at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 616 Sherman in Evanston). I’d make it with onion and Nueske’s Bacon.
So, I’m imagining an ideal world. Obviously, there would be beer.
Lots of beer. Many varieties of beer. Especially local beers.
Turkey can be somewhat on the bland side, but the Caveny birds have much more depth of flavor than your typical supermarket bird. A Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal winning 5 Lizard, from 5 Rabbit Cerveceria (currently brewed on the South Side of Chicago at Argus Brewery, at least until they build their own brewery) would provide the complexity of a Latin twist on a Belgian witbier, to go along with the complexity of the heritage bird.
Cranberries aren’t innately sweet, but their preparations usually involve enough sugar to keep many dentists happily employed, and to finance the yachts that they’ve recently had to put in storage for the season. There are two ways to go with this. You could contrast the sweetness with something truly bitter and hoppy, like Lincoln Avenue’s Half Acre Daisy Cutter or Munster, Indiana’s Three Floyd’s flagship, Alpha King. Or maybe you’d want to complement the sweetness with a Mild Winter From Goose Island. It has rich caramel malt and spicy rye flavors. Tasty.
The tat tsoi, without other additions, would have a subtle, slightly cabbage-y flavor. I’d match that subtlety with a köslch, like Krankshaft, from Metropolitan Brewing. But amped up with onion and bacon, you’d need something a bit more assertive and roasty, like Flossmoor Station’s Pullman Brown Ale.
For dessert? The obvious choice would be a fruit lambic, from Lindeman’s – cherry, raspberry, or peach. But a more local choice might be New Glarus’ Belgian Red or Raspberry Tart beers. (New Glarus beers aren’t officially distributed in Chicagoland – you’ll have to cross the cheesehead border to get them. Woodman’s in Kenosha [I-94, exit 344, east] is a good source.)
Or, now for something completely different (apologies to Monty Python), you might try a mead (honey wine) from Chicago’s South Side Wild Blossom Meadery.
It’s amazing how we can easily get so many beer styles brewed locally, and brewed well, in the Midwest.
Maybe it is an ideal world, after all.
If ticket sales are any indication, the 2nd annual Chicago Food Film Festival has been a success before it has even happened as 3 of the 5 events are already sold out.
The film fest, that takes place this weekend, bills itself as “Taste What You See” , is a 3 day event that was started in NYC by film director, George Motz, the maker of the documentary film, Hamburger America. Through documentaries, features and short films, the Festival showcases the best, and the most memorable, of the world’s favorite foods. The event benefits the Good Food Project.
The Chicago event which starts this Friday, November 18th, with the Farm To Film To Table event plus after party, featuring the food of Chef Art Jackson of Pleasant House Bakery and Sky Full of Bacon’s “Farm to Barstool” that features Pleasant House Bakery and the Chicago premier of “Harvest to Heat” and “A Midwinter Soup” and more, will take place at Kendall College. Unfortunately the opening night event and after party are sold out but it looks like the event has created a waitlist. The after party, “Pig Pickin and Whiskey Bar” organized by Flight Chicago , includes a sustainable whole hog by Rob Levitt of the Butcher and Larder and more, yum!
Saturday, November 19 starts out with Edible Adventure #004, The Doughnut Vault Brunch at noon at Intelligentsia Roasting works. Needless to say, this event is already sold out as well, I think that if anyone says Doughnut Vault a line immediately forms in 2 seconds. But don’t worry there are 2 more events during the weekend you can still get tickets for. “The Great Chicago Shuck N Suck” takes place at Kendall on Saturday night. This event features the premiers of “The Mud and the Blood“, “Pastry Paris” , “What’s Virgin Mean?” and more. Low country oysters and savory sides by Chef Mark Steuer of The Bedford will encompass the food portion, did I say oysters, and tickets can be purchased here.
Finally, Sunday will conclude with an awards lunch, more films as well as a special screening of Jason Lam’s, “How to Make a Turtle Burger , the Belgian hit, “In De Keuken” and selected screenings from the winning films. If you have read this whole post, then you will be happy to know that you can get a 20% discount to the Great Chicago Shuck N Suck and/or to the awards lunch thanks to Edible Chicago magazine, one of the media partners of the event. Just use the discount code edible11 and snag your tickets soon, I have a feeling there probably won’t be any available at the door.
Just last month, I wrote a post for Williams-Sonoma’s Blender blog about the multitude of uses for squash and pumpkin. When cooking for families, the puree can be blended into mac and cheese, smeared onto tortillas for quesadillas, and whirred in a blender with a banana and apple cider for a smoothie. All of these recipes are delicious and nutritious as we like to say at Purple Asparagus. But none will generate more applause than this.
Doughnuts!
I love homemade doughnuts. But making them for the three of us doesn’t seem an economical use of time or ingredients. The cost of the oil alone. Oy.
I don’t often entertain for brunch. But when I do, it’s too much effort to sit in front of a hot pot of oil. Fry, drain, repeat. Fry, drain, repeat.
That’s what’s nice about being the snack mom for the organized sport du saison. I get to try out new crowd-pleasing recipes for a very hungry crowd. On a cold, October morning, two dozen chocolate and cinnamon sugar pumpkin doughnuts were disappeared by a hungry team of 6, 7 and 8 year old soccer players and parents.
Pumpkin-Spice Doughnuts
Adapted from John Hadamuschin’s Special Occasions
3 cups sifted cake flour
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup sifted whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups pumpkin or other squash puree
Cinnamon Sugar
¾ granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Chocolate Glaze
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
¼ cup heavy cream
1 ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Cream together the shortening and the sugar in a large stand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after the addition of each. Beat in the squash puree. Gradually add in the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Let the batter sit for ½ hour.
Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy pot to about 4-inches. Heat it over medium high heat to 360° F.
On a well floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 3/8-inch. Cut out the dough with a doughnut cutter well dusted with flour. Let sit for 10 minutes.
While waiting, make the cinnamon sugar by combining the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Set the chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir in the cream and sugar.
Fry the doughnuts and the holes in the hot fat until browned, a minute or so on each side. After the first batch of doughnuts are done, you can reroll the scraps.
While hot, toss half the doughnuts and the holes in the cinnamon sugar. Glaze the remaining doughnuts by dipping them in the chocolate glaze. Let them drain on a baking rack.
When you were buying your local food at outdoor markets, we had a guide for you. Don’t you think you need a guide from us for when you do your eat local shopping indoors? We think there’s enough nuance and such that a winter market specific market matters. Bring these tips along with you as you shop for local food all year. As always, we’d love to add your useful tips to our list, so do share.
Share winter market tips with us too.
Starting last week, we began our annual, seasonal switch-over in Local Calendars. We do the switch-over because we want you to switch-over too. We want you to find winter markets and other places still selling local food. We know it is entirely possible. For instance, Beetnik Peg Wolfe made it to the Lincoln Square market and filed this report. Melissa Owens made it to a couple of markets last weekend, and filed this report. See above for a shot of her market haul.
If you need added incentive, Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. Although, the holiday found itself oddly stretched from our annual harvest, it is still possible to fill the table with local foods. In fact, we strongly believe Thanksgiving should be the ideal time to showcase the bounty of cold weather foods. We think there is much to grab if you get out now.
To get you ready for Thanksgiving and the weeks ahead, see our stocking up list found here. We’ve also provided you help in making your own root cellar with this post. Beetnik David Hammond has been sharing his root cellaring with a diary; read the latest installment here.
In addition to our listing of markets below, you can still use our Farmer’s Market Locator to find a market near you, or you can check with our master list of Chicago area winter markets (we will have up soon, a big list of winter markets around the midwest for those who want to travel for local food).
WHAT TO BUY NOW
There just may still be tomatoes and peppers around; in fact we strongly believe there will still be all sorts of peppers, sweet and hot. And there will be all sorts of other items like leeks, bok choy, carrots, turnips, garlic, winter squash, apples, beets, potatoes, onions, lettuces, spinach, cilantro, rocket, broccoli, brussel spouts, cabbage and cauliflower.
STORAGE NOTES
There still may be tomatoes, green and ripening. You can make various recipes from your green tomatoes, for instance in Melissa’s recipe here or you can pickle them. You can also exercise patience and see if the tomatoes will ripen.
WHERE TO FIND LOCAL FOODS
Find a farmer’s market near you with our market locator.
These stores specialize in local foods:
City Provisions Deli in Ravenswood, Chicago
Downtown Farmstand in the Loop, Chicago
Green Grocer in West Town, Chicago
Dill Pickle Coop in Logan Square, Chicago
Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park
Butcher and Larder in Noble Square, Chicago
As Hammond notes in his root cellar diary, it is possible to buy good quality local food at your neighborhood grocery store. We see tons of Michigan apples at Caputo’s, and not just plain ones, but interesting varieties like fuji. Whole Foods has an assortment of stuff, primarily from Wisconsin’s Harmony Valley Farm.
WHAT TO DO NOW
Brookfield - Winter Market organized by Faith in Place – Faith Lutheran Church – 3801 Madison – 12 PM – 3 PM
Glencoe – Chicago Botanic Gardens – Indoor market featuring Windy City Harvest, a unit of the Botanic Gardens. Windy City Harvest is one of the best source for cold weather vegetables.
November 10
Chicago - Lincoln Square Farmer’s Market – City Parking Lot adjacent to Brown Line Station, 4700 N. Lincoln - 7 AM – 1 PM
November 12
Chicago - Green City Market – You will now find the market in its cold weather home, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Expect a wide range of cold weather produce – 8 AM – 1 PM
Chicago - 61st St/Experimental Station – 6100 S. Blackstone – 9AM – 2 PM
Chicago – Logan Square Kitchen presents a pastry market featuring many of the city’s finest confectionery and bakery artisans – 2333 N. Milwaukee – 10 AM – 3 PM
Elgin - Winter Market at “the Haight” 166 Symphony Way (right across the street from Centre -Kimball/Douglas) – 8 AM – 2 PM
Geneva – Geneva Community Winter Market – 11 N 5th – 9 AM – 1 PM
Grayslake – This market in the far north suburb starts early and ends late. Dress warm as it’s outdoors – Whitney and Center Streets 10 AM – 2 PM
Woodstock – This large suburban market moves indoor this weekend to the McHenry County Farm Bureau building at 1102 McConnell Rd. in Woodstock, just off Route 47 – 8 AM – 1 PM
November 13
Chicago - Logan Square Farmer’s Market – This market moves indoor to the Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee. Randy Brockway says his Brockway Farms will still have many local vegetables including baby spinach and cauliflower – 10 AM – 2 PM
Chicago – Logan Square Kitchen presents a second day of its gourmet pastry – 2333 N. Milwaukee – 10 AM – 3 PM
Palatine – Winter Market at Countryside Church – 1025 N Smith St, Palatine – 11 – 3
Elgin - Winter Market organized by Faith in Place – Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin – 39W830 Highland Ave, Elgin – 12 PM – 3 PM
Warrenville – Slow Food City’s Edge Harvest Dinner at Two Brothers Taphouse – 30w315 Calumet Ave - Brewery Tour @ 4:30pm and dinner following – Space is extremely limited, reserve now at (630) 393-2337
November 15
Chicago – Fall canning workshop with Slow Food Chicago – Lis David and Zvi Bar-Chaim (owners of Scratch Homemade) will teach you how to take apples from off the tree to in the jar. You will participate in every step as the group makes delicious and unique Curry Apple Chutney. These events have sold out in the past, so get your tickets now.
November 19 & 20
St. Nicholas Cathedral is hosting the Ukrainian Village Winter Market & Artisan Fair from 10 to 3. Vendors include Peasant’s Plot, River Valley Ranch & Kitchens, Black Dog Gelato, and features Ukrainian embroidery for the holidays. More information here.
Chicago Food Film Fest – We’ll have more on this up soon, but expect a whole weekend’s worth of food fun, on screen and on the table. Check our their web site for details.
SAVE THE DATE!
March 15-17
Chicago Good Food Festival – More soon!
