One of our Local Beet truisms is that at various times of year, farmer’s markets are all one color. Spring is generally, mostly green, late summer is ripe red from tomatoes and pepper and fall tends towards browns. This time of year, we’re lucky that two colors dominant. It looks a little like the holidays with the reds of rhubarb and the greens of asparagus.
The Green and Their Cohorts
Asparagus is now fully abundant and may also be purple! Find an array of leafy greens like spinach, bok choy (and other Asian greens), collard and mustard greens. Want more, there may also be turnips, kohlrabi and beets with very usable green tops. Make salads with much of what’s around now like radishes (also usable greens!), arugula, and lettuces.
Also very much green this time of year, onions and garlic.
Wild at Heart
Ramps are around as are nettles, various cresses, garlic mustard, dandelion greens, fiddle-head ferns, sorrel, and morel mushrooms.
We Can Still Enjoy Last Year
We think you may still see some nice stored crops including carrots, potatoes, radishes, and onions.
A nice surprise, we’re seeing more dried beans in the market than in prior years.
Ramp Pesto Toasts
WHERE TO FIND LOCAL FOODS
Your ability to purchase what’s in season is finally expanding. Jeannie, in the Local Calendar is keeping you ascribed on key markets, and we’ll have our fuller 2013 Market Locator up soon. There’s still plenty of time to find a CSA box too. See our big list to find a CSA for you. Our friends at Fresh Picks have a good and growing inventory of local food, or you can try one of these stores that specialize in local foods:
Artisanal Wilmette – 414 Linden Ave. Wilmette
Butcher and Larder 1026 North Milwaukee in Noble Square, Chicago
Dill Pickle Food Co-op – 3039 West Fullerton, Chicago
Edible Alchemy Foods Co-op - Located in the near-SW Pilsen neighborhood, the co-op has grown to five locations in, including Hyde Park, River North, Lakeview, and Logan Square
Green Grocer 1402 West Grand Ave in West Town Check out their produce share January 9th through May 4th. You can still subscribe even though the share has started already.
Marion Street Cheese Market 100 South Marion St. Oak Park
Provenance Food & Wine - 2 locations Logan Square 2528 N. California Lincoln Square 2312 W. Leland Ave.
Publican Quality Meats – 835 W. Fulton, Chicago
Sauce and Bread Kitchen - 6338-40 N. Clark, Chicago
Standard Market – 333 East Ogden Ave., Westmont
I’m not going to write much about Chicago Craft Beer Week this year (Thursday, May 16th – Sunday, May 26th … apparently the organizers don’t understand the concept that a week includes only seven days). I’m tired, and everybody else who writes about Chicago-area craft beer has already pimped it out enough.
There are literally hundreds of events, and you can get the schedule by following this link. http://chibeerweek.com/schedule/
For me, I’ll try to get to these events:
Monday, May 20 — Ale Syndicate’s Brew Night at The Beer Bistro, 1061 W. Madison, Chicago. Ale Syndicate comes to us from two brothers who sold off their California brewery. (They wanted to move back to Chicagoland for family reasons.) Ale Syndicate’s guys will be showcasing their stuff, which is currently tough to find anywhere else (they’re still building out their brewery). And their beers seem to make fun of city government, which is always a plus. Starts at 5 pm. No reservation required.
Tuesday, May 21 — Nanobrewers Meet & Greet at Binny’s South Loop (1132 S. Jefferson St. Chicago). Brewers from Pipeworks, Spiteful, and 18th Street will be there to answer questions, sample beers, and generally screw around with other beer drinkers. Starts at 5:30 pm. No reservation required.
Wednesday, May 22 — New Brewer Showcase at Hamburger Mary’s (5400 N. Clark St. Chicago). This one has brewers from Temperance, 4 Paws, Lake Effect, Spiteful, Flesk, Ale Syndicate, Begyle & DryHop, and quite possibly others. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. 7 pm. Tickets ($20) are required (includes 20 tastings), book at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/379497
Thursday, May 23 — Real Women of Craft Beer at Riverview Tavern (1958 W Roscoe St. Chicago). Who says women don’t like beer? This event, organized by Kim Leshinski, will feature a special tapping of a collaborative beer, cheekily named “99 Problems.” The beer, a saison with ginger and chamomile, was brewed by Jennifer Piotter of Greenbush, Hayley Shine of Rock Bottom, Ashleigh Arnold, Maryhelen Harper, and Ashley Hunsader of Two Brothers, Tracy Hurst of Metropolitan, Claudia Jendron of Temperance Beer Company, and Jessica Murphy of Girls Like Beer Too $1 per pint will be donated to the Chicago Chapter of “Dress For Success” a charity that promotes economic independence by providing professional clothing and resources to disadvantaged women. Starts at 6:30 pm. No reservations required
Friday, May 24 — Atlas Barrel-Aged Night at Atlas Brewing Company (2747 N. Lincoln, Chicago). Atlas will be tapping three different barrel-aged beers: FEW Gin Barrel-Aged “Turn Around, Bright Eyes” Saison, Koval Rye Barrel-Aged “Old Disheveler” Barley Wine, and Koval Whiskey Barrel-Aged “Obfuscation” Imperial Stout. Starts at 7 pm, no reservations required.
Of course, there are many, many other events during the ten day week; these are only the ones that I’ll try to make (and I can’t be sure I’ll make all of them). I do, after all, have a small, pitiful life outside of beer. But if you happen to attend one of these events, and see an old creepy fat guy hanging around, come by and say hi.
More info on some of the newer breweries can be found in this earlier, but frequently updated, roundup of what’s new in the area.
The Daley Plaza Market opens tomorrow, which is the official kickoff of the farmers market season in the city. COUNTRY Financial will reveal the winner of their 6th Annual Reusable Bag Design Contest during the 11 a.m. program. This year’s artistic theme is “Sprouts in the City” and the winning design will appear on thousands of bags distributed throughout the season. Finalists are Juana Delao and Jose Melgoza from Lane Tech College Prep High School, and Mara Hantanosas from Mather High School. Country’s reusable bag is my favorite market bag to use and I think they are becoming “collector’s items”. The Daley Plaza market has vendors you won’t necessarily find at other markets like Vallarta Foods and their fresh salsas or Lou The Pickle Guy. Woo hoo! Farmers market season is officially here, get your favorite market bag, get to the markets and shop! Our full list of area markets can be found here (and remember this list will only get bigger).
Wondering what is in season? Chief Beet Rob Gardner elaborates on it and gives his advice on how to shop at a farmers market. Food Day Chicago (Oct. 24) is celebrating the onion and the many benefits of the allium family for the month of May on their facebook page (Check it out for some health tidbits, recipes, onion trivia and “like” it while you are there!)
Farm dinners have started, Slagel Family Farms has their first farm dinner of the season this Saturday which includes Nicole Pederson of Found Kitchen and John Asbaty of Panozzo’s. Here are the details and dates of the farm dinners on the calendar so far including Mint Creek Farm and Prairie Fruit Farms.
Some sites to check out for further detail on sustainable food/urban ag are the Illinois Stewardship Alliance (get their policy updates here) out of Springfield and the Advocates for Urban Agriculture who is having their spring gathering tonight! WeFarmAmerica has tons of weekly events and The Peterson Garden Project has lots of information for the urban gardener.
Now on to the busy week ahead including tonight the film Food Patriots 6:30pm at Experimental Station with the Tribune’s Monica Eng, and the Spring Gathering for the AUA and tomorrow the opening of the Daley Center Market tomorrow as well as A Chef’s Playground, the benefit for the Academy of Global Citzenship at Terzo Piano.
WHERE TO FIND LOCAL FOODS
These stores specialize in local foods:
Artisanal Wilmette – 414 Linden Ave. Wilmette
Butcher and Larder 1026 North Milwaukee in Noble Square, Chicago
Dill Pickle Food Co-op – 3039 West Fullerton, Chicago
Edible Alchemy Foods Co-op - Located in the near-SW Pilsen neighborhood, the co-op has grown to five locations in, including Hyde Park, River North, Lakeview, and Logan Square
Green Grocer 1402 West Grand Ave in West Town Watch this fantastic video about GMOs, sourcing local and see what you are missing if you don’t shop at the GG.
Marion Street Cheese Market 100 South Marion St. Oak Park
Provenance Food & Wine - 2 locations Logan Square 2528 N. California Lincoln Square 2312 W. Leland Ave. 4/24 Cheese and Wine Pairing Class in the Barrel Room at City Winery, details here.
Publican Quality Meats – 835 W. Fulton, Chicago
Sauce and Bread Kitchen - 6338-40 N. Clark, Chicago
Sharpening By Dave - Green City Market and other locations throughout Chicagoland. If you want to eat local, you need to have sharp knives to prepare the produce!! Let Dave know that you read about him in the Local Beet and you will get one dollar off each knife sharpened.
THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR AND BEYOND IN LOCAL FOOD:
Food The Nature of Eating Exhibit continues at The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Skokie- Seedling Sales The Talkng Farms’s Howard Street Farm – 10am – 2pm 3701 Howard St. (April 20th – June 1st) Cool Weather seedlings: spinach, swiss chard, peas, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, collards, seed potatoes Warm Weather seedlings: (beginning May 11th)tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, melon, basil, and cilantro Associate Beet Editor Wendy Aeschlimann elaborates on it.
May 15
Chicago – Watch Food Patriots Work in progress film screening and discussion with producer Jeff Spitz and the Tribune’s Monica Eng. 6:30pm Experimental Station 6100 S. Blackstone
Chicago - Wednesdays at Wood Street - The opening of the Growing Home Wood Street Farm Stand 11am – 4pm 5814 S. Wood St.
Chicago - Green City Market Lincoln Park Location 7am – 1pm Chef demonstration 10:30am – 11:30am Paul Virant Vie, Perennial Virant
Chicago – AUA Spring Gathering: Sharing the Harvest 5-8PM Garfield Park Conservatory – Jensen Room 300 N Central Park Ave FREE This season’s quarterly gathering will be another great opportunity to connect with and learn from urban agriculture practitioners and supporters from across the Chicago area. As usual, there will be a potluck/mix & mingle at the beginning of the evening, followed by a community slideshow during which you’ll be able to showcase your urban garden or farm project.
Chicago – Wine Wednesdays at Province – Seasonal farm to table 5 course tasting menu with pairings $49 159 North Jefferson A Gold level LEED certified restaurant with 3 stars from the Green Restaurant Association.
May 16-26
Chicago – 10 day celebration Chicago Craft Beer Week
May 16
***Chicago - Opening Day of the Daley Center Farmers Market - Market will run May 16th through October 31.
Chicago – A Chef’s Playground - Terzo Piano – At the Art Institute A fundraiser for the Academy for Global Citizenship 6-9pm Purchase tickets here $225
Chicago – Uptown Market Uptown Farmers’ Market is year round. Every Thursday from 7-1 inside Weiss Memorial Hospital or in the parking lot during the warmer months. 4646 N Marine Drive This is an appropriate day to stock up on Spark of the Heart Soups
Hyde Park - C & D Family Farm delivers 7-11am Harold Washington Park
Lincoln Square – C & D Family Farm delivers 4-7pm Lincoln & Leland
May 17
Chicago - Half Acre Brewery Anniversary Party - Hee hee!! Stay tuned!
Chicago – Unicornucopia: Big Fork, CO-OP Sauce, & Pipeworks Brewing Co. Collaboration Party 7 – 9 PM Star Lounge 2521 W. Chicago Ave. Why: To celebrate Craft Beer Week in Chicago, 4 micro companies (Big Fork Brands, Star Lounge, CO-OP Sauce, & Pipeworks Brewing Co.) and 2 chefs are combining forces to bring you one amazing night of food & beer. What: 4 courses with 4 beer pairings
May 18
FD!! Champaign - Celebrate Spring! Prairie Fruit Farms 4pm 4410 North Lincoln Ave. This is their first dinner of the 2013 season. Expect an explosion of spring flavors such as Caveny Farm Katadin lamb, ramps (wild leeks), spring greens, sweet turnips, asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries. Purchase tickets here. $92
Chicago – Agroterrorism – Food Poisoning Brought to A New Level – Culinary Historians of Chicago – 10am Chicago History Museum 1601 North Clark
Chicago - 61st Farmers Market - 9am – 2pm During the outdoor season, which lasts through the end of October, the Market is located on 61st Street between Dorchester and Blackstone Avenues. The 61st Street Farmers Market accepts LINK and Senior Farmers Market Coupons. They also match LINK purchases up to $25 per cardholder, per market day, as long as funding lasts. This means that LINK cardholders can double the value of their LINK purchases each week at the Market. This year, the Market will also be accepting DEBIT AND CREDIT, for those of you who are always short on cash!
Chicago - Green City Market Lincoln Park 7am – 1pm 10:30am Chef demonstration Zoe Schorr Ada Street
Chicago – Edible Gardens Workshop - 9:30am – 10:15am Edible garden in the zoo Planning for Summer: Transplanting Warm Weather Crops Join us as we transplant warm weather crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and herbs. Learn how to layout your garden and space your transplants to maximize fruit production throughout the season. We will also discuss what plants pair well together and the benefits of planting a diversity of crops.
Chicago - Iron Street Farm Stand - 9am – 3pm 3333 S. Iron St.
Elgin - Winter Market at Habitat for Humanity ReStore Elgin - 800 North State St. 9am – 3pm (thru May) Their mantra is “Keepin It Local1″ As such, their intention has always been to supply the local community with local products.
Evanston - Downtown Evanston Farmers Market - This market will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Saturday from May 4 through November 2. Location: Intersection of University Place and Oak Ave. (behind Hilton Garden Inn, east of East Railroad Ave.) In 2013, the market will celebrate its 38th year.
Fairbury - Slagel Family Farm First Farm Dinner of the Season! Transportation included from Chicago to the farm and back. $125 BYOB The dinner will be prepared and served by Guest Chef Nicole Pederson of Found Kitchen and Guest Chef John Asbaty of Panozzo’s. Please BYOB, lemonade and water will be provided and of course includes a tour of the farm, butchering class on sustainable meat practices and lots of food!!
La Fox – Heritage Prairie Saturday Farmer’s Market 9am – 1pm 2N308 Brundige Road
***** Oak Park - Opening Day of the Oak Park Farmers Market - The market will run every Saturday through 10/26/13 7am – 1pm Pilgrim Church, right next door to where the market is held, offers fresh warm donuts, juice and coffee, with live bluegrass music nearby. The Oak Park Farmers’ Market is located at 460 Lake St., just one block west of Ridgeland Avenue.
Woodstock - Woodstock Farmers Market Outdoors 9am -12pm
May 19
Chicago - Opening Day of the Logan Square Outdoor Market
CBW!! Chicago – 25 Years of Craft Brewing Block Party at Goose Island
12pm – 3pm 1800 W.Fulton St.
Goose Island is celebrating a quarter-century of craft brewing. Ticketholders receive 25 beer tasting vouchers for Goose Island classics, along with new releases and guest beers. $25 Check out the complete Craft Beer Week schedule
May 20
Chicago - Big Jones Trash Fish Dinner(Grubstreet Chicago) – Paul Fehribach of Big Jones is joining with Chefs Collaborative, Fortune Fish and Gourmet and nine other chefs to put on a dinner showing how these trash fish— from smelt to dogfish to speckled trout— can be used in a sustainable, tasty meal. Tickets $125
SAVE THE DATE
May 22
Chicago - International Biodiversity Day at The Field Museum - Join The Field Museum, Peterson Garden Project, Seed Savers Exchange and Jewell Events Catering for an event celebrating seed diversity! The highlight of the evening will be a lecture on FOOD ORIGINS by the renown photographer and seed saving advocate David Cavagnaro. FOOD ORIGINS: Travel the globe through the lens of David Cavagnaro’s camera. Learn about the geographic origins of our favorite fruit and vegetable varieties and the diaspora that is responsible for the diversity we have today. 5:00 Tours of the Edible Treasures Garden on the west side of the Field Museum 5:30 – 6:30 - Registration - Reception in the West Lobby of the Field Museum with food provided by Jewell Events Catering that is inspired by the 2013 plantings of the Edible Treasures Garden- Meet-and-greet Seed Savers Exchange representatives and other local seed saving organizations 6:30 – 8:00 David Cavagnaro lecture in the historic A. Montgomery Ward Theatre Cost: $10
May 25
FD!! Champaign, Il - Prairie Fruit Farms – Sunday Dinner Club “For their Love of Chicken“ The Sunday Dinner Club Crew is back, and they will be frying up lots of local fried chicken at the farm! Josh and Christine are joining us early this season, because they are getting ready to open a new restaurant in Chicago, come get a sneak peak of foods from their new venture, “Honey Butter Fried Chicken” $70
CBW!! Chicago – West Loop Craft Beer Fest - 12pm – 5pm West Loop (Clinton Street between Lake and Washington Street) The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, the Chicago French Market, and the Fulton River District Association have come together to host their inaugural celebration to close out Chicago Craft Beer Week 2013. The city’s largest craft beer outdoor block party will commence with a VIP event beginning at 12pm, and General Admission running from 1pm to 5pm.The General Admission experience will include over 25 craft beers and hours of entertainment and food for purchase.
May 28
Chicago - The Stew Supper Club presents Super Dragon Slayer Spicy Supper -7-10pm Sauce and Bread Kitchen 6338 N Clark St “Imagine if you will, a meal built for May where dragons will not triumph. Think middle evil banquet with spicy goodness tempered only with what we describe as a steely samurai’s touch. Eat much May with us then……”- The Stew
June 1
Champaign, Il - Prairie Fruit Farms - Virant’s Can Can - 4pm What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than with some fantastic preserves and incredible food! All of this will be brought to you by Paul Virant! A seasoned veteran in the wide world of preserving, pickling, and canning, Paul follows his Perennial Virant philosophy to a tee – “eat what you can – can what you can’t.” $107
June 8
Chicago – Midnight Sun Farm Tour and Picnic hosted by The Sugar Beet Coop 10am – 2pm Midnight Sun Farm is just an hour away from Oak Park and is excited to host The Sugar Beet Co-op for a farm tour and catered picnic lunch. We will start the day by exploring the 5-acre organic vegetable farm that is also home to chickens, turkeys, pigs and goats. After a guided hayride tour by farmer Nick Choate-Batchelder, we will feast on a delicious farm picnic catered by Crème Crafted Parties & Events.
Chicago/Fairbury - Slagel Family Farm Tour & Dinner Event with The Publican! 2:30pm The dinner will be prepared and served by Guest Chef Brian Huston of The Publican. Please BYOB, lemonade and water will be provided. Bus transportation from Chicago will be provided, when purchasing your ticket please select if you would like that option. The Bus will pick everyone up at 837 W Fulton Market Chicago, IL 60607 at 12:00 noon on June 8th. Children are welcome as long as they have parent supervision. $125June 13
Chicago – Eli’s Cheesecake & Wright College Farmer’s Market Grand Opening Fresh fruits and vegetables from Nichol’s Farm and the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences, hand crafts,flowers & more Continental Breakfast Lunch on the grill will be offered each Thursdaybased on what’s in season!
June 9
Chicago -
No Kid Hungry No Dessert Left Behind - Little Goat 820 West Randolph 2nd floor Come support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign . There will be patio seating and full bar along with baked goods from Chicago’s finest pastry talent. A portion of all drink sales will go directly to the charity as well.
June 15
Chicago - Mash Tun Festival - The festival is a celebration of the release of Mash Tun: A Craft Beer Journal issue #3. The Mash Tun is a publication put out by your buddies at Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar and The Public Media Institute, a non profit arts and culture organization based in Bridgeport.
FD!! Champaign, IL - Prairie Fruit Farms City Pub in the Country 4pm Bar Pastoral is a new cheese and wine bistro adjacent to the original Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread, and Wine Shop in Chicago. Chef Chrissy will be showcasing her love of cheese, charcuterie, pickles, and other local ingredients. $107
June 26
Chicago – Logan Square Night Market kicks off today – Palmer and Kedzie in Palmer Park 5pm – 9pm weekly through September 4th.
June 27
Chicago - Argyle Night Market kicks off today – Argyle and Broadway 5pm – 9pm weekly through September 5th
June 29
Champaign, Il – - Prairie Fruit Farms Summer Vegetarian 4pm Thad Morrow, chef/owner of Bacaro, Champaign is back for another season. He will be making the trek from Bacaro, in downtown Champaign, across town and out into the country! His SUV will be packed with lots of early summer vegetables. $107
July 18
Chicago – The Locavore’s Real Taste of Chicago - The Green City Market BBQ Tickets on sale now!
Years past, I would have been up to the Dane County Farmers’ Market several times by now. We camp at a park in the area, making the trip to Madison, WI an easy Saturday morning treat. But work schedules, school activities and personal commitments have kept me home in the western burbs, where farmers markets – and farm stands – have yet to really take off. Asparagus has been plentiful in our kitchen, but what I really missed were ramps.
Did I say miss? No, more like crave.
I mean, ramps are only around for such a very, very short time. Madison was my connection to this most spring of vegetables. And Madison is hopelessly out of reach for now.
So imagine my delight to see that Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Picks would have ramps in their Fresh Picks Box last week. Saved! Like Beet Reporter Jacqueline Fisch I occasionally order from Fresh Picks, especially when their boxes start to fill up with locally sourced products as they are now. Their ramps, and the over-wintered parsnips that were also included last week, come from the very same farm – Harmony Valley Farm - that operates one of my standard stops at the Dane County Farmers’ Market.
Thanks to Fresh Picks, and some venison loin steaks I had left in the freezer from Gooch Farms in Sullivan, WI, I was able to put together quite a local foods feast for dinner last night – a nice Mother’s Day treat to myself! Roasted parsnips became a earthy puree to balance out the richness of the venison. And here I will put in a huge plug for grilled ramps.
If you’ve ever been unsure about the garlicky/oniony pungency of ramps, fear not. Two minutes on the grill is all it takes to transform raw ramps into a silky treat with an amazing sweetness. Trust me. You need to eat these.
And hey – just two weeks until my first trip up to Madison this year. Hooray!
We are pleased to put up the first version of our 2013 Farmer’s Market List. We have nearly 175 markets listed so far for 2013. We warn you, however, this number will change soon. We plan on the list getting much bigger, as we have not added all the markets we know, including markets in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin that we think would be of interest to the Local Beet readership. On the other hand, we expect the list to subtract as well. Farmer’s Markets are notoriously fragile affairs, here one year, gone the next. Chicago specifically has cut down on the amount of markets in its city. We’ve eliminated markets we know that are gone, but in other cases, when you see no dates listed, we have not confirmed the status of that market for 2013.
This is a joint effort for sure. Any of those markets with blank dates, if you can fill them in for us, please let us know in the comments. Likewise if you know of a market not listed, especially new markets, please let us know so we can include them. Like we said, we have not entered all the markets we know, so if we have not got to yours yet, forgive us but tell us anyways.
The Locator is fully searchable. It is also sortable by its columns. Use those columns to see if your market has opened (or closed) for the season or look for a market in your city.
Again, we welcome any and all feedback. Do enjoy the many, many farmers markets in or near Chicago in 2013.
| Name/Occurrence Web Site | City, ST | Address | Day | Time | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61st Street Farmers Market (Experimental Station) /Weekly http://www.experimentalstation.org/farmers-market | Chicago, IL | 6100 S Blackstone Ave | Saturday | 9 - 2 | 05/11/13 | 12/14/13 |
| Andersonville/Weekly http://www.andersonville.org/ | Chicago, IL | 1500 W Berwyn, Ave | Wednesday | 3 - 8 | 06/05/13 | 10/16/13 |
| Antioch/Weekly | Antioch, IL | 854 Main St. | Thursday | 3 - 7 | 06/06/13 | 10/10/13 |
| Argyle Night Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Argyle Street and Broadway | Thursday | 4 - 8 | 06/27/13 | 09/05/13 |
| Arlington Heights/Weekly | Arlington Heights, IL | Vail Avenue and Fremont Street | Saturday | 730 - 1230 | 06/08/13 | 10/19/13 |
| Aurora Farmers Market ATC/Weekly | Aurora, IL | 233 N. Broadway | Saturday | 8 - 12 | 06/01/13 | 10/19/13 |
| Aurora Farmers Market Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church/Weekly | Aurora, IL | 701 E. Eola Road | Thursday | 1 - 6 | 07/11/13 | 08/29/13 |
| Aurora Farmers Market West Plaza Shopping Plaza/Weekly | Aurora, IL | 1901 W. Galena Blvd | Wednesday | 1 - 5 | 07/10/13 | 09/11/13 |
| Austin Town Hall/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Lake Street and Central Avenue | Saturday | 10 - 2 | 06/29/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Avondale - Sprouting Out - Wednesday/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 3300 N. Whipple | Wednesday | 3 - 6 | 10/19/11 | |
| Avondale - Sprouting Out - Saturday/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 3300 N. Whipple | Saturday | 3 - 6 | 10/22/11 | |
| Barnharts Stone Corner Organic Farm Market/Daily | Oregon, IL | 2169 E Honey Creek Rd | 06/01/13 | 11/30/13 | ||
| Barrington Farmer's Market/Weekly http://www.barringtonfarmersmarket.org/ | Barrington, IL | 100 S Cook St. | Thursday | 2 - 7 | 06/20/13 | 10/17/13 |
| Bartlett Farmer's Market/Weekly http://www.village.bartlett.il.us/fmarket.html | Bartlett, IL | 228 S. Main St | Friday | 2 - 7 | 06/07/13 | 09/13/13 |
| Batavia/Weekly | Batavia, IL | Downtown on South Water Street | Saturday | 8 - 12 | 06/08/13 | 10/19/13 |
| Benton Farmers Market/Weekly | Benton, IL | Benton Community Park | Thursday | 3 - 6 | 05/02/13 | 10/24/13 |
| Beverly/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 95th & Longwood | Sunday | 7 - 1 | 05/12/13 | 10/20/13 |
| Bolingbrook/Weekly | Bolingbrook, IL | E Boughton Road (West of 355) | Thursday | 4 - 8 | 06/06/13 | 10/03/13 |
| Bridgeport/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 35th & Wallace (In parking lot) | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 06/15/13 | 10/05/13 |
| Bronzeville Community Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 4400 S. Cottage Grove | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 06/15/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Brookfield/Weekly | Brookfield, IL | 8820 Brookfield Ave | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 06/01/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Buffalo Grove/Weekly | Buffalo Grove, IL | 951 McHenry Road. | Sunday | 8-12:30 | 06/15/13 | 10/06/13 |
| Burr Ridge/Weekly | Burr Ridge, IL | Burr Ridge Parkway & McClintock Drive | Thursday | 10 - 2 | 06/13/13 | 09/26/13 |
| Cary/Weekly | Cary, IL | 445 Park Ave | Sunday | 9 - 1 | 06/02/13 | 09/29/13 |
| Chesterton’s European Market/Weekly http://www.chestertonseuropeanmarket.com/ | Chesterton, IN | Broadway and Third | Saturday | 8 - 2 | 05/04/13 | 10/26/11 |
| City Farm Market Stand/Tuesday - Friday | Chicago, IL | 1204 N. Clybourn | 1 - 530 | 07/01/13 | 10/31/31 | |
| City Farm Perry Street/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 57th Place and South Perry Street | Saturday | 10 - 2 | 07/06/13 | 10/26/13 |
| City Hall Farmers' Market | Racine, WI | 730 Washington | Saturday | 12 - 4 | ||
| City of Zion/Weekly | Zion, IL | Shiloh Blvd. & Sheridan Rd. | Thursday | 2 - 7 | ||
| Columbia Farmers' Market/Weekly | Columbia, IL | 1000 Columbia Ctr Drive | Thursday | 3 - 6 | 04/25/13 | 10/24/13 |
| Columbus Park Farmers Market | Chicago, IL | Harrison Street & Central Avenue | Tuesday | 2 - 7 | 06/25/13 | 10/29/13 |
| Country Club Hills French Market - Wednesday/Weekly | Country Club Hills | 4116 W. 183rd St | Wednesday | 8 - 1 | 06/05/13 | 09/25/13 |
| Country Club Hills French Market - Sunday/Weekly | Country Club Hills | 4116 W. 183rd St | Sunday | 8 - 1 | 06/09/13 | 09/29/13 |
| Crete/Weekly | Crete, IL | Main and Exchange | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 05/18/13 | 10/5/13 |
| Crystal Lake/Weekly | Crystal Lake, IL | 70 E. Woodstock | Saturday | 8-1 | 06/01/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Cullom Community Market/Weekly | Cullum, IL | 112 W. Hack St | Wednesday | 3 - 6 | 05/01/13 | 09/25/13 |
| Daley Plaza/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Washington & Dearborn | Thursday | 7 - 3 | 05/16/13 | 10/31/13 |
| Dane County - Outdoor - Saturday/Weekly http://www.dcfm.org/ | Madison, WI | Capital Square | Saturday | 6 - 2 | 04/20/13 | 11/09/13 |
| Dane County - Outdoor - Wednesday/Weekly http://www.dcfm.org/ | Madison, WI | 200 blk of MLK, Jr. Blvd. | Wednesday | 830 - 2 | 04/24/13 | 11/06/13 |
| Deerfield/Weekly | Deerfield, IL | NW Corner of Robert York Ave. & Deerfield Rd. | Saturday | 7 - 12:30 | 06/08/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Dekalb/Weekly | Dekalb, IL | 135 N. Second St | Thursday | 12 - 6 | 06/06/13 | 09/26/13 |
| Devon Community Market/Monthly | Chicago, IL | 2720 W. Devon Ave | Sunday | 10 - 2 | 07/07/13 | 10/06/13 |
| Division Street/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Divison & Dearborn (On Division btwn. State & Clark) | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 05/11/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Downtown Bloomington/Weekly | Bloomington, IL | N. Main, E. Jefferson & W. Center streets | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 04/06/13 | 11/30/13 |
| Downtown Elgin/Weekly | Elgin, IL | 200 N. Grove Ave. | Thursday | 9 - 2 | 06/04/13 | 10/31/13 |
| Downtown Market Grand Rapids/Tuesday/Weekly | Grand Rapids, MI | 435 Ionia SW | Tuesday | 8 - 1 | 05/07/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Downtown Market Grand Rapids/Saturday/Weekly | Grand Rapids, MI | 435 Ionia SW | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 05/04/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Downtown Market Grand Rapids/Thursday/Weekly | Grand Rapids, MI | 435 Ionia SW | Thursday | 4 - 7 | 05/09/13 | 10/28/13 |
| Downtown Racine Farmer's Market/Weekly | Racine, IL | State and Erie St | Saturday | 8 - 12 | ||
| Downers Grove Farmer's Market - Saturday/Weekly http://www.ymcachicago.org/indianboundary/blog/entry/downtown-downers-grove-market1/ | Downers Grove, IL | Main St. Metro Station, Lot B 1000 Burlington Ave. | Saturday | 7 - 12:30 | 05/11/13 | 10/19/13 |
| Dwight/Weekly | Dwight, IL | East Main Street at South Franklin | Saturday | 8 - 11 | 05/18/13 | 10/05/13 |
| East Side Green Market/Weekly http://www.theeastside.org/categories/10-green-market | Milwaukee, WI | 1901 E. North Ave | Saturday | 10 - 2 | 06/15/13 | 10/12/13 |
| East Town Market - Saturday/Weekly http://www.easttown.com/categories/6-easttownmarket | Milwaukee, WI | Corner of Kilbourn & Jefferson (Cathedral Square Park) | Saturday | 9 - 1 | 06/01/13 | 10/05/13 |
| Eden Place Farmers Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 4330 S. Shields | Saturday | 8 - 3 | 05/18/13 | 09/28/13 |
| Eli's Cheesecake/Wright College/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 6701 W. Forest Preserve Dr. | Thursday | 7 - 1 | 06/13/13 | 10/31/13 |
| Elk Grove Village/Weekly | Elk Grove Village, IL | 901 Wellington Ave. | Saturday | 730 - 1 | 6/01/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Elmhurst/Weekly | Elmhurst, IL | York and Vallette | Wednesday | 7 - 1 | 06/05/13 | 10/30/13 |
| Evanston/Weekly http://www.cityofevanston.org/evanston-life/farmers-market/ | Evanston, IL | Intersection of University Place and East Railroad Ave. | Saturday | 730 - 1 | 05/04/13 | 11/02/13 |
| Evanston - West End Ethnic Market/Weekly | Evanston, IL | Evanston High School | Saturday | 8 - 3 | 06/08/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Evergreen Park/Weekly | Evergreen Park, IL | Yukich Field, 89th and Kedzie | Thursday | 7 - 1 | 05/02/13 | 10/31/13 |
| Federal Plaza/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Adams & Dearborn | Tuesday | 7 - 3 | 05/14/13 | 10/29/13 |
| Forest Park/Weekly | Forest Park, IL | 7824 Madison | Friday | 3:30 - 7:30 | 06/10/13 | 10/14/13 |
| Frankfort Country Market/Weekly | Frankfort, IL | Downtown Frankfort at Breidert Green Oak & Kansas St. | Sunday | 10-2 | 04/28/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Fulton Street Farmers Market/Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays | Grand Rapids, MI | 1147 E. Fulton Street | 8 - 3 | 05/04/13 | 12/21/13 | |
| Galena Farmer's Market/Weekly | Galena, IL | 123 North Commerce | Saturday | 7 - 12 | 03/11/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Garfield Park Conservatory | Chicago, IL | 300 N. Central Park Ave | Sunday | 11 - 4 | 06/23/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Geneva Green Market/Weekly | Geneva, IL | 75 North River Lane | Thursday | 7 - 1 | ||
| Glenview/Weekly | Glenview, IL | 1510 Wagner Road | Saturday | 8 - 12 | 06/22/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Glenwood Sunday Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 6950 N. Glenwood | Sunday | 9 - 2 | 06/02/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Grayslake - Spring/Weekly http://www.grayslakefarmersmarket.com/ | Grayslake, IL | 149 CENTER ST | Saturday | 10 - 2 | 05/04/13 | 08/31/13 |
| Grayslake - Summer/Weekly http://www.grayslakefarmersmarket.com/ | Grayslake, IL | 149 CENTER ST | Wednesday | 3 - 7 | ||
| Green City Market - Wednesday/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 1750 N. Clark St. at the South End of Lincoln Park btwn. Clark and Stockton Dr | Wednesday | 7 - 1 | 05/08/13 | 12/27/13 |
| Green City Market - Saturday/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 1750 N. Clark St. at the South End of Lincoln Park btwn. Clark and Stockton Dr | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 05/04/13 | 12/29/13 |
| Green Youth Farm's North Chicago Stand/Twice Weekly | North Chicago, IL | 1215 North Green Bay Road (Greenbelt Forest Preserve) | Wednesday | 9 - 1 | 07/10/13 | 10/02/13 |
| Green Youth Farm's North Chicago Stand - Saturday/Weekly | North Chicago, IL | 1215 North Green Bay Road (Greenbelt Forest Preserve) | Saturday | 9 - 1 | 09/07/13 | 10/05/13 |
| Gurnee Park District Farmers' Market/Weekly | Gurnee, IL | Corners of Grand and Kilbourne Rd (Esper Petersen Park) | Friiday | 8 - 1 | 06/07/13 | 09/27/13 |
| Harvard/Weekly | Harvard, IL | 19 N. Ayer St. | Saturday | 9 - 1 | 06/01/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Heritage Farm Farmers Market http://www.heritageprairiefarm.com | Elburn, IL | 2N308 Brundige Rd. | Saturday | 9-1 | 04/27/13 | 12/28/13 |
| Hinsdale Farmers Market/Weekly | Hinsdale, IL | 30 E Chicago Ave | Monday | 7 - 1 | 06/03/13 | 10/14/13 |
| Homer Glen/Weekly http://www.homerglenil.org/CurrentEvents/FarmersMarket.aspx | Homer Glen, IL | 15833 S. Bell Road | Saturday | 9 - 1 | 05/18/13 | 10/05/13 |
| Homewood French Market/Weekly | Homewood, IL | 2020 Chestnut Road | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 05/18/13 | 10/19/13 |
| Huntley Farmers Market/Weekly | Huntley, IL | 11704 E. Coral | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 05/25/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Hyde Park/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 53rd Street and Hyde Park Boulevard | Thursday | 7 - 1 | 06/06/13 | 10/31/13 |
| Illinois Products Farmers' Market/Weekly http://www.agr.state.il.us/nightmarket/ | Springfield, IL | Commodities Pavillion Illinois State Fairgrounds | Thursday | 4 - 7 | 01/03/13 | 12/26/13 |
| Independence Park/2nd & 4th Sundays of the month | Chicago, IL | 3945 N. Springfield | Sunday | 9 - 1 | 06/09/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Jefferson Park/Every 2 Weeks | Chicago, IL | Jefferson Park Field House, between Higgins Road and Lawrence Avenue | Sunday | 930 - 130 | 06/09/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Kankakee Farmers' Market/Weekly | Kankakee, IL | 100 E. Merchant | Saturday | 7 - 12 | 04/27/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Kenosha HarborMarket - Harbor Market Location - Outdoor/Weekly http://www.kenoshaharbormarketplace.com/ | Kenosha, WI | 2nd Avenue between 55th and 56th Street | Saturday | 9 - 2 | 05/18/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Kenosha HarborMarket - Harbor Market Location - Indoor/Weekly http://www.kenoshaharbormarketplace.com/ | Kenosha, WI | 514 56th St | Saturday | 9 - 2 | 10/19/13 | 12/21/13 |
| LaFollette Park | Chicago, IL | 1333 N. Laramie Ave. | Wednesday | 2 - 7 | 06/26/13 | 10/30/13 |
| La Grange Farmer's Market/Weekly | La Grange, IL | Parking lot south of Village Hall, Downtown | Thursday | 7 - 1 | 05/09/13 | 10/31/13 |
| Lake Bluff Farmer's Market/Weekly | Lake Bluff, IL | 40 E Center Ave | Friday | 7 - 12 | 06/14/13 | 10/11/13 |
| Lake Forest/Weekly | Lake Forest, IL | 671 N. Western Ave | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 06/22/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Lansing Farmer's Markett/Weekly | Lansing, IL | Ridge Road and Grant Street | Wednesday | 4 - 7 | 06/05/13 | 08/28/13 |
| Lawrence County Farmers Market/Tuesday/Weekly | Lawrenceville, IL | 712 12TH ST | Tuesday | 3 - 7 | 05/07/13 | 10/29/13 |
| Lawrence County Farmers Market/Friday/Weekly | Lawrenceville, IL | 712 12TH ST | Friday | 6 - 12 | 05/03/13 | 10/25/13 |
| Lawndale Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 3750 W. Ogden Ave. | Wednesday | 9 - 1 | 07/10/13 | 10/02/13 |
| Lemont Farmers Market/Weekly | Lemont, IL | 435 Talcott Avenue | Tuesday | 8 - 1 | 06/04/13 | 10/29/13 |
| Libertyville Farmers Market/Weekly | Libertyville, IL | W Church Street between Milwaukee Avenue | Thursday | 7 - 1 | 06/20/13 | 10/17/13 |
| Lincoln Farmer's Market/Weekly http://www.lincolnfarmersmarket.org/ | Lincoln, IL | 316 S. Kickapoo St. | Saturday | 7 - 12 | 04/27/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Lincoln Farmer's Market/Weekly http://www.lincolnfarmersmarket.org/ | Lincoln, IL | 316 S. Kickapoo St. | Wednesday | 3 - 6 | 5/01/13 | 10/23/13 |
| Lincoln Park/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Armitage & Orchard | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 05/11/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Lincoln Square/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Lincoln/Leland/Western (City Parking Lot adjacent to Brown Line Station) | Tuesday | 7 - 1 | 06/04/13 | 10/29/13 |
| Lincoln Square - Evening/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Lincoln/Leland/Western (City Parking Lot adjacent to Brown Line Station) | Thursday | 4 - 8 | 06/06/13 | 10/24/13 |
| Lisle French Market/Weekly http://www.villageoflisle.org/home/index.asp?page=386 | Lisle | 925 Burlington Avenue | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 05/04/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Logan Square/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 3107 W. Logan Blvd | Sunday | 10 - 3 | 05/19/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Logan Square Night Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Palmer Square Park | Wednesday | 5 - 9 | 06/26/13 | 09/04/13 |
| Loyola University Farmer's Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Southwest Corner of Albion and Sheridan Roads | Monday | 3 - 7 | 06/10/13 | 10/14/13 |
| Macomb Farmers Market - Thursdays/Weekly | Macomb, IL | Courthouse Square | Thursday | 7 - 1 | 05/16/13 | 10/17/13 |
| Macomb Farmers Market - Saturdays/Weekly | Macomb, IL | Courthouse Square | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 05/18/13 | 10/19 |
| Main Street Farmer's Market Downtown Aledo/Weekly | Aledo, IL | S. College Ave. (Downtown Aledo) | Thursday | 4 - 6 | 06/13/13 | 10/10/13 |
| Main Street Farmer's Market of Olney/Weekly | Olney, IL | 202 E Main Street | Saturday | 7-11 | ||
| Marengo Friday Farmers Market/Weekly | Marengo, IL | Washington and Ann Streets | Friday | 12 - 6 | ||
| McHenry Farmers Market/Weekly | McHenry, IL | 3400 Pearl | Thursday | 4 - 730 | 01/05/13 | 06/06/13 |
| Midtown Farmers Market/Weekly | Rockford, IL | 1132 2ND AVE | Friday | 3 - 7 | ||
| Miller Beach Farmer's Market/First & Third Sundays | Gary, IN | 215 N. Grand Blvd. | Sunday | 10 - 3 | 06/05/13 | 10/29/13 |
| Mokena French Market/Weekly http://www.mokena.org/index.aspx?nid=57 | Mokena, IL | Front Street Metra Lot (Front Street & Wolf Road) | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 05/18/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Morton Grove Farmer's Market/Weekly http://mgfarmersmarket.com/ | Morton Grove, IL | Waukegan and Greenwood | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 06/08/13 | 10/19/13 |
| Mount Prospect Lions Club Farmers' Market/Weekly | Mount Prospect, IL | 13 E. Northwest Hwy. | Sunday | 8 - 1 | 06/09/13 | 10/20/13 |
| Mundelein Farmer's Market/Weekly http://www.mundelein.org/farmers_market | Mundelein, IL | Park and Seymour | Friday | 3 - 7 | 06/07/13 | 10/25/13 |
| Murphysboro Farmer's Market/Weekly | Murphysboro, IL | 1101 Walnut Street (City parking lot at 11th & Chestnut St.) | Wednesday | 12 - 6 | 05/01/13 | 11/01/13 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art/Streeterville/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Chicago & Mies van der Rohe Way (On MCA Plaza) | Tuesday | 7 - 3 | 06/04/13 | 10/29/13 |
| Naperville Farmer's Market/Weekly | Naperville, IL | Fifth Avenue Station parking lot | Saturday | 7 - 12 | 06/01/13 | 10/26/2013 |
| Nettelhorst French Market | Chicago, IL | Broadway and Melrose Avenue | Saturday | 8 - 2 | 04/27/13 | 11/02/13 |
| New Lenox /Weekly | New Lenox, IL | 1 Veterans Pky | Saturday | 9 - 1 | 05/11/13 | 10/13/13 |
| Northbrook Farmer's Market/Weekly | Northbrook, IL | Meadow and Cherry | Wednesday | 7 - 1 | 06/19/13 | 10/09/13 |
| Northcenter/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Belle Plaine/Damen/Lincoln | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 06/15/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Northfield Farmers' Market/Weekly http://www.northfieldchamber.org/ | Northfield, IL | 6 Happ Road | Saturday | 730 - 1230 | 05/25/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Oak Park/Weekly http://www.oak-park.us/farmersmarket/ | Oak Park, IL | 460 Lake | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 05/18/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Old Dundee Farmers' Market/ Weekly http://www.dundeedepot.com/ | East Dundee, IL | 319 N. River Street | Saturday | 8 - 2 | 0511/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Old Capitol Farmers Market - Wednesday/Weekly http://www.downtownspringfield.org/market.htm | Springfield, IL | 500 E. Adams | Wednesday | 8 - 1230 | ||
| Old Capitol Farmers Market - Saturday/Weekly http://www.downtownspringfield.org/market.htm | Springfield, IL | 500 E. Adams | Saturday | 8 - 1230 | ||
| Olde Schaumburg Centre Farmers Market/Weekly | Schaumburg, IL | 190 S. Roselle | Friday | 7 - 1 | 06/14/13 | 10/25/13 |
| Oneida Farmer's Market/Weekly | Oneida, IL | 221 US-34 (Across from DT Sales) | Thursday | 3 - 6 | 07/05/13 | 09/27/13 |
| Orangeville Farmer's Market/Weekly | Orangeville, IL | Ewing St @ W. High Road (Richland Creek Trailhead) | Saturday | 8 - 12 | 07/06/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Oswego Country Market/Weekly | Oswego, IL | 15 North Main Street | Sunday | 9 - 1 | 06/02/13 | 09/29/13 |
| Palatine Farmer's Market http://www.palatine.il.us/departments/village_clerk/market.aspx | Palatine, IL | 137 W. Wood St. | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 06/04/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Palos Heights Farmers Market/Weekly | Palos Heights, IL | 12217 S. Harlem | Wednesday | 7 - 1 | 05/08/13 | 10/30/13 |
| Park Forest/Weekly | Park Forest, IL | 271 Lakewood | Saturday | 7 - 12 | 05/04/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Park Ridge Farmers' Market/Weekly http://www.parkridge.us/farmers_market/ | Park Ridge, IL | 15 Prairie Ave | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 05/25/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Peoria RiverFront Market/Weekly | Peoria, IL | 330 SW Water Street (Liberty Park) | Saturday | 8 - 12 | 06/01/13 | 09/28/13 |
| Pilsen Community Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 1800 S. Halsted | Sunday | 9 - 3 | 06/26/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Portage Park Farmers Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 4100 N. Long | Sunday | 10 - 2 | 06/02/13 | 10/06/13 |
| Printers Row/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Dearborn & Polk (Printers Row Park) | Saturday | 7 - 1 | 06/15/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Prudential Plaza/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 130 E. Randolph St. | Wednesday | 10 - 2 | 06/05/13 | 09/25/13 |
| Pullman/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 111th & Cottage Grove (In Arcade Park) | Wednesday | 7 - 12 | 07/10/13 | 10/30/13 |
| Quincy Farmer's Market - Tuesday/Weekly | Quincy, IL | 128 N. 5th (Washington Park) | Tuesday | 7 - 1 | 05/14/13 | 10/29/13 |
| Quincy Farmer's Market - Saturday/Weekly | Quincy, IL | 128 N. 5th (Washington Park) | Saturday | 7-1 | 05/18/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Ravinia Farmers Market/Weekly | Highland Park, IL | 678 Judson Avenue | Wednesday | 7 - 1 | ||
| Richmond Farmers Market/Weekly | Richmond, IL | 11011 US-12 | Sunday | 10 - 3 | 04/20/13 | 11/03/13 |
| Riverside Farmer's Market/Weekly | Riverside, IL | 1 Burling Road | Wednesday | 2:30 - 7 | 06/05/13 | 10/02/2013 |
| Rockford City Market/Weekly | Rockford, IL | Water Street between State and Jefferson Streets | Friday | 3 - 8 | 06/05/13 | 10/25/13 |
| Saturday Produce Market/Weekly | Decatur, IL | One College Park (Richmond Community College) | Saturday | 8 - 12 | 05/11/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Schererville Farmer's Market Beer/Wine Garden | Schererville, IN | Redar Park | Thursday | 3 - 8 | 05/16/13 | 09/26/13 |
| Seaway Bank Farmers Market /Weekly | Chicago, IL | 645 E. 87th Street | Wednesday | 9 - 2 | 06/24/13 | 09/25/13 |
| Skokie Farmer's Market/Weekly http://www.skokie.org/FarmersMarket.cfm | Skokie, IL | 5127 Oakton Street | Sunday | 730 - 1245 | 06/16/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Skokie French Market/Weekly | Skokie, IL | Old Orchard Mall | Thursday | 10 - 2 | 05/16/13 | 09/26/13 |
| South Shore/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Rainbow Beach Park, 3177 E. 77th St | Sunday | 1 - 5 | 06/23/13 | 08/25/13 |
| Southport Market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 1420 W. Grace | Saturday | 8 - 2 | 06/22/13 | 10/05/13 |
| Sugar Grove French Market/Weekly | Sugar Grove, IL | 10 S. Municipal Drive | Saturday | 8 - 12 | 06/01/13 | 09/28/13 |
| Summit Park District Farmer's Market/Weekly | Summit, IL | 5700 S. Archer Rd | Wednesday | 2 - 7 | 06/12/13 | 10/16/13 |
| Swansea Farmer's Market/Weekly | Swansea, IL | 2801 N. Illinois | Thursday | 2-6 | 05/02/13 | 10/31/13 |
| Tinley Park Farmers Market/Weekly | Tinley Park, IL | 17116 S. Oak Park, Ave | Saturday | 7 - 12 | 06/01/13 | 10/12/13 |
| Trinity 7th Street Moline Farmer's Market/Weekly | Moline, IL | 500 John Deere Road | Saturday | 8 - 12 | 05/04/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Twin City Farmer's Market/Weekly | Sterling, IL | 106 Avenue A | Saturday | 8 - 12 | 01/05/13 | 12/28/13 |
| Uptown Farmers Market at Weiss/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 4646 N. Marine Dr. | Thursday | 730 - 1230 | 05/02/13 | 10/31/13 |
| Uptown Normal Trailside Farmer's Market/Weekly | Normal, IL | 100 E. Beaufort | Tuesday | 3:30 - 6 | 06/04/13 | 09/17/13 |
| Urbana, Market on the Square/Weekly http://urbanaillinois.us/market | Urbana, IL | Corner of Illinois & Vine Streets | Saturday | 7 - 12 | 05/04/13 | 11/02/13 |
| Villa Park French Market /Weekly | Villa Park, IL | On Park Boulevard, West side of Ardmore Avenue | Sunday | 8 - 1 | 05/05/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Warrenville Farmer's Market/ Weekly | Warrenville, IL | 3S200 Route 59 | Wednesday | 3 - 7 | 06/05/13 | 08/28/13 |
| Washington Park/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 555 E. 51st St | Wednesday | 9 - 1 | 07/10/13 | 10/02/13 |
| Watseka Farmer's Market/Weekly | Watseka, IL | 120 E. Walnut First Trust & Savings Bank parking lot | Saturday | 7 - 12 | 06/01/13 | 09/28/13 |
| Waukegan Farmers Market/Weekly | Waukegan | Grand Ave and West St | Wednesday | 12 - 5 | ||
| West Allis Farmer's Market - Saturday/Weekly | West Allis, WI | 6501 W. National Ave | Saturday | 1 - 6 | 05/04/13 | 11/23/13 |
| West Allis Farmer's Market - Tuesday/Weekly | West Allis, WI | 6501 W. National Ave | Tuesday | 12 - 6 | 05/07/13 | 11/19/13 |
| West Allis Farmer's Market - Thursday/Weekly http://www.ci.west-allis.wi.us/health/health_farmers_market.htm | West Allis, WI | 6501 W. National Ave | Thursday | 12 - 6 | 05/09/13 | 11/19/13 |
| West Humboldt Park Farmers Market & Bazaar | Chicago, IL | 3601 W. Chicago | Saturday | 10 - 2 | 06/29/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Western Springs French Market/Weekly | Western Springs, IL | Hillgrove Avenue between Lawn & Grand Ave. | Thursday | 2 - 7 | 05/02/13 | 10/24/13 |
| Wheaton French Market/Weekly | Wheaton, IL | Main Street and Liberty Drive | Saturday | 8 - 2 | 04/20/13 | 12/21/13 |
| Wicker Park & Bucktown/Weekly | Chicago, IL | Wicker Park & Damen (In Wicker Park) | Sunday | 8 - 2 | 06/02/13 | 10/27/13 |
| Willis Tower Plaza/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 233 S. Wacker Dr. | Thursday | 7 - 3 | 06/27/13 | 10/31/13 |
| Wilmette French Market/Weekly | Wilmette, IL | Metra Parking Lot-Green Bay and Central | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 04/27/13 | 11/02/13 |
| Wood Street Farm Stand: A Growing Home market/Weekly | Chicago, IL | 5814 S. Wood St. | Wednesday | 11 - 4 | 05/08/13 | 10/20/13 |
| Woodstock - Tuesday/Weekly http://www.woodstockfarmersmarket.org/ | Woodstock, IL | Woodstock Town Square 100 Johnson Street | Tuesday | 8 - 1 | 05/07/13 | 10/29/13 |
| Woodstock - Saturday/Weekly http://www.woodstockfarmersmarket.org/ | Woodstock, IL | Woodstock Town Square 100 Johnson Street | Saturday | 8 - 1 | 05/04/13 | 10/26/13 |
| Yorktown Mall Farmers Market | Lombard, IL | 203 Yorktown Rd | Wednesday | 3 - 7 |
When I saw that asparagus was on the tables at the opening of the Green City Market last Saturday, I had to buy it. Asparagus is such a sure sign that the spring harvest has started, which means that the summer abundance of local vegetables is not far away. It was not until took I nibbled on a piece I had sauteed for a salad and tasted that fresh-from-the-ground, earthy, green flavor, that I remembered how much I love locally-grown asparagus. There was a time that I wondered what that smell was? Yes, I was born with THAT GENE. All I know is, Asparagus, I am happy that it is your time to shine at the markets!
Wondering what is in season? Chief Beet Rob Gardner elaborates on it and gives his advice on how to shop at a farmers market. Food Day Chicago (Oct. 24) is celebrating the onion and the many benefits of the allium family for the month of May on their facebook page (“like” it while you are there, check it out for some health tidbits, recipes, onion trivia and some beautiful pics from some friends of the Beet!).
Our friend Dave Nells of Sharpening By Dave is at the Green City Market and other locations throughout Chicagoland. If you want to eat local, you need to have sharp knives to prepare the produce!! Let Dave know that you read about him in the Local Beet and you will get one dollar off each knife sharpened!!!
Farm dinners are starting earlier this year, Mint Creek Farm, Prairie Fruit Farms and Slagel Family Farms, all their dinners book up pretty quickly so time to get a-scheduling! We have all the details and dates. More seem to crop up as we get closer to summer so we will keep you posted.
We try to keep up on events but miss some, some sites to check out for further detail on sustainable food/urban ag are the Illinois Stewardship Alliance (get their policy updates here) out of Springfield and the Advocates for Urban Agriculture here in Chicago that has its spring gathering, Sharing the Harvest going on tonight. WeFarmAmerica has tons of weekly events. The Peterson Garden Project (Annual Plant Sale & Bake Sale 5/10-5/12) has lots of information for the urban gardener.
Now on to the busy week ahead including the opening of the 61st Street Farmers Market which gets bigger and better every year!!
WHERE TO FIND LOCAL FOODS
These stores specialize in local foods:
Artisanal Wilmette – 414 Linden Ave. Wilmette
Butcher and Larder 1026 North Milwaukee in Noble Square, Chicago
Dill Pickle Food Co-op – 3039 West Fullerton, Chicago
Edible Alchemy Foods Co-op - Located in the near-SW Pilsen neighborhood, the co-op has grown to five locations in, including Hyde Park, River North, Lakeview, and Logan Square
Green Grocer 1402 West Grand Ave in West Town Watch this fantastic video about GMOs, sourcing local and see what you are missing if you don’t shop at the GG.
Marion Street Cheese Market 100 South Marion St. Oak Park
Provenance Food & Wine - 2 locations Logan Square 2528 N. California Lincoln Square 2312 W. Leland Ave. 4/24 Cheese and Wine Pairing Class in the Barrel Room at City Winery, details here.
Publican Quality Meats – 835 W. Fulton, Chicago
Sauce and Bread Kitchen - 6338-40 N. Clark, Chicago
Standard Market – 333 East Ogden Ave., Westmont Be sure to say hi to Rockstar Butcher Joe Parajecki!!!
THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR AND BEYOND IN LOCAL FOOD:
Food The Nature of Eating Exhibit continues at The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Skokie- Seedling Sales Start – Howard Street Farm – 10am – 2pm 3701 Howard St. (April 20th – June 1st) Cool Weather seedlings: spinach, swiss chard, peas, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, collards, seed potatoes Warm Weather seedlings: (beginning May 11th)tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, melon, basil, and cilantro Associate Beet Editor Wendy Aeschlimann elaborates on it.
May 8
Chicago – Wednesdays at Wood Street – The opening of the Growing Home Wood Street Farm Stand 11am – 4pm 5814 S. Wood St.
Chicago - Green City Market Lincoln Park Location 7am – 1pm Chef demonstration Justin Hall Fig Catering
Chicago – Wine Wednesdays at Province – Seasonal farm to table 5 course tasting menu with pairings $49 159 North Jefferson A Gold level LEED certified restaurant with 3 stars from the Green Restaurant Association.
May 9
Chicago – Uptown Market Uptown Farmers’ Market is year round. Every Thursday from 7-1 inside Weiss Memorial Hospital or in the parking lot during the warmer months. 4646 N Marine Drive This is an appropriate day to stock up on Spark of the Heart Soups
Hyde Park - C & D Family Farm delivers 7-11am Harold Washington Park
Lincoln Square – C & D Family Farm delivers 4-7pm Lincoln & Leland
May 10,11,12
Chicago - Peterson Garden Project Plant Sale & Bake Sale Fundraiser - 10am – 4pm Peterson Garden Project Learning Center 4642 N. Francisco Items for sale will include herb and vegetable seedlings, basic gardening supplies, seeds and tasty baked goods from renowned Chicago pastry chefs. There is no cost for admission, and all proceeds benefit Peterson Garden Project learning programs. Peterson Garden Project is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization.
May 11
Chicago - Opening Day of the 61st Farmers Market - 9am – 2pm During the outdoor season, which lasts through the end of October, the Market is located on 61st Street between Dorchester and Blackstone Avenues. The 61st Street Farmers Market accepts LINK and Senior Farmers Market Coupons. They also match LINK purchases up to $25 per cardholder, per market day, as long as funding lasts. This means that LINK cardholders can double the value of their LINK purchases each week at the Market. This year, the Market will also be accepting DEBIT AND CREDIT, for those of you who are always short on cash!
Chicago- Empty Bottle Farmers Market - The Empty Bottle 12-5pm 1035 N. Western Ave. Just in time for Mother’s Day! Buy mom a locally-sourced food gifts from our vendors, including coffee, tea, chocolates, pastries, sauces, soup, and more!
Chicago - Bee Keeping Class Chicago Honey Coop Christy Webber Landscapes 10am – 3pm
Chicago - Green City Market Lincoln Park 7am – 1pm 10:30am Chef demonstration Paul Feihrenbach Big Jones
Chicago – Iron Street Farm Stand – 9am – 3pm 3333 S. Iron St.
Elgin - Winter Market at Habitat for Humanity ReStore Elgin - 800 North State St. 9am – 3pm (thru May) Their mantra is “Keepin It Local1″ As such, their intention has always been to supply the local community with local products.
Evanston - Downtown Evanston Farmers Market - This market will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Saturday from May 4 through November 2. Location: Intersection of University Place and Oak Ave. (behind Hilton Garden Inn, east of East Railroad Ave.) In 2013, the market will celebrate its 38th year.
La Fox – Heritage Prairie Saturday Farmer’s Market 9am – 1pm 2N308 Brundige Road
Morton Grove - Morton Grove Spring Market Saturdays, 8 am – 12 noon 6210 Dempster St The summer markets will run every Saturday from 6/8/2013 – 10/19/2013
FD!! Stelle- Mother’s Day Eve and Farm Tour - Mint Creek Farm BYOB $60 3pm Meet-up at The Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast 3606 N. 1700 E. Rd. For more information contact Julie at Jlarsen@mintcreekfarm.com
Woodstock - Woodstock Farmers Market Outdoors 9am -12pm
May 12
Happy Mother’s Day!
Chicago - Chicago Food Swap - 3pm Host: The Scrumptious Pantry 3230 W. Fullerton Ave. in ChicagoRegistration: http://maychifoodswap.eventbrite.com/ Please email chicagofoodswap at gmail.com if you’d like more information or become a fan on Facebook.
Chicago - DOSE Market River East Arts Center
SAVE THE DATE
May 15
Chicago – AUA Spring Gathering: Sharing the Harvest 5-8PM Garfield Park Conservatory – Jensen Room 300 N Central Park Ave FREE This season’s quarterly gathering will be another great opportunity to connect with and learn from urban agriculture practitioners and supporters from across the Chicago area. As usual, there will be a potluck/mix & mingle at the beginning of the evening, followed by a community slideshow during which you’ll be able to showcase your urban garden or farm project (please send 1-2 photos to me by 8AM on 5/14).
May 16-26
Chicago – 10 day celebration Chicago Craft Beer Week
May 16
Chicago - Opening Day of the Daley Center Farmers Market - Market will run May 16th through October 31.
Chicago – A Chef’s Playground - Terzo Piano – At the Art Institute A fundraiser for the Academy for Global Citizenship 6-9pm Purchase tickets here $225
May 17
Chicago - Half Acre Brewery Anniversary Party - Hee hee!! Stay tuned!
Chicago – Unicornucopia: Big Fork, CO-OP Sauce, & Pipeworks Brewing Co. Collaboration Party 7 – 9 PM Star Lounge 2521 W. Chicago Ave. Why: To celebrate Craft Beer Week in Chicago, 4 micro companies (Big Fork Brands, Star Lounge, CO-OP Sauce, & Pipeworks Brewing Co.) and 2 chefs are combining forces to bring you one amazing night of food & beer. What: 4 courses with 4 beer pairings
May 18
FD!! Champaign - Celebrate Spring! Prairie Fruit Farms 4pm 4410 North Lincoln Ave. This is their first dinner of the 2013 season. Expect an explosion of spring flavors such as Caveny Farm Katadin lamb, ramps (wild leeks), spring greens, sweet turnips, asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries. Purchase tickets here. $92
Fairbury - Slagel Family Farm First Farm Dinner of the Season! Transportation included from Chicago to the farm and back. $125 BYOB The dinner will be prepared and served by Guest Chef Nicole Pederson of Found Kitchen and Guest Chef John Asbaty of Panozzo’s. Please BYOB, lemonade and water will be provided and of course includes a tour of the farm, butchering class on sustainable meat practices and lots of food!!
***** Oak Park - Opening Day of the Oak Park Farmers Market - The market will run every Saturday through 10/26/13 7am – 1pm Pilgrim Church, right next door to where the market is held, offers fresh warm donuts, juice and coffee, with live bluegrass music nearby. The Oak Park Farmers’ Market is located at 460 Lake St., just one block west of Ridgeland Avenue.
May 19
Chicago - Opening Day of the Logan Square Outdoor Market
May 20
Chicago - Big Jones Trash Fish Dinner(Grubstreet Chicago) – Paul Fehribach of Big Jones is joining with Chefs Collaborative, Fortune Fish and Gourmet and nine other chefs to put on a dinner showing how these trash fish— from smelt to dogfish to speckled trout— can be used in a sustainable, tasty meal. Tickets $125
May 22
Chicago - International Biodiversity Day at The Field Museum – Join The Field Museum, Peterson Garden Project, Seed Savers Exchange and Jewell Events Catering for an event celebrating seed diversity! The highlight of the evening will be a lecture on FOOD ORIGINS by the renown photographer and seed saving advocate David Cavagnaro. FOOD ORIGINS: Travel the globe through the lens of David Cavagnaro’s camera. Learn about the geographic origins of our favorite fruit and vegetable varieties and the diaspora that is responsible for the diversity we have today. 5:00 Tours of the Edible Treasures Garden on the west side of the Field Museum 5:30 – 6:30 - Registration - Reception in the West Lobby of the Field Museum with food provided by Jewell Events Catering that is inspired by the 2013 plantings of the Edible Treasures Garden- Meet-and-greet Seed Savers Exchange representatives and other local seed saving organizations 6:30 – 8:00 David Cavagnaro lecture in the historic A. Montgomery Ward Theatre Cost: $10
May 25
FD!! Champaign, Il - Prairie Fruit Farms – Sunday Dinner Club “For their Love of Chicken“ The Sunday Dinner Club Crew is back, and they will be frying up lots of local fried chicken at the farm! Josh and Christine are joining us early this season, because they are getting ready to open a new restaurant in Chicago, come get a sneak peak of foods from their new venture, “Honey Butter Fried Chicken” $70
May 28
Chicago – The Stew Supper Club presents Super Dragon Slayer Spicy Supper -7-10pm Sauce and Bread Kitchen 6338 N Clark St “Imagine if you will, a meal built for May where dragons will not triumph. Think middle evil banquet with spicy goodness tempered only with what we describe as a steely samurai’s touch. Eat much May with us then……”- The Stew
June 1
Champaign, Il - Prairie Fruit Farms - Virant’s Can Can - 4pm What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than with some fantastic preserves and incredible food! All of this will be brought to you by Paul Virant! A seasoned veteran in the wide world of preserving, pickling, and canning, Paul follows his Perennial Virant philosophy to a tee – “eat what you can – can what you can’t.” $107
June 8
Chicago/Fairbury - Slagel Family Farm Tour & Dinner Event with The Publican! 2:30pm The dinner will be prepared and served by Guest Chef Brian Huston of The Publican. Please BYOB, lemonade and water will be provided. Bus transportation from Chicago will be provided, when purchasing your ticket please select if you would like that option. The Bus will pick everyone up at 837 W Fulton Market Chicago, IL 60607 at 12:00 noon on June 8th. Children are welcome as long as they have parent supervision. $125June 13
Chicago – Eli’s Cheesecake & Wright College Farmer’s Market Grand Opening Fresh fruits and vegetables from Nichol’s Farm and the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences, hand crafts,flowers & more Continental Breakfast Lunch on the grill will be offered each Thursdaybased on what’s in season!
June 9
Chicago -
No Kid Hungry No Dessert Left Behind – Little Goat 820 West Randolph 2nd floor Come support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign . There will be patio seating and full bar along with baked goods from Chicago’s finest pastry talent. A portion of all drink sales will go directly to the charity as well.
June 15
Chicago - Mash Tun Festival - The festival is a celebration of the release of Mash Tun: A Craft Beer Journal issue #3. The Mash Tun is a publication put out by your buddies at Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar and The Public Media Institute, a non profit arts and culture organization based in Bridgeport.
FD!! Champaign, IL - Prairie Fruit Farms City Pub in the Country 4pm Bar Pastoral is a new cheese and wine bistro adjacent to the original Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread, and Wine Shop in Chicago. Chef Chrissy will be showcasing her love of cheese, charcuterie, pickles, and other local ingredients. $107
June 29
Champaign, Il – - Prairie Fruit Farms Summer Vegetarian 4pm Thad Morrow, chef/owner of Bacaro, Champaign is back for another season. He will be making the trek from Bacaro, in downtown Champaign, across town and out into the country! His SUV will be packed with lots of early summer vegetables. $107
July 18
Chicago – The Locavore’s Real Taste of Chicago - The Green City Market BBQ Tickets on sale now!
Editor’s Note: It was a real pleasure that last weekend’s blossoming of farmer’s markets coincided with the blossoming of our local asparagus crop. And with the use of real asparagus, we have the excuse to use our real chef contributor, Patrick Sheerin. When the Beet first launched, Pat was executive Chef at The Signature Room, and he contributed this article on his love for markets and his love for asparagus. More recently, with his brother, Michael, he opened the acclaimed Trencherman, where he continues to exercise his passion for seasonal food and high quality ingredients. Things have gotten a little more complicated in Pat’s kitchen these days, but this classic asparagus recipe remains a favorite. Please share with us tales of “your asparagus.”
When you hear the restaurant name “The Signature Room at the 95th“, most people in the food business think about the phrase “tourist trap.” And it is no joke; we get a lot of tourists from around the block to across the globe. It is unlikely that the phrase “one of the largest restaurant buyers at the Green City Market” comes to mind. The reality is that you will find more locally grown fruits and vegetables in my ninety-five story kitchen than you will tourists in the dining room. After our first introduction, courtesy of my good friend Paul Virant at Vie Restaurant, Rob Gardner from The Local Beet inquired about how it is possible for us to plan and buy so much local produce.
As a chef, I have had the pleasure of a few incredible work experiences in Chicago. Call it the luck of the Irish, if you will, but I was a prep cook in kitchens that sourced local produce in the 1990’s – years before this practice was on the industry radar. Fortunately our local farmers grow great vegetables in conjunction with the all mighty and benevolent Mother Earth, a practice which has enabled them to sell a superior product. The Chef’s who source local will all agree that this produce looks better, tastes better and is often more affordable.
Now I have always been the type of guy who enjoys a visit to the outdoor market. Every week I would walk through the farmers market in Federal Plaza and pick up interesting stuff both for the sake of learning and cooking in my kitchen at home (I am a Printer’s Row resident). The items made with fresh, local ingredients tasted better than anything from a grocery; the carrots crunchier, the radishes more flavorful. So when I inherited my kitchen in the clouds six years ago, we immediately began to purchase directly from the farmers at the markets in the area. My goal was to provide a superior product to our diner. Regardless of whether or not they were having a side of whipped potatoes or a plate of mixed greens, it should be the best vegetable they had ever eaten. In my journey through the market that first season as banquet chef, I discovered that Green Acres Farm grew an incredible golden zucchini. The first ratatouille I made with that zucchini was phenomenal; the color popped a brilliant gold and was so dense and meaty that Anton Ego would have drooled over it. While everyone loved that ratatouille they didn’t see it again for a long time because Bruce Sherman at North Pond would buy every last zucchini from Green Acres hours before I could make it to the market each week.
Since I knew that I would never wake up earlier than Bruce, I had to call in reinforcements. Over the next few seasons I carpooled with Paul Virant, met as many farmers as humanly possible and earned some street credit at the market. Eventually, after we purchased produce for a few seasons to supplement the core menu and create monthly specials, the farmers and growers began to remember my face. I was welcomed each week by the voices of enthusiastic merchants looking to sell me the “best eggplant” and the “juciest apple.” On the day that I had to hail two cabs to transport my fruits and vegetables back to the Hancock building, I knew that I had made my mark.
I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank Paul Virant for the countless times he drove me back to work with my fresh market items (imagine two grown men in a RAV4 sandwiched between crates of squash and flats of fresh berries, and you will see why it is so important to show my gratitude). In the summer of 2007 I was promoted to Executive Chef of The Signature Room and immediately began contracting directly with the growers for more and more items. It was logistically smarter to quit hailing cabs twice a week and establish a regular delivery system. We presently purchase 100,000 pounds of fresh produce, meats and cheese from local farmers in a five state area.
And just in case you were wondering, I have earned some growing power with Green Acres for that highly coveted golden zucchini. In fact, when the summer squash are abundant in the market stalls, be on the lookout for Chef Pat’s Golden Eight Ball Zucchini grown only by Green Acres farms and bred especially for stuffing in a cheesy, 80’s kind of way. That right readers – with a little bit of dedication and 30,000 pounds of produce purchased annually, you too can have a squash named after you.
Grilled Michigan Asparagus (with asparagus bread and truffled egg salad)
The Signature Room at the 95th
John Hancock Center
Executive Chef Patrick Sheerin
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, thinly sliced
20 spears asparagus, washed, peeled, stems removed
Ingredients for Asparagus Bread:
* Please allow 24-hours to prepare
¾ cup shredded asparagus bodies, cut off tips and discard
¼ cup spinach, wilted, sautéed
1 whole egg
1 Tbsp honey
½ cup canola oil
1 cup flour
1/16 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Method for Asparagus Bread:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place asparagus, wilted spinach, egg and honey in a blender. Puree until smooth, slowly add canola oil into the mix. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and pour into a shallow greased and floured brownie pan. Bake approximately 45 minutes. Cool to room temperature, slice thin and let dry out in an oven with a pilot light overnight.
Ingredients for Truffled Egg Salad:
3 whole hard boiled farm eggs, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp cup minced truffles
touch of black truffle oil
chives
salt and pepper
Method for Truffle Egg Salad:
Combine all ingredients and reserve for service
Ingredients for Truffle Vinaigrette:
5 whole shallots, roasted-soft
½ cup sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp black truffle peelings
4 oz black truffle juice
1 whole Portobello mushroom-gills from the underside only
1/16th tsp Zanthan gum (find at whole foods)
1 cup canola oil
¼ cup black truffle oil
Method for Truffle Vinaigrette:
Combine the shallots, sherry, truffle peelings, truffle juice and gills in a blender. Add the zanthan gum and drizzle in the canola and truffle oils to emulsify. The mixture should pour like a sauce.
Method for Service:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the 20 asparagus spears in the oven. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and warm for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees and place the bacon slices in the oven until dry and crispy.
Plating:
Spread egg salad on the bottom of the plate, place the bundle of asparagus on top and garnish with crispy bacon and asparagus bread crumbles.
Green Garlic from Vera Videnovich/Videnovich Farms Courtesy of Green Grocer Chicago
Maybe it’s me, but my idea of what Spring tastes like and what it actually tastes like is widely off. Tiny plants, emergence of green, the (infrequent) return of sun and warmth; my imagination tells me that Spring should taste delicate, mild, sweet. What I know from years of eating local is that Spring tastes much different. The Spring season, especially the earlier parts of the Spring season, taste unlike what I expect. There is a definate meme to the season, and it is sharp, vegetal, often bitter and set to jolt your palate not gently awaken.
The truest sign of seasonal eating is not scoring asparagus and peas from covert sources; it is using various young onions in your cooking. A good locavore should be running out of storage onions by now. In their place, he or she cooks with scallions and immature onions. Instead of the mellow sweetness cooked onions give dishes; scallions stand un-bowed. They lend that sharp flavor of Spring to all they touch.
This is also the time of year of green garlic. Again, we should be running low on stored, dry garlic. We can use green, fresh garlic for flavoring as we would old garlic, but green garlic much more lends itself as an element to a dish. Green garlic is a vegetable as much as a seasoning. Again, those wonderfully pungent green garlic dishes taste of the season.
Or take sorrel, who’s small season may even be over. It looks not too different from spinach, but you bite it and you get a sour burst pretty much exactly as if you bit into a lemon. That’s what Spring tastes like.
What else you’ll find, early greens, wild items, lean bitter. Likewise, the Spring crops of carrots, beets, and turnips tend to be more earthy and less sweet than their fall (and storage) versions.
Enjoy the taste of Spring!
Season Extension and Other Indoor Crops
Much of what’s around now comes from the hoops. These include radishes, swiss chard, arugula, lettuces, spinach, turnips, bok choy, collard greens, and napa cabbage. There may also be cold hearty herbs like cilantro and lovage.
We Can Still Enjoy Last Year
We think you may still see some nice stored crops including carrots, potatoes, radishes, and onions.
Foraged and Field
Do we report these things just for reference. Will you actually taste ramps, various cresses, garlic mustard, dandelion greens, fiddle-head ferns, sorrel, or morel mushrooms.
Who will have the first LOCAL asparagus?
WHERE TO FIND LOCAL FOODS
Your ability to purchase what’s in season is finally expanding. Jeannie, in the Local Calendar is keeping you ascribed on key markets, and we’ll have our fuller 2013 Market Locator up soon. There’s still plenty of time to find a CSA box too. See our big list to find a CSA for you. Our friends at Fresh Picks have a good and growing inventory of local food, or you can try one of these stores that specialize in local foods:
Artisanal Wilmette – 414 Linden Ave. Wilmette
Butcher and Larder 1026 North Milwaukee in Noble Square, Chicago
Dill Pickle Food Co-op – 3039 West Fullerton, Chicago
Edible Alchemy Foods Co-op - Located in the near-SW Pilsen neighborhood, the co-op has grown to five locations in, including Hyde Park, River North, Lakeview, and Logan Square
Green Grocer 1402 West Grand Ave in West Town Check out their produce share January 9th through May 4th. You can still subscribe even though the share has started already.
Marion Street Cheese Market 100 South Marion St. Oak Park
Provenance Food & Wine - 2 locations Logan Square 2528 N. California Lincoln Square 2312 W. Leland Ave.
Publican Quality Meats – 835 W. Fulton, Chicago
Sauce and Bread Kitchen - 6338-40 N. Clark, Chicago
Standard Market – 333 East Ogden Ave., Westmont
Get ready for plenty of green on the tables at the outdoor markets! Green City Market opens this Saturday at their spring/summer location, on the southern end of Lincoln Park across from the Hotel Lincoln. The Downtown Evanston Market opens as well. Due to the cold weather, the spring produce will arrive later than last year on the farmers’ tables. Soon though, spring onions, green garlic and asparagus will be plentiful. Wondering what is in season? Chief Beet Rob Gardner elaborates on it and gives his advice on how to shop at a farmers market. Food Day Chicago (Oct. 24) is celebrating the onion and its many benefits for the month of May on their facebook page (“like” it while you are there), check it for some health tidbits, recipes and onion trivia.
Cosmo Goss of The Publican was the winner of Cochon 555 on Sunday and had a bountiful display of their charcuterie. Fellow Beet Matt Kirouac details all the porky fun! Goss used a Hampshire Hog from Faith’s Farm in Bonview, IL and thank you Faith for the REAL bacon lip balm that I found in my bag the next day!! Cochon was a celebration of heritage animals and the chefs went out all in displaying their enthusiasm for the event including Ryan Poli of Tavernita and Little Market Brasserie who dressed like the Pork Avenger!
This past weekend was truly a trifecta of artisanal events, Whisky Fest, the Pastoral Farmstead Cheese Artisan Fest and then Cochon 555. Now it is time to get ready for the outdoors!!!
Our friend Dave Nells of Sharpening By Dave is at the Green City Market and other locations throughout Chicagoland. His schedule is here. If you want to eat local, you need to have sharp knives to prepare all the produce!! Let Dave know that you read about him in the Local Beet and you will get one dollar off each knife sharpened!!!
Farm dinners are starting earlier this year. We have listed dinners with some of the leading sustainable farmers in the area, Mint Creek Farm, Prairie Fruit Farms and Slagel Family Farms. The dinners book up pretty quickly so time to get a-scheduling! We have all the details and dates. If you would like to add a farm dinner to our calendar, leave the info in the comments below!
We try to keep up on events but miss some, some sites to check out for further detail on sustainable food/urban ag are the Illinois Stewardship Alliance (get their policy updates here) out of Springfield and the Advocates for Urban Agriculture here in Chicago as well as WeFarmAmerica which has tons of weekly events. The Peterson Garden Project (Annual Plant Sale & Bake Sale 5/10-5/12) has lots of information for the urban gardener. Now on to the busy week ahead!!!
WHERE TO FIND LOCAL FOODS
These stores specialize in local foods:
Artisanal Wilmette – 414 Linden Ave. Wilmette
Butcher and Larder 1026 North Milwaukee in Noble Square, Chicago
Dill Pickle Food Co-op – 3039 West Fullerton, Chicago
Edible Alchemy Foods Co-op - Located in the near-SW Pilsen neighborhood, the co-op has grown to five locations in, including Hyde Park, River North, Lakeview, and Logan Square
Green Grocer 1402 West Grand Ave in West Town Watch this fantastic video about GMOs, sourcing local and see what you are missing if you don’t shop at the GG.
Marion Street Cheese Market 100 South Marion St. Oak Park
Provenance Food & Wine - 2 locations Logan Square 2528 N. California Lincoln Square 2312 W. Leland Ave. 4/24 Cheese and Wine Pairing Class in the Barrel Room at City Winery, details here.
Publican Quality Meats – 835 W. Fulton, Chicago
Sauce and Bread Kitchen - 6338-40 N. Clark, Chicago
Standard Market – 333 East Ogden Ave., Westmont Be sure to say hi to Rockstar Butcher Joe Parajecki!!!
THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR AND BEYOND IN LOCAL FOOD:
Food The Nature of Eating Exhibit continues at The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
The Food Revolution Summit Broadcasting 4/27 – 5/5 Go to link to hear broadcasts
Skokie- Seedling Sales Start – Howard Street Farm – 10am – 2pm 3701 Howard St. (April 20th – June 1st) Cool Weather seedlings: spinach, swiss chard, peas, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, collards, seed potatoes Warm Weather seedlings: (beginning May 11th)tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, melon, basil, and cilantro Associate Beet Editor Wendy Aeschlimann elaborates on it.
May 1
Andersonville - C & D Family Farms delivers 4-7pm Ashland at Berywn
Chicago - Inaugural “Friends of the Illinois Local Food Farms Jobs Council” planning meeting Wed. May 1 3:00-4:30pm Bilandic Building; Room N505, 5th floor; 160 N. LaSalle St. will initiate a metro Chicago dialogue about creating a comprehensive legislative initiative to accelerate the growth of local food economies statewide.
Chicago – Wine Wednesdays at Province – Seasonal farm to table 5 course tasting menu with pairings $49 159 North Jefferson A Gold level LEED certified restaurant with 3 stars from the Green Restaurant Association.
May 2
Chicago – Uptown Market Uptown Farmers’ Market is year round. Every Thursday from 7-1 inside Weiss Memorial Hospital or in the parking lot during the warmer months. 4646 N Marine Drive This is an appropriate day to stock up on Spark of the Heart Soups
Chicago – The Fourth Annual Little City Food Frenzy Kendall College 6-9pm All proceeds benefit Little City’s ChildBridge Center for Children & Families, providing specialized adoption and home-based services for individuals with disabilities.
Hyde Park - C & D Family Farm delivers 7-11am Harold Washington Park
Lincoln Square – C & D Family Farm delivers 4-7pm Lincoln & Leland
May 3
Chicago - The Chicago Reader’s Key Ingredient Cook-Off - Join Chicago’s most celebrated chefs for an evening of exemplary and unusual culinary concoctions at their first annual Key Ingredient Cook-Off. Inspired by the Reader‘s James Beard Award-winning series, the Key Ingredient Cook-Off will see 26 chefs (from the likes of Balena, Blackbird, El Ideas, Sprout, Nellcote, Trenchermen, and more) go head-to-head using one of five ingredients—all originally chosen by chefs participating in their Key Ingredient series. 7-10 PM | Bridgeport Art Center | $65-$100
May 4
**** Chicago - Opening Day of the Green City Market in it’s outdoor location – Lincoln Park 7am – 1pm 9:30am Jeanne Pinsoff Nolan of The Edible Gardens gives Container Gardening Tips!! 10:30am Chef demonstration Shelley Young of The Chopping Block and 11:30am Andrew Hroza Goose Island Clybourn
Chicago - Bull Breakdown Class & Tasting 10am – 1pm Red Meat Market 10am – 1pm Cut, Cook & Carry Toro, Toro, Toro hosted by Centered Chef Studios.
Elgin - Winter Market at Habitat for Humanity ReStore Elgin - 800 North State St. 9am – 3pm (thru May) Their mantra is “Keepin It Local1″ As such, their intention has always been to supply the local community with local products and crafts.
****Evanston - Opening Day of the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market - This market will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Saturday from May 4 through November 2. Location: Intersection of University Place and Oak Ave. (behind Hilton Garden Inn, east of East Railroad Ave.) In 2013, the market will celebrate its 38th year.
La Fox – Heritage Prairie Saturday Farmer’s Market 9am – 1pm 2N308 Brundige Road
**** Woodstock - Opening Day of the Woodstock Farmers Market Outdoors 9am -12pm
May 5
Chicago – Woo hoo! The Sunday BBQ series starts at Publican Quality Meats Carriage House starts it off!!
May 7
Chicago - 11th Annual Growing Home Benefit 6pm Salvage One 1840 West Hubbard Chef Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno and Food For Thought Order tickets online here...
SAVE THE DATE
May 10,11,12
Chicago - Peterson Garden Project Plant Sale & Bake Sale Fundraiser - 10am – 4pm Peterson Garden Project Learning Center 4642 N. Francisco Items for sale will include herb and vegetable seedlings, basic gardening supplies, seeds and tasty baked goods from renowned Chicago pastry chefs. There is no cost for admission, and all proceeds benefit Peterson Garden Project learning programs. Peterson Garden Project is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization.
May 11
Chicago - Opening Day of the 61st Farmers Market - 9am – 2pm During the outdoor season, which lasts through the end of October, the Market is located on 61st Street between Dorchester and Blackstone Avenues. The 61st Street Farmers Market accepts LINK and Senior Farmers Market Coupons. We also match LINK purchases up to $25 per cardholder, per market day, as long as funding lasts. This means that LINK cardholders can double the value of their LINK purchases each week at the Market. The Market goes Indoors on: November 2
Chicago- Empty Bottle Farmers Market - The Empty Bottle 12-5pm 1035 N. Western Ave. Just in time for Mother’s Day! Buy mom a locally-sourced food gifts from our vendors, including coffee, tea, chocolates, pastries, sauces, soup, and more!
Chicago – Bee Keeping Class Chicago Honey Coop Christy Webber Landscapes 10am – 3pm
Morton Grove - Morton Grove Spring Market Saturdays, 8 am – 12 noon 6210 Dempster St The summer markets will run every Saturday from 6/8/2013 – 10/19/2013
FD!! Stelle- Mother’s Day Eve and Farm Tour - Mint Creek Farm BYOB $60 3pm Meet-up at The Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast 3606 N. 1700 E. Rd. For more information contact Julie at Jlarsen@mintcreekfarm.com
May 12
Chicago – Chicago Food Swap – 3pm Host: The Scrumptious Pantry 3230 W. Fullerton Ave. in ChicagoRegistration: http://maychifoodswap.eventbrite.com/ Please email chicagofoodswap at gmail.com if you’d like more information or become a fan on Facebook.
Chicago – DOSE Market River East Arts Center
May 16-26
Chicago – 10 day celebration Chicago Craft Beer Week
May 16
Chicago - Opening Day of the Daley Center Farmers Market - Market will run May 16th through October 31.
Chicago – A Chef’s Playground - Terzo Piano – At the Art Institute A fundraiser for the Academy for Global Citizenship 6-9pm Purchase tickets here $225
May 17
Chicago - Half Acre Brewery Anniversary Party - Hee hee!! Stay tuned!
May 18
FD!! Champaign - Celebrate Spring! Prairie Fruit Farms 4pm 4410 North Lincoln Ave. This is their first dinner of the 2013 season. Expect an explosion of spring flavors such as Caveny Farm Katadin lamb, ramps (wild leeks), spring greens, sweet turnips, asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries. Purchase tickets here. $92
Fairbury - Slagel Family Farm First Farm Dinner of the Season! Transportation included from Chicago to the farm and back. $125 BYOB The dinner will be prepared and served by Guest Chef Nicole Pederson of Found Kitchen and Guest Chef John Asbaty of Panozzo’s. Please BYOB, lemonade and water will be provided and of course includes a tour of the farm, butchering class on sustainable meat practices and lots of food!!
***** Oak Park - Opening Day of the Oak Park Farmers Market - The market will run every Saturday through 10/26/13 7am – 1pm Pilgrim Church, right next door to where the market is held, offers fresh warm donuts, juice and coffee, with live bluegrass music nearby. The Oak Park Farmers’ Market is located at 460 Lake St., just one block west of Ridgeland Avenue.
May 19
Chicago - Opening Day of the Logan Square Outdoor Market
May 20
Chicago - Big Jones Trash Fish Dinner(Grubstreet Chicago) – Paul Fehribach of Big Jones is joining with Chefs Collaborative, Fortune Fish and Gourmet and nine other chefs to put on a dinner showing how these trash fish— from smelt to dogfish to speckled trout— can be used in a sustainable, tasty meal. Tickets $125
May 25
FD!! Champaign, Il - Prairie Fruit Farms – Sunday Dinner Club “For their Love of Chicken“ The Sunday Dinner Club Crew is back, and they will be frying up lots of local fried chicken at the farm! Josh and Christine are joining us early this season, because they are getting ready to open a new restaurant in Chicago, come get a sneak peak of foods from their new venture, “Honey Butter Fried Chicken” $70
June 1
Champaign, Il - Prairie Fruit Farms - Virant’s Can Can - 4pm What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than with some fantastic preserves and incredible food! All of this will be brought to you by Paul Virant! A seasoned veteran in the wide world of preserving, pickling, and canning, Paul follows his Perennial Virant philosophy to a tee – “eat what you can – can what you can’t.” $107
June 8
Chicago/Fairbury - Slagel Family Farm Tour & Dinner Event with The Publican! 2:30pm The dinner will be prepared and served by Guest Chef Brian Huston of The Publican. Please BYOB, lemonade and water will be provided. Bus transportation from Chicago will be provided, when purchasing your ticket please select if you would like that option. The Bus will pick everyone up at 837 W Fulton Market Chicago, IL 60607 at 12:00 noon on June 8th. Children are welcome as long as they have parent supervision. $125June 13
Chicago – Eli’s Cheesecake & Wright College Farmer’s Market Grand Opening Fresh fruits and vegetables from Nichol’s Farm and the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences, hand crafts,flowers & more Continental Breakfast Lunch on the grill will be offered each Thursdaybased on what’s in season!
June 15
Chicago – Mash Tun Festival - The festival is a celebration of the release of Mash Tun: A Craft Beer Journal issue #3. The Mash Tun is a publication put out by your buddies at Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar and The Public Media Institute, a non profit arts and culture organization based in Bridgeport.
FD!! Champaign, IL - Prairie Fruit Farms City Pub in the Country 4pm Bar Pastoral is a new cheese and wine bistro adjacent to the original Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread, and Wine Shop in Chicago. Chef Chrissy will be showcasing her love of cheese, charcuterie, pickles, and other local ingredients. $107
June 29
Champaign, Il – - Prairie Fruit Farms Summer Vegetarian 4pm Thad Morrow, chef/owner of Bacaro, Champaign is back for another season. He will be making the trek from Bacaro, in downtown Champaign, across town and out into the country! His SUV will be packed with lots of early summer vegetables. $107
My family and I have been eating local for over eight years. What that means to us is that we aim to get as much of our food from an area close to Chicago. We do not restrict ourselves, surely enjoying things from seasonal citrus to necessary coffee, but if it grows here, we only get it from here. Likewise, we make a strong effort to favor local products. Milk, cheese, beer, eggs, chicken all come from local sources. Nearly all our beef, pork and lamb also comes from local farms. Even most of our tofu, on our vegan stint, is local. We also have a rule that says, it’s local where you buy it. So, for instance, when we made pies from the coconuts we foraged in Florida, we were still eating local.
It means that we are always on the look out for good and interesting local foods when we travel. Did I know Plum Market?
As a family that travels for its stomach, Ann Arbor Michigan has been a place we love to visit. It’s not just the tour d’Zingerman (visit 4 Zingerman operations in one day, get a t-shirt). There is the outstanding smoked fish at Tracklements. And as we learned one visit, Plum Market.
I am invariant collector of free publications when on the road. They have served me exceedingly well.* It was in some Ann Arbor newspaper that I found the ad for Plum. In that ad, I learned of their commitment to local food. We went and stocked up on an array of Michigan products, including fruit, pickles and jams. (Remember, it was all local because of where we got it.) We said to ourselves, we’d love a store like this by us. Who knew, a few years later, I’d get an email saying, Plum’s coming to Chicago and would like to advertise on the Local Beet. Yes, I knew them, I said.
You will too. Plum intends to open in Chicago on on Thursday, June 13, with daily hours from 8:00am to 10:00pm. The store is at 1233 N. Wells St. at Division and Wells in Old Town. Guests will have access to free parking. They will be working hard to carry as much local products as possible. See how they’re doing and tell them you saw their ad on the Local Beet.
*These free publications have been useful for things besides finding good food. Once in Los Angeles, I picked up a Jewish newspaper. In there, I found an ad where Universal Studio invited their Hebrew friends to visit the theme park during the Christmas holiday for 1/2 off. An offer we gladly took.
Photo courtesy of Downtown Market
The possibilities of eating local in West Michigan will get about 130,000 square feet better. Grand Rapids, about three hours from Chicago and a frequent stop on local brewery and food explorations in Michigan, is building an indoor/outdoor, year-round, seven-days-a-week market. Opening this summer, Downtown Market will emphasize local foods with an outdoor farmer’s market that will operate three days a week, and an indoor, year-round marketplace that will feature local food retailers, a commercial kitchen that will be an incubator for local food businesses, a rooftop greenhouse garden, a bakery, brewery, sit-down restaurant, and a hands-on teaching kitchen for kids. With a few exceptions for specialty products, the market will offer Michigan food.
When it’s finished, it will be the first LEED-certified market in the country. Even though it’s natural to compare this market to other year-round markets in the country, Mimi Fritz, the President/CEO of Downtown Market, said that it will be unlike any other market:
“You will find markets around the country that have some/various aspects of what we have, but none of them have it all in one place. North Market in Columbus is probably closest to ours in [terms of the number] of indoor vendors, however, their outdoor market is only one day a week and ours is three. They have a demo/banquet room, but do not have a greenhouse, kid’s kitchen, incubator kitchen, restaurants, brewery, commercial office space, and are not LEED certified.”
Even though Grand Rapids already has a farmer’s market, the Fulton Street Market, Fritz said that Downtown Market will be “chock full of fresh local foods”, and will not have any arts and crafts products (which are currently allowed at the Fulton Street Market). Further demonstrating its commitment to local foods, Downtown Market’s Food and Farmers Advisory Committee includes farmers such as Casey Visser of Visser Farms, Karey Robinette of Robinette’s Orchards and Charles Ham of Ham Family Farm, among many others.
Photo courtesy of Downtown Market
The idea of the market took on reality in early 2009, when Grand Action, a privately-funded nonprofit that developed other major projects in Grand Rapids, commissioned a feasibility study by Market Ventures, Inc., a Portland, Maine-based urban planning and economic development firm that focuses on food-based projects. It concluded that Michigan’s abundant farm production, consumer demand and community could support a year-round market. By showcasing the farms and dairies that operate just outside the perimeter of the city, Grand Rapids hopes to capitalize on its unique food system that has enjoyed a steady tradition of growing and producing local foods. Even though Downtown Market is focusing on small-scale, micro-local producers, even mid-scale food producers in the area show some resistance to the infectious trend that has national companies scratching out regional brands through bankruptcy and buyouts. (For example, greater Grand Rapids is home to Hudsonville Ice Cream, a nearby mid-scale local ice cream producer that has been making ice cream since 1926, and The Koeze Company, which has been making Cream-Nut-brand peanut butter in Grand Rapids for over 80 years using vintage machinery.)
These grand plans were enough to grab the attention of the New York Times, which dedicated a lengthy feature on it last year, and wrote that the development of Downtown Market is a sign of West Michigan’s economic vitality, foothold in the local food movement, and arrival as a cultural destination.
Retailers are still signing on; most notably, Shelby Kilmer, the former, longtime baker at artisanal powerhouse Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, will open a bakery, Field & Fire. Other shops joining the market are Simpatico Coffee, a fair-trade and sustainable coffee roaster based in nearby Holland, Love’s, a hand-crafted, boutique ice cream-maker, Aperitivo, a wine and cheese bar, Old World Olive Press, an olive oil purveyor, and a gourmet kettle corn shop. Fritz said that they are close to announcing the name of the brewery, and says that it’s an established brewery with a “new concept in brewing.” Aperitivo, which will operate a retail cheese shop as well as a wine bar, is working with local creameries such as Dancing Goat Creamery in Byron Center, Evergreen Lane in Fennville, and Zingerman’s from Ann Arbor.
By working with businesses that offer locally-produced and grown products, Fritz believes that the market is more sustainable by reducing the transportation needs for food (and thereby reducing their carbon footprint). Also, all vendors are required to participate in the Market’s recycling program, which includes composting and feeding food waste to animals.
The farmer’s market will open May 4, and operate from 8 am to 1 pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and 4 to 7 pm on Thursdays.
Photo courtesy of Downtown Market
Tim Burton may be known for maple (if you don’t know him for maple, you should), as the owner of Burton’s Maplewood Farm in Medora, Indiana. But come early spring, he’s a ramp tycoon, as his farm sits conveniently on a gold mine of ramps, everybody’s favorite wild onion.
The whole gang picking ramps.
Four years ago, Burton had no idea what a ramp was. The fact that he was surrounded by ramps every spring was unbeknownst to him. That’s sort of like having the key to the U.S. Mint and never using it. So one year he received an email from Mark Psilos from Green City Market, inquiring if he knew of a source for ramps. Since Burton presumed Psilos wasn’t looking for inclined platforms, he researched what a ramp was, and realized that he had been surrounded by ramps all along. For the past three years, he has picked ramps every time they sprout in early spring and brought them to chefs in Chicago, who are always as ravenous for ramps as kids were for Beanie Babies back in the day.
This year, Burton picked hundreds of pounds of ramps with the help of his high school-age nieces and nephews and their friends. They picked ramps down in hollers by the farm, hollers being Indiana lingo for small valley. Ramps grow along streams and hillsides, so Burton and his clan spent hours in the woods picking ramps, stuffing them into bags, and loading them into a truck.
Loaded in the truck and ready to roll.
The thing that chefs like the most about ramps is that they’re the first official sign of spring (screw that groundhog). Their blink-and-you’ll-miss-it growing season also adds to their coveted status. This year, Burton drove up early April 15 and parked out front of Publican Quality Meats so that chefs could come by and pick up ramps. He also made deliveries later that day, and wound up selling to more than 20 chefs, including Rick Bayless, Carrie Nahabedian, Kevin Hickey, Art Smith, Paul Fehribach, Mindy Segal, Mark Steuer, Jason Vincent, Stephanie Izard, Paul Virant, Bruce Sherman, and of course the whole Paul Kahan gamut. Burton gets a thrill delivering ramps to Chicago chefs because he gets to see the many different uses for ramps. At Allium, Hickey is working wonders with ramps, frying the ramps for a risotto and using the roots as garnish. Virant has also been tempura-frying ramp leaves. At Carriage House, Steuer is outfitting redfish grits with ramp pistou and a ragout of spring garlic, fava beans, and guanciale. Big Jones’ Fehribach sautées ramp tops with morel mushrooms and Sea Island benne in bacon fat as part of a vegetable dish.
Last year, Burton rewarded his high school helpers with a special surf & turf dinner on the farm the weekend after picking. This year, he’s planning to bring the group to Chicago for a couple days once Green City Market opens to show them the market and the city. Needless to say, I’ve already signed myself up to pick next year.
Rhubarb-rose petal preserves were one of the prettiest things I made last year.
Spring is finally here and with the arrival of spring fruits and vegetables like strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, ramps, and fava beans, I have a lot of cooking and preserving projects on the horizon. Strawberry rhubarb jam, pickled asparagus and a freezable fava bean sauce are some of my first preserving projects of the season. Spring is fleeting, but my family can savor the taste of it all year long.
Home food preservation seems to be on a lot of people’s minds right now. I have been getting a lot of requests for canning lessons lately and I am excited to be teaching a canning demonstration class at the River Forest Whole Foods on Saturday April 20 at 1 pm as part of the store’s Earth Week celebration. (The demo is free but call ahead to reserve your spot: 708-366-1045.) People often ask me why I enjoy canning so much and what the benefits of home food preservation are. My students get to hear my whole explanation in person, but I thought I should share it with my readers as well.
So, here it is. My thoughts on why it is worthwhile to preserve food at home:
Thinking of giving canning a try? If you are local to Chicago, feel free to contact me about a lesson or attend one of my demonstrations. If you live elsewhere, don’t worry. Look into canning class in your area — Google is your friend here. There are also many canning blogs and cookbooks devoted to helping a beginner get started. Ones I like include:
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Kingry and Devine
Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving
Well-Preserved by Eugenia Bone
The Joy of Jams, Jellies and other Sweet Preserves by Linda Ziedrich
Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan and her blog of the same name.
Granted it’s only been a few weeks since our last CSA* (Community Supported Agriculture) box came, but I’m very excited for a new season of Local Family CSA-ship. Many Chicago area CSAs have begun a-rollin’ out their boxes in April. If you have not chosen your 2013 CSA, now is the time to do it. A CSA subscription makes it easier to eat local. I’ve listed many reasons below, and the quicker you sign up, the quicker you’ll have your local food. To help you pick your CSA, Wendy’s looked at your options for the year. Any other questions, feel free to ask.
Myself, the Condiment Queen and the two kids have been a Local Family for about eight years. We’ve done it with and without CSA subscriptions, so I know you do not need a CSA box to eat local. I do believe having that box makes it easier to eat local, and anything that makes it easier to eat local is a good thing. I’ve come up with five reasons why you should get a CSA.
Has your CSA box shown up yet? What have you got? If you do not have a CSA subscription for 2013, what are you waiting for?
*My wife works for Tomato Mountain, which provides our CSA subscription.
The arrival of ramps is in the air. We are not quite there yet though. This year we have had a somewhat cold Spring so far which many of the farmers at the markets have said, has delayed the Spring harvest. So expect green garlic, green onions, ramps to be a couple of weeks later this year. I did find some beautiful sage grown in a hoop house at the Majestic Nursery table. There still are winter greens available as well as root vegetables that store well. For the 411 on exactly WHAT IS IN SEASON, Chief Beet Rob Gardner goes into great detail here.
Every Saturday at 10:30 the Green City Market has a chef demonstration which includes free tastings. This Saturday Chef Janet Kirker of Foodease was the guest chef. Foodease sources from Nichols Farms and many of the other farmers at Green City. Finally, our friend Dave Nells of Sharpening By Dave is at the Green City Market and other locations throughout Chicagoland. His schedule is here. If you want to eat local, you need to have sharp knives to prepare all the produce!! Let Dave know that you read about him in the Local Beet and you will get one dollar off each knife sharpened!!!
Farm dinners are starting earlier this year. We have listed dinners we are aware of so far, with some of the leading sustainable farmers in the area, Mint Creek Farm, Prairie Fruit Farms and Slagel Family Farms. The dinners book up pretty quickly so time to get a-scheduling! There are other “road trip” (RT) opportunities ahead, morel season is soon, ramps will start appearing at the markets, spring is here!!!
Farm Dinners 2013
Mint Creek Farm - Stelle, IL 4/21, 5/11 All meet-up at The Greenouse Bed & Breakfast just down the road from Mint Creek. Dinners are BYOB and include a farm tour. Mint Creek is known for their sheep but ask Farmer & Poet Harry Carr to recite one of his poems or bring a poem of your own to share!!
Outstanding In The Field - National farm dinner tour, has set the bar for farm dinners with their connected tables of white table cloths and stemware. Here are their Midwest dates, go to the links for reservations. 8/4 (Shooting Star Farms, Chef Tory Miller, Mineral Point, WI), 8/5(Pinehold Gardens, Chef Dan Van Rite, Oakcreek, WI), 8/7(City Farm Chicago, Chef Jared Wentworth), 8/8(Mick Klug,Chef Brian Huston, St. Josephs, MI), 8/10(Seedling Farm, Chef Stephanie Izard, South Haven, MI)
Prairie Fruit Farms -Champaign, IL 5/18, 5/25, 6/1, 6/15, 6/29, 7/13, 7/27, 8/10, 8/24, 9/7, 9/21, 10/26 The Prairie Fruit site describes the chef, theme and menu. Here is brief description of what to expect. Reservations can be made on the Showclix site, only 40 seats available per dinner and only 4 tickets can be purchased per person, the price incudes tax, tip not included BYOB. Prairie Fruit is known for their goats and cheeses but they ,also, make some killer gelato!
Slagel Family Farms - 5/18, 6/8, 7/20, 8/10, 9/14 The Slagel Family has teamed up with some well known Chicago chefs who have supported farm to table food for a long time. For each of these dinners, transportation is included in the price from Chicago to the farm, and its BYOB. Slagel pork among their other meats has been a sought after menu item at some of the top restaurants in Chicago and Farmer Louis John Slagel has been a leader in sustainable farming.
We try to keep up on events but miss some, some sites to check out for further detail on sustainable food/urban ag are the Illinois Stewardship Alliance out of Springfield and the Advocates for Urban Agriculture here in Chicago as well as WeFarmAmerica which has tons of weekly events. The Peterson Garden Project has lots of information and workshops for the urban gardner, Matt Kirouac described their Victory Garden they showcased at The Chicago Flower and Garden Show. Now on to the very busy week ahead.
WHERE TO FIND LOCAL FOODS
These stores specialize in local foods:
Artisanal Wilmette – 414 Linden Ave. Wilmette
Butcher and Larder 1026 North Milwaukee in Noble Square, Chicago
Dill Pickle Food Co-op – 3039 West Fullerton, Chicago
Edible Alchemy Foods Co-op - Located in the near-SW Pilsen neighborhood, the co-op has grown to five locations in, including Hyde Park, River North, Lakeview, and Logan Square
Green Grocer 1402 West Grand Ave in West Town Check out their produce share January 9th through May 4th. You can still subscribe even though the share has started already.
Marion Street Cheese Market 100 South Marion St. Oak Park
Provenance Food & Wine - 2 locations Logan Square 2528 N. California Lincoln Square 2312 W. Leland Ave.
Publican Quality Meats – 835 W. Fulton, Chicago
Sauce and Bread Kitchen - 6338-40 N. Clark, Chicago
Standard Market – 333 East Ogden Ave., Westmont Be sure to say hi to Rockstar Butcher Joe Parajecki!!!
THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR AND BEYOND IN LOCAL FOOD:
April 10
Andersonville - C & D Family Farms delivers 4-7pm Ashland at Berywn
Chicago - Soup and Bread at The Hideout - 1354 W. Wabansia 5:30pm -8pm We are counting down the remaining weeks of Soup & Bread, as spring is finally upon us. This week’s theme is “Spring Forward”— Bread donated, as ever, by Publican Quality Meats.
Chicago - Pig Butchering Demo Butcher and Larder 5pm 1026 North Milwaukee
Chicago – Wine Wednesdays at Province – Seasonal farm to table 5 course tasting menu with pairings $49 159 North Jefferson A Gold level LEED certified restaurant with 3 stars from the Green Restaurant Association.
April 11
Chicago – Uptown Market Uptown Farmers’ Market is year round. Every Thursday from 7-1 inside Weiss Memorial Hospital or in the parking lot during the warmer months. 4646 N Marine Drive This is an appropriate day to stock up on Spark of the Heart Soups
Hyde Park - C & D Family Farm delivers 7-11am Harold Washington Park
Lincoln Square – C & D Family Farm delivers 4-7pm Lincoln & Leland
April 13
Chicago – Gastro Conference – 11am – 5pm Ida Noyes Hall 1212 E. 59th St. EnvisionDo will be hosting chefs, restaurateurs, nonprofit directors, researchers, and entrepreneurs to talk about what it means to start a business in the food industry, how some of the most celebrated restaurants in Chicago create unforgettable experiences, and what can be done about problems of food and poverty in Chicago. The cost of the event is $10 for U of C affiliates (faculty & alumni) and non-University of Chicago students and $20 for the general public. Put your name on the list at https://docs.google.com/
Please purchase your ticket at http://
Chicago – Green City Market at The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum 8:30- 1pm 2430 North Cannon Drive The market runs indoors through April 27th Bring your children to Club Sprouts at 9:30 – 10:15am. Chef Charlie McKenna of Lillie’s Q.
Chicago – 61st Market sponsored by Experimental Station – 6100 North Blackstone 9am – 2pm Connie Spreen of the market sends out a great weekly letter with some inspirational thoughts and excellent info as to what will be available. Go here to sign up for it.
Elgin - Winter Market at Habitat for Humanity ReStore Elgin - 800 North State St. 9am – 3pm (thru May) Their mantra is “Keepin It Local1″ As such, their intention has always been to supply the local community with local products and crafts.
Evanston – Winter Evanston Farmer and Artisan Market at the Ecology Center 9-1pm 2024 McCormick Blvd. The market will be at this location for the next 5 months, today and every Saturday through April 27, 2013. Spark of the Heart Soups and C & D Family Farms will be there
La Fox – Heritage Prairie Saturday Farmer’s Market 9am – 1pm 2N308 Brundige Road
Oak Park – Beef, Pork and Eggs Wettstein Organic Farm delivery Buzz Cafe 12:00 – 3:00. 905 West Lombard They are bringing up Beef and Pork and Eggs. It will be next month at the market for the Chicken and Lamb.
April 14
Chicago - Bread Class at Floriole - 3pm 1220 West Webster Complimentary glass of wine and pizza dinner, $75
Rogers Park - Glenwood Sunday Market – Glenwood Bar 9am – 2pm 6962 N. Glenwood
April 16
Chicago - Re-Thinking Soup Jane Addams Hull House UIC 12pm – 1pm Chef Keizo Shimamoto will be joining us via video conference. Ramen will be served Tsukemen style Screening the documentary “Ramen Dreams” starring Chef Keizo Shimamoto
SAVE THE DATE
April 17
Chicago - ”We Can Change The Food System” Hosted by Food Tank 5:30pm – 7:30pm Piazza Bella restaurant 2116 W Roscoe St.(About a 10 minute walk from the Brown Line Paulina Station) A very special evening bringing together the Chicago food movement hosted by Food Tank: The Food Think Tank
April 18
New!! Chicago - Heirloom 2.0 Canning For Newbies With The Scrumptious Pantry – 6:30pm – 8:30pm Local Goods Chicago 5354 West Devon Ave. $20
April 20
Chicago - BACONFEST - UIC Forum It is Sold Out but there are creative ways to win tickets here...
Chicago - Pinot Days Navy Pier 2-5pm
Chicago - Red Meat Market Spring Lamb Butcher Class - With Ben Harrison Master Butcher Whole Foods Lincoln Park and a cooking class with Ryan Hutmacher of Centered Chef Studios. 10am – 1pm 177 North Ada Learn, eat and take some some good meat! $150
Chicago - SEE FOOD: // graze issue three release party 8pm Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art 756 N. Milwaukee Hop on board with Graze as we celebrate the release of issue 3 Your ten dollar ticket gets you: // one free copy of issue three // the music and tapping of Sidewalk Chalk (!)
April 21
Chicago - Calling all kids!!! Earth Day at Sandwich Me In - 11am – 7pm 3037 North Clark(near Halsted) All day event with snacks and guests, sustainable farmers, learn how to make bread, music, arts and crafts.
Stelle - Mint Creek Farm Sunday Brunch & Farm Tour 11am Meet-up at The Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast 3606 N 1700 E Rd. $50 For more information contact Julie at Jlarsen@mintcreekfarm.com There will be plenty of time to visit all the animals living on the 200+ acre farm including cows, chickens, pigs, sheep and goats. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather. See the 3 minute short film on Farmer Harry Carr by Storybuzzmedia here.
April 22
EARTH DAY! Food Day is only 5 months away! Like the Food Day Chicago 2013 Facebook page here. Every day can be Good Food Day!!
Chicago – Monthly Dinner at Floriole Bakery and Cafe - 7pm 1220 West Webster 3 Course Farm to Table menu this month includes rabbit. $49
April 23
Chicago - Great Lakes Sustainable and Invasive Species Dinner Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop 2070 N. Clybourn 7:30pm – 9pm $65 Celebrate the Great Lakes distinctive seafood bounty including the controversial Asian Carp. Sponsored by Lake Michigan League of Women Voters For further information and reservations email LWVFood@gmail.com
April 25
Evanston - ”Can Meat be Truly Sustainable?“ NU Sustainable Food Talks 6:00PM – 8:00PM Technological Institute, Room LR4 Northwestern University
April 26
Chicago - Whiskyfest It sold out pretty darn quickly last year!! Better get your tickets now!
April 27
Chicago - Third Annual Pastoral Artisan Producer Festival Chicago French Market Go to the link for tickets, although it is free, there still is a maximum capacity and I think this year they will reach it!!! Meet+eat+shop w/ 90+ culinary producers. GO here for the full press release. It is bigger, butchering demonstrations with Rob Levitt of the Butcher and Larder and Brady Lowe of Cochon 555, artisanal beverages and more!!
Chicago – Recipe for Success Starting & Growing A Food Business in Chicago – Held by the University of Chicago Law School Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship This is free, runs from 9:30am to 3:30pm and you can make reservations here…
Evanston – TreeKeepers Earth Day events
April 28
Chicago - Michael Pollan lecture at Elmhurst College “Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation”
Chicago - Cochon 555 Four Seasons Hotel
April 30
Chicago – The Stew Supper Club presents a Foraged Feast with Pete Kelly. 7pm - Sauce and Bread Kitchen 6338 N. Clark Pete is a Midwest charcuterie pioneer and foraging expert who works with the Underground Food Collective and Promega. $45
May 4
**** Chicago – Opening Day of the Green City Market in it’s outdoor location – Lincoln Park 7am – 1pm
Chicago - Bull Breakdown Class & Tasting 10am – 1pm Red Meat Market 10am – 1pm Cut, Cook & Carry Toro, Toro, Toro hosted by Centered Chef Studios.
May 7
Chicago - 11th Annual Growing Home Benefit 6pm Salvage One 1840 West Hubbard Chef Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno and Food For Thought Order tickets online here...
May 11
FD!! Stelle- Mother’s Day Eve and Farm Tour - Mint Creek Farm BYOB $60 3pm Meet-up at The Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast 3606 N. 1700 E. Rd. For more information contact Julie at Jlarsen@mintcreekfarm.com
May 16-26
Chicago – 1o day celebration Chicago Craft Beer Week
May 16
Chicago – Opening Day of the Daley Center Farmers Market – Market will run May 16th through October 31.
Chicago – A Chef’s Playground - Terzo Piano – At the Art Institute A fundraiser for the Academy for Global Citizenship 6-9pm Purchase tickets here $225
May 17
Chicago - Half Acre Brewery Anniversary Party - Hee hee!! Stay tuned!
May 18
Champaign - Celebrate Spring! The start of Farm Dinner season at Prairie Fruit Farms in Champaign. 4pm 4410 North Lincoln Ave. This is their first dinner of the 2013 season. As has become our tradition, expect an explosion of spring flavors such as Caveny Farm Katadin lamb, ramps (wild leeks), spring greens, sweet turnips, asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries. Purchase tickets here. (FYI, they make some killer gelato!!)
Fairbury - Slagel Family Farm First Farm Dinner of the Season! Transportation included from Chicago to the farm and back. $125 BYOB The dinner will be prepared and served by Guest Chef Nicole Pederson of Found Kitchen and Guest Chef John Asbaty of Panozzo’s. Please BYOB, lemonade and water will be provided and of course includes a tour of the farm, butchering class on sustainable meat practices and lots of food!!
***** Oak Park – Opening Day of the Oak Park Farmers Market – The market will run every Saturday through 10/26/13 7am – 1pm Pilgrim Church, right next door to where the market is held, offers fresh warm donuts, juice and coffee, with live bluegrass music nearby. The Oak Park Farmers’ Market is located at 460 Lake St., just one block west of Ridgeland Avenue.
June 13
Chicago – Eli’s Cheesecake & Wright College Farmer’s Market Grand Opening Fresh fruits and vegetables from Nichol’s Farm and the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences, hand crafts,flowers & moreContinental Breakfast Lunch on the grill will be offered each Thursdaybased on what’s in season!
