The mission: To find good wine produced from Midwestern grapes in Chicagoland liquor stores.
The strategy: I randomly sourced bottles of local wine (at multiple price levels) from the shelves of Chicagoland stores. Then, I tasted this wine in a group that included local wine expert, Drew Goss of West Town Tavern, a restaurant in Chicago known for its contemporary comfort food and global wine list. He helped me narrow down which of these bottles are worthy of drinking alongside wine from other wine-producing regions. Here’s our report.
Sourcing the wines
I was in charge of sourcing the wine, the process of which was both encouraging and disheartening. On the upside, the Sam’s-turned-Binny’s on Marcey Street in Chicago maintains the former Sam’s “Midwest” wine section. On the down side, many promising bottles were sold out when I visited, and the selection was heavy on red wines (some made from grapes that are not ideal for growing in the Midwest’s mild climate). Trying to keep an open mind about these red wines, I selected three bottles from the Marcey Street Binny’s for the tasting (two reds and one sparkling rosé).
The search for local wine was temporarily derailed at the South Loop Binny’s. The person in the wine department believed that only wines made from fruit such as pears and plums, and sweeter, semi-dry reds, were produced in the Midwest (which is not true). Of course, perusing Binny’s South Loop store’s meager selection, that would be the impression you’d get. I walked out with nothing.
More on the upside, Lush, in West Town, Fine Wine Brokers, in Lincoln Square, and Pastoral, in the French Market, all carried a limited selection of local wines, and the people I talked to at those stores were knowledgeable about these wines. As smaller wine shops, I found that their selection was better vetted, and included lesser-known producers from the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas in Michigan, a burgeoning wine region. I selected a white and red from Lush, and a sparkling wine and dessert wine from Fine Wine Brokers for the tasting. (The selections at Pastoral were duplicative of bottles I selected from other wine shops.)
Not surprisingly, intrepid locavore Cassie Green of Green Grocer had four bottles of local wine in her store’s small, but well-curated, selection of wines—three of which were part of our tasting (a sparkling wine, a white and a red).
In the end, I purchased more bottles of red wine than white—the result of there being many more reds available off the shelf than white. Some of the selected wines included hybrid grapes, such as seyval blanc and vignoles, which are generally appropriate for a milder Midwest climate because they are cold-hardy and ripen earlier in the season.
The tasting
Overall, we were pleased with how well many of these bottles drank. There were two wines from Southwest Michigan that we thought going in might not drink well (the sparkling rosé and a table red), and unfortunately, they met our low expectations. The Illinois red wines we tried were fine and drinkable, though not particularly noteworthy, and rated in the middle of the pack. The winners are described below (in no particular order).
1. L. Mawby Blanc de Blanc NV, sparkling wine, Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan (Chiefly chardonnay, some pinot noir and a “little bit” of vignoles. According to L. Mawby, the blend varies from year-to-year so that the wine tastes the same.) This was the only wine of the group I had tried before, but Drew had never tasted it.
Drew: Fine bubbles. Fat, glycerin sliding down the side of the glass. Minty and herbal tasting. Tastes mostly of chardonnay. Watching the fine bubbles flicker in the glass as you pour the wine, it is apparent that the L. Mawby sparkling wines are well-made. L. Mawby uses the more complex (and more expensive) méthode champenoise in making their sparkling wine, the same method used by the French to make champagne. The group concluded that the clean juiciness of the wine would make it a good choice to serve in place of cava. It would be a great sparkler to serve at the beginning of a dinner party while you’re eating hors d’oeuvres, such as cheese or flatbread. (Green Grocer, $18.99/750 ml; Whole Foods, $17.99/750 ml. Also available at Pastoral and Fine Wine Brokers.)
2. L. Mawby Blanc de Noir NV, sparkling wine, Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan (100% pinot noir; hand picked and whole cluster pressed, fermented in stainless steel tanks and blended with reserve wines before being fermented again and bottled.)
Drew: Biscuit-colored. Same bead as the Blanc de Blanc, but more toast. It’s fatter and richer. Some notes of cherry pit and amaretto. Wouldn’t have guessed it was from Michigan, more like a California sparkling wine, although not quite; tastes different. The group thought that this was the clear winner that night. The Blanc de Noir is like L. Mawby’s Blanc de Blanc, but dressed to the nines for the red carpet at the Oscars. Lush, heavy and bubbly, this is a sparkling wine that you would serve with food. Notes of terroir peeked through as we couldn’t quite align the characteristics of this wine with any other wine-producing region. (Fine Wine Brokers $11.95/half-bottle. Also available at Pastoral.)
3. Black Star Farms 2006 Arcturos Pinot Noir [red], Suttons Bay, Michigan (64% Grand Traverse county grapes and 36% Leelanau county grapes. Aged in a mix of American and French Oak.) The only red we tasted that made the cut.
Drew: This is a cool wine. Ruby-colored. Floral smell with dill notes that dissipated over time. Light, but good flavor. Fruity, not overly fruity, though; well-balanced with the oak. Enticing, makes you want to have another sip. The group thought that the nose was really expressive, and may be off-putting at first, but as the wine opened up, it mellowed and sweetened. (We probably should have opened the wine a little longer before drinking it.) Even though it was lighter in color than most pinot noirs, the wine certainly expressed the pinot noir grape in taste and smell. It was more similar to a Washington or Oregon pinot noir than a California one, although not quite – again, like the Mawby Blanc de Noir, this wine was showing its Midwest origins. I recently tasted this wine separately with a group of wine bloggers, sommeliers and the winemaker from Black Star Farms, and it was discussed that the lighter color extraction of the wine could be the result of the shorter ripening season in upper Michigan. The most expensive wine of the night, but that is to be expected with pinot noir. It was a proud representation of Midwestern pinot noir. (Green Grocer, $22.99/750 ml; Whole Foods, $25.99/750 ml. Also available at Binny’s.)
4. Good Harbor Fishtown White NV, Lake Leelanau, Michigan (75% chardonnay, 13% vignoles, 12% seyval blanc. Aged in 35% French oak and 65% stainless steel.)
Drew: Round, cream, cherry notes. Tastes a little like cherry cream soda, lots of vanilla. It’s got the viscous body of oak, but no oak taste. It’s like a rosé in taste and color. Here, the hybrids really make their appearance. The group thought this would be a fun summer wine to drink on a deck and wondered, if you poured it in black wine glasses (that would mask the wine), would people think they were drinking a rosé? It probably would go well with cheese and charcuterie. The cherry notes evoke the Midwest –the Leelanau peninsula, where the winery is located, is home to numerous cherry orchards. (Lush, $10.00/750 ml. Other Good Harbor wine available at Pastoral.)
5. August Hill Winery 2008 Seyval Blanc [white], Illinois River Valley (100% seyval blanc)
Drew: Smells like citrus. Fruity. Nose isn’t particularly pleasant, but improves greatly when enjoyed with food, which brings out its citrus-y notes. Made with 100% hybrid grape. This was the wine we ate with a light dinner. Would pair well with lighter fare such as chicken, fish and Mediterranean flavors that would bring out some of the citrus notes. An example of how wine should be consumed with food. (Green Grocer, $13.99/750 ml.)
One thing this tasting proved is that trying good local wine can be as easy as going to your nearby wine shop. If you’d like to try local wine without having to order it directly from a winery, I urge you to try one of these bottles. Keep your eyes peeled: Local wine can be sneaky — often, it’s camouflaged on the shelf alongside wine from other parts of the world. Have you found good locally-produced wine in Chicagoland stores that you’d like to tell us about?
* * *
Author’s Note: Black Star Farms recently participated in a tasting reported earlier on The Local Beet, and their 2007 Arcturos Pinot Noir, as well as the 2008 Arcturos Dry Riesling, performed well in that tasting. These wines can be found at Green Grocer, Whole Foods, and Binny’s. Another August Hill wine that Drew and I tasted, a Muscat dessert wine, earned “honorable mention” marks from us. Later, I noticed that this same wine was available on the wine list at LM Le Restaurant in Lincoln Square. It can normally be purchased at Fine Wine Brokers (for about $10.95 a bottle), but the distributor is currently out of this wine. Fine Wine Brokers plans to re-stock this wonderful dessert wine as soon as the distributor has a new supply.
Places mentioned in the article:
West Town Tavern
1329 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 666-6175
Fine Wine Brokers
4621 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625-2007
(773) 989-8166
Green Grocer
1402 West Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642-6303
(312) 624-9508
Lush
1412 West Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 666-6900
Pastoral @ Chicago French Market
131 N. Clinton
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 454-2200
(Other locations throughout Chicago)
LM Le Restaurant
4539 N. Lincoln
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 942-7585
Binny’s Beverage Depot
1720 N. Marcey Street
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 664-3359
(Other locations throughout Chicagoland)
Whole Foods Market
1550 N. Kingsbury
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 587-0648
(Other locations throughout Chicagoland)
I have to admit it. My interest in backyard food production is a bit extreme for a city-dweller. It arose 18 years ago when I landed my first apartment with a balcony in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina and the interest has faithfully followed me ever since. The seeds of this obsession were sown by my parents, ardent gardeners themselves, but my mother is quick to point out that the seedlings may have mutated a bit along the way. Back in Mt. Pleasant I was known as “The Plant Lady” by some of my fellow apartment residents. Having grown up in the country, I was not aware that it was atypical to fill one’s entire balcony with edible vegetation.
Later, when I morphed into being “The Chicken Lady,” I was more aware that what I was doing was a bit different. Since we live just nine miles west of Chicago’s Loop, Daisy and Buttercup, my first little peeps, were unusual additions to the neighborhood. As a result, I was neither surprised nor offended when my neighbors, who were trying to sell their house, hinted in the nicest way that they would appreciate it if I would keep the girls in their coop during showings.
That was five years ago. These days, I’m not feeling so different. In fact, these days I’m feeling positively hip. Urban chickens have become quite the rage. Newspaper articles, books and blogs abound. I don’t know how long this chicken bandwagon will be in town, but I’m glad I’m on board.
I was inspired to keep backyard chickens by gardening experts who praised the humble chicken poop. Chicken manure has a high nitrogen content and a relatively speedy decomposition rate. I wanted some. While roosters poop, they also crow… a quick route to annoying one’s neighbors. So, hens it was. Eggs were an added bonus. I’ll stick this in here now because people always ask – yes, hens can lay eggs without a rooster. The eggs will not be fertile however.
My town, Oak Park, Illinois, maintains a two-fowl-per-household policy. This makes obtaining chickens a bit tricky. Two chicks cannot be mail-ordered from a hatchery. Little chickies need a mass of other little chickies to stay warm, and most hatcheries require a minimum order of 24. Therefore, urban folks need to find a local source. I’m certain a drive into the country would have worked, but I really did not want to use the gas.
In the end, I found The Feed Store in Summit, Illinois. Thirty minutes from my house – perfect. The only downside was that I was not able to select an heirloom breed as I had hoped. Instead, I took the two-day-old layer chicks they had in stock. They were Isa Browns. Isa Browns are a hybrid sex-linked type. They are good layers and it’s easy to tell the boys from the girls. Girls have more brown in their fluff. The Feed Store also sells layer feed, pine shavings for bedding, oyster shells for extra calcium, and scratch, a mixture of corn and other seeds which is just for treats.
Driving home with a pair of two-day old chicks in a paper bag is a bit surreal. It’s also exciting and really scary. My kids, then seven and nine, were forbidden to touch the bag which I gently set in a shoe box on the sunny side of the car. Chicks need to be kept at 90 degrees F. for the first few weeks of their life. After that, the temperature should be lowered five degrees a week. In late March, my car was not providing that kind of heat and we were concerned. We raced home and placed our girls under the 100 watt bulb I had rigged up over a cardboard box inside the dog’s cage. The purpose of the cage had shifted overnight; it was now meant to keep the dog out. Although our 12 year old lab showed no signs of interest in the newest members of the family, I wasn’t going to take any chances.
The next few weeks went smoothly although I frequently consulted my new best friends at Backyardchickens.com. The wonderful folks who monitor that site hold the hand of many a new chicken keeper. They are knowledgeable and patient and available all hours of the night.
Watching the chicks became an obsession. I sat on the basement floor for hours. My husband would occasionally come down to check on me, a look of bewildered apprehension on his face. “What are you doing?” You’ve heard people say that kids grow up quickly? Believe me, it’s nothing in comparison to how quickly little fuzz balls turn into gangly pullets – overnight. I did not want to miss a moment. So I sat and stared. And sat and checked the thermometer. And sat and checked the thermometer again. Somehow we all survived, and after seven weeks the girls had enough feathers to move outside.
Chickens are not fussy about their homes. A coop needs to be dry, big enough to permit some personal space, and draft free. There are beautiful coops to be found on the web, but they have beautifully steep prices to go along with them. There are also simple coop plans that you can purchase. We found free plans in an old issue of Mother Earth News.
Building the coop was an intergenerational event. My parents came from Cleveland one week and my in-laws visited soon after from South Carolina. The men bonded over egg boxes and roost supports. My kids helped saw and paint. Bless my husband. None of this had been his idea but he worked away at that thing for several weeks. By the time we finished, what was supposed to be a portable chicken tractor required four manly men to lift. Fortunately, we know a few.
The coop, a two-storied, 7×4 foot A-frame, sits in a 14×12 foot run. It works just fine although the top floor is not as well insulated as I would like it to be. In the winter, I close the trap door that connects the two levels and stuff all the cracks with straw. I also double the depth of the bedding. When it gets really cold, the girls move into a the heated greenhouse we built off the garage (another male bonding experience). I am told by experts that chickens can survive Chicago winters, but I worry about them all the same. They do have names after all, and that clearly puts them in the pet category.
We are currently on our second batch of chickens. The second baby chick go-round was easier than the first. This time I was more confident. This time I was smarter. The chicks went into an old aquarium – transparent, draft-free, and waterproof. The girls lived in the family room where we could visit all day. I no longer had to sneak down to the basement to get my fluff ball fix. Brilliant! Of course, they quickly grew out of that small aquarium, so I moved them into an equally waterproof plastic tub and used an extra oven rack as a lid. The oven rack was another stroke of genius on my part. I could rest the metal light fixture right on the rack without fear of fire. It was also strong enough to deter the cat and the new puppy.
Having chickens is really not much work. Unlike a dog, they do not have to be house-trained. Unlike a cat, they do not cough up fur balls. And unlike both, they do not shed in the house or on your clothes. They eat leftovers, pump out high-quality compost, serve as ambulatory yard ornaments, provide breakfast, and perhaps best of all, they live outside. We have a picket fence that surrounds our backyard so most days they get an hour or two of free ranging. I would like to give them more free time, but chickens love to dig up seedlings and they poop indiscriminately. Since they have to share the yard with two teenagers and one crazed vegetable gardener, two hours is all they get. The rest of their time is spent scratching up bugs and slugs in their run.
I have been tickled to see the recent interest in urban chickens. Lately I have fielded several questions regarding my girls. Based on the popularity of backyardchickens.com, I knew I was not alone, but it has been wonderful to find locals engaged in my hobby. This spring, two friends purchased chicks. I smile when I picture the little chickies warming themselves under their 100-watt bulbs. Maybe I should arrange some play dates!
The statistics are staggering. I’m not much for numbers and yet I can even quote them by heart:
- 1/3 of American children are obese (2/3 of American adults)
- For the first time since the marvels of modern medicine, health experts are predicting that children will have a lower life span than their parents (2-5 years)
- 10 percent of America’s health care bills are obesity-related, whether it be treatment for diabetes, hypertension or joint injury and this doesn’t even include mental health related costs
- Illinois has the fourth highest rate of childhood obesity.
It’s bad.
To combat this national scourge, First Lady Michelle Obama recently announced her “Let’s Move” campaign with an ambitious goal of ending childhood obesity in a generation. While I agree with some commentators the initiatives dependence on industry cooperation seems too hopeful, I believe that the national attention brought about my this announcement moves the ball far down the field on this important issue.
In light of the recent unveiling of the White House program, I wanted to share some news of a local initiative intended to pool resources in this important battle.
On January 24, the non-profit that I founded, Purple Asparagus, with the help of a tireless committee,* spearheaded the first Growing Healthy Kids event at Logan Square Kitchen. The Sunday lunch meeting brought together approximately 30 organizations dedicated to educating children about nutrition, gardening, the environment, and, in general, how to lead a healthy lifestyle. It was an event that our board had long tossed around at our meetings. Ultimately, we wanted to provide groups working with Chicagoland kids around issues of food and wellness an opportunity to meet and learn more about one another so that we can find ways to collaborate. As we all know, the issues facing our city’s children are huge and daunting and no one organization can solve them alone.
Photo Credit, Grant Kessler
In attendance were representatives from the following groups:
Academy for Global Citizenship
Chartwells Thompson Hospitality
Chicago Botanic Garden
Common Threads
Food Atelier
Fooditude
Fresh Connections
Green Sugar Press
Good Food Project
Gourmet Gorilla
Green City Market
Growing Power
Healthy Schools Campaign
NURTURE
Organic Life
Seven Generations Ahead
Share Our Strength
Slow Food
The Kids’ Table
Urban Worm Girl
We Farm
Other groups, like CLOCC (The Consortium to Lower Childhood Obesity) and Openlands were unable to attend, but provided their contact information for upcoming events and programs of Growing Healthy Kids.
We were treated to a surprisingly delicious from Chartwells, CPS main food service company, who donating the winning lunch from Healthy Schools Campaign’s 2009 Cooking Up Change Event: Chicken Jambalaya and Tomato and Cucumber Salad. We also enjoyed fair trade, sustainably raised coffee from Crop to Cup.
Photo Credit, Grant Kessler
We’ve heard almost uniformly positive comments from the event – the only small criticism was that it wasn’t long enough. Imagine that, a 2 hour Sunday afternoon business meeting that wasn’t long enough. It goes to show how much we have to say to one another.
Going forward, the Growing Healthy Kids list will act as a listserv providing to its members news about events like Seven Generations Ahead’s Fresh From the Farm Training and CLOCC’s meeting of the Healthy Teacher Network. We also plan to meet for an April GHK Green Drinks at Uncommon Ground to continue our networking efforts. Ultimately, we hope to at some point organize a health fair that will be open to parents, teachers, and administrators who will be able to learn about the programs available to promote healthy lifestyles among their parents and students.
In a few weeks, Purple Asparagus will be posting on its site (www.purpleasparagus.com) the first version of the Growing Healthy Kids brochure, which provides information on the mission and initiatives of each of these organizations. It’s already been a tremendous resource for those of us in the group and has set off a series of meeting between individual groups. For example, in just this week, I’ve had meetings or calls with CLOCC, Organic Life, and Fooditude.
If you know of an organization that should have been included, but wasn’t, please email me at info@purpleasparagus.com. We want this group to be as expansive as possible.
The only effective way to achieve Mrs. Obama’s important goal is to work together, children with parents, parents with schools, non-profits with for profits and of course other non-profits. To borrow a phrase from her campaign, let’s stop citing statistics and wringing our hands and let’s move.
Are you working on any programs in your communities to combat obesity? Please share any successes, challenges, etc.
*Committee members: Nancy Lufrano, Tim Magner, Nora Gainer, Sara Gasbarra, Melissa Tobias, Trish Rynolds, Ryan Kimura.
In one of his non-silent moments, President Coolidge famously uttered “The business of America is business,” to praise the consumer-driven industrial economy and profitable bull market he observed*. But President Jefferson thought America’s business should be farming, respecting the slow, steady cycles of nature by growing food (and tobacco) from the vast and fertile soil that makes up our nation.
Are these two notions irreconcilable? Certainly farmers must run their operations like a business, acquiring capital to buy equipment, seed and land, and seeking out the best price for their harvest so they can pay expenses and save enough to plant next year. Conversely, so many food-related businesses—processors, grocery stores, distributors, as well as commodities exchanges—rely on the work of America’s farms. In between that, there are the banks, investors and government agencies who help fund the system, ultimately deciding what gets planted and where by picking and choosing where to place their money. Sometimes it’s a stormy relationship, but it doesn’t have to be. There is still common ground between the desires of capitalists and the needs of farmers and food and beverage firm. As locavores, we need to understand that if the goal is to make locally obtained food more available, there’s got to be funding for it.
“If we’re really going to bring this mainstream and increase the volume of local food reaching Chicago,” says entrepreneur Irv Cernauskas, “it’s going to take some capital investment.”
What the F!
The FamilyFarmed Expo’s Financing Farm to Fork Conference (and financing fair) is an opportunity for small to medium-sized farms as well as companies that sell food- or beverage-related services or products to make their case to potential investors on March 11 at the University of Illinois Chicago Forum. The FFFFF event is part of the greater Expo being held from March 11 through March 13.
Patient capitalists and “angel” investors can find chances to invest in artisanal farmers, organic food craftspeople and startups who deliver local, organic food to meet the growing demand for healthier, conscientious alternatives to our industrialized food distribution channels. Part of their incentive may be a matter of putting their money where their values are, but part may be because local and organic foods are a growing area. Responsible investors need to know all they can about startups before putting down their money. FamilyFarmed.org president, Jim Slama says investors may also see these opportunities from a “slow money” perspective.
And while farming or food processing may not have the glitz of an Internet startup, notes Cernauskas, “it’s relatively straightforward to value a plot of land or a herd of beef compared to the vaporware produced by a dot-com company.” For those with money to invest food or farm companies could be a more conservative and potential investment than a lot of other opportunities.
Seeking Help to Buy the Farm
Much has been said about the relationship between American farms, banks and the middle men upon whom farmers rely to deliver their goods to market and then the dinner plate. Somewhere between the farm and the fork, a lot of money changes hands and lubricates the engine that brings the food from the ground and makes it palatable. How much the farmers ultimately pocket is a controversial subject, but an important one, since they, and companies seeking to sell organic food, very much need cash to organize and run their businesses in the initial years, and then again to grow or change direction to follow the public’s fickle tastes. Some farms turn to CSAs to earn cash directly from their customers while co-ops and farmers’ markets seek grants from non-profit organizations that must offer a portion of their funds to sustainable businesses. But farms are usually in rural regions and the big money is often in a skyscraper in metropolitan areas.
But the point is, there are many ways for food- and agriculture-related businesses to find money, and there are many places for investors to plant their money in anticipation of future growth. There’s got to be a better way to get these contingents in one place at the same time.
Bootstrapping as Financial Tool
One recent startup, and a member of the Farm to Fork advisory board, is Cernauskas, who founded Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks in Niles. When he and Shelly began their eponymous online grocery delivery service four years ago, they borrowed money and dipped into their savings accounts to “bootstrap” themselves into business. Since then, they’ve applied for USDA grants that have yet to appear, but there are other seldom tapped sources of money. Jim Slama points out that the conference will help entrepreneurs observe the full range of opportunities. At this forum, investors and business owners can meet and get to know one another, unlike in, say, a commodities pit where options traders buy and sell anonymous bushels of corn or sides of beef, having no knowledge of the farmers or businesses that grew them.
“Traditionally, farmers were pretty self reliant and didn’t want or need investors,” Cernauskas points out. “They might have gone to the bank, but they were reluctant to give up their sense of independence. So working with investors is a relatively new concept.”
New, trendy, and getting more media attention. A story on NPR’s All Things Considered last year cited a New York organic dairy farmer seeking to raise $700,000 by appealing to his customers with the promise of 6% interest on a $1,000 loan. CSAs are another great example of producers skipping the middle men and appealing to the consumers who believe in the product and have every desire to make the business succeed. While traditional loans have their place, this model doesn’t work for every business.
“Some people don’t want to finance through banks,” says Slama. And for those of us who have ridden the roller coaster of Wall Street investing, enduring the nauseating plummets as well as the exciting jolt of accelerating rises, the notion of slow money—of modest but sustainable growth—has its charms.
Also, most banks are familiar with the cyclical ritual of, for example, a soybean farmer’s sequence of acquiring money, buying or repairing equipment, purchasing seed and petroleum, buying and applying fertilizer and pesticides, paying for labor, praying for good weather, harvesting and selling their commodity crop before repaying the loan. It’s a well-documented process and banks understand the security and risk of a given farm on a given plot of land in a given area, says Cernauskas. Small organic vegetable farms, on the other hand, may befuddle a typical banker, who lacks the mountain of experience in studying this sort of food model.
Oh the Farmer and the Broker Should be Friends
All this will be discussed at the conference, which also includes workshops by successful food entrepreneurs as well as investors looking for opportunities in local foods. Slow Money author Woody Tasch will be there, as well newsman/rancher Bill Kurtis and Eli’s Cheesecake CEO Marc Shulman. The Expo will present an array of options. Venture capitalists including Maroon Capital and Hopewell Ventures will be there to explain to hopeful business owners what food financiers are looking for when considering their investments. Jim Schultz will be on hand representing Open Prairie Ventures, which invests in “early and growth-stage Midwest-based companies in the ag-tech and life science sectors.” Also speaking will be Andy Whitman, formerly of General Foods and Kraft, but now running 2x Management, which, along with other companies, has helped fund the natural pet food maker, Wellness/Old Mother Hubbard, and Eagle snacks.
The three main tracks of seminars include business, farming and community food and topics include “adding value on and off the farm,” “taking food & beverage businesses to scale” and “innovative organization forms for sustainable food businesses.”
Running a business or operating a farm (same thing, remember?) as well as finding quality local food require dedication and passion. Making both those endeavors easier requires a flow of money that is often overlooked in the discussion about bringing producers and consumers together.
“There’s all kinds of people who have interests in investing for all kinds of reasons,” says Cernauskas. “My sense is that investors may care a lot about what we’re trying to achieve and are driven by values, while others are just looking for business opportunities and see organic and local foods a healthy growth sector and can see opportunities to make money at it.”
In mid-March, we’ll see if the confluence of capital, consumer and entrepreneur can come to terms and make a small change in the way we grow, find and buy our food.
The FamilyFarmed Expo, including the Farm to Fork Financing Day runs from March 11 through March 13. Each day will go from appximately 8 AM to 5 PM, with a Financing Fair and reception afterwards on March 11 and FamilyFarmed’s signature event, Localicious on March 12. The Expo is being held at the UIC Forum at the corner of Roosevelt and Halsted (directions here).
*Shortly after, the nation and the world plunged into a decade of Depression followed by a vicious war that killed tens of millions, ending with two nuclear blasts. But we can’t lay all that on Cal.
Editor’s note: We’ve got a lot of CSAs for you. From newly initiated Tomato Mountain to the stalwart Angelic Organics, our list of CSAs is huge. As you work through the list you may wonder what a CSA will look like. In 2008 Michael Morowitz dissected what he got. We bet you’ll find something not that far off at the end of 2010.
As 2008 comes to a close, winter markets are in full swing, I get my first winter CSA delivery this week, and 2009 CSA sign-ups are getting started. For those of you considering purchasing a CSA subscription for 2009, now is the time to sign up. Spaces can fill up fast and you can sometimes get a discount for early purchases.
I know that if you’re new to a CSA, it can be hard to take the plunge. I thought I’d take apart my 2008 CSA half-share from Homegrown Wisconsin to help demystify the whole experience.
How did it work?
I purchased a half-share since there are only two eaters in my household (not counting the twins who are not on solid food yet and who didn’t exist during the 2008 sign-up period). A half-share equals ten deliveries, every other week, from June to October. I also added a dozen eggs to each delivery for an extra fee. (You can also add a lb. of cheese for a fee).
My deliveries went to a residential home not far from my neighborhood. One of the reasons I chose HGW last year was the ease of the pick-up locations. Every Wednesday I went to this home and picked up my delivery from their garage (there was a four hour window for pickups). The pick-up process could not be easier. Pop-in, grab your stuff, sign the sheet, and leave. There was only one delivery I couldn’t make, and a friend was able to pick it up.
So what did you get?
Since HGW is a cooperative of farms, I received a nice variety of produce every week. As expected, deliveries can vary in size due to harvest times but each delivery had a good variety and plenty of stuff to keep me busy cooking and storing. My goal was for 100% usage of what we received. I didn’t quite achieve that, but I was certainly in the neighborhood of 95%, with some items currently in the deep-freeze or fridge.
A Typical CSA Delivery. Here's a complete breakdown of what I received over the 10 deliveries:
Green Leafy Things
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Misc. above-ground produce
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Underground Produce
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Peppers
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Squash
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Garlic/Onions
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Sweet stuff
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Herbs
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Stuff in packages
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I’m not affiliated with Homegrown Wisconsin in any way, and I don’t want this to be a commercial for them. There are a lot of CSAs out there that cater to a variety of different needs and locations (We’ll be publishing a 2009 guide soon). I just hope this helps de-mystify a CSA subscription for those of you who may be considering joining one in 2009.
Editor’s note: We are please to have co-opted the hardest working woman in local markets, Robin “Winter” Schirmer. Robin calls herself a ”farmers market groupie,” and we are pleased to have her as part of the Local Beet. Robin has seen lots of farmers markets from all three sides: as manager/coordinator, as market seller, and as a consumer. In the past three winter seasons, she has coordinated over 50 one-time, indoor farmers markets in church venues all over the Chicago area. For the last year, she has worked with Tomato Mountain Farm, boosting their Chicago-area farmers market presence from 6 to over 20 markets last summer, staffing them and selling at most of them at one time or another. With the Market Watch, she will provide readers of the Local Beet a expert view of our markets. She’s a great resource for us all. Feel free to draw upon her knowledge.
The Editor has been after me for ages to give a market recap after each of the Winter Farmers Markets that I coordinate. With fewer markets to coordinate this year (10 markets down from 29 last season), I can actually take a breath and fill you in.
For those of you not familiar with these particular markets, let me digress. The Winter Farmers Markets are the primary project of Churches’ Center for Land and People (CCLP), an interfaith organization centered in Southern Wisconsin that grew out of the farm crisis in the 1980s to assist farmers in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. But specifically, the markets were the brainchild of Tony Ends of Scotch Hill Farm, director of CCLP for the last 6 or 7 years. Tony is a real visionary; he initiated these markets in all three states to provide venues for small farmers to sell their winter-able produce and value-added farmstead products beyond the growing season. As a working farmer himself, Tony knows all too well that many farmers depend on off-season, temporary jobs and/or a working spouse to make ends meet. Starting 6 years ago with just a handful of markets in each state, sometimes with just 3 or 4 vendors, the Winter Farmers Markets grew to become, at least in the Chicago area, a movable feast of markets, usually with 10 to 20 vendors and a wide variety of farm products.
From their start as a means to help small farmers and their rural communities, they have become a welcome and reliable source of off-season produce and farm goods to a loyal and growing following. The markets are grower/producer-only, but small-batch, artisan foodmakers (bakers, ice cream, etc.) who locally-source at least 25% of their ingredients are also allowed to participate. In addition, you’ll find a few fair trade items and offerings from other not-for-profits and recyclers .
With Tony’s departure this summer as director of CCLP, the Winter Farmers Markets in the Chicago area have been co-sponsored this season by CCLP and Faith In Place, a Chicago-area interreligious organization working with local faith communities on environmental issues, and took a step back to a more realistic schedule. That coincided with other markets and venues stepping up to add markets to their schedule, creating a steady patchwork of indoor markets: Logan Square Farmers Market and Geneva Community Market (weekly), Portage Park Farmers Markets (monthly), Green City Market (bi-monthly), and a handful of churches flying solo with one-time markets. Check out the Local Calendar for an up-to-date list of these markets.
That brings us to the present–and very recent past. Last Saturday’s market at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church in Oak Park was a season high in sales for several of the regular vendors. And the market a few weeks earlier in Old Irving Park was a previous high for some. That’s what floats my boat, but I’m sure that inquiring minds want to know, What was available?
This weekend’s market, Saturday, February 20, 9am to 1pm, at United Church of Rogers Park, 1545 W Morse Ave, Chicago 60626, will have most of that and much, much more:
Several vendors will also have information and signup sheets for their summer CSAs.
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Now, I don’t intend for Market Watch to focus entirely on “my” Winter Farmers Markets, but it seemed as good a place to start as any. I hope you’ll turn to Market Watch to learn what’s coming to markets and what new markets are coming, and use the comments to let Beet-Land know about a new market you’d like to get on the radar, or to let us know of your own experiences at a market—the good, the bad, and the ugly—but please keep the comments constructive, not destructive. When you’re tempted to complain (Where’s the fresh lettuce?—in February) remember that there’s someone working behind the scenes to bring you the best market experience possible under the circumstances of our limited growing season.
Editor’s Note: We are pleased to introduce you to our new columnist, Wendy Aeschlimann. Actually, to those knee-deep in the Chicago food world, you probably know Wendy, an active participant in LTHForum and someone who has organized many events with them. Still, did you know that Wendy is also passionate about wine, and especially passionate about local wine. Please follow along today, and in weeks ahead as Wendy makes the Case for Local Wine.
Chateau Chantal – Photo by Jeff Greenberg
Why Not Local Wine?
Even people dedicated to local eating neglect to drink local wine. It’s easy to see why — we live in the upper Midwest, which is not readily associated with winemaking. It might also be because wine is made from grapes that are crushed, fermented, aged and bottled before shipping — thus, the product necessarily does not suffer in shipment as would, say, a peach. These considerations aside, there remains a case for integrating Midwestern wine into our wine-drinking rotation.
A recent article in the New York Times discusses the trend to broaden eating local to drinking local. In this article, California Bay-Area restaurants were charged with not offering enough local wine on their menus, which they claimed could be too high in alcohol and heavy in tannins and, therefore, not food-friendly. However, even those restaurants more motivated by palate than environmental considerations are coming around to recognizing that local wines deserve a place on their menus. This discussion highlights that, although drinking wine allows us to traverse the world via a bottle consumed from our tables, drinking locally allows us to experience more deeply another aspect of our home turf.
This notion of “home turf” is generally reflected in the winemaking term, “terroir,” which loosely stands for the notion that each wine reflects the characteristics of the place from where it came. Put another way, pinot noir made from grapes grown in Oregon will taste different from those grown in Austria simply because they were grown in different climates, soils and topography. While some wine lovers may quibble about which wine is better, the real point is: In a way, it doesn’t matter. That each type of wine is a product of a certain place is a wonderful thing and worth celebrating in its own right.
For the past few years, I’ve been dedicated to exploring the local wineries of the Midwest. In the context of integrating local food into your regimen, it can be very rewarding to visit the wineries in your backyard, drive through vineyard after vineyard, and meet the winemakers. I’ve found that many Midwest winemakers are dead-serious about growing wine grapes and making wine, knowing that they sometimes face difficult conditions (such as unforgiving winters).
Why drink local wine? Many of the reasons for drinking local are the same as eating local. Here are five more reasons:
One. Support your local winemaker. You experience the same sense of pride of place as when buying a local tomato or radish, knowing that it was grown by a nearby farmer.
Two. Environmental considerations. Less fossil fuels are consumed and carbon emitted in getting the wine to your door.
Three. Branching out. Because the Midwest generally plants cold-hardy grapes, you have the chance to try more unusual varieties, such as Norton, Traminette and Vidal. Just like at the farmer’s market, where your curiosity is roused by new varieties of peppers, so can it be with wine.
Four. Support your local economy. The Midwest, like many areas of the country, is an economy in transition. By supporting your local farmers, you may be supporting a growth sector of our local economy.
Five. Help influence the direction of local wine market. As with any business, wine-making is, at bottom, a money-making endeavor. As more wine-making consumers buy local wine, the money will be reinvested into the wineries, and they will only improve over time.
In advocating that Midwest wine (and spirits and hard cider) deserve a place in our drinking habits, I do not suggest that we should give up drinking our favorite wine from other places in the world. Eating and drinking local is not an extreme all-or-nothing proposition — just as you do not always follow a local eating regimen, nor should anyone have to strictly drink local wine. However, if you drink wine and already make the effort to fit in local vegetables and even meat into your diet, why not local wine as well?
As I write this column, I plan to chronicle my travels around the Midwest, exploring its varied wineries and winemakers. I’ll help direct you to worthy wineries, source these wines in Chicago, and taste them with Chicago wine professionals and enthusiasts. I look forward to hearing from people who drink local wines, spirits and hard ciders, and wish to discuss their finds. I hope that you will agree with me that integrating a local wine into your wine-drinking rotation is a satisfying and worthy extension of eating locally and celebrating pride of place.
NEXT: Tasting Local Wines With West Town Tavern’s Wine Director, Drew Goss. What Will We Find?
We’re here with the mission of making local eating practical for everyone. As much as we keep a root cellar in the sky and feed the kids sprout sandwiches (with cranberry cheddar and jam), we recognize that many a-times, eating local means eating out. It is not just the back door delivery of produce. The ramps and Iroquois corn of Spence Farm, the hogs of Slagel, George’s meats from Swan Creek, these all go to the restaurants. Worse, in the winter, they have access to City Farms, Growing Power, and Michigan’s Werp Farm for indoor produce. Do you. Or they have their own garden with a full time granger. Rick Bayless looked beyond his garden for Xoco. The dairy comes from Iowa’s Farmer’s All Natural Creamery; the ham, Prosciutto di Iowa. What really pleases us. We schlep to Indiana to get New Rinkel flour. Xoco has it for you. Xoco’s larder looks like ours. The opportunities to eat out in Chicago are many. Xoco made a nice addition to our choices this year.
We got a lot out of eating local out this year. At Mado, the hearts and heads that tasted so good also allowed local farmers to prosper (or at least make-do) because they could sell the whole beast. We stood in Paul Virant’s crowded office last February while he called up his latest menu on his computer. In the darkest of days, he rattled off his Vie offerings that, excepting seafood and citrus, remained local. Mark Mendez at Carnivale could whip up a tasty farm lunch the day after he marketed. Pat Sheerin, who shared some of his recipes on the Local Beet, showed us that local food could be served with a view at the Signature Room in the Hancock. We enjoyed what they did with local food at Naha, Lula, Blackbird, Publican, Prairie Grass Cafe. We want to name all of these places restaurants of the year.
The crowds now crowd our kind of places. Try getting in to Lula on a Sunday morning or Publican on a Sunday family dinner evening. And when we went to have lupper at Xoco at just past three, late enough for the caldos or meal-in-a-bowl soups, we found a line out the door. As much as it pained us to choose amongst so many choices for Restaurant of the year, we went for Xoco because of its role in the eating-sphere. Xoco proves that people want good food. It is not so much that Xoco brought great local food to the masses; it’s that the masses came to Xoco for well prepared, locally sourced foods. Even if you have to wait in a long line. Even if you have to wait again for a while for your food. If the guacamole is spare and served miserly in a plastic cup. If you cannot have the full menu if you eat only at lunch; that you have to bug them to get your dessert chocolate. You went to Xoco. Vie is fine dining. Mado a trattoria, but Xoco is the Soup Nazi of Mexican sandwiches. They are lining up for us.
And lining up for great reason. A torta for twelve dollars only seems like a lot until you eat it. The locally sourced goods taste clean and fresh. It tastes alive, as we always come to describe the differences because of local. Xoco proves that people want better bread. For some panphiles, the custom designed teleras and bolillos from Labriola justify the entrance fee. Xoco is uncompromising in its shopping. You roll past the suppliers like Burma Shave ads as you slowly move the line, but Xoco is also uncompromising in its cooking. A friend complained that the torta ahogada was too one note, all red chili and bright. Well, you know what. Mexican food can often be one note. It attracts us so much for its assaults and one notes. We want our Mexican food not to play nice with us. Xoco obliges (the pork carnitas caldo is muy caliente too if you want that).
Want us to say some less than nice things about Xoco. Well, one of us did once get a caldo that seemed on the small side. Our other complaints: First, we would love to find some way that Xoco could accommodate its most casual fans. No, not that way. We mean there should be an easier way to come for a thick cup of Barcelona and a plate of churros to re-fuel. In fact, our second complaint is not so much a complaint but a request to accommodate your less than casual fans. We’re here naming Xoco Restaurant of the Year because of how they are reeling in the masses. You’ve done it with pork belly and suckling pigs [ed. was there not a headcheese sammy at one point?]. How ’bout going deeper. Stroll down Maxwell Street (well Des Plaines Street) some Sunday. Make us some of that. The lamb guts called buche. A torta with cabeza or steamed cow’s head, although we’ll understand if you skip the eyes. Get squishy on us. We’re ready.
We eat local out at several favorite restaurants. Picking a Restaurant of the Year was damn hard. With its 3 PM line out the door for local cuisine, we decided to go with the it place, Xoco. Thanks all of you for making it a pleasure to eat at your places.
Too busy cooking and wrapping to post, but I thought I’d share our family’s dessert – a French classic, Buche de Noel filled with white chocolate mousse and a layer of my own golden raspberry jam.
You have five more nights of Hanukkah, eleven days until Christmas, and one more day to get to Boxing Day. You still have much time to get your friends and family something local. Us folks at the Local Beet as well as a few of our friends have some great gift ideas for you.
Our Backyard Gardener, Brad Moldofsky, thinks there is one really good gift idea: a rain barrel.
The local beer guy Tom Keith found five things that would go well under his tree. The list includes a contraption to make your house into a tavern.
The Sustainable Cook, Melissa Graham, fresh from cooking for over two hundred the other night promises some ideas for living not just a local life, but a greener life too. Check back in her space soon. Update: As wont for her, Melissa went over the top with outstanding ideas, suggestions and one hell of a door prize.
Our friend and Local Beet contributor, Cassie Green, thinks that bottle of wine you pass along this year should be local wine. She tells us
It is a pity if you don’t know but there are some great wines coming out of Michigan these days. Try a bottle of Pinot Noir or Cab Franc from Blackstar Farms ($22-$24/bottle). Or what about some award winning sparkling wines from L. Mawby-try his classic dry Blanc de Blanc ($18.99) or his fun, sassy and really yummy “Sex” ($15.99). Bring that to a holiday party and you’ll surely be the talk of the event!
Cassie says for the perfect housewarming gift
How about a little sampling of Flora confections pate de fruits, all made with locally grown fruits! (approx $7 for a pack of 7)? Pair her confectioneries with local, artisan cheeses like Trader’s Point Creamery’s Fleur de Terre (and they both have French names so how fun and fancy is that!).
For the kid’s teachers Cassie suggests:
You can’t go wrong with a parade of locally produced chocolate items. Try elegantly easy Sweet Girls chocolate mousse mix ($10.99/box), some Terry’s Toffee ($8.99/8oz) and Chocolate Inspirations cashew bark (not sure yet).
Another Beet contributor, David Hammond, suggested a salami from Romanian Kosher Sausage Company and soap from Abby Brown, which I suppose is for after the slicing.
Some other ideas:
Finally, contributor and video maven, Mike Gebert, suggested the ideal tote to carry it all home.
I may not be Jewish, but I have an insatiable lust for latkes. Last year, our good friends David and Ilana hosted a delicious Hanukkah celebration with what seemed to be endless supply of latkes and sour cream – I must have devoured 20 of them.
My affinity for latkes is directly linked to my own heritage. My grandmother, of Swedish descent, married my grandfather, whose family had emigrated from Germany in the early years of the 20th century. I don’t remember much Swedish food, but every Sunday, our family table was filled to the hilt with German dishes. While I’m loath to admit it, I was a picky eater until I hit high school, so my grandmother’s vast culinary skill was lost on me with one epic exception: potato pancakes. I loved them, slathered with sour cream and, in the summer, dusted with sprinkles of chive from her garden.
I think of my grandma, who died several years ago, each time I stop by the Polish stand at our neighborhood street festival, who makes enormous potato pancakes lobbed with thick sour cream, and again when I make my annual trek to the Christkindlmarket where several stands serve steaming hot potato pancakes in the stark Chicago cold. And thus, I don’t need to explain why my grandma was the inspiration for the following recipe.
I was contacted not too long ago by an author who’s writing a children’s cookbook based upon the fruits and vegetables grown in a very famous, and recently planted, garden. She had a list of ingredients for which she still needed recipes and one was kohlrabi.
Truth be told, kohlrabi isn’t a vegetable that’s used very often in my kitchen, so I didn’t have anything in my existing file. I stopped over at our friend, Farmer Vicki’s Green City Market stand, where she had the most beautiful purple kohlrabi (I do love purple vegetables). On the way home, I remembered a lone Yukon gold potato that I had in my cabinet. Hmm. A kohlrabi cake might be kinda cabbage-y, but how about one mixed with the mellow yellow Yukon? I grated the two together with a 1/2 an onion leftover from last night’s dinner in my food processor (far easier than on a hand grater). Using a lint free cloth, I wrung the liquid out from the vegetable chards. Mixing these with eggs, flour, and salt in a large bowl, the mixture looked a bit beige. I remembered the last bit of chives I had in my garden, a transplant from my grandmother’s garden and couldn’t imagine anything better to enliven the appearance. I fried these up in a bit of clarified butter until brown and topped with a modern touch, avocado cream – half of a leftover avocado mixed with sour cream, pureed together in a food processor. It was a big hit with the little locavore who unfortuately never met my wonderful grandmother. But we now share a certain food memory about her.
Potato-Kohlrabi Pancakes with Avocado Cream
Serves 4
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled
1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled
1/2 yellow onion, peeled
2 teaspoons chopped chives
2 large eggs
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
vegetable oil or clarified butter
Coarsely grate the potato, kohlrabi, and onion in a food processor. Wring out any excess liquid from the vegetables by wrapping them in a clean, lint-free dish towel and squeezing it out. Dump the drained vegetables into a medium bowl. Add the eggs, flour, and salt and mix until combined. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil or clarified butter. When hot, drop 1/4 cup sized dollops of the batter into the pan. Press down on the cakes with a spatula to flatten. Cook until browned, a few minutes. Flip and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the ban to a plate or a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter. The pancakes can be reheated in a 350º F oven. Serve warm, garnished with avocado cream.
Avocado Cream
1/2 avocado
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon lime juice
salt to taste
Puree together the avocado, sour cream, and lime juice. Salt to taste.
Kids Cooking Tips
Kids can peel and help grate the veggies. They’ll love squeezing the liquid out of them. And of course, they can mix them together with the rest of the ingredients.
Provenance
Potato, onion, and kohlrabi from Genesis Growers (IL)
Eggs from Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm (IL)
Sour cream from Organic Valley (WI)
Beer Hunting in Greater Madison, Part 1 — Minhas Craft Brewery, Monroe, Wisconsin; the first in a series.
Not much of the exterior of the 1845 brewery remains.
In 2006, at age 24, Ravi Minhas purchased the former Joseph Huber brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin, and named it after himself. It’s now Minhas Craft Brewery.
Could this be the worst thing to happen under the guise of craft brewing in the country?
Probably not. With the arguable exception of Huber Bock, the Joseph Huber Brewing Company in Monroe, Wisconsin never produced any really outstanding beers. The Berghoff label, which was — and is — still brewed at the plant under contract, offers a number of drinkable beers, but none of them get a lot of critical acclaim. And Huber brewed Augsburger — a decent beer, positioned to compete with Michelob — in the 1970s. It was subsequently sold to Stroh’s, killed, then briefly revived by Stevens Point Brewing.
Still, I wanted to love this brewery … really. It’s the second oldest brewery in the country (after D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc. in Pottsville, PA). It inherited some of the grand old names in Wisconsin Beer … including Huber, Rhinelander, and Wisconsin Club, among others. And under Minhas, its growth has been spectacular.
In 2002, before Ravi got involved, the Joseph Huber Brewery was chugging along at approximately 40,000 barrels per year. After Ravi became involved in 2003 — first contract brewing his Mountain Crest and other beers, then in 2006 buying the brewery outright, production hit around 300,000 barrels in 2008. That’s the good news — it means new jobs, increased contributions to the tax base, and other economic stimuli for Monroe and Green County, Wisconsin. And the brewery has a great mini-museum of old beer memorabilia.
It’s now the 14th largest brewery in the US although, despite the name, Brewers Association doesn’t include Minhas in its list of craft brewers — simply lumping it among Anheuser-Busch InBev, MillerCoors, and Pabst (#1, 2, 3 respectively; with #2 and #3 being Chicago-based).
In terms of volume, Minhas is ranked just behind Iron City in Pittsburgh, and larger than F. X. Matt (home of the crappy beer I drank in college, Utica Club, plus some good beers under the Saranac label). It’s also larger than regional favorites Bell’s (#21) and Goose Island (#22). There’s speculation that Minhas will break into the top ten soon.
These days, Minhas’ primary labels are Mountain Crest Gold Lager, Lazy Mutt Farmhouse Ale, Billy Bock, Swiss Style Amber (a reference to the Swiss heritage of the Monroe area), and 1845 Pils (commemorating the year the brewery was founded). They’re also making a number of sodas under the Blumer name (a tribute to one of the brewery’s early owners), a number of “alcopops” (malt-based, flavored beverages, similar to brands like Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Smirnoff Ice, et al), and an energy drink.
Minhas’ beers
So if they’re so big, why am I not familiar with any of their beer labels, other than Huber and Berghoff – both relatively minor brands around these parts? Maybe it’s because my brain, besotted with so many great local ales and lagers, refuses to cooperate at times. Maybe it’s because I’m not sufficiently in touch with the Midwestern beer scene (a great excuse to drink even more local beers). Or, perhaps it’s because I don’t live in Western Canada.
Yeah, I’m going with that last one.
I’m too lazy to figure out what makes the economics work, but somehow Ravi determined a way to produce beer in Wisconsin, export it to Alberta and Saskatchewan, and sell it at lower prices than beers brewed there. And he’s been remarkably successful at it. 80% of Minhas’ production is exported to Canada, where it’s positioned as a “value brand.”
And “value brand” is also a good, if somewhat generous, way to summarize its beers’ flavors.
Of Mountain Crest, one Albertan, familiar with the beer, wrote, “ The reason Mountain Crest is so cheap is because it is owned by Calgarian Entrepreneurs who brew it in the United States to save money, then import it to Canada and sell it as a cheap alternative to good beer. Their slogan “Damn Good Beer” is a legal form of libel as far as I’m concerned. The only way to drink this abomination is through large, desperate chugs that make you wanna crawl under your bed and die.”
That may be a bit harsh. If Red Dog is your Platonic ideal for a great beer, you might find Mountain Crest acceptable.
According to Minhas’ tour guide, their Lazy Mutt is on its way to becoming the brewery’s signature beer. Lazy Mutt, billed as a “farmhouse ale” — the same designation used for New Glarus’ far better signature brew, Spotted Cow — has a strong corn adjunct flavor, without any of the rich estery flavors that define well-made ales. Underlying the “value brand” positioning, its gimmick is that its “six-packs” contain eight bottles (the eight-pack concept is actually a leftover from the Joseph Huber Brewing days). Without personally passing judgment on whether or not it’s a good beer (okay, maybe I’ve hinted at my personal opinion already), I’ll just say that, based on 50 reviews, Beeradvocate gives it a grade of D+.
Among their other beers, the Billy Bock tastes like Huber Bock (a decent bock, with some nice, roasty flavors) under a different label. I found it interesting that Minhas’ 1845 Pils bills itself as “all malt.” (According the label, “Mr. Corn and Mr. Rice don’t live here! They are not even welcome here.”) Most craft beers are all-malt; it’s the mega-brewers like BudMilCoors that stretch alcohol content of their beers by mashing in adjunct ingredients that are cheaper than barley malt, like corn or rice, to up the alcohol content to 4% – 5%, without contributing much flavor. The fact that Minhas feels the need to tout this one beer as “all-malt” says a lot about its other beers.
But 1845 Pils does a great job of imitating a cheap adjunct beer without using adjuncts, if the label can be believed. It does have a nice, somewhat full body, but no hop taste or aroma, and a markedly grainy flavor. And if you mix the Mountain Crest and Billy Bock beers in a 2:1 ratio, you’ll get a beer that resembles their Swiss Style Amber … a beer with the tremendous power to shame anyone who takes pride in being Swiss.
And, keeping with the adjunct theme, all of you ‘Nawlins fans should know that, since Katrina, all your beloved Dixie Beer is brewed under contract at Minhas. New Orleans’ signature beer comes from Wisconsin these days.
I spoke briefly with the brewmaster, Kris Kalav, and asked about the yeasts Minhas use. Their primary yeast is from Schmidt, a famous old brewery in St. Paul, Minnesota. “It’s a very sturdy yeast,” he said. (The Schmidt brand is now owned by Pabst, and brewed under contract by Miller in Milwaukee). He went on to mention other yeasts, including a champagne yeast, that can ferment up to levels of 19% – 20%. It’s used to make a clear base, which is then diluted with water and flavorings to make their alcopops.
But knowing they have the capability to make high-alcohol beers, I asked him about the possibility of making a barley wine. “Oh, I don’t think that’d fly.” Clearly the brewmaster isn’t the guy in charge here.
Minhas actually creates an interesting contrast to another historic Wisconsin brewery, Stevens Point (fifth oldest brewery in the country, opened in 1851).
Prior to Minhas’ ownership, Joseph Huber Brewing was not particularly aggressive, and it did pump out a lot of adjunct-laden brews, but it was keeping alive some of Wisconsin’s older (admittedly adjunct-laden) historic brews. While retaining a bit of that, Minhas now seems to be striving to become a significant, efficient, low-cost macrobrewer – especially for the Western Canadian market.
An example of Minhas’ dedication to finding new methods to produce and distribute beers as efficiently as possible — the brewery is among the first to use plastic kegs with a disposable mylar insert to hold the beer. These are empty at the moment.
Stevens Point has gone in the opposite direction. Historically, it also produced adjunct-laden brews. But in recent years, it has supplemented its flagship Point Lager with a number of specialty beers, including a Cascade hops-based Pale Ale, a witbier, and some great seasonal beers (anyone up for a Nude Beach in the summer [an American Wheat Beer]?) Particularly worth seeking out are their limited release specialty ales, under the Whole Hog brand. I recently had their Whole Hog Imperial Pilsner, a rich, complex 8.5% ABV brew that pushes the pilsner model well beyond what any typical beer drinker could reasonably expect. It’s excellent.
Stevens Point has become a true craft brewer. Minhas Craft Brewery is not craft brewing. There’s a place in the world for cheap beer. Just don’t confuse cheap beers with craft beers, as they’re trying to do in Monroe.
We have a permanent indoor market coming for Chicago. The folks behind the market aim high.
It supports Chicago’s position as a Global City since almost all Global Cities enjoy permanent marketplaces.
It satisfies a long held Local Beet demand. The Chicago French Market opens December 3, 2009.
Sebastien Bensidoun showed me around this week. Sebastien’s father, Rolland Bensidoun has been running markets in Paris since 1953. Fourteen years ago, they brought a bit of Paris to the Chicago area. They currently operates thirteen seasonal markets. And when I asked Sebastien the question that I asked about five times, “where’d you find these people;” he kept on attributing it to his experiences running these other markets.
I mean if there is something we’ve wanted nearly as much as a permanent indoor market is a European style pomme frites operation. Sebastien alluded to Holland native Jeroen Hasenbos having some type of background in film, but he would not admit any more as to how we got a Dutch-Belgium fry shack in our permanent indoor market. Someone doing Montreal style smoked meats, fancy chocolates, Vietemese soups and sandwiches. A certain francophile Mayor has been pushing the Bensidoun for ages for this market, and they’ve come up with some interesting vendors. I think also Sebastien wanted to feel at home with his picks. As we walked the aisles, he reverted to French, like when he checked in with his crepe guys.
There was not food to taste as we walked those aisles, but I can vouch for some delicious decor. Abby Brown who has sold handmade soaps at area markets, uses dark wood desks and shelves instead of shopping mall functional. Pastoral trucked in one of their trademark vintage coolers to give their corner elan. It does not look like Navy Pier.
I ’m guessing it will smell better than Navy Pier too. Fresh caramel corn, and stinky cheeses will compete with roasted nuts and smoked meats for the recognized aroma of the market. I do not know about you, but I look forward to the smelling the market.
Free smells. That’s Jimmy Johns, right. A motto that’s led to 690 outlets. Will a nation that supports 690 Jimmy Johns support one permanent indoor market in Chicago. Sebastien Bensidoun rattles off why he thinks so. His is not a gourmet shop he insists. He says that this is not a place for kids to put their nose to the windows and dream. The vendors will offer good price points. More, he points out that customers will have options to choose. You want organic produce, go to that stall. Wanna pay less for your fruit, there’s someone else. You can get your bread Polish style or Jewish style–in fact I hear the challah’s especially good. You can have meat or you can have the fish. He offers parking! There’s all sorts of people living around the area that need a market. Tourists will come. In fact, the 100,000 or so commuters that will shuffle past the market are gravy to Sebastien. People buy at his thirteen other French markets around town. They will buy here.
Come join me at the grand opening Thursday, December 3. We will get cake baked by Dimitri Fayard of Vanille Patisserie. We won’t be able to sample all the vendors. Many of the thirty inked will be up and running, a few are almost there, and a few slots need time. We all have ideas and aspirations for a permanent indoor market in Chicago. The one we get opens this week.
LOCATION: 131 North Clinton, Chicago – Entrance located at 131 North Clinton and inside Metra’s Ogilvie Transportation Center suburban commuter concourse. HOURS: Monday – Friday 730 am – 730 pm; Saturday 830 am – 6 pm; Closed Sunday. PHONE: 312.575.0306. PARKING: 100 cars, reduced rate with validated ticket.
To make up for my lack of new recipes recently here are three delicious vegetarian side dishes for Thanksgiving, a day of feastial indulgence.
While my household loves its meat, we have quite a few vegetarian recipes in our rotation. Last March, during a period of high stress, my husband, Mike, had an attack of gout, a hereditary condition that is exacerbated by a diet high in protein. From then on, Meatless wasn’t just for Mondays anymore.
Here are three delicious vegetarian, even possibly vegan with some simple modifications, dishes for your Thansgiving Table. For more vegetarian recipes for Thanksgiving, check out Focus Organic, which included the following recipe.
Carrot-Quinoa Cakes
6 servings
As pictured above, these little cakes are delicious paired with seared sea scallops. They complement the mollusks delicious sweetness.
3 large carrots
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for sautéing
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped onion
3/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked according to the package
3 tablespoons quinoa or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
Peel and slice the carrot approximately 1/2 inch thick. Cover with water in a small saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender approximately 20 minutes. Drain and then puree in a food processor or mash until smooth. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Cook the onion until softened and lightly caramelized, approximately 6 minutes.. Add the cumin and cook for another minute. Mix the carrot puree, quinoa, onions and flour in a medium bowl. Form into cakes 2-inches in diameter and sauté in olive oil until golden on each side. Mix together the yogurt and dill. Top each cake with a dollop of yogurt.
Brussels Sprouts with Salad Turnips, Pomegranates and Pistachios
4-6 servings
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 stalk of Brussels Sprouts, preferably purple, sprouts removed and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
1 salad turnip, thinly sliced
¼ cup pistachios, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon pomegranate seeds
Heat the butter or oil in a saute pan and cook the onions slowly until caramelized. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir to coat with the fat. Add the salt, water, and pomegranate juice and cook until the leaves are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and add the turnips, cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve garnished with pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
Broccoli and Roasted Garlic Puree
4-6 servings
Puree seen in the background
1 bunch of broccoli, florets separated from the stalks
1 small head of garlic, roasted
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the florets and cook for 3 minutes or until bright green and crisp tender. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and drain. Slice the stalks and add to the water. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until they’re tender. Drain. Puree the stalks and half the florets in a food processor with the roasted garlic cloves. Add olive oil and salt and serve garnished with the florets.
A few weeks ago when I told my little locavore that I was going to jail, he looked a little alarmed. A common shriek of his when angry is “you’re going to jail.” We’re not sure where he picked that one, but news of my visit seemed to induce some guilt. Seeing this, I reassured him that I would be home in time to pick him up from school. My visit was simply a field trip to see one of the most interesting projects of Chicago urban agriculture.
On a rainy Friday afternoon, I travelled down to the south side to the Cook County jail near 30th and California with my friend Nina Winston of the Downtown Farmstand. Nina had arranged for us to meet with David Devane, Executive Director of the Department of Community Supervision and Intervention and to see the garden project that he initiated at the jail.
Built on the site of the Contagious Diseases Hospital, the jail holds non-violent, non gang offenders, mostly on drug and alcohol related charges. As Devane said, these are the “crème de la crud” of the criminal justice system.
Inspired by a similar project in San Francisco, Devane began the garden project in 1993. 16 years later, the garden has blossomed to 13,000 square feet, producing about 3 thousand pounds of produce. Each year, a group of detainees are selected to participate in the garden program. After completing it, they earn a Master Gardener certificate from the University of Illinois. Devane noted that the jail has tracked recidivism and has concluded that those graduating the program have experienced it a far lower rate. According to garden manager Mike Taff, as reported by Mr. Brown Thumb on Chicago Now, the rate of recidivism for those graduating the program is 17% far below the 56% national average.
The garden grows a number of crops, including peppers, collard greens, okra, corn, giant pumpkins, and even peanuts. Currently, all the produce grown in the garden is donated to homeless shelters. The sad reality tragedy of the garden is that the only inmates who can eat from the garden are those who work in it. Due to very strict federal and state regulations about what you can feed the inmates, none of the produce grown in the garden can be used in the meals prepared for the jail’s residents.
Currently, the garden graduates one “class” a year, celebrating this achievement with a harvest celebration (this year’s was documented by <a href=”http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-garden/2009/09/vegetable-garden-at-cook-county-jail.html”>Mr. Brown Thumb</a>). The garden, however, recently acquired a brand new greenhouse so Devane hopes that the garden’s ability to extend the growing season will allow it to graduate two additional classes. He also hopes that the program can become self-sustaining, selling to restaurants, independent grocers and farmers’ markets. This season, Charlie Trotter’s restaurant purchased 225 pounds of produce from the garden. Devane implied that another high profile chef had expressed an interest. Devane is actively seeking new sources to sell the garden’s bounty, which afforded Nina and me the opportunity to visit and brainstorm about new outlets and sources of funding. Devane noted that while he has not yet been asked to grow a specific product by restaurants who’ve contacted, he would be happy to consider it.
I returned north encouraged and more than a little muddy to pick up my little locavore quite happy to find his mom wasn’t still in the pokey.
