Promoting Central Indiana's Local Food Culture

Eating locally grown food this time of year takes creativity

2012-01-11T15:33:00.004-05:00

Great Article in the Cicago Sun Times today
Eating locally grown food this time of year takes creativity

Local last-minute gifts for foodies

2011-12-21T16:38:00.001-05:00

Tis’ the season to make a mad dash for last-minute Christmasgifts. Typically waiting a few daysbefore Christmas leaves people stressed, thinking they can’t be creative orthoughtful with their gifts because they don’t have the time. But that doesn’t have to be thecase—especially if, like me, you have several people on your list who love goodfood, great spirits and unique restaurants.

To help my fellow foodies out this holiday season, I’ve puttogether a list of five gifts that can be purchased quickly and easily, and allare creative and thoughtful. Best of all, each gift is produced locally inIndiana, or offers dining experiences at unique locally owned restaurants.

My top five last-minute holiday gifts for foodies:

1) A Classical Cocktails basket from Kahn’s FineWines and Spirits. Make spirits bright with Indiana distilled Harrison Bourbon,Prohibition Gin and Indiana Vodka. Throw in a cocktail shaker and a book onProhibition era cocktails and your gift will be appreciated well into the NewYear.

Visit any of Kahn’s three locations to purchasea customized gift basket www.kahnsfinewines.com.

2) Indianapolis Dining Cards are the perfect giftfor social butterflies who enjoy variety and eating out with friends. Packagedlike playing cards, a deck of Indianapolis Dining Cards contains 52 gift cards,redeemable at locally owned restaurants. 50 cards provide $10 off any food billof $30 or more, and two cards offer a free coffee or cupcake. It’s a great wayto avoid chains and sample a variety of Indy’s local flavors!

Order online or pick up a deck ofIndianapolis Dining Cards at a local retailer, a list of which can be found at www.indianapolisdiningcards.com.

3) A Bacon of the Month Club membership from Goosethe Market is a gift that keeps on giving. Club members receive 1lb of freshhouse-made, house-smoked bacon each month. (How awesome is that?!) This is adown-to-earth delicacy sure to please any bacon lover.

Call to order a membership at 317.924.4944 or stop by in-store at 2503 N. DelawareSt., Indianapolis, IN 46205. Visit Goose the Market online at www.goosethemarket.com.

4) Cooking classes at Nicole-Taylor’s Pasta andMarket are the perfect unique gift for anybody interested in food or cooking. Nicole-Taylor’sPasta and Market co-owner, Chef Tony Hanslits offers “Demos and Dinners”courses
that include a cooking lesson and conclude with dinner.
Register by phone at 317.257.7374 or in-person at Nicole-Taylor’s Pasta andMarket located at the 54th Street and Monon Shops, near the Monon Trail. VisitNicole-Taylor’s Pasta and Market online at www.nicoletaylorspasta.com.

5) A subscription to a CSA (Community SupportedAgriculture) in the area. With over 32 different CSAs located in centralIndiana, there is no gift more thoughtful than responsibly grown fresh fruitsand veggies. CSA subscriptions can vary by farm, but generally all entailreceiving a fresh basket of produce weekly dependent on growing seasons
A comprehensive list of area CSAs, complete with contact information, can befound here at www.goinglocal-info.com.

Hunger is the Best Pickle

2011-03-27T18:53:00.000-04:00

Snooki is NOT the Best Pickle!

Benjamin Franklin is attributed with this quote, and there is something magical about the hunger and yearning that precedes a great meal. Based on our last post, the most frequent question we received was, “When are you inviting us over for dinner?” A fair question. The second most frequently asked question was, “How do you pickle okra?”

The process of pickling (also known as brining or corning) began as a way to preserve food for out of season use and for long journeys (such as your last family vacation in the car). One of the distinguishing characteristics of pickling is that it results in a pH less than 4.6, which is sufficient to kill most bacteria. In short, out of all the recipes we’ve ever posted, you are least likely to poison someone by feeding them homemade pickles!

Pickled okra is a distinctly Southern treat, and that’s why we featured it in our “Walking Gumbo.” This recipe originally came from Mrs. Elsie Holliday (we’ve tweaked it a bit), an upstanding citizen of North Carolina. It was passed along to us through Mr. Randy Pierce, and it is guaranteed to make your tongue slap both sides of your mouth.

Pickled Okra

3 lbs okra
5 cloves garlic (1 per jar or use 1 tsp of minced per jar)
5 fresh red hot peppers (1 or 2 per jar or 1 tsp of crushed red pepper per jar)
1 qt water
1 pt 5% apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup salt
2 tsp dill seed
1 tsp mustard seed
Trim rough stems from top of okra. Soak in ice cold water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, sterilize five canning jars. Place 1 clove of garlic and one hot pepper in each jar. Bring water, apple cider vinegar, salt, dill and mustard to a boil in a large pot on the stove.
Cut a slice in each piece of okra ( to help absorb liquid). Pack okra in the jars. Pour boiling liquid into the jars leaving ¼ head space (the bottom ring on the jar mouth). Add lids and rings to jars. Process jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Viola!

It's Always Better When We're Together

2011-03-21T11:44:00.000-04:00

Nieces Loreli and Piper hunting Morel Mushrooms

If you are a fan of Jack Johnson’s music (or of Reese’s peanut butter cups), this assertion makes perfect sense! Some things in life truly are better together, and we were reminded of that when we hosted a dinner party Saturday evening. Sharing food with friends enhances the flavor by connecting it with a meaningful experience. The flavor of food is also enhanced when it’s correctly paired with wine or spirits. Here’s the menu from our first Spring dinner party, aptly titled “Rustles of Spring.” Hopefully this inspires you to invite your friends and neighbors to your house for your own spring dinner!

“Walking Gumbo” (Sunny Slopes Farms Johnny Cake, House Made Chorizo, Pickled Blooming Gardens Okra, Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp) paired with an Indiana Sazerac cocktail

Savory Spring Break Pudding (Blooming Gardens Asparagus, Locally Foraged Morel Mushrooms, Scholars Inn Bakehouse Bread, Gruyere Cheese) paired with 2004 Blanc de Blanc, LeReve, Domaine Carneros, Napa, California

Indiana Corn Chowder (Fire Roasted Blooming Gardens Corn, Home Grown Potatoes, Homestead Growers Dairy) with 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Drystone Berridge Vineyard Estates, Marlborough, New Zealand

Hoosier Mama’s Bloody Mary mix with Indiana Vodka

Brick Oven Limousin Beef (Carrico Farms New York Strip roasted in the brick oven, Home Grown Spaghetti Squash with homemade/home canned marinara sauce, Blooming Gardens Broccoli) with 2003 Rocche, Barolo DOCG, Aurelio Settimo, LaMorra, Italy

Whimsical Peanut Butter & Jelly (Endangered Species Chocolate Mousse Tartlet, Easley Vineyard Concord Grape Juice & Peanut Butter Cream Sauce), 2000 Late Bottled Vintage Port, Dow’s, Oporto, Portugal

BJava Brazil Serra Negra Pressed Pot Coffee

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!

2011-02-09T13:28:00.000-05:00

We were encouraged to see this article in the Indianapolis Star on Sunday (YES, we promptly recycled the paper after reading the article). Congratulations to the many people around Indianapolis who’ve had the vision to establish these great venues to purchase local foods. Join us in supporting the locations mentioned in this article!

Ice, Ice, Baby

2011-02-01T00:33:00.000-05:00

As the ice and snow fall over the next 48 hours, it’s a great time to huddle around the stove and create delicious meals. It’s even better if you can involve the whole family (or maybe it’s not, we hardly know your family). Either way, here’s our favorite potato soup recipe, perfect for a cold winter day! And, if you were one of those crazies standing in line at the grocery store, this will put your recently purchased milk to good use.

Hearty Potato Soup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 carrots, diced

6 celery stalks, diced

2 quarts water

1 onion, chopped

6 T. butter

6 T. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 ½ c. milk

In a large kettle, cook potatoes, carrots and celery in water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid and setting vegetables aside. In the same kettle, sauté onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Gently stir in cooked vegetables. Add 1 cup or more of reserved cooking liquid until soup is desired consistency.

There’s More Than Corn in Indiana!

2011-01-21T15:44:00.000-05:00

As we continued to expand our diet to include more foods grown, raised and cultivated in Indiana, we’ve been pleasantly surprised at the breadth of products available. We started with the obvious ones – corn, tomatoes, green beans, peas, potatoes, etc. Our shocking discovery is………INDIANA CITRUS! That’s correct! It was serendipity at its finest. We toured the Lily House at the IMA and there were citrus trees heavy with fruit in the sun room. Then we went to a pitch in dinner and someone brought oranges off of their tree they keep in a green house.

It’s in the spirit of our pleasant discovery that we share this fun recipe using Indiana ingredients (yes, we do have Jerusalem artichokes (aka. sun chokes) in Indiana!). This brothy vegetable soup has a great citrus flavor and is uniquely characteristic of the Provence region of France. This recipe was modified based on one in the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics Cookbook.
Jerusalem Artichoke Soup Provencal
1 T. olive oil
1 ½ c. chopped onions
¾ c. peeled and medium diced potatoes
1 ¼ c. peeled and medium diced carrots
¼ c. small diced celery
1 tsp. salt
1 bay leaf (you can grow your own!)
2 ½ c. chicken or vegetable stock
5 artichoke hearts, cut into quarters or 7 oz. sun chokes
1 T. dry sherry
½ T. dry white wine, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is the best
1/8 c. fresh orange juice
¼ tsp. freshly grated orange peel
Ground black pepper to taste

Warm the olive oil in a nonreactive soup pot.
Add the onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, salt, and bay leaves and sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Add the stock or water and bring to a boil; then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add the artichoke hearts or sun chokes and sherry to the soup pot and continue to simmer for five minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice, orange juice, and orange peel and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Season to taste with black pepper.
Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Serve with a nice crust piece of bread.

How Sweet It Is...

2010-12-15T21:39:00.000-05:00

When frosted window panes replace fall’s foliage, we crave winter’s hearty fare. From stews to soups and root vegetables to the treasures of our root cellar (OK, it’s just a basement, but that’s not very poetic), we are inspired to experiment with new flavor combinations. Holiday entertaining lends itself to leftovers and scraps that can easily be transformed into new meals. We challenged ourselves to create new breakfast fare using ingredients in our pantry and refrigerator.

Our winning combination will sweeten your next breakfast, or, at least, warm you from the inside out!

Sweet Potato Hash

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and small diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Leftover meat (optional – add small diced, leftover ham, turkey, bacon, etc!)
Eggs (1 or 2 per person, your choice!)
¼ cup bread crumbs
4 T. butter
Herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary recommended but not required)

1. Heat olive oil in a 12” skillet over medium heat and add onions and sweet potatoes. Cook until potatoes are al dente. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Stir in meat and heat through.

2. Prepare eggs over easy.

3. Distribute hash across serving bowls. Place eggs on top of hash. Melt butter in the skillet you used for the eggs over medium heat. Add herbs and breadcrumbs. Cook until bread crumbs are lightly toasted. Spoon butter herb mixture over eggs.

Serve warm.

Play With Your Food

2010-11-19T13:03:00.006-05:00

How many times did your parents tell you to stop playing with your food? There is now an entire group of adults that make a living out of playing with their food…..the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra. The group is in the United States for the first time, and their specialty is fashioning musical instruments out of…….yes, vegetables. The group performed for over an hour and delighted the audience with hollowed out carrots connected to bell peppers that resembled horns, pumpkin drums and dried bean shakers. As long time symphony patrons, we wondered if we would be delighted or violated.

The verdict is delighted. We were also pleased to see that all vegetables were ultimately put to a productive purposes either as food or compost. Watch a performance on YouTube today, and then call your parents to let them know you might have missed your calling!

Food and Democracy

2010-11-15T13:02:00.000-05:00

This weekend we had the opportunity to chauffeur Frances Moore Lappe, prolific author and change agent. Frances became widely known for her book, “Diet for a Small Planet,” originally published in 1972. Think of her as the predecessor to Michael Pollan (author of the “Omnivore’s Dilemma,” and other books). We were surprised to discover Frances has Hoosier roots as an alum of Earlham College.

She was in town as part of the Spirit and Place Festival. This year’s theme was “Food for Thought.” Numerous events over the past two weeks celebrated this theme, including exhibits, tours and speakers. Saturday evening concluded the festival with a panel discussion featuring an artist, an urban farmer and an author.

We were incredibly struck with Frances’ conviction that true democracy is at the root of food issues. And, that democracy must include seats at the table for citizens, big agriculture, government officials, etc. Without that structure, there will never truly be an end to poverty and hunger. Take advantage of the opportunity to read one of her many books (including one that will be coming out in September) or watch her presentations on YouTube. It will truly provide you with food for thought.

I believe the biggest statement that she makes is that change starts with one person. All it takes is one person in a democracy speak up. Democracy is not a government; it is the people.

The more you know, the more you realize you don't know.

2010-09-15T11:45:00.003-04:00

It’s always fascinating to see how other people live. We enjoy touring homes – new and old – that tell a story about the owner(s). We often see how other people live through the food they eat. Sometimes we congratulate ourselves on returning to a seasonal diet and knowing where our food comes from. This passage from the excellent book The Lady in the Palazzo by Marlena de Blasi reminded us how our friends in Italy live and that food is life!

One morning I arrive at her table as Tomassina is taking cherries, fat as walnut and chastely pink, from a pasta strainer and placing them on a small, unpolished silver tray. I ask her to choose a melon for me - for my lunch - from the small pyramid of them built up next to a newspaper cone full of dusty blue plums, which she'd laid down like a cornucopia. She dismantles the pyramid, pulling and pinching at the stem end of each melon, shaking her head, gazing at me once in a while, hopelessness rising. When she has inspected all of the navels of all the melons she looks at me, a surgeon with tragic news.

"I have nothing that will be ripe enough for one o'clock." Holding up one in the palm of her hand, she says, "Perhaps this one will be ready by eight this evening. Surely it will be ready by midnight. But nothing will be ready for lunch."

Speechless in the light of her specificity, I simply nod toward the melon still resting in her palm. Tenderly she wraps it in brown paper and then in a sheet of newspaper, pleating the ends in intricate origami folks, making a cushion for the melon. She comes around to the front of the table then, opens my sack, places the melon in it. She looks up at me, then, "Wait until midnight if you can."

I need this woman in my life. I need to learn more about melons and much more about timing and patience and what matters and what doesn't matter at all. I have a midnight melon in my bag, its flesh ripening as I walk in the Umbrian sun, as I make my way past the dark, crackling veneer of a suckling pig laid on a pallet of herbs in the back of a whiny white van, past the man from Attigliano who's roasting chickens over an oak-fired grill on the bed of a pickup. And all the while I'm trying to remember what Gaspare had said. Our earth is rich so we don't have to be. And what Tomassina said to me as she laid the melon in my sack. The less there is, the more important all of it becomes. Yes, that was what she said.

A Farm to Fork Encounter

2010-09-09T14:09:00.001-04:00

We left the Carmel area at 4 p.m. one Friday and parallel parked in 1945 two hours later. This is not a new Michael J. Fox movie, and it’s not an elaborate hoax. After years of hearing the buzz about Joseph Decuis in Roanoke, IN, we decided to experience it for ourselves. Joseph Decuis prides itself on being a “farm to fork” restaurant that invites guests to tour the farm, just six miles from the restaurant, as part of their experience. If you eat at the restaurant, you can also reserve a room at their inn a few blocks away.

We checked in and were welcomed with a cheese plate and then shown to our room, a large, comfortable suite in the historic home. We walked around the “downtown” area, which included stores filled with antiques, art, furniture and food. The striped awnings were reminiscent of yesteryear, and the lack of commercialization was evident. We learned about local artists and enjoyed the leisurely pace.

We “dressed for dinner” and walked to the restaurant. A friendly, knowledgeable hostess greeted us and showed us to our table. We chose the chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings. We were absolutely BLOWN AWAY at the expert pairings and the phenomenal food. The entire staff was very knowledgeable, and we enjoyed a well paced, well prepared meal.

Our breakfast the next morning at the inn also featured local farm foods. We rounded out our visit with a trip to the local farmers’ market as well as a tour of the farm. These are not your average farmers – in fact, many of the “outbuildings” are so clean we would gladly eat off the floors. We learned about the true Japanese wagyu beef raised on the farm as well as the opportunity to return for dinners on the farm property.

If you’re looking for a new and great experience, we highly recommend a road trip to Roanoke, IN. Overalls optional.

Our “Shovel Ready” Project

2010-08-24T10:36:00.003-04:00

As the government continues to look for ways to stimulate the domestic economy, significant emphasis has been placed on “shovel ready” projects. The idea is to reward communities that have well documented infrastructure projects. It’s supposed to be a win-win for the community – job opportunities, better bridges, completed roads and, in our opinion, ideally, fewer potholes.

To take part in Indiana’s best “shovel ready” project to date, come to White River State Park on Sunday August 29 between Noon and 6 p.m. There is a free “shovel” (OK, fork) included with each ticket, allowing you to sample food from Indiana’s finest farmers and chefs. Dig IN! is an event designed to celebrate our bountiful Indiana harvest in a way that highlights sustainable agriculture and the significant culinary talent throughout the state.

Visit www.digindiana.org to get more information about the programs, panels and people you’ll have the opportunity to meet that day. There’s even an iPhone app to help guide your agenda.

Remember, digging in to our local food sources helps the local economy….and it will certainly help fill that large pothole of hunger in your stomach.

What’s in a name?

2010-07-27T15:03:00.002-04:00

We recently enjoyed Tastebud Tours’ 3.5 hour walking food tour of the “Magnificent Mile” in Chicago, IL. Real estate developer Arthur Rubloff gave the nickname to the city’s most prestigious residential and commercial thoroughfares in the 1940’s. Today, it’s Chicago’s largest shopping district and also includes fine restaurants, hotels, and skyscrapers.

We enjoyed the tour because it effectively showcased the history of the area and how food shaped, commemorated and celebrated that history. We ate Chicago style pizza, Chicago hot dogs and even sampled the Cheezborger, Cheezborger, Cheezborger (No Pepsi…Coke) from the Billy Goat Tavern. The experience got us thinking about Indiana originals. What restaurants are our icons? What foods were created here that shape, commemorate and celebrate Hoosiers? We would love to hear your thoughts! And Yes, We are aware of the pork tenderloin sandwich...check out all the websites dedicated to the Hoosier classic

It’s Summertime, Sweet Summertime!

2010-07-20T14:52:00.001-04:00

As the number of warm days continues to increase, Indiana’s bountiful harvest is ready to consume! Early season rain and warmer temperatures this summer mean an early crop of tomatoes and cucumbers. We are already feasting on these tasty treats and wondering about your favorite ways to serve them. We entertain frequently in the summer and also attend Symphony on the Prairie, so we favor preparations that travel and hold well in warm temperatures. This recipe is easy to adjust seasonally based on the fresh produce you have on hand:

Quinoa Salad with Herbs & Fresh Vegetables

1 c. quinoa

2 c. water or stock (vegetable or chicken)

3 c. raw vegetables, chopped (our favorite combination is cucumbers, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli – all of which are in season right now)

1/8. Fresh herbs, minced (our favorite combination is chives, basil, thyme – all of which are in season right now)

1 c. salsa (we are using the last of what we canned in the summer of ’09)

Bring water or stock and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and cover to simmer 10-12 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Pour onto a plate or pan and spread out evenly; chill. While quinoa cools, chop vegetables and herbs. When quinoa is cooled completely, place it in a large mixing bowl. Add vegetables, herbs and salsa. Season to taste.

Local Farmer Needs Your Support

2010-07-14T19:41:00.003-04:00

When you know where your food comes from, you have the opportunity to build relationships with the producers who work so hard to grow and cultivate that food. John and Kelly own Seldom Seen Farms and offer fantastic produce through the Broadripple Farmers’ Market, Indy Winter Farmers’ Market and a CSA. Unfortunately, Kelly was struck by last lightning Thursday while working on the farm. Her husband, John was there and able to perform CPR while waiting for medics to arrive. Kelly is in critical condition in the Cardiac ICU at Methodist Hospital in downtown Indianapolis.

You can support the family during this time by patronizing their booth at the Broadripple Farmers’ Market. Also, many of the stands at that market are donating a percentage of their proceeds to Kelly’s care and offering the opportunity for direct donations. A great member of our community is in need, and beyond the traditional benefits of buying local, this time the importance your dollars staying local is even more significant.

I am working with Indy Fringe to do the food for The Longest Dinner on August 29th on Mass Ave. We are donating 25% of proceeds to Kelly's fund.

Put me in Coach

2010-06-21T22:03:00.003-04:00

We ate our last winter squash this week. Yep, it was picked in October, survived spring training, and has just been hanging out in the bull pen waiting for action. The butternut squash was called up in a major way: Roasted Squash Mexican Lasagna. It is amazing to us how long food lasts when it is grown sustainably. I can't imagine going to the store and buying an 8 month old squash that tasted good. Since we are getting tons of lettuce in the CSA right now, the Mexican Lasagna was a good way to break up the green onslaught (although Karen still made me eat a salad with it). With this dish you're sure to pitch the 3rd perfect game of the year.

Roasted Squash Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
• 2 1/3 cups tomato sauce
• 3 ancho chilies, soaked in water, pureed
• 1 butternut squash, roasted, peeled, diced (about 2 cups)
• 12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 2 cups shredded Swiss Connection cheese (about 8 ounces) (or your favorite cheddar style cheese)
• Chopped fresh green onion
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes or until they're tender. Stir in the corn. Add the tomato sauce, chilies and squash.
Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Line the bottom of the baking dish with 6 tortillas, overlapping as needed. Spread with half the remaining enchilada sauce. Another layer of tortillas, sauce, top with the cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the green onion before serving, if desired.

Something Seedy

2010-06-15T09:11:00.000-04:00

Indiana Strawberries are coming to an end. If you havent't done it yet; now is the time to freeze your for the rest of the year. In honor of our literal first fruits of the season (this year we beat the birds and the geese to the harvest along our house), we offer the following fun facts:

- Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.

- The average strawberry has 200 seeds.

- The ancient Romans believed strawberries alleviated symptoms of melancholy, fainting, all inflammations, fevers, throat infections, kidney stones, bad breath, attack of gout, and disease of the blood, liver and spleen.

- Strawberries are a member of the rose family.

- Allegedly if you split a double strawberry in half and share it with the opposite sex, you’ll soon fall in love.

Lettuce is currently abundant as well! Why not combine the best of both worlds and prepare a strawberry vinaigrette dressing for your next big salad?

Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing

1 c. olive oil
1/2 pint strawberries, stems removed
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Combine oil, berries, vinegar, salt, pepper, in food processor. Whirl until berries are pureed. The vinaigrette dressing can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Stir before using.

Fava Frenzy

2010-06-09T21:06:00.002-04:00

One of the delicacies of early spring to early summer is the fava bean. We just got the first batch in our CSA basket today. Many farmers and gardeners plant fava beans as green manure, because they are nitrogen-fixing, and like other kinds of peas and beans, they enrich soil fertility if they are plowed back into the soil before they start to product beans. They are also planted as a cover crop. The pods form and mature as the weather warms up in early spring. I enjoy their vibrant green color and meaty texture.

If you would like to learn more about how to shell fava beans (many hands might for light work indeed), please visit our friend Michelle Fleury’s blog, “Getting Your Share”.

Here is one of our favorite fava recipes from the Alice Waters cookbook “Chez Panisse Vegetables.”

Fava Bean Puree

2 pounds mid-season fava beans

½ to ¾ c. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic

¼ bay leaf

1 small sprig rosemary

1 sprig thyme

½ lemon

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Shell the fava beans; discard the pods. Parboil the shelled beans for 1 minute. Drain them and immediately plunge them in ice-cold water for a few minutes to cool. Drain them again and remove their pale green skins, piercing the outer skin of each bean with your thumbnail and popping out the bright green bean inside with a pinch of your thumb and forefinger. Warm about ½ c. of the olive oil in a shallow, nonreactive sauté pan. Add the beans and salt lightly. Add the garlic, peeled and chopped very fine; the herbs; and a splash of water. Cook the beans at a slow simmer, stirring and tasting frequently, for about 30 minutes, until they are completely soft and pale green ad easily mashed into a puree. Add another splash of water from time to time to prevent the beans from drying out and sticking to the pan.

When the beans are done, remove and discard the herbs, and mash the beans into a paste with a wooden spoon – or pass them through a sieve or a food mill or puree with a food processor. Taste for seasoning and add more olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice to taste. If he puree is at all dry and tight, add still more olive oil. Don’t be stingy with the oil; good olive oil is as important to the flavor of the puree as the beans. Serve warm or at room temperature, by itself or spread on grilled bread.

Makes about 3 cups.

Almost Famous

2010-04-30T10:18:00.001-04:00

Many of our avid blog readers stop us on the streets to ask for autographs. The paparazzi often hide in the bushes around our house and wait for the right moment to snap our photo as we plant our summer vegetable garden. Certainly this fan following will reach new heights with our recent publication in Indy Living Green Magazine. For the full issue, see www.indianalivinggreen.com

Remember, Mother’s Day weekend is an ideal time to plant the vegetable garden that will entertain you for months on end! Why give Mom a bouquet that dies in a few days when you could give her a tomato plant that will last four months?

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-15T15:26:00.002-04:00

Did you wake up and hug a tree this morning? Do you live in a neighborhood that even has a tree?

We’ve made a conscious effort to reduce our carbon footprint through eating locally. We are also doing composting and worm composting (look for a future post on this riveting topic!) to enrich the nutrient quality of our soil. We couple this with recycling and have reduced our trash to one bag per month!!!

Here is another way your small change can make a big difference. Watch this video, and take the pledge to start bringing your own mug to a local coffee shop. You will find that this small change makes a HUGE difference!

You Say You Want a Revolution

2010-04-06T13:18:00.006-04:00

Have you seen Jamie Oliver on TV lately? Based on his success in the UK, he has turned his focus on revolutionizing the American food system. He is talking about how to bring healthy food to our schools and homes. He is talking about one of the fastest growing markets in this country – plus sized caskets! And, he is talking about a “cure” for the industrialized food disease that is slowly killing us. Here is an excerpt from one of Jamie’s speeches. Be sure to check out the pile of “food” on the kitchen table one mother feeds her family in a week.

How do you start a revolution? How do you help lead a major change? It’s a task that feels overwhelming. You can easily postpone taking action day after day until the problem reaches epic proportions. Here’s one easy way to get started. The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee started discussing the child nutrition bill, farm to school support was upped to $40 million over 5 years and the bill was reported out of committee. This topic will resume in the Senate in mid-to-late April, and the House will start working on it soon. There's still time to speak up: click here to send an email to your legislators.

Indiana Senator Richard Lugar chairs the committee that is reviewing the Child Nutrition Bill. If you live in Indiana, make your voice heard! Across the rest of the country, there’s still an opportunity to let YOUR elected official know that it’s time to bring healthy, real food back to schools. The first of 2 bills has gone to the senate floor, this bill will allow schools to use fresh produce from farms in schools. Yes, believe it or not, it is almost impossible for schools to use fresh produce!

With one click, you’re starting a revolution.

The Apple of My Eye

2010-02-23T17:03:00.004-05:00

Have you ever wondered about the origin of that saying? According to Wikipedia (which means it MUST be true, right?), it actually refers “…to the central aperture of the eye, presumably because apples were the most common sphere-shaped object around. The apple and apple tree were also sacred symbols for the early British peoples. This is reflected in such stories as the Island of Avalon (which literally means Apple Island). Now, this phrase is usually figurative, meaning something, or more usually someone, cherished above others. As sight is so precious, someone who is called this as an endearment is similarly precious.”

That must mean we should all be eating apples on St. Valentine’s Day instead of chocolate! (Endangered Species and Godiva are likely to withdraw their sponsorship of our blog now. Oh, wait…). In honor of love and apertures (what does it say when you need to Wikipedia a word in a Wikipedia description?) then, we offer you this recipe for homemade applesauce. Use those delicious, local apples you purchased in the fall that are starting to get soft to create this delight. And, be sure to share a bowl with your sweetie….or your doctor, who will be so proud!

Homemade Applesauce

8 ripe apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

Water

1 T. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cloves

¼ c. maple syrup (Refer to the “Indiana Honey, Sorghums and Syrups” section to find local sources: http://www.goinglocal-info.com/my_weblog/indiana_food_guide.html)

Place enough water in a large saucepan to cover the bottom. Then, place the apple chunks in the pan. Place over high heat until water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stirring frequently. As the apples are cooking and beginning to soften, mash them in the pan with a medal or wooden spoon. Continue stirring and mashing frequently, until apples have broken down completely (a few small chunks may remain). Once the apples are cooked down to your desired consistency, stir in remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Remove from pan to cool. Refrigerate or freeze (up to eight months) after cooling.

Spring Has Sprung?

2010-02-16T16:59:00.002-05:00

It’s been snowing for a week. Pretty much a solid week. All the snowing and blowing reminds us of how much we enjoy spring – when the snow is melted, and the vegetables are fresh again! We associate early spring days with asparagus. And, Karen’s family makes a habit of eating asparagus and eggs every spring. Pull some of that spring asparagus out of your freezer (because, of course, you preserved some locally grown asparagus last spring), and try this delicious concoction.

Asparagus With Fried Eggs

2” thick bundle of asparagus

2 to 3 T. butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 eggs

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Wash and trim the asparagus of any tough, fibrous ends. If the asparagus is quite large, you can peel the bottom half of the shoots to remove the tough outer layers. In a large skillet with a lid, bring ½” of lightly salted water to a boil and lay in the asparagus. Cover and cook until the bottoms of the shoots are just tender when poked with a fork. (Very slender asparagus will cook in 6-8 minutes, and fat shoots can take up to 15 minutes). Using the lid to hold back the asparagus, pour off the water. Melt a little butter in the pan with the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Remove the asparagus immediately to the serving plate(s) and quickly wipe out the skillet with a paper towel if there are bits of asparagus remaining in the pan. Restore the heat under the pan to medium low, melt a little more butter, crack the eggs into the pan, season with a little salt and pepper and gently cook them to your preferred state of doneness. (I recommend sunny-side up or over easy so the broken yolks provide a dressing for the asparagus.) Slide the cooked eggs directly on top of the asparagus, and top with a blanket of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve immediately

A Big Pizza Pie

2010-02-03T18:44:00.002-05:00

Pizzeria Bianco. Critics (and who are these mysterious people, anyway?) contend it’s the best pizza in the WORLD. That’s right, friends, better than Italy. Better than Little Italy. Better than your little Italian grandma used to make. Certainly better than anything delivered to your front door.

As pizza enthusiasts and general gastronomes, we were unwilling to merely accept the findings of unnamed critics. We traveled all the way to Phoenix, AZ, to experience Pizzeria Bianco and decide for ourselves whether or not it was worth the wait.

In fact, waiting almost a lifetime to eat there is nothing compared to the three hour plus wait that is part of the Pizzeria Bianco dining experience. It’s the first time we’ve waited in line to earn the privilege of waiting in line for food. And, so, we waited one hour to put our names on the waiting list in order to wait three more hours for a table. This is, by all definitions, insanity.

We talked two friends into joining us (who may no longer be friends after waiting four hours for dinner). We made friends with the other people in line around us. We made friends with their friends. And, no matter how many friends we made, we all secretly wondered if winning lottery tickets were delivered with each pizza. After all, why else would you put yourself through this?

Well, Pizzeria Bianco did not disappoint (although there were no winning lottery tickets involved). We were wild about the olive oil with the house made country bread and the Pizza Rosa (Red Onions, Parmigiano Reggiano, Rosemary, Arizona Pistachios). What was even wilder was that we realized we have our own “Pizzeria Bianco” right here in Indianapolis called Pizzology.

Why do we believe that something from far away is always better? This principle holds true whether we’re talking about consultants (do you ever notice subject matter experts never reside in the same town as their clients – it’s called the 50 mile rule) or food (cheese from Italy or cheese from Indiana). Maybe it’s that going away helps you appreciate what you already have at home.

Either way, we agree with Dave Barry’s comment, “Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.”

Tree Boy from Thursday December 17

2009-12-20T10:22:00.006-05:00

Thursday we cooked a couple of recipes from the WTHR cookbook. This book is available at Marsh supermarkets and proceeds go to charity. We cooked 2 recipes using local Indiana products. People often say, "how can you eat local in the winter in Indiana." The reality is that we have local food products available all year long. Farmers (producers) are growing lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, etc. in green houses. Just head out to one of the many winter farmers markets and you may be amazed.

Interesting facts about Indiana agriculture:

Currently, 23 of Indiana’s 43 wineries produce their own version of Indiana’s new signature wine “Traminette.”

Indiana has 287 organic farms, covering 14,143 acres.

Indiana has more than 120 farmers’ markets across the state.

Indiana has experienced a 222% increase in the number of farmers’ markets

Hoosier farmers grow more than 30 different major fruits and vegetables each year.

Indiana Ranks 1st in the country for commercial duck production.

Indiana Ranks 2nd in the country for chicken egg hatching.

Indiana Ranks 6th in the U.S. in turkeys raised.

Plus we have wineries, farmers markets, agritourism and niche markets like organics.

Hoosiers bought more than $22 million in agricultural products directly from farmers in 2007.

Products used in the segment came from:
Ribs - Moody Meats
Maple Syrup - Burton Maple Syrup
Ketchup, Mustard - Local Folks
Bread made from wheat grown at - Fields of Agape
Apple Cider - Beasley Orchard
Dairy - Traders Point Creamery

Watch Treeboy Segment

12 Days of Local Christmas

2009-12-12T13:26:00.003-05:00

Please sing along, everyone, as we unveil our 12 days of local Christmas.

12 Deviled Eggs: Buy local eggs, and dress them up with cured salmon, curry powder, smoked trout or local bacon for your holiday bash!

11 Piped Cheese Straws: Feature local cheeses in these savory Southern treats (see “Zesty Cheese Straws” recipe below).

10 Bottles of Eggnog: Add brandy or spiced rum to Trader’s Point Creamery’s oh soooooo yummy eggnog for a festive holiday cocktail!

9 Dozen Cookies: Revive the cookie exchange! Use local ingredients like persimmons to keep the flavors close to home (see “Persimmon Cookies” recipe below).

8 Friends a Cooking: Try recipes from Chef Thom’s new cookbook featuring local foods

7 Smells a Swirling: Take a sprig of rosemary and remove ¾ of the leaves from the stem. Then, cube meat or vegetables and thread them on the skewer. Bake, and notice the delicious smell wafting through your home as you open the oven door.

6 Gifts of Bacon: Nothing says I love you like Goose the Market’s Indiana Bacon of the Month club

5 New Restaurants: Celebrate the holidays at restaurants featuring local food! Check out www.indyethnicfoods.com, Goose the Market, R Bistro, Pizzology, City Café and more!

4 Meat Markets: Buy your special cuts this year from Indiana butchers with Indiana raised products….Kinkaid’s, Joe’s Butcher Shop, Moody Meats & Klaus’.

3 Stocking Stuffers: Source these from Taste of Indiana, DeBrand’s Fine Chocolates or Indiana Wineries.

2 Farmers’ Markets: Traders Point Creamery and the Indy Winter Farmers’ Market are still open for business!

1 Christmas Tree: The Boy Scouts are selling Christmas trees in Zionsville (just East of downtown on 334) that were grown near Lafayette, IN. Live local! They will even pick up the tree at your house after the holidays and recycle it!

For more Indiana Local gift ideas go to Going Local

Zesty Cheese Straws

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a food processor, add the butter, cheese, flour, salt and cayenne and process until a smooth dough is formed. Scoop it into a cookie press, fitted with a flat ridged tip. Pipe the dough in 2-inch strips onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. (Alternatively, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes and roll on a lightly floured surface into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut into smaller rectangles, about 2 by 3-inches, with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool.

Persimmon Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup very ripe Indiana persimmon puree
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
Glaze:

1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp persimmon puree
1 tsp grated orange peel

Cream butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Add persimmon puree, stirring until blended. Stir together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to persimmon mixture a third at a time, stirring just until flour is incorporated. Stir in nuts.

Lay out plastic wrap on a large smooth surface. Place the cookie dough on the plastic wrap and form into a long cylindrical log, wrapping the dough completely with the plastic wrap. Place in freezer. Chill at least a couple of hours, until frozen or almost frozen. Preheat oven to 375°F. When dough is fairly solid, unwrap from plastic wrap and slice with a sharp knife, 1/4" thick rounds. Lay out cookie dough rounds on stick-free cookie sheets, leaving at least an inch between the cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies spring back when lightly touched in center. Let cool on baking racks before frosting. When cookies have cooled, lay out over a sheet of wax paper. Sift confectioner's sugar and then whisk with 2 Tbsp of milk until smooth. Add 1 Tbsp of persimmon puree and 1 tsp of grated orange peel and mix until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze mixture and dribble over cookies. Let harden and serve.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Everything You See I Owe To Spaghetti

2009-12-09T09:21:00.003-05:00

Sophia Loren is attributed with this quote, although I think she stole it from my family. Of course, we’re not quite as photogenic. Or as thin. Or as rich. Or as famous. Other than that, people often confuse her with being a member of our family. You can certainly see the resemblance…..

Following Thanksgiving, an entire week of cooking and eating if you play your cards right, culinary inspiration may be stifled. That’s why this two ingredient dish is sure to tantalize your taste buds and help your restore your girlish figure. If this doesn’t work, support the economy by purchasing elastic waist band pants. The retailers will thank you.

Superb Spaghetti Squash

1 Spaghetti Squash

1 Quart tomato juice or sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard, then spray or brush both sides of both halves with olive oil. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet, and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. If a fork can easily pierce the flesh, remove to a baking rack to cool. If not fork tender, return to oven for five minutes and check again. Repeat until fork tender. Allow squash to cool for 30 minutes. Preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove spaghetti squash from shell. Add to skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato juice or sauce. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.

Suggested garnish: Shaved Parmesan cheese

Butterin' You Up

2009-12-01T16:17:00.002-05:00

We are experiencing a number of consecutive grey, raining, cold days in the greater Central Indiana area. Those days always make me thinking of making soup.....even though my other half is Indiana's Soup Nazi (if you've had him for class, you know exactly what I mean). So much so that in our years together, I've only made soup for him three times EVER. Each time I experienced an extreme amount of anxiety as he took his first bite. (I do not understand Karen's anxiety, she is a wonderful chef (TE))

If you have some tough customers coming to your table, I highly recommend:

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

3-4 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed to 1"
1 large onion, cubed to 1"
2 large McIntosh apples, cubed to 1"
2 T. olive oil
3-4 c. homemade chicken stock, warm

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place vegetables in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper until coated. Pour into a single layer on two sheet pans. Place sheet pans in oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir. Bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from pans and place in a large pot. Add 3c. chicken stock. Use a hand potato masher to mash together. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a smooth consistency, you may use an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor and puree.

Tree Boy Recipes

2009-11-20T22:47:00.006-05:00

These are the recipes from the segment with Tree Boy this morning. For more great recipes for a twisted Thanksgiving; pick up a copy of the new Indianapolis DINE magazine.

Cranberry-ginger Relish
Recipe By : Thom England
Serving Size : 8

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 can Mandarin orange -- Quartered
20 ounces Cranberries
1/2 Cup Maple syrup
1/2 Cup ginger root -- Peeled

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse. Adjust taste as needed with more sugar or lemon juice if acid needed.

Sweet Potato Hash Browns (latkes)
Recipe By : Thom England
Serving Size : 8

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Medium Sweet Potato -- Peeled and Grated
1 small yellow onion -- peeled and grated
2 Each Egg
1 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Tablespoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Peanut Oil
2 Tablespoons Apple Butter

Combine Sweet Potato, Yellow Onion, Egg, Flour and Salt in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.
Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the latke mixture and press out to form small round potato pancakes.
Heat a saute pan with the Corn Oil. Place Latke into hat pan and cook on each side until crisp. About 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel. Reserve in a warm place.
Spread a layer of Apple Butter on Hash Browns for a little extra flavor boost.

The nest 2 recipes are available in Indianapolis Dine Magazine (Written by Ivy Tech Students).

Twisted Crispy Yam S’more Stacks
By Sarah Nunery
Difficulty: 4
Portions: 12-14

3 large yams (about 3 pounds)
2 to 3 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt (to taste)
1 Dozen large Marshmallows (roasted)
2 cups Tempered Chocolate (melted)
1 cup Graham Crackers (crushed)

Starting with the Yams-
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash the yams well, rub them with some of the olive oil, and sprinkle salt. Prick the yams with a fork, and then bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until a skewer can just barely go to the center. Allow the yams to cool until you can handle them. Then, without peeling them, cut crosswise into ½ to ¾ inch thick rounds.

When ready to build stacks, heat the remaining oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add yam slices and fry until crisp on both sides and hot through. 1 to 2 minutes. OR You can grill the yams by brushing them with oil and grilling them over a low fire to keep from burning.

Marshmallows-
Simply roast marshmallows over a low flame until golden brown on the outside and soft and hot on the inside.

Building Stacks-
-Place two roasted marshmallow between two rounds of yams, like a sandwich.
-Drizzle the tempered chocolate over top of yam stack.
-Sprinkle crushed graham crackers over top the chocolate.

Serve hot!

Serves: 6 Time for prep and cooking: 1 hour Difficulty Level: 5 Pretty Easy

Twisted Inside-Out Green Bean Casserole

By Rob Gaston
Difficulty: 4
Portions: 4 mushrooms
Ingredients
4 portabella mushroom caps
3 Tbsp Oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 large onions
½ cup port wine
3-4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 ½ cups fresh green beans

· Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
· Run a knife horizontally around the portabella cap to remove the black gills. Drizzle the cut side with oil, then season with salt and pepper.
· Cut the onions into thin slices, and cook in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the onions have become soft and translucent, turn the heat down to low. Cook for another 15-20 minutes until onions begin to caramelize.
· Stir the thyme leaves into the onions and heat briefly. Then add the port wine and cook until absorbed by the onions.
· Using ¼ of each ingredient, place the onions on the portabella mushroom, top with goat cheese. Put the mushrooms in the oven for 20 minutes.
· Lay the green beans flat on a cutting board and lightly run a peeler along the green bean to create thin shavings. You may need to rotate the green bean after each shaving.
· Pile the green bean shavings on top of the mushrooms, and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes, until the goat cheese and some of the green beans have started to brown.

Talking Turkey with Thom E

2009-11-18T10:00:00.004-05:00

Each year we celebrate the harvest with Thanksgiving. Most cultures around the world celebrate many different harvests. Travel France in the Summer and Fall , and you will find a festival every weekend celebrating the harvest of a different crop ..... truffles, potatoes, grapes, mmushrooms, etc. Every village has its own harvest to celebr a te. It's unfortunate that the U.S. has only one celebration for all of our bounty. I love Thanksgiving. All the food is canned or frozen that we will be eating for the next five months, and we are ready to go slow into winter.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, think about where the sources of the food on your table. We should be celebrating our own local harvest. Try to order your turkey from a local source (I recommend Goose the Market, who sells turkeys raised in Northern Indiana). Even the side dishes should feature all the bounties of the area. Our table will include Pumpkin Pie from pumpkins grown in our CSA, Persimmon P udding from persimmons grown on Karen's family farm, s weet p otatoes from near Terre Haute , and rolls from wheat grown in Indiana and ground in our own home. Indiana has so much to offer. If you would like to find some great food for your table check out the Indy Winter Market that is open the second Saturday in November - April 24.
Thanksgiving Turkey
1 18 pound Turkey, Pastur e Raised
1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Thyme Leaves
1 tsp Oregano, chopped
2 tsp rubbed sage
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 head garlic, peeled, minced
1 Cup Veg e table Oil
1. Rub the turkey with all the herbs and spices. Return it to the refrigerator and allow to rest for 24 hours u ncovered.
2. Rub the oil on the bird. Place it breast side down i n a rack on a sheet pan. Place in a 300 degree oven for 1.5 hours.
3. Remove turkey from oven, and turn breast side up. Return it to the oven , and turn heat down to 250. Leave for 1 hour.
4. Check the internal temperature of the turkey by placing thermometer in the thigh meat. If the temp has reached 155 degrees , remove from the oven. If it has not, turn heat up to 300 , and check temperature every 15 minutes.
5. Allow turkey to rest at room temp for 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

Making His List, Checking it Twice

2009-11-11T19:05:00.003-05:00

Our freezers are full. Our pantry is full. Our basement is full. We are the food storage equivalent of elastic waist band pants - too stuffed to be confined. Since we picked up our final CSA delivery of the season last week, it seemed like a great time share our inventory list with all of you.

Honestly, I feel exhausted just reading the list. If you did not preserve this much food (because you apparently had other fun things to do with your free time), we encourage you to visit the your local winter farmers' market. If the Indianapolis area is your home, be sure to visit the Indianapolis Winter Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings.

Thom E Boy and Tree Boy will be reunited on Channel 13 (WTHR) on Friday, November 20 during the morning news. Thom E will do a twist on traditional Thanksgiving favorites. I guess you could say Tree Boy will be talking turkey with Thom.

Our basement includes:
Quantity Unit Description
40 Pounds Yellow Gold Potatoes
40 Pounds Sweet Potatoes
40 Pounds Mixed winter squash
8 Ropes Fresh Garlic
6 Jars Home canned pickles
12 Jars Home canned whole tomatoes
2 Jars Home canned tomato paste
2 Jars Home canned pickled garlic scapes
2 jars Home canned pickled okra
2 Jars Home canned enchilada sauce
2 Jars Home canned tomato sauce
15 Jars Home canned tomato juice
4 Jars Home canned hot sauce
1 Jars Home canned mole
13 Jars Home canned salsa

Our freezer is packed with:
Quantity Unit Description
1 Bowl Bread Crumbs
1 Loaf Honey Mesquite Garlic Dill Bread
1 Loaf Gluten Free Rye
1 Pyrex Persimmon Pudding
1 Whole Pumpkin Pie
2 Whole Marble Cookies
2 Gallons Black Raspberries
2 Gallon Blueberries
5 Food Saver Strawberries
3-Jan Gallons Tart Cherries
13 Food Saver Peaches
4 2 c. Persimmon Pulp
1 Package Chestnut Flour
1 Package Mesquite Flour
5 Pounds Yellow Cornmeal
5 Pounds White Cornmeal
5 Pounds White Grits
5 Pounds Whole Wheat Flour
2 Pounds Whole Wheat Flour
3 Packages Beef Stew Meat
6 Packages Ham
1 Package Pork Loin
1 Package Pork Tenderloin
1 Package Meatballs
1 Whole Turkey
1 Package Duck Breasts
2 Packages Ham Bones
1 Package Chinese Pork Sausage
1 Package Apricot Duck Sausage
1 Package Chinese Cured & Smoked Ham Pieces
1 Package Venison Sausage
1 Package Country Ham
2 Packages Ground Beef
1 Package Turkey Breast
1 Package Brats
1 Package Chicken Sausage
1 Package Skin on Chicken Breasts
1 Package Chicken Drumsticks
1 Package Homemade Bacon
3 Packages Raw Milk Butter
1 Loaf Spinach Feta Stuffed Bread
1 Package Spicy Korean Pork
1 Container Beef Stew
1 Package Risotto Corn Cakes
1 Containers Roasted Mixed Squash
1 Package Squash Ravioli
4 Individual Bean Dip Kolaches
10 Individual Mushroom Burgers
3 Slices Cooked Bacon
5 Tbls. Bacon Bits
1 Package Chicken Veloute
3 Packages Basil Pesto
1 Container Mole
1 Container Carrot Puree
2 Container Shrimp Sauce
1 Small Pkg Raspberry Sauce
2 Containers Red Pepper Puree
2 Package Eggplant Puree
1 Package Wild Caught Blue Shrimp
1 Package Langoustines
3 Packages Shrimp Shells
4 10/Package Key West Shrimp
4 Gallon White Beef Stock
1 Pint White Beef Stock
3 Jars Corn Stock
3 Packages Corn Stock
9 Packages Cutting Celery
1 Package Morel Mushroom Duxelle
1/2 Package Artichoke Hearts
14 Packages Asparagus
3 Packages Sugar Snap Peas
1 Package Asparagus Stems
2 Packages Snow Peas
7 Packages Green Beans
10 Packages Corn
1 Packages English Peas
5 Packages Okra
2 Packages Sautéed Zucchini and Squash
6 Packages Tomato Salsa
1 Package Chanterelle Mushroom Duxelles
1 Pint Yellow & Red Pepper Puree
8 Packages Broccoli
1 Package Green Beans
6 Packages Cauliflower
4 Packages Okra
4 Packages Leeks
1 Jars Roasted Eggplant
2 Packages Green Chile Peppers, Roasted, Peeled, Seeded & Chopped
1 Package Red Chile Peppers, Roasted, Peeled, Seeded & Chopped
3 Packages Cured Salmon

Rock Lobsta'

2009-11-04T10:10:00.000-05:00

Ok, I realize that this is not local...at all, but, sometimes you have to have a little lobster fix. I have had many people ask me for my lobster bisque recipe over the years, but I have never given out the actual recipe...until now.

This is a great fall soup. I also have used roasted fresh pumpkin in place of rice in the past in orgasmic results.

Lobster Bisque

3 oz Onions
2 oz butter
3 parsley stems
1/2 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 1/2 pound lobster
1/4 Cup Brandy
3/4 Cup White wine
3 1/4 cups chicken stock
2 1/4 cups clam juice
1/2 cup rice
2 cups Extra Heavy Whipping Cream
5 oz butter
1/4 cup chopped chives.

1. Cook lobster until just red (you can ask your fish guy at the grocery store to steam it for you)
2. Remove meat from tail and claws. (I use kitchen shears to do this.) Cut meat into 1/4 inch pieces. Reserve the meat and all shell pieces.
3. sweat onions in 2 oz butter. Add parsley stems, bay leaf and thyme.
4. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and brandy. (Careful, this may flare up. If it does flame up then the alcohol is disappear in the soup. If alcohol does not flame up then it is still in your finished cooked product.) Reduce until it is just about gone (au sec)
5. Add the Lobster shells, Chicken Stock and Clam Juice. Simmer 20 minutes.
6. Strain soup.
7. Return to pot with the rice. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes.
8. Puree with a hand blender, blender or food processor. Add the heavy cream and butter as you puree.
9. Put pieces of meat in the soup cups. Pour soup in cups. Top with chopped chives.

Jose Cuervo, You Are a Friend of Mine

2009-10-28T07:05:00.004-04:00

Our summer produce bounty is winding down. Cool nights and crisp days signal a transition to harvesting root vegetables and making soups and stews. At this point in the year, we've typically consumed enough tomatoes and peppers to long for a brief dining hiatus. This year is no exception.

We recently harvested the last round of hot peppers from the small garden around our house. We were also the lucky winners of the hot peppers on the "extras" table at our Community Supported Agriculture pick-up point. We've already made and canned our own hot sauce and salsa, grilled, pureed and frozen pepper pulp, and made a virtual army of vegetarian enchiladas. So, what's left?

Well, they say everything you need to know you learned in kindergarten. This is no exception.....remember that childhood tongue twister, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers?" Ah haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! Pickled peppers! Right! The famous ball park accompaniment to nachos! The thing you eat out of the refrigerator when you work from home all day and you're bored (or so I've heard)!

We are awarding bonus points to Chef Thom this week for not only pickling the peppers but for actually finding a way to use them! (Thanks to everyone who chided him about not cooking at home after last week's post - he subsequently kicked in a weekend brunch, a Sunday lunch and the pickled peppers. Keep those cards and letters coming!)

The real jewel here is that he pickled the peppers in TEQUILA. You'll either like them or eat enough of them to forget that you didn't like them. Genius!

You can pickle your own peppers as well using this recipe!

30 jalapeno peppers
4 tbsp kosher salt
3 cups water
2 cups tequila
2 tbsp agave nectar

1. Wash the peppers
2. Remove the stems without cutting off the top of the pepper
3. Cut a slit in the side of each pepper so that the liquid can get inside.
4. Combine kosher salt and water to make a brine. Put peppers in the brine, make sure they are not floating. I put them in a bowl and put a heavy plate on them to weight them down. Leave them overnight to brine.
5. Remove from the brine. Pack the peppers into a sterilized brining jar.
6. Pour the tequila in to fill the jar. Make sure you push down on the peppers a few times when it is full, this Will suck the juice into the inside of the peppers. Add the agave nectar. Refill the jars to 1/2 of the top with the tequila.
7. Put a lid on it. Put into a water bath canner for 12 minutes.

Bean Breakthrough

2009-10-21T16:09:00.002-04:00

You may remember our adventures last winter incorporating green beans in all types of cuisine. At one point during the winter, I considered making necklaces out of them to give as holiday gifts due to our bountiful supply. Given that I could not identify a way to incorporate fried onions and mushroom soup, I knew the idea would never fly in Indiana. (Yes, family, I apologize again for bringing sautéed green beans to Thanksgiving instead of Green Bean Casserole.)

Today I would like to report a green bean breakthrough, just in time for those cold fall and winter days ahead. It is so easy your friends will want the recipe. Tell them you slaved over the beans and could not possibly share your secret, even in exchange for brownies. Or a BMW.

Also, a big shout out to Chef Thom today for earning his Certified Executive Chef designation! He is now a part of the elite in the culinary industry. For those of you thinking, "You are so lucky to have a chef around," please be sure to ask how often he cooks at home.

Oven Roasted Green Beans

Fresh green beans, rinsed, dried and stems removed
1/4 c. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Clean and dry green beans. Toss green beans with olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Transfer green beans to a sheet pan, placing them in a single layer. Roast for ten minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Place back in the oven for another ten minutes. Remove from oven and immediately transfer to a serving dish. Bon Appetit!

"Can" You Do It?

2009-09-24T07:19:00.005-04:00

Thank you to WTHR-13 and Treeboy for the opportunity to demonstrate how to can vegetables on live TV this morning. Let's start with our most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) based on this morning's show:
-Yes, Tree Boy is very tall.
-No, we are never awake canning before 7 a.m.
-Yes, Karen is capable of appearing on live television without speaking. (You have to see it to believe it.)
-Yes, we really did pickle okra.

More importantly, do we really live the 100-mile diet? Yes, we do. We enjoy visiting local farmers' markets, participating in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and visiting farms in the area. We can, store, dry and freeze enough produce to last us through the winter. Today you saw one of our favorite items to can - tomatoes.

If you are interested in more information about how to can your summer bounty, please leave a comment on our blog or visit National Center for Home Food Preservation. You can get the specifics of how to can most common garden items at this website.

Trust us, you can do it.

Slow Food is currently working with the federal government to make changes to the Child Nutrition Act (School Lunch Program). Any donation to help us with this made in the month of September will entitle you to a Slow Food Indy membership. For more information check out the website or come out to Whole Foods Markets this Saturday (September 26th) in Indianapolis and Carmel between the hours of noon and 2. I will be at the market on 86th street and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Scenes from An Italian Restaurant

2009-09-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

You remember how it goes:

A bottle of red, a bottle of white -
It all depends on your appetite.
I'll meet you any time you want
In our Italian restaurant.

With the tomato crop booming in our side yard right now (much more affordable than actual landscaping), we are inspired to invent variations on our favorite Italian dishes. Each time we visit Italy, we are enamored with Tuscany, truffles and time-honored food traditions. It's more affordable to journey through Italian meals at home than through the Italian countryside at present, though.

Which reminds us of another journey.....and not the one from the '80's that brought us time honored Junior High slow dance music such as "Faithfully." It's the journey to preserve Indiana grown produce at its peak in preparation for the cold winter months ahead (El Nino, say it ain't so). It's easy to romanticize the joy of opening a can of well preserved-tomatoes in the dead of winter and savoring its summery essence on a snowy winter day. That would be roughly akin to telling you about the joys of children without the pain of childbirth.

Speaking of which, we definitely birthed the mother load of tomatoes this year. The pain of the experience is still fresh in my mind, in fact......mostly because we've spent many August mornings and evenings canning tomatoes. Every time I turn around, another counter is covered with a different type of tomato: German Pink, Cherokee Purple, Yellow Stripe, Yellow Pear or grape tomatoes. They are mating like crazed lovers, which makes me wonder if some of them are sipping our martinis when we aren't looking.

We did learn a valuable lesson about canning this year, though, which is that it's best shared with friends. We say this for two reasons. First, friends who are canning rookies believe this will be a fun experience, which means you can expertly direct their vigor toward tasks you detest, such as turning the crank on the food mill, doing dishes and stuffing blue cheese in the olives (because, after all, if the tomatoes are drinking martinis, shouldn't you?). Second, canning with friends is a great way to reminisce about your childhood when your family actually canned food. Remember those days? You got one job (hopefully licking the spoons - even if your mom didn't know you assigned yourself this job). Thom E was so excited about teaching friends to can, he even hosted a canning day at the school (though in retrospect, it may have been a ploy to miss the first half of a couples' bridal shower).

Well, in conclusion, we offer two great ways below to enjoy your tomato treasures while they are still ripe. Next, we remind you to can early and often. And, finally, you can meet us any time you want at our Italian restaurant. Mangia! Mangia!

Mediterranean Tomato Treats

1 medium eggplant (any variety you can buy locally will work)
Pita Bread (large or mini - If you live in Indianapolis, check out www.indyethnicfoods.com to identify local sources)
Assorted fresh tomatoes, diced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Greek style feta cheese, diced (or the rough equivalent from your local farm)
Assorted fresh tomatoes, diced
Fresh Basil leaves, chiffonade

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat eggplant in olive oil and place on a sheet pan. Roast eggplant 20-25 minutes or until skin is brown and pulp is soft. Remove from oven. Cool completely. Remove stem and skin from eggplant. Puree in a blender or food processor.

Brush pita bread with olive oil. Toast lightly. Spread toasted pita with eggplant puree. Top with cheese and tomatoes. Season to taste. Garnish with basil, if desired.

Garlicky Cherry Tomato & Bread Gratin

1- 5 oz. piece day old Baguette with crust, cut into 1" cubes (about five cups)
1 1/2 lbs. small cherry tomatoes
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped flat leaf parsley
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan (or Parmesan style - buy local!) cheese
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 10" ceramic quiche dish. Toss bread with other ingredients. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature

Going Local Week This Week

2009-09-10T21:37:00.002-04:00

Karen & Thom E's Feast

Most food lovers can relate to "Babette's Feast," the tale of an impoverished woman who spent a large sum of money on a single meal. Of her guests, only one truly appreciated the cost of her generosity.

Sometimes we forget the true cost of living in a country that promotes and sustains industrial agriculture. It's easy to overlook the cleverly concealed costs of cleaning up contaminated water supplies from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations' (CAFO's) waste run-off, declining health from nutrient poor/sugar and chemical laden/genetically modified foods, and the amount of our tax dollars used to subsidize the very corn that is making us obese, ill and (ironically) malnourished. Time magazine recently published an excellent piece that highlighted what America's "cheap" food is really costing us.

Reading this article and another one about CAFO's in Indiana inspired us to (yet again) contact our elected officials to express our utter disgust about the prevalence of industrial agriculture in our own state. It's particularly disappointing to share with you that the number of Hoosier CAFO's has SUBSTANTIALLY increased under the Mitch Daniels administration.

So, what's a concerned Hoosier to do?

First, take a moment send an electronic letter to these folks. It's as simple as saying, "I do not support CAFO's and will not vote for you if you continue to do so. I do support investing in sustainable agriculture that produces good, clean, fair food."
-Governor Mitch Daniels:
-Lt. Governor Becky Skillman:
-Indiana State Department of Agriculture:
-Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM):

Second, support Going Local week September 6-12, 2009, by eating one Indiana local food at each meal. You can do this by purchasing food from the farmers' market, eating at a locally owned restaurant that uses local ingredients (such as R Bistro, Goose the Market, City Cafe, The Meridian or Cobblestone Grill), or even spending your happy hour at a locally owned and operated establishment (like the Mass Avenue Wine Shop, which also serves local foods).

You may wonder if this even makes a difference. As a reminder, "if half the families in Indiana shifted $6.25 of their current weekly food budget to the purchase of Indiana grown or produced local food that this effort would provide an annual contribution of $300M into the local Indiana economy. Impressive? Yes, but that's not the final number. Studies consistently show a that a dollar spent locally will multiply itself by three to five times making the actual economic impact of that one dollar in the local community where it was spent far greater than a buck," (per www.goinglocal-info.com).

Third, consider replicating our local food feast using the recipes below!

Pesto Vegetables in Puff Pastry

1 sheet puff pastry
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
4 T. olive oil
1 medium yellow squash, sliced 1/4" thick
2 petite pan squash, sliced 1/4" thick
1 zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, small diced
1 c. firmly packed basil leaves
4 T. olive oil
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, thinly shaved
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. soft white cheese, such as fromage blanc or fresh mozzarella
1/4 c. flour
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 4 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When it is shimmering, add vegetables. Sauté until cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place basil and olive oil in a blender or food processor on high speed for one to two minutes. Add pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Process on high speed again, until it forms a chunky paste. This is Pesto.

Place garlic cloves and kosher salt in mortar. Use pestle to grind until a paste forms. (You may also remove the pesto from your blender or food processor and make garlic paste in there if you prefer).

Lightly flour a bread board or counter. Roll out puff pastry to a large rectangle. Spread rectangle with pesto, starting the center. Then, top with garlic paste. Next add vegetables in a think layer to within 1" of the pastry border. Finally, sprinkle with cheese. Roll jelly roll style and place on a sheet pan. Brush with beaten egg.

Bake until puffy and golden brown. Serve hot or room temperature.

Watermelon Jicama Salad

One medium watermelon, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 medium jicama, julienne
2 c. feta cheese, small dice
Leaves from three sprigs of mint, chiffonade
Small handful of cilantro, minced
2 limes, juiced
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic or tarragon vinegar
Salt and pepper

Place first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss dressing with salad. Chill. Serve.

Celebrate Indiana's GOING LOCAL WEEK 2009 by eating one Indiana local food at each meal. By consciously choosing locally grown and produced foods you'll enjoy fresher and more varieties of food, get in touch with the seasonality of the Indiana food shed, protect the environment, and help support the local Indiana economy.

There's no one central event for GOING LOCAL WEEK 2009. The event supporters are asking participants to celebrate the event on a local and personal level. Here are some ideas for activities during that week:

Visit a restaurant using local ingredients, farm, farm market, or farmers' market in your area.

When dining out, choose restaurants who support our local producers by offering local food items on their menus or in their dishes. Find these restaurants at www.indyethnicfoods.com

Host a local foods pitch-in and ask everyone to bring a dish made primarily with local foods.
Bring in fresh Indiana melons for the staff instead of doughnuts during the week.

Have an in-office potluck lunch where everyone brings in something they’ve made with a local ingredient.

Go out to an after-work “happy hour” at a local winery if there is one close by.

Get together with your friends at work and take turns that week bringing a local food dish to share at lunch.

Choose to switch one of your pantry or refrigerator staples such as dairy products or eggs to one from a local producer.

Go to a U-pick.

Preserve some fruits or vegetables for winter use.

Invite some friends over for a local food cooking activity--make a pie with apples you picked from a local orchard, make bread or muffins with Indiana flour or cornmeal, or make tomato sauce with the last of the season Indiana tomatoes.

We hope you'll take the time to tell us what you're doing and how you're planning to "discover, celebrate, and savor the abundance of Indiana's fresh, in-season, and local foods."

Indiana Local Food Stimulus Package noting that if half the families in Indiana shifted $6.25 of their current weekly food budget to the purchase of Indiana grown or produced local food that this effort would provide an annual contribution of 300 million dollars into the local Indiana economy. Impressive? Yes, but that's not the final number. Studies consistently show that a dollar spent locally will multiply itself by 3 to 5 times making the actual economic impact of that one dollar in the local community where it was spent far greater than a buck.

Summer Entertaining

2009-07-19T10:14:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we had a wonderful dinner party with high school friends of Karen. We started the evening with a walk around our urban garden, pick and tasting some of the fun little herbs I have planted: Shiso, Stevia, Thai Basil. Of course, all the standard herbs are peaking right now as well. We also have 12 different heirloom tomatoes planted so it was fun talking about how each are different. We peaked at peppers and picked fresh strawberries. So, We ended up making a dinner together with a menu of:
Smoked Indiana Trout on toast points
Zucchini Carpaccio
Sous Vide grass fed strip loin that was finished on Hickory coals, Horseradish mashed sweet and red potatoes, Sauteed Swiss Chard
Chocolate mousse pie with Peanut Butter Sauce and House Made Sparkling Concord Grape Juice

Below are a few of the recipes:

Squash Carpaccio

Zucchini and/or Yellow Squash, thinly sliced with knife or mandolin
Kosher Salt
Cashews or pine nuts, chopped
Olive Oil

Slice vegetables. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toast nuts in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Drizzle salted vegetables with olive oil. Sprinkle with nuts. Serve.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
White potatoes, cubed
4 T. butter
Kosher salt
Heavy Cream
Black Pepper
Prepared Horseradish

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Stir in butter and cream. Mash by hand until they reach desired consistency. Add more cream if needed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir in horseradish to taste. Taste and adjust seasonings and horseradish to your desired level.

Swiss Chard

Bunches of Swiss Chard
Bacon Fat or Olive Oil
Kosher salt & pepper

Heat fat over medium high heat. When melted, add Swiss chard. Sauté until completely wilted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve."

Phat Wrappers

2009-07-07T13:38:00.006-04:00

Can't you picture us tooling around Midwestern farms with dark shades and bling?

Last week we visited Skillington Farms, located in Lebanon, IN. Stan and Laura Skillington hosted the Slow Food Indy (www.slowfoodindy.com) members and guests at their farm for a Hoedown Showdown on Father's day. There were almost 150 people camping out on their front lawn enjoying fresh fried chicken (cast iron skillet, lard and all!).

The Skillington's raise chickens, turkeys; as well as sell cows, pigs and lamb. We toured the farm and learned that Stan does all of this in addition to working full-time at AT&T! We traveled through the life of a baby chick on the farm on through farm "graduation." The farm was so clean, and the family truly has it down to a science (pun intended)! The most surprising part was learning how much better they fare from a sanitation perspective than their industrial farming competitors.

Let's get down to the real dish, though - Karen's vegan lettuce wraps she entered in the side dish competition. Karen is notorious for opening the refrigerator and cooking something...........anything............innovative. This time her experimentation earned first place in the side dish competition! The real challenge has been getting her to sit still long enough to write down the recipe so all of you can enjoy it!

The great news is the lettuce wraps use lots of local ingredients! You can modify this recipe to include whatever vegetables are fresh at the time (i.e. squash, zucchini, onions and cabbage in July/August).

Early Summer Vegan Lettuce Wraps
4 T. olive oil
4 c. seasonal vegetables, small dice (the award winning version included fresh, local asparagus, green onions, sugar snap peas, shitake mushrooms)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 T. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
6 Thai Basil leaves, chiffonade
3 stems Parsley (leaves removed from stems), chopped
Small handful chives, chopped
2 c. prepared rice or quinoa (prepared according to package directions using water or vegetable stock)
2 T. prepared mustard (available at Indianapolis area farmers' markets)
4 T. soy sauce
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 c. nutritional yeast (available at Good Earth and Whole Foods)
1 head leafy lettuce or iceberg lettuce (washed and separated into individual leaves)

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add vegetables, and sauté six to eight minutes, until al dente. Add garlic and ginger, and sauté another 30 seconds. Add fresh herbs, and stir to combine. Add rice or quinoa, and stir. Let cook until rice or quinoa is heated through. Add mustard, soy sauce and Worcestershire. Continue to cook until liquid is absorbed. Stir in nutritional yeast. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve filling warm or room temperature with cold lettuce leaves.

Times they are a changin'

2009-06-06T21:54:00.000-04:00

Food can transport you to a specific moment in time. When I smell marinara sauce, I immediately think of my grandparents. The smell of potatoes frying reminds me of my mother. A single bite of Parmesano Reggiano cheese transports me to Tuscany. Tomatoes transport me to hot August days in Indiana. There is nothing better than walking out your back door, plucking a ripe tomato out of the warm summer sunshine and taking a big bite. Pure heaven.

This week we experimented with how to blend seasons on a single plate. Like our ever changing weather (54 degrees and rainy Wednesday, 75 degrees and sunny today), lines are gently blurred between the flavors of the seasons. Fortunately, our experiment worked, and we created a delicious pasta dish! This vegan dish is great for any guests or members of your household with allergies because it can also be made gluten-free by using brown rice pasta (available at Trader Joe's). We used remaining vegetables and vegetable purees from the freezer as well as fresh, seasonal vegetables. Best of all, this recipe takes into account my cardinal cooking rule: "It's always better with garlic." Bon Appetit!

Seasonal Fusion Pasta

1 c. almonds, chopped
1 lb. Rotini pasta (we prefer Trader Joe's organic brown rice pasta)
Yellow pepper puree (instructions below if you don't have any to pull from your freezer)
Olive Oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 green onion or spring leeks, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 sprigs fresh parsley, minced
6 chives, minced
2 c. broccoli flowerets, steamed or blanched
8 medium asparagus spears, grilled and sliced
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Place chopped almonds on a baking sheet and toast for five minutes. Stir almonds. Return to oven for one to two minutes, or until lightly toasted and golden brown. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with yellow pepper puree.*

In a large skillet, sauté onions in olive oil over medium high heat until well caramelized. Add green onions or leeks and sauté until soft. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, just under a minute. Add fresh herbs and stir until combined. Reduce heat to medium. Add broccoli and asparagus. Cook until vegetables are heated through.

Toss vegetables with pasta and puree. Warm over medium low heat until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately garnished with toasted almonds.

*To prepare yellow pepper puree, char skins of two yellow peppers over an open flame (gas stove burner or grill). Remove skins, stem and seeds. Place in a vendor or food processor until smooth. (After cooling, this mixture freezes well.)

Looks like we've made it......

2009-05-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

.....We left each other on the way...to another love. Looks like we made it....or I thought so til today. Until you were there everywhere, and all I could taste was love the way we made it!

It doesn't take a '70's song to remind us food is love in our household. We travel with food in mind. We have vacations where there are no pictures of us, only pictures of the food we've eaten. We invite people to our home to share food and, by extension, love.

That's why I'm excited to share with you our greatest food accomplishment to date (the antithesis of Chef Thom's root beer experiment): WE LIVED LOCAL FOR A WHOLE YEAR!!!!!! Our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program started again last week with beautiful salad greens, radishes, chives, mint, lemon balm and asparagus. Our goal was to live local for a year, and it LOOKS LIKE WE'VE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!

Achieving our goal gives us the chance to pontificate about our experience. And, you, as unfortunate subscribers to our blog, will now be forced to travel this sentimental journey with us. Our top ten observations:

(10) We got soooooooo lucky with the amount of food we preserved. We did not have a guide or reference point. We just guessed, and we guessed correctly! Chalk this one up to, "We'd rather be lucky than smart."

(9) You can still entertain while living locally. We hosted multiple dinner parties at our home without going to the grocery store. Can you imagine the luxury?

(8) Canned tomatoes will chase away the winter blues. After 60 or 70 gray days in a row (check), there is nothing more soul nourishing than opening home canned tomatoes and smelling SUMMER.

(7) The barter system works! You read our pain as we noshed on green beans ad nauseum (literally). Thanks to our friends from Seldom Seen Farms for trading green beans for canned, diced tomatoes. We haven't been this happy to trade something out of our lunch boxes since grade school.

(6) You will cook more creatively with limited supplies. Let's face it, the beginning of Spring is a tough time for dining locally at your own home. The winter supplies have dwindled. The spring crops have yet to arrive. You will become incredibly resourceful when you start to evaluate what you can make with apples, green beans, corn on the cob, pureed peppers and plums. Danger: There are no known recipes that contain all these ingredients!

(5) Out of season produce is as flavorful as my shoes (sorry, Jimmy Choo). We've spent years buying peppers in January, watermelons in December and cucumbers in April (HINT: these things are all out of season). We never realized how flavorless they were until we ate our tasty food at home, preserved in season, then ate somewhere else serving out of season foods. Those waxy peppers don't look good to us in January anymore.

(4) We discovered new restaurants. When we decided to get serious about all this, we started eating at places better aligned with our food philosophy. We've always liked R Bistro and added City Cafe and others to our repertoire as a result.

(3) We know the names of the people who grow our food. We know if our chickens lived happy, free range lives. We know the RDA for wheat berries (did you know these are grown locally?) We discovered local mushrooms. We fell in love with Local Folks ketchup (wicked good, if you've never tried it). We know these folks by name, we've visited many of their farms, and none of our food has been recalled. Yippee!

(2) We've earned the right to play "Revolution" repeatedly. Remember the lines, "You say you got a real solution? Well, you know, we'd all love to see the plan." We made a plan and lived it out! We're advancing the local food revolution! It's awesome!

(1) Anticipation rocks! Do you remember what it's like to really, really, really want something? A new bike? A Boy Scout merit badge? A pony? A promotion? Antonio Banderas? Eva Longoria (before the -Parker)? That feeling where you absolutely must have and it will give anything to get it NOW........even though you can't have it RIGHT NOW......which is what makes it so good when you finally get it! That's what happens when you eat food in season. You know you love asparagus, and the season is coming. You know you really, really love tomatoes, and you'll have some in two and a half months. Waiting makes it better. There's NOTHING like that first bite.

If you would like to learn more about Locavore Living, we will be speaking at the Slow Food Indy event in conjunction with the Weston A. Price Foundation. It is on the 30 of August, at Weston A Price's facility in Fishers, 116 & 69; it's the rec building of a Methodist church

Slow Food Indy Potluck Picnic and Farm Tour

2009-05-26T10:22:00.004-04:00

Slow Food Indy Potluck Picnic and Farm Tour
via Going Local by Victoria Wesseler on 24/05/09

Join Slow Food Indy for a potluck picnic and tour of the biodynamic Seven Springs Farm on Sunday, May 31, at 2:00 p.m.

Luella & David Porter raise chickens, turkeys, and beef cattle on their biodynamic farm in Rush County, about 40 minutes southeast of Indy. Their all-natural farm fresh eggs are a mainstay at several Indy-area markets and restaurants. The couple will lead a tour of their farm and explain the biodynamic practices they employ to keep their animals and their land healthy and productive.

Bring a dish to share and feast on a potluck picnic at the farm. Remember to bring your own reusable dining ware (plates, utensils, cups, bowls, etc.) to minimize waste.

If you're interested in carpooling, contact Slowfoodindy@gmail.com.

And if you haven't tried Luella's Magic Quiche you are missing a real treat!

Yes, we were growing it in the basement......

2009-05-24T10:06:00.001-04:00

It's not surprising, really. The naturalist movement is associated with certain behaviors that don't appeal to everyone. Behaviors that can put one into a particular state of mind. It all started back in the winter.....

Chef Thom poured over the Seed Savers' catalogue all winter long. He dog eared pages, circled things, researched and dreamt of all that our suburban yard could become. When the seeds finally arrived, he couldn't help himself! He planted them in the basement! We have two windows in our unfinished basement. And, I have to be honest, we have the most unique basement in America (once you look past the rarely used elliptical runner). We have three hams hanging under the stairs in various stages of becoming proscuitto. We have enough platters to cater an extravagant party for the entire Royal Family. We have more wreaths than we have doors. We have already purchased half of this year's Christmas gifts (guess which one of us is ahead of schedule). We have our "root cellar" of local food supplies (onions, garlic, squash). And, then, we have a large, folding table covered with tiny patches of dirt and sprouting seedlings.

It reminds me of childhood when you plant a flower seed in a Styrofoam cup and pray, pray, pray that the seed turns into a beautiful flower by Mother's Day, least you be the only child in your neighborhood giving your mother a cup of plain dirt. (A cup of dirt always looks great next to a homemade card, of course).

But, I digress. We've been watching the seedlings sprout. And, to ease them into their new outdoor environment, Chef Thom made use of his blue boyhood wagon. Each day he rolls the seedlings in and out of the garage for the appropriate amount of sunlight and rain. He's been moving our composted soil to beds made for the seedlings.

This week we reached a new level of status with the neighbors by having three tons of highly stinky, composted soil delivered to the house. It's in a giant pile on the driveway (except for the parts that have been scattered across the lawn). This dirt covered yard has allowed us to meet neighbors we would never have met in the past! They are fascinated with the dirt.....and the blue wagon with plants.

It's all part of our carefully crafted plan to convert everyone to locavore living!!

Everything's coming up......Asparagus.....

2009-05-22T23:00:00.002-04:00

We did procure that local asparagus thanks to our local farmers! We added morel mushrooms to our stash from Goose the Market. Chef Thom took morel mushroom hunting to the next level by searching in his brother and sister-in-law's backyard......along with his nieces, ages 22 months and five months. As you might imagine, they were very helpful, especially after watching the movie "Ratatouille" multiple times!

When you wait all winter for your favorite ingredients, you must consume them immediately! Many of you know that reading "Animal Vegetable Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver inspired our local food adventure. The book features a recipe we've been excited to try: Asparagus and Morel Bread Pudding (see below). We highly recommend it, especially when you use local asparagus, local morels, local butter, local milk, local eggs and homemade bread! This will become your favorite spring breakfast. You won't even notice you've become a vegetarian!

We already started freezing asparagus and morels to enjoy year-round. If you want to join our adventure of living and eating locally, this is the right season to start preserving food! Picture the joy of a cold winter day by the fire.......eating asparagus!

ASPARAGUS AND MOREL BREAD PUDDING

3 cups milk

1 cup chopped spring onions with green shoots

Add onions to milk in sauce pan and bring to a boil, set aside to steep

1 loaf stale or toasted multigrain bread broken into crouton sized crumbs

Pour milk over crumbs and allow bread to soak

1 lb. asparagus

Chop into ½ inch pieces and simmer in skillet full of boiling water until bright green

2 tbs. butter

1 lb. morels (or other wild mushrooms)

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in skillet, cook mushrooms until tender, add spices and set aside

4 eggs

1/3 cup chopped parsley

3 tbs. oregano

3 cups grated Swiss cheese

Break eggs and beat until smooth, add herbs and plenty of salt and pepper, add bread crumbs with remaining milk, asparagus and mushrooms with their juices and 2/3 of the cheese. Mix thoroughly and pour into a greased, 8x12 gratin, sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes (until puffy and golden).

Spring Anticipation

2009-04-09T14:02:00.003-04:00

Karen has gotten to the point she is rolling her eyes at me every time I mention asparagus. With the sun returning to the State of Indiana I have become enthralled with the idea of local vegetables growing again. Asparagus sticking their flavorful tips out of the ground, morel mushrooms poking around leaves, garlic send up shoots. We are heading into a magical time of year. And, yes, I may talk a little bit to much about how I excited to have fresh asparagus and morels sauteed together with a little "pet" butter.

This is also the time of year that we all need to start thinking about what to grow in our own gardens. Karen and I grew 5 plants last year. It is amazing how much one plant will produce. We were able to get 20 pounds of tomatoes from one plant. So, no excuses here, plant at least one vegetable, even if it is in a planter on the porch.

I started a few sprouts for peppers, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and a few native plants. Once these plants start developing leaves I will place them outside during the day and bring them in at night. Then, in the first week of May, I will plant them outside. Slow Food Indy is selling seeds at the Indy Winter Market as well as the Broadripple market. The seeds they are selling are heirloom. Goose the market is also selling these seeds.

If you don't have the patience to start from seed, you can always buy starts from your local greenhouse. It is best to wait until the first week of May to get stuff in the ground.

Indy Star Articles

2009-04-01T21:40:00.003-04:00

I have had the opportunity to be involved with several articles in the Indy Star in the past few weeks. It all started when I was asked what I thought were the top ten food wonders of Indianapolis. They included one of my favorites in the article (butterscotch pie from Gray Brothers). They also decided to take 5 of the other ones and make it into a My Favorite Things article.
Today I was also involved with the Taste Section feature. The articles include information about preparing lamb for your Easter meal as well as recipes from the students for side dishes. I am really happy with the articles and especially the food pictures. The students did a wonderful job creating these recipes.

Fiesta Dinner

2009-03-12T19:25:00.003-04:00

Karen made this for dinner this week. Wow, are the flavors wonderful together!

Enchilada Casserole

1 dried chili pepper
2 dried peppers
1 c. dried beans
1. c. rice
1 c. canned, diced tomatoes (home canned preferred!)
1 T. Italian seasoning
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 jar canned, diced tomatoes (home canned preferred)
1 small can tomato paste (home canned preferred)
2 tsp. hot sauce
4 corn tortillas, cut in fourths

Reconstitute three dried peppers in water for 24 hours. Place dried beans in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 24 hours.

Discard water from beans. Place beans in a pressure cooker with 8 cups water. Seal pressure cooker. Turn heat to high. When steam is pouring out, turn beans down to low and simmer for 45 minutes (ensuring steam is at a steady level). After 45 minutes, carefully open pressure cooker over sink, pointing away from face. Drain beans.

Cook rice in rice cooker according to appliance directions along with 1 c. canned, diced tomatoes. (the standard ratio is 1 c. rice, 2 c. liquid using 1:2 ratio. Cover. Turn on.)

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add rice and beans. Stir to combine. Season to taste. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine large jar diced tomatoes, reconstituted peppers (stems and seeds removed) and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer over low heat until thick. Remove from heat. Puree until smooth. Return to heat. Add hot sauce. Season to taste.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8" baking pan with cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Ladle enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the 8x8" pan. Place five tortilla pieces on sauce. Scoop half of beans and rice on top of tortillas. Ladle enough enchilada sauce to cover. Repeat layers. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove cover, bake 5-10 remaining minutes or until done.

Monday Goodies Recipes

2009-03-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

I can feel the excitement of spring coming. I hear people talking about what seeds they are buying and what they will be doing once it warms up a little. But, for now we have to look longingly out the window with a great cup of soup.
Enjoy this recipes to warm you up this week.

Mediterranean Lentil Soup

1 onion
1 carrot
2 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 c. brown lentils
2 cloves garlic
2 dried chili peppers
2 qts. water
1/2 tsp. cumin seed
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 c. diced, canned tomatoes
1 c. cooked rice
Lemon juice or red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Minced parsley

Place chili peppers in water to reconstitute. Peel the onion and carrot and cut into small dice. Sauté them in the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, seasoned with salt and pepper, cooking until they are tender. Meanwhile, carefully pick through the lentils, removing any small stones or debris. Rinse the lentils thoroughly in cold water.

Wrap garlic and reconstituted chili peppers in a cheesecloth sack, add it to the soup pot. Add the lentils and the water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the brown lentils are very soft, 45 minutes to one hour.

While the soup is cooking, toast the cumin and fennel seeds in a skillet over high heat for a minute or two, until their aroma is released. Pound them in a mortar. Chop parsley leaves (or pull some from your freezer from last summer's garden!).

When the soup is done, take out the cheesecloth sack and squeeze any broth back into the soup. Stir in tomatoes and rice (I just stole some rice from my Spanish concoction above). Add the ground spices and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper, if necessary, and a dash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar. Serve garnished with a dribble of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of the chopped parsley.

*Food sources: Parsley (what we grew and froze last summer), Tomatoes (what we canned and traded for from the summer), Onion/carrot (Winter Farmers' Market), Chili peppers (Dried from summer), Brown Lentils (From Slow Food Ark of Taste, purchased at Terra Madre in October).

Mangia! Mangia! Pasta

12 oz. dried pasta
Salt
Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. Fresh mushrooms (can find shitake mushrooms right now), sliced
12 oz. Green Beans, sliced
Parmesan Style Cheese

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté garlic in olive oil for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add green beans and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add mushrooms and sauté mixture until mushrooms are soft.

Add pasta to skillet, and sauté mixture together until pasta is hot. Adjust seasonings. Serve immediately with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

*Food Sources: Pasta (DeCio Pasta from Farmers' Market in Scottsdale, AZ), Mushrooms (Winter Farmers' Market), Garlic (purchased from a farm in Orange County i August and have hanging in the basement), Green Beans (you already know these are frozen from our CSA this summer), Cheese (Traders' Point Creamery)

Wired on the good stuff!

2009-03-01T14:50:00.001-05:00

My question to both of you that read our blog is, "Did you try making the potato soup?" We are still finishing the last few bowls of that delicious concoction that seemed to mate and multiply each time we closed the refrigerator door. It was amazingly well timed with us hosting a luncheon Friday in which we produced about 8x the amount of mashed potatoes needed, so we are living in starch heaven! I would like to tell you we are putting those carbs to good use by running a marathon today, but, as usual, we're just cooking........and, eating. Seriously. You know us. Do we look like marathon runners?

At the luncheon yesterday, we received lots of compliments about our coffee. Neither of us have taken up part-time barista employment (though that's not a bad idea), which means it must have been the coffee beans we purchased at the Indy Winter Farmers' Market from Harvest Cafe Coffee Roasters. If you miss them at the Farmers' Market, they do offer private appointments! I'm enjoying a cup now so that I can embrace the day! Helloooooooooooooooooooo, world!

The question of the day is, "If I sprinkle this coffee on the laundry, will it fold itself?" One could only hope.

For those of you carefully tracking our green bean saga, I would like to reinforce that everything you need to know about life you learned in elementary school. I have one of those particularly finicky mothers who packed fruits and vegetables in our lunch (occasionally along with riddles, yes, riddles); all the while we longed for any "Hostess" product. We struggled with the lunchroom trade for two reasons: we once attended a school so strict that talking was not allowed during lunch and because NO ONE WANTED TO TRADE CUCUMBERS FOR A HOSTESS CUPCAKE! However, we have found new application of this age old principle by trading some of our carefully frozen green beans for beautifully canned tomatoes. Thank you, Kellie! You have saved us from certain green bean death!

While I look at our growing compost pile through the window, I'm wondering what else I'll add to it today. It will certainly contain scraps from these tasty meals.....

Black Bean Tamales - I have to admit I cheated here and bought these from "The Tamale Guy" at the Farmers' Market. They need to be steamed for about 50 minutes. With them, I'll be serving salsa (frozen this summer) and Spanish rice (organic rice cooked in the rice cooker with a bit of saffron and tomato juice stirred in). To give the rice an extra nutritional boost, I will be adding wheat berries to the concoction in the rice cooker. The ones we have were grown locally at Agape Farms. They can be purchased at the Trader's Point Winter Farmers' Market.

Mediterranean Extravaganza - I love this cuisine! So, today, I pulled eggplant from the freezer that I charred on the grill, removed the peel and pureed this summer. When it thaws, I will add salt and pepper and serve it with warm pita bread from Al-Basha in Fishers, IN. It will be a great complement to Mediterranean Lentil Soup (recipe will be posted tomorrow).

Mangia! Mangia! Pasta - This is the quickest "slow food" I could concoct (and still use some of those blessed green beans). See recipe below. I used pasta that we purchased during a trip to a Farmers' Market in Scottsdale, AZ. The company is called DeCio Pasta, and they make delicious products! For the recipe below, I used the spinach, basil and garlic pasta. You can substitute any pasta you like.

Monday Goodies Recipes

2009-02-28T14:42:00.004-05:00

Below are several recipes that Karen was busy cooking last week. Yum!

Peaches n Cream Oatmeal

1 c. steel cut oats
4 c. liquid (can use any combination of water, cream, milk, soy milk, oat milk)
Salt
Peaches, medium diced

Bring liquid to a boil. Stir in oats. Reduce heat to simmer. Stir every couple of minutes through the 30 minute cooking time. Adjust seasoning. Stir in peaches.

Food sources: Oats (Good Earth), Milk (Trader's Point or Apple Family Farms), Peaches (From our freezer from Your Neighbor's Garden this summer)

Potato Soup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 carrots, diced
6 celery stalks, diced
2 quarts water
1 onion, chopped
6 T. butter
6 T. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. milk

In a large kettle, cook potatoes, carrots and celery in water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid and setting vegetables aside. In the same kettle, saute onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Gently stir in 3 c. reserved vegetable liquid. Simmer until taste of flour is no longer present. Gently stir in cooked vegetables. Add enough reserved cooking liquid to make soup desired consistency.

*Food sources: Trader's Point Creamery (milk), carrots (preserved from CSA), celery (preserved from CSA), onions (from Indianapolis Winter farmer's market), butter (Swiss Connection)

"Hoping for Spring" Strudel

3 large onions, sliced
2 T. butter
12 thin stalked asparagus, sliced
1/2 lb. shitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 c. grated smoked cheddar cheese
Fresh rosemary
Salt
Pepper
4 T. butter, melted
Phyllo Dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large saute pan, melt butter and caramelize onions. Add asparagus and continue to saute. Add mushrooms and saute. Once mixture is well cooked, sprinkle with fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. Brush layers of phyllo dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once desired number of layers have been prepared, spoon vegetable filling onto dough. Cover with cheese. Roll jelly roll style.

Place on sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until phyllo dough is golden brown.

*Food sources: Trader's Point Creamery (cheese), rosemary (frozen from our garden), asparagus (preserved from CSA), shitake mushrooms and onions (from Indianapolis Winter farmer's market), butter (Swiss Connection)

Real Money Matters for Indiana

2009-02-26T12:02:00.004-05:00

Victoria Wesseler at Going Local wrote a great piece today on the importance of eating local. Victoria has a vast experience in governmental affairs and has done a little research. Her theory is; if each family spends just $6.25 a week buying local food, it will produce up to a $1.5 billion impact on Indiana per year. As much as the government's want to kick around all the astronomical figures, this is what it really comes down to...buy local to keep your friends and family employed. Please take 2 minutes to read her articles.

School Lunch Programs

2009-02-25T00:45:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to set on a year long board to talk about the school lunch programs and edible schoolyards that was supported by the Eagle Creek Foundation. The finally of the discussions was an appearance by Alice Waters to speak at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It was truly disturbing to listen to teachers and school nutritionists talk about how the kids eat in the schools. I think one of the worst parts is; that they did not always believe it was bad.
Kids are lined up and walk into a cafeteria single file without talking. They are not allowed to talk while they eat... This sounds like a concentration camp, not a school in the US.
Then there is the food. Most schools don't have kitchens at this point. All the food comes from a central commissary where the "food" is prepared hours before lunch. Shipped to the school where the food is "dispensed". Forget using any fresh fruits or vegetables as the kitchens will not even have a cutting board or knife to prep them.
Good thing is that there are some schools that have made efforts to look at local fresh foods and even planting edible schoolyards. It has made dramatic improvements in the health of the children in the schools as well as the neighborhoods. The picture above is taken at in edible schoolyard in an impoverished area of Muncie. The garden was planted on an abandoned lot in an area where half the houses were abandoned and no one cared about the neighborhood. The kids picked up litter as they walked to the garden. Soon the parents started picking up litter when they were out. It became contagious and soon neighbors were mowing lawns of abandoned houses and taking more care of their houses. It was dramatic to see what could happen in one year.

Check out this Op-Ed piece that was in the New York Times, co-authored by Alice Waters:
Op-Ed Contributors
No Lunch Left Behind
By ALICE WATERS and KATRINA HERON
Published: February 20, 2009
The National School Lunch Program, costing around $9 billion a year, has turned out to be a poor investment. It should be redesigned to make our children healthier.
View the full piece

Tourist in Your Own Hometown, Sunday

2009-02-24T02:07:00.003-05:00

Sunday

We're still in love with Indianapolis. Our kind of town. This is not a sentence we would have written with such conviction just three short days ago.

Thom E is all out of new shoes, so we have to walk down to breakfast in our slippers. How cozy. It was fun to hear the group's adventures from the day prior.......discovering Goose the Market , stocking up at Trader Joe's and seeing Lucas Oil Stadium for the first time.

After an omelet and some warm coffee cake, we packed our belongings and headed to our first stop of the day, the Oldfield-Lilly House and Gardens. This 26-acre historic estate is on the same property as the Indianapolis Museum of Art. These are both free events as well. It's amazing how much you can see and do in Indianapolis at no charge. This has been a shocking discovery for both of us!

Anyway, we toured the home and learned that J.K. Lilly purchased the home from the Oldfield family. The audio tour headphones (free, also) clued us in to the history of each room and insights about the people who visited them. Lilly had an impressive collection of first issue books that he donated to Indiana University some years ago. Beyond the house, we enjoyed touring the well designed gardens. We would like to visit there again in the fall and spring, as the gardens were designed to be the most magnificent during those seasons.

We planned to spend the afternoon in Fountain Square, one of Indianapolis' oldest neighborhoods and the oldest historic district in the state. It's only five minutes from downtown but feels a world apart. Most of the restaurants and shops are closed on Sundays, so you might plan ahead better than we did!

We still found plenty to keep ourselves entertained, though, like lunch at Siam Square. This restaurant absolutely qualified as a hidden treasure! It's located in the building Bistro 936 formerly occupied on Virginia Avenue and serves up unbelievably tasty Thai cuisine. We sampled Som Tum, a papaya salad with peanuts that was so hot I felt certain we had been transported to a Floridian beach mid-August. We couldn't stop eating it! Siam Square uses local foods (they can even tell you the name of the lady who grows their Thai chili peppers) and can tell you the cultural nuances of each dish (such as the popularity of green curry with Thai people).

Vegetarian friends, please visit this Mecca. You may need to bring along some tissues, though, because the sheer number of vegetarian options will move you to tears. Move over dinner of side dishes at the local steak house!!!!!!!!!

We worked off our lunch with a highly entertaining hour of Duck Pin Bowling. I am generally not a fan of any event that involves wearing used shoes (notable exceptions would include offers of used Jimmy Choo's, Manolo Blahnik's and anything Prada), but this was an absolute riot! If economic circumstances ever dictate a job change, I should not plan to support myself by joining the professional Duck Pin Bowling circuit.

OK, ok. Back to the history. Fountain Square Recreation originally opened in 1928 and featured a bowling alley and billiard hall. The business closed in 1957 and remained vacant until 1994 when it was restored with authentic 1920's vintage bowling equipment and a 1918 pool table. This is a very, very fun place to spend an hour.......or two..........especially when you finish it off with:

FRESH DOUGHNUTS. Friends, this is much better than Krispy Kreme. The Fountain Square Diner makes fresh doughnuts each morning. You can purchase one for the low, low price of fifty cents. That's three for $1.50 if you passed elementary school math, which means you can try the original, caramel frosted and chocolate frosted. (I hope my doctor is not reading this blog because I did try all three.)

We've decided that there is more to see in Indianapolis, and we plan to hit the local touring circuit again this summer.

Here's what we really learned:
-There's more than corn in Indiana.
-If you want to buy more than corn in Indiana, visit the winter farmers' market......Mayor Ballard was even there!
-It is still fun to encourage first-timers to try the shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo's.
-There are more reasons than ever to LIVE LOCAL.
-Knowing about your community builds your sense of community.

And, as my mother would say when we returned home from every vacation, "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

I'm clicking my bowling shoe heels together right now.

See all of the pictures

Tourist in Your Own Hometown, Saturday

2009-02-23T01:43:00.004-05:00

Saturday

We shook off our dining hangover and bounded down the stairs for breakfast. We enjoyed visiting with the other guests, most of whom were perplexed as to why we would spend our hard earned money seeking lodging less than 30 minutes from our home. Among us were two teachers, an assistant school principal, an architect, a scooter salesman and two students. They hailed from Florida, Ohio and Illinois. We discussed local sites over a breakfast of eggs, fruit and waffles.

After breakfast, we bundled up for our adventure. Our first stop was the Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument. We opted to pay $1 each to ride the elevator to the Observation Deck since we were still full from breakfast (and Thom E was wearing new shoes. I'm not bitter.). We enjoyed the view of Indianapolis and wondered why we've never done this before. How many times have we driven around the circle? Walked around the circle? Too many to count.

The monument was dedicated in 1902 and offers all the romantic possibilities contained in "An Affair to Remember," with the notable improvement that your hair will not be whipping in the mind. The observation deck is enclosed, although the window washer appeared to be on sabbatical.

We also toured the Civil War Museum located beneath the monument. It was a fascinating study of Indiana's role in this chapter of history. The museum is free, so be sure to stop by the next time you are leaving another important downtown destination......like the South Bend Chocolate company.......or Emmis, where you can make faces through the glass at radio personalities.

Lunch time already. We walked to City Cafe, primarily because they are known for sourcing food locally. This "shotgun" style restaurant has no more than 16 tables filled with happy diners. They serve breakfast all day on Saturdays, so we tried the Roast Beef Hash, eggs and homemade cinnamon rolls. HEAVEN. You must, must try this place!

After lunch, we visited the Indiana War Memorial (http://www.in.gov/iwm/). If you walk up the steps on the North side of the building and turn around, you will notice a very Washington D.C. like plaza. It was breathtaking, actually. The real treat was inside the memorial, though. This FREE monument has a gorgeous auditorium, stunning shrine room (top floor), and thought provoking depiction of war and conflict. Hoosier veterans are prominently featured, including databases where you can research your friends and loved ones that have served in the military. This self-contained history lesson reminded us of the value of the freedoms we enjoy. It was also a reminder of how far we've strayed from our roots, in some cases.......like the Victory Garden. We say bring back the Victory Garden! Check out these WWII era posters.......

We rounded out our Saturday touring with a self-guided tour of the Marion County Central Library. The glass to limestone building juxtaposition still troubles me, but the inside is fabulous. The top floor, facing South, has a great view of the city! We also enjoyed seeing how many kids were there enjoying the library!

We went back to Stone Soup Inn and changed clothes for dinner (enter Thom E's other pair of new shoes. Grrr.......). We enjoyed an early reservation at R Bistro . Owner/Chef Regina Mehallick is a wonderfully talented chef who prioritizes using local foods. The trendy building is no match for the fresh, clean taste of her cuisine. We had a hard time choosing just a few items to try, because they all sounded so great! Our absolutely delightful meal started with a refreshing salad of oranges, jicama, pine nuts and feta cheese and a seared sea scallop with celery root and grapefruit sections. The mark of a truly good meal is that each course is better than the previous one. We then enjoyed mushroom and goat cheese crepes and Maple Leaf Farms Duck with sweet potato hash......yummy. We finished the evening with chocolate soup and Red Velvet cake. There could not have been a sharper contrast to our Friday evening meal. And, thank you to Ariel for the phenomenal service!

The evening concluded with a visit to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for a performance with Michael Feinstein. The full house was treated to an evening of Frank Sinatra music in the historic Hilbert Circle Theater. We had a marvelous time and would encourage you to check out the performance schedule if you haven't been there lately.

We returned to Stone Soup Inn and composed the following Valentine, "Dear Indianapolis, We HEART you."

See all the pictures

Tourist in Your Own Hometown, Friday

2009-02-22T01:00:00.001-05:00

Friday

Friday the 13th. It sounds so ominous when I say it that way! We continued our adventure as tourists in our own town. We checked in to the Stone Soup Inn , located in the heart of Indy's historic Old Northside. The Inn's charm is welcoming, and the Lilly Room offered a great view of downtown Indianapolis. After settling in to our room, we visited Circle Center Mall to do some shoe shopping. I would like to point out the bitter irony of shoe shopping, which ended with Thom - two vs. Karen - zero. Maybe that WAS the scary part of Friday the 13th.

We arrived at Euphoria at around 8:30 p.m.. Unfortunately, we won't be posting any pictures of that.......mostly because I didn't enjoy it all that much. (You do know I'm talking about Euphoria the restaurant, right?) Euphoria is located in Buggs Temple on W. 11th St. The former church has been restored to include Creation Cafe on the first floor (think local version of Panera) and Euphoria (fine dining concept) on the second floor.

The dining experience was a great reminder of what happens when the kitchen cooks without passion. In fact, I was rather shocked to see such favorable reviews of the staff (chef, in particular) gracing the walls. There is no possible way that chef cooked our food.......like the fresh from the semi-truck rolls (still frozen in the center), begging to be seasoned entrees and chewy dessert profiteroles. Our server worked hard, but I am still proposing a restaurant name change from "Euphoria" to "Snooze-oria."

Editor's note: I did really enjoy the service and especially enjoyed a braise short rib entree.

Stay tuned for Saturday.

2009-02-21T00:20:00.004-05:00

Stuffed Squash

2 lbs. various squash (I used delicata, pumpkin and acorn)
1.5 lbs. ground beef (ours is from a local cow that lived a happy, free range life eating grass; you can purchase grass fed beef at farmers' markets, Apple Family Farms, Trader's Point Creamery)
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 c. tomato juice (we are using what we canned this summer)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan or firm white cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds (save them). Lightly grease squash on all sides, and place on a baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for 10 minutes, or just until squash is fork tender. Remove squash from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

Once squash is cool, scoop out pulp and roughly dice. Save squash shells for stuffing later.

Brown ground beef with onion. Drain grease. Add tomato juice and seasonings. Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer. Stir in diced squash. Continue to simmer until all flavors are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff filling in reserved squash shells. Sprinkle with grated cheese prior to serving.

(These save well and can be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes).

*I save all the squash seeds, roast them with salt and serve as a snack.

Recipes

2009-02-20T00:12:00.003-05:00

Karen will be writing about last weekend in the next couple of days. In the mean time she sent over a couple of the recipes people have been asking for:

My favorite is
Butternut Squash Risotto

1 large butternut squash
Butternut squash seeds
1 c. almonds
3 T. raw milk butter
1 medium onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. Arborio rice
4 oz. white wine (something acidic works best)
4 c. hot chicken broth (from above recipe)
Grated Parmesan or firm white cheese
Salt and pepper
1 c. almonds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds (save them). Lightly grease squash on all sides, and place on a baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for 15 minutes, or just until squash is fork tender. Remove squash from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees. Roughly chop almonds. Place on a separate baking sheet. Remove pulp from squash seeds, and place on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Next to Place in oven for 5-10 minutes, or until almonds are lightly browned and fragrant. Squash seeds should be lightly browned and crispy (they may start to pop off the cookie sheet in the oven).

Once squash is cool, scoop out the pulp. Medium dice squash. Compost peel.

In a medium sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, saute the onion in butter until golden until translucent. Add garlic and saute 30-40 seconds. Add diced squash and saute 4-5 minutes longer. Add the rice and stir until well-coated and translucent.

Add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add two cups HOT chicken broth or stock (from above recipe). Stir in two cups of hot broth and simmer gently until broth is absorbed. Add another cup of hot broth, and continue to stir. Once that is absorbed, add the final cup of hot broth. Continue to stir until stock is absorbed over the course of 18-20 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in grated cheese. Season to taste.

Serve garnished with toasted almonds and snack seeds.

Tomorrow I will post her Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe.

Thursday - Tourist in your own home town

2009-02-16T23:25:00.005-05:00

Our 4 day "tourist in your own home town" started Thursday afternoon. Indianapolis is well known as a stop for many of the Jazz legends. And, because of this, we have a great music scene here in Indianapolis. We definitely wanted to bring some of the music into our romantic get away. Karen and I met at the Arts Garden for lunch. Denise Tichenor-Collins played lively Gospel Jazz music.
Lunch was food from Goose the Market. Karen asked for a vegetarian option and Corrie was able to make her a sandwich that she later referred to as her new favorite sandwich. Myself, I went for the Wygu corned beef sandwich made from cows raised up in Roanoke Indiana.

Unfortunately, we both had to return to work. But, later that evening, we met at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for a behind the scenes tour. Tom; the executive director, led us through the history of the renovations to the present state of the orchestra. We were even taken back stage to see the inner workings of the acoustics. Even was able to peek into the music vault. Very interested and totally cool. It is amazing the little gems that are all around us.
We were able to do the tour as part of the orchestra's young professionals group, called Forte! For a small membership fee you get all kinds of perks from free tickets and drinks to special seating and networking events. This is a fantastic deal that I would recommend to anyone who is at all interested in hearing the great performances of our ISO.

Tourist in your own home town

2009-02-15T20:37:00.005-05:00

Karen and I were able to spend the big V-Day together exploring Indy as Tourists. We stayed at a B&B in downtown Indy, toured many of the monuments we drive by all the time and ate ate fabulous Independent places. Over the next few days we will be giving all the wonderful details. But, for now, just let me put it out there...Indy is incredible. All the time we travel to see amazing things and we have it goin' on in our own back yard. Stay tuned.

Part of the weekend excitement was an appearance on Fox 59 Morning News. I did a segment talking about some foods the food challenged people could cook for Valentines day. Check out the video.

Marvelous Monday

2009-02-11T00:10:00.004-05:00

This may sound funny to many of you; but, Karen is the cook of the house. Most Mondays she will toil around the kitchen (many times while on conference calls) making the delicious meals for the week.
The process all starts on Sunday when she popped up and asked to get the list of ingredients for the next day. From the basement - Spaghetti Squash, a pie pumpkin, a butternut squash and a delicata squash (find out more about these squash). From the freezer - Hamburger, dark chicken meat and butter.
Then, I am at the school all day on Monday, returning at Midnight. So, to me, it is like Magic. I come home to a multitude of treasures in the fridge. This week

Karen Roasted the Pumpkin and Delicata squash; removed the pulp and sauteed it with the hamburger and a little tomato sauce. She then stuffed the mixture back into the shells of the squash.

She also removed the pulp from the butternut squash and made risotto with it. Topped with roasted cashews and hazelnut oil...YUM!

Like magic, in the fridge was spaghetti squash cooked with fresh tomato sauce.

She also made 2 qt of chicken broth and pulled about 2 pounds of chicken meat from the bones for a future treat. Everything was awesome (I had to try a little bite of everything right away). But, the most momentous thing to me is that she made the chicken stock. I have a little reputation of being very exacting when it comes to soups stocks and sauces. Karen has never ventured into this realm with me before. There is nothing better then the purity of a soup that is made with love. The foundation starts with the hours of love put into making a wonderful broth. She made love yesterday while I was at work.

I wish I was there to see her doing her dance in the kitchen.

Persimmon Sushi

2009-02-06T08:50:00.003-05:00

Check out Going Local from February 3rd. They posted a recipe for Persimmon Sushi that we cooked for a dinner party. Many people were surprised when we explained that sushi was the rice; and, it does not always have fish in it. The Persimmon sushi uses an Indiana persimmon pudding as the center of the roll. The rice is cooked in coconut milk. It is great when combined with pickled ginger and finished off with a little white chocolate. The entire recipe for the sushi and persimmon pudding is on the going local website. I saw Persimmon pulp for sale at Apple works orchard on the far south side. Check the farmers markets also.

Eating Local Tips

2009-02-03T20:55:00.009-05:00

The people at 100-mile diet Stepped in to challenge themselves to eat local for 1 year. This is what is said to have kicked of the "eating Local" movement. Below are some tips they give to eat local. Visit their website, or check out their books for more detail.

Getting Started Guide
The 100-Mile Diet is simple. It’s a living experiment in local eating that will reconnect you with your food, your local farmers, the seasons, and the landscape you live in.

Here’s how to get started:
1. Start small.
You can start with a single meal, a 100-Mile day, a one-week commitment. Most people partner up, or do the 100-Mile Diet as a family or group.

2. There are no rules.
Make your 100-Mile Diet experiment a challenge. If you’re trying it for a day, consider getting tough: every ingredient in every product has to come from within 100 miles (that was our rule for a year). Over a longer period, escape clauses are nice. Maybe the occasional restaurant meal or dinner at friends’ houses?

3. Surf the Internet.
There are likely resources specific to your area, from lists of nearby organic farms to community kitchens where people get together to can foods. A great resource for Americans is Local Harvest, where you can find markets, local-food-friendly restaurants, farms, and food delivery programs for every region.

4. Find your farmers’ market.
The easiest and most fun step toward eating locally. Make the market a weekly priority for your food shopping. To find yours, search the web, look for listings in local newspapers, or call your area’s tourism office. Check out our 13 Lucky Farmers Market Tips for more info. In Indiana just check Going Local

5. Find your farmers.
Most larger cities and many smaller towns have organic food delivery companies, often with direct connections to local farms. Consider joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, in which you support a specific farm by paying a lump sum at the beginning of each growing season and then sharing in that farm’s food products year-round. Check out Going Local for this info in Indiana also.

6. Start a garden — even a tiny one.
Self-sufficiency feels good, and greens up our cities and towns. Some communities have community gardens you can plant in. If you do not, remember this: many began as ‘guerrilla gardens’ planted on longtime vacant lots.

7. Plan a winter garden.
Winter is a tough time to find local produce, but you might be surprised at what still can grow. Ask your gardening friends or at garden shops, or read through regional seed catalogues. We keep garlic, kale, mustard greens, turnips and cabbage going throughout the winter. Spinach and Swiss chard are other good winter greens.

8. Buy in bulk and preserve.
Buying bulk saves money, and since it is often hard to find local preserves, you may have to do it yourself. Well, throw a party. With a few bottles of local wine and cider, even a small group can make quick work of canning jams, pickles, fruit and tomatoes. We also froze corn, spinach, carrots, basil pesto, beans, Brussels sprouts and more. A cornucopia for the winter. Don’t know how to do any of this? Neither did we. Call up your elders before the knowledge is lost, try the local library, or go online with National Center for Home Food Preservation.

9. Join the movement.
If you haven’t already, pledge to do the 100-Mile Diet to help you bring your eating closer to home. Everyone, and every meal, counts.

Playing "What's in the Freezer"

2009-02-02T02:23:00.002-05:00

Our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmer recently had a cow butchered. We agreed that we would by 1/4 of the cow. So, this meant cleaning out the freezer to make way for Bessie. As I have mentioned; our goal is to make it through the winter without going to the store to buy food for personal consumption. We have 2 refrigerators and one chest freezer. One refrigerator freezer is full of baked goods. Karen spends the 3 days before Thanksgiving with a couple of girlfriends baking...seriously baking. We currently have 21 different pies stored away; among other desserts. The refrigerator in the kitchen is filled with items we should use up first or use more often. Then there is the black hole. The deep freeze in the garage.

So, no more procrastinating. I had to clean out the black hole. We spent the previous summer filling the freezer with fruits and vegetables to last through the winter. Being the first time we are stabbing in the dark out how much to save; and how to preserve them. One thing we realized was we should have been writing down how much we were saving and mark them as as we use them. So as I cleaned, I also inventoried.

A couple of realizations happened as i made was in the garage freezer; I definitely think we will have enough to make it through the winter. And, we have to eat a lot more green beans...we have 21 pounds of green beans stored away. Now I like green beans, but that is a pound of the vegetable a week between 2 people. I am sorry to all the green bean growers; but, there is a limit to legume love. So, if anyone wants to trade some canned tomatoes for frozen green beans let me know.

Some numbers on what we originally packed away in the freezer for the winter:
Heavy Cream 4 pt
raw butter 10 pound
Apple cider 1 Gallon
Black Berries 5 Qt
Blue berries 5 qt
concord grapes 2 qt
Peach Halves 1 Gallon
persimmon puree 14 pounds
plum halves 4 qt
plum halves 4 qt
red raspberries 5 qt
Tart Cherries 5 pound
Bison Sausage 1 Pack
Airline Breasts (4ea) 8 ea
Chicken Breast (2 ea) 2 ea
Dark Chicken Meat Quarters 8 ea
whole chicken 2 ea
Smoked Turkey Breast 1 Ea
Whole Turkey 2 ea
Venison Sausage Links 1 pack
Raspberry Puree 1 Cup
salsa 10 pt
Yellow pepper Puree 2 Cup
Joyce's Yeast Rolls 12 ea
Loaves of Bread Bread 6 Ea (I make these at home on a weekly basis)
Pizza Crust 2 Ea
cornmeal 5 pound
State Fair Polenta 3 pound
State Fair White Corn meal 5 pound
Eggplant Puree 1 #
Asparagus 1 #
Bok Choy 2 #
Broccoli 3 #
Broccoli stems 1 #
Carrot Puree 1 #
corn on the cob 60 ea
Frozen Peas 3 pound
green beans 28 #
okra 1 #
Snow Peas 2 #
pecan mushroom burgers 10 ea (Made with local mushrooms)
Ground Beef 16 #
Beef Chuck Roast 3 #
Beef Ribeye Steaks 5 #
Beef Stew Meat 5 #
cubed Beef Steak 2 #

Indy Food Gaining Street Cred

2009-01-29T00:52:00.004-05:00

Jen Dalton, an organizer for Slow Food Nation posted a great article on Civil Eats. It is great to see that people are opening their eyes to the wonderful food that is in Indianapolis.
Odd thing is Julia Spaulding had a difficulty eating locally in an article that is in the current issue of Indianapolis Monthly. Maybe Jen could come and be Julia's guru.

Indianapolis Urban Farming Forum

2009-01-27T21:37:00.004-05:00

On Ground hog day, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIBI) will host Indy's FIRST "Urban Farming Forum at their headquarters from 5:30PM to 7:00PM.

Slow Food Indy reports, "Chris Harrell, brownfield/urban redevelopment specialist (and local produce fan); Sarah Wiehe, IUPUI medical researcher and pediatrician (and ardent urban gardner); Matthew Jose, urban agriculture specialist; and Laura Henderson, Founder of Indy's new Winter Farmer's Market will join together to host all attendees at this FREE event.The Urban Farming Forum expects to bring together the many disparate groups, individuals, churches, nonprofits, and more to discuss multiple topics of interest. Main topics will include: health and safety issues sometimes confronted when farming urban sites, how to mend soil if health concerns are discovered in the soil, what crops are best suited for Indianapolis and environs and related garden growing hints, and lastly how to share the bounty from urban gardens with the your neighbors or the public at large by market or through nonprofit assistance (churches, community gardens, poverty relief, or supplying urban schools with fresh and healthy produce,etc.).

These are just some of the topics that will be discussed on Monday, February 2nd, 2009 (Groundhog Day) from 5:30PM to 7PM. Come out and link up with other nonprofits and individuals seeking to grow their own goods in Indy's urban gardens! Light refreshments will be served following the meeting to prompt further discussion and help chart the course for next steps. Details on the upcoming Indianapolis Food Security Summit will also be provided by attendees from Earth Charter Indiana and Slow Food Indy!

Whether or not old Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Monday Feb. 2nd, 2009, please come out to meet other urban farmers no matter the size of your plot! Even if you are just thinking of splitting some soil this spring, come meet others planning to do the same in Indy. If you have any questions please email Chris Harrell at theharrell@gmail.com or call 502.298.2832."

Please come to the first Groundhog Day (Monday, 2/2) Urban Farming Forum at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. Headquarters: 1031 Fletcher Ave., 5:30Pm to 7ish.

See more details and RSVP on A Greener Indiana: http://www.agreenerindiana.com/ or email Chris Harrell at theharrell@gmail.com

Locavore?

2009-01-27T00:49:00.000-05:00

Last winter I read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle". In this book the author and her family decide to live off the land for a year. They come up with ground rules that they will not buy or eat anything that is not grown locally. This book is what made eating locally such a popular thing for many people. People who eat local are now known as locavores.
So, after reading Kingsolver's book I thought, "We can do this". So my girlfriend and I started buying things in the summer months and freezing, canning and dehydrating. Not a simple task! We planned to start our full-fledged year of eating locally in the fall. So, with our last Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) pick-up we made our last trip to the grocery store until fresh Indiana products were back in season.
Many people have asked us how things are going. Many are wanting recipes. Many want to know how we planned and what we are eating. So, I am going to start blogging about all of these things. I will be posting info about what we saved to winter over. What we are eating (chances are it will be green beans...we stored a little too much). And posting recipes.

Indy.com | Post: In the age of Obama, meet five young Hoosiers who embody hope | Indianapolis, Indiana

2009-01-14T22:15:00.001-05:00

Indy.com | Post: In the age of Obama, meet five young Hoosiers who embody hope | Indianapolis, Indiana

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Indianapolis Sustainable Food Examiner: The State of Sustainable in Indianapolis

2009-01-14T22:14:00.001-05:00

Indianapolis Sustainable Food Examiner: The State of Sustainable in Indianapolis

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The Future of Food film screening

2006-09-29T11:08:00.000-04:00

Below is the information about the next Slow Foods Indy meeting. Slow foods International (SFI) is an amazing group that has made organic and sustainable agriculture such a hot topic. As important as those things are; the thing that I like most about the group is the development of families. SFI is about convivial. They stress slowing down from your day and enjoying food. This has impacted families as you see them start cooking together and actually eating at a table again. Yes, they actually eat together at a table. It is interesting to hear from the members as they talk about the first time one of them went to a meeting and how they develop as families over the months following. The SFI don't have formal attendance policies, or even mandate that you be a member to go to the meetings. You just show up and become part of their convivium that night. The people that are is the indy group are the most real people you will ever meet. From farmers to hospital CEO's, but, you would never know who is who at the meetings. Definitely make an effort to enjoy their company at a meeting when ever it is possible.

The Future of Food film screening
When: Sunday, October 8, 4PM
Where: Hoosier Environmental Council: 1915 West 18th Street in Indianapolis (directions below)
RSVP: slowfoodindy@gmail.com

Slow Food Indy and the Hoosier Environmental Council will screen the Deborah Koons Garcia film The Future of Food at 4pm on Sunday, October 8, 2006, at the Hoosier Environmental Council office at 1915 West 18th Street in Indianapolis (directions below).

The Future of Food offers an in depth look at the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled the grocery store shelves in the United States for the past decade. The Future of Food also examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat, the multinational corporations that control national and global food systems, and the organic and sustainable alternatives to large-scale agriculture.

The Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC) offices are just south of Riverside Park and the South Grove Golf Course, east of the White River and two blocks north of 16th Street. Below are more directions to HEC.

Hoosier Environmental Council
1915 W. 18th Street, Suite A
Indianapolis, IN 46202

From Southbound I-65
- Take the 21st St. exit
- Go right on 21st St. to Martin Luther King Dr.
- Take a left on M.L.K. to 16th St.
- Go right on 16th St. (1 mile) to Riverside Dr. E.
- Take a right on Riverside and go 2 blocks to 18th St.
- Go left and watch for us on the left (1915 W. 18th St.)

From Northbound I-65
- Take the Meridian St. exit on the North side of downtown
- Go right on Meridian St. to 16th St.
- Go left on 16th St. (1 3/4 miles) to Riverside Dr. E.
- Take a right on Riverside and go 2 blocks to 18th St.
- Go left and watch for us on the left (1915 W. 18th St.)

From I-70 East or West
- Get onto I-65 North and take the first exit (Meridian St.)
- Take the Meridian St. exit on the North side of downtown
- Go right on Meridian St. to 16th St.
- Go left on 16th St. (1 3/4 miles) to Riverside Dr. E.
- Take a right on Riverside and go 2 blocks to 18th St.
- Go left and watch for us on the left (1915 W. 18th St.)

From Southbound I-69
- Continue south on SR-37
- Turn left onto Meridian Street (SR-31)
- Take a right onto West 16th Street
- Turn right onto E Riverside Drive
- Take a left onto West 18th Street then watch for us on the left (1915 W. 18th Street)

*******
Slow Food Indy is the Indianapolis Convivium of Slow Food, an international association that promotes food and wine culture, but also defends food and agricultural biodiversity worldwide. The association's activities seek to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread the education of taste, and link producers of excellent foods to consumers through events and initiatives. For more information, visit www.slowfood.com and contact the Slow Food Indy Convivium at slowfoodindy@gmail.com. To be removed from Slow Food Indy's email listing, contact slowfoodindy@gmail.com