Adventures in Food in Ann Arbor and Beyond "Food with a story tastes better" -- Wendell Berry | The Farmer's Marketer

The Blueberry Patch

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:37:15 -0400

The great thing about peach and nectarine season is that it comes cheek by jowl with blueberry season. Is there anything better than peach and blueberry pie, or crisp, or cobbler, or slump, or fool, or grunt or on your granola with yogurt in the morning? How often can you have as many blueberries as you really want?

The best way to get as many blueberries as I really want (many quarts anyways) is to put on my berry-picking hat and get out and pick them. The Blueberry Patch on Old US-12…

A different red velvet cake

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:24:19 -0400

In general I am against the new crop of books that have titles something like "I don't really know how to instill good eating habits in my kids so I will sneak spinach into their brownies." I know there are kids who have health issues that might make putting carrot puree into their pasta sauce necessary - but that's the exception. So it seems strange to me that I was convinced to make this chocolate cake that has 2 cups of beets in it. My friend Victoria promised me that it was a delicious…

Pie Love and Lovers (United)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:27:02 -0400

In 2002 the Farmer's Almanac held a National Dessert Election in which 30,000 people voted for the most American Dessert. Almost 50% of the vote went to the top choice, and the second choice had only 14% of the vote. This explains why, instead of saying "American as Strawberry Shortcake" everyone knows we're as "American as Apple Pie." The results of the Almanac's survey on our most popular desserts show the following results:

47% Apple Pie

14% Strawberry Shortcake
13% Ice Cream
12%…

Apricot Crazy

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:39:59 -0400

Most years they're here and gone before I get around to noticing that apricots grow in Michigan. Two weeks only, maybe a little more and then no more for another whole year. With their soft, rosy, golden cheeks I just want to take home a bushel or three and be completely surrounded by apricots. If I could I would sleep on a bed of apricot fuzz and wear apricot perfume.

The Pedia of Wiki says there is "an Egyptian proverb that says "Fel meshmesh" (English translation: "in the apricot") which…

Come to Dinner in the Vineyard on Sunday, August 10th

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:34:51 -0400

The other night I was walking over to a friend's house and it was one of those perfect summer evenings where the golden light of the sun going down makes you feel like you're in a Norman Rockwell painting. Some neighbors had set a pretty dinner table out on the front lawn and were taking their cocktails on the veranda to the strains of a saxophone floating out from inside. The grill was going and I was imagining how great it would feel to be coming to their party.

I love that. I love…

Farmers Marketing: July 26, 2008

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:49:12 -0400

There's too much to talk about these days and not enough time to write it all down. It's the best part of the season at the market, with raspberries, peaches, corn, and tomatoes all here already. It's the time of year when dinner practically falls onto the plate and it's hard keeping the house from collapsing into a whirling vortex of fruit flies.

The main news of today was talking again with Archie Jennings of Jennings Bros. Stone Ground Grains in Nashville, Michigan. Here's what I…

Huitlacoche

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:10:42 -0400

Mexican truffles, corn mushrooms, huitlacoche, corn smut ....which one of these would you want to eat? I've ordered huitlacoche in some of the nicer Mexican restaurants in Chicago, but I've never seen it in Ann Arbor. Last Wednesday at the market I heard the Tantré folks saying they had some "Mexican truffles" and was excited to see huitlacoche on sale for the first time. As one of those plush Ann Arbor people, I would certainly never eat corn smut, but bring on the Mexican truffles!

The…

Why Yes, It's Ladies Night

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:47:50 -0400

The travails of the blogger are silent and solitary as she toils in the (psychological) mines, chained to the keyboard. Her family may be either blissfully asleep or occupied with finding a cure for cancer. Or volunteering at the orphanage or perhaps getting super-powers in level 58 of World of Warcraft.

But just like Cinderella, we sometimes get to put on the glass slippers and come out for a magical evening. Thanks to Patti, last Saturday was one of those nights. More than a dozen lady…

Pork and Greens

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:55:49 -0400

I'm not sure this photo adequately captures it, but we are still eating a LOT of greens. Since I'm interested in farm share best practices, one thing I've noticed is that it's best to eat the most perishable things first. The turnips can sit in the frigo for a week, but those delicate, fine cut greens had better get gone.

Since the greens go on and on, I wanted to post a recipe that I made that was pretty successful at our house and that used up some of the trickier greens that we've been…

Pie Season

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:22:54 -0400

It's probably because the Pie Lovers Unite! event is coming up on Saturday, July 19th, but every time I go to the market all I see are pie precursors. The tart cherries especially have had an other-worldly ruby glow that calls to me.....

Last year's event totally knocked my socks off. Here's the low-down on this year's great Slow Food Pie Extravaganza coming up next Saturday (remember to bring your friends and neighbors)!

Date: Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Ypsilanti…

Not Paving Paradise Today

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:05:56 -0400

Today I heard someone describe Ann Arbor as the city Austin used to be. As compared to the Austin that's now overdeveloped sprawl. And I heard a friend originally from another state describe Ann Arbor as a place that has all these world famous amazing things that the people who live here don't even know about - like the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive (with a new exhibit on Charity Cookbooks) at the Clements Library and the heirloom vegetable and seed saving work at Project Grow ,…

Eastern Marketing: July 5, 2008

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:43:06 -0400

Marketing this weekend was a double header. First to the Ann Arbor market to pick up the farm share and the last of the Frog Holler (perfect) strawberries. And finally finding the Jennings Bros. heritage grain vendor from dear old Nashville, MI. I will soon be making cornbread with Bloody Butcher cornmeal!

The main story, though, was getting a wonderful tour of newly renovated portions of Detroit's Eastern Market with my fabulous cousin Kara and her family. Kara goes often to the Eastern…

I Make Mayonnaise

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:03:54 -0400

As part of the other campaign we're having at home, to whit, eating down lower on the processed food chain, I've started making stuff that I used to buy at the store. Namely, last week, mayonnaise. I actually love Hellman's mayonnaise, so I'm not convinced yet that it's something that needs to happen as much as my other new-found unprocessed love - granola. Still, I have these beautiful fresh eggs from Rebecca and I've been wanting to see if I could make a mayonnaise emulsify. The good news…

Farmer's Marketing: Bags

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:17:21 -0400

Among the odd-ish waste reducing, health enhancing things that we do now is try to figure out how to stop using disposable plastic - especially plastic bags and plastic wrap. I'm currently washing the plastic bags I have and not buying those handy ziplocs. Instead we're trying out some brown wax paper bag thingies from Arbor Farms that my friend Heidi told me about. They remind me of the wax paper packages my mom made for my lunchtime sandwiches in grade school. I loved those. The anti-plastic…

Green Day - Saag Paneer

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:44:17 -0400

We have so many greens. It's not enough that the Tantré box is packed with beets and greens - seven kinds of greens by my count - like a fool I bought even more beets (I love them so). I now am compelled to eat beetgreens as well as beetroot by the bucketful. Plus, my mother-in-law drove overland to us last weekend, bringing spinach and lettuce and herbs (and rhubarb!) from her Iowa garden. I am seriously considering the possibility of greens for breakfast. Greens on toast? It's dire. We…

Why have a CSA farm share?

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:56:06 -0400

I've been surprised at the number of people I know this year who have taken the leap into paying in advance to get a weekly supply of vegetables from a particular farm for the 20 or so weeks of summer that we have here in Michigan. The CSA (for Community Supported Agriculture) model of shopping for your produce is like getting a subscription to a farm. Whatever they have, you get some of. And whatever doesn't grow or is destroyed by hail or woodchucks or drought or heat or bugs or frost or…

Farmer's Marketing: Wednesday, June 18th,2008

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:34:41 -0400

Pea season arrives - but who is selling pea shoots? asks Ed.... Goetz Farm has lovely English shelling peas and they are starting to have bouquets of their most beautiful flowers already too. Karlene Goetz has to be one of the friendliest of the people at the market. I'm already making plans to buy her flowers for some upcoming events. Here's how Eat Local America describes Goetz Farm in Riga, MI:

"The 265-acre farm produces about every imaginable vegetable and is tilled in the spring by a…

Stan the Milkman

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:35:57 -0400

This is true: Stan is the name of our new milkman. We're trying out Calder Dairy's delivery service and last Thursday we got our first round. Calder is a dairy farm over in Carleton, just outside of Detroit. I heard John Calder say that the farm started out as the retirement project of his grandparents with just a single cow. But animals tend to multiply. Now they have about 100 cows and each has a name. Although I haven't been there, I understand they give farm tours where you get to milk…

Local Food News: June 02008

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:33:57 -0400

It seems like every other story on NPR these days has something to do with food. I love it. Especially because I recognized 2 of the people who were recently interviewed for the radio!

Urban Beekeepers Creating a Buzz

Rich Wieske is the owner of Green Toe Gardens selling all Michigan honey all the time. He's also a beekeeper who has hives all over the Detroit metro area - about 60 or more - from which he makes his 8 Mile Honey and Wild Detroit Honey. I recently attended one of the fantastic…

Bookends

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:58:13 -0400

I left the bubble last night, headed for Chelsea and one of the Tuesday Food and Film nights that the Chelsea Library is hosting together with Slow Food Huron Valley this month. About 20 years ago Chelsea was a tattered down-on-its-heels little burg that seemed ripe to be another small-town casualty of suburbanization. Somehow, though, it turned around. With its beautifully restored clocktower bathed in golden light, sun setting behind the Jiffy Mix silos, huge American flags flying against a…

Rhubarb Custard Pie and More

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:01:40 -0400

My mom and I have agreed that the best pie we ever tasted was on a late spring evening about 15 years ago - an evening something like this one, cooling, with the smell of rain in the air. It's hard to point to one element that stood alone to make this pie so memorable. It seems to have been the combination of an excellent crisp crust, with custardy filling balanced by tart fruit, and the absolute perfect pie-eating temperature that made it surpassing. There have been many pies since then,…

Farmer's Marketing: June 7, 2008

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:39:16 -0400

This week the strawberries came. Isn't that the official harbinger of summer? We had strawberries on our pancakes this morning. And I made honey-lavender ice cream to have under strawberries tonight. Mmmm. Waving goodbye to asparagus and rhubarb is a lot easier when you're waving hello to strawberries. I'm still trying to find out if anyone has organic U-pick berries....anyone?

Excitement at this week's market was meeting MK and Christine for a surreptitious hand-off of some of Christine's…

Signs

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:29:07 -0400

The Ann Arbor Farmer's Market is undergoing some changes. I heard that the new solar panels have been installed and that some of the new electrical work and sandblasting is starting. Now that there's a new Market Manager, it looks like one of my pet peeves about the market is also starting to be addressed. According to the City of Ann Arbor Public Market Rules, each of the vendors at the market must display a sign saying who they are and where they're from. Under the Market Operations…

Starting with Pingree's Potato Patches

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:19:52 -0400

In addition to the food news, there's been a lot out recently on the benefits of gardening. There was a piece on NPR last week about how even prisons are using gardens to help inmates learn marketable skills and reduce stress. And did you know that Avalon Housing planted its first food gardens for residents yesterday (with plants donated by Downtown Home and Garden)?

Tangible benefits like these bound together with issues around food security and food access have me worked up about Ann Arbor…

More Food News

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:07:16 -0400

A few more bites of food in the news, some tasty some less so. But all surprisingly mainstream and of a consistent message regarding industrial agriculture v. sustainable agriculture. Only one of these has a future with humans in it.*

The Omnivore's Next Dilemma - Michael Pollan TED Talk

"What if human consciousness isn't the end-all and be-all of Darwinism? What if we are all just pawns in corn's clever strategy game, the ultimate prize of which is world domination? Author Michael Pollan asks…

Living Food: Tantré Season Begins

Sat, 31 May 2008 20:29:26 -0400

"If we choose to feed ourselves responsibly, if we feed ourselves with fresh, living, local food, we have to interact with purveyors who are trying to live on the earth in a harmonious and responsible way. After several years of buying food from such people in a farmers market, one has all kinds of understanding: about agricultural economy and risk, and the heroic effort required to husband the land and its life-sustaining resources: about who the farmers are and what they grow best; and about…

Soup for Eggs

Thu, 29 May 2008 22:51:34 -0400

I'm entering a new realm of the food adventure: bartering. It's fabulous. Rita, a friend who knows that I'm having this food obsession, took special care to introduce me to a friend of hers who has chickens saying "you two need to talk!" It turns out that Rita's graceful friend, Rebecca, has a flock of almost 2 dozen chickens that have the run of her place out near Chelsea. She doesn't sell her extra eggs, but she does trade them for things.

As you can see from the different colored eggs,…

The Fastest Food

Tue, 27 May 2008 17:32:20 -0400

Is leftovers. It's also my favorite food group after toast. There are at least 2 kinds of leftovers - the kind that just needs to be re-heated to be eaten and the kind that needs to be made into something new and exciting.

I was in my 30s before I finally got a microwave that made the re-heating part push-button simple. I still have a tiny bit of that feeling that we should be wearing tinfoil hats when we turn it on, but I've learned to stop worrying and love the expedience. It helps that…

Spoils of Springtime On Toast

Mon, 26 May 2008 13:35:16 -0400

One of the biggest bummers of traveling in a foreign country or of camping is usually the complete lack of toast. People think of toast as mainly a breakfast item, but toast deserves to be incorporated into the other meals of the day much more frequently. At breakfast time, plain toast with butter is excellent. But we all know that toast's main responsibility is to serve as a conveyance for delightful things, especially later in the day. Here are a couple of things that we've enjoyed lately…

Farmer's Marketing: May 24, 2008

Sun, 25 May 2008 18:08:51 -0400

It's greens time again. The market these weeks is mostly a festival of greens - lots of people with different lettuces, a bit of spinach and then the more unusual greens offerings at Garden Works - sunflower sprouts, baby chard, spicy mustard greens and spring salad mix (unless I'm forgetting).

Garden Works has their by-the-pound organic greens in big plastic tubs to keep them moist. I understand that Garden Works was one of the first organic farms in this area and they remain one of the…

News in Food

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:48:47 -0400

In case you haven't seen the links below, I thought they were noteworthy. I appreciate how items like this are becoming part of the daily media and our cultural conversation.

I'm sorely tempted to drive over to Oceana for the National Asparagus Festival in June....I've been hearing about the asparagus movie for a while. And I was pretty impressed with the Raj Patel interview. Can't wait to get his book - it's starting to make sense to me why I get angry when I walk into a grocery store these…

License to Grill: Paella

Mon, 19 May 2008 11:42:55 -0400

Even after this weekend's fabulous meal, I could count the number of times I've eaten paella on one hand. But after this weekend, I feel like I could actually make a paella, perhaps even on the grill like our talented hosts did.

Apparently, paella is something that inspires people to go whole hog on things. We heard stories about the mythical Gary who had special tools forged and built a beautiful table to fit his gigantic paella pan. I need to see this. But I also read that the world's…

Farmer's Marketing: May 17, 2008

Sat, 17 May 2008 15:53:20 -0400

Perhaps I haven't been paying attention, but Rachel told me about a couple of deals at the Farmer's Market that I hadn't noticed before. Zingerman's sells both its City Goat (now in tarragon, rosemary, and black pepper flavours) AND the Sharon Hollow (cow and goat cheese, also in black pepper, plus garlic/chive) at the regular price of $7 and $6 each, respectively....but they also sell them at 2 for $10. Not a bad bulk rate. Not only that, she informs me that Sparrow sells the Big Z's bread at…

A Handmade Farm: Frog Holler Organic Farm

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:07:34 -0400

Caring about this corner of the world is what makes that little quivery feeling inside my chest when I'm caught up in a lovely moment at a community event or notice something tender, like the unexpected generosity of a friend or a beautiful thing that someone has made. That, for better or worse but certainly for true, is how much of a sap I am.

That feeling of appreciating what someone has made with their own hands, out of ingenuity and perseverance, is part of what is endlessly…

Finding Local Food and Bringing It Home For Dinner

Sun, 11 May 2008 19:02:59 -0400

Slow Food Huron Valley has some great events on the horizon. One coming up soon is "Finding Local Food and Bringing It Home For Dinner: Supporting Our Farms." Taking place at Ann Arbor's Main Library downtown on Thursday, May 22 at 7:00pm, this panel discussion is going to highlight a couple of our finest nearby CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms - Tantré Farm and Old Pine Farm - and a great local business, Community Farm Kitchen. The idea for this community event is to make the path…

My Edible Estate

Thu, 08 May 2008 18:46:39 -0400

The reward of weeding my lawn by hand this afternoon (rather than spraying #*$&@! ChemLawn like some of my neighbors) is getting to eat dinner from my own yard. I felt a tiny wave of shock and blinked to make sure I wasn't daydreaming when I saw 2 perfect morel mushrooms, whistling innocently with their hands in their pockets, lounging in a forgotten corner. Finding those odd little space aliens inspired me to finally try cooking some of the many dandelions I have been pulling up by hand. We…

Marketing in Omaha: May 3, 2008

Mon, 05 May 2008 15:53:20 -0400

The Omaha Farmer's Market opened this past Saturday, May 3. Like the Ann Arbor Market, it's been around about 100 years. This Omaha market (in the past couple of years 2 more have opened in the city) is only on Saturdays and only open until October. So the pale and sun-bedazzled people who were there on opening day looked pretty darn happy to be marketing.

The market takes place downtown at 11th and Jackson, in an area left over from yesteryear and reminiscent of our Kerrytown. It's in the…

A Tale of Two Suppers

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:32:55 -0400

Don't think that I don't feel guilty about eating yummy things all the time. I do. Some things make me guiltier than others, especially as I try to wrestle ideas about food security to the ground and consider the realities of rising food costs and ask myself about the responsibilities of a privileged person in society today. Getting a trip to Paris is a luxury. Add fancy meals on top of that and it's almost more than a lefty liberal can handle. Another piece of gravel pie to assuage the guilt…

Cheese on the Rue Mouff

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:21:54 -0400

The Rue Mouffetard in the 5eme arrondissment is one of the oldest streets in Paris, one of several formerly Gallo-Roman roads from Paris' 1st century days as Lutece. The picturesque Rue Mouff is often crowded with tourists and non-tourists, likely because it has lovely food and wine shops and also a pretty market. I like going to the Mouff because one of my favorite cheese shops is there - Androuet.

Androuet was where I got my first taste of Rove des Garrigues, a fresh goat cheese tasting of…

Coffee Culture in Paris

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:20:07 -0400

Some people at our house are pretty serious about their coffee. So serious that they've gone and bought this Aerobie Aeropress thingy for camping and travel that actually makes a decent espresso substitute. However, it's only good on a trip if you remember to bring it. If you did bring it, though, you'd be missing out on the myriad different ways people in Paris enjoy their coffee.

There's a coffee and cafe culture here that is very interesting. It's especially interesting since people who…

How to Eat in Paris Chez Vous

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:39:18 -0400

You've decided to indulge your fantasy of living in Paris (plus save money at the same time), so you've foresworn the hotel and rented a flat in a quiet neighborhood through something like Vacation Rentals by Owner. You've made your way beyond those massive, intricate doors lining every street and you're enjoying your (relatively) spacious living quarters, the wifi, and the laundry facilities (not bringing as many clothes means more room for Pimandes, cheese and macaroons on the way home). …

Farmer's Marketing: Paris in April

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:24:41 -0400

In addition to all the little boulangeries, charcuteries, and fromageries, Paris has an amazing system of rotating district markets in each arrondissement - you can find one or two open most any day of the week. When a simple breakfast at a neighborhood cafe, including 2 coffees and a single croissant, costs 14 euros (or $20+), it's the perfect time to stock up on some groceries to cut down on the number of meals out. The good news is, finding yummy food in Paris is as easy as tarte au pomme.

Farmer's Marketing: April 19, 2008

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:38:28 -0400

The ever-present potential for surprise and delight has to be at the top of the list of reasons the farmer's market is the best place to be on a Saturday morning. Last Saturday was a case in point. Have you ever seen an emu egg?

Joan Ernst, of Ernst Farm, had emu eggs for sale. They are improbably large, heavy, and greenly speckled. Holding one feels about like cradling a newborn's head, which seems apt. Mrs. Ernst says an emu egg is about the edible equivalent of 5 chicken eggs. And that…

Drink Up: April is Michigan Wine Month

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:31:05 -0400

Did you know that Governor Granholm issued a Certificate of Proclamation for Michigan Wine Month this April? So that's how they get their own month. Michigan, I learned recently, has a long history of grape and wine production, pre-dating the Civil War. The main wine production in the US shifted to southeast Michigan and along Lake Erie after disease destroyed what had been the largest wine producing region along the Ohio River near Cincinnati. Apparently the American settlers did the first…

Sunchoke Season

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:51:30 -0400

The People's Food Co-op is such a great little store. I love that you can walk there from downtown (the only grocery store supporting those buzzwords of the moment - urban density). They have the best salad bar in town and it's a place I count on to get my Croissant Shop pastries. It's great that they are just an apple toss from the Farmer's Market, and that the store is small yet somehow seems to carry everything I need for groceries and household items. My main quibble with them is that I…

What Does Cheaper Mean?

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:02:05 -0400

I have a confession to make: Little Miss Farm Fresh Food got some french fries at McDonald's recently. And I was shocked when I found out that my medium order of french fries (do they still have a regular size?) cost $2.39. I was so surprised, I asked the cashier - "Seriously, $2.39?" And indeed, I had not mis-heard.

Since I work with the wonderful Slow Food Huron Valley, I'm conscious of the fact that some people have the misconception that Slow Food=elitist gourmet food snobs. This is…

Bummer in the City

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:46:56 -0400

Since the city is raising our water bill significantly to help pay for storm water run-off, I was motivated to call and register for the credit we get for having a rain barrel. But it also burns my (expletive deleted); if we're concerned about the problems of storm water run-off, why is it that the city continues to allow building development in our floodplains (which increases storm water pollution, flow rates, and amounts)? Yet property owners now have to pay for every square inch of…

Pancetta, A Bacon By Any Other Name

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:39:35 -0400

Among the benefits of carrying on this obsession with food in a public format is that from time to time I get an unexpected gift of some fabulous homemade food. I have been the undeserving fortunate recipient of jars of lovely sauerkraut from Vivienne, a pot of beautiful golden Seville orange marmalade from Julie, and most recently, a pound of picture-perfect pancetta from Gonzalo.

Pancetta is Italian for bacon. The only way bacon can possibly be better is when it rides in on its Italian…

I Heart Silvio's

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:11:06 -0400

The first time I had Silvio's pizza it was a desperation lunch. I had been walking by the sign outside for "Silvio's Organic Pizza" for several months. I'm not a big fan of the greasy too-cheesy pizza that's endemic to this town, so even the "organic" thing wasn't very motivational. Every time I walked by the Silvio's sign, I remembered instead the chicken salad on a croissant that I used to have at Jacques Patisserie, and the limeade I loved at Drakes before that, and sighed.

I stopped in…

The Return of JeffMark!

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:31:47 -0400

It's a sure sign of spring that Jefferson Market has re-opened. I know there's been a lot of excitement in my neighborhood about this eagerly anticipated event. And today it's finally here! Thanks to my friend Rachel who bought a cake for her husband's birthday today (Happy Birthday John!), I even made it over there this morning. Here's what I found:

The same warm cozy space with bright new paint and beautiful flower arrangements from well-wishers; a new menu with tasty sounding sandwiches and…

Guanajuato in the Springtime

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:37:07 -0400

Here's how lucky I am: not only do I have smart, funny, beautiful daughter who is spending her last semester speaking Spanish in UM's study abroad program in Mexico, but I also got to visit her during their spring break last week. For the past couple of months she's been telling us about how generous her host family is and what a beautiful city Guanajuato is, but nothing compares to seeing the sights, smelling the smells, and finding your own way in a maze of twisty passages all the same. With…

Ann Arbor's Yummiest, Part 1

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:02:27 -0400

This is a shameless copycat of David Lebovitz's post on 10 Insanely Delicious Things You Shouldn't Miss in Paris. What's that quote about how imitation is the most genuine form of a compliment? Ann Arbor je t'aime. In thinking about a Top 10 list for my own town, I'm noticing an inordinate number of baked items. I'm also noticing that I know the name (or could easily find out the name) of the person who made each of these things. There seems to be a correlation going on something like…

Sleepers Awake: March 15, 2008

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:09:54 -0400

Perhaps it's Easter's early arrival this year, but the Farmer's Market woke up this past Saturday. There were at least 20 vendors and hundreds of passersby and shoppers creating that feeling of energy and excitement that's so appealing. Catherine Badgley and Yvette Perfecto brought their class to the market, and were on their way to Fresh Seasons and Meijer's to learn more about our local food system. I found them gathered around Shannon Brines, who was talking about whether his farm is…

The Other Farmer's Marketing

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:23:30 -0400

With graceful images of carnelian red beets, paisley-ed orange squash, and golden Rubenesque pears, the Eat Local Food marketing and art design company lets the visual feast of authentic food speak its message. Eat Local Food is the brainchild of sisters Joan Tobin and Chris Witkowski. This local food marketing and art design business showcases the stunning still life and portrait paintings of artist sister Chris on all of their “made in the USA” products. Joan manages the business side of…

Farmer's Marketing: March 1, 2008

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:38:37 -0500

We got back from our big tropical trip late on Leap Day Friday (February 29). Since I missed a couple of weeks, plus hadn't had any satisfactory farmer's marketing on our trip, I was determined to make it to the Farmer's Market on Saturday. It was a bright blue and white winter day and I'm happy to report that my enthusiasm was justly rewarded.

Probably the biggest news was a new vendor with GREENS at the market. Goetz Farm, which has the absolute loveliest flower bouquets in the summer,…

All About Me.Me.Meme.

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:31:10 -0500

When I read about things other bloggers do I suspect am certain they're living in a world with a much higher hipster quotient than mine. They do social networking stuff like have meet-ups with their adoring public and participate in baking and cocktail making challenges and pass along memes, those text-based viral pyramid schemes. If learning to use basic blogging software and articulating some thoughts online is Blogging 101, then the social stuff is Blogging 102. Thanks to Christine for…

Food Desert Islands

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:51:58 -0500

When friends introduced us to the sunny pleasures of the Caribbean island vacation as a way of staving off the worst of the winter blues, I didn't originally see these trips moving up the food chain from "want" to "need." But snorkeling in blue water and spending a week in flipflops at the end of Michigan February makes the long tail end of winter seem survivable. The great beaches, relaxed atmosphere, and homemade food have kept us coming back to the same eco-resort every year for "luxury"…

Our Farms and Markets

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:54:59 -0500

I'm working on a brochure that lists the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms in our area along with the Farmer's Markets in our area. I'll be handing this out for Slow Food Huron Valley at our upcoming panel discussion at the Ann Arbor Downtown Library on Monday, February 18th at 7:00pm for the "From Farm to Fork: Why Local Food Matters" discussion.

Along with ordering some of those heirloom seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange, this is the time of year to choose the farm for a…

I Heart Bacon!

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:03:43 -0500

One of the main reasons I am not a vegetarian is: bacon. I love bacon more than chocolate - though Michelle put that to the test when she brought us a fabulous Mo's Bacon Bar from Vosges, perhaps my favorite chocolatier. I happen to love Bob Sparrow in part because his Michigan bacon is the best bacon, period. I've asked him why it's so good and he doesn't have a satisfactory answer - he said something about it being aged the right amount of time. His maple bacon and jowl bacon, which he…

Wanted: Old Kitchen Gadgets

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:15:41 -0500

I was looking at the Washtenaw County Historical Society's website and saw that there is a Museum on Main Street exhibit coming up that is right up my alley called "The Kitchen 1830 to 1950" starting March 5 through June 11, 2008. They're looking for old kitchen gadgets to borrow for the exhibit.

WANTED

Early kitchen gadgets, appliances, pictures etc. that you might have around the house for the next exhibit "The Kitchen 1830-1950" which will run from March 5 through June 11 at the Museum…

Sugaring Time: Snow's Sugarbush

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:36:10 -0500

I was in high school when I visited my first "sugar-shack" or boiling shed (or "cabane à sucre" in French). Sap from the sugar maple trees is poured in at one end and then boiled down in a long rectangular pan with baffles that slow the progression of the liquid as it evaporates into the concentrated syrup that comes out at the other end. I understand that European settlers first learned how to tap the trees and boil the sap (40 gallons of sap for each gallon of syrup) from Native Americans.…

Guest Blogger: Kris Hirth of Old Pine Farm

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:28:53 -0500

Kris Hirth owns Old Pine Farm where she operates a meat CSA in Manchester, MI. Her cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens and emu are humanely raised on grass, organic feed and on pesticide- and fertilizer-free hay grown by her dad. Most of her animals are pastured, some are heritage breeds. Because it reduces stress on them, it's important to Kris that her animals are slaughtered on her farm; she will not send her animals to USDA processors. She says: "Our mission is to produce great tasting,…

Chicago Recommendo

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:31:12 -0500

I was in Chicago earlier this week to hear Chris Bedford speak at the Chicago Farmer's Forum and see his film called "What Will We Eat." Of course, any time I'm in Chicago I'm thinking "what will I eat?" We have a few places that we usually go, including of course, the Intelligentsia coffee place on Randolph at Wabash. It has free wi-fi so you can sit there for a while with your laptop. B. loves the coffee at this place and always gets a pound to go - Tuesdays it's $2 off. The baristas know…

Marketing: Plum Opens

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:13:46 -0500

When Janet called last Thursday to ask if I wanted a brief outing to visit Plum Market on their opening day, I was too curious to stay home. Of course it was packed with people acting like they had never seen food before. And there was a lot of beautiful food. The huge piles of orange, yellow, green exotic citrus and tropical fruits as you come in are stunning to Michigan winter's vitamin-C deprived tastebuds and snow-bleared eyes. I brought home both some tiny greenish-yellow limequats and a…

Chris Bedford's Keynote - from the Michigan Small Farms Conference

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:59:20 -0500

Chris Bedford's Keynote

From the Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference on January 26th, 2008

"Good morning. It is an honor to speak to a group of small farmers. I believe the work you do, the lives you lead, the vision you pursue… are the hope for our state, indeed, for our world.

In spite of that, the work of small farmers -- and the local food economy you contribute to -- is largely ignored by the federal and state governments, and by many agriculture advocates. This inattention and…

Food Bloggers Tea: New This Year

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:17:17 -0500

I'm a bit late to the posting party, but still wanted to mention the lovely afternoon tea that Christine hosted for "local" food bloggers (as opposed to "local food" bloggers) in January. This was the first event I've attended as a blogger and probably also the first event I've been to where people mostly know each other online rather than in person. It's a funny (and warm) feeling to finally see the face and be in the corporeal presence of someone you've previously known only from the words…

From the Farm to Your Fork: Why Local Food Matters Upcoming Event: Monday, February 18th, 7:00-8:30pm

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:04:40 -0500

Food is powerful! We need to eat every single day and the choices that we make determine how our world is used. Among the most powerful things we can do to create a secure community and a healthy family is to eat and buy locally grown and produced food.

What: From the Farm to Your Fork: Why Local Food Can Make Us Healthier, Happier and More Secure

When: Monday, February 18th, 7:00 - 8:30pm

Where: Downtown Library Multi-purpose Room (in the basement)

This event spotlights perspectives from…

Farmer's Marketing: January 19, 2008

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:56:25 -0500

January 19th this year was Michigan at its wintry worst. Biting cold with an enamel-gray sky and no snow. I think there may have been 5 (very brave) vendors at the market and 6 (crazy) customers. By the time I got there Shannon had just sold out of his greens. The only lucky thing about it is that day is my friend Heidi's birthday, just before mine. Perhaps there was one other lucky thing - getting a half-peck of Ida Red apples from the intrepid Wasem people. I used my apples to make our…

National Pie Day - January 23rd

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:44:35 -0500

It's worthwhile to remember these two quotes:

“When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick, but if it's not, mmmmmmmm, boy.” -- Jack Handy

And, in response to the suggestion that pie every day might be gluttony and 2 slices of pie per week enough..:

"It is utterly insufficient...as anyone who knows the secret of our strength as a nation and the foundation of our industrial supremacy must admit. Pie is the American…

The Edible is the Political

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:58:12 -0500

As a movement, you know you've arrived when there's a backlash that says the opposite of whatever your movement is. I laughed out loud when I saw "distavore" for the first time in print in Joel Stein's recent article on Extreme Eating in Time magazine. He argues that "eating in the 21st century is part travel, part cultural mash-up" and the idea that food should come from within 100 miles of where we live "anti-globalization idiocy." To "prove it," he makes a meal of purely "farm-to-airpla…

Farmer's Marketing: January 12, 2008

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:10:31 -0500

Although I had to be speedy so I could make it to one of Brian Polcyn's great cooking classes at the Five Lakes Grill in Milford, I had to take at least a little time to come down to the Market on Saturday. It was a gorgeous sunny day, even if it was only 30º.

The nice people from Cohoctah Honey Works were there this week. Have I mentioned I think they have the best prices on the lovely beeswax candles? They have great soaps too. And apparently, this is where Eve finds her seasonal honeys. I…

Food on the radio

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:00:59 -0500

DJ Local - Local Food, Local Music

After his debut on WCBN this week as DJ Local, Shannon Brines of Brines Farm will be on the radio again in an interview tomorrow (Saturday, January 12, 2008).

"I was in the studios of 1290 WLBY AM here in Ann Arbor recording an interview with host Jackie Wright for the show Ann Arbor Lifestyles. We chatted about my background and day job as well as hoophouses and winter harvests! It is set to air this Saturday, Jan 12th, from Noon to 1pm so tune in to Ann…

The Omnivore's Dilemma Strikes Again!

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:18:12 -0500

Have you seen that "Arbor Brewing Company is embarking on a menu makeover"? The changes they are making are pretty amazing and it makes me want to go out and personally buy a copy of the Omnivore's Dilemma for every restaurant owner and food business in town. Rene Gref writes on the Arbor Brewing/Corner blog:

"We recently read one of those life-altering books that immediately changes the way you see and interact with the world around you. It is called the Omnivore's Dilemma and it is an…

The Way of the Noodle is Long and Narrow

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:51:37 -0500

Do you read cookbooks? My mom does, so I guess I get that from her. I'm reading a cookbook right now that was written 20 years ago but which I want to write now. If only I could think of a Julie-Julia kind of scheme - but the author's name is Susan Herrmann Loomis and the book is the Farmhouse Cookbook.

In the book, she criss-crosses the country with her husband, visiting hundreds of family farms, telling their stories and gathering the best of their recipes. Not only is it fascinating…

"With whom do you believe your lot is cast?"

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:08:59 -0500

Perhaps you've heard that State of Michigan announcement that if every family in Michigan spent just $10 a week on food grown in Michigan it would put $37 million dollars into the Michigan economy and keep our family farms in business?

Probably more than the average bear, I puzzle over the implications of food choices that I make and that other people make. That's why I was (and I do not use this word lightly) enthralled by an email I got recently from my mother-in-law with the photos you see…

There is a season - for farm conferences

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:03:03 -0500

The low season for farming is the high season for conferences. There are several events coming up here in Michigan that look great if you're interested in farming, food, and community. It looks like these are mostly open to anyone interested in farming and food, but I think all require some kind of pre-registration.

January 18, February 23, March 8, 9:30am - 4:00pm

CSA-MI is hosting one-day how-to workshops on "Starting a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm or adding CSA to your…

Farmer's Marketing: January 5, 2008

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:04:28 -0500

It's been feeling odd to do the bulk of our grocery shopping at the Co-op now, rather than at the market. So the first farmer's market outing for the year and the snowiest so far made me unreasonably happy. There were people at the market with produce, eggs, maple syrup, cider, meat and bread for sale! And you had better get there early (before 9:30) if you want to buy some eggs or greens.

Even with buyers and sellers greatly reduced in numbers as you can see from the photo, the market…

The Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street: Key Ingredients Michigan Foodways

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:18:12 -0500

How many people know that Michigan is the second most agriculturally diverse state in the country? Only perennially sunny, no-winter California has more diversity. And Michigan is number one for things like black and navy beans, blueberries, cucumbers and sour cherries. So why isn’t there a Michigan parallel to “California Cuisine”? A “Michigastronomy” perhaps?

The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street “Key Ingredients Michigan Foodways” traveling exhibit started out in Chelsea on May 26, 2007…

The Role of a Chef: A New Way to Eat

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:02:17 -0500

Eaters must understand that eating takes place inescapably in the world, this is inescapably an agricultural act, and that how we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used." -- Wendell Berry

“No one is growing turkey-craw beans any more. There are so many great varieties that were bred for taste that don’t get planted any more. It can’t be good when only 5 seed companies sell 75% of the seeds for our food” says Mark Baerwolf, sous-chef and now farmer for the Zingerman’s…

Waffling

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:18:28 -0500

A simple way to tell whether or not you're leading la dolce vita is, in my opinion, waffles. I'm not talking about that rubbery travesty not worthy of the name found in the frozen food section, and I'm not talking about those huge, heavy discus' made with pre-packaged batter that all the breakfast joints use and then try to disguise with a huge mountain of faux whipped "cream."

I'm talking about the real deal, the delicate golden honeycombs your mother makes in the waffle iron she bought for…

Support a Local Business Who Supports Us!

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:34:27 -0500

Everyday Wines/Everyday Cook needs your help!

The City Council committee formed to review new liquor license applications is expected to make a recommendation soon about who should be awarded the one available liquor license in Ann Arbor. The latest news is that Mary Campbell at Everyday Wines/Everyday Cook is one of the finalists.

As you may already know, in addition to being a wonderful resource for any wine-related question, Mary has been a staunch supporter of local non-profits. In the…

10 Best Adventures in Food for 02007

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:40:21 -0500

I know it's a tired cliché to try to summarize the year with a "best of" list, but I don't care. I love reading these lists and I know I'm going to enjoy making mine. I've had a pretty amazing year in food adventures, I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit.

If it's true that "your intentions determine your reality," it's clear that my intentions to explore some long-standing food interests have turned into a full-fledged obsession with pursuit of understanding what matters about it and what's fun…

Cookbooks - One Thing Leads to Another

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:02:06 -0500

Just before Christmas we had a very nice dinner at eve and (along with an Eve sighting) it reminded me that I still don't have a copy of her new cookbook (greedy cookbook monkey that I am). That gave my categorizing brain a reason to corral a list of other nearby chefs who have cookbooks that have come out recently. I'm sure there are others too - you could almost count the re-released Silver Palate Cookbook since one of the authors runs a Bed and Breakfast in Saugatuck. As the new year rolls…

Our Farms, Our Food

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:17:19 -0500

"This food comes from the Earth and the Sky,

It is the gift of the entire universe

And the fruit of much hard work;

Let us vow to live a life

Which is worthy to receive it."

-- Grace of the Bodhisattva Buddhists

It got my attention when a friend who moved here recently from southern Florida talked about how scary it was having the roof torn off your house in a hurricane - but not as scary as realizing (when one of them closed) that there are only 2 roads that supply the entire peninsula with food.…

Know Your Farmer at Community Farm

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:01:26 -0500

Visiting Community Farm is hard after a snow storm. Off Scio Church Road and around the curve on Fletcher Road, I quickly realized I had just driven past the steep entrance to the farm so I stopped and backed up (it is a country road after all) and promptly got the car stuck trying to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. Fortunately for me, Annie was right there in her big snow boots carrying her shovels. I was the third person she had helped get un-stuck by 9:30 that morning.

Paul Bantle…

The New Chelsea Market - Tour de Michigan

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 16:26:44 -0500

I'm not sure how long the Chelsea Market on Main Street in downtown Chelsea has been in business, but the New Chelsea Market has only been in business for 12 weeks, already with plans for expansion. It's still a full service grocery with meat, fish, cheese and bakery counters along with a large selection of beer, wine, and coffee and some produce and grocery staples.

New owner Kevin Riley is working on providing local products and he walked me around the store showing me all the things he's…

Farmer's Marketing: December 15, 2007

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:27:12 -0500

At the market this morning at 8am it was 24º outside and still middling dark. In the summer 8am is not so early, but in the winter the sun isn't quite up yet and after only an hour you can't feel your toes. I understand why many of the vendors have little tents, heaters, and electric tea kettles going. Mixed in with the few food vendors selling maple syrup, meat, squash, flour, eggs, honey, bread, greens and grow-your-own mushrooms are lots of wreaths, candles, ornaments, and other reminders…

Kale o' My Heart

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:49:32 -0500

Kale is that "let's just be friends" kind of guy of the vegetable world - not the sexy, motorcycle-riding kind of guy like, say, asparagus that it's hard to get enough of - mostly because he's never around. Kale, like those "let's just be friends" guys, is good for you and gives you what you need, without you moping and waiting around for him to call.

But it's true that I don't love kale so much. Mostly because you have to chew it about 1000 times. On the upside, it tastes pretty good and…

Interestingness

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:45:45 -0500

My dear husband, in addition to roasting chestnuts, attending food events, and carrying heavy things for me, is always looking out for things I'd like and sending me interesting things to look at and to read. It could be selfish on his part because without those tidbits I would be much more boring than I already am. I think he just likes doing nice things for me. Since he has to live with my obsessions on a daily basis, he knew that I would love reading this article on the Top 10 Farmer's…

Our Edible Community

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 21:22:06 -0500

The EdibleWOW magazine is out as of Thursday last week! Focusing on local, sustainable food and community in Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw counties, you're going to see some places and some faces that you already know, along with some surprises that you may have heard of but didn't know much about. You see on the front of the premiere issue a bottle of Calder Dairy (2%) milk in a photo taken at Westwind Milling. Inside are stories about Sweet Gem confections, Calder (of course), the Slow Food…

Back in the USSA: The United States of Sustainable America

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 08:20:28 -0500

"Then I realized - I'm a farmer. I can do anything." -- Jim Koan

Jim Koan (pronounced with Michigan pragmatism as "cone" not "co-an") has a dog named Felony, raises mighty-antlered reindeer, and Royal Palms - a breed of turkey so antique Ben Franklin was probably the last person who ever heard of it. Jim is also the 3rd generation owner, after his dad and grand-dad, of Al-Mar Orchards where he is brewing excellent hard cider and raising pastured heritage pigs. Jim is among the leaders…

Unexpected Coffee Goodness on Mainstreet Chelsea

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:33:35 -0500

I'm thinking Ali is going to be very excited to see these photos of what has to be the most beautiful espresso machine in the tri-county area. After visiting Mill Pond, Krystn took me over to the Chelsea Gallery where behind the most beautiful and comfortable bar I've seen around here resides what is arguably the handsomest beaten copper espresso machine ever. Owners Doris and Gary decided that if they were going to make espresso in their art gallery space, they needed to have a machine that…

Farmer's Marketer Outing: Mill Pond Bakery

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:44:28 -0500

The new space for Mill Pond Bread is aptly situated overlooking Sugarloaf Lake just outside of Chelsea. My friend Krystn grew up just across the lake and would boat over during the building's previous life as a run-down, smoky convenience store selling worms for bait right next to the gallons of milk. The smoke and the nightcrawlers are gone now, replaced by spicy baking smells wafting and soft music playing. Warm and welcoming, it somehow has the air of an artist's studio, flooded with…

Farmer's Marketing: November 28, 2007

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:39:33 -0500

It's official, the amount of food being sold at the market on a Wednesday is outweighed by the pine boughs and crafty things. However, some of the crafty things are made from food things - like these red pepper bouquets in front of Mr. DeVulder. They were very pretty - red hot peppers, white statice and green leaves. Nice bouquet for a spouse or mother-in-law.

I haven't told my family yet, but they may be having a "made in Michigan" Christmas. At the Community Farm table I was able to buy…

Christmas on the Farm - December 1 and 2, 2007

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:14:11 -0500

Ever since I saw one of the women who works at the Waterloo Farm Museum dig a hole in the ground, start a fire in it in the rain, and then proceed to cook a fantastic meal over the fire using iron pots and sticks as her only implements, I've been planning to go over to check out their version of living history. I see on their website that food is involved, so I'm intending on stopping by this weekend for their "Christmas on the Farm" celebration which takes place this Saturday, December 1 from …

Who Owns Organic

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:30:33 -0500

You might be surprised to see where your organic dollars are going. At the Cornucopia Institute website, Dr. Phil Howard at Michigan State has updated this chart of who owns who for 2007. Odwalla is owned by Coca Cola, General Mills owns Muir Glen and Cascadian Farm, Hershey owns Dagoba....Thanks for reminding me about this, Lesley. ;)

There's also an excellent Dairy Report and Score Card with ratings of 68 brands. There are ratings from "ethically challenged" to "best organic practices" to…

In a Tight Spot

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:06:48 -0500

The most incredible thing I saw at the excellent Detroit Bioneers Conference was the tour of community and urban gardens that are part of the Garden Resource Program Collaborative and Greening of Detroit initiatives. But the best talk I heard at the conference this September was Judy Wicks on how she started the White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia and BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economy), a national initiative.

Judy runs her business on seven "main building blocks of a local…

Giving Thanks: From Farm to Fork

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 08:28:18 -0500

Ungrateful for idiocracy

I would like a Farm Bill I could be thankful for, but instead it makes me angry that the subsidies in the current $286 billion dollar Farm Bill fall far short of helping US farmers grow food for people, and that the refusal to have Country of Origin Labeling serves the same industrial interests getting bloated off Farm Bill fat. It's crazy that we have neither the right nor the information tools to know where our food comes from or whether it's genetically modified.

Farmer's Marketing: November 24, 2007

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:25:46 -0500

It's looking like Christmas is coming to the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market. Lots of wreaths, pine boughs, and christmas ornaments. My favorites are the old-time Father Christmas triptychs that Victoria Fox paints on wood. Some are only a few inches tall and some are perhaps 8' tall. They are beautifully detailed with gold, faux gems, rich patterns and gorgeous colors. Although I subscribe to the tenets of the Church of Stop Shopping, I still would like a big one of these in front of my house.

It's…

Gorgeous Greens and The Art of Simple Food

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:50:07 -0500

Need I remind you where the most beautiful greens on your table might be coming from this winter? Straight from the farmer's market on Saturdays, find Brines Farms greens for your weekly quotient of Michigan sunshine plus vitamins and minerals.

Shannon Brines had an open house at his hoop house last weekend. You can see from the photos that while it's dry and brown outside, the leaves inside the hoop house are gorgeously green and plentiful. Shannon's growing about 10 or more different…

King Corn

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:22:18 -0500

King Corn is a film that will hopefully be coming soon to a theater near you. If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, you can see it at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids starting this Friday Nov. 23rd. It will be playing until Nov. 29th. Here's the promo info:

"America's fast-food empire is fueled by a secret ingredient: corn. High fructose corn syrup makes the sodas sweet, corn-fed beef makes the burgers fat, and corn oil crisps the fries. As college buddies Ian Cheney…

Strange and Beautiful

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:56:09 -0500

When I saw these huge rutabagas (aka "neeps" if you're Scottish or "Swedes" if you're English) I was literally bowled over by their size. I've discovered that I really like these golden turnip-y roots and this is the only time of year that they seem to be available. My Grampa used to like to eat his "beggies" raw (they're sweet and crunchy that way - perfect for the veggie tray), but they are even better cooked. My favorite way to eat them is to boil them half and half with potatoes and then…

So You Want a (Food) Community?

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:16:08 -0500

I got a gift of homemade sauerkraut and a grocery sack of beautiful green and red peppers from Vivienne the other day. I was very excited about having the bratwurst and sauerkraut dinner that my German heritage makes me adore - yah! And stuffed peppers are perfect for the continued winterizing plan we have. I love getting a gift that someone has made. Her lovely gift and also her foray out to John Harnois' farm to pick up turkeys for several of us are great examples of Vivienne's observation…

Bundt Cake Bliss is Out!

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:25:20 -0500

My dear friend Susanna is the about-to-be-famous, currently on tour, author of this just-released, most excellent book celebrating the fabulous Bundt Cake. At the time she invited me to develop a recipe for the book, I was obsessed with Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate. And since I only have mini-bundt pans - Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Mini-Bundts were the result.

Susanna and I have been baking together since high school. It was never too late for a batch of Heavenly Brownies or Almond Crisps.…

Tantré's Thanksgiving Share

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:59:37 -0500

Since Deb and Richard have been kind enough to let me spend a few hours a week volunteering at Tantré, it's gotten a lot clearer to me why local, organic food is so precious. Even putting aside all the organization, business and animal husbandry skills that go into it, it's unbelievable what consistent, long, hard work it is to plant, weed and harvest almost everything by hand. I'm only there for a few hours, perhaps harvesting some carrots and then some turnips, and by the time I go home I'm…

Farmer's Marketing: November 10, 2007

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:52:12 -0500

I don't often see the Community Farm at the market. They had lovely greens and honey today. And of course Annie Elder's brilliant smile.

Our market haul included some really nice greens (from Brines Farm and Frog Holler), brussels sprouts and radishes (from Tantre) rutabagas (Frog Holler) and red, white and blue potatoes (Shetler's). We also picked up the 2 chickens I ordered from Ernst Farm so that we can continue with The Chicken Project.

As with a number of other things, it seems…

Tiny Cabbages

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:37:44 -0500

Having recently harvested and eaten some of these tiny cabbages, I'm reading that brussels sprouts were named for their place of origin back when Brussels was part of ancient Rome, perhaps as early as the 1200s. Mike showed me the technique for harvesting them this time of year. You creep under the 3 or 4 foot tall umbelliferous top and standing there bent over, with your thumbs snap off the small heads which diminish in size as they swirl up and around the stout stalk. Taking off the shaggy…

Extending the Season

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:16:34 -0500

On Wednesday this week the Farmer's Market was almost lonely. The most noticeable marketers were the pre-schoolers and home-schoolers using the market for their classroom. "Aaaaapple - what does apple start with?" There's plenty of space for them right now. And for the producers who are doing season extension work by growing cold season hardy crops and using hoophouses. In this photo of Tantré's table, you can see that it's still completely full of beautiful produce.

I'm not dreading this…

Roos Roast Coffee Class - 1st Sunday of the Month

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:13:21 -0500

Coffee nerds are somewhat different from coffee junkies, those 24-hour party people. A coffee nerd seeks enlightenment in the art and the science of the perfect cup and is willing to learn the ways and usually has the means for doing so. I live with a coffee nerd and I have learned to worship at the altar of the bean. This worship of the caffeinated god has its advantages. Excellent shrines at which to celebrate with dark and steamy libations. And there are lots of other pilgrims with whom to…

Soirée d'Automne

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 19:00:05 -0500

Vive la France! Originally envisioned as a cooking class taught in French, Francis instead led us, with great aplomb and patience, through the vagaries of French menu planning and wine pairings en Anglais. The centerpiece of our efforts was the lengthy preparation of the show and heart-stopping "Cassoulet au Confit de Canard." Francis' expertise comes from years cooking in the restaurant his parents owned in Calais, starting when he was 13 years old. Not to mention the advantage of just being…

Farmer's Marketing: October 27th, 2007

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:06:05 -0400

Saturday we marketed early and with purposeful intent. When the sun doesn't come up until almost 8am, it's not so hard to get to market while the streetlights and the market lights are still illuminated. It's a great time to go since only the early birds are there and they are not a lot of competition. The market stalls are definitely fewer and farther between now, but we were in search of only a few things in preparation for this coming Saturday's Soirée d'Automne, chez nous.

With the help of…

Guest Marketer: Corinne

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:01:39 -0400

I love the smells of all the fruits and vegetables at market. There is a farmer selling organic wheat and buckwheat at our market. I love getting peaches and watermelon in the summer. I love making apricot crisp with the apricots from market.

We used to crouch down and look at the animals in the cages being sold by the farmers. The farmers were selling chickens, bunnies and quail. Local food is great!

Guest Marketer: Zachary

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:57:19 -0400

I love market! This is why I love it... Because they sell tomatoes, squashes and zucchini and all of them are really good! The foods at market are as good as the food from your own garden! One time, Mommy was at market and she went to our Apple Guy. The Apple Guy asked "Where are your children?" Mommy said "They're at home taking a bath." The Apple Guy said "Good for them" in an emotionless voice. I think the Apple Guy has really good pears and really good apples also.

One farmer at…

Oh, Mexico

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:31:44 -0400

Once again we head to Ypsilanti for inspiration not available in Ann Arbor. I had heard that the new Dos Hermanos market which recently opened in Ypsi at 412 W. Michigan Ave. was really great and that they had a hot food bar. Hoping against hope that it was a California-style burrito bar complete with pork in salsa verde, I called several times (487-8802) to see if I could get some intel before putting all our dinner eggs in one basket. No answer on the phone, but Dos Hermanos was easy to…