You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘farmers market’ tag.
I have BIG news for all of you Locavores looking for a coffee fix. No, the beans are not from Chicago, but at Metropolis Coffee Company, they are roasting small batches in the heart of Chicago! That is about as local as you can get when it comes to coffee and it is worth it!
Where can you get this coffee?
At Dollop Coffee and Tea in Uptown. What an underrated little gem! Located in a brownstone that juts out into the intersection of North Clarendon and West Gordon Terrace, Dollop welcomes you with soft, melodic indie music and exposed brick walls. The decor is not at all planned or even pretentiously mismatched. No, instead, this adorable coffee house looks organically designed with the wall art and antique furniture probably being added piece-by-piece by an owner who has a love for varied styles.
The barista was really patient with me and even let me try a “shot” of Metropolis’ French Roast coffee (I do not drink coffee, but I had to research it)! It was smoky, very fresh and had a sweet finish on the back of the palate.
I chose the iced chai as my first drink because a. it’s hot outside and b. I love chai! What a good choice! The milky, cinnamon-infused chai was gone before I knew it!
For breakfast I had a croissant (Bennison’s) with Stover’s jam. For a light lunch, I had a 2 egg scramble with goat cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery. This is the ultimate light, airy and delicious lunch and the protein kept me going for hours! I am telling you guys, you HAVE to try the Prairie Dropseed Goat Cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm. For only $5, this round of goat cheese is versatile, has a creamy and crumbly texture that melts in your mouth and a rich flavour that is hard to find. Oh, and please do not make the rookie mistake of peeling off the mould covering: it adds to the flavour and is, indeed, edible. I PROMISE you won’t keel over and die. Believe me!
The best part of the day, though, besides the food and amazing coffee shop, was hanging out with Green City Market volunteer and new Chicago resident Ruthie! We met at Green City and had a lovely afternoon as I showed her Southport Ave. and its bounty of cool shops and restaurants like Candyality and Deleece. Man, I love Lakeview!
Stay tuned tomorrow for more Locavore fun and a restaurant review of … you’ll have to visit to find out! :-)
Dev xx
PS, 2 days until Green City Market Day!!!!!!!!!!
Fight the temptation, Locavores!
These delicious pumpkin doughnuts are from Bennison’s Bakery but they are not local quite yet: the pumpkin used in the recipe is (gasp!) not local!!!
They are, however, absolutely to die for and are available now at Bennison’s location in Evanston! If you have to cheat for something sweet, cheat for something good! Like these puppies!
Dev xx
I know it may seem really difficult to eat 100% local, especially when, if you are like me, you do not have that much money. But in fact, by buying at Farmers Markets, you can really save yourself a lot by only buying what you will need for the days in between the market. Plus, you will be helping local farmers, putting money back into the community and eating the freshest and healthiest foods around!
As a snack, I just have to suggest Leaning Shed Farm’s heirloom cherry tomatoes! They have 13 different kinds that are all different sizes, shapes and tastes!
And, the Dyreks (who own the place!) are so kind and generous, they will keep you coming back for more! And more. And more.
Dev xx
Day five started out with some seven grain sourdough and Stover’s Very Berry jam. What?! You mean you do not know of Stover’s?! Time out! Time to be educated.
Stover’s does not attend Green City Market. Instead, I have to visit them at either the Federal Plaza Market or Daley Plaza Market in the Loop on Tuesdays and Thursdays, respectively. They have so many different jams that I often just marvel in front of the huge layout. To prevent myself from drooling too much while I pick my poison, I generally just ask the advice of the friendly shop guy!
So after breakfast I left to go over to DePaul with Tim to attend a picnic. I know what you are thinking, that I immediately fell off the Locavore bandwagon! But I didn’t! Nope! Instead I brought along a homemade salad and a juicy, cold pear from Nichols Farm!
For dinner, along with not-so-local pasta, I had delicious sweet corn! Local and fabulous!
Oh! And I have had a lot of questions lately as to where my adorable apron came from that I wore to Saturday’s market!
It is from Jessie Steele who obviously excels in making the cutest aprons on the planet! As a matter of fact, I am on the hunt for a new apron that is equally sweet, so if anyone has any suggestions, just make a comment!
Also, I have another recipe idea for you guys, this time using River Valley Ranch’s Asparagus Spinach Dip. Thanks to River Valley Ranch’s shopguys for giving me this idea on Satuday!
Asparagus Spinach Pizza
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pre-prepared pizza crust (or you can make yours with whole wheat, local flour!)
- 1 jar of asparagus spinach dip from River Valley Ranch
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes (try them from Tomato Mountain!), sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 2 cups soft sheep’s milk or goat’s milk cheese
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread asparagus spinach dip over pizza crust then top with tomatoes. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes. As soon as you pull the pizza out of the oven, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the entire surface! The cheese will lightly melt!
Enjoy and see ya tomorrow!
Dev xx
PS, only 2 more days until Green City Market Day!!!! So excited!!! :-)
Long title for what will be a long entry!
James Gottwald and his chef de cuisine Amanda Downing
So, as some of you may or may not know, James Gottwald from Rockit Bar and Grill came to the market yesterday to do a chef demo! On the menu was a Super Sweet Corn Salad and Zucchini Fettucini with Mushrooms. For the recipes, click on the “Read More of this Article” at the bottom of this article!!
Needless to say, it was a hit and as I passed out samples and recipes, it was clear that people loved both dishes!
After returning from GCM, I decided to put the local fare to work in a homemade Carrot-Apple Cake with Maple Frosting. This cake contains NO processed sugar OR butter (but the frosting does!) and has a ton of local ingredients! It has been such a hit that it is almost gone and I made it on Saturday!
Here is the recipe:
PREP:
Grate (I HAND-grated, which took a LONG time!) 2 cups of fresh, local carrots
- about 4 large carrots – mine were from Green Acres Farm
Grate 1 cup of well-drained apples
- about 6 large apples, peeled and cored
- Any variety works, but I especially love Wolf Rivers. They are tart with a creamy flesh and keep crisp and juicy for a week – mine were from Nichols Farm
- MCH TIP!!!! Drain the apple using a sieve and let the juices fall into a bowl. Pour into a glass to enjoy about a cup’s worth of homemade apple cider! Yum!
HEAT your oven to 350 degrees and GREASE two 9″ circular cake pans
Ingredients for Cake:
- 2 cups of whole wheat flour (mine was bought from Heritage Prairie Farm, but the flour itself is from Ted’s Organic Grains)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 cup veggie oil
- 3/4 cup honey (mine was from Chicago Honey Co-Op)
- 4 eggs (mine were Mary’s Eggs)
- the carrots and apples you grated for prep!
- Throw the dry ingredients into your stand mixer (or bowl!) and whisk together
- Add the oil, honey and eggs into the dry ingredients and mix well!
- Finally, stir in the apple and carrots.
- Add an even amount of mixture to your cake pans
- Bake for 35-40 minutes
- Take your cakes out and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then plop them out onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. While they are cooling, make your icing.
Maple Syrup Frosting
PREP:
Make sure 1 stick of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese have been warmed to room temperature.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup (mine is from Burton’s Maplewood Farm)
- a teaspoon of vanilla extract (mine is Nielsen-Massey)
- 2 cups of confectioners sugar. I try to use as little as possible and always always rely on taste. Honestly, you do not need 3 cups of sugar in a frosting. Blech.
- Whip together your butter and cream cheese.
- Add the maple syrup and then slowly add your confectioners sugar in 1/2 cup increments.
- Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl after you have added the sugar, and then mix one more time!
I baked my cake into a two-tier heart. Why? Because hearts are better than circles! :-)
Day four and I am eagerly stuffing my face with the most delicious salad I created while I type this. Yes, the gorgeous salad you see above was made by yours truly, with very little effort. The arugula came from … I forgot, the Jupiter grapes from Mick Klug, the heirloom cherry tomatoes from Leaning Shed and the goat cheese from Prairie Fruit Farm and Creamery! I made up the “dressing” myself. Generally, I do not like dressings because I find them to drown the veggies and ruin their delicate, nuanced flavours. Instead, to bring out the flavour of the peppery arugula, I squeezed a little lemon juice over the salad and added a couple of grinds of freshly ground pepper and some salt, to bring out the taste in the tomatoes.
It was a really delightful meal that was both light and filling (because I served it with a hunk of seven grain sourdough!
But wait, let’s back up and discuss what was for breakfast. Of course, since I was up at 5am and at GC by 7am, I had to rely on market fare to fill up my tummy. Thank goodness for Abby’s Crepes because they use Green City ingredients to make the lovely, light and maple-syrup packed crepes.
More to come from Day 4…
Dev xx
Local dinner last night: Seared pork loins with shiitake mushrooms, roasted potatoes and cheesy leeks
Oh wow! Dinner last night turned out perfectly! Granted, I set the smoke alarm off, but no good dinner comes without a price, right?
For the cheesy leek recipe, you can refer back to the more detailed explanation on my Locavore Challenge, Day One post.
My late breakfast had to be simple and light today, following yesterday’s late, heavy dinner. So I just settled for a fresh pear from Mick Klug Farm. Later, I had a small apple from Nichol’s Farm and have decided that Wolf River apples are, by far, the best I have ever had. You can see a Wolf River in the picture above, the one at the bottom of the picture that is splashed with green and red. It is mild, faintly sweet, earthy and very, very crisp. The lone tomato in the picture is from Leaning Shed Farm who has the most beautiful array of heirlooms! I will take a picture this Saturday!
Me (in the red) and school children visiting Green City Market
One of my favourite parts of volunteering at Green City Market is getting involved with the community! Above you can see a group of elementary-aged kids grabbing at samples of market fare. They came with their school to learn about local food and its importance. Thanks so much to Dan Hindin, a GCM volunteer, for taking this picture!
I am going to have a very late lunch today because I will not be able to have dinner until 9/9.30. On the menu today is seven grain sourdough bread (Bennison’s Bakery) and butter (Nordic Creamery).
Pictures and more to come…
Dev xx
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!!!! I am SO excited for the kick off of Green City Market’s Locavore Challenge that I kind of went hog wild with the pictures, recipes and shopping!
Fresh produce at Iron Creek Farm's stand
If you are not in the know, let’s catch you up to speed. Green City Market is a farmers market located at Menomonee and Clark (around 1750 N. Clark) and gathers every Wednesday and Saturday 7am to 1pm. Why shop there? Well, first, as you will see (and as some of you already know) the selection of fresh, local and sustainable produce is hard to beat! You will be helping local farmers and the local economy and … did I mention how amazing everything tastes? If you want to feel like you are shopping in luxury (and to escape the rush-rush of city life), stop by, make friends with the farmers who ar growing your food and FINALLY eat like you deserve!
You also need to outfit yourself. May I suggest buying a beautiful and durable Bolga Market Basket? They are Fair Trade and come from Ghana. I always get comments on mine and the handle is comfy enough to not bite into my hand when carrying a boatload of fruit and veg back to my flat.
One of my sweet Bolga Market Baskets
Now, I have secrets for you. Since I volunteer at Green City I have some awesome news for those of you who have either already pledged to the Locavore Challenge or those of you who have yet to cross-your-heart-and-hope-to-die:
1. There are two new vendors ONLY in town for the next two weeks during the Challenge. They are King’s Hill Farm, supplying you with Certified Organic produce (including heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers and cauliflower) and Twin Garden Farms, making sure you get your fill of Mirai. Mi-what?! Mirai (pronounced Mee-Rye). It is a special, hybrid corn grown in Illinois that can be eaten right off the husk!
“Certainly not,” I hear you mumbling to yourself. But really, it can be! I tried it and it is sweet and juicy with plump kernels that bust under the weight of your bite. But don’t take my word for it – go get some at Green City!!
2. LOCAL FLOUR will be at Heritage Prairie Market & Farm THIS SATURDAY! Oh yeah, and you thought you would not be able to make a carrot cake with local ingredients! This weekend, HPMF will be selling three types of flour: Rye, Whole Wheat and Wheat berry. Also by next week, Green City will get local rice! Now, that is something to celebrate!
3. In addition to how fun GCM usually is, it is also important to remember that cool chefs do cool chef demonstrations every Wed. and Sat. To learn how to use all the food you buy, make sure you stop by this Sat. to watch James Gottwald from Rockit Bar and Grill show you a thing or two about how to cook. The best part? Samples, duh! :o)
The flowers I bought from Jerry at Stoney Run Fields
So I bet you are wondering exactly what it is I am having for dinner (and don’t forget dessert!) tonight. Well, if you click on the link below, you can read ALL about it on the next page.
Go ahead, you know you want to! :o)
