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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
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
Yesterday I suffered a massive migraine that made it difficult to sleep. Not good. The migraine, while gone now, seems to have affected my appetite today, and I am sad to report that the only local fare I have had is a croissant from Bennison’s bakery!
Okay, not so sad!
Tomorrow is Green City Market day, which means I have more shopping to do, more fun stuff to report and … I will be making a carrot cake with (almost) all local ingredients!!!
Stay tuned!
Dev xx
Gee, on Day Two I could not even stay on the Locavore Challenge wagon.
Definitely not local. Oops.
I fell off at about 5.30pm, when Dan came over and we decided to drown a few pints in a local pub. Unfortunately (actually, not too unfortunately), our path to the bar led us right by Cozy Noodles & Rice, located at 3456 N. Sheffield Ave. in Wrigleyville.
I love bubble tea, and as you all may know, had rave reviews about Saint’s Alp coconut bubble milk tea a while back. While Saint’s Alp had a more nuanced, understated tea that layered black tea with a mild coconut taste and frothy milk, Cozy’s take is intense. I just screams, “I AM COCONUT!!!!!” There is nothing nuanced about this tea. As a matter of fact, it hardly tastes like tea. It just tastes like iced coconut goodness with black tapioca. And yes, I love it.
Once I devoured the pot stickers (shown above) with Dan, my meal arrived. Mild curry with chicken. At first, I was a little afraid that this dish would be bland. It was very sweet and had lovely lemongrass, nutmeg and coconut flavours in the beginning, but then it had a kick at the end that hit the back of your palate and burned on the way down. With every bite I became more and more hooked. It was truly a delicious meal that could have only been improved if the potatoes were cooked more thoroughly (they were still a little raw in the middle!).
There is another reason why you should visit Cozy, though you should not be bad and do it during Locavore Challenge! You should also visit because the place is decked out with a toy collection that is second-to-none. Yes, every inch of this tiny restaurant is filled with wind-up animals, kooky robots and toy cars that the owner has been collecting since he was twelve. Even the women’s bathroom is covered with, what else, Pez dispensers!
It really is quite a sight!!! All of your favourites are here from Snoopy to Garfield, the massive collectible Pez dispensers to miniature key-ring sized ones. There are even Pez posters and lunch boxes! But sorry kids, no Pez candy in sight! You really have to see this to believe it!
After cheating, I got right back on the wagon when we stopped over at Sheffield’s, arguably the best bar in Chicago featuring local craft brews. After checking out the extensive list of draught beers and tasting the bitterly flat Half Acre’s Daisy Cutter Pale Ale, I chose the Goose Island Matilda, a malty and aromatic beer that is brewed in Chicago! How’s that for local!?
To make up for my non-local dinner, I had two local beers… just to be sure that I was supporting the cause.
It was a hard job, but hey, someone has to do it! :-)
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)
If you are sick of tasteless asparagus (it is only in season in the early spring, people!) and bland, mealy strawberries that you picked out from a terribly lit Jewel-Osco produce aisle; if you are fed up with canned tomatoes and soggy breads that you bought at Dominick’s, never fear. The Locavore Challenge at Green City Market kicks off today and you can pledge to become a Locavore for two weeks and eat like a queen (or king!).
Over the next two weeks, I will be documenting my own journey through the Locavore Challenge and update regularly with pictures, recipes, commentary and maybe a few interviews. Hey, I’m a journalist. It’s what I do.
Are you ready Chicago?
Dev xx
