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Not gonna lie: I was ridiculously excited Wednesday about Green City Market’s Apple Fest, which featured over seven different uncommon varieties to taste as well as delicious prepared foods from well-known chefs in Chicago! But moreso than just apples, I was thrilled to find some unique products at the market that I am sure you will love!
1. Oscar’s Hairy Balls. I thought the name was a joke, too, but it isn’t. Oscar’s Hairy Balls are the catalogue name for the above seed pods on a stick that actually produce a lovely near-white bloom. Of course, once news broke of my discovery, many a joke was made.
2. Cherry preserves from Seedling Farms. Sweet and tangy with whole cherries in it. It’s like pie without the crust…on a croissant!
3. Peppers from Leaning Shed Farm. You can see Serrano, Jalapeno and Banana peppers in the picture above, as well as a big, shiny candy red onion! Cannot wait to fry it up! Mmmm-mmm!
4. Bosc pears, with a sweet, gritty flesh, from Mick Klug are just gorgeous. Honey Crisp apples are MASSIVE from Ellis Farms and the little red apples are a gift from Gabe, so I could make caramel covered apples with his perfect caramel sauce!
5. Hugging carrots and curly-q eggplant from Granor Farm. Jesse and Tim were kind enough to let me bring tons of little school children to their tent to show off their deep violet eggplants! Thanks, guys!
More to come…
Dev xx
Do you like apples? How about apple butter, apple cider, hot caramel apple drinks, caramel covered apples and other apple-related recipes?
Courtesy of The Sun Blog
Then you will LOVE Green City Market’s Apple Fest being held tomorrow at Clark and Menomonee.
The event will start at 9.30 am and will also feature chef tastings with Patrick Sheerin (Signature Room), Alex Cheswick (May Street Market) and Sarah Levy (Sarah’s Pastries & Candies).
See you there!!
Who said a local breakfast had to be boring?
Well my Locavore friends, we have come to the end. Sadly, the Locavore Challenge for Green City Market ended today (Wednesday) but that doesn’t mean that a Locavore Challenge for you has to end. You can keep incorporating local, sustainable foods into your every day menu.
This does not have to be hard. It can mean using Blue Marble cream in your coffee for breakfast, salad greens from Granor Farms for lunch and Heartland Meats beef hamburgers for dinner. Easy. Delicious.
Simple, right?
Today, to mark the end of the LC, I bought a crisp and sugary sweet sticky roll with pecans from Floriole.
For lunch, I had a burger (so did Ruthie!) from Sunday Dinner! In case any of you have had these heavenly burgers, I thought I would take a picture of the SD menu board for you. PS, the cheese used on the burgers is a cold packed horseradish cheddar cheese spread from Brunkow ($6)!
In order to be as Locavorish as I can, I stocked up groceries for the rest of the week. Gee, who said eating locally was hard?! Is it so hard to buy fresh croissants, chewy ciabatta bread, sweet cream butter, Michigan peaches, creamy horseradish cheddar cheese spread and sticky buns?! No. And I bet the stuff you buy at Green City Market will taste better and be better for you than anything you can buy at the Jewel.
Yesterday, I also had the pleasure of giving tours to kindergartners from St. Monica Academy. They were too adorable and believe me, as they were at our tasting table munching on Asian pears, grapes, pineapple ground cherries, purple carrots and cilantro, they made eating local look easy.
….And they were 5 years old!
For dinner, as a final hurrah, my friends and I ate lamb bratwursts with fresh, whole wheat bread from Bennison’s. As lamb grease dribbled down our chins, we both spoke excitedly about the amazing local dinners to come.
I can almost taste them.
I have decided to update this blog to include a section of recipes and meal ideas from local chefs and Chicagoans. Keep on reading Making Chicago Home for more updates on what to eat!
Dev xx
Day nine, or Thursday, started really early and ended very late! Since I was up at the crack of dawn, I made myself raspberry yoghurt, sprinkling the very, very last of the season’s raspberries atop of organic Wallaby vanilla yoghurt. Now, Wallaby is not local, so this is cheating a bit, but I must say that it was bought before the Locavore Challenge and had to be consumed before I had to write a post titled, “When good yoghurt goes bad”.
Part of the LC is to not let anything go to waste.
For lunch, Tim and I decided to head over to our favourite spot in the city, Bittersweet, located on 1114 W. Belmont Ave. in Lakeview. I have told you guys this before and I will tell you again that Bittersweet is, by far, the best lunch in Chicago. Oh yes, yes, yes…we all coo over the Bourgeois Pig and do flips over Al’s deli sandwiches (not technically in Chicago proper, but close enough!) but Bittersweet does everything right for a good price, great location and even more amazing pastries.
So, as you can see from the above picture, I started with the matzo ball soup. The matzo dumplings were tender and flavoured with chicken fat. They came in a bath of vegetable soup with chicken stock and was a light and delicious first course. That is one of the best things about Bittersweet: You never leave the cafe feeling like there is a brick in your stomach. Everything satisfies your hunger without making you feel like you have be rolled down the street afterward!
For my main dish, the chicken dijon salad was just calling my name! This sandwich, which obviously has mayo in it, also has a generous helping of dijon mustard, making it a more complex chicken salad. Pair that with the diced carrots and celery thrown in the mix and put it on freshly baked wheat bread and you have yourself a thick sandwich that tastes zesty and sweet.
For the finale, may I suggest the lemon and chocolate Parisian macaroons? A French favourite, and something that is hard to find not in a rolled coconut form, these Parisian macaroons are made from blanched almonds and egg whites. The filling is made of egg whites and butter. However simple these may seem, do not be fooled: Bittersweet has put a twist on these classic favourites by flavouring them with lemon and chocolate! At first, the crunchy shell breaks under your teeth, but then you sink in to a chewy interior, making these macaroons crispy like a cookie and moist and crumby like cake.
The chocolate ones are not to be missed. They taste like brownie edges and have a rich taste that will stick to the roof of your mouth!
In addition, they have a ton of gorgeous little sugar cookies shaped into cute objects, like the Crayon above!
Bon appetit!
Dev xx
I know I should have updated yesterday, but I had such a fun, full and busy day that I just had to take a break and put it off until today (and I still will have to post more tomorrow about Day 8 AND 9!!!
In honour of Melon Fest, there were chefs and mixologists at Green City Market handing out samples of melon salad with goat cheese and melon soups. Sound good? Yes. Sound safe? Yup. But then there was this renegade chef who was handing out samples of his goat cheese and dill ice cream in a watermelon corn soup (picture above)! Goat cheese dill ice cream!? Come again? After I took my first bite, all I could think of was that my tastebuds were confused but happy. I thought the dish was perfect.
Can anybody identify the chef in this picture (the man on the left!)
Ten points goes to the reader who can identify the chef on the left in the picture above. Someone needs to give this man props for his weird and wonderful creation!
The inside of Cafe Brauer
On Wednesday, I was incredibly honoured to give a Green City Market tour to the chefs who attended Chefs Collaborative’s Summit. I am so thankful to the amazing and hard-working Laura Watkins, marketing and communications coordinator at GCM, for letting me give the tour!
Before the tour started, Rich Hawley, another awesome GCM employee, took me around to each vendor and I found out some interesting and fun stuff that makes them unique! Since this is stuff I did not know before, and information that really impressed the chefs on the tour, I thought I would share it with you!
I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time Wednesday afternoon and am very, very thankful that Mark, who works with Green City Market, invited me along to the Chefs Collaborative lunch at Cafe Brauer.
Cafe Brauer, as I learned, is an example of Prairie style architecture that originated in Chicago!
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! :-)
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
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)
