edible COLUMBUS | Winter 2012 | Issue No. 12

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Issue No. 12

Celebrating Local Foods, Season by Season

Winter 2012

The 13 Desserts

A WINTER GARDEN THE FUTURE OF ORGANICS OUR LOCAL FOODSHED THE SIKH GURDWARA WATERSHED DISTILLERY BLYSTONE FARM

Contents 2012 Features

Departments 4 6 7 9 12 15 18 22 26 35 43 52 57 62 64

Letter from the Publisher

32

The 13 Desserts as celebrated each holiday season in the south of France By Shawnie Kelley Foy, Photography by Catherine Murray

Letter from the Editor Edible Events

39

Winter Reads

Our Local Foodshed The road to better eats and a stronger economy is shorter than you think By Brian Williams, Photography by Jessica Opremcak

Local and In Season Young Palates

A Sweet Tradition

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The Next 20 Years of Organics

By Gary Hirshberg, chairman and co-founder of Stonyfield Illustrations by Synthia Jester

In the Garden Edible Traditions

RECIPES

A Taste of Home From the Kitchen From the Good Earth Edible Entrepreneur Behind the Bottle Advertiser Directory Last Seed

12 23 30 36 37 46 54 59

Spinach Salad Clear Beet Soup Simple Temple Chai & Spiced Chai Olive Oil Fougasse with Anise and Orange Flower Water Candied Orange Peel A Deeply Savory Braised Brisket Lavender Truffles Watershed Spiced Toddy

About the cover: Photographer Catherine Murray of Photo Kitchen collaborated with Spencer Budros of Pistacia Vera and and Edible Columbus Editor-inChief/chef Tricia Wheeler to create an edible wreath for our cover to represent some of the 13 desserts from the south of France as written about by Shawnie Kelley Foy on page (page 32). To learn more about Catherine and view her portfolio visit photokitchen.net.

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Photo of O’Chocolate’s cocoa powder, cloves, sugar and amaranth by © Jessica Opremcak, opremcakphotography.com

Winter

letter from the Publisher

edible Columbus Publisher & Editor in Chief

Tricia Wheeler Editor

Colleen Leonardi Copy Editor

Doug Adrianson Editorial assistant

Claire Hoppens Editorial Intern

Leah Wolf Design

Melissa Petersen

This issue of Edible Columbus draws inspiration from traditions, different cultures and celebrations that happen all around the world throughout the winter months. Local entrepreneur Spencer Budros of Pistacia Vera created our cover image. He graciously agreed to recreate 13 traditional French desserts for our article on Les Treize Desserts de Noël by Shawnie Kelley Foy. Spencer arranged the desserts into the festive wreath featured on our cover. Shawnie’s article on page 32 takes us on a journey to Provence, where taking a bite of 13 symbolic desserts dictates their Christmas Eve tradition—a French ritual that is going to be recreated in my home this holiday season!

(I have feeling that it might turn into a new tradition.)

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You don’t have to travel outside of Columbus to learn about other cultures and taste foods from other lands. Tamara Mann Tweel in her article “The Sikh Gurdwara: Where the kitchen is always open” eloquently introduces us to the Columbus Sikh community. Their temple doors and Sunday table are graciously open to all of us to discover more. We also journey to Poland in a personal account about our writer Marta Madigan’s holiday traditions growing up in the country of her birth. Her very touching tribute leaves me thinking about the legacy I leave my own family every holiday season: I hope the small things make it memorable and special in their eyes.

Here at Edible Columbus we wish you all a joyous season filled with wonder and delight.

Business Development

Shelly Strange WEB DEVELOPMENT

András Rátonyi Contributors

Brooke Albrecht • Kim Beeman Spencer Budros • Shawnie Kelley Foy Molly Hays • Gary Hirshberg HRH Charles, Prince of Wales • Synthia Jester Susan Liechty • Marta Madigan Catherine Murray • Jessica Opremcak Kristen Scherer • Madeline Scherer Nicolene Schwartz • Carole Topalian Tamara Mann Tweel • Stephanie Wapner Brian Williams Contact Us

P.O. Box 21-8376, Columbus, Ohio 43221 info@ediblecolumbus.com ediblecolumbus.com Edible Columbus

@ediblecbus

Advertising Inquiries

Tricia Wheeler

tricia@ediblecolumbus.com Edible Columbus is published quarterly and distributed throughout Central Ohio. Subscription rate is $25 annually. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.

PHOTO BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

F

or many years, my best friend and I would take a trip overseas in January.

It was before kids, husbands and other responsibilities were part of our life, and as single girls we chose to start our New Year off in a foreign land. We came back inspired and ready to focus on our work at hand. I think the idea of taking a break at the beginning of the year to refocus and to consciously think about how we want to spend our time over the coming year is a great gift we can give ourselves.

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hen I first tried baccala, a traditional Italian dish of dried salt cod served during the holidays, prepared by my grandmother with love and care, I didn’t like it. The salty, fishy taste of it on my palate met with disapproval. Days before she had explained the tradition to me and her secret recipe. Savoring all aspects of the dish, from story to fork, became a test of my true Italian bloodline. So for my taste buds to say, No, felt like a betrayal. Perhaps I’m not Italian, I remember thinking.

When winter offers us fewer fresh, local foods, we have an opportunity to savor the richness and reasons behind the foods that are available to us now.

Food traditions can be like this. We learn to love the flavors more for how they symbolize who we are than for how comforting or familiar the meal may taste. Sometimes the ceremony and all it represents proves to be more nourishing. And perhaps this is why traditions are so fundamental to living. As the Prince of Wales writes in his essay, “On the Future of Food”: “We have to recognize that social and economic stability is built upon valuing and supporting local communities and their traditions.” Yes, taking on your traditions in your kitchen while recognizing those traditions being celebrated around you brings something of your history into your home—there is tremendous stability, abundance and gratitude in this.

Hirshberg writes in “The Next 20 Years of Organics”: “When thinking about our future, I can’t help but think of the past.”

Reading articles like Marta Madigan’s narrative about her family’s holiday feast or Madeline Scherer’s article about cooking with her siblings, I’m reminded of how traditions demand a certain thoughtfulness. Like my grandmother patiently salting the cod over and over again, or Marta’s mother letting the carp swim around in the bathtub for days to ensure freshness—our different tastes are guided by these details. We choose one fish over another for a reason, just as we choose organic over conventionally grown for a reason.

And it’s why Madeline makes cookies to send to a friend in Virginia, for something happens between her hands and the chocolate chips that does make her sweet gift fragile.

When winter offers us fewer fresh, local foods, we have an opportunity to savor the richness and reasons behind the foods that are available to us now. And to celebrate those foods with traditions, however large or small, old or new, with our family—or perhaps a stranger in need of a reminder of the gift of a good meal and a warm place at the table.

With joy & peace,

In our winter issue, as we hold one hand out to embrace the New Year and reach the other hand behind us to bring the best of the past along with us, we wanted to look at traditions and what lies ahead. And as Stonyfield’s Gary

Colleen Leonardi

The Perfect Holiday Gift!

Subscribe to Edible Columbus and never miss a single issue with pristine copies delivered right to your door! Subscribe for yourself, or as a thoughtful gift for one of your favorite foodies. It's a gift that will last all year.

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Edible Columbus, is supported by our advertisers and subscribers. With your paid subscription, you help support our mission by telling the stories of our local farmers, chefs, growers and food artisans.

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PHOTO BY © SARAH WARDA, SARAHWARDA.COM

letter from the editor

PHOTO BY Š CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

edible events In the spring of 2013 we will be moving our cooking series to our new cooking school, The Seasoned Farmhouse, created by Tricia Wheeler. Our new home is located in Clintonville, where we will offer both handson and demonstration-style classes. Each season we will create an inspired schedule of classes and workshops from the kitchen and garden. More details will be shared in our spring issue.

Visit ediblecolumbus.com in January and February for a first look at our class schedule!

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Winter Reads

By Kim Beeman

At Edible Columbus, we believe the gift of good food stories and recipes is one of the best presents around. So we’re delighted to share Kim Beeman’s top cookbooks and more this season for the food lover in your life.

—Colleen Leonardi

For the Serious Home Cook

For the Design Enthusiast

Modernist Cuisine at Home by Nathan

Edible Selby by Todd Selby (Abrams,

Mhyrvold (The Cooking Lab, October

September 2012, 296 pages, $35)

2012, 456 pages, $140) Modernist

Todd Selby, whose well-regarded

Cuisine at Home brings the cutting-edge

website is devoted to the homes of the

techniques and stunning photography of

beautiful and the interesting, turns his

the

original

six-volume

Modernist

focus on famous figures in the culinary

Cuisine set to the home cook in an ap-

world. This book looks at the kitchens

proachable, one-volume (plus recipe

and gardens of 40 culinary hotspots, in-

book) package. This would make the

cluding NOMA, Mission Chinese Food,

perfect gift for the food geek in your life.

M Wells and more. The stylish photos

Whether they are passionate about sous

reveal a little-seen side of the culinary

vide or obsessed with hydrocolloids,

world. A must-have for the well-read

Modernist Cuisine at Home will give them the tools and information they need.

Also: Eleven Madison Park by Daniel Humm

foodie or the design enthusiast. Also: Vilmorin: The Vegetable Garden by

For the Baker

For the World Traveler

Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller and

Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi

Sebastian Rouxel (Artisan, October 2012,

Duguid (Artisan, September 2012, 384

Keller’s

pages, $35) Burma borders India,

Bouchon Bakery, renowned for its mix of

Bangladesh, China, Thailand and Laos,

classic and innovative pastries, finally has

and is home to a celebrated national

its own book! Featuring recipes for Keller’s

cuisine. Drawing partly on the influence

take on Oreos and Nutter Butters, as well

of these neighbors, the cuisine is both

as more traditional baked goods like blue-

recognizable and excitingly novel. The

berry muffins, this cookbook will appeal to

salads, sauces and chutneys are an ex-

any serious home baker. There are numerous sidebars with pointers on various

cellent starting point. Naomi Duguid

baking techniques as well. Keller is famous for his perfectionism, and it is clear

brings the food of Burma to life with

that he extends that thinking to his cookbooks as well. Also: Top Pot Doughnuts

stunning photographs and painstakingly

by Mark and Michael Klebeck; Pierre Herme Pastries by Pierre Herme

researched recipes. She also includes stories about her visits to Burma over

400

pages,

$50)

Thomas

Werner Dressendorfer

the years. This book is an indispensable guide to a fascinating cuisine. Perfect

For the Hipster

for the world traveler. Also: Fäviken by Magnus Nilsson; Jerusalem by Yotam

This is a Cookbook: Recipes for Life by Max and Eli Sussman (Olive Press,

Ottolenghi

September 2012, 160 pages, $23) Max and Eli Sussman are brothers from Michigan who work as chefs at two of New York’s coolest restaurants, Roberta’s and Mile End. Together, they created a cookbook of approachable, seasonal home-cooking recipes. Broken into categories like “Lazy Brunch,” “Backyard Grub” and “Midnight Snacks,” the recipes are geared towards the young and food-obsessed. With step-by-step instructions for making bacon and a delectable-looking peanut butter pie, this book would make the perfect gift for the hippest cook in your life.

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For the Carnivore

For the Hostess with a Sense of Humor

Salumi: The Craft of Italian Dry Curing

Jellymongers by Harry Parr and Sam Bompas (Sterling Epicure, May 2011,

by Michael Ruhlman (W.W. Norton &

160 pages, $19.95) Bompas and Parr are a British duo known for their as-

Company, August 2012, 288 pages,

tonishing gelatin creations. No lime Jell-O salad here. Their book features

$39.95) Good books about sausage are

savory gelatins, Champagne gelatins, glow-in-the-dark gelatins and more,

few and far between. The recipes must

all brought to life in a wide array of gorgeous shapes and beautiful molds.

be precise, accurate and clear. Michael

The gelatins range from the simple to the complex, with something for the

Ruhlman, with the excellent Charcuterie

cook of every level. Any of them would make for a wonderful conversation

already under his belt, tackles an espe-

piece (not to mention a bit of updated Victorian glamour) at a dinner or

cially tricky subset of sausages in his new

cocktail party!

book: dry-cured sausages. This book is perfect for meat lovers who want to take

For the Comic Book Loving Vegan

their interest to a higher level. Few homemade foods are as impressive as a

Dirt Candy by Amanda Cohen (Clarkson Potter, August 2012, 224 pages, $19.99) An irreverent take on the traditional cookbook, Dirt Candy brings its

well-executed dry sausage. With lengthy introductory material and helpful stepby-step illustrations, Salumi makes a complex process approachable.

vegan cuisine to life in comic book form. The chef and her staff become superheroes of vegetable cookery, blanching vegetables and dealing with strange

For the Canner or Pickler

customer requests with aplomb. The recipes are inventive, but accessible, with

Salt Sugar Smoke by Diana Henry

an excellent section on pickling, as well as a wide range of salads, soups and

(Mitchell Beazley, October 2012, 272

other vegan entrees.

pages, $29.99) Pickling and preserving are definitely experiencing a renaissance

For the Reader

of sorts. Diana Henry’s beautiful new book

The Cookbook Library by Anne Willan

tackles preserving in the broadest sense.

(University of California Press, April 2012,

She has recipes not only for pickles and

344 pages, $50) A thoughtful, serious

jams, but also mustards, curds and

look at the evolution of the cookbook,

corned beef. From her country pork

from antiquity to the present day. With

terrine to her rhubarb schnapps and rose

lovely images of old recipes and cook-

petal jelly, Henry uses familiar ingredients

books, as well as updated versions of his-

in pleasant new guises. The instructions

torical recipes, this book would be the

are clear and precise, useful for the novice

ultimate gift for the serious cookbook en-

and the experienced preserver alike. Also: The Preservation Kitchen by Paul

thusiast. Willan really gets into the stories

Virant and Kate Leahy; The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz

behind the cookbooks and their authors, providing readers with an understanding of how the modern cookbook came

For the Health-Conscious

to be. A great read and a great gift.

Alain Ducasse Nature by Alain Ducasse (Rizzoli, February 2012, 360 pages, $45)

Editor’s Note: For the locavore in your life, we recommend

With an emphasis on fresh produce, whole grains and lean meats, Alain

Growing Local Food: Empowering you and your community to grow more of your own food by Central Ohio author Mary Lou Shaw. This is a

Ducasse takes a break from the heavy

comprehensive, practical guide to growing your own food, raising chickens

cream in his new book. These recipes

and cows, keeping honeybees, eating locally year-round and so much more.

would be perfect for the health-conscious

With lovely photos and homegrown wisdom, Mary Lou makes living a

cook who wants some new ideas for a

healthier, more sustainable life seem not only possible but exciting,

dinner party or a special occasion.

rewarding and empowering. (Carlisle Press, July 2012, 110 pages,

Standout dishes include poppy seed

$14.99)—CL

tarts, an eggplant and goat cheese clafoutis and chicken breasts cooked in yogurt. There are also a variety of desserts with reduced amounts of sugar and butter. Also: The Art of Cooking with Vegetables by Alain Passard

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Kim Beeman is the librarian at the International Culinary Center in New York City and is a graduate of the ICC’s professional culinary program. She edited and revised The Big Basic Cookbook (2007) and has written about cookbooks for Edible Columbus and The Paris Review Daily.

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local and in season

Winter

Onions • Parsnips • Potatoes • Winter Squash • Turnips • Cabbage Microgreens • Sprouts • Carrots Maple syrup • Cheese • Milk • Meats Honey • Local staple crops, such as Shagbark’s Black Turtle Beans and Stone Ground Whole Flours Spinach Salad with Dehydrated Honeycrisp Apples, Blue Cheese, Spiced Pumpkin Seeds & Pear Vinaigrette Dressing

By Tricia Wheeler Serves 4–6 1 bunch spinach, cleaned and dried 1 large Honeycrisp apple, sliced longways and dehydrated overnight in dehydrator ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds ¼ tablespoon each cinnamon, cayenne pepper and garlic powder Small wedge blue cheese Salt

Assemble spinach on plates, top with blue cheese and dehydrated apples. Toast pumpkin seeds in cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, spices and a few pinches of salt. Sauté until you hear them start to pop—then spoon them on top of the salad. Drizzle with pear vinaigrette.

Blend all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a food processor or blender. If too acidic, add a little sugar. If too sweet, add a little more vinegar.

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PHOTO BY © CAROLE TOPALIAN

Pear Vinaigrette 1 small can of pears with their juice 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons sunflower oil, or another neutral-tasting oil Salt and pepper

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young palates

The Littles Kitchen When kids cook with kids all sorts of magic can happen

By Madeline Scherer Photography by Jessica Opremcak

Above: The Scherer kids putting flour on the kitchen counter to make bread

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n our house, there are always at least five cooks in the kitchen! Although I used to cook by myself since I am the oldest— and some times that is still my preference!—I now cook many times with my siblings Abigail, Lauren, Gabe and Lincoln.

We make all kinds of amazing treats from cakes and cookies to elaborate dinners.

My earliest memory of cooking was when I was 4 years old and I surprised my mom by making lunch for her. I really didn’t know how to cook at that time, so I made the only food I knew: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, applesauce and a granola bar. She came out of the laundry room surprised, and I handed the lunch to her with a bib!

As I grew older I started making more complicated foods and my sisters, Abigail and Lauren, started joining me in my cooking journey. We started out making things like guacamole, hummus and homemade butter.

Mom would help us with the ingredients and show us how to chop and stir. We learned to make bread with my mom and pancakes from the buttermilk left after making our butter.

We kept learning how to make more and more foods.

Last year, the day before Mom’s birthday, my sisters and I were looking through Mom’s nutritional cookbook for a good cake for her birthday. She was gone and we got permission from the best guy in the world, my Dad. We found Mamaw’s Happy Day Yellow Cake and although we had no idea how it would taste, we loved the name and went straight to work!

We took the cake out of the pan as soon as it came out of the oven and it crumbled to bits.

Next time we know not to do that. Mom still loved it and we ate the entire cake.

Some mornings my sisters and I ask Mom and Dad if we can make pancakes. Abby will grind

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A Mother’s Advice The part about my lunch is entirely true! She did a fine job considering she was only 4 years old, but it made me realize I needed to either hide the knives or teach her how to use them.

Maddie really did love to cook from an early age, so I’ve always made it a priority to allow her, and our other children, to be in the kitchen alongside me. It takes a bit of patience to step around the step stools and navigate through multiple sets of little hands, but the kids love this time and it is a tremendous learning experience for them.

One of my trump cards is to call one of them into the kitchen and allow them to be my “helper” for that meal. Their eyes light up when I ask them. I let them measure, stir and have taught them to cut safely with a knife from an early age. This invaluable one-on-one

Madeline (pink blouse) with her sisters, Abigail and Lauren, and brothers, Gabe and Lincoln

time allows me to assess their skills and teach to their level.

Sometimes, however, I just go for utter chaos and let them take over the kitchen. A pancake morning is one of those moments. The cleanup is pretty intense (I’ve cleaned batter off the ceiling!) but I truly think these are some of their best learning moments as it gives them the freedom to create on their own.

I don’t have too many rules. We don’t always

the wheat berries in the mill while Lauren sets up the griddles (we have two) and I measure ingredients. We all take turns flipping the cakes.

We make about 35 scrumptious pancakes before we call everyone to breakfast. We love to make extras; you can pop them in the toaster the next morning and they taste like they are fresh off the griddle. Sometimes we make American Girl pancakes. They are teeny tiny and since our dolls can’t eat them, we eat them!

got an email two days later that the cookies had arrived safely. Hurray!

It’s been fun to learn to cook together. Our friend is leaving for India soon, and we are hoping to make an Indian goodbye meal for her before she leaves. We can’t wait to try a meal from a different culture, and we’re all going to pick something unique to do to prepare the meal. I will let you know how it goes!

measure (OK, hardly ever) and we add or omit ingredients as we see fit. Many times we don’t even follow a recipe. This started as a necessity with so many to feed and so little time, but has become a benefit as I’ve seen the children experiment with different ingredients and learn what might taste best with a certain food.

My brothers, Gabe and Lincoln, are starting to want to join us. Everyone likes to jump on the cooking train. We give them little jobs like dumping the measured ingredients in the mixing bowl or cracking an egg. Sometimes we give them a wooden spoon and let them stir. We like to make it as hands-on as possible for them.

The kitchen training has started to pay dividends, which is a nice bonus. Yesterday we were packing up a lunch as we were going to be at classes all day and one of the kids said, “Can I whip up a sauce to go with our salmon?” My reply? “Most definitely.”

—Kristen Scherer

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Recently, all five of us made delectable, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for our friends in Virginia. Everyone had a job. One person measured ingredients, one person dumped, one person stirred and two people put the dough on the cookie sheets to bake. We boxed them up, labeled them “fragile” and Mom drove us to the FedEx office to mail them. We

About me: My name is Madeline Scherer and I am 11 years old. I have a big family—seven of us. Mommy, Daddy, me and I have two sisters and two brothers—all younger than me. I am homeschooled—or alternatively schooled, as my mom likes to say. I take classes all over the city!

My favorite things to do are practice the piano and violin, read books and go to my Uncle Tom’s farm. I absolutely love to cook and started cooking as soon as I could read recipes, at least that’s what I remember. I make a great guacamole and a pretty good hummus, too.

Someday I want to become a farmer and cook all foods from my farm.

in the garden

One gardener’s plans for keeping her garden beautiful, even in the cold

By Susan Liechty Illustrations by Brooke Albrecht

ovember... that month to kick back, put your feet up and begin the winter months of relaxation. Not so quick. The never-ending debate among gardeners is: Do I clean up the garden to a pristine level, or follow in the footsteps of Mother Nature, who really often isn’t so tidy?

N

I tidy up the garden by removing most debris from the vegetable garden and placing it in the compost pile. Leftover vegetable debris can breed disease and really doesn’t offer much in the way of interest or as a food source. I dispose of dead vegetation, twigs and rotten produce, but I don’t get overly ambitious.

I have always chosen to leave a portion of my garden’s vegetation in place for the winter. Is it a good idea? I can’t answer that completely, but it’s what works for me and what I enjoy. There is nothing better than the sound of the wind rustling through ornamental grasses, or the sight of their blades highlighted in snow.

I leave some of the annuals and perennials in the garden to mature and produce seeds. These are so important for the seed-eating birds like finches and sparrows. The purple coneflower (Echinacea) forms an interesting dark red textured seed head. If you have placed some of your annuals like nasturtium, cosmos and poppies in a spot where you want them next year, this is a perfect way to allow re-seeding for next year’s bloom. I’m all for any idea that takes the work for spring and makes it easier.

Any wildlife that flies, crawls or burrows needs some winter protection and food to get through the tough months ahead. Leaving some plant material behind will provide seeds, protein and shelter. Make your garden a welcome area for wildlife.

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By leaving some vines and perennials in the garden you will be providing shelter for birds and wildlife such as ladybugs, praying mantis and other beneficial insects. An added benefit is that some birds will use the remaining debris from this year to make next year’s nests. Leave your

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Plants with Character

Attractive Seed Heads

Berry Producers

Witch Hazel

Echinacea

Rosehips

Red Twig dogwood

Coneflower

Serviceberry

Corkscrew willow

Joe Pye Weed

Mountain ash

Harry Lauder Walking Stick

Rudbeckia

Asparagus

Hydrangea

Sedum—Autumn Joy

Winterberry

Ornamental grass

Anise Hyssop

Crabapple

Sunflowers

Pyracanthas

Perennial Herbs

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Sage

Evergreens

Thyme

Conifers

Lavender

Boxwood

Oregano

English Ivy

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sunflowers in the garden for the finches, blue jays and cardinals. A sunflower wearing a small snowcap creates a beautiful picture.

Invite all your feathered friends to lunch with the addition of several bird feeders. Peanut butter and suet are a great source of protein to birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches. High-calorie black oil sunflower seeds provide energy for the birds throughout the winter months.

A favorite winter interest tree is the Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick. Its twisted branches set against the blue sky and the white snow are breathtaking. Ornamental grasses with their many colors, shapes and textures are the perfect winter interest plants for Ohio. Native evergreens like cedar, spruce and hemlock will provide cover for birds and small mammals.

There is a peacefulness that comes with the winter months in Ohio. Last year was so mild that most of us gardeners didn’t take that quiet break we all needed. There is usually time to read the slew of garden seed catalogs, books, magazines and to watch reruns of “Garden Smart.” The books and magazines pile up during the growing season, so set aside some time to get caught up. There needs to be a time when you can put your feet up and relax. As the birds and breezes of summer and fall are gone and the stillness of winter sets in, the quiet will surprise you. I take regular walks in the garden, bundled in a warm coat and with a cup of steaming coffee. This is a perfect time to check for damage or changes in the garden. The light of winter is lower and softer. You will see your garden in a whole new light.

Winter imagination is a rewarding part of gardening. I take time to sketch up future plans for the gardens, and select new plant varieties to try next year.

A few years ago, I started growing microgreens and sprouts during the winter months on my kitchen table. It is my way of keeping my heart and hands in the dirt during the winter.

French philosopher Albert Camus once said: “In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

Born and raised in Central Ohio, Susan Liechty is vice president of the Herb Society of America. She is an Advanced Master Gardener in Delaware County, and a contributor to the Dig In garden column for the Delaware Gazette. Her love for all things Italian, travel, food, photography, gardening, herbs and art have all helped in the creation of her new blog: pallettesofitaly.com.

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edible Traditions

The Great Supper Memories of Christmas Eve culinary traditions at home in Poland

By Marta Madigan Photography by Catherine Murray

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n my country of Poland the most important meal of the year is meatless.

That’s right: In the land of kiełbasa, tripe soup and wild game roast, traditional Christmas Eve recipes feature vegetables, fruits and fish. Each year, Polish tables groan under the weight of 12 dishes created uniquely for Wigilia, or the supper of December 24. There is something from the field: beets; something from the forest: mushrooms; something from the orchard: prunes; and something from the pond: carp. The latter, ever since I can recall, has foreshadowed the upcoming holidays at my home in Warsaw.

There Is a Carp in the Tub To guarantee the absolute freshness of the carp, my mother bought it from the store alive in a bucket, filled the bathtub with water and let our dinner swim for a day or two. Then my father, with a slightly pale look on his face, took care of business. “When you were little, we told you that Mr. Carp went to sleep,” recalls my mother.

Above: Sharing opłatek, or Polish Christmas bread carries a message of brotherhood, love and forgiveness

A cup of clear beet soup

Clear Beet Soup Recipe courtesy of Jadwiga Wilczak, adapted by Marta Madigan Serves 4–6 1 bunch red beets (3 large or 4 medium) 1 parsnip 1 carrot ¼ celery root (or 2 celery ribs) 2 garlic cloves 1 medium onion 5 cups water 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt 6 black peppercorns 2 allspice berries 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon marjoram (optional) 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Juice of ½–1 lemon Freshly ground pepper to taste 3 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon canola, flaxseed or other oil

Using gloves, peel and cut beetroots into thin slices. Discard the tops.

Peel parsnip, carrot, celery root, onion and garlic and cut in half or quarters depending on their thickness. Place vegetables in a pot, add water, cover and bring to a boil. Add sugar, salt, pepper, allspice berries, bay leaves, marjoram, vinegar and simmer for about 1 hour.

Cool down slightly.

Strain all the vegetables, add fresh lemon juice and adjust the seasonings. It should be pleasantly tart and slightly sweet. Heat up the soup, avoiding boiling it. It tastes best the next day. Garnish with fresh parsley and a few drops of canola oil.

Smacznego!*

*Polish for “Bon appétit!” (pronounced smahtch-NEH-gaw).

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“I am a farmer and we serve peasant food, the food on which I was raised,” Hubert avows.

At this point, Christmas Eve’s preparation was in full swing: Soup was cooked, salads mixed, cakes baked. My mother put the finishing touches to her carp in aspic, opened jars of pickled herring, fried walleye with vegetables à la grecque and other fishy delicacies. My job consisted of spooning the sauerkraut and mushroom filling inside the circles of dough and finally folding and sealing the edges of countless pierogi.

By 4pm everything smelled heavenly. My father and I looked out the window awaiting our guests and the first star on an already-dark northern sky.

Everyone Is Welcome Although we never had an unexpected guest for Wigilia, the table was always set with an extra place in case a lonely traveler appeared at the door. Our family usually hosted my grandmother Anna—a widow since World War II— and my aunt Kazia—an unmarried, very attractive woman.

Soon upon our guests’ arrival, my father officially set in motion our evening by presenting each person opłatek, a rectangular, unleavened bread embossed with nativity scenes. As each of us broke off a piece, we offered each other the bread and exchanged best wishes for the upcoming year.

Then, the dinner was served. My mother emerged from the kitchen carrying a silver tray with steaming cups of red barszcz (borscht). This drinkable beet soup (see recipe on page 23) was paired sometimes with tortellini, other times with buttery mushroom puffs. It instantly made us forget the frigid winter and life’s struggles.

Next came cold appetizers. As my fish allergy allowed me to only admire egg-stuffed pike or herring rollmops (known as pickled herring fillets), my mother prepared an array of salads.

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Meticulously micro-cubed cooked root vegetables in mayonnaise were a must. Braised red cabbage with raisins, shredded carrot and apple and other colorful vegetable-fruit combinations were passed around the table.

My father, who loved to entertain, told us jokes and encouraged us to taste the dishes.

When we satisfied our initial hunger, he gave my mother a signal to serve the main course.

“Bring it hot, My Lady,” he used to say.

Tradition, Tradition!

Being traditionalists, my parents celebrated the Vigil of the Nativity with 12 courses, no meat. “Picture Thanksgiving with a pescatarian menu—a 10-pound carp instead of turkey,” summarizes my American husband, Jay. The number of dishes represented the 12 apostles and each ingredient had a symbolic meaning. Fish, for instance, referred to Christianity, baptism and rebirth; poppyseed and nuts symbolized fertility; mushroom—a connection between the world of the living and the dead; honey—love and happiness.

To assure the prosperity in our family, my mother placed strands of hay under an impeccably ironed linen tablecloth. My father, in turn, distributed oval scales from the carp.

Each family member took one scale and put it inside their wallet. Apparently, it secured our financial future. Above all, of course, we were to try a little bit of every dish so that we wouldn’t lack a thing in the New Year.

Silent Night Gone Loud After sharing warm platters of fried fish, boiled pierogi, sauerkraut and yellow split-pea stew, and łazanki (flat noodle squares) baked with cabbage and mushroom, our stomachs needed a little break. Between the main course and the dessert, the very much anticipated

time for opening Christmas presents had finally arrived.

A precious few packages waited under a twiggy and fragrant spruce tree. It was dressed up in gilded nuts, nutcracker figurines, birds, angels and home-crafted paper chains. The differently shaped and sized boxes were tied with satin ribbon and handed out one-by-one by my elegantly dressed father. A wooden boxed oil paint set, a pair of suede gloves, a book of Wisława Szymborska’s poems. There was something for everyone.

One year my mother gave my father a piano accordion. From then on, the Christmas carols gained a little polka twist and a pretty high volume. The Weltmeister, like an exhaling chest, filled the room with powerful notes of otherwise quiet Lulajże Jezuniu (Sleep Little Jesus)—an old Polish lullaby quoted by Chopin in one of his scherzi.

It Is a Mystery Singing along with an accordion carried us through the evening toward its dolce finale. As if by magic, tangerines, walnuts, chocolatecovered gingerbread hearts and at least two cakes appeared on the table.

We could always count on a delicious poppyseed roll. Garnished with candied orange peel and nuts, this traditional Christmas yeast cake was baked by my friend’s mother who, year after year, gave it to us in exchange for a raspberry confiture—one of my mother’s specialties.

My parents usually whipped up an airy cheesecake, or a much more dense loaf of fruitcake. Piernik, a honey cake with layers of tangy jam, was the holidays’ big hit. My aunt bought it at the bakery just in case we ran short of desserts. When we couldn’t possible swallow another bite, my mother poured us her Christmas kompot. How exactly did the homemade juice of dried plums and cooked apples make us feel light again? I don’t know, but it did.

As the years pass, I cannot help reflecting on the meaning of an empty plate at the table on

Christmas Eve. Perhaps it is there for someone who is no longer with us? Someone we wish to invite but we can’t? Someone like my beloved father, who passed away four Christmases ago?

Continuing our beautiful tradition of Wigilia supper at my new home, in America, is certainly something he would want me to do.

And I shall. Fishless. Wesołych Świąt! Merry Christmas!

Where Kiełbasa is Made In the northeast corner of the North Market you may catch a glimpse of fresh sausage production. White kiełbasa is made on the spot—at Hubert’s Polish Kitchen—during winter months only. Henryk Wilamowski, Hubert’s father, knows his craft. Large chunks of fresh pork, a fair amount of garlic and marjoram go inside natural casing. The final product is used as a base of white barszcz (a sour rye soup) and other hearty items on the menu. Like bigos—a traditional Polish stew with a variety of meats and sauerkraut.

Marta Madigan is a Polish freelance travel and food writer who, as an editor and contributor, helped begin the Polish edition of National Geographic magazine. In her many NG stories she covered a variety of food related topics such as Spanish tapas, French cuisine, Polish Christmas traditions and American Thanksgiving. After she moved from Warsaw to the United States, she wrote a chapter on Southern cooking for a collective book on international cuisines published in 2008 in Poland. In 2012, another NG book on journeys of a lifetime included her chapter about Sonoma and Napa Valley wines. She has contributed to Edible Columbus since the winter issue of 2010.

Piotrek, Hubert’s brother, specializes in lighter veggie dishes. Next to red and white cabbage slaws, his most popular creation is a nose-tickling red beetroot and horseradish salad. It is served next to a mountain of mashed potatoes. Rumor has it that these are the best taters in town.

“We make everything from scratch here,” Hubert says. This Polish chef takes pride in his cabbage rolls, meatballs and pierogi. The recipes come from his family in Poland, where they ran a pig farm.

“I am a farmer and we serve peasant food, the food on which I was raised,” Hubert avows.

For more information on Hubert’s Polish Kitchen, visit: northmarket.com/meet-the-market/merchants/huberts-polish-kitchen

—MM

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a taste of home

The Sikh Gurdwara Where the kitchen is always open

By Tamara Mann Tweel Photography by Jessica Opremcak

The Gurdwara This August, two days after six Sikh Americans were brutally murdered at a temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, the doors at the Columbus’ Gurdwara (Sikh temple) remained unlocked. After winding through an industrial park on Columbus’ westside, I arrived at the former GE medical equipment storage center mid-afternoon expecting to see police, guarded doors and frightened community members. Instead, I met a gregarious man named Pritpal, who ushered me into the temple’s fragrant hub—the kitchen.

Sikh men and women, adorned in turbans and headscarves, slathered fresh baked rotis with butter, stirred pots of sabji (vegetable curry), seasoned raita (a yogurt-based condiment) and sliced fresh cucumbers and onions. A gentle man with an easy grin, whom I later found out was the temple’s priest Dilbagh Singh, beckoned me toward the prep station. He proceeded to make me the perfect bite: a wedge of warm roti dipped in curry and dotted with cool raita. Without discussion, Pritpal bedecked my plate with a colorful array of treats and made sure I had a place at the communal lunch table. I looked at my watch; it had only been 15 minutes since I arrived at the Gurdwara.

The Gurdwara is the spiritual and social home of the Sikh community.

The Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion in the early 16th century.

Born to a community of Hindus and Muslims, Nanak came to believe that an experience of the true name or essence of God dissolved the difference between Hindus and Muslims. The word Sikh, which literally means disciple, denotes the community of learners who followed Nanak’s teachings. The Sikh religion rapidly became more than just a blending of previous faiths or a response to religious tension, but grew into a new revelation replete with distinct rituals and principles.

The Gurdwara houses the sacred text of the community, known as the Guru Granth Sahib. (When the 10th and final living guru passed away, the Sikh scripture itself became the spiritual teacher, or guru, of the community.) On days of communal prayer, Sikhs enter the Gurdwara through one of four doors—the door of peace, the door of livelihood, the door of learning or the door of grace—to hear the Granth Sahib recited. The many entry and exit points symbolize the dissolution of hierarchy and caste; individuals from every persuasion and direction are welcome.

More than just a place for prayer, the Gurdwara is a community center, a shelter and an open kitchen. I soon found out that Pritpal, like myself, was a new visitor to the temple. Like the majority of Sikhs living in Ohio, Pritpal originally came from Punjab, a region that straddles India

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and Pakistan. He works as a truck driver and tries to save enough money to bring his sons to America. He decided to stop in Columbus for the day and cook lunch for the community. He knew the doors to the Gurdwara would be open, that he could cook in the kitchen and that others would eventually come for food. Community members arrive throughout the week to drop off bags of lentils or extra vegetables.

Having an open kitchen and a ready supply of free food is a crucial part of Sikh religious practice.

After polishing off my third roti, I met Amar Jit Purenwal, president of the Columbus Gurdwara. Previously occupied with phone calls to police units, banks and state officials, Amar rushed over to greet me. Amar is a woman of tremendous dignity; her steely determination is cloaked by a soft elegance and welcoming demeanor. Born in Kenya, she met her husband in their spiritual homeland, India, at a World Health Organization Assembly; he was a doctor about to move abroad.

“We arrived in America,” she recalled pensively, “the day Martin Luther King was assassinated.” Her tone and posture demonstrated the depth of her mourning; the cycles of senseless violence we had briefly kept at bay.

As we talked, Pritpal returned with steamy cups of aromatic chai. The heady scent of cardamom soothed us as Amar continued her story. Upon settling in Marion, Ohio, Amar and her husband opened the first Central Ohio Gurdwara in their living room. The community soon outgrew her living room, rented recreation centers and even a house. To accommodate more than 800 members, the community purchased the spacious GE building in 2009. “This building seems so big,” Amar smiles, “but not on Sundays.” You must come for the communal meal, the langar, on Sunday, she urges, “The langar is a big part of our religion. It is when the rich and poor eat together.”

The Wisconsin shooting took place on a Sunday, the day of the week where all Sikhs gather to pray, to eat and to feed the community. The shooter, reports revealed, was a white supremacist who didn’t hate Sikhs in particular as much as he simply hated difference. This was not the first time in America that Sikhs have been the target of hate crimes. In the wake of the September 11 tragedy, three Sikh men were attacked in New York, one was attacked in Arizona and Sikh children across the country reported being taunted in schools. Many reports of these crimes relate to the turban worn by Sikh men. Despite enduring violence and discrimination, the Sikh value system does not permit anger and Gurdwaras across the country graciously welcome visitors.

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The Langar On Sunday morning, I arrived at the Gurdwara with my husband, daughter and in-laws. We took off our shoes, covered our heads and entered the sanctuary, where we were given a handful of a sticky farina called prashad to eat. The grainy sweet warmth of the dish made me feel both grateful and immediately welcome. With the meditative lilt of prayers receding, we walked from the sanctuary into the kitchen.

The bustle was breathtaking. Pots the size of people, filled with chickpeas, squash and lentils, bubbled on the stove as a multigenerational cadre of men took turns stirring and spicing the stews. The washing station, salad station and bread station filled up with a rotating cast of women who all seemed exceptionally skilled with a knife and a frying pan. By the time I arrived a breakfast of freshly fried pakoras (vegetable fritters) and jalebis (a sugary fried treat) had already been laid out and lunch preparations occupied the crew.

Eager to help me participate, Jatinder Singh, who comes every Sunday to help cook, positioned me in front of the cucumbers. As I chopped at an embarrassingly slow pace, young women stopped by to tell me that they too learned to cook at the langar. After we finished cooking, I paused to enjoy a cup of chai. When I returned, the young men had miraculously transformed the kitchen from a steamy, bubbly, sensational mess into a sparkly clean silver showroom.

The langar is a communal meal prepared solely by volunteers at the conclusion of every Sunday service. Each week, one or two families sign up to host the langar, which means helping to purchase the ingredients and designing the menu. In addition to being hygienic and fresh, the langar food must be completely vegetarian and served without prejudice or discrimination. There is also a requirement that the food be simple, so that every family can afford to host a langar. Intrinsic to this tradition is the notion that rich and poor cook and eat as one. On Sundays, everyone is

Simple Temple Chai 7 cups water 5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed 2 teabags (black) 4 tablespoons sugar Milk to taste

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invited to eat: the Sikh community, the hungry and those, like myself, who are interested in partaking in this joyous ritual.

As the service came to a close, the children lined up at the kitchen door to help. Half of them unrolled the long rectangular rugs that would serve as tables, and set them with silver plates and goblets fit for royalty.

The older children filled serving pots with a thrilling array of dishes. As the toddlers finished racing across the hall, teens scored their last badminton point and worshippers ambled out of the sanctuary, the feast began. Families gathered together while spoonfuls of cooked rice, chickpeas, squash and carrots were generously ladled onto their plates, followed by salad, homemade pickles and freshly fried puris (a type of Indian bread). For my daughter, a kind gentleman offered an early dessert: a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

With bellies full of food, we said goodbye to our new friends. They had welcomed us into their house of worship with unguarded kindness.

They had showered us with generous affection and filled our bodies with nourishing food. They had reminded us of the powerful connection between hospitality, food and faith, and of the extraordinary effort it truly takes to make strangers feel effortlessly at home.

Tamara Mann Tweel is a freelance writer and PhD candidate in American History at Columbia University. Born and raised in New York City, Tamara comes from a boisterous clan of exploratory eaters with two passions: family and food. She is excited to bring this spirit to Columbus and discover the many world traditions that are being recreated within our city. Her culinary writing has appeared in such publications as The Washington Post, Icons of American Cooking and Museum.

Spiced Chai

4 cups water Sugar 8 green peppercorns 6 cloves 6 green cardamom pods 1 teaspoon cardamom powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder 1 teaspoon anise seed 6 teaspoons tea leaves 2 cups milk

Put about 7 cups water in a large pan, add the cardamom and bring

Heat water in a pan. Add sugar, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, cin-

to boil. Once boiling, add the teabags and sugar. Add enough milk to

namon and anise seeds and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

turn a milky tea color. Bring to the boil again and, before it bubbles

Add tea leaves and milk and bring it to a boil again. Simmer for 15

over, take off the heat. Pour through a strainer into cups.

minutes. Strain into cups and serve.

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A Sweet Tradition The 13 Desserts as celebrated each holiday season in the south of France

By Shawnie Kelley Foy Photography by Catherine Murray

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I

n the south of France, as in the United States, the holiday season is synonymous with food. One of the sweetest Old World Christmas traditions takes places every December 24, when a family-style feast known as le gros souper (the big supper) is held in homes throughout Provence. The meatless, seafood-laden meal is followed by a grand finale of les treize desserts de Noël, or the 13 Desserts of Christmas.

Every dish and detail, right down to the table settings, is rife with religious reference. The table set with three white linens and three candlesticks represents the Holy Trinity and Hope, while the number 13 symbolizes the number of people at the Last Supper. In most homes, children are not permitted to dig into the sweets until they name each one and its meaning. Yet, one does not have to embrace this aspect of the celebration to appreciate the sweet ending to a meal symbolically meant to ensure health and prosperity for the coming year.

The exact list of les treize desserts varies between families, villages and regions, but at least eight remain constant for their specific meaning. Symbolism aside, the innately simple desserts showcase what Provence is best known for: olives, citrus, nuts and herbs. Keeping focused on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, this tradition can be easily re-interpreted anywhere.

Goodwill: The Four Mendicants The first four desserts—hazelnuts, figs, almonds and raisins—are counted individually, but collectively referred to as les quatre mendicants (the four beggars). Each respectively represents the Augustinians, Franciscans, Carmelites and Dominicans, monastic orders that rely on the charity of others, alluding to the season’s spirit of goodwill. As a nod to the monks’ humble lifestyle, the four are often simply served in bowls.

Another popular presentation is to combine all four atop a round chocolate disc, appropriately dubbed a mendicant.

Prosperity: Olive Oil Bread La pompe à huile, a rustic olive oil bread, is made specifically for the holidays. While variations abound, the two most classic recipes, fougasse and gibassier, produce sweet breads scented with a heady blend of orange and anise.

In a region settled by the Romans, it comes as no surprise that fougasse, the French take on a focaccia-style flatbread, is turned out year round.

Indicative of Provençal cuisine, the bread is typically studded with olives, anchovies and herbes de Provence. During the holidays, the leafshaped loaf is super-sized and sweetened with orange flower water.

The brioche-like Gibassier supposedly originated in the village of Lourmarin in the Luberon Mountains. The claw-shaped bread is pierced with

The bûche de Noël as prepared by pastry chef Spencer Budros of Pistacia Vera

holes and spiced specifically with anise seed, candied orange peel, orange flower water, then dusted with powdered sugar.

Whichever variation is embraced, la pompe à huile serves as both a literal showpiece of the dessert table and symbolic centerpiece of the celebration. The party bread is meant to be torn apart by hand rather than cut with a knife. Breaking the bread is meant to bring the family together and protect one’s wealth in the New Year.

Purity: The Two Nougats Light and dark nougat are the only sweets deemed indispensable of the 13 Desserts. Nougat blanc incorporates pine nuts, pistachio and hazelnuts, while nougat noir is made using honey and almonds. The nougats are served together to play off the symbolism of good versus evil, purity versus impurity and the passage from dark to light days during the winter solstice.

Tradition: Almond Biscuits Provençal Christmas cookies span the spectrum from spicy gingerbread to buttery sables, but the delicate almond paste Calissons d’Aix remains the patron sweet of the 13 Desserts. The delicate treats are made by grinding together almonds and candied orange or melon peels then topping with royal icing. The chewy, diamond-shaped candies have been a specialty of Aix-en-Provence since the 15th century. According to legend, calissons were named when a queen’s affection for the confection caused her to swoon the words “di calin soun,” loosely translated to “sweet hugs for my mouth.”

In the city of Marseilles, navettes are the almond cookies of choice. The elongated, pod-like biscuits are orange-flavored and they too come with an ancient legend. In the first century AD, the Biblical figure Mary Magdalene and a few others were set adrift in a rowboat (navette) from Palestine. Their boat reputedly washed ashore on the Mediterranean coast of Provence, spawning grail legends and boat-shaped biscuits.

Decadence: Fruits and Marzipan The remaining desserts encompass a broad range of fresh, dried and candied fruit. Given that fields of fig trees are as common in the Provençal landscape as olive groves, this sweet fruit turns up in the most varied forms: fresh, dried, candied, baked and stuffed with marzipan—a classic combination closely linked with the city of Avignon.

Bowls brimming with apples and pears are most commonly found in the Alpine regions around Nice, while plums, mandarins, pears and grapes are most popular in Provence. The sweet-fleshed green Verdau melon, nicknamed melon de Noël, is stored until Christmas then displayed on the table with straw, in reference to the bountiful harvest and the Nativity.

Quince paste (pâte de coings), also emblematic of bounty, is a thick jelly made from the nectar of the pear-like fruit and rolled in sugar. Tiered trays

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“Keeping focused on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, this tradition can be easily re-interpreted anywhere.”

display neatly arranged bites of decadent desserts: pâtes, marzipan and candied fruits are tucked amidst dates, apricots and figs. Centuries ago, fresh fruit was an expression of wealth and the inclusion of exotic fruit alludes to the rare gifts delivered from far-flung lands by the three magi.

Luck: Bûche de Noël A more humble delivery underlies the story of the yule cake, or bûche de Noël. In medieval France, peasants were required to pay a log tax to their feudal lord. This led to an annual custom of bringing a tree trunk into their own home, which was kept burning bright during the 12 days around Christmas. The charred remains of the previous year’s bûche were relit as a starter for the new log, guaranteeing continuous good luck through the upcoming year. Modern homes no longer require woodburning fireplaces, so the log-shaped Christmas cake symbolically replaces the yule log.

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In recent days, the bûche as well as chocolate, ice cream, fondants and spice cake have found their way into the repertoire of the 13 Desserts.

Many of these modern sweets would be unfamiliar to the Provençal peasants among whom this time-honored tradition evolved, but a celebration of old and new is seen here in Edible Columbus’ festive interpretation of les treize desserts de Noël. (Visit pages 36-37 for original recipes for the 13 Desserts by Columbus’ very own Spencer Budros.)

And remember: Sampling all 13 is a tasty way to ensure a year of good luck and prosperity.

Shawnie Kelley Foy is owner of Wanderlust Tours, specializing in cultural and culinary tourism, and author of the Insiders’ Guide to Columbus, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go and It Happened on Cape Cod. She is a passionate home cook, food blogger and advocate of local foods and businesses. Shawnie is a regular contributor to several magazines and teaches travel and culinary courses at Lifelong Learning in Upper Arlington, where she lives with her husband, Kevin.

from the kitchen

The 13 Desserts Recipes by Spencer Budros and Tricia Wheeler Photography by Catherine Murray

Les treize desserts de Noël —or the 13 Desserts of Christmas—is a delectable holiday tradition celebrated throughout the south of France. An array of symbolic sweets made in Provençal kitchens is reinterpreted here by Pastry Chef Spencer Budros of German Village–based bakery Pistacia Vera, in collaboration with Edible Columbus Editor-in-Chief Tricia Wheeler.

Spencer’s festive wreath of desserts featured on this issue’s cover is composed of light and dark nougat, candied orange peel, almond candies

and biscuits, chocolate mendicants, raspberry pâté, figs, nuts, spices and berries. His sweets are showcased in a more traditional setting in my article “A Sweet Tradition: The 13 Desserts as celebrated each holiday season in the south of France” (page 32).

To help you create your own treize desserts table, we have included the recipe for zesty candied orange peel and a show-stopping olive oil bread scented with orange flower water and anise seed. Bon apetit and joyeux Noël.—Shawnie Kelley Foy Above: Pastry Chef Spencer Budros of Pistacia Vera

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Olive Oil Fougasse with Anise and Orange Flower Water

By Spencer Budros 3½ cups bread flour 1½ tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground anise seed 1 package (¼-ounce) instant yeast ½ cup milk (lukewarm) 5 eggs (room temperature) 1 cup + 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon orange flower water

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the milk and the yeast. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes, until the yeast has dissolved and has become foamy.

Gently whisk together the eggs and orange flower water; add to the yeast mixture.

Gently add the dry ingredients directly on top. Mix on low speed until all the ingredients have incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing until dough has smoothed, about 4 minutes.

Increase to medium speed and slowly stream in the olive oil. Be patient, as the dough will separate until the oil is fully absorbed and the oil will pool on the sides and bottom of the bowl. Continue mixing at medium speed, pausing between each addition of olive oil until it has absorbed into the dough. After all of the oil has been added, increase speed to medium-high and continue mixing until the dough has started to release from the sides of the bowl and has become glossy, smooth and elastic, about 6–8 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a slightly oiled bowl or cookie sheet. Cover, creating an airtight seal. Rest the dough overnight in the refrigerator, or for about 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer onto a lightly floured countertop. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Using a small amount of flour and a rolling pin, roll out each portion into a triangular shape about ½ inch thick.

Relax each portion until it holds its shape. Gently score the dough, making small slits, creating the desired pattern. Gently lift the dough off of the counter, letting the scored areas naturally separate. Transfer onto an oiled cookie sheet, relax and reshape if needed.

Rest the dough in a warm place for about 1½ hours or until doubled in size. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with anise seed. Bake for about 20–25 minutes, until golden. Transfer to cooling rack and dust with powdered sugar.

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Candied Orange Peel

By Spencer Budros Yield: 40–60 pieces of candied peel This homemade confection is well worth the effort, since it is far superior to any candied citrus that is commonly available in your local grocery store. It can be enjoyed as a snack, or incorporated into many holiday baked goods. Have fun with this versatile product that adds a sweet orange punch of flavor.

3 large Navel oranges (washed and dried) 2 cups granulated sugar, plus 1 cup for coating the peel 2 cups water, preferably still spring or filtered water Additional water (good tap water is fine for this) for blanching and washing down the sides of the pot

Cut the oranges into quarters and juice them into another container.

(Reserve this juice for another use). With a teaspoon, scrape out the pulp, leaving the clean white pith on the inside of the quarters. With the rind side up, slice the peel into thin strips.

Fill a heavy 2-quart saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the slices of peel, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Discard water, and fill the saucepan with new water. Repeat this blanching process 2 more times. This process will remove the bitterness from the peel and open the cellular walls, enabling the peel to absorb the sugar syrup.

When the peels have been drained for a third time, add 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of filtered water. Take a wet pastry brush and wash down the sides of the pot. Dry sugar crystals will promote crystallization of the syrup. Bring this to a very low simmer for approximately 1 hour. The peels should be very soft and somewhat translucent. Be very careful not to overcook this syrup, as it will start to caramelize.

Carefully transfer (sugar syrup is extremely hot) to a container and refrigerate overnight.

Strain the peel from its syrup. You can use this syrup for a delicious drizzle on just about anything. Toss in granulated sugar, and place on a wire rack to dry for 24 hours. Transfer to an airtight container. These will last for 2–3 weeks if stored properly.

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Our Local Foodshed The road to better eats and a stronger economy is shorter than you think

By Brian Williams Photography by Jessica Opremcak

Inside a state-of-the-art high tunnel hoop house at Godman Guild in Weinland Park

W

hen you’re trying to build a local food system, the fingerlings at your neighborhood farmers market are small potatoes. The challenge is to grow enough of those potatoes in Central Ohio to supply supermarkets, and to store enough so that people can eat them through the winter.

Not just potatoes, but tomatoes, peppers, greens, corn, onions, apples and berries. Also, poultry, beef, pork, milk, cheese, eggs and fish. Imagine fresh Ohio tomatoes nine months a year; berries that are flash-frozen and still sweet and nutritious in January;

canned or frozen Ohio corn and green beans in February; free-range pork year-round.

If Ohio can do all that, we’ll have a fully integrated local-food system—the whole enchilada.

But it won’t be easy.

How Did We Get Here?

Before there was “local food” there was just “food.” Much of what people ate was grown locally and processed locally, then delivered to their door or to their neighborhood grocery. Evolving federal farm policy focused increasingly on a handful of commodities,

and a push for uniformity and efficiency led to consolidations in the processing and distribution industries, and eventually to nationwide food systems.

But a backlash began 30 years ago. A report called “The Cornucopia Project” described Ohio as a “food colony” that produced agricultural commodities, shipped them elsewhere for processing and then bought them back at higher prices.

Another report, last year, showed that little has changed. “Ohio’s Food Systems: Farms at the Heart of It All” by Ken Meter of Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, noted

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“If Central Ohio is to go whole hog into local food, it needs to examine economic models, too.” that Ohioans spend $29 billion each year on food from grocery stores and restaurants (that does not include institutional meals at hospitals, schools, universities, prisons, etc.), but that very little of that is raised and processed in Ohio. In fact, the report estimates that Ohio exports upwards of $26 billion in food spending every year.

make sure small farms have access to the market. A hub would allow a lot of small and mid-sized farmers in an area to bring their products together for cleaning, sorting and packing. Some would be sold locally; some would be shipped to a major market, like Columbus; some might be canned or frozen, or processed other ways.

According to the “Central Ohio Local Food Assessment and Plan,” released in 2010 by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), Ohio cannot recapture those food dollars without building up the local-food processing, distribution and marketing “infrastructure.”

What is shipped to a metro area would end up at an urban distribution hub—a single location, or a grouping of related sites, that could accommodate distribution of produce, meat and dairy products to stores around the region.

If every Ohio farmer decided next year to only grow food for local markets and every Ohio consumer decided to only buy local, we would end up with wasted food and hungry people. Ohio now lacks the processing capacity to butcher animals or sort, clean and package fresh produce. And while we may have enough distributors, most are geared to a national system.

So, How Do We Get the Whole Enchilada?

In a word: Hubs. It’s a buzzword, however, and has varying definitions.

The concept is this: In order to meet strong consumer demand in Ohio for locally produced food, we need to get more farmers to raise more fruits, vegetables, livestock, poultry and dairy products—to take local food beyond a niche market to a mainstream supermarket. But in order to get farmers to increase production, they need a place to take their food and sell it. Grain farmers do not sell their corn and soybeans to individual customers at a farm stand; they haul them to a grain elevator.

For local-food growers, the elevator is known as a food “hub.”

Actually, a system of hubs.

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An effort in 2011 called the Ohio Food Hub Network envisioned an aggregation hub in Athens County, and perhaps another to the northeast, at the Amish produce auction in the Morgan County village of Chesterhill.

Bexley businessman David Wilhelm convened a group of stakeholders to outline the hub plan, which also could include a hub in Lancaster, as proposed in Fairfield Growing, the local-food plan for Fairfield County (which also has an Amish produce auction, in Bremen).

The beginnings of metro distribution hubs already exist or are planned in Columbus.

Snowville Creamery, for example, rents space from Sanfillipo Produce at the East 5th Avenue produce terminal near Port Columbus. The Greener Grocer uses storage space at the Economic and Community Development Institute’s “Food Fort,” where it has installed a large, walk-in cooler. And MORPC’s HUD grant will result in a plan for a kind of food hub in Weinland Park—one that could include both aggregation and distribution functions, as well as processing, and that would likely be a component of the Ohio Food Hub Network.

The hub network also envisioned a site for meat processing, and some stakeholders are working on a strategy. MORPC’s assessment and plan identified a serious lack of independent meat-processing capacity in Central Ohio, as have other studies in the state. It’s a chicken-and-egg thing with hogs and cattle: There are not enough processing plants because Ohio farmers don’t raise enough hogs

and cattle. But farmers won’t take the risk of raising more hogs and cattle unless they have easy access to a plant.

Where Are We Now? While Columbus does not yet have the kind of central distribution hub that some have envisioned, a lot of the local food infrastructure is starting to emerge: •

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An agricultural economic development plan in Fairfield County that focuses on local food and has encouraged Fairfield Medical Center to buy its apples and ground beef from local producers and processors, and added momentum to a new produce auction in Bremen.

A 10-year-old local-food council in Knox County, where Kenyon College spends 40% of its food-service dollars on locally grown products.

A U.S. Housing and Urban Development grant for Weinland Park, where a two-year plan to incorporate local food into all aspects of neighborhood redevelopment is nearing completion and will include a range of food-related businesses and programs to provide food and jobs for the area.

New business models and growth strategies from longtime, multigeneration local food processors and distributors, such as Sanfillipo Produce and DNO Produce (which has added 50 jobs in the last two years), and emerging new businesses such as Snowville Creamery, Azoti and the Greener Grocer.

Active local food councils in four Central Ohio counties, emerging councils in another four counties, a regional council being formed and a statewide network of some 16 local food councils in the works.

An effort to promote U.S. Route 23 in Pickaway County—and eventually other counties—as a “Fresh Food Corridor.”

Increasing support for local-food systems among, mayors, county commissioners and economic-development organizations throughout the region.

Making the Case Adam Welly grew up amid farms around Fremont, Ohio, but never pictured himself as a farmer until, at 24, he found himself raising specialty vegetables for direct sale on one acre in Sandusky County. Now his Wayward Seed operation includes 40 acres in three counties and is branching its local restaurant sales and CSA into commercial sale of potatoes.

“The corn grower doesn’t make his own corn flakes,” he said, noting the need for a third party to pack and market local food. But the processors and distributors that emerge to get locally raised food to markets must avoid being viewed as rapacious middlemen.

Turning “Seconds” into Meals at Weinland Park Tony DiNovo hates to send food to the landfill.

Every day, his company, DNO Produce, has cartons of tomatoes or cabbage or melons that don’t make the grade for retail display. Sometimes it’s fresh and delicious, but not pretty.

Paul Keida wants to turn those “seconds” into meals and jobs and money.

Keida is a consultant to the Community Economic Development Corporation of Ohio, or CEDCO, a nonprofit company operated by the Godman Guild Association. CEDCO is

Perhaps the way to do that—and the way some business partnerships already are emerging in Central Ohio—is through local connections. If Central Ohio is to go whole hog into local food, it needs to examine economic models, too.

emerging as a key player in a plan to incorporate all aspects of local food into the revitalization of the distressed Weinland Park neighborhood in Columbus.

The plan is being developed through a federal HUD grant to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning

The national nonprofit Business Alliance for Local Living Economies has a term for local connections: the relationship economy. That’s in contrast with what it calls “the one-nightstand economy,” which is the connection now in place that brings us most of our food. The retail price may be low, but we don’t know what the true cost is.

Commission, which is working with several

Paul Keida is determined to save “seconds” and turn them into meals for folks in Weinland Park.

partners in the neighborhood. While the plan includes community gardens, backyard gardens and possibly some commercial urban farming, much of the focus is on a contaminated industrial “brownfield” that is being cleaned up and redeveloped as a center for the processing, distribution and sale of local food, and for food-related education and job-training.

That model is a good fit for Weinland Park, Keida says. It brings training and skills to a neighborhood where people need them. It avoids filling landfills with good food that people need. It helps local food businesses deal with what otherwise would be “waste.” It helps establish a food center, or hub, that

Keida, a food scientist and former vice-pres-

helps Weinland Park, but also helps complete

Brian Williams is an agriculture specialist for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, with a focus on promoting local foods and farmland preservation. He is a member of the Ohio Farmland Preservation Advisory Board and the Ohio Food Policy Advisory Council. Before that, he had a 25-year newspaper career that included four years as agriculture reporter for the

ident for research and development at Borden

a broader, regional food system.

Columbus Dispatch.

meals prepared for homeless shelters, schools

Inc., is helping to shape what the center will become. Last summer, he made a couple of visits to D.C. Central Kitchens, a nonprofit in Washington that uses food “seconds”—goods that are safe, but too close to being perishable to be displayed in stores—as ingredients in and other users.

CEDCO and other partners are working on a business plan for the various food-related businesses and programs at the center, and then students from OSU’s Knowlton School of Architecture and local firm Design Group will do designs that will be revised after public meetings.

The plan will be completed by spring 2013, and then Godman Guild, CEDCO and others

The meals are made by ex-offenders and re-

expect to begin a capital campaign to develop

covering addicts who are turning their lives

the site as a food hub for Columbus.

around through culinary training by celebrity chefs from renowned restaurants in the nation’s capital.

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from the good earth

From T Lamb to Chop

wenty-five minutes from downtown Columbus, just beyond Canal Winchester’s bustling downtown, sits a piece of sheep farming’s past. Or an innovative answer to the modern omnivore’s dilemma. Or a compelling road map toward meat farming’s future. If we are lucky, there sits all three.

Background Situated on 88 pastoral acres, Blystone Farm and Butcher Shop stands out. Red buildings pop against green pastures. Sheep polka-dot the hills behind. Proverbial white picket fences circle all. But it’s what happens within those walls that truly sets Blystone apart. For on these grounds, Joe and Jane Blystone have established something radical, valuable and rare: an end-to-end, intensely local, humane meat farming operation.

Blystone Farm and Butcher Shop

By Molly Hays

For four generations, sheep have been farmed on this land. And sheep— or rather, legs of lamb, juicy chops and stately rib roasts—remain central to Blystone’s business. But today, that business has evolved to include goats, pigs, cattle and chickens. It has also evolved to span the full cycle, from raising through slaughter through retail. Right on site.

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History In 1999, after years of hobby sheep-farming, Joe began fielding inquiries from Columbus’ growing ethnic communities. With ceremonial slaughter central to key religious holidays, Joe’s reputation for highquality animals grew. In 2004, to meet demand, Joe built a facility to handle this “custom processing.” In regulatory terms, custom processing connotes the pre-slaughter sale of whole animals. In practical terms, this category exempts processors from the substantial USDA requirements that accompany retail-bound slaughter. For over a decade, this was Blystone’s market.

Last spring, all this changed. In March Blystone Farm built a retail storefront onsite and appended “Butcher Shop” to its name. Walk in today and behind the glass case you’ll find beef, lamb, pork, goat and considerably more. More products, from whole Amish chickens and free-range eggs to house-made bratwurst and gyros to homemade bagels and fresh pasta. But also, and arguably more importantly, more than meets the eye.

A Life Well-Lived Behind Blystone’s hefty T-bones, there exists a radical proposition: that we can reclaim local meat, much as we have fruits and vegetables.

Central Ohio is fortunate to have a handful of family farms working toward this end. Like its peers, Blystone places great emphasis on the needs and instincts of its animals.

Take their cattle. Raised to strict standards by area farms, their cows spend two full years reaching kill weight, compared to the 14-month,

artificially accelerated commercial average. Growth hormones, standard in industrial meat, are never used. Antibiotics, central to the feedlot system, play no regular role here, though Blystone will administer them, rarely and specifically, when they would relieve suffering. Pasture-raised for the bulk of its days, grain-finished during the final 90 “for fat, flavor and marbling,” a Blystone cow’s life ends the way it was lived: carefully, mindfully, humanely. Indeed, what sets Blystone apart is its onsite abattoir and retail shop.

And Honorably Ended Slaughter is irrevocably somber; the end of a life, never easy. But for those who eat meat, consider a moment the impact of a farm-based slaughterhouse. Animals remain in their environment; Blystone’s pasture begins just beyond the kill floor. They’re handled at a human pace, each individually, with respect. Death comes quickly and confidently, with no chance of an animal lost in the shuffle.

And if you wonder where pigs become pork? Just ask Joe. He’ll gladly show you. In an industry notoriously opaque, this transparency may be Blystone’s ultimate distinction. Michael Pollan famously proposed “glass abattoirs,” arguing the day-lighting of industrial slaughterhouses might render them terminal. Blystone’s facility isn’t glass—which would violate USDA rules, and anyway, who’d wash the windows?—but might as well be, for its open-door policy.

“I have no problem walking someone through,” Joe says, “explaining the process, showing them what we do.”

This is slaughter with nothing to hide. It is also an uphill battle. USDA regulations, designed for industrial slaughterhouses, don’t distinguish small processors like Blystone. Regulatory costs are high. Scalability, nil.

The need for reform, significant.

Community Asset Joe and Jane persevere, despite the hurdles, sensing demand for respectable meat. Blystone meats contain no additives or preservatives.

The beef is dry-aged. Custom cuts are welcome. Questions are met with smiles; freezer-wrapping, readily accommodated; Facebook deftly deployed to keep customers abreast of what’s fresh and new. Old-fashioned service, modern technology, humane practices, innovative facilities: If it helps transform meat from anonymous commodity to community asset, if it strengthens the relationship between farmer, animal and customer, then chances are good that Blystone will be there.

Molly Hays graduated from the University of Washington with two degrees, one Mellon Fellowship, and no idea when to buy a melon. Since moving to Ohio in early 2009, Molly and her family of five have been getting to know Columbus one ice cream scoop at a time. Molly writes about food and life at remedialeating.com.

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A Deeply Savory Braised Brisket adapted from David Tanis, A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes A slow, gentle braise is ideal for winter, warming homes and bellies alike. Braising also transforms a hard-working, economical cut like brisket into a melting, succulent heap. I make this over three days: seasoning; browning and braising; skimming and re-heating. I love this casual ease, a few minutes’ effort each day, and the depth of flavor that results. If time is of the essence, you can season, brown and braise in the same day, though a post-braising overnight in the fridge works magic, if you can manage it.

Tanis’ original calls for dark chicken stock as the braising liquid, but with beef as flavorful as Blystone’s, water is better than fine. A braise is a referendum on the quality of a cut of meat, showcasing every ounce of flavor it does (or doesn’t) hold. Braise Blystone brisket with aromatics and water, and you’ll appreciate anew well-raised, dry-aged beef.

3–4 pounds brisket, or 1 large chuck roast Salt and pepper Olive oil, for searing 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon sweet paprika ½ cup tomato purée 1 cup dry red wine 6 cups water or chicken stock 2 large onions, peeled and halved 4 bay leaves Several sprigs thyme

Day 1: Seasoning—Season beef generously with kosher salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Refrigerate overnight.

Day 2: Braising and Resting—Preheat oven to 325°. Allow meat to come to room temperature, and pat dry. In a heavy deep lidded pot, such as a Dutch oven, heat ½ inch of oil over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, in batches carefully lower beef into hot oil, and brown deeply all over, around 8 minutes per side. Repeat with second cut and set meat aside.

Pour off fat remaining in the pot, and return the pot to a medium flame. Add the butter and flour, stirring steadily with a wooden spoon, and cook several minutes, until flour is incorporated and slightly deeper in color. Add paprika, tomato and red wine, and stir to combine. Add water or stock slowly, and bring to a boil.

Add onions, bay leaves and thyme. Carefully return beef to simmering stock, cover and place in the oven. Braise for 2½–4 hours, turning meat over every hour or two, until beef is falling-apart tender, easily parting ways with the tap of a spoon.

Remove braise from oven, and remove beef from sauce. Strain the sauce, discarding solids, then return beef to sauce and refrigerate overnight.

Day 3: Degrease sauce by skimming the solid fat cap from the top; discard. Reheat sauce gently, reducing if desired, simmering briskly over a medium flame. When sauce is thickened to your liking, return beef to pot, and heat gently through. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper to round out flavor. To serve, slice beef thickly across the grain and serve nestled in the ruddy, rich sauce.

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The Next 20 Years of Organics

By Gary Hirshberg, chairman and co-founder of Stonyfield Illustrations by Synthia Jester

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hen thinking about our future, I can’t help but think of the past. I often joke that back when we started Stonyfield in 1983, you couldn’t even use the words “organic” and “industry” in the same sentence. With just seven cows and hardly any consumers understanding why it made sense to eat organic, we had no supply, and no demand.

Today our annual sales are over $360 million, and the rest of the organic industry has continued to grow right alongside us. In the United States, sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to over $31 billion today. Even during the recent economic downturn the organic sector grew at a much faster pace than the conventional food sector. Organic food sales now represent about 5% of all U.S. food sales.

The organic industry grew by 9% in 2011, adding new jobs at four times the national average. Organic is a growth engine for the economy.

What’s driving this continued growth? The simple answer is the public.

Every day more people are deciding they want to take control of their health by taking control of their diet. Hardly a day goes by without another story breaking about a food supply scare. Pink slime in our burgers, antibiotics in industrial livestock production leading to antibiotic-resistant superbugs, arsenic in our chicken, salmonella on our cantaloupe—the list goes on.

For others, it can be a more personal life event, such as a pregnancy or a diagnosis of cancer or diabetes that leads people to a new awareness of how the food they eat affects their health, or the health of their unborn children. In recent years we’ve learned that prenatal exposure to pesticides can result in lower birth weight, delayed cognitive development, ADHD diagnoses and even lower IQ. It’s been shown that we can avoid many of these risks by eliminating our exposure to pesticide residues in our diets.

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As columnist Nicholas Kristof reported in The New York Times two years ago, “The President’s Cancer Panel is the Mount Everest of the medical mainstream, so it is astonishing to learn that it is poised to join ranks with the organic food movement and declare: ‘chemicals threaten our bodies.’” Four out of every 10 Americans will have cancer in their lifetime, the report stated. The 2010 panel, whose members were appointed by the Bush administration, recommended limiting your exposure to chemicals by eating foods produced without pesticides as one way to lower cancer.

With cancer, diabetes, obesity and allergies on the rise, people want to know more about their food. At Stonyfield, we hear from people 24/7 asking about ingredients, where they’re from and how they’re grown.

Often they are overwhelmed with contradictory information. There is considerable confusion over the difference between “organic” and “natural,” for example—and whether there is any difference at all. Unscrupulous companies have led consumers to believe that “natural” products offer all of the benefits of certified organic for a more affordable price. With the rise in public confusion comes increasing consumer distrust. In response, agribusiness launched a $30 million PR campaign to build trust through a new U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. The Center for Food Integrity, a nonprofit created by Monsanto and other agribusiness interests, is dedicated to “build consumer trust and confidence in today’s food system.”

Americans’ insistence on knowing what is in their food gave rise to Just Label It, the national campaign to label genetically engineered (GE) food. The National Organic Standards prohibit organic growers and food processors from using GE, but it is now in widespread use on nonorganic farms throughout the U.S. A relatively new technology, GE has raised a host of health concerns and led to an explosion in herbicide use (herbicides made by the same companies manufacturing the GE crops designed to resist those herbicides).

A Growing Organic Market — “Organic food sales now represent about 5% of all U.S. sales. The organic industry grew by 9% in 2011, adding new jobs at four times the national average. Organic is a growth engine for the economy.”

Despite the risks, the FDA has declared that because GMOs don’t smell, taste or look different from their conventional counterparts, consumers don’t need to be informed about whether their food contains GE ingredients. Last October, the Just Label It campaign petitioned FDA to require mandatory labeling on GE foods, already required by more than 40 countries worldwide, including all of Europe, Japan, Brazil, Russia and China.

More than 500 diverse organizations—farming, parenting, religious, health, consumer, environmental and business groups—joined the Just Label It (JLI) coalition as partners. Though they held different views about GE technology, they united behind the common belief that we have a right to know about our food. Consumer support for GE-foods labeling in the U.S. is nearly unanimous, according to the political opinion survey on GE food labeling conducted by The Mellman Group on behalf of JLI. Pollster Mark Mellman said that only topics like motherhood and apple pie muster over 90% support, but labeling GE-foods is among them. His survey found nearly all Republicans, Independents and Democrats in favor of labeling. No wonder then that JLI met with groundbreaking success. In just 180 days, it generated more than 1 million petition comments—over twice the number on any food petition in FDA history. This extraordinary win is just part of a much broader push toward transparency in the food system.

People want the truth. They want companies and other institutions to be transparent. This was clearly demonstrated through the rapid nationwide response to “pink slime,” and the surging popularity of the Occupy movement last summer. Americans of all political persuasions voiced distrust of how government and companies are making decisions.

Americans will no longer tolerate keeping the public in the dark for the benefit of just a few.

This emergent consumer movement clearly wants to know about its food. People increasingly want to buy food from sources they know. The number of farmers markets has grown from under 2,000 in 1994 to over 6,000 today. Local food sales are predicted by USDA to hit $7 billion this year. And the organic sector continues to grow.

Fed-up consumers aren’t the only force pushing toward a more organic future. A growing number of scientific studies conclude that to feed the world sustainably and affordably will require looking to alternative systems of agriculture. The National Academy of Sciences examination of agriculture in the 21st century concluded that organic systems and diversified farming systems that mix crop and livestock production are key to a sustainable future. The U.N. Environment Program found that agro-ecological systems can double or triple yields in areas of the world that need it most, like sub-Saharan Africa. Long-term agricultural research trials at Iowa State University have shown that organic crops can produce yields competitive with yields from conventional agriculture, resulting in increased profits for organic growers.

I can happily attest that this is not just the stuff of studies; it has been our very real business experience as well. We have learned that organic was not just better for us and for our consumers—farmers of many of the ingredients we purchase have also benefited from higher yields and reduced fossil-fuel based inputs leading to higher and more stable profits. Working to build our organic future is a quadruple win—for consumers, businesses, the environment and farmers.

One of the best examples is the 40,000 acres of organic sugarcane we support in Brazil. Our partners there have found the transition to organic to be both an ecological and a financial success. Their green harvesting practices save 40,000 tons of CO2 per year, and 3.5 million liters of water per hour at the processing mill. The use of organic practices has led to a 90% reduction in pest damage, dramatic increases in

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soil carbon content and an incredible increase in biodiversity. They’ve done all of this while increasing their yields by 10% compared to when they farmed conventionally.

As we look toward the next 20 years, we can celebrate organic’s commercial success, growing consumer interest, and proven track record of competitive yields, and work to put an end to the lag in public investment. Just a tiny fraction—less than 2%—of all the money the U.S. government invests in public research on agriculture is allocated toward research in organic. Imagine what we could do if we were willing to invest more heavily as a society in expanding organic research.

No one has articulated this as profoundly as HRH the Prince of Wales when he addressed the Future for Food Conference at Georgetown University, where I also spoke last spring. He said the system of subsidies “has led to a situation where farmers are better off using intensive methods and where consumers who would prefer to buy sustainably produced food are unable to do so because of the price.”

There are many producers and consumers who want to do the right thing but, as things stand, “doing the right thing” is penalized. And so this raises an admittedly difficult question—as the time arrives when a long, hard look is needed at the way public subsidies are generally geared: Should the recalibration of that gearing be considered so that it helps healthier approaches and techniques? Could there be benefits if public finances were directed so that subsidies are linked specifically to farming practices that are more sustainable, less polluting and of wide benefit to the public interest, rather than what many environmental experts have called the curiously “perverse” economic incentive system that too frequently directs food production?

I believe that the work ahead is clear. We must create a food system that produces healthy food that is widely accessible and can be produced in a way that protects our environment and enhances consumer confidence.

Organic food production will improve farm profits, reduce national health care costs and help to reduce the dependence and the economic

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drain of inflating fossil fuels. In short, organic food production is national security.

Fortunately, the organic model we’ve developed over the last three decades has given us a running head start; we’re well on our way to creating healthy food, healthy people, a healthy economy and a healthy planet. As I wrote in the introduction to Label It Now: What You Need to Know About Genetically Engineered Foods, “Any chance of avoiding ecological or economic bankruptcy depends on business and government leaders—and, ultimately, every person on this planet—being held accountable for activities that pollute the environment, deplete our natural resources or precipitate health problems.”

As we look back, we can see that the organic industry and movement is one of the most positive and hopeful growth engines in the U.S. economy. As we look forward, to the next 20 years and beyond, I believe that the organic business sector can show America and the world how to create an economically successful food system based on true transparency and public trust.

Gary Hirshberg is co-founder and chairman of organic yogurt leader Stonyfield (stonyfield.com), author of Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World and co-author of Label It Now: What You Need to Know About Genetically Engineered Foods. Gary is a frequent speaker on topics including sustainability, climate change, the profitability of green business and organic agriculture. He also advocates for change in national food and agriculture policies, including those regarding the labeling of genetically engineered foods.

(Article originally published in the Green Money Journal (Summer 2012 issue). For more information go to: GreenMoney.com )

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20,000 Chocolate Truffles and Counting

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edible Entrepreneur

Stacy Peters on raising the bar for Ohio confectionery with O’Chocolate

By Stephanie Wapner Photography by Jessica Opremcak

F

or someone with a self-described “lack of a sweet tooth” who, as a child, used to scrape the icing off her birthday cake, Stacy Peters doesn’t seem a likely candidate for a chocolatier. And yet in the last two years her company, O’Chocolate, has grown from a tiny chocolate-truffle-making hobby to an Ohio fixture, with 10 sales locations in Athens and Columbus. Stacy and her two sous-confectioners, Matt Burne and Courtney Xenos, recently reached a major milestone: They just opened their second box of truffle wrapping papers, which means they have sold their 20,000th chocolate truffle.

In addition to their signature chocolate truffles, O’Chocolate also specializes in chocolate bars, each one hand-poured, -molded and -wrapped in Stacy’s kitchen in Athens. Each bar features a signature Ohiosourced ingredient, like Silverbridge Coffee in her Espresso bar, or Shagbark Seed & Mill Company’s popped amaranth in her Hazelnut Crisp bar or Sticky Pete’s maple syrup in her Pecan and Smoked Sea Salt bar. In fact, Peters believes that using these ingredients is the heart of her success.

“Chocolate is the perfect medium for exhibiting local vendors’ products. I find a unique local product and design a bar or truffle to showcase it.” She also credits some of her success to supporting and partnering with other local food businesses.

For example, the Fior di Sicilia truffle, featuring citrus and vanilla, was originally designed exclusively for sale at local Athens restaurant Della Zona, but eventually proved so popular that it is now available to everyone.

Stacy believes that eating chocolate should be an unforgettable experience of tasting a small amount of something astonishing. That process starts with making the highest possible quality chocolate. Peters studied the science of ganaches, fillings and tempering and used a trial-and-error process to create recipes that she scaled down to fit her home kitchen equipment.

Stacy still has her original notebook with the measurements from different experiments crossed out and corrected. “At the beginning, I had to perfect the chocolate itself.

To do the featured ingredients justice, the chocolate had to have the perfect balance of taste and texture.”

For truffles, this meant designing a recipe for chocolate ganache, then designing flavor profiles customized around locally available ingredients. The lavender truffle (see sidebar for recipe) features lavender oil sourced from local herbalist Ancient Roots and is rolled in crumbled blue cornflowers grown in Athens.

As the business grew, the supply of chocolate became a challenge. In order to move back a step on the sourcing chain, the minimum order required was 2,000 pounds of chocolate, more than she needed for a year’s supply and more than Stacy had room to stock. She fell back on her community-minded foundations and partnered with two other local businesses.

She bought the 2,000 pounds and persuaded her fellow business owners to buy their supply for the year from her. As Bob O’Neil, coowner of Village Bakery and Café, Della Zona Pizzeria and Catalyst Café, pointed out, “the sustainable food web in Athens is strengthened when businesses collaborate on purchasing and marketing decisions.”

The arrangement not only benefited the business owners, but also customers. “With Stacy’s investment in larger quantities of bulk chocolate for her growing business, we were able to go in together for a larger purchase than we alone could manage, and each business will go through our inventory more

As the truffle business grew and expanded, Stacy became interested in creating chocolate bars, but faced a new challenge: The chocolate ganache for truffles was a far more forgiving medium. The chocolate for bars must be carefully tempered up and down to specific degrees, in order to maintain the shine and “snap” of a high-quality bar. The chocolate then has only a short period of time in which the artist can work with it before it cools and starts to harden.

At first, Stacy and her team worked over her kitchen stove; eventually they invested in two small tempering machines, which moderate the temperature and, once it reaches its usable state, keeps the chocolate at an exact 88.7°.

Some of O’Chocolate’s chocolate for sample

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Lavender Truffles

By Stacy Peters of O’Chocolate “One key to great ganache is to keep your basic recipe the same (16 ounces of chocolate to 8 ounces of cream), and always use an immersion blender. If you’re working with fresh fruit or alcohol as add-ins, reduce the cream to 5–6 ounces to account for the additional moisture.”—SP 16 ounces dark chocolate ¼ cup Sticky Pete’s maple syrup 1 tablespoon lavender extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 ounces Snowville heavy cream

quickly, so the end product will be fresher,” said O’Neil.

Discovering an unused storefront and turning it into a small shop was a similar milestone that involved not only discovering who owned the space, but also pitching the idea to them. “I’ve learned that I could never have done this if I didn’t believe in what I do and how I do it.”

Now, she benefits from foot traffic from other stores in the courtyard-style building. Around the winter holidays and Valentine’s Day, the lines are out to the street. This year’s holiday flavors, including Pumpkin Spice truffle, are available in a seasonal selection gift box.

Now that Sehr is entering full-time kindergarten, Stacy is excited about growth and new projects. One new product is a “614 Surly Buckeye” bar, which features three Columbussourced ingredients: Krema Nut Company peanuts, Scotty McHotty’s hot pepper blend and Sticky Pete’s maple syrup.

And Stacy remains committed to never expanding in such a way that would compromise the product. O’Chocolate continues to specialize in what it does best. “Nothing leaves my kitchen,” says Peters, “unless it tastes extraordinary.”

O’Chocolate; 44 Ohio Ave. Athens, OH 45701; stacy@athenschocolate.com; 740-590-9219; athenschocolate.com.

Weigh out dark chocolate into a heat-safe bowl.

Pour maple syrup, lavender extract and vanilla extract directly on top of the chocolate.

Bring the cream to a boil on the stove, stirring often so as not to burn it. Watch carefully; cream rises and will overflow abruptly. Once the cream is boiling and starting to rise, immediately remove from heat and pour over

Throughout it all, Stacy’s 5-year-old son Sehr occasionally shows up to lend a hand.

For a preschool Thanksgiving project, he once told his class that he was “thankful for chocolate truffles.” Peters states that one of the things she has learned along the way is that “it is necessary to take the time to make well-informed, cautious decisions. But business owners also have to have a sense for when the time is right to take a leap of faith and make a scary decision.”

Stephanie Wapner holds an MBA from Ohio State University where she is now a PhD. student. She is an active participant in Central Ohio’s local food movement and writes about the connections between food, cooking, health and community.

chocolate. Stir gently, cover and let sit for 2–3 minutes. Use an immersion blender to mix all ingredients into silky ganache. Mix until thoroughly blended and all of the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours. Overnight works well.

Once it has set, scoop into approximately ½ounce balls and roll them in your choice of ingredients. We roll our lavender truffles in a mixture of half white and half milk ground chocolate, then grind up blue cornflowers and sprinkle them on top of each truffle. Other suggestions would be cocoa powder, ground dark chocolate or ground nuts or seeds.

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Find O’Chocolate products at these retail locations: Athens, Ohio 5 North Court St. • Village Bakery & Café • Catalyst Café Columbus, Ohio A Touch of Earth at the North Market • Celebrate Local at Easton • The Hills Market • Bexley Natural Market • Clintonville Community Market • Camelot Cellars • Weiland’s Gourmet Market

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behind the Bottle

The Long Wait Watershed Distillery’s bourbon becomes another marker of success

By Nicolene Schwartz Photography by Catherine Murray

Stop by Watershed Distillery on certain days during the spiritsmaking process and you’ll find owners Dave Rigo and Greg Lehman outfitted in galoshes and rubber coveralls, sloshing around in fresh grain mash, the distillery hazy with the smell of liquor. And really, you should visit—there’s an invitation on every bottle’s label. “We love having company. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop on in and see how it’s made.”

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If the purpose of such an open-door policy is for the people drinking their spirits to enjoy them more, and it’s hard to think of a better one, Greg and Dave have been consistently, impressively successful. Since opening their doors in 2009, the partners have sat across the distillery’s hand-hewn wood table from many of their customers—on funky, custom-made cardboard stools—discussing their gin and vodka, and spirits and spirits-making and tapping into the social roots of spirits culture. The products become a shared experience.

“We are able to create relationships with our customers,” says Dave.

“They tend to feel a true community connection with us and our products.” In other words, it’s nice to know the people who make your gin and vodka. And, as of this past November, your bourbon.

After two years of building success as a business, and many months of whiskey-specific anticipation in the community, bourbon from Watershed Distillery is now available in restaurants and bars all over Columbus, and at the distillery’s Grandview Location. For this fourth product in the Watershed lineup (an excellent barrel-aged gin also debuted this year), the partners picked a recipe for mild flavor and let the

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sweet, rich flavors resulting from the oak aging process to lead the bourbon’s profile. Like their citrusy gin, Watershed’s bourbon will likely convert as many only-vodka drinkers as production can keep up with.

But unlike gin and vodka, whiskey is not so immediately adaptable to demand. What a distiller puts away now won’t be bottled for at least two years—for many rye-style whiskeys, the aging process can take more than eight. As Dave explains, the distiller’s craft comes in the planning stages of choosing things like yeast strains and the level of char on the barrel, and then in reading the development of the whiskey over time, making adjustments in temperature and barrel position to guide the process.

But ultimately, whiskey making’s necessary patience requires a certain belief in the value of waiting to see. “When Dave and I first heard two years… wow, that’s a long time!” says Greg. “But then when you walk past the barrels every day there’s a quality that’s proud and even curious to see what’s going on in there.”

Owners Dave Rigo on the right and Greg Lehman on the left

In valuing authenticity of process, and genuine, thoughtful craft applied to the making of things we eat and drink, it’s hard not to love whiskey.

In this moment of s’mores-flavored vodka and dragonberry rum, whiskey’s steadfast inability to trend-chase feels encouraging and solid, and goes a long way toward explaining why its most common associations are still the mythologized histories of cowboys and speakeasies, barmen stirring Sazeracs in 1920s New Orleans.

“There’s definitely a romantic view and story that goes with something you have to wait so long for,” Greg explains. “People like to be a part of something like that.”

Now, for Greg and Dave, there is some personal history to the spirit as well: These debut bottles mark the beginnings of their business, their progress, process and success. When you think about a product you put away when you were still in the dream phase of your business, Dave reflects, “that’s something special. I don’t know how many times I’ve walked by those barrels and said, “Someday we’ll get to share some of this.”

And up next? It’s back into the rubber boots. “Our idea is to get really, really good at these products,” Greg says. “We want to make sure we’re doing it the best we can. Having people come in to taste and talk about them is part of how we do that.”

While one might protest the idea that Watershed’s spirits could appreciably improve, it’s hard to argue that honing craft is, at its best, the craftsman’s business. Dave and Greg of Watershed Distillery are certainly craftsmen—and each sip underscores the point.

A graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, Nicolene Schwartz moved from New York City to Columbus in 2008. She consults and develops cocktails for a number of local outfits, including Rigsby’s Kitchen, MoJoe Lounge and Watershed Distillery. When not working, Nicolene is rehabbing the medical-office-turned-unusual-home she shares near Franklin Park with partner, Scot, and dogs Mavis and Trout.

Watershed Spiced Toddy 1 bottle of bourbon from Watershed Distillery 2 cinnamon sticks 6 cloves 3-inch piece of vanilla bean, slit lengthwise 3 star anise Peel from ½ blood orange Peel from ½ lemon

Combine all ingredients in a large glass or stainless steel container.

Let it sit for 12 to 24 hours.

To make the cocktail, combine in a mug:

1½ ounces of infused Watershed bourbon 2 tablespoons Ohio grade B maple syrup Juice from 1 blood orange slice Juice from 1 lemon slice 3 ounces boiling water

Stir to dissolve syrup. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, star anise pod or spiral of blood orange peel.

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the last Seed Very nearly 30 years ago I began by talking about the issue, but I realized in the end I had to go further. I had to put my concern into action, to demonstrate how else we might do things so that we secure food production for the future, but also, crucially, to take care of the Earth that sustains us. Because if we don’t do that, if we do not work within Nature’s system, then Nature will fail to be the durable, continuously sustaining force she has always been. Only by safeguarding Nature’s resilience can we hope to have a resilient form of food production and ensure food security in the long term.

This is the challenge facing us. We have to maintain a supply of healthy food at affordable prices when there is mounting pressure on nearly every element affecting the process. In some cases we are pushing Nature’s life-support systems so far, they are struggling to cope with what we ask of them. Soils are being depleted, demand for water is growing ever more voracious and the entire system is at the mercy of an increasingly fluctuating price of oil.

Only by safeguarding Nature’s resilience can we hope to have a resilient form of food production and ensure food security in the long term.

The Prince’s Speech HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, on the future of food

Q

uestioning the conventional worldview is a risky business. And the only reason I have done so is for the sake of your generation and for the integrity of Nature herself. It is your future that concerns me and that of your grandchildren, and theirs too. That is how far we should be looking ahead. I have no intention of being confronted by my grandchildren, demanding to know why on Earth we didn’t do something about the many problems that existed when we knew what was going wrong…

Remember that when we talk about agriculture and food production, we are talking about a complex and interrelated system and it is simply not possible to single out just one objective, like maximizing production, without also ensuring that the system which delivers those increased yields meets society’s other needs. ... These should include the maintenance of public health, the safeguarding of rural employment, the protection of the environment and contributing to overall quality of life.

So we must not shy away from the big questions. Chiefly, how can we create a more sustainable approach to agriculture while recognizing those wider and important social and economic parameters—an approach that is capable of feeding the world with a global population rapidly heading for 9 billion? And can we do so amid so many competing demands on land, in an increasingly volatile climate and when levels of the planet’s biodiversity are under such threat or in serious decline?

As I see it, these pressures mean we haven’t much choice in the matter.

We are going to have to take some very brave steps. We will have to develop much more sustainable, or durable forms of food production because the way we have done things up to now are no longer as viable as they once appeared to be.

Editor’s Note: On May 4, 2011, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales gave a keynote speech to students, faculty and others in attendance at the Future of Food Conference at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. We’re honored to be able to share an excerpt from that speech included above.

This excerpt is from the essay that was adapted from that speech and published by AG Carrick, Ltd. Reprint from The Prince’s Speech by HRH Prince of Wales. Copyright (c) 2012 by AG Carrick, Ltd. By permission of Rodale, Inc. Emmaus, PA 18098.

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