Notable Edibles

At a Food Swap, Baked Goods Speak Louder than Dollar Bills

How do you measure the worth of chocolate pecan lattice tart? At the Indy Food Swap, it’s calculated in cake pops, loaves of apple bread or jars of zucchini pickles.

The swap is a free event held every other month where food lovers trade homemade culinary delights. The next swap is Dec. 10 from 2 to 4 pm at Earth House Collective, 237 N. East St. in downtown Indianapolis.

Here’s how it works: Participants bring homemade or homegrown food to exchange with others in silent auction fashion. Swappers can hand out samples to entice bids, then they request even trades as a form of barter.

A jar of veggie and bean soup might garner a dozen whole-wheat biscuits or a few jars of grape jam.

This interactive approach to grocery shopping has spread across the country via social media, and Indianapolis resident Suzanne Krowiak organized the first Indy Food Swap this summer. Krowiak loves to cook and to share recipes, and she was confident that others in her community would be excited about the creative possibilities of a food swap.

“The only thing more fun than making something you love is talking about it with other people who are as crazy about food as you are,” Krowiak says. “So, not only do you walk away from a swap with great food, but there are real social and community benefits to it.”

There is no cost, but participants must register on the event’s website.

For info: www.indyfoodswappers.com

—Joan Jacobs

Photos courtesy of Indy Food Swap

Putting the Nog in Eggnog

There is eggnog, and then there is eggnog. We all know the difference. Traders Point Creamery’s variety is the latter: an organic, homemade-tasting nog that puts other store-bought concoctions to shame.

The secret to its goodness? Milk and cream from 100% grass-fed cows that roam Traders Point’s dairy farm in Zionsville, plus egg yolk, cane sugar, Madagascar vanilla and spices. For some, it’s just not the holidays until they’ve sipped it. Drink it with a splash of bourbon or rum, or combine it in a blender with vanilla ice cream for an eggnog milkshake.

Its quick stint on store shelves has begun—find the nog at Marsh stores, Whole Foods Markets, The Fresh Market and other select retailers through early January. Or, pick it up right at the creamery, 9101 Moore Rd. in Zionsville; www.tpforganics.com.

—Erica Sagon

Photo courtesy of Traders Point Creamery

Taking the Meat Out of Mondays

Meatless Mondays—no matter what day you choose—are all about reducing meat consumption to benefit both personal and planetary health. It’s a cinch in the summer, but trickier in the winter when the choice of local produce is slimmer.

For inspiration, do what we do: Check out the blog A Couple Cooks, where 20somethings Sonja and Alex Overhiser of Indianapolis share their experiences pursuing a mostly vegetarian diet.

Their recipes and photos on www.acouplecooks.com can make the most committed carnivore salivate. Making meal prep fun and accessible is their primary goal. “We encourage cooking. It’s a lost art, especially in our generation,” says Sonja Overhiser.

In addition to sharing hearty and flavorful winter recipes, they point out which ingredients they’ve found at the Indy Winter Farmers Market and from other local sources.

Overhiser advises incorporating legumes, whole grains and cheeses in the winter to ensure the dish leaves you satiated, and using herbs and spices to add pizzazz. Round out the meal with bread and salad to leave the table satisfied.

Latin American dishes tend to be vegetarian-adaptable, and so do soups, pasta, pizza and sandwiches, she notes. “Even just going one day a week meatless can have a big impact…on the environment and your health.”

—Shawndra Miller

Photo courtesy of A Couple Cooks

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Quinoa recipe found at acouplecooks.com.