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We are family. You (anyone reading this) are my Edible family. You have made it possible to live this painstaking yet rewarding life that has changed my own family for the better. The people I have met along this road have made editing and publishing my love and not my job. The friendships that have blossomed from my time with Edible are held closely in my heart and soul. People like Sam from Goods for Cooks, Ellie from the Janeways, Nani from Currently in My Mouth, Lynsey from Peaceful & Practical Edible Gardens, Audrey from Ezra’s and Wild Moon Acres, Ross from Roosters, Aric from Ash Blaeds, the entire Huse Culinary family and my family at the Indianapolis Indians and so many more inspire me to live a life of happiness and to enjoy each day as it comes.
My Edible Communities family has produced some of my best friends around the world. Even from a distance they embrace, love and fight for me and I for them. Jaci and Amanda from Edible Reno-Tahoe, Tina and Tracy from Edible Sarasota, Cheryl from Edible East Bay and I can’t forget Doug, Susie, Tracey, Amy and all of the others who continue to build a legacy of advocacy and appetite for all things food. And I must not forget Francine (my managing editor), without whom this journey would not have been nearly as gratifying with all of our laughter, shenanigans and conversations strung from the Netherlands to Canada and everywhere in between. You all have my heart as I bid you a final (and yes this is it) goodbye.
Lastly, great gratitude to my biggest fans: my besties in Cleveland, my mother-in-law and all her tea party friends, my parents and brothers but most of all my husband and daughters, who never doubted my ability to showcase the passion I have for producing, sharing and making something that was pure love. The words simply are not enough.
Thank you to everyone who believed in me and who made me believe in myself. This is the part I cherish the most.
Until we meet again,
Jennifer Rubenstein
2023 Indiana Grown Commission Board Member
In December 2014 I joined an exciting new family when I became the editor of the newly minted magazine Edible Houston in Texas. I didn’t know exactly how exciting this new family would be until the 2015 conference in New Orleans where I met publishers and editors of sister Edible magazines from all over North America. One of them was Edible Indy’s Jennifer Rubenstein. We clicked immediately over cocktails and a decorative glass bowl doubling as a hat (insider joke—but Jennifer wore it well). I rubbed shoulders in various conference rooms with our designer, the multitalented Cheryl Koehler, publisher of Edible East Bay, as well. At the last Edible conference that I attended—Santa Fe in January 2020—I also (finally) got to chat with editor familias Doug Adrianson, the copy editor I had the pleasure of working with on so many issues, first with Edible Houston and now with Edible Indy
The Edible family is a great and warm one to be a part of—and it makes me sad to bid farewell. That said, the local-food world is a small one and you never know who you will run into, where and whenever. To all the Edibles I say cheers and… keep on mapping that most important live-local landscape.
Father and son open Italian market honoring patriarch Angelo
words: Lauren Weidinger | photography: Martina Jackson, Drea & Company
Family. Culture. Entrepreneurship. These are the principles that guide Angelo’s Italian market. Together, father and son Mike and Chris Marra dreamt up a unique fresh pasta shop honoring their Italian heritage. When asked what Italian-inspired principles they use to dictate their recipes, Mike jokes, “lots of garlic and extra virgin olive oil.”
Who is Angelo?
Angelo is the name of Mike’s father and Chris’s grandfather. Angelo’s parents were Italian immigrants who ended up planting roots in Cleveland, Ohio, in the early 1900s. Though Angelo was born in Cleveland, he eventually journeyed down to Indianapolis in the 1950s and moved to Fishers in the 1980s, where he lived out the remainder of his life. Angelo built a tunnel business, and Chris says he had always looked up to his grandfather’s entrepreneurial spirit. This was a major contributing factor for naming Mike and Chris’s business after his grandfather. Unfortunately, Angelo passed away in April 2021, before the conception of Angelo’s Italian Market in January 2022.
“He would have been our number one investor,” Chris says. “He definitely would have been here every day if he was alive, telling us what we’re doing wrong, helping us out and talking to the customers.”
“And testing the food,” Mike adds.
Mike is no stranger to the food and beverage industry, having worked over 40 years in various roles, including back of house, front of the house, management and ownership positions. Chris’s background, however, is in agriculture, transportation and renewable energy. Though Chris did not have direct food and beverage industry experience, his previous work experience allowed him to learn the “behind the scenes” of what it takes to run a business. He specifically mentions that he learned a lot about himself through his previous endeavors, how to manage his time and how to better communicate with people.
Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Chris has always dreamed of owning his own business. He jokes that his wife, Sarah, has had to listen to him present her with hundreds of business ideas during the 17 years they have been together. When Mike initially proposed the idea of the Italian market, he envisioned the shop to be primarily centered around the retail of a variety of Italian products. But Chris had doubts about only offering retail products. So, Mike and Chris brainstormed. They landed on the idea of an Italian market that would also sell fresh pasta and homemade sauces based on Mike’s grandmother’s recipes.
Growing up, Mike would visit his grandmother, Mary Marra, in Cleveland, and during their time together they would make fresh pasta and sauces in the garage of her home.
“She would make the cavatelli by hand with her thumb,” Mike says.
For Mike, the joy of spending time and cooking with his grandmother inspired the tradition of gathering his family together on Sundays at their home in Fishers to make Italian dishes. One of the main staples of their Sunday meals was Mary’s slow-simmered marinara sauce. Mike has concocted his own rendition of the sauce over the years, and today it serves as one of Angelo’s topselling products at the market.
After 16 months of testing recipes, Mike and Chris decided on five signature sauces to sell at Angelo’s: the Sunday red sauce, garlic formaggio, ragu alla Angelo’s, vodka cream sauce and a basil pesto. The Sunday red sauce is a marinara sauce, which also serves as the base of the ragu alla Angelo’s, containing meat. The garlic formaggio sauce, containing garlic, black pepper, pecorino Romano, parmesan Reggiano, ricotta and fontina, was designed to be a marriage of an alfredo sauce and a cacio e pepe sauce, which typically contains pecorino Romano, black pepper and pasta
Opposite from left: Chris and Mike Marra
water. In addition to the sauces, Mike and Chris make fresh pasta daily. They offer a variety of extruded pasta, stuffed pasta as well as take-and-bake pasta, like lasagna.
What differentiates Angelo’s offerings from what you find at the grocery store boils down to ingredients. Angelo’s has established several partnerships with manufacturers and farmers throughout the Midwest who aid in the development of the goods they serve in-store. Dewig Meats, located in Haubstadt, Indiana, supplies meat products and delivers directly to the market every Tuesday. In addition, Angelo’s uses only spices from Marion-Kay Spices, located in Brownstown, Indiana. The key to their singular pasta is special flour sourced from Janie’s Mill, in Ashkum, Illinois. Janie’s Mill produces its flour using stone-milling, which involves grinding the entire kernel of grain and monitoring the temperature of the stones to ensure the nutrient-rich bran and germ are incorporated into the flour instead of being extracted during the process. Stone-milling results in a flour that offers more flavor and more nutrition than typical store-bought flours.
Though they offer drastically different products, Dewig Meats, Marion-Kay Spices, Janie’s Mill and Angelo’s are all centered on one thing: family. These businesses are all family owned and operated. The opportunity to work alongside each other is one of the things that Chris and Mike take immense pride in.
“We want to do this together,” says Chris. “It is not something that we build and then run from. We want it to be a family business.”
Chris left his job in May 2022 and Mike left his job in December 2022 to fully commit to the dream of running their own business. Though Chris and Mike got the wheels turning for the conception of Angelo’s, several other family members contribute to the project as well. Chris’s mother
(Mike’s wife, Kathy), despite having a full-time job, comes in two to three mornings a week and every other Saturday to help with the morning preparations of food. Chris’s sister aided in the grand opening of the business in April of this year, and Chris’s nephew helped make pasta on the weekends all throughout the summer before heading back to school.
“I can’t keep them out of Angelo’s. They love coming here, playing around on the tables, watching pasta being made over there [motioning to the pasta machine], or acting like they’re making pasta here [motioning to the large table in front of him] and making big messes,” he says. “They love all things Angelo’s.”
Mike and Chris have dreams of opening a second location and expanding their offerings at the current shop. They also hope to keep building their arsenal of local suppliers to increase camaraderie with other businesses in the area. For Mike and Chris, the most memorable experience of opening the market has been the response of the community. They emphasize their appreciation for both their new and returning customers.
“We like our stuff. We thought people would like it,” says Chris. “And we’re really happy people actually do really like it.” n
Angelo’s Italian Market: 11649 Maple St., Suite 95 | Fishers, IN | EatAngelosPasta.com
Lauren Weidinger is a freelance writer and pediatric speechlanguage pathologist. She loves to travel, cook, bake and explore new restaurants and local coffee shops. She currently lives outside Indianapolis with her husband, Josh, and their dog, Fitz.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT noodles
FOR YOUR SAUCE
When cooking pasta at home, most people reach for whatever sauce and noodles are in their pantry, mixing them together without a second thought. However, most chefs choose specific noodles that complement the sauce. The following are Mike and Chris’s recommendations for pairing the noodles they offer at Angelo’s with specific sauces:
For a light cream sauce, use mafalde noodles. Mafalde noodles are similar to fettuccine noodles but offer more textured edges to introduce contrast to the thin, smooth sauce.
For oil-based or butter-based sauces, use ravioli or other stuffed pastas to not overwhelm the flavors and the ingredients inside the pasta.
For pesto, campanelle or gemelli noodles are suggested as the curves and grooves of the noodles help the pesto adhere to them.
For bolognese or ragu, jumbo rigatoni or pappardelle noodles pair well as the “heavy duty” nature of the pasta helps carry the thicker sauces.
For tomato-based sauces, choose bucatini or ziti, so the thin sauce can cling to the noodles more successfully.
Sweet DREAMS
Blondie’s is baking it up in America’s heartland
words: Brian Garrido | photography: Elizabeth Hannah Studios
When you are asked to write about a million-dollar-plus cookie empire born in the Midwest, it’s not an assignment to turn down. Sampling confections named Peanut Butter Blossom, Red Velvet Sprinkle or Rainbow sounds sinful, delicious and, well, joyful. Coupled with the idea that someone handcrafts them just an hour from Indianapolis, in Howard County, Indiana, I envision Dorothy Gale of Oz covered in gingham, flour and candied confetti.
I swoosh north up the highway, past multi-storied office buildings, cloverleaf on-and-off ramps and uninspired McMansions. Then acres of farmland surround me, full of green stalks of corn and low-lying soybeans, while the bluest picture-perfect sky arcs overhead. One right turn, down a road bleached nearly white from seasons of snow and sun, leads me into charming Greentown, known for its regional glass collectible museum of pitchers and plates. As much as I want to learn more, I have a rendezvous with sugar.
I am excited to meet Brenda Coffman, cookie queen of America’s heartland. Coffman is the CEO and mastermind behind Blondie’s Cookies. I had watched Coffman on YouTube in a 2012 episode of “Shark Tank.” Barbara Corcoran was clad in vampire red while Coffman wore sunshine, exuding kindness and intelligence and speaking with a Midwest twang. As she passed around her wares, one “shark” made an unnecessary comment that she seemed like a cartoon. As if that’s all the flyovers create: fantasies or comics.
Coffman is neither fictional nor a caricature; she is a true blue, hardworking cookie maker whose dream was born amid a family tragedy.
All that comes through when I meet her—energetic and petite with a blonde updo and a logoed shirt—and her husband, Mark, and niece, Anna, at the recently purchased building, about 50 yards from their baking factory and original administration space. The newest acquisition, a former chain sandwich shop, will become the new headquarters for Blondie’s Cookies. They plan for the space to include a retail outlet, events space and a place to craft bold recipes. A small corner already offers an assortment of goods, with Blondie’s trademark sunny box and faux blue ribbon to package them up. A family business, Mark bustles around, and her niece sits listening to us chat.
They had just moved in earlier in the year. The brick main room holds folding chairs circled by eight large round tables, as if a wedding reception had just occurred. Along the wall hang three Indiana license plates emblazoned with the word “cookies.” There are the requisite offices and a stainless-steel kitchen where Coffman creates sweetened dough recipes.
As she begins to tell the story of Blondie’s Cookies, from its name (a family consensus) and humble beginnings, she speaks about her family tragedy. Before entering the food business, she studied dance as a young girl, pas de deuxing into her teens, gracing the barre in Chicago and Indianapolis. She was good enough to pirouette into an apprenticeship at the National Ballet of Canada. But before she made it north, a drunk driver killed her father. She gave up training, and the dancing side of her drifted. In her grief, she restarted an old hobby, one that she did with her mother: baking. Her eyes tear up as she tells me this. While the shock and loss of her father ended one future, it opened another.
Opposite: Mark Coffman, Brenda Coffman and Anna Swanagan
Blondie’s Cookies was born in 1984 in the most unexpected of places: college student housing. Coffman, studying business and science, and her husband, Mark, an engineering student, resided in a student flat at Indiana State University. To make ends meet, she started selling homemade cookies. The first batch consisted of simple chocolate chips and snickerdoodles baked in their apartment oven. She sold them to other students for a dollar. The cookies were large.
“Eight inches in diameter,” she recalls with a laugh. “I could only get four cookies on the tray.”
As word spread, professors, deans and scholastic administrators started asking for the product as gifts and at parties. It was the start of a small business that would shape Coffman’s future—and sweet tooths throughout the Hoosier state.
With no Friday classes to worry about, she designated that day for grocery shopping, gathering ingredients to fuel her cookie business dreams. She scoured the shelves of the local Kroger for the best ingredients. With science as one of her majors, she purchased pure cane sugar instead of sugar-beet-derived crystals. “I wanted to bring a commitment to using quality ingredients to Blondie’s Cookies,” she says. “I wanted no earthiness, only sweetness.”
She worked with her chemistry professor, a behind-the-scenes ally, experimenting with how her chosen ingredients interacted. Mark, her steadfast partner in this cookie adventure, chimes in, laughing. “I remember her bugging the chemistry teacher constantly for extra credit and advice.”
Coffman wanted a perfect cookie the same way she had wanted to dance an ideal pas de chat. Confections and their tasty wholesomeness evolved amongst the background of a university, where thousands attended. By their first Christmas in business, parents, teachers and staff were asking if they could order holiday cookies. Without skipping a macadamia nut, Coffman filled orders, personalizing each box with a Christmas tree stamp.
“Our first Christmas, which was our junior year of college, we sold so many that [we] had to stay up for two nights to fill the orders,” she remembers.
As demand grew, the Coffmans leaped to open the first Blondie’s Cookies retail store. And so, on September 3, 1985, the debut location opened in Coffman’s hometown of Kokomo. A second store was launched in Anderson, quickly followed by the third in Muncie. For the next several decades, Coffman expanded the footprint of Blondie’s Cookies to additional Indiana malls and locations, becoming a favorite destination in the state’s cooking landscape. Eventually, they opened—and closed—shops in Florida, which Coffman refers to as “the mistake in 2009.” She says, “Of course, there was the housing bubble. And no one was interested in cookies then.”
Appearing on “Shark Tank” helped with national recognition and cemented a statewide status. Still, they didn’t secure a deal. (Not one “shark” specialized in food, rather building their fortunes in real estate, tech, fashion and sports.) Despite the disappointment, the exposure boosted their mail-order division. As a company, Blondie’s Cookies sends hundreds of packages each week across the country. Still, the bread-and-butter continues to come from the retail stores serving customers seven days a week from seven Indiana locations.
From those small-scale beginnings in their dorm, the Coffmans grew a successful business. When the first Blondie’s opened, their product line consisted of 11 cookie types and one brownie. Today, they make over 20 varieties of cookies and three types of brownies baked daily. As a couple, they celebrate four decades of marriage, a powerful statement of commitment with all the sugar highs and lows in a relationship.
They recently introduced their newest product, Chewies, and an extension of gluten-free offerings. Local charities receive unsold products from each location at the end of each day.
With multiple store locations, Blondie’s Cookies provides a testament to the power of a well-made cookie and passion for quality. As they look to the future, their goal remains clear: bring delicious tastes to neighboring states so that even more cookie enthusiasts can enjoy a bit of the Hoosier hospitality. n
Visit BlondiesCookies.com for store locations, hours and fundraising opportunities.
Brian Garrido has written food stories for LA Weekly, Clever Root and DailyMeal.com. He moved to Indy from Los Angeles with two dogs and his partner, Nick.
COOKIE MINISTRY
Blondie’s Cookies created a mission at the beginning of their baking business to always give back. They view their charitable endeavors as a “cookie ministry” to share love and support with their community.
One of their long-standing partnerships is with the Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic organization dedicated to providing meals to the homeless in Indianapolis. This collaboration exemplifies Blondie’s commitment to supporting organizations impacting local communities in their locations. Additionally, they support various Indiana schools devoted to emotionally and physically challenged students, including Bona Vista in Kokomo, emphasizing their dedication to special-needs education.
Their involvement with charitable organizations goes further. Blondie’s Cookies actively works with Second Helpings, an initiative associated with Ivy Tech, to distribute surplus products from events.
When asked about their motivation, Brenda Coffman emphasizes the importance of giving back to those less fortunate and participating in annual nonprofit events such as Zoobilation benefitting the Indianapolis Zoo and Rev Indy, with proceeds donated to Indiana University Health’s statewide trauma system; Rev Indy takes place the first weekend in May, which is the launch of the Indianapolis 500 month of events. They attribute their philanthropic efforts to being blessed with the opportunity to start their business.
Blondie’s Cookies believes in making a positive impact, ensuring their delicious confections also bring joy when someone needs it the most.
POT IT LIKE IT’S HOT
Winter sowing tips for a successful spring garden
words:
Lynsey Johnston
Winter sowing is a germination method where one starts seeds outdoors in containers. It is a low-energy method of growing unique varieties of plants without taking up space to start seeds indoors. It also allows you to go on vacation over the holidays without worrying whether your plants will survive!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Seeds have built in germination timers. Although this method starts in late December, the seeds will wait patiently, even if you don’t, until the temperature indicates it is time to germinate. Seeds such as lettuce and brassicas (broccoli, kale, collard greens) will be some of the first plants to germinate whereas others, such as paw paw trees, may not germinate until late spring.
Once the container is prepped and the seeds are planted, the containers will remain outside throughout the winter or spring until they are ready to be planted.
CHOOSING SEEDS
Almost any plants you can grow from seed can be winter sown. This includes both annuals and perennials, trees, shrubs, vines and vegetables. Keep in mind tropical plants that germinate early due to unseasonably warm temps may not survive. Your zone and microclimate may provide different results from others practicing the same method, so I recommend experimenting if there is something you would like to try. Seeds that require pre-chilling are a great choice for this method. They will receive chill hours while living outside all winter. Our native trees fall into this category.
MATERIALS LIST
• Potting soil like Pro-Mix Organic; Soils to not use include moisturecontrol soil, seed-starting mixes with zero nutrients (coconut coir or peat moss) and topsoil.
• Duct tape
• Paint pen or marker
• Plastic plant tags
• Drill with ¼-inch bit OR glue gun (burns holes in the plastic)
• Box cutter
• Containers: Any clear or opaque containers (ask local restaurants or coffeehouses for used milk jugs)
• Seeds of your choice
• Liquid organic fertilizer with low N-P-K ratio like Neptune’s Harvest Fish Emulsion
THEY’RE GROWING! NOW WHAT?
Check your soil periodically. Do not let your soil dry out. This will require checking on your plants a couple times a week once the weather warms up in the spring. Once they have their first true leaves, water with a weakened fertilizer.
STEPS TO GET STARTED
1. Select an opaque or clear container such as a gallon water or milk jug.
2. Remove and discard the cap.
3. Make a cut all the way around the jug without cutting the handle.
4. Use a drill or glue gun to make 5–6 ¼-inch holes in the bottom and top of the container.
5. Add potting soil without moisture control to just below the cut.
6. Water until the soil is moist.
7. Sow seeds in the container according to the seed packet instructions.
8. Write variety and date sown on the outside of the container.
9. Include a plant marker in the dirt with the same information as above.
10. Use duct tape to close the container where the cut was made.
11. Place in a sunny spot in your yard protected from pets and high winds.
Q&A
Do I need to do anything with the containers during the winter?
Not typically, except in the case of a dry winter. If soil looks dry, water by inserting the nozzle of a spray bottle into the opening of the jug.
When do I open the container?
Open the container once the plants reach the top or when the temperature is 50° or higher.
When should I fertilize?
Fertilize in late March or early April once the plants have their first “true” leaves.
How do I separate the plants?
Depending on the plant, you can gently separate or simply cut out chunks with a knife and plant them.
Should they be in full sun?
Yes.
How much potting soil should I use?
Add soil to a depth of 4 inches and mix in a little compost.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Green on top of the soil caused by a wet environment. Do nothing.
Plants are not germinating. Do nothing. As long as the soil isn’t dry, they will germinate when they are ready.
Warm-weather plants germinated too early. Do nothing. Employ survivalof-the-fittest mentality or start another jug if you are really worried.
Water not draining/too much water. Drainage holes are clogged, there are not enough holes (aim for 5), or they are too small. Enlarge the holes or add more.
Plants are yellowed. Spray them with the liquid fish emulsion diluted to ¼ strength
Peaceful & Practical Edible Gardens was born from the combined love of gardening, food and design.
Founded by Lynsey Johnston, P&P reimagines how we source our food, while maintaining beautiful and bountiful landscapes. Lynsey is fascinated by the possibility that food can grow anywhere, that a few seeds can provide enough food for multiple families and that a deeper understanding of plants and nature has the power to change our lives.
P&P is active in the community, teaching folks how to responsibly create and care for their gardens, build spaces and grow healthy food. They have a keen focus on caring for the earth, centering ethical principles of permaculture and educating the community. P&P works with home gardeners and community gardens in the Indianapolis area, and serves clients on a national scale through virtual support. Their services include edible garden design, installation and maintenance, and workshops and coaching.
Do you want to reconnect with nature and redesign your space, while growing your own healthy food?
Learn more at PeacefulAndPracticalEdibleGardens.com
Follow on Instagram @peacefulpracticalediblegardens
Sip, Sip, Hooray!
Family
runs sparkling wine
winery and regenerative farm
words: Lauren Weidinger | photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
Nestled on the north side of Indianapolis lies a quaint spot to trade the city landscape for a nature retreat. Rows of zinnias and sunflowers line the open field while grapes flourish on vines in the distance. Guests are greeted by tables topped with colorful umbrellas. If the festive scene puts you in the mood to hoist a celebratory glass of sparkling wine, you are in the right place.
Welcome to The Rejoicing Vine, a winery specializing in bubblies.
About 14 years ago, Brent and Frances Kumfer met through a mutual friend, fell in love, married and started a family. Brent was pursuing a career in engineering and working to obtain a master’s degree in innovation and entrepreneurship, and Frances was beginning a career as an emergency medicine physician. Some six years later, they realized that their two busy careers were limiting the quality time they could spend at home with each other and with their newborn son, Caleb. They made the decision that Brent would leave his engineering position to spend more time with his family. With more time at home, Brent fostered a love of gardening and growing fruit, especially grapes. One year the fostering and love turned out a particularly abundant harvest of grapes, setting a new course in motion.
“I think that’s really what sparked it all—like, ‘What are we going to do with all these grapes? We can’t possibly eat 40 pounds of grapes,’” Brent says.
“We were, like, you can make jelly, you can make wine … we would rather drink wine than eat jelly or jams,” Frances jokes.
Brent delved into learning about the winemaking process. He studied through the University of California, Davis, and sought advice from a close friend’s father, who makes wine. Frances deemed Brent a “serial learner,” stating he reads nonfiction books for fun and is always trying to learn as much as he can. Amidst his wine education, Brent became entranced with the chemistry and science behind winemaking. Specifically, he enjoyed learning about the process of grape growing and, during his studies, also came across the practice of regenerative farming.
“Regenerative farming is [thinking] ‘How do we generate life and build life on the farm instead of keeping it the same or decreasing it with traditional farming practices?’” Brent says.
With the flexibility to work from home and explore his newfound passion, starting a winery and regenerative farm became the next step. Brent and Frances, along with their children Caleb and Elle, opened a sparkling wine winery called The Rejoicing Vine in the summer of 2023 on their 16-acre property. The name was inspired by the Bible chapter Isaiah 55, which states “When we follow our God-given calling, taking His paths rather than our own, we will live with joy and peace. The life in the fields will clap its hands and the vines will burst into rejoicing song.”
Opposite: Brent Kumfer, son Caleb and daughter Elle
photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
Brent talks about how the whole process of starting a winery and farm has been “one foot in front of the other.” He hopes that his and Frances’s leap of faith will inspire their children to pursue their aspirations no matter the obstacles.
“I’m no expert [farmer],” he says. “And in a way it is a major disadvantage, but, in another way, it is a very big advantage because I don’t have these built-in preconceived notions. I’m probably doing things that a normal farmer would tell me I’m crazy for. I am probably doing some things that are stupid and crazy, but that is where I [have found] innovation happens and where breakthroughs happen.”
“Frances is in research. I have been in innovation. We like pushing the boundaries. Part of this is we want to show people that you can farm this way. The ultimate mission is to get other farmers to adopt the same practices,” Brent says.
One of their missions is sustainability. Because The Rejoicing Vine is a newer winery, they have to buy grapes to produce their wine while their own vines continue to grow. Instead of sourcing from California or Oregon, Frances and Brent decided to source their grapes locally from Indiana and Michigan, significantly decreasing the carbon footprint of producing wine.
Another way The Rejoicing Vine helps decrease waste is using kegs rather than glass bottles in their tasting room. According to Brent, only about 25% of glass ever gets recycled.
“We started thinking, ‘How can we reduce waste rather than rely on recycling that may or may not be happening?’ Our half-barrel kegs are a little over 15 gallons, which equates to about 75 bottles of wine; so, every time we fill a keg, 75 bottles are saved from the landfill,” Brent says.
Currently, customers can only purchase The Rejoicing Vine’s sparkling wine at the winery. Brent mentioned
that carry-out sales and shipping sales present a different set of challenges to their goal of sustainability, as despite the low recyclable rate of glass, glass still proves to be one of the most sustainable containers for small-volume carry-out purchases. To combat this obstacle, The Rejoicing Vine uses crown caps to seal their bottles rather than traditional corks, cages and foil, reducing the amount of waste for the bottles sold.
In addition to eight varieties of grapes, Brent and his family also grow raspberries, strawberries, edible flowers, native persimmons, paw paws, apples and multiple garden beds between the farm at The Rejoicing Vine and their home garden. It is part of their regenerative farming initiatives.
“We’re building microbes and life in the soil, which makes healthier plants’” Brent says. “Healthier plants produce more nutrient-dense foods; they’re also more disease resistant, so you can use less pesticides to protect the plants; they’re also more capable.”
The opportunity to work together as a family is something that Frances and Brent both cherish. Brent jokes that Elle and Caleb are great salespeople. While gardening marigolds with his father, Caleb discovered the seeds attached to the flower’s petals. This inspired Caleb, now 8, to create his own seed company called Super Seed World. Caleb illustrated why he harvests seeds, which mimics the regenerative farming principles of The Rejoicing Vine farm.
“[It is important to harvest seeds] so I can grow more flowers. Then, next year I can grow even more flowers and collect even more seeds. Flowers provide food for the bees. We can get honey from the bees, and honey helps when I get a cough or a sore throat,” says Caleb.
Caleb sells his seeds at The Rejoicing Vine and has his own website. Most recently, he has begun to grow a variety of flowers and started making bouquets for people to purchase at the winery as well.
The diversification of crops and plants on the property help to cultivate life and improve the overall health of the farm and vineyard. The incorporation of flower fields, prairie strips and cover crops around and within the vineyard allow for a variety of food, shelter and resources for the organisms residing at the farm. These healthier systems sequester more carbon into the soil, require less human input and lead to healthier plants that don’t require chemical supplements and medications to thrive.
Frances and Brent both emphasize that their main goal with the winery and farm is to serve the community. They aim to make a space for the community to come and build relationships with each other. They also work to build community through their partnerships with local businesses, such as Tulip Tree Creamery, and their commitment to donate 10% of their profits to various local charitable organizations. A long-term goal is to turn a portion of their fruit farm into a space where underserved families can obtain fresh, nutrient-dense fruits. They aim to educate people on the importance of knowing how and where their food is grown. Their ultimate dream is to create an “edible landscape,” containing a walkable garden/landscape with food integrated into various beds that people can come, see and eat from.
Through wine and regenerative farming, Brent and Frances hope to promote benevolent stewardship, authentic relationships and courageous curiosity as they continue to create a flourishing community through a mutual love of wine and an insistence on protecting the environment. n
The Rejoicing Vine | 8440 W. 82nd St. | Indianapolis | RejoicingVine.com Caleb’s Super Seed World | BcKumfer.Wixsite.com/SuperSeedWorld
Lauren Weidinger is a freelance writer and pediatric speech-language pathologist. She loves to travel, cook, bake and explore new restaurants and local coffee shops. She lives outside Indianapolis with her husband, Josh, and their dog Fitz.
HOW TO PAIR SPARKLING WINE
A typical rule of thumb when pairing sparkling wine with foods is to choose salty, fatty, fried or spicy foods. Many describe sparkling wine as a “palate cleanser,” as the light, bubbly nature of the wine combats the richness and density of heavier foods. The high levels of acidity in sparkling wines cut through the fat, oil and grease of the foods, balancing out dishes. Some of the best fatty foods to pair with sparkling wines include fried chicken, french fries, nuts and fried fish. Additionally, salty foods complement sparkling wines as the salt in the food can make the wines taste fuller, fruitier and more flavorful. Some examples include popcorn, potato chips and cured meats.
Some other foods that pair well with sparkling wine are: Asian foods
Hard cheeses (parmesan, gouda, gruyère, cheddar, etc.)
Berries
Root and garden vegetables
Some of Brent’s hand-picked pairings:
Tulip Tree Creamery’s Trillium Cheeses: Snapdragon Cheese (enriched with habanero peppers) matches perfectly with The Rejoicing Vine’s Millions of Peaches sparkling wine.
Apricot goat cheese and sautéed shiitake mushrooms love Regenerative Rosé or Bubbalicious sparkling wine. Ultimately, the best food and wine pairings are the ones you most enjoy, so feel free to take these tips into consideration but have fun experimenting with different, unique combinations.
photography:
The Rejoicing Vine
TASTING RECIPES
from the EDIBLE FAMILY
Stories behind the things we cook
The heart of a home so often is the kitchen. This is especially true for our Edible Communities family. As with Edible Indy, the people behind our 75 or so sister magazines throughout the United States and Canada converse in the kitchen. Literally, about new recipes and seasonal ingredients to highlight. And spiritually, through connections we have established over the years of mapping our local edible landscapes in stories and recipes. Here are some of those recipes from our Edible family and the stories behind them.
MAMA MIA!
words, recipe & photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein, Edible Indy
Growing up, one of my favorite homemade meals was cast-iron pizza. The recipe was written in my mother’s handwriting and while I honestly have no idea where this recipe came from, to me it is my mom’s pizza crust. Pizza nights were a free-for-all where we could put on our own toppings and the cast iron would make the pizza crust just the right texture of not too chewy yet brown and crispy like a perfect pie crust.
My daughters now love to make this recipe with me, using a KitchenAid mixer with plumes of flour in the kitchen air and the delicious smell of the activated yeast. Our favorite way to cook it is on the grill (we use our Traeger). Wrigley loves it in the cast-iron skillet, while Mara loves it on a perforated pizza pan that gives it hand-tossed perfection. My husband, Jeff, and I spread it thin and cook it on parchment as we like it crispy and thin.
Toppings are another fun adventure. Of course, a cheese pizza—Mara’s choice—is always easy. Wrigley’s toppings lean to green peppers, onions, black olives and mozzarella cheese (the shredded kind). Jeff and I lean into BBQ chicken pizza with a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, roasted chicken, red onions and I love to add on pickled banana peppers and red pepper flakes and we use a combo of goat cheese and fresh mozzarella. This is a weekend treat for us as it brings us together and gives us the chance to cook and eat together, a family tradition we relish.
MOM’S PIZZA
CRUST
2¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2¼ teaspoons yeast
¾ cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sift flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Mix yeast into water with sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Make a hole in flour mixture. Pour yeast mixture into hole and add olive oil. Knead 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and rub with olive oil. Place in a bowl, cover and allow to double in size (between 20–40 minutes).
Preheat oven or grill to 475°. Spread the pizza crust out in a cast-iron pan, pizza stone, parchment paper or even a cookie sheet and top it with whatever toppings and sauce you desire. Depending on the size of your pizza and doneness you want you will bake from 5 minutes to 15 minutes (the smaller the pizza the less time; the more crispy or almost-burned cheese you want, the longer). Continue to check with a spatula, lifting the crust to ensure you don’t burn the crust … unless that is your pizza choice!
AND DON’T FORGET THE BISCUITS!
I would be remiss if I didn’t include Nick’s Buttermilk Biscuit recipe as it is my daughter, Mara’s most favorite thing I make for weekend breakfasts. Scan QR code to get the recipe and then give yourself a morning hug.
OH MY JOTA
words, recipe & photography:
Francine Spiering, Edible
Indy
The high mountains of the Triglav National Park in Slovenia provided the backdrop for some serious family bonding this summer. Together with my husband, son and daughter-in-love, we spent six arduous days navigating narrow, rocky and steep trails, hiking from hut to hut, dining at communal tables and sleeping in bunk beds.
It rained the first three days, and we dried our stuff around the traditional wood-fired tile stove in the mountain hut’s common room, along with everyone else. The musty smell rising from drying socks, shoes and shirts didn’t bother us bunch of dead-tired mountain trekkers one bit. We recuperated over crackling-covered buckwheat porridge, gut-warming jota—a regional dish of sauerkraut, potatoes and beans cooked in hearty broth—and lipsmacking blueberry strudel. We were there to enjoy our adventure and sample what this beautiful country had to offer.
One family tradition of ours is to recreate at least one “vacation dish” at home. We picked jota, nourishing and moreish. Loosely based on how a hut host described his recipe to me, our jota is a bowl of shared memories for all four of us.
SLOVENIAN SAUERKRAUT SOUP
Make this vegetarian or vegan. Or add to the heartiness with good beef broth and smoked sausage.
Serves 4–6
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4–6 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart (liter) beef or vegetable broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
Smoked paprika to taste
About 8 waxy potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into chunks
1 pound sauerkraut, drained
2 cups cooked and drained cannellini beans (or beans of choice)
Smoked sausage (optional)
Salt and pepper
Thick-sliced country-style bread
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot. Add the chopped onion and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until soft.
Add the chopped garlic, cook for a minute.
Add broth and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Season to taste with smoked paprika.
Add the potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the sauerkraut and beans. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and the flavors are good.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Optional: Heat smoked sausage in the broth before serving.
Serve hot with crusty bread to mop it all up.
TOURTIERE DU QUEBEC
words & photography: Tracy Walsh Freeman, Edible Sarasota
For French Canadians, this is the time of year when we prepare the tourtieres to be enjoyed during the holidays. My fondest food memories are of my mother preparing the tourtieres for Christmas Eve dinner. The smell in the house was wonderful—a mix of spices, sherry and buttery pastry. This is a variation of my mother’s recipe and how she taught me to make it. The recipe is a little different for every family, but it is generally a combination of meats, potato and spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg).
Scan QR to get the recipe.
PIEROGIS (VARENYKY)
words & photography: Tina Bossy Freeman, Edible Sarasota Growing up in Montreal, Canada, with a French Canadian–Irish mother and a Ukrainian father, we had lots of traditions. Weeks before Christmas I would find my dad sitting at the kitchen table, covered in flour, making dozens of pierogis (varenyky) and cabbage rolls (golubtsi) for Christmas Eve. My dad passed down his recipes, which had been passed down to him from three generations. Today I carry on the same tradition with my daughter Mia. I hope one day she will do the same with her kids.
Scan QR to get the recipe.
The Freemans, publishers of Edible Sarasota, left to right: Matt and Tina; Tracy and John
Jaci would make this recipe as a special treat when we were camping. For years, the main areas where we camped were Downieville, California, in a fullhookup spot along the Yuba River, in the Mendocino area near the abaloneshell-strewn beach, or at Burning Man (where I’ve been 12 times and Jaci six). In the morning, she would whip out her Lodge cast-iron skillet and sizzle up flattened boiled potatoes in olive oil, then melt slices of raclette cheese on top. Served with eggs, bacon and a hot cup of coffee with cream, this meal was the perfect fuel for our adventures: hiking or mountain biking for me and fishing for her. When she cooks the dish at home, it makes me so happy. The aroma takes me back to lying in a lounge chair outside our trailer (nicknamed Taj for Taj Mahal). I envision kicking back by the campfire with a stack of magazines and my dogs staring at me, yearning for a bite. What’s better than cheesy potatoes? Whether camping or at home, this dish is simple, decadent and delicious.
Scan QR to get the recipe.
Edible Reno-Tahoe publishers Jaci Goodman and Amanda Burden
BURNING LAMB BREAD
words & recipe: Cheryl Koehler, Edible East Bay
Imagine sitting on the edge of a high mountain meadow at 6,400 feet in California’s Sierra Nevada north of Lake Tahoe. It’s the summer solstice, and you’re spending the longest day of the year mixing and kneading bread, watching the dough expand in your big metal bowl as a woodpecker taps out a rhythm on a nearby Jeffrey pine. You bake the bread alongside a lamb stew, a garbanzo stew and some rice pudding, all sealed into cast-iron pots that are set inside a stone-and-brick wood-burning oven at the site. The oven—the reason you’re here—was built over 100 years ago to supply sheepherders spending summers in nearby meadows tending their sheep. It was later restored by archeologists charged with interpreting the site’s successions of nomadic use by 1) the early-20th-century sheep company, 2) various late-19th-century immigrants and gold seekers and 3) the indigenous Washoe people for millennia before the historical era. Now it’s you and your intrepid friends— undaunted by the lack of electricity or piped water—who gather here nearly every summer to celebrate the season and all the many people who paused and ate at this unlikely spot throughout the centuries. One of those intrepid friends jokingly called the event “Burning Lamb” and the name stuck.
Scan QR to get the recipes.
Cheryl Koehler (center), publisher of Edible East Bay works with friends Kit Robberson and Rick DeBeaord to prepare the Burning Lamb feast. The bread is always the ceremonial centerpiece.
Photography: Stuart Johnson
STUFFING!
words
& recipe:
Karen Elgersma, Edible Vancouver Island
When I was growing up, my mom often hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and we always had turkey with all the trimmings: Brussels sprouts, potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and—my favorite—stuffing! But whenever someone else hosted, I would load up on stuffing only to decide it tasted horrible. My mom’s turkey stuffing became the only one I would eat. So of course, before I hosted my first turkey dinner as an adult, I asked her for her stuffing recipe (which she wrote on a scrap piece of paper that I still treasure to this day).
One year, I had 42 people coming for Thanksgiving dinner, so I had to find a way to make enough stuffing for everyone. I used my mom’s stuffing recipe as a base, but then added cream, apples from our tree and locally made curry chicken sausage, and I baked them in a muffin tray. These little savory bread cupcakes are now a staple of my holiday dinners, and each year when friends and family gather around my table, I hear, “ This is so good! What’s the secret?” Of course, I always smile and say, “Love”—love from one mama to another.
SAVOURY APPLE AND SAUSAGE BREAD PUDDING
Makes 12
8 cups white bread cubes
¼ cup of butter
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 white or yellow onion diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound of sausage meat—you can use Italian pork sausage, curry chicken sausage, or any sweet or spicy sausage you prefer.
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
¼ cup parsley, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
If you are making your own bread cubes allow bread to dry out the night before or toast. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook sausage meat until browned, breaking apart with a fork. Remove from heat to a medium bowl.
Using the same pan, melt the butter and cook the apples, onion and celery until celery is tender.
In a medium bowl, mix bread, poultry seasoning, parsley and set aside.
In another medium bowl, combine the cream and eggs, making sure the eggs are well mixed. Add sausage, apple, onion and celery to the bread and mix. Incorporate the cream and egg mixture thoroughly, until bread is soaked. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the bread pudding mixture into the muffin tins and bake until set, about 25–30 minutes.
Remove the puddings from the muffin tins to a serving platter and serve.
*Sometimes I sprinkle shredded white cheddar cheese on the muffins; it’s always a huge hit.
Scan QR to explore Edible Vancouver Island.
Karen Elgersma, publisher of Edible Vancouver Island
Hoosier Gemütlichkeit
Indiana’s original Carmel Christkindlmarkt celebrates season and community
if you want to transport yourself into a Christmas movie without leaving Indiana, visit the Carmel Christkindlmarkt and you will feel the warm coziness of the holiday season. Since its inception in 2017 the Christkindlmarkt (the Market) has captured the essence of an authentic German Christmas market. Chalet-style wooden huts adorned with twinkling lights and red-andwhite decorations line the Market streets, all centered around an ice rink where the giggles of young and old balancing on the ice ring in the air.
The enchanting lights and sights, the scent of warm spiced wine, the sounds of nostalgic music and the tempting tastes of German food all contribute to an environment bubbling with Gemütlichkeit. That’s the German word for the feeling of warmth, coziness, friendliness and good cheer.
Crowning the decorations is a wood crafted Glühwein pyramid, a Christmas tradition that finds its origin in the folklore of the German Erzgebirge in Saxony. Small pyramids (or carousels) that turn on the hot air created by candles can be found in households throughout Germany and neighboring countries, while towering tall ones grace their Christmas markets. The one at Carmel stands 33 feet tall, sparkles with thousands of lights and houses drink stands offering Glühwein (mulled wine), cold beer and Glühbier (mulled beer) imported from Belgium.
CEO Maria Murphy is a leading force behind the Market. In high school she spent a year in Steinbeck (Luhe), a small village south of Hamburg in northern Germany as a foreign exchange student after earning a Congress-
Bits and Bites from a Few First-Hour Vendors
Have a fix of locally grown Indiana kettle corn from Tipton-based Groomsville Popcorn; GroomsvillePopcorn.com
Dig into oozing-good melted cheese at Joe Burns Baked Cheese Haus, aka Cheese Santa; Instagram @BakedCheeseHouse
Follow the irresistible sweet scent of waffles from local local Carmel family–owned The Walking Waffle Company; TheWalkingWaffleCompany.Square.site
Tick-tock, need a cuckoo clock? Browse the German handcraft stall of Frankenmuth Clock Co.; FrankenmuthClock.com
Find colorful locally crafted Polish pottery at Out of the Blue Pottery’s decorative stall; OutOfTheBluePottery.com
Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship, which was a scholarship put in place by Richard G. Lugar. She learned the German language and was immersed in the local culture, including experiencing the traditional local Christmas market.
In 2017, Maria attended an event where Mayor James Brainard brought up the idea of starting a Christmas market in Carmel. Murphy quickly volunteered to help bring his idea to fruition, and the mayor soon asked her to be the Market’s CEO thanks to her love of German culture and language, as well as her business expertise (she had worked 10 years in the banking industry). She accepted, went back to Germany to do research and establish connections, and created the first Carmel Christkindlmarkt in just a few whirlwind months.
Maria was able to build relationships with existing organizations such as the Indiana German Heritage Society, the International Center, Indianapolis-Cologne Sister City Committee and the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany for Indiana, Sven Schumacher.
63
number of booths and attractions for 2023 (not all are ‘public facing’ | includes Pavilion, First Aid hut, Operations hut, etc.)
16 number of local vendors (from Hamilton County and the surrounding ring of counties, and not including marketoperated huts such as alcohol, steins or Werksttat, or the ice rink)
202 hours that we’re open to the public
3,149 GALLONS volume of Glühwein sold in 2022
14,905 number of pretzels (includes “Giant Pretzels” and “Pretzel Bites”)
36 Outdoor heaters
40,000 approximate number of sausages sold
Opposite, bottom: The success of Christkindmarkt comes out of CEO Maria Murphy‘s love of the German culture and language combined with the good cheer brought by the thousands of celebrants who attend each year. She stands near the towering Glühwein pyramid in the midst of the Market that is buzzing with entertainment and excitement.
In a few years, the Market grew into an award-winning event that last year drew in a crowd of over 450,000 people, grossing $5.8 million in total Market sales, including what vendors took home to their families and ticket sales at the ice rink. The Market has topped USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Best Holiday Markets list since 2019, outranking old-timers like Christkindlmarket Chicago, Houston’s Nutcracker Market and the Kerstmarkt in Holland, Michigan.
A small but mighty year-round team, amplified by a small army of seasonal employees, makes the Market come together every year. But the time when the season approaches, and the actual Market takes shape again, feels extra special to Maria.
“At the beginning of the Market when the vendors are arriving, the huts are being decorated and there is a flurry of activity, I love walking around the Market and saying hello and getting to hug all the vendors I haven’t seen since the prior year,” she says. “This will be our sixth Market, and some of the vendors have participated since the very beginning. I have seen their children grow up. We also have returning seasonal staff each year and it really does feel like a family reunion.”
One of the highlights of the Christkindlmarkt is its diverse lineup of vendors. You’ll find unique and handcrafted gifts, ornaments and holiday decorations that make perfect souvenirs or presents for loved ones. From intricate blown-glass ornaments to warm knit scarves, the Market offers a wide range of holiday treasures that cater to all tastes and budgets. Whether you’re looking for a special keepsake or simply want to soak in the festive ambiance, the Market has something for everyone.
The well-established Market invokes a sense of community around food, drink, ice skating and unique goods that visitors experience in a reflective way. Set around Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, it also attracts visitors to the restaurants nearby, boosting the local economy.
Entertainment is a key component of the Christkindlmarkt experience. Performances by local musicians, choirs and dance groups grace the stage, filling the air with melodious tunes and adding to the festive spirit.
No visit to the Market is complete without indulging in some mouthwatering food. The food vendors serve up a delicious array of traditional German delicacies, from sizzling bratwursts, pretzels in all sizes, Kartoffelpuffers (crispy-fried potato pancakes), to apple strudel, hot chocolate and, of course, mulled wine.
This year, an exciting new accolade is added to the City of Carmel’s accomplishments: They will announce a new sister city in Germany. The Market is excited about ways in which to partner with the Sister City to enhance the cultural experience of the Market.
For the people of Carmel, and those who travel from near and far to experience it, the Carmel Christkindlmarkt is more than just an event — it’s a cherished holiday tradition. It’s a place where memories are made, where the spirit of Christmas comes alive, and where the magic of the season can be felt in every corner. It’s not just a market—it’s a journey into a winter wonderland, a celebration of tradition, and a testament to the spirit of the holiday season and Gemütlichkeit. n
Carmel Christkindlmarkt | 10 Carter Green, Carmel | CarmelChristkindlmarkt.com
Enter to win
We love The Art Coast of Michigan so much that we’ve partnered with Saugatuck/Douglas to give one very lucky winner a trip to experience The Art Coast adventures in person in 2024!
One winner will receive beautiful accommodations for 2 nights for 2 people as well as a visa gift card to eat, drink, play and make memories of this stunning region on the coast of Lake Michigan.
Scan to Enter Saugatuck.com
photography:
Saugatuck/Douglas
FRAGRANT FAMILY
Let the mints support you this winter
words: Audrey Barron | photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
Basil, oregano, lavender, rosemary and sage are all popular culinary members of the mint family that are perfect for winter dishes, drinks and even herbal medicine. Let’s look at two lesser-known mint family members that offer additional benefits in the winter months.
TULSI
Also known as holy basil, tulsi is among the esteemed adaptogen category of herbs. When taken regularly, these herbs help the body resist physical, emotional and environmental stress.
Tulsi is beloved for its floral rich scent and flavor, which can add a prominently delicious taste to any tea blend while offering a myriad of benefits to the body:
• As a nootropic, it supports healthy brain function. Specifically known for combatting menopausal brain fog, it can also help support memory function.
• It is known for helping to support what herbalist David Winston calls “stagnant depression,” which often endures after a traumatic event.
• It can be helpful in supporting someone experiencing extreme fatigue or adrenal fatigue.
• It can help with gas and bloating and can also help prevent and treat gastric ulcers, especially when combined with herbs such as calendula, plantain leaf or turmeric.
• Regular consumption of this delicious herb can help regulate blood sugar levels, especially for folks with diabetes, obesity or metabolic syndrome.
• Lastly, it offers antiviral activity. Add it to your winter tea routine for help during cold and flu season.
WHAT IS AN OXYMEL?
An oxymel is an herbal extraction made by means of an acid (oxy) and honey (mel). It was widely used in ancient Greece, Persia and the Middle East before distilled alcohol was available to extract herbal properties.
This easy homemade medicine can be made using just about any herb you desire, with honey and apple cider vinegar.
I like to use raw local honey (a medicine all in its right) as it provides antibacterial, antiviral and even antifungal power as it soothes the throat. Apple cider vinegar is known to help support liver function, digestive function and so much more. In this remedy, the vinegar also pulls the minerals and medicinal components of our herbs into the liquid. And together, the honey and vinegar offer a well-balanced sweet and tart flavor.
Your oxymel can be taken by the spoonful just like a cough syrup, but I like to use mine to create delicious everyday drinks full of medicine. I might stir 1–3 tablespoons into a large glass of water, adding ice and perhaps lemon or even a pinch of sea salt. Adding a bit of acid, sweet and salt to our water helps us hydrate more fully than just plain water.
Your oxymel is good as a base for a dressing or even to splash over roasted veggies for a pop of flavor. The important thing is that you use it! This medicine is meant to be enjoyed. Your oxymel will keep well in a dark cabinet for a few months or in your refrigerator for up to a year.
TULSI GINGER ROSE OXYMEL
Makes a quart
¼ cup dried tulsi
2 tablespoons dried rose petals
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, chopped
Apple cider vinegar
Honey
Add tulsi, rose petals and ginger to a quart jar. Fill the jar halfway with apple cider vinegar. Fill the rest of the way with your honey. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
Add a square of parchment paper between the jar and the lid to prevent rusting. Label the jar and allow your oxymel to sit in a cool dark place for 2–4 weeks (4 weeks will give you a more flavorful and potent oxymel).
Strain the herbs from the liquid using a clean strainer and bowl; add your oxymel back into a clean jar and store in a cool dark place.
HOREHOUND
Largely forgotten in the United States since the days of penny candy, horehound deserves to be brought back into the family home. Its greenish white leaves are like soft bunny ears. This perennial herb will come back in your garden year after year and slowly spread. Have you ever had that nagging cough that keeps you up all night? Horehound is your herbal friend for this. In fact, horehound was a common herb used in the early cough drops and is still used in some of the more popular commercial brands, such as Ricola. Our horehound tincture is one of our best-selling herbal medicines at Wild Moon.
Horehound benefits include:
• As an expectorant, it helps to move mucus from the lungs.
• It is helps soothe the chronic cough so your body can rest and heal.
• It offers potent bacterial fighting properties.
HOREHOUND ROSE HONEY DROPS
The honey and slippery elm in these cough drops will soothe your throat while the horehound goes to work. Rose brings a lovely flavor, also soothing internal tissues. Cinnamon brings a kick of flavor along with helping to regulate the blood sugar, balancing the sweetness of the honey.
Makes about 10 balls
¼ cup ground dried horehound leaves
2 tablespoons ground rose petals (or rose powder)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup slippery elm powder
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon raw honey
Have about a teaspoon of slippery elm powder on a plate off to the side.
Start by combining your ground horehound, ground rose petals, cinnamon and slippery elm powder in a metal bowl.
Now add your honey and, using your fingers, begin to slowly work the powdered herbs and honey together. Your fingers will get a bit messy while you form essentially a dough.
Roll small amounts of dough (perhaps a teaspoon or so for each ball) and then roll the balls in the extra powder on your plate to coat them.
Save your horehound honey drops in an airtight container in your refrigerator. How to use: These cough drops can be sucked slowly, or you can dissolve one in a cup of hot tea to drink.
Do you have a desire to connect to your local community and to local food and plant medicine? Do you have a desire to learn how to start your own organic garden and live a more sustainable life?
Wild Moon Acres is a small urban farm 15 minutes from downtown Indianapolis, started by Chef and Herbalist Audrey Barron and husband, Sam. Established in 2016, we are using permaculture and regenerative growing practices to grow fruit trees, elderberry bushes, mushrooms and medicinal herbs We offer these high quality goods at a reasonable price for our local community.
We also offer a variety of programs here on the farm, including volunteer days, workshops on herbalism, homesteading, permaculture and more. Our mission is to provide products and education that support our customers in their quest to thrive and live their most vibrant lives. Our small farm and wooded 6 acres are also open for school field trips and tours.
Find us and check out our programs at WildMoonAcres.love Connect on Instagram @wild.moon.acres
Holiday Gift Guide 2023
Shop and eat, eat and drink, drink and be merry and give the gift of some of our favorite things. From Hanukkah to Christmas, hostess gifts to Valentine’s Day, all of these glorious goodies will be sure to make someone full of cheer.
P.S. All of these things make good gifts year around!
Drinks
ST. ELMO COCKTAILS
St. Elmo Old Fashioned is high-proof, yet approachable, this balanced blend of bourbon whiskey, crisp orange and aromatic bitters makes the perfect pour every time. Don’t forget the other ready-to-pour flavors: cherry vanilla bourbon, cosmopolitan and espresso martini.
Scan code to order online:
WEST FORK WHISKEY
OLD HAMER
This year for the holidays don’t forget about the gift that keeps on giving...(local) whiskey! We have bottle bundles year round for shoppers at both our Westfield and Indy locations! Cheers from West Fork!
In the 19th century, some called Old Hamer the finest whiskey around. Now resurrected by West Fork Whiskey Co., we still call it that! So pick up a bottle and raise a glass this holiday season! Purchase at either one of West Fork’s locations in addition to many places alcohol is sold throughout Indiana.
10 E 191st St., Westfield | 1660 Bellefontaine St., Indianapolis | WestForkWhiskey.com
DeBRANDS
The one gift you know they’ll love! Shop local to find world-class chocolates for all your gifting needs from the Classic, Truffle, and Connoisseur Collections.
8685 River Crossing Blvd., Indianapolis | DeBrand.com/River-Crossing
J. EVELYN CONFECTIONS
This Indiana Artisan chocolatier and specialty confections company with international accolades is well-known for their Sea Salt Turtle Caramels, Giant Sugared Pecan Clusters (turtles), and special holiday gifts like Swirling Christmas Tree centerpieces and filled Holiday Ornaments, J. Evelyn Confections creates handmade truffles, toffees, caramels, and confections from the finest European chocolates and freshest ingredients. Visit the shop for a delicious experience.
Greenfield Chocolates Building, 15 W. Main St., Greenfield | JEvelynConfections.com
Kitchen Stuff
GOODS FOR COOKS
Goods for Cooks offers so many ways to set the mood and enhance the cooking experience with gifts likely to become cherished family heirlooms: Smithey Cast Iron Skillets ($110+), various linens from glass towels to flour sacks for baking ($7–$30), Cangshan knives (holiday promos, now–December 31, 2023).
115 N. College Ave., Bloomington | GoodsForCooks.com
Anolon Pasta Maker, $39.99.
PRAIRIE GENERAL STORE
Morning Mug, Horizon Lantern, Floral Candle Holder and so many more gifts to give this season and all year long. Handmade pottery from Prairie General in Indianapolis. PG specializes in beautiful, sustainable and practical goods.
057 E. 54th St., Suite. C, Indianapolis | PrairieGeneral.com
KitchenAid Enameled Cast Iron 6-Quart Dutch Oven, Pistachio, $199.
Our Favorite Local Markets
JOE’S BUTCHER SHOP, FISH MARKET & PROVISIONS
Hestan Provisions 8 x 8 Ovenbond Tri-ply Square Baker, $80.
With a gift card to Joe’s Butcher Shop, you can elevate any holiday gathering. High-quality, ethically sourced prime rib and rib-eye loins are the perfect main course for your family’s holiday meal. Gift cards are shipped to you for free, regardless of where you are ordering from. Give the gift of Joe’s this holiday season and support local business.
111 W. Main St., Unit 110, Carmel | Online: JoesButcherShop.com
SMOKING GOOSE
Get our fully cooked, boneless, ready-to-eat Holiday Ham. Called “Ham Pastor,” this 2023 limitedrelease heritage ham del Camino al Pastor is cured with Ash & Elm Del Camino pineapple cider plus adobo, mild guajillo chiles, orange, cinnamon, allspice and pineapple. Our “Build a Board” Charcuterie Board in a Box is all perfectly paired and ready to unwrap and serve. It features Smoking Goose’s house-made charcuterie, local farmstead cheeses, artisan crackers, pickles, preserves and more. Optional gift wrapping available, too. Ready for pickup, local delivery and shipping nationwide.
411 Dorman St., Indianapolis | SmokingGoose.com
Provisions
FAIR OAKS FARM
Elevate your celebrations with a gourmet cheese gift collection or customize your own with award-winning cheeses, chocolates, and charcuterie. Free shipping to the Continental U.S.!
856 N. 600 E., Fair Oaks | FOFarms.com/gifts
TULIP TREE CREAMERY
Corporate gift boxes, personal cheese gift boxes, and cheese making class gift certificates available year-round and shipped or picked up at our Cheese Shop.
6330 Corporate Dr., Suite D, Indianapolis | TulipTreeCreamery.com
AMPLIFY SMOKED PEPPER SAUCE
This small-batch smoked sauce can elevate any type of cuisine from burgers to Bloody Marys, sushi to pasta and more! Available in Original, Verde, Miso+Honey, and The Hot One in 8-ounce bottles. Buy individually for $12 per bottle or in gift box of 4 bottles for $40. Buy online.
AmplifySauce.com
ST. ELMO FOODS
Bring the world-famous spice and flavor of St. Elmo Steak House to your loved ones this holiday season. Order online. Scan the code to order:
ARTISANO’S OIL
Indy’s premier stop for the foodie in your life. Stock up that special someone’s kitchen with unique spices, olive oils, vinegars and many local artisans gift packs. Find a great assortment of stocking stuffers for the cook in your life! And if you need gift sets for your staff, they have a fabulous variety of olive oil and vinegar combinations.
1250 E. 86th St., Suite 200, Indianapolis | Facebook.com/ArtisanosOils
ROLLING PIN BAKEHOUSE
You deserve homemade! Rolling Pin Bakehouse makes it possible for you to whip up your own pie filling with our easy, gourmet pie mixes. Make baking sweeter with these delicious mixes including sugar cream and chocolate cream mixes. Shop local! Order online.
RollingPinBakehouse.com
GOOSE THE MARKET
All-local Gift Baskets by Goose with themes + size varieties, plus optional add-ons to customize your gift. Support local food artisans this holiday season, and gift the most delicious charcuterie, cheeses, snacks, coffee, condiments, and more. Online ordering is super simple. Choose pickup, local delivery, or nationwide shipping at check out.
2503 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis | Order Gift Baskets at GooseGiftShop.com | Join Wine Club at GoosetheMarket.com
JACOBS & BRICHFORD CHEESES
Artisan cheese made with raw milk and from 100% grassfed cows. Gift box sets with shipping available. Give the gift of local. Order online.
JandBCheese.com
ANGELO’S ITALIAN MARKET
The “Tour of Italy” gift basket features Angelo’s dry pasta plus a variety of other Italian provisions showcasing products from various regions of Italy.
11649 Maple St., Suite 95, Fishers | EatAngelosPasta.com
Experiences
WEST FORK WHISKEY EVENT SPACE
Still need a space for your holiday party? Looking for a unique activity to go along with it? We’ve got you covered! Book one of our event spaces and include a barrel thieving experience along with it! Your guest are sure to love it!
10 E. 191st St., Westfield | WestForkWhiskey.com
4 BIRDS BAKERY
4 Birds Bakery has what you need for the holidays! Need a gift for your clients? Choose one of our holiday gift boxes full of sweet, savory and dietary friendly items! Attending a gathering or have guests in town? Treat them right with our wide variety of sweet and savory items. Searching for a unique experience to give to someone? Purchase tickets to our Dinner Club! See a full menu, reserve your tickets and grab a gift box online.
607 Fulton St. Indianapolis | 4BirdsBakery.com
WEST FORK WHISKEY MASH HOUSE
Looking for a Midwest-focused, family-friendly restaurant to take the family to for the holidays? Visit us in Westfield for a meal, a cocktail, or bourbon tasting!
10 E. 191st St., Westfield | WestForkWhiskey.com
JASON MICHAEL THOMAS
Give the unique gift of a gastronomic experience using all locally sourced food with Chef Jason Michael Thomas. Treat your friends or family to an unforgettable evening of sumptuous dishes and wines in an intimate, personal setting.
Want easy and healthy meals? Nourish yourself and family with our weekly CSA delivery service. Our packages contain the freshest seasonal products from local farms and producers. Whether you’re a busy parent or environmentally conscious foodie, this is the easiest way to eat well and support your local community this winter.
A gift card can apply to an event, the CSA service, or any other Jason Michael Thomas products.
JasonMichaelIhomas.com or scan QR code:
Health & Wellness
ANTONIA DEIGNAN
Underwater Daughter: A Memoir of Survival and Healing | Antonia Deignan delivers what NYT best-selling author Julie Cantrell calls, “a must-read for anyone who has ever suffered abuse at the hands of someone they love—or loved someone who has.” Antonia is available for in-person and virtual book signings, readings, panel discussions, meditation and writing classes, and more. Connect and purchase online. AntoniaDeignan.com
GOLF CLUB OF INDIANA
Give the gift of golf lessons from the Golf Club of Indiana and the Golf Pro-formance Academy. Lessons are available for beginners to scratch golfers. And don’t forget the golf gear. The pro shop at the Golf Club of Indiana has everything from gloves to attire, golf balls to golf clubs including the exclusive PXG line. Not sure what to get? Give a gift card and let them pick.
6905 S. 525 E., Whitestown | GolfIndiana.com
Fare Thee Well
A sweet but bitter goodbye
Ten years ago we bought a zoo called Edible Indy and little did we know how it would give us such joy, sorrow and fulfillment all during those 10 years. We started with a 4- and a 1-year-old, five years of marriage, and naivety. It grew and we grew and we are better people for every story, every partnership, every conversation and every minute of this ride. Meeting everyone along the way, giving back to our community and absorbing all the goodness given to us in food, friendship and family have made these years so much more than ever expected.
We’ve also had heartaches, with the loss of chefs, restaurants, small businesses, an aunt, two uncles, many friends and our beloved father, Lenny, who I believe was our biggest fan.
We’ve loved the journey and now it is time to find another zoo so we can continue to grow as people challenging ourselves to new and exciting endeavors. Our wish is to hand this venture over to someone will love Edible Indy the way we have and we hope you have loved it as well.
Farewell, my Edible family, Jennifer, Jeff, Wrigley & Mara Rubenstein
photography: Torrie Hudson
Embrace the Art of Hygge in the Art Coast of Michigan
The Danish concept of hygge invites you to take things slow and appreciate all the small joys in life. Like cozying up to a fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate as glistening snowflakes fall from the sky. Or experiencing the tranquility of watching gentle waves ripple along an ice-kissed shoreline.
Discover the magic and serenity of a winter getaway to the Art Coast of Michigan, where you’ll find awe-inspiring outdoor scenery, warm and cozy lodging, comforting culinary fare, and plenty of ways to simply be in the moment.
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