Celebrating the Bounty of Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Indianapolis and Beyond
Back to the Roots of Indiana Food
EAT DRINK LOCAL IN LAFAYETTE
Catch the vibe, taste the flavor in Lafayette–West Lafayette!
Visit the downtown area to savor a variety of cuisines at delectable, locally owned restaurants, many of which are embracing the farm-to-table movement. While here, be sure to stroll through downtown, visit some of the many local galleries and shops, partake in a farmers’ market or festival, enjoy outdoor art or catch a show at one of our many theaters and nightlife venues. Whatever you decide, there is something to suit every palate.
Visit HomeOfPurdue.com or ReadySetGoDowntown.com for more on what’s going on in downtown Lafayette–West Lafayette!
301 Frontage Rd., Lafayette
HomeOfPurdue.com
800.872.6648
Bistro 501
Bistro 501 has been the premier dining experience in downtown Lafayette for over 15 years, a place where locals and travelers banter over a beautiful Bordeaux or converse over award-winning cocktails. Whether you prefer wine on the patio or a fireside dinner, our fresh menu will bring you in and our hospitality will bring you back. Located at the corner of 5th and Main Street in historic downtown Lafayette.
501 Main St., Lafayette Bistro501.com
765.432.4501
Heirloom Restaurant is a farm-to-table restaurant located in downtown Lafayette with a seasonal menu that supports local, sustainable agriculture. Regionally sourced artisan producers provide the best possible quality and freshness to your table.
102 N. 3rd St., Lafayette HeirloomIndiana.com
765.807.0422
Black Sparrow Pub
We are happy to offer: whiskey, gin, tequila, craft cocktails, LOTS OF GOOD BOOZE, coasters, brick walls, art, PLEASING ASTHETIC, plates, silverware, unique pub food, seasonal dishes, DELICIOUS FARE, eclectic wines, ipas, sour ales, stouts, pilsners, domestics, ROTATING DRAFT & WINE SELECTION, staff that loves all of these things. Cheers!
223 Main St., Lafayette BlackSparrowPub.com
765.429.0405
Cellar 422
Two sisters bring a love of delicious and affordable wines from around the world to the Lafayette area. We offer wines by the glass or bottle, to enjoy here or carry out, as well as a nice selection of craft beers. Enjoy fresh-made dishes that complement wine in a charming vintage atmosphere.
422 Main St., Lafayette
765.746.6754
Restauration
Restauration, from the same owners as La Scala, is focused on farm-to-table, seasonal eating. We make everything from whole ingredients, often local, even from our own farm. Very allergen and special diet friendly. Restoring authenticity to food from the ground up!
731 Main St., Lafayette RestaurationLafayette.com
765.250.3970
La Scala
Greater Lafayette’s favorite Italian food, serving the community for 16 years. We are known for handcrafted dishes, local ingredients and a large selection. We even have our own farm. Eat fresh. Eat well. Eat local.
312 Main St., Lafayette LaScalaItalianRestaurant.com
765.420.8171
Heirloom
Hoosier Thoughts edible INDY
Each issue our staff digs deep (pun intended) to expose stories so unique and intriguing that they will entertain our readers and hopefully make a small difference in their lives. This issue, with the theme “Back to the Roots of Indiana Food,” leads off our yearlong commitment to celebrate the 200th birthday of our state. We are proud to announce the endorsement of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission Legacy Project.
In the name of exploring Indiana’s food history, during the last few months we have spent countless hours turning rocks, flipping pages and interviewing some of the most interesting people across the state. Our discoveries will spread throughout all of our issues in 2016, a total of five. You will learn about Indiana food brands you don’t know, about the art of food labels, about food laws, and so much more. This issue offers the first delicious serving of this yearlong feast, and we hope you will take an evening to enjoy every article and savor every word.
“Back to the Roots of Indiana Food” means just that: a look back in time to the roots of our Indiana family and how it has shaped the food movement from gardening (The Western Farmer and Gardener’s Almanac) to the continued use of the famous Ball canning jars to preserve the food grown in our state.
A special thank you to the Indiana Historical Society for being an integral part of this issue, for its assistance with research, for the use of many of the stunning photos in this issue and for their tireless efforts to continually bring our history alive through their exhibits and library. We encourage you to visit the Indiana Historical Society in downtown Indianapolis and tell them Edible Indy sent ya!
Happy birthday, Indiana! May the next 200 years be as influential as the last!
Please call or email to inquire about becoming a member of our advertising partnership and show your support for the local food culture in Central Indiana.
Edible Indy Test Kitchen Sponsor Market District
contact us
Jennifer & Jeff Rubenstein
From the Editor’s Table
Preparing this spring issue for print was a great time for reflection and gratitude. Our state is turning 200, and as we dug back into its history we unearthed some of the wonderful food products that have been created right here by exceptional individuals.
It was difficult to choose what stories to cover these pages, as there is so much Indiana makers have done over two centuries. Indeed, Indiana has a rich history from a road that connected the nation, to beans that fed troops, to brewers that quenched our thirst.
Step inside our magazine and take a walk back into part of Indiana’s food history with us and explore your roots.
All best,
Rachel D. Russell Managing Editor
Edible Indy PO Box 155 Zionsville, Indiana 46278
317.489.9194
info@edibleindy.com
Edible Indy is published quarterly (March, May, September and November) with a 5th special edition issue in 2016. Distributed throughout Central Indiana and by subscription elsewhere. Subscriptions are $32 for one year and can be purchased online at EdibleIndy.com or by check to the address above.
Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, then you probably have not had enough wine with your healthy food. Please accept our sincere apologies and, if it’s important, please notify us! Thank you.
sustainably raised lambs in Indiana. Retail and wholesale cuts available.
@thegallerypastryshop
Oh my! These pretty ladies are at @newdaycraft, so hurry and get them before they are gone!! #frenchmacarons #newdaymeadery #cake #weddingcake #thegallerypastryshop #indy #eathereindy #edibleindy #indyfood #fishers #downtownindy
A little stop in @wildwoodmarket today. #igersindy #indy #indyeats #eatlocal #herbs #vscocam #fromthegarden #vscowinter #vsco #afterlight #letseat #letslovelocal #eatlocal #edibleindy #exploreindiana #lovelocal #fountainsquare #fountainsquareindy #thatsdarling #darlingmovement #socality
@Bighairandfoodiefare
#baileys Banana Bread Pudding with Bailey’s Peanut Butter sauce - recipe now up on the blog- link in bio my peanut butter obsession is getting a little out of hand #foodporn #foodgasm #peanutbutter #foodblog #foodblogger #foodphoto #foodphotography #yummy #nomnom #eatme #dessert #homemade #edibleindy @edibleindy #hoosierfood #blogger #indyblogger #chefbastin
Chef Layton Roberts, Executive Chef at Vida Restaurant uses Viking Lamb on his menu. His latest creation, Nduja pimento cheese toasts is now featured on the charcuterie board.
Yats Traders Point @yats_traderspnt
Thanks for stopping in today @edibleindy !! We love you Indy! #FatTuesday #MardiGras #EdibleIndy #Indianapolis
Greensburg Tourism @dctourismIN
@EdibleIndy @AroundIndy @JuliaMoffitt13
@IndianaFoodways Carriage House on the Square rocks BBQ. Ready for a sample?
@chopchop_chef @EdibleIndy Hey! We’re at an early stage with our app which helps anyone cook amazing food, would love your feedback to improve it?
Carla Hall
@carlahall Jan 30 @EdibleIndy loved the chocolates! Thanks again.
The History of Food Processing in Indiana MORE THAN A HILL OF BEANS
BY CHARITY SINGLETON CRAIG
It all started with beans. Pork and beans, to be precise.
The story of food processing in Indiana is filled with many interesting people and companies, but no telling of it would be complete without including Gilbert Van Camp and his son Frank, who are credited with adding tomato sauce to their pork and bean recipe sometime in the 1890s and putting Indiana on the map for what was previously known as “Boston” baked beans.
Of course the Van Camps had been in the canning business in Indianapolis for decades before their famous bean discovery. According to Clifton J. Phillips in his essay “The Growth of Manufacturing,” Van Camp, along with James T. Polk of Greenwood, were among the first commercial canners in Indiana, beginning their operations on a small scale sometime in the 1860s or 1870s.
Industrialized canning had been at work in the United States since 1812. The Civil War in mid-century, and the demand over many years for battlefield-ready food supplies, gave factory food production its first big nudge. But the decades leading up to and just into the 20th century brought technological advances that propelled the food manufacturing industry into prominence in the U.S., and in Indiana particularly.
First, the discovery of natural gas in 1890 and the subsequent increase of domestic tinplate production made factory operations more affordable. Then, the widespread use of the double-seam tin can around 1904 meant no more soldering and vastly more efficient production lines.
In fact, from 1879 to 1919, the proliferation of canning companies in Indiana increased 2,600%, from just six canneries in 1879 to 166 in 1919. In addition to larger operations in Indianapolis, canneries were opened in dozens of small communities around Indiana, including Boone, Daviess, Delaware, Henry, Howard, Johnson, Madison, Scott, Tipton, Wabash, Washington and Wayne counties. The number of workers increased 12 times over from 337 to 4,170, and the value of products rose from $249,000 to nearly $28 million!
In addition to Van Camp’s pork and beans, Isaac V. Smith of Delphi also developed a technique for canning hominy, an innovation in 1896. And by 1919, Indiana was the national leader in canning pumpkin, hominy, tomato pulp and, of course, baked beans.
STOKELY-VAN CAMP
While the Van Camp family was perfecting their pork and bean recipe, the Stokely brothers, along with their mother Anna, began their own
cannery in 1898 to process the surplus produce from their Tennessee farm. Intrigued by the modern canning factories in Indianapolis, one of the brothers, George, headed north around 1909 to learn more. By 1933, the Stokelys worked out a deal to merge with the Van Camps, and in 1944, the company name was officially changed to StokelyVan Camp, Inc.
With another war at hand, Stokely-Van Camp again leveraged their food production operation to feed the troops. They produced C-rations for the U.S. military consisting of pork and beans, canned meat and candy.
Quaker Oats purchased Stokely-Van Camp in 1983, then in 1995 Quaker Oats sold Van Camp’s famous pork and beans to Conagra, which continues to produce and distribute them today. The Stokely brand was previously sold off to Seneca foods in 1985.
FALL CREEK CANNING CORPORATION
While the Van Camps were making a name for themselves as the number one canner of baked beans in 1909, Homer Motsinger, a successful Pendleton businessman, was preparing to liquidate all of his assets with plans to relocate to Lafayette. One of his factory buildings, known as the Factory on the Falls, was sold to the Lee Canning Company in 1910.
According to the Indiana State Board of Health’s Eighth Annual Report of the Chemical Division of Laboratory Hygiene, in 1913 the Lee Canning Company produced canned tomato and tomato pulp. They were given a “fair” rating with the following comments: “This company has a brick building and concrete floors, in good condition. Yard toilets are only fairly well kept and no wash rooms are provided. The drain tile carries away the waste matter. Pulp is packed in one gallon tin cans.”
In the same report, an E.R. Lee of Pendleton was also shown to produce legal vinegar, though that may have been part of the same tomato processing business.
Courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society
The 1915 Indiana State Board of Health Report indicated that the Lee Canning Company was no longer in operation. However, by 1922, Canning Age, a journal devoted to canning, packing and allied industries, announced “For the first time in two years, the Fall Creek Canneries, Pendleton, Indiana, are operating.” Apparently, the cannery was purchased by a new company with plans to reopen operations as early as 1920, when some of the land around the factory was donated for a new city park. According to Jacob Piatt Dunn and General William Harrison Kemper in their book Indiana and Indianans: a history of aboriginal and territorial Indiana and the century of statehood, Pendleton native William Morris Swain was the president of the Fall Creek Canning as of 1919.
Few artifacts remain from the Fall Creek Canning Corporation, but a label for Fall Creek Sweet Peas reveals at least one product of the cannery.
FARMERS PRIDE
Meanwhile, the Hulman family in Terre Haute introduced the Farmers Pride brand into their wholesale grocery business around 1905. By bringing an experienced chemist onto their staff, they compounded recipes for the best jams, jellies, relishes and preserves over three years of experimentation. In 1911, the brand was extended to include a different kind of bean than the Van Camps were producing: a special blend of coffee beans.
Coffee roasting had been the personal project of company founder Herman Hulman since 1879. When he couldn’t find a high-quality coffee for his grocery wholesale business, he secured a green coffee bean supplier and roasting equipment and forged a business relationship with Jabez Burns & Sons. Hulman & Company began selling their Rex Coffee blend in 1885 and was issued a U.S. trademark in 1905.
Over the years, Hulman & Company sold a variety of products under the Farmers Pride label, including canned fruit, vegetables, tea, coffee, spices, extracts and apple butter. Hulman & Company
processed some of the products, and some of the products were produced in other states but sold under Hulman & Company brands.
The Hulman wholesale general merchandise store closed in 1995. However, during a 2009 renovation project of the original Hulman & Company building in downtown Terre Haute, a leather suitcase used by a salesman in the early 1900s was discovered. The contents of that suitcase—coffee samples, sales catalogs and other historical reference materials—were used to help re-create the Rex Original Blend and Farmers Pride Coffee blends.
In fact, coffee is the only product still distributed under the Farmers Pride name today. It is sold exclusively at the Terre Haute Clabber Girl Corporation headquarters, a division of the modern day Hulman & Company.
RED GOLD, INC.
Nearly half a century after the Hulmans introduced their Farmers Pride coffee, Grover Hutcheson and his daughter, Fran, began processing canned tomatoes and tomato purée to feed the U.S. Army during World War II. Known as the Orestes Canning Company, Grover and Fran began operation in 1942 and invited local farmers to join their venture by planting tomatoes that they could process. Within six years, Fran Hutcheson Reichart and her husband, Ernie, took over the management of the company, and Orestes began selling products under the Indiana Chief and Indiana’s Finest labels.
Working hard to give consumers a better product, Red Gold offers verified non-GMO products and a non-BPA liner.
In 1955, the Orestes Canning Company expanded into a newly acquired plant in nearby Galveston. Then, in 1970, after three decades of steady growth, the Orestes Canning Company purchased the Red Gold label from a cannery in Trafalgar and officially changed their name to Red Gold, Inc. At that point, the company added ketchup and tomato juice to their product offerings.
Van Camp’s Pork and Beans can label 1913
Courtesy of Clabber Girl
Courtesy of Indiana Historical Society
Courtesy of Red Gold, Inc
In 1980, the third generation of the Hutcheson family took over leadership of Red Gold when Fran and Ernie’s son, Brian Reichart, became CEO. Under new leadership, Red Gold purchased the former Fettig manufacturing plant in Elwood and expanded its production into food service and contract packaging. Within the year, they also acquired the former Fettig Transport to improve product distribution.
Over the years, Red Gold has acquired several other companies and brands, including the RTS Brands (Redpack, Tuttorosso & Sacramento). Their product line has grown extensively, yet they’ve always remained loyal to the tomato, where the whole Red Gold enterprise began. Whether they are manufacturing Tuttorosso pasta sauce or sriracha ketchup, their products always have tomatoes at their base. In fact, according to their corporate website, Red Gold sells more canned tomato products than any other manufacturer in Chicago, New York and 36 other major U.S. markets and nearly one-
third of all canned tomato products purchased in the nation are made by Red Gold.
Interestingly, in 1993, Red Gold purchased the Stokely Brand of tomatoes and their production facility in Paulding, Ohio, which brings us back to the beginning of food processing in Indiana. Turns out canning added up to more than a hill of beans for Indiana. From the Van Camp’s Pork and Beans to Fall Creek Canning Corporation’s Sweet Peas, from the Farmers Pride Coffee to Red Gold tomatoes, food processing has played an important role in putting the Hoosier State on the map.
Charity Singleton Craig is a freelance writer from Frankfort and the author of On Being a Writer: 12 Simple Habits for a Writing Life That Lasts. She enjoys running, reading and cooking dinner for her family. She recently made her first risotto.
The Reichart kids practically grew up at the cannery their grandfather built, helping out almost as soon as they could walk. As Brian remembers, “When the babysitter didn’t show up, or I just got bored at home, I’d come to the factory and there was always an easy job to start out with.”
Courtesy of Red Gold, Inc.
Brewing beer in Indiana through the years TIMELINE ON TAP
BY RACHEL D. RUSSELL GRAPHICS BY CARYN SCHEVING
Indiana is known for its agriculture and hospitality, but what about our beer? If you dig just a little, it’s amazing how much rich Indiana beer history you can find. Take a walk down memory lane with us as we explore the brewers who made beer an important part of our Hoosier history.
SWEET HOME INDIANA
Candy culture spans the state— past, present, future
BY LISA BANU
Please complete the following phrase: Indiana sweet c______.
If “candy” didn’t come to mind, let me convince you that maybe it should. Peppered across Indiana are confectioneries with resilient immigrant histories that date back over 100 years. Together these candy makers and their customers spin a history of local lore, multi-generational joy and regional traditions. While their specialties vary from Red Hots to gummi bears, they all share a commitment to excellence—whether through the preservation of the past or a technologically crafted future. Today, for natives and newcomers alike, candy is a sweet way to experience Indiana history.
Here are two candy stores that represent preserved history and emergent history stretching between Indiana’s southern border with Louisville and northern connection to Chicago.
Red Hots at Schimpff’s Confectionery, est. 1891
Schimpff’s Confectionery in Jeffersonville enjoys the distinction of being the only candy store in the state to be continuously in operation for 125 years at the same location. Current owners Warren and Jill Schimpff quite literally curated a candy museum next to the their store. They generously share their knowledge through tours and demonstrations both in person and online. Justifiably, this is the place to start a tour of Indiana’s candy land.
Jill narrates the story of Magdalene Schimpff, widowed and pregnant (with her eighth child), who sent her oldest (at 12) son, along with his uncle, to the U.S. from Germany. Attracted by the large German community, they chose to settle in Louisville, Kentucky. Magdalene arrived with her five next-oldest children (leaving the youngest two in Germany), and started an embroidery business alongside her daughters, while two
sons started a confectionery business. In 1891, encouraged by his brother Charles, Gus moved across the Ohio River and opened his store in Jeffersonville. And so the story of Schimpff’s Confectionery began out of necessity, hard work and ambition. In Jill’s retelling of the story, it is apparent that they strive to honor and preserve that history every day.
According to Jill and Warren, candy could only be made between October and April, due to humidity. During the summer months, most candy stores relied on ice cream, soda fountains or lunch service. Jill reminded me that confectioneries also often sold luxury items like oysters, cigars and citrus. The seasonality of candy production conveniently coincided with Christmas. Schimpff’s most popular and vibrant Christmas-colored Red Hots have been made since the store opened in 1891. And the Christmas Fish, sold year round, are still molded with the original dies and also serve as a local reference to Ohio River fish.
Another example of regional tradition is the caramel-covered marshmallow, Modjeska, named after the 19th century Polish-American actress Helena Modjeska, who performed in Louisville. The confection is called Caramallows in Chicago and elsewhere. These connections to happy holiday celebrations, regional references and climate helped Schimpff’s Confectionery locally root and grow.
Gummi Bears at Albanese Candy Store, est. 1983
Moving north towards Chicago brings us forward in time to 1983 and the Albanese Confectionery Group Inc. in Merrillville, boasting the best gummies in the U.S. If that alone was not enough to encourage your visit, their bustling candy store is the largest by volume in the country.
With an Italian background, Scott Albanese decided to open a confectionery business in order to support his growing family. Through relentless hard work and research he transformed himself from bricklayer to gummi bear king. His daughter, Bethany, now director of operations and marketing manager, tells a story of taste-testing her dad’s gummi bear experiments around the dinner table with her friends. They are the only company to offer 12 flavors; their most popular are blue raspberry, cherry and green apple. They also offer chocolate-covered nuts, pretzels, malts, espresso beans and more.
Like most candy stores, they are busiest during Christmas time. Looking through the windows into the gummi production floor with its robotic arms and mechanical production lines, it is easy to imagine future tours that will explain, “This is how candy was made in 21st century Indiana.”
Indiana’s preserved and emergent candy history reveals complex regional roots, immigrant ambitions and community celebrations. “Memories rekindled, memories made,” says Jill at Schimpff’s.
Lisa Banu, food writer and philosopher, lives in West Lafayette with her family, who endure and encourage her unpredictable cooking experiments. She documents her dedication to mindful living and examined eating in her blog, The Hungry Philosopher at HungryPhil.com.
The Schimpff family is still actively involved with candy making on a daily basis.
Candy Maker Est.Address
Schimpff’s Candies 1891347 Spring St., JeffersonvilleSchimpffs.com
Abbott’s Candy Shop Early 1890s48 E. Walnut, HagerstownAbbottsAlso.com
McCord’s Candies 1912536 Main St., Lafayette McCordCandies.com
Olympia Candy Kitchen 1912136 N. Main St., Goshen OlympiaCandyKitchen.com
Plyley’s Hand- Made Candies1917909 S. Poplar St., LaGrangePlyleysCandies.com
Martinsville Candy Kitchen191946 N. Main St., Martinsvilleno store website
Claeys Candy 1919P.O. Box 1535, South BendClaeysCandy.com
Mike Libs and the Chocolate Factory1950864 S. Green River Rd., EvansvilleLibsChocolates.com
Donaldson’s Chocolates 1966600 S. State Rd. 39, LebanonDonaldsonsChocolates.com
Albanese Confectionery Group19835441 E. Lincoln Hwy., Merrillville AlbaneseCandy.com
Stephen Libs 19856225 Vogel Rd., EvansvilleStephenLibsChocolates.com
DeBrand Fine Chocolates 1987Multiple locations DeBrand.com
The South Bend Chocolate Company1991Multiple locations SBchocolate.com
The Best Chocolate in Town1998880 Massachusetts Ave.,IndianapolisBestChocolateInTown.com
Kathy’s Homemade Kandies2000611 Main St., Lafayette KathysKandies.com
Brooke’s 2004247 Maple St., Dana BrookesCandyCo.com
Newfangled Confections2012613 E. North St., IndianapolisNewfangledConfections.com
Cover Illustration and lettering by Justin Guerino
IT , S SEAFOOD SEASON!
It’s that time of year again, when Lent is upon us, spring is just around the corner and we forgo the heavy, hearty meals of winter for lighter, more delicate fare like — you guessed it — seafood! And, at Market District, our Fresh Seafood Department is not only swimming with everything from bass to walleye, but our Fishmongers are on board with everything you need to know to prepare your catch. Plus, you can feel good about the fact that we are 100% committed to our Sustainable Seafood Policy, which we are happy to share with you now!
Our Sustainable Seafood Commitment — How We’re Helping
Our Seafood Buyers are passionate about making sure you can feel good about the seafood you take home from Market District. When sourcing seafood, we follow deeply held principles for responsible fishery management and long-term sustainability, including:
• Limiting stock depletion by sourcing a broad variety of species
• Choosing species based on responsible fishery practices in addition to customer demand
• Forging partnerships that allow direct access to fishermen
• Actively supporting many Fishery Improvement Projects, including, but not limited to:
- Advocating awareness and overall industry improvements via donations to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
- Requiring all major suppliers to share information in order to grade them for sustainable sourcing practices
- Actively working with the Global Aquaculture Alliance to help suppliers with a two-star Best Aquaculture Practices rating improve to a four-star rating
- Meeting with industry partners and petitioning government councils and officials for stricter regulations and habitat protection
- Keeping abreast of industry activity and nurturing partnerships by attending and participating in sustainability summits and conferences
Going Domestic
The U.S. boasts some of the best managed fisheries in the world. We’re proud to support U.S. fisheries in Alaska, the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie.
Not only does our investment drive local economies, but it ensures that future generations will enjoy the bounty of these waters as well.
Our Canned Tuna Policy
Market District is one of the first U.S. grocers to develop an ethical Canned Tuna Policy. It is our goal to source tuna exclusively from healthy, well-managed stocks in fisheries using the most current environmentally and socially responsible methods for harvesting and by catch reduction. We pledge that our canned tuna will be GMO and BPA free, as well as priced reasonably.
A Commitment to Our Oceans & Our Future
Responsible, sustainable fishing practices that promote the long-term health and biodiversity of our planet’s oceans and waterways are a top concern at Market District, as they are for many of our customers. That’s why we actively work with a number of organizations, including Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and Greenpeace.
The SFP is our guiding resource, providing us with assessments of the seafood we sell and ensuring that we are working with the most responsible fisheries. The GAA sets high industry standards for aquaculture practices that strive to minimize environmental impacts on our world’s fisheries. With their help and guidance, we carefully source and sell more than 60 different species of fish — both farm-raised and wild-caught — from more than 70 fisheries worldwide. Greenpeace acts to communicate global marine environment needs and currently helps us refine our sustainability focus.
Our commitment to seafood sustainability is a longterm one. By working for continuous improvement and pursuing clear, responsible policies for the procurement of the seafood we sell every day, you can trust that our Seafood Experts are making sound, conscientious decisions on you and your family’s behalf that will benefit our shared ecosystems for generations to come.
Farm-Raised vs. Wild-Caught Seafood: What’s the Difference?
Wild-caught seafood is caught by fishermen in its natural fresh or saltwater environment. Farm-raised seafood is raised in aquaculture fisheries in ponds, lakes and native coastal saltwater.
Meet Rich Castle Seafood Director
Our Seafood Sustainability Program was developed and put into action by our Seafood Director, Rich Castle. Rich regularly participates in seafood sustainability round table discussions with top retailers, industry professionals and environmental experts from around the globe. Learn more about Rich and our efforts to protect our fisheries at MarketDistrict.com/sustainable-seafood.
Sustainable Alaska Halibut
is Coming Soon
Don’t Miss the Boat!
Mid-March is when it starts, so stop by our Seafood Department and talk to our Fishmongers — they’ll have a line on when the first fresh catch will be on board!
MARCH MASH UP Irish Seafood
As is true of islands, Ireland is surrounded by water — the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean — making it no stranger to seafood, especially in coastal cities like Galway and Dublin. That said, the Irish have long made a living as fishermen and a menu of everything from plentiful salmon, cod and lobster to mollusks like scallops, mussels and oysters.
Some of the most famous Irish seafood recipes (find them in respectable and not so respectable Irish pubs) include traditional seafood chowder, fisherman’s pie, cockle soup, roasted or poached salmon, Dublin Bay prawns and of course, fish and chips (which actually originated with Italian immigrants, believe it or not).
Given the fortuitous concurrence of Saint Patrick’s Day and the beginning of seafood season, we thought it an appetizing departure from the corned beef custom to suggest some savory fish dishes for your Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations!
Fisherman’s Pie Compliments of Chef Crystal Baldwin
• 1-1/2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 cups milk
• 2 lbs. cod and salmon fillets (1 lb. of each)
• 1/2 lb. smoked white fish, bones removed and broken into large chunks
• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 3 cups mashed potatoes
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Put onions, carrot, bay leaf and thyme into milk, bring to a boil and simmer 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and rest for 10-15 minutes.
2. Strain solids from liquid and return the liquid to pan. Discard solids.
3. Add cod and salmon and cook over medium heat until fish is cooked through (5-8 minutes). Remove fish and set the milk mixture aside.
4. Break smoked fish into large chunks and set aside as well.
5. Heat butter in a sauté pan over high heat; add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and cook 1 minute.
6. Add milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer then remove from the heat.
7. Add shrimp, parsley, hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms and all fish and stir gently. Season to taste.
8. Spoon into a 9x9-inch pan and spread mashed potatoes on top.
9. Place in the oven; cook uncovered until golden brown approximately 20-30 minutes.
Mussel Soup Compliments of Chef Crystal Baldwin
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 tsp. salt, divided
• 50 mussels
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1-1/4 cup leeks, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped finely
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. parsley
1. Put water and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add mussels, cover and cook, shaking occasionally, just until mussels open, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Remove mussels with a slotted spoon and strain the broth; set aside.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks and celery; cook until translucent.
4. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in wine, reserved mussel broth, heavy cream and milk. Bring to a simmer and season with the remaining salt and pepper.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened.
6. Remove meat from mussel shells and discard shells. Stir in mussels and parsley, and serve.
Nutritional values are based on data from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Actual nutritional values may vary due to preparation techniques, variations related to suppliers, regional and seasonal differences, or rounding.
Nutritional Information (Per serving): Calories 1140, Fat 83g, Sat. Fat 48g, Trans Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 380mg, Sodium 1500mg, Total Carbohydrate 34g, Fiber 1g, Sugars 10g, Protein 59g, Vitamin A 80%, Vitamin C 60%, Calcium 30%, Iron 90%.
Illustration by Justin Guerino
CANNED SEAFOOD A Reel Tunaround
Over the years, canned fish has become more and more accepted as a culinary specialty. Originally just a way to preserve fish for longer shelf life, it is now a way to capture that “off the hook” flavor fresh from the catch. This means the taste is extraordinary, as are the varieties. Plus, it’s ready to eat! We bring you a wide variety, some sustainably harvested, which is becoming the norm. Think pasta sauces, salads, loaves and Chef Janice’s lovely salmon rangoons!
Sustainably Harvested Seafood
• Sustainable Seas Albacore Tuna, also available in a no-salt variety, 4.1 oz.
• Crown Prince Baby Clams, 10 oz.
• Crown Prince Skinless, Boneless Pink Salmon, 6 oz.
• Crown Prince Low Sodium Pink Salmon, 7.5 oz.
• Bar Harbor Smoked Kippers, 6.7 oz.
Reese ® Seafood
• Colossal Smoked Oysters, 3.75 oz.
• Smoked Oysters, medium, 3.7 oz.
• Fancy Sardines, 4.37 oz.
• Port Golden Smoked Sardines in Oil, 3.75 oz.
• Skinless, Boneless Sardines in Oil, 4.37 oz.
• Flat Anchovies, 2 oz.
• Spiced Octopus, 4 oz.
• Mussels in Spicy Red Sauce, 4 oz.
• Smoked Trout Fillet, 3.75 oz.
• Smoked Baby Clams, 3.6 oz.
BELA Specialty Canned Sardines, 4.25 oz.
• Olive Oil
• Tomato Sauce
• Hot Sauce
• Lemon Sauce
• Spring Water
Clam Juice & Anchovies
• Bar Harbor Clam Juice, 8 oz.
• Cento Clam Juice, 8 oz.
• Cento Flat Fillets Anchovies, 2 oz.
• Cento Anchovy Paste, 2.12 oz.
Salmon & Apple Rangoons (Stuffed Wontons)
Compliments of Chef Janice Kirich
• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 6 oz. Crown Prince skinless, boneless pink salmon
• 3 oz. Gala apple, grated and liquid squeezed out
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/8 tsp. pepper, freshly ground
• 20 wonton wrappers
• Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a metal cooking rack on a cookie sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, salmon, apple, ginger, sesame oil and pepper.
3. Place wonton on work surface and brush edges lightly with water.
4. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling on wrapper and pinch edges closed. Repeat until 20 wontons are filled.
5. Arrange on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray, then flip and spray again. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp.
6. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce, soy or Thai chili sauce.
IT , S SUSHI SEASON! Roll with It!
Actually, it’s always sushi season as far as we can tell and ours is always freshly made by our professional Sushi Chefs. After all, nothing says taste and sophistication like authentic sushi — so fresh, so pretty, so much fun to serve and eat!
Available in everything from popular Maki vegetable, tuna and California rolls to Inari, Nigiri and Sashimi, all of our sushi is crafted with top-quality ingredients, presented on ready-to-serve trays and garnished with pickled ginger and wasabi.
Purchase individual servings (a great lunch or takehome dinner) at our fresh Sushi Counter or order party platters from our Caterers — a great party starter. For a complete list of platters, download our Catering Menu at MarketDistrict.com/Catering, stop by or call today!
Fish FryDays — Get Hooked!
Fridays through March 25
We love Lenten season because that’s when we get to celebrate one of the most popular menu items in our cities — fresh fried (and baked) fish! Crispy, hot and satisfying, our fish sandwiches stand fin-to-fin with the best. We know. We’ve taken a pole — a fishing pole, in fact. Made with mild, flaky cod, they are baked or fried to a golden crispy brown and served on a 7-inch freshly baked sub roll with tartar or cocktail sauce, cole slaw and a bag of Deep River Potato Chips. Eat in or take out — sea how you feel, $8.99.
Stonewall Kitchen Down East Tartar Sauce
A Fishy Tradition
There are a lot of culinary traditions in New England and tartar sauce is one of them! Originally a blend of mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish, this Down East version was made for all kinds of fish. Add to tuna salad for a fresh, unique flavor in deviled eggs!
Illustration by Justin Guerino
WHAT,S HOT IN HOUSE & HOME
Fill Your Culinary Tackle Box
If you’re going to cook and eat seafood, you’re going to need some fishing gear and holy mackerel, have we got a lot! Here are just a few of our favorites:
Victorinox Swiss Army Oyster & Clam Knives
From the world’s most known brand for multi-tools and pocket knives comes these handy tools for eating bivalves!
Compact and sturdy, they are designed ergonomically with a super grip handle that is slip resistant even when wet. Featuring high carbon steel, and a narrow blade, these Swiss knives are dishwasher safe and approved by the National Seafood Foundation. The oyster knife is 2.75 inches long, and the clam knife, 3.25 inches long.
Elizabeth Karmel 8-Pk. Cedar Wraps
Brought to you by grilling expert Elizabeth Karmel, this set of eight thin cedar wood wraps is ideal for grilling fish, shellfish and more. Made of all-natural, organic American wood, they add a distinctive wood smoke flavor to any fish fillet! Made in the USA.
Fox Run Deluxe Seafood Cracker
Featuring a great grip for cracking shellfish and nuts, this cracker is made of a cast aluminum composite that is very durable, easy to use and clean!
Fox Run Stainless Steel 6-Inch Seafood Forks
This set of two stainless steel, all-purpose seafood forks makes getting every little bit of delicious meat from your shellfish a piece of cake … or clam.
Biggs & Featherbelle is one of our favorite body care lines because all of their products are free from synthetic fragrances, dyes and additives, and they are made in the USA, in Baltimore, MD. Based on research and handcrafted with quality ingredients, Biggs & Featherbelle promotes the healing elements of Mother Nature in everything they make. From bath soaks to soaps to body scrubs, we find their line one we keep returning to — a staple in our bathing boutique. Visit our Health, Beauty & Wellness Department to buy and you’ll see why, $5.49 to $15.99.
Illustrations by Danielle Brunner
KERRYGOLD Irish Cheeses Get the Green Light
It’s March and that means we have some of the finest Irish cheese made from none other than Kerrygold. This famous Irish cheesemaker began as a handful of small dairy farms joined for their expertise in 1961 by the former Irish Dairy Board. Devoted to a small-farm approach, they craft their cheeses from the milk of free-range cows that feed on the lush grass of the Emerald Isle’s meadows. We’re lucky to carry these Kerrygold classics:
ONE TWO THREE FOUR
Irish Swiss
One of the reasons Kerrygold cheeses taste so distinctive is because each is made in a unique part of Ireland. Kerrygold Swiss is no exception. Made from the richest, creamiest milk of cows that roam the grasslands below the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, this 100% natural cheese is aged more than 90 days to enhance its signature sweet, nutty taste. It’s Swiss for sure, but in that nutty Irish way.
Diverse Dubliner
A Kerrygold specialty, Dubliner is worldly, sharp, sweet and nutty. Like a well-balanced fusion of Cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano ®, its intricate flavors and textures are as complex and unique as the city that inspires it. Made from cow’s milk rich in beta-carotene, which gives this cheese its deep pot-o’-gold color, Dubliner is aged more than 12 months to enhance its nuanced flavor, or as the Irish say, flavour.
Dubliner with Irish Stout
Imagine the bliss of Dubliner with its perfect pair, Irish Stout. Or, just try it! The classic flavor combination brings out the sweet, nutty, rich flavor of Dubliner, swirling it together with the malty, caramel, bitter flavor of a pint of Irish Stout. Plus, it sports a festive green wax rind for Saint Patrick’s Day, and no surprise here — is exceptional served with a Guinness ,®
Aged Cheddar with Irish Whiskey
Entrenched in the history and traditions of Ireland, Cheddar and whiskey are now together in this spirited, Irish grass-fed cow’s milk cheese. Soft and creamy with sweet, fruity and mildly smoky undertones, this signature cheese is definitely worth celebrating.
Classic Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheese
This semi-soft, creamy cheese is distinguished by its round, full flavor, buttery color and delightful light blue veining. Lovingly crafted, it is made on a family farm with milk from dairy cows that graze on some of Ireland’s most lush and nutrient-rich pastures. Little surprise that Cashel Blue has garnered international acclaim, which includes taking home gold every year since 2009 at the International Cheese Awards.
ONE
SWEETS SHOP Something Bunnies Going On!
Easter is an excuse for our Candymakers to hop in with everything you need to make a basket. Why not peep in and see what you can find?
• Easter Bunnies — Solidify your Easter basket tradition with our All-Natural, Solid Chocolate Bunnies, Milk or White Chocolate, 6 oz., $6.99.
• Chocolate-Dipped Bunny Peeps — Are you a fan of regular peeps? Then these cottontails are going to take you over the hop! Dipped in creamy Belgian Callebaut milk chocolate, 3-pk, $1.99.
Handcrafted and decorated with intricate care, these artisan truffles are a barnyard of basket fun, $3.75 ea.
• Toffee Pig — This little piggy-shaped truffle features milk chocolate and almond toffee ganache, hand-dipped and hand-decorated.
• Bunny — Milk chocolate ganache hand-formed in the shape of a bunny, enrobed in milk chocolate, with almonds for ears and a hand-painted, adorable pink nose.
• Holstein Cow — This hand-decorated, cow-shaped truffle boasts a luxurious milk chocolate ganache, enrobed in ivory chocolate.
Easter Sweets & Irish Treats
Our Bakers are in on the celebrations, too, with cakes, buns and breads that make Saint Patrick’s Day and Easter that much sweeter!
• Mini 5-Inch Easter Egg Cakes
Celebrate with this delightful cake featuring malted eggs on top, or start the morning with our fabulous Hot Cross Buns and moist Sour Cream Coffee Cake — a basket of breakfast delights!
• Housemade Honey Butter Buns
An Easter tradition made from scratch with real butter and a touch of honey. Regular or mini, $3.29 pk.
• Chocolate Stout Cake
Real Irish stout makes this richly decadent chocolate cake irresistible. And the chocolate glaze — mmmmmm, $8.99.
• Irish Soda Bread
Our traditional Irish recipe is made with buttermilk and both dark and golden raisins. Tender and moist, it’s incredible with hearty stews or served as an Irish breakfast treat with butter, $4.99.
Illustrations by Justin Guerino
MARKET DISTRICT SUPER PREMIUM ICE CREAM The Real Scoop
Remember back when people made their own ice cream? They poured in whole milk and real cream, sugar and vanilla, loads of chocolate, nuts, cherries or whatever and churned away with ice and salt to facilitate freezing. But today, it is rare to find an ice cream that has more than 10% butterfat and a few chunks of chocolate, and even rarer to find the true, velvety texture of real ice cream.
We’ve been disappointed one too many times. Our goal became to find the richest, creamiest, mega-high quality ice cream we could; one that earned the name “Super Premium” and more importantly, “Market District.” And, we did. After months of tasting, testing, looking and licking, a small Ohio creamery that has been crafting ice cream since 1932 scooped in and saved the day.
Once convinced of their extraordinary ice cream-making standards and uncompromising quality, which resulted in a few extra pounds here and there, we then worked with them to develop our very own signature, unique, gourmet flavors that would make eating ice cream a culinary celebration — every time.
Introducing our new line of super premium Market District ice creams that contain 14% butterfat to make every bite extra exceptional, all except the chocolate and vanilla, which have a whopping 16%! It’s like an ice cream dream. Moreover, each batch is carefully crafted and packed full of the finest ingredients, creativity and passion (honest, we’ve seen and tasted it)! Every bite: flavor, flavor, rich, creamy flavor!
Did we mention flavor? Choose from:
• Black Raspberry Choco Chunk
• Chocolate Lava Cake
• Coconut Fudge Almond
• Cookie Butter
• Double Dark Chocolate
• Mocha Mud Pie
• Butter Pecan with Sea Salt
• Sea Salt Caramel Toffee Crunch
• Snickerdoodle
• Vanilla Bean
We love THEM ALL! And, for a limited time they’re just $3.99 qt., SAVE $1!
Illustrations by Danielle Brunner
POPE,S KITCHEN
An Artisan’s Tale
It started when Clark Pope — a Cleveland resident since the age of eight — served his barbecue sauce at a family party. After one bite, guest Trevor Clatterbuck, founder of Cleveland’s Fresh Fork Market, ordered 1000 jars.
“I didn’t really understand that he wanted to buy 1000 jars. I just started making the sauce,” explains Clark. “I used a 22-quart pan and each batch took eight hours. It was a long summer.” Clark worked as a history teacher at the time. “Trevor sold 800 jars in three days over Labor Day weekend. I took the money and bought a snow blower, thinking it was nothing more than a perk.”
That spring, Clark hosted a church party. It rained, leaving 300 pounds of strawberries. So, Clark found a cookbook from the 1800s that suggested vinegar as a preservative and made his first batch of strawberry balsamic sauce.
Next, came a request for Bloody Mary mix. Clark researched and read, mixed and sampled for three months. Once he was satisfied, he took the bold and spicy mix to a local restaurant with a Bloody Mary Bar. Upon seeing customers’ reactions (it was really spicy), Clark ran home, added some honey to a batch and brought it back. His Mellow Bloody Mary Mix was born. Today, the restaurant goes through 10 gallons a week, and a fair amount of the spicy mix, too!
“The important thing,” says Clark, “is that I create my products like you would at home. You wouldn’t use concentrates or ascorbic acid, so neither do I.” Because his products are preservative free, Clark packages them in glass jars at very high temperatures meeting all FDA requirements. Today, he still hand-makes almost everything in small batches at the Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen in downtown Cleveland and we’re thrilled to sell them:
Hot Sauces
• Smoking River — Hickory smoked jalapeños blended with onions, garlic and local tomatoes
• Smoked Tequila Rio — The Smoking River sauce with tequila; excellent in guacamole or an aioli
• Burning River — A rich blend of fresh jalapeño, local tomatoes, garlic and onion
• Whiskey River — Whole jalapeño, onion, garlic and local tomatoes joined by easy going Kentucky bourbon
Mixers
• Margarita Mix — Fresh lime, lemon & orange juice with a bit of pure cane sugar
• Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix — Ohio-grown tomatoes, lime and lemon juice, freshly grated horseradish and fresh jalapeños
• Mellow Bloody Mary Mix — Clark’s milder Bloody Mary mix with the addition of honey to round it out a bit
More
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa — Fresh Ohio tomatoes, sweet corn, earthy black beans, a bite of jalapeño with a touch of cumin
• Fig & Cocoa Spread — Black mission figs from Louisiana with dark chocolate imported from Paris
• Strawberry Balsamic Sauce — Roasted strawberries in a sugar and balsamic blend
Look for Pope’s Kitchen products throughout our stores sporting a newly designed label that reflects Pope’s growth as an artisan company — a pleasure to showcase in our Market District stores!
See back page for a $1 OFF coupon!
Illustration by
Danielle Brunner
FOODIE TRENDS The Incredible Bulk
with Paul Abbott, Keeper of the Scoop
The secret is out! Market District is one of your best bulk buying resources with 400+ varieties of grains, snacks, legumes, mushrooms, beans and more, all available for you to scoop and save. You can also get the best prices on spices freshly packaged to fill your panty and flavor your life!
Popular Ancient Grains:
• Amaranth — Used by the Aztecs more than 8000 years ago, this tiny grain has plenty of benefits like a higher protein content than most other grains. It is also an excellent source of iron and magnesium and is gluten free. Use it to make bread, polenta and as a side dish. Its nutty flavor adds a little extra something to everything.
• Flax Seed — This small, oval-shaped seed provides several benefits. A two tablespoon serving contains about 3g of protein and is a good source of fiber. Add to cereal, smoothies, salads, soups or even a sandwich. For best nutrient absorption, opt for the ground form over the whole seed.
• Chia — A key food for the Aztecs and Mayans, these tiny black seeds are high in fiber and one tablespoon contains 2g of Omega-3 fatty acids. Sprinkle on top of yogurt or cereal, mix into your muffins or pancakes — the options are endless! Did you know that “chia” is the Mayan word for strength?
Trending Spices:
• Turmeric — Native to Indonesia and southern India, this spice comes from the root of Curcuma longa plant. Its warm and peppery flavor is a key ingredient in curry and also makes yellow mustard yellow.
• Ginger — With a fragrant punch and spice, ginger adds zest to almost any dish, especially stir-fries and baked treats. It is actually a root, known as a rhizome, that grows underground in tropical climates.
• Chiles — Chile is the fruit of a plant. It is often dried to preserve its heat and life span. We carry dried chipotle chiles, dried ancho mulato chiles, dried guajillo and dried pasilla negro chiles! Experiment and try them all!
Find these and a lot more when you shop Bulk at Market District — it’s a barrel of fun!
Who’s Paul Abbott?
Paul Abbott’s job is to seek out the most exciting, innovative, unique and DELICIOUS products around! He breathes, sleeps, and of course, eats food, traveling to shows all over the world to bring you spectacular, signature products you won’t find anywhere else!
Illustration by Justin Guerino
THE GAME IS IN THE BASKET Recipes We’re Mad For!
Our Chefs are holding court with appetizers that make game day a rebounding success. Try these starters and score big! Or, call our Caterers and let them bring on an entire winning spread!
Slam Dunk Dip
Compliments of Chef Ben D’Amico
• 1/2 cup white onion, minced
• 1 poblano pepper, diced, about 1 cup
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 12 oz. can tomatoes, diced and drained
• 1 cup Queso Asadero cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Colby & Jack cheese, shredded
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• Fresh cilantro, optional
1. In a medium pot, sauté onions, pepper and garlic in vegetable oil for 5-8 minutes, until softened and slightly browned.
2. Add the chili powder and flour; stir until absorbed.
3. Slowly incorporate heavy cream, stirring to prevent lumps. Add drained tomatoes.
4. Cook the mixture over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until mixture has thickened.
5. Add cheeses and stir until melted.
6. Season with cayenne pepper to taste and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Three-Point Tapenade
Compliments of Chef Douglas Shirey
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 1/4 cup capers, drained
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/2 cup Market District extra virgin olive oil
• 1 loaf Market District baguette bread, sliced
1. Place all ingredients, except bread, in a food processor. Process on pulse setting until combined but not puréed. You want to see some pieces.
2. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more oil.
3. Serve with fresh bread slices
COLANDER OF EVENTS!
Access to Your digital Advantage Card
Scan it when you shop to save even more!
Customized Savings
Don’t miss any of our in-store savings! Browse our Weekly Sales & Specials, clip eOffers ® (digital coupons) and check out the eAdvantage™ Offer of the Week!
Aisle Helper
Looking for something? We’ll show you where to find it!
Shopping Lists
Scan a barcode or type in just a few characters to start adding products to your list. We’ll organize it based on your store’s aisles.
Pantry
Add your latest purchases to your virtual cupboard and remove items as you use them to keep tabs on inventory!
How a Bottle and a Jar
Became Icons
INDIANA’S GLASS ROOTS
BY RACHEL GATEWOOD
Everyone remembers anticipating the release of the state-specific quarters. What would be Indiana’s unique symbol? Maybe an ear of corn or a basketball, some people joked, and it came as no surprise when the Indiana quarter was released in August 2002 that the back was stamped with an Indy 500 race car.
What many Indiana natives might not know is that it just as well could have been a Coca-Cola bottle or a Ball Mason jar, for each of these icons has deep roots in Indiana history.
The rise of the glass industry in Indiana began in Howard County with the discovery of natural gas in 1886. Plentiful local gas meant an affordable source of power for factories and glass kilns. The 1880s saw dozens of companies relocating or starting anew in Indiana because of the state’s natural gas supply, including the Ball Brothers Glass Company, the North Baltimore Bottle Company and the Root Glass Company.
The North Baltimore Bottle Company began in Ohio, and moved to Albany in 1895, where it stayed until 1900 before taking up permanent residency in Terre Haute. It produced glass bottles for beverages, including beer companies like Schlitz in Milwaukee, and other food products. One of their top employees, Chapman J. Root, was not with the company long before leaving to start his own Terre Haute business, which he named the Root Glass Company.
Originally from New York State, in 1887 the Ball brothers left their tin can making business in Buffalo,
where they learned the benefit of lining their cans with glass, to join the glass industry in Indiana. The five brothers set up their first manufacturing plants in Muncie, and began work under the name Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company. As business grew, the company expanded to Terre Haute in 1905, purchasing a fruit jar making plant from the Root Glass Company in 1908. The Ball brothers made various types of glass vessels, but quickly changed the focus of their business to fruit (canning) jars.
Half-gallon round aqua glass BBGMCo fruit jar, 1884-86.
John Landis Mason originally invented the Mason jar in 1858. When the patent expired in 1884, the Ball brothers added the name Mason to their jars, creating the Ball Mason jar. The Ball Mason jar was popular not only for its utility, but for its shape (there were several molds used), lids and varying colors. One color that was particularly popular was “Ball Blue,” which is a bluer shade of aqua (recently the color was re-released as a vintage product, along with purple and green).
By 1894, the Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company began distribution of its iconic fruit jars to grocery stores, marking the beginning of the consumer market for their products. Within a few years, they became the largest manufacturer of canning jars in the world, and between 1902 and 1909 they steadily built their empire by buying up eight competitors. And, in an effort to become even more appealing for at-home use, in 1909 George Ball and his wife published The Correct Method for Preserving
Counterclockwise from upper left: a Ball Co. marketing piece; workers at North Baltimore Glass Co.; a poster from World War I. The war had a profound effect on people’s lives and women were an essential part of the war effort. Through the Indiana State Council of Defense, thousands of women organized efforts in food production, child welfare, sale of Liberty Bonds, education and propaganda, motor corps work and problems pertaining to women working in industry, 1918.
Fruit. Domestic canning spiked in popularity during World Wars I and II as home gardening and victory gardens became more common.
While business was surging for the Ball brothers, the Root Glass Company was about to make a name for itself, as well. In 1915, Coca-Cola held a contest to design a new bottle that would be so unique it could be recognized by its silhouette. The design team at the Root Glass Company won the contest; their “hobble skirt” design is still used today for the plastic, 20-ounce Coke bottle, along with modern, glass reproductions of the original bottles. The Root Glass Company did not own the Coca-Cola bottle design, but received five cents per bottle in royalties for bottles made by other companies. In 2000, ancestors of Chapman J. Root donated their family collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia to the Vigo County Historical Society Museum in Terre Haute.
Prohibition, followed by the Great Depression, caused several obstacles for glassmakers. Because much of their business was centered on beer and alcohol bottles, the North Baltimore Bottle Company and Root
Glass Company sold their plants and went out of business in the early 1930s.
On the contrary, business was better than ever for the Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company, which changed its named to Ball Brothers Co., Inc., in 1922. During this time, they were producing 30 glass jars a minute. The jars were being made using metal molds, numbered 1 through 15; these numbers can be found on the bottom of the original jars referencing which mold they came from. Glass collectors and historians have speculated that jars with the number 13 on them are easier to find, because during Prohibition moonshine makers may have avoided jars stamped with a 13 to avoid bad luck that could lead to getting caught illegally making alcohol. By 1937, the Ball Brothers had five factories throughout the nation located in Muncie; Wichita Falls, Texas; Huntington, West Virginia; Hillsboro, Illinois; and Okmulgee, Oklahoma. In 1939, after acquiring another four of its competitors, Ball was sued, along with three other companies, by the U.S.
Courtesy of Vigo County Historical Society & Museum
Courtesy of Indiana Historical Society, (P0131)
Many glass factories moved to Central Indiana during the gas boom, most notably, the Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company which prospered even after the natural gas boom. 1909. Right: 1916 Blue Book.
government under monopoly charges (this wasn’t the only lawsuit against Ball over the years). During this time, Ball’s interests shifted to World War II efforts, and fruit jar production made up only 10% of its manufacturing. The lawsuit lasted until 1947, when the U. S. Supreme Court decided the company wouldn’t be allowed to purchase any more businesses. The company’s inability to expand glass manufacturing, along with the death of founder Frank Ball, led the company to find new branches of industry.
In the 1950s, the company got involved in engineering space-systems products. It closed its Muncie plant in 1961 and moved glass fruit jar production to Illinois. Eight years later the company officially became the Ball Corporation. In 1993, the Ball Corporation bought Heekin Can, Inc., and became one of the largest manufacturers of metal can food containers in North America. With more profitable ventures such as engineering for aerospace companies and making metal food containers, the Ball Corporation completely withdrew from the glassmaking business in 1996. Ball Mason jars are still being manufactured in the United States by the Jarden Corporation (headquarters located in Fishers), which now owns the Ball logo and many other brands. They source the manufacturing of the glass jars from other companies, one of which is Anchor Hocking, located in Winchester, while lids and bands are made in Muncie. The jars come in a multitude of colors.
Ball Mason jars have recently experienced a major comeback in the mainstream market as consumers become more educated and interested in the origin of their food. With the growing popularity of farmers’ markets and at-home gardening, canning leftover produce has become essential in many households. The growing popularity of “throw back” traditions has also made Ball Mason jars novelty items for many uses including serving beer and beverages at local restaurants and bars, vessels for silverware and utensils, vases for fresh flowers, soap dispensers and candle holders. The new wave of interest has made the jars more widely available but they are still widely used for preserving, storage and aesthetics.
To learn more about glass collecting, visit GlassBottleMarks.com.
To learn more about fruit jars and canning information, and to view the many Ball canning products currently available, visit FreshPreserving.com.
Visit the Coca-Cola bottle display at the Vigo County Historical Society Museum at 1411 S. 6th St., Terre Haute, Tu–Su 1–4pm. To learn more, go to VCHSMuseum.org or call 812.235.9717.
Rachel Gatewood grew up in Broad Ripple and still resides there with her 4-yearold daughter, Ruthie. She has a background in the baking and pastry arts and is a graduate of IUPUI. Her favorite things are food, gardening and history.
Courtesy of Minnetrista Heritage Collection, Muncie, Indiana.
Courtesy of Minnetrista Heritage Collection, Muncie, Indiana
Squash, Corn and Hogs Spring Suppers from the 19th century
RECIPES COURTESY OF CONNER PRAIRIE, PHOTOGRAPH BY MARY MCCLUNG
Squash, corn and hog, the staples of the diet of early European settlers to Indiana, didn’t all come west as the settlers did.
The non-native travelers to the future state of Indiana would have found squash and corn in abundance in Native American gardens and fields. Many of the tribes in Indiana were great farmers, planting acres of corn, beans and squash along with other crops.
The hogs came along with later settlers and became an integral part of the Hoosier diet. Hams and bacon were easily cured to last throughout the year. Cuts, like the loin, needed to be used quickly and were shared among the neighbors who had come to help with butchering. The weinerschnitzel familiar to German settlers became today’s pork tenderloin. Pigs remain an important part of our economy with Indiana in fifth place in pork production within the U.S. Cornbread, squash and maple syrup all still make regular appearances on Indiana dinner plates.
Here are some recipes from Indiana’s early days:
An important part of the Hoosier economy since before European settlement began, corn would grow well on newly cleared ground while other grains only thrived after the ground had been farmed for a few years. Corn could be ground at home if it was difficult to get to your local gristmill.
Beat five eggs light, stir them into a quart of milk with a small handful of flour and a tea-spoonful of salt; then stir in as much fine Indian meal (cornmeal) as will make a tolerably thick batter. Having buttered some little scalloped muffin pans, place them in an oven that is moderately heated*, put in each a small ladleful of the batter and bake them a nice brown; then take them from the pans, arrange them neatly in a plate, lay on the top of each a slice of firm butter, and eat them warm.
* Remember, controlled heat is a modern-day luxury and these recipes would’ve been cooked over a fire. In a conventional oven, it’s recommended muffins be baked around 350–375°F.
Squash is one the “Three Sisters” planted in many Native American gardens, along with corn and beans. Winter squash was easily dried and stores well if kept from freezing. The syrup from our native sugar maple trees is a great complement to the flavors of the squash. Wash, peel and slice squash or pumpkin. Place into kettle, add water to cover. Add small amount of salt. Boil until tender. Place in dish and pour small amount of maple syrup over the squash. Serve. (Recipe courtesy of A Woodland Feast: Native American Foodways of the 17th & 18th Centuries, by Carolyn Raines.)
Hogs had an advantage over other livestock of being able to care for themselves in the woods of the Indiana frontier. Not dependent on humans for food, a herd of hogs could defend themselves from wolves, bears and wildcats until you needed to gather a few for butchering.
To Bake Pork: Take a leg, shoulder, or a part of the middling, rinse it clean, and score the skin crosswise, so as to form diamonds, season it with salt, pepper, and sifted sage; brush it over with sweet oil, lard, or butter, and put it in an oven* with a small quantity of water, having placed in the bottom some suitable vegetable, such as squash, tomatoes, sweet, or white potatoes. Bake it with moderate heat, till it is thoroughly done. If the meat is large, it would be best to bake it till about half done, before the vegetable is put in. Thicken the gravy with brown flour, and flavor it with any kind of catchup you choose. (Recipe courtesy of Kentucky Housewife, by Mrs. Peter A. White, 1839.)
* We recommend an oven heated at 350°F.
(More like a Worcestershire sauce)
Take the large Flaps of Mushrooms, pick nothing but the Straws and Dirt from it, then lay them in a broad earthern Pan, strow a good deal of Salt over them, let them lie till next Morning; then with your Hand brake them, put them into a Stew-pan, and let them boil a Minute or two, then strain them thro’ a coarse Cloth; and wring it hard. To take out all the Juice, let it stand to settle, then pour it off clear, and run it thro’ a thick Flannel Bag, (some filter it thro’ brown Paper, but that is a very tedious Way) then boil it, to a Quart of the Liquor put a quarter of an Ounce of whole Ginger, and half a quarter of an Ounce of whole Pepper, boil it briskly a quarter of an Hour, then strain it, and when it is cold, put it into Pint Bottles; in each Bottle put four or five Blades of Mace, and six Cloves, cork it tight, and it will keep two Years. This gives the best Flavour of the Mushrooms to any Sauce. (Recipe courtesy of The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, by Hannah Glasse, 1747.)
About Conner Prairie
Spanning 850 wooded acres in Central Indiana, Conner Prairie welcomes more than 360,000 visitors of all ages annually. As Indiana’s first Smithsonian Institute affiliate, Conner Prairie offers various outdoor, historically themed destinations and indoor experiential learning spaces that combine history and art with science, technology, engineering and math to offer an authentic look into history that shapes society today. Conner Prairie is located at 13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers. You can reach them at 317.776.6000 or at ConnerPrairie.org.
Cornbread
Indian Muffins
Squash and Maple Syrup
Pork
Mushroom Ketchup
The History of Pork Packing in Indiana HOW LITTLE PIGGIES GO TO MARKET
BY CHARITY SINGLETON CRAIG
When I was a young girl, late fall weekends often meant accompanying my parents to a friend’s farm to help butcher hogs. Of course, I often stayed inside and played with the cats during the dirtiest work, but once they got to the lard rendering I’d make an appearance. Fresh cracklins were hard to resist.
Small-scale pork processing and packing, like my parent’s friends did, was almost unheard of in the 1970s and 1980s when I was a girl; several cultural, economic and technological advances coincided at the end of the 19th century to bring an end to small-scale pork processing. However, a century earlier when Hoosiers were far more self-reliant for their food supply, the practice was much more common.
“In the opening decades of the 1800s innumerable farmer-packers either killed animals and cured meat for their own use during the winter months or took their surpluses in the form of ‘dead’ meat or livestock to local market towns on the Ohio-Mississippi River system,” writes Margaret Walsh in her book The Rise of the Midwestern Meat Packing Industry
Willis Hammer, his wife Josie and daughter Lela May, are shown standing by hog carcasses and kettles, ready to process the meat and lard in the fall of 1898. They lived in a section of Spiceland Township known as Oklahoma.
But population growth in large northeastern and Midwestern cities portended a new way.
“By 1870, 40.3 percent of the population of the Northeast and 20.8 percent of the population of the Midwest were urbanized. Assuming that all of the 8.1 million city residents in these two regions ate 122 pounds of pork per year and that western packers supplied 70 percent of their requirements, then domestic demand far outstripped supply,” Walsh writes. “Furthermore, the foreign market was expanding, and by 1870, 11.5 percent of western-produced bacon, ham, and barreled pork was exported. Most assuredly packers could sell their increasing meat outputs.”
Besides urbanization and increased demand for factory-processed food, the pork packing industry also grew through the expansion of railroad lines and the development of faster communication through newspapers and the telegraph. As well, innovations inside the packing industry fostered efficiency and consolidation. According to Walsh, improved business structure and the implementation of ice packing during the summer months allowed some packing companies to grow exponentially.
“Not all midwestern packers adopted these improvements,” Walsh writes, “but among those who did were the leading firms who came to control a large share of the regional product.”
As well, new professional organizations were developed that led to more standardized guidelines for meat packers’ business conduct. This in turn created a “type of general efficiency” that made it “increasingly difficult to thrive as an independent small-scale pork merchant in an industry that was becoming more systematically organized.”
Walsh named two Indiana packers who failed to adapt to the rapidly developing packing industry. Wabash River merchants Jacob D. Early in Terre Haute, and Henry T. Sample in Lafayette, were longtime residents and traders who provided pork packing in addition to other commercial and financial interests.
“This partial and intermittent commitment, like commission work, may have been the way forward in the pioneer years of the meat industry,” Walsh concluded, “but in the late 1860s both practices were indicative of the decline of rural participation in agricultural processing.”
Hammer Family of Spiceland
Another Hoosier swept up in the swift transitions of the late 19th and early 20th century was Willis S. Hammer in Henry County’s Spiceland Township, about 40 miles east of Indianapolis. Hammer operated a slaughterhouse for many years. While not much is known about Hammer or his family, a photo taken in the late fall of 1898 shows Hammer with his wife, Josie, and daughter Lela May standing among hog carcasses, with a cutting table in the background and kettles for lard rendering in the front.
His obituary in 1916 says he was a carpenter and a contractor, which seems to indicate that like Early and Sample he was a meat packer on the side. The photo shows an entirely outdoor operation, dependent on the weather for success. And Spiceland remains to this day a rural area, with no access by train. For small, part-time packing operations like the Hammer Family, the tides of changes swept them into the past.
Kingan & Co.
On the other hand, two Irish immigrant brothers who made their way to Indiana from Brooklyn then Cincinnati deftly navigated the increasingly urbanized and industrialized processes of the Reconstruction era in America.
Having opened meatpacking operations in both of their previous cities only to watch them burn to the ground, literally, Thomas and Samuel Kingan arrived in Indianapolis ready to try again. They built a five-story facility on the west side of Indianapolis near the White River and began operations in 1863. Unfortunately, like their previous two facilities, the Indianapolis plant also burned to the ground. Investigators believed the blaze was the work of arsonists. The Kingans had learned from their previous experience, though, and had insured their third plant. They turned their $240,000 loss into a new facility and quickly reopened.
Wartime sales to the Union Army and exports to Great Britain helped Kingan prosper. In 1868, George Stockman, a Kingan employee, invented an ice-curing process that allowed their pork packing to continue year-round. They purchased a competing porkpacking plant across the railroad tracks in 1873, and then in 1875 they merged with Belfast firm J&T Sinclair to form Kingan & Co.,
Kingan buyer L.M. Maroney with John Hardin and his Grand Champion Barrow at the 1935 Indiana State Fair.
Photo
one of the largest meat-packing operations in the world. In 1887, Kingan built several ice houses along the White River in Broad Ripple, just north of downtown Indianapolis. Ice was harvested from the river and stored until summer, when it was shipped down to their downtown packing plant.
When Thomas Kingan died in 1906, his business partner W.R. Sinclair came to the U.S. to manage the business. Five years later, Samuel Kingan also died, and another Sinclair family member, Thomas, moved up the ranks in the company. The Sinclair family ran the business until 1952 when Detroit-based Hygrade Corp. bought Kingan & Co. Under Hygrade, the company lasted until 1966 and then closed permanently. A year later, the Hygrade plant burned to the ground.
Pearl Packing Co.
About the same time the Kingans were investing in their ice house, Augustus Yunker of Madison was opening up his family’s own packing plant and ice house along the Ohio River. The Pearl Packing Plant opened in 1890 and grew steadily over the years. In 1917, Pearl Packing was incorporated, earning annual revenue of about $200,000.
Pearl Packing manufactured sausage and lard, but also processed other kinds of meat. They also had an ice-packing business. Their products were distributed throughout the Midwest, especially to Louisville, Cincinnati and Indianapolis, and eventually throughout the country.
Over time, Augustus Yunker’s four children—Georgine, Marie, Robert and Leo—became involved in the business until it closed in 1972.
Kuhner Packing Co./Marhoefer Packing Co.
Meanwhile, in the North Central part of the state, Gottlieb Kuhner and his sons established the Kuhner Packing Co. in Muncie in 1901. By 1911, the Kuhners incorporated to become Kuhner and Co., and by 1913 their business included nine retail butcher shops in addition to the Kuhner Packing Co.
In their packing division, the Kuhners produced bacon, sausage, dried beef, ham, lard and other products. Over the years, Kuhners also became known for their hot dogs. A 1929 advertising campaign claimed “Kuhner Meats Make Keener Appetites.”
In 1945, Kuhner Packing Co. was acquired by the Marhoefer family and became known as The Marhoefer Division of Kuhner Packing Co. After a 1952 merger with other Marhoefer interests, the Kuhner name was dropped and the business became known as the Marhoefer Packing Co.
As the pork production industry became less profitable in the 1970s and the Marhoefers lost their lending arrangements, they were forced to file bankruptcy and the company dissolved in 1978. In the same year, long-time Marhoefer employee Jerry Jones became president of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butchers Local P-105 Union.
Top: Kuhner Packing Co., Muncie, 1922.
Right: What commercial meat curing looked like in 1936.
Photo courtesy of Ball State University Libraries
Photo courtesy of Martin Collection, Indiana Historical Society
Home Packing Co.
A few years after the Kuhners got their start, the Home Packing Co. was founded in Terre Haute in 1907. Over its years of operation, Home Packing processed anywhere from 350 hogs a week to more than 10,000 hogs per week during its peak operation. It was wellknown for its Dependable brand of bacon, hams, bologna and lard. Products were shipped all over the world from the Terre Haute plant. Unfortunately, Home Packing became most known for a 1963 gas explosion that killed 17 employees and injured 50 more. The plant never reopened after that incident.
Dewig Brothers Packing Co.
In 1916 John Dewig and his two brothers, Anton and Joe, formed Dewig Brothers Packing in their southern Indiana town of Haubstadt, just north of Evansville. Beginning their processing and packing operation with no equipment other than knives, they entered the meat industry following in the footsteps of their father, who was a butcher.
The Dewigs’ business endured the Great Depression of the 1930s and, like the Kingans, also survived a devastating fire in 1937. Within a year, the Dewigs had reconstructed the plant and resumed
1905 Kingan & Co. greeting card.
Photo courtesy of Martin Collection, Indiana Historical Society
Photo courtesy of Indiana Historical Society, P0411
Hoosier women were critical in all fields of work. This post-World War II image shows women working alongside men in a Home Packing Co. dressing room, 1950.
operations. In 1962, John Dewig’s sons, Tom and Bill, purchased the packing business, and another fire in 1967 forced them to rebuild again.
The Dewig Brothers Packing Co. has weathered many other struggles over the years, particularly supply and demand pressures and high-tech, large-volume competitors, but they have remained one of the longest-running family packing businesses still operating in the state. They continue their commitment to high-quality products and personalized service for their customers, not only in their meatpacking and sausage operations, but also in their online retail and catering businesses, which can be found at DewigMeats.com. They also are well-known by customers for their barbecue products and their authentic German bratwurst.
Pork packing in Indiana has come a long way from the part-time pioneers who dressed hogs in the winter months and sold the extra at market. But the families and employees of the packers who are in business today still seek to feed their fellow Hoosiers with their dedicated service and quality products.
Charity Singleton Craig is a freelance writer from Frankfort and the author of On Being a Writer: 12 Simple Habits for a Writing Life That Lasts. She enjoys running, reading and cooking dinner for her family. She recently made her first risotto.
The Food and Drug Act
Just before the Dewigs got their start and about the time Home Packing was founded in 1907, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle was published, permanently changing the landscape of meat production and packhouse working conditions. That same year, Congress passed the Food and Drug Act, which established the food inspection process and made it a crime to sell adulterated food. By 1922, The Packers’ Encyclopedia was published by The National Provisioner. The guide book included sections on best practices for hog killing, cutting, curing, ham boning and cooking, lard manufacturing and preparing pigs’ feet. It also contained sample diagrams of a killing floor, a smokehouse operation and a lard refinery.
nod to the Indiana Bicentennial drinks of the past
… with a twist
INDIANA BOOZY SLINGS
BY JENNIFER RUBENSTEIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY MCCLUNG AND JENNIFER RUBENSTEIN
Scott Lowe, Bluebeard
Photography by Mary McClung
We celebrate Indiana’s 200th birthday with celebratory cocktails from the top slingers in the state. Edible Indy partnered with four talented bartenders to bring to life the classic flavors from the 1800s in a drink one might order up today. These artists infused these drinks with Indiana products— from the spices to the booze—but what really make these Indiana is the individuals.
Feeling frisky? Make these at home, or grab a stool at any of these establishments, and order these drinks to wet your whistle.
Bijou Cocktail
The Bijou cocktail was invented in the 1890s by famed bartender Harry Johnson, and named for the French word bijou, meaning “jewel.” This cocktail signifies the colors of three jewels: gin for diamond, vermouth for ruby and chartreuse for emerald. Prior to Prohibition, Indiana housed some of the top distilleries in the country, including one that remained post Prohibition, Seagram in Lawrenceburg. Cardinal American Gin is a product of an Indiana Distillery located in Bloomington and they have brought back high-quality spirits to the state. The organic botanicals in the American Gin distilled from white grape, pink and white grapefruit zest, navel orange zest, crushed juniper berry, cardamom seeds and lavender flowers, makes this gin the perfect ingredient for this one-of-a-kind cocktail.
Bijou Cocktail by Scott Lowe, Bluebeard
1 ounce Cardinal American Gin
1 ounce Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
¾ ounce of Green Chartreuse
1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters
Orange peel
Pour gin, vermouth and chartreuse over ice in a beaker. Add dash of orange bitters. Give it a brisk stir for 10 seconds.
Strain into a coupe glass (or other shallow glass). Garnish with orange peel.
Originally from La Porte, Scott Lowe moved to Indianapolis in 2000 from Los Angeles, where he cut his teeth in the bar business at, among others, Jones Hollywood and The Circle Bar in Venice Beach. After arriving in Indianapolis, he worked at such places as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Broad Ripple Tavern and the Pawn Shop Pub. However, it wasn’t until he was the opening bar manager at The Ball & Biscuit that he really got involved in craft cocktails. Scott moved from The Ball and Biscuit to open Bluebeard for a chance to further his craft cocktail and spirits knowledge. He is currently Bluebeard’s beverage director.
The Corydon Sling
The Corydon Sling’s name derives from Indiana’s first capital, Corydon, which became Indianapolis in 1825, and the predecessor for the word “cocktail,” which was “sling.” Slings were typically constructed with few ingredients: booze, sugar, bitters and water. The bitters used both complement each other and emit an earthy, bitter and citrusy flavor.
During this time, moonshine was an easily accessible spirit in the state. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, Southern Indiana was the center of the American wine industry. This drink incorporates a vermouth aged in a sherry barrel, Cruz Conde Rojo. When it all comes together, top it off with a garnish of a bamboo skewer lined with popcorn across the top of the coupe glass.
The Corydon Sling by Megan Stewart, Hotel Tango Distillery
2 ounces Mike Moonshine (Hotel Tango brand)
¾ ounce Cruz Conde Rojo
¼ ounce Luxardo Liqueur
3 dashes celery bitters
3 dashes citrus bitters
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Popcorn, for garnish
Place all ingredients in a coupe glass. Stir. Serve with a popcorn garnish.
Megan Stewart is the sales and marketing manager and bartender for Hotel Tango Distillery in Indianapolis. She started their first “craft” cocktail menu at the distillery in January 2015, and has progressed and instilled a very literal sense to the word in just about every aspect of the ingredients ever since.
Megan Stewart, Hotel Tango Distillery
Photography by Mary McClung
Modern Love
This cocktail is named after a David Bowie song. The name was chosen because David Bowie has a spice mixture called “Spice Oddity.” The carrier for this spice mixture is Salem Spice Trade, and they have been trading and shipping spices since the early 1800s. The local aspect of this cocktail is the chai spice mixture. Also added to the tea are some mulling spices from Terra Spice Company located in South Bend.
Modern Love by Kendall Lockwood, The Ball & Biscuit
2 ounces Plantation 3 Star Rum
1 ounce Opihr Gin
½ ounce Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
3 ounces chai spice syrup
2 ounces lemon juice
1 ounce orange juice
5 dashes Bittercube Jamaica #1 Bitters
1¾ ounces club soda
Clove-infused orange and Peychaud’s Bitters, for garnish
Place ingredients in a cocktail glass. Stir. Garnish with clove-infused orange slice and Peychaud’s Bitters. Serve over crushed ice.
General manager and part owner of The Ball & Biscuit in Indianapolis, Kendall Lockwood has helped found the cocktail scene within the city. She has competed in many bartending competitions to further her skills and education. Competing in Las Vegas two years ago, she was named one of the top 15 bartenders in the nation. Three years ago, she won the national competition for Four Roses Bourbon, and was also the winner of the Pisco Porton competition, earning her a trip to Peru. Kendall is always looking for new ways to grow and stretch her level of experience and education. She attributes her success in the service industry to her best friend and love of her life, Jay Fields, and her family. Without their overwhelming support she wouldn’t be where she is today.
Kendall Lockwood, The Ball & Biscuit
Photography by Jennifer Rubenstein
Old Northside Sour
The Old Northside Sour is a cocktail made by Rachel Kim, the cocktail curator at the Open Society Public House. The inspiration for the cocktail comes from the classic whiskey sour variation, the New York Sour. A traditional New York Sour is a bourbon sour with a claret float. Rachel, a New Yorker inhabiting Indiana, thought it would be perfect to make her Indiana version of this classic. The main ingredient, the Angel’s Envy Finished Rye, is distilled in Lawrenceburg. The port represents the strong presence of English settlers in Indiana in the 1800s, and honey was used as the sweetener, as it was widely prevalent and made locally. And the St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram was used to tie in the flavors of the rye and port and earthy spices used in the 1800s.
Old Northside Sour by Rachel Kim, Open Society Public House
¼ ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1 egg white
½ ounce honey syrup (combine equal parts honey and hot water; stir until honey is fully dissolved and incorporated)
½ ounce tawny port
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ounces Angel’s Envy Finished Rye
Put cocktail glass in the freezer to chill. Once chilled, pour Dram into it. Swirl it around the glass. This will give you the aroma of the spices. Then let the liquid settle in the bottom. Set aside.
Separate an egg, keeping the white and discarding the yolk.
In shaker, add honey syrup, tawny port, fresh lemon juice and Angel’s Envy Finished Rye. At the last second, add your egg white to your shaker. Shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds, without ice. (This technique is called a “dry shake” and it helps to emulsify the egg, making sure it doesn’t break in the presence of citrus.) After dry shaking, fill the shaker with ice and shake for an additional 10 seconds.
Strain into your allspice-rinsed cocktail glass. Serve.
by Mary McClung
Brian Baker, Founder, Open Society Public House
Photography
Unlessthey lived in a large city, nearly everyone in the early 19th century would have some sort of garden. It might range from a few herbs, and more perishable vegetables near the back door, to a garden of a few acres. (Remember most people couldn’t head to their local green grocer for that missing item from their recipe.) They would also plan their gardens with crops that could be preserved in various ways to provide them with food throughout winter. Gardening work would begin as soon as winter gave way to spring and the ground started to thaw. Crops like potatoes, peas, spinach and lettuce might go in the ground in Indiana as early as late March or early April, depending on temperatures. Warm weather crops like beans, tomatoes and peppers would be planted after the danger of late frosts passed, usually the second or third week of May. These crops today use a similar timeline. And what would any garden have been without the appropriate tool?
2 Yoke
Many early 19th century gardens were an acre or more in size. Rather than turning them over by hand in the spring, gardeners could use a team of oxen to cultivate the soil. A yoke allowed oxen to use the strength of their shoulders to move equipment like plows, harrows and carts.
1 Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a necessary piece of equipment for any sized garden. This is an early 19th century design that was primarily used for hauling seeds, starts or cleaning out the barn to fertilize the garden.
Layout by Caryn Scheving
3 Trowel
A useful hand tool when digging smaller holes for potting plants.
4 Small Garden Fork
This design dates from the early 20th century and is useful to get in to small places where a large garden fork might not fit.
5 Dibble
A wooden tool used to make a hole in the ground to place for bulbs or plant starts. Dibbles range from quite simple ones that might consist of a branch fashioned to the user’s perferred size, sharpened to a point, to something made by a local woodworker.
6 Bucket
Wooden buckets were made by a cooper. They made staved, wooden vessels ranging from common buckets, firkins (storage) for storing dry goods in your kitchen to barrels used for storing and shipping a wide variety of items.
7 Shovel
These shovels are a general digging design and just as today, there were different shovels and spades for different jobs. Some were used for general digging and some for more narrow holes, such as if you were setting fence posts. The earliest shovels were made of wood, later from iron and finally steel with the handle designs seem to vary by region and preference.
8 Hoe
A hoe is intended to scuffle along under the weeds, cutting off roots. These early 19th century hoes tend to be wide and heavy and it’s been said that if you’re working hard at hoeing, you’re doing it wrong.
9 Rake
These simple wooden rakes could be made by any farmer with basic woodworking skills. The early 19th century design allowed for wooden teeth to be easily replaced when they break.
Note: All Conner Prairie tools and equipment are reproductions. Their policy is to buy or create a working collection, rather than using originals.
A Kernel of Knowledge about Indiana Popcorn A BELOVED HOOSIER SNACK
BY RACHEL D. RUSSELL
Popcorn. It’s ingrained in American culture and buried deep in the hearts of Hoosiers. And it should be: We grow it. We sell it. We eat it. Our state fair used popcorn as its theme in 2013 and there’s even a small, unincorporated Southern Indiana town named after one of America’s favorite snacks.
But popcorn isn’t all ours. Around 1948 the oldest ears of popcorn were discovered in a cave in New Mexico and carbon dating revealed those ears were at least 5,000 old. But, popcorn didn’t really take hold in the United Stated until around the middle of the 19th century around the same time John Russell Bartlett listed it in his Dictionary of Americanisms in 1848:
“POPPED CORN. Parched Indian corn, so called from the noise it makes on bursting open. The variety usually prepared in this way is of a dark color, with a small grain.”
And if you want to drench yourself in one-of-a-kind food processing history, just read a little about a company named Cretors. In 1893, Charles Cretors came up with the first steam-powered, automated machine that could make popcorn on the go, and at the turn of the 20th century Cretors created the first large horse-drawn popcorn wagon. Cretors kept up with the times as Indiana and the country were drawn to movie theaters, where popcorn quickly turned into a necessity, and they created smaller machines to be used by theaters and others.
And popcorn kept families company during the Great Depression—at movie theaters, fairs and at home—because it was inexpensive and readily available. It thrived while other commodities took a turn for the worse. And there were twists and turns in popcorn’s popularity. For example, when TVs became popular in homes some feared that days were numbered for movie theaters and their signature snack. But strong
From top: A parade float covered in popcorn, 1979; Mr. O.C. (Orville) Redenbacher (left) presents John Coltrain with an Angus heifer during the 1946 Indiana State Fair; Children in line for popcorn at the Recorder Picnic.
Photo courtesy of Indiana Historical Society. P0490
Photo courtesy of Por ter County Museum
Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Recorder Collection, The Indiana Historical Society
marketing campaigns and inventions such as microwave popcorn revived the small but mighty snack’s popularity.
Indiana is important in popcorn. Second only to Nebraska, Indiana produces one quarter of the nation’s popcorn, according to the USDA.
As to popcorn history, you can find it right here in the Hoosier State. Here are a few of the companies producing one the nation’s most loved and timeless snacks.
Weaver Popcorn Company
The Weaver Popcorn Company, known by many as Pop Weaver, has been an Indiana staple since Reverend Ira Weaver founded the company in 1928. Located in Whitestown, just north of Indianapolis, this company has come a long way since its beginning when Reverend Weaver was shucking, bagging and delivering his popped kernels with a horse-drawn carriage. Now, the company’s website says it produces over 30% of the world’s popcorn, which makes the company a local, national and international favorite.
This four-generations-old company’s mission is “to offer the world’s highest-quality, best-tasting popcorn, at the lowest possible price.”
With this in mind, they offer an assortment of non-GMO microwave popcorns for the butter minimalist to the butter enthusiast. Better yet, they offer popcorn in nutritionally healthier canola oil, reducing both calories and guilt. Their most popular product is a 24-pack Extra Butter microwave popcorn; it’s also the best-selling microwave popcorn item across all brands and stores nationwide.
In 2013, Pop Weaver sponsored the Indiana State Fair and it was the “Year of Popcorn,” and they built what was billed as the world’s largest popcorn ball. They also are the official sponsor for the Youth Pavilion at the Indiana State Fair grounds.
Gutwein Popcorn Company
Located in Francesville, “A Small Town with a Big Heart,” Gutwein (pronounced GOOT-wine) Popcorn Company was established in 1998 and believes rich, fertile soil is the key to popcorn that tastes great.
While they have been in the popcorn business less than 20 years, the family has been part of Indiana agriculture since 1906, when Philip Gutwein Sr. established himself as an area farmer and miller. Those strong-rooted entrepreneur ethics filtered down through the generations and are what have made their popcorn business a success.
They opened a new, state-of-the-art processing facility where they can further explore their love of the kernel and sell 30 to 35 million pounds of popcorn per year. They offer a wide variety of gourmet popcorn products, from gift baskets to bulk popcorn kernels, and offer microwave and stovetop popping varieties.
As early as 1914, this popcorn wagon was rolling through the streets of Kokomo offering kernels popped on-site.
Gutwein started selling popcorn in 1998, but has been farming Indiana land since 1906.
Courtesy of Gutwein Popcorn Company
Courtesy of Howard County Historical Society, Kokomo, IN.
How does popcorn pop?
It’s all about each kernel. Each one contains a hard shell, called a hull, which surrounds a droplet of water. When the kernel is heated, the water begins to steam, building pressure, which eventually makes the kernel pop!
Ramsey Popcorn Company
Located in Ramsey, this fourth-generation company has built itself upon the saying “We are truly Indiana, born and bred, and PopCORN fed!” Once centered on a small farm, this bustling company now ships popcorn all over the world.
Look them up and you might just meet Cousin Willie, the face of the company and one of their most popular popcorn lines. He was dedicated to his community, which came to him true from his father, Edward Sieg, who was instrumental in building the community school corporation in the northern part of Harrison County, where the company is located. Cousin Willie followed in his footsteps, serving on the same school board as an advocate for educational growth in the area. He also played a large part in local water efforts as a member of the local water board, which focused on transitioning the rural well- and cistern-based community to a high-tech water system; today, this system provides water to thousands in three Southern Indiana counties.
Cousin Willie’s great-great-great-great-grandfather was Dennis Pennington, a tireless fighter for the anti-slavery movement in the late 1700s and early 1800s in the Indiana Territory. Pennington is quoted as saying, “Let us be on our guard when our convention men are chosen that they be men opposed to slavery.” Dennis Pennington was also awarded the contract to build the capitol building in the early 1800s in Corydon, Indiana, which was Indiana’s first state capital.
Cousin Willie passed away in 2006, but the company lives on with his image, Hoosier beliefs and stellar popcorn quality in mind. They offer non-GMO popcorn items. Their most popular product is Cousin Willie’s Buttery Explosion Microwave Popcorn. Their newest product is Mauve Popcorn that has virtually no hulls and contains no artificial fillers.
Orville Redenbacher
No story about popcorn would be complete without the mention of Indiana popcorn icon Orville Redenbacher. Born in 1907, he grew up in Brazil, in the southwestern part of the state, and earned a degree from Purdue University, where he studied agriculture and ran track (he paid for his education with money he earned by selling popcorn as a child and teenager).
He worked for a short period in the 1940s for an Indiana farm in Princeton. Then, in 1951 he moved to the northern part of the state,
Commemorative sticker from the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival, circa 1980.
Valparaiso, and started a business with a small seed company. He sold popcorn out of the back of his car and continued to develop and improve his products for years.
His popcorn, bearing his name, took the United States by storm in the 1970s as households far and wide were twitterpated by the bowtie-clad, nerdy Redenbacher gracing their television screens. During his commercials, he took a bite of his fluffy popcorn and said “You’ll like it better or my name isn’t Orville Redenbacher.”
In 1990, ConAgra purchased the Orville Redenbacher brand. Redenbacher died in 1995, but his Hoosier image lives on through packaging and popcorn lore. You can learn more about what type of popcorn ConAgra sells under the Orville Redenbacher product line at Orville.com. You can also learn about a festival that celebrates Redenbacher and popcorn, the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival, at ValparaisoEvents.com
Rachel D. Russell is the managing editor of Edible Indy She has a passion for food, second only to writing, and enjoys hearing about how food has shaped lives. She is always interested in comments and ideas for new stories. She can be reached at editor@edibleindy.com.
BEST BOY
Bob's SPECIAL
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1lb sliced mushrooms, cremini or button
1lb Saint Adrian Meats and Sausage dry aged ground beef*
1lb fresh spinach, washed, dried and chopped into thin ribbons
6 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper
½ cup finely chopped green onions, tops only 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Cook’s Note: Saint Adrian Meats & Sausage dry ages their ground beef for 18-21 days.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet and add the diced onion. Sauté and add mushrooms. Cook onions and mushrooms until the mushrooms begin to brown. Remove the mixture from the pan to a heat proof bowl. Add ground beef to the skillet and, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, cook until it is no longer pink. Strain fat from the pan. Add the mushroom-onion mixture and the chopped spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, add the eggs and stir for about 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, top with green onions and cheese. Serve immediately.
Courtesy of Porter County Museum
Bake The historic link between Clabber Girl and the Indianapolis 500 GENTLEMEN, START YOUR BISCUITS?
BY MARY MCCLUNG
Noshing on fluffy baked goods is as American as biscuits and gravy, and here in Indiana it’s as racy as, well, the Indianapolis 500. As it happens, the most important automobile race in the world has some pretty surprising origins that include whiskey, coffee, pencils, washers and … baking powder.
And it all started just west of Indianapolis, about 150 years ago.
Just an hour or so from Indy off of I-70 West sits a small burgh called Terre Haute. Quiet, unassuming and absolutely packed with Indiana history, Terre Haute, which means “high ground” in French, was built on a plateau over the Wabash River around 1818, and is the place where the term “Crossroads of America” was originally coined. The city sits at the intersection of the National Road, the first improved road in the nation that runs west from Maryland to St. Louis, and U.S. Highway 41, which runs south from Michigan, through Florida, across the Everglades, and into Miami. Indeed, in 1818 the two roads seemed to connect nearly all of the “civilized” parts of the country, as it existed in those early days.
Enter Francis Hulman, a young German who escaped the financial hardships of his homeland and made his way to Terre Haute in 1849 looking for an opportunity to make a better life. His chance came in the form of wholesale groceries when he purchased an existing company in 1862 and named it Hulman & Company.
Realizing he was only bound by his own efforts, he consistently wrote his brother Herman, pleading with him to come to America and help make the new company great. Herman finally relented and came to Terre Haute to help make Hulman & Company, and later the Clabber Girl Corporation, a classic tale of the American Dream.
Nestled in the heart of downtown Terre Haute are three buildings where you can tell things are made, and one historic architectural beauty that goes with them. They are the physical manifestation of Francis and Herman’s dreams and hard work. At the corner of the
main building is a revolving door that invites and welcomes you into the headquarters of the world-famous Clabber Girl Company.
Sure, you’ve seen cans of Clabber Girl Baking Powder. Who hasn’t? Clabber Girl is ubiquitous in the U.S. as “that stuff that makes your baked goods rise and become fluffy.” (I know ... I should brush up on my science vocabulary.) Stepping inside the Clabber Girl building takes you into another time and place in Indiana history. Stroll the entire (and quite grand) first floor, and you will see exhibit after exhibit of Hulman & Company artifacts, photographs, letters and documents from the last 150 years that open the door to a very unexpected explanation of just how giant the company became and the far-reaching places it has touched; not just in Indiana, but across the globe.
After Francis and Herman Hulman grew their wholesale grocery company, they started to create their own brands to put on the shelves as choices for local grocers in competition to other food and supply companies. The company began to manufacture not only “Clabber Company” baking powder, but also packaged spices, canned and boxed foods, kitchen utensils and more. Ultimately, there were three different brands owned by Hulman & Company with dozens of goods sold alongside others in the weekly printing of the Hulman & Company wholesale catalog.
The Hulman brothers were on make-an-empire fire. Herman purchased a distillery and made Hulman & Baggs bourbon, then built a coffee-roasting plant in the same area and began the famous Rex Roasting Co., which operated until the 1960s and today has a new life in its historic location inside the Hulman building. (More on that later … after all, we’re having a chat about the old days.)
During that growth and production of goods, Clabber Company baking powder became a mainstay for the Hulmans (and for cooks of all kinds). But just what is baking powder and why “Clabber Girl?”
Bread and baked goods have been part of the human experience
Images courtesy of Clabber Girl
for over 3,000 years, using yeast as the main vehicle to create a rise. As the 1800s rolled in, bakers began to use a mixture of sour milk (clabber) and sodium bicarbonate to raise dough. When the British invented baking soda in 1830, clabber was no longer needed, but was familiar enough to fit into the name of the product that replaced it. Originally called Clabber Company, the name changed to Clabber Girl (see box below) in 1923 and the rest is … well, you only have to open your kitchen cabinet to know.
By the 1900s, brothers Hulman had become manufacturing and sales legends. All of that making, processing, canning, roasting, distilling and distributing happened right in the Clabber Girl complex in Terre Haute. Beyond the company, the family had for years personally committed to the progress and support of the city and its people. As new generations of family grew, more Hulmans came on board, including Herman’s son Tony and grandson Tony Jr., and they would take the company into its next, and quietly famous, phase of history. In the 1940s, as Clabber Girl baking powder became a national and international brand, Hulman and Company looked for ways to promote the product, and the grander the better. It just so happened that there was a racetrack for sale in Indianapolis and Tony Hulman Jr. decided it was just the ticket for promoting his family’s famous baking powder.
Hulman & Company purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945, taking on its serious venue and reputation challenges with the vision and energy Francis and Herman had shown 100 years before. The speedway had been idle and uninhabited since World War II, when racing was forced to stop in effort to support troops and provide needed supplies. The track Hulman found was not much more than a giant weed patch, home to failing structures and rumors that the entire place would fall to a developer’s bulldozer. Tony Jr. went all in and committed Hulman & Company to the rebirth of the
Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Today the Indy 500 has success, reputation and history like no other sporting event on the planet—this year it even celebrates its 100th anniversary. And for that you can thank Clabber Girl baking powder.
Spending time at today’s Clabber Girl headquarters in Terre Haute is well worth the trip. Not only do you get to experience the visual history of how the Hulman family has become an icon in American and Indiana history, but you also have the opportunity to see what’s cooking there now. Wind your way through the main part of the building to the café, where light meals and beverages are served (including baked goods, of course!). The dining area is a wonderful mix of the original brick walls from 1892 and some mid-century glass frontage that lets sunlight into the space. You can feel the family vibe here. Employees from the executives to production staff eat, chat and send out energy that make you want to don a white coat and go package some baking powder. The café also hosts a retail shop with both Clabber Girl products and some of Indiana’s finest artisan foods and books. Next to the café area, you’ll find the rebirth of the Rex Roasting Co. with the original roasting room now back in operation. You can watch the master roasters at work and pick up packages of (delicious!) coffee to take home. Finally, check out the Clabber Girl cooking school. Chefs and culinary instructors hold classes regularly in an amphitheater / huge open kitchen setting.
Next time you think about making a quick bread, biscuits or cake, you will probably open a small door in your kitchen and reach for a little white canister which holds the magical powder that makes our taste buds sing just a little. That moment may change a bit now, knowing all the history inside that canister. You may even pop open the top and hear a tiny little roar … perhaps like that of a few dozen 700-horsepower twin-turbo engines on a warm racetrack in May.
Changing the name of a famous company overnight might seem a bit random, but around 1923 the Hulman brothers were faced with a new federal law regarding truth in labeling. Companies could no longer label a food item with something that wasn’t being used as an actual ingredient. Since there was no clabber in Clabber Company baking powder, the name of the product had to be changed. The Hulmans refocused and decided to refer to the little girl inside the scene decorating the baking powder can, losing any reference to having any clabber in the can and instead making a new icon … the Clabber Girl.
Mary McClung is an Indianapolis photographer and visual artist finishing a BFA in photography and intermedia at Herron School of Art & Design. Mary’s love for the slow, sustainable, farm-to-table culture manifests itself through her work photographing and promoting the food and the food community around Central Indiana.
The Hulman Brothers
1250 E 86th Street Suite 200 Indianapolis IN 46240 ArtisanosOils.com 317•251•4100 Tues-Thurs 10:30-6:30, Fri 10:30-6, Sat 10-6, Sun 11-4
1250 E 86th Street Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN 46240 ArtisanosOils.com • 317•251•4100 MonThurs 10:00 AM- 6:30 PM • Fri-Sat 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM • Sun 11:00 AM-4:00 PM
From Insects to Electricity WESTERN FARMER AND GARDENER
BY JO ELLEN MEYERS SHARP
Henry Ward Beecher “would be credited with growing the first cauliflower in Indianapolis.”
As we celebrate Indiana’s bicentennial, let’s take a look back to when Indianapolis was the headquarters of its own agriculture and gardening publication, edited by a Presbyterian minister related to a soon-to-be-famous novelist.
Dial the WABAC machine to the 1840s, and we’ll find a city with one road, the National Road, free of tree stumps and the air thick with mosquitoes. Horses and horse-drawn wagons were the primary modes of transportation. It’s been barely 30 years since Indiana earned statehood, and about 25 years since the capital moved from Corydon in southern Indiana to the center of the state. Among those seeking their livelihood in Indianapolis was Henry Ward Beecher, the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who would become famous in 1850 with the publication of her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Henry Beecher moved to Indianapolis May 13, 1839, from Lawrenceburg (spelled Lawrenceburgh in historical documents), to become pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, which was founded the year before.
“Residences are very fine, with large yards and gardens on sides and fronts,” Ward wrote in a letter about his visit to Indianapolis. He borrowed a book about horticulture from the State Library, and a second career was launched.
On a salary of $600 a year, Ward and his wife, Eunice, rented a house near downtown.
“The only really attractive feature of the tiny Beecher home on East Market Street was the large lot on which it stood,” wrote Jane Shaffer Elsmere in her 1973 biography, Henry Ward Beecher: The Indiana Years 1937–1847. “There were several fruit trees, rose bushes, shrubs, and space for a garden. Beecher deeply loved gardening, and it was believed by this family that he had inherited his feeling for it from his mother, who had spent much time working with her flowers prior to his birth.”
In the spring of 1840, Beecher planted more rose bushes, starts of honeysuckle and a willow tree. On March 11, 1840, the day the Beechers buried their stillborn son, Henry planted onion sets and sowed seeds for cabbage and cauliflower. “He would be credited with growing the first cauliflower in Indianapolis,” Elsmere wrote. On following days, he sowed lettuces, radishes and peas. He even planted a few hyacinths and jonquils.
At the time, writers and editors published annual gardening and agriculture almanacs for specific states, such as Indiana, or regions like the Midwest. The
To
make a tomato omelet from Western Farmer & Gardener Indianapolis Oct. 1, 1846
(Vol. II, No. 19, page 300):
Take a stew pan and melt a piece of butter the size of a nutmeg. Mince up some onion very fine, and fry it until quite brown. Add ten peeled tomatoes, season with pepper and salt, and stir them until cooked to a soft pulp. Then stir in four beaten eggs, until the underside of the mass becomes brown. Lay a plate on top, turn the pan upside down, and the dish is ready for the table.
included: Slobbering in Horses, Potato Diseases and Mildew on Grapes.
“Many permit the fruit of the vines to perish before their eyes from the ravages of mildew, ignorant that an effectual remedy is within their reach. It is simply to dust the branches with flour of sulphur. It is best done while the dew is on.” (Page 212, Vol. I)
In July 1846, the almanac bemoaned a troubled apple crop, but praised a robust harvest of strawberries.
“Never do we remember such a promise of fruit, as early spring held out. From the extraordinary fullness of bloom, every one expected an immense quantity of fruit. These expectations have been much abated. In this part of the State and in the southern part, so far as we can learn, there will not be more than half a crop of apples. Peaches, in this region, will be abundant. Grapes generally appear well, and are swelling finely. Strawberries are abundant, and from the warmth and dryness of the weather for some weeks past, are very well ripened.” (Page 165, Vol. II)
publications included phases of the moon, records of temperatures and rainfall, recipes, bits of gossip, scientific information and patent news. The editors freely shared information among the publications.
Among the first for the Midwest region was The Western Farmer and Gardener’s Almanac for 1842, by Thomas Affleck, which was published in Cincinnati.
“The desire for information on farming and gardening has increased to a wonderful extent throughout the Union, during the last few years,” Affleck wrote. “With agriculture for the foundation of the superstructure, our country is safe.”
Beecher began editing The Indiana Western Farmer and Gardener’s Almanac in Indianapolis, with Volume I in 1845 and Volume II in 1846. Designed to be “a journal devoted to agriculture, horticulture, rural affairs and domestic economy,” the publications are filled with monthly reports from throughout Indiana, the Midwest and the Eastern United States. Included were instructions on what to plant when, advice on dealing with the insects and diseases that afflicted plants and livestock and questions from readers. Topics in July 1845
Farmers and gardeners of the period also grappled with new technology, from cultivators to electricity. In 1845, a reader asks about insect blight on pear trees that have been grafted on quince stock.
“The editor of the (Ohio) Farmer and Gardener, I think, leans somewhat to the belief of blight being produced from electricity...,” wrote S. Another reader wrote “that keeping the earth about the roots moist, by placing stones or litter, is beneficial, but we are not yet prepared to think it will prevent the evil, and what to say of the iron system we know not, it goes however to aid the electric theory.”
In response, Beecher wrote “Everybody is agog with electricity. But we respectfully suggest that it is one thing to ascertain facts by cautious, guarded experiments, or careful observations, and quite another, to set down everything which one does not know what else to do with, to electricity, simply because it may be so for aught that we know to the contrary. People reason somewhat in this wise: Electricity performs a vast number of very mysterious operations; therefore, every operation, which is mysterious is performed by electricity. We believe electricity to have something to do with it, only because it seems to have concern with every living, growing thing.” (Page 150, Vol. I)
Beecher resigned his post at Second Presbyterian on August 12, 1847, to become pastor at Plymouth Church in Boston. The Western Farmer and Gardener continued for a few more years, but eventually folded
Vestiges of these publications continue today. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been published continually since 1792. There’s also the Farmer’s Almanac, which has published annually since 1818, and the Mother Earth News Almanac, which has been revived after several years of dormancy.
Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, who agrees that electricity does not cause blight, loved the folksy wisdom imparted in these almanacs. She blogs at HoosierGardener.com.
Graphic by Caryn Scheving
Steep a cup of Yogi tea and you have something more than delicious. Every intriguing blend of herbs and botanicals is on a mission, supporting energy, stamina, clarity, immunity, tranquility, cleansing or unwinding. Every cup is a gift to mind, body and spirit.
As the state of Indiana commemorates its bicentennial, one landmark in the capital city continues to be enjoyed and celebrated by both locals and visitors. Housed in a stately European-style building, the Indianapolis City Market has been a constant during years of changes in the metropolitan center. Today, with the resurgence of residential living in the downtown area, it continues to be a colorful and vibrant destination for entertainment and shopping.
Indianapolis has the distinction of being a planned city and the original blueprint insured there was space for a public market. When Alexander Ralston, who also assisted in designing Washington, DC, divided the land into a grid in 1821, he designated the south side of plat 43 as the location for the City Market. For the first years of its existence, it was primarily agrarian. Open-sided stalls provided shelter to merchants who sold hay, grain, wood and tools.
TRADITION
BY JULIE YATES
It wasn’t until 1886 that the existing building was designed and built. Designed by German-born architect Diedrich A. Bohlen, it replaced the outdoor booths that had occupied the property since the 1830s. The brick structure featured twin-flanking towers and rounded archways that still exist today. Around the same time, Tomlinson Hall was erected on the spot where the west wing is today. Also designed by Bohlen, the exposition center complemented the City Market both in appearance and utility. In its prime, Tomlinson Hall was host to presidential rallies, John Philip Sousa band concerts and one of the first basketball games in the Midwest. The hall had retail space on the street level, and while the City Market sold produce, the Tomlinson vendors peddled meat.
Immediately following World War II, Indianapolis was home to busy families with smaller refrigerators than the ones of today. Many housewives visited the City Market several times a week to purchase
Photography courtesy of Indianapolis City Market
City Market ,1908
perishables. According to Stevi Stoesz, executive director, activity in the market peaked in the 1950s when it boasted 246 stalls, 21 retail stores and three restaurants.
“Today, a scenario like that would be impossible,” Stoesz said. “The situation back then predated today’s Board of Health regulations for hand sinks and water heaters necessary for food services.”
However, by the end of the decade, families began to move out of the city and into the suburbs. In 1958, Tomlinson Hall was razed after succumbing to a fire, and downtown Indianapolis was no longer a prime location for events held after office hours.
By the 1970s, the City Market had become what Stoesz describes as a “lunch counter.” Although it still had some grocery-type stands, “It had to make a model shift in order to stay relevant to the demand of the time,” Stoesz said. From 1972 to 1977, repairs were made to the structure as part of an overall program to revitalize the downtown area. The mezzanine was added, as well as the east and west wings. During this time of renewed interest in the City Market, it became listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In recent years, two other important renovations have taken place. Structural overhauls such as new pipes, lighting and floors were the focus of a 2007–08 restoration. The 2010–11 cosmetic makeover, which added color and enhancements to the building’s architectural features, occurred just in time for the 2012 Super Bowl held in Indianapolis. The market was chosen by the hosting committee as a recommended venue for holding events.
Today, the City Market is having a renaissance as diverse customers such as Millennials, office workers, empty nesters and hipsters frequent the market from its opening at 7am on weekdays, 8am on Saturdays, to its closing at 9pm. Patrons are drawn to stalls and eateries that offer artisan products, one-of-a-kind gifts and authentic ethnic food. Named after the hall that once stood nearby, on the second floor is the Tomlinson Tap Room with its rotating selection of Indiana craft beers. It offers a great place to meet after work or before the game. Every Wednesday from May through October, The Original Farmers’ Market featuring vendors selling in-season produce, local meats, cheeses and other unique items is held outside from 9:30am to 1:30pm, rain or shine. The Bicentennial Bazaar, an indoor farmers’ market, is held on Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm until March 26.
“It’s an exciting time for the Indianapolis City Market,” declared Stoesz. “Patrons not only come to attend our sponsored events such as tours of the Tomlinson Hall catacombs, but can also shop from merchants who can tell them exactly how an item was grown or prepared.”
For more information and a complete calendar of events, visit IndyCM.com.
Julie K. Yates is a freelance writer and food blogger. She enjoys sharing the stories of individuals and organizations that pursue culinary-related experiences. Visit her blogs at YatesYummies.com and OrangesAndAlmonds.com.
City Market ,1923
Photo courtesy of Indiana Historical Society,
The Garden Table is a local eatery and fresh juicery in the heart of the Broad Ripple Village. We serve seasonally influenced and locally sourced food and cold pressed juice. We believe in simple dishes, made from natural ingredients, grown and harvested by local farmers. Downtown location opening soon. 317.413.3778. TheGardenTable.com
908 E. Westfield Blvd., Indianapolis, Tu–Sa 8am–3pm, Su 9am–3pm.
Looking for a great burger and beer? Look no further than Punch Burger. Our award winning burgers are made from local grass-fed beef provided by Fischer Farms in Jasper, Indiana. Our beers crafted are from local breweries such as Sun King, Quaff On, Scarlet Lane and more. Need a suggestion? Make sure to order up our famous Burnt Cheese burger and a side of sweet potato tots . You won’t be sorry! PunchBurger.com
Downtown: 137 E. Ohio St., Indianapolis, 317.426.5280. Su–Th 11am–9pm, F–Sa 11am–10pm 12525 Old Meridian Ste. 100, Carmel: 317.564.0637. Su–W 11am–9pm, F–Sa 11am–10pm
Eating Local Simplified
Getting Hoosier-grown goodness on your plate doesn’t have to involve hours in the kitchen. These fine establishments proudly serve up the freshest locally sourced cuisine.
The farm-to-table movement begins with Central Indiana farms and dedicated producers who care about bringing only the best to market, which is a very good thing for locally owned restaurants that search out the best dairy, meat, produce and beverages for their patrons.
Farm-to-table is gaining momentum not only with bornand-bred Hoosiers, but the many visitors to Central Indiana. Edible Indy connects growers, producers and food artisans with their community.
Here is a select list of some of those chefs and owners who take great pride in celebrating Hoosier-grown goodness.
*This is a paid advertisement.
St. Elmo gives a big thank you to our local partners! As a locally owned business for over 110 years we take great pride in our local business relationships. Cheers to independent businesses! 317.635.0636, StElmos.com
127 S. Illinois St., Indianapolis, M–F 4–11pm, Sa 3–11pm, Su 4–10pm
Milktooth is a neighborhood brunch destination, serving up Indy’s first Mod Bar coffee program along with upscale breakfast and lunch. Focusing on seasonal, local ingredients— everything is made in house. 317.986.5131, MilktoothIndy.com 534 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis, W–M 7am–3pm
A Mass Avenue staple offering non-hpp raw juices and smoothies in a hip and trendy walk-in location. All juices are cold-pressed, old school centrifuge, and freshly juiced on site and their cleanses programs are available year around. 317.797.4254, NaturalBornJuicers.com
865 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis. M–F 7am–7pm, Sa 9am–7pm, Su 10am–6pm
We’re proud to keep it local at Harry & Izzy’s! Three restaurants sourcing locally from 10 regional farms, four breweries and seven locally owned purveyors or producers leads to one great meal. All open M–Th 11am–11pm, F–Sa 11am–midnight, Su noon–9pm. HarryAndIzzys.com
Downtown: 153 S. Illinois St., Indianapolis, 317.635.9594 Northside: 4050 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis, 317.915.8045
Airport: 7800 Col. Weir Cook Memorial Dr., Indianapolis, 317.241.0533
Oakley’s Bistro, a neighborhood American Bistro focuses on rotating seasonal menus encompassing the Midwest rustic appeal with local sustainable ingredients making every meal a special occasion. Owner and operator, Chef Steven Oakley is a James Beard Nominee with Bon Appétit recognizing the bistro as “one of the hottest restaurants coast to coast”. Join Chef Oakley at this Northside Indianapolis staple for lunch or dinner, whatever the occasion, the experience will be divine. 317.824.1231, OakleysBistro.com
Hotel Tango, the first small batch distillery in Indiana and is also the first service disabled, combat veteran owned distillery in the country. Using only high-quality, local ingredients allows us to stand out. We invite you to come in and taste what our Hoosier heads, hands, and hearts have made, sit by the fire, or belly up at the bar. Drink local, buy local. 317.653.1806, HotelTangoWhiskey.com
702 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis. M–F 2–10pm, Sa–Su noon–10pm
Founded in 2005, Chef JJ’s is a unique, personal and hands-on culinary experience with a focus on the Big Green Egg®, corporate team building, private events and grilling classes. Chef JJ’s provides clients with the most innovative culinary experience in Indianapolis. Our multi-course meals are prepared and served backyard or family style. We offer distinctive private dining opportunities for your event with personal attention to detail. Call us to set up your event today. 317.602.3828, ChefJJs.com
Downtown: 42 W. South St., Indianapolis 1040 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis, M–F 11am–6pm, Sa 10am–5pm.
Cardinal Spirits is a craft distillery and cocktail bar just off the B-Line in Bloomington. We combine ageold distilling techniques with modern technology, and specialize in creating memorable experiences. CardinalSpirits.com
922 S. Morton St., Bloomington, M–Th 4–10pm, F–Su 12pm–12am, 812.202.6789
From a store full of fresh, seasonal foods and a team of Chefs and Culinary Experts comes a celebration of food called table by Market District — a restaurant that brings passion for food right to your plate. Open daily for lunch & dinner, as well as brunch every Sunday. 317.689.6330, MarketDistrict.com/Table
11505 N. Illinois St., Carmel. Su–Th 11am– 9pm, F–Sa 11am–10pm
Dine at a true farmstead restaurant, located inside a beautiful historic barn on an organic dairy farm. Food grown and raised on-site takes center place on organic menus shaped by seasonal rhythms. Open for Lunch, Dinner, and Sunday Brunch. 317.733.1700, TraderspointCreamery.com
9101 Moore Rd., Zionsville. Lunch: M–Sat 11am–2:30pm; Dinner: Tu–Th, Su 5–9pm, F–Sa 5–9:30pm; Sunday Brunch: 9:30am–2:30pm
Upland offers a brewpub, beer bar, tap house and tasting room, all serving up Indiana’s finest craft brews,gourmet burgers to beet and pesto pizza. The Carmel Tap House and the Brew
Pub have full service lunch and dinner menus.
For a full listing of locations visit UplandBeer.com
Bloomington BrewPub: 350 W. 11th St., Bloomington, M–Th 11am–12am, F–Sa 11am–1am, Su 12pm— 12am, 812.336.2337
Carmel Tap House: 820 E. 116th St., Carmel, M–Th 11am–12am, F–Sa 11am–1am, Su 12pm–12am, 317.564.3400
Local Roots, California Wines (and vibes)! If you love tasting great Napa Valley wine in a fun, eclectic, groovy atmosphere, then Peace Water Winery is your place!
Best yet, 50% of our profits are donated to charities. So come in for a tasting, buy a glass, take home a bottle or join our wine club and learn how “One Bottle Does a World of Good!”. 317.810.1330, PeaceWaterWinery.com
37 W. Main St., Carmel, T–Th 2–9pm, F–Sa noon–10pm, Su noon–5pm
Saturday Evening Post
® From Cunningham Restaurant Group’s Moerlein Lager House in Cincinnati to their latest Indianapolis sensation Vida, C&T Design has been the exclusive provider of distinctive kitchen design and equipment supplies with individual concepts, solutions, and custom work. It is all in the name of
