Edible Indy Spring 2017

Celebrating the Bounty of Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Indianapolis and Beyond

The Future of Agriculture | Westfield Eats Hubbard & Cravens: Crop to Cup | Farm 360

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.

FEATURES

flowers

16 FROM CROP TO CUP: Spotlight on local coffee purveyor, Hubbard & Cravens Coffee and Tea

20 THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE: Transforming America’s food culture one day at a time

24 MAKING GOOD FOOD DECISIONS FAST: How Purdue University is educating consumers about food choices

35 THE EVOLUTION OF DAME SCHOOLS: How home economics classes evolved into modern food labs

RECIPES

19 The Livery’s Sneaky Pineapple Cocktail

27 Rail Epicurean’s Brussels Sprouts and Kale Cobb Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

27 Rail Epicurean’s Pear Country Pâté

27 Big Hoffa’s Magical Chicken Marinade

29 Italian House on Park’s Pettinidi with Mixed Vegetables and Dill Sauce

29 Grand Junction Brewing Company’s German Potatoes

COVER: Photography by Heather Schrock

THIS PAGE: Photography courtesy of Hubbard & Cravens

Hoosier Thoughts

Spring in the Midwest: flowers blooming, baby chicks hatching, new buds peeking out on the branches of the maple and oak trees, green blades of grass replacing the brown and, all around us, the desire to grow.

The growth of the Hoosier food movement falls on the shoulders of people like you, and your support is bringing the increased ability for Hoosiers to have access to clean food products. Greater demand and resources are empowering producers to create those desired foods, and we are seeing movement and effort within our food system to transition a better lifestyle in which we engage our community.

This year Edible Indy continues its mission of being a resource for our readers and our partners, challenging everyone to buy and eat what’s local. We will be a food advocacy voice. We will be a hand up to teach our children about local food. We will build food partnerships for those who desire it and are in need. We will engage our readers with more Hoosier goodness while addressing some necessary changes within the food community. Spring is a time for growth, a time for renewal and a time to continue moving forward with efforts to make Hoosier food a priority. Are you with us?

Hoosier Hugs,

Jennifer & Jeff Rubenstein

From the Editor

I’ve always found it discouraging that it’s easier and more affordable to buy unhealthy food than it is to buy healthy food—it doesn’t make sense. Why is it we can stroll into a gas station, buy two hot dogs and a supersized cola and only spend $1.99, but it costs three or four times as much to buy a locally produced, nutrient-rich salad and water? And why is it that the latter is harder to come by?

Why? Because our country is vast with food deserts and many consumers lack the education and resources to make healthy food choices.

When I started research for this issue’s piece on the future of agriculture, I was shocked and disappointed by the statistics and, admittedly, found myself confused over the various reporting methods used by different companies, government agencies and individuals alike. At the same time, I felt a twinge of optimism when I read some of the current legislation aimed at promoting a healthier America—like the healthy food initiative Indiana Senator Randy Head, R-Logansport, has proposed. Under Senator Head’s proposal, the Indiana State Department of Health’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity would “award a grant or loan to businesses in eight central Indiana counties and four Indiana regions to buy, repair or renovate property or equipment used to offer fresh or unprocessed foods to customers.”

Fortunately, Senator Head isn’t the only one pushing to get good food into the hands of Americans. Across the country, more and more people are demanding better access to good food and legislators are listening—which, for the future of our health, is a very good thing … because, quite frankly, making healthy food more readily available and more affordable should be the main issue on everyone’s plate. Cheers, to your health, and the health of all of us.

edible INDY

PUBLISHER: Rubenstein Hills LLC

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jennifer Rubenstein

CFO: Jeff Rubenstein

MANAGING EDITOR: Shauna L. Nosler

DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER & EDITOR:

Rachel D. Russell

COPY EDITOR: Doug Adrianson

DESIGNER:

Cheryl Angelina Koehler

WEB DESIGNER: Edible Feast STAFF

Caryn Scheving, Graphics

Heather Shrock, Photographer ADVERTISING

Jennifer Rubenstein

jennifer@edibleindy.com

317.489.9194

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 Edible Indy PO Box 155 Zionsville, Indiana 46077

317.489.9194 info@edibleindy.com

Edible Indy is published quarterly (March, May, September and November). 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.

Don’t get caught without your Edible Indy. Subscribe online or send a check. Subscriptions are $32 per year.

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.

No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. © 2017 all rights reserved.

Shauna

Saturdays 10am - Noon

Sign up today! Limited class size and classes will sell out!

$10 per child / $5 additional child or $20 per family (3+ children)

*Each child or family will receive a $10 Georgetown Gift Card

2017 Classes

February 25 No Bake Sweet Treats*

Learn how to make great tasting treats without baking!

May 13 Summer Smoothie-palooza

Kick off the summer and learn to make fruit and vegetable smoothies.

August 19 Healthy Lunchbox Eats

Shelf the boring lunch. Kids will learn how to make salads, homemade lunchables and more!

December 2 Bread in a Bag + Jam = Delicious Kids will create bread in a bag they can bake and home + homemade jam!

*Gluten- and dairy-free options available Sign up at: EdibleIndyKidsTable2017.eventbrite.com

What’s something new you’re looking forward to this

“Since spring is the season of renewal, I’m excited to see the trees bud and to inhale the scent of fresh blooms.” Julie K. Yates is a freelance writer and food blogger from Fishers. She enjoys writing about anything edible as well as sharing the stories of individuals who pursue culinary-related experiences. Experiencing local cuisine while traveling is also a passion. Visit her blogs: YatesYummies.com and OrangesAndAlmonds.com | @YatesYummies

“Like many Hoosier beekeepers I have experienced high losses of colonies. I am looking forward to the arrival of two new packages of bees this spring so I can build up a couple of new hives and start back in honey production and enjoy better pollination of the garden in 2017.” Roy Ballard: Purdue Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hancock County; Indiana SARE Coordinator; Hancock County Solid Waste Management District Director

“Spring is my favorite time of the year. I always look forward to the smell of wet grass, the blooming of the trees, new baby chickens and being able to get outside to enjoy the spring sunshine. Let those April showers bring May flowers!”

Jennifer Rubenstein, Publisher, Edible Indy | @edibleindyjenn

“Hiking the green mountains around my home now that rains have finally arrived after our six-year drought.” From his tree house in Ojai, California, Doug Adrianson handles copy editing for about 30 Edibles across the U.S. and for TASCHEN books, the Patagonia sportswear company and others. Born in Michigan, Doug holds a journalism degree from Northwestern University and worked 25 years in daily newspapers, mainly at the Miami Herald and Los Angeles Times. He is also a rite-of-passage guide for teens and adults and teaches the Council communication practice for OjaiFoundation.org and CenterForCouncil.org.

“Introducing new seasonal pie ingredients including rhubarb, raspberry and, of course, strawberry! Spring is the perfect time to introduce new outdoor succulent arrangements and planters, and I’m excited to finally do that in outdoor markets—being a part of those is an experience I can’t wait for.” Clarissa Morley grew up in a home that celebrated the art of growing and the art of baking. As the owner of Pots and Pans Indy, she’s delighted to bring homemade pies and homegrown flower arrangements to the people of Indianapolis. | PotsAndPansIndy.com

As Rachel is trying to learn to live in the present, she declined to answer the question on what she’s looking forward to. When not spending time with friends and family, writing, hanging out at gyms and practicing law, Rachel D. Russell manages and edits Edible Indy’s digital world. She is crazy about parks and the outdoors, and is the former president and current member of the Friends of Broad Ripple Park. She is a 200-hour RYT, has her cycle certification and her Zumba® license. @rachelgetsindy | RachelGetsIndy.com.

season?

“I’m excited about year two at Ezra’s Farm as we have expanded our growing space quite a bit. Our hope is to have a few farm dinners this year.” Audrey Barron, Chef and Owner of Ezra’s Enlightened Café, a dairy-free, processedsugar-free, GMO-free, gluten-free eatery in Indianapolis.  @ezrasraw | @ezrasrawcafe | EzrasEnlightenedCafe.com

“There is nothing like that first warm breeze of spring, the scent of plants budding, and the feeling of earth between my toes. I love the shoots of green that tell me it’s time to dig in the dirt! This year, I’m looking forward to installing raised beds full of greens and herbs, and finally adding some hydrangeas to the yard.” Heather Schrock is a freelance photographer. HeatherSchrock.com | @heatheraschrock

“Having recently joined the Mommy Club, I’m really excited to experience spring with my son. Even though he can’t enjoy seasonal produce with me yet, I’m looking forward to taking long walks in the sunshine and visiting the local farmers markets with him in tow.” Caryn Scheving graduated with a degree in graphic design in 2012, shortly after marrying her husband, Seth. They now live in a beautiful old house in South Carolina with their son, Thatcher. While she works full time as a creative marketing manager, Caryn enjoys illustrating and trying new recipes in her elusive free time. She’s excited to be able to put her talents to work for the Edible Communities! @ckscheving

“I can’t wait to get my hands in the dirt once spring comes and try my hand at growing a few new herbs.” Charity Singleton Craig is a writer, bringing words to life through essays, stories, blog posts and books. She is the author of My Year in Words and coauthor of On Being a Writer. She is regularly published at various venues, including In Touch Magazine and Tweetspeak Poetry. She also is the owner of Frankfort Writers Center, offering writing services and services to writers. @charitysingletoncraig | CharitySingletonCraig.com

“I‘m looking forward to more time spent in the analog world with my new pencil set,” says Edible Indy‘s magazine designer Cheryl Angelina Koehler, who works out of at her hippie pad in Berkeley, California designing Edible Indy and nine other Edible Communities magazines around the country. She also publishes her own magazine, Edible East Bay. She has written on food and travel for numerous publications. Find her illustration work at edibleeastbay.com/artists/ cheryl-angelina-koehler

“Running uncharted paths with my black Lab, Maverick. Oh, and the sun, of course.” A contributor to many publications including the Indianapolis Star and the national news organization U.S. News & World Report, Shauna Nosler is the managing editor for Edible Indy, where she’s been fortunate to experience some of the Circle City’s coolest eateries and meet the people behind Indy’s ever-evolving culinary scene and massive farm-to-table movement. @shaunanosler | BestFromIndianapolis.com | TheFlavoredWord.com

Edible Indy celebrates food and you. Food + Social Media = Our Foodie Party. These social media shoutouts toast the food we love, the food you share and the joy of experiencing something new. Tag #EDIBLEINDY and maybe your masterpiece will score a seat at our celebrating food table.

Indiana Cocktail Recipes

From Local Bartenders and Cardinal Spirits

BY ERICA SAGON

Cardinal Spirits, the craft distillery in Bloomington, has released its first cocktail book with more than 40 original recipes entirely from Indiana bartenders.

Indiana Cocktail Recipes: From Local Bartenders and Cardinal Spirits is divided into seasons and features easy, medium and challenging recipes using Cardinal Spirits products—everything from a twoingredient Bramble Screwdriver to a complex gin cocktail made with dandelion-root tea and strawberry–black pepper syrup.

The book captures Indiana’s current cocktail scene, and recipes come from bars as far north as South Bend and as far south as Evansville. Several of the recipes are by Cardinal Spirits’ own bartenders, including their most popular cocktails from past menus. Featured Indianapolis-area bars are The Ball & Biscuit, Public Greens, Pure Eatery, Omni Severin, Oakley’s Bistro, Meridian Restaurant & Bar and Rail Epicurean Market.

“We created this book to shine light on the terrific work of Indiana bartenders, and show people how they can re-create that magic when making drinks at home,” says Adam Quirk, co-founder of Cardinal Spirits. “Bartenders in every part of the state are crafting creative, delicious cocktails, often with Cardinal Spirits products. We’re working hard to make the best local spirits we can, and they work hard to showcase our spirits in their best light.”

Details: Indiana Cocktail Recipes, $12.95 at Cardinal Spirits and CardinalSpirits.com

Find the original Indiana cocktail recipe, Root Down, at EdibleIndy.com.

How to get natural relief from nasty allergies HOME REMEDIES TO THE RESCUE

BY AUDREY BARRON, EZRA’S ENLIGHTENED CAFÉ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN

n the United States, allergies are on the rise across all generations, young and old. And if you’ve ever suffered with allergies, you know how miserable it can be. This time of year, as the weather is warming and allergy season approaches, it’s nice to have natural solutions ready to help you get through.

Here are some remedies and practices I use and have been recommending to clients and customers for years.

Spoon up some raw local honey

Honey is one of nature’s most powerful remedies for many things, including colds, coughs and wound healing. With antibacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, honey helps the body fight off sickness, including seasonal allergies. The key is to seek out local honey. When you source from a local beekeeper, you consume honey made from the pollen in your environment. A wonderful side benefit of using locally sourced honey is supporting the bees, which are disappearing by the millions every year due to pesticides and environmental pollutants.

USE: For best results, have a teaspoon per day. Locally sourced bee pollen can also be consumed for this purpose.

Sip some apple cider vinegar

Another seriously versatile medicine, apple cider vinegar is a staple in our house. Taking one to two tablespoons each morning kick-starts your lymph system and digestion and helps reduce mucus production. All of this helps the body handle allergens prevalent in the spring and summer months. An awesome side benefit: Regular use helps the skin to glow. You can also use apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse periodically for more manageable, shiny locks.

USE: Ingest a couple tablespoons each morning.

Relish your probiotics

Gut health and our overall microbiome in the body is very important to ensure all systems are running smoothly. An out-of-balance gut puts out the welcome mat for allergies, not to mention other unwanted health issues. Local health food stores typically sell a variety of probiotic products. Take the recommended daily dosage for best results. You can also inoculate your gut with the good guys by eating fermented veggies; this is why we put them on so many of our dishes at the café.

USE: A tablespoon or two of fermented veggies daily will help build up your healthy gut flora.

Fear not the stinging nettle

Ah, one of my all-time favorite plant allies. Stinging nettle is known to many as that pesky weed that brings a burning sensation to your skin when you are walking in the woods or along the edge of a creek. That sting is the medicine of the plant saying “hello” as you walk by. The tiny stingers, when brushed along the skin, administer little bits of antihistamine, which helps the body naturally fight allergies. If you aren’t a fan of getting stung to ease your allergies, you can pick up some dried nettle leaf from your local health food store, herbalist or online (I love Mountain Rose Herbs) and make yourself a tea. I like to add mint and raspberry leaf to mine.

USE: Drink daily as directed during allergy season to help with symptoms.

Upgrade your food-lifestyle

Just as important as the natural remedies above is the prevention of allergies. A great way to do this is to upgrade what you put into your body. Why not avoid the issue if you can, right? One way to do this is to make some small but profound, changes in your diet. The processed foods on the shelves of the grocery store contain disease-inducing ingredients like artificial sweeteners, factory-farmed meat and dairy products, highly processed GMO wheat, soy, corn and canola, as well as food colorings and chemicals. None of these substances make it easy for your body to fight allergies. In fact, these ingredients are now identified as among the reasons allergies are on the rise as they are simply inflaming our bodies. So my gentle nudge to you is this: You are worth better. Give yourself the gift of feeling better, and most likely some allergy relief, by replacing processed foods with whole foods like fresh fruits and veggies, healthy fats, locally raised meats and dairy (if you eat animal products), organic gluten-free grains and legumes like quinoa, millet, lentils and beans. These practices should help you have a healthier more enjoyable spring.

6 Stellar Stops Between Indy and Hilton Head

COMPILED

BY

SHAUNA L. NOSLER | ILLUSTRATION

am or whatever your name is.

CARYN SCHEVING

Indianapolis lies the ever-popular vacation destination, Hilton Head

Midwesterners and holiday-bound travelers, head towards the 4-5:30 pm

Wired Goat Vista Drip Cool Beans Coffee Shop Kaminsky’s

7 am Two hours out of Indy, time for some caffeine in Cincinnati—check out any one of these locally owned coffee shops for your morning brew: Lola’s 24 W. 3rd St. | facebook.com/Coffee-at-Lolas

Coffee Emporium 110 E. Central Pkwy | Coffee-Emporium.com

BLOC Coffee Company 3101 Price Ave. | BlocCoffeeCompany.com

Collective Espresso 207 Woodward St. | CollectiveEspresso.com

Deeper Roots Coffee 3056 Madison Rd. | DeeperRootsCoffee.com

8:30 am Fuel up in Lexington at one of these breakfast hotspots:

Lexington Diner 124 N. Upper St. | LexingtonDiner.com

MUST HAVE: The Smoked Gouda Omelette with scallions, tomato, applewood bacon, smoked gouda and mushrooms.

Broomwagon 800 N. Limestone St. | BroomwagonBikes.com

MUST HAVE: A traditional Breakfast Wrap with eggs, mozzarella and tomato OR keep it simple and order a chocolate croissant and (more) coffee from neighboring roaster The Magic Bean.

Distilled at Gratz Park 120 W. 2nd St. | DistilledatGratzParkInn.com

MUST HAVE: Buttermilk Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes with fresh berries, maple syrup, butter and bacon.

Asheville, NC

Hilton Head, SC

1-3 pm If you’re making decent time and you stopped in Knoxville for say 2090 minutes, then it’s somewhere in the early afternoon. Time to grab a snack in Asheville, NC or do a light lunch at one of these farm-to-table restaurants: Homegrown 371 Merrimon Ave. | SlowFoodRightQuick.com

SERVES: Everything from falentil to empanadas to pommes frites to hummus to burgers and burritos.

Chestnut 48 Biltmore Ave. | ChestnutAsheville.com

SERVES: For adults—fried oysters Rockefeller salad (that sounds divine!), French dips, Reubens and more; For kids—sliders, mac & cheese and pb&j (or banana or honey).

Rhubarb 7 SW Pack Sq. | RhubarbAsheville.com

SERVES: An amazing menu of small bites to share like Mongolian BBQ lamb ribs with collard greens kimchi; goat cheese burrata with beets, crispy basil, apple chutney, butternut squash aigre-doux and crostini; and bliss pumpkin agnolotti.

Columbia, SC

6:30-8 pm Woo Hoo!!! Settle in with dinner and a drink (now that you’ve arrived) at any one of the fabulous craft cocktail spots, fresh seafood eateries or a famed farm-to-table restaurant on Hilton Head Island. For ideas, check out what our friends over at Yelp have to say … go to yelp.com and search for whatever you’ve got a

you watch the sunset from your vacation destination and breathe in that peace of mind. Enjoy!

A new way to farm indoors has sprouted, literally, in Indianapolis

YEAR-ROUND FARMING

BY CHARITY SINGLETON CRAIG | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FARM 360

The first thing you notice when you walk into Farm 360, formerly Farm 365, is the pink glow. According to Farm Manager Jim Bloom, the energy-efficient LED lighting system, programmed to the optimal growing spectrum, is a key component of their indoor hydroponic farm located in Indianapolis’s east side Englewood neighborhood.

“Plants don’t like white light,” Bloom said, “Sixty percent of everything we grow uses blue light, then some like red and green light.”

Confronting misconceptions

Lighting, it turns out, is just one of many misconceptions Bloom and his team have confronted as they learn the art and science of hydroponics. Plants floating in water is another. Hydroponics doesn’t use dirt or garden soil, but instead anchors crops in trays or buckets filled with a type of soil-like peat, or perlite.

The “hydro” aspect of hydroponics refers to continuously flowing water enriched with 14 different nutrients, which feeds the roots through the base of the tray or bucket. The water is tested and adjusted regularly for optimal plant nutrition, and because the water continuously recirculates, hydroponics uses 90 percent less water than outdoor farming.

Enhanced growth cycle

By optimizing these three components—light, growing media and nutrients—plants grown hydroponically mature to harvest in approximately a third of the time as conventional growing. Plus, the plants, vegetables and fruits grown at Farm 360 are highly nutritious, non-GMO, pesticide-free and soon to be classified as organic.

Instead, drawing from his experience in vocational rehabilitation, he started the company as way to create jobs for people with what he calls historical background issues, like incarceration or substance abuse. He began researching hydroponics after reading about opportunities for increased food production in the Indy Metro Area. Now Bloom considers himself a farmer, and four of the company’s 14 employees were hired out of incarceration, according to Chris Arnold, general manager of Farm 360.

“We have a goal to hire 70 percent of our employees from the local community who could potentially walk or ride their bikes to work,” Arnold said.

Poised for growth

Farm 360 is on the verge of big growth. They’ve developed a reliable, beta-tested system they could easily replicate and already are looking at two new Indy Metro facilities for possible expansion.

Also, they have a four-prong distribution plan. Currently, they sell most of their crops to local restaurants and do some retail business, but they have their sights on two additional outlets. Farm 360 is launching a pilot program with Indianapolis Public Schools to provide a portion of the romaine lettuce used in school lunches. They also hope to work with local hospitals to explore nutraceuticals, herbs and root plants prescribed for their medicinal qualities. (Nutraceuticals are foods containing health-giving additives and having medical benefits.)

Hydroponics uses 90 percent less water than outdoor farming.

“There’s nothing abnormal about what we do. It’s just the natural process of the plants’ growth is getting enhanced,” Bloom said. “You don’t chemically manipulate; you environmentally and biologically manipulate it so the plant will actually enhance its growth cycle. The other thing is that the environment is stable so you get a consistency of plants.”

But achieving this optimal growing environment isn’t cheap, and hydroponic farming can’t compete in price with outdoor field farming without a few other unique features. For example, Farm 360 grows year-round. And with shorter growing cycles, they’re aiming for 14 turns, or 24-day growing rotations, per year. That beats the three outdoor harvests per year that are possible in sunny California. Farm 360 also has a six-month plan to max out their current facility to 25,000 square feet of growing space, which is stacked vertically in five layers. Currently, they grow in approximately 8,000 square feet. They’ll also add a 9,000-square-foot year-round greenhouse, allowing them to take advantage of natural sunlight, too. Finally, organizing growing rooms into monocrops, or crops with similar growing preferences, will allow conditions to be further optimized.

Not your typical farmer

Despite the complex agricultural science behind hydroponic farming, Bloom didn’t come to Farm 360 from a farming background.

Really, it comes down to the bottom line for Farm 360, only in their case they have three.

“Ultimately, supplying fresh local foods to the people who matter the most is clearly a vision of ours,” Arnold said, “but we also talk about a triple bottom line: economic impact, social impact and, in our case it’s a spiritual impact that we’re really trying to focus on.”

“We think family farms unfortunately are going away, and we’d like to create neighborhood farms, community farms,” Bloom said. “This is something hopefully the community will rally around and will be an integral part of the community for years to come.”

What grows hydroponically?

While anything could be grown hydroponically, not all plants make sense economically. According to Bloom, the vertical stacking, LED lighting and quick crop turns influence crop choices. That means compact plants work best, particularly the leafiest that don’t need as much natural sun to help with fruiting. Farm 360 grows lots of herbs such as oregano, thyme, sage and basil, and greens such as arugula, kale, romaine and Bibb lettuce.

Soon, they’ll be introducing strawberries and other fruiting plants, especially with the addition of the greenhouse.

“Once we go to the greenhouse we’ll have other ways to grow, too, like trellises for Brussels sprouts,” Bloom said.

Farm 360 will also begin an integrated farming approach, using the supplemental space not otherwise filled in the growing rooms to produce crops with longer maturation periods or less compact vines or plants, like squashes, melons, beets, carrots and radishes.

“Every square inch of what we do will eventually have some type of crop growing in it,” Bloom said.

Crops you’ll probably never see in the Farm 360 lineup? Tree fruits—imagine those stacked five layers high; or commodity row crops like wheat, corn and soybeans that have yields measured by acre, not square foot; even root crops like potatoes, because of their long growing period.

How to grow your own hydroponic garden

While I was visiting with Chris Arnold and Jim Bloom at Farm 360, I asked about how to set up my own hydroponic garden. Is it possible?

“I can say ‘yes, but,’” Bloom said. “People have to understand they can’t do it economically. If they were going to do a small garden in their home, they would do it because they believe in it. It’s labor intensive, and it’s costly. The only way hydroponics works from an economic standpoint is scaling it.”

Still, he said yes, so I asked for specifics. What would it take? Basically, a home hydroponic garden would need the same elements Farm

360 uses: grow lights, an irrigation system with nutrient-enriched water, a growing medium and seeds for growing.

Many online sites offer DIY hydroponic gardens using PVC pipe or recycled bottles. And not all hydroponic systems require artificial grow lights, depending on the natural lighting in your home. In fact, many hydroponic systems can even be used outside during warmer temperatures.

Bloom mentioned that many companies sell hydroponic systems suitable for small-scale home growing. Miracle-Gro offers self-contained Aerogardens that include all the necessary components for countertop hydroponic gardening, including LED lighting and seed pods to get you started. Prices for these factory-made systems vary greatly depending on size and features. Even the countertop Aerogardens can cost more than $400. Bloom urges people to know what they’re getting into with small-scale hydroponic gardening.

“The reality is, it cost $400 and you grew six plants. I mean, it’s cool as all get out, but you have to grow a whole lot of these [pointing to basil plants] to justify $400,” Bloom said.

Farm 360 | 201 S. Rural St. | Indianapolis | Farm360.info

Inside these “cherries” lie coffee beans.

Guatemala (2016)

Bagging coffee cherries in El Salvador (2015)

Guatemala (2016)

A coffee tasting with Hubbard & Cravens

Njawato Estate, Kenya

The relentless search for the best coffee

MBY RACHEL D. RUSSELL | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HUBBARD & CRAVENS

ost of us don’t give it much thought when we grab a cup of coffee in the morning. We probably give even less thought to where that cup of coffee came from. But what’s out of sight and mind for you and me is at the forefront of the minds of husband-and-wife team Rick and Marcie Hubbard, co-owners, along with Jerry Cravens, of Hubbard & Cravens Coffee & Tea, headquartered out of south Broad Ripple in Indianapolis.

Beginnings

“It was just a job,” Rick Hubbard says of his time loading trucks with giant bags of commercial coffee in Cincinnati when he was in high school, “and I just gradually moved up. Jerry Cravens worked with me and after working with that company—this was before coffee was cool—we were familiar with Peet’s Coffee on the West Coast and we wanted to do that in the Midwest and there was no roasting company in Indianapolis.”

Marcie Hubbard, a Valparaiso native, will tell you with a charming smile she married into coffee.

Regardless of how they got here and the fact they don’t plan to go anywhere—“It’s not for sale,” Rick says, quieting my fears—let there be no doubt they know and appreciate coffee, as do two of their children who work in the business now.

Abroad

When I call to schedule my interview with the Hubbards, it becomes obvious their time is precious and limited due to their demanding travel schedule. In 2016, they traveled 12 times to search for and learn about coffee. And for two decades they have traveled multiple times to Africa, Europe and Central and South America.

In Central America, they typically work with family operations and some co-ops; in Africa, it’s mostly co-ops. There might be as many as 2,500 farmers because one farmer may only handle a halfacre on a large farm.

“Technically, a micro-lot is a really, really specialty, high-quality coffee,” Marcie says, referring to these half-acre plots.

And yes, you can find coffees from farms like this on the shelves of one of the four Hubbard & Cravens retail shops in central Indiana.

“We literally pick those coffees out,” says Rick. “There’s no coffee that we buy that we don’t know who we buy it from and they all score 85 plus [coffees are scored on a 100-point scale] no matter what.”

And let it be known you don’t get to be this good at coffee without knowing the people who sell you the goods.

Relationships

A good example of building relationships goes back to 1995, when Rick was asked to be a judge at Costa Rica’s Cup of Excellence. Back in those days, the Hubbards tell me, competitions like these weren’t all that common. Today, nearly every coffee-producing country has its version of the competition.

The day before cupping—see sidebar—Rick and Marcie visited a small new farm, named Herbazu, run by a local family by the name of Barrante. Little did they know two brothers from that farm were in the crowd when the curtain was drawn up the next day (yes, it’s that big of a deal) to reveal the judges to the anxiously awaiting room of about 500 people, most farmers. Their livelihood rested in the hands of these skilled judges. And little did Rick know one of the coffees he was judging was from the farm he had visited just the day before.

And what came to pass can only be explained by Rick as happenstance: He rated this new small farm’s coffee with his highest score that day. Today, that once-unknown Herbazu farm is one of the most awarded coffee bean producing farms in Costa Rica, if not in the industry.

“They win the Cup of Excellence, like, every year,” Rick says, expressing his pride in these farmers. The Hubbards refer to them as “coffee superstars.”

And because of that relationship two decades ago, the Hubbards are now approached yearly for first right to buy when this farm’s crop comes available. And yes, that coffee is available to you and me.

And this is just one example of how close Hubbard & Cravens is to their sources.

“This morning I got pictures from Carlos in El Salvador because they are harvesting right now,” Rick says as he hands me his phone, which shows a photograph of two proud men with a welcome sign. He then shows me another picture, of the “cherries” blossoming on the tree, they had sent him to show pride in their beautiful crop.

But not all travel is easy or productive. And when you ask about safety, Rick will tell you it’s always on their minds. For example, recently they went to Tanzania and the farm was run by the military.

“In Tanzania, [local citizens are] forced to join the military and then that is meant to educate you on how to grow coffee so after you get out of the military you can support your family … that was the purpose of that farm,” Marcie says as I look through photographs from their trip, all carefully placed in a small photo album. They’ve organized photographs like this for several of their trips.

This Tanzanian company’s coffee was sold to an exporter and the coffee market turned for the worse right after that.

“They marched down with the troops and took the coffee back,” Marcie says. “I don’t want to really buy from them.”

Cupping: There’s a lot behind this, and only professionals can officially grade coffees, but standard cupping procedure involves sniffing and slurping the coffee to score it.

And this year when they went to Colombia, they were finally able to visit a region once controlled by anti-government forces. When they planned their trip they were told they couldn’t go to that particular region because there was no agreement; by the time they left, there was. And to get four 150-pound bags of coffee required a 10–12-hour drive and then a two-hour horseback ride. Marcie and Rick got a good chuckle out of the fact that their thirty-something son Nick made the trip, even though he had never ridden a horse before and had some reservations. It’s all in the name of excellent coffee after all, right?

And once, when they were in Ethiopia, they ran into an extremely sticky situation.

“We get out of this little village and we’re looking to the left. Now we’re in the Rift Valley, the Sahara, and we notice all of these camels,” says Rick “We pull over to the side of the road and stop and have the windows rolled down on the SUV. The driver is not in the coffee business, just a driver, and we get this boom on the front of the vehicle. It’s one of these warriors with a giant spear. Instantly, another guy puts another spear to our driver’s neck.”

I can tell by the look on their faces that the situation did not sit well at all.

“We assume they didn’t want [us] to take pictures of their camels. We don’t know,” Marcie says, shaking her head at the intense memory; the warriors finally backed off after their warning that photographs were forbidden was received and understood.

Just another example of the lengths the Hubbards have gone through to bring only the best to their customers.

Appreciation

Countless words could be written about Rick and Marcie Hubbard and their passion, knowledge and dedication for what they do. The most important words, however, are probably how lucky central Indiana is to have a company so thoroughly committed to knowing and sharing high quality coffee with us.

Perhaps the next time you sip your Hubbard & Cravens coffee you’ll think about the farmer who pulled the cherries from the 100-year-old tree on his farm, or the brothers who smile thinking about how their coffee is being appreciated by a Hoosier, or maybe even Marcie and Rick facing down an African warrior’s spear in Ethiopia. Either way, I hope you appreciate each sip and what brought it to your cup.

HubbardAndCravens.com

Three sides to Hubbard & Cravens

• Wholesale (largest side, where they roast and ship nationwide to luxury hotels, resorts and fine-dining restaurants)

• Office coffee division

• Four retail stores: 11 S. Meridian St., Ste. 102 | Indianapolis 4930 N. Pennsylvania St. | Indianapolis 6229 Carrollton Ave. | Indianapolis 703 Veteran’s Way | Carmel

La Piña Furtiva

(The Sneaky Pineapple)

Recipe by Joe Goldsmith, Livery | Photography by Jennifer L. Rubenstein

A mind-blowing spring drink, La Piña Furtiva is the perfect mix between a Mimosa and a Margarita. Serve this up with pulled pork empanadas and you have the perfect Sunday treat.

This libation includes an ingredient called tepache, a fermented pineapple beverage native to Mexico. With 10 minutes of prep and about three days of fermentation, the tepache will have the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

2 ounces blanco tequila

2 ounces homemade tepache (recipe follows)

¾ ounce fresh-squeezed orange juice

½ ounce agave nectar

Dash Angostura bitters

Dry sparkling wine

Pineapple wedge, for garnish

Combine all ingredients except dry sparkling wine in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into an ice-filled Tom Collins glass. Top with your choice of any dry sparkling wine. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Tepache

Adapted from Mexico in My Kitchen

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1 cup piloncillo*

1 cinnamon stick

6 large peppercorns

3 whole cloves

8 cups water

Combine all ingredients in a large container. Loosely cover the container with a cheesecloth or plastic wrap, allowing the brew to breathe. Allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. A white foam will form on top of the liquid mixture. With a wooden spoon, remove the foam. Loosely re-cover and let rest for an additional 24–36 hours. Strain mixture into a different container and use as directed.

*Raw sugar pressed into a cone shape, available at most Mexican markets.

Check out our making of the Sneaky Pineapple video at EdibleIndy.com

Transforming America’s food culture, now and tomorrow

BY SHAUNA L. NOSLER

by Carole Topalian

Photography

Farming isn’t what it used to be. Of course, not many things are—especially when you compare today’s America to that of Colonial days. Technology and a surging population have changed the way we live; commerce, across all sectors—agriculture included—has flourished and changed in unpredictable ways. But how can something so basic as the food we eat change?

A 1986 report by the Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S. Congress addressed our ever-changing food system, suggesting the number of farms in America was destined to decline by almost half in less than two decades: With 2.2 million farms in 1982, the OTA predicted that by 2000 there would likely be only 1.2 million. The prediction did not include an overall decrease in actual food production, but that who would be producing our food, and how, would change.

The report went on to address the consolidation and industrialization of farming along with a decline in midsized farms and agricultural exports as part of the reason and pointed to the need for more sustainable agriculture. But what the report didn’t address was the declining number of farmers willing and able to farm.

The aging American farmer

In the early 1800s, the newly independent United States relied heavily on agriculture with over 80 percent of the population directly involved in farming. By midcentury, however, the farming sector fell drastically behind other emerging industries—manufacturing, transportation, services—to roughly 50 percent. Today, a mere two percent of the U.S. population is comprised of farm and ranch families.

locally grown food,” says Genesis McKiernan-Allen of Full Hand Farm in Noblesville and co-leader of the Hoosier Young Farmer Coalition.

“Consumer education about the dangers and risks of synthetic pesticides and the overuse of antibiotics is growing and people are looking for healthier, cleaner alternatives in their food choices,” he said. “Small-scale organic farmers in our state are poised to meet those demands, there just aren’t quite enough of us to fully meet the demand.”

What is a small-sized farm or a small-scale operation? The answer, as it turns out, depends on a number of factors including what’s being produced: what kind of crop or livestock; what’s needed for proper production of the product; and varying market values. The USDA identifies farms not by size but by sales class and homogenous groups such as family farms, or farms organized as proprietorships, partnerships and family corporations that are not operated by a hired manager, as well as non-family farms. In layman’s terms, farms are classified by economic viability and land size: operations grossing $350,000 or less are typically considered small as are those with less than 961 acres.

A mere 2% of the U.S. population is comprised of farm and ranch families.

“My family’s been in the farming business since the 1600s,” says Todd Jameson of Balanced Harvest Farm, an organic-style Certified Naturally Grown family-operated vegetable and herb garden southeast of Indianapolis.

“I’m 57 years old, and my farm will die with me,” he said. “No one will carry on the tradition.”

Jameson isn’t alone. The U.S. Department of Labor puts the average age of farmers and ranchers at 58 with nearly one third of principal farm operators aged 65 or older. In fact, over the course of the last three decades, the average age of U.S. farmers has increased by close to eight years, from 50.5 to 58.3—not simply because they’re getting older, but because fewer among younger generations are choosing farming as their lifelong occupation.

“An urban-scale operation doesn’t generate enough revenue to sustain a lifestyle,” said Jameson, adding there’s a crucial need for more programs designed to train people to farm the small to midsize operations.

“Small-scale diversified farmers are growing dozens of crops simultaneously,” said Emily Toner, the urban agriculture educator with Purdue Extension Marion County.

“They are incredibly productive, both in terms of crop output and economic output, but most of them are figuring out how to do it through trial and error. More research and support for this type of production is needed.”

But here in Indiana, interest in small-scale and organic farming is skyrocketing.

“New farmers markets and chef-driven farm-to-table restaurants are popping up all over the place and they are all looking for quality,

Here in Indiana, the average farm is 245 acres.

Across the U.S., the average farm is 441 acres and 88 percent of all farms are considered small, but it’s the other 12 percent that make up roughly 80 percent of all agriculture sales—sales that are down everywhere in the U.S. except here in the Heartland, and the neighboring Mississippi Portal and Prairie Gateway regions.

Next generation of farmers

Though it’s true that the average American farmer is older than in the past, the good news is those operating certified organic farms are younger and the Millennial generation is poised to get their hands dirty.

“Most of the young farmers I know want real, tangible work where results are palpable,” says Nate Brownlee, co-leader of the Hoosier Young Farmer Coalition and owner, along with wife, Liz, of Nightfall Farm in Crothersville.

“We want to get our hands dirty, grow food and feed our community,” he said. “A lot of young farmers have had a taste of good food, and we want to be involved in growing and raising our food.”

“Our generation,” Liz said, “is very tuned in to the fact that we have to take better care of our communities and our planet. Many Millennials vote with their forks, and choose to buy food directly from farmers and eat at restaurants that serve genuinely local food. Millennials are also a large part of the growing back-to-the-land movement. Those that grew up in urban areas are working to try and begin farming their own food and food for markets and wholesale.”

But although the drive and apparent call-to-action exists in the younger generation, farming isn’t easy and the lifestyle isn’t always the most attractive.

“Farming is capital intensive and risky, and there are fewer state and federal resources available to organic growers than conventional,” said McKiernan-Allen.

“Getting started farming, or even transitioning to organic, is a long, hard process, but one that many people want to undertake. The Hoosier Young Farmer Coalition was started in recognition of the myriad of challenges facing farmers, especially young and beginning farmers. We hope to capitalize on the growing demand for good food in our state by organizing and supporting growers in their first years

of production, helping to en-sure their success,” he said.

Likewise, Jim Riddle—chairman of Minnesota’s Organic Standards Board and former chairman of the USDA National Organic Standards Board—believes getting younger generations interested in farming critical to American’s agriculture future.

“Farms are dying,” he said. “They can’t keep up with the labor … there’s risk and it takes a lot of dedication and hard work … there’re few vacations and finding capital to be able to farm is increasingly difficult.” But, he said, the organic movement is carrying a positive message and it gives him hope to see young people getting involved.

“I’ve been to organic conferences throughout the country where child care is provided and organizers seem to be on track with helping young farmers succeed. There’s enthusiasm and optimism.”

Conquering the food desert

Another issue is the growing number of food deserts across the country. In the U.S., more than 23 million people, of which close to half are low-income, live in areas significantly lacking fresh produce and other healthy options. And since a diet void of healthy foods can lead to diabetes, heart disease and obesity, many experts agree that a key

component to a healthier America lies in conquering the food deserts.

Walk Score, a private company publishing a public access walkability index to any address in the U.S., Canada or Australia, looked at cities with a population over 500,000 and scored them based on how many people could walk to a grocery store within five minutes. In New York City, 72 percent of residents can travel to some kind of grocery store in five minutes or less. In Indianapolis, only five percent of residents have the ability to do so, making the city one of the largest food deserts in the country.

But, in partnership with the USDA, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, recently found that proximity to healthier eating choices and the ready supply of fresh foods does not impact food-consumption patterns as much as the lack of education and poverty level that coexist within food deserts.

“We need education and support on a community level to change people and neighborhoods,” says Chef Craig Baker, owner of The Local, Bent Rail and formerly Plow and Anchor, eateries located in Indianapolis. “The American diet needs to develop a palate heavier in vegetables and less dependent on cheap, subsidized meat.”

One way to encourage Americans to eat healthier foods, suggests Baker, is to promote and therefore purchase products from farms that raise their animals in a humane and organic way. And though it’s

true, he says, that farmers can’t raise as many animals and the final product costs more, in the end it’s healthier, more environmentally friendly and tastes better.

Riddle, the former chairman of the National Organic Standards Board, agrees. “We need to transform the way we eat,” he said, and he thinks training children to eat better plays a big role. Fast food, he said, comes with toys; it’s marketed to kids, but it’s the adult that buys the meal.

“We need to concentrate on improving our health … wake up … remember I am what I ate, I am what I eat.” Most importantly, he advises everyone plant a garden.

“Get in touch with the earth,” he said. “Develop a gentle relationship with the earth and know where your food comes from. Know what’s in it and how it was grown … go for a walk … get outside … put the device down and reconnect.”

The rise of the organic farmer

A longtime supporter of Hoosier agriculture, the Indiana State Fair dubbed 2015 the “Year of the Farmer.” Duly appropriate as over 80 percent of Indiana land comprises farms and forests, but what about the organic farmer? Could his and her year be coming soon?

Throughout the U.S., the number of certified organic farms increased by 12 percent from 2014 to 2015. Here in Indiana, with the addition of 81 certified organic operations during that time, we saw an even higher increase of 17 percent.

“The average age of the organic farmer is 53,” said Riddle—which isn’t a drastic difference from the non-organic farmer’s average age of 58, but it’s something. But unfortunately, said Riddle, here in the U.S. we don’t have any real strategy to help conventional farmers convert to organic. Riddle suggests looking to the European market, where organic farming is not only the wave of the future, but that of the present: Denmark is committed to becoming 100 percent organic by the year 2020; in Italy, school lunches must be 100 percent organic by law; in Switzerland 13 percent of all farmland is certified organic; in Croatia certified organic farmland increased by over 375 percent from 2010 to 2015; and in Germany, the demand for organic produce is so high farmers are having a tough time keeping up.

Overall, agriculture land designated “organic” in Europe is nearing seven percent; here in the States, we haven’t even hit one percent yet. But we are headed in the right direction.

“Industry studies show there’s a huge demand for non-GMO products,” Riddle said, “but there’s more to it than that.” Consumers, he said, need to understand the labeling system.

“Certified organic products are non-GMO and the word ‘natural’ on its own doesn’t mean the same thing.”

In fact, laws regulating the use of the word “natural” when it comes to food labeling are lenient, at best. And although under the USDA’s definition, foods labeled as natural cannot contain artificial ingredients, they can contain growth hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals.

It’s important to note, however, that Certified Naturally Grown is different. CNG is a grassroots alternative to the USDA’s National Certified Organic program in which farmers essentially inspect one another’s practices. CNG has less paperwork and typically costs less than NCO, making it an attractive alternative for small-scale farms that produce by organic standards but can’t necessarily afford to keep up with the certification process.

As for the future of agriculture in America and the future of our farmers, organic or traditional, there are still too many unknowns to make any kind of accurate prediction as to how our food culture will evolve over the next year, let alone the next decade or century. But, for the farmers’ sake, and for our own, let’s hope America continues to move in the direction that supports local and regional farm sales within our communities and, in doing so, encourages sustainable farming. And who knows, maybe in 2018, when the Farmers’ Almanac celebrates its 200th edition by recognizing America’s outstanding farmers and ranchers, maybe, just maybe, one of the honorees will be the guy—or the gal—who lives down the street.

Why buy local?

“Agriculture not only gives riches to a nation, but the only riches she can call her own.”

—Samuel Johnson, 18th century essayist

An important, if not critical, component to a healthier, more sustainable agriculture system, lies in educating consumers to buy locally sourced food. But first, people need to understand what the word “local” really means and why there’s so much hype associated with the word.

In a nutshell, local and regional foods are those located within a well-defined area and having all of the activities related to producing, processing, distributing and marketing also contained within the specified region. But geography is only part of the equation. Locally based food systems take it a step further than simply feeding us; they also provide much-needed information to the consumer about the foods they’re choosing to buy, where it comes from and who produced it. In theory, this knowledge helps people steer their purchases to directly benefit the local economy.

“Ultimately,” said Todd Jameson of Balanced Harvest Farm, “the consumer holds the key. Every time they spend a $1 on food, they’re either voting for an industrialized food system where there’s always more available, or their voting for the local guys.” And, he says, farmers are well known for reinvesting their dollars within their communities.

Throughout the country, though diverse in many ways, the common desire to see our communities prosper is everywhere and it’s becoming clear the money we spend on food is increasingly becoming an influential tool for local investment. In response to this growing demand for local and regional foods, in 2009 the USDA launched its Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative. The program provides grants, loans and other re-sources designed to help farmers and ranchers and food businesses find new opportunities within the expanding local and regional food sector.

As for the hype surrounding the buy local message, it’s really pretty basic: Buying locally produced goods, be it food or otherwise, is a win-win both for the consumer and the merchant. And that’s something we can all strive to do a little bit better.

Purdue University aims to teach consumers more about the food they buy

Making Good Food Decisions FAST

BY ROY BALLARD

Next time you find yourself in a grocery store, take a look at the considerable marketing inflicted upon shoppers. Look at the packaging. Notice the bright colors, shapes, motivating images, serving suggestions and, yes, sometimes even cartoon characters and prominent personalities that urge you to buy their product. Interestingly enough, there is a relative void of these motivators when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Produce displays are clean, attractive and brightly lit, but these fresh and presumably healthful products must largely sell themselves on their own appearance and reputation. And while various well-meaning, helpful and science-based campaigns such as Fruits & Veggies—More Matters, My Plate and Let’s Move might encourage shoppers to consume more servings of fruit and vegetables, I have to wonder how busy shoppers will respond at the point of purchase—especially when rapid decisions must be made among a continuum of choices.

Sometime later I attended a training class on how to make a digital connection from an educational perspective. One of the sessions was focused on Quick Response (QR) codes, those typically blackand-white squares that look a bit like a small crossword puzzle and show up in a variety of places. And I learned that 87 percent of women with children have a smartphone capable of accessing QR codes at the point of purchase. It was at that moment, when I considered the compatibility of the two, that FoodLink was born.

Good idea, good food

Good food decision making is not a small matter.

But what’s a busy shopper to do?

In May 2013 I had the opportunity to hear a presentation at the National Value Added Conference entitled “Retailer Local Food System Strategies,” presented by the senior director for issue management and strategic outreach of the country’s largest grocery-store chain. He emphasized that more and more, shoppers need to make many rapid food purchasing decisions, which involve a multitude of variables including price, longevity, nutrition and health. He also noted consumers are looking for ways to prepare good meals fast and will increasingly seek and use their smartphone to help.

“As we look to the future,” he stressed, “digital means a lot!” And his comments made me wonder how—how will digital mean a lot in the future?

FoodLink at its most basic is a free decision-making tool that links the busy consumer who cares about making the best choices—not necessarily the simplest choice—among the complex range of food possibilities that face them day in and day out.

Over 50 commonly grown fruits, vegetables, specialty crops, herbs and even honey now have available a unique FoodLink QR code directly associated with the product display, related signage or promotions. When scanned with a smartphone, the screen will show basic information about the specific crop, all within three to five seconds. The user can then use the information to make an informed decision about the product they’re considering for purchase.

The goal of FoodLink is to increase awareness, generate discussion and to foster good food decision making and encourage and empower busy shoppers, perhaps with minimal training or food-related experience, to begin to incorporate healthful, fresh food into their family’s diet. And if we can make this experience an easy, positive and delicious one, it’s more likely to be repeated.

If you don’t know how to prepare green beans in a way your family would eat and enjoy, would you purchase green beans? What about kale? What about kohlrabi? Probably not, but that’s where FoodLink comes in.

FoodLink recipes have been carefully selected for ease of use, minimal ingredients and a high potential for

FoodLink has been in development since 2014 with cooperation of many talented folks from across Purdue Extension programs and within Purdue Ag Communications. It was released for the 2016 growing season and its growth and development is ongoing based upon feedback from users. It is currently in use in farmers markets, roadside stands, on farm markets and grocery stores in 62 of Indiana’s counties and its information has been accessed from all 50 states and beyond. Additionally, a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant provides ongoing support, development and outreach including new crops and recipes, a collector recipe-card series, a greater farm-to-school focus and a number of cooking demonstrations across Indiana.

success—meaning even the kids will eat their greens. And the embedded YouTube videos offer brief visual tutorials about basic food preparation, like how to peel an apple, cut up a melon, etc. For those wishing to extend their culinary horizons, most entries have links to Pinterest that offer an almost limitless array of possible ways to incorporate fresh products into the family diet.

But FoodLink does more than suggest new ways to make green beans—or kohlrabi, for that matter. It teaches the consumer what’s inside the food, where it comes from and why it’s good for you. Basically, that little QR code gives the consumer additional information that supports good food-decision making. So next time you’re considering purchasing something you can’t pronounce, let alone cook, find the QR code, give it a scan and watch as a whole new world of culinary options unfold before your eyes.

What’s in a FoodLink QR code?

Nutritional content

Photos of the item as harvested

Seasonal availability

Relevant selection information

Basic prep and cooking tips

Storage, short- and long-term

Pairings with other seasonally available foods

Recipes

Links to YouTube videos to illustrate basic use, preparation and storage techniques

Enjoy, and drop them a line. They’d love to hear how you use FoodLink.

Visit Purdue.Edu/FoodLink for more information.

Tasting our way through a celebrated town

SIGNATURE EATS OF WESTFIELD

BY SHAUNA L. NOSLER, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN

In 2013, CNN Money Magazine named Westfield to its “50 Best Places to Live” list, which highlights places with thriving economies, good job markets, affordable homes, superior schools and “that something special that makes it a great place to live.” And though there are a number of things that help make Westfield—a city of nearly 37,000—a great place to live, one of the more recent rising stars is its evolving culinary scene. Here, a few of the area’s favorite eateries share some of their patrons’ favorite dishes.

German Potatoes

RAIL EPICUREAN

Must-have menu items: Chocolate cake and pork chops. “Our pork chop at dinner and our signature double chocolate cake for dessert. The pork chop because it is cold-smoked then grilled and served with housemade gnocchi in a mushroom cream sauce. It is juicy and flavorful and our most popular dinner item. Comfort food at its finest. The chocolate cake has become our most popular dessert. It’s incredibly moist, rich and melts in your mouth.”

—Melanie and Toby Miles, owners, Rail Epicurean 211 Park St. | Westfield

Pear Country Pâté

Serves 8–10

2½ pounds ground pork

1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 pound country ham, finely diced

1 cup onion, diced

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

/ cup bourbon

2½ teaspoons salt

2½ teaspoons thyme, finely chopped (fresh)

1½ teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon white pepper

2 eggs

/ cup heavy cream

2 cups pears, diced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine pork, bacon and ham in large mixing bowl. Sauté onion and garlic until golden brown, deglaze pan with bourbon and reduce by half. Add onion and garlic mix to pork mix and combine well. Incorporate spices into mixture and add eggs, cream and pear, combine well. Mixture should be very soft. Put pâté mixture into a greased loaf pan and cover with foil. Place loaf pan into a larger roasting pan and pour water into the roasting pan so that it comes halfway up the loaf pan. Bake for 2–2½ hours. Chill overnight and serve.

Brussels Sprouts and Kale Cobb Salad

Serves 4–6

6 cups fresh kale leaves, washed and trimmed

2 cup Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shaved

1 Honeycrisp apple (or similar), diced

½ cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

/ cup blue cheese, crumbled

/ cup dried cranberries

/ cup pecans, toasted

Buttermilk dressing (recipe below)

Place kale and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl, incorporate all other ingredients (except the dressing) and toss well. Pour dressing over salad and toss again, until entire salad is dressed. Serve immediately.

Buttermilk Dressing

Makes 1 cup

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup buttermilk

/ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

/ teaspoon ground paprika

Pinch of ground cayenne pepper

Pinch of garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour on salad or store in refrigerator for up to seven days.

BIG HOFFA’S BBQ

Must-have menu item: The Amendment. “Similar to the 1834, named after the year Westfield was founded, The Amendment is a bed of jasmine rice topped with smoked brisket, giardiniera, cilantro, onions, teriyaki glaze and spicy mayo. There are over 25 ingredients in this menu item alone, and the flavors are fantastic. All of your senses are impacted with the spiciness of the giardiniera, the sweetness of the teriyaki glaze, the smokiness of the brisket, the crunch of the cucumber veggie mix, the delicate flavor of the jasmine rice with the fresh cilantro and onions bringing out the full profile.”

Big Hoffa’s Magical Chicken Marinade

Yield: 1 quart

1 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1½ cups apricot nectar juice

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root

½ cup brown sugar

/ cup freshly chopped scallions

1 pinch fresh-cracked pepper

3–4 chicken breasts, skin on

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except chicken together until combined. Put chicken breasts in bag or a bowl and pour marinade over them. Let chicken sit in marinade for 24–48 hours. Best results will come from grilling the chicken.

—Adam Hoffman, owner, Big Hoffa’s BBQ 800 E. Main St. | Westfield

Big Hoffa’s Magical Chicken Marinade

Pettini Di Mar (Scallops) with Mixed Vegetables and Dill Sauce

Brussels Sprout and Kale Cobb Salad

Pear Country Pâté

THE ITALIAN HOUSE ON PARK

Must-have menu item: Lasagna. “It’s hearty and really defines our traditional Italian cuisine. Another must-have is our new salmon dish. It pushes the boundaries of a traditional Italian dish and shows the diner we can get creative without sacrificing quality and tradition.”

—Aaron Gregori, executive

chef, The Italian House on Park 219 Park St. | Westfield

Pettini Di Mare (Scallops) with Mixed Vegetables and Dill Sauce

Serves 4

12 large (U-10) scallops

Olive oil

1 cup fingerling potatoes, quartered

1 cup baby rainbow carrots, cut in half lengthwise

1 bunch asparagus, sliced

½ cup pearl onions, quartered

Dill Sauce

1½ teaspoons butter

½ tablespoon minced garlic

/ cup white wine

1 cup heavy cream

1½ teaspoons fresh dill, chopped

½ teaspoon kosher salt

In a large, nonstick sauté pan on medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to thinly coat the pan. When the pan is hot, place each scallop with the convex (bowed out) side down. Sear for 2–3 minutes. Salt and pepper the top of each scallop. Flip scallops, cook for an additional 1–2 minutes, depending on the size of the scallops. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add potatoes, cook 4 minutes, then add carrots and cook an additional 4 minutes. Add asparagus and onions and cook an additional 4 minutes.

To prepare dill sauce, melt butter in saucepan, add garlic and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, or until golden brown. Add wine and reduce until au sec (almost dry). Add heavy cream and dill, simmer on medium-low heat until desired consistency is reached, about 10 minutes. Salt to taste. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

GRAND JUNCTION BREWING COMPANY

Must-have menu item: The fish and chips. “Jon is from England, where his grandparents once owned a fish and chips shop. We use their recipe with our Mulligan Scottish Ale for the breading. It’s the most authentic fish and chips you’ll find, down to the mushy peas. We also include our beers in several of our recipes: the beer cheese dip, the crust for the flatbreads, the chocolate cake, etc. Our meat is sourced locally, and we smoke our local pork onsite. Our hand-tenderized pork tenderloin sandwich also can’t be beat.”

—Dawn and Jon Knight, owners, Grand Junction Brewery 1189 E. 181st St. | Westfield

German Potatoes

Simple and amazing. Sprinkling shredded cheddar over them is also delicious.

Serves 2–4

½–1 pound potatoes, sliced /-inch thick

Oil of choice to fry

1 strip bacon, chopped (if desired)

/ cup sweet onion, medium size, cut into petals

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 dash kosher salt

1 tablespoon coarse pepper

½ tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Place potatoes, oil and bacon in a skillet and sauté for 1 minute on medium-high to high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper, stirring every 30 seconds until bacon is cooked, onions are translucent and potatoes are mostly golden. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and cook for another minute. Salt and pepper should be added to taste afterwards, as well.

The Plant

BY CLARISSA MORLEY, POTS AND PANS INDY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN

Succulent terrariums make the quintessential gift because, like people, each one is distinctively unique. Terrariums are perfect for everyone, even those without a green thumb—or much time—as they are a breeze to maintain. Succulents, in fact, actually thrive with a little bit of space, unlike plants that need everyday attention.

ELEMENTS

Terrarium

Soil

Sand

Small stones

Ornamental moss

Small branches

Succulents

STEPS

1. Fill bottom of terrarium with a layer of soil and then a layer of sand.

2. Plant a variety of succulents in the soil and sand mixture, making sure each has a little bit of room to grow.

3. Layer small stones on top, covering the entire surface.

4. Decorate the inside of the terrarium with larger stones, moss and branches. Be creative and make it your own. Any small element can give it character and personality.

5. Finish by watering the succulents in the new terrarium.

CARE

If the terrarium or container does not have a drainage hole, water sparingly but don’t totally deprive your succulents of water. Succulents do not like to sit in excess water. If you have watered too much, simply dump out the excess.

Water fully every two weeks, but only if dry.

Want to buy one instead? Check out all of the wonderful arrangements at Pots and Pans Indy.

How home ec has evolved to address modern family needs FROM DAME SCHOOL TO FOOD LABS

BY JULIE K. YATES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN | GRAPHIC BY CARYN SCHEVING

When a visitor entered a typical Indiana junior high school in 1966, chances are they would notice a delicious aroma coming from a far corner of the building. If they followed that scent down the hall and into the room where it was wafting from, the guest might have viewed clusters of aproned teenaged girls in several mini-kitchens. As the noise from spoons clanging against metal mixing bowls mingled with chattering voices, the students likely checked time sheets and consulted purple-ink mimeographed recipes. And there was a high probability that the creation of that home economics food lab would have been a made-from-scratch cake or pie.

Fifty years ago, devising class schedules might have been a little simpler for Indiana seventh and eighth grade guidance counselors than it is today. Every student took math, English, history and their other required courses—and if you were a boy, one of those required classes would have fallen into the industrial arts category while the girls enrolled in home economics.

These days, middle schools and high schools offer a myriad of choices, Foods One is no longer a required course, and the nutrition and wellness courses have been absorbed into the discipline of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS)—a large umbrella including classes for everyone such as Interior Design, Fashion and Textile, Child Development, Parenting, Consumer Education, Interpersonal Relations and Preparation for College.

Early beginnings

The roots of home economics began in the East, after the American Revolutionary War, when it became acceptable for girls to attend school. Dame schools, which taught skills needed to maintain a home, were often held in the kitchen of the woman teaching the class, but eventually became part of the public school system. Later, in the 1870s, young women enrolled in both private and public cooking schools that originated in Boston and New York City. At the same time, land grant colleges were being established in the West, and classes such as cookery and household arts were offered to women students.

Cooking Class at Emmerich Manual High School (Courtesy of Bass Photo Co. Collection, Indiana Historical Society)

Another important event that raised awareness in this area of learning was the 1893 World’s Fair. Held in Chicago, it featured an exhibit of the home of a workingman’s family that lived on $500 a year. The woman responsible for that exhibit, Ellen H. Richards, is credited as being the founder of home economics and was the first woman to enter the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She worked there as an instructor in sanitary chemistry until her death in 1911. Although she never taught home economics, she wrote books on the subject and gave lectures on the importance of

Changing Times, Changing Projects:

Continuing to Address the Needs of Families

establishing it as a field of study. She stressed the importance of using chemistry and science to give the field credibility.

Indiana jumps in

In Indiana, sewing and cooking were introduced to schools in 1894 and a law was passed in 1913 that made them a compulsory subject. A 1915 article from the Indiana Department of Public Instruction titled “Outline of Work in Domestic Science” set out the curriculum

1915

An Education for Girls on Maintaining the Home

• Classes were held in the basements of school buildings

• Tiny amounts of fancy food were prepared that had little relation to actual home practices

• Samples or models using various stitches were sewn, but not actual garments

1945

The War Effort

Homemaking

• Classrooms resembled the kitchens of the era with groups of at least four working together

• Meal planning was based onedge of food groups

• Sewing machines were used to make clothes students could actually wear

Indiana State Teachers College – Lab School (courtesy of Martin Collection, Indiana Historical Society)

for a two-year course. Subtopics included were Dirt and Its Dangers, Duties of a Hostess and Use of Left-overs. Most of the time, culinary techniques were taught by the observation method: Students gathered around while the instructor demonstrated. When there was an actual hands-on cooking lab, it consisted of gas burners arranged around the teacher so she could observe what everyone was doing at the same time.

After being almost eliminated during the Depression, home economics became a strong force in the 40s. During the time of ra-

tioning and scarcity brought on by World War II, students were taught how to maintain proper nutrition and sew affordable clothing. Technology had advanced and instructors used films and slides. The lab portion of instruction evolved to teams of girls working in their own kitchen space. Most schools had electric refrigerators although in the early years of the decade, a wooden box cooled by a block of ice was used.

Home Economics Classes Expanded to Include Male Students

• Large open concept classrooms housed several mini-kitchens as well as a sewing machine area

•Dishes produced in food labs were created with made-fromscratch ingredients

• Sewing projects ranged from pillows to pajama bottoms, then to advanced projects like dresses

The Push Toward Careers in the

Addressing Societal Needs

Consumer Sciences

• Computers are used in classrooms which include lecture area as well as several mini-kitchens

• Complete ethnic themed meals are made with some homemade ingredients using microwaves

• modeled in fashion show to raise funds for philanthropy

•Traditional classroom will be left behind as students go out into the community

• Students in leadership roles will guide others in developing sustainable practices for families

• Ventures will be dictated by need realized within a service project like reusable shopping bags

Boys Cooking Class at Gerstmeyer School (courtesy of Martin Collection, Indiana Historical Society)

Boys join the fun

Starting in the late 60s and continuing to the 70s, some Indiana schools offered courses open only to boys. Cindy Eiteljorg, who taught in Wayne Township, Indianapolis, instructed a class called Bachelor Living. Eiteljorg remembers, “Students sewed chef hats, which they then wore during food labs. Enrollment was always filled to capacity.”

Barb Diehl, a teacher in the Fort Wayne Community Schools during the same era, said, “Most boys still took shop, which was often located close to the Food Lab. When the girls cooked something that did not turn out well, they would take it over and it would be eaten up in no time!”

New name brings changes

In 1995, Indiana followed the national trend and adopted the name Family and Consumer Sciences for its home economics programs.

“The field had evolved from a focus on homemaking skills to more scientific and research orientation; social and economic issues facing families and shift to career preparation were better reflected by the

change in name,” said Alyson McIntyre-Reiger, FCS program leader for the Indiana Department of Education. “In the 1900s Ellen Richards used her microbiology degree from MIT to solve safe drinking water for families and FCS continues to assist in creating healthy and sustainable communities.”

Currently, a dedicated team of secondary teachers covers the FCS classes for Hamilton Southeastern Schools. Amy Asher, Lee Ann Self, Elizabeth Trinkle and Cynthia Ziemba range in experience from two years to 34. Self travels between schools, but the classes offered at each site vary due to student demand.

FCS courses seek to give students practical knowledge as well as prepare them for a possible career. Trinkle, whose Fashion and Textiles class cumulates in a Royal Project Runway Style Show that benefits Riley Hospital for Children, said, “Today, FCS has something for everyone.”

Asher stressed, “Basics are still being taught, but with today’s technology.”

Ziemba, who teaches the popular class Senior Foods, said, “My goal is to teach students that they can cook for themselves both to save money and eat healthier. FCS, in general, teaches life skills that will help them personally and professionally.”

Barb Diehl

Cindy Eiteljorg

Fresh fixins all year long

The Farmers Market Goes Online

BY CHARITY SINGLETON CRAIG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLE TOPLIAN

Ever forced yourself out of bed for a Saturday morning trip to the farmers market, wishing instead there was a way to shop for quality local products from home? Well, wish no more, my fellow Hoosiers. Nick Carter and his team at FarmersMarket.com have made it possible through their online platform and mobile app. Finishing their first year of business in January, the small tech company is connecting more local farmers and artisans with central Indiana consumers.

How it works

“It expands your market beyond just Broad Ripple,” said Hoopengardner, who sells Caprini’s locally produced goat cheeses at both the summer and winter Broad Ripple Farmers Markets.

Customer loyalty

Local farmers and artisans sign up to sell their products—things like eggs, meat, bread, vegetables, soaps and lotions and more—with FarmersMarket.com’s custom software, setting prices and maintaining inventory themselves. Then customers visit the site (either online or through a mobile app) and place and pay for their orders. There’s no membership or minimum order required. The only limit is the delivery range: Customers can pay $5.95 for delivery to their home or office, or choose from approximately 30 free delivery locations, all within a 30-mile radius of Indianapolis.

Weekly ordering closes at midnight on Tuesdays, when FarmersMarket.com notifies vendors of their orders. Farmers and artisans then show up at the FarmersMarket.com warehouse Thursday morning with their wares, dropping specified products into customer bins that line the shelves. By 10 a.m. the bins are filled and contracted delivery drivers take them to the selected locations, usually by 1 p.m. that same afternoon.

Farmers’ Choice

Why do vendors sell on FarmersMarket.com? Carter said farmers markets remain somewhat exclusive and are often hard to get into, especially for new farmers and artisans. FarmersMarket.com’s online system, on the other hand, can handle unlimited vendors and items. “The vendors are the most important part of this business,” Carter said.

Some farmers choose to participate in both. Mike Hoopengardner from Caprini Creamery in Spiceland said selling through FarmersMarket.com exposes him to a larger customer base.

Carter said one unexpected hurdle in their first year of business was helping customers overcome their reluctance to buy food online due to apprehension as to what they are really buying. Fortunately, word-ofmouth recommendations help, and Carter encourages vendors to include as many product photos as possible on the website, along with thorough descriptions. Once people try FarmersMarket.com, they usually move beyond those initial hesitations, Carter said, adding that loyalty is huge. FarmersMarket.com also guarantees everything, offers refunds when requested and removes vendors who have too many customer complaints.

According to Carter, another challenge they face is customers’ lack of forethought and planning. Carter said, “but our competition is convenience … we’re competing against people’s inability to menu plan, to know what they’re going to want to eat next Tuesday.”

Opportunities for growth

FarmersMarket.com currently offers only Thursday delivery, but according to Carter that’s an opportunity for growth. Their goal is to grow from the 100 customers currently receiving once-a-week delivery to 1,000 customers spread across three to five delivery days per week. Once they max out the Indianapolis location, they can then expand into other cities.

More immediately, FarmersMarket.com will be expanding partnerships with large corporations to become delivery locations for employees, as well as working to intentionally add vendors, which always adds customers through a network effect.

At its core, the FarmersMarket.com mission is about helping local farmers. “Creating this market is creating opportunities for farms to revive,” he said.

There’s more to choosing an olive oil than reading the label

BY SHAUNA L. NOSLER

Not all olive oils are the same. But you already know that, right? Of course you do. A one-minute glance at the number of olive oils on the grocery store shelves is all it takes to see the difference—it’s right there on the label, after all. There’s extra-virgin, virgin, refined, pure … some that hail from Greece, from Italy, from Croatia, from the U.S. … some that are organic … some that claim to be lite … some that are infused with a variety of flavors ranging from garlic to rosemary to sun-dried tomato.

But when it comes to choosing an olive oil, beware: There’s far more to it than simply glancing at the label.

In 2010, the University of California at Davis Olive Center and the Australian Oils Research Laboratory in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, published a report on the quality of olive oils readily available in America’s grocery stores. Of the 19 brands tested, “69 percent of imported olive oil samples and 10 percent of California olive oil samples labeled as extra-virgin failed to meet the IOC/USDA standards for extra-virgin olive oil.”

The study, partially funded by California olive oil producers, received its fair share of criticism but nonetheless confirmed what many expert olive oil tasters had been saying for years: Not all olive oil labeled extra-virgin (EVOO) is indeed EVOO. It might not be olive oil at all.

“If you’re using olive oil for the health benefits, but it’s not really olive oil, then you’re not getting the health benefits,” says Mario Rizzotti, Chicago-based culinary expert and former judge on Iron Chef America. In a country plagued by cardiovascular problems, diabetes and obesity, it’s vital to do as much as possible to improve our overall health— and Rizzotti is on a mission to help Americans choose products, and foods, that will put everyone on the road to better health.

To teach people the benefits of a Mediterranean diet, in which olive oil plays a leading role, Rizzotti is taking his 4 the Love of Italian Food tour to small towns and big cities across the U.S. Last December, he and Chef Adam Weisell of Aurelia Pop Up Osteria—a popup dinner concept providing market-inspired Italian dinners throughout the greater Chicago area—presented a dinner hosted by Prime 47 in Carmel.

Drizzle, don’t dip

“What we’re trying to accomplish is to promote the healthy benefits of authentic Italian food and authentic Italian ingredients,” says Italian born and raised Rizzotti. “There are so many things out there that Americans consider Italian that in Italy, we don’t even have.”

And one of those things, Rizzotti and Weisell agreed, is the presentation of baskets full of bread alongside bowls of olive oil before the meal.

“That’s not Italian,” says Rizzotti.

Weisell, who moved to Rome when he was a toddler, nods. “We don’t dip bread in olive oil before meals. That’s an American thing.”

“I use olive oil for cooking,” explains Rizzotti, “but really good olive oil should be used for finishing dishes and drizzled on food once it’s prepared.”

He uses Terre Rosse DOP Umbria Kosher Organic EVOO, which he has shipped directly to him from Italy’s Umbria region, just north of Rome, bordering Tuscany.

Photoraphy by Cheryl Koehler

Curious about other olive oils? Or maybe you have a favorite and want to see how it stacks up to world-renowned EVOOs? Check out BestOliveOils.com for a list compiled from the New York International Olive Oil Competition, the world’s most comprehensive olive oil quality contest. Last April, more than 820 olive oils from 26 countries were tasted and evaluated by a panel of experts. It’s a great resource not only for information, but also to explore new flavors and new producers of liquid gold.

How to choose an olive oil

When purchasing EVOO, there’s plenty to consider and individual palates have different opinions as to what tastes good and what doesn’t. The best advice is twofold: Educate yourself, and don’t be afraid to experiment.

“There’s lots of good olive oils,” said Rizzotti, and lots of opinions. But whether you choose an oil from his homeland of Italy, or one from anywhere in the globe, he wants you to know these two things:

“‘Cold pressed’ doesn’t really mean cold.” It only means the olives cannot be pressed in an environment with a temperature exceeding 80.6°F. In other words, it’s marketing lingo consumers have come to associate with quality, but in all actuality doesn’t directly correlate.

And just like the “Made in Italy” quote on the back of his cooking jacket, if you want an Italian olive oil, by law the label must say either Made in Italy or 100% Italian. Neither Made from Italian Olives, Packaged in Italy or Product of Italy assures an authentic product.

Ciao!

5 steps to properly tasting olive oil

• Pour about a tablespoon of oil into a clean glass.

• Cup the glass in your hands to warm the oil, then cover it with one hand and swirl.

• Smell the oil. What do you notice? Grass is a fairly common scent but, similar to tasting wine, the more avid consumer will note a plethora of sensations.

• Taste. Take in a very small amount by slurping through your teeth and pushing it through your palate, again, as you would when tasting wine. Hold the oil. Do you like the taste?

• Swallow and note the slight burning sensation as it slides down your throat. A peppery burn is a good thing, typically signaling a high-quality product.

COLD BREW GONE WILD

BY RACHEL D. RUSSELL GRAPHIC BY CARYN SCHEVING

Perhaps you’ve heard of bubble tea, also known as pearl milk tea, boba milk tea, boba juice or simply boba. Served cold, this tea-centered beverage is known for the chewy little tapioca balls (a.k.a. pearls) at the bottom of the drink and the bubbly froth on top. Maybe you’ve thought you should give it a try, but thought it looked a little too adventuresome for your palate. But that’s exactly why we like this beverage so much: We’re intrigued by the different tastes and textures it contains, and because we’ve never seen anything else quite like it.

Bubble tea originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, and it seems its creation was a group effort. As with many inventions, precisely who deserves creator credit is up for debate. According to one version, Liu Han-Chieh, owner of Chun Shui Tang teahouse in Taichung, Taiwan, came up with the idea of serving tea cold, and one of his employees, Lin Hsiu Hui, added tapioca balls to the tea one day. And that is how bubble tea was born.

Bubble tea’s base, often black or green tea, typically comes with a choice of two kinds of mixers: fruit or milk. Both versions contain tapioca balls, a traditional Taiwanese food, usually placed at the bottom of the drink. You can also get ice-blended versions, and sometimes the option of fruit-juice-filled balls can be offered instead of tapioca balls, which offers a unique sensation as these pop in your mouth when you bite into them.

While Taiwanese in origin, we’ve found the beverage at other Asian eateries from Thai to Vietnamese and in many varieties.

If you want to experience Taiwanese culture for yourself and sip a bubble tea, we’ve got you covered with a good recipe. Or you can visit one of these central Indiana restaurants and they can make one for you.

Bento Asian Bistro | 901 Indiana Ave. | Indianapolis

La Chinita Poblana | 927 E. Westfield Blvd. | Indianapolis | LaChinitaPoblana.com

Saigon | 4760 W. 38th St. | Indianapolis

Taiwan Tea House | 3746 82nd St. | Indianapolis

Bapu Teahouse | 1789 E. 10th St. | Bloomington

Chow Bar | 216 S. Indiana Ave. | Bloomington

Basil Thai & Bubble Tea | 135 S. Chauncey Ave., Ste. 2C | West Lafayette | BasilThai.net

Hands on Cooking

Join at the 2017

11505 N Illinois St, Carmel, IN from 6:00 - 8:30pm

Class cost: $45 per person / $75 per couple

All classes include: small noshes, gift bag, magazine, recipes and more!

Class sizes are limited. Reserve your spot today! edibleindy.ediblecommunities.com/things-do/ediblemarket-district-cooking-classes-2017

upcoming classes:

March 9, 2017

Knife Skills 101: Learn techniques of dicing, slicing and mincing vegetables, plus learn how to break down a whole chicken. Attendees get to take home chicken and veggies. Featuring: AshBlaeds, Indianapolis

June 15, 2017

Let’s Grill! Homemade Pizzas and Wine: Master pizza dough and grilling methods with pairings of wine

Featuring: St. Adrian’s Meats and Sausage, Lebanon

September 28, 2017

Eat Drink and Make Pasta: Learn how to make homemade pasta while sampling vino that will go with any pasta dish

Featuring: Andrea Bettini, Bettini Pasta

December 7, 2017

Drop Biscuits, Corn Bread and Jam: Learn to make bacon tomato jam, homemade drop biscuits and corn bread

January 18, 2018

Stews & Brews: Learn to cook stews and pair craft beer.

Eat Drink Local Guide

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 born-andbred 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 Hoosiergrown goodness.

*This is a paid advertisement.

HOTEL TANGO ARTISAN DISTILLERY

Hotel Tango, the first small batch distillery in Indiana, and it’s 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.

702 Virginia Ave. | Indianapolis HotelTangoWhiskey.com

TRIPLE XXX FAMILY RESTAURANT

Indiana’s oldest drive-in dishes up the best diner food. From breakfast anytime to their made-to-order chopped steak burgers, this place will take you back to win you were a kid. And don’t forget to order up their famous Triple XXX root beer.

2 N. Salisbury West Lafayette TripleXXXFamilyRestaurant.com

ST. ELMO STEAK HOUSE

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!

127 S. Illinois St. Indianapolis StElmos.com

PUNCH BURGER

Looking for a great burger and beer? Look no further than Punch Burger. Our award-winning burgers are made from local grass-fed beef. Our beers are crafted 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!

Downtown | 137 E. Ohio St. | Indianapolis Northside 12525 Old Meridian Ste. 100 | Carmel PunchBurger.com

THE GARDEN TABLE

The Garden Table is a local eatery and fresh juicery in the heart of the Broad Ripple Village and now on Mass Ave. in downtown Indianapolis. 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.

908 E. Westfield Blvd. | Indianapolis 342 Massachusetts Ave., #100 | Indianapolis TheGardenTable.com

PORTER BOOKS & BREAD

Tucked away in the Fort Ben Community, this locally owned cafe that combines two great passions: food and literature. They focus on hand-made food, Indiana ingredients and great coffee with the promise of good reads too.

5719 Lawton Loop E. Dr. | Indianapolis PorterBread.com

HARRY & IZZY’S

We’re proud to keep it local! Three restaurants sourcing locally from 10 regional farms, four breweries and seven locally owned purveyors or producers leads to one great meal.

Downtown | 153 S. Illinois St. Indianapolis Northside 4050 E. 82nd St. | Indianapolis Airport | 7800 Col. Weir Cook Memorial Dr. Indianapolis HarryAndIzzys.com

TABLE

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. 11505 N. Illinois St. | Carmel MarketDistrict.com/Table

PEACE WATER WINERY

Local Roots, California Wines (and vibes)!

If you love tasting great Napa Valley wine in a fun, eclectic, groovy atmosphere, then this 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!”

37 W. Main St. | Carmel PeaceWaterWinery.com

EZRA’S ENLIGHTENED CAFE

Indiana’s only 100% gluten-free cafe focused on fresh, locally sourced and organic foods with a focus on dairy-free and vibrant plant based dishes. The cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dessert, including a full fresh juice and smoothie bar. 6516 Ferguson St. (Rear Unit)| Indianapolis EzrasEnlightenedCafe.com

JOE’S NEXT DOOR

The best of Joe’s Butcher Shop prepared for you. Our team of chefs will build the freshest, most unique and mouthwatering sandwiches at our walk-up counter, cater your special events and you can even grab our daily made dishes to go.

111 W. Main St. Ste. 110 | Carmel JoesButcherShop.com

FARM-BLOOMINGTON

A Bloomington award-winning original creating gastronomical dishes for brunch, lunch and dinner based on the seasonality of the southern Indiana ingredients. The restaurant includes FARMbar, the Root Cellar Lounge and they promote sustainability and being green. 108 East Kirkwood Ave. Bloomington Farm-Bloomington.com

THE LOFT

Dine at a true farmstead restaurant, located inside a beautiful historic barn on an organic dairy farm. Food grown and raised onsite takes center place on organic menus shaped by seasonal rhythms. Open for lunch, dinner, and sunday brunch. 9101 Moore Rd. | Zionsville TraderspointCreamery.com

BRYNE’S GRILLED PIZZA

Local, fresh, real ingredients describe the hand-made thin crust grilled pizza. Order their mouthwatering pasta, salads, appetizers and desserts to complement your pizza. Serving local craft beers and a great selection of wines. Also available: Take-out, catering and food truck.

5615 N. Illinois St. | Indianapolis BrynesPizza.com

NATURAL BORN JUICERS

A Mass Avenue, and now northside 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 cleanse programs are available year around.

Downtown | 865 Massachusetts Ave. | Indianapolis Northside Broccoli Bill’s Gray Road Market | 15009 Gray Rd. | Noblesville NaturalBornJuicers.com

Tuberous Begonia

Taste: citrus-sour

Edible: stems, leaves, flowers

Food use: petals in salads, stem as garnish

Cook’s note: substitute for rhubarb

Flower Power

BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN ILLUSTRATIONS BY REBEKAH NOLAN, FLATLAND KITCHEN

“Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul.” —The Koran

Chrysanthemum

Taste: slightly bitter, tangy

Edible: petals—remove the flower base

Food use: flavor vinegar, use in salads, stir-fries

Cook’s note: blanch petals if using in salads

Taste: sweet, tastes like anise or licorice

Edible: whole clover flower

Food use: salads and tea

Cook’s note: some believe it can help gout and rheumatism

Dandelion

Taste: sweet, honey

Edible: buds and flower heads

Food use: wine, honey, salads, rice, tea

Cook’s note: can be eaten raw or steamed

Hibiscus

Taste: tart citrus

Edible: petals

Food use: pickle, tea, garnish in wine, salad

Tip: Make ice cubes containing any of these edible flowers to doll up any ordinary drink.

Taste: fragrant, lemon flavor

Edible:

Daylily

Marigold

Rose

Taste: strawberries, green apples, sweet

Edible: petals

Food use: syrups, jellies, desserts, butter

Cook’s note: remove the white portion of petals

Taste: sweet with a vegetable taste

Edible: petals, blossom

Cook’s note: steep in water to make a natural fragrant spray

Food use: flavor water, salads, flavor sugar, desserts

Food use: stuff as you would squash blossom, salad

Cook’s note: natural laxative, eat in moderation

tangy to peppery, resembles saffron petals

Food use: soups, pasta, rice, salads, butters, may be used for natural food dye

Taste: sweet grassy flavor, wintergreen overtone

Edible: petals, stems, leaves

Food use: sweet salads, desserts, soups, water, tea

sweet fragrant

flowers, leaves

desserts, drinks, salads

cook leaves like spinach

Garden Sorrel

Food use: salads, sauces, soups, pasta, pizza

Cook’s note: Sorrel contains large amounts of oxalic acid, which people with low kidney function need to avoid.