hen & Now, past and present—they all integrate with our future. In this issue we have the pleasure of exploring a few of our past articles on agriculture and community gardens to see how those important parts of our food journey have evolved for the betterment of our community just in a few short years. We also take a pleasant dive into plant-based eating, mocktails and the idea of throwing dinner parties, and we salute two individuals who have successfully transitioned their family restaurants into another new decade. We celebrate also 25 years with French Lick Winery, their Hoosier Homestead Farm and their mission to keep it in the family for going on seven generations.
These stories inspire us about the future of our food system. They are designed and written to encourage all of us to take small steps to be more responsible for our land, for our soil, for our bodies, for our community. Let’s stand up for responsible sourcing, understanding who is growing our food, listening to our body to give it longevity. The time to commit to this change is now. Won’t you join us on this mission?
And we are humbly pleased to announce that during our recent 2020 Edible Communities publishers meeting in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, I was chosen from the 74 publishers to receive the 2020 Kurt Friese Outstanding Community Service Award. Named for the late publisher of Edible Iowa River Valley, who was also a chef, restaurateur and elected county supervisor, the award recognizes extraordinary contributions to local community. In our case, the judges cited the ongoing work Edible Indy provides for local food initiatives in Central Indiana and also for our Edible Indy Foundation’s ongoing mission to raise money to send families affected by epilepsy to an all-expenses-paid family camp at the Center for Courageous Kids in Scottsville, Kentucky. We are humbled and grateful to be recognized for this work in the name of our friend and fellow Edible publisher, Kurt Friese. This award will be treasured for the rest of our lives.
Hoosier Hugs,
Jennifer & Jeff Rubenstein
edible INDY
PUBLISHER
Rubenstein Hills LLC
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Jennifer Rubenstein jennifer@edibleindy.com
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Jeff Rubenstein
EDITOR AT LARGE
Shauna L. Nosler
COPY EDITOR
Doug Adrianson
DESIGN
Cheryl Angelina Koehler
Caryn Scheving
SALES
Claire Trost
ClaireEdibleMidwest@gmail.com
CONTACT US
Have a story you’d like to see featured? Send us your ideas. editor@edibleindy.com
EDIBLE INDY
PO Box 155, Zionsville, IN 46077 p. 260.438.9148
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YOGA FOR ALL
Zionsville yoga studio gives a voice to everyone
Starting yoga for the first time can be intimidating. “I don’t know what to expect. What if I can’t keep up? What do I wear? Am I doing this correctly?” All normal apprehensions, however you must begin the journey to change your life. Those first steps represent the essence of the yoga tradition: you having the courage to show up and try something new.
Blooming Life Yoga in downtown Zionsville is a holistic, philosophy-based studio honoring the ancient yoga tradition through embodiment practices of breath, movement, visualization, intention, and universal yogic philosophy. They are a green studio giving back to the land and people, supporting environmental and culturally artistic efforts both local and abroad.
Learning breath work, yoga poses, and meditation will all our students to regroup and regain empowerment to live the best life. With practice, a toolbox is built to ease daily anxieties and stresses and give you personal courage and empowerment to respond to situations with clarity, rather than reaction. Yoga is ultimately a way of living at peace within the heart, respecting all religions while embracing and celebrating diversity.
The studio offers a variety of classes seven days a week, weekend workshops and training.
They are a Yoga Alliance leader and continuing education provider. They offer certified yoga schools with extensive programs. Each month they offer a community night exploring tops through discussions, books and movies with a vegetarian potluck.
In addition the studio invites the community every Monday evening to a 5:45pm donation-based Yoga for Recovery class. This class is a powerful framework designed to inspire awareness, change and healing using the principals of the 12-step program.
Have the courage to show up and holistically harmonize the body, mind, and spirit with Blooming Life Yoga.
30 S. Elm St., Zionsville | BloomingLifeYoga.com
garlic and herb bavette steak
The best thing about this recipe? You can change the herbs to match the season. With spring around the corner, we opted for bright basil and parsley. In the fall, however, you can swap it for savory rosemary and thyme.
Ingredients
1 Legacy Maker bavette
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh basil
Instructions
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp epper, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mince garlic and herbs, blend with the oil and vinegar. Let stand for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, salt and pepper the bavette. Coat both sides of the bavette with oil mixture, reserving some for topping.
4. Mark both sides of bavette on a grill. Finish in oven at 350 degrees. Check every 5-10 minutes with a meat thermometer.
6. Top with reserve garlic and herb mixture. Slice into strips using a knife and serve.
AMERICA’S FOOD CULTURE
What’s changed (and what hasn’t) since we first reported on the state of agriculture in the U.S.
Words: Shauna L. Nosler
“Consumers don’t yet understand the full environmental benefits that come from real organic production systems.” —Jim Riddle*
In our Spring 2017 issue we reported on the state of America’ s “food culture”—how farming is (and was) changing throughout the country, and what was being done—or not—to address some of the more urgent concerns. Among those were the ever-aging American farmer and the need for more millennials to get involved; conquering food deserts by getting more local, fresh food into urban areas; and the rise of the organic farmer and compelling people to buy local goods. Three years later, there has been progress in some of those areas. For instance, while better access to local food in highly populated areas remains a big concern, the issue has evolved from simply improving access to improving our ability to farm within urban confines. In other words, while the logistics of bringing fresh food into these areas is still a big concern, the practice of urban agriculture is being explored and city dwellers are learning to actually grow and harvest fresh produce with smaller spaces (than those living in rural areas).
*Jim Riddle is the former chair of the USDA Organic Standards Board and one of two recipients of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service’s 2019 Organic Farmers of the Year award.
Then and now, we with Jim Riddle, of the USDA’ s Organic Board and one of the and Sustainable Education Organic Farmers of the Year; with Nate and Liz Brownlee, owners of Nightfall Farm and co-founders of the Hoosier Young Farmer Coalition; and with Emily Toner, urban agriculture educator with Purdue Extension Marion County. For this follow-up article we spoke again with Riddle and the Brownlees, and with Toner’ s successor at Purdue Extension, Tamara Benjamin. Read on to learn what’ s on their minds, and the minds of just about anyone working to improve America’ s food system.
Edible Indy: How has organic farming vs. traditional farming evolved over the past few years?
Jim Riddle: The demand for organic products just keeps growing. Organic farmers seem to be getting more respect in the larger agricultural community. Organic has become a viable production and marketing option, not just a niche market. With climate change and extreme weather events, there is growing emphasis on carbon sequestration (removing climate-warming carbon from the air and neutralizing it in the soil); cover crops; nutrient cycling; biodiversity enhancement, including pollinators; and water quality protection. These have always been fundamental tenets of organic production systems, and we now see widespread recognition of the benefits, even if we still haven’t seen sufficient broad-scale adoption of the practices in traditional farming.
Liz Brownlee: Organic agriculture is the only part of the ag sector that’s growing. Local food isn’t all organic, but the two show similar trends.
Tamara Benjamin: I know that there are trends with Millennials and Gen-Z to source from local farms more and more. There is also a lot of emphasis being placed on eating healthy and some of that ends up with people going to [local] farmers markets and purchasing more fruits and vegetables.
EI: Thoughts on consumer awareness … have you noticed any shift in people’s understanding of what “organic” really means?
products have much lower levels, if any, of pesticide residues, compared to nonorganic products. But consumers don’t yet understand the full environmental benefits that come from real organic production systems. They primarily think about how the products impact their own health, which is understandable.
Under the current administration, we have seen a cheapening or watering down of the meaning of “organic.” Specifically, there is abundant evidence that cargo shiploads of conventional grains are being imported from Russia, Ukraine and Turkey and sold as “organic” in the U.S. The USDA has been slow to take enforcement action. These fraudulent grains are largely being fed to confined cattle and poultry, with the meat and eggs being sold as “organic,” even though the animals do not have meaningful access to the outdoors or pasture. Once again, the USDA has failed to crack down on these “organic” concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) where both live and dead animals, along with their feed, manure and urine, exist within a small land area and where feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing or otherwise seeking feed in pastures, fields or on rangeland.
Finally, the USDA has allowed products from soilless hydroponic operations to be sold as “organic,” even though the plants are not rooted in soil. They receive all of their nutrients from proprietary nutrient solutions. Such products include lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, cherry tomatoes and blueberries.
EI: What about any new issues that have cropped up recently or have moved to the forefront of the discussion?
JR: “Regenerative” agriculture has become the new buzzword. People need to keep in mind that pesticides such as glyphosate (Roundup), which kill soil organisms, have no place in a regenerative system. Real organic production builds soil health, protects water quality and quantity, captures carbon, recycles nutrients, and enhances biological diversity, which are the fundamental principles of regenerative systems. The more that organic is associated with regeneration, the better.
TB: Urban agriculture is probably the biggest movement. As
JR: The word “organic” shows up everywhere these days, even in television infomercials. People want “clean” food, free of genetic engineering residues. prohibited in Residue organic
we now have more than 80% of our population in the U.S. living in urban areas, this type of farming will become more and more important. But there are unique challenges with farming in an urban area. There are city ordinances, site assessments of contaminated soils and more.
LB: It’s clear that land access is a major hurdle for beginning farmers. In the past, new generations of farmers came from farming families, and so they could inherit or purchase land from family. Today, many beginning farmers are first-generation farmers. Also, access to capital, and camaraderie, is an issue for any new business.
Of all farmers in the U.S. ... 25% are first-generation farmers, 27% have less than 10 years’ experience
JR: Additionally, unpredictable, severe weather events are becoming more common, and are negatively impacting farmers. Hopefully, policymakers will catch on in time to invest in real organic and other regenerative systems to help reverse climate change, before it’s too late.
EI: So with regard to how our future is shaping up, how do we feed our massively populated nation (and planet) without the use of genetically engineered crops and without CAFOs? How do we keep our food safe when the production of it has become so industrialized?
JR: Research shows that GMOs and CAFOs have not increased the amount of food being produced. In fact, most GMO crops are being used to produce fuel and fiber, not food. GMOs and CAFOs have, however, led to massive increases in the amounts of pesticides and antibiotics used in agriculture, resulting in polluted food and water, and a massive increase in antibiotic-resistant pathogens. These food-safety risks and their impacts on human health are not being addressed. To feed the world, start by feeding yourself, your family and your neighbors. Plant a garden, keep some chickens, join a community garden and support your local organic farmers. It’s fun, it’s healthy and it makes a difference! ⎕
Editor’s Note: During the development of this story, we reached out multiple times for comment from U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (RIN), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Sen. Braun did not respond.
A freelance journalist and Edible Indy’s editor at large, Shauna L. Nosler believes everyone should waste less and conserve more. She is passionate about responsible agriculture, sustainable seafood, the emerging plant-forward push, and just about anything that promotes simple, healthy living. Read more of her work at ShaunaNosler.com and stay tuned for the launch of her new blog where she writes about living a mostly plant-based, conscious lifestyle.
Spirits of FRENCH LICK
Local lore, traditions and ancient wisdom are in the history of French Lick Winery and Spirits of French Lick
words: Charity Singleton Craig | photography: Ian McSpadden
Walk into French Lick Winery, located in the old Kimball piano factory in West Baden, and it’s all glass bottle beauty lining the walls of the gift shop next to The Vintage Café. You won’t find any ivories to tickle now, though you will meet Coco, the caricature of a French woman who serves as the winery’s unofficial mascot, featured on the labels of their sweet fruit wines distributed throughout the country. Bunches of purple grapes mark the labels of estate-bottled wines, made from 10 different varietals grown on the winery’s own Hoosier Homestead–designated farm in nearby Martin County.
Look closer and you’ll also find several other shelves filled with house-made brandy and bourbon, gin and rum, absinthe, aquavit and vodka. These are the spirits produced by the winery’s sister distillery, Spirits of French Lick. But once you’ve stayed a while, and especially after you’ve toured the place, you’ll meet the real spirits behind this family-owned operation that goes back much further than the 25 years they’ve been in business.
Indiana’s Black Forest
To get the full story, you have to go back more than a century, to the mid-1800s, when a six-county region of southern Indiana—Orange, Washington, Crawford, Harrison, Lawrence, and Perry counties—was known as the Black Forest of Indiana. As part of the fruit belt of the United States, this area, which stretches from Bedford and Salem down to Tell City and Corydon, boasted nearly a million apple trees.
But that didn’t mean southern Indiana became known for its fruit pies and pastries. In fact, as Michael Pollan writes in The Botany of Desire, “Up until Prohibition, an apple grown in America was far less likely to be eaten than to wind up in a barrel of cider.” The same was true in Indiana’s Black Forest: German immigrants brought Old-Country techniques and tastes with them, producing more apple brandy than any other area of the world. From 1855 to 1914, more than 150 legal distilleries were producing brandy and other spirits in the area, with hundreds more personal stills tucked into barns and sheds throughout the hilly region.
A Threatened Industry
But the distilling industry faced constant threats just after the turn of the century: from federal agents looking for tax dollars to a fungus known as fire blight to the rapidly growing temperance movement. When Prohibition became federal law from 1920 to 1933, it not only took down the legal spirits business but also thousands of acres of fruit trees, cut
down and burned by federal Prohibition officers and state excise police during raids on bootleggers.
When Prohibition ended, a few Indiana distilleries reopened, but the production of brandy, bourbon, and other spirits had changed dramatically, constrained by federal laws that prohibited distilling without a license and state laws that forced distillers to sell only through wholesale distribution.
A Farming Legacy
Meanwhile, during the heyday of Hoosier distilling, another family immigrated from Bavaria, Germany, through New Orleans, ultimately settling just west of Indiana’s Black Forest in Martin County. George Hoffman, the great-great-grandfather of Kim Doty—who along with her husband, sons and daughter-in-law owns French Lick Winery and the Spirits of French Lick—purchased a 515-acre farm along the east fork of the White River. Hoffman and his wife, Barbara, built a house and began farming the tillable acres. The couple’s only son, Christian, passed away as a teenager, so when George and Barbara passed away years later, the farm was divided between their two daughters, Sophia and Mattie.
Sophia, Kim’s great-grandmother, passed her half of the farm down to her daughter Eathel (Sophia’s other daughter, Viola, died at a young age). Then, in 1958, Barbara Sue (aka Susie) Klingle, Eathel’s daughter and Kim’s mother, bought her mom’s half of the farm plus her greataunt Mattie’s half, effectively restoring the original Hoffman farm.
A Vineyard on the Top 40
In the mid 1990s, the next generation set their sights on the Hoffman farm. It began when Kim and her husband, John, decided to rent a 40acre plot of hilly, well-drained land—what they call the “Top 40”—from her mom’s farm to plant a vineyard. It was intended as a side project, since Kim worked full-time as a postmaster for the U.S. Postal Service and John as a vice president of a local bank. But when they spoke with a local vintner about selling future harvests to him, he suggested the Dotys start a winery themselves— the only way to really make money from a vineyard, he told them.
“At the time, there were only 10 wineries in the state; we were the 11th,” Kim says. “We’d always wanted to own our own business. And at the time, we really wanted to grow grapes.”
John had experience with winemaking, having fermented home batches in the family’s basement for years. So in 1995, the Dotys opened
Opposite: Laurelin Doty and her daughters Isabel, Gwendolyn, and Piper. The daughters would be the seventh generation of female ownership of the Hoosier Homestead farm
BY THE NUMBERS
85–90 degrees for fermentation of whiskey
60,000 gallons of wine produced each year
25,000–
30,000 gallons of spirits produced each year
10 different grape varietals grown at Heaven’s View Vineyard
30 different wines produced
67 degrees for fermentation of apple brandy
4 pot stills in production, each named after a goddess: Lilith, Diana, Sophia and Inanna spirits in the bottle
12
French Lick Winery, now part of the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail, in the basement of French Lick’s Beechwood Mansion. They began by fermenting fruit they purchased, using the profits to establish their eight-acre Heaven’s View Vineyard in 1997. They produced the first wine from their own grapes in 1998. Initially, the vineyard and the winery were all the couple had in mind. After all, they were both still working fulltime and raising a family. But around 2000, things began to change.
From Vineyard to Distillery
First, the couple purchased the Top 40, along with more than 200 additional acres of her mom’s farm, becoming the fifth generation of female landowners in the family. In 2005, the winery moved into one-third of the vacant Kimball factory and opened The Vintage Café and gift shop. The same year, John retired from the bank; four years later, Kim also took an early retirement from the USPS, allowing the couple to commit full-time to the business’s success.
The distillery was the latest addition to the Dotys’ venture, made possible by a 2013 change in Indiana law allowing Hoosiers to operate small, craft distilleries, serve tasting room samples and sell bottles of spirits on premises. In 2016, the Dotys launched Spirits of French Lick, with Alan Bishop, who grew up on a farm in nearby Washington County, as head distiller.
Pictured upper right: Distiller, Alan Bishop
5 generations of women owners of the Hoffman farm
people can be seated at the French Lick Winery Café
12
of
Respect the Past
1,200 gallons fit in the fermenter
sweet wines distributed nationwide
1
signature sourdough starter brought over from Naples, Italy, and used in café pizza crusts
600 gallons fit in the grain cooker 90
For Alan, local lore, traditional methods and ancient wisdom are integral to every aspect of the business: from sourcing ingredients to naming products. While he does take advantage of technology to help him keep precise temperatures in his double-pot distillation process, he mostly does things the old-fashioned way: manually moving the mash from cooker to fermenter, cutting each run by hand and using his senses to smell, taste and even touch his way to the perfect brew.
“I don’t want a computer making my whiskey,” Alan says. “We’re doing things people haven’t seen for a hundred years or more.”
Respect the Grain
Alan’s commitment to tradition also extends into the yeasts and grains he uses, connecting Spirits of French Lick back to the local history of distilling and farming. For instance, Alan himself harvested dormant yeast strains from three now-defunct distilleries around the region. Whenever possible, the corn and wheat milled, cooked and fermented into spirits are grown on the Dotys’ Hoosier Homestead farm. Other grains are sourced as locally as possible.
proof
Old Clifty Hoosier Apple Brandy
photograph: French Lick winery
photograph: Hoffman Family
“Our motto is ‘Respect the Grain.’ And the idea behind that is grain has terroir the same way grapes do,” Alan explains. “So depending on where the grain is grown, the minerals in the soil, the environment that surrounds it and the way that it’s grown—that’s going to have an impact on the flavor.”
In other words, the spirits of French Lick literally live on in the distilled spirits.
Looking to the Future
The spirits also live on through the family farm, now known as the Klingle Doty Farm, as Kim and John plan to pass the baton to their sons, Nick and Aaron, who both are part owners of and work at French Lick Winery. And though this sixth generation may not carry on the tradition of female ownership, Kim is hopeful for the seventh generation. Nick and his wife, Laurelin, have three daughters: Isabel, 7, Gwendolyn, 5, and Piper, 3.
“I’ve been extremely proud to have this ancestry and be tied to this land,” Kim says. “I hope the girls will keep the farm in the family and for the business.” ⎕
Charity Singleton Craig is a writer and author, bringing words to life through essays, stories, blog posts and books. She is the author of The Art of the Essay: From Ordinary Life to Extraordinary Words and Poetry and Prose on the Prairie: A Nature Journal of Prophetstown State Park. You can find her online at CharitySingletonCraig.com.
True Spirits of French Lick
Several of the spirits produced by Spirits of French Lick are part of the “Classic Line,” named after historical figures, local distilleries, and other cultural icons. Here are a few of our favorites.
Old Clifty Hoosier Apple Brandy is named for The Old Clifty distillery, which was located in what is now the Cave River Valley Nature Preserve north of Campbellsburg Indiana. From 1818 to 1904, the distillery averaged about 20,000 gallons of apple brandy each year.
Lee W. Sinclair 4-Grain Bourbon, a silver award winner at the 2019 North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition, was named after the Hoosier businessman who purchased the West Baden Springs Hotel in 1888 after seeing its potential as a holiday resort. When a fire destroyed the entire lodging structure in 1901, Sinclair rebuilt the hotel including the grand atrium with its circular dome ceiling.
Maddie Gladden High Rye Bourbon, available in 2020, is named for a local madam who brought her successful Nashville business back to her hometown of Salem, Ind., in the 1890s. According to the Louisville Courier Journal, Gladden “had a fine Victorian mansion constructed right on the main street of town and opened her business to the delight of wealthy businessmen traveling from Chicago to Louisville via the Monon Railroad.”
William Dalton Bottled in Bond Bourbon, available in 2021, named after the master distiller of the old Spring Mill Village distillery. A representation of the distillery was rebuilt in 1932 using logs salvaged from the original site as part of the historical village in Spring Mill State Park.
Fascination Street Barrel Aged Absinthe, available in 2020, is named for one of Alan Bishop’s favorite songs by British rock bank The Cure. Cure vocalist and primary songwriter Robert Smith supposedly wrote “Fascination Street” in anticipation of a visit to Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Responsibly Harvested, Wildcaught Seafood Straight to You
Sitka Salmon Shares is a Community Supported Fishery (CSF) delivering premium, responsibly harvested, wild-caught seafood direct to your doorstep. Most of the world’s seafood is caught by large factory boats that fish waters distant from their home ports. When you buy from our CSF, you are supporting smallboat fishing families who are dependent on this as a livelihood. Our company’s fishermen-owner model makes us uniquely different from competition, intertwining the success of the company and our fishermen in important ways. Our fishermen also receive above industry average for their harvest, which helps create a fair seafood system that rewards high-quality seafood and low-impact harvesting methods.
How Does It Work?
We catch your seafood with love and care. Then it’s individually portioned and blast-frozen for a fresh-from-the-ocean taste. Finally, we deliver your share of the harvest straight to your door including the name of who caught your fish, plus recipes and a newsletter about that month’s harvest. Our We’re Really Fishing Promise guarantees that you’ll love your fish—or your money back.
We Care.
We’re also proud to give 1% of our profits to conservation efforts while purchasing carbon offsets for our supply-chain. We are working to become carbon neutral in the next few years. To find out what Indy farmers markets we will be at this summer or to enroll for your share visit SitkaSalmonShares.com.
Hover your phone’s camera for Edible Indy’s exclusive seafood recipes using our seafood.
Our Community Supported Fishery deliveries include premium, “blast-frozen” fillets, delicious recipes, and a monthly newsletter about that month’s harvest.
Ryan Horwath, one of our fishermen-owners, shows off a black rockfish at his home port of Kodiak, Alaska.
Sitka Salmon Shares’ fisherman-owner Drew Terhaar smiles with a shimmery keta salmon.
Hatching New Plots
words:
Amy Lynch
In 2012, Edible Indy took a look at community gardens and urban green spaces across central Indianapolis. As a new decade gets under way, we thought it might be interesting to revisit the topic and see how things have grown (so to speak) since then.
What’s in a name?
Community gardens in Indianapolis are just one component of the greater urban agriculture landscape. A “community garden” is a shared growing enterprise undertaken by a collective group of people who plant, maintain and harvest their own individual plots; “urban agriculture” can refer to any public or private growing effort in an inner-city or urban setting.
“Community gardens—including rooftop gardens, schoolyard gardens, backyard gardens and neighborhood gardens—are usually nonprofit endeavors that provide a sense of community and connection to the environment,” explains Executive Director Victoria Beaty of Growing Places Indy. “Urban agriculture, urban farming or urban gardening is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in or around urban areas—very similar to community gardens, but on a larger scale.”
“Some projects refer to themselves as community gardens, but they’re really collective farm projects,” adds Amy Matthews, Urban Agriculture program assistant for Purdue Extension Marion County. “Bethany Community Gardens is one example where there are plots people can rent, and also a community effort where everyone works on a certain day and the output goes to food banks.”
At the time the original Edible Indy article appeared, there were around 50 urban community gardens in Center Township.
According to Beaty, that number has grown to more than 150 community gardens and urban farms in the Indianapolis area. With support from Purdue Extension Marion County, IndyGrown.com is constantly adding entries to a comprehensive map of market farms, community gardens, school gardens and educational facilities and nonprofit farms throughout Central Indiana.
“These categories each serve different purposes, and we need them all working together to create a vibrant urban ag community,” Matthews says. “Many successful garden projects going on right now are less than 5 years old. Growin’ Good in the Hood has gained a lot of traction, while the Burkhart Community Garden in Rocky Ripple is one of longest-established community gardens in town.”
One of the big challenges community gardens face is finding consistent support.
“It can be a struggle to fill all the spots and find people to do the necessary work to keep up the spaces,” Matthews says. “But projects like the community garden at Krannert Park, which was dormant for a while, are now experiencing a resurgence. It goes in cycles.”
Why garden?
The camaraderie that community gardening creates is as much an attraction as the edible output itself, especially for younger participants who get an education along the way.
“Community gardens give Indianapolis residents access to garden space they may not have otherwise,” Beaty says. “And, community gardens and urban farms can be influential contributors to fostering healthy communities.”
photography: Growing Places
Improving access to fresh and local foods, increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, and cultivating greater awareness about nutrition are just a few of the benefits community gardens offer, especially critical in neighborhoods that lack pathways to affordable, healthy food.
“About one in every five Marion County residents lives in a food desert, an estimated 196,000 people in the county,” Beaty notes. “These areas are usually low-income and lack food access; they’re generally areas where the closest retail grocery store is more than a mile away.”
The output from community gardens and urban farms benefits Indianapolis residents in a number of ways. As one of the oldest urban farms in the City of Indianapolis, Growing Places Indy provides fresh, local foods to area restaurants and food pantries, and to the community through the Indy Winter Farmers Market and a summer farm stand. Community gardeners can also enjoy the fruits of their own labors, share their produce with neighbors or donate what they grow to local food banks and other outlets.
What to grow?
The personality of each community garden depends on the needs and preferences of those who tend it. When planning, Beaty says it’s important to keep in mind that some vegetables require more TLC than others.
“Selecting low-maintenance plants for community gardens is best, especially if you’re not able to be at the space daily,” she explains. “Some good choices include basil, kale, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.”
What’s the future hold?
Former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard proposed an urban garden program back in 2012, but the project is not a focus for the city at present. However, current Mayor Joe Hogsett has prioritized the need to address food insecurity with Proposal 258, approved and passed in July 2019. The plan includes support for a food compass app, neighborhood food champions, a mobile grocery store and subsidized Lyft rides. ⎕
Amy Lynch is an Indianapolis-based freelance writer and editor. She enjoys travel, bourbon, books, live music and breakfast all day.
Want to learn more?
Purdue Extension Marion County offers a year-long Urban Agriculture certificate program for anyone who wants to learn more about urban farming through a curriculum including classroom sessions, field workshops and online learning opportunities.
“Folks who have an idea they want to launch can take the class, network and get their plan together,” Matthews says. “The Lawrence Community Garden is just one example that’s come out of this program.” Find out more at Purdue.edu/dffs/urbanag.
Care to lend your local community or urban garden a hand? There are many opportunities to participate throughout Central Indiana; visit growingplacesindy.org and indygrown.com for some suggestions on how and where you can volunteer. The Indy. Gov Office of Sustainability also maintains community gardens available to neighborhood residents at Eagle Creek Park and Tibbs Avenue; visit Indy.gov for more information.
Irubbed my temple as I stared at the email invite to a dinner party and then glanced at my calendar.
The date was open.
But it was a busy time for work and life. My husband, a farmer, was deep in the harvest hustle. And thanks to the lifestyle of raising animals, finding time for any meal, let alone a dinner out that requires him to ditch the ball cap and boots, is tough. Plus, we have two children under the age of 3. With a babysitter costing what I would make writing two to five freelance articles, a night out seemed indulgent.
Society is under threat. The culprit? BRUNCH. Not merely a forum for overpriced eggs, brunch is a leisure-timesquandering hellscape, embodying all that is soul-killing and alienating about modern life.
How to fight back? By throwing dinner parties—the cornerstone of civilized society!
Not to mention that I had never met any of the others named in the “To” line. I had not even met the woman who sent the email. We were “Instagram friends.” If you were the slightest bit neurotic, you would think this all was starting to sound like the start of a classic Lifetime movie.
I was intrigued, as after all it was a dinner party, a real-life grown-up dinner party.
Growing up, my parents hosted plenty of dinner parties. I would watch through the banisters at the top of the stairs, cheeks pressed against the slats, gleaning a peek at the scenes below. My dad greeted guests with Manhattans and the flame from tall candles flickered on my mother’s well-dressed dining room table. Chatter and laughter mixed with the music of Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable,” “Close to You” by The Carpenters and—later in the evening—“Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind and Fire. These nights serve as fond relics in my young memory as sophistication and adulthood at its best.
And yet, there I was, very much an adult, staring at the email invite and wondering, “Have I even been to a real dinner party before?”
Sure, we had been to parties. And, hosted parties too. There’ve been Christmas parties, cocktail parties, 30th birthday parties, Super Bowl parties and lots of “you bring this and I’ll make that” parties. We’ve done plenty of meet-ups at the local brewery. (God bless the brewery that permits children.) And, we’ve brunched. A lot.
I thought of the many weekends spent waiting (for close to an hour…) outside some new trendy spot with friends for a millennial-chic brunch. First, nursing hangovers together in our 20s, and then serving as our reward—in the form of a glorious mimosa—for surviving a child’s sleep regression in our 30s.
Carbs, midday booze, someone else doing the dishes and an Instagram-worthy plate. All things that sounded good at the time, but cost hours of my weekends (and a small fortune) and really, only made me even more tired.
In the invite, Reba, the hostess, mentioned her idea for her party stemmed from the book Brunch Is Hell: How to Save the World by Throwing a Dinner Party by Brendan Francis Newnam and Rico Gagliano of the popular podcast
The Dinner Party Download.
A quick search on GoodReads led me to a definitely ironic, slightly accurate summary:
Society is under threat. The culprit? BRUNCH. Not merely a forum for overpriced eggs, brunch is a leisuretime-squandering hellscape, embodying all that is soul-killing and alienating about modern life.
How to fight back? By throwing dinner parties—the cornerstone of civilized society!
“We will be there!” spewed from my fingers onto the screen and, with a click, répondez complete.
Sitting back, I wondered, “Why don’t more people host dinner parties?”
And, then, “Why don’t I host dinner parties?”
I have a degree and built a career in “Hospitality” and yet, I wasn’t practicing true hospitality.
A few days later, while engrossing myself in Brunch Is Hell, I learned that even brunch doesn’t allow me to really experience hospitality.
What I was trying to find in brunch for years was connection, good conversation and a reprieve from everyday life.
But still, despite being seemingly duped, brunch out at a restaurant is a heck of a lot easier than hosting a dinner party.
Dinner parties are lot of work. There’s shopping and prep, cooking and dishes. And, what if that recipe doesn’t turn out or isn’t as beautiful as the image on Pinterest? Cooking for people is pressure.
They are also kind of scary. Not in the Lifetime movie kind of way (hopefully); but in the inviting people into your home and letting them see the real you. Letting them see that you got behind on the landscaping or your baseboards could use some attention.
You are also not an interior designer, nor do you have their budgets. There is comfort found in inviting your friends to the new brunch place, ordering a cool latte, surrounding yourself with the white subway tile you lust over for an Instagram photo further perpetuating your well-crafted personal brand.
Or you can do what Reba did. You can step into discomfort, even if you are a little scared.
Throw open your imperfect doors—even when your master bathroom is under renovation like hers was. Don’t hide the everyday elements of life. Reba’s kitchen was complete with a chalkboard listing the week’s menu for her family and the side of a refrigerator full of the evidence of children; but what this represented was a well loved and lived-in home.
While Reba dealt with the pressure of preparing a meal and a clean house, her guests also stepped into this party with uncertainty.
“New people. Small talk. Real pants!” These alarms rang in my mind and rattled excuses of why not to attend. But sometimes we have to take a leap of faith to challenge our routines.
Each of us walked into the dinner party with discomfort and fear, but all of us walked away with much more than a fabulously prepared meal. And to much of our surprise, not one photo of
the food, the table, the cocktails was taken. Instead, our phones were down and tucked away. We didn’t share posts or boomerang videos with all of Instagram. We focused on each other. We shared actual stories and eye contact. We connected over our histories, passions and current podcasts. We laughed, talked food, travel and divulged our greatest weakness in the kitchen. We even shyly admitted our reservations prior to getting together for the evening.
That evening we didn’t solve any of the world’s problems. But, as the wine was poured and family-style dishes were passed around, our stories and lives unraveled in conversation. We found common ground and empathy. We found new perspectives and new friends. And, we found that we are actually more woven together than not. We found that at a dinner party—over a cocktail while passing homemade bread— these ties in life were easy to uncover.
And, if meaning, purposeful connection, conversation, powerful experiences and true hospitality are the things we crave most, each of us now knows that at a dinner party—a real-life, grown-up dinner party—they can be found.
We each left Reba’s full in every way you could be full. Heads full. Hearts full. Bellies... full.
Buzzing on the electric energy found in good conversation with an interesting group of people… and the red wine.
We left eager to go out in the world and be kinder, smarter and more creative.
And, to host a dinner party—a real dinner party— of our own. ⎕
Claire Trost is a writer and owner of Bent Arrow Acres, a sustainable farm focused on raising 100% grass-fed beef, pastured pork and chickens. Her work has been published in The Everymom, Cherry Bombe, Today Parents and is in revisions for her memoir, The Sun, The Rain and The Appleseed. She lives in Russiaville with her husband and two small children. Find Claire at @clairetrost and the farm @bentarrowacres.
The Proper Binge Blog Edible Indy Dinner Party Menu
APPETIZER: Hungarian Snacking Tray*
BEVERAGE: Raspberry Mojito Kombucha Mocktail (recipe featured on page 34)
SALAD: Grilled Zucchini, Pea, Mint & Parmesan Salad (recipe featured on page 33)
MAIN: Braised Short Rib Supper + Rice (recipe featured on page 31)
DESSERT: Cardamom Pavlova with Meyer Lemon Cream and Pistachios Hover your phone’s camera for this glorious recipe.
*HUNGARIAN SNACKING TRAY
Move over charcuterie, the grazing board is now all the rage. Complete with bold cheeses, hearty proteins like eggs and meats, fruits and vegetables and even some sweets, this impressive board will awe your guests. Suggestions from Reba:
Tip: Make your own grazing board by buying a five-foot board at the local hardware store, sand it and stain it. Under $25.
Grocery List
Produce
Banana peppers
Radishes
Cucumbers
Apples
Raspberries
Fresh mint (one bunch or two clamshells)
Limes (3)
Yellow onion (1)
Garlic (1 head)
Fresh ginger
Watermelon radishes
Cilantro
Zucchini (2–3 medium)
Fresh peas
Meyer lemons (6+)
Protein
Pâté
Ham
Salame (Smoking Goose)
Beef short rib— English style on the bone, 3 pounds (Fischers Farm)
Eggs/Dairy
Eggs (Bent Arrow Acres)
Unsalted butter
Heavy cream
Cheese
Small Gruyere
Juliana, Capriole Cheese
Everton, Jacobs & Brichford
Bakery
Rye bread toasts
Crusty-loaf sourdough, country boule, Amelia’s or Native Bread for gluten free
Russian tea cakes/meringues (small store-bought cookies for snack board)
Beverages/Pantry
Whole-grain mustard (Best Boy)
Kombucha (Circle Beverage)
Rum
Capers
Granulated sugar
Kosher salt
Distilled white vinegar
Cornstarch
Vanilla extract
Ground cardamom
Rice vinegar
Soy sauce
Dark brown sugar
Red pepper flakes
Basmati rice
Almonds (8 ounces)
Other
Bag of ice
Five Dinner Party Tips
Clean. Your. Bathroom.
Straighten up your pillows and wipe your table down all you want but if you clean anything in your house before a party, clean the bathroom and light a candle in there. You can fake a “homemade” dessert but you cannot fake a clean bathroom.
Today’s not the day to sign up for Midwest Bartenders School
If you want to serve a cocktail before dinner, make it as easy as you can. Think big-batch cocktails that you can make beforehand, or an easy two-ingredient spritz your guests can make themselves. This is not the time to try out your bartender skills and the last thing you need is to burn your side dish because you’re playing bartender trying to light an orange peel on fire.
Put your friends to work
Give your guests a job. People often feel awkward when they arrive and sip a cocktail while the host chops garlic and wipes sweat from their brow while they stand there and... watch. To avoid feeling like a hibachi chef in front of your friends, give them an easy job while you finish up. Pick the leaves off the parsley, fill the water glasses with ice, open another bottle of wine, take out the trash! People are usually desperate to help and, let’s be honest, you probably need a little help. Let them.
A party’s not a party without music
Music is as essential to a dinner party as the dinner itself. Just like your house and your food is a reflection of your personality, your music says a lot. In the era of Spotify, Amazon and Google music it’s easier than ever to make a playlist perfect for your party that’s also hours and hours long. Can’t figure out a playlist in time? Easy. Pick a “radio” station based on your current favorite artist, and let the algorithm take the wheel.
Reba’s Perfect Dinner Party Playlist:
“Theme from A Summer Place” The Ventures “Love Forever,” Babe Rainbow “Trop Tard,” MUNYA
“Sundress,” A$AP Rocky “Stranger Next Door,” Billy Changer “Freedom is Free,” Chicano Batman “Topless Party,” Piero Umiliani “Tell Her No,” The Zombies “Natural,” Tanukichan “Dream Lover,” Bobby Darin “Brazil,” Frank Sinatra “See-Line Woman,” Nina Simone
Enjoy your party.
You have prepared. You cleaned your bathroom until it sparkled. Everyone you invited is excited to come over. Keep in mind that a messy kitchen typically means good things are coming out of it. Enjoy your friends. Have another glass of wine. Remember you can always (always) order a pizza. Oh, and do the dishes in the morning.
For more inspiration, menus and shopping lists for your next dinner party, Reba Toloday, of The Proper Binge Blog and our hostess, visit the “Gatherings” tab at theproperbinge.com. And, follow along on Instagram at @theproperbingeblog.
What is old is new again.
Our go-to planner and creative is Brooke Csukas of Uncommonly Styled. She recommends shopping at antique stores and even in your own home. The table runner in our shoot was actually floor mats and the pink and gold dishes were wedding china inherited from our publisher’s mother-in-law. Try not to be perfect, set the table to suit your style and use what you have, even when things aren’t matching, they are you.
If setting a table still stresses you out, let her bring the table to you! UncommonlyStyledIndy.com
PARTY WINE PICKS
Who doesn’t struggle with trying to find the right wine for your dinner party? How do you pick a wine? Perhaps try something unique like a bourbon barreled wine, a varietal or a white or red blend. Here are a few of the specialty wines we recommend for your spring dinner parties:
SPANISH RED BLEND: Southern Belle is a red blend by Grateful Palate aged in Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels.
SPANISH WHITE: El Cuentista Tempranillo from Pradorey. Take a risk and try this white Tempranillo instead of a traditional red.
WASHINGTON SÉMILLON FROM L’ECOLE NO 41: A rich and vibrant fruit with balanced acidity. It shows pretty orange blossoms with layers of fresh lemongrass, yellow apples, and ananas melon.
SOUTH AFRICA ORGANIC BLEND: The Black Pearl ORO from Black Pearl winery is organic and a 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend.
NEW ZEALAND BLEND: CPR from Paddy Borthwick Paper Road is a blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay that meld together effortlessly.
SPARKLING SPRING PICKS: Australia Sparkling Shiraz from Paring or Italian Sparkling flavored Moscato from Villa Jolanda.
PARTNERSHIP CONTENT
Dinner parties are on point for 2020. Have fun, step out of your comfort zone and find a new favorite wine with us.
“There is no rule that if you eat plant based, you have to do it 100 percent of the time. That may work for some people, but not for others. Eating less animal products and processed foods, and more natural plant-based foods in any amount is a step in the right direction.”
—Griff Whalen, NFL athlete
Plant-based diets aren’t anything new—even if the concept is trending in 2020. And yeah, yeah, yeah, I used the word “trend,” but make no mistake … while plant-based foods are popping up everywhere from fast-food restaurants to local farmers markets— and world-wide everyone from big-name celebrities to high-profile athletes to everyday people is exploring the plant-forward lifestyle—this movement (if you will) is much more than a trend. En vogue, yes, but a trend? Nah, it’s much more than that, and people everywhere (myself included) are starting to consider making the trend a permanent part of their lifestyle. But just how do you begin to explore a plant-based diet? Where do you start, and for that matter, why?
Harriet Birrell—known to her many followers simply as Natural Harry—plant-forward lifestyle advocate and successful cookbook author, has more than a few practical reasons why a plant-based diet is good for your body, mind and soul.
From fashion designer to whole-food champion
“Lucky for me,” says Birrell of her upbringing, “we ate a very basic diet of whole foods. We had very few treats or rather, healthy and whole foods were considered treats to us. I grew up on my grandparents’ farm 40 minutes from the closest big town so we tended to not have access to local shops and restaurants so most of our diet was homemade goodness, from scratch.”
Vegan vs. Plant-Based
“Veganism,” according to the Vegan Society, is a way of living “which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.” In other words, veganism isn’t just a diet, it’s a lifestyle. As for the diet part, vegans do not eat any animal products, including not just meats but also all dairy products eggs and even honey. And vegans, like those who follow a plant-based diet, eat a combination of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. However, a plant-based, or plant-focused, diet does not necessarily mean excluding all animal products, but generally speaking, those on this path do get 85–100 percent of their nutrition from plant products.
Opposite: Harriett Birrell aka Natural Harry
Natural Harry’s Essential
Plant-Based Pantry
Activated buckwheat: made from buckwheat seeds, used in baking recipes
Apple cider vinegar: a prebiotic vinegar used as a tonic; purchase brands that are raw
Black bean spaghetti: tender and loaded with protein, great alternative to wheat-based pasta
Cacao nibs: use instead of traditional chocolate chips, high in antioxidants
Cacao powder: adds a smooth chocolate flavor to smoothies and more
Chia seeds: high in omega-3s
Chickpea flour: aka besan, great when used to bake pizza crusts, cakes and cookies
Coconut aminos: made from fermented coconut blossom, similar to soy sauce but with lower sodium
Coconut yogurt: made from cultured coconut milk
Food-grade essential oils: look for orange and peppermint
Kelp noodles: made from sea kelp, loaded with nutrients
Kimchi
Kombucha
Maple syrup
Medjool dates
Miso
Mung bean fettuccine: also known as cellophane noodles
Nori: edible seaweed
Nutritional yeast: an inactive yeast grown in molasses, it lends a “cheesy” flavor to recipes
Organic rolled oats
Plant-based milk
Purple sweet potato: aka okinawan, tons of fiber and nutrient dense
Sauerkraut
Smoked paprika
Tahini: paste from sesame seeds lends a nutty flavor to dishes
Tamari: similar to soy sauce but with a smoother, thicker consistency
Tempeh
Tofu
Vanilla powder: make sure the brand’s only ingredient is vanilla bean (no added sugar)
Wakame: edible sea vegetable, great in salads and soups
But while she has always had a diet rich in whole foods with little to no processed food, she hasn’t always followed a 100 percent plant-based diet. Nor has she always been a shining example of what most would consider healthy.
“I really began to disregard my health,” says Birrell of the years she spent working in the fashion industry in Melbourne, Australia.
“The high-pressure, high-stress environment caused me to focus more on convenience foods rather than whole food,” she says. Eventually, the lifestyle got to her and she left her job and city life behind to travel for six months. When she returned home, she took a leap of faith and turned her attention to what she says was always her original passion: health and wellness. She enrolled in a 12-month online course at Integrative Nutrition. During that time she was quickly drawn to the organic, plant-based whole foods approach.
“It just makes so much sense to me that whole is better than processed and variety, color and natural is vitality and sustenance.” And, she says, after committing to a 100 percent plantbased diet, she began to take heed of the changes to her body, mind and overall well-being.
“I noticed an increase in energy and clarity of mind,” she says. “I have always been a swimmer but [after following a strict plant-based diet] was able to swim much farther and faster without tiring. It’s like I have more oxygen in my blood... if that’s possible.” Along with physical changes, Birrell soon recognized a sensitivity to processed foods and says there is a big contrast between knowing what good health actually feels like and what it doesn’t.
Bottom line, feeling good is the main reason she says she chose to walk this path, and looking after herself on a cellular level so she can be her best version for the people she loves is why she continues. ⎕
Natural Harry’s top five tips for living a more plant-forward life
Interested in exploring a more plant-forward lifestyle? Here are a few tips to get you started
• Arm yourself with the best recipes and books. Get in the kitchen and reteach yourself to cook plantbased whole foods.
• Only make meals you enjoy and that satiate you. Make sure to eat enough whole-food, plant-based protein from beans, nuts, seeds, legumes and grains.
• Fill your fridge and pantry with plant-based wholefood ingredients and challenge yourself to use all of it.
• Put some music on and make mealtime cooking a therapeutic and fun experience. Enjoy it!
• Go at your own pace. If replacing just one meal a week to begin with is a good start for you, do that.
Is plant-based protein as good as animal protein?
Yes. Yes it is according to some professional athletes and sports nutritionists alike.
Griff Whalen, former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, knows a thing or two about fueling his body for prime performance. The professional athlete, who now follows a plant-based diet, says he’s stronger and more efficient both on and off the field than ever, but he hasn’t always been a plant-forward eater.
“Growing up my diet was pretty typical for middle-class Americans, which is another way of saying it was terrible. Especially as I gained more independence in high school and relied less on home-cooked meals. Almost everything I ate was heavily processed and oversaturated with sugar and fat.”
In college, Whalen says he gradually began to learn how important nutrition was and how large a role it plays in athletic performance and development.
“I started eating more natural foods, lean meats, more vegetables, but still to this day struggle with self-control when it comes to sugary foods. Personally, I feel that I ate so much sugar as a kid and in high school that I developed a strong addiction to it, and now I try to avoid it as much as possible, much like an alcoholic does with alcohol.”
Signed to the Colts in 2012, Whalen went on to play for other teams, including the Oakland Raiders, and it was during his time there that he met sports dietitian Rikki Keen MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS. In addition to working with the Raiders, Keen has worked with NFL veterans and draftees at ESPN’s “Wide World of Sports,” the USWNT (U.S. Women’s National Team) and currently serves as director of performance nutrition for the Orlando City Soccer Club.
“I work with individual athletes and teams on adequate fueling, hydration and supplementation, planning out menus, monitoring blood work, conducting body composition and pre- and post-nutrition for training and game days,” says Keen. And, she says, offering plant-based protein sources at each meal, which includes food sources, as well as supplement options, is key to building and maintaining the muscle needed for high-level performance.
“The nutrients we focus on around training are leucine, creatine and quality carbohydrates,” says Keen, as well as those derived from colorful fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, fortified B12 and calcium sources, and probiotics. And the vegan players says Keen—like current USWNT member Alex Morgan and former player and three-time Olympic gold medalist Heather Mitts—can obtain essential omega 3s from an algae-based supplement.
Want to know more about plant-based diets from a nutritional aspect and how it can help athletes (and average Joes) live a healthier life? Head over to our website and read the entire interview with NFL player Griff Whalen and sports nutritionist Rikki Keen. EdibleIndy.com
Rikki Keen’s go-to snack for those wanting to eat more plant-based foods: “performance balls and frozen blueberry bowls, similar to acai bowls. Performance balls, aka energy bites, are so easy to make and you can change up the ingredients as you like. Ingredients include peanut butter, ground flax seed, rolled oats, vanilla extract, dark chocolate chips and honey. Bowls are always popular, as athletes (or non-athletes) can personalize toppings: berries, bananas, chia seeds, flax seed, peanut butter, coconut flakes, dark chocolate chips, and granola.”
Griff Whalen, former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver.
Dinner parties.
As featured in our article “House Party” (page 20), 2020 is all about encouraging people to take time to come together over a meal worthy of memories, of love and of delicious proportions. Two cookbooks that should be on everyone’s counter this year are Whole: Down-toEarth Plant-Based Wholefood Recipes by Harriet Birrell and Every Day Is Saturday by Sarah Copeland.
These books are glorious in their photography and layout and both books have recipes for every foodie. From Hungarian snack trays to creamy coconut polenta and balsamic veggies, the recipes curated by these authors allow for an adventurous turn in eating simple ingredients that delight every palate.
COME TOGETHER
Perfect recipes for your dinner party
words: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
Braised Short Rib Supper
Serves 4 to 6
If you’re going to take the time to make a proper meat-and-potatoes (or meat-and-rice) kind of dinner, make it the most melt-off-the-bone meal you can think of. This one is my favorite. I adapted this dish from my friend Chris Morocco, food editor at Bon Appétit and king of the simple but spectacular, the duh dinner you never thought of and wish you had. It’s a breeze, and so big on flavor and payback, I bet it makes it into your permanent files, too.
1 onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, smashed
¼ cup (60 ml) rice vinegar
¼ cup (60 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 Tbsp coconut sugar or dark brown sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 lb (1.4 kg) beef short ribs, English (or flanken) style or Korean cut
2 cups (240 g) warm cooked basmati rice (or any favorite white rice), for serving
3 globe or watermelon radishes (or a mix), thinly sliced, for serving Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
If you have a slow cooker, this is its moment. Grab it, and read on. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) or prepare a 4- to 6-qt (3.5- to 5.4-L) slow cooker. In a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, or your slow cooker, combine the onion, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, coconut sugar, red pepper flakes, and ¼ cup (60 ml) water. Add the beef and turn with tongs to coat on all sides with the sauce and onion. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 2½ hours in the oven, or on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours in the slow cooker.
When the meat is tender and falling off the bone, skim off and discard any excess fat, leaving the juices behind, with a ladle or spoon (skip this step if you love lots of fatty juices). Spoon the warm rice into shallow bowls or plates. Spoon the beef and sauce over the top, and garnish with the radishes, cilantro, and all the remaining juices.
GOOD TO KNOW
Browning the beef in a little oil in the pan before cooking lends an even deeper flavor and beautiful color to your finished dish. But it’s not imperative to this dish, so skip it if you’re short on time.
To peel ginger easily, use the edge of a spoon to gently scrape away the skin, working around small creases and corners.
GET AHEAD
I use a slow cooker to make the ribs while I’m out of the house. (What’s better than coming home to a meal that has made itself?) Make, let cool, and refrigerate the beef in an airtight container for up to 4 days, and reheat on the stovetop over low heat. Prep the radishes hours or days ahead; refrigerate, wrapped in a damp paper towel and then zipped plastic bags, for up to 3 days. Because soft, justcooked warm rice is always best with this meal, cook it just before serving (or use a rice cooker).
Reprinted from Every Day Is Saturday by Sarah Copeland with permission by Chronicle Books, 2019
photography: Nikole Ramsay
Grilled Zucchini, Pea, Mint & ‘Parmesan’ Salad
I love making this salad to go with pizzas. The flavours are so yummy and fresh, which I find complement pizza really well. It is also a goodie for a balmy summer’s night when you feel like something light yet satisfying. I also make it when we are camping, as the zucchini (courgettes) and toasted almonds take on a smoky quality over an open fire that is just scrumptious. Zucchini grows really well through summer so, if you plant it early enough, you might find you have an abundance come the warmer months.
Serves 2
SALAD
2 large zucchini (courgettes), thinly sliced lengthways
80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) almonds
155 g (5½ oz/1 cup) fresh peas
10 g (¼ oz/½ cup) mint leaves
1 tablespoon baby capers
2 teaspoons lemon zest
TO SERVE
2 tablespoons coconut aminos*
½ cup cashew ‘parmesan’
Heat a large chargrill pan over medium heat and grill the zucchini slices on both sides.
Roughly chop the almonds and toast on a hotplate over the fire or in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
Layer the grilled zucchini, peas, mint, capers, toasted almonds and lemon zest on a serving plate.
Drizzle with the coconut aminos and sprinkle with the cashew ‘parmesan’.
CASHEW ‘PARMESAN’
I have not missed the traditional version since discovering this scrumptious plantbased version of parmesan. It takes next to no time to whip up and is so yummy on pizza, pasta, salads and in wraps. I like to store mine in a glass jar in the fridge to keep it fresh and ready to add to my meals. It keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks. Freeze to store for longer periods.
Makes 1 cup
155 g (5½ oz/1 cup) raw cashew nuts
20 g (¾ oz/⅓ cup) nutritional yeast*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until you get a texture like ground almonds.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer periods.
Recipes excerpted with permission from Whole by Harriet Birrell, published by Hardie Grant, February 2019, SRP $35 hardcover. Available on amazon.com or your local bookstore.
*COCONUT AMINOS
The fermented liquid made from the aged sap of the coconut blossom, with a sweet, salty, tangy flavour. Often used as a lower-sodium substitute for soy sauce or tamari. I also like to use it to replace oil and vinegar and add flavour to many of the recipes in this book. Find it at most health food and wholefood stores as well as specialist grocers.
*NUTRITIONAL YEAST
Sometimes called savoury yeast. It is an inactive yeast grown on molasses. It is then washed and dried with heat to make sure it is inactive. Nutritional yeast is what I use to give recipes that savoury, ‘cheesy’ flavour. It is also a source of vitamin B12, folic acid, selenium, zinc and protein. Nutritional yeast is becoming more widely available all the time. Currently you can find it in most health food and wholefood stores as well as organic grocers and online.
KOMBUCHA MOCKTAILS THREE WAYS
When I was in my early teens, Mum had this odd stuff bubbling away in batches on the kitchen bench. She would ask us all to have a small amount each day and, to begin with, I have to admit it was quite a rude shock. This was well before kombucha became as popular as it is today and we had not heard of mixing it with other tasty fruits and spices to create a refreshing drink. I still don’t love the stuff straight up, but I enjoy it naturally flavoured in a super tasty way. These fresh and yummy kombucha mocktails are no exception to that rule. I hope you love them too.
RASPBERRY MOJITO
35 g (1¼ oz/¼ cup) raspberries, mashed 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint juice of ½ lime
1 lime slice
150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) crushed ice
375 ml (12½ fl oz/1½ cups) kombucha*
TO SERVE
2 rosemary sprigs
Hover your phone’s camera for two additional mocktail recipes: Blueberry, Ginger & Thyme Cucumber & Green Apple.
Recipes excerpted with permission from Whole by Harriet Birrell, published by Hardie Grant, February 2019, RRP $35 hardcover. Available on amazon.com or your local bookstore.
photography: Nikole Ramsay
BEST in SHOW
Indiana’s award-winning artisan cheesemakers
words: Madeline Crozier | photography: Dave Pluimer
The artisan cheese movement is alive and well in the Midwest, and thanks to hardworking local makers and farmers Indiana-made cheeses have gained acclaim at a national level. At the 36th annual American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging & Competition in 2019, four Indiana cheesemakers earned top honors and distinguished themselves as some of the best makers in the Midwest, if not the country.
Their accomplishments not only reflect their talent and skill but also identify Indiana as a rapidly growing producer in the artisan cheese industry. As more members of the Indiana community seek homegrown products, local cheesemakers are rising to meet the demand.
Champion Cheesemakers
The ACS Judging & Competition honors the highest-quality cheeses and cultured dairy products from across the Americas. The anonymous judging process uses a unique scoring system designed to rate each entry holistically, says ACS Executive Director Nora Weiser.
“We have a pair of judges for each category: one technical and one aesthetic. Most cheese competitions have only technical judges, who deduct points for technical flaws in the cheese. We add an aesthetic judge to each category who can assess the unique, positive qualities of the cheese as well,” she says.
Across 1,742 entries, four Indiana makers placed at the 2019 ACS Competition: Caprini Creamery, Capriole Goat Cheese, Jacobs & Brichford Farmstead Cheese and Tulip Tree Creamery.
Caprini Creamery won first place in the goat-milk feta category. At their Central Indiana farm, owners Kristy Kikly and Mike Hoopengardner produce chèvre, feta, bloomy rind cheeses and aged cheeses from their herd of Nigerian Dwarf and Oberhasli goats.
The southern Indiana–based Capriole Goat Cheese earned second place in the washed rind goat milk cheese category for their Mont St. Francis variety. Founder Judy Schad began producing cheese in 1988 on her family’s 80-acre farm located 80 miles north of the Ohio River.
Jacobs & Brichford Farmstead Cheese placed third in the farmstead cheeses category for their Everton, an Alpine-style cheese that won a Good Food Award in 2014. On their family farm located in southeastern Indiana’s Whitewater River Valley, Leslie Jacobs and Matthew Brichford produce cheeses from their Jersey, Normande and Tarentaise cross cows.
Indianapolis-based Tulip Tree Creamery secured third place in external blue mold cheeses for their Dutchman’s Breeches, a significant achievement considering that blue mold cheeses tend to be more prominent along the West Coast of the United States. Founded in 2014 by Fons Smits and Laura Davenport, the company uses milk from local family farms and follows traditional European recipes with a twist.
Feta, Mont St. Francis, Everton, Dutchman’s Breeches—each of these cheeses and their makers earned acclaim at the ACS competition. But their successes also reflect how these local, small-scale cheesemakers promote Indiana cheese across the nation.
The Artisan Cheese Movement
As one of Indiana’s cheesemaking pioneers, Judy Schad, founder of Capriole, has charted the progression of the craft cheese industry.
“The artisan cheese movement began over 35 years ago, primarily on the coasts. After that, it took another 15 to 20 years for the movement to grow into the heartland in any way that was sustainable for a local or regional producer,” she says.
The Midwest market has only started growing substantially within the last 10 years. And though it may seem like a relatively short amount of time, Indiana cheesemakers have already
made an impact within the local community and national industry.
“It isn’t necessarily that the production of cheese in Indiana has grown rapidly, but rather that some of the cheeses have been garnering awards. There is a lot of hard work that goes into cheese production and it is deeply gratifying to be acknowledged through awards,” says Leslie, co-founder of Jacobs & Brichford Farmstead Cheese.
The awards not only distinguish the superiority of the cheeses, but also recognize the Indiana cheesemakers themselves.
“The quality of the cheeses rests solely with the cheesemakers. The fact that they are winning awards and being recognized for their work is a testament to their ingenuity, hard work and passion for doing things well,” says Nora.
Moving Forward
As the artisan cheese movement gains popularity across the Midwest, these award-winning makers demonstrate the value of meticulous craft, dedication and the support of a local community.
“Our focus continues to be finding ways to grow in this niche market. We enjoy building relationships with our customers so that we all benefit,” says Leslie. “The changing awareness of consumers about the foods they eat and a focus on local or sustainable products enhances the visibility of local producers like us.”
The desire to support local and sustainable foods has inspired more local residents to explore the area’s artisan cheesemakers.
“States like Indiana are embracing the farm-totable and local-food movements that began in other parts of the country. As consumers are seeking out more natural, local and traditional foods, Indiana producers are stepping up to meet that demand,” says Nora.
And so it continues—our Indiana community seeks out local foods while our makers rise to share their products and talents, all the while reshaping public perception about what good, healthful, local food can be.
“Cheese boards and charcuterie boards are sometimes more about condiments and fillers like fruit and crackers than they are about the cheese,” says Judy. But with so many award-winning cheesemakers in our Indiana community, that table may soon turn for good. ⎕
Judge and Jury
The American Cheese Society Competition and the Good Food Awards are two of the premier competitions for artisan cheesemakers.
American Cheese Society
Each year the American Cheese Society hosts a competition to honor cheesemakers who create products with exceptional flavor, aroma, texture and appearance. The 2019 competition received 1,742 entries from 35 states.
CheeseSociety.org
Good Food Awards
Sponsored by the Good Food Foundation, the Good Food Awards recognize superior makers and their products that excel in craftsmanship, flavor and social responsibility. With nearly 200 winners each year, the competition receives over 2,000 entries from all 50 states. In 2020, Capriole took home a Good Food Award for their Sofia cheese—the only Indiana cheese to win a Good Food Award this year.
GoodFoodFdn.org
And the winners are...
Here’s how Hoosier cheesemakers ranked at the 36th annual American Cheese Society Competition and the 2020 Good Food Awards.
CAPRINI CREAMERY: First place, goat-milk feta
CAPRIOLE GOAT CHEESE: Second place, washed rind goat-milk cheese, Mont St. Francis; 2020 Good Food Award, Sofia goat-milk cheese
JACOBS & BRICHFORD FARMSTEAD CHEESE: Third place, farmstead cheeses, Everton
TULIP TREE CREAMERY: Third place, external blue mold cheeses, Dutchman’s Breeches
2020 Cheese Trends and Tariffs
Look out for these three cheese trends this year, according to industry expert and ACS Executive Director Nora Weiser.
Goat- and sheep-milk cheeses. Continuing to gain popularity, cheeses made from goat and sheep milk provide an alternative to cow-milk cheeses and a healthful way to enjoy cheese. Ideal for those sensitive to lactose, these cheeses also benefit those who follow a ketogenic diet, as they offer a source of protein and fats.
Blue cheeses. At the 2019 World Cheese Awards in Bergamo, Italy, a blue cheese earned the title of World’s Best Cheese. The winner, Rogue River Blue from Oregon producer Rogue Creamery, was also the first U.S. cheese to earn the honor. This worldwide win indicates an increased awareness, appreciation and demand for blue cheeses.
Madeline Crozier is a freelance writer and student based in Chicago. An Indianapolis native, she attends DePaul University as a graduate student in the Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse program.
Higher prices. With a 25% tariff on imported cheeses from the European Union, many international cheeses will have higher prices at the store, including Gruyere, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gouda. An increased demand for cheese with a decreased international supply could also impact the prices of North American–made cheeses, which might also increase in cost.
MEET THE MAKERS: Q & A with
Q: When and where did you start producing cheese?
Caprini: We started in 2011 in Spiceland, Indiana.
Capriole: I started making cheese in the kitchen in the late 1970s and commercially in 1988. We produce the cheese on our Greenville farm.
Jacobs & Brichford: Our cheese is produced on our family farm in Connersville, Indiana. The farm has been in our family since 1819.
Tulip Tree: We started in 2014 on the northwest side of Indianapolis. At our facility, we make all of our cheeses and have a classroom where we teach cheesemaking and butter making classes. We don’t have a retail store, so we depend on our sales to distributors and farmers markets.
Q: How much cheese did you produce in 2019?
Caprini: We have steadily increased our production over the years and in 2019 we produced approximately 10,000 pounds. We are projecting a 10% increase in production for 2020.
Capriole: We produced around 100,000 pounds in 2019. Our growth increases very little each year because growth is dictated by our current milk supply and the small size of our facility. Moreover, we make very specific fragile cheeses that require retailers and distributors that really know what they’re about.
Jacobs & Brichford: We produced 20,000 pounds. We would like to sell 10% to 20% more cheese in the coming year.
Tulip Tree: In 2019, we processed approximately 38,000 gallons of milk to produce around 38,000 pounds of cheese. In 2020, we plan to increase production about 15% to 20%.
Q: What is your best-selling cheese?
Caprini: Chèvre. Chèvre is a very versatile cheese and pairs well with both savory and sweet foods. I really like chèvre with fresh greens and beets.
Capriole: Sofia and Julianna. Sofia is a ripened goat cheese that ripens across a spectrum of tart, silky, velvety and runny textures. Julianna, an aged semifirm goat-milk cheese, has a natural rind dusted with wildflowers and Herbes de Provence.
Jacobs & Brichford: Everton. Everton is very versatile. Being an alpine-style cheese similar to a Comte, it pairs well with apples, pears and grapes as well as salted nuts and charcuterie. As for an alcohol pairing, Everton does well with bourbon, which complements the caramel notes in the cheese.
Tulip Tree: Trillium cheese. It’s a triple-cream cheese that pairs with about anything—it goes with chocolate, dark fruit jam, medium-bodied red wine (like Pinot Noir) and creamy milk stout beers.
Q: What is your favorite cheese?
Caprini: Erythronium, our small geotrichum-rind cheese. I like it with fig jam on toast.
Capriole: It varies with the stage of ripeness, but it’s usually the Piper’s Pyramide or the Wabash Cannonball. The smoked paprika in Piper’s Pyramide pairs well with grilled peppers, ripe melons and gin cocktails. The surface-ripened Wabash Cannonball complements grilled figs, green salads and risottos.
Jacobs & Brichford: Everton is our favorite, but second to it is our JQ, a creamy mold-ripened cheese that is delicious on crusty bread and does well with all kinds of fruits. It would pair well with a bold red that would highlight the earthy notes of the cheese.
Tulip Tree: My favorite cheese that we make is Foxglove. It’s a stinky washed rind cheese and I think it pairs great with apples—my favorite way to eat just about any cheese. I love it with a spicy pineapple jam. It also pairs nicely with salami, dark beer and cornichons.
Learn more about these creameries. CapriniCreamery.com CaprioleGoatCheese.com JandBCheese.com TuilpTreeCreamery
Family Dinner
Keeping family-restaurant legacies alive and thriving
words: Julie Yates | photography: Leah Tribbett
photography location: Broad Ripple Speakeasy
Admit it: Most people reading this have had a fleeting moment when they fantasized “It would be so cool to open my own restaurant….” For second- and third-generation restaurateurs, that dream is a reality—but one they entered into with eyes wide open. For many of them, the family business was a second home, staff was their extended family and a love for the lifestyle became entrenched within them.
Central Indiana has a rich history of entrepreneurial families that developed beloved and well-known eateries. Often pioneers in the industry, these flagship restaurants served as training grounds for the owners’ children. Today, patrons of restaurants now owned by these offspring enjoy the results of lessons learned from growing up in the industry.
Lessons Learned
“My grandfather opened Clancy’s Hamburgers in 1965,” says Noblesville native Blake Fogelsong. “It was innovative at the time and was the first double drive thru fast-food restaurant in the Midwest. In 1982, my dad opened Grindstone Charley’s, which began our company’s growth into full-service restaurants. In 1990, my dad and grandfather converted a second Clancy’s Hamburgers location into Michaelangelo’s Italian Bistro.”
Now as the owner and director of operations of Clancy’s Inc., Fogelsong has an appreciation for what he learned in childhood. Family time was restaurant time. As he grew up, he couldn’t help but absorb all the seemingly small specifics that separate good restaurants from wonderful ones.
“I have great memories of going to visit all the restaurants as a family. We would go out to dinner at the different restaurants two or three times a week. I learned from my dad what things you need to be looking for when visiting stores. It’s the little details of checking on the landscaping when you’re pulling into the parking lot, all the way down to the salt and pepper shakers being aligned on the tables properly,” he says.
Just Another Employee
Kurt Cohen’s father opened the first Arni’s in the Market Square Shopping Center in Lafayette when Kurt was 5 years old. Two other Arni’s were opened a few years later; one in downtown Lafayette and another in southern Indiana. By the time Kurt was 14, along with several of his friends, he was working at the Market Square location. From the start, he received no special treatment, even though he was the son of the boss.
“My dad warned me, ‘Don’t embarrass us,’” laughs Cohen, who now along with his brother Brad owns the many Arni’s restaurants that
span Indiana. “He made it clear, I was just an employee and like anyone else who worked there, I started at minimum wage. My daughter turns 14 next week and when she starts working, it will also be for minimum wage. But very few people today start off like that. Everyone needs help in this market—it has forced the starting rate up. Business is good and restaurants are struggling to maintain a full labor force.”
Fogelsong recalls, “When I was 12 or 13 I began busing tables at Michaelangelo’s Italian Bistro. That eventually evolved to working all through high school as a host, server and cook. I learned every position in the restaurant business.”
Other Challenges Today
Restaurants today face trials that years ago were not an issue. In the days before big chains had seemingly unlimited budgets for marketing campaigns, family-owned establishments didn’t have to compete against a variety of choices. Another aspect they must deal with today is social media. A vehicle such as Yelp can help get the word out but one negative review can have unfortunate consequences.
“As a kid, I was very proud of my dad’s restaurant. We were a big fish in a small town. Casual dining wasn’t a thing yet. And then, in the mid’80s, my dad got competition. Not food wise—our pizza was great—but in terms of people’s choices and time,” says Cohen.
“Some of the struggles and challenges we faced when I was growing up were the competition of big chain restaurants. My grandfather dealt with chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s. When my dad began to grow the full-service side in the 1990s we dealt with more full-service chains like Applebee’s and O’Charley’s. To counteract it, we really strived to brand our company as local and family,” says Fogelsong.
Honor the Past
When new generations put input into family restaurants, there is a wish to put a modern spin on certain aspects yet keep the memory of what it was originally like. Long-term customers love and expect the chance to reminisce about past celebrations and good times had. Arni’s still uses their original slogan, “Meet you at Arni’s.” And although the legacy of Arni’s is pizza, its menu has expanded to include healthy and up-to-date offerings that the restaurantgoer of today expects.
Fogelsong concurs, “The first restaurant I opened was in July 2018, Grindstone Public House in Noblesville. It was really a tribute to Grindstone Charley’s, which closed in 2004. We wanted to bring the nostalgic factor that people come to love about our restaurant concepts.
Opposite: Kurt Cohen (left) is the owner of Arni’s Restaurants. Blake Fogelsong (right) is the owner and director of operations of Clancy’s Inc.
The “Clancy’s Topper” that was the original burger at my grandfather’s restaurant is featured on the menu.”
Love for the Business
Something that all restaurant families seem to have in common is a genuine love for the industry. Although offspring sometimes flex their wings and try something different, they often return to the life they know best. Cohen tried his hand in the banking and brokerage industry before taking a job with Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago. After opening two restaurants for the company, he realized he truly enjoyed the inner workings of the food service business.
“My dad said, ‘Since you love it so much, why don’t you come work with me?’ I hadn’t even thought about working in the restaurant industry long term until my dad asked me to join him,” marvels Cohen.
“After growing up in the business I really learned to love it and couldn’t see myself doing anything else besides working in restaurants,” agrees Fogelsong. “When I was growing up, I really wanted to be an actor. I realized that there is a bit of show business in the restaurant business and I really enjoy that!”
Unlike those who merely daydream about owning a restaurant, Cohen and Fogelsong are living it. Grateful to those who came before them, they also have no illusions about what it’s all about. The pride of working hard to have a successful business is in their blood. ⎕
Julie Yates is a freelance writer and food blogger from Fishers. She enjoys sharing the stories of individuals who pursue culinary-related experiences. Visit her blogs at YatesYummies.com and OrangesAndAlmonds.com or on social media @YatesYummies.
Then & Now
First Flagship Restaurant / Restaurants Today
Cohen Family: 1965 Arni’s at Market Square, Lafayette / 18 Arni’s locations across Indiana
Fogelsong Family: 1965 Clancy’s Hamburgers, Noblesville / Seven restaurants in Indianapolis and Noblesville
Kurt Cohen: Employees are as important as the customers / Encourage employees to stay by treating them well.
Blake Fogelsong: Keep my focus, intensity and concentration / Follow your passion and do what you love.
Find more information and locations for Arni’s at MeetMeAtArnis.com
Find more information and locations of the Clancy’s Inc. Restaurants at ClancysInc.com
Hover your phone’s camera for From the Buffet Line to the Doughnut Line by Shauna L. Nosler.
Supporting local builds and nourishes communities. It forges relationships and allows us to celebrate our growers, producers, artisans and advocates. Edible Indy believes in this celebration. Our readers and followers care deeply about understanding where the products they purchase come from and how their support makes a difference one dollar and one life at a time. We have partnered with these local businesses in an effort to share their dedication to local with those who want to join us in this way of life. Interested in benefiting from our guide? Contact sales@edibleindy.com.
A local Indianapolis eatery and fresh juicery serving seasonally influenced and locally sourced food and cold-pressed juice, The Garden Table believes in simple dishes made from natural ingredients, grown and harvested by local farmers.
Find Auberge at the Brick Street Inn, right on the bricks of Main Street in Zionsville. A relaxed, elegant setting for modern French cuisine. Seasonal local ingredients, extensive French wine list, local craft beers, seasonal cocktail menu. Lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Enjoy family nights or date nights on the sought-after terrace or in the cozy dining room.
175 S. Main St. | Zionsville Auberge-Restaurant.com
At The Loft Restaurant & Dairy Bar, you’ll dine at a true farmstead restaurant, located inside a beautiful historic barn on an organic dairy farm. Food grown and raised on-site takes center place on organic menus shaped by seasonal rhythms. Open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.
9101 Moore Rd. | Zionsville TradersPointCreamery.com
A Tex-Mex–inspired taco and tequila bar focusing on daily-made fresh ingredients complementing smoked barbecue meat, Salty Cowboy is best known for tableside guacamole, street-style tacos and our giant nachos. Featuring 50+ tequilas and freshly squeezed margaritas.
342 Massachusetts Ave., #100 | Indianapolis 908 E. Westfield Blvd. | Indianapolis TheGardenTable.com
55 E. Oak St. | Zionsville SaltyCowboyTequileria.com
The Spirits of French Lick distillery focuses on pot-still distillation. Pot stills offer a small-batch process ensuring retention of flavor and aroma. Tastings and bottle purchase available.
8145 W. Sinclair St. | West Baden SpiritsOfFrenchLick.com
Goods for Cooks offers kitchenware, gifts and fine foods to empower you in the kitchen. Celebrating 46 years of connecting people to their food.
115 N. College Ave. | Bloomington GoodsForCooks.com
A casual contemporary restaurant and wine bar with a convenient location on the Northeast side of Carmel, Redux offers a farm-totable menu featuring “New American Cuisine” dishes presented with a flair of local seasonal ingredients. Choose from 40+ wines from around the world or one of our many craft brews.
14560 River Rd. | Carmel ReduxRestaurant.com
Moontown Brewing Company is housed in a historic 1940s high school gymnasium in Whitestown. Enjoy a local sustainable menu with beer brewed on-site from locally sourced grain. Family friendly dining, live music, and private event space available.
345 S. Bowers St. | Whitestown MoontownBeer.com
French Lick Winery offers 30+ different wines with their estate labels being a true farm-to-bottle experience. Tasting available inside of our Vintage Café.
8145 W. Sinclair St. | West Baden FrenchLickWinery.com
A perfect lunch or dinner option located at Keystone Crossing in Indianapolis, Tazaki’s is a locally owned and operated franchised cafe offering a fresh farm to table Mediterranean menu with beer and wine in a quick and convenient manner.
4025 E. 82nd St. | Indianapolis TazikisCafe.com
At Rooster’s Kitchen the menu changes seasonally with the local producers while keeping the staples.
Mama’s brisket, macn-cheese and fresh crisp pork rinds hit the spot while our draft kombucha bar, mocktails and craft beer will quench your thirst.
888 Massachusetts Ave. | Indianapolis RoostersIndy.com
Clancy’s Inc. owns and operates seven unique neighborhood restaurants in communities all across Central Indiana. A family-owned, multigenerational business, they’re committed to sustainability and supporting local ag and craft beverage businesses by sourcing from farms and vendors across Indiana, one plate at a time.
Indiana-based Huse Culinary restaurant group is known for the iconic downtown Indianapolis St. Elmo Steak House and their culinary masterpiece dishes including their famous shrimp cocktail. They own and operate eight fine-dining restaurants with locations in Fishers and Indianapolis and are committed to providing the best ingredients and service.
Stop by Wheelers Café and Market at Mercantile
37 for breakfast or lunch from a simple, rotating menu of locally sourced coffee, pastries, sandwiches and more. Pick up local farm produce and dry goods from the market, and shop for local and vintage home décor from a collective of 50+ local makers offering lighting, tables, furniture, vintage accents, local home décor, apothecary and jewelry.
25625 State Rd. 37 N. | Noblesville Mercantile37.com
A local wine bar carrying 150+ boutique wines from around the world with access to 1000+ wines, Cork and Barrel will find your favorites. Don’t miss out on their fun activities with food and wine pairings every month with local artisans.
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
Noah Grant’s grill house and oyster bar is located on the bricks of Main Street in Zionsville. The kitchen and bar open at 4pm Tuesday–Sunday. The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood, certified Angus beef and fresh oysters from the East and West Coasts. Reservations recommended.
