Edible Indy Summer 2011

in season

Let this list of ripe-for-summer herbs and produce guide your choices when shopping farmers’ market stalls, perusing restaurant menus and planning meals at home.

Edible Indy staff

Herbs

Basil • Chives • Mint • Oregano • Parsley • Rosemary • Sage • Tarragon • Thyme

Fruits

Apples • Blackberries • Blueberries • Cantaloupe • Grapes • Peaches • Plums • Raspberries

Strawberries • Watermelon

Vegetables

Bell Peppers • Broccoli • Brussels Sprouts • Carrots • Cauliflower • Collard Greens

Cucumbers • Eggplant • Hot Peppers • Mushrooms • Potatoes • Snap Beans • Spinach

Summer Squash • Sweet Corn • Sweet Peppers • Tomatoes

by Kelley Jordan Heneveld.

Hoosier Thoughts

We are thrilled to bring you the first edition of Edible Indy! We are one of 60-some locally owned and edited magazines in the Edible Communities family, which over the past 10 years has spread all across North America—check our back cover for the company we keep.

We are all about exploring and appreciating local, sustainable food and food production; celebrating local food growers, chefs, vintners, brewers and artisans; and creating seasonal, fresh and wholesome food to bring to your table every day. We are also about buying local everything in support of economic growth and sustainability in our beloved home of Central Indiana.

So ... what does one do when undertaking a new venture? I believe there are two important actions. The first is to call on one’s network of family and friends, including:

• My oldest friend’s husband, who in this issue writes a beautiful story of a childhood quest to find the best corn on the cob;

• My grade school chums, who just happen to own the first organic dairy in Indiana, which makes for a yummy summer backyard barbecue menu and venue;

• One of my bridge buddies of 20-plus years, who is undoubtedly one of the finest home cooks (especially when it comes to creating soups). She will share her talents with you in our pages each season;

• A local business colleague and politician, who introduced me to someone in the “food editorial business.” She turned out to be our fabulous managing editor;

• My husband, brother and sisters, who have lent ad support, opened doors and shared creative illustration;

• Especially, my daughter, Helen, who had the idea, the vision, the gumption and the determination to see that we could actually publish this magazine in the Indianapolis area.

I have to say I was a bit surprised that Central Indiana didn’t already have an Edible publication. I had visited farms, farm stands and farmers’ markets and purchased seasonal fruits, vegetables, meats and the like in recent years—and after all, the Hoosier State is over 60% agricultural. We have a local Slow Food chapter; we have well-known foodies in this state and active food bloggers. So why no Edible magazine?!

As a lifelong Hoosier—one who has never felt the call to live or go to school anywhere else—I am entitled to say that the Hoosier State has always been just one step behind. Well, Helen and I have solved that issue by bringing you Edible Indy.

The second action one must do when undertaking a new venture— especially if one’s new venture is extremely different from any of one’s previous ventures—is to build a new network. The folks at Edible Communities and the 60-some other Edible publishers have been most giving with their advice and encouragement, sharing of secrets of what works and what doesn’t, for which I am truly grateful. And then there is the food community in Central Indiana! What a vibrant, active, generous

Helen and Cathy

group, and so committed to the development of local, sustainable food. This network provides plenty to write about and great support for our efforts with this publication. Hopefully, we will grow old together.

Dear Reader, you will learn that this local food movement is multigenerational—one that spans from the very young to the very old, like the rebuilding of the City Market that originated in 1886 and of one local butcher shop that has been in business for three generations. Then there are the new folks who are popping up everywhere. In 2000 Indy had about one farmers’ market; today that number is over 16 and several are year-round, providing us something to talk about (and cook for dinner) even when there are seven inches of snow on the ground.

And there is a very active youth movement, connected with schools, that we intend to explore in coming issues. One is steeped in tradition of 60 years; others are brand-new undertakings with community gardens in school neighborhoods and college campuses.

So ... let’s bring on summer. Backyard picnics, corn on the cob, fresh homegrown tomatoes, Decker melons and locally brewed beers come to mind this season. I hope your palate will be awakened and tempted to try the seasonal recipes we bring you in this first issue.

We thank you for your interest and support of Edible Indy. We look forward to a long relationship!

P.S. I am indebted to my cousin, Charlie Wunsch, publisher of Edible Grande Traverse, whose magazine I have followed for three years and whose inspiring words and guidance gave us the courage to embark on Edible Indy. My mom and his dad would be very proud and I dedicate this first issue to their memory.

edible Indy

Publisher Edible Indy, LLC

President Cathy Bayse

Editor-in-Chief Helen Workman

Managing Editor Erica Sagon

Copy Editor Doug Adrianson

Designer Melissa Petersen

Web Design Mary Ogle

Contributors

Audrey Barron • Kira L. Bennett • Chuck Boll • Joan Jacobs

Cassie Johnston • Andie Marshall • Shawndra Miller

Erica Sagon • Beth Douglass Silcox

Photography

Kelley Jordan Heneveld • Liz Nicol • Christina Richey Carole Topalian

Artist Wendy Stout

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Cathy Bayse • 317-694-6248 • cathy@edibleindy.com

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Contact us

Edible Indy

8715 Washington Blvd. W. Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46240 317-292-1693 • info@edibleindy.com

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Edible Indy publishes quarterly by Edible Indy, LLC. All rights reserved. Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring Subscription $32 annually. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher © 2011. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If, however, an error has escaped our attention, please notify us and accept our sincere apologies.

2011 James Beard Foundation Publication of the Year

notable edibles

Volunteers help Wishard’s garden grow

A garden plot at White River State Park will be fertile ground for community engagement this summer. Novices and expert gardeners alike are invited to get their hands dirty at Wishard Slow Food Garden’s weekly Community Work and Learn sessions.

A joint project of the nonprofit Growing Places Indy, Slow Food Indy and Wishard Health Services, the 6,000-square-foot garden serves as living laboratory for those interested in learning more about urban agriculture—while providing fresh food for sale at Wishard Farmers’ Market and other outlets.

Each Wednesday from 4 to 6pm through August, community members can pitch in on planting, weeding and garden maintenance. No prior experience is necessary, nor is pre-registration required.

According to Growing Places Indy’s Laura Henderson, harvested produce will also be sold at Pogue’s Run Grocery and through a limited number of community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares. Patrons of Duos food truck can enjoy the produce in the mobile eatery’s dishes. Later in the summer, residents of nearby neighborhoods will be invited to a community pizza party featuring homegrown pizza toppings.

Crops are selected based on adaptability to urban growing conditions, and many are heirloom or rare varieties. More information: www.growingplacesindy.org or www.wishard.edu/slowfoodgarden.

—Shawndra Miller

Dinner’s ready for a close-up

For home cooks these days, it’s common to pick up a camera before picking up a fork. It seems that everyone documents their adventures in the kitchen, posting photos of their best-looking meals to Facebook and Flickr, Twitter and blogs.

The rustic-casual dinner pulled off the grill, cheeseboards arranged with Martha Stewart–like elegance and cupcakes so expertly frosted that they could appear in a cookbook—these are the images that fill our foodie brag books. So how do you make sure that the camera loves your meal as much as your taste buds do?

We asked Indianapolis photographer Kelley Heneveld, whose business is Kelley Jordan Heneveld Photography, to share her tips for excellent food photography. For this issue, Heneveld captured a farm-to-table dinner as it unfolded at Traders Point Creamery, starting on page 10.

1. Lighting is the key to good photography, so pay attention to the light source. Ideally, it should come in at an angle, not directly above the subject. That pendant lamp above your kitchen table? It’s not ideal. Natural light is best, so try placing the dish near a window instead.

2. Go for variety. Rotate the plate and snap it at every angle. Get in close and take a step away from it as well.

3. Choose props that will complement the subject. A white plate is suitable for most foods, especially if they’re detailed. Likewise, a simple, neutral-colored food can withstand more ornate props, like an antique plate or floral tablecloth.

4. Key an eye out for details. You’ll kick yourself if the photo is brilliant except for that awkward parsley stem sticking out from the back of the dish.

5. Eat as you go! A half eaten plate of food can be just as intriguing as the original, untouched dish. Interesting details and colors are revealed with each bite gone.

—Erica Sagon

An almost-finished breakfast can look as interesting as the untouched plate.

Photo by Kelley Jordan Heneveld

notable edibles

Smoking Goose making a name for Indiana charcuterie

Goose the Market is spreading its wings.

In June, the owners of the meat and sandwich shop are set to open Smoking Goose, a meat smoking and curing house, and an adjacent tasting room dubbed the Meat Locker, on the Near Eastside across from Flat 12 Bierwerks.

The wholesale shop will supply Goose the Market and other businesses with hand-crafted charcuterie and other meats, including some adventurous varieties—say, elk salami that has been dry-cured with blueberries. The market’s owner, Chris Eley, will serve as the curemaster at Smoking Goose, turning whole animals from Indiana farms into a variety of salumis, sausages, dry-cured full-muscle meats and smoked meats.

Keep an eye on smokinggoose.com for a firm opening date, then watch for Eley’s products to roll out across the city.

That’s because Smoking Goose can distribute to restaurants, bars, hotels and retail markets, which Eley couldn’t legally do from the market. (But it’s no secret that local chefs pop in to the market like any other customer to buy meats for their restaurants.) Eley says he’ll target Indianapolis businesses first, but eventually he hopes to branch out to Louisville and Cincinnati.

Eley already cures on a small scale for Goose the Market, filling the charcuterie case with a thoughtful selection of meats produced elsewhere. Now he plans to offer mostly his own versions of items like soppressata, capicola and truffled baloney, plus deli-style meats for sandwiches, including smoked turkey breast, salami and ham.

Eley describes the upcoming meats as clean and free of preservatives other than salt.

“The whole product from beginning to end is meant to be at its best,” Eley says. “I’d like to produce a product that Indianapolis is proud to call its own.”

As for the Meat Locker, Eley says to think of it like a brewery. Samples are offered, but instead of going home with a growler, customers buy a package or two of meat. It’s not a slice-to-order kind of place—expect pound-sized packages and whole pieces of salumi. You wouldn’t leave a brewery with a just a single bottle of beer, right? Special items will be offered throughout the year: Picture whole smoked turkeys at Thanksgiving and smoked ham at Christmas.

Open Thursdays through Saturdays, the Meat Locker will have an industrial-rustic feel with concrete floors, an exposed ceiling, garage-style door and a bar built from barn wood. Eley plans to offer butchering classes there, too.

—Erica Sagon

Details: Smoking Goose and the Meat Locker, 407 N. Dorman St., Indianapolis; smokinggoose.com.

Goose the Market owner Chris Eley

Photo by Kelley Jordan Heneveld

Sophomore effort for Dig-IN food festival

This summer’s second annual Dig-IN food festival will bring together Indiana’s growers, chefs, educators and foodies in what event director Eric Freeman dubs “a farm-to-fork celebration of Indiana’s agricultural heritage.”

On Aug. 28, 35 Indiana chefs will be invited to prepare original recipes showcasing ingredients offered up by local growers. Highlights of last year’s menu included watermelon sorbet, peachbraised pork shoulder and duck-and-kale tamales. The festival is held in partnership with the Indiana Wine Grape Council and the Brewers of Indiana Guild, ensuring that food will not be the only star of the afternoon.

This year’s event will feature a new layout that brings selected entrées and beverages together into units, allowing attendees to sample dishes and brews side by side. Live music and presentations on topics related to gardening, local sourcing and healthful eating will offer attendees ample opportunity to get out of the sun and digest for a while.

Dig-IN festival will take place from noon to 5pm on Sunday, Aug. 28, at Celebration Plaza in White River State Park. Tickets are $20 in advance or $30 at the door. See digindiana.org for ticket sale locations and a full schedule of speakers and events.

—Kira L. Bennett

Photo courtesy of Dig-IN

Loving Spoonfuls Quartet of classic herbs harmonize

By Andie Marshall

I like to listen to music, particularly oldies, when I am cooking.

One day when I wanted to fix something light for dinner, I put on music, surveyed the kitchen and found the makings for a nutritious, fresh soup already on hand. There were odds and ends of vegetables and some chicken in the refrigerator. My fresh herbs were growing well, and canned or boxed chicken broth is always on the shelf in my house.

I started chopping and dicing while Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” was playing. The iconic line “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” provided a bit of inspiration—they happened to be among my available fresh herbs, and I added all four to the soup. It’s a standing joke in our family that if they like something I’ve cooked without using a recipe, they better enjoy it because they’ll probably never have it again. I seldom write down ingredients or steps. Lots of good dishes or meals never get fixed again. But thanks to Simon and Garfunkel’s song, I always remember what the herbs are in this soup. It’s become one of our favorites.

Scarborough Fair Soup

By Andie Marshall

Makes 8 servings

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 large zucchini, chopped

2 large celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 large carrots, chopped

2 medium red bell peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound of raw chicken tenders, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh sage, finely chopped

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces canned, diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

5 cups chicken broth (store bought or homemade)

3–4 tablespoons white wine

Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat a soup pot over medium high heat.

2. Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the heated pot.

3. Add vegetables to the pot and sauté until tender, about 10–15 minutes. Do not brown.

4. While vegetables cook, chop the raw chicken, herbs and garlic.

5. Add canned tomatoes with liquid, garlic, herbs and sugar to the vegetables in the pot. Stir to combine.

6. Add chicken broth and white wine to the pot and bring to a full boil.

7. Add the chopped chicken tenders to the pot.

8. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Note: To make this a vegetarian soup, use vegetable stock in place of the chicken broth and eliminate the chicken.

Marshall is a home cook whose fondness for soup began when she was a working mom. With soups, she always had nutritious, homemade and re-heatable meals on hand.

Photos by Christina Richey

from the good earth

AT TRADERS POINT CREAMERY, FARM-TO-TABLE IS A WAY OF LIFE

By Shawndra Miller

Photography by Kelley Jordan Heneveld

The soil that supported the meal might be the last thing on most people’s minds when they sit down to dinner. But thanks to the burgeoning farm-to-table movement, a growing number of Indy residents are reconnecting with the land in a deeper way—through the food they eat.

Nowhere is this connection more accessible than at Zionsville’s Traders Point Creamery, the first organic dairy farm in the state specializing in grass-fed products.

“Farm-to-table is about reconnecting people who are not spending their day-to-day life on a farm with the source of their food,” says Todd Jameson of Slow Food Indy and Balanced Harvest Farm. The Creamery, he says, is a terrific place to experience firsthand what a family-owned, sustainably farmed operation looks like—and to taste the fruits of the land.

Given the pace of modern life, it can be a revelation when people first drive down the lane to Traders Point Creamery and step out of their cars to find a working farm just minutes from the traffic of the city.

At the creamery, the cows that give the milk are a stone’s throw from the restaurant serving the award-winning artisan cheeses made from that milk, as well as the farm’s grass-fed beef, pastured chicken and eggs. Not to mention the luscious ice cream and yogurt. The weekly yearround farmers’ market—the only one in the state—is in view of the working garden that provides much of the produce for the restaurant. Those hungry for more are invited to take a walking tour of the farm, watch the cows being milked, or schedule a guided nature hike on the 320-acre grounds.

The owners of the organic farm, Fritz and Jane Kunz, make summer guests welcome on the spacious deck during Friday night Green Markets, where there’s always a band playing and an enticing dinner of local fare on offer. In the shadow of the 1800s barns that make up the Creamery’s primary structures—all moved from sites in Bluffton and Geneva, Indiana—patrons leave the hustle of the week behind. Jane Kunz is likely to be found purchasing items for her own family’s table from the market’s many local farmers and artisans, in between greeting guests and old friends. Her husband is a gregarious sort, always eager to bend an ear about the perks of eating food originating from an actual farm instead of a factory.

“They say you are what you eat?” he might quip, looking out over the green pasture dotted with Brown Swiss cows, all intent on munching. “You are what they ate.”

And what they ate, he might say, is sunshine.

Clockwise from top left: Take a cue from our farm-to-table dinner at Traders Point Creamery and try this sliced steak with a spicy herb pesto over panzanella salad (recipe on page 16); signpost; baby Brown Swiss Cow; the Kunz family, (left to right) Fritz, Knubbe, Kammen, Carey, and Jane; Panna Cotta with Blackberries and Basil (recipe on page 17)

“All of us are trying to achieve a balanced immune system to fight the problems of civilization, like heart disease, and that balance is improved through ingesting 100% grass-fed products.”

A Veritable

Smorgasbord

The Kunzes are deeply committed to nurturing the land. Though they have 220 cows, they milk less than half of them at any one time and let the remainder of the herd rest. The milk of new mothers is strictly off-limits; their calves stay with them much longer than is standard in the industry. Best of all, the herd lives much of the year on pasture, eating the way cows evolved to eat.

Fritz Kunz, a physician, was introduced to the nutritional value of grass-fed meats and dairy by a woman his wife calls “our first customer,” who sought them out while the enterprise was in its infancy. From that encounter, he became acquainted with the traditional foodways rediscovered by nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston A. Price, an advocate of nutrient-dense whole foods and animal fats. Despite conventional wisdom about the supposed unhealthiness of the fat in whole milk and beef, Fritz Kunz found that grass-fed cattle actually produce meat and milk with health benefits on a par with a certain celebrated fish. The fat profile in whole milk from cows raised on pasture, he learned, closely mirrors the omega-3 levels in fresh wildcaught salmon.

Research has shown a host of protective health benefits from this type of fat, and its absence in the diet has been linked to diabetes, asthma and autoimmune disorders, he notes. “All of us are trying to achieve a balanced immune system to fight the problems of civilization, like heart disease,” he says, “and that balance is improved through ingesting 100% grass-fed products.”

When he says “grass,” he’s not talking about the kind of monoculture that graces the front lawns of America. The fields are actually planted with many different grasses and legumes, from alfalfa to various clovers to ryegrass. The fields are carefully protected. Every few weeks, the herd is rotated to new pasture

to allow the grasses to recover. In colder months, the cattle shelter in the Red Hay Barn and are fed hay grown onsite.

Even as little as two coffee cans a day of grain in a cow’s stomach can tip the balance to a detrimental fat profile, and possibly lead to adverse effects for the cow as well. The farm staff is well-schooled in the kind of vigilance it takes to maintain a herd on pasture. Only 100% grass-fed will do.

This despite the fact that a grain-fed cow can produce twice as much milk as her grassfed sister. And cows given recombinant bovine growth hormone, a common additive in conventional milk, make up to three times more milk. “We get precious little milk from each animal, but that milk is incredibly valuable in terms of its nutritional profile,” says Fritz Kunz. “That’s why we go to all this trouble to get you this product, and why we believe we’re creating the healthiest product we can get.”

He compares this way of farming to buying a Mercedes with the intention to “drive it forever,” instead of running through cheaper models every few years. There’s a distinct longterm payoff. “Over the course of the cow’s lifetime, we get a lot of milk and we get a lot of calves from her.”

A Farm’s Origins

The complicated formulae involved in raising cattle were not even on the Kunzes’ radar before 1997, when they inherited her grandmother’s farm.

In the family since the 1950s, the land that was to become the Creamery had served as pastureland for a dairy a mile away, which was also owned by Jane Kunz’s family. It was her grandma’s last request that both plots stay in the family, and they did; a brother owns the farm down the road.

Jane Kunz recalls visiting her grandmother at least once a week throughout her childhood, and between the farm animals and the open land, it was an idyllic time. But she

never envisioned herself taking on a farming enterprise. “We didn’t know we’d inherit this piece. But we’re happy to be able to carry the baton,” she says.

Though organic practices were not in force in the dairy back then, it was not a stretch for the Kunzes to make that commitment. Jane Kunz cites her great-aunt, who lived almost to the age of 110, as an inspiration. “She had the only organic farm I knew of in the 1970s. That impressed me that she was on it already, back then.”

With three young children, the Kunzes had already prioritized organic food on their table. But it was the surprise inheritance that spurred them to make organic practices their livelihood, and they soon began transitioning the farm to be a certified organic dairy.

Bringing

Farm-to-Table Home

A significant part of the creamery’s mission revolves around sharing the message of sustainably grown food and good nutrition with the community. A highlight of the impressive slate of educational programming? Day camps, where youngsters get a firsthand taste of farm life. For families, gardening workshops offer hands-on practice growing vegetables, with the working garden serving as a living example of what’s possible at home.

But the Kunzes take it a step further, realizing that many people are so divorced from their food that they may not know how to cook from scratch, let alone to buy or prepare fresh produce from a farmers’ market. A meal planning workshop can help demystify the process. On Friday nights throughout the early part of the summer, attendees can sample dishes like Gouda Vegetable Soup, then walk the Green Market with a nutrition expert, recipe in hand, shopping for the ingredients that make up a mouthwatering soup.

At the Kunzes’ own meals, the watchword is local. And it doesn’t get much more

local. “Many nights we sit down to our table,” says Jane Kunz, “and everything I’m looking at on our plate is from right here.”

Asked what people can do to bring the farm-to-table ethos into their own meals at home, she laughs. “Fritz would say I like color. And I do. I want a colorful plate,” she says. That’s not only for the visual appeal, but for optimum nutrition: All that variety translates to nutrients.

Aside from color, planning a meal around the freshest and most delicious-looking produce at the farmers’ market is one way to guarantee a fabulous dining experience. “Sometimes someone will offer to go to the market for me, and I say ‘No way!’ I’ve got to be able to look at the food and see what looks great,” she says.

Once home with that fat vine-ripened tomato or tender eggplant, cooks should resist the temptation to add a lot of bells and whistles, she says. When the ingredients are top notch, less is more in terms of seasonings and sauces.

The same applies to quality protein. Says Fritz Kunz, “When you go to a restaurant and they’ve put sauces and all kinds of fancy stuff on your entrée, it’s just an attempt to hide a sub-par protein. It’s making a silk purse from a sow’s ear.” Bottom line? Go for simplicity, and let the ingredients shine on their own merits.

Flavors of Summer

To showcase the farm-to-table movement at its best, the couple recently sat down to a dinner of summer fare with their three children, Kamman, 16; Carey, 18; and Knubbe, 20. Conceived by culinary consultant Mark Shreve, the meal was inspired by tastes he encountered while traveling and living in Italy. Vibrant in color and contrasting in flavors, the menu offers flexibility to the summertime cook, says Shreve.

“For many farmers, the agricultural work is their form of art. They can share their experience and stories about the food you’re about to eat, and it almost becomes poetic.”

“If you have a CSA or a garden and you’re looking for a new way to use your produce, a lot of these dishes can be adapted to whatever you have,” he says. Grilled summer panzanella is particularly versatile, with its festive mix of high-season showstoppers—heirloom tomatoes, summer squash and peppers are standard, but any abundant vegetable at its peak of freshness will do.

Similarly, while the crostini appetizer calls for ripe peaches, and was adapted from an Italian version using melon, Shreve says cooks should choose whatever fruit is freshest and most tempting at the market. “Nothing’s very exact in these recipes. That’s the great thing about summertime, you can mix things up,” he says.

The fruit, marinated in red wine vinegar and thyme for a sweet/sour note, adds a surprising tang to the salty prosciutto and smooth creamery cheese spread on the toasted baguette.

The use of herbs throughout the meal, from starter to dessert, showcases the intense flavors of summer without overpowering the other ingredients.

“These recipes may seem complex, but they’re actually quite simple to make,” says

Shreve. “Many of these things can be made ahead, because in summer the last thing you want to do is spend the day in the kitchen.”

Nor do you want to dine inside: The best meals are eaten under the summer sky, ideally at the farmstead, says Slow Food Indy’s Jameson. He agrees that simplicity is key. “Things do not have to be extravagant in order for you to have a gourmet meal.” In fact, beyond the clean flavors, a farm-to-table dinner’s appeal often lies in the story behind the food.

Farm-to-table proponents say that connecting with growers at a farmers’ market or even during the meal enriches it. People begin to understand of the challenges, rhythms and beauty of a life spent raising food. “For many farmers,” says Jameson, “the agricultural work is their form of art. They can share their experience and stories about the food you’re about to eat, and it almost becomes poetic.”

Telling those stories around the dinner table can raise a meal to new heights for guests and hosts alike.

Jameson is glad to see people rediscovering the joys of slower, quieter pastimes, with good food often central to these nourishing rituals. “In a down economy, all of a sudden,

people are re-experiencing the benefits of a simpler life and spending more time with family and friends.” The simple pleasure of being together around the table, with food that was lovingly prepared and sustainably raised, can create an unforgettable experience.

For his part, Shreve lauds the fact that the culinary priority of convenience is slowly being replaced with an awareness of the health, social and economic benefits of eating real food from closer to home. “There’s an emotional benefit, too, as we support people who live nearby us,” he says.

A rustic setting, a meal of just-picked produce and locally produced artisan foods and friends around the table. That’s the recipe for a memorable summer evening.

Traders Point Creamery

9101 Moore Road, Zionsville, Indiana 46077

317.733.1700 • www.tpforganics.com

Below, left: Fritz giving a tour of the farm; right: the Kunzes enjoying dessert

RECIPES FROM THE FARMSTEAD

Serving a farm-to-table meal at home captures the best of Indiana-grown food. With the abundance of farmers’ markets and CSA programs, it’s never been easier to pull together a locally minded summer dinner.

The owners of Traders Point Creamery, Fritz and Jane Kunz, invited us to dinner at their farm for a bit of inspiration. Culinar y consultant Mark Shreve put together quite a spread, and here he shares his recipes for readers to re-create at home: Summer crostini with peaches, prosciutto and fromage blanc; New York strip steaks served over a panzanella salad; and, for dessert, panna cotta, an Italian cream, topped with blackberries.

All recipes serve six people, and all of the cheeses, milk and honey called for are available at the creamery and at select ret ailers. To find a location, visit tpforganics.com.

Summer Crostini

2 medium peaches, cut into 12 slices

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 sprigs fresh thyme, approx ¼–½ teaspoon

1 baguette, sliced diagonally into 12 1-inch pieces

4 ounces Traders Point Creamery fromage blanc (goat cheese or ricotta can be substituted)

6 slices of prosciutto

1. Slice peaches and let marinate with red wine vinegar and fresh thyme leaves while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

2. Fold over each slice of prosciutto and place on nonstick cooking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10–12 minutes, until prosciutto renders some of its fat and becomes crispy. Once cooled, break pieces in half to fit the baguette slices.

3. Increase temperature of the oven to 400° and toast baguette slices until toasted, but not brown.

4. To assemble, spread fromage blanc on each baguette slice, then top with prosciutto and peach slice.

Note: The peaches, prosciutto and toasted baguette slices can be prepared ahead of time.

Panzanella Salad with Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette

For the panzanella:

1 zucchini

1 summer squash

1 orange pepper (or substitute red or yellow pepper)

1 red onion

Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ small boule or round peasant bread, cubed, air dry or stale

2 heirloom tomatoes, seeds removed and roughly chopped (or substitute a pint of cherry tomatoes, halved)

Arugula or other bitter greens

For the vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar ½ lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 sprig oregano (about 1 teaspoon chopped fresh)

¼ cup oil

¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper

1. Cut zucchini, squash, pepper and onion in equal sizes, about ¼–½-inch thick.

2. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in a 400° oven until slightly caramelized. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Toss the cubed bread with oil, salt and pepper. Brown the bread in a 400° oven for approximately 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

4. For the vinaigrette, chop garlic and add to all ingredients but the oil. Slowly whisk in the oil to emulsify the dressing. Set aside.

5. Assemble the panzanella salad by adding vinaigrette to the roasted vegetables, two or three large handfuls of arugula and the toasted bread cubes. Toss to mix just prior to serving. Serve at room temperature.

To assemble the steak dish, mound the panzanella on the center of a plate and top with slices of the grilled beef. Spoon the spicy herb pesto on top of the beef.

New York Strip Steaks with Spicy Herb Pesto

For steaks:

3 grass-fed New York strip steaks (or other cut of your choice)

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Allow the steaks come to room temperature before grilling, then pat dry with a paper towel. Season generously with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

2. Place steaks on hot grill and cook to desired internal temperature, turning once.

3. Remove steaks from grill and allow to rest before serving. Slice on the bias, against the grain.

For the Spicy Herb Pesto:

2 cups packed fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

3 cloves garlic

¼ cup red wine vinegar ½ jalapeño, white flesh and seeds removed

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Add all ingredients in a food processor and blend while slowly pouring in oil to incorporate.

Note: Can be made up to one night in advance, but best if served freshly prepared.

Panna Cotta with Blackberries and Basil

This recipe calls for Traders Point yogurt, which is thinner than most yogurts found at the supermarket. Using this yogurt plus milk in place of heavy cream, a traditional ingredient in panna cotta, lightens up the dessert.

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

4 tablespoons plus 1½ cups cold whole milk, divided ¼ cup of honey

1½ cups of Traders Point Creamery yogurt (plain or vanilla)

Zest of 1 lemon

12 ounces fresh blackberries, or substitute any seasonal fruit

Juice of ½ lemon

2 teaspoons cane sugar

5 large basil leaves, chiffonade

1.Add powdered gelatin to the 4 tablespoons of cold milk. Stir and allow to rest.

2.In a pot, heat the 1½ cups milk with the honey. Stir constantly until hot, but not boiling.

3.Pull the honey-milk mixture off the heat once it has simmered. Dissolve gelatin completely in the warm mixture. If solids remain, pour mixture through fine mesh sieve before continuing. Allow to cool.

4.In a bowl, mix yogurt and lemon zest. Whisk the milk and honey into the mixture.

5.Pour mixture into six ramekins and refrigerate overnight.

6.In a bowl, combine blackberries, lemon juice, sugar and a fine chiffonade of basil. Let the fruit macerate overnight, or prior to serving.

7.To serve, spoon blackberry mixture on top of the panna cotta in ramekins.

Note: Because the panna cotta must firm up in the ramekins, this dessert is best prepared the previous evening.

Like a jewel, each piece was closely inspected. Each ear has an even number of rows… There was a lot of silk—one strand for every kernel.

by

Photo

Carole Topalian

edible traditions

Hear the Corn Grow

By Chuck Boll

While growing up in southern Indiana, I was told that the summer could be so dry and hot that you could hear the corn grow.

I never heard the corn grow, but I sure did see plenty of it around me. It’s an indelible memory that was imprinted on me summer after summer, year after year.

As the daylight hours got longer and the weather warmer, the grilling started in earnest. The summer staple was corn on the cob.

Fresh ears were purchased from a local produce market. Before terms such as “going local” and “farmers’ market” were coined, we shopped at Bush’s Market in Columbus. It was on a highway outside of town, surrounded by fields farmed by the Bush family.

The owner, named Horse Fly, wore denim overalls. He would heartily greet all visitors. Happy to help his customers, Horse Fly thumped the melons to see if they were ripe. From a child’s point of view, Horse Fly’s magical melon thumping seemed mysterious and somehow connected to a native spirit. I was convinced his power came from the arrowhead collection that adorned the market’s walls.

Horse Fly was a walking encyclopedia when it came to his produce and he was quick to share this information. The mix of colorful and sometimes unusual produce coming off his truck fresh from the field was unlike anything we’d seen in the grocery store.

Purchasing field-fresh corn by the ear would begin by tearing back the silk and husk. Like a jewel, each piece was closely inspected. Each ear has an even number of rows of kernels. If it made the grade, it would be plopped in a brown paper bag for the short trip home.

Shucking the corn to remove the husks was easy. Extracting the silk required patience and fine motor skills. There was a lot of silk— one strand for every kernel. But we knew a de-

licious treat was coming, so the task of picking clean each ear was well worth the labor.

The ears were placed on the stove in the deepest pot from the kitchen, then pulled out with tongs and placed in their own oblong green dishes filled with melted sweet butter. Yellow plastic corn holders inserted at either end of the ear made it easier to hold the steamy cobs.

The family was called from the yard and everyone took a seat at a table on the porch. There was no escaping the heat on these fun evenings. The low summer sun was either in your eyes or beating down on your back. The steady whir of the ceiling fan blades overhead kept the air moving and provided some relief.

Without delay, the delicious corn would be devoured first. The first bite of the creamy, crunchy sweet kernels was so satisfying. Hamburgers, chicken, hot dogs, vegetables and lesser foods all took a back seat to King Corn.

Many years later, I fondly recall the car ride to the country market, the mix of scents, preparation, color and taste of fresh corn on the cob. It’s the food of summer that found its way into the heart of this Hoosier, where it remains today.

Boll is a human resources executive and community advocate in Columbus.

These are a must when eating corn on the cob slathered in butter, salt and pepper.

Photo by Christina Richey

From farm to highchair

A local mom finds peace-of-mind—and fun recipes— by homemaking her son’s baby food.

By Cassie Johnston

Photos by Christina Richey

edamame/apple

green beans

mango

carrot

pear/blueberry

zucchini

Softened sweet potatoes, leeks and asparagus tumble around the carafe of a blender on Ashley Saylor’s countertop while a neighboring rice cooker silently steams pears. Today, Saylor’s Broad Ripple kitchen has transformed into a small-scale baby food factory. Ice cube trays are filled with the multicolored purées and stashed in the freezer, awaiting 10month-old Henry’s dinnertime.

Discouraged by baby foods on the market, Saylor made the decision early in her pregnancy to home make food. “If you take a look at the baby food choices, it’s not surprising that kids grow up only wanting to eat junk,” says the stay-at-home mom. Motivated to instill healthy eating in Henry early, Saylor serves fruit and vegetable purées that she feels good about and he loves to eat. Among Henry’s favorites are pears with blueberries, squash with zucchini, and sweet potato with leek and asparagus.

Henry’s nutritional foundation will continue building after he outgrows purées. “I’d like to try my hand at making my own puffs and teething biscuits,” says Saylor about her next undertaking.

Financially, homemade makes sense. Saylor estimates a month of organic jarred baby food costs around $180. By buying in season, shopping at farmers’ markets and gardening, Saylor’s own budget is a quarter of that number.

Parents may assume the tradeoff for the lower cost is a hefty time commitment, but Saylor says that isn’t the case. “It’s just a regular part of my day,” she notes. By batch processing, her hands-on time is only a few hours a month.

Saylor recognizes homemade baby food isn’t for everyone—she even supplements with jarred food when traveling. “For some families it’s a necessity,” she says about store-bought food. More than focusing on store-bought versus homemade, Saylor wants parents to be aware of what’s in their baby’s food. “If you look at the back of some baby food jars there are ingredients [you] can’t pronounce,” she says. “I mainly wanted to know that I had control over the ingredients going into my son’s food.”

Do-It-Yourself tips

Interested in experimenting with homemade baby food? Saylor offers up these tips:

•There is no need to buy specialized gadgets to make baby food— most people have everything they need already in their kitchen.

Saylor says a blender, ice cube trays and rice cooker are her go-to tools. The “steam” function on her rice cooker softens fruit and veggies while she does other things around the house.

•Puréeing daily is not realistic for many parents. Make enough food for a few weeks and freeze it to make the most out of your time in the kitchen.

•Make sure you have plenty of ice cube trays. The small portion size of the cubes helps avoid wasted food. Once the purées have frozen solid, store the cubes in labeled freezer bags.

•Think outside the box. One of the best things about homemaking baby food is the ability to come up with combinations not found on store shelves. Need some inspiration? Saylor relies on such books as Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes and Blender Baby Food by Nicole Young.

One of Saylor’s favorite parts of homemaking baby food is the option to create her own flavor combinations. Start off with this great beginner recipe. It’s one of Henry’s favorites.

Pears With Blueberries

INGREDIENTS:

2–3 pears (any variety or a mixture) ¾ cup blueberries

Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

Food steamer/rice cooker OR steamer basket over simmering water

Blender

Ice cube trays

Plastic wrap

DIRECTIONS:

To cook: Slice pears in half and steam for about 15 minutes, or until fork tender and skins start to wrinkle. Let pears cool to touch. Pears should be soft enough to pull stem and seeds out easily. Then scoop flesh from skin with spoon. Place pear flesh, berries and cinnamon (if using) in a blender and blend until desired consistency.

To freeze: Transfer to ice cube trays, cover in plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen solid, remove cubes from tray and place in a labeled freezer bag.

To thaw: Set cube out on counter to thaw until soft, or put in microwave for 20–30 seconds. Make sure to check for hot spots when microwaving frozen cubes.

Ashley Saylor feeding Henry

City Market: Renewing the Foodie Spirit Downtown

By Beth Douglass Silcox

City Market, an architectural icon and downtown Indy gathering place, is getting back to its roots as a true public market.

Gone are the days of simply reheating foods. Under its copper roof and massive iron trusses, City Market’s nearly 20 food vendors prepare everything from crepes and Middle Eastern dishes to pastries and potato chips. Outside, farmers’ markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays invite people to shop for produce, meat, eggs and more from Indiana farmers.

Ongoing renovations that started last year on the building have revived City Market’s position in the downtown Indianapolis food scene.

“We are transitioning the market from a prepared-foods food court to a true public marketplace, where you have artisan, fresh and gourmet foods to purchase,” says Stevi Stoesz, director of business development and public relations for City Market. “We want City Market to be known for the best quality products.”

That means reaching out to local and regional producers, like Cindy Hawkins, who got her start at area farmers’ markets and is now helping renew City Market from her French bakery, Circle City Sweets, just inside the Market Street entrance.

“It’s a great location for us. It gives us production space for our wholesale clients and great visibility. Now we see some of our clients from Saturday’s farmers’ markets down here on Wednesdays,” Hawkins says.

After just one year, Hawkins’ faith in City Market’s renewal as a marketplace is so strong that Circle City Sweets recently expanded to total 1,000 square feet and added a new shop called Circle City Soups, which also serves sandwiches and salads.

When Indianapolis City Market threw open its doors in 1886, green grocers and butchers set up shop inside selling everything from dandelion greens to pickled pigs feet. Farmers came to town with bushels of vine-ripe tomatoes and sweet corn, cherry pies and yeast rolls. Even a laying hen or two, no doubt, made the trip.

Tomlinson Tap Room

Photography courtesy of City Market and Big City Photography

IF YOU GO

City Market

6am–3pm, Monday through Friday; 9am–4pm Saturday 222 E. Market St., Indianapolis; 317-634-9266; indycm.com.

Farmers’ Markets

9:30am–1 pm, Wednesdays and Saturdays

Outside City Market on Market Street between Delaware and Alabama streets

Tomlinson Tap Room

2–10pm, Wednesday through Saturday Mezzanine level of City Market

NEW EVENT

Rally in the Alley

4:30–7pm Wednesdays

Midweek revelry features music and Indiana craft beer on City Market’s cozy Wabash Street, just behind the pedestrian walkway. Free admission.

City Market was nourishing Indianapolis with fresh ingredients for family dinners and never-before-seen immigrant dishes long before there were big-box retail grocers or specialty food markets. Large public market houses were the supermarkets of their day and Indianapolis boasts one of only five original market houses left in the United States.

Today’s year-round City Market vendors, like Natural Born Juicers, which serves juices and smoothies, and A Taste of Philly, a soft pretzel shop, produce whole foods on-site just as their counterparts did 125 years ago.

Historically, City Market was also a hub of activity where generations gathered socially. That happens today at Tomlinson Tap Room, the in-house pub that showcases Indiana’s microbrew industry. It attracts craft beer aficionados by rotating Hoosier brews such as Sun King, New Albanian, Great Crescent and Big Woods through 16 taps. “You can get a growler of 3 Floyds beer without having to drive to Munster,” Stoesz says.

The Tap Room is set on City Market’s mezzanine, giving customers a birds-eye view of the activity below. City Market vendors cater food for the pub, which is for the over-21 crowd. Just outside the bar, families can gather to eat and listen to live entertainment from 7 to 9pm on Saturdays.

On summer and autumn days City Market’s Whistler Plaza fills with downtown commuters catching some rays over lunch. But on Original Farmers’ Market Wednesdays, with the sound of jazz or reggae in the air, vendors line Market Street between Alabama and Delaware streets just as they did decades ago to sell meats, eggs, produce, baked goods and fresh flowers. The Saturday Farmers’ Market, although smaller than Wednesday’s, features many of the same vendors.

Renovations to the historic building are ongoing and should wrap up by the end of summer, Stoesz says. Among the remaining projects is to demolish the west wing of the building, which will likely make way for an urban garden.

Farmers’ Markets flourish in Indy

By Joan Jacobs

Grab your reusable tote and follow your appetite: Farmers’ market season is in full swing. Here’s a look at a few standout farmers’ markets, plus a directory of markets in the area to help you find one near you.

Carmel Farmers’ Market

This market has found a new location on the grounds of Center Green at the elegant Palladium, where various music groups entertain the market’s shoppers at the outdoor amphitheater.

Arrive hungry: Offerings include Liege Belgian waffles made from yeast dough and European pearl sugar; La Mie Emilie’s crepes smothered in fresh berries, whipped cream and chocolate syrup; mouthwatering cinnamon rolls from Becky’s Village Bakery and a wide variety of desserts from Lisa’s Pie Shop. Standout take-home goods include Amish noodles, maple syrup and angel food cake.

If you have ever wanted to learn the secrets of professional chefs, this market should be on your “to do” list for Saturday mornings—some of the area’s best chefs offer cooking demonstrations to inspire market-goers. Complete new menu ideas with wines from Bargersville’s award-winning Mallow Run Winery.

Details: 8–11:30am Saturdays through Oct. 29; Third Avenue and City Center Drive, Carmel; www.carmelfarmersmarket.com

Binford Farmers’ Market

Now in its fifth season, this market offers exotic selections such as venison, pheasant, quail, frog legs, rabbit, veal, lamb and yellow perch from Muncie.

Customers will also find an array of locally grown fruits and vegetables and grass-fed beef and pork from nearby Eli Creek Farm and Wilson Farm. Don’t miss “My Dad’s Sweet Corn,” picked less than 24 hours before from the Baird family farm in Tipton.

From Amish farmlands come John Lapp’s raw milk and freshly churned butter, while Jonathan and Lucinda Gingerich offer a variety of cheeses, omega-3 eggs and pasturegrown chicken.

European-style breads from Cornerstone Bakery and whole-wheat muffins from Valentine Hill Bakery lure customers with their enticing aromas.

Details: 8am–noon, Saturdays through Oct. 29; Binford Boulevard and 62nd Street, Indianapolis; www.binfordfarmersmarket.com

Broad Ripple Farmers’ Market

From Capriole farmstead goat cheese made in Greenville to Nicole-Taylor’s pastas handmade in Indy, this market rounds up the best of the state’s farms and food producers, and draws customers from all around the metro area.

Visitors can expect natural yogurt and fresh turkeys from Skillington Farm in Lebanon and herbs from Bloomers Greenhouse in Westpoint that complement flavors of the locally produced greens, asparagus, radishes and beets. Breathtakingly beautiful bouquets from Seldom Seen Farm and Harvest Moon Flower Farm are featured alongside heirloom apples, pears, raspberries and peaches from other nearby farms.

Now in its 15th year, the market has a family-friendly atmosphere where patrons are encouraged to bring their dogs along for a stroll. Details: 8am–12:30pm, Saturdays through Nov. 19; 1115 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis, in the parking lot of Broad Ripple Magnet High School; www.broadripplefarmersmarket.org

Fishers/Saxony Market

Providing live musical entertainment and children’s activities, this market is hailed as a community gathering place in the southeastern corner of Hamilton County. Vendors offer farm-fresh fruits, organic vegetables, grass-fed beef, local pork, free-range chicken, delicious pies, muffins, cakes, natural honey and homemade jellies and jams.

Details: 8am–1pm Saturdays through Sept. 24; 13578 E. 131st St., Fishers; www.farmersmarketonline.com/fm/SaxonyMarket.html

Irvington Farmers’ Market

Have you missed seeing your neighbors during a long winter? This farmers’ market bills itself as the place to become reacquainted with people in the community on second Sundays of the month. Preferring to stroll leisurely on an afternoon in the shade of historic Ellen-

berger Park, the regular shoppers here enjoy nibbling on treats from Alan Bernstein, chefowner of Alan’s Catered Events. Peruse a myriad of farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, herbs and plants as well as handcrafted items presented by 50 merchants from nearby farms and shops.

Details: Noon–3pm, second Sunday of the month through October; 5302 E. St. Claire St., Indianapolis.

Noblesville Farmers’ Market

The original farmers’ market in Hamilton County, this weekly event boasts over 100 artisans and merchants who showcase local specialties including specially brewed coffee, homemade beers, barbecue ribs, organic produce and a wide selection of local crafts.

The market also hosts a range of activities including children’s games, pet shows, health fairs and food competitions, from salsa dips to gourmet desserts.

Details: 8am–noon Saturdays through October; Riverview Hospital overflow parking lot at State Road 31 and State Road 19, Noblesville; www.localharvest.org/ noblesville-farmers-market-M23024

Farmers’ Market Directory

Looking for a farmers’ market in your neighborhood? Here’s a sampling of those found in the Indianapolis area:

38th and Meridian Farmers’ Market

Thursdays, 4–6:30pm, through October • 3808 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis

Avon Farmers’ Market

Tuesdays, 4–7pm, through Sept. 13 • 8244 E. U.S. Highway 36, Avon (Hendricks Regional Health) • hendricks.org

Community Farmers’ Market of Owen County Saturdays, 8am–noon, through August • Saturdays, 9am–noon, September-October Courthouse Square, Spencer • farmersmarketowencounty.com

Cumberland Farmers’ Market

Saturdays, 8am–noon, through September • 11501 E. Washington St., Cumberland www.town.cumberland.in.us

Danville Chamber of Commerce Farmers’ Market

Saturdays, 8am–noon, through Sept. 17 • Danville Courthouse Square danville-chamber.org

Farmers’ Market at City Market

Wednesdays, 9:30am–1:30pm, through October • Saturdays, 9:30am–1pm, through October • 222 E. Market St., Indianapolis • indycm.com

Franklin Farmers’ Market

Saturdays, 8–11am, through Oct. 1 • West Jefferson and South Jackson streets, Franklin discoverdowntownfranklin.com

Green Market at Traders Point Creamery Fridays, 4–8pm, through October • 9101 Moore Road, Zionsville • tpforganics.com

Greenwood Farmers’ Market

Saturdays, 8am–noon, through October • 310 S. Meridian St., Greenwood For info, search Greenwood Farmers’ Market on Facebook

Harvest Market at the Fairgrounds

Saturdays, 8am–noon, through October • Wednesdays, 8am–noon, July through October 620 N. Apple St., Greenfield • hancockharvestcouncil.com

Stadium Village Farmers’ Market

Tuesdays, 4–7pm, through September • 801 S. Meridian St., Indianapolis stadiumvillagefarmersmarket.com

Westfield Farmers’ Market

Fridays, 4–8pm, through Sept. 3 • North Union Street next to City Hall, Westfield dwna.org

Zionsiville Farmers’ Market

Saturdays, 8-11am, through September, at the corner of Main and Hawthorne streets. www.zionsvillefarmersmarket.org

edible season

Fruit Loop Acres

Tasty oasis feeds an Eastside community’s body and soul

By Erica Sagon

Photos by Liz Nicol

Sue Spicer, left, and Kay Grimm, right own Fruit Loop Acres, the urban fruit farm where they grow cherries, black raspberries and more.

Fruit Loop Acres offers U-pick for some fruit, letting people get a closer look at the urban farm.

White peach tree

Sweet grass grows in a bath tub, one of the many found objects that hold or support plants on the property.

Two miles east of the circle in a Near Eastside neighborhood dotted with neglected foreclosures, vacant lots and otherwise rundown homes, there is a bright spot called Fruit Loop Acres.

On a ¾-acre lot sits a 99-year-old home, surrounded by the fruit farm that gives the property its name. This is not your conventional fruit farm, with tidy rows of trees and bushes stretching on and on.

Beyond the cheery yellow fence that separates Fruit Loop Acres from the sidewalk, the lot seems almost wild, with plants mingling with and propped up by items salvaged from the alleys in the neighborhood—stone statues, children’s toys, headboards and more. It’s as though the plants have seized a forgotten yard sale.

In Fruit Loop Acres, there are cherry trees and black raspberry bushes. Apricot, plum and apples trees are scattered throughout. Grape and passion fruit vines wind around the trunks and stubby branches of dead peach trees. Sweetgrass shoots up out of an old bathtub.

From May through October, about 500 pounds of fruit are harvested from the urban farm, including about 120 pounds of black raspberries and up to 100 pounds of cherries.

Fruit Loop Acres is, in a word, unexpected. And that’s just how owners Kay Grimm and Sue Spicer like it.

FRESH OR FROZEN

“There’s food everywhere here,” Spicer says, walking the property on a late March day that feels nothing like spring. It is snowing. Grimm points to ground where sunchokes, asparagus, rhubarb and stinging nettle will grow in the coming months. Elderberries, dewberries, white Niagara grapes and Indiana bananas, or pawpaws, are on their way, too.

The produce that is harvested supplies the couple’s small community-supported agriculture (CSA) program called Basic Roots. Want to get a closer look? They also offer U-pick by appointment for cherries and black raspberries (e-mail basicroots4u@yahoo.com to schedule).

Grimm started Fruit Loop Acres because she wanted to know where her food came from. Now, it seems, everyone wants to know. The title on her business card says “agripreneur,” and it’s true: She’s always thinking of ways to get locally grown food to Indy residents year-round.

Last year, Grimm and Spicer began freezing fruit and selling bags of it for the first time at the Indy Winter Farmers’ Market and the indoor Binford Farmers’ Market. In the summer, they drive through Near Eastside neighborhoods in an orange cargo-style golf cart filled with produce for sale, like a farmers’ market on wheels.

April Hammerand, program manager of the Food Coalition of Central Indiana, likens the mobile market to an ice cream truck: both draw people out of their homes and get neighbors to interact. Hammerand says Fruit Loop Acres has bettered its community, which she calls a “food desert” when it comes to accessing local fresh food.

“Kay and Sue are great representatives of how a community should act,” Hammerand says. “Food brings people together.”

HEY, NEIGHBOR

Spicer is president of the neighborhood where they live, the Willard Park of Holy Cross-Westminster Civic Alliance. Though their ¾-acre property is large—that’s about five lots in their neighborhood combined, they estimate—it isn’t their only source of fruit.

“You feel like you’re growing something bigger than yourself”

Grimm and Spicer forage from other properties in their neighborhood, and include their finds in CSA packages, frozen fruit bags and the roaming farmers’ market. Indy businesses have partnered with Fruit Loop Acres to use the found fruit in their products.

Foraging starts with a walk through the neighborhood in the spring. Grimm spots a tree that is flowering, and can determine what type of fruit it will produce later. If the property is abandoned, the fruit is wild and free for the taking. When there is a homeowner, Grimm and Spicer introduce themselves, let the owners know that they have, say, persimmons growing in their yard and ask if they’d like to share.

Typically, the tree has been planted a generation or more ago and forgotten. Owners die, move away or are simply disinterested in what’s growing.

“People are leery of eating the food off the trees, even in their own backyard,” Spicer says.

In the past, they have foraged crab apples and juiced them for Indy’s Sun King Brewing Company, which used the juice in a fall beer called Crab Apple Wit.

BLANK CANVAS

Grimm grew up on her great-grandfather’s farm in northern Illinois, and after a career with the U.S. Air Force, she returned to farming. She bought the property that would become Fruit Loop Acres in 1994.

“It was pretty much a blank canvas,” she says. “Just a bunch of overgrown weeds.”

Since then, she has worked to establish Fruit Loop Acres using the principles of Permaculture, a method of planning that is purposeful, sustainable and designed to work with nature, not against it. What might look random and overgrown to a passerby is actually a well-timed symphony, with Grimm as the conductor.

The property is a certified wildlife habitat, a designation that helps to protect their style of farming.

Grimm and Spicer say they have good relationships with public agencies that might be curious about what they do.

“Every time we get a new health inspector, we give them a tour of the property,” Spicer says.

Spicer, who joined Grimm in running Fruit Loop Acres five years ago, says they both feel a responsibility to the community. They have a hand in many local food organizations, and Spicer has helped the Food Coalition of Central Indiana write a food charter that, among other things, would make it easier for people to create and maintain urban gardens. Grimm has had a hand in a number of community gardens, too.

The couple has also encouraged some small farmers in the area to make their food available year-round so that it could be included in Basic Roots, the CSA they launched in 2005. Their push for sustainability started with Fruit Loop Acres, but has moved beyond the yellow fence.

“You feel like you’re growing something bigger than yourself,” Grimm says.

Mixologist? Nah.

“I just call myself a bartender.”

liquid assets Summertime cocktails with a nod to the garden

By Kira L. Bennett

Citrus fruits and other sweet, tropical ingredients are mainstays of many familiar summertime cocktails, and they are the first produce items many people reach for to liven up their warm-weather libations.

But this summer’s sought-after drinks bypass exotic fruits in favor of local fruits, vegetables and herbs. What is gathered from backyard gardens and farmers’ markets is as fit for a cocktail glass as for a dinner plate.

For inspiration, look to bartenders like Zach Wilks, owner of the speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge the Ball and Biscuit, in the Mass Ave neighborhood. Wilks has shaped the summer cocktail menu to offer all-new concoctions and classics that are livened up with fruits, vegetables and herbs of Indiana summer.

Wilks says many bartenders today have backgrounds in fine dining and the restaurant scene that inspire their cocktail making. “I think of it as a natural progression that they just start experimenting with things—produce especially,” he says. “You name it, we use it in cocktails these days.”

At the Ball and Biscuit, that means pepper-infused tequila, horseradish vodka and a host of summer cocktails incorporating cucumber, basil and other local produce. Its signature cocktails, inspired by preProhibition-era recipes and served up in the atmosphere of a New York speakeasy, have a lot going on—they incorporate unusual liquors, innovative mixers and an assortment of fresh produce.

In addition to its classic and contemporary cocktails, the bar offers thoughtfully selected lists of craft beers and boutique wines. All but one of the beers on tap are Indiana offerings, with kegs from Upland Brewing Company in Bloomington, Crown Brewing in Crown Point, People’s Brewing Company in Lafayette, and Flat 12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis.

Chef Brad Gates has dotted the menu of small plates with Indianapolis foods, including Goose the Market charcuterie and hot dogs from King David Dogs topped with house-made kimchi.

The Ball and Biscuit bills itself as a comfortable, casual gathering place, with low benches and leather club chairs. The space is gently lit with candles and tungsten-filament bulbs, and the décor includes one of the distinctively shaped 1930s microphones for which the Ball and Biscuit was named, along with an assortment of vintage recording devices, gramophones and radios.

Wilks takes the same low-key stance when crafting cocktails. “The term ‘mixologist’ holds a lot of pretension,” he says. “I just call myself a bartender.”

Here, Wilks shares three summery cocktail recipes that are as easy to make as they are to sip.

For the Ball and Biscuit, owner Zach Wilks creates cocktails inspired by pre-Prohibition-era recipes. Photo by Kelley Jordan Heneveld.

Strawberry Caipirinha

A caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil, features cachaça (a spirit distilled from sugarcane), lime juice and sugar. The Ball and Biscuit’s twist on the classic cocktail also incorporates fresh Indiana strawberries. If cachaça can’t be found, white rum may be substituted.

2 ounces cachaça

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon simple syrup

2 ripe strawberries

Strawberry and lime slice, for garnish

Muddle the lime juice, simple syrup and strawberries in the bottom of a glass. Fill glass with ice and add cachaça. Shake well and serve with a lime and strawberry garnish.

Cucumber Caprioska

This riff on a mojito substitutes cucumber vodka for rum and basil for mint to create a cocktail that is crisp, light and balanced.

2 ounces Square One cucumber vodka

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon simple syrup

6 large basil leaves

Lime wedge and basil leaves, for garnish

Muddle basil leaves with lime and simple syrup in the bottom of a glass. Top off with ice and add the cucumber vodka. Shake well and serve with a lime wedge and a sprig of basil to garnish.

Hot Carlita

This tequila cocktail balances sweetness, acidity and the peppery heat of Tabasco sauce. Conceived as an homage to renowned Seattle bartender Murray Stenson, it incorporates his signature technique of muddling the ice along with the other ingredients, yielding a crushedice texture that is perfect for summer.

1 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur

1 ounce Cazadores Reposado tequila

2 large cucumber slices

1 teaspoon simple syrup

1 lime, juiced

2 dashes Tabasco sauce

Cucumber and lime slices, for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a tall mixing glass and top with ice. Muddle thoroughly until ingredients are mixed and ice is crushed. Taste and adjust proportions as needed. Pour into a serving glass and serve garnished with cucumber and lime slices.

and

Muddling herbs

veggies from the garden or farmers’ market gives the Hot Carlita its fresh taste. Photo by Kelley Jordan Heneveld.

The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker

By Erica Sagon

Inspired by the nursery rhyme, we sought out the people who make it come to life in Indianapolis: a longtime butcher, a German bread baker and, yes, even a candle maker who is moved by food. Here, they share thoughts on their crafts, memorable summer meals and favorite spots to dine out.

THE BUTCHER

For Dave Rollins, nothing beats a steak grilled over charcoal in the summer. There’s no question where it comes from: Kincaid’s Meat Shop, the family business since his grandfather opened its doors in 1921.

Today, Rollins and his wife, Vicki, own the traditional-style shop with a red awning at 56th and Illinois streets. Inside, butchers wearing red aprons use techniques passed down through three generations.

Rollins was about 17 years old when he began working for his father at Kincaid’s. He washed dishes and mopped floors before picking up the family trade.

“I learned from the old guys who were in their 70s,” Rollins says. “They took me under their wing.”

Today, Kincaid’s offers full lines of USDA prime and choice cuts of beef, plus sausage, rabbit, veal and wild game like elk. Lamb, buffalo, chicken and some beef come from Indiana farms.

During the winter holidays, customers come in for crown roasts, boneless stuffed Cornish game hen and hand-tied turkducken—that’s a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey.

Rollins says summer meals at his Noblesville home typically call for firing up the grill and preparing a couple sides without recipes.

“We still live on the farm, so we’re meat-and-potatoes kind of people,” Rollins says. “There’s nothing like some mashed potatoes and green beans out of the garden.”

Dave Rollins was a teenager when he started working at Kincaid’s, his grandfather’s business. Now, Rollins owns the meat shop.

by Liz Nicol.

Preferred cut of beef: Filet mignon, medium to medium rare. Favorite place to dine out: Joseph Decuis, the restaurant in Roanoke that sources many of its ingredients from its own farm. It’s one of the few places where Rollins will order steak—the proprietors raise Wagyu cattle, which yields superbly marbled beef. Best holiday in terms of food: Christmas, with a USDA prime standing rib roast, cooked medium rare. Indy food scene: “It’s changing; it’s growing. We work with a lot of chefs … and we’re seeing a larger variety (of requests). People are branching into lamb, veal and buffalo,” he says.

Details: 5606 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis; 317-255-5497; lekincaidmeats.com

Photo

THE BAKER

When Alice Matsuo lived in Germany, she fell in love with the country’s bread rolls, with crunchy crusts and soft, elastic insides. There, freshness is everything. The rolls are considered to be good only within three to four hours of baking, Matsuo says.

She was so enamored, in fact, that she enrolled in a three-year training and apprenticeship program and became a certified artisan baker.

When her husband’s job landed the couple in Indianapolis in 2008, Matsuo wanted to share her love for traditional German bread and began looking for baking opportunities.

Today, she co-owns Brotgarten, a German bread and pastry business, and Perk Up Café in Broad Ripple (Brotgarten is housed within Perk Up). Her business partner is Jeanette Footman, who specializes in German pastries and is known for her Black Forest torte.

Matsuo’s specialty is German-style sourdough, which is made with rye, but she also bakes challah, focaccia and baguettes, all using artisan flour, never the bleached variety. Flaxseed, sunflower seeds and buckwheat from local producers are often used. Bread goes in the oven on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and is sold by the loaf. Perk Up’s menu features house-made bread in sandwiches and French toast.

Brotgarten breads are available at the Broad Ripple, Zionsville and Carmel farmers’ markets, too. On market days, baking begins at 2 or 3am to ensure the freshest bread for customers.

Matsuo, who is of Japanese and Brazilian heritage, earned a degree in chemistry before baking became her career, and she finds that the two fields are intertwined.

“For me, bread baking is really a science,” she says. “When I saw that I could use my chemistry background to bake bread, I realized that I could really put two things together.”

Alice Matsuo’s background is in chemistry, but she got hooked on sourdough bread baking when she lived in Germany.

Photo courtesy of Alice Matsuo.

For a Japanese food fix in Indy: One World Market, a Japanese grocery store that offers takeout food. “My favorite dish there is crispy tuna sushi,” Matsuo says.

Recipe she knows by heart: A brown rice salad that she learned from her host mother while living in Australia. It has chopped ginger, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, pine nuts and dried fruit, and is seasoned with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Favorite place to travel for food: The Provence region in southern France. “It’s not only the food. Eating for them is really enjoying what they eat and who they eat with. It’s more complex than our eating,” she says.

Details: 6536 Cornell Ave.; 317-251-0033; perkupindy.com.

THE CANDLESTICK MAKER

Laura Cler’s earliest food memories begin at her grandmother’s house in northwest Indiana, where the backyard garden fed the family and a communal kitchen table was a draw for the multiple generations of women in her life. She recalls having fresh lemonade, homemade cookies and rhubarb pie, and picking green beans and tomatoes from the garden.

Those memories have inspired a handful of scents for Linnea’s Lights, the Carmel-based candle company that Cler owns with her mom, Lynn Manley. The candles are sold at Indianapolis shops and online (linneaslights.com for store locations).

Among the candles are Heirloom Tomato, Garden Mint and Fig Leaf.

“The scent reminds me of having figs at the dinner table,” Cler says. “It brings back good memories.”

The names are simple, but the scents are complex. Each is blended with herbs—Pumpkin gets a dose of thyme, for example—which keeps the fragrances from being cloyingly sweet, Cler says. Linnea’s Lights began as a home-based business that Manley started with her late husband. The candles are still made in small batches, but their popularity has exploded: Their handcrafted yet polished feel has won over celebrities and national fashion- and home-magazine editors, who praise the sophisticated scents.

At home, Cler’s three children carry on their grandma’s love for cooking: They play restaurant, taking orders and whipping up dishes. Meanwhile, Manley’s backyard is filled with fruit trees, barrels of fresh herbs and a garden with grape tomatoes for her grandchildren to pick, echoing the family tradition.

Food memories from Laura Cler’s (right) childhood have inspired a handful of scents for the candle company that she co-owns with her mom, Lynn Manley (left). Fig Leaf and Heirloom Tomato are among the varieties.

Photo courtesy of Linnea’s Lights.

Favorite Indy restaurants: Miyagi’s for sushi (try the Diablo roll, Cler says); Café Patachou with her kids.

Summer produce she can’t get enough of: “We love nothing more than going into the garden and picking a tomato off the vine.”

Recipe she knows by heart: Bouillabaisse. A close friend from Belgium taught her how to make the fish stew.

Best holiday in terms of food: Thanksgiving, with her family gathered around a table of traditional dishes. “Thanksgiving to me reminds me of comfort.”

Details: linneaslights.com.

Advertiser directory

Our heart felt thanks to all of our advertisers for their support in helping to grow and sustain Edible Indy and our community. Please make a point of supporting these businesses and organizations.

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Artisano’s Oils and Spices

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Stout’s Footwear 318 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46204 632.7818 • www.shoestores.com

Zionsville Chamber of Commerce 135 S. Elm Street, Zionsville, IN 46077 873.3836 • www.zionsvillechamber.org

edible e vents

June 4

Vintage Indiana Wine and Food Festival

Sample wines from roughly 20 Indiana wineries while enjoying food, music and cooking demonstrations at Militar y Park in downtown Indy. Tickets for adults: $22 in advance, $25 at the door. vintageindiana com

June 4

Bloomington Craft Beer Fest

Roughly 120 Indiana beers will be available for sampling at this event, put on by the Brewers of Indiana Guild Wooler y Mill, 2200 W. Tapp Rd., Bloomington. Must be at least 21 to attend. Tickets: $35 for general admission, $90 for admission plus brewer y tours and lunch brewersofindianaguild.com

June 15

Healthy fats cooking class

Learn how to incorporate healthy fats into your diet from Catherine Giovinazzo, certified nutrition and wellness consultant Cost: $15, includes samples and recipes. Registration deadline is June 8. 6–7pm, Broad Ripple Park and Family Center, 1550 Broad Ripple Ave Info: catherinegiov@aol.com.

June 25

Brew-Ha-Ha

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June 10 11

Italian Street Festival

Spaghetti, fettuccine, ravioli, lasagna: Whatever pasta you prefer, you’ll find it at this annual celebration put on by the Italian Heritage Society of Indianapolis. Free admission 520 Stevens St , Indianapolis italianheritage.org

June 10

Conscious Eating/Conscious Health class

Learn to how to avoid overeating and how “ reset ” your body to make healthy, conscious eating choices. Raw food samples will be available. Taught by Audrey Barron, owner of Be Bliss Healing Therapies, and Wendy Morrison, owner of Mother Nature’s Sun Cost: $25 for individual class; $40 when coupled with an Eating for the Chakras class on June 18 6516 Ferguson St , Broad Ripple mothernaturesun.com

June

11

Mallow Run Winer y Strawberr y Festival

This annual celebration in Bargersville includes a small-batch release of sweet strawberr y wine, gigantic strawberr y shortcakes and fresh berries to take home Live music. 6964 W. Whiteland Rd. mallowrun.com

More than a dozen Indiana breweries will pour samples of their suds. Benefits the Phoenix Theatre Must be at least 21 attend Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. 749 N. Park Ave , Indianapolis phoenixtheatre.org

July 16–17

BBQ & Wine Lovers Trail

Visit six wineries on the Indy Wine Trail on one or both days and sample wine and barbecue at each stop Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 on the day of. indywinetrail com

July 20

Anti-Aging Foods class

Discover which foods help to protect the body from age-related diseases Taught by Catherine Giovinazzo, certified nutrition and wellness consultant. Cost: $15, includes samples and recipes. Registration deadline is July 13 6–7pm, Broad Ripple Park and Family Center, 1550 Broad Ripple Ave Info: catherinegiov@aol com

Aug. 2–6

Oakland City Sweet Corn Festival

Sweet corn is the star at this annual fest sponsored by the Oakland City Lions Club Eat buttered corn on the cob, enjoy nightly entertainment and take home a dozen ears. Located in Wirth Park in Oakland City Free admission

Aug.

5–21

Indiana State Fair

Summer’s main event is at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis Highlights include livestock competitions, classic fair food, rides and games on the midway and concerts by Sugarland and Janet Jackson. General admission: $8, children 5 and under are free. indianastatefair com

Aug. 6

Taste of Downtown

Indy’s Easley Winery hosts a free street festival featuring its own wine and food from local restaurants. Free winery tours. $2 wine tasting. 205 N. College Ave. easleywinery.com

Aug. 10

Summer Produce class

Get new ideas for seasonal greens and other vegetables from the farmers’ market. Taught by Catherine Giovinazzo, certified nutrition and wellness consultant. Cost: $15, includes samples and recipes. Registration deadline is Aug. 3. 6–7:30pm, Broad Ripple Park and Family Center, 1550 Broad Ripple Ave. Info: catherinegiov@aol.com.

Aug. 11

The Longest Dinner

Gather around one long table at IndyFringe Theater—it seats 250 people—and enjoy food from a variety of street market stalls. Tickets: $60. Cash bar. 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. indyfringe.org

Aug. 28

Sept. 4–10

Going Local Week

Dig-IN

Indiana chefs will gather at Celebration Plaza in White River State Park to prepare meals using ingredients from local growers. Presentations on gardening, local sourcing and healthful eating round out the food festival. Tickets: $20 in advance, $30 at the door. digindiana.org

This one-week challenge asks Indianapolis residents to eat a locally grown food at each meal. Though there is not a main event, people are encouraged to attend farmers’ markets, eat at restaurants that source from local growers, go to happy hour at an independent winery and use local ingredients when cooking at home. www.goinglocal-info.com

If you want your upcoming event listed in Edible Indy, please contact us at info@edibleindy.com

Worth the Trip: Indiana’s summer food festivals

By Cassie Johnston

The Strawberry Festival (Crawfordsville)

Each year, Crawfordsville welcomes the mouthwatering symbol of early summer with its Strawberry Festival. Nosh on famous strawberry crêpes while browsing the art fair, where more than 100 artisans sell their handcrafted wares. Don’t forget to pick up a pint of berries for the trip back—local strawberries are for sale at many booths. Details: June 10–12, Lane Place, 212 Water St., Crawfordsville. Admission free. Info: thestrawberryfestival.com.

Fort Wayne BBQ RibFest

Named one of the top barbecue festivals in the country by Martha Stewart Living magazine, the BBQ RibFest invites visitors to get messy with barbecue prepared by some of the nation’s most prized ribmasters. After you’ve had your fill of award-winning ribs, dance to an impressive lineup of blues bands.

Details: June 16–19, Headwaters Park, 333 S. Clinton St., Fort Wayne. Admission free before 5:30pm, $6 5:30pm–close, children (16 and under) free. Info: bbqribfest.com.

North Judson Mint Festival

Once focused on producing corn and soybeans, many northwestern Indiana farmers are now concentrating on mint crops. The town of North Judson gathers yearly to celebrate the peppermint and spearmint harvest at the Mint Festival. Tour mint farms and distilleries, compete in the mint-themed cooking contest and sample treats like minty fudgy brownies. On your way out, pick up a mint plant to take home.

Details: June 17–19, Norwayne Field, at Talmer Avenue and Main Street, North Judson. Admission free. Info: 574-772-7258 or njmintfest@gmail.com.

Middle Eastern Festival of Indianapolis

Stay close to home and enjoy a taste of the Middle East. Hourly dance performances set a festive atmosphere as you sample your way through gyros, falafel and spanakopita at the Middle Eastern Festival. Hit the art market and pick up exotic gifts while you snack on honey balls—we hear they are a must-try.

Details: July 15–17, St. George Orthodox Christian Church, 4020 N. Sherman Drive, Indianapolis. Admission $5, children (under 12) free. Info: mefestival.org.

From pierogi to popcorn, there’s a food-themed festival in the Hoosier State fit for every taste bud. Pack your appetite and a road map and let us guide you to a culinary celebration this summer.

Pierogi Fest (Whiting)

Swiss Wine Festival (Vevay)

Join Mr. Pierogi and his Pieroguettes in a whimsical celebration of Whiting’s Polish culture. Mingle with the quirky housecoat-clad grandmothers (known as the Babushka Brigade) or enter in Polish Idol—a singing contest where participants croon about food. The festival’s namesake dumpling will be available from more than a dozen vendors, but we’re even more excited to taste paczki—deep-fried Polish doughnuts.

Details: July 29–31, 119th St., Whiting. Admission free. Info: pierogifest.net.

Van Buren Popcorn Festival

As the self-proclaimed Popcorn Capital of the World, it’s only appropriate that Van Buren throws a party every summer to celebrate the crop that is their claim to fame. Munch on a handful of the crunchy snack from the popcorn tent before you settle in to watch the popcorn-themed parade as it runs through downtown Van Buren.

Details: August 11–13, downtown Van Buren. Admission free. Info: popcornfestival.org.

Enjoy a beautiful view of the Ohio River while sampling wines from more than a dozen Indiana wineries. Embrace the Alpine spirit by entering the Steintossen competition, in which participants toss around an 83-pound rock, or leap feet-first into the winemaking process by joining in the grape stomp. Not into strength tests or stained toes? Sign up for a riverboat cruise departing from the festival—we like the sound of the dinner cruise aboard the Queen City Clipper.

Details: August 25–28, Paul Ogle Riverfront Park, Ferry Street, Vevay. Admission $2 Thursday, $3 Friday–Sunday, $1 for children aged 5–12, under 5 free. Admission to wine pavilion $13, riverboat cruises $11–$28. Info: swisswinefestival.org.

It wouldn’t be a strawberry festival without shortcake.

Photo by Joe Boswell.

At the North Judson Mint Festival, sample mint brownies and bring home a plant. Photo courtesy of Indiana Humanities. Honey balls are a don’t-miss snack at the Middle Eastern Festival of Indianapolis. Photo by David Sumner.

Swiss Wine Festival attendees can leap feet-first into the winemaking process by joining in the grape stomp.

Photo courtesy of the Swiss Wine Festival.

Last Bite Lovely Lavender

By Audrey Barron

Lavender is one of the best known and most loved aromatics. Its name comes from the Latin word lavare, which means “to wash”—most likely due to its fresh, clean scent.

It is best known for its ability to lull us to sleep and relax us with just a whiff. What you might not know about lavender is just how many roles it can play. It offers everything from health benefits as a natural antifungal to distinct flavor in the kitchen.

What’s more, the essential oil can be used as a mosquito repellant, a skin soother for cuts and burns and a germ-fighting ingredient in homemade cleaning products.

What happens when you consume lavender blossoms? A summertime culinary dream, in my book. I pair locally harvested lavender from Hobbit Gardens in Fillmore with my dairy-free cashew cream.

This living/raw sweet dip is a versatile recipe that you’ll come back to again and again. Dunk fresh berries in it or spoon it into parfaits. Use it as a substitute for whipped cream or frosting. It’s delicious on its own, too. Try freezing the cream and eating it like ice cream.

It’s high-powered nutrition balanced by a light and fresh flavor—my ideal summer dessert.

Audrey Barron is an Indianapolis raw food chef and owner of Be Bliss Healing Therapies, providing holistic healing and education. www.beofbliss.com.

By Audrey Barron

Makes 1 cup

1 cup cashews, soaked for 8–12 hours, drained and rinsed

(1¼ cups after soaking)

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water

¼ cup organic maple syrup

Seeds of one vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons of organic vanilla extract ¼ cup fresh lavender leaves, rinsed, dried and finely minced

1.Place cashews, water and maple syrup in a blender and process on high speed until the mixture is very smooth. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender jar with a spatula to ensure the mixture is blended consistently.

2. Add the vanilla and process until well combined.

3. Pour the cream into a bowl and add the lavender. Stir until combined.

4. Use immediately or let chill for a thicker consistency. Serve as a dip with berries, use as a whipped cream substitute or freeze for an ice-cream-like treat.

Sweet Lavender Cashew Cream

Photo by Christina Richey