26 The Taste of Friendship: How a mutual love of good food from around the world and collaboration brings signature dishes to Indy’s Spoke & Steele
words: Charity Singleton Craig
35 Home at Blue Yonder: A veteran turned farmer finds solace on her organic farm in North Salem
words: Lori Darvas | photography: Sarah Longenecker
40 Building Bridges: Authentic Italian restaurant features local ingredients and a seasonal menu that reflects the best of Indiana food in the heart of Greencastle
words: Leah Singer | photography: Jes Nijjer
46 Food Tank: A Q&A with Danielle Nierenberg about her dynamic nonprofit and how it’s changing the way we talk solutions in the global food community
words: Colleen Leonardi & Danielle Nierenberg
COVER: photography: Heather Schrock. See story on page 14. THIS PAGE: photography: Heather Schrock. See recipe on page 17.
“The
stood still on Blueberry Hill and lingered until my dream came true.”
Find more exclusive summer recipes on edibleindy.com including the Bluebird Cocktail and Blueberry Shallot Jam recipe from the Roost, Bloomington.
Blueberry Mint Paletas
with Blueberry Crème Fraîche, Candied Almonds and Lemon Zest
Groundhog Intervention
Melon Salad with Citrus Honey and Mint Vinaigrette
Blueberry Mostarda
Blueberry Soup
photography: Jes Nijjer. See story on page 41.
—Fats Domino, Blueberry Hill
Blueberries and mint go together as perfectly as Indiana and the Indianapolis 500. Both signify warmer weather and are staples in the Hoosier heartland. In this issue we explore the concept of slowing down, friendships and the significance of how these ingredients in life can bring us to the things that really matter. What matters to us is providing more opportunities to learn about the local factors that feed our economy and how it all ends up on our tables, in our bellies and in our minds. In the process we educate new generations about taking action now to ensure a better future.
Our Farm Market Guide connects into every story we share in this issue. Farmers markets are truly the basis of the real-food movement. From the crunch of Dad’s Sweet Corn to the organic tomatoes from Blue Yonder Farm— every bite of your summer should be filled with flavors that create memories, make a difference to someone and spread the local love. Make your table, your plate, your mealtime a time for slowing down and indulging in the moment.
Hoosier Hugs,
Jennifer & Jeff Rubenstein
Letter from the Editor
Wedible INDY
PUBLISHER: Rubenstein Hills LLC
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Jeff Rubenstein
MANAGING EDITOR: Colleen Leonardi
COPY EDITOR: Doug Adrianson
DESIGNER: Cheryl Angelina Koehler
WEB DESIGNER: Kjeld Petersen STAFF
Caryn Scheving, Graphics ADVERTISING
Jennifer Rubenstein jennifer@edibleindy.com
317.489.9194
Please call or email to inquire about becoming a member of our advertising partnership and show your support for the local food culture in Central Indiana.
EDIBLE INDY TEST KITCHEN SPONSOR Market District
hen I first visited Spoke & Steele and met Chris Ratay and Stefano dePonti my story meter went off. It’s the little voice within that tells me, “There is a story here waiting to be told. Tell it.” Our feature story, “The Taste of Friendship,” is that story. It also inspired me to look back into my family history. Turns out my Great Uncle Frank had a story to tell about how his brother’s KEN-PAUL car won the Indy 500 race in 1960. This is why stories are so important. They reunite us with what’s possible when we dream.
Like my Q&A with Danielle Nierenberg about Food Tank, a national nonprofit with a global influence working to provide “environmentally, economically and socially sustainable” solutions for the future of food. Nierenberg is an inspiration for her rigor and compassion around the world, and we’re thrilled to tell you why.
So as you read through our summer issue while sitting back under a shady tree and enjoying a paleta from Paleteria Vallarta, or one of our summer blueberry recipes from local chefs, remember what is possible. Find some time to dream and remember that even in the lazy days of summer there are many working hard to bring this bounty forward and make it real food we can all enjoy. For many, that is their dream. And we thank them for it, every day. Eat Well, Love Well, Live Well,
CONTACT US
Edible Indy PO Box 155 Zionsville, Indiana 46077 317.489.9194 info@edibleindy.com
Edible Indy is published quarterly (March, May, September and November). Distributed throughout Central Indiana and by subscription elsewhere. Subscriptions are $32 for one year and can be purchased online at EdibleIndy.com or by check to the address above.
Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, then you probably have not had enough wine with your healthy food. Please accept our sincere apologies and, if it’s important, please notify us! Thank you.
words: Sharon Smith, Indiana State Fairgrounds and Events Center photography: Indiana State Fairgrounds
The Greatest 17 Days of Summer returns August 3–19, 2018 at the Indiana State Fair. This year, STEP RIGHT UP! to fun under the Big Top! That’s right, the Greatest Showcase of Agriculture & Entertainment is now bringing you a world-class circus with acrobats, clowns, trapeze artists and more. The Big Top Circus is presented by Bee Window and is FREE with paid State Fair admission. There will be three shows daily, and seating will be limited to the first 1,600 people per show.
In addition to the Big Top Circus, fairgoers will enjoy many new features at this year’s fair including “Animal Town,” an interactive learning experience that showcases a variety of species such as cows, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, llamas, rabbits and chickens; a Ninja Warrior Show with daily performances and an appearance by world-famous professional eater Joey Chestnut who will participate in this year’s World Ice Cream Eating Championship.
Indiana has a rich circus heritage, and the State Fair is the perfect place to celebrate that history. Circus-themed exhibits will educate and help tell the Indiana circus story.
The State Fair offers promotional days, including $2 Tuesdays, free Indy Star ticket days and AAA Day. Plus, save up to 43% off general admission tickets by purchasing online at IndianaStateFair.com, presented by WGU Indiana.
And, of course, no fair experience would be complete without visiting some of the more than 130 food stands located throughout the Fairgrounds. Don’t miss the new fair foods this year, including Deep Fried Sugar Cream Pie, BBQ Pork Potatoes and a Deep-Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich.
For more information, including the Chevrolet Free Stage concert lineup, visit IndianaStateFair.com.
Wayne County, Indiana
Taste & See
What I learned from Alice Waters
words: Francisca Figueroa
photography: Francisca Figueroa
“It’s like, rather than the food coming to you, you have to go to it.”
In the spring of my senior year, I met Alice Waters. Waters is a living legend in sustainable food. An author, activist and chef, over the last 40 years she’s pioneered the American farm-to-table movement, created the Edible Schoolyard project, served as vice president of Slow Food International and received accolades as one of the best chefs in the world on numerous occasions. She arrived at Indiana University in spring 2016 to inaugurate our new Food Project, a center for food and gastronomical studies.
We met for the first time at the intimate welcome lunch hosted in honor of her arrival. I asked her earnestly for the best way to change people’s minds and facilitate lasting change for our aching food system. She smiled broadly, clasped my hands in hers and said in her slow dreamy voice, “Just let them taste! Let them taste and they will see.”
Those words pulled me into a memory I have of my father while I was studying abroad in Bologna, Italy. The first night he visited me, I took him to a traditional trattoria. Seated under the stone porticos I ordered him tortellini in brodo, the city’s signature dish.
When our server brought out the food, an admittedly minimalist presentation that bore no resemblance to American Italian food, my father’s expression contorted dismissively.
“Just try it!” I prompted.
He sipped the broth. He didn’t say anything. He sipped it again. He didn’t say anything.
He ate a tortellino, his head tilted towards the bowl, and suddenly I realized he was crying.
“Dad! What’s wrong, is it bad?”
He finally lifted his head, his eyes welling with tears, and, after another moment, he said, “I’ve never had anything like this before. It’s like, rather than the food coming to you, you have to go to it.”
This is the miracle of what Waters would call “true simple food,” food that is fresh, picked and processed at the peak of its ripeness, cooked using traditional methods.
A little less than a year after meeting Waters for the first time, I was invited to Northern California to meet her again. We ate at her restaurant in Berkeley, Chez Panisse. The menu was simple, rustic even: seasonal salads, chicken, duck, lamb, roasted vegetables and fresh bread. There was nothing present that I had never eaten before or that I could not conceivably produce locally back home in Indiana. The tastes, neither aggressive nor explosive, created a sensual harmony.
Simple food is an expression of love. Waters loves food. Not just eating, but food itself. She loves it with the romantic fervor of a new mother or a starry-eyed young girl. Waters has an ability to see the beauty and potential in raw ingredients the way a mother sees the charm and promise in her child’s macaroni sculpture or a young inamorata falls head over heels for the freckle behind her lover’s ear. Her gift lies in her ability to draw you into this romance, and to witness the miracle contained within the simplicity of the mundane.
Waters tells a story about the time Playboy magazine ranked Chez Panisse the seventh best restaurant in the
photography: Francisca Figueroa
country. The magazine invited many of the top chefs to New York City to cook a dish for this lavish party. Out of the 25 chefs, Waters was the only woman. And while the other chefs all prepared elaborate dishes—salmon quenelles, a lobster extravaganza—Waters made a simple mesclun salad.
I can just imagine Waters, with her delicate frame, presenting her salad in front of a herd of competitive male chefs. The statement, however unintentional it may have been, was profound. Food doesn’t need to be complex to be delicious. What could be simpler than green salad? It’s all about freshness!
In the first passage of her new book, Coming to My Senses, Waters talks about her attitude towards cooking: “First I’m at the farmers’ market. I am looking for fruits and vegetables that are perfectly ripe things that were just picked. I’m not necessarily thinking about how the ingredients will go together—I’m just responding to what I’m finding … I’m using all of my senses … I don’t quite know what I’m going to cook I’m improvising, trying to capture a moment in time.”
Of course, this doesn’t exactly answer the question of how to save the world. There is no ONE thing that will fix everything. Although, perhaps beginning to rekindle our relationship with our farmers is the best place to start. Places like Chez Panisse are literally reshaping the food economy by creating pathways for local organic farmers to sell their produce, and although we cannot expect fine-dining restaurants to feed the world, we can walk in their wake.
Chefs like Bloomington’s Erika Yochum, Nashville’s Jeremy Chase Barlow, Minneapolis’s Sean Sherman, Cambridge’s Will Turner and hundreds of other unsung local food heroes are doing this work around the country, finding the farmers and creating the pathways for a new food economy. Meanwhile, countless nonprofits (see sidebar) are bringing the skills of food production back to the general populace.
the courageous people
Edible Schoolyard Project | Berkeley, CA | EdibleSchoolyard.org The Ron Finley Project | Los Angeles, CA | RonFinley.com
The Land Institute | Salina, KS | LandInstitute.org Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard | Bloomington, IN | MHCFoodPantry.org North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems | Minneapolis, MN | NATIFS.org
As long as there are idealists out there, pushing to be the change they want to see, then little by little, the art of learning to cook and to eat intuitively will transform our food system for the better. To love food is to love the land. When we begin to immerse ourselves in the processes behind our food, not out of fear but out of love, change will come.
Go ahead, taste and see.
was born in Indianapolis. She graduated from Indiana University with degrees in global food systems and Italian. She lives in Bloomington where she works as an artist and president of the nonprofit organization Journey Circle.
Francisca Figueroa
Alice Waters
photography: Amanda Marsalis
FROM FARM TO FORK
Support your LOCAL farmers, artisans and producers, the slow foods of our community.
Farmers Market
The Town of Brownsburg and IU Health West Hospital partner to bring fresh produce, artisan baked goods and handcrafted items to local shoppers every Thursday at the Brownsburg Town Hall Green. Accepts: SNAP, WIC. 61 N. Green St., Brownsburg, brownsburg.org/farmersmarket. Thursdays 4–7pm June 7–Sept. 6
Join us for the oldest and largest farmers market in Hamilton County, with more than 80 vendors featuring local artisan products, produce and more! Visit Facebook or website for event day information. Accepts: SNAP, WIC 839 Conner St., Noblesville. Saturdays May 5–Oct. 13, 8am–noon
Teter Organic Farm
Tuttle Orchards
Our farm grows sustainably grown, chemical-free vegetables and raw honey. Join our CSA program for an amazing selection of organic produce or find us at the Noblesville Farmers’ Market.
10980 E. 221st St., Noblesville, TeterOrganicFarm.com
Celebrating 90 years of providing top-quality produce, plants and agricultural experiences to visitors. Visit our farm store year-round with 200+ local Indiana items. Our café is open year-round with fresh eats, treats and tours. We have tours, events, a greenhouse and CSA program. Look for our fall activities, festival, apple picking, pumpkin patch and more! 5717 N. County Rd. 300 W., Greenfield, TuttleOrchards.com
* This is a paid advertisement.
www.saxonymarket.com
Brownsburg
Noblesville Main Street Farmers’ Market
Edible Bouquets
STRAIGHT FROM YOUR GARDEN
tips: The Flower Boys | photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
Garden ingredients can make the most beautiful summer arrangements. The Flower Boys at the Indianapolis City Market have outlined some simple do-it-yourself tips to create your own scrumptious bouquet for any occasion.
Ingredients
Think about color.
Do you want a monochromatic look? Or a fun, colorful spread? Create a palette before you start.
Pick out one large, central focus element: a green element: and then three to four elements:
Summer favorite flowers: dahlias, zinnias, hydrangeas, daisies, billy balls and sunflowers
Hearty produce: rainbow carrots, Brussels sprouts, radishes, root vegetables, asparagus and kale. Use veggies that are resilient and have a longer life span; avoid lettuce, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers.
Herbs: mint, sage, lavender, chamomile and bee balm. Include for scent and even protection from mosquitoes.
Vessel: Use a clear vase, glass or Ball jar— you want to see vegetables in the vase. You want something big enough to support the weight and the foam.
Pro Tip: You can also use a full head of cabbage as a vase by cutting out the middle and placing the foam inside the cabbage.
How To
Floral foam: Soak it in a combination of water and flower food before you insert anything. After soaking, trim foam to size and place it on the vase. From there, cut flowers at a 45° angle and puncture the foam with those stems.
Pro Tip: Tie carrots together at the top and to the foam to allow for the suspended look. Use clear dental floss, twine or sewing thread.
Pro Tip: Place asparagus stalks around the outside of a non-round vase and tie with a ribbon or twine to give your arrangement a more creative element.
THE
FLOWER
BOYS
was created by Jake Rupp and Jake Smith to bring joy to the community by creating pieces that are unique, lovely and cost-effective. Located in Indianapolis City Market, we specialize in fresh cut flowers, DIY workshops and customizable weddings. Stop by our booth and let us help you make today beautiful! FlowerBoysIndy.com
Culture
SUMMER ON A STICK
Paleteria Vallarta creates market for the fresh, frozen treats of Mexico
words: Julie K. Yates | photography: Heather Schrock
Imagine feeling parched and thirsty after spending time under the blazing sun. Now think of biting into a frozen concoction flavored with spicy pepper and tropical fruit. The resulting feeling of being completely satisfied and utterly quenched after sampling a Mexican ice pop called a paleta is something Hoosiers can enjoy thanks to Jaime Mendez, owner of Paleteria Vallarta. He has made these delicious Mexican treats available in Indianapolis and the surrounding area, driven by love of family and a desire to share part of his Mexican heritage with his Indiana home.
More Than a Popsicle
At first glance, a paleta looks like a typical popsicle, but there is a difference. Hunky chunks of fruit, or even vegetables and herbs, are held together in a small amount of frozen liquid on a wooden stick (“paleta” is Spanish for “little stick”). Not cloyingly sweet, their fresh flavors carry the day. Natural ingredients such as mango, cucumber, lime juice, tamarind and even queso fresco cheese are combined.
People who experience them for the first time are often surprised.
“They are amazed how really tasty paletas are. I love to see the look on their faces when they first try one,” says Mendez with a smile.
Sweet History
Mendez’s personal journey is a story of coming back full circle to Mexican and family tradition, but where he now calls home: Indianapolis. The art of making paletas, he says, is “like a family tree.”
The craft originated in the town of Tocumbo in the Mexican state of Michoacan around the 1940s. Several families started making them in large quantities in facilities called paleterias. Workers sold them throughout the community from colorful pushcarts.
As time went on and families expanded, people moved out of the community and took their knowledge of producing paletas with them to other cities. Mendez’s great uncle started a paleteria in Mexico City in the mid-1950s. Truly a family endeavor, all of his aunts and uncles were involved, and at least 100 of his relatives still work there today. Mendez and his 10 siblings learned the trade from the bottom up.
Besides going to the local market and buying fresh fruit, one of his first jobs was hulling strawberries. While his friends were playing after school, he sat and removed stems from mountains of berries. By the time he was 18, he felt he needed a change and moved to Riverside, California. There, he worked for a business that later transferred him to Indianapolis. By that time, paleterias had sprung up in major cities such as New York and Chicago, where Mexicans who knew the industry had moved to the United States.
A Moment of Inspiration
On a cold day in 2008, Mendez was walking past the Indianapolis Discount Mall, a flea market in the Eagledale area. He noticed a man sitting and eating a paleta, which had probably been distributed by a Chicago paleteria.
All of a sudden, the tastes and memories of making paletas in his family business came flooding back to him. Mendez remembers thinking, “Wait! I can make that, and make it even more delicious than that one is! And we could make ice cream too!”
Jaime Mendez, owner of Paleteria Vallarta seen here with the Blueberry Mint Paletas.
Using business experience accumulated during his years of working in the U.S. along with additional research, he drafted a business plan in 2009. Wishing to continue the practice of only using fresh, natural ingredients, he was able to find suppliers in Chicago.
“Chicago is like an octopus: It has arms reaching everywhere and there is always a continuous flow of tropical produce such as pineapples and mangos coming from South America—even in the winter.”
By May 2010 Paleteria Vallarta was up and running. Today it continues to grow and provides paletas and tub ice cream to nearly 60 establishments in the Central Indiana area.
Family Ties Continue
One shop that sells Paleteria Vallarta’s frosty treats is Danny’s Mexican Ice Cream in Avon, owned by Mendez’s nephew Angel Benitez, known as Danny. He says his uncle inspired him to open his own business.
“My family got me into ice cream. My dad worked for Uncle Jaime as a delivery man, and at age 13 I started helping by sorting out the orders and riding along in the truck.” After graduating from Avon High School in 2016, Benitez did what he always wanted to do and opened an ice cream store.
Although it is not as busy in winter as in the warmer months, Benitez keeps Danny’s Mexican Ice Cream open all year long. Selling both dairy-based and sorbet-like novelties, he finds that paletas are “more popular in the summer because they are so refreshing.”
Some of the flavors offered are rice pudding, gazpacho, piña colada and coconut. His best sellers include corn, blackberry and cheese as well as strawberry cheesecake.
Full Circle
Mendez finds it ironic that when he was growing up in Mexico City, he wanted to leave and get away from the family paleteria.
“I love it now and I love that my family is getting involved in the business.”
He feels that he has come full circle, but shared that sometimes friends ask him why he did not just return to the family business in Mexico City.
“I have lived in Indianapolis since 1996,” he replies. “That’s more than half my life, so it is now my home. One of my sons, also named Jaime, will be graduating from Indiana University and he is interested in working in the business.”
“When I first started, I had the Hispanic population in mind. But now I realize that ice cream is something everyone loves. Why not make it available to all?” says Mendez. “I want everyone to try our products, because once they do, they’ll fall in love with them.”
Julie K. 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.
see
Danny’s Mexican Ice Cream | 7730 E. U.S. Highway 36 | Avon | DannyMexicanIceCream.com | Angel Benitez | 317.607.8391
FARM MARKET GUIDE
FARMS
BARTHOLOMEW
Brothers Beef
1020 N. County Rd. 850 E. Columbus
812.343.8119
Nay-ture’s Hilltop Farm 5883 Hamilton Creek Rd. Columbus
812.480.7767
This Old Farm 9572 W. County Rd. 650 S. Colfax
765.342.2161 ThisOldFarm.com
Grace & Truth Farms
6899 S. County Rd. 450 W. Rossville 765.589.1328
GraceAndTruthFarms.com
BOONE
Dunbar Heritage Farms 4500 S. County Rd. 500 W. Lebanon 765.918.6733
Full Circle Farm
1962 S. County Rd. 775 E. Whitestown TheFullCircleFarm.com
Traders Point Creamery
9101 Moore Rd. Zionsville
317.733.1700
TradersPointCreamery.com
Valentine Hill Farm
7549 S. Retriever Ln. Zionsville 317.733.9311
ValentineHillFarm.com
DELAWARE
Landess Farm
6000 W. County Rd. 700 S. Daleville
765.759.9937
LandessFarm.com
DUBOIS
Fischer Farm 742 Crestwood Dr. Jasper 812.481.1411 FFNatural.com
CLINTON
Smith Farms
1465 N. County Rd. 800 W. Frankfort
765.296.9554
SmithFarmsIndiana.com
Silverthorn Farm
4485 W. County Rd. 1000 N. Rossville
765.230.0735 Silverthorn-Farm.com
GREENE
Good Life Farms 12050 Walters Rd. Solsberry 317.716.8056 GoodLifeFarms.com
HAMILTON
Redwine Family Farms 3101 E. 203rd St. Westfield 317.270.4585 Spencer Farm 7177 E. 161st St. Noblesville 317.776.1560 SpencerBerryFarm.com
Stuckey Farm Market
19975 Hamilton Boone County Rd. Sheridan 317.769.4172
StuckeyFarm.com
Wild Feather Farm 2109 State Rd. 38 E. Westfield 317.258.4663
Teter Organic Farm 10980 E. 221st St. Noblesville 317.318.3169 TeterOrganicFarm.com
HANCOCK
Blue River Natural Foods 6001 E. County Rd. 500 S. Greenfield 765.763.0246
JOHNSON
Balanced Harvest Farm 8755 W. Range Rd. Needham 317.517.4240
Kelsay Farms 6848 N. County Rd. 250 E. Whiteland 317.535.9150 KelsayFarms.com
Stout’s Melody Acres 1169 N. State Rd. 135 Franklin 317.422.8113 StoutsMelodyAcres.com
MADISON
Brandywine Creek Farms 5332 N. County Rd. 400 E. Greenfield 317.246.8640 BrandyWineCreekFarms.org
HENDRICKS
Blue Yonder Organic Farm 5262 N. State Rd. 75 North Salem 765.336.1154 BlueYonderOrganicFarm.com
Grabow Orchard 6397 S. State Rd. 13 Pendleton 765.534.3225 GrabowOrchard.com
Harvestland Farm 6775 State Rd. 32 Anderson
Garcia’s Gardens 11717 E. 42nd St. Indianapolis 765.532.0351 GarciasGardens.com
South Circle Farm 2048 S. Meridian St. Indianapolis SouthCircleFarm.com
MONROE
Blue Hour Farm 4607 W. Leonard Springs Rd. Bloomington 812.361.8921
Maple Valley Farm 3330 W. Maple Grove Rd. Bloomington 812.876.5023 maplevalley.howardfamilyenterprise.com
Musgrave Orchard & Co 8820 N. Old State Rd. 37 Bloomington 812.339.5006
MARION
Big City Farms 907 E. Michigan St. Indianapolis BigCityFarmsIndy.com
Kingdom Farms Indy 9463 N. County Rd. 75 W. Lizton 317.517.7011 KingdomFarmsIndy.com
Seldom Seen Farm, Inc. 2525 N. County Rd. 425 E. Danville 317.509.7828
Bent Arrow Acres 2809 S. County Rd. 750 W. Russiaville 614.806.0056 BentArrowAcres.com
Distelrath Farms 6302 E. Raymond St. Indianapolis 317.478.3735 DistelrathFarms.com
Stranger’s Hill Organics 2815 Louden Rd. Bloomington 812.876.6520 StrangersHillOrganics.com
MORGAN
Anderson Orchard 369 E. Greencastle Rd. Mooresville 317.831.4181 AndersonOrchards.com
Hunter’s Honey Farm
6501 W. Honey Ln. Martinsville
765.537.9430
HuntersHoneyFarm.com
Simpson’s Farm Market
1725 Wampler Rd.
Martinsville
765.349.4857
SimpsonFamilyFarm.com
PERRY
Fiedler Family Farms 14056 E. State Rd. 66 Tell City 812.836.4348
RIPLEY
Walhill Farm 857 Six Pine Ranch Rd. Batesville 812.934.2600 WalhillFarm.com
SHELBY
Viking Lamb 1634 E. County Rd. 1000 N. Morristown
812.871.5700 VikingLamb.com
WAYNE
Bell’s Strawberry Farm 16447 State Rd. 38 Hagerstown 765.489.5753
EatMoreStrawberries.com
Golliher Farms 17474 W. Hunnicut Rd. Cambridge City 765.918.5000
GolliherFarms.com
FARM MARKETS
BOONE
Lebanon City Market
309 S. Lebanon St. Lebanon
765.447.8036 HeartOLebanon.org/ lebanon-city-market/ F 4–8PM May 5–Oct. 6
Whitestown Farmers Market
6120 S. County Rd. 700 E. Whitestown Whitestown.IN.gov/ FarmersMarket
SA 9AM–1PM June 11–Oct. 15
Zionsville Farmers’ Market Corner of Main St. & Hawthorne
Zionsville
ZionsvilleFarmersMarket.org
SA 8–11AM May–Sept.
CLARK
Huber’s Orchard, Winery & Vineyard
19816 Huber Rd. Borden
812.923.9813
HuberWinery.com
M–F 9AM–6PM, SA 9AM–8PM, SU 9AM–6PM May–Oct.
DUBOIS
Jasper Farmers Market 3rd Ave. & Jackson St. Jasper 812.630.6085
JasperFarmersMarket.com
S 7:30–11:30AM May 26–Oct. 13
Huntingburg Farmers Market
Memorial Gym Parking Lot at U.S. Hwy. 231 & State Rd. 64
Huntingburg 812.301.2209
SA 7AM–NOON May–Oct.
Fishers Farmers Market
6 Municipal Dr. Fishers
317.595.3150
SA 8AM–NOON May 5–Sept. 29
Noblesville Main Street
Farmers Market
175 Logan St. Noblesville
317.776.0205
NoblesvilleMainStreet.org
SA 8AM–NOON May–Oct.
HENDRICKS
Avon Farmers Market
8244 E. U.S. Hwy. 36
Avon 317.272.0948
AvonGov.org
TU 4–7PM June–Sept.
Brownsburg Farmers Market
61 N. Green St. Brownsburg
317.852.1120
Brownsburg.org
TH 4:30–7PM June–Sept.
Saxony Market
131st St. & Olio Rd. Fishers
317.770.1818
SaxonyMarket.com
SA 8AM–NOON
May 19–Sept. 8
Westfield Summer
City Market
130 Penn St. Westfield
317.250.9109
DowntownWestfieldAssociation .com
SA 9AM–1PM June 2–Aug. 25
GREENE
Columbus Farmer’s Market
Brown St. between 5th St. & 8th St. Columbus 812.371.1866
ColumbusFarmersMarket.org
SA 9AM–12:30PM May 5–Sept. 15
HANCOCK
Farmers Market at the Fairgrounds
620 N. Apple St. Greenfield
HoosierHarvestCouncil.com
SA 8AM–NOON May–Oct.
HAMILTON
Wilson Farm Market 1720 E. 256th St. Arcadia 317.758.5734
WilsonFarmMarket.com
DAILY 9AM–6PM Year round
Carmel Farmers Market Center Green at the Palladium Carmel 317.710.0162
CarmelFarmersMarket.com
SA 8–11:30AM May–Sept.
Greenwood Farmers
525 N. Madison Ave.
Greenwood 317.885.7655
SA 8AM–NOON, W 2:30–6PM May 12–Oct. 13
KNOX
The Big Peach 7738 N. Old U.S. Hwy. 41 Bruceville 812.324.2240 8AM–NOON May 20–Sept. 9
LAGRANGE
Howe Farmers Market 403 3rd St. Howe
Danville Chamber of Commerce Farmers Market
Old U.S. Hwy. 36, west of Courthouse Danville
317.745.0670
SA 8AM–NOON May 26–Sept. 1
Plainfield Chamber Farmers’ Market 105 S. East St. Plainfield 317.839.3800
Plainfield-IN.com/ farmers-market
W 4–7PM June 2–Sept. 13
HOWARD
Kokomo Downtown Farmers’ Market Intersection of Mulberry & Washington Streets Kokomo 765.210.8235
KokomoFarmersMarket.com W 4–7PM, SA 9AM–1PM May–Oct.
260.768.4008 SA 7AM–NOON May–Oct.
MADISON
Anderson City Market
802 E. 5th St. Anderson 765.374.4662
Ppchog.org/acm
SA 8AM–NOON May–Oct.
Pendleton Farmers’ Market | Falls Park
460 Falls Park Dr. Pendleton 765.610.7069
SA 8AM–NOON May 12–Oct. 13
MARION
38th & Meridian Farmer’s Market 3808 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis 317.924.2612
Fortville Farmers’ Market
701 S. Maple St. Fortville
317.485.0410
TH 4–7PM May–Sept.
Greenfield Farmers Market
Main St. next to Griggsby Station Greenfield
SA 9AM–NOON May–Sept.
JOHNSON
Discover Downtown Franklin Farmers Market On the SW corner of Jefferson St. and Jackson St. Franklin 317.346.1258
DiscoverDowntownFranklin.com SA 8AM–NOON May 12–Sept. 1
MeridianFarmersMarket.org 1ST AND 3RD TH 4–6:30PM June–Sept.
Binford Farmers Market 65th & Binford Blvd. Indianapolis 317.490.7395
BinfordFarmersMarket.org
SA 8AM–NOON May–Oct.
Broad Ripple Farmer’s Market
1115 Broad Ripple Ave. Indianapolis 812.486.9750
BroadrippleFarmersMarket.org
SA 8AM–NOON Summer Market May–Nov.; Winter Market Nov.–April
Crooked Creek Farmers Market
2990 W. 71st St. Indianapolis 317.293.2600
FayBiccardGlickCenter.org W 4–7PM June–Oct.
CUE Farm at Butler University
Butler West Campus (Bulldog Rd.),south from 52nd St. & Lester St. Indianapolis Legacy.Butler.edu TH 4–6PM June–Oct.
Cumberland Farmers Market 11501 E. Washington St. Indianapolis 317.697.0508
SA 8AM–NOON May–Oct.
Garfield Park
Farmers Market Corner of Shelby St. & Southern Ave. Indianapolis GarfieldParkFarmersMarket. com
SA 9AM–12:30PM May–Oct.
Growing Places Indy | Boner Fitness and Learning Center 727 N. Oriental St. Indianapolis GrowingPlacesIndy.org TH 4–7PM June–Aug.
IUPUI Fresh Produce Market 420 University Blvd. Indianapolis 317-278-1308 7–11AM June–Oct.
Original Farmers’ Market at the Indianapolis City Market 222 E. Market St. Indianapolis 317.634.9266 IndyCM.com W 9:30AM–1:30PM May–Oct.
RUSH
Heart of Rushville Farmer’s & Artisans Market
221 N. Main St. Rushville
9AM–12:30PM May 6–Oct. 28
DELAWARE
Blue Barn Shrimp 1290 W. County Rd. 400 S. Muncie 765.288.2402 BlueBarnShrimp.com
Irvington Farmer’s Market
Ellenberger Park 5301 E St. Clair St. Indianapolis 317.540.2425
IrvingtonGardenClub.com
SU NOON–3PM 2nd Sunday of each month June–Oct.
Urban Farmers Market 777 Indiana Ave. Indianapolis F 6–9PM
Last Friday of each month & Nov. 16
MONROE
Bloomington Community Farmer’s Market
401 N. Morton St. Bloomington 812.349.3700 Bloomington.IN.gov/ Farmers-Market TU 4–7PM, SA 8AM–1PM Tu: June–Sept., Sa: April–Nov.
MORGAN
Morgan County Farmers’ Market / Martinsville Morgan & Main St. Martinsville 618.567.2693 SA 9AM–1PM May–Sept. ORANGE
Orange County Homegrown Orleans Market Congress Square Orleans 812.653.0977
OrangeCountyHomegrown.org SA 8AM–NOON May–Oct. RIPLEY
Batesville Farmers Market
Main & Boehring St., Downtown Batesville SA 8–11AM May–Oct.
We celebrate our Hoosier producers and artisans. They allow us to directly connect with our food and our community. They are the backbone of good, clean and fair food. They are the basis for understanding the ritual of food from the ground up.
TIPPECANOE
Historic Lafayette Farmer’s Market | Downtown 5th Street between Main St. and Columbia St. Lafayette
765.742.4044
LafayetteFarmersMarket.com SA 8AM–12:30PM May–Oct.
Historic Lafayette Farmers Market | West Lafayette Cumberland Park West Lafayette LafayetteFarmersMarket.com W 3:30–7PM May–Oct.
FAYETTE
Jacobs & Brichford Cheese 2957 S. State Rd. 1 Connersville 765.265.1422 JandBCheese.com
FLOYD
Capriole Goat Cheeses 10329 New Cut Rd. Greenville 812.923.9408 CaprioleGoatCheese.com
HAMILTON
Carley Elk Farm 29113 Haworth Rd. Atlanta 765.552.9999 Elk4u.com
SPECIALTY FARMS
BOONE
Miller Family Poultry 123 Sample Dr. Thorntown 317.645.6001
HANCOCK
Tuttle Orchards 5717 N. County Rd. 300 W. Greenfield 317.326.2278 IndianapolisOrchard.com
HENRY
Caprini Creamery
7052 S. County Rd. 425 W. Spiceland 317.498.0422
CapriniCreamery.com
LAKE
Johnson’s Farm Produce 8960 E. Ridge Rd. Hobart
219.962.1383
JohnsonsFarmproduce.com
MONROE
American Mushroom & Spice Co. 899 S. College Mall Rd. Ste 352 Bloomington 812.679.3142
AmericanMushroomandSpice. com
Marble Hill Farm and Heritage Wool 8101 S. Victor Pike Bloomington 812.824.7877
Southern Crossroads Garden Center 1270 E. County Rd. 450 S. Columbus 812.343.8877
Family Roots Nursery 4871 W. County Rd. 1200 S. Dale 812.683.2329 FamilyRootsNursery.net
Frazee Gardens 3480 N. State Rd. 267 Brownsburg 317.858.8440 FrazeeGardens.com
Greendell Landscape Solutions 749 W. State Rd. 42 Mooresville 317.996.2826 GreendellLandscape.com
GARDEN CENTERS
Habig Garden Shop 15311 N. Meridian St. Carmel 317.896.2828
Habig Garden Shop 1225 E. 86th St. Indianapolis 317.251.3708 HabigGardenShop. weebly.com
Habig Garden Shop 5201 N. College Ave. Indianapolis 317.283.5412
Habig Garden Shop 1105 N. Arlington Ave. Indianapolis 317.356.5458
Johnny’s Market 6335 N. College Ave. Indianapolis 317.257.7663
Mays Greenhouse 6280 S. Old State Rd. 37 Bloomington 812.824.8630 MaysGreenhouse.net
McCammon’s Irish Market 620 Treybourne Dr. Greenwood 317.885.8707 McCammonsIrishMarket.com
Rosie’s Gardens 10402 N. College Ave. Indianapolis 317.844.6157 RosiesGardens.com
Salsbery Brothers Landscaping 4317 E. 146th St. Carmel 317.843.0100 SalsberyBros.com
Sullivan Hardware & Garden 6955 N. Keystone Ave. Indianapolis 317.255.9230
SullivanHardware.com
Taking it deliciously slow.
Embracing food that is good, clean and fair for all, your Carmel Market District is helping to transform the way we produce, consume and enjoy food. Join us as we weave the pleasures of dining with a commitment to local, artisan food producers, culinary culture, biodiversity and sustainability.
And, with that comes a passion for the time it takes to prepare our most treasured dishes: slow-cooked local meats and fresh vegetables, fresh stock and hand-picked potatoes, homemade pasta and bread—it’s all part of enjoying the true beauty of food and its infinitely rich flavors.
Simmer. Savor. Sustain.
Food is something everyone has in common.
It brings people together during any life event. It can be a lavish indulgence or simply a response to hunger. It can be a focus of politics or a trigger of war. Food links us together. It provides comfort in a time of need, helps us connect with those from different backgrounds and can
be a teaching tool to make for a more mindful world. Slow down. Be conscious of the earth, hands and practices in farming as they provide us with the bounty that feeds our bodies, souls and communities.
Garfield Park Farm Market
In 2015 co-founders Ashley Brooks (co-founder of Milktooth) and Julia Woody began to plan the first Garfield Park Farmers Market. They met while serving as board members of Slow Food Indy and were dedicated to creating a market aligned with the Slow Food principles of “Good, Clean and Fair Food for All.” They assembled an amazing board of community leaders, farmers and local-food advocates who formed the the Garfield Park Farmers Market mission: “To support local, sustainable farmers and producers while creating a gathering place for community interactions.” Located in the city’s oldest park, they’ve created an energetic and socially responsible weekly event promoting the values of eating locally, knowing where your food comes from, being conscious about sustainability and caring about the community.
The area surrounding Garfield Park faces poverty levels of over 30% and is considered a food desert. In 2017 there were 7,624 homes that received SNAP benefits. As a nonprofit, the market has dedicated grant funds to bringing opportunities to people who need access to fresh and healthy food. These opportunities include listening to local musicians perform, learning about community programs through their many weekly partners and, on some weeks, exploring Big Car’s Wagon of Wonders, all in the breathtaking park. This year the market has been declared the first Slow Food–approved farmers market in the country.
2345 PAGODA DR., INDIANAPOLIS | SATURDAYS MAY–OCTOBER 9AM—12:30PM | GARFIELDPARKFARMERSMARKET.COM
Slow Food Indy
Slow Food Indy, part of the global Slow Food movement, gathers likely and unlikely allies to transform the way we produce, consume and enjoy food. Our mission—“To inspire individuals and communities to change the world through food that is good, clean and fair for all”—speaks solidly to our goals for 2018. With education events and community conversations, we hope to be a support group for others in our community fighting against food insecurity in the Indianapolis area as well as to support local farmers, artisans and businesses that follow fair and clean practices.
Place the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract into a food processor or blender. Using high speed, blend the ingredients together for 30 seconds.
Wash and drain the fresh blueberries. Wash, drain and blot the mint leaves with paper towel. Roughly chop the mint leaves.
Add the blueberries and mint leaves to the mixture in the food processor or blender. Use the pulse button 10 to 20 times to incorporate the berries and mint with the liquid but be careful not to over process; retain a slightly chunky appearance.
Pour into ice pop molds and freeze at least 12 hours.
Blueberry Financier Muffin
with Blueberry Crème Fraîche, Candied Almonds and Lemon Zest
recipe:
Chef Greg Hardesty, Consulting Chef
Makes 12 small muffins
MUFFINS:
1 stick unsalted butter
1¼ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon almond flour
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 egg whites
Zest of 1 lemon
½ cup blueberries
Blueberry Crème Fraîche*
Candied Almonds**
Preheat oven to 325°.
Place butter in a small pan and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Then set aside.
In a medium bowl stir together the sugar and both flours. Add egg whites and mix on low until well blended and foamy. On medium-high speed, slowly drizzle the warm butter until well combined. Gently fold in lemon zest and blueberries.
Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray or use butter and flour to grease the tins. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake at 325° until puffed and golden brown, about 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve warm, or gently reheat when ready to serve.
*BLUEBERRY CRÈME FRAÎCHE:
½–¾ cup blueberries
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 (16-ounce) container plain Greek yogurt
Place yogurt in a sieve lined with 3–4 layers of cheesecloth. Pull sides of cheesecloth up and tie with kitchen string like a beggar’s purse. Allow yogurt to hang above a bowl in refrigerator overnight to allow yogurt to drip away its whey. Blend together blueberries and honey or maple syrup until smooth. Pour into a jar and refrigerate. Remove yogurt from hanging, cut string and roll thickened yogurt into a bowl. The yogurt should be almost as stiff as the cream cheese. Add blueberry purée to yogurt until it is full of blueberry flavor, but still thick enough to hold its shape like ice cream. Chill.
**CANDIED ALMONDS:
Makes 1 cup
¼ cup water
½ cup sugar or maple syrup
1 cup almonds, slivered
In a small saucepan heat the water and sugar or syrup over medium heat. Stir in almonds. Cook until the mixture is syrup-like. Spread onto wax paper and cool. Break apart and keep in a jar until ready to use.
To assemble: Smear a small amount of blueberry purée on a small plate, place a blueberry muffin on top, sprinkle candied almonds on plate and place a small scoop of cold blueberry crème fraîche on top of the muffin.
photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
Blue Berrymore
recipe: Jeff Crews, Bartender, Spoke & Steele
Makes 1 cocktail
2 ounces vodka
½ ounce St-Germain liqueur
¾ ounce mixed-berry simple syrup*
½ ounce pineapple juice
½ ounce lemon juice
2 dashes lavender bitters
Fill a shaker with ice, add vodka, St-Germain, berry simple syrup, pineapple juice, lemon juice and lavender bitters. Shake vigorously. Double strain into a coupe glass.
*To make berry simple syrup: Add 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and ½ cup mixed berries to a saucepan. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook for 15 minutes, then strain into a glass jar. Allow to cool and refrigerate. Store for up to 2 weeks.
Groundhog Intervention
recipe: Ethan Rodgers, Bartender, Spoke & Steele
Makes 1 cocktail
Fresh blueberries
Fresh mint sprigs
1½ ounce bourbon whiskey
½ ounce Cynar*
½ ounce creme de cacao
½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
Muddle in a cocktail shaker 5 blueberries and about 3 mint leaves. Add bourbon, Cynar, creme de cacao and lemon juice to shaker and fill the vessel with ice. Shake vigorously until contents are properly chilled and diluted. Strain into an old-fashioned glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel and 2 or 3 blueberries on a skewer.
*Cynar is an amaro, available at most liquor stores.
photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
Melon Salad with Citrus Honey and Mint Vinaigrette
recipe: Chef Sal Fernandez, Bridges Wine Bar
SALAD
1 cup watermelon, diced
1 cup cantaloupe or honeydew, diced
1/8 cup mint, chiffonade or chopped
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon feta cheese
Salt to taste
DRESSING
1 cup orange juice
¼ cup lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons local honey (add more for a sweeter dressing)
½ cup vegetable or olive oil
1/8 cup mint, chiffonade or chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
For dressing: In a bowl, combine orange and lemon/lime juice. Drizzle honey into juice mixture; while drizzling use a whisk to mix until thoroughly combined. Taste for sweetness and adjust as necessary (more honey will make it sweeter, more juice will make it tangier.) Once desired flavor is reached, drizzle in oil and again whisk until thoroughly combined. Finish with chiffonade/chopped mint as well as salt and pepper to taste.
For salad: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil for approximately 2 minutes on medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully put thinly sliced prosciutto in the pan and cook for 1–2 minutes on each side, or until prosciutto is crisp. Once prosciutto is cooked, place on paper towels to allow the oil to drain. Prosciutto will become crispy as it cools. Combine watermelon and cantaloupe/ honeydew in a bowl, add 2–3 tablespoons of vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper and gently toss with hands or plastic spatula. When desired flavor has been reached, place salad in serving bowl and garnish with crispy prosciutto, crumbled feta and chiffonade/chopped mint.
photography:
Jes Nijjer
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Blueberry Mostarda
recipe: Goose the Market
3 tablespoons dry mustard seeds
1½ cups dry cider or mead
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
½ cup cane sugar (or to taste)
1 small orange
1 star anise, whole
2 pods cardamom, whole
½ thumb fresh ginger, whole
1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
3 cups fresh blueberries
6-inch square cheesecloth plus string for tying
Fresh mint, for service
Soak mustard seeds in mead/cider at room temp overnight. In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the soaked mustard seeds and mead/cider with sherry vinegar and cane sugar. Cut the orange in half and place it in the center of the cheesecloth with the star anise, cardamom and ginger. Tie the 4 corners together with the string to form a sachet, and leave 1 end of the string at
least 12–18 inches long. Add the sachet to the pan and tie the long string to the pan’s handle (for easy recovery later).
Add the mustard powder to the pan and gently swirl the pan’s ingredients to begin combining them. Heat the mixture without stirring over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Once it starts to bubble in the center, lower the heat slightly. Carefully stir in the blueberries. Allow the fruit to burst in the hot mixture and stir. Allow the mixture to reduce over heat till it reaches your desired thickness. Remove from heat. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the sachet and squeeze to release the orange juice. Mix and allow to cool to room temperature before serving or storing covered in the fridge. (Chilling the mostarda will thicken it. If it’s thicker than you’d prefer, stir in a little more cider/ mead.) Chop fresh mint and sprinkle over the blueberry mostarda just before serving. This is perfect for a salad, accompaniment on a charcuterie board, or a condiment on a sandwich.
photography:
THE Taste OF FRIENDSHIP
How a mutual love of good food from around the world and collaboration brings signature dishes to Indy’s Spoke & Steele
words: Charity Singleton Craig
photography:
Lauren McDuffie
Order the Pagenaud Steak Frites or the Saffron Risotto dePonti from the Spoke & Steele (S&S) menu, and you’ll know from the first bite that these dishes are made from the finest ingredients, exquisite European cooking techniques and unique flavors combined to perfection.
What you won’t be able to taste, however, is that these signature dishes, created in collaboration with IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud and Dallara LLC CEO and General Manager Stefano dePonti, were also made from friendships, forged between cultures and cuisines.
An Idea Is Born
The idea began when Le Meridien Indianapolis General Manager Chris Ratay met Pagenaud, a native of France, to talk about the French hotel brand Le Meridien, which is connected to S&S. Pagenaud, known as the “foodie” of the IndyCar circuit, and Ratay had plenty to talk about. When the conversation turned to which one dish would best represent Pagenaud’s tastes, the answer was simple.
“I told him straight away it’s got to be a nice piece of meat and some nice fries with some mustard,” says Pagenaud, a member of Team Penske. So Ratay made an offer: What if steak frites, developed and approved by Pagenaud, became a signature item on the S&S menu?
“They’ve managed to find a way to do that with my touch of sophistication,” says Pagenaud, who knows his way around a steak. Ratatouille is another specialty of Pagenaud’s, who regularly grills and cooks for family and friends at his North Carolina home when he’s not traveling on the IndyCar circuit.
In fact, Ratay invited Pagenaud into the kitchen to cook with the S&S executive chef. Pagenaud Steak Frites, now a favorite on the S&S menu, is made with a prime flat iron steak, seared then cooked arroser, a French technique of basting in butter infused with garlic and thyme. A few Shishito peppers, or peppers currently in season, are added, and the steak is finished in a hot oven. Just before it’s served, the steak is sliced, laid next to the frites and sprinkled with a generous helping of Parmesan cheese.
Opposite: The Pagenaud Steak Frites at Spoke & Steele. Above: IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud (left) and Le Meridien Indianapolis General Manager Chris Ratay (right).
photography:
Lauren McDuffie
Food Passions
Ratay’s friendship developed a little differently with dePonti, whose Dallara engineering company is the sole supplier for IndyCar chassis. The two met months earlier through mutual friends, and one evening the pair ended up with a group at a friend’s apartment. It was getting late, and everyone was hungry, so dePonti politely excused himself, made a quick trip to a nearby supermarket and came back to whip up a homemade carbonara for about a dozen people. Of course, he cooked it the Italian way, with only eggs, pasta, pasta water and a whole lot of Pecorino Romano. And Ratay immediately took notice.
“That night was when I found out he is a carbonara aficionado,” Ratay says. “And that was also the night I came to understand his passion for food as well as his engineering passion.”
So Ratay invited dePonti into the S&S kitchen, as he had with Pagenaud, to prepare what became known as Carbonara DePonti with the executive chef. Soon the classic Italian dish was added to the menu as another signature item.
Months later, when the weather turned cool and S&S’s seasonal menu was evolving, dePonti suggested a new eponymous item, Saffron Risotto, another popular dish in Northern Italy where dePonti is from.
“I don’t think there is anyone preparing Saffron Risotto in Indianapolis. Nobody. Because quality saffron is relatively expensive,” Ratay says. “At least nobody’s doing it like this, where you can actually see the pieces of saffron in the dish. It is a bit expensive. But it’s delicious!”
Authentic International Influence
In addition to the infused saffron, S&S’s Saffron Risotto DePonti is made with Italian sausage and lots of Parmigiano Reggiano, and served with a few fresh green beans. Though in Italy, there would be no such side dish. It’s a detail both Ratay and dePonti point out, not to be nitpicky, but to explain the addition as an intentional choice in an otherwise authentic dish.
It’s the same reason the Pagenaud Steak Frites is served with Amora mustard, imported directly from Dijon. It’s a favorite of Pagenaud’s, but it’s also how steak frites is eaten in France. Tapping into the best of the European cultures that these two men represent results in something special for S&S.
Dallara LLC CEO and General Manager Stefano dePonti (left) with Le Meridien Indianapolis General Manager Chris Ratay.
Eating Dinner the French Way
According to IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud, eating dinner in France includes so much more than a quick salad standing at the kitchen counter or a drivethrough hamburger and fries eaten in the car on the way home. The meal always includes other people and is entered into and enjoyed slowly.
The following French terms help explain the French way of eating dinner.
Aperitif: The evening starts with cocktails at the bar, used to stimulate the appetite and to bring the dinner guests together.
Amuse-bouche: Along with the drinks, small, bite-sized hors d’oeuvres also are served to help prepare guests for dinner.
Une entrée: Once guests are seated at the table, an appetizer or starter is served. (Note: The English use of entrée means main dish, but in French it’s used differently.) This is a more substantial starter that may include soup or a few chopped vegetables.
Le plat principal: When the main course is served, the portions are smaller than on an American plate. After all, this is the third course.
Le fromage: Cheese is so important to the French culture that some French tables include cheese as its own course after the main dish is served.
Le dessert: Of course there will be dessert. Next to wine and cheese, the French are best known for their pastries and chocolates. But not every French dinner ends with such rich treats. Sometimes, dessert is a bowl of fruit or yogurt. Or sometimes, the cheese course is the dessert.
Le café: As the meal is wrapping up and dessert is over, coffee is served. But you can put away your giant morning mug. After-dinner coffee is usually a simple espresso, possibly with a little sugar, but never milk.
Un digestif: When the table is cleared, guests gather for a final course of afterdinner liqueurs, often taken straight. Sometimes, bitters are served, which are thought to enhance digestion.
Eating the Italian Way
Because he has lived in and traveled around the U.S. for more than a decade, we were sure Dallara LLC CEO and General Manager Stefano dePonti would have a favorite meal to recommend. His answer wasn’t what we expected: “Every state I eat in has the best meal,” he says.
But his response made perfect sense once he explained his belief that the best meal always includes the food most closely connected to each particular place, both geographically and culturally. “Everywhere you go you must try something different according to what the region can offer,” he says. “This is my philosophy for enjoying food.”
“If I go to Vail, Colorado, I’m not looking for a seafood place. I’m not looking for a lobster up in the mountains. Just like when I go to Key West, I’m not looking for a bison steak,” dePonti says. “I’m looking for something closer to what we call Zero Kilometer, or what’s local to the area.”
This concept, referred to in Italy as Km0, stems from a core commitment to using fresh, local ingredients and fits comfortably with the Slow Food movement. In addition to the culinary and nutritional benefits, Km0 also is good for the environment and for local economies.
To bring it closer to home, dePonti offered tomatoes as an example. Who in Indiana hasn’t cut into a pale, mealy imported tomato in the winter and vowed never to eat another until summer?
“You don’t eat local tomatoes in December and January because there are no such veggies available during that period of the year,” he says. “So you eat something more seasonal.”
Of course the local food movement isn’t unique to Italy. In the last two decades, many U.S. restaurants, institutions and consumers have embraced a more local approach to eating. But according to the Boston Globe’s Sheryl Julian, who wrote about the Globe tour of Tuscany and Liguria back in 2015, Km0 isn’t just a movement in Italy; it’s a way of life.
“Italians never mention the words ‘locavore’ or ‘farm to table,’” Julian writes. “They just do it with immense regional pride.”
photography: Lauren McDuffie
Eating the Spoke & Steele Way
Spoke & Steele opened in December 2014 on the first floor of Le Meridien Indianapolis hotel. The 180-seat restaurant draws its inspiration from the emerging creative neighborhoods and familiar feel of downtown Indianapolis and includes a dining room, bar, private dining area and specialty drinking room.
Though S&S is in a hotel, it’s more than just a “hotel restaurant.” As Le Meridien Indianapolis General Manager Chris Ratay describes it: “We’re a restaurant with 100 rooms.”
The current S&S culinary family includes:
Greg Hardesty
creative culinary consultant
Erin Gillum chef de cuisine
Nick Simpson
sous chef
Emily Nicoson
S&S general manager
Ramona Adams
S&S group and special events manager
“For us to have authentic international influence on our menu is something very special,” Ratay says, “especially to the level that it’s actually attached to a person, and it’s really fun.”
“Chris is not inventing anything,” dePonti adds. “He’s able to bring to his restaurant, to his table, dishes that are already there all over the world so that people like me have more choices.”
Relationships Around the Table
But it’s not just the international food itself that these friendships bring to S&S. The relationships Ratay has forged with Pagenaud and dePonti bring with them the European emphasis on simplicity, Zero Kilometer (see sidebar) and, of course, relationships around the table.
“Friendship around a glass of wine and food is just everything to me,” Pagenaud says. “It’s time to talk about their stories, your stories, joke, talk about the future and the past. When you’re with family, stories of the past always come back. It’s like traveling in time, being at the table. That’s what it’s all about. That, and the enjoyment of the food.”
Pagenaud says that American friends who come for dinner at his house are always surprised that he actually eats at the table. “And they always feel bad at the beginning because I’ll be sitting at the table alone eating and at some point they turn back to me and are, like, ‘We’re sorry, we’re finished’ and I’ll say ‘Yeah, you finished and you left me. This was supposed to be a moment together,’” he explains, laughing. But over time, those same friends have begun to linger at the table with him. “They really understand the tradition and what it means to me, and it seems like it’s starting to mean something to them too,” Pagenaud says.
DePonti agrees. He says food is more than just “fuel for the engine.” It should be enjoyable, of course, but food also is a reason for people to come together.
“In Europe and in Italy there’s still a strong tradition of sitting at the table together when we eat,” dePonti says. “The food is the medium, and then you talk about problems, opportunities, your kids, your kids’ new school, everything. The food brings you together.”
The Business of Storytelling
This international perspective on both food and culture is something Ratay has come to rely on at S&S.
“Having people like Stefano and Simon to validate what we’re doing is important because we need the feedback. We want to be the best,” Ratay says. “What Stefano and Simon do for me is keep me passionate about being the best. I know they will tell me the truth and provide us input to make something that people are going to love and remember and come back for.”
Of course, the friendships also make great stories.
“In this business, storytelling is very important. What separates a restaurant experience is being able to tell a story about what someone is about to eat,” Ratay says. “Every night at S&S we can talk about these dishes in terms of real people who inspired them and who have a fascinating story and are connected to the community.”
It also makes a great story for dePonti, who often brings clients into S&S. According to Ratay, dePonti often gets embarrassed when clients see the signature item and ask how he was able to get a dish named after himself on the menu.
“I tell them it’s not me, it’s somebody else,” dePonti says, laughing.
Ratay laughs, too, a full, comfortable laugh, the kind you express only when you’re with friends.
“When it comes down to it, isn’t this just a lot of fun?” he says. “I think that’s what we’ve created with Simon and Stefano, just even more fun than this business already provides.”
Spoke & Steele | 123 S. Illinois St., Indianapolis | 317.737.1616 | SpokeandSteele.com
Charity Singleton Craig is an author, journalist and essayist. She is the coauthor of On Being a Writer: 12 Simple Habits for a Writing Life That Lasts She is regularly published in various publications, including In Touch Magazine You can find her online at CharitySingletonCraig.com or at home in the kitchen.
photography: Dave Pluimer
Needless to say, your Market District Butchers won’t settle for anything less than the one and only Certified Angus Beef ® brand for your Memorial Day celebration. Superior in all ways, only three in 10 Angus cattle meet the brand’s marbling standards that guarantee remarkable juiciness, tenderness and ultimate beef flavor! Looking for a particular cut? Just ask. Our meat-savvy Market District Butchers will “light” the way. Or, try our Certified Angus Beef brand gourmet burgers and kabobs. We make ‘em fresh daily for the ultimate in cookout convenience!
Freshly Prepared Market District Certified Angus Beef Burgers
Really, what could be simpler? Made from 100% Certified Angus Beef, our 3/4-pound burgers are made in-house daily! Just pick them up on your way home, light up the grill and get your sizzle on!
Plus, there’s lots to choose from! Enjoy classics like Bacon Cheddar and Mushroom Swiss, Blue Cheese, Barbecue and Jalapeño — mix and match and you’ve got something for everyone! And, don’t forget our made from scratch Honey Butter Buns, fresh in our Bakery. Most burgers come in sliders, too, for a “little” something special at your cookout.
Market District Certified Angus Beef Kabobs
Again, something for everyone, but this time, juicy tender beef on a stick! Available in Unmarinated Beef, Garlic Teriyaki, Hatch Chile, Steakhouse, Sweet Bourbon, Beef Loin, Black Pepper Garlic and Texas Barbecue! Grill up some veggies on the side, and you’re good to go!
T-bones with Classic Steak Sauce Compliments of Certified Angus Beef
• 4 16-oz. Certified Angus Beef T-bone Steaks
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup seeded and roughly chopped Medjool dates
• 2 tsp. table salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, sauté 4 minutes, add tomato paste and sauté 2 more minutes. 2. Stir in water, apple cider, vinegar, Worcestershire and mustard; bring to a boil and continue at medium heat for one minute. Reduce heat to low, add dates and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and purée until smooth with an immersion blender or tabletop blender. Note: If using a tabletop blender, remove the filler cap from the lid and cover with a dish towel (this will allow some steam to escape without the lid popping off). Keep sauce warm.
4. Season steaks with salt and pepper; heat grill to 500°F. Confirm doneness with an instant-read thermometer and pull from grill at 145°F for medium-rare. Let rest 5 minutes tented with foil; serve with sauce.
Illustrations by Michael Rath
As Nature Intended
The sole aim of Thomas Farms is to provide us with the finest meat products the world has to offer. Hand-picked from the very best ranchers who deliver sustainable, quality meat products year-round, these meats are fresh, full of flavor and expertly packaged for a superior eating experience every time. Then, include exacting standards of food safety that underpin everything they do, and you can see why our Butchers are excited for you to give Thomas Farms a try!
Thomas Farms Organic Grass-Fed Beef
USDA Certified Organic, this beef is non-GMO and raised on natural pasturelands without the use of antibiotics and hormone growth promotants. Naturally lean, it still delivers tender, full-of-flavor cuts from burgers to steaks.
Thomas Farms Aussie Lamb
Aussie lamb roam free and naturally feed on abundant pasturelands in the southeast coastal regions of Australia, free from artificial additives and hormone growth promotants. Mild tasting and naturally lean and tender, it is enjoyed by lamb lovers across the globe. Aussie lamb comes in a wide array of cuts suited to different cooking techniques and recipes. For instance, lamb chops and t-bones are perfect for the grill (hint, hint), while lamb legs and shanks are best with either a low temperature slow roast or braise.
Thomas Farms, Milk-Fed Veal
Thomas Farms veal is the result of an authentic milk-fed veal program that consistently produces delicate, tender cuts of veal. The calves are humanely raised without the use of growth hormones by farmers within a fully integrated, traceable supply chain — from paddock to plate. Renowned for its quality, particularly amongst Italian consumers, it is the quintessential veal lover’s choice worldwide.
General Cooking Instructions for Thomas Farms Meats
1. Note that grass-fed meats cook approximately 30% faster than conventional cuts.
2. Bring your meat to room temperature before cooking and prevent it from drying out.
3. Use a meat thermometer to determine desired doneness.
4. Allow steaks, chops and roasts to rest 5-10 minutes before cutting to keep meat at its juiciest.
Indianapolis, IN
Crazy Charlie’s Salsa
Crazy Charlie’s makes award-winning, gourmet salsas that are all natural, low in sodium, with low carbs, and no sugar, sweeteners or preservatives, only high-quality Indiana tomatoes and fresh cilantro, garlic and lime juice. Use in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos or wraps. They are also splendid for chili! Available in Medium, Hot, Black Bean & Fire-Roasted Corn, Island Mango, and Con Queso.
Whether you’re hosting the graduate’s big day or a chic cocktail party, an office social or a shower brunch, our Caterers are here to help you create a menu that suits your needs, appetite and budget — and lives up to our culinary best! Please place your order 48 hours in advance. We’ll do the rest!
To see our full menu, visit MarketDistrict.com/Catering and call today to place your order!
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Kick back while our expertly trained Personal Shoppers select the freshest, best products for you — like you would do yourself, but now don’t have to!
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Illustration by Adrienne Sommer
HOME AT BLUE YONDER
A veteran turned farmer finds solace on her organic farm in North Salem
words: Lori Darvas | photography: Sarah Longnecker
Sara Creech is a veteran farmer. While that might sound like she’s spent years plowing the fields, her story has a much different beginning. Creech, a retired U.S. Air Force nurse, owns and runs the aptly named Blue Yonder Organic Farm in North Salem.
Talk to Creech today and she’ll happily tell you about her 400 chickens, six cows, 30 sheep, 30 to 40 ducks and a dozen turkeys. She’ll talk about her orchards, where raspberries, blackberries and strawberries grow. She’ll tell about the farmers markets where she can
share her bounty with customers on the lookout for good food.
Chat a little longer and you’ll find out about what brought Creech to the farm. You’ll find out why she’s passionate about good food, and equally passionate about reaching other veterans who might need the same sort of unencumbered healing that comes from working the earth.
“There’s something visceral and spiritual about the earth,” Creech says. “As a veteran, you see all this destruction and badness. You come to farming and it’s the complete opposite. Physically sticking your hands in the ground, it touches a part of you that is buried. It’s about building that hope again, seeing something positive. When you plant that seed, you have that hope that it’s going to become something bigger.”
A Veteran’s Story
Creech was in her early 20s when she joined the Air Force. A trained nurse, she was part of a mobile surgical team in Qatar, providing immediate medical care on the ground. An injury in 2006 sent her home for about nine months of therapy and healing. Diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and panic attacks, Creech wondered how she could move forward. At the same time, a relationship was developing between Creech and her future husband, Chuck, an Air Force pilot. The couple communicated long-distance, and when Chuck landed stateside they moved first to Arizona and then to Florida.
There, Chuck was diagnosed with colon cancer. What doctors first said was something easily treatable turned out to be more. The couple moved to Texas for Chuck’s treatment, living in hotels and eating out. They started visiting farmers markets and learning about how diet might help a body heal. During their free time, they’d drive around looking at farms, imagining having their own one day.
The dream was not meant to be. Chuck died in 2011, leaving a wife who felt she had nothing.
“I couldn’t even step foot in a hospital without having a panic attack,” Creech says. “I couldn’t handle anything. I sat on the couch and played solitaire for six months.”
Healing Ground
Her Indiana sister suggested that Creech move here to start a farm with her sister and family. Creech found a foreclosed farm and bought it, sight unseen. She moved to North Salem with a farmhouse, 45 acres and no idea of where to start. Her sister’s family ultimately decided the location was a bit too isolated, but Creech’s parents and grandfather moved in with her.
Creech, who was also working full-time in case management, took an online course and signed up for a program called Armed to Farm, a program for veterans offered by Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), a sustainable agriculture program with the National Center for Appropriate Technologies (NCAT).
“I tell veterans that farmers markets are a safe space to get back into the community”
—Sara Creech
Giving Veterans Solace In Farming
“I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” Creech says. “I am totally at peace with what I’m doing.”
Veterans who return home may not know where to start settling down and making a living. AgrAbility, a USDA-funded program that works with disabled farmers, wants to help those veterans who are interested in farming.
“You’d be surprised at how many veterans are either farming or wanting to farm,” says Cindy Chastain, the veteran outreach coordinator for the National AgrAbility Project, which has its national office in Indiana. “Taking care of livestock and vegetables is therapeutic. It gives some soldiers a reason to live. You’d be surprised at the impact farming has had on veterans’ lives.”
Chastain, a 31-year Army veteran herself, has partnered with Sara Creech, an Air Force veteran farm owner, and Kevin Gibson, a Purdue professor who is also an Army veteran, to form the Indiana chapter of the Farm Veteran Coalition. They hope to reach veterans who are interested in farming, or even those who might just want to tend to a garden in their backyards.
Beginning farmers face challenges, Chastain says. Most don’t have the millions of dollars needed to start a large farm. They might, however, be able to buy something in the 10- to 20-acre range. Organizations like FVC try to match veterans with resources that will help them succeed. The Purdue University Extension Service is a trove of useful information about growing and harvesting. Veterans may also be eligible for special USDA loans to help them launch a farming business.
Chastain recommends that veterans and other small farmers find a specialty. For instance, Creech’s commitment to organic farming means she has to drive several hours to get special food for her chickens, but her customers are willing to pay for the end product. Farm finances are an important subject, and the Indiana FVC hopes to offer a workshop soon for interested veterans.
The harvest, though, is more than a basket of produce. Veterans especially seem to find solace in growing food, Chastain says. They take comfort in the responsibilities and feel a special connection to the land. Their diets become healthier as they start eating the things they have grown. They learn that fresh-grown vegetables or farm-fresh eggs taste better than what they’re used to, and their diets improve.
The Indiana FVC hopes to help more veterans begin to grow their own futures.
“I don’t think our job is getting veterans interested in farming,” Gibson says. “I think it’s helping them see a possibility. I think our challenge is developing networks of veterans and helping them find the resources.
Learn more about the AgrAbility program at AgrAbility.org.
The program sent her to Arkansas, where she and other veterans toured farms and orchards, learning about chickens, produce and the farm business. She came home and decided to focus on organic agriculture. She bought some chicks, tended the berries she had planted earlier and sold her harvest at the Danville Farmers Market.
“I was scared to death still,” Creech admits. “But I found that I loved it. I loved talking to people. I tell veterans that farmers markets are a safe space to get back into the community.”
Giving Back
Speaking of veterans, Creech knew she wanted to share what the farm was giving her. She began offering picnics for veterans and their families on the first Sunday of each month. She became involved in Operation Groundwork, a farm training program for veterans. The program put her in touch with Kevin Gibson, a Purdue professor in the botany and plant pathology department and a weed scientist. She also met Cindy Chastain, the veteran-outreach coordinator for the AgrAbility Project (see sidebar), a national program based at Purdue. Together, the three started the Indiana Chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) in late 2017.
“[Creech’s] story is powerful and full of hope,” Gibson says. “Her farm is a wonderful place to visit.”
The Indiana FVC’s first big project was an April shiitake mushroom workshop for veterans at Blue Yonder Organic Farm. Creech, Gibson and Chastain have a list of veterans who are interested in farming or even just tilling a garden at home, and they hope to continue these outreach efforts, especially among veterans at the northern and southern ends of the state.
As for Creech, her farm is blossoming. She works full-time on the farm now, and last year she hired her first full-time employee. In addition to her fresh eggs and organic meat, she sells a menu of fruits and vegetables at the Carmel Farmers Market and other outlets. Her farm focuses on sustainability, using repurposed materials like an old billboard sign that covers the chicken coop. She welcomes visitors, including her nieces and nephews and any veteran who wants to see what’s going on.
She gets dirty and messy and covered in poop some days, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her life’s journey wasn’t easy, she says, but she’d do it all again, because the love she shared with Chuck outweighed the pain of losing him, and the bumps along the way brought her home to Blue Yonder.
“I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” Creech says. “I am totally at peace with what I’m doing.”
BUILDING Bridges
Authentic Italian restaurant features local ingredients and a seasonal menu that reflects the best of Indiana food in the heart of Greencastle
words: Leah R. Singer | photography: Jes Nijjer
On any given day, Chef Sal Fernandez can be found creating dishes such as artisan pizza with mushrooms and fresh mozzarella cheese, bacon-wrapped prawns and a summer melon salad with prosciutto and vinaigrette. These dishes sound like they’re straight off a five-star Italian restaurant menu in Chicago, New York or San Francisco—but they are enjoyed at Bridges Craft Pizza and Wine Bar, located in the heart of Greencastle’s historic Courthouse Square.
Bridges is the creation of Joyce and Judson Green, two DePauw University alumni with a mission of giving back to Greencastle. Their vision started with Music on the Square (Music Squared, or M2 as it’s frequently called), a music center that provides free music classes for students. When the space next to M2 came available, the Greens saw that as an opportunity to “bridge” music and food by creating a small café or wine bar to further their vision.
That small café soon became a larger endeavor when the Greens decided to create a true, authentic Italian restaurant that would highlight local farmers and feature a seasonal menu with dishes that changed on a regular basis. The restaurant brought in the Mario Acunto wood-fired oven from Naples. All its pasta dough is handmade in house with Antimo Caputo Italian 00 flour. And the menu changes weekly to highlight the farmers and make sure the dishes were created with local ingredients.
The Bridges Chorus
While Bridges is a collaborative effort among all its chefs and staff, Chef Fernandez is the conductor of this culinary orchestra. He was raised in Napa Valley, before it was home to today’s premier California vineyards, and would often help his farmer father pick grapes. When he was 13 years old, he got a job washing dishes at a pizza parlor in St. Helena, California. It was in that job that he first tasted pepperoni and salami, and learned how to make pizza. That’s when he knew the cooking life was what he wanted.
But becoming a chef was not an easy endeavor, especially during a time when cooking and the Food Network were not popular like they are today. Chef Fernandez
Chef Fernandez (right) with Bob Zaring, owner of Zaring’s Produce.
Opposite: Dinner at Bridges Wine Bar featuring the Melon Salad with Citrus Honey and Mint Vinigrette feature in our Eats section see recipe on page 22.
planned to attend the newly opened Culinary Institute of American (CIA) in Napa upon his high school graduation in 2004. But instead of enrolling right away, he served in the Air Force for six years. He completed his tour as a staff sergeant and used his educational benefits to attend the CIA. Once he finished his culinary training, he spent time as a chef at a high-end restaurant in Orlando, and later Ohio. The move to Greencastle came when his former chef, Brandon McGlamery, asked him to meet with the Greens, who wanted to open an Italian restaurant in Indiana.
Chef Fernandez, who now calls Greencastle home, has been involved in helping to create the Bridges concept since the beginning. He admits his military training heavily influences his food philosophy, specifically the commitment to high quality and simplicity.
“We rarely have a dish that’s more than five ingredients,” he says. “I like to keep things simple, yet different.”
An example of this elegant simplicity is the Latin American–infused fried ravioli. “The ravioli is made of masa (corn flour), and stuffed with braised beef tongue, mozzarella and queso fresco. Then we top it with a tomato relish and lemon crema. It tastes Latin and looks Italian. It’s simple and unique.”
Several other assistant chefs and colleagues play a part in Bridges’ success. Angelica Raygoza, a CIA graduate who worked at several prestigious resorts in Palm Springs, California, is the mastermind behind Bridges’ hand-crafted breads. Raygoza developed the restaurant’s focaccia, French baguettes and brioche. She is also the reason Bridges plans to open a bakery up the street, which will serve as an artisan and commercial bakery.
Many of Bridges’ young staff were born and raised in Greencastle. “We have 17- and 18-yearolds working here. Many of them don’t know what they want to do with their lives long-term, but they love cooking and serving the community through food,” says Chef Fernandez. “I’m trying to teach them that if you learn the basics, respect people, work hard and make a good product, it will get you somewhere in life.”
Tyler Smith is a young protégé who is already making his mark at Bridges and in the culinary community. The 17-year-old pastry chef started working at Bridges in June 2017 and won the Best Pastry award at the Indianapolis Fantastic Food Fest for his Quattro Leches cake.
Chef Timmons (left) and Chef Fernandez prepare pizzas.
A Community Partnership
One of the reasons Bridges is such a unique concept in Greencastle is its partnership with local farmers and the fact that the menu items include the local fare. While it’s a common practice for many Indianapolis restaurants to work with community farmers, that was not the standard in Greencastle.
DePauw University Campus Farm and Bob Zaring, owner of Zaring’s Produce, are two community partners that play a big role at Bridges.
“Bob is a huge part of this restaurant, and a big part of what we can do,” says Chef Fernandez. He’s been such an integral part of Bridges that the chef named three menu items in the farmer’s honor, including the summer melon salad that sells out daily.
Zaring has been farming produce on his seven-acre lot since the mid 1980s. He admits that working with Bridges has had a profound effect on his livelihood as a farmer.
“Working with Bridges has helped my farm a lot,” says Zaring. “Before Bridges, I’d grow items like kale, kohlrabi and turnips, but would end up throwing so much of it away because people didn’t buy it. But here, Bridges buys everything I grow and puts it on the menu.”
Their partnership has been so successful that Zaring is now trying to grow produce for Bridges through the winter months. He is also attempting to grow new items, such as microgreens and corn shoots.
The Future of Bridges
While Bridges has only been open for one year, the restaurant is growing and attracting more customers every week. It’s become a local favorite of Greencastle residents and is now attracting guests from Indianapolis and other cities. Beginning in late spring, Bridges opened its rooftop for outside dining and began offering carryout picnic service.
The restaurant will host a James Beard Foundation dinner at Bridges in June in the hopes of winning that prestigious organization’s award for the restaurant and assure Bridges is a culinary force in Indiana.
“No restaurant in Indiana has a James Beard Award,” says Chef Fernandez. “We can do it in Greencastle. Many of the young kids who work here will not go beyond the city in their lives. That’s why this award is so important for Bridges and Greencastle. I want those kids and the community to see what’s possible for them.”
Bridges Craft Pizza & Wine Bar | 19 N. Indiana St., Greencastle | 765.653.0021 | BridgesWineBar.com
Leah R. Singer is a freelance writer in Terre Haute. She is the former managing editor of the Red Tricycle Spoke Contributor Network. Her work has appeared in USA Today, Indy Star, Terre Haute Living, Huffington Post, Babble, Red Tricycle and many other publications. Visit Leah online at LeahRSinger.com, or on Twitter @leahs_thoughts.
Orchards, Farms & Markets
✷ Greystone Farm Lawrenceburg, Indiana
✷ Beiersdorfer Orchard Guilford, Indiana
✷ Phillips Berry Patch New Alsace, Indiana
✷ Salatin’s Orchard Moores Hill, Indiana
✷ Busse’s Farm Aurora, Indiana
✷ Lobenstein’s Farm St. Leon, Indiana
Specialty Spirits ✷ Great Crescent Brewery Aurora, Indiana
✷ At the Barn Winery Logan, Indiana ✷ Holtkamp Winery New Alsace, Indiana
FOOD TANK
A Q&A with Danielle Nierenberg about her dynamic nonprofit and how it’s changing the way we talk solutions in the global food community
words: Colleen Leonardi & Danielle Nierenberg | photography: Food Tank
Food Tank calls itself the “Think Tank for Food.” A global community with a robust online platform, their vision works to “push for food system change.” Established in 2013 by President Danielle Nierenberg, the nonprofit offers information-packed newsletters, volunteer opportunities, yearly summits and an upcoming book, scheduled for release later this year. You can also become a member of the organization and engage in solutions-oriented conversations within the sustainable food movement from your desk.
“We try to be as interactive with folks as possible and we’re very open to engaging as much as time allows,” Nierenberg says, and she means it. She takes phone calls from people who have simple questions, like where to start with sustainable agriculture, and spent a lovely afternoon talking with me about Food Tank’s origins, how they stay positive in a “doom and gloom” food industry and what gives her hope—the core tenet of Food Tank—for a future of empowered, engaged and healthy eaters and farmers.
Q: Why did you create Food Tank?
Danielle Nierenberg: I was working for many years at an environmental think tank in D.C. Eventually, when I left I was the director of their food and agriculture program. We were really good at highlighting what wasn’t working and all of the problems. And in so many ways, you have to talk about the problems when you’re talking about the food system.
I was doing a lot of work interviewing farmers, scientists, women’s groups, chefs, nutritionists and policy makers all over the world. What I was hearing was a lot of hope and a lot of innovation that had potential to be scaled up and scaled out but wasn’t getting the investment, research and attention it needed. There were solutions; we just weren’t hearing enough about them. That was the real impetus behind it.
And to build a platform for the good-food movement, for different organizations to be highlighted and for them to feel like they can come to Food Tank and find non-biased information, that it can be a resource for everyone—from regular moms and dads to policy makers and business leaders. That platform is really important to us so that people feel like they can be critical, offer suggestions, call us out on things and build a dialogue through our daily articles and research publications.
And then being able to meet in person at our Food Tank Summits, where we’re bringing together unlikely suspects, like executives from McDonald’s and Cargill and Monsanto on the stage with food justice advocates having a real dialogue. There is a lot of demonizing when we talk about food issues. [We want] to really get people to talk to and listen to one another and understand that there is always going to be disagreement but that if we’re not all listening to one another, the things that we care about are never going to come to fruition.
Q: You touch on sustainable agriculture as key to your mission, but what is sustainable agriculture, how is it different or similar to indigenous farming practices and why is it so central to these global food issues?
A: Sustainable agriculture has so many definitions. For me, a sustainable agriculture system is one that is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. One that is regenerative. It’s not just extracting resources from the land but putting them back in. One that is able to make farmers a fair wage and also provide accessible, affordable food to eaters, and that doesn’t treat farmers, food workers and women as slaves to the food system, but one that treats them respectfully and humanely. And that’s very different from the industrial system of agriculture.
Opposite: Danielle Nierenberg
“[We want] to really get people to talk to and listen to one another and understand that there is always going to be disagreement but that if we’re not all listening to one another, the things that we care about are never going to come to fruition.”
When Food Tank talks about indigenous and traditional practices in other countries what we’re trying to highlight is that there are many of these practices that have a lot of potential, like rainwater harvesting, cover cropping, different irrigation practices that have been forgotten, and natural forms of fertilizing land as opposed to getting artificial fertilizer out of a bag. They’ve been ignored in favor of some technologies that offer a lot of promise but are very expensive.
One of the key things that we try to do is highlight both high and low technologies, and combine big data, which is a term that is being thrown around a lot now because of GPS and drones and all this great information that we’re able to collect. [We’re asking] how can you get it to farmers, whether they’re small and large? Like being able to harness the use of cell phones, which has grown so tremendously across sub-Saharan Africa and places like India, and having farmers being able to have access to data and information about weather systems and markets that they never would have before.
I think there are ways to not ignore the new and fancy things that are coming about, but to combine them with the things that we know already work.
Q: I read you joined the Peace Corps and worked in the Dominican Republic for two years, and you continue to travel the globe interviewing farmers. How has working with people from all over the world, particularly women farmers, influenced your perspectives on real solutions to climate change, obesity, malnutrition and poverty?
A: The thing about women farmers is that they’ve been invisible for so long, whether you’re talking about the United States or the global south. When people think of farmers they think of men, either male farmers tilling fields by hand or sitting on a combine. They don’t understand that women make up nearly half of all farmers in the world. And in some cases, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, they make up to 80% of the agriculture labor force.
Yet they’re denied access to the same resources as men. They don’t get an education and extension services. They often are not allowed to own land. The bankers don’t listen to them, or [women farmers are] afraid to go to the banking and lending institutions. The real opportunity here is that if we invest in and pay attention to women farmers, data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization suggests that we could increase yields by 20 to 30% and lift as many as 100 million people out of hunger. So I think there is a real opportunity we’re missing there. From my travels and my experiences with the Peace Corps, or I was just in Senegal recently, we really need to listen to the needs of women farmers and make sure they’re not ignored when you’re developing new innovations or new technologies, or when you’re concentrating on some of these more sustainable or traditional practices.
Q: Journalism about sustainable food and farming issues these days can be so mired in the negative. What values do you practice and hold close to help you and your team stay future-focused on positive solutions?
A: Oh gosh, that’s a good question. No one has ever asked me that. I think we try to talk to people who inspire us. When we get article ideas from our fellows and our interns I like to ask, “Who is your hero or heroine, who has inspired you? Why did you want to work here? What kind of person made you want to do this? Did you grow up on a farm, or in a city and always wanted to grow food on a rooftop?” It’s just about being able to get those ideas flowing.
You know, there’s so much negativity. I get negative. But I think because I get this opportunity to work with so many young people who are so passionate and so energetic we started this fellows program last year to get really keen, excited, smart people on board for three to six months with a stipend. And talking to these candidates for the position yesterday, they’re so energetic and come from so many backgrounds. That’s honestly what keeps me going: having all these young people. I learn from them all the time.
Q: Tell me a bit about the journey of trying to eat well in your own community and what challenges you face as an eater and cook?
A: I love food. I wouldn’t be in this if I didn’t care about food. Food Tank talks so much about food loss and food waste. I have the same tendency that a lot of people have. Like, I see something beautiful at the farmers market or the grocery store, and I’m, like, “I want it,” but because I travel all the time, at least in the past, a lot of food used to get wasted.
So I’ve had to practice what we preach and find different ways to preserve the foods that I want, so making more soups and pickling. That’s been a journey for me, for sure. I want to make sure I’m following the same values that we’re putting out into the world.
Q: Is there a recent experience from your travels and work that makes you smile and have faith in creating, as your mission states, “a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters”?
A: There is one I think about a lot, and it happened several years ago now. It is the one that makes me smile the most.
I was in Niger with this group of about 50 women farmers who were working with a research institute. They had built a community farm that they themselves ran. They were using solar drip technology to irrigate their crops, because Niger is very dry. They were growing a lot of fruits and vegetables but also ornamental and fruit trees to sell, which you can get a high price for.
One of the questions I always ask anyone I’m meeting is, “How did this innovation change you, what kind of transformation took place?” I was talking to these women and having it translated back to me. They would say things like, “I was able to buy my husband a bicycle so that he doesn’t have to walk to the land where he’s growing food,” or “I was able to send my children to school, because I couldn’t do that before” or “buy books or medical supplies.”
And then, one of the women said to me, “We’re fatter now.” And these women are not fat. What they mean is they’re better nourished and eating a more diverse group of foods.
They were making more money. We forget farmers are businesspeople. These farmers were making about a dollar a day before they started this garden. Now each of them is making about $1,500 a year. That’s a huge increase.
And I think that’s what transforms things. Understanding that the food system has to be all of those things mentioned before— environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. And that project, for me, really encompasses all those things, and the fact that these women thought they were fat when they’re really not. They were just eating a lot better.
Learn more about Danielle and how Food Tank can become your food think tank at FoodTank.com.
Gardening Tips for Success!
Presented by Habig Garden Shops
It’s vegetable garden time in Indiana and Habig Garden Shops is your go-to place for certified organic vegetable plants, herbs, soils and Dr. Earth, Happy Frog, Espoma, and Healthy Grow plant foods. They have huge selections of herb plants, heirloom tomatoes and, as always, LOTS of GOOD ADVICE!
Need a few tips for healthy, thriving crops?
• Prep your soil with lots of compost and organic matter. Your plants will love it.
Don’t rush it. As soil warms in mid-May, begin planting tomatoes, peppers, squash and melon starts. Seedlings should be introduced gradually to outdoor temperatures. Succession-plant every 10–14 days for corn and beans to extend your harvest season.
Lacking sun or limited on space? Plant vegetables in containers for easy care and maneuvering into sunlight. Grow vertical! Vining vegetables on a trellis or cage are attractive and space saving.
Lawns need attention, too. Habig Garden Shops has a full line of organic solutions and weed control ... We Speak Organic!
Watch for their farm-fresh produce market at the Nora location. Open every day mid-July through August, featuring Indiana sweet corn, Decker melons, tasty tomatoes and more picked daily from local farm fields.
1225 E. 86th St. | Indianapolis
15311 N. Meridian St. | Carmel
5201 N. College Ave. | Indianapolis
FB: @habiggardenshop
Partnership Content
Colleen Leonardi is managing editor of Edible Indy and editor-in-chief of Edible Columbus in Ohio.
Blueberries
TRIPE FOR PICKING, EATING & DRINKING!
words: Jennifer L. Rubenstein | illustrations layout: Caryn Scheving
he sweet yet slightly sour little blueberry comes ripe in Indiana late June through mid August. Hoosiers love this berry like they love their corn. It becomes the flavor of the summer, from pies to beer and everything in between. Hoosiers love it so much that for the past 52 years there has been a fourday festival dedicated to all things blueberry.
Hoosier artisans have committed to this fruitful ingredient and here we list some of the most unique eats around the state that are worth the trip. And make plans to attend the Marshall County Blueberry Festival over Labor Day Weekend. Find out more about it at BlueberryFestival.org.
Barn Phantom Gose with Blueberries Triton Brewing, Indianapolis TritonBrewing.com
Beauregard’s Blueberry Beer ZwanzigZ Pizza and Brewing, Columbus ZwanzigZ.com
Beardliner Berliner Weisse with Blueberry Syrup The Tap Brewery, Bloomington TheTapBeerBar.com
Blueberry Blonde Ale Great Crescent Brewery, Aurora GCBeer.com
Blueberry Sour Ale Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington UplandBeer.com
ReThinker Blueberry Mead New Day Craft, Indianapolis NewDayCraft.com
BLUEBERRY SOUP | recipe: Jan Bulla-Baker, Bloomington Cooking School serves 6–8
3 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained
2½ cups water
1 cup dry red wine
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon raspberry or balsamic vinegar, to taste ¾ cup yogurt or sour cream, or half and half
Process blueberries with ½ cup water. Purée and place in large pan with water, wine, sugar and spices, and cook uncovered at medium heat, stirring occasionally, till mixture comes to full boil (7–8 minutes). Remove
And don’t miss the Blueberry-Shallot Jam Recipe by Seth Elgar of The Roost at EdibleIndy.com!
Cocktails
Bluebell Champagne Cocktail
The Cake Bake Shop, Indianapolis TheCakeBakeShop.com
Miss Independent with Blueberry Juice
Cardinal Spirits, Bloomington CardinalSpirits.com
Bluebird
*recipe available at EdibleIndy.com
The Roost, Bloomington FinchsBrasserie.com
Sweets
Blueberry Balsamic Truffle
The Olive Leaf, Bloomington OliveLeafBloomington.com
Blueberry Champagne
Bread Pudding
Underground Cupcake and Café, Bloomington UndergroundCupcakes.com
Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
Baked! of Bloomington BakedOfBloomington.com
Blueberry Poptarts
The Inkwell, Bloomington FB: @inkwellbtown
Bluer Than Blue Ice Cream Hartzell’s Ice Cream, Bloomington HartzellsIC.com
Blue Barn Berry Farm 9139 N. 300 E. | Syracuse BlueBarnBerryFarm.com
Bryant’s Blueberries 6900 Oak Park Rd. NE New Salisbury BryantsBlueberries.com
Clark’s Berry Farm
3905 W. 350 S. | North Vernon FB @ClarkBerryFarm
Spencer Berry Farm 7177 E. 161st St. | Noblesville SpencerBerryFarm.com
Zink Berry Farm
5878 S. Skinner Rd. | Morgantown ZinkBerryFarm.com
CHECK OUT OUR FEATURED BLUEBERRY RECIPES STARTING ON PAGE 17
JOE’S NEXT DOOR
The best of Joe’s Butcher Shop prepared for you. Our team of chefs will build the freshest, most unique and mouthwatering sandwiches at our walk-up counter, cater your special events and you can even grab our daily made dishes to go.
111 W. Main St. Ste. 110 | Carmel JoesButcherShop.com
EAT DRINK LOCAL GUIDE
Getting Hoosier-grown goodness on your plate doesn’t have to involve hours in the kitchen. These fine establishments proudly serve up the freshest locally sourced cuisine.
The farm-to-table movement begins with Central Indiana farms and dedicated producers who care about bringing only the best to market, which is a very good thing for locally owned restaurants that search out the best dairy, meat, produce and beverages for their patrons. Farm-to-table is gaining momentum not only with bornand-bred Hoosiers, but the many visitors to Central Indiana. Edible Indy connects growers, producers and food artisans with their community.
Here is a select list of some of those chefs and owners who take great pride in celebrating Hoosier-grown goodness.
Find out how your business could benefit from a partnership with Edible Indy Contact jennifer@edibleindy.com
*This is a paid advertisement.
TABLE
From a store full of fresh, seasonal foods and a team of chefs and culinary experts comes a celebration of food called table by Market District a restaurant that brings passion for food right to your plate. Open daily for lunch & dinner, as well as brunch every Sunday.
11505 N. Illinois St. | Carmel MarketDistrict.com/Table
BURGER STUDY
Burger Study is a premium, full-service burger restaurant and bar dedicated to expanding one’s perception of what a burger can be. We are locally owned and pride ourselves on serving premium burgers crafted from the best quality Midwest Prime beef and other locally sourced ingredients. We feature craft cocktails, beer, and wine.
28 W. Georgia St. | Indianapolis BurgerStudy.com Study.com
BRIDGES WINE BAR
Handcrafted Neapolitan-style pizzas, scratch-made pasta and bread, farm-to-table specialties and a spectacular selection of craft cocktails and international wines. A destination worth the drive.
19 N. Indiana | Greencastle BridgesWineBar.com
THE LOFT
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
HARRY & IZZY’S
We’re proud to keep it local! Three restaurants sourcing locally from 10 regional farms, four breweries and seven locally owned purveyors or producers leads to one great meal.
Downtown Indianapolis
153 S. Illinois St.
Northside Indianapolis
4050 E. 82nd St.
Indianapolis Airport
7800 Col. Weir Cook Memorial Dr. HarryAndIzzys.com
NOOK
Located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, Nook fuses a variety of culinary cuisines while incorporating Paleo principles including simple, fresh, whole foods. We believe in flavorful foods that fuel a healthier you.
15 E. Maryland St. | Indianapolis NookPaleo.com
ROOSTER’S KITCHEN
Celebrating a year on Mass Ave. Our kitchen menu changes seasonally with the local producers while keeping the staples. Mama’s brisket, mac-n-cheese and fresh crisp pork rinds hit the spot.
888 Massachusetts Ave. | Indianapolis RoostersIndy.com
THE GARDEN TABLE
The Garden Table is a local eatery and fresh juicery in the heart of the Broad Ripple Village and now on Mass Ave. in downtown Indianapolis. We serve seasonally influenced and locally sourced food and cold-pressed juice. We believe in simple dishes, made from natural ingredients, grown and harvested by local farmers.
908 E. Westfield Blvd. | Indianapolis 342 Massachusetts Ave., #100 | Indianapolis TheGardenTable.com
SPOKE & STEELE
Your local downtown neighborhood restaurant featuring a newly inspired menu by Chef Greg Hardesty. Food with a purpose produced with local artisans and created to pair perfect with our topnotch bourbon program.
123 S. Illinois St. | Indianapolis SpokeandSteele.com
DEBRAND
Indianapolis location now open at Keystone at the Crossing. Stop in to indulge in our chocolate truffles, classic chocolates or one of the dozens of other tasty treats. And don’t miss our dessert bar including our delicious ice cream sundaes. Fine chocolates at their best.
8685 River Crossing Blvd. | Indianapolis DeBrand.com
FARM-BLOOMINGTON
A Bloomington award-winning original creating gastronomical dishes for brunch, lunch and dinner based on the seasonality of the Southern Indiana ingredients. The restaurant includes FARMbar, the Root Cellar Lounge and they promote sustainability and being green.
108 E. Kirkwood Ave. | Bloomington Farm-Bloomington.com
ST. ELMO STEAK HOUSE
A big thank you to our local partners!
As a locally owned business for over 110 years we take great pride in our local business relationships. Cheers to independent businesses!
127 S. Illinois St. | Indianapolis StElmos.com
THE ROOST
Formerly Finch’s Brasserie, The Roost caters to a beautiful new atmosphere and menu. Featuring seasonal dishes integrated with international flavors, Chef Seth Elgar delights with every dish. They provide a friendly and lively atmosphere with a top-notch cocktail and wine program featuring some of the finest drinks in Central Indiana.
514 E. Kirkwood | Bloomington FinchsBrasserie.com
BYRNE’S GRILLED PIZZA
Local, fresh, real ingredients describe the handmade thin-crust grilled pizza. Order their mouthwatering pasta, salads, appetizers and desserts to complement your pizza. Serving local craft beers and a great selection of wines. Also available: takeout, catering and food truck.
5615 N. Illinois St. | Indianapolis ByrnesPizza.com
Last Bite
MINT
words and photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein | layout: Caryn Scheving
Breathe in. Breathe out. Do you smell that aroma that tingles your senses and makes your soul feel refreshed?
MEET MINT. With over 25 species with hundreds of varieties throughout the world, the uses of this amazing ingredient extend to far more than our toothpaste or chewing gum.
Mint originated in Asia and the Mediterranean early enough that it is mentioned in the Bible and in Greek mythology and originally symbolized hospitality. Today, the United States is a leading producer of the world’s mint, along with India, China and many other countries.
Even more astounding is that Indiana ranks third nationally for peppermint production and fourth for spearmint with 8,500 acres of peppermint and 3,700 acres of spearmint harvested annually. Indiana has 12 mint stills producing mint oil, with Starke County growing the most mint in the state.
Notable Culinary Uses:
tea, mint juleps, mojitos, mint jelly, tabbouleh, lamb and mint
Did You Know:
If you plant mint around your garden and backyard it will help to keep pests and mosquitoes away naturally.
Mint Is a Natural Remedy: It may help with nausea, indigestion, colds, headaches, cramps and soothing minor burns. Think about that the next time you go to a restaurant and they give you a sprig of mint: It’s to help with your digestion.
MINT.
The last bite.
Edible Indy
Pairing Ideas
Muddle with strawberries for lemonade
Add to your shakes or smoothies
Chop mint into any salad with fruit Purée mint, berries, honey and ice and freeze
“We
“MY
BRAND IS INDIANA...“
Nook
The name of a Caveman who lived in 30,000 B.C. during the Paleolithic era as well as... a comfortable and convenient location nestled in the center of downtown beautiful Indianapolis.
Paleo Influenced
Inspired by the desire to fuel our bodies with clean fresh foods in their natural state without missing out on flavors we’ve come to enjoy!
Diner
A welcoming, friendly, and casual atmosphere where you can stop in after the gym, on your lunch break or for a night out with friends.
