Forest bathing is about using all senses and grounding yourself
COVER photography: Passionfruit Coconut Tart from Beurre Sec. Find recipe on page 16. playlist and get your summer jam on.
Visions of an Indiana summer: sunshine on my mind, fireworks in the night sky, the smell of a campfire in the air, sparkling diamonds on the water of a lake. Fresh tomatoes, corn on the cob, farmers markets packed full of those ingredients sprinkled among urban and rural neighbors throughout any of the 92 counties in our state.
I love summer—not so much the blistering heat or hot pavement, but all the above take me back to my childhood and to a time when things were a bit slower. Throughout this issue I want to encourage you to be deliberate in noticing and appreciating the days, hours and minutes of your summer. These days the stressors of so many things take us back to the pre-pandemic days of busy. Life goes by so fast that it has never been more important to be in the moment, to take a pause to give ourselves a little self-love and care. To be here now.
In this issue we talk about the spicy marriage of sweet and heat; we meet an up-and-coming soulful pastry chef who puts the passion in her passionfruit tart (cover photo); we learn about the immersive experience of forest bathing; and we hear a real-life tale about permaculture on a local farm in Westfield. Those are just a few In the Summertime stories we have garnered for you to read with a cold glass of lemonade, under an umbrella, shoes off and fancy-free, listening to Mungo Jerry’s “In the Summertime.”
We also can’t forget to tell you to buy your tickets to one of many shows of Rock the Ruins at Holliday Park (including Parliament-Funkadelic featuring George Clinton) and the must-attend event of the year SWING, benefiting the Indianapolis Indians charities. You will find information about both at EdibleIndy.com or on our social channels @edibleindy.
With gratitude, hope and summer cheer,
Jennifer Rubenstein
2023 Indiana Grown Commission Board Member
Want to advertise with us?
Reach out to me personally at jennifer@edibleindy.com.
Even in The Netherlands, where I am living at the moment, summer is a special season. Dutch summers are cool—sometimes literally, with rain and cold. But mostly, cool in all its hotness. For me, it’s picking wild brambles on a forest walk, eating cured herring by the sea and grilling satays over hot coals in the garden. Summer means sweaty nights and sleeping with the windows wide open. Days break at 4am and nights don’t fall until well after 10pm. Summer is listening to the reassuring hum of bees busy in flowering bushes around us. They are still here; they are still busy. But let’s not take the buzzing bees for granted. Summer is for dancing in the rain when blue skies suddenly turn dark. It’s for watching a storm while listening to Vivaldi’s “Summer,” as his music builds up from lazy and idyllic to dramatic and thundering. And when the sun is back out, we join Katrina and the Waves to be “Walking on Sunshine.” Enjoy this issue brimming with bright yellow beauty and love.
With pleasure,
Francine Spiering
edible INDY
PUBLISHER
Rubenstein Hills LLC
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Jennifer L. Rubenstein
jennifer@edibleindy.com
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Je Rubenstein
MANAGING EDITOR
Francine Spiering
COPY EDITOR
Doug Adrianson
DESIGN
Cheryl Koehler
SALES
jennifer@edibleindy.com
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PLAY GOLF, EAT FOOD AND WIN LOADS OF PRIZES ALL TO RAISE FUNDS FOR OUR WEEKEND CAMP FOR FAMILIES WITH EPILEPSY
RESTAURANT
Winning foursome IS invited to the 72-hole Applied Underwriters Invitational hosted by the stunning Big Cedar Lodge
THE EDIBLE INDY FOUNDATION IS A 501-C3 NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHO BELIEVES IN SUPPORTING FAMILIES WITH EPILEPSY AND PROVIDING WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE A WEEKEND FAMILY CAMP AT THE CENTER FOR COURAGEOUS KIDS AT NO COST.
ONE CAMP AT A TIME
Foundation offers breathing space for families living with pediatric epilepsy
words by Ashly Stage
Summer recalls long, leisurely days, family vacations and, for many, memories of new friends and the outdoor fun of summer camps. But if you are a child living with a chronic disorder like epilepsy, summer is more typically filled with doctor visits and long treatments.
Jeff and Jennifer Rubenstein (publishers of Edible Indy) created the Edible Indy Foundation to help offer breathing space for children and their families living with epilepsy. The mission of the foundation is to raise funds through golf outings and donations so families with children living with epilepsy can join a camp designed especially for them. It is a weekend family camp in the fall, where families can have a respite and the children can have a modern camping experience with others who can relate to each other. The camp is part of the year-round program of the Center for Courageous Kids (CCK), a medical camp for families with children living with pediatric illnesses and disorders.
Changing Public Perception
Jeff Rubenstein, who lived with epilepsy as a child, says that one of the most difficult things about living with epilepsy is the misconceptions surrounding the disorder. He mentioned how some of his peers and even adults thought that epilepsy was contagious, which felt alienating and is false. And even though there’s been progress educating people about epilepsy, the myths have persisted. Jeff gave the recent example of children with epilepsy who have been discouraged from joining sports teams because parents of teammates were concerned about the occurrence of seizures.
It’s a frustrating reality, given that epilepsy is a lot more common than people may realize. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, epilepsy is the fourth-most-common neurological disorder in the world and about 0.6% of children under 18 years have active epilepsy.
Much of the mystery surrounding epilepsy comes from the fact that active epilepsy and its defining seizures can take many different forms. This can make diagnosis and treatment especially difficult on children with epilepsy and their families.
Alleviating some of the stress of living with a chronic illness or disorder and giving kids the space to play sports and participate in activities free of misconceptions and bias is why CCK exists. And Jennifer stresses that the CCK camp is just as much for the families as it is for the children. “We have seen, first-hand, how parents and other caregivers like grandparents deserve a respite,” she says. “We work directly with individuals and organizations [such as the Epilepsy Foundation of Indiana] to fill this annual camp with 30 Indiana families so they can have that break.”
Over the course of 12 years, the Edible Indy Foundation has raised close to a half million dollars through golf outings and donations, enough to send over 1,000 people to the fall camp at zero cost for the families.
How can you help?
The medical camps of the Center for Courageous Kids make it possible for children (up to 18) suffering from a pediatric illness or disorder and their families to experience the fun of a camp designed to accommodate their medical conditions. n
Visit CourageousKids.org to find all information on how to refer a camper or apply to attend a camp. You can also donate directly to the Center for Courageous Kids.
To learn more about the upcoming golf invitational or to donate to the Edible Indy Foundation, simply scan the QR code.
Opposite: Jennifer, Jeff, Wrigley and Mara Rubenstein (center) surrounded by photos taken at CCK epilepsy camps throughout the years.
TASTING
SOME LIKE IT HOT!
How delicious is the marriage between sweet and heat
words & recipe: Francine Spiering | photography: Raymond Franssen
Hot honey is the swicy marriage between chili peppers (anywhere on the Scoville scale) and honey. The popular trend of infusing honey with chili heat has been spreading like syrup on a hot pancake. And the sweetness doesn’t have to come from honey—other sweeteners like agave, date and maple syrup are also very willing to marry a hot pepper.
1 full cup honey (or agave, date or maple syrup, etc.)
Add chilies and honey to a saucepan and heat on low. Don’t let it boil; just heat to the point where the honey is runny and hot to the touch of a finger (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and cool. Infuse at least 24 hours.
Note: While you can leave in dried chilies, fresh chilies are best strained out after infusing (they shorten the shelf life of your hot honey).
HOW TO USE
From honey-mustard dressing to savory honey buns, go for hot when the recipe calls for honey. Of course, it is always good on pizza and even popcorn. Here are some other suggestions:
Use it as dip with aged cheese (like Old Amsterdam).
Spoon onto corn on the cob, hot from the grill and dripping with melting butter.
Glaze poultry (chicken, turkey, quail) with chili honey when roasting.
Brush on lamb shoulder and roast on a bed of thyme and rosemary.
Mix with miso and use to bake salmon.
Spice up roasted root vegetables, from carrots to parsnip to sweet potato.
Whip up with Greek yogurt for a kicking-good dessert.
HOT GOLDEN BEET ROLL
Rolled or stacked, these beets will find eager takers even among people who don’t particularly like beets.
2–3 medium golden beets, peeled and sliced thin (use a mandoline)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup (homemade) hot honey
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cover a large baking tray with parchment paper. Lay out the beet slices in a single layer but overlapping, like shingles on a roof. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, increase temperature to 400° and bake for 15–20 minutes more. By now, the beet slices should be soft when tested with a sharp knife point and caramelized on the edges. Take out and cool down enough to handle by hand. Proceed to make a roll: Start to carefully roll up the beet slices, using the parchment paper as a guiding tool to compress and shape. Proceed until you have a roll. Can be served hot or room temperature. (To reheat, place the roll on a baking tray in 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.)
Put the roll on a board, drizzle with hot honey and garnish with edible flowers and microgreens to taste. To serve, use a sharp knife to cut into slices.
TIP: Instead of a roll, you can bake the beet slices stacked in a greased 12-hole muffin pan. Proceed baking the same way. Turn out and serve as beet stacks.
Francine Spiering is a food writer, editor and recipe developer with a passion for travel and a kitchen diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Follow her on Instagram @lifeinthefoodlane
NAKED WILDERNESS
Forest bathing is about using all senses and grounding yourself
words: Brian Garrido
What do you hear? What do you see? What do you feel? It’s an all-senses experience rather than a walk-and-talk experience.
Envision yourself among the woodsy scents of evergreens and dewy earth, listening to the sounds under your feet, deeply inhaling unblemished air in a meditative state.
There is a term for this newly popular mindfulness practice, which helps individuals connect to themselves while reunifying with Mother Nature: forest bathing.
Since it emerged in the 1980s in Japan, shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in t he forest atmosphere”) encourages communing with wilderness—in particular, with trees. Simply, it’s the practice of slowly walking among the branches, using all the senses to become present with the woods: touching bark, listening to birdsongs, savoring the fragrance of flowers. Today, forest bathing has spread across continents. Global practitioners teach individuals, couples and corporate groups how to “bathe” in the forest.
While many may argue that the therapeutic practice has been appreciated since the dawn of time, it was given a name in 2018 by Dr. Qing Li, an associate professor at Tokyo’s Nippon Medical School and a fellow at Stanford University School of Medicine. His book Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness (Penguin Life), has been published in over 20 languages and has become the definitive guide.
But for someone like me, who has always been a casual “seeker” looking for answers from the universe through yoga, transcendental meditation and other spiritual practices, what makes forest bathing different than a mere walk in the park or even a hike?
To assist me in answering this question, I reach out to Forest Therapy Hub, an international group of trained therapeutic professionals who use forest bathing as a tool to connect people to the planet.
Executive Director Alex Gesse oversees the instruction of forest bathing and forest therapy. We discuss my question over a video call. Charming with his gray hair illuminated from a window behind him, there is an unintended saintly glow. “I like your approach to forest bathing therapy,” he says. “It’s good to question to understand the difference.”
Essentially, he says, “science tells us that there is a difference. In 2019, the Union Foresters of Southern Europe (USSE) conducted a study using forest bathing as therapy instead of only walking. It found that 89 percent of individuals diagnosed with some form of mental illness improved their perception in underlying conditions. Walking provided little or no relief.” Gesse adds that mindful reconnection with nature results in health benefits such as reduced stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, a European Union nonprofit, agrees. The organization earmarked 6.5 million Euros to assist ongoing research and therapeutic programs related to woodland mindfulness.
“For us, in the beginning, when the process started in Asia, there was not one methodology,” Gesse says. “As it began to spread worldwide, it was important to create standards of practice. Forest bathing is a well-being practice, preventive medicine. [Our organization] strives to create a standard methodology.”
Training session in the forest. (Forest Therapy Hub)
FOREST BATHING DO’S AND DON’TS
DO!
• Choose a forest or other natural area that you find comfort in. “Urban parks,” Walsh says, “are perfect!”
• Respect the forest, the creatures that live there and others.
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
• Bring a water bottle and a snack if you plan to be out for a while.
• If you are new to forest bathing, going with a friend or experienced guide can be helpful.
• Be aware of your surroundings and stay on designated trails.
• Walk slowly and mindfully.
• Pay attention to your surroundings and the sights, sounds, smells and textures.
• If it feels safe to do so, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Sit or lie down.
• There is no right or wrong way to forest bathe. Just enjoy being in nature and let the experience unfold naturally.
DON’T!
• Disturb wildlife.
• Leave any trace in the woodland. If you bring it in with you, take it out.
• Walk naked in a public forest.
After the meeting, I took my afternoon walk with my chocolate lab, George. While I live near a Midwest urban center with nearly two million people, my builder-home neighborhood consists of dogwoods and spruce surrounding a central pond. As we meander through the neighborhood, I focus more on the trees offering their seasonal greenery and birds’ songs. It’s not so quiet that I don’t hear the requisite sirens, but I do notice a purple finch, for the first time, perched inside a budding magnolia tree. Do I feel more at ease? It’s still too early to tell, but George welcomed the excursion.
“[Forest bathing] is so much more than a simple stroll,” says Sammy Petitte, assistant director of recreation therapy at Indiana University’s Bradford Woods. She wants to make me aware of how important the practice can be to an individual’s well-being, sharing a graduate paper she worked on with a professor and his colleagues. “Forest bathing can be done very naturally, and for some folks, they do,” Petitte explains. “The difference is that [the practice] is more of an immersive experience.”
A forest hike can be any few miles, from A to B or loop. Forest bathing, Petitte explains, uses a smaller swath of land with the focus around the area. It’s about using the senses and grounding yourself: What do you hear? What do you see? What do you feel? It’s an all-senses experience rather than a walk-and-talk experience.
She continues that she has been more aware of the practice for her specific occupation and has more of a mental health background and education. Petitte implements forest bathing with the children’s environmental education groups which she facilitates around the 110-acre park. A few of these gatherings occur in the evening, where youth experience an abbreviated guided hike listening to sounds, surrounding smells, and the like. “It becomes more mindful for these fifth graders. By and large, the kids welcome the experience,” she says.
With such a large outdoor area, which both Gesse and Petitte use to hold guided forest bathing sessions among the leaves, is it possible to do this in a heavily trafficked urban park with the world colliding around you? I mention that my habitat might have a body of water but is still miles from a copse of birch.
Jennifer Walsh of New York City says it’s possible. Walsh, the entrepreneurial brain behind Beauty Bar, a business that became a multimillion-dollar endeavor and which she sold in 2010, has built a sizable following with her Walk with Walsh programs. These primarily corporate events (although individuals can book) take place in Central Park, the green beating heart of the Big Apple. Amongst the most visited public land in the United States, with an estimated 43 million traversing 843 acres, how does she find solitude for her clients?
Moving the thick auburn tresses from her face and pushing up the matching glasses on her nose, she begins, “I’m a beauty and wellness expert, and I’m running or walking every day through this park. I would meet my
“A lot of reciprocity goes on with a human being walking through the trees. For instance, when we exhale, the tree takes in our air and exhales what we breathe in. It’s this reciprocity in providing clean, fresh air and helping to clear the mind.”
— Jennifer Foley, owner of Balanced Soul
Previous and this page: Experiencing the forest. (Forest Therapy Hub)
friends. One day, I noticed the lavender, ginkgo and bee balm plants used in our beauty products were all around us. I was doing everything but focusing on myself.”
She continues, “I began a health program, Walk with Walsh, where I talked to business leaders and CEOs about how to be a healthy leader. They all said, ‘Why don’t I get outside more?’ In 2017, I started deep diving into walking in nature.”
The Bronx-born businesswoman laughs. “Look, I’m not going to make New Yorkers hug trees or touch the water, but ever since the pandemic, these brands want their leadership to connect.”
For 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the client and their session, Walsh begins the process by having the individuals turn off their phones. Then she asks questions like: How are you feeling? Anxious? Calm? Upset? Directing the participants to open their senses, Walsh tells them to use their eyes, nose and ears to experience Central Park.
“When in the greenery, we can almost taste the air. What does it smell like? A plant or a flower? It’s about being mindful. What does the breeze feel like? Do the leaves gently wave? My next question after some time is, how do you feel now? I teach birdsongs and the effect they have on the brain. If it’s raining, how does the moisture feel, or is it cold? We observe our breathing.”
She talks about phytoncides, naturally occurring essential oils that protect plants from insects. She says that when people breathe in these chemicals, their bodies respond by boosting their immune systems. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, phytoncides increase the number of a type of white blood cell called natural killer cells. These cells eradicate tumors and virus-infected cells in the human body. In one study, increased killer cells prolonged their activity for more than 30 days from a forest bathing trip that lasted for three days and two nights. Researchers are exploring whether forests can help prevent different types of cancer after prolonged woodland immersion.
Indianapolis’s Jennifer Foley, owner of Balanced Soul, which describes itself as “a well-being collaborative that provides integrated opportunities for a more natural and spiritual approach to health, said this about forest bathing: “A lot of reciprocity goes on with a human being walking through the trees. For instance, when we exhale, the tree takes in our air and exhales what we breathe in. It’s this reciprocity in providing clean, fresh air and helping to clear the mind.”
While Foley received training to become a forest bathing practitioner, it is also in her bones. “Importantly, beyond the training, I grew up in the woods. It’s my place to connect spiritually. Hopefully, [my clients] can find that same connection in their experience with me, take somebody else out find that as a part of their well-being tool kit or process to help keep themselves well, too.
When we end our conversation, Foley echoes the sentiment shared by Walsh, Gesse and Petitte: “It’s a great way to bring in other aspects of living besides being in a building.”
“My previous life was in the corporate world where you try and control systems,” comments Gesse. “One of the most important elements that I have learned is that I have realized my lack or loss of a sense of control, meaning we don’t control anything. The forest can act as a psychological mirror offering plenty of metaphors for life. And what we try to do for our trainers is to show this and give them tools and techniques which they can use for their clients and themselves.” n
RECOMMENDED READING
In addition to Dr. Qing Li’s book—Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness—we suggest: Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature by M. Amos Clifford
The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams
Find these titles and more in your local bookstore or on IndieBound.org or as audiobooks on Libro.fm.
For More Information
Balanced Soul offers urban retreats and forest bathing events; BalancedSoulIndy.com
Forest Therapy Hub is a global network offering training (to become a certified forest bathing guide, among other topics); ForestTherapyHub.com
Walk with Walsh offers wellness walks in New York City; WalkWithWalsh.com
Bradford Woods is Indiana University’s 2,500-acre wooded campus offering experiential and therapeutic programs to people of all backgrounds and abilities; BradfordWoods.iu.edu
Brian Garrido has written food stories for LA Weekly, Clever Root and DailyMeal.com. He moved to Indy from Los Angeles with two dogs and his partner, Nick.
CRUSH
C’EST DÉLICIEUX
Hoosier pastry chef brings Parisian treats back home
words: Francine Spiering | photography: Elizabeth Hannah Studios
There is something infinitely soothing about working with dough. This goes for all doughs, but pastry chef Chantell Kayodd’s favorite is puff pastry: rolling it out, folding in dry butter, resting, repeating, creating the many layers that give the dough its French name: feuilletée.
“It’s oddly therapeutic,” she says. “And I would rather make 100 croissants than make a batch of macarons.”
Puff pastry even inspired the name of her business: Beurre Sec. Beurre sec (dry butter) refers to the pliable butter with a high fat content preferred by chefs to laminate pastry.
Kayodd, who grew up in Marion County with a Ukrainian mother and Iranian father, is well-versed in making myriad pastries and desserts and her creations would turn heads even in Parisian patisseries. She trained in Paris at the pastry program of Le Cordon Bleu as well as taking bread essentials at Ferrandi. She returned to Indiana as a highly skilled pastry chef capable of turning out artisanal breads, layering cakes with the smoothest mousses and creating all manner of viennoiseries (breakfast pastries such as chocolatine, croissant and brioche).
Kayodd puts together flavors that wow—her passionfruit tart featured here is but one example.
Just look at her Instagram posts to know artistry is her second nature. Her decoration skills and natural flair for color are evident in all her creations, from complex entremets to delicate mignardises (bite-sized desserts). Her family gravitates towards arts, she says, and they inspire her. In fact, her brother, a graphic designer, helped her create the brand identity for Beurre Sec.
Kayodd currently only does pop-ups at Lulu’s Coffee and Bakehouse located in northern Indianapolis. She worked at the bakery prior to embarking on her Paris pastry adventure and knows its owner, Sejal Patel, well. “Sejal Patel is amazing and so generously lets me use her kitchen space,” Kayodd says. “She’s the best employer I’ve ever had and truly cares about her staff.”
She is working on finding a retail space for Beurre Sec, where she plans to offer a regular menu of a few staple items, adding seasonal items that will change every few months. There will be breads and cakes galore, but the puff pastry lover reveals: “Viennoiseries will be the primary focus of Beurre Sec.”
Follow Beurre Sec on Instagram @beurre_sec
Pop-ups at Lulu’s Coffee and Bakehouse | 2292 W. 86th St. | Indianapolis
Follow Lulu’s Coffee and Bakehouse on Instagram @luluscoffeeandbake
Opposite: Chantell Kayodd with some of her divine edible works of art.
PASSIONFRUIT COCONUT TART
recipe: Chantell Kayodd
Makes 1 tart
Tart crust
Coconut frangipane
Passionfruit curd
DECORATION
Italian meringue
Toasted desiccated coconut
Lime zest
Edible flowers
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10-inch round fluted nonstick tart pan with the tart dough. Ensure there are no cracks when lining the pan; trim off excess dough from the edge. Then dock the bottom dough of the pan with a fork.
Spread the coconut frangipane halfway into the pan, leaving space for the curd. Bake tart crust with frangipane for 15–20 minutes; the frangipane should look golden brown on top and the crust should begin to take on a golden color as well. Pull out the tart and let cool for 10 minutes.
Lower the oven to 325° and fill the tart up to the rim with the passionfruit curd. Bake for 12 minutes, till set; the center should barely jiggle. Let cool to room temperature.
Decorate the tart with Italian meringue using a piping tip (any you prefer). If you have one, use a kitchen blow torch to torch meringue (or you can substitute meringue with whipping cream).
Decorate with lime zest, toasted desiccated coconut and edible flowers.
TART CRUST
7 tablespoons (100g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2 cups (230g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar
⅓ cup (30g) almond flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg (50g)
Add all the ingredients except the egg into a mixer bowl with paddle attachment. Mix dry ingredients with the butter until a crumbly/ sandy mixture is achieved, around 3 minutes. Then add in the egg and mix on low speed until combined. It should look like cookie dough; make sure to not over-mix.
Take out the dough and roll it between 2 pieces of parchment paper about ⅛ inch (2–3 mm) thick, larger than your tart shell. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
Dough can be made a month ahead and kept in the freezer. Any excess dough can be reused to make sable cookies.
COCONUT FRANGIPANE
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter (room temp)
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (85g) white sugar
½ cup (48g) almond flour
⅓ cup (37g) desiccated coconut
1 (50g) egg, room temperature
In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 7 minutes. Then add in the egg and mix until fully incorporated. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Cover and set aside. Frangipane can be made a month ahead. Wrap the mixture tightly and store in the freezer. When ready to use, leave it in the fridge overnight then take it out and rest at room temperature till softened. Place it in a mixer bowl with paddle attachment to achieve a spreadable consistency.
Add everything except the butter in a saucepan (or you can use the hot water bath (au bain-marie) method) and mix on very low heat with a whisk till combined. Cook while whisking constantly on low heat for 5 minutes, then increase heat to medium-low and continue to cook till a thick soup-like consistency is achieved. Be careful not to cook at too high of a heat or the eggs will begin to scramble. Take off the heat and strain into a container. Add in your butter and immersion blend until smooth. Cover and set aside. Curd can be made 3 days ahead. You can use a store-bought lemon curd instead of passionfruit as a substitute.
ITALIAN MERINGUE
2 large (65g) egg whites
⅔ cup (134g) white sugar
4 tablespoons (50g) water
Put sugar and water in a saucepan and use a thermometer to cook the sugar syrup to 245°F. Place egg whites in a mixer bowl with whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed; when the sugar syrup is about ready (at 245°), increase to high speed and pour in the sugar syrup slowly between the edge of the bowl and the whisk. Whisk on high speed till meringue has cooled down and stiff peaks form, about 5–10 minutes.
To simplify this recipe, you can substitute this meringue with whipping cream.
GROWING IN SUBURBIA
Permaculture rules on an old family farm
words: Ramona K. Mazanec | photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
The more our precious land is paved over, the less local food is available.
When I picked up the phone and my husband started off by saying “First of all, I’m OK,” I knew it wouldn’t be good news.
My husband, Warren, and I are working on restoring my great-grandmother’s farm in Westfield, just north of Indianapolis, using the principles of permaculture. These include selfsufficiency, closed-loop systems for waste, creatively using and responding to change as well as caring for others and the Earth.
Roots
My family has deep roots on this land. My maternal great-grandmother, Rachel Emma Barker, purchased part of the land with the money she had earned by working as a nurse, adding to the land my greatgrandfather had already purchased. They passed it down to their daughters—my grandmother Leanna Kathryn and her sister Mary Elizabeth—and it has been in my family now for more than 160 years. I did not grow up in Westfield but in South America, on a dairy farm in rural eastern Bolivia, in a little town called Santiago de Chiquitos. My parents, both Quakers from Hamilton County, moved there independently and raised children and cows on a farm called Panorama, where they still reside. As a little girl I milked cows, pulled weeds, mucked the calf pen and sold what I would tell the tourists was the best yogurt south of the Equator.
Every year or two we would come to the States and visit family, staying with my grandparents in Westfield. I especially remember how my grandmother would drive me around in her white Subaru telling me how all the houses popping up were too close together. She would tell me stories about her father, born in the 1860s, driving around with her and saying, “Look at all this land taken out of cultivation.”
Responding to change
Warren is a Navy veteran and we met in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico in 2020. On our third date, we drove around looking at undeveloped land, talking about what we could do with some space of our own using his studies in land use optimization and restoration and my farm upbringing. Our conversations since have often highlighted the importance of good local food in building a community.
We moved into the old yellow farmhouse in late 2021. We brought our four chickens—Amy, Beth, Meg and Jo, named for the protagonists from Little Women—in the back of a U-Haul trailer along with a lot of big dreams about dairy cows, vast gardens and keeping a nearly 80-acre farm on the edge of the city from being sold off and torn down by developers.
Soon after moving in, we met Lynsey Johnston, founder of Peaceful and Practical Edible Gardens, at a winter sowing class she was teaching at her home. We immediately felt a connection with Lynsey sharing many of the same environmental ideals. She is a believer of using permaculture and her knowledge of local climates to help build successful and sustainable foodscapes. Her expertise continues to educate us on the plants to be sown each season and how to rebuild the soil quality after years of row-cropping have depleted its nutrients. Lynsey is continually providing creative solutions and finding ways to farm more sustainably.
Opposite: Ramona and Warren Mazanec
When Warren called me on that fateful day, he had been out feeding the animals and had just gone back inside for a second cup of coffee. All of the sudden, Warren heard the freight train sound of the wind, turned around, and then watched through the kitchen window as most of the lean-to and half of
the barn roof flew through where he had been standing moments before, then bounced off the well pump and gutters and smashed through the electric fence before crash-landing in the north field. It was incredible he wasn’t hurt. If we had had our animals indoors rather than out to grab the first few bites of spring grass, I’m not sure how many of them would have survived.
The feed and hay stored in the now-destroyed lean-to were all ruined. Since our animals have access to pasture and are not permanently confined indoors, our only casualty was the ram, Wooliam, who unfortunately ate a stray roofing nail. Our cows sheltered upwind from the barn and our hardy pigs managed the extreme weather that followed without any issues. We believe our implementation of permaculture practices greatly minimized the damage and death caused by this storm.
Since the storm we’ve been pivoting from garden planning to building secondary shelters for our animals and putting up temporary fencing to replace what was lost. We are figuring out how to make it work and, because we already had a plan in place, we have been able to adapt it to our new situation rather than start from scratch.
Minimize waste and cost
Permaculture is all about making do, working with what you have and finding creative solutions by experimenting and testing things out.
We have worked to find ways to improve the soil by using heritage breeds of farm animals, which are resistant to disease and extreme weather as well as generally more resilient and self-sufficient. Every farmer rotates through pasture, but Warren and I have been especially drawn to the Greg Judy method, which prioritizes regenerative agriculture and sustainable ranching via intensive rotational grazing, using mixed herds of sheep, pigs and cattle to improve the soil quality and the overall health and well-being of the animals, since they are end hosts for each other’s parasites.
Integrate
We are growing hardier and varied species on the property. If one crop fails, it is not catastrophic because there is always another that thrives and takes its place. Lynsey plants with careful consideration for how the different plant species will impact each other and give a variety of flavor.
We prioritize hardiness, resilience and self-sufficiency with our animals, but it is a learning curve. We started out with broad-breasted turkeys, finding they grow so quickly their feet will break under their own weight. Both for their sake and ours we are switching to smaller, slower-growing birds such as Heritage Black Turkeys and Bourbon Reds.
The pigs (Doris, Boris and Bertha, with their offspring) are Mangalitsa mixes, a slower-growing species sometimes known as wooly pigs originating from Hungary. They are hardy enough to be outdoors year-round and can handle the temperature swings of Indiana. We have been experimenting with them by having them organically till the soil where our gardens are, taking soil samples before and after. The sows can farrow in the open with minimal shelter, allowing us to plan for them to eventually manage the overgrown wooded areas on our property by tilling and eating the vines and scrub that compete with the trees.
Integrated Pest Management
Our guinea fowl and chickens provide fabulous organic pest management. Guinea fowl are great at preying on ticks, lowering the risks of disease for us and our other animals. The chickens go through the cow pies, tearing them
Want to learn more about permaculture and growing your own foodscapes? Reach out to Lynsey Johnston at PeacefulAndPracticalEdibleGardens.com
apart, removing the flies and their larva and helping to spread the manure with their feet, allowing it to become compost.
Our livestock guardian dogs, Tala and Wheeler, work hard to keep the coyotes and trespassers out, staying between the barn animals and the fence. The contrasts between their fierce guard behavior and their love and affection for us and the other animals always makes me smile.
Interaction and observation
In the year and a half we have been on the farm, we have noticed different indicator species showing up. We are using them as visual markers for the effectiveness of our regenerative farming practices. We’ve spotted red squirrels and chipmunks where there had been none, and an increased presence of deer. This indicates squirrels and chipmunks now have a source of insects and small organisms that are part of their food cycle and for the deer, a higher quality forage attracts them to our area. Last summer when we processed the last batch of turkeys, it was really fascinating to open their crops and see that they were stuffed full of berries, grass and insects. To me, they serve as examples of the progressive transformation of the land.
Self-regulation and feedback
Things are changing faster than ever with agricultural taxes doubling and the pressure increasing for the last few farms in suburbia to be sold so more subdivisions can be built. The more our precious land is paved over, the less local food is available. The more expensive life gets, the harder it will be for people to raise their own food or buy it locally. Local food should be the norm, not a luxury item. I don’t have the answer or what the outcome will be, or even whether a sale might be necessary, but we will continue to do what we do trying to keep the farm alive and build a sustainable life. For us, the ability to cook meat and produce that we grow ourselves, and knowing what the plants and animals went through on their way to our plate, is worthwhile. Knowing our animals live happy lives surrounded by sunlight and grass is important to us and sharing our knowledge with our friends, neighbors and family continues to be our mission in life. There is no price that can be put on that, and no matter what happens, we will never give up on that dream. n
Ramona Mazanec loves language, music and good food and using them to build community. You can find her and Warren on Instagram at @themwfamilyfarm. Visit PeacefulandPracticalEdibleGardens.com to find out more about Lynsey Johnston.
Success Measured in Generations
Permaculture is about caring for the Earth and its inhabitants and sharing the results. It is a slower system of farming that considers the small details, seeking to minimize negative impact even if that might earn a greater profit in the short term. It is a form of stewardship where you consider what is best in the long run for the land, plants and animals you oversee, and then work your hardest to make it happen. You care for your charges and fix what is broken, keeping in mind that successful farming isn’t measured in months or years, but in generations and in what you can leave behind for those who come after you.
Managing Waste Streams in Suburbia
Did you know you could take your cardboard and make “lasagna gardens” by layering earth, compost and cardboard waste? You can compost most of your food waste, all your grass clippings and fall leaves, and create wonderful fertilizer for your gardens.
Did you know pigs and chickens are omnivores? We now have no food waste on the property; it almost all goes straight to their food! Between that and the compost heap, we have a closedloop system—which means that even if something sours or spoils, it is still eventually nourishing us. We still have trash bins, but the amount in them keeps getting smaller.
Garden Aure
The many benefits of lemongrass and nasturtium
words & recipe: Audrey Barron
Lemongrass
When I breathe in the scent of lemongrass, my mood instantly lifts. This aromatic herb, native to regions in Asia and Australia, has been used by cooks and healers for centuries.
Lemongrass is as it sounds: a grass. Unassuming until you brush past it and a bright lemony-sweet scent rises up that is known to help repel mosquitos and ticks. With other names such as Malabar grass, Cochin grass and fever grass, in some circles this herb is known as the queen of aromatics.
If you don’t happen to reside in a hot or tropical climate, lemongrass can be grown in pots outdoors during the summer and brought into the house, if you have enough light, to overwinter. I often see lemongrass starts at our local farmers markets in the spring and it is becoming more common at local nurseries.
You might have experienced lemongrass in your favorite Thai dish, adding a strong aroma, brightening the flavor and giving the meal depth and character.
The aroma alone is enough reason to bring it into your garden and kitchen, but it has an amazing medicinal purpose as well.
Its diuretic properties make it a great herb to reach for when you want to reduce water weight or gently detox.
Including lemongrass in your diet on a regular basis reportedly helps support healthy blood pressure levels and addresses inflammation, especially around arthritic conditions and painful joints. A cup of lemongrass tea can help you get through a cold, reduce a fever by accelerating sweating and even help fight bacterial and fungal infections.
I love the ancient practice of saving the fresh lemongrass leaves in bunches of tied knots to freeze. When I’m ready to make a soup or use the lemongrass for tea, these knotted bunches come in very handy and last for up to a year in the freezer. When you grow your own, you can stock your own cabinet by chopping the leaves and drying to use throughout the year.
You can steep the top green leaves of lemongrass steep for tea or in a broth, as they are too tough to eat. The lower white part of the leaf can be diced and used in sauces or directly in dishes to consume. The fragrant tea can be used in a variety of ways, including desserts like Strawberry Lemongrass Ginger popsicles.
STRAWBERRY LEMONGRASS GINGER POPSICLE
1 (16-ounce) can coconut milk
1 stalk lemongrass, chopped
1 knob fresh ginger, chopped
1 (8-ounce) can coconut cream
½ teaspoon maple syrup
1 pinch sea salt
Zest of 1 lime
3 large strawberries, sliced
Simmer coconut milk, lemon grass and ginger on low for 20–30 minutes. Pour steeped coconut milk through a strainer into a metal bowl. Now add the coconut cream and whisk until smooth. Add in maple syrup, sea salt and lime zest. Put 2–3 slices of strawberries into popsicle molds and gently pour in your coconut mixture. Freeze overnight and enjoy on a warm summer day.
Nasturtium
Nasturtium has been used by gardeners for years to repel aphids and other pests. I can say I’ve had nasturtium planted in my gardens and still had to deal with aphids, but I digress.
This gorgeous flower offers so much more. Its beauty alone adds value to the garden. Pollinators love the red, orange and yellow hues of the nasturtium flower. Its leaves resemble the round nature of a lily pad, yet delicate.
Some varieties creep and vine up or over a trellis.
When we give tours at Wild Moon, I love offering up nasturtium leaves as an edible snack because their peppery flavor often comes as a surprise for folks. The flowers are a bit milder in flavor, while the seeds are even spicier than the leaves. Leaves and flowers can be added to salads, bringing a fun spicy flavor and summery color.
The deep displays of reds, yellows and oranges of the flowers, as well as the strong flavor, are signals that medicine hides inside this garden beauty. Nasturtium is known for helping reduce inflammation in the body.
Along with aiding inflammatory conditions, both the leaves and flowers can support you during cold or flu, specifically helping to expel excess mucus. This could be a possible helper for those summer pollen allergies.
As a tea, nasturtium can also offer relief for those experiencing a urinary tract infection. Perhaps my favorite way to enjoy this herb is simply by adding its leaves and flowers to our summer meals. The flowers will transform any dish to a celebration of summer. n
Audrey Barron is an herbalist and grower of medicinal herbs, mushrooms and trees at her farm Wild Moon Acres in Indianapolis. She offers online and in-person programs and workshops to help humans connect to the earth and learn how to grow and use herbal medicines in daily life. You can find her and more about her program Medicine Woman, at GaiaChef.com, @gaiachef, or visit WildMoonAcres.love, @wild.moon.acres
Do you have a desire to connect to your local community, to local food and plant medicine or have a desire to learn how to start an organic garden?
Wild Moon Acres is a small urban farm 15 minutes from downtown Indianapolis, started by chef and herbalist, Audrey Barron and husband Sam. Established in 2016 and using permaculture and regenerative growing practices to grow fruit trees, elderberry bushes, mushrooms and medicinal herbs.
Offering a variety of programs and workshops centered around herbalism, homesteading, permaculture and more with a mission to provide products and education that support customers in their quest to thrive and live their most vibrant lives.
Wild Moon Acres is open for school field trips and tours.
Find out more at WildMoonAcres.love Follow on Instagram @wild.moon.acres
FRESH & LOCAL 2023
Edible Indy Summer Farm Market Guide
2023. We have more farm and farmers markets than ever and the opportunity to know where our food comes from and to support local farmers, producers and makers. Use this guide to expand your knowledge of some of those markets that deliver Hoosier hospitality, exceptionally fresh products and positive impacts with sustainable practices that truly make a di erence from the ground up. We are all in this together. #LocalTogether
ANDERSON
Anderson City Market
FARM MARKET
802 E. 5th St.
SA 8AM–NOON, MAY–OCT
ARCADIA
Wilson Farm Market FARM MARKET
1720 E. 256th St. WilsonFarmMarket.com
M–SU 9AM–6PM, YEAR ROUND
AVON
Avon Farmers Market
FARM MARKET
8244 E. US Hwy. 36 AvonGov.org
TU 4–7PM, JUNE–SEPT
BATESVILLE
Batesville Farmers Market
FARM MARKET
Main St. & Boehring St. BatesvilleFarmersMarket.com
SA 8AM–NOON, MAY–OCT
BLOOMINGDALE
PAL’s Homestead FARM MARKET
358 N. Main St. PalsHomestead.com
9AM–6PM, APR–OCT
BLOOMINGTON
People’s Cooperative Market FARM MARKET
2420 E. Third St. PeoplesMarketBtown.org
SA 10AM–2PM, EAR ROUND
Woolery Mill FARM MARKET
2250 W. Sunstone Dr. BloomingtonWinterFarmers Market.com
Smoking Goose’s Public Smokehouse SPECIALTY FARM 411 Dorman St shop.smokinggoose.com
M–F 10AM–6PM, SA 9AM–4PM SEE WEBSITE FOR HOLIDAY HOURS YEAR ROUND
Snakeroot Botanicals GARDEN CENTER
1052 Virginia Ave. & 922 E. Westfield Blvd. SnakerootBotanicals.com M–SUN 11AM–7PM, YEAR ROUND
The Original Farmers Market FARM MARKET
222 E. Market St. Indycm.com
W 10AM–1:30PM, MAY–OCT
Alice’s Garden GARDEN CENTER
3205 W. 71st St. AlicesGardenIndy.com YEAR ROUND
SoBro Farmers Market FARM MARKET
49th and College Ave. W 4–7PM, MAY–SEPT
KOKOMO
Kokomo Downtown Farmers’ Market
FARM MARKET
Mulberry St. & Washington St. KokomoFarmersMarket.com SA 9AM–1PM, JUNE–SEPT
LAWRENCEBURG
Lawrenceburg Farmer’s Market FARM MARKET
Walnut St. & High St. DowntownLawrenceburg.com
SA 9AM–1PM, JUNE–OCT
LEBANON
Lebanon City Market FARM MARKET
98 W. Main St.
HeartOfLebanon.org/Lebanon-CityMarket
TU 5–7PM, JUNE–AUG
LINTON
Linton Farmers’ Market FARM MARKET
Humphreys Park LintonFarmersMarket.com
SA 9AM–1PM, MAY–SEPT
MARTINSVILLE
Morgan County Farmers’ Market / Martinsville FARM MARKET
460 S. Main St. MCfarmers.org
SA 9AM–1PM, MAY–SEPT
MONTICELLO
Monticello Farmers Market FARM MARKET
120 W. Washington St. MonticelloINFarmersMarket.Weebly.com
SA 9AM–NOON, MAY–OCT
MOORESVILLE
Morgan County Farmers’ Market / Mooresville FARM MARKET
50 N. Monroe St. MCfarmers.org
TU 3–6PM, MAY–SEPT
MUNCIE
Farmers Market at Minnetrista FARM MARKET
1200 N. Minnetrista Pkwy. Minnetrista.net
SA 8AM–NOON, MAY–OCT
5717
IndianapolisOrchard.com
NASHVILLE
Nashville Indiana Farmers Market FARM MARKET
Brown County Inn, 51 SR 46 NashvilleIndianaFarmersMarket.com
SU 11AM–2PM, MAY–OCT
New Albany Farmers Market FARM MARKET
202 E. Market St New Albany NewAlbanyFarmersMarket.com
SA 8AM–NOON, APR–OCT
NOBLESVILLE
Full Hand Farm
FARM
3844 State Rd. 13 N. FullHandFarm.com
Noblesville Farmers Market FARM MARKET
Federal Hill Commons 175 Logan St. NoblesvilleMainStreet.org
SAT 8AM–NOON, MAY–OCT
Teter Organic Farm FARM 10980 E. 221st St. TeterOrganicFarm.com BY APPOINTMENT, MAY–OCT
PENDELTON
Pendleton Indiana Farmers Market FARM MARKET
Falls Park Dr. (Main entrance of Falls Park to Pendleton Historical Museum) Facebook.com/ PendletonIndianaFarmersMarket
SA 8AM–NOON, MAY–OCT
PLAINFIELD
Plainfield Chamber Farmers Market
FARM MARKET
105 S. East St. Plainfield-In.com/Plainfield-ChamberFarmers-Market
W 4–7PM, JUNE–SEPT
RICHMOND
Richmond Farmers Market
FARM MARKET
47 N. 6th St. RichmondIndiana.gov/resources/farmersmarket
SA 8AM–NOON, YEAR ROUND
ROCKVILLE
Parke County Farmers Market FARM MARKET
401 E. Ohio St.
SA 9AM–1PM, JUNE–SEPT
RUSHVILLE
Heart of Rushville Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market FARM MARKET
223 N Main St.
SA 9AM–12:30PM, MAY–SEPT
SEYMOUR
Seymour Area Farmers Market FARM MARKET
105 S. Chestnut St.
SeymourChamber.com/Farmers-Market/ W & SAT 8AM–NOON, MAY–AUG
SHELBYVILLE
Shelby County Farmers Market FARM MARKET
18 N. Harrison St. MainStreetShelbyville.org
SA 8AM–NOON, JUNE–SEPT
SPENCER
Owen County Farmers’ Market FARM MARKET
459 W. Morgan St. OwenCountyFarmersMarket.com
SA 8:30AM–NOON, MAY–OCT
WABASH
Wabash Farmers Market FARM MARKET
275 W Market St DowntownWabash.org
SA 8AM–NOON, MAY–SEPT
WHITESTOWN
Whitestown Farmers Market FARM MARKET
4286 S. Main St. Whitestown.In.gov
TH 5PM–8PM, JUNE–AUG
ZIONSVILLE
WonderTree Farm FARM
2280 S. US 421 WonderTreeFarm.com
TU & F 10AM–1PM, TH 3–6PM YEAR ROUND
Zionsville Farmers’ Market FARM MARKET
Corner of W. Pine St. & Main St. ZionsvilleFarmersMarket.org
SA 8–11:30AM, MAY–SEPT
DOG DAYS of Summer
Making homemade dog food
words & photography: Jennifer L. Rubenstein
Your dog is an extension of your family, a loyal friend who will greet you at the end of the day and love you unconditionally all while licking your hands, feet and face. Dogs make us happy and we make them happy. Making your own dog food at home is affordable, a way to monitor what and how much they are eating and to show them how much you care.
A few things to note:
• With any new food, pay attention to any reactions they have to the ingredients.
• A good rule of thumb is to 25–30% protein, 50% carbohydrates, 10% fiber and 10% fat.
• You can incorporate ¼ teaspoon of cod liver up to three times per week to help with cancer prevention.
• When I use this for Josie, our Catahoula Leopard dog, I mix 1 cup with 1 cup of dry food in the morning only. If you do not use a dry dog food, please add in calcium citrate to the food.
• If you have organ meat (liver, kidney, heart, for instance), you can cook it with the rest for added protein.
• Any of the below ingredients can be combined. For example, you can use 1 cup rice, 1 cup lentils and 1 cup barley to make the 3 cups of carbohydrates.
• The weight of your dog determines the amount to feed them each day. Please consult your veterinarian if you have questions.
FIDO’S FOOD
Makes 21 (1-cup) servings
3 cups cooked lentils, rice or barley
3 pounds protein (ground lean turkey, chicken or salmon)
2 cups frozen or fresh chopped vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans and corn)
1 cup cooked, frozen or canned butternut squash, pumpkin or sweet potatoes
½ cup chicken, beef or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, coconut oil or salmon oil
1,500 mg calcium citrate (if you are not mixing with dry food)
Cook lentils, rice or barley as directed and set aside. Sauté protein over medium heat until cooked through. Add in vegetables, squash, pumpkin or sweet potatoes, broth and oil and cook until everything is softened. Add in the lentils, rice or barley plus the calcium citrate; mix. Allow to cool and portion out the amount you want for your dog for 7 days; freeze the remainder.
Instant Pot: Put all ingredients in the Instant Pot and cook for 10 minutes with a 10-minute slow release.
Note: When I am serving Josie her food, I like to warm her 1 cup in the microwave for 30 seconds and mix it with her dry food.
