Our Green Plate / Summer 2017

CHICAGO / NORTHWEST

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reen plate

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PREMIERE ISSUE SUMMER 2017

Farm Dinners Open-air feasts capture the season

Seasonal Recipes

CSA & Farmers Markets Bringing in the bounty

Meet Local Artisans

Live the season. Celebrate our local table.

Fresh Food l

Friendly Service l

Hard Work

Rooted in Old World Values

Family-Owned and Operated

Valli is named after founder Alfredo Presta’s home, a small farm town in Calabria, Italy. In 1977 with his nephew Guido, Alfredo opened his first produce store in Chicago. Drawing on his Valli roots and knowledge of farming, he dedicated his business to treating people like family, working hard and delivering the freshest food.

In 1989, Alfredo partnered with his two nephews, Lou Tenuta and Frank Chilelli. Together they opened the first Valli Produce in Arlington Heights. Since then the business has grown to include several more family members and five more stores. Through its growth, the Presta family has never lost sight of its humble Valli roots.

Glendale Heights Evanston

6 locations to serve the northwest suburban community

Hoffman Estates

Rockford Arlington Heights Loves Park

valliproduce.com

ContentsX 10

22

FE AT URE S M E ET T H E A RT I S A N

ALCHEMY & AMBIENCE 6

16

Fred Robinson and Jose Hernandez stir up pre-Prohibition magic at Copper Fiddle Distillery.

DINNER ON THE FARM 10 This summer, capture the season at an open-air feast and celebrate the pleasure of slow food.

YOUR CSA 16 Behind the acronym, a boxful of reasons to join a CSA farm.

28 DE PA RT M E NT S WHAT’S ON OUR PLATE | The Cucumber 4 IN THE YARD | Edible Landscape 26

M E ET T H E A RT I S A N

ONE SMALL THING | Kombucha 28

THE DUKE ABIDES 22

THE LOCAL LIST | Farmers Markets 30

Zak Dolezal sets the locally sourced bar with iconic gastropub, Duke’s Alehouse & Kitchen.

BRAIN FOOD | Animal, Vegetable, Miracle 32

ON THE COVER: Photograph by Brian Donahue / Styling by Catherine Chifflot Nealey

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

E

ver wonder how the food on your plate got there? I used to know. Having been raised on a farm, I grew up picking sweet corn and making applesauce. I milked cows­— ok, I only milked once. But I canned beans, weeded the family garden and did the things farm kids do. The food on my plate was mostly from our farm. I didn’t think much of it and I certainly never thought I would publish a magazine on the subject.

In the intervening decades, I became disconnected with food — with how it was produced and with the people producing it. I suspect I am like many of us. As the United States built a food system unlike any in the world, we happily enjoyed the food we wanted, whenever we wanted, from wherever it came. We lost track of our food. However, something was amiss, which gave way to larger questions about the industrial food path the U.S. had followed. In recent decades, we have seen health statistics, which once rose so encouragingly, turn dismally downward. Rates of diabetes, obesity, and allergen-related illnesses (to name just a few) continue their unrelenting rise. Now we find ourselves enduring a health care system straining under the weight of unwell citizens. Local communities and family farms suffered as money spent on food and drink was shipped to distant locales or lost in corporate boardrooms. Fixated on efficiency and relying on cross-country shipping, America was no longer producing great-tasting or nourishing food.

So, I stopped taking the food on my plate for granted and started looking for sustainably produced options that had been grown or produced in my region. I asked friends and neighbors what they knew about eating healthier, better-tasting food and where I could find trustworthy options. I am beyond thrilled by what I found right in my backyard. Turns out, there are scores of individuals, businesses, farms, schools, organizations and grass-root initiatives committed to reestablishing a local and sustainably based economy.

And consumers are driving the demand. Perhaps we feel the need to reassert some control over our lives — over what we buy, where it comes from, and how it was produced. Perhaps, it’s our simple desire to eat better-tasting, healthier food — or it’s our consciences directing us to foster production that provides a sustainable future for ourselves and for the planet. Whatever the case might be, consumers from all walks of life are coming to the table.

Our mission at Our Green Plate is to help readers reconnect with their food and drink by generating an awareness for the locally produced options available. We want to be a gathering place where readers 2 | OUR GREEN PLATE

PHOTO: CATHERINE CHIFFLOT NEALEY

Welcome to Our Green PlateX can meet the remarkable artisans, farmers, chefs, purveyors and retailers who are producing and creating better choices. Being a locavore is driven by a larger ambition to live a more natural life. To that end, we hope to educate readers through our local gardeners, herbalists, and experts — sharing their advice and suggestions on living healthier, simpler lives. We will also cover challenging questions and very real obstacles facing localized and decentralized food systems.

Our Green Plate will be published quarterly, in step with the seasons and filled with recipes and articles informed by the area’s innovative chefs, cooks, gardeners, farmers, winemakers, and brewers. We will also touch upon Chicago’s world-class chefs as they continue to set the bar for local sourcing and seasonal dining. It was, after all, Chicago’s own Rick Bayless who put his fork in the ground and insisted on local and sustainably produced food.

While we celebrate the bounty of the entire Northern Illinois foodshed, our circulation is focused in the northwest and western suburbs of Chicago.

Woodstock Crystal Lake

McHenry

Wauconda Lake Zurich

Cary Algonquin

Libertyville

Long Grove The Barringtons Palatine

West Dundee East Dundee

Arlington Heights

Schaumburg

Elgin

St Charles Geneva Batavia Warrenville

Chicago

our

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR Pam Sandbulte-Meitzler pam@ourgreenplate.com

PHOTO: KILEY HUMBERT

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Dale I. Juffernbruch Hallie Wright CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kristina Anderson Tracie Bedell Left to right: Catherine Chifflot Nealey, Melissa Konopka, Hallie Wright, Brian Donahue, Dale I. Juffernbruch, Ashley Meitzler, Pam Sandbulte-Meitzler

COPY EDITOR/SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Ashley Meitzler CREATIVE DIRECTOR Catherine Chifflot Nealey

Welcome To Our Green Plate’s Premier Issue This is where it begins. Inside you will find thoughtfully written and designed features, columns, and departments created to inform and entertain you. Before you jump in, I want to acknowledge those individuals who made this magazine and our social media outreach possible: Dale I. Juffernbruch, for sharing your knowledge and wisdom of food and the ancestral diet; Catherine Chifflot Nealey for your brilliant creative vision and on-the-spot photography talent; Brian Donahue, my dear friend and superb art director, for designing a gorgeous magazine; Hallie Wright for your sanity-saving moments of levity and wit; Ashley Meitzler for loving the research and running with social media; Missy Konopka for your big smile and for reminding me “it’s bringin’ back what used to be.” Finally, my contributing writers, Tracie Bedell and Kristina Anderson, a big “thank you” for your grace under fire and beautifully written pieces.

On behalf of all of us, we welcome you to Our Green Plate. We are delighted to celebrate the food and drink of our region with you. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram where we will keep you updated on the latest regional fare happenings.

It takes all of us to make our plate green, so if you’re out, please let us know what you’re doing. Post a pic and tag us, or send us an email with thoughts and suggestions.

We’d love to hear from you.

Grab a Plate,

Pam Sandbulte-Meitzler, Editor & Publisher pam@ourgreenplate.com

@ourgreenplate

@ourgreenplate_il

ART DIRECTOR Brian Donahue GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jessica Collette CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Catherine Chifflot Nealey Robin Lietz Hallie Wright Jessica Collette Kiley Humbert MARKETING DIRECTOR Melissa Konopka, info@ourgreenplate.com CONTACT US Our Green Plate, 6 Wood Creek Rd., Barrington, IL 60010 847-829-6985 / info@ourgreenplate.com Our Green Plate is published quarterly by Our Green Plate, LLC. All rights reserved. ©2017 Our Green Plate is distributed by our retail and farm partners throughout Chicago’s northwest and western suburbs and nationally by subscription. Subscription rate is $24 annually, single copies are $4.95 plus postage.

For advertising, subscription, or single copy inquiries, please contact us at the address, email or phone number listed above.

Our Green Plate is printed on Lynx Opaque, a 10% post consumer waste paper. Our printer, eDOC Communications of Mount Prospect, IL is FSC® certified.

SUMMER 2017 | 3

WHAT'S ON OUR PLATE

The Discreet Charm of the

CucumberW T

hey’re rarely described as the life of the party. You never plan anything around them. And yet, when you incorporate them into your meal, they somehow make everything seem a little brighter.

That’s the discreet charm of the cucumber: it makes a fine “wingman,” able to complement nearly any main course while subtly offering its own appeal. In summer, cucumbers are the perfect accompaniment to grilled or spicy dishes. And when a hot day calls for an easy-drinking cocktail, a cucumber margarita or martini is a worthy spin on the traditional versions. Cucumbers’ refreshing clarity is something we could all use a little more of.

Ideally, you’re already buying your cucumbers in their organic form, or growing them yourself.

They are in the top 15 “dirtiest,” or most pesticide-laden, types of produce according to the 2017 Environmental Working Group report. So while peeling them may help, it makes sense to seek out organic. Most grocery stores carry a standard organic garden cucumber, and some also carry organic English cucumbers (the long skinny ones with firm flesh, thin skins, and few or no seeds), or Persian ones (which are the small, slim, mild ones that even vegetable-abstaining children seem to love). For most recipes, any of these will do, although the typical American garden cucumber has the most seeds and can be bitter or less crisp in its largest size. For that reason, I tend to recommend English or Persian cucumbers if available.

It’s also relatively easy to grow your own cucumbers, whether in a container on a sunny balcony or in a small vegetable garden. They can either trail on the ground or be set up to climb a vertical trellis, depending on the varietal and your own level of industriousness.

Since I’m a devotee of less garden labor time, more cooking and eating 4 | OUR GREEN PLATE

time, my cucumbers are allowed to sprawl as they like—much to the chagrin of whomever has to mow the lawn around them at the height of the season. A fine home-cooked meal served with a cold adult beverage generally solves that problem.

To that end, some lamb, salmon, or chicken grilled on the patio on a summer night is even more appealing served with one of the most versatile cucumber sides: a cracking-fresh tzatziki, with cucumbers, mint, and dill from your garden or farmers market. You can use a good quality full fat Greek yogurt from the store, or you may want to try something a little different, such as goat milk yogurt from Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery in Champaign, IL. And if you’re at that point in the summer when you have cucumbers virtually coming out your ears, put them to work in an ice-cold cucumber martini. This one’s made with Willa Organic Vodka, founded in Barrington Hills, IL, made with organic wheat sourced in Italy. Co-owner Chris Doubek and his wife Stephanie kindly shared their recipe with us. The smoothness of the organic vodka and its slightly lower alcohol content—70 proof versus a typical 80 or more—allow the wingman to be appreciated in his own right.

Kristina and her family live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. In their spare time, they are avid gardeners of organic vegetables and native prairie plants, as well as home cooks. They also raise free-range Buff Orpington and Ameracauna hens for eggs, and daydream about raising goats and making cheese.

PHOTOS (OPPOSITE): ROBIN LIETZ / PHOTOAPPETITE.COM, PHOTO STYLING: KARLA SPIES

BY KRISTINA ANDERSON

Tzatziki This is a very flexible recipe; you can make it with or without the herbs, and omit any herb you don’t like or don’t have. If you just have parsley, that’s delicious too. If you like it extra garlicky, add another clove. Bottom line: it’s basically impossible to mess this recipe up!

4 servings 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed

½ cucumber, English preferred

lemon juice

½ tablespoon kosher salt

1 clove garlic, mashed to a paste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

or put through a garlic press

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

olive oil

Peel and grate the cucumber on the large holes of a grater. Place in a small sieve and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then squeeze out all the excess water. Mix the cucumber in a small mixing bowl with the Greek yogurt, garlic, chopped herbs, and lemon juice. Allow to rest in refrigerator for an hour or more before serving to develop flavors. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve on a plate or in a bowl with a little olive oil drizzled on top (optional).

Cucumber Citrus Martini 1 serving 7 ½ tablespoons or a scant

1 lime

½ cup vodka, preferably

lemon bitters (optional)

organic 1 ½ teaspoons cucumber simple syrup* 1 cucumber

Peel and thinly slice the cucumber. Cut the lime into eighths.

Place 4 cucumber slices in the bottom of a cocktail shaker and add the simple syrup. Squeeze in one of the lime pieces and muddle them together.

Fill the shaker with ice, add vodka, cover and shake for about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Add 2 or 3 drops of lemon bitters and garnish with thin slices of cucumber. *For cucumber simple syrup, mix ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water together in a small saucepan. Heat on low, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 5–8 minutes. Remove from heat, add 6 or so cucumber slices. Pour in glass jar and store in the refrigerator up to a week.

SUMMER 2017 | 5

MEET THE ARTISAN

Alchemy & AmbienceW Fred Robinson and Jose Hernandez stir up pre-Prohibition magic at Copper Fiddle Distillery.

BY PAM MEITZLER

W

hat do you get when you mix an architect, a golf pro, and an heirloom violin? If you guessed a mighty fine bourbon, you’re spot on. Copper Fiddle Distillery, a craft distillery located in LakeZurich, is the brainchild of two neighbors, who became friends and are now business partners, Fred Robinson and Jose Hernandez. The idea for a distillery was hatched in the summer of 2012. Since then, they have navigated liquor laws, survived a potato brewing massacre, and co-opted a family heirloom violin on their way to producing award winning spirits.

Their distillery, along IL Route 22 in Lake Zurich, features a cozy and relaxed front bar.

The distilling is done in the rear of the space, which neatly converts to an entertainment area. Their classic handmade copper still and whiskey barrels serve as the backdrop. On any weekend, you can hear great music and enjoy a fine spirit or cocktail. The crowd is friendly.

Our Green Plate interviewed the duo. We asked and they answered many distilling questions. If we missed some, Copper Fiddle offers tours of the distillery on Saturdays.

down the vodka aisle, it’s not even an aisle, it’s an aisle and a half. We discovered the gin aisle, and researched the various types of gin. At the time, virtually 98% or 99% was a version of a London Dry. What people don’t realize is that there was a style before London Dry, which was virtually 100% of the marketplace. People are rediscovering the Genever style again. It is the original gin and a much more soft, much more complex spirit.

And it’s a gin that when most people try it, they love it. It happens every weekend. People will walk in here and go, “Oh, I didn’t know there was another style other than London Dry. Genever, what’s that?”

How does a whiskey become a bourbon?

Jose: It’s got to be over 51% corn. It’s got to

be 160 proof. It’s got to go into a barrel under 125 proof, and it’s got to go into a new charred white American oak barrel that can only be used once.

Fred: And it’s made in America.

How long does it take to finesse a recipe?

Jose: That depends on the product. It could

take two months to six months to figure out a recipe.

Fred: Yeah, to start with, you know, we were in his garage. We were working in that still Jose Hernandez (left) over there, that’s baby gin. It has a certain and Fred Robinson which is a Genever style gin. It’s not a London capability. It can do some things great, it Dry. It’s much more palatable, not just juniper berry. All of our gins can’t do other things. It can’t make vodka. Stainless steel, 13 gallon, are Genever style gins. Then we have Tom Gin, again a Genever style two inch column. It worked great. It started us, right? We’d put gin, but Tom Gin is also barrel aged. Most gins before 1920, before this much grain in the mash, then we’d put this much grain in the prohibition, were barrel gins. And the Bourbon Whiskey, classic. mash. And finally, we hit the, “this is our bourbon recipe, this is Those three right there were the first three products we produced. damn good.” So we keep that recipe. Making small batches, 250 The other three are: the hot gin, the spiced gin, Fyren Gin, which is bottles at a time. one of a kind in the US--and the two rums, the Silver and the Gold.

Jose: There’s nothing I would do to any of our six products to change it.

Fred: No, I mean our bourbon was awarded the Gold Medal by The You developed pre-Prohibition style spirits, with the Genever Fifty Best and just last month won bronze from ADI, which is the style and also the barrel aged Tom Gin. Did you set about American Distilling Institute. These are nation-wide judging contests. to do that deliberately?

So if your product’s out there winning medals...

Jose: That was a deliberate decision. Because when you walked 6 | OUR GREEN PLATE

PHOTO: LAURIE WILHOIT, CALL ME SOCIAL BUTTERFLY

OGP: Copper Fiddle Distillery now has six products, which spirit did you start with?

Jose: We started with three spirits. Fiddle Gin,

The bar at Copper Fiddle Distillery, Lake Zurich. Inset: live music in the distilling room.

PHOTOS: LAURIE WILHOIT, CALL ME SOCIAL BUTTERFLY

What is the beauty of small batches?

Jose: Craft distilling is very similar in nature to high end cabernet. I’ll

use cabernet as an example. You can use it with any grape or wine style.

Let’s say you go to a Silver Oak Cellars. One year their wine is going to be rated an 88, another year, a 92. It’s still the same grape, grown in the same soil, but there is variance. Our biggest variance is the barrel.

Industrial producers buy their wood consistently and presumably come up with a barrel that’s identical almost all the time. We don’t that ability. But quite frankly, we have people walking in the door and ask, “How’s batch 33 tasting?” and I’ll tell them, “Oh, it’s tasting a little bit this way, tasting a little bit that way, it’s a little different.” And they say, “Oh, I like that, I’m going to take a couple of bottles. So is that a negative for us? Hell no, it’s a positive.

Of the spirits that you make, which is the hardest to make?

Fred: The Fyren Gin, I have to do those peppers individually. Recipe

wise, there’s a small variance between the Fiddle Gin and the Fyren Gin. But, you’ve got to add that serrano pepper. I’ve got to cut each one of those peppers, and I’ve got to roast it with a blowtorch. Our bourbon and our gins are made with the same mash. When we fill that fermentation tank up and add the yeast, it’s down the road a couple

weeks, that will get turned into moonshine, which is what bourbon is before it goes in the barrel--moonshine and gin.

Jose: The easiest to make is the rum, because the rum doesn’t go through a mashing process. Rum, you’re starting with sugar and molasses. For the other products, we’re converting grain starch to sugar.

So the other four are probably the hardest.

How long does the mash process take?

Jose: Mashing is about a 10 hour process.

Where do you source your corn, rye, barley, and wheat?

Jose: Locally sourced, on demand.

How many different botanicals do you use?

Jose: It’s seven different botanicals for all three gins. We do the juniper

last. The juniper has to be over 51%. But, you’ve got coriander, orange peel, lemon peel, angelica root, orris root, Asian star anise.

What’s been the biggest challenge in your distillery, at this point?

Jose: I would say the biggest challenge right now is state and federal

regulations. A lot of paperwork, a lot of waiting.

SUMMER 2017 | 7

PHOTO: COURTESY OF COPPER FIDDLE DISTILLERY

Fred: Distribution is also a big challenge.

Jose: Let’s clarify that, local distribution is the biggest challenge.

In Illinois we have a three tier system. We have to go through a distributor to get our product into any restaurant or bar. It’s difficult for small craft distilleries because distributors want to buy and sell larger quantities, but maybe a bar just wants to stock two or three bottles from a craft distillery.

Fred: The bar across the street runs out of booze. They walk over here, but I can’t sell them any booze. They’ve got to wait two weeks for my distributor to restock them. And you see, your microbreweries and your small wineries, they can self-distribute. We cannot. So we’re looking for parity for one thing.

What’s your favorite part of the production process?

Fred: You want to know what gives me the most satisfaction? It hap-

pens usually on a weekend, usually on a Saturday afternoon. We’ve given a couple tours up here and the place has got people in it, everybody’s having a cocktail. Jose and I are in the back, and we hear the laughter. People having fun out in this room.

Jose: I have the exact same feelings, with one addition. To me, I’m very satisfied when I see a customer that’s already purchased a bottle in the store, come back and buy a couple more bottles. Maybe it’s the same, or maybe it’s something that he originally wasn’t going to try, but because the reaction to the first purchase was so good.

What you think sets your spirits apart from others?

Fred: We’ve been asked about competition a lot. Aren’t you afraid of

the competition? Well, there’s no competition in a way, because our recipe is our recipe. We kill them with service, man.

8 | OUR GREEN PLATE

Jose: We make one product that’s the only one of its kind in the US.

That’s the Fyren Gin.

When did you realize this is going to work, that people like what we’re making?

Fred: Yeah, it was one afternoon on Thursday or something, and

I called Jose and I said, “Dude, we sold four cocktails and a bottle.”

Jose: Now we’re pushing the limit at 300 cocktails and 20 bottles in one day.

Fred: It just kind of built. We caught some breaks. The Daily Herald put us front page, Travis, our first bartender, he was a crazy guy.

He was like a show. So he created this kind of, “you’ve got to go to Copper Fiddle and see this guy make drinks.” And then we started the live music. Treat them right, great service, good drinks, good music. Guess what?

Copper Fiddle’s newest gin is called Fyren Gin (pronounced fire-engine) It’s based on the Fiddle Gin, with a slight variation, and the added botanical, a roasted serrano pepper. The result is a Genever style gin with a refined balance of flavor and heat. Here’s a great cocktail recipe using Fyren Gin. Think spicy martini...

DRINK LOCAL: In addition to Copper Fiddle Distillery, our region supports several quality craft distilleries. Here are a few: KOVAL Distillery, Ravenswood; North Shore Distillery, Lake Bluff; Fox River Distilling Company, Geneva; Wondertucky Distillery, Woodstock; Blaum Bros., Galena.

PAM MEITZLER wrote this article and conducted the interview, which has been edited for length and clarity.

Copper Fiddle’s “Sweet Heat” 1 serving 2 ounces (¼ cup) Copper Fiddle Fyren Gin fresh mint juice from ½ lime ¼ ounce (1½ teaspoons) bar syrup or sugar cube

In the bottom of a cocktail shaker muddle mint, fresh lime juice, and syrup or sugar cube.

Add ice cubes and 2 ounces of Fryen Gin. Shake and strain into martini glass.

Garnish with mint sprig and enjoy.

PHOTO: HALLIE WRIGHT

Copper Fiddle Distillery 532 W. IL Rte. 22, Lake Zurich, IL CopperFiddleDistillery.com 847-847-7609

SUMMER 2017 | 9

Dinner on theW

FARM This summer, capture the season at an open-air feast and celebrate the pleasure of slow food.

BY TRACIE E. BEDELL

10 | OUR GREEN PLATE

A City Mouse Changes Her Tune Whether working with my family’s catering company, as co-owner of a food truck, and now as a caterer, I appreciate where food comes from but have never been totally comfortable with looking a pig in the eye knowing it will become pork chops. I will admit, though, that my experience with farm dinners has changed my attitude toward eating in general and reinforced my belief that sharing a meal carries a significant meaning, in addition to being an incredibly enjoyable way to spend my time.

I was invited to my first farm dinner by a college friend, whose family owned a farm in Indiana. They extended an invitation to the entire community, but kept the final guest count small, not because they were worried about feeding everyone, but because they wanted to make it a meaningful gathering. I did not know what to expect before I arrived. Were we actually going to be eating in a barn? Would it smell? Yes, we ate in a “barn,” but it was an outbuilding used to store equipment, not animals, which had been decked out with Christmas lights and communal tables. After walking around the farm and seeing for myself exactly how dedicated my friend’s family was to caring for the livestock, treating them humanely and respecting the livelihood they afforded, I was able to put my anxieties aside and enjoy the evening.

PHOTO: ESENAM PHOTOGRAPHY

C

arlo Petrini, an Italian journalist and activist, started the “slow food” movement in his native Italy in 1989 to protest the opening of a McDonald’s near the famed Spanish Steps in Rome. He and others saw the creeping culture of fast food as detrimental to humans as a species. One of the core beliefs of Slow Food International, the organization founded by Petrini, with more than 160 chapters worldwide, is “by understanding where our food comes from, how it was produced and by whom, adults and children can learn how to combine pleasure and responsibility in daily choices and appreciate the cultural and social importance of food.”

In the postwar United States, however, the focus on food production and consumption has been on speed, economy, convenience, and consistency. Think about it: We pioneered frozen vegetables, TV dinners, and fast food. Over the last 10 years, it has been encouraging to see chefs use and promote artisanal and local ingredients in their menus, opening more diners’ eyes (and mouths) to the awesomeness of slow food. Therefore, it seems only natural for growers and producers to invite the public out to their own “farm dinners” to gain a better understanding of where the food comes from, how it is produced, and by whom.

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): HERITAGE PRAIRIE FARM, PAM MEITZLER (2), ESENAM PHOTOGRAPHY, PAM MEITZLER

Clockwise from top left: Farm Dinner at Heritage Prairie Farm; Farm Tour at Mint Creek Farm; Easter Brunch, Mint Creek & Greenhouse B&B; Summer fare, Heritage Prairie Farm; Old shed at Greenhouse B&B; Entertainment at Easter brunch

“ This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.”

—Alice Waters, chef, activist, and author

SUMMER 2017 | 11

Farm Dinner Basics Given the rich agricultural history of Illinois, it is exciting to see the number of farms extending invitations to the public to participate in farm dinners. The dinners are as different as the farms hosting them, but they do have a few things in common. We run down the basics here.

Farm Dinner Season Generally speaking, farm dinners happen from May through October.

However, some farms also host special events around holidays that fall outside that timeframe. For example, Mint Creek Farm (Cabery) invited the public to enjoy Easter brunch with them. In February, Heritage Prairie Farm (Elburn) hosted a special Valentine’s Day dinner in addition to their monthly farm dinners and pizza nights.

Themes and Menus The goal of farm dinners is to showcase the products and the grower and producer families. Naturally, it follows that the themes and menus prominently feature the items currently in season. Some farms will have their own crews prepare, cook, and serve the meals. Other farms may partner with local restaurants and award-winning chefs who specialize in local and sustainable ingredients. For example, Slagel Family Farm (Fairbury) provides meat to some of the finest restaurants in Chicago.

For the 2017 farm dinner schedule, they have invited renowned chefs from The Publican and Publican Quality Meats, NoMI Kitchen, Spiaggia Restaurant, and others to prepare and serve meals featuring the farm’s own products.

Generally, guests are welcomed with appetizers and cocktails, then proceed through a four-course (or more!) dinner experience. Farms often will feature beverages from local wineries and breweries, paired with menu items as well.

PREPARED FOR A FEAST: Heritage Prairie Farm

12 | OUR GREEN PLATE

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HERITAGE PRAIRIE FARM

My friend’s family provided and cooked the lamb. I was introduced to microgreens courtesy of a neighboring farm. Members of the local Methodist church provided the dessert, and proceeds from the evening went to support the church’s food bank. Even though I attended the event solo, and I am generally not the touchy-feely sort, I felt a sense of community and belonging that resonated with me.

When I had the opportunity to attend another farm dinner, I jumped at it. This time, a date and I headed up to a nearby Michigan apple orchard to experience its fall harvest dinner. Unlike the Indiana event, the meal was prepared by a local chef and showcased heritage pork and seasonal vegetables produced by area farms; it featured the orchard’s own apples and cider. I am not sure if it was the fall air, the company, the food, or the combination of all of that, but even today I recall the event with a soft-focus fondness. We toured the orchard in a tractor-drawn wagon, enjoyed apple brandy old fashioneds and appetizers.

The weather cooperated, so we ate in the open air at a single communal table. It was fantastic, and not even the occasional intrusion of winged guests could ruin the evening.

“Slow Food unites the pleasure of food with responsibility, sustainability and harmony with nature.”

PHOTO: CHELSEY JOY PHOTOGRAPHY

—Carlo Petrini, founder, Slow Food International

Tours and Demonstrations

Pricing

Part of the fun of eating down on the farm is learning more about how a working farm functions and how the food gets from the farm to customers. Growers and producers take great pride in their farms and facilities. As part of the dinner experience, some farms offer guided tours, either walking or on board wagons or other farm equipment, while others encourage diners to take self-guided tours. Often, you get to explore the grounds casually during the usual appetizer and cocktail welcome reception, as well as between courses. Most dinners feature discussions with the growers and producers, who are more than happy to discuss a farm’s history, products, and answer questions about what they do, why they do it, and how the public can become more involved with community supported agriculture (CSA). Additionally, some farms will provide demonstrations on topics from cheesemaking to breaking down (butchering, not slaughtering) an animal.

Prices for farm dinners generally range from $50 to $175 per person, depending on the event, and some farms offer discounts for children.

For example, Locavore Farm (Grant Park, the village in Kankakee County) charges $125 per person for its monthly farm dinner. Tickets for those aged 12 – 21 are $55, and children under 12 are $25. It is important to understand why a farm needs to charge what it does in order to make these dinner experiences work. Beyond their own costs for meat, produce, and other ingredients, farms need to factor in the expense of bringing in chefs and wait staff; supplying alcohol (although some distillers, brewers, and wineries are happy to donate in exchange for exposure); renting equipment, including tables, linens, portapotties, and cooking equipment; providing entertainment for the evening (unless they can rope in their own friends, family, or staff to entertain guests); and securing any permits or licenses required by SUMMER 2017 | 13

Tips to Make the Most of Your Farm Dinner Experience If you are considering a farm dinner, we offer a few helpful tips that will help you make the most of your experience. If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact the farm directly.

local health departments. If you think of it as throwing a wedding once a month (or more), you can see how costs can add up quickly.

Some farms offer the public the opportunity to sign up for their CSA programs, which not only entitle the purchaser to a share of farms’ products — including vegetables, fruits, meat, and dairy products — but to a discount on farm dinners as well. If you sign up for the CSA with Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery (Champaign), for example, they give you the chance to dine at the farm at almost half the price. In addition, Prairie Fruits prepares an exclusive dinner for its CSA members, which is also offered at nearly half off. If you think you will be attending more than one dinner at a particular farm, it pays to investigate discounts and special offers that are available for CSA members.

Tracie is a recovering legal marketer living with her family in Chicago. Currently, she is enjoying a new career as a personal chef and caterer who also moonlights as a freelance writer. Were it not for allergies, she would be an apiarist.

Who will be attending? With farm dinners as different as the farms themselves, it is important to understand whether events are geared more toward adults or families with children. Check farm websites to be sure the event you are interested in will work for all of the folks you intend to bring.

What should you wear? You are going to be eating on a working farm, so chances are you can safely leave your fancy dress clothes at home. After all, you may be clambering into a wagon for a farm tour and wandering the grounds between courses. Consider wearing shoes that you do not mind getting dirty.

What else should you bring? As with other things in life, it pays to be prepared. The majority of farm dinners are held rain or shine, so you should dress for the weather. Consider bringing a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent as well.

What about special dietary restrictions? Farm

Are there places to stay near the farm?

Depending on where you live, you may have to drive quite a bit to get to the dinner. If you are not thrilled by the prospect of making the long trip home after an evening of fresh air and a great meal, consider an overnight stay if accommodations are available in the area.

Are tickets refundable? Generally speaking, tickets are non-refundable but farms may help you exchange tickets with others who are interested in the event.

14 | OUR GREEN PLATE

Slow Down for a Great Cause On September 16, 2017, Smart Farm of Barrington will host its fourth annual Smart Farm-to-Table dinner. This slow food event, a “friendraiser” for the organization, will be held in the barn at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, located at 450 W. Highway 22 in Barrington.

The dinner’s theme is “connecting farm, food, and community,” and the menu will feature drinks, appetizers, family-style sit-down dinner, and desserts created especially for the evening by local chefs and showcasing ingredients grown and produced in the area. Smart Farm founder Kathy Gabelman stated, “Every year, it’s great to see these fantastic chefs come together in our tiny kitchen to put on an amazing meal.”

Event tickets and a full list of participating chefs and restaurants will be available in August. Seating is limited, so tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information or to learn more about the organization, visit SmartFarms.org.

Smart Farm is a 501(c)(3) organization which has grown nearly 8,000 pounds of produce for local food pantries. They also educate children and adults on the importance of fresh, local food.

PHOTOS: (TOP) PAM MEITZLER, (BOTTOM) SMART FARM

dinners are best suited for adventurous eaters, and most will list whether their menus offer vegetarian options. If you follow a more restrictive diet (e.g., glutenfree) or have food allergies, you should confirm the farm’s ability to accommodate you before purchasing tickets.

Farm DinnersX

W

e hope that you take the opportunity to slow down and enjoy a farm dinner this year. To help with planning, we offer a list of events happening in and around northern Illinois. The farm events are very popular, so you will want to make reservations in advance. Also, be sure to check Our Green Plate’s Facebook page as we post new dinner events.

Angelic Organics learngrowconnect.org/farmdinner Galleria Marchetti 825 W. Erie St., Chicago, IL 10th Annual Peak Harvest Farm Dinner Thursday, July 27, 5:30pm

Heirloom Farm Dinner Thursday, September 7, 6:00pm Roots and Wine Farm Dinner Thursday, October 5, 6:00pm Friendsgiving Farm Dinner Thursday, November 2, 6:00pm

Chicago Botanic Garden

Kinnikinnick Farm

chicagobotanic.org/farmdinners Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022 Farm Dinners Wednesday, July 12, 5:30–8:00pm Wednesday, August 16, 5:30–8:00pm Wednesday, September 6, 5:30–8:00pm

City Farm outstandinginthefield.com 550 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60610 Farm Dinner Tuesday, August 8, 4:00pm,

Green City Market greencitymarket.org Green City Market­—Lincoln Park 1817 N. Clark, Chicago, IL Chef BBQ Thursday, July 20, 5:30–8:00pm

Heritage Prairie Farm heritageprairiefarm.com Heritage Prairie Farm 2N308 Brundige Rd., Elburn, IL Wednesday Pizza Nights Weekly beginning June 7, 5–8:00pm Pig Gig Thursday, June 15, 6:00pm Cocktail Party Friday, July 28, 6:00pm Honey + Beer Farm Dinner Thursday, August 10, 6:00pm

outstandinginthefield.com 21123 Grade School Rd, Caledonia, IL Farm Dinner Monday, August 7, 4:00pm

Locavore Farm locavorefarm.com 16146 East County Line Road, Grant Park, IL Dine on the Land Saturdays, June 17, July 15, Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Nov. 18, 5:00–9:00pm Tuesday, August 15, 5:00–9:00pm

Mint Creek Farm mintcreekfarm.com 1693 East 3800N Road, Cabery, IL Farm Dinners Saturday, June 24, 2:30–9pm Saturday, July 29, 2:30–9pm Saturday, August 12, 2:30–9pm Sunday, September 3, 2:30–9pm Green City Market Fundraiser Saturday, September 23, 2:30–9pm

Prairie Fruits Farm prairiefruits.com 4410 N. Lincoln Ave., Champaign, IL Spring Steakhouse Dinner Saturday, June 10, 5:00–8:30pm Pop Up Supper–Oh Juicy Burgers Saturday, July 8 (2 seatings) 4:30–6:00pm and 7:00–9:00pm

WHILE YOU’RE OUT, SNAP A PHOTO, LET US KNOW WHAT’S AT THE FARM DINNER, TAG US #OURGREENPLATE @ourgreenplate @ourgreenplate_il

Pop Up Dinner–Invasion of the Fish and Chips Saturday, July 22, 5:00–7:00pm Pop-Up Brunch–Desayuno Cubano (2 seatings) Sunday, August 13 10:00am–12:00pm and 12:30–2:30pm Cook-Out Vegetarian Style Saturday, August 19, 5:00–8:00pm The 100 Yard Dinner Saturday, September 9, 5:00–8:30pm A Celebration of Squash Saturday, September 30, 5:00–8:30pm Pop Up Pizza Night Out at the Farm (2 seatings) Saturday, October 14 4:30–6:30pm and 7:00–9:00pm Sabores de Mexico Saturday, October 28, 5:00–8:30pm

Slagel Family Farms slagelfamilyfarm.com/dinners Slagel Family Farms 23601 E 600 North Road, Fairbury, IL Dinner Event with Publican Saturday, June 3, 2:30pm Dinner Event with NoMI Kitchen and theWit Hotel Saturday, July 29, 2:30pm Dinner Event with Osteria Via Stato and Spiaggia Restaurant Saturday, August 5, Check website for time.

Dinner Event with Luella’s Southern Kitchen and Michael Jordan Steakhouse Saturday, October 7, 2:30pm

Smart Farm Barrington smartfarms.org/events Advocate Good Shepherd Barn 450 IL Hwy. 22, Barrington, IL 4th Annual Smart Farm to Table Saturday, September 16, 6:00–10:00pm

Waseda Farms outstandinginthefield.com Waseda Farms 7281 Logerquist Rd., Baileys Harbor, WI Farm Dinner Thursday, August 3, 4:00pm

SUMMER 2017 | 15

YourX

CSA

Behind the acronym, a boxful of reasons to join a CSA farm.

BY DALE I. JUFFERNBRUCH

A Delicious Adventure Participation in a CSA program constitutes an exciting culinary undertaking. When I received my first CSA box about 10 years ago, I thought I was in a bit over my head. I love to cook, but I had always sought out recipes I wanted to prepare, then bought the ingredients I needed. My model has done an about-face. Now, I receive my weekly vegetables (and sometimes herbs and fruit), and I use them. My food universe has expanded and so has my family’s. When my children were younger, we would play the “guess what” game. I’d pull a piece of produce out of our CSA box, and they’d guess. Kohlrabi? Garlic scapes? Celeriac? Today, they are adventurous and informed eaters.

They know where real food comes from.

16 | OUR GREEN PLATE

PHOTO: BRIAN DONAHUE, STYLING: CATHERINE CHIFFLOT NEALEY

I

’m going to pick up my CSA box.” Have you heard someone say this and wonder what exactly is CSA? The acronym “CSA” stands for community-supported agriculture. The CSA model originated in mid-1960’s Japan (known as “teikei” or “food with the farmer’s face on it”) and also in the 1980’s in the northeastern United States. At the core of the CSA model is the direct relationship between the farmer and the consumer. Here’s how it works: consumers pay the farmer in advance (often in winter) for a share in the anticipated harvest. With the share money the farmer purchases seed, repairs equipment and plants. When the farmer begins to harvest, the crop is gathered and each member’s share is boxed and delivered to pick up locations. This harvesting delivery cycle continues throughout the season. In the case of fruits and vegetables, members usually get a box once a week. The vegetable harvest season runs from June through November, and fruit is mostly available in July through September. When you sign up, you choose the size share your want, your pickup schedule, and your pickup location. Typically the “harvest” is vegetables, but there are CSA share options available for a host of products: meat, poultry, fruits, eggs, dairy, honey, grains, even seafood.

You may ask, “why all the bother of joining a CSA farm and having to pick up my food?” There are countless reasons, some quite lofty, some very practical. Here are my personal favorites.

SUMMER 2017 | 17

Always Fresh Many times the vegetables in your box have been picked that very morning. Short of gardening yourself, it’s hard to imagine fresher food.

With many CSA farms practicing biodynamic farming methods, your food has been sustainably produced and is often more nutritious than store bought produce. In the foreword to The Locavore’s Handbook, American food writer, Sandor Ellix Katz explains, “Chemical-based monoculture erodes and pollutes soils, depletes and pollutes water resources, produces less nutritious and increasingly toxic food, and is heavily reliant of rapidly-diminishing fossil fuel resources.” Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto makes the case that “the achievements of industrial agriculture have come at a cost.

It can produce a great many more calories per acre, but each of those calories may supply less nutrition than it formerly did….”

Building Community Putting food into our mouths is not just about eating something that will get us by to the next meal – we are prioritizing what we value.

In Blessing the Hands that Feed Us: What Eating Closer to Home Can Teach Us About Food, Community, and Our Place on Earth, author Vicki Robin writes, “Food’s power is connection itself. Corporatism distances us from one another, from the earth – and even from our own bodies – while the food movement celebrates our reconnection.”

By participating in a CSA model, we shift from being lone eaters to eating “relationally.” (Blessing the Hands) Eating “relationally,” means you know your farmer, you’re familiar with the farm’s land, and you trust in the harvested goods. You are advocating for the health of the environment over the cheaper ways of agribusiness. In doing so, we buttress the communities in which we live rather than faceless global food production behemoths.

If one really thinks about food, a pattern reveals itself. “Food has a rhythm…. The passage of seasons dictates what foods are available when. This creates rhythms of abundance and scarcity, an endless ebb and flow…. All life marches to the beat of its nutritional sources…. Except, perhaps us. We can shop twenty-four hours a day and purchase food without regard to the season. Twenty-first century humans generally regard this as evidence of progress…. But at what cost?” (Katz, foreword) Belonging to a CSA farm encourages not only local and sustainable agriculture, but it provides delectable, nutritious, peak-of-the-season food. You can think of your participation in a CSA farm as “planting the seeds” into the minds of your children and those of the next generation. With all this good that will come your way, perhaps give a CSA farm a try. You’ll be surprised how good it feels and how great it tastes.

• “I don’t want a box full of only 1 or 2 kinds of vegetables.” CSA farms do an excellent job of fashioning a diversified produce box by growing a multitude of different vegetables and herbs. These farms are known to partner with other small, organic family farms to create an interesting variety every week.

• “I may not know what the unusual vegetables are or how to store and use them.” CSA farmers provide information on the produce, including history, storage detail and recipes.

• “I don’t know if I want to commit to receiving CSA produce all the time.” Some CSA programs break the harvest season up into spring, summer, and fall so that consumers can choose only those times which suit them. And, some CSA farmers harvest all year round.

Dale has researched food and nutrition for the past decade and buys much of her food directly from farmers. She is an avid cook and loves to eat.

SEA SO NA L REC IPES

Caramelized Roasted Fennel with Bacon Salad RECIPE FROM PENNY KAZMIER Ingredients: 1 bulb fennel, halved, cored and cut into ½-inch wedges 4 slices bacon, cut into 1” pieces 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 5 ounces (about 6 to 7 cups) mixed salad greens Balsamic Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, toss together fennel, bacon, garlic, brown sugar/ honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the ingredients on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Cook until bacon is crisp and the fennel is caramelized, stirring frequently – about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Place salad greens in large bowl and toss with fennel and bacon mixture. Drizzle with vinaigrette, toss and serve immediately.

It’s Not as Hard as it Looks

• “I don’t live near any farms.” CSA programs deliver to locations throughout Chicagoland. Some even deliver to your home. There are resources to look up the farms and drop off points near you.

Try any of these websites and organizations: localharvest.org/csa, familyfarmed.org, bandoffarmers.org.

• “I live by myself/There are just two of us.” Some CSA farms offer multiple sizes (½ or ¼ shares) of the weekly produce box or you can choose a bi-weekly schedule. Another idea is to preserve some of the extra produce (e.g., make pickles out of the cucumbers, canning marinated peppers, freeze blanched tomatoes).

18 | OUR GREEN PLATE

Balsamic Vinaigrette: 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon honey ½ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

S E A S ON AL R E CIP E S

Fresh Pea Pesto

RECIPE FROM PENNY KAZMIER 8-10 appetizer servings Pesto: 2 cups fresh peas, shelled (measure after shelling) 1 garlic clove ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup toasted pine nuts 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

Place peas, garlic, Parmesan, pine nuts, 1 teaspoon of salt, black/red

Juice of one lemon, or about 1-2 tablespoons

pepper, and lemon juice in a food processor; pulse until blended. With

¼ cup olive oil

the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined, about

/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

PHOTO: ROBIN LIETZ / PHOTOAPPETITE.COM

Directions:

1

1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Tomato Topping: 2-3 diced plum/Roma tomatoes, seeds removed 1 clove minced garlic

Place diced tomatoes and garlic in small bowl and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Place pea pesto in serving container, a glass pie plate works well,

Drizzle olive oil

and top with diced tomato mixture. Serve with assorted crudité, toasted

Salt and pepper

crostini, bagel chips, or pita crisps for dipping/serving.

Assorted crudite, toasted crostini, bagel chips, or pita crisps for dip-

keep tasting and adjusting the seasoning, but consider the salt on your

ping/serving

crisps or chips too.

NOTE: I find this recipe requires quite a bit of salt, so be sure to

SUMMER 2017 | 19

S E A S ON AL R E CIP E S

Roasted Peaches and Summer Berries RECIPE FROM HALLIE WRIGHT 6-8 dessert servings A favorite dessert for the family! I include peaches because I cannot get enough during the summer months.

Ingredients: 2 peaches – remove skin and cut each peach into eight wedges.

1 pint fresh hulled strawberries 2 half pints fresh raspberries ¼ cup sugar Vanilla bean, split and seeds removed

PHOTO: HALLIE WRIGHT

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place the peaches and berries on a sheet pan and toss with the sugar and vanilla bean seeds. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Enjoy spooned over vanilla ice cream, pound cake, or meringues.

The Story of Farmer John & Angelic Organics

was forced to sell much of his

75 miles northwest of Chicago lies the rural town of Caledonia, Il.

bors didn’t embrace the friends

It is home to Angelic Organics, one of the nation’s first and largest

he had brought to the farm, a

CSA farms. Angelic’s evolution from the Peterson family farm to a

mixture of hippies, artists, au-

revolutionary model of agriculture, the CSA, is the story of Farmer

thors and activists. He became a

John’s remarkable life.

pariah in his community; things

ment to pay creditors.

It was a dark period in John’s life. Some of the neigh-

got so bad there were acts of

was thrust into taking control of the family business. It was

arson and even talk of John incubating a devil-worship cult.

late 1970’s and the landscape

John left and went searching for the key that would restart his life.

of American agriculture was

He spent considerable time in Mexico, and there, he met people

changing dramatically. Farms

who farmed the traditional way. He saw the joy it brought them and

were disappearing, replaced

soon realized his farm was calling him home.

by housing developments, or

This time, he would farm differently. He had studied the

forced to grow dramatically

writings of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher who founded

to avoid failure. His farm’s

biodynamic farming. Steiner was the first to point to the danger of

growth depended on loans

synthetic fertilizers, and proposed the farm as the foundation in a

and when farm economics

closed-loop system. Utilizing Steiner’s principles, he discontinued

worsened in the 1980’s, John

the four-crop “agriculture” of corn, soybeans, wheat and hay, and

“ We all need a farm in our hearts.”

—John Peterson, a.k.a. Farmer John, founder of Angelic Organics

20 | OUR GREEN PLATE

PHOTOS: CATHERINE CHIFFLOT NEALEY

At a young age, John

family’s land and farm equip-

instead planted flowers and tens of different kinds of vegetables, raised goats and other livestock.

He rejuvenated soil that had been decimated by years of chemical abuse and topsoil depletion. Even today he leaves half his land fallow every year to rest.

Community Supported Agriculture John sold his produce in Chicago, however, it was still difficult to compete with the massive California farms. Then one day, a Chicago couple bought an organic onion from his farm. At the time, finding locally produced organic food was virtually impossible, so they approached John about the possibility of growing organic produce for them; they would even help with production! At first hesitant, John agreed to work with them. And, Angelic Organics was born.

When he reflected on it, John realized a community supported farm (CSA) made perfect sense. It was a way “to reunite consumers with their source of food,” and to create a farm centric, closed-loop food system. From that humble beginning, Angelic Organics today packs 2,000 produce boxes per week, provides over 40 pickup locations for its shareholders, and is arguably the farm by which CSA farms in the Midwest are measured.

The work is demanding and endless, but he is extremely organized and disciplined. His mantra, “we cannot get behind [planting, weeding, harvesting],” is paramount to operating a successful organic farm and he is surrounded by people as committed as he is. The formula is more than just intelligence, attention to detail, and hard work. It is PHOTOS: CATHERINE CHIFFLOT NEALEY

passion. John believes, “farms are the foundations of all things healthy,” and reminds us that when we buy food, we’re not just buying food, we support the farmer who grew the food.

Farmer John’s epic and colorful story is chronicled in the movie, The Real Dirt on Farmer John, and is available through Netflix.

Angelic Organics, 1547 Rockton Road, Caledonia, IL 61011; (815-389-2746); www.angelicorganics.com

SUMMER 2017 | 21

MEET THE ARTISAN

The Duke AbidesY Zak Dolezal sets the locally sourced bar with iconic gastropub, Duke’s Alehouse & Kitchen.

BY PAM MEITZLER

OGP: When did you become interested in green measures? Were you always concerned about sustainability?

Chef Zak: To begin with, it wasn’t necessarily

even the greenness. I was working at fine dining restaurants where they had relationships with Zak Dolezal farmers for specific products. I thought it was so cool that you could really customize and have things grown specifically for you, and use the freshness of it. I mean, it has always been going on in the fine dining field.

When I came to Duke’s, I thought I was going to open a fine dining restaurant, so I could use all these cool ingredients. But when I was ready to open, it was the middle of a recession in the suburbs. Fine dining wasn’t gonna work. It didn’t take me long to figure that out.

But then once I did, I was like, Ok, I’m still gonna incorporate these great ingredients. I just figured out a way to use forms of them and get them on the menu here, and do it with items that people are already familiar with like burgers, and sandwiches, and meatloaf, things like that.

22 | OUR GREEN PLATE

Your father started this place in 1996. You returned as a trained chef. You wanted to become more involved and change the concept and philosophy. Was your father receptive?

Chef Zak: Basically, I was in the corporate world and I got sick of it.

He had an opportunity here. He was really looking to make a shift.

So I was like, cool, I’ll come and help him out for a little bit. And I came in here and then put my heart and soul into Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen and— And then it moved from there?

Chef Zak: Yeah, I absolutely love it. I think

at that time, it was more of a dream, but it’s become something that a lot of people are doing, though it still hasn’t even taken off in the suburbs as well as it has in more urban areas and other areas throughout the country.

Was there a moment when you realized, yes, this is going to work?

Chef Zak: I knew it from the start. I had no

doubt. Everybody around me had doubt. Even my dad had a little bit of doubt.

Did you always want to be a chef?

Chef Zak: No. I grew up in the business and I

always had summer jobs at the family’s restaurants. When I was 18, my parents pushed me to go to college. I was cooking here at the time.

I thought I can go to school for cooking because I don’t really know what I want to do. And, I learned very quickly at culinary school that you really have to be passionate about it. The hours were demanding just in culinary school alone. If you didn’t love it, you were out.

But you fell in love with it?

Chef Zak: Oh, yeah. I just…I found a passion for it. I think I liked the

excitement of it, the demands of it and just the pressure of working with a group, coming together to put out a cool product that you’re proud of, and having that direct interaction with your customer.

PHOTO: JOHN GALLEGOS

I

f you’re new to the locally sourced, sustainably produced, farmto-table dining scene, a visit to Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen is a must. If you’re not, then you’ve probably already been to Duke’s. In any case, it’s worth a trip to this Crystal Lake gem.

Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen began as Duke O’Briens. It was opened as an Irish pub in 1996 by Mark Dolezal. In the past decade, under the direction of Mark’s son, Zak Dolezal, the bar and restaurant underwent a culinary and beverage transformation. Renamed Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen in 2008, Duke’s became one of the first suburban restaurants to embrace seasonal dining and source locally from area farmers. Along the way, Duke’s has earned a rare 3-Star Green Dining Certification.

Our Green Plate met the man behind Duke’s remaking and stellar reputation, owner and chef, Zak Dolezal. Following is a wide ranging interview covering how he came to choose Duke’s culinary direction and the ongoing challenges his business faces. And for fun, we asked a few personal questions of the Chef.

PHOTOS: CATHERINE CHIFFLOT NEALEY, (SALAD) JOHN GALLEGOS

Clockwise from top left: Duke’s Kitchen & Alehouse, Wall-art, Pouring a perfect draught, Alehouse salad, Duke’s interior

SUMMER 2017 | 23

You mentioned that you didn’t start off that green, but you have the Green Restaurant Association’s 3-Star certification, which is not easy. What propelled you to do that?

Chef Zak: Well, I guess the way it started here was that it was more

about the ingredients. But then, it became about protecting those ingredients, and protecting the future of food. And so, I learned it wasn’t necessarily just ordering from these farmers, but practicing green things too… protecting the environment so that we can provide these types of foods to our kids and future generations.

I started working with green groups. We got a group together called Green Drinks. Green Drinks is a worldwide organization. I saw how passionate these people were, and they educated me into becoming more green. And then my passion grew, and I was like okay, what further steps can I take? I reached out to the Green Restaurant Association once I thought I had done everything green that I knew I could do. Because it costs money, obviously, to get their certification and be endorsed by them. But once I reached out to them, we got a two star rating off the bat, and within a year, we got our third star.

You were one of the first places to embrace meatless Mondays. Do you still do that?

Chef Zak: Yeah. We still run it here. Most places just offer a vegetarian

specials menu, but we wanted to encourage people even more, so we decided to discount all of our vegetarian items. All of our vegetarian items are half priced every Monday.

How do you choose your farmers? Do you look for farmers that are making specific things?

Chef Zak: Yeah, and it’s definitely more exciting now. When I was

doing it originally, I would go to the farmers markets out here, like Woodstock’s. I’d pick up what I could, but I would need like 50 pounds of this. They’d say, “Well, I can only supply this, but this guy may have more.” In the beginning there was a lot of that.

Do you ever ask for specific or unique vegetables, like a certain kind of lettuce or type of tomato?

Chef Zak: I think that’s something that we’ve finally gotten to, like

the urban restaurants, Frontera Grill and those types of places. They look for things that are very specific, or a baker may look for a specific type of wheat. We’re coming to that point now where we can have farmers grow something a little more unique, and sometimes they come to me with different cool stuff. One of our first farmers, W&M Land Corp, they like to grow really weird things. They grew these things, cucamelons. They’re tiny little cucumbers, but they’ve got a great, sweet, tart flavor. They look like watermelons, tiny watermelons.

Which vegetable is the hardest to source?

Chef Zak: Honestly, it’s lettuce. Lettuce is so difficult because it’s a

cool weather crop and even a spike in temperature….

Have you ever run into a situation where you were left scrambling to get something you have on the menu?

Chef Zak: Yeah, all the time. It’s just coming up with contingencies

constantly. We try to support the smallest farmer practicing the highest standards, and then we have a list we go down. So we prioritize farmers based on what they have in quality and those things, but yeah, it happens.

24 | OUR GREEN PLATE

What’s your favorite menu item?

Chef Zak: Pan roasted salmon. I like that dish a lot. I think it’s a

good example of what we’re doing. I think it’s different than what most people would think a preparation of salmon would be. It’s nice and rustic and clean.

If you could only eat one vegetable, what would it be? You can prepare it any way you want, but it’s only that vegetable.

Chef Zak: Sweet potatoes, probably, is what first comes to mind. I

mean, I could…yeah, I could eat sweet potatoes all the time.

If there was one food you wish people would eat less of — in favor of an alternative, what would it be?

Chef Zak: Chicken breasts, I think. Yeah, I think there’s got to be more

devotion to the whole chicken. I think it starts there, with something as simple as a chicken. I mean, it’s always the whole animal you know, with slow food, that comes with it. But chicken, I think, is one of the most frustrating ones.

How large is the restaurant?

Chef Zak: It’s about 120 seats. When the patio opens, it’s about 200.

You have live music in here Thursday, Friday?

Chef Zak: Yeah. Thursdays we have the live jazz and sometimes

late night entertainment, like twice a month. Then Fridays is always karaoke. Saturdays we usually have bands.

You’re opening a new restaurant. You’ll still be using locally sourced, sustainably produced food, but how will it be different?

Chef Zak: Yeah, it’s gonna be designed for more quick service. I mean,

we’re still gonna have sandwiches, burgers and wraps, and salads. In that sense, it’s similar, but it will be different. There’s a lot of changes we have to make. But, it’s Duke’s on the Water, it’s super exciting. It’s a heck of an opportunity. It also gives me a feel of what it’s gonna be like to diversify myself.

Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen, 110 North Main St., Crystal Lake, IL thedukeabides.com, 815-356-9980

Duke’s is located just steps from the Crystal Lake train station in downtown Crystal Lake. This summer, Zak will be opening Duke’s on the Water, located in Three Oaks Recreation Park in Crystal Lake.

YOUR LOCAL FARM–TO–TABLE: Duke’s is one of a handful of establishments in the outer northwest suburbs dedicated to stocking local, fresh, and conscientiously sourced ingredients. Others include: Farmhouse on North, Barrington; bleuroot, West Dundee; The Finery & Blacksmith Bar, St. Charles; Niche, Geneva. If venturing nearer Chicago, try HB (Home Bistro), Lakeview; Longman & Eagle, Logan Square; Lula Cafe, Logan Square; North Pond, Lincoln Park; Gather, Ravenswood; Two, Noble Square.

PAM MEITZLER wrote this article and conducted the interview, which has been edited for length and clarity.

our

reen plate

Duke’s Veggie Burger Chef Zak graciously submitted his recipe for Duke’s famous veggie burger. Enjoy.

Makes 12 veggie burger patties 2 tablespoons molasses

¾ cup golden raisins

1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños,

1½ teaspoons chipotle, pureed

drained and chopped

2 15.5 ounce cans pinto beans,

1½ cups cooked brown rice

drained not washed

1 cup sweet potatoes peeled,

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

small diced and sautéed until

3 cups rolled oats, uncooked

browned on all sides

Combine all ingredients in mixer with paddle attachment.

Mix until well mashed.

Form into 1/3 cup balls. Then flatten and chill.

Grill, bake, or pan roast patties.

Serve with chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato on a pretzel bun.

our

reen plate

Our readers want the best that local and seasonal living has to offer.

Our Green Plate delivers.

PHOTO: JOHN GALLEGOS

Showcase your business and its place in the new localism.

Advertise with UsW

Meet our Readers, Your Customers.

For advertising rates, deadlines, and other media inquiries, contact:

Live the season. Celebrate our local table.

info@ourgreenplate.com / 847-829-6985

SUMMER 2017 | 25

IN THE YARD

Edible Landscape Have your landscape and eat it too.

BY HALLIE WRIGHT

A

day spent at a good farmers market is certainly a good day. The delicious locally grown produce showcased and sold to families and restaurant chefs alike levels the playing field when it comes to creating outstanding fresh food. Your local farmers markets or CSA farm offers vegetables and fruits bursting at their peak ripeness.

Even grocery stores have farm-fresh locally grown produce, (you just have to look), during these highly anticipated summer months.

We drudge through the dead of winter patiently, or not so patiently in my case, in anticipation of the warmer spring and summer weather bringing with it the amazing produce of which culinary dreams are made. This got me thinking. Why can’t I, in my suburban existence, grow delicious food right in my backyard? Sure, I’ve dabbled with container gardening on my southern-facing deck, and my pots yield a fair amount of herbs and tomatoes.

I have also tried my hand at strawberries, only to unknowingly feed our favorite attic dwelling squirrels.

I plant my containers with moderate success. I am not complaining. But, if I had more space to plant...

To design a garden seems overwhelming. Do I build a raised bed, or till the earth removing large amounts of grass? That is an undertaking I am not willing to attempt.

If I lived on acres and acres of land, maybe. But my backyard is in a neighborhood and fully landscaped. I live in your typical suburban home. How do I create my own farmers market, in the most local of places, my yard?

I decided to seek the advice of someone who has done it, my amazing green-thumbed neighbor, Jihi Kim. She has taken a beautiful, fully landscaped yard and incorporated foodscape throughout. With berries, herbs and an abundance of other plants she’s grown right in her 26 | OUR GREEN PLATE

mulch beds, she cooks and bakes amazing creations.

What she has done by incorporating edibles into her landscape allows her to prepare any number of recipes whenever she wants, by simply walking outside with shears, gloves, and a bowl.

Jihi moved into her home 8 or so years ago with her family and immediately took to re-landscaping her yard. Initially, it was fraught with brush and trees that encroached into their backyard space. She had her home professionally landscaped, upon which they uncovered and preserved native black raspberry bushes. Pairing this discovery with an epiphany while shopping at a farmers market that she, too, could grow food, Jihi decided she would utilize the space she had around her home; she would plant and grow exactly what she wanted to eat. Through trial and error, she patiently and persistently cultivated. Some of her plants thrived while others did not. She kept at it, taking each success and non-success as a lesson. Spending free afternoons and weekends planting, she created a foodscape around

her home. The amount of food-bearing plants she has incorporated into her landscaping over the years is truly remarkable; her backyard is beautiful and functional.

I am envious. So, this spring, I decided to channel her green thumb and begin incorporating food into my yard. I too, could have edible landscape! I began at my local garden center or nursery. To make it easier, I selected plants that were already growing, rather than seeds, so I could see exactly what the plant would look like in my existing landscape. I love and cook with herbs all the time. This seemed like a good place to start. Rosemary, basil, sage, parsley, peppermint, and

PHOTO: HALLIE WRIGHT

cilantro, which could all be easily planted right in my mulch beds, were my choices. Fruits and vegetables also do well in landscaped mulch beds so I grabbed some tomatoes, peppers, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Pumpkins and squash grow nearly anywhere too, but I opted out of these this year. I didn’t want to overwhelm myself.

A sunny day in May, I decided to begin planting my new crop of edible landscape. Most plants require partial to full sun, which in my case is located mostly in my backyard. That’s where I headed. Rolling up my sleeves, toting a small shovel, my plants and a little bit of faith, I began planting wherever I found space. I planted the herbs together in the front of my lilac bed. Next, I grabbed my berries and headed to the back of my yard. This space gets full sun all day, and has plenty of room for what I hope will turn into a berry wonderland. There is a berm near the back of my yard that seemed perfect for the berries. In that space, I put the raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Finally, it was time to plant my tomatoes and peppers. I have an area in my backyard that is largely mulch. I had been eyeing the area up for years wondering what sort of ornamental plant to put there. I decided the peppers and tomatoes would be perfect there, and I threw in a tomato cage for future support. Then, I sat back with pride observing my fledgling masterpieces. Now I wait.

Jihi also planted fruit trees in her yard. Apple trees and cherry trees may take a bit more effort and planning, but they are a beautiful addition to the landscape. With the added bonus of fruits, we get twice the reward.

I happen to have the perfect spot in my yard for a new tree after having one removed a few years ago. For trees, I figured professionals might be in order, so I ventured to the nursery again, hoping I’d luck into an experienced and helpful arborist. Thankfully I did. I chose two new apple trees from The Barn Nursery in Crystal Lake, IL. I had done some research and learned I needed not one, but two apple trees because apple trees need each other to pollinate and produce fruit.

There are also self-pollinating tree varieties out there, but I liked the idea of two trees working together, a lesson I am tirelessly trying to impose on my two children! So I chose Honeycrisp which pairs well with the Gala variety. Honeycrisp and Gala are two of our favorite snacking apples; my kids are most excited about these new plantings.

Fall should be very exciting and we are hoping for a boomer harvest from our tiny new trees! I should note that I am aware when I am out of the scope of my expertise. I let the nursery deliver and plant my trees, and they did so beautifully.

The sky’s the limit when incorporating food-bearing plants into your landscape. Don’t be afraid to mosey over to your nearest garden center and pick out the herbs, fruits, vegetables, trees that you favor for planting. The biggest thing I learned from talking with Jihi was not to be afraid to experiment. Don’t overthink it, just get out there and start digging.

With a little bit of planning it won’t be difficult to begin converting your yard from a humdrum, yet perfectly beautiful landscape, to a working, flavorful fantastic foodscape. If I can do it, you can too.

Happy planting!

Basil and Tomato Salad with Burrata RECIPE BY JIHI KIM “I grow several kinds of basil in summer but love to grow "Big Leaf" basil just for this salad.”

1 cup whole leaf basil 2 heirloom home-grown tomatoes, chopped ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced Small fresh Burrata balls (can use fresh mozzarella)

Dressing: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Juice of one lemon ¼ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper (plus more for garnish)

Directions: Whisk together dressing ingredients.

Add whole basil leaves as base to a serving dish.

Layer tomatoes on top.

Sprinkle red onion over tomatoes.

Hallie lives with her husband and two children in Barrington. Creating healthy and nourishing food for her family and friends brings her joy. She is hoping that her newly planted garden will be a success.

Add dressing to personal taste.

Place 2 Burrata balls on top and garnish with fresh cracked black pepper.

SUMMER 2017 | 27

ONE SMALL THING

Drink Some KombuchaW An ancient drink re-emerges as a modern health tonic.

BY PAM MEITZLER

What Is Kombucha?

Kombucha is an ancient drink made by fermenting tea and sugar. It is often referred to as “mushroom tea” because the bacteria and yeast form a mushroom shaped cap during the brewing process. Long prized by traditional cultures for its detoxifying properties, kombucha popularity is bolstered by the increased health awareness of probiotics.

Kombucha is offered in a variety of flavors and levels of carbonation, and can even be home brewed. It is readily mixed with any number of other drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and can be consumed alone, with a meal, or paired with an appetizer.

Though its exact origin is uncertain, it most likely originated in Asia. Some place its invention with the Qin Dynasty, 220 BC. Others claim it was brought to Japan around 414 AD by a Korean doctor, named Dr. Kombu, which would explain its name. From Asia, kombucha appears to have followed the Silk Road, emerging in Russia and eventually spreading throughout Europe. It was quite popular there until WWII, when tea and sugar, its two main ingredients, were rationed.

Kombucha’s recent revival began in Europe.

It’s been called the elixir of life. History and the internet abound with anecdotal stories of the preventative and curative powers of kombucha. Some stories are, admittedly, very compelling. For example, there is the story of the former Soviet Union Premier, Joseph Stalin. Stalin was obsessed with the thought of getting cancer.

He discovered the people living in Russia’s Ural mountains had dramatically lower cancer rates than other industrialized areas. In the early 1950’s, he dispatched researchers to divine why. His scientists found the region’s residents living rather unhealthy lives, with one exception, they were inveterate drinkers of the mysterious tea kvass.

This tea kvass turned out to be a drink made by fermenting sweetened tea with a tea fungus. (SCOBY) You see, the stories are seductive.

Not everyone is a fan, however. It’s been touted as a cure for everything from gout to cancer, but also been maligned as a dangerous, repulsive, alcoholic beverage. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Though big curative claims are probably exaggerated, it likely has health benefits. Little scientific research has been performed on

SCOBY = SYMBIOTIC C U LT U R E OF BACTERIA YEAST

How is it Made?

The SCOBY(Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) is the scary-looking home to bacteria and yeast which transforms tea and sugar into kombucha. To begin the process, black or green tea is sweetened with cane sugar and brewed. The tea is allowed to cool to 28 | OUR GREEN PLATE

What’s So Good About It?

PHOTO: JESSICA COLLETTE

Where is it From?

room temperature. Then, the SCOBY is added and the fermentation process starts. The yeast of the SCOBY begins to consume the sugar, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. As the process continues, the yeast converts the alcohol to acetic acid. When finished you have the remarkable kombucha. Alone, kombucha is tangy, with a hint of sweetness. It is effervescent and smells faintly of vinegar.

people, but the few animal studies done show bioactive components displaying antioxidant, detoxifying, and antimicrobial properties.

After being fermented, kombucha becomes carbonated and contains enzymes, organic acids, and good bacteria. Its component acids are impressive, notably glucuronic acid, which is an important detoxifier. In addition, the unpasteurized version of kombucha is rich in probiotics and, like yogurt and kefir, supports the immune system.

What’s not to like?

To reap the full probiotic benefit of kombucha, it must remain unpasteurized as the good bacteria would not survive pasteurization.

Like anything unpasteurized, care must be taken to ensure proper production. You should always purchase your kombucha from a reputable producer. If you are homebrewing, you must be sure it’s been properly brewed. Most kombucha related health scares occur around improper home brewing. Kombucha also contains trace amounts of alcohol, which is a result of the fermentation process. Additionally, there’s the “ick” factor. Kombucha contains bacteria, remnants of which can often be seen floating in the drink. Many people find it unsettling.

Lastly, it should be noted, kombucha’s popularity has sparked a cottage industry of brewers with varying degrees of expertise and virtue. Here are a few reputable brewers: Karma Kombucha, Humm, Health-Ade, Buchi, High Country and Live Soda.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF KARMA KOMBUCHA

Your Local Kombucha Most kombucha makers hail from one of the coasts, however, Chicago has its own craft kombucha brewer, and a very good one at that. Conscious Mind Products in Vernon Hills brews the Karma Kombucha line. Susan Fink, who is the founder and brewer master, has been brewing kombucha since 2012. This spring, I toured her facility and purchased her kombucha. The kombucha is delicious and her production methods are impeccable. All of the teas, sugar and herbs used in making Karma Kombucha are Fair Trade Certified and Certified Organic. You can find Karma Kombucha at Heinens, Marianos, Whole Foods, and independent stores, All Ways Healthy, Lake Zurich, Crystal Lake Health Foods, and All-Grass Farms, Dundee.

SUMMER 2017 | 29

THE LOCAL LIST

Farmers MarketsW

I

t’s summer and nothing beats fresh produce. In Illinois, there’s no reason to go without.

We’ve put together a list of our favorite farmers markets for the season. Many are village sponsored with multiple vendors, a few are producer only, (allowing only products that are grown, produced, or made by the local farmer or artisan), and a couple are single farm sourced. Hopefully, some are in your backyard. We focused mainly on local markets, but the Chicago markets are so incredible, we couldn’t help mentioning them.

Barrington

Cary

Barrington Farmers Market 105 S Cook St., Barrington, IL barringtonfarmersmarket.com Thursdays 2:00pm–7:00pm June 15th through October 19th Meet the farmers. This is a producer only market. Every week features entertainment.

Cary Farmers Market 100 W. Main St., Cary, IL (behind train depot) carygrovefarmersmarket.com Sundays 9:00am–1:00pm June 4th through September Family-friendly market with a nice mix of vendors offering meat, fish, shrimp and eggs.

Bartlett

Chicago

Bartlett Farm Stand 105 E Lake St., Bartlett, IL tomsfarmmarket.com/bartlet-farm-stand.html Tuesday–Friday 10:00am–6:30pm Saturday–Sunday 9:00am–5:00pm Mid July through September 30 Produce is from Tom’s farm.

Green City Market-Lincoln Park Approximately 1817 N. Clark, Chicago, IL greencitymarket.org Wednesdays and Saturdays 7:00am–1:00pm May through October Discounted parking is available for $10.00 for the first two hours with validation in the Chicago Historical Museum.

Batavia Batavia Farmers Market 2 W. Wilson St., Batavia, IL downtownbatavia.com/currentevents/ batavia-farmers-market Saturdays 8:00am–12:00pm June 3rd through October 28th 3rd Saturdays feature the Artisan Collective that includes local designers and artisans.

Batavia United Way and the Batavia Kiwanis provide different weekly activities.

Buffalo Grove Buffalo Grove Farmers Market 951 McHenry Rd., Buffalo Grove, IL facebook.com/BuffaloGroveFarmersMarket Sundays 8:00am–12:30pm June 18th through October 8th Voted top farmers market in the State of Illinois for 2013 and 2014. A traditional farmers market featuring locally grown fruits, veggies, meats, artisan cheeses, dairy, flowers, coffee and tea, honey, salsas, dips, pastries, and donuts made on site.

30 | OUR GREEN PLATE

Green City Market-West Loop 115 S. Sangamon St, Chicago, Illinois greencitymarket.org Saturdays 8:00am–1:00pm June through October Logan Square Farmers Market 2755 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL logansquarefarmersmarket.org Sundays 10:00am–3:00pm May 14th through October 29th

Crystal Lake Crystal Lake Farmers Market Depot Park (next to downtown train depot) downtowncl.org/annual-events/farmers-market Saturdays 8:00am–1:00pm June 3rd through October 15th

East Dundee Sunday Farmers Market 319 N River St, East Dundee, IL dundeedepot.com

WHILE YOU’RE OUT, SNAP A PHOTO, LET US KNOW WHAT’S AT THE MARKET, TAG US #OURGREENPLATE @ourgreenplate @ourgreenplate_il

Sundays 10:00am–2:00pm June 11 through October 8 Featuring locally grown food, horticulture products and plant-based items, oils and vinegars, bread and sweets, local meats, eggs.

Located along the bicycle trail. Live music throughout the summer, weekly events featuring local chefs. Mark your calendar for the August 20 corn boil.

Elgin Elgin Harvest Market 200 North Grove Ave, Elgin, IL downtownelgin.com/harvest-market-home Thursdays 9:00am–2:00pm June through October 5th One of the area’s first markets, it offers fresh vegetables, fruits, bread, meat, baked goods, flowers, honey, olives and spices. Harvest Market supports local artists and cultivates a welcoming, accessible, family-friendly, dog-friendly and entertaining public space atmosphere to shop, learn and discover in downtown Elgin.

Kershaw’s Farm Stand 31W660 Stearns Road, Elgin, IL facebook.com/Kershawfarmstand Wednesdays and Fridays 3:00pm–7:00pm Saturdays and Sundays 10:00am–6:00pm A roadside stand selling farm fresh heirloom produce.

Grayslake Grayslake Summer Market 201 Center St., Grayslake, IL grayslakefarmersmarket.com Wednesdays 3:00pm–7:00pm May 31st through September 20th Lake County’s longest running and largest evening market.

Huntley Huntley Farmers Market 11704 Coral Street, Huntley, IL huntley.il.us/news/specialevents.htm Saturdays 8:00am–1:00pm May 27th through October 14th In addition to the weekly market vendors, they feature monthly craft fairs, home based business days, free entertainment, theme days and occasionally free crafts for kids to make.

Tom’s Farm Market 10214 Algonquin Road, Huntley, IL tomsfarmmarket.com Open daily Monday–Friday 9:00am–6:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:00am–5:00pm April 3rd through December Tom’s little farm stand has evolved into a greenhouse, garden center, bakery, lunch cafe, gourmet shop, a gift boutique & of course a beautiful selection of home grown produce.

Lake Barrington Lake Barrington Farmers Market The Marketplace, corner of Hwy. 59 and Kelsey Road, Lake Barrington, IL facebook.com/LakeBarringtonfarmersmarket Tuesdays 3:00pm–7:00pm June 6–October 17, No market on July 4th Events and entertainment each week. 20-25 vendors offer fresh produce, cheese, fish and pies.

St. Charles

kettle corn, cheese, eggs, fresh meat, seafood, and more. Knife sharpening services available.

Outdoor St. Charles Farmers Market 307 Cedar Avenue, St. Charles, IL bakermemorialchurch.org/farmers-market Fridays 7:00am–1:00pm June through October

Palatine Palatine Farmers Market 137 W. Wood St., Palatine, IL Palatine train station parking lot palatine.il.us/departments/village_clerk/ market.aspx Saturdays 7:00am–1:00pm May 6 through October 28 One of the earliest opening outdoor markets, it is a producer only market.

Wauconda Wauconda Farmers Market 100 N. Main St., Wauconda waucondachamber.org/farmers-market Thursdays 4:00pm–7:00pm July through September

Pingree Grove

Woodstock

Goebbert’s Pumpkin Patch 42W813 Reinking Rd, Pingree Grove Hampshire, IL goebbertspumpkinpatch.com Daily 10:00am–6:00pm July through October

Lake Zurich

Schaumburg

Lake Zurich Farmers Market 200 S Rand Road, Lake Zurich, IL lakezurich.org/366/Farmers-Market Fridays 3:00pm–7:00pm June 2nd through September 8th You’ll find over 25 vendors selling produce, bakery items, sauces, honey, pesto, spices,

Schaumburg Farmers Market 190 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL villageofschaumburg.com/visitors/market.htm Fridays 7:00am–1:00pm June 2nd through October

CalendarW

Monday

Tuesday

Woodstock Farmers Market 100 Johnson Street, Woodstock, IL woodstockfarmersmarket.org Tuesdays and Saturdays 8:00am–1:00pm May 2nd–October 24th Located at the Historic Woodstock Square, the Woodstock Farmers Market is a producer only market.

LUREC Farm Stand 2710 S. Country Club Road, Woodstock, IL luc.edu/retreatcampus/farm/farmworkshopsevents Fridays 3:00pm–6:00pm June 23rd–Mid August LUREC Farm is part of the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus.

Wednesday Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Barrington

Barrington Farmers Market

Bartlett

Bartlett Farm Stand

Batavia

Batavia Farmers Market

Buffalo Grove

Buffalo Grove Farmers Market

Cary

Cary Farmers Market

Chicago

Green City Market-Lincoln Park

7am–1pm

Chicago

Green City Market West Loop

7am–1pm

8am–1pm

Chicago

Logan Square Farmers Market

Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake Farmers Market

East Dundee

Sunday Farmers Market

Elgin

Elgin Harvest Market

Elgin

Kershaw’s Farm Stand

Grayslake

Grayslake Summer Market

Huntley

Huntley Farmers Market

Huntley

Tom's Market

Lake Barrington

Lake Barrington Farmers Market

Lake Zurich

Lake Zurich Farmers Market

Palatine

Palatine Farmers Market

Pingree Grove

Goebberts

Schaumburg

Schaumburg Farmers Market

St. Charles

Outdoor St. Charles Farmers Market

Wauconda

Wauconda Farmers Market

Woodstock

Woodstock Farmers Market

Woodstock

Lurec Farm Stand

Sunday

2pm–7pm 10am–6:30pm

10am–6:30pm

10am–6:30pm

10am–6:30pm

9am–5 pm

9am–5pm

8am–12pm 8am–12:30pm

9am–1pm

10am–3pm 8am–1pm 10am–2pm

9am–2pm

3pm–7pm

3pm– 7pm

10am–6pm

10am–6pm

3pm–7pm 8am–1pm 9am–6pm

9am–6pm

9am–6pm

9am–6pm

9am–6pm

9am–5pm

9am–5pm

3pm–7pm 3pm–7pm 7am–1pm 10am–6pm

10am–6pm

1am–6pm

10am–6pm

10am–6pm

10am–6pm

10am–6pm

8am–1pm

7am–1pm 7am–1pm 4pm–7pm 8am–1pm

3pm–6:30pm

SUMMER 2017 | 31

BRAIN FOOD

A Great American Novelist Chronicles Her Family’s

Locavore JourneyW

BY DALE I. JUFFERNBRUCH

A

nimal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year in Food Life takes the reader on an inspiring journey with a family, who moves from Tucson, AZ to southern Appalachia, and commits to “eat locally” for one year. This family’s definition of “local” entails only food that is grown or raised within their county. They will try their hands at being “locavores.” This may sound like a worthy and reasonable goal. But wait, as Animal, Vegetable, Miracle describes what’s in store for these folks.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, written by Barbara Kingsolver, includes portions written by her husband, Steven Hopp and her elder daughter, Camille Kingsolver. Steven’s contributions center around scientific studies, policy matters, and legal/regulatory concerns. Camille, who was 18 years old at the time of writing the book, supplies useful nutritional information and many weekly meal plan ideas. If you have the inclination to consume your books via audio means, the three writers read their portions, which provides an extra delight.

The family decided to start their 365-day experiment on a dismal April morning with a trip to the farmers market. Are there local foods available in April in Virginia? How about fruit? Lo and behold, they discovered a bounty of green onions, turkey sausage, lamb, baby lettuce and rhubarb. Rhubarb, although technically not a fruit, is considered by many cooks to be a solid stand-in; and it is a sure sign of spring.

Soon, the family’s own garden would start producing.

In addition to land occupied by fruit trees, berry bushes and pasture grazed by their poultry, the family’s garden encompassed 3,524 square feet of tilled beds. It was ambitious by any standard, though one doesn’t need a large plot of land to participate in the spirit of local growing. Container gardening, planting edible landscaping, belonging to a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm, or working in community gardens all constitute ways to eat locally.

Started mostly from seeds, their garden included spinach, kale, lettuce, chard, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, sweet peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, melons, winter squash, carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic.

The book follows the family as they plant their first broccoli seedlings, seed potatoes, and onion plants (this family needs 200 onions per year!), through the bountiful harvest starting in early June. Then 32 | OUR GREEN PLATE

comes the onslaught of zucchini and the family becomes very creative with zucchini recipes. And, just when the zucchini harvest starts to wane... it’s tomato season. This red orb can be found filling every available surface of the family’s house. Finally, harvesting comes to a close with the ripening of the winter squashes and the humble pumpkin.

Illinois is the country’s top pumpkin producer. Pumpkins for your recipes don’t have to come from a can.

As harvesting slows down, the family ramps up their preservation efforts. Preservation is what allows one to eat locally year round. It has many forms: canning, dehydrating, and freezing. With the winter gardens appearing bleak, one need look no further than your larder for all that local goodness. For the gardener, winter is not a time to despair, but an opportunity to relish the more relaxed pace away from summer’s intense schedule, make inventory of the seeds saved, and pore over seed catalogs. And, like life, the cycle begins again.

We are left to wonder if demanding everything anytime is a worthwhile pursuit. Eating locally is not only sound for the environment and for the local farmers and communities, but it is sound for the body and spirit. In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, the family discovers their 365-day food pledge wasn’t a sacrifice after all, but a way of life they desired.

Dale has researched food and nutrition for the past decade and buys much of her food directly from farmers. She is an avid cook and loves to eat.

Let’s Grow Local Together

Follow Us, Join Us, Learn.

At Smart Farm we share the importance of healthy, locally grown food. Using sustainable farming techniques, we offer hands-ons workshops and classes to anyone who wants to garden organically and cook with the freshest ingredients. 100% of everything we grow is donated to local food pantries.

l Smart Farm

of Barrington SmartFarms.org (847)875-2060