PUBLICATION DETAILS March/April 2014
PUBLISHER
Wholesome Magazine, LLC P.O. Box 87967 Sioux Falls, SD 57109 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Shayla Ebsen (605) 610-8034 shayla@wholesomemag.com PHOTOGRAPHER UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ARTICLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
AC ELLIS, INC. Cory Ann Ellis (605) 610-9770 acellis@mac.com CONTRIBUTORS Marcella Prokop Laurel Lather Marsha McCulloch, RD Ashley Ridout-Norris
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March/April 2014 Letter from the Editor
Dreaming of Spring Spring fever often sets in as the cold days of winter slowly fade and give way to the warming temperatures of March and April. While it’s tough to tell whether spring will arrive early this year, you can start planning for warmer weather by plotting out your garden, researching local CSAs and more.
EMAIL ME: Do you have a story suggestion or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you. Send an email to shayla@wholesomemag.com.
Will spring arrive early this year, or will winter outstay her welcome once again? That’s the question many will begin pondering over the next few months as spring fever takes hold. It’s nearly impossible to resist daydreams of long summer days, grilling parties, and the feel of warm soil underfoot as the cold days of February transition into the slowly warming and lengthening days of March and April. Yet, wait we must for the lasting warm days that will allow for planting the year’s garden and for returning our grills to the backyard patio. So, what can be done about spring fever and how can you bide your time until summer officially arrives? While it may be challenging, try to make the most of the snow before it’s gone. Take your kids sledding or go on a snowshoeing adventure with friends. Bring a blend of comfort food and lighter fare into your kitchen to complement the outdoor shift from cold to warm that typically comes this time of year. As the weather warms, getting outdoors to enjoy the sunshine most likely won’t be a problem. However, a little preplanning can help you make
the most of the upcoming summer, a season that often seems fleeting in South Dakota. For example, plan for the upcoming planting season by starting seeds indoors, but resist the urge to plant your garden too soon even if the year brings an unusually warm April. Begin researching opportunities to try something new this summer. Research local CSAs, purchase a share, and resolve to help out in the fields a few days during the growing season. Or, set a goal to purchase the majority of your summer’s produce from a local farmers market. Learn about asparagus picking or morel mushroom gathering and take your family on a gathering adventure when the season for those plants arrives. Although March and April are often the months we spend waiting for winter to end and spring to begin, there’s much to be done while you wait. As always, we’ve included tips, features, recipes and more in this issue to complement the mood of this early spring season.
Shayla Ebsen EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MY EARLY SPRING PICKS ST. PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVITIES
DIY GARDEN MARKERS
CHARITY EVENTS
Going a little stir crazy waiting for the seasons to transition? Get out this St. Patrick’s Day and enjoy the festivities, including the annual parade in downtown Sioux Falls. Follow the parade with a late lunch or a few beverages at a downtown restaurant.
While you may not be able to plant your garden just yet, you can have a little fun planning for planting by making homemade garden markers. Check out our tutorial on page 51 for creating garden markers out of baking clay and clay stamps.
Want to dine out in a new way this spring? Plan to attend one of the great charity events being held in March and April. Just a few events being held for great causes include The Big Grape and the Feast of the Great Chefs. Both are held in Sioux Falls.
ON THE COVER: Learn the basics of coffee roasting from local roasters. This issue’s Raw to Roasted feature explores the time and effort that goes into a quality mug of coffee before it reaches your hands.
FEATURES
8 RAW TO ROASTED Local coffee roast masters offer an inside look at the process a coffee bean undergoes before it reaches your coffee mug.
22 GIVING UP GLUTEN Learn what it’s like to live with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity and explore a few gluten-free recipes.
34 CRAFT BEER, CUISINE, AND COMFORT Enjoy a comforting meal of craft beer and pork belly at Bros Brasserie Americano and learn about the Brasserie’s backstory from owner Ryan Tracy.
IN EVERY ISSUE
6 19 32 42 50 62 74
IN THE KITCHEN FOOD, NATURALLY DINING OUT FOOD HERITAGE LOCALLY GROWN SEASONAL RECIPES MARKETPLACE
Read Wholesome on your tablet or computer! Explore our current and past digital versions at wholesomemag.com/magazine.
CALENDAR March 2014
Mar
1-2 9
Home Show of the Watertown Area Homebuilders Association The 27th annual home show of the Watertown Area Homebuilders Association will take place on Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, March 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gather ideas and inspiration for home projects and connect with local contractors and other businesses. www.watertownhomebuilders.com
Feast of the Great Chefs Dinner and Auction
Support the National Kidney Foundation by attending the annual Feast of the Great Chefs Dinner and Auction. Hosted at the Callaway Events Center in Sioux Falls, this year’s event will feature top restaurants and chefs who will create signature dishes for you to sample and enjoy. The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
21-22
15
St. Patrick’s Day in Downtown Sioux Falls
Head to Downtown Sioux Falls for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and festivities. Starting at 2 p.m., the 35th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will feature festive floats and the traditional Painting of the Shamrock. Continue the celebration by stopping at local Downtown businesses.
Schmeckfest German Heritage Event in Freeman
Venture to Freeman on March 21 or 22, or again on March 28 or 29, and enjoy a German family style meal, crafts, food demonstrations, a musical food production and more. Popular menu items include noodle soup, stewed beef, pork sausage, and dried fruit rolls. Schmeckfest has been held annually since 1959 and features authentic German dishes. Purchase tickets in advance, $20 for adults and $8 for kids. schmeckfest.com
Mar
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Ag Day at the Washington Pavilion, Downtown Sioux Falls Celebrate National Agriculture Day at the Washington Pavilion. The event will include free lunch, family-friendly hands-on activities and exhibitors. Ag Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and also includes free admission to the Kirby Science Discovery Center. pavilionagday.org
have an upcoming event? Email your upcoming events to contribute@wholesomemag.com and we’ll try to include them in future issues.
CALENDAR April 2014
Apr
10 Apr
11
A Taste of Home Cooking School Show in Deadwood Experience a 2-hour demonstration of exciting recipes. Culinary specialists will show step-by-step instructions on how to create satisfying and flavorful dishes. Receive a gift bag and a Taste of Home cookbook and register for door prizes to be handed out during the event.
Apr Winefest Renaissance in Aberdeen
Andrew Zimmern in Deadwood
12
Things are about to get a bit bizarre on the Deadwood Mountain Grand Event Center stage, as celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Food appears at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 11.
The Winefest Renaissance offers a chance to sample more than 150 wines from across the country, a great selection of beers and spirits, and a variety of delicious hors d’ oeuvres by area and regional chefs.
Apr
19 Apr
24
Party for the Planet Earth Day Event at the Great Plains Zoo In honor of Earth Day, the Great Plains Zoo hosts an annual “Party for the Planet.” This event is designed with fun and educational activities to involve parents and children alike and encourages enthusiasm for nature. “Party for the Planet” shows zoo-goers how to make their own backyard more wildlife friendly, while also teaching about conservation.
McCrossan Banquet Auction at Sioux Falls Convention Center Live and silent auction with great items to bid on, including lots of jewelry, electronics, sports memorabilia and artwork. This year’s event will feature famous South Dakotan Holly Hoffman at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Holly will be sharing her amazing story of “Survival: Your Winner Within.”
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In the Kitchen
seeking the perfect roast Want to try something new this spring? Fill the season’s chilly mornings with the aroma of home roasted and brewed coffee. Not ready to tackle home roasting? Venture to a local roasterie and sample a few cups of quality brew from the roast masters themselves.
Cindy Oyen ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, SRS Broker Associate (605) 359-5436 SiouxFallsHomeSource.com
Looking for a fabulous kitchen? Let me help you find your new address. Contact me today and let's get started.
“Everything You Expect...And More!”
Raw to Roasted WORDS BY Ashley Ridout-Norris PHOTOS BY Cory Ann Ellis
To an outsider, the process a coffee bean undergoes to become a smooth, dark liquid may seem fairly simple. Insiders who work directly with the beans, such as Andrew Fritz, master roaster at Coffea Roasterie in Sioux Falls, know just how much thought and work goes into a mug of coffee before it reaches your hands. For Fritz, transforming bean to liquid is a very intentional process, and the majority of his time with a particular bean is spent determining the best roasting profile. “There are so many variables,” he says. “A lot of people think roasting takes 20 to 30 minutes. Ours stick around the 12 to 14 minute range. And twenty seconds difference in each coffee can make a world of difference.” Fritz records each test profile for a particular bean until he finds one that’s spot on and then tries to mimic it for consistency. “I have an instrument that records my temp and time, and charts it for me,” he explains. “Basically, when I get a brand new coffee, I get to experiment until something works and then do minor adjustments until I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s beautiful.’”
IN THE KITCHEN Raw to Roasted
That experimentation typically happens in small batches on the roasterie’s sample roaster to prevent waste. Once he gets the feel for the profile of a particular bean, Fritz takes it to the production roaster. He then completes a minimum of two roasts on the production roaster before allowing anyone else to taste it. By the time the raw coffee beans reach the roaster, they’ve already developed a unique character and specific flavors based on where they were grown. Every step of coffee cultivation can change a bean’s flavor, including the farmer, the soil, and even the weather. Even beans grown on the same farm, a few miles apart, have distinguishable flavors. Because of this, Fritz focuses on each individual coffee to pull out specific flavors that highlight its characteristics. After finding the right balance, he can roast larger quantities of 15 to 20 pounds at a time. The roasterie’s machine would handle more, but he likes to keep the batches smaller to maintain control. The roasting process uses temperature to break down molecules and chemicals inside the bean. The longer you roast, the further those elements break down. If you roast too long the bitterness of the caffeine shows through, resulting in an ashy, charred flavor. Fritz avoids this problem by sticking to light or medium roasts, which enhance the coffee’s sugars to counterbalance the bitter flavor. “I want my coffee to be sweet. I don’t want people to have to add sugar to their coffee in the morning,” he explains. “In terms of roasting, that’s where I hang out. I focus on sweet. I don’t want it bitter. I don’t want overly astringent. I want sweet, a little acidity, some body.” Jennifer Swanson, owner of Coffea, says another problem of roasting too dark is that you lose many of the bean’s characteristics. And, with a high quality bean, creating the
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perfect profile is all about letting those distinct characteristics shine, not losing them. “A better quality, like an Arabica bean, a high grown, really well processed, really well taken care of bean, is going to have a lot of complexity,” Fritz adds. “There are a lot of flavors you can pull out. It’s just a better quality bean. So, instead of taking away from those, you want to let them show through. A farmer worked really hard on growing that and there’s so much in there that can be offered. In terms of roasting, that’s my take.” Daniel Gerling, assistant professor and director of The Writing Center at Augustana College, admittedly has a soft spot for diner coffee, which makes his interest in home roasting especially unique. His interest in home roasting began in college, when he traveled to Europe and wound up at a seaport in northeastern Italy. “I was at the train station in Trieste and had the most amazing cup of espresso there and that’s when I fell in love with it,” Gerling recalls. He says that definitive experience, coupled with briefly living in Jalapa where he was close to the production of coffee beans, created a deeper connection to coffee and ultimately led him to home roasting. As his interest in coffee roasting expanded, Gerling purchased a roaster to prepare small batches at home and recently upgraded to a machine that allows him to roast almost a pound at a time. In the beginning, Gerling says he had limited success. “The first time I roasted with this guy here [pointing to his home roaster], there wasn’t a fire, but there was so much smoke we had to open the windows. There was smoke everywhere,” he chuckles. After the smoky start, he has honed his skills through trial and error and has learned how to
the perfect profile Andrew Fritz, master roaster at Coffea Roasterie, spends his days finding the perfect coffee bean roasting profiles. The process begins in the roasterie’s sample roaster and, after a coffee’s perfect profile is found, it moves to the production roaster.
IN THE KITCHEN Raw to Roasted
roast to his liking, which, for Gerling, translates to just after second crack. As coffee beans begin to heat, they reach a point when they crack, almost like popcorn. That first crack is when beans begin to develop a caramel taste, but isn’t to the point of being burned. After his coffee beans crack a second time, Gerling likes to begin cooling them down. “Once I see a little drop of oil on a bean I’ll cut it off. It’s gotten to second crack and the sugars and oils are coming out.” Gerling says the roasting process takes about twenty minutes on his larger machine, including the cooling period. He uses his roaster’s manual to determine base roasting times, but says those times can change based on a number of factors. “It’s fun to just play around and see what setting you like it at.” For others interested in home roasting, Gerling suggests one of two methods. First, keep all of the variables the same, including the dosage and roast level, and then play around
with different beans. Otherwise, pick one bean and stick with it while playing around with different roasts. Fritz says he sees more individuals like Gerling taking a deeper interest in the roasting process. “There’s a lot more information about coffee now. Now, it’s not just something you have to drink in the morning to wake up and struggle through,” explains Fritz. “People know that coffee tastes good. People know that there are farmers who grow it and people know the names of the farmers. I know where all my coffee came from. I could tell you a region. I could tell you a farm and the farmer’s name on some of them. That’s cool.” Whether the connection with food comes from planting, harvesting, preparing, consuming, or simply knowing the face behind the production, the greater your understanding of the process, the more you can appreciate it, and coffee is no exception.
A Nosh of Nostalgia WORDS BY Laurel Lather
Comfort food takes on different meaning for everyone, but the words are almost always associated with a sense of nostalgia. For our newest columnist, Laurel Lather, comfort food is best associated with whole yellow pea soup.
IN THE KITCHEN A Nosh of Nostalgia
W
hen one sees the words, “comfort food”, you tend to get a pleasant grin on your face, your taste buds perk up and visions of meals from your childhood are pulled from memory. It could be coming home from school to a warm, creamy grilled cheese sandwich or pot roast dinner at the family table. Everyone has a gastronomic equivalent to their favorite sweater, a food that has sentimental appeal to you. Even top chefs and those who have tasted some of the world’s best food enjoy a nosh of nostalgia. Usually, these dishes are prepared in a simple, traditional way. The well-used recipe card is tattered and stained, with fading ink. As it’s passed from generation to generation, the translation may be altered by personal style or to reflect usage of what’s locally in season. But what never changes is how emotionally and culinarily satisfying it is. I was fortunate to grow up with a grandmother, who in my opinion, was a comfort food genius. Every meal was a stick-to-the-ribs, deliciously rich dish. Many of them were soups or stews. However, the one that will forever stand out in my memories is her whole yellow pea soup. If Yankee Candle Co. could encase that aroma in wax, I would burn one every day. The spiciness of corned beef, the sharp hop laden beer, and the earthiness of the dried peas combine to create a saliva-inducing aroma. Consumed in Sweden since before the Vikings, whole yellow pea soup, traditionally called ärtsoppa, was made from fast-growing peas that thrived in the short-growing season. It was especially popular among the poor who
cooked all their food in their one and only pot. When Sweden was converted to Catholicism, pea soup was served for Thursday dinner to tide hardworking farmers over the fast on Fridays. Even after the Lutheran religion began to dominate the country, the soup continued to be eaten as a standard for Thursday. It was so entrenched in the culture that the tradition has continued, even in current times. Whole yellow peas are part of the legume family and are one of the oldest crops cultivated. They’re husked, are about 1/4 of an inch wide, and are pale yellow in color. Rich in protein and fiber, not only are they tasty, but very good for you. While the split pea is more commonly found, I find the texture of the whole pea more appealing, as they keep their shape in cooking and have a sweeter, nutty taste. To start this hearty soup, you’ll first soak the peas in cold water for 8 to 10 hours. If you need to speed up the process, you can add baking soda, but be sure to drain and rinse again before cooking. For the difference of a few hours, I suggest omitting that process. It will destroy some of the vitamins and break down the texture of the pea. On the other hand, don’t over-soak the peas, they germinate quickly and will produce a very sour taste. This soaking period allows plenty of time to prep the rest of the ingredients. Traditionally, salt, pork and hambone were used in this soup. However, my Grandmother used corned beef brisket. The pickling spice and saltiness of the meat prevents the peas from becoming too viscous and adds a depth of extra flavor. In your stock pot, cover the brisket with water, adding the spice packet that usually
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IN THE KITCHEN A Nosh of Nostalgia
comes with the meat and a bottle of hoppy ale. Avoid a malty, dark beer as it will add too much sweetness and the strong flavor will overpower the delicate peas. Cover and allow to slowly simmer. After a few hours, pull at the meat with a fork. If it shreds easily, remove from pot. Pull off any excess fat, cut the meat in bite-size pieces and put them back in the broth. If you want to make a vegetarian/vegan version, use a veggie broth. Lindsay Nixon,”The Happy Herbivore”, says she has learned to add a teaspoon of tomato paste, a half teaspoon of smoked paprika, and a dash of pure maple syrup to replace the ham taste. When the peas are done soaking, pour them into the stock pot. Let them simmer slowly for an hour before adding the vegetables. Throw in small diced onions, cloves of roasted garlic, and lots of diced celery, including the center leaves. Lightly cover the top of the stock with dill weed, fresh if in season. Simmer until peas are soft. When ready to serve, add a handful of shredded carrot. Taste for salt and pepper, and,
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if needed, add sea salt, pink preferably, and cracked black pepper. Serve with a dollop of grainy brown mustard to swirl into the soup. It adds a rich depth of flavor. Traditionally, the soup was served with crepelike pancakes, a buttered crisp wafer, or an ebelskiver, a ball of batter cooked in special castiron pans, of which I’ve had the fortune to enjoy in the past few months. They’re a new found comfort food that deserve their own story. While enjoying the soup, we would typically dip a hard-crusted bread into it. The final touch to this meal would be a glorious glass of wine with the body to stand up to the weight of the soup, and with soft flavors. A Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc would be my preference. If you’re a Chardonnay drinker, pick one that’s aged in French oak, the toasty flavor will dance with the nutty peas. Whether you’re eating this soup or your family’s favorite comfort dish, they will certainly not only pique your taste buds, but your emotions as well. Det är jättegott! (in Swedish, “Yum!”).
Food, Naturally
going gluten-free Want to learn more about the gluten-free lifestyle and what it may offer you? Learn the stories of others who have given up gluten, discover gluten-free flour options, and explore delicious gluten-free recipes.
FOOD, NATURALLY Gluten-Free Flours
Gluten-Free Flours Making the switch to gluten-free flours can be a little intimidating as most have very different profiles and act differently than standard white or whole wheat flour. Learn the characteristics of these five gluten-free flours and incorporate them into your baking projects.
OAT FLOUR Oat flour offers a mild, sweet taste and is a suitable substitute for white flour in most baked goods. However, it retains moisture and can lead to issues when used in high quantities. Use in muffins, cookies and other baked goods.
ALMOND FLOUR A great source of protein, almond flour features a smooth, appealing texture and has a slightly sweet, buttery taste. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
BROWN RICE FLOUR Brown rice flour offers a good source of protein, iron and fiber, and is a versatile baking substitute. It can be used in baked goods or as a soup thickener or meat breading. Offers a nutty taste and has a long shelf life.
QUICK TIPS: Not confident in your ability to successfully incorporate gluten-free flours into your favorite recipes? Learn the ropes of gluten-free baking by purchasing a few glutenfree cookbooks. Once you become familiar with gluten-free flour profiles, your confidence in using them in the kitchen will increase.
FOOD, NATURALLY Gluten-Free Flours
QUINOA FLOUR Quinoa flour is high in protein and is often used as a flour substitute in flatbreads. It lacks the elasticity needed for yeast breads, but works well in baked goods such as muffins and cakes. Offers a slightly grassy, seedy taste.
FAVA BEAN FLOUR Fava bean flour offers a good source of protein and fiber, and is often used as a substitute for rice flour. Use in breads, pizza, cakes, and cookies. Fava bean flour offers a slight bean taste and can result in denser baked goods.
gluten free living
cooking without gluten With today’s heightened awareness of celiac disease and gluten sensitivities, finding gluten-free recipes is easy. While preparing gluten-free baked goods requires the use of specialized flours, many recipes require few and easy adaptations.
Giving up Gluten WORDS BY Marsha McCulloch, RD PHOTOS BY Cory Ann Ellis
Chances are, you’ve heard of gluten-free diets, even if you aren’t really sure what they entail or why they’re so important for certain groups of people. Many South Dakotans have learned the ropes of gluten-free eating and are helping others do the same.
FOOD, NATURALLY Giving up Gluten
T
he first time Karen Herrington made gluten-free cinnamon rolls, she feared they would be disastrous as soon as she rolled out the dough. Later, as she peered at the hideous creations in her oven, she thought, “You’ve got to be kidding.” They were a far cry from the beautiful cinnamon rolls she made before she was diagnosed with celiac disease. “Learning to bake gluten-free caused a major identity crisis for me,” Herrington says. She had worked many years as a professional cook and was well-known for her stellar baking skills. “I went from all of these successes in the kitchen to complete failure baking gluten-free because I was dealing with totally different flours.” After countless hours of experimentation guided by tips from the Gluten Intolerance Group of the Black Hills, which she now leads, Herrington eventually mastered glutenfree baking. In fact, she became so good at it that many people asked her to bake for them and she ran a home-based gluten-free bakery for a while, making goodies like peach angel food cake from scratch. Now she’s working on compiling her gluten-free recipes for a cookbook. Giving up every speck of gluten—a protein in wheat, rye, and barley that makes dough stretchy—is an absolute necessity for the estimated 1 out of 100 people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that tends to run in families. Eating gluten-free is also the dietary remedy for those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, estimated to affect about 6 percent of the population. Pam Groninger, co-chair of the Sioux Falls Celiac Support Group, describes gluten disorders as chameleons. “They affect people in so many different ways and with such varied symptoms,” she says. Whereas some people may get digestive issues when they eat gluten, others
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might have unexplained depression, brain fog, headaches, infertility, bone loss, skin issues, or other problems. In kids, celiac disease may be signaled by poor growth. The most common symptom of celiac disease that shows up in doctors’ offices is irondeficiency anemia. That’s what finally led to Groninger’s diagnosis of celiac disease in 2007 after nearly two decades of suffering. She had dealt with extreme fatigue and joint pain that sent her to countless doctors with little help until one finally picked up on her anemia in a blood test. She was then sent for an endoscopy to find out if she was bleeding internally. That’s when doctors found her villi, which are fingerlike projections in the small intestine that help the body absorb nutrients like iron, had been worn down by immune reactions to gluten. Groninger says that in recent years her support group has had an increase in members who have not been diagnosed with celiac disease but who find eating a gluten-free diet makes them feel better. However, she cautions that it’s important to get tested for celiac disease as a starting point because having a diagnosed condition can help with insurance coverage for doctor follow-up. Children typically need medical documentation for special dietary accommodations at school. Knowing your diagnosis also helps reinforce how important it is to stick to the diet. The ideal time to be tested for celiac disease is before you’ve gone gluten-free because you need to be currently consuming gluten for medical testing to be accurate. Testing often starts with a simple blood test, which may be followed by biopsy of the small intestine. Increasingly, people who are tested that don’t turn up with celiac disease but have celiac-like symptoms when they consume gluten are diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Unfortunately, medical understanding of non-celiac gluten
FOOD, NATURALLY Giving up Gluten
sensitivity is about where celiac disease was forty years ago, and there isn’t currently a valid medical test for it (although medical researchers are working on one). Although giving up gluten is no small task, it’s getting easier. The number of gluten-free packaged foods has sky-rocketed in recent years, and many of them taste a lot better than early options. An increasing number of restaurants offer gluten-free menu options, too. “The most challenging thing is eating away from home, especially at weddings and anniversary celebrations where you really don’t know if anything on the table is safe,” says June VanLiere of Hartford, who was diagnosed with celiac disease more than 10 years ago. When in doubt, she skips the food altogether. Other eating situations are easier for her. “When my friends invite me over for dinner, they’ll call and check what brands I can have, and they’re not insulted if I have to turn down a dish,” she says. Her husband is also very careful about handling her food—especially to avoid cross-contamination. “We have separate toasters and butter containers to make sure crumbs from
his wheat bread don’t get into my food,” she explains. Avoiding cross-contamination at restaurants is trickier, as it largely depends on how well-educated the staff is. “I’ve found some restaurants bring me a complete gluten-free meal but lay a piece of toast over the top, or they forget and put croutons on my salad, so then I have to send the whole dish back,” VanLiere says. Mere crumbs of gluten can make people with celiac disease very ill. The celiac support groups maintain lists of restaurants that have gluten-free menus or that will accommodate gluten-free requests. Approximately 30 different restaurants in Sioux Falls have gluten-free menu offerings, as do at least a dozen Rapid City restaurants. Even so, talking with the staff about how food is prepared is key. Groninger says members of the Sioux Falls Celiac Support Group typically go out to eat prior to their monthly meetings. “Our presence at the restaurant helps raise awareness of the need for gluten-free meals, plus we can do some educating while we’re there,” she says.
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gluten-free dark chocolate cakes recipe by chef jeni of sioux falls PREP: 15 min COOK: 35 min TOTAL: 50 min MAKES: 12 cakes
1/4 cup water 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/3 cup white sugar 9 oz dark chocolate chips (1.5 standard 12 oz bags) 8 tablespoons butter, softened and cut into pieces 3 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 2. Grease 12, 4-ounce ramekins and set aside. 3. Heat the water, salt, and sugar together in a saucepan until completely dissolved. Set aside. 4. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Beat in the pieces of butter until
combined. Beat in the hot sugar and water mixture, and then the eggs, one at a time.
5.
Fill each of the ramekins 2/3 full and place them in a cake pan. With boiling water, fill the cake pan until the level reaches half way up the sides of the ramekins (be careful not to get water into the chocolate filled ramekins). Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until the cakes are set and have puffed up a bit. Garnish with fresh fruit and/or powdered sugar.
NOTE: This batter can be made ahead of time and baked up to 3 days later. Also, the cakes can be baked, covered, stored in the fridge, and served up to 3 days later.
grilled corn and cilantro fritters recipe by chef jeni of sioux falls PREP: 30 min COOK: 15 min TOTAL: 45 min MAKES: 2 dozen fritters
1/2 cup milk 2 eggs 1.5 cups gluten-free baking mix 1.5 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 cups (4 cobs) grill charred corn, cut off the cob
1.
1 red pepper, diced 1 Anaheim pepper, diced 4 green onions, diced 1 bunch cilantro, rough chopped 1 ripe avocado, mashed 2 roma tomatoes, juice and seeds removed, fine diced 4 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
Beat milk and eggs together. Add gluten-free baking mix, salt and paprika to the liquid until combined.
2. Mix all of the vegetables together and fold them in the batter. You may need to add a bit more baking mix if the mixture seems too runny.
3. Heat the avocado or olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and add batter in 2 tablespoon dollops. Fry the fritters for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side.
spicy avocado dip
1 ripe avocado, mashed 3 tablespoons sour cream 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped Juice of 1 lime 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce, or to taste (Asian food section)
1.
Blend all ingredients for the dip until creamy. Serve with the fritters.
lasagna stuffed zucchini boats recipe by chef jeni of sioux falls PREP: 15 min COOK: 45 min TOTAL: 60 min SERVES: 6-8
3 large zucchini 1 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, or 1/2 teaspoon dried 1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese 1 egg 1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage, browned 1 cup homemade or store-bought marinara sauce 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
1. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, leaving stems in tact. Hollow out the zucchini centers to create a hollow for your filling. 2. Mix the ricotta, sea salt, basil, Romano, and egg. 3. Layer the sauce, ricotta filling, mozzarella, and meat until the boat is full. Your
number of layers will depend on how large your zucchini are. End your layers with a bit more sauce and top with mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake in a large casserole dish at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until zucchini is cooked through, but not mushy. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and grated Romano.
Note: Ground beef or turkey can be used in place of the Italian sausage. Add sautĂŠed vegetables to the sauce if desired. This is a very flexible recipe that invites creativity.
Dining Out
dine downtown Downtown Sioux Falls has much to offer in culinary selections. Join us as we explore the menu options at Bros Brasserie Americano including the popular pork belly and a range of local craft beers. Also, learn the back story on Ryan Tracy, the owner of Bros.
On January 19, the Co-op Natural Foods in Sioux Falls was victim to a devastating arson fire.
learn how you can help and donate to the fire relief fund. coopnaturalfoods.com
Craft Beer, Cuisine & Comfort WORDS BY Marcella Prokop PHOTOS BY Cory Ann Ellis
Sit down with Ryan Tracy to discuss food for any period of time, and his views on tablecloths (don’t need ‘em) and beer (necessary) are likely to come out. But share this conversation over a plate of pork belly, creole maux choux and sweet potato-pecan gnocchi, and a more important preference will surface: locally sourcing the food and beer he serves patrons at his downtown restaurant, Bros Brasserie Americano. “People not only want to have great food, they want to know where it comes from,” he explains. “I pride myself in being able to offer that.” Case in point is the pork belly, a 3 or 4-inch square of pork wrapped in its own gauzy ribbon of fat and crisped to perfection in a cast-iron skillet. The simple slice of hog comes from White Marble Farms in Ottumwa, Iowa, a producer Tracy has been working with for nearly a decade. White Marble Farms, he says, is the kind of place where the hogs are treated compassionately and have plenty of space to grow into the tasty morsels so many people love. “The better something is raised, the less you have to do with it later. This is important with pork, especially the pork belly, which I feature as the main protein [in this dish],” explains Tracy. White Marble Farms’ antibiotic- and hormone-free pork is a staple at Bros, which went through more than 5000 pounds of pork in 2012, a feat that might shock someone unfamiliar with pork belly or leery of the bad rap pork sometimes receives. But for Tracy, who knew that this unique dish would go
DINING OUT Craft Beer, Cuisine, and Comfort
over well, this number speaks to the quality of the meat, the versatility of pork’s cuts, and its flavor profile. “My philosophy is this: Is bacon or sausage something you should eat every day? Probably not. But people need to explore other parts. It’s one of the few animals where you can consume almost the whole thing, because it’s versatile,” he explains. “We make our own guanciale (cured pork jowl that serves as bacon) and pancetta, and if I could find someone to sell me the whole hog, I’d find a way to use it all.” This philosophy—that using all parts of a greater whole and finding them locally makes for fine dining—is one that Tracy has woven throughout his establishment. From the local art on the establishment’s red walls to the 16 tap beers on the beverage list to the ever-evolving menu, the cozy restaurant seeks to provide fine dining with a local, casual feel to the Sioux Falls foodscape. But it took some time, Tracy says, for people to really get behind the “fine dining in a casual atmosphere” concept. “Reception was kind of lukewarm at first, but I believe that if you make good food, people will come,” he says. Now, more than three years later, people are still coming, and Tracy says he seats regulars who come in on a weekly basis for the seafood, or just for an interesting new beer. And despite the unique menu, the beer is where it’s at for the many people who belly up to the small bar within. Bros, which opened in September of 2010, is the first of its kind of hit the streets of this restaurant-heavy town. Traditionally, a brasserie is a French restaurant with several drink options. It’s relaxed in nature, but still dedicated to plying clients with delicious beer and elegant food. So, for Tracy, pairing food with beer goes beyond simply having a few drinks and munching on handfuls of crackers and peanuts from the community snack bowl. “The whole concept when I first opened
was to provide fine dining food with a casual atmosphere,” he says. “I wanted people to be able to come in here whether they were wearing a suit, or a T-shirt and flip-flops.” On a Wednesday evening in late winter, a quick glance around the two-room space reveals a blend of patrons in dressy attire and more casual hoodies and shoes. Many are here for food, but requests for beer also flow freely. The selection here spans the Midwest, and, oftentimes, some of the beers can’t be found at other restaurants in the area—another point that Tracy says has allowed him to follow his philosophy on finding and offering the best options he can. “We have 16 taps, and all are American micro-brews. I try to source the beer as close to home as possible, but I also want great beer, and sometimes that means I have to go outside of the region.” On this cool evening, a sampling of two fairly regular and popular brews reveals the intensely thick but smooth and nutty-finishing Old Rasputin, an Imperial Russian stout, and a light cream ale, with hints of toasted corn in the finish. Tracy explains that he tries to keep an IPA and a double IPA on tap at all times. The lighter cream ale is almost always available, too. The appeal of drinking the one-off (meaning one run and done) beer that Tracy carries is that each glass is unique, but in addition to drinking the beverage, diners can ask for it in a suitable dish, such as the mussels. This pairing of beer with food is something that works well in the kitchen, but, for Tracy, combining these two loves is about more than just serving good food. As with the conscious choice he makes in purchasing pork, he wants his work to support locals. “One of my passions is beer paired with food, not the other way around,” he says. “And my main focus is great beer. Fortunately for us, there is some great beer made in our region, and it works out. We want to support our local economy.”
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in support of local As the owner of Bros Brasserie Americano, Ryan Tracy shows his support of local producers and artisans in many ways. That support is showcased throughout the establishment, from locally-sourced ingredients and beer to local artwork on the walls.
DINING OUT Craft Beer, Cuisine, and Comfort
For Tracy, supporting a local economy means supporting the region to which he was born, but not necessarily raised. Although he lived in Iowa for a small sliver of infancy, and now considers Sioux Falls home, Tracy’s influence and interests as a chef come from a very different part of the country: The Big Easy. This explains his unique take on pork in several Bros dishes, and the seafood-heavy menu. But beyond shaping these things at Bros, NoLa’s influence also shaped Tracy’s life. “I grew up in New Orleans, and in 1990, through the public school system, I had the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship at Commander’s Palace,” he explains. As a 7th grader, Tracy started out with soups and sauces, and then worked his way into more complicated dishes and experiences. By eighteen, he was ACF certified and had landed an internship in Italy where he learned to infuse his southern style with Mediterranean simplicity. “The whole idea was to practice life skills through curriculum,” he says. “But, by then, I was 18 and I realized the restaurant lifestyle was my kind of jam. Getting up late, working late, being around creative people... that worked with my motif,” he says, a warm, almost gritty laughter punctuating the statement. After finding his place in the kitchen during his apprenticeship and internship, Tracy “got serious” about cooking and spent time working with a variety of chefs to refine his style. He worked in New Orleans for a time, and then moved on to Alabama, before returning to the Midwest. Today, this combination of experiences has created a style that is at once both Southern and Midwestern, but also Mediterranean and contemporarily American. In sitting down with a Bros menu, which changes every two to three months, one sees each of these regions meshing with, and inspiring the dishes in which they appear. One such item on the menu is a sampling
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of duck tacos—served only with corn tortillas, thank you. Another is short ribs osso buco, plated with polenta and roasted wild mushrooms. Although the spring menu has not been set at press time, Tracy expects lobster to find a home in one dish or another. Caledonia Giant Prawns and homemade pasta are also likely contenders for a spot. Today, the Bros aesthetic remains true to Tracy’s original vision of fine dining done simply and effectively, but new things are always brewing in his mind. For instance, in 2013, Tracy offered oysters on the half shell, just to see how it would go. A popular request, the dish remains on the menu a year later. He has also decided to offer a Sunday BBQ option, featuring slow-cooked meats and accompanying sides, something out of his normal realm. Both new and challenging, it’s also something he feels responsible for bringing to his diners. “We live in a nation of Top Chef. The food network, restaurant makeover shows—people are more educated about food than ever before. The only thing the viewer can’t do is taste the dish they’re seeing,” he says. “So I want to make sure people get an idea of what that food tastes like.” While the current trend in food TV has made cooking good eats at home more accessible than ever before, in a way, it has also romanticized fine cooking as a fine art. While Tracy sees his work as more of a “craft” than an “art,” he does intend to keep bringing new ideas and flavor combinations to the city—maybe even in the form of another restaurant. For now however, he’s happy at Bros, where the food is dressed up with beer, and dressing down for dinner is completely acceptable. “It’s all about casual now,” Tracy says, “but you can’t just have a burger and fries. You’ve got to tell a story with your food. You might want a casual atmosphere with nice food, but when you want nice food you don’t need the place to be uppity. Well, maybe there’s still a need for that, but it’s not going to come from me.”
Food Heritage
lakota food traditions Explore Lakota food traditions in South Dakota, past and present, and learn about the products of Native American Natural Foods, a local company based in Kyle, SD that’s making big waves in the natural foods market. Also, read Marcella Prokop’s premier food heritage column.
FOOD HERITAGE Hay Para Todos
Hay Para Todos BY Marcella Prokop
In her debut food heritage column for Wholesome, Marcella Prokop recalls her first experience with torta de naranja con coco, a Colombian cake served in a coconut shell that she enjoyed while visiting family in Colombia.
torta de naranja con coco 2 cups flour 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup butter, cubed 3/4 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest (grated both fine and more generously) 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup diced coconut 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch loaf pan. 2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Stir butter into flour mixture until combined. Add juice, zest and egg; mix well. Fold in coconut cubes. 3. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about 40 minutes, depending on oven). Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the torta.
As spring fever creeps in with the warm weather, so too do thoughts of vacation time. While summer holidays often mean time for camping out or visiting a national park, for me, vacation has always meant visiting another country, where new foods and different cultures are the main attractions. I’ve always believed that to know a place, truly know it, one must eat of it, no matter what that means. In Sioux Falls, where diverse populations have grown and shaped the way the city looks and sounds, we’re lucky enough to know that different cultures aren’t a whole world away. So, as Wholesome Magazine kicks off this new column, I’d like to invite you on a culinary tour of the world—no passport needed. In Spanish, hay para todos means “there’s enough here for everyone,” and it’s something my family in Colombia says when we sit down to a meal. There are more than enough delightful flavors in this world for all of us, so in each issue, I’ll feature a different region and recipe, always making sure the ingredients are readily available in Sioux Falls. One of the most rewarding aspects of
ROASTING COCONUT Follow these simple steps to prepare the diced coconut in the recipe above. If desired, you can swap the diced coconut for packaged shredded coconut. But, if you have the time, the extra effort to roast and dice whole coconut is well worth the final delicious result.
travel is finding a unique street vendor or restaurant after a long day of exploring. In that spirit, for this first column, I’d like to introduce you to torta de naranja con coco. My first experience with this cake, or sweetbread, occurred in January, as a friend and I were walking through a tropical forest preserve in San Cipriano, Colombia. After a day of swimming, we happened upon a middle-aged man selling something in a coconut shell. My Colombian friend knew exactly what it was, and after handing over 500 pesos and scooping out the bread, he gave me the still warm treat. I’ll let you decide for yourself what it tastes like, but in my mind, this tropical bread will be forever linked with warm weather, swirling currents and the kind of happy surprise that can only come at the end of a perfect day abroad. In each food heritage column, Marcella will explore the traditional foods of the cultures that make up South Dakota. She will also share her experiences with interesting foods she has enjoyed while traveling outside South Dakota and the United States.
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 2. Puncture the coconut’s “eyes” with a clean nail or screwdriver and drain the coconut water. 3. With a hammer, tap your way around the coconut, hitting (not so hard that you create a hole) it in the middle (if the coconut were a globe, you’d want to be tapping around the equator). You may have to go around a couple of times, but eventually the coconut will split in 2. 4. Put these halves in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. 5. Scoop the meat out with a spoon when the shells are cool enough to hold. Dice or cube the coconut into bite-sized shapes. If you really like coconut, use more than 1/2 cup in the recipe.
Lakota Food Traditions: Past and Present WORDS BY Shayla Ebsen and Ashley Ridout-Norris
Marcella Gilbert, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, has lived on and off the reservation throughout her life and has witnessed a significant shift in her tribe’s diet over the past 30 years. “When I was very young, I lived with my grandparents on the reservation and we ate a lot of wild game like deer, rabbit and prairie chicken. My grandmother had a garden and we also gathered,” she says. “I lived that hunter gatherer lifestyle until I was 5 or 6 years old.” Then, Gilbert says she was sent to boarding school and everything changed. The hunter gatherer lifestyle ended abruptly and she was introduced to a diet of processed foods. It’s a recurring story in her tribe, and Gilbert says it has led to a steady decline in the health of every generation, young to old.
meal preparation Taken in 1918, this historic image shows women preparing a meal for the Niobrara Convocation. Image via The Center for Western Studies.
FOOD HERITAGE Lakota Food Traditions
“The hunter gatherer lifestyle was very much alive in the 60s and 70s, but it has steadily declined over the past 20 to 30 years. In fact, many of our young people aren’t being taught the cultural skills to identify our wild foods, how to use them, and what they taste like,” she explains. She knows of a few elders that still regularly prepare traditional dishes such as dried meat soup (a dish made with dried meat, prairie turnips, and occasionally with dried corn or potatoes). But, she says they’re probably the last generation that will prepare those traditional dishes on a regular basis. “There has been a real loss of the cultural value that we had for our native foods. Now, we see our native foods mainly at ceremony or for some kind of celebration,” she explains. Gilbert attributes part of that loss to forced diet changes, and the other part to the loss of the tribe’s land base where their native plants and foods grow. Those native plants include chokecherries, prairie turnips, currants and many others. “We’re losing those native plants because of industrialized farming, population growth, pollution and water contamination,” she explains. “On my reservation, it’s largely due to the overgrazing of cattle.” While the loss of knowledge and native foods may paint a bleak picture for the future, Gilbert hopes for a renewed interest in Lakota traditions among her tribe’s younger generation. “I don’t believe that our culture is going to die out. I truly believe there is going to be a resurgence. Our young people are searching for something more and they know they have something that’s important,” she explains. “I believe it’s going to come back, but it took hundreds of years for it to be taken away, so it’s
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going to take probably that many years for us to get it back.” Part of the responsibility for sharing information on those traditional ways rests on the shoulders of her generation, says Gilbert. “Luckily, through my job, I have access to young people, so I try to teach them something every chance I get. And there is a definite interest. Our young people want to learn it. They want to be Lakota,” says Gilbert. In the traditional Lakota way, food was considered medicine and it carried a very spiritual connotation. “Our creation history and spiritual history tells us that we are related to the earth. Therefore, we are related to the creatures of the earth,” says Gilbert. Through that relationship, Gilbert says her people were taught how to relate to their food. They knew what they needed, how much to take, how to prepare it, and what to do with the whole animal. Everything had a relationship and purpose, and nothing was wasted. “That kind of relationship with our food was very significant and it played a part in every step of our lives,” she explains. “When the hunters would go out and make a kill, the children, pregnant women, and elderly were the first ones they thought about because each one of them had special nutritional needs.” Because of the Lakota lifestyle of following the buffalo, food had to be mobile. Everything was dried and most dried foods were pounded together. One traditional Lakota recipe that utilizes dried ingredients, wasna, is still prepared today. Typically, wasna includes a mixture of dried fruit, dried fat, and dried meat, usually buffalo or deer. It’s a highly nutritious mixture that Gilbert says fulfills the basic macronutrients - carbohydrates, fat, and protein.
ceremonies and celebrations Photos on this page were taken by the South Dakota Department of Tourism. Photos taken during various Native American ceremonies and celebrations in South Dakota.
meal preparation Taken in 1920, this image depicts cooks preparing a convocation meal. Image via The Center for Western Studies.
FOOD HERITAGE Lakota Food Traditions
Another traditional food, wojapi, is still prepared today, although the modern version bears little resemblance to the original recipe. Today, the recipe utilizes flour and sugar to make a type of pudding. In the traditional sense, wojapi was a thick berry dish prepared from ground and cooked chokecherries. In Kyle, SD, Native American Natural Foods has built a business around the traditional Native American recipe for wasna. The company’s version of wasna, the Tanka Bar, is now sold in every state and co-owner Mark Tilsen says the product is primed for an international launch in the coming years. “Our goal has always been to build a brand that is strong enough to really have a positive impact on the reservation, on the health of the land, and on the local economy,” he says. “Our imagination is much bigger than where we are currently at and, while we’ve really broken through the market this past year, we’re just starting to accomplish our long term goals.” Tilsen says his company’s products are created from minimal, quality ingredients. Prairieraised buffalo and naturally cured, GMO-free cranberries are the primary ingredients in the Tanka Bar. “There’s an emerging natural food industry in South Dakota where people are trying to produce not just volume, but quality,” explains Tilsen. “We’re really about added value quality and we’re proud to be part of that industry.” Taté Walker, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, has been exposed to many methods of Lakota cooking, and she knows of some Native Americans who are trying to reconnect with the traditional Lakota diet. “Some people are going back to it, but it’s really difficult to hit on the traditional ways because we don’t have access to buffalo like
we used to,” explains Walker. “If you do want buffalo, it’s very expensive, unfortunately, and the ways that people used to eat it or smoke it are vastly different.” However, regardless of cost, buffalo is essential as part of tribal ceremonies, says Walker, not only for tradition, but also for taste. “Definitely, buffalo is one of those things we splurge on because it’s really good,” explains Walker. “We’re eating the tongue, we’re eating the heart, we’re eating the liver, it’s fantastic when you fry it up and put it in stir fry. A lot of people eat it raw, too,” she says. As for the future of traditional food in her household, Walker says she hopes to see a strong sense of tradition carry forth and be adapted for generations. Walker’s five-yearold daughter Kimimila helps with gardening and other household chores, including meal preparation. Kimimila’s paternal grandmother, an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, has passed on some of her cooking methods, including preparing wild rice from scratch. Walker says, while several hours are needed to make the rice, it tastes fantastic when her mother-in-law prepares it. Returning to her tribe’s traditional diet will take time, says Gilbert, and it will require a food model much different from the current one that relies primarily on processed foods. She knows that the traditional diet must also be adapted based on the availability of native foods and on future environmental shifts. “Let’s look at what is best for the earth, because the earth is what takes care of us. We need to put more value on wild foods, take care of them, and promote them,” says Gilbert. “Because, when you promote wild foods and take care of them, it means you are also taking care of the land in which they live.”
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Locally Grown
plan for planting Plan for the upcoming growing season by making homemade garden markers and gather tips for starting seeds indoors. Then, follow along as we visit The Good Earth CSA and chat with owners Jeff and Nancy Kirstein.
Garden Markers DIY
Calm your spring fever by spending an afternoon creating homemade garden markers. A great craft for kids and adults alike.
materials needed > > > > > >
Clay for baking, in any desired color Rolling pin
Clay letter stamps Knife Oven
Paint, if desired
instructions 1. Preheat oven to temperature specified on clay packaging. 2. Roll out the baking clay to 1/2
inch thickness, flipping a few times to prevent sticking.
3. Using a knife, cut out each garden marker to resemble a stake, making each about 1 inch wide and about 8 inches long. 4. Stamp each garden marker with clay stamps to spell the names of the plants you plan to grow this summer.
5. Transfer the garden markers to a baking tray and bake according to the packaging instructions.
6. Cool completely and paint, if desired.
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LOCALLY GROWN Planning for Planting
Planning for Planting Tired of waiting for the ground to thaw so you can return to your garden after the dormant season? As the winter weather fades, this is the time when spring fever typically reaches its height. Yet, even if spring arrives early, resist the urge to plant outdoors earlier than recommended. Instead, follow these tips to quell your spring fever and begin planning for planting.
While it may be too early to prep your garden for planting and sow this year’s seeds, you can still start planning for a successful growing season. From reviewing last year’s gardening outcome to starting seeds indoors, there’s much to be done in March and April.
Snow may still be on the ground, but planting season is on the horizon. This is the time to begin plotting your summer garden or to start a few seeds indoors so they’ll be ready for transplanting when the weather warms. Planning for planting increases your gardening success and keeps that pesky spring fever at bay. Here are some useful tips for planning to plant in the 2014 growing season:
Review Last Year’s Outcome When planning for the fast approaching growing season, it’s important to first review last year’s gardening outcome. If you kept notes from last year’s growing season, review those notes to make plans for improvements this year. For example, consider the pests you battled last year and determine how tactics such as companion planting may prevent the problem from recurring this year. Also, consider which vegetables were planted in last year’s garden. This will help you to decide how the crops should be rotated in the coming growing season. If you didn’t keep notes from last year’s garden, resolve to make this the year you start tracking such details as crop yields, pest
issues, and anything else that may help you increase your gardening success from one year to the next.
Start Seeds Indoors When March arrives, you can be sure that spring fever isn’t far behind. If your fingers are itching to get in the soil, start a few varieties of seeds indoors in March or April. This will give your garden a head start and will allow you to harvest some crops earlier in the growing season. Follow indoor planting guidelines for each variety of seed to ensure you don’t start the seeds indoors too early.
Be Patient If spring arrives early this year, resist the urge to put seeds in the ground too soon. Jumping the gun on planting runs the risk of your seeds failing to sprout because of a late frost or because of other unforeseen circumstances. While keeping your hands out of the dirt during the warm days of April can be challenging, by following the planting guidelines of your growing zone, you’ll increase your chances of having a successful growing season.
KEEPING A GARDEN JOURNAL THE PURPOSE
A JOURNAL’S BENEFITS
WHAT TO RECORD
A garden journal serves as a record of your growing season activities. Journals are easy to maintain in small notebooks or on a computer. These gardening records will help you avoid repeating mistakes while building on good gardening practices.
A good gardening journal helps you avoid the mistakes of past growing seasons. The journal can also be a reminder of where crops were planted last year so you can properly rotate them in the next growing season.
Record any information you feel may be helpful as you develop your gardening skills. Take note of any major pest problems, soil troubles, and overall growing season outcome. Also, make a planting map to track where crops are planted each season.
Growing the Good Earth WORDS BY Shayla Ebsen PHOTOS BY Cory Ann Ellis
Jeff and Nancy Kirstein, owners of The Good Earth CSA south of Lennox, are examples of what’s possible when you’re willing to put in some hard work toward achieving a dream. As the CSA enters its fourth growing season, they pause to reflect on the journey that brought them to life on the farm.
LOCALLY GROWN Growing the Good Earth
B
efore starting The Good Earth CSA just south of Lennox, Jeff and Nancy Kirstein had never grown a plant, ever. Nancy worked as the Director of the Kirby Science Discovery Center in the Washington Pavilion and Jeff owned a business in Sioux Falls. But, after growing weary of the emails, conference calls, and meetings that make up the business world, they began searching for something more. Jeff sold his business and that was the push they needed to make a life change. “That’s when we thought we would try to sell everything we had and move onto a sailboat. So, we got rid of everything except our house and we lived on our boat for a year,” says Nancy. “We sailed down to Mexico, lived there for a while, and came back when the hurricane season hit.” They had planned to stay in South Dakota for only a few weeks before sailing across the South Pacific. “But, we started thinking about what we wanted to do next. We just so happened to find an old farm and thought, ‘oh what the heck, let’s just do it,’” says Jeff. The idea to purchase a farm had actually hatched during their time in Mexico, where they would anchor at small towns and purchase the bulk of their food from small farmers markets. “After getting our food primarily from those markets, we both just started feeling noticeably different - physically, mentally, everything. The only thing we could attribute it to was our diet,” explains Jeff. “In remote places like that, you can’t go buy processed food. It just doesn’t exist. That experience played a big role in our decision
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to start the CSA.” Since neither had a background in horticulture, although each had grown up on hobby farms, they set out gathering information to determine if their idea of purchasing the farm and starting a CSA was realistic. “We met with a staff member of the extension service and that individual was making it sound difficult to grow stuff unless you have a green thumb. But, when that staff member stepped out, another staff member happened to walk by, stopped in and said, ‘It’s a seed, if you put it in the ground, it’s gonna grow. It wants to live.’ That two second comment made a big difference for us and was really the push we needed to buy the farm,” says Jeff. So, they bought the farm, founded The Good Earth CSA, and dove headfirst (or heart-first) into the world of local food. Through their CSA, or community supported agriculture, Jeff and Nancy sell ‘shares’ of their farm’s harvest to the public. Currently, they offer 1/4 shares, 1/2 shares and full shares. The purchase of a CSA share gives consumers access to locally grown food direct from the farmer and it’s a concept that has taken off in a major way in South Dakota and across the country. While there isn’t an official count of CSAs in the US, a recent estimate by LocalHarvest put the total at around 6500. Different from buying food at market, the purchase of a CSA share carries a potential interchange of risk and reward. In good years, the reward is an overflowing weekly helping of ripe, local produce. In bad years, the risk is not getting as much food as you had hoped for in
building a csa Without any prior farming or horticulture experience, Jeff and Nancy Kirstein took a leap and bought an acreage south of Lennox to start The Good Earth CSA. As they enter their fourth growing season, they plan to nearly double the CSA’s shares.
LOCALLY GROWN Growing the Good Earth
exchange for your share purchase. At The Good Earth, Jeff and Nancy say they work hard to educate their shareholders on the risks and rewards of share purchases and, so far, the reception has been great. As The Good Earth enters its fourth growing season, Jeff and Nancy have already experienced the extreme highs and lows that come with the farming life. Drought in their second year brought significant crop failure and they’re learning to juggle the growing pains of the expanding operation. Despite the challenges, they’ve been able to expand their share offerings year after year and, in the 2014 growing season, are hoping for 500 shareholders. Apart from using their CSA to connect the public with locally grown food, Jeff and Nancy also want to use The Good Earth as an educational tool. “If you can get someone to come out and volunteer in the fields for just an hour, they really start to understand what goes into their food,” says Jeff. “They start to understand that this stuff doesn’t just come in a can. They appreciate the food.” For kids, the CSA offers a chance to learn where food comes from and to have a hand in growing local food. Nancy has found that, when kids help out on the farm for a few hours, they become more excited about eating foods they may not have otherwise been willing to try. When looking to the future, Jeff and Nancy hope to continue growing their CSA and are already hard at work on other projects. With an interest in permaculture, Nancy wants to reach a
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point where the farm won’t require many inputs, meaning everything that comes into the farm has a purpose - the manure, trees, buildings and that the operation will eventually become self-sustaining. “We also need to do something with our barn. It’s the crown jewel of the place and we both love it,” says Nancy. “We’re not quite sure what it will be, maybe a brewery, maybe an event hall, perhaps a farm to table restaurant. In thinking of permaculture, everything on your farm needs to be helping to sustain you, so we would like the barn to bring in some type of sustaining income.” Sustainability, says Jeff, is a huge word that many people use, but that few truly understand. In terms of their farm, he says they must consider the three prongs of sustainability and the interplay of each. First is the sustainability of their agricultural process, or how they can ensure the land will continue producing food without synthesized inputs. Second is economic sustainability, or how to make a year’s living when only farming six or seven months out of the year on a few acres. “The third part is the sustainability of our energy. To me, that’s very closely related to the economic part,” he explains. “When you work 70 hours per week for seven months, and the second that’s over, you have to get another job, at some point, when our ages cross, it’s not sustainable. We need to take care of the first two sustainabilities, and the third will take care of itself.”
Seasonal Recipes
winter to spring Whether the day brings sunshine or snow, we have you covered with a blend of winter and spring inspired recipes. From an asparagus frittata to stuffed flank steak, this issue’s seasonal recipes are sure to satisfy your craving, whether it be for comfort food or lighter fare.
lemon poppyseed muffins PREP: 15 min COOK: 20 min TOTAL: 35 min MAKES: 12 muffins
2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons poppyseeds 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 2/3 cup sugar 2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice Zest of 1 Meyer lemon 1/2 cup milk 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice + 2 cups powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and poppyseeds; stir and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the
eggs, one at a time, and then add the vanilla extract.
4. Add the ricotta, lemon juice and zest and continue mixing until combined. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk. 5.
Divide the batter between muffin tin liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6.
Whisk 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice with the powdered sugar to create the icing. Adjust the icing’s thickness by adding more juice or powdered sugar as needed. Drizzle the icing over the cooled muffins.
stuffed flank steak PREP: 15 min COOK: 25 min TOTAL: 40 min SERVES: 4
1-2 pound flank steak 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounce bag baby spinach 1/4 cup raw pine nuts 1/4 chopped yellow onion 1 1/2 cups beef stock Salt and black pepper to taste
1.
Pound the flank steak with a meat tenderizer until flattened; season on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. 3. Brown the pine nuts in the olive oil, about 3 minutes; remove from
the pan and set aside.
4. Add the onion to the pan and sauté until tender. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted. Return the pine nuts to the pan and remove from heat. 5.
Spread the spinach mixture on the flattened flank steak, leaving about a 1/2 inch gap around the edges. Roll up the flank steak and secure with 3 or 4 pieces of kitchen string.
6. Return the sauté pan to the heat and add additional olive oil if
needed. Brown the flank steak on all sides. Add the beef stock, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or longer if you prefer the meat well done.
SEASONAL RECIPES
7-Grain Bread
7-grain bread PREP: 3 hr COOK: 40 min
TOTAL: 3 hr 40 min MAKES: 2 loaves
2 1/2 cups milk 1 cup 7-grain cereal (available in bulk at most natural food grocers) 1 tablespoon sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons salt
1. Grease two 9Ă—5 bread loaf pans. Set aside 2. Bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. 3. Pour the 7-grain cereal in your stand mixer bowl. Add the hot milk to the cereal, stir, and let sit for 45 minutes to soften the grains.
4.
After the grains are softened, add the yeast and sugar to the stand mixer bowl, stir gently, and let rest until the yeast begins to foam, about 5 minutes.
5. Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients to fully combine.
6. Add one cup of the flour mixture to the stand mixer bowl along with the melted butter. Attach the paddle attachment and mix on medium for one minute. Remove the paddle attachment and attach the dough hook. Turn the mixer on low and add the remaining flour, one cup at a time. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing for 3 minutes. 7. Turn off the mixer and scrape the dough from the dough hook. Cover
the mixer bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
8. After the dough has rested, turn on the stand mixer to medium and
mix with the dough hook for 5 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl while sticking to the bottom. It will be a fairly wet and sticky dough.
9. Turn off the stand mixer and transfer the dough to a floured surface.
Knead by hand for 2 minutes, it will still be a little sticky. Form the dough into a tight ball and transfer to an oiled bowl. Pat the top of the dough with olive oil to coat and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size, about an hour.
10. After the dough is risen, divide it in two and form each half into a
long rectangle that is about the same width as your bread pan. Roll each rectangle into a tight cylinder. Pinch seams down the middle and at the ends tightly to seal. Place each cylinder, seam side down, into a greased loaf pan, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
11. During the final 10 minutes of rising time, turn on the oven to 350 degrees. After the dough has risen, make a 1/8-inch deep slice down the center of each loaf. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the loaves sounds hollow when tapped. 12. Cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours.
wholesomemag.com | 67
This pasta salad is easy to prepare and embraces the light and delicious flavors of early spring. Serve it with grilled chicken or steak.
mint pea pasta salad PREP: 10 min COOK: 10 min TOTAL: 20 min SERVES: 6-8
16 oz whole wheat penne pasta 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 10 mint leaves, chiffonade 1 cup frozen peas 2 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded Salt and black pepper to taste
1.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add the penne pasta and boil until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the olive oil, mint leaves and peas; stir. 3. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill until cold. 4. Add the parmesan, salt, and black pepper just before serving.
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SEASONAL RECIPES Aloo Patties
70 | wholesomemag.com
aloo patties with spiced indian sauce recipe by ashley ridout-norris PREP: 30 min COOK: 20 min
TOTAL: 50 min SERVES: 4-6
aloo patties spiced indian sauce
2 large potatoes, peeled, chopped and boiled until easily mashable 1 cup broccoli, chopped and steamed 3 large carrots, chopped and steamed 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced 1/2 of a small onion, diced 4 ounces cream cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup raisins 1.5 ounces cashews
2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes 15-ounce can tomato sauce 1 teaspoon turmeric 2 teaspoons coriander 1 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons cream or half and half
1. Blend the potatoes, broccoli, carrots, green pepper, onion, cream cheese and salt using a stand or hand mixer. Add the raisins and cashews and mix until incorporated.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Spoon the potato mixture into the pan and flatten with the back of a spoon. Size may vary. When patties are browned, flip and cook until the other side is browned.
3. Meanwhile, to prepare the spiced Indian sauce, heat the butter and olive oil in a sautĂŠ pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautĂŠ until soft. Add the tomatoes; heat. Add the tomato sauce, turmeric, coriander and salt. Stir and simmer until hot. Add the cream just before serving.
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asparagus frittata PREP: 10 min COOK: 15 min TOTAL: 25 min SERVES: 4
1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 of a small red onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 bundle fresh asparagus, tough ends removed 6 large eggs
1/2 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup grated parmesan
1. Heat olive oil on medium-high in a 10-inch sauté pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the asparagus and sauté until tender; transfer to a bowl and set aside. 2. Reposition the oven tray to the second highest position and preheat oven on broil setting.
3. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until foamy. Add the milk, salt and pepper and whisk until incorporated. Melt the butter in the previously used sauté pan on medium-high heat.
4. Add the egg mixture to the sauté pan, reduce heat
to medium-low, and cook until the bottom and edges of the eggs are set. The center will still be runny.
5. Remove from the heat and arrange the onion and asparagus mixture over the eggs. Sprinkle the parmesan on top.
6. Place the sauté pan in the oven and broil until the eggs are cooked and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Check frequently to prevent burning.
Spring Cleaning!
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South Dakota Farm Families invite you to attend the Sioux Falls Poultry Crawl. Date: March 31 Time: 6 p.m. at Wild Sage Grille Where: Downtown East Bank Sioux Falls Restaurants: Appetizer: Wild Sage Grille Entree: Elements on 8th Dessert: Josiah’s Each course will feature poultry products. Dine with local poultry farmers and enjoy the chance to experience great food and conversation with the families that work on farms to produce poultry products. Cost: $30 (complimentary glass of house wine included) To Buy Tickets: www.agunited.org or send a check to: Ag United, PO Box 507, Sioux Falls SD 57101 For more info, contact Rebecca Christman at (605) 336-3622 or rebecca@agunited.org. Make plans to attend our future restaurant crawls: Brookings Pork Crawl - April 7 Vermillion Pork Crawl - April 14 Rapid City Beef Crawl - May 12
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wholesome may/june 2014 Celebrate the official start of the 2014 growing season with the May/June issue of Wholesome Magazine. Explore gardener profiles, a paleo living feature, a kitchen renovation, seasonal recipes and much more. Look for the issue on stands starting May 1.
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