NW OH | Oct. 2016 | Issue 7

Salt Flavor for Everyday Life|October 2016|$3 A supplement of The Lima News

Fall color brightens up Ohio How to grow garlic (hint: it’s super easy)

Finding tranquility on Indian Lake Fighting cancer, keeping her sense of humor

2 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

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Salt CONTENTS

features

11 15 24 31 38

11

Campaign trail leads to good eats From crude oil to olive oil: In the kitchen with Chef Leslie O’Neal Down on the farm: Bob Evans Farm festival set for Oct. 14-16 Growing great garlic Signs of the season: Fall color puts on show for Ohioans

columns

6 fall home improvement 20

15

Publisher’s note

By Pamela Stricker

Finding her peace: Indian Lake home offers tranquility

breast cancer awareness

4 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

42

Fighting cancer, but keeping her sense of humor

Recipe Index

Asian Maple Sausage Meatballs ....................................................26 Confit Garlic .....................................................................................36 Garlic Martini ...................................................................................35 Garlic Mushroom Soup ...................................................................36 Garlic Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes with Spinach ...........................34 Garlic, Rosemary and Chili Almonds ............................................35 Garlic Soup .......................................................................................36 Leslie O’Neal’s Smoked Pulled Pork..............................................18 Leslie O’Neal’s Southern Fried Chicken .......................................16 Leslie O’Neal’s Sweet Potato Pie ....................................................17 Loose Meat Sandwiches....................................................................7 Ohio Proud Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms......................................26 Pineapple Sunshine Cake .................................................................7 Pumpkin Garlic Knots ......................................................................34 Roasted Garlic and Dill White Bean Dip ........................................36 Savory Turkey Potato Casserole.......................................................7 Val’s Pesto..........................................................................................36 Zucchini Boats ....................................................................................7

24 42

Salt

Hide & Shake

Flavor for Everyday Life thesaltmagazine.com Northwest Ohio October 2016

Publisher Editor Food Editor Layout Design Content Sales

Pamela Stricker Lora Abernathy Andrea Chaffin Jayla Wallingford Adrienne McGee Sterrett Barb Staples

pstricker@civitasmedia.com labernathy@civitasmedia.com achaffin@civitasmedia.com jwallingford@civitasmedia.com amcgeesterrett@civitasmedia.com bstaples@civitasmedia.com

Find the shaker in this issue and be entered to win a $10 grocery card.

Visit our website, thesaltmagazine.com, and click on the Shaker Contest link at the top and enter your contact information. Your name, street number, street name, city and zip code are required. Only your name and city will be published. All entries must be received by Oct.10, 2016. Only online entries will be accepted.

In the September issue, the shaker was hidden in the photo on page 8.

Congratulations to our most recent winner, Phyllis Leiberick, of Cridersville.

You could be our next winner!

Contact Salt: editor@thesaltmagazine.com 3515 Elida Road, Lima OH 45807 419-223-1010 Salt is published six times a year by Civitas Media LLC and is available through The Lima News. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue, in whole or in part, is prohibited. Salt is free to The Lima News subscribers and is also available for purchase at the office of The Lima News.

On the Cover Photo taken by Craig J. Orosz at DeHaven’s Home and Garden in Lima.

Please buy locally and recycle.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram @TheSaltMagazine.

Doug Olsson

Front Porch

Profile

By Lora Abernathy

What is the last picture you took?

Me and my wife at Findlay Market in Cincinnati over the weekend.

Have you ever driven across the country?

Yes, multiple times. One time I drove from Buffalo to Los Angeles in 55 hours.

Would you rather it be too hot or too cold outside?

Too hot. I love the heat.

What’s the funniest thing a

kid has ever said to you?

This was when I was living in Pennsylvania, I moved into a house there and the neighbor kid asked me if I was born with white hair.

What do you love most about your community?

I’ve just been here since May, so the Midwestern values and the friendly nature of the people here. They’ve been incredibly welcoming. You can tell that the community feels good about the region they live in. They have a lot of civic pride and it shows.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 5

Front Porch Profile offers a personal glimpse into the lives of notable people in our communities

Publisher The Lima News

Changing someone’s life

6 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

By Pamela Stricker “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”

— Helen Keller I was aggravated at the amount of my time that was tied up in travel to attend a meeting at our company’s corporate office in North Carolina. Little did I know how much the impact of that meeting would have on my life.

It didn’t take long to put my aggravation aside after spending only a brief amount of time with Courtney Rogers. It was the first time I had seen her since her accident that happened on a Saturday evening, March 26.

You see, Courtney’s right arm was crushed when the ATV she was riding with friends took a turn too fast and flipped, pinning her underneath. The 31-year-old recalls the frantic scene: girlfriends screaming, EMTs shouting instructions.

But in the midst of all that chaos, something miraculous was happening.

“I don’t consider myself to be very religious. I don’t attend church regularly, but I am a believer. I believe God is the reason I am here,” she said. “As I lay there bleeding to death, aware of the mayhem around me, I heard a voice that said, ‘Be still, be still.’ ” That brought a great sense of calm to her.

The amputation was done the next day in order to save her life. She also ended up with 11 staples in her head. She lost a lot of blood, but no transfusion was necessary. Initially, the EMTs did not think they could save her life.

Amazingly, Courtney was released from the hospital on March 30 — only four days later!

She credits the great outpouring of love and support for her continued recovery.

Friends organized meals. Flowers were continually getting delivered to her door.

“I have the best family and friends,” she said.

“I have a passion for cooking and thought I would not be able to ever prepare a meal again. My boyfriend, Jason, and I have some of our best talks during that time,” she said.

She recalls one really bad day when Jason had to return to work. She spent a lot of that day in tears. But after that day, she determined she was not going to go back into that funk. She decided being thankful for what she has is more important than focusing on what she no longer has.

“I don’t know why, but I remember when I used to ask why,” she said. “Mom and Dad

would often answer, ‘Just because.’ I know there is a greater purpose.”

Courtney is faced with a lot of challenges. She had approval from the insurance company to go through the procedures to be fitted for a prosthetic arm. When she submitted for approval to get the arm the prosthetic clinic recommended, it was denied. According to the insurance company, it exceeds her basic needs.

Unbelievable!

She got hit with a bill for $37,000 that the insurance company refuses to pay. The doctors that performed surgery on her arm were in the network, but the facility where the surgery and care was given was not. Unbelievable!

Besides the administrative position she holds in our company, Courtney also bartends, so she is considering other alternatives for income.

“It’s the craziest little things that I can’t do.

I can’t tie shoes or ties on clothing. Fastening pants. Opening bottles of water. I used to type 70 wpm. Now I can barely type. I can’t put my hair in a ponytail,” she said.

How does she get through it?

“I’ve always been grateful and optimistic, but this has intensified my perspective,” Courtney said. “When life has sent you a curve ball, it could have been curvier.”

What does she want others to know?

“I know it sounds cliché, but don’t sweat the small stuff. And it’s all small stuff. I want to help someone else. I want to help change someone else’s life,” she said.

You already have, Courtney. You changed mine.

Publisher pstricker@civitasmedia.com

Courtney Rogers

Reader Recipes

SAVORY TURKEY POTATO CASSEROLE

— Teresa Maag, of Leipsic Ingredients: 5 cups frozen Southern style hash browns 1/2 cup sour cream One 10-ounce can cheddar cheese soup 2 cups shredded turkey One 16-ounce package frozen peas/carrots 1 cup corn 1/4 cup diced onions 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup water One 10-ounce can golden mushroom soup 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper

PINEAPPLE SUNSHINE CAKE

Parsley Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, mix hash browns, sour cream and cheddar cheese soup together. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix turkey, vegetables and Parmesan cheese together. Add water, mushroom soup, salt and pepper. Stir together and spoon into greased 9-by-13 pan. Carefully spoon potato mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle with parsley. Cover and bake for 1 hour.

Remove cover and bake another 10 to 15 minutes.

ZUCCHINI BOATS

This tastes just like lasagna. We love it.

— Brenda M. Ward, of Wapakoneta Ingredients: 1 small to medium zucchini Hamburger or sausage to taste Onion to taste Spaghetti sauce to taste Cheese to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.

Scrape out seeds. Hollow out centers slightly, reserving the flesh.

Brown meat with onion; drain grease. Add zucchini flesh that was hollowed out to combine and warm. Stuff zucchini shells with meat mixture and place in oven-proof pan.

Pour spaghetti sauce over. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

Top with cheese and return to oven, uncovered, until cheese is melted.

LOOSE MEAT SANDWICHES

— Jane Inniger, of Bluffton Servings: 4 Ingredients: 1 pound 85-percent lean ground beef 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, plus more for serving 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 4 hamburger buns Sliced dill pickles Directions: Combine beef, water, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper in a 10-inch skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, breaking up meat with a spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring frequently until meat is no longer pink. Stir in onion, cover and remove from heat. Cover to keep warm while preparing buns.

Spread extra mustard on bun bottoms. Using a slotted spoon, mound beef mixture over top. Top with pickles and bun cap.

Salt Scoop

Send us your favorite recipe. We may feature it in an upcoming issue.

Visit our website, thesaltmagazine.com, and click on the Recipe Submission link at the top to be entered. Include a photo of your dish, too, if you’ve got one. All entries must be received by Oct. 10, 2016.

Every submitted recipe will be entered in a drawing for a $25 grocery card.

Congratulations to Jane Inniger, of Bluffton, for her loose meat sandwiches recipe submitted for this edition of Salt.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 7

This recipe is the favorite cake of my husband, as well as other family and friends. My husband, David, always wants me to make this. It is awesome.

— Brenda M. Ward, of Wapakoneta Cake Ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix 4 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil One 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (include juice in batter) Cake Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix cake ingredients in order. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch pan and bake until a toothpick tests clean.

Frosting Ingredients: One 8-ounce container whipped topping 1 small box instant vanilla pudding One 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (include juice in frosting mix) Frosting Directions: Mix and spread on top of cooled cake.

Refrigerate.

This savory turkey potato casserole is from Teresa Maag.

Contributors

Staff PAMELA STRICKER Pamela is the publisher of Salt magazine, which she launched in southern Ohio in 2009. She also holds the title of publisher, Niche Product Division for Civitas Media. She and her husband, Jerry, reside in Lima.

JAYLA WALLINGFORD Jayla is the designer of Salt magazine and is the manager of the special sections team for Civitas Media. She lives in Harveysburg with two cats (and offers free handouts to a slew of feline drifters).

LORA ABERNATHY Lora is the editor of Salt magazine and the director of editorial digital strategies for Civitas Media. She lives in Hillsboro with her husband, Gary.

Reach her at 937-382-2574 or on Twitter @AbernathyLora.

ADRIENNE MCGEE STERRETT Adrienne is the lifestyle/special sections editor for The Lima News. She believes everyone has a life story worth sharing.

Reach her at 567-242-0510 or amcgeesterrett@civitasmedia. com.

ANDREA CHAFFIN Andrea is the food editor of Salt magazine and the editor of The Madison Press. She can be reached at 740-852-1616, ext.

1619, or via Twitter @AndeeWrites.

AMY EDDINGS Amy writes for The Lima News. She’s a former New Yorker and public radio host. When she’s not writing, she’s canning, cooking, quilting and gardening. Reach her at 567-242-0379, aedddings@civitasmedia.com or on Twitter @lima_eddings.

8 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

Unique fashion for all shapes with sizes: Newborn thru Women’s S-3X

SARAH ALLEN Sarah is a writer for Salt magazine. When she’s not writing, she can be found scrapbooking, reading or cooking.

VALERIE LK MARTIN Valerie is an ordained chaplain with a varied background in fundraising, public relations, teaching and freelance writing. She has stepped foot in 27 countries, jumped out of an airplane, twice been electrocuted by lightning, and once slept in a train car with 12 strangers. She lives in Oregonia, Ohio, with husband Tom, Sadie the Lab and kitties BeBe and Lincoln. Read her blog at stepintomore.org.

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Photo by Kelli Cardinal

Matt Huffman, right, of Lima, and his wife, Sheryl, talk with restaurant owner Scott Carpenter after ordering their lunch at The Willow.

Campaign trail leads to good eats

By Amy Eddings

“I almost always order fried chicken.”

— Matt Huffman, Republican candidate for Ohio Senate, 12th District

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 11

The campaign trail is meant to give candidates for public office an opportunity to meet potential voters, hear what’s on their minds and win their support in November.

A side benefit for Matt Huffman has been discovering new eateries.

“My wife and I found a lot of great restaurants,” Huffman said of his and Sheryl’s time on the stump.

The Republican and former statehouse representative from Lima is running unopposed this fall to replace State Sen. Keith Faber in the Ohio State Senate’s 12th District. Faber, a fellow member of the GOP, is term-limited and is not running for re-election.

The 12th District covers mostly rural and agricultural ground. It encompasses all of Allen, Champaign, Mercer and Shelby counties, and parts of Auglaize, Darke and Logan counties. This has meant, for the Huffmans, stops in county seats like

Urbana and Celina, and small towns like Coldwater, New Knoxville and somewhere in between Anna and Botkins — or is it Jackson Center and New Bremen? — where the Inn Between is located.

“We started the door-to-door effort, which is where most of the dining out came from, last July,” Huffman said. “These were, for the most part, going out to dinner after knocking on a couple hundred doors and then being really tired and hungry.”

It has meant a lot of hearty, Midwestern standards like pork tenderloin sandwiches, fried chicken, fried bologna sandwiches, potato and macaroni salads and pizza.

“I almost always order fried chicken,” Huffman said. He also ate a lot of soup.

Even though he is the presumptive winner of the November contest, facing no Democratic opponent, Huffman stressed that this was not a Top Ten list of ranked favorites.

“I don’t want to make anybody angry,” he said.

So, here, in alphabetical order, are Matt and Sheryl Huffman’s 10 restaurant finds in Ohio’s 12th State Senate District.

Don’s Downtown Diner, 208 S. Main

St., Bellefontaine, 937-599-4444.

“Hamburgers are primo, but don’t miss out on their bologna sandwiches, which are excellent. The wait staff is really friendly, a good group of people. And it’s also just a block from the oldest concrete street in America, if you like these pieces of trivia,” he said.

If you like a challenge, try eating the Sweet Matilda in an hour. It’s a loaf of Texas toast, 4 half-pound beef patties, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and mayonnaise, plus a side of two pounds of French fries.

12 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

Green Thumb Farm Fresh Café,

4247 Southland Road, New Bremen, 419753-2456.

“This is a nice little farmers’ market and restaurant, as fresh as you can be,” said Huffman of the Fledderjohann’s farm and produce stand, and daughter Samantha’s restaurant. “They were literally driving out of the field with a wagon full of ears of corn,” he remembered.

Recent specials have included a chicken avocado ranch burrito, a “red berry” salad of mixed greens with strawberries, red raspberries, dried cranberries, avocado and feta cheese, and a spicy cheeseburger and broccoli soup. The menu features locally sourced produce and grass-fed beef.

Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options available.

The Grill on Main, 222 W. Main St.,

Coldwater, 419-678-2656.

“When I walked in, it was jam-packed.

There was a football game on. It draws a really great group of people,” Huffman said.

He said he hadn’t eaten all day and ate a whole, hand-breaded tenderloin sandwich and a pizza. The Grill offers specialty pizzas ($15.95) that include the Taco Pizza, with taco meat, shredded lettuce, salsa, onions, tomatoes and black olives, and the Chicken Bacon Ranch (chicken, bacon and ranch dressing). Entreés include liver and onions, country-fried steak and “Ohio’s best” pork chops. Bar offerings include locally brewed beer from Moeller’s Brew Barn in Maria Stein.

The Inn Between Tavern, 16488 County Highway 25A, Botkins, 937-6938043.

“It’s a true roadhouse. It’s not in town, it’s not close to the edge of a town,” said Huffman. “It’s got pretty much everything.”

That includes fried chicken, which Huffman recommends ($6.25-$10.50), steaks, pork chops, pizzas, fried bologna ($3.50) and mushroom steak ($5.50) sandwiches, wild salmon ($13.99), and breaded oysters ($8.99). Fans on Google rave about the deep-fried cheesecake.

Madison’s Downtown Market & Café, 117 Scioto St., Urbana, 937-653-

4444.

Huffman ducked into Madison’s for a quick bowl of soup and a cup of hot tea while halfway through campaigning door-to-door on Scioto Street in 20-degree weather last winter.

“When your mouth starts going numb while you’re telling people why they should vote for you, it’s not good,” he said. “I ordered the dill tomato. And they have good sandwiches and their own coffee blend.”

Assorted hot and cold sandwiches include chicken or tuna salad and bacon, spinach, tomato and siracha mayo ($6.50$8). There are also wraps, salads and pizza.

Save room for gelato.

Main Street Station Restaurant & Carryout, 105 N. Main St., New Knoxville,

419-753-2909.

“It’s the only restaurant in town, the place where New Knoxvillians go to share their community,” he said. “I had good chicken here.”

The chicken comes fried or grilled ($6.50-$9). Appetizers include pulled pork nachos ($8.50), mini corn dogs ($5.25) and fries loaded with cheese, bacon, tomatoes, onions and sour cream ($6). There are Buffalo wings, subs, burgers, sandwiches and a salad bar.

Michael Anthony’s at The Inn at Versailles, 21 W. Main St., Versailles, 937-

526-3020.

“We campaigned pretty hard in Versailles,” said Huffman of his successful effort against John Adams in the Republican primary last March. “We ate at The Inn four times. I ordered the French pork and sauerkraut dish called choucroute ($15). The

other times, I ordered other things because I didn’t want to order the same thing twice, but that’s what I wanted.”

Other house specialties include Southern fried chicken ($16), Lake Erie walleye almondine ($23) and eggplant parmigiana ($12).

The Montage Café, 527 S. Broadway

St., Greenville, 937-548-1950.

“Greenville is not on or close to a highway, so there’s no mall and the downtown has been preserved as a true hub of activity, just like the old days, with a lot of shops,” Huffman said.

That includes The Montage Café and its little gift shop. Sandwiches include Michele’s Veggie Sandwich, with fresh veggies, Swiss, cheddar and provolone cheeses on foccacia bread ($7.25) and Tralfast’s Twisted Ham, with ham, Swiss cheese and honey Dijon mustard served hot on a Bavarian pretzel roll ($7.50).

“They make them by hand,” Huffman said. He was also impressed by the Montage’s many salads, “at least 16,” according to the menu.

Rock’n Robin Diner, 1010 Scioto St.,

Urbana, 937-484-7625.

“We went in there to warm up, it was in the 30s,” Huffman said. “They had great pie and great hot chocolate. It was real milk and it wasn’t a powder.”

Matt and Sheryl Huffman both praised the diner for its back room, where they had breakfast with 10 to 15 campaign volunteers. The menu is loaded with diner classics like grilled cheese ($5.49), steak or chicken Philly sandwich ($8.99), fried bologna sandwich ($4.99), burgers, and barbecue pulled pork, brisket and smoked chicken ($7.99-$10.99).

The Willow, 1011 N. Main St., Celina, 419-586-4180.

“It’s on the north side of Celina, near some great old houses on Main Street. They make fantastic pork tenderloin sandwiches, and five or six really good soups,” Huffman said.

He especially enjoyed talking with owner Scott Anderson.

“He’s the highlight of The Willow,” he said.

It’s a great place for political conversation.”

Patrons on Facebook also recommend the Willow Whopper and the ham sandwiches.

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In the kitchen with Chef Leslie O’Neal

By Amy Eddings For years, Chef Leslie O’Neal expressed his culinary passion privately, cooking for family and friends. The 60-year-old made his living in the oil business, loading refined oil products onto railroad cars for Buckeye Terminals for 20 years.

But his love of cooking, like oil, was always there, under the surface, waiting to be drawn out.

“From Day One, I’ve always been in the kitchen,” he said. “It relaxes me.”

He studied at the hip of his grandmother, standing on a stool so he could reach the countertop. He slowly took over the family holiday meals. His Thanksgiving feasts are the stuff of happy memories and annual anticipation, according to younger sister Denise.

“His turkey and cornbread stuffing,” she mused, “are the best.”

“I wanted to do something different.

People looked at me like I was crazy.”

— Chef Leslie O’Neal

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 15

From crude oil to olive oil

16 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

Chef Leslie O’Neal puts the finishing touch, a sprig of thyme, on a lunch plate.

O’Neal said his relatives also press him to make barbecue and fried chicken.

“My family, they’ll say, ‘Les, are you going to fry chicken?’” he said, his voice taking on a pleading tone. You can imagine his siblings making the request, fingers crossed behind their backs, a “pretty please, with sugar on top?” look on their faces.

Something about the man, and the pleasure he gets in recounting these requests, suggested that he doesn’t say no.

Emboldened by his personal success, he set up a little food truck called Smackey’s in 1998, and sold ribs, pulled pork and smoked brisket to an appreciative public for two years.

“I was getting people from the refinery, from the south side of Lima, from the country club in Shawnee, and I couldn’t keep up,” he said. One customer had a standing order of nine slabs of ribs, every week.

The demand got him to thinking. He quit his oil industry job in 2000 and enrolled in what is now the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach.

“I chose Florida because it was warm,” he said. “I wanted to do something different. People looked at me like I was crazy.

‘I admire you for your faith,’ they said.

‘You’re stepping out on faith.’ And that’s what I did.”

His faith was rewarded with steady work, upon graduation, at several restaurants in West Palm Beach and a stint at the prepared foods department of the natural and organic grocery chain Whole Foods Market.

LESLIE O’NEAL’S SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours (1 hour active) Servings: 12-14 The secret to Chef Les’ fried chicken is adding cornstarch to the flour.

“It lightens it up,” he said. “I don’t like it when it gets lumpy.”

He also said he makes sure the chicken drains really well and that he shakes off as much of the flour as he can before frying the chicken, so that a light crust forms.

Ingredients: Two 2-to 2 1/2-pound chickens, cut into serving pieces (about 4-5 pounds of meat) 1 cup kosher salt, for brine 8 1/3 cups water 2 tablespoons sea salt, for seasoning, plus more to taste in dredging flour 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, for seasoning, plus more to taste in dredging flour 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 2 cups buttermilk, approximate 1/3 cup water 2 cups flour 1/2 cup cornstarch 2 cups peanut oil, for frying Directions: Wash chicken parts. In a large bowl, dissolve 1 cup of kosher salt in 8 cups (1 half-gallon) of warm water. Place the

chicken in the brine and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.

In a small bowl, add the sea salt, pepper, paprika and granulated garlic and stir until well-combined. Pat onto the chicken parts.

In a large bowl, mix the buttermilk and water. Place the seasoned chicken into the liquid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and place the pieces in a colander to drain.

In a shallow baking dish or gallonsize sealable plastic bag, mix together the flour and cornstarch. Toss or roll the chicken pieces in the flour and cornstarch mixture and shake off the excess to leave a light coating.

Heat the peanut oil to 375 F in a heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, large enough to hold half of the chicken pieces in one layer so they don’t touch. Add half of the chicken pieces, skin side down, in one layer. Turn the heat to high and cook uncovered until golden brown.

Turn the pieces and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until golden brown.

The total cooking time should be 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cooked pieces of chicken and drain on paper towels.

Repeat the process with the remaining chicken, being sure to reheat the oil to 375 F before adding the chicken.

“My key thing is fresh food, not processed food,” he said.

He came back to Ohio in 2012 for some lucrative freelance oilman work, retiring a few years later. There’s no keeping him out of the kitchen, though. Since his return to the area, O’Neal has worked at a hotel in Columbus, catering banquets and weddings. He’s cooked for residents at an assisted living facility in Lima. He currently assists part time at Marco’s Pizza, also in Lima.

At times, he said, he’s thought of creating

a white-tablecloth-and-candlelight-type dining establishment. He’d rather be serving people something hot and delicious from a food truck.

“I just wanted to do the simple barbecue, the street food,” said O’Neal.

The lunch he served this writer when visiting his kitchen was, indeed, simple, but it certainly wasn’t casual. There was filet mignon, seared to a crispy crust on the outside and juicy pink on the inside; roasted baby red potatoes, warmed with a quick stir in a hot cast-iron skillet; and a medley of

sautéed asparagus spears, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and red bell peppers, studded with plump cloves of garlic. O’Neal even prepared the meal dressed in a spotless white chef coat.

There might as well have been a white table cloth and a candelabra. The meal was that fine.

It summed up Leslie O’Neal, a chef who’s deeply serious about food, but whose passion for cooking remains deeply rooted in the intimacy of the home kitchen and the fellowship of the family meal.

LESLIE O’NEAL’S SWEET POTATO PIE Yields: 4 9-inch pies Ingredients: 6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks One 12-ounce can evaporated milk One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 4 eggs, beaten 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt Whole milk (if needed) 8 tablespoons (1 stick) buerre noisette or browned butter (see directions) 4 baked pie shells Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large pot, bring salted water to a

boil and cook the sweet potatoes until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes and place them in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle.

While the sweet potatoes are still warm, mash them with a potato masher or a potato ricer. If using a stand mixer, beat the sweet potatoes at slow speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth.

Add the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Blend well.

If the custard is too stiff, use additional whole milk (or water), 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed, to thin custard to to reach a smooth, creamy consistency.

Make the buerre noisette: Slice the

butter into a frying pan and melt on medium heat, gently swirling the pan as the butter melts. Continue heating the butter, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn, until the white, frothy milk solids have browned and settled to the bottom; the butter will have a deep golden color and will have a nutty fragrance. Take the pan off the heat to prevent further cooking. Let it cool slightly.

Add it to the sweet potato custard and stir to combine.

Pour the sweet potato custard into the baked pie shells and bake for 45 minutes, or until the custard has set around the edges but jiggles slightly in the center when tapped on the side with a wooden spoon. Place on a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 17

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LESLIE O’NEAL’S SMOKED PULLED PORK Start to finish: 9-13 hours (1 hour active) Servings: 12-14 Special equipment: 8-12 cups wood chips; foil baking pan; 2-3 bags charcoal; charcoal grill Ingredients: One 6-8 pound pork shoulder, bone-in 1 cup kosher salt 1/4 cup black pepper 1/4 cup granulated garlic 1/4 cup chili powder 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/8 cup cumin Directions: Prepare your wood chips: Soak mesquite, hickory, maple or fruitwood chips for at least 1 hour in water, beer, juice or wine. This allows them to smoke without burning up.

Drain well.

Prepare the meat: Rinse the pork shoulder with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder, brown sugar and cumin. Rub as much of the seasoning mixture into the shoulder. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour (do this as you

soak your wood chips).

Prepare your charcoal grill for smoking: Let charcoal burn in charcoal chimney until gray; arrange on two sides of the lower grate. Add more gray coals about once an hour.

Arrange foil baking pan (drip pan) in the center of the lower grate, between the piles of charcoal; add water to the pan. Scatter the well-drained wood chips over the coals; replace the grill grate and place the pork shoulder on it.

Close the lid and cook the shoulder at 200 to 250 F for 8 to 12 hours, adding more gray charcoal from the chimney after each hour of cooking to maintain the temperature. Add more drained wood chips (1 cup per hour) to maintain smoke level. Meat is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the shoulder registers 180 F; the meat should be very tender and should pull away easily from the bone.

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• Attention to detail is the difference between something good and something great.

Fall Home Improvement

Finding her peace Indian Lake home offers tranquility

20 20||Salt Salt||Northwest NorthwestOhio Ohio||October October2016 2016

By Adrienne McGee Sterrett

Photos by Amanda Wilson

Tufts of cottonwood were making themselves cozy in her screens, momentarily frustrating Shary Duff. But in a flash, she had accepted it and was laughing about it.

Cottonwood is part of lake living, after all.

And Duff has learned how to enjoy each moment as it’s given to her, refusing to be bogged down with things out of her control.

“The lake makes you pause to be thankful,” Duff said. “We don’t have a lot of lakes in Ohio, and we’re blessed.”

Duff, 58, is an Indian Lake area native, although she didn’t grow up on the water. She married and raised two children on O’Connor’s Point, moving to the waterfront 40 years ago. She enjoyed her former Bellefontaine business, Peach Tree Books & Co. But when her time in business came to an end, and she and her husband agreed to an amicable divorce after 35 years, her health was affected by the huge changes she was experiencing. At her son’s insistence, she attended a Deepak Chopra seminar on meditation — and over time learned to relax, be thankful and have a positive attitude while coming to understand God. (Read her book, “How to Rock the World When You Get Rocked,” to learn more.)

Duff left the area for a few years, but returned to help care

Come in and see our newly expanded recliner department

Shary Duff and Jewel.

with red Adirondack furniture and a firepit for cozy conversation.

“I have fires three nights a week,” she said.

Bedrooms include a child’s dream bedroom devoted to her grandson, who comes over often, and an “Indian Lake” room decorated with fireworks and Americana.

The basement also opens up to the lake, allowing for views from almost everywhere in the house. Downstairs oozes comfort, with its family oriented large dining room table and wine cellar-themed nook. Since she lives there year-round, she also appreciates winter.

“My favorite time here is winter,” Duff said. “It’s absolutely as beautiful here in the winter.”

Duff’s interest in home decor, fueled by her former business, translates to Waterford crystal and checkerboard MacKenzieChilds ceramics mixed with more affordable items from Hobby Lobby and Frontgate.

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 21

for her parents. When she was house shopping, being on the water was a must. At first glance, she fell in love with her current home — technically on a channel — and has lived there about three years. The house is only 8 years old, and she loved the floorplan. It was originally done in a lodge style, which doesn’t match her personality.

“We kind of facelifted it,” she said, explaining that is what happens every day at the lake.

The property once had an old fishing cottage on it, which is typical around Indian Lake.

“You buy a cottage or a house and you renovate it.

That’s part of the fun,” she said, explaining the lake is ringed by developments to suit anyone’s budget. If you don’t want to buy, you can camp out for a weekend.

The vaulted ceiling in the living room on the main level allows for a virtual wall of windows that opens to the lake. The backyard is made comfortable

Fall Home Improvement “That’s fun about decorating,” she said. “But nothing’s more fun than hearing the kids laugh.”

Her interest in home decor does not come close to her interest in the idea of the home — that it is a comfortable place to share time with her beloved friends and family.

Duff, quick to kick off her shoes and curl her feet up on the sofa, glows when talking about her experiences.

“I’ll yell (hello) to the fishermen (across the channel in the park),” she said. “I’ll take cookies over. The Amish were there one day and I took stuff over. … This is about picnicking again with families, where you bring the Jell-o and the potato salad and the hamburgers for the grill.”

She is impressed with lake preservation efforts. The Indian Lake Watershed Project was started more than 25 years

ago, according to 32-year-old Logan County Commissioner Dustin Wickersham, and a group effort has helped reduce runoff to control algae and generally work to keep the lake clean using a variety of methods. So far, so good. The 5,400-acre lake does have some undesirable blue-green algae in it, but it’s being kept in check, Wickersham explained as a dredger growled in the background.

“That would be my wish and my dream that the lake would be preserved at this level for my great-grandchildren,” Duff said. “Indian Lake is about family. It’s the cleanest-cut best way to spend time for a family. … It makes you think America is not dying.

“It’s my home and my tribe.

There’s something about the sunsets and the water. It’s the good Midwest farm community that we all gravitate back here.”

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Children watch this horse walk in a circle to drive a pole to squeeze cane to make sorghum, a sweet ingredient similar to molasses during the 2015 festival.

Photos by Lora Abernathy

Down on the farm

Annual fall festival set for Oct. 14-16 24 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

By Sarah Allen Each October, the Bidwell community in Gallia County comes together for an event that brings new meaning to the phrase “family farm.”

Bidwell is home to the Bob Evans Farm and, every year, that locale plays host to thousands of people for the annual Farm Festival.

This year will mark the festival’s 46th year, according to Bob Evans Senior Farm Manager Clark Walker. It will be held Oct. 14 through 16.

The three-day event, Walker added, is designed for families.

“Anything we do here, it’s familyoriented,” he said. “That was very

“Most people consider this their farm. They take a lot of pride in (it).”

— Bob Evans Senior Farm Manager Clark Walker important to Bob Evans.”

The festival will include camping options, concerts and “all kinds of fun things for kids,” Walker said, such as hog races and “pumpkins galore.”

Last year, festival-goer Rhonda Gray from Akron, Ohio, told Salt magazine she brought her grandkids. She had first come to the

festival three years ago. Gray described the festival as a “fun day to get out a little before it gets cold.”

“It’s wide open and there’s plenty of room to get around,” she added.

Similarly, Jennifer Thompson, from Barboursville, West Virginia, said in 2015, “It’s my first time. I’ve heard a lot of people at work talk about it.”

Thompson added that her “favorite thing is looking at the crafts.” She also said that “there is so much for younger kids to do.”

BOB EVANS FARM FESTIVAL Address: 791 Farmview Road, Bidwell, OH 45614 Phone: 800-994-3276 Website: bobevans. com/aboutus/ the-farm/farmfestival

Larry Carter, left, and Rob Moses, members of the Bean Crew, share a laugh while cooking bean soup in a cauldron during the 2015 festival. Their dads used to make the soup at the festival when they were younger. Today, the childhood friends carry on that tradition.

Amanda Sedwick, right, and her husband, Aaron, teach their daughter, Alexis, about honey bees during the 2015 festival.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 25

Shannon Lewis, foreground, of Bluegrass Brooms in Ashland, Kentucky, makes a broom while Cindy Lewis shares a laugh with a customer, not pictured. Bluegrass Brooms was one of the vendors at the 2015 festival.

The original purpose of the annual festival, Walker said, is best summarized by an old jingle used by the Bob Evans company: “‘A place in the country where people can see / Down on the farm how it used to be.’ ” As an example, Walker said, a sorghum mill will be open during the festival.

And while the festival has deep-set roots, Walker said the event has also “grown in many ways and tapped into different markets through the years.”

But, even as the years pass, there is one thing that has not changed: The sense of community surrounding the “family farm,” Walker said. “That’s what we have to do, is continue those traditions.”

Ultimately, Walker said the festival is a way the Bob Evans company gives back to that community that it values so highly and that is so intricately woven into its story.

“Most people consider this their farm,” Walker said. “They take a lot of pride in (it).”

Horseshoes are pitched during a demonstration by the Reno Family during the 2015 festival.

Recipes From ‘The Farm’ ASIAN MAPLE SAUSAGE MEATBALLS Servings: 6

26 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

Meatball Ingredients: 1 pound Bob Evans Maple Roll Sausages 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs 1/4 cup maple syrup Sauce Ingredients: 1 tablespoon Thai chili garlic sauce (international aisle in grocery store) 1/2 cup maple syrup 3 tablespoons soy sauce product Directions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir until fully combined. Do not overwork the meat or the meatballs will be tough and dense.

Shape into small meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on a baking sheet.

Bake until browned and cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Place all sauce ingredients into a Crock-Pot and stir together. Turn heat to low and add cooked meatballs. Heat for 30 minutes and turn Crock-Pot to warm before serving.

(Recipe courtesy of bobevans.com.)

OHIO PROUD SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS Servings: 15 Ingredients: 1 pound Bob Evans Italian Roll Sausage 1 pound Bob Evans Savory Sage Roll Sausage 1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs 5 ounces shredded Italian three cheese 50 mushroom caps Directions: Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage until brown. Remove and place in large mixing bowl.

Squeeze liquid out of spinach.

Mix in the sausage mixture the spinach, bread crumbs and half of the cheese, blend well.

Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

Form ball and place in cleaned mushroom caps.

Top the stuffed mushrooms with the remaining cheese blend.

Place mushroom caps on baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.

(Recipe courtesy of bobevans.com.)

HAIR CUTS • HAIR COLOR • FACIALS MANICURES • PEDICURES

Salt Shakers

I realize these are not salt shakers, but thought you might be interested in salt dips (cellars). These are just a few of my collection.

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In each issue of Salt, we try to feature photos of creative salt and pepper shakers from our readers’ collections. Please submit photos and descriptions to editor@thesaltmagazine.com by Oct. 10, 2016 for consideration for printing in a future issue.

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30 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

Growing great

GARLIC

“Anyone can grow garlic. You basically set the bulbs in the earth and wait.”

By Valerie LK Martin

Curing allows garlic to dry for storing.

When the skins are dry and crunchy, they can be moved to a storage location. The idea is that no moisture be left because they will rot. This may take several weeks. I often leave my garlic hanging in my garage until winter, and use it from there if needed in the fall.

When visiting California once, my husband and I drove the backroads of Gilroy and marveled at the garlic farms. Gilroy is the garlic capital of the world — so they claim — and if you roll down the window, the aroma is testimony to this.

When the farmers here cure the garlic, they lay them in the California sun right where they were planted. I have tried this method. It works fine for the first few days, allowing moist earth to dry. But with our pop-up summer storms, you need to be on the lookout for weather and, if it is humid, it will not be as effective.

Now that your garlic has cured, you can clean off the dirt and remove the first layers of skin, cut the stems or braid them. If any bulbs are damaged, use them first. The good garlic bulbs will store for more than six months in a cool, dry place.

I know that I said it was simple to plant garlic and then I went into all this detail. I will confess that if I follow my own advice here, I do get the best result. But there have been years when I have neglected my garlic, and they have done just fine.

Of all the items in my garden, garlic is the easiest to grow. No real maintenance. No major pests or diseases. Just yummy goodness waiting to be picked.

Now, go put some wonderful, flavorful garlic in your garden before Jack Frost shows up. You will not regret it.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 31

I have a few favorite flavors: basil, rosemary, hard cheeses and berries of all kinds.

But what tops my list is garlic. This amazing plant not only adds zest to almost any dish, it is actually extremely good for you.

And anyone can grow garlic. You basically set the bulbs in the earth and wait.

There are a few things to know, though, if you want the best garlic for your area and the most flavor they can provide.

First, there are two types of garlic: hardneck and softneck.

Hardnecks have a stiff stem in the center that is surrounded by a ring of cloves.

Hardnecks are often the hardiest varieties of garlic and are best suited for growing zones 3-6. They love and need a real winter. This type is too rigid to make garlic braids.

Softneck garlic has a flexible stem in the center, is surrounded by layers of cloves and is what you will find in grocery stores.

These do best in climates with milder winters and are less cold-hardy, making them best suited in zones 5-9. Softneck garlic can be stored longer than hardneck and has a stronger flavor. This is braiding garlic.

Here in Ohio, we are lucky enough to be able to grow both types. I have found, though, depending upon our winter, one type may thrive better than the other. If we get a steady cold in the 20s and 30s, both types are happy growers. No matter what we endure each year, I have always had a nice yield from my planting.

When you plant, try not to damage the clove when breaking it off the bulb. Use the larger, plump cloves. I have used bulbs bought at the grocery, from local farmers’ markets and from my own garden. All have worked well.

Fall is the time to plant. Do it as close to your first frost date as you can, any time before the ground freezes. Garlic, like its cousins onions and leeks, needs well-drained soil. Raised beds work great. NO CLAY! So, in this area, you may need to augment your plot. Pointy end goes up, flat base at bottom of 2-inch holes. They should be 6-8 inches apart.

Now we wait. If you see sprouts before winter arrives, never fear. They die back and the plant goes into its winter mode to re-sprout in the spring.

The green leaves appear in spring followed by scapes. These are the curling stalks that are found in the center of the leaves. They are edible.

If you do not want to eat the scapes, cut them off to help the garlic grow its bulbs.

This is the seed stalk, which takes energy away from the root. If you do leave them on, they will produce tiny bulbs that can be planted. However, it will take a couple of years before you see a yield.

Harvesting the full-sized bulbs happens in mid-summer, depending upon variety.

When the bottom two leaves turn brown, it is time to harvest. The hardneck can be pulled with a digging tool underneath. Softnecks will tear off, so dig cautiously around the plant. Dust off dirt, but do not clean with water.

Now, it is time to cure. They need a dry place, preferably dark or at least out of the sun. I use my garage and hang them, but you can also place them in a single layer on a flat surface.

8

things you didn’t know about garlic

Garlic can be used to treat or ward off coughs, flu, colds, fever and intestinal worms. It helps with gallbladder, liver and digestive problems and may reduce the risk of cancer, hypertension and high cholesterol.

The psychological term for fear of garlic is alliumphobia.

32 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

Garlic is both a vegetable and an herb.

The majority of garlic grown in the United States — 90 percent — comes from California.

Store garlic unpeeled in a dark, cool, dry place. Unpeeled garlic refrigeration is not recommended.

The smell of garlic can be removed by running your hands under cold water while rubbing a stainless steel object.

When picking out garlic at the grocery store, choose firm, tight, heavy, dry bulbs.

SOURCES: Information from greyduckgarlic. com, popsugar.com, vegetablefacts.net and nutrition-and-you.com.

Garlic’s pungent flavor is due to a chemical reaction that occurs when the garlic cells are broken. The flavor is most intense just after mincing.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 33

40916487

Val’s go-to garlic recipes GARLIC PUMPKIN MASHED POTATOES WITH SPINACH

34 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

Servings: 6 Ingredients: 7 red potatoes (or Yukon Gold variety), scrubbed and chopped 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, to taste Two handfuls spinach, stems removed and chopped 1/2 cup almond milk 2 tablespoons Earth Balance or butter 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Paprika, for garnish Directions: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and boil potatoes for 18 to 22 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and place in a very large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over low heat in a skillet and sauté garlic for about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn it.

Drain and mash potato chunks in the large bowl with a fork. Mix in pumpkin puree, spinach, almond milk, Earth Balance or butter, black pepper and salt.

Best served immediately. The potatoes tend to get a bit watery (from the pumpkin) if they are put in the fridge.

(Recipe from Oh She Glows, adapted from Cake, Batter, Bowl.)

PUMPKIN GARLIC KNOTS

Servings: 12-16 knots Knot Ingredients: 1 cup warm water 1 envelope active dry yeast 2 tablespoons agave nectar 2 tablespoons olive oil (I used an herbed variety) 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (I used King Arthur) 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt Coating Ingredients: 1/3 cup olive oil 3-5 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper, to taste Parmesan (optional) Nutritional yeast (optional) Directions: Pour the warm water into a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. Then add agave nectar, olive oil and pumpkin, whisk until smooth.

Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. With your fist, make an impression in the center — a “bowl” that’s big enough to pour your wet ingredients into.

Then pour in your wet ingredients.

Start pulling everything together with a spatula. When you can no longer mix, use your hands to start kneading the dough. Keep kneading — and adding more flour as necessary — until you have a ball that’s elastic, but not sticky.

Lightly oil another large bowl and put your dough ball inside it — flipping over once to coat both sides (again, lightly) with oil. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 425 F. Put in a pizza stone (you may use a pan, too, but it works best with a stone).

Divide the dough into two equal pieces. If you’re planning to use the other half the next day, just put it in a large Ziploc bag and store in the fridge. You may also freeze the dough for up to 3 weeks.

To create the garlic knots, just take off sections of dough (about the size of two tablespoons, if that makes sense) and roll them into a snake shape. Then, tie that snake in a knot. Set aside and continue with the rest of the dough.

Once you’ve made all your knots, put them on your stone (or on your pan) and let bake until golden brown on the tops, anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes, or more, depending on how big your knots are.

While you’re waiting, in a large bowl mix together olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper and, if you’re feeling cheesy, Parmesan or nutritional yeast, to taste.

There’s really no right or wrong mixture, just what you like. Feel free to taste test.

When the knots are done, dump them into the bowl and mix well to coat. You can crush the knots a bit to let the oil seep in.

Take any extra dough and make a pizza crust.

(Recipe from howsweeteats.com.)

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GARLIC, ROSEMARY AND CHILI ALMONDS

Ingredients: 2-3 teaspoons butter, or a bit less than 1/2 ounce olive oil 7 ounces (or just more than 3/4 cup) almonds 2 big cloves garlic, crushed 1 handful rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt Chili, to taste Directions: Melt the butter in a cast-iron or stainless steel skillet, add the almonds and stir until they’re heated through and starting to brown.

Take off the heat and add remaining ingredients, stirring through.

Serve warm straight out of the pan.

(Recipe from thepassionatecook.com.)

GARLIC MARTINI

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 35

Ingredients: 3 ounces gin 3-4 ounces Martini & Rossi vermouth 1 splash garlic-stuffed olive juice 2 garlic-stuffed olives Directions: Shake everything but the olives together with ice in a shaker.

Strain the mixture into a martini glass. Garnish with the garlicstuffed olives and serve.

(Recipe from mixthatdrink.com.)

CONFIT GARLIC

Ingredients: 1 cup olive oil 1 cup fresh garlic cloves Directions: Heat oil and garlic in a small saucepan for 1 hour over a very low heat. Don’t let it boil. Let cool in the saucepan and transfer garlic and oil in sterilized jars.

It should keep for up to 3 months.

Use it on pizzas, spread on crusty bread or use in any cooking where you want to infuse a garlic flavor. Use the oil for salad dressings and pastas, too. It’s worth the effort, I promise.

(Recipe from gomakeme. com.)

GARLIC MUSHROOM SOUP

Servings: 8-10 Ingredients: 20 fresh garlic cloves, peeled 1 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups bread crumbs Fresh parsley, chopped 10 cups chicken broth Salt and pepper, to taste Dash hot sauce Directions: In food processor or by hand, finely chop garlic and 1 pound of mushrooms. Cut remaining mushrooms into thin slices.

In 4-quart saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sauté garlic and all the mushrooms for 3 minutes.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Sauté bread crumbs in remaining olive oil. Return garlic and mushrooms to pan, stir in parsley and sauté for 5 minutes. Add broth. Simmer for 15 minutes, stir frequently. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce.

(Recipe from Country Woman magazine.)

36 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

GARLIC SOUP

Servings: 6 Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup white onion, finely diced 5 tablespoons (1 head) fresh garlic, finely minced 2 tablespoons flour 4 cups chicken stock or broth 2 cups water 3 tablespoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon kosher salt Pepper to taste Directions: Heat the oil and butter in a medium soup pan on low.

When the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook the onion and garlic for 20 minutes until soft but not brown.

Add the flour and stir.

Cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken stock, water, vinegar and salt. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

(Recipe adapted from “The Complete Book of 400 Soups.”)

VAL’S PESTO

I adapted this recipe from one given to me by college friend, Kathi Spirk, who adapted her recipe from Oprah Winfrey’s cookbook.

See what you can adapt to make it your own. Anything with garlic and basil is worth eating. Oh, and it is easily doubled or tripled.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup fresh basil 1 clove garlic (2 if you like) 1/4 cup Parmesan (or more to liking) Pine nuts or walnuts (optional and to liking) Olive oil Dash of lemon juice Directions: Place all solid ingredients in a blender or food processor. (More nuts make the pesto less creamy.) Cover with a few teaspoons of olive oil and dash of lemon juice.

Puree.

Serve fresh over 8-16 ounces of cooked pasta or place in small plastic containers to store in freezer.

ROASTED GARLIC AND DILL WHITE BEAN DIP

Servings: about 1 cup of dip Roasted Garlic Ingredients: This is great as a spread by itself.

6 heads garlic Olive oil Roasted Garlic Directions: Preheat oven to 375 F. Chop off the top portion of the garlic head to reveal cloves.

Lightly rub back and forth to remove paper and peel any excess paper off. Drizzle up to a tablespoon of olive oil per garlic bulb cluster and let soak for 10 minutes.

Cover with foil and roast in a baking dish for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

To eat or add to recipe, let cool, then squeeze from the bottom of the garlic head to remove caramelized cloves.

Dip Ingredients: 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or about 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans) 3 tablespoons fresh dill 2 bulbs roasted garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil, or more if desired Dip Directions: Combine beans, dill, roasted garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the processor running, stream in olive oil and make sure to scrape the sides and bottom a few times.

Serve in a bowl garnished with fresh dill and additional drizzles of olive oil.

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38 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

Signs of the season

Photo courtesy of ODNR

Fall color puts on a show for Ohioans

By Adrienne McGee Sterrett

Suggested sites in Lima: Faurot Park (Collett Street). The rolling hills and large, established trees make this picturesque. There’s plenty of room to find a good spot to relax. “Faurot’s one of the very few parks in our system that does not have a basketball court in it,” Stolly said.

The Rotary Riverwalk. “There’s some beautiful sites along the Riverwalk. Especially when you cross any of the footbridges, you can get a look at both sides of the river,” Stolly said.

Schoonover Lake (Findlay Road).“We have a number of sugar maples that turn that beautiful bright yellow at Schoonover Lake and around the Lake. If you catch it at the right time, the reflection on the lake is just something to see,” Stolly said.

Baxter Park (North of Allentown Road at Woodlawn Avenue). “It’s got some beautiful oak trees,” Stolly said.

Lincoln Park (Elm and Shawnee streets).“We think about older trees and color changes, Lincoln Park is also one that we see a lot of people get to,” Stolly said. The park is well shaded by large trees.

Suggested sites in Ohio: Mohican State Park/Malabar Farm State Park (Loudonville area). “It’s really a beautiful area, and they tend to have a lot of activities on the weekends for families and nice hiking trails and all kinds of things like that,” Burdick said.

Lake Hope State Park/Zaleski State Forest (west of Athens).“If you want to see some of the features of the Hocking Hills without having so many people around you, it’s a really great location,” Burdick said.

Bryan State Park/Clifton Gorge Nature Preserve (near Yellow Springs).“Those are really neat areas to go hiking. It’s just kind of a different area. There’s a very large gorge there that people can go down and walk through,” Burdick said. “It’s one of the few places in the western half of Ohio that has hemlock. Hemlock is one of the native conifers to Ohio. It just has a really nice dark color, dark green needles on it.

It really creates a nice backdrop against the fall color.”

• Color peaks first in the northern parts of the state and then peaks later in the south.

Peak in the north could be as early as the second week of October. In the south, it’s usually the first week of November, Burdick said.

• Different trees turn different colors at different times. First, the buckeyes turn yellow/gold. Then, the maples turn red and the honeylocusts turn yellow/gold. Then, the black walnuts turn yellow, dogwoods turn burgundy/purple and catalpas turn bright green. Last, the hickories turn gold, the sassafras trees turn a variety of fall colors and the poplars turn yellow.

• The timing is affected by what’s around the tree. If the tree is in an urban area, it’s likely by itself in more compacted soil, Burdick said. Add in dry conditions, and a city tree will show its colors earlier. A tree in a woods in the country is more protected by its tree neighbors, and the ground under those trees holds more water, so it will show colors later.

• Science plays a big part here. The first hard frost will signal to the tree to cut off its circulation to its leaves. Also, if the tree is stressed by drought, the color could come earlier than usual. “As the days start to get shorter and the temperature cools, that’s the trigger for the tree to start preparing for winter,” Burdick said.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 39

It’s almost leaf-peeping season.

Whether you’re interested in an afternoon escape from the city — without leaving it — or looking for a weekend getaway, Ohio’s fall color offers a perfect excuse to enjoy the beginnings of autumn.

“I think the colors are just absolutely fabulous. It’s just fantastic to see the changes in color,” said Ric Stolly, director of Lima’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry. “And now it’s that change of season, and everything that goes with it — to the crisp, cleaner, cooler air that people enjoy in the fall to the anticipation of winter.”

Stolly oversees about 370 acres of park land in the city system — from parks that are focused on sports activities to those that focus on natural serenity.

“As the leaves change … we see an absolute uptick in people getting out and taking full use of the opportunities that the park system offers in the city of Lima,” he said. “Some people pick their own spot each year to go and watch the leaves change.”

Dry summer conditions had some worried, but rains at the end of August may have salvaged the fall color season. If rain continued into September, color patterns should be about normal. But dry conditions could mean that peak color could come earlier — late September/early October, as opposed to mid-October, said Casey Burdick, fall color expert with the ODNR Division of Forestry.

How’s a peeper to know? Check fallcolor.ohiodnr.gov. There are tools, color reports done weekly, suggested driving tours, a calendar of events and more.

“I’m blown away by the interest, how many people are excited and ask questions about fall color every year,” Burdick said. “I think part of it, this summer it’s been so hot and the weather starts to cool off and make it more approachable to being outside.

And Ohio’s a great place to see fall color probably because we have such a nice diversity of tree species that grow here.”

Out & About ALLEN COUNTY Oct. 9 St. Matthew Oktoberfest, 2:30-6 p.m., 1/3 mile west of Shawnee Road on Hume Road. Music from Little Hog Creek Dulcimers—EZ and Company, kids games, face painting, pumpkin painting, hay rides, food, pony rides, kettle corn. There will be a free-will offering. Contact Marcia at 419-9995329 or email stmattoffice@midohio. twcbc.com.

Oct. 15 Making Strides of Lima, University of Northwestern Ohio, 9:30 a.m. Register at makingstrides.acsevents.org.

Oct. 15 “Cool Beauty,” 7:30 p.m., with the Lima Symphony Orchestra, Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.

Oct. 15 Pet Fest, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Allen County Fairgrounds, 2750 Harding Highway, Lima. Call 419-339-3208.

40 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 40 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

Oct. 18 Young People’s Concerts, 9:30 and 11 a.m., with the Lima Symphony Orchestra, Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. Call 419-224-1552 or visit limaciviccenter.com.

Want to see your November event listed in Out & About?

Visit thesaltmagazine. com and click on the Add Events link at the top to enter your event’s information.

The deadline for entries is Oct. 10, 2016.

(The calendar is for organizations’ special events only, excluding the listings of regular meetings.)

Oct. 20-22 Makerfest 2016, Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, Lima. A career exposition to celebrate Lima’s “maker community” as a catalyst for building its workforce in advanced manufacturing, design, engineering and the skill trades. Call Doug Arthur at 513-3782171 or Eric Davis at 419-615-870 or visit linklima.com.

Oct. 21-23 “Disney’s Sleeping Beauty,” Encore Theatre, 991 North Shore Drive, Lima. Call 419-223-8866, email encore@mw.twcbc.com or visit www. amiltellers.org.

AUGLAIZE COUNTY Oct. 7 Pulled Pork Dinner. Call the Breakfast Optimist Club at 419-738-6783.

Compiled by Lora Abernathy

500 Apollo Drive, Wapakoneta. Call 419-738-8811 or visit armstrongmuseum.org.

Oct. 20 The third annual WapaWeen Halloween Parade, 6:30-8 p.m. Call the Chamber at 419-738-2911.

Oct. 24 The third Annual WapaWeen Monster Dash/Little Monster 1-Miler, 5:45 p.m., Wapakoneta YMCA. Call the Y at 419-739-9622.

Oct. 24 Cridersville Annual Fall Festival.

Parade down Main Street starts at 5:30 p.m. Other events and activities to follow after the parade at the fire house.

Oct. 25 The third annual Boo! on the Moon, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Armstrong Air & Space Museum, 500 Apollo Drive, Wapakoneta. Call 419-738-8811 or visit armstrongmuseum.org.

HANCOCK COUNTY Oct. 6-8 and 14-16 “A Minister’s Wife,” Fort Findlay Playhouse, 300 W. Sandusky St., Findlay.

Call 419-423-7168 or visit fortfindlayplayhouse.org.

Oct. 7-8 Hobo Stew and Halloween Campout, Van Buren State Park, 12259 Township Road 218, Van Buren. Call 419-832-7662 or visit parks.ohiodnr. gov/vanburen.

Oct. 15 Spirits & Boos: Haunted History Tour and Pub Crawl, 8-11 p.m., sponsored by the Hancock Historical Museum.

Call 419-423-4433 or visit hancockhistoricalmuseum.org.

Oct. 15 “Forbidden Broadway,” 8 p.m., Marathon Performing Arts Center, 200 W. Main Cross St., Findlay. Call 419-4232787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.

Oct. 22 Spooktacular, 5-8 p.m., Hancock Historical Museum, 422 W. Sandusky St., Findlay. Call 419-423-4433 or visit hancockhistoricalmuseum.org.

Oct. 9 Tri-County Coin Show, Auglaize County Fairgrounds. Call Lee Clausing at 419-394-3070.

Oct. 25 Findlay/Hancock County Halloween Parade, 7-10 p.m., downtown Findlay, sponsored by the Hancock Leadership Alumni Association. Call 419-422-3313 or visit hancockleadership.org.

Oct. 15 Hobby Day 2016, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Armstrong Air & Space Museum,

Oct. 28 Dailey and Vincent, 7:30 p.m., Marathon Performing Arts Center, 200 W.

Main Cross St., Findlay. Call 419-4232787 or visit marathoncenterarts.org.

MERCER COUNTY Oct. 8 Affair of the Art, Apples and Ale (formerly the Art Walk), noon-6 p.m., downtown Celina. Call 419-584-1705.

Oct. 21 Mickey Gilley, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., The Overdrive, 3769 state Route 127, Celina. Call 419-925-9999, email contact@theoverdrive.com or visit theoverdrive.com.

PUTNAM COUNTY Oct. 29 The ninth annual Autumn Harvest of Crafts Show sponsored by the Friends of the Putnam County District Library, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., OttawaGlandorf High School, 630 Glendale Ave., Ottawa. The free show will feature more than 140 booths with a variety of work from crafters around the area. Lunch will be available, as well as door prizes, bake sale and used book sale. All proceeds will benefit all locations of the Putnam County District Library. Call Judy at 419-659-5478 or email friendscraftshow@yahoo.com.

VAN WERT COUNTY Oct. 8 Jack Hanna, 3 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.

Oct. 16 Colton Dixon, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.

Oct. 21-22 The Van Wert Apple Festival, 1055 S. Washington St., Van Wert. Call 877989-2282.

Oct. 22 Vocalosity, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.

Oct. 23 Doc Severinsen and His Big Band, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.

Oct. 29 Diamond Rio, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, 10700 state Route 118 S. Call 419-238-6722 or visit npacvw.org.

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 41

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STRENGTH & DIGNITY Fighting cancer, but keeping her sense of humor

42 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 42 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

By Adrienne McGee Sterrett Veronica “Ronnie” Ballard and her boyfriend, Trevor Dodds, were thrilled to find out they were expecting again.

Their second daughter, Molly, would prove special on a few different levels.

“We call her our blessing in disguise,” Ballard said.

The Bluffton couple met in 2011. Ballard was from Temperance, Michigan, and Dodds was from Bluffton. Because he farms, she knew she would have to relocate here to include him in her life. So she did.

Their daughter, Ellie, was born in 2013, and in mid 2015, they learned another child was on the way.

Ballard, 39, and a physical therapist assistant in the rehab department at Lima Memorial Health System, settled into northwestern Ohio life and applied to a physical therapist education program in Findlay. She was planning ahead, dreaming of the future, giving a hard-to-break-into program a shot.

Then life hit the brakes.

When Ballard visited her OB/GYN for the 12-week prenatal checkup, the doctor found a lump in her right breast.

Her head spun. How could that be? She doesn’t have a family history of breast cancer. She didn’t do self breast exams, explaining she believed she’d feel something out of the ordinary regardless. She knew she was approaching 40, and with that age would come mammograms, but she hadn’t had one yet.

More tests followed at Lima Memorial Medical Park on Eastown Road. The doctors opted for ultrasounds, as mammograms would have been unsafe for the young baby she was carrying. They found two spots in her right breast and a lymph node under her arm that looked “funky.”

What’s “funky”? she remembers thinking. On Aug. 4, 2015, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer — and a good prognosis.

Ballard has a matter-of-fact personality and is quick to laugh. She describes herself as not very emotional. But in the parking lot, she broke down.

“I cried that little bit,” she said. “(Trevor) walked out, and he just gave me a hug and said, ‘We’re gonna get through this.’ ” On Sept. 15, 2015, she had a right-side mastectomy at The James, formally called Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Columbus.

This photo of the family was taken during Easter this year.

Photos courtesy of Ronnie Ballard

Ronnie, Trevor and Ellie.

This verse speaks to Ronnie, and she is considering a tattoo including it: “She is clothed with strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future.”

— Proverbs 31:25

Mom meets Molly.

That’s much better now.

Molly was born Jan. 26, 2016, a scheduled birth. She was 6 pounds, 8 ounces — and perfectly healthy.

That same day, Ballard had her fallopian tubes and ovaries removed to get the female hormones out of her body.

Estrogen can feed cancer. She and Dodds, prior to the cancer diagnosis, had decided to stop at two children.

After Molly was born, Ballard’s treatments became more frequent, and now, she’s finished — aside from maintenance drugs to be sure she is in the clear. She believes she will be on a chemo pill for about five years, but she’ll learn more about that soon. Halloween will bring an appointment with a breast reconstruction surgeon at OSU. “I still consider myself young.

For my own body confidence,” she said.

“I put Ellie in the shower with me sometimes,” she said, explaining her daughter asked her a question recently: “Mommy, why do you only have one boob?”

Ballard chuckled, explaining her daughter then looked down at her own chest to compare.

“I don’t have any!” Ellie declared.

Something to consider: Ballard chose not to speak with anyone who had undergone breast cancer treatments. She knew their journey would not be her journey — because nothing is ever exactly the same — and she didn’t want to bog her mind down with worry or try to plan too much.

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Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 43 Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 43

“The first thing I said was, ‘Can I get a new one?” she remembers, laughing.

Doctors removed 34 lymph nodes. Three were cancerous.

Chemo and radiation were in her future.

Could all this be done while pregnant? Doctors reassured her the only side effect would be possible lower birth weight for her child. She explained the mastectomy was just her right side because to remove both breasts would have meant she would have been under anesthetic for too long for the baby handle. And, yes, there are chemo drugs now that work to fight cancer while not harming a baby. In the past, women had to choose between terminating to start treatment or doing no treatment until giving birth.

“I’m glad for whoever those moms were who went through those trials,” Ballard said. “Because of them is why I was able to have some of that treatment while I was pregnant. … I didn’t care about me anymore. Is this OK for the baby?”

The James drew up a plan, which Lima Memorial Health System followed. This allowed her to receive care through her workplace (using her discount), stay close to home and enjoy continued support from her family and co-workers.

“I have an awesome support system with everybody at work,” Ballard said. Rehab department folks gave her two “huge” care packages, one before her mastectomy and one before her first chemo.

They’ve covered her shifts when the chemo schedule interfered and she couldn’t be exposed to germs. And they’ve also matched her sense of humor, joking about what a nice head shape she has and more.

As if having chemo and being pregnant weren’t enough, her chemo port became infected — badly. She was septic by the time she was flown to OSU. She spent eight days there recovering. A second port became infected again later, but she was able to treat it at LMH that time.

And a blood clot was found in her jugular, necessitating clot-busting drugs twice a day.

44 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 44 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

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Laughter has certainly kept Ballard going. It seems nothing is off limits. She and Dodds have a joking way, which sometimes got them looks from nurses during treatment, she remembered, but it’s their way. She took a Look Good, Feel Better class at one point and considered a wig until she realized she would have to style it and fiddle with it all the time.

“I said screw this. This is too high maintenance for me.

I’m just going to rock my bald head,” she said, laughing.

She considered a scarf, tying it simply at the nape with a rubber band like she learned in class, but that wasn’t for her either. Cue Ellie.

“I come out of the bathroom and Ellie says, ‘Mommy, are you a pirate?’”

Having no hair wasn’t an overly difficult transition for her.

(She admitted to being more self conscious about the radiation burns at her collarbone than her hair. “It feels like a bad sunburn.”) Before treatment began, she cut her long locks off into a pixie cut to prepare for what was to come. Her hair started coming out after her first chemo treatment, in handfuls that shocked her even though she knew it would happen. Her eyebrows came and went various times.

When her hair started to go, she was in the bathroom at home and shouted out to her husband, “It’s time.”

That got his attention.

Ellie is a beaming new big sister.

“OK. I should’ve used different words,” she said, explaining he thought she was in labor.

What she meant was it was time for a buzzcut, which he helped

her with.

So, what’s she up to now?

Getting ready for PT classes.

Her program starts in January.

Leadership there allowed her to

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 45 Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 45

What: Ladies’ Night Out Who: Presented by The Lima News, sponsored by Lima Memorial Health System, Superior Credit Union, Allan Nott Honda & Toyota, Chief Supermarket, and Fitness Solution 24/7 When: Doors at 5:30 p.m. for cash bar, doors to vendors at 6 p.m.

Oct. 6 Where: UNOH Event Center, Lima Tickets: Table for eight is $160 or $22 for general seating. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to Lima’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Wine tasting available for $5 per ticket. Appetizers will be sold.

Details: The band Exploit will entertain. Vendors will include clothing boutiques, cosmetics, jewelry and home improvement.

Also, there will be a fashion show featuring a local boutique’s fashions and Pink Out best dressed contest.

defer for a year while she was undergoing treatment.

“I feel like (cancer) kind of set me up … for what it’s going to be like with school and the kids — the craziness of it all,” she said, laughing.

The family bought a camper for a vacation this summer to Coldwater Lake in Quincy, Michigan. Dodds was grousing about needing to park it somewhere other than the driveway, but she shut him down.

“Just leave it there because come school, I’m going to have to go hide in there and study,” she said, grinning.

Ballard is interested to see where classes will lead her.

“I just wish there’s a way I could help in the future because of what I went through,” she said, musing she may go into lymphedema management.

But in the meantime, she’s eager to help women now.

“I feel like it’s not like IF you’re going to get (breast cancer), it’s WHEN you’re going to get it,” she said. She points to her own experience — no family history, genetic testing at OSU negative, no obvious clues.

Because her daughters now have a family history, the recommendation is they do their first mammograms when they reach age 28. That’s 10 years prior to her age when she was diagnosed.

Her advice? Follow every screening guideline and doctor’s order.

“Don’t mess around. Do it.”

46 | Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016

And one more thought...

“And he beholds the moon; like a rounded fragment of ice filled with motionless light.”

Photo taken by Adrienne McGee Sterrett in Van Wert.

— Gustave Flaubert

Knowing what’s below helps keep you safe. Call 811, it’s the law!

Salt | Northwest Ohio | October 2016 | 47

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