February 2013 – Growth By the Season

Carrot and Roasted Garlic Hummus

Written by Tricia on February 27, 2013. Posted in Community, Food, Friends & Family, Recipes.

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If you’ve been to a Northern Michigan Farmers Market lately, you’re likely to see fewer greens. There will be plenty of baked goods, jelly & jams, meats & cheeses, but greens are harder to come by in February. Even with advancements in farming infrastructure like hoophouses and greenhouses, the beautiful and at times frustrating reality about growing food from the earth is that mother nature makes the rules.

At the farmers market I attend every Saturday, the majority of fresh produce you’ll find this time of year is carrots. You’ll see me walking through the market selecting my goods from the stalls and chomping on these fresh, local deliciously sweet carrots. Other than the raw form, carrots can be made into incredible soups, heart-warming roasted side dishes and salads. Recently however, I was curious to find a recipe that used carrots in a way I’d never used them before. As soon as I saw the color of this rich & flavorful carrot hummus I knew I had to try it, so I brought it along with me to a friends house last night for dinner.

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Let me just say, I LOVE having friends that enjoy cooking and food as much as I do. Last night, was an incredible feast with three women I really enjoy spending time with. Our objective was simply to gather together around food and so we did, lots of food I might add. The carrot hummus turned out smashingly with cucumber slices and pita bread for dipping. My main dish on the other hand, a concoction of beet gnocchi with lemon pesto, while equally delicious was far less ‘picture perfect.’ It was my first time making both dishes and while putting them together I realized I had created a theme unknowingly of colorful and hearty root vegetables in an uncommon form. Perhaps its because of this long cold winter, stirring up a desire for change and the color that arrives with spring.

Our collection of small plate dishes for the night included:

The ‘Life-Changing Loaf of Bread’ from Sarah B at My New Roots! (pictured above)

Beet Gnocchi with Lemon Pesto

Jeweled Rice Salad with Red Grapes, Scallions & Pecans

Guacamole with Sweet Potato Chips

Butternut Squash & Roasted Apple Quinoa

Homemade “Fig Newtons”

Carrot & Roasted Garlic Hummus with sliced cucumber and pita

Citrus Salad

Raw Cocoa Walnut Bars

The dishes paired together incredibly and though I packed my plate full of the colorful food, there was nothing but a gleaming white plate left when I had finished.

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Carrot and Roasted Garlic Hummus

Makes 1 cup of hummus

Prep time: 25 minutes

Preheat: 400 degrees

Ingredients:

1 cup roughly chopped carrots
6 cloves garlic
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
3/4 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tbls lemon juice

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Directions:

Line baking sheet with foil or parchment, then place chopped carrots in a bowl and coat in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Spread them in one layer on the lined baking sheet and place in the oven.

Wrap the cloves of garlic in foil and place in the oven as well.

Roast for 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender with a fork. Remove from the oven, unwrap garlic and let cool.

In your food processor combine all ingredients including extra salt or lemon juice to your taste.

Dinner with family and friends or Potlucks of any kind are some of my favorite gatherings. I love having small ‘tastes’ of everything dish and I often find myself experimenting with recipes in these occasions, enjoying the immediate honest feedback from the people closest to me. The dishes I made last night really made me realize how much I’m looking forward to warmer weather and all that comes with spring. The change is in the air and March is just around the corner!

What are some of your favorite, colorful springtime dishes?

love,

tricia

The Great Lakes Children’s Museum: Traverse City, MI

Written by Tricia on February 18, 2013. Posted in Community, Events.

Children are explorers, they’re creators, dreamers and learners. In a place like the Great Lakes Children’s Museum these qualities are not only encouraged but strongly developed. From InterActive StoryTime to Food Art & Tie Dye, The Museum creates fun activities with the opportunity for children to build skills adaptable to their lives today and the future ahead of them.

The Great Lakes Children’s Museum annual fundraiser Farm Fête, will be held this upcoming Saturday, February 23rd. In order to make the event accesible to more couples and guests the price was reduced this year to $50 for a complete farm-to-table dinner and access to a group of incredible live & silent auction items benefitting the Museum.

The farm-to-table dinner will take place at the beautiful Inn at Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay, celebrating our grand agricultural region while honoring the Museum as a special place here in Traverse City that is devoted to our community’s future, the children.

As a part of the Gala planning committee I’ll be attending Farm Fête this year and I’m thrilled to be involved in an event that is not only for a great cause but celebrates the local food and agriculture of our region. The menu, an ode to the incredible offerings in Northwest Michigan even at the heart of winter, will consist of the following courses:

The Menu

Focaccia with whipped butter

Roasted beet and pear salad, candied marcona almonds, goat cheese, spring greens, verjus vinaigrette

Coffee and red wine braised beef short ribs, fromage blanc baked polenta, wilted arugula, crisp leeks

Vegetarian entrée: Grilled potato and Autumn vegetable napolean , tomato confit, parsley oil

Warm Apple Pie tart, Vanilla Bean whippecrème, Riesling caramel and spun sugar

Each course paired with Black Star Farms wine

My involvement with the event has allowed me to help in the development of this local food celebration as well as gain insight into programs the Children’s Museum offers the community that the public might not be fully aware of. One specifically, that truly interests me the most is the +Plus Program. The program “assists children, families and educators for whom admission costs pose a significant obstacle to attending the museum.” In addition to raising funds for the general operations of the Museum, the Farm Fête event will strive to raise money for the +Plus Program, ultimately providing more museum scholarships to those of our community in need.

I’m looking forward to a successful event on Saturday and I encourage those of you who are interested in attending to register for the Farm Fête event here, tickets are still available but we’re filling up quickly!

You can make a donation to the +Plus Program even if you’re unable to attend the event by calling the Museum at 231-932-4526

Ride among the ‘Waves of Wonder’

love,

tricia

Traverse City on Dwellable

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Written by Tricia on February 15, 2013. Posted in Food, Recipes.

There is nothing that heals a cold, chills, or the winter blues better than homemade chicken noodle soup. The first time I tasted a cup of homemade chicken noodle, I couldn’t believe I’d ever eaten it out of a can. However, I also assumed that my boyfriend’s mother has slaved over the stove for days to prepare something so delicious. The secret?… Homemade chicken noodle soup is both supremely delicious AND easy.

ingredients:

8 cups Chicken broth

Bite-sized, cooked Chicken (breasts or shredded rotisserie)

Uncooked Egg Noodles (any noodle works, these are just traditional)

2 Medium Carrots, diced

Diced Mushrooms

Chopped Medium Onion

3 cloves Garlic

2-3 tsp Salt, additional to taste

Pepper

2 tsp Thyme

2 tsp Rosemary

Chopped Swiss Chard (any green, spinach, kale)- optional

The measurements here are lacking, because the contents of this soup are up to you. If you like a soup with lots of broth then don’t use as many veggies. If you prefer a hearty, thick soup then amp up the number of vegetables you include. Its all up to you!

directions:

First, throw a tab of butter or a drizzle of olive oil in the bottom of your soup pot, saute garlic on low-medium heat (don’t let it burn) and then add chopped onion and cook until tender. Next, Add in the diced carrots and mushrooms and season with a little salt and pepper.

Pour in the Chicken Broth on top of the veggies. *Note: The carrots and mushrooms do not need to be tender, they will cook in the broth and soak up that delicious flavor!

Add in rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and then bring soup to a boil. Once boiling bring heat back down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

If the chicken is cooked already then after the 20 minutes are up you can toss in the chicken and the “uncooked” noodles. If chicken is not cooked, just saute diced chicken breast in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Simmer soup for another 15-20 minutes until noodles are tender. Throw in greens at the last minute and let them soak in the flavor for another 3-5 minutes. Then serve!

It’s February and if you’re like me, winter blues can be a bit overwhelming this time of year. The excitement of that first snowfall back in December is lost in February compared with the intense desire for sunshine and warmer temperatures. Just remember, Homemade Chicken Noodle is soup for the soul. Make a pot of this soup, smile and soak in its warmth and soon.. the sunshine will find you.

love,

tricia

NMCs Festival of Foods: Traverse City, MI

Written by Tricia on February 11, 2013. Posted in Community, Cooking Classes, Events.

Once on campus at Northwest Michigan College, a winding wooded path led me to the Oleson Center. It was there, tucked away in the snow covered trees, that I attended NMC’s Fifth Annual Festival of Foods. Last week prior to the event, I posted here about my conversations with Julie Doyal who plans the Festival of Foods on behalf of NMC’s Extended Education Program. She was absolutely right, when she spoke of the vibrant personalities she chose to lead the individual sessions. I found myself laughing out loud at the jokes and insightful witty comments the chefs would make, while totally enthralled in their demonstrations and engaging conversation.

Each session I attended was completely different than the one prior, but the common thread was a passionate friendly chef leading the demonstration and the variety of helpful tips & tricks I learned along the way. There is no way I could transpose all the details; the smells, tastes and incredible inviting atmosphere of the Festival of Foods, because experiencing it yourself is the only way you’ll truly understand. However, I kept track of the numerous CHEFS TIPS that were shared throughout the four sessions I attended and now I’d like to share them with you.

Session 1: ‘Breakfast on the Farm’ with Jonathan Dayton & Stephanie Wiitala

These two demonstrators are both from The Inn at Black Star Farms. Jon is the Executive Chef and Stephanie is a Pastry Chef, with her own “bun in the oven” as she put it. Their chemistry in life and in the kitchen is both obvious and entirely endearing. As the Inn is a year-round bed & breakfast, these two were the perfect pair to lead my first morning session.

Tips:

-Nothing compares to a Farm Fresh Egg! (SO true)

-How can you tell the difference between an old & new egg?

An old egg will float in water, while a newer egg will sink.

-Take all your ingredients out before you start to cook, that way you have everything at your fingertips while you’re preparing the ingredients and you know you’re not missing any important components.

Stephanie’s Easy & “Forgivable” Quiche Dough:

4 c flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 lb butter chopped into fine bits, 1 egg, 3/4 cream

Combine & roll out to desired thickness

Session 2: ‘The Secret of Fresh Salsa’ with Fresia Granados

Fresia is a fiery passionate chef from Costa Rica who studied at NMC and fell in love with Northern Michigan. She works as a personal chef and its evident that she excels in all avenues of cooking in addition to holding a deep appreciation for fresh flavorful ingredients.

Tips:

-the acids in lime juice are better than lemon juice, so let your diced tomatoes “marinate” in a fresh-squeezed lime juice

-adding a sweet component like plantains or pineapple will really add depth to your salsa

-How do you keep cilantro fresh in the refrigerator?

wash the cilantro and divide a “bunch” into three separate sections, wrap each section in paper towel and put into an air tight plastic bag. The cilantro should stay just as fresh as the day you bought it, for a little over a week.

-after combining all your ingredients you’ll have juice pooling at the bottom of the bowl, strain your salsa and pour this strained juice into a container. Then, use it to make the most fresh and delicious Bloody Mary you’ll ever have.

Session 3: ‘Vegetarian Tarts’ with Cheryl Janz

Cheryl is new to Traverse City, but she and I have already connected because of her delicious baked goods she sells at local area Farmers Markets. She teaches quite a few culinary classes through the NMC Extended Education program and actually has one coming up shortly on February 20th about Gluten Free Cooking. This will be a fabulous resource for those who may be interested in making the Gluten-free change in their diet, or simply learning more.

Tips:

-If you eat something that is too spicy for you, drinking a glass of milk (any dairy) will eliminate the spice

-The same rule applies with making a balanced dish, if you have eggplant with a lot of spice, pair it with a ricotta cheese filling to balance the flavors

-How do you pick the perfect eggplant?

Find one that is both firm and a similar size throughout, rather than skinny up top and wide on the bottom.

Session 4: ‘Cooking without a Recipe’ with Eric Patterson & Jen Blakeslee

Eric and Jen are co-owners of The Cook’s House in Traverse City, a restaurant praised throughout the region with an incredible commitment to fresh & local ingredients. They’ve also co-authored their own cookbook called Cook’s House: The Art & Soul of Sustainable Cuisine. The two chef’s are obviously an incredible pair in the kitchen and our session, the last of the afternoon, was full of laughs and a trio of incredible eats.

Tips:

-The most important ingredient in the kitchen is salt, the second is an onion

-Learn to cook without a recipe by picking up random produce and forcing yourself to use those ingredients in a dish

-Make every ingredient justify itself, don’t just add it, the ingredient needs to make the dish better

-“Mouthfeel” is crucial in every dish; the contrast between sweet & spicy, hot & cold, crunchy & soft adds depth and balance to the dish

-Should I grill a fish with the skin on or off?

Generally, with a round fish you should keep the skin on and with a flat fish you shouldn’t eat the skin.

Within an hour, the chefs prepared this delicious collection of dishes and endless helpful tips about cooking without a recipe

Parsnip Soup with Fromage Blanc

Whitefish with a Radish Garnish and Seared Romaine

Grand Mariner Parfait with Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Seed Brittle and a Vanilla Bean Foam

I truly enjoyed this past Saturday I spent at the Festival of Foods. The sessions were informative and fun, and the food… incredible.

I’ve already found myself remembering the tips I learned as I’m cooking something new, and I hope they’ll be helpful for you too.

Do you have any quick kitchen tips? Please share!

Thank you chefs, Julie Doyal & Northern Michigan College, you made this event one to remember!

love,

tricia

Traverse City on Dwellable

A “Pear” of Winter Salads

Written by Tricia on February 7, 2013. Posted in Food, Grow, Hoophouses, Recipes.

Winter is infamous for warm soups, hearty meat & potatoes and any kind of meal that sticks to your bones. Those dishes are certainly welcomed and savored on these seasonally cold days, but this is a reminder (to myself and to you!) never forget your greens! As snow piles up in many regions across the world, a majority of us inherently become less active. Of course there are people that provide an exception to this idea, but if you’re honest warm weather pulls you out the door, while colder weather keeps you curled up by the fire.

(a season-extending hoophouse at Birch Point Farm)

Local greens, at least in Michigan, are harder to come by in the winter for obvious reasons, but as the infrastructure for winter growing develops in our region we’re likely to see an increase in the availability of hearty greens throughout the colder months. In the past few years the number of hoophouses and greenhouses in Northwest Michigan has increased dramatically. This is in large part due to programs like the Hoophouses for Health Loan Program made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and administered by Michigan State University and The Michigan Farmers Market Association.

Programs like this reduce the upfront cost for the Farmer and thereby increase availability for fresh local produce to our communities. If you’re unfamiliar with hoophouses, let me explain it here briefly. A hoophouse, like a greenhouse, is a method of extending the growing season; however a hoophouse is typically shaped like a semi-circular tunnel and wrapped with polyethylene (common plastic). The hoophouse traps warmth from the sun and soil allowing hearty greens (think: kale, collards, mustard greens, swiss chard, etc. ) to grow well into the cold depths of winter.

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Some of my favorite salads are filled with hearty greens & root veggies, the harvest of a Michigan Winter. I thought I’d share with you a few of my go-to salad combinations and a couple delicious homemade vinaigrettes to keep you thinking “greens” even in the heart of winter.

Kale Salad with Sliced Pears, Gorgonzola, Pistachios & Dried Cranberries:

1 bunch Kale

1/2 medium red onion, diced

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup roasted pistachios

1 ripe pear, sliced

Gorgonzola cheese

Homemade Honey Cumin Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 olive oil

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp garlic salt

2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 tsp honey

Carrot & Beet Salad with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds & Garbanzo Beans:

3 medium-sized beets, peeled and cut into 1/2″ wedges

3 medium-sized carrots, quartered length-wise

1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup cooked, drained garbanzo beans

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 bunch lettuce greens

Melt butter and olive oil in a covered skillet over medium heat and add beets, stirring occasionally. After ten minutes, add carrots and cook until tender (about 6 minutes). Add honey and white wine vinegar, until tender and lightly glazed, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl to cool.

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Homemade Tahini Citrus Vinaigrette:

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp tahini

whisk together in skillet over low heat, toss greens and garbanzo beans lightly.

top with beets, carrots, and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

Winter Salads help to keep those of us chilly-weathered homebodies weighing lighter on the scale, but their nutrients also increase energy and help us from feeling lethargic. We can look forward to the days of bountiful winter produce in Michigan with season-extending infrastructure like hoophouses and greenhouses. Personally I’m grateful for the ingenuity of our local farmers and organizations who’ve made it their mission to increase winter vegetable production and support farmers in need. Without them, our available local produce from December-March would equate to nothing more than seedlings under snowdrifts.

Go Green(s)!

love,

tricia

Interested in Cooking Classes?

Written by Tricia on February 1, 2013. Posted in Community, Cooking Classes, Events.

There’s only about a week left before the Festival of Foods, an event led by Northwest Michigan College in Traverse City. It’s a day of “demonstrations & food discovery” where NMC’s Culinary School, local area chefs, artisans & business owners host workshops to engage, educate and instruct interested foodies. The day is organized in such a way that you can design your own Festival of Foods experience. With 16 seminars available, you get to choose four that are the most interesting to you. This year’s workshops range from knife skills & kitchen gadgets to cooking without a recipe or making your own fresh pasta. All sessions are demonstration-based immersing participants in the subject at hand and involving all of your senses. The sessions can be as small as 10 people and as large as 40 depending on the size of the space & interest in the specific session. I spoke with Julie Doyal, who organizes the event to find out more about how the Festival began and what goes into planning each individual workshop.

Next Saturday February 9th, will be the Festival of Food’s 5th Annual event. NMC’s Culinary Program used to be housed in the Oleson Center, where the the festival takes place and after they moved to the Hagerty Center six years ago that space was renovated for the Extended Education Classes. Festival of Foods is an event that provides culinary instruction and resources itself, but is also a way to introduce participants to the type of learning offered in the year-round Extended Education Culinary Class. The difference is that Festival of Foods is demonstration based where as the year-round culinary classes are hands on 3 hour sessions limited to a group of 16 people. The Festival of Foods event allows participants to get a taste of the sessions, sampling four of the 16 workshops for just $69. The full day (10 AM – 3 PM) involves 4 hours of demonstration workshops and endless opportunities for mingling with other foodies. Julie says its the personal touch, the relationships built during that day that make the event so great. While you’re engaging in sessions with skilled teachers your also getting to hear the story of the person behind the food. Julie looks for session leaders that certainly have a passion for food, but that also have an engaging personality and a excitement for what they cook and eat.

The hardest part, Julie says, is that people love the event so much, she has to top it year after year! She keeps things interesting by offering different sessions, and the public response continues to be both positive and supportive. Pre-registrations for the event were well received this year and there is only one week left to register! I for one will be attending the Festival of Foods and I’m simply giddy to learn more about the sessions I chose. Of course I’ll spill the details of my experience and share it with you all after the event, but if you want to enjoy it first hand sign up here to attend!

Never stop learning!

love,

tricia

Month: February 2013

Carrot and Roasted Garlic Hummus

The Great Lakes Children’s Museum: Traverse City, MI

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

NMCs Festival of Foods: Traverse City, MI

A “Pear” of Winter Salads

Interested in Cooking Classes?

Growth by the Season