Community – Page 3 – Growth By the Season

The Fourth Annual Edible Art Show: Traverse City, MI

Written by Tricia on March 18, 2013. Posted in Community, Events, Farmers Markets.

The Farmers Market at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is more than just a place to pick up your week’s worth of groceries. Its a community gathering place; an event, more than simply a grab and go shopping experience. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I manage the Farmer Market operations at The Village which includes marketing and developing events throughout the course of the year. The local community has supported our market for over four years now and in the hope to give back to that community, we host a monthly “Give-Back Market Date.”

Fondant Flowers by Old Hundredth Farm

The “Give Back Market Date” is held on the Second Saturday of each month and this month’s “Give Back” event was the Annual Edible Art Show, benefiting the Father Fred Foundation. Saturday, March 9th was the fourth annual Edible Art Show and the Edible Entries were some of the best to date.

The Father Fred Foundation is a local organization whose mission is to “listen to the community needs, care for the distressed, the poor, the hungry and the suffering, and share resources in a loving and respectful manner.”

The Foundation and its local food pantry accepts no state or federal funding, but instead relies entirely on the care and generosity of our local community. The Edible Art Show at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons Farmers Market is an annual event that raises money for this incredible organization and the members of our local community in need.

The Edible Art Masterpieces are created by our Farmers Market Vendors and the “Village People,” a name that refers to the residents and merchants that make up the Village Community. Members of the public in attendance are the official judges, and money is raised by The Father Fred Foundation through ticket sales. Tickets are placed in the respective bag for your favorite Edible Art Entry. You can vote as many times as you like, purchasing as many tickets as you’d like and the winners are determined by the highest number of ticket votes collected.

Paul Murray with his edible wheatgrass hat

This year we raised over $280 dollars for the Father Fred Foundation through the efforts of the Edible Art Show. None of it would be possible without the generous support of our public judges and the creative efforts of the “Edible” Artists.

Winners in each category of the Edible Art Show received a beautiful trophy, this year the “Golden Pear.” The Golden Pear trophies were made of a piece of brick from the “Traverse City State Hospital” built in 1885, the site which is now known as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

The Winners of each Category were:

Best in Show- Diana Jelenek from Spring Hollow Farm with the “Chick-a-Saurus”

Best Farm Vendor– Kim Norton from Confections by Kim with “Keeping us Safe”

Best Village Merchant– Michigan Farm Market with “The Green Tractor”

Best Village Resident– Kristen Messner with “Haiku”

I’m so grateful to have received such incredible edible entries, and for the support of our local community coming together to raise funds for this great cause. The Edible Art show is always the second Saturday in March so if you’ve never been, mark your calendars for next year!

“The Fruit Mouse” by Boss Mouse Cheese and

“Pleasanton Loafers” made from loaves of Pleasanton bread by Fred Lortet

Stephanie Wiitala and Family from Black Star Farms, created this

creative collection of friendly edible creatures!

I put together an edible art piece of my own, and called it “1,2,3…Zucchini!”

With two Zucchinis, some toothpicks and a half of a tomato, the zucchini camera was born! I was far from being a “winner”, in terms of votes, but it was an absolute blast to create and I’ll certainly be dreaming up something new for next year’s Art Show.

Thank you to all the Artists and our Public Judges, every edible entry was unique and creative, and your efforts were absolutely appreciated! The Edible Art show is always one of my favorite events at our Indoor Farmers Market and I’m looking forward to celebrating next year’s Fifth Annual event with another successful fundraiser and many more edible masterpieces on display. Remember…

You ART what you EAT

love,

tricia

Traverse City on Dwellable

Farm Fête 2013: Suttons Bay, MI

Written by Tricia on March 4, 2013. Posted in Community, Events, Food.

I’ve been a part of the Farm Fête Gala Committee for the past few months; planning, organizing and collecting auction items to raise money for the Great Lakes Children’s Museum in Traverse City. The fundraising event is held annually with a different theme to each Gala and this year, the local farm-to-table emphasis caught my eye. I was able to connect with the Museum and meet a new group of passionate individuals who support and make this incredible facility possible, all for the children of our community.

The day of the event, as everything came together, I was able to support the Museum in my own way by offering to be the Gala’s roaming photographer and capture the night, the setting, and the incredible people who made it all possible.

There were numerous silent auction packages, each carefully selected by the Gala planning committee and donated by generous members of the community. By numerous, I mean at least 5 long banquet tables piled high with anything from books and dresses for toddlers, to CSA shares, composting services and SUP paddle board rentals.

After mingling, with delicious Black Star Farms wines and hors d’oeuvres like fresh radishes stuffed with herbed cream cheese, the sold out gala of about 140 people made their way to the dinning room for dinner and live auctions. Guests were able to continue and monitor their must-have silent auction items in the other room, but as soon as dinner was served very few people chose to leave their seat.

The evening’s menu was developed by Chefs Jonathan Dayton and Stephanie Wiitala with local and seasonal produce in mind. The chefs gather greens from farmers in the area like Nic Welty, owner of 9 bean rows, whose produce storage facilities are housed right onsite at Black Star Farms. The Inn, which regularly serves an incredible morning breakfast, can also pick farm fresh eggs from the Black Star Farms’ chickens just outside in the barns.

As a gal who regularly eats with my eyes before taking my first bite I snapped a picture of the delectable fare served throughout the course of the evening, so “dig in” as you scroll thru!

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

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

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

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

As the courses kept coming, Executive Director, John Noonan and Board President, Ellen Fred stepped up to the podium to address the Gala attendees. Ellen began the live bidding for the night by raising funds for the +Plus Membership that I spoke of in my previous post. Bidding began with the announcement that a $3,000 match was pledged by many of the generous former board members of the museum before the Gala began that night. As I mentioned before, the +Plus Membership ranked high in importance for me that night and I, along with many others, was incredibly awestruck and encouraged when nearly $4,000 was raised immediately for the Membership Program in addition to the match of $3,000. Ultimately, over $6,900 was raised for Museum scholarships to those of our community in need.

At the end of the night, after a series of incredible Live Auction packages were auctioned off and the numerous silent auction items were given to the highest bidder, the Gala raised over $35,000 for the Great Lakes Children’s Museum!

The event was fantastic; both successful in raising funds for the Museum and in gathering passionate, generous members of the community around the table to share a delicious farm fresh meal. I spent the night savoring the flavors of the feast made by the talented staff at Black Star Farms and roaming around with my camera in hand snapping photos of the smiling faces all around me. You can check out the selection of photos from the night here, and for those who attended the event you may notice some familiar faces pictured in the upcoming issue of Bay LIFE North Magazine.

Cheese!

love,

tricia

Suttons Bay on Dwellable

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

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

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

2013 Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference: Grayling, MI

Written by Tricia on January 28, 2013. Posted in Community, Events, Farm, Grow.

This past Saturday was the 14th Annual Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference. A gathering with the mission to build and foster a local vibrant agricultural community. The conference is an educational forum with the opportunity for sharing ideas, developing a local network, and empowering participants with the tools necessary to be successful. The day includes a series of educational sessions and speaking seminars, with a well-balanced lunch allowing for the chance to stretch your legs, recharge, or casually build relationships with 1 or more of the 800 attendees.

I was involved in the conference not as an attendee this year, but rather in the kitchen with Michael Everts of Blackbird Gardens and his team of farmers, foodies, & friends. We spent the morning baking apple crisps, muffins & scones. We layered lasagnas, chopped produce for salads and roasted squash in the oven. Blackbird Gardens’s catering company Real Food Dream Kitchen, sourced fresh local produce, breads & ciders in the heart of winter. With Saturday’s dream team, we prepped, cooked, and fed about 800 conference goers. The people I had the pleasure of working with were great. We were a “well-oiled machine” of a team, with most of us never having worked together in the past. The synergy was incredible; people helping people, “Farmers Feeding Farmers.”

The Menu:

Mike Everts and Real Food Dream Kitchen have been catering The Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference for several years now. What better way to celebrate Northern Michigan Agriculture and the people whose hard work make it available to us, than a fresh and local culinary display of the very produce we’re celebrating. This alone makes it a tribute of the heart, but to have access to this type of bounty in January, makes it a grateful tribute of ingenuity & excellence as well.

After smelling the aromas all day and working hard in and out of the kitchen to serve the 800 attendees we sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labor as a team. Congratulating one another on a swift, problem-free and more than enjoyable afternoon of Real Food catering.

Thank you to all those who made the Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference possible as well as the food community that supports and attends it. Here in Northern Michigan, we have an access to fresh local produce that is invaluable. I love knowing, meeting, and working with the people that make it all possible.

No Farms, No Food.

love,

tricia

The Village Indoor Farmers Market: Traverse City, MI

Written by Tricia on January 15, 2013. Posted in Community, Farmers Markets.

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Farmers Markets are one of my favorite community gatherings. You might say I’ve got a resume to prove it and its true. I love what I do and I love being involved in Traverse City’s community markets.

I help to manage the Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market as well as the year-round Farmers Market at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. The later as I mentioned is a year-round market. In the summer it takes place outside on the Piazza, an ample open green space on the beautiful campus, perfect for the event.

During the cold months, it’s held within the walls of the Mercato, the marketplace of retail shops, cafes, galleries & boutiques at The Village.

Now its important for me to preface the unique location of the Village market for those of you who aren’t familiar with Traverse City, so I’ll make it short and sweet. The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is one of the largest Historic Redevelopment projects in the country. The Campus was formerly known as the Northern Michigan Asylum or Traverse City State Hospital built in 1885.

After 100 years in operation, the hospital was left empty to decay and with threats to demolish these beautiful historic buildings, a group was formed to save the State Hospital. My boss, Ray Minervini became a part of that group, later sharing his vision of redeveloping the campus into a mixed-use community called The Village, open to the public and thriving with renewed life. Today, 10 years later and with many years to come, The Village Farmers Market adds a heavy dose of healthy well-being and social interaction to this vibrant community.

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From fresh local produce, honey, and maple syrup to homemade salsas, tamales, pasties, and delicious baked goods; the Village Farmers Market fills the hallways with about 45 vendors every Saturday.

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The Market is lively, friendly and simply an enjoyable place to spend your Saturday morning. With a cup of coffee in hand and the weekly update from friends throughout the hallway you can pick up greens for your salads, pastas or smoothies as well as bread & croissants baked fresh that morning. Root Vegetables line the hallways as do coolers stocked with fresh meats, cheeses, butter and milk.

The most unique element is that all of this exists inside a century old building with an existing stable marketplace of retail merchants, galleries, boutiques, wineries, a cafe and an incredible Italian restaurant. You can wander in and out of the shops as you gather produce and other treats in the hallway all the while enjoying the company of our community gathering together.

Saturday at The Village Market is an incredible event that is great to watch on camera (see below) but even better experienced first hand.

-Watch this feature on Up North Media to hear me share details on the market’s beginnings and our upcoming special events!

-View the thriving market in action on 9 & 10 featuring Sandee Ware from Ware Farm!

Where is your favorite place to get fresh produce this time of year?

love,

tricia

Traverse City on Dwellable

HoliDazed

Written by Tricia on January 9, 2013. Posted in Community, Friends & Family.

I’m feeling this feeling I’m sure a lot of you are feeling. I like to call it HoliDazed. Symptoms are said to consist of bloated innertube-like belly regions in addition to a sick addiction to and at the same time disgust for homemade cookies and fudge. You could probably sleep for a few days straight if given the chance and your likely wondering whether your liver could even handle another glass of red wine. Perhaps your considering at this very moment to drink a few gallons of water because your body seems to be soaking it up like a sponge. One things for sure, I am without a doubt, 100% HoliDazed. Whats the cure you ask? Feed your eyes with these delicious meals and sweets I shared in fabulous company over the past few weeks, eat a fresh and tasty salad with a refreshing glass of water and get back into a routine of movement. Whether it be stepping outside for a brisk walk, signing up for a weekly yoga class, or using the gym membership you’ve neglected for the past two weeks. Its a new year, the Holidays have come and gone and your own HoliDaze should wear off shortly.

Christmas Dinner with Friends- Butternut Squash Lasagna, Balsamic Roasted Beets with Pistachios & Pomegranate Seeds, Chocolate & Coconut Cake

Mushrooms & Homemade Meatballs in a Sweet and Sour Sauce

A Sweet Treat from Friends, Rich Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Coconut Frosting

Christmas Eve Dinner with Family- Braised Turkey, Stuffing, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Mashed Potatoes, and Cranberry Sauce

Stuffed Mushrooms with Peppers and Chorizo

Beet Greens, Pomegranate Seeds and Pistachios awaiting the Balsamic Roasted Beets

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups with Bite-sized Pretzels

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

New Years Appetizers with Friends- Sweet Chili Shrimp

get movin’ and get cookin’

love,

tricia

Edible Holiday Gifts 2012

Written by Tricia on December 20, 2012. Posted in Community, Food, Friends & Family, Recipes.

With the holidays just around the corner I’ve put together a list of incredible holiday gifts made in the kitchen, all from some of my favorite inspiring food bloggers. If there is a friend you still need a gift for, or a father you can’t quite decide what to give, then these ideas are for you. Spend just one day in the kitchen this weekend and all your gift dilemmas will be solved.

1. Bake Cookies. These Dark Chocolate Pistachio & Sea Salt Cookies are incredible. Whether you fill up a thrifted cookie jar and gift these to grandma, or wrap them up in plastic bags and ribbon, these cookies will delight you. Joy from Joy the Baker, is hilarious, straight-forward and real, not-to-mention she bakes dreams.

2. Simple Jarred Granola. Granola is easy and customize-able for any and all. Add dried fruit, chocolate chips, coconut, anything your loved one would delight in for a healthy breakfast or snack. Sarah from My New Roots is truly a master of healthy living and eating. She can make your mouth water all the while convincing you to make healthy eating choices, its a win win.

3. Apple Cider Caramels (and/or the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook!). Deb from Smitten Kitchen just released a cookbook at the end of October that is absolutely incredible. With over 100 original recipes including these to die for Apple Cider Caramels. Whether you pair the caramels with the cookbook, which placed #2 on the New York Times bestseller list by the way, or simply share the caramels themselves, those receiving this gift will melt with joy.

4. Gingerbread Pancake Mix. Another fabulous edible gift idea is to take a recipe like these Holiday themed Gingerbread Pancakes from Ali at Gimme Some Oven, and create an easy to use “mix” out of the dry ingredients. You don’t want to include things like milk, butter, or eggs that are perishable, but gifting a loved one the bulk of the ingredients and the recipe to try on their own is like giving two gifts at once! The gift of cooking AND the gift of pancakes!

5. Homemade Vinaigrette. Salads are healthy and a great staple for mealtime, but after awhile may seem boring and bland. With this delicious homemade vinaigrette you can help your loved one enjoy eating healthy. If you include the recipe you’ll also save them the money spent on expensive dressings from the supermarket! This tried and true vinaigrette is simple to make and always adds the perfect burst of flavor to your greens.

I wish you all an incredible holiday ahead, and a homemade holiday at that. With a peak at these fabulous food bloggers and their holiday treats I hope to leave you inspired and itching for some time in the kitchen.

Blessings to you and yours.

love,

tricia

Category: Community

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HoliDazed

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Growth by the Season