Sip & Savor | Summer 2022 by Rosebud Media

Summer 2022

Sip & Savor ▪ Winter 2020

| Friday, June 17, 2022

Su m m e r 2 0 2 2

Jackson and Josephine Counties’ Guide to Wining and Dining!

ADVERTISING INDEX BricktownE Brewing Company ..................24

Medford Food Co-Op ................................10

Cartwright’s Market.....................................5

Noonie’s Noodles ........................................5

Crackin & Stackin......................................17 DANCIN Vineyards ......................................3 HRL Brewery & Pubbery...........................19

S TA F F CEO & Publisher: Steven Saslow

Point Pub and Grill....................................15 Rogue Grape .............................................14

Hula Grill ...................................................21

Tap & Vine at 559......................................28

Jefferson Spirits........................................12

Wayback Burgers ........................................8

Design & Production: Paul Bunch, Terrie Rogers, Kodi-Ann Yepp Advertising Sales Manager: Leann Carlson

ON THE COVER

Sip & Savor is published quarterly by the Mail Tribune Advertising Department 111 N Fir St., Medford, OR 97501 General Information: (541) 776-4422

DANCIN Vineyards The DANCIN tasting room, situated in the vineyard and surrounded by tall pines and cedars with views of Mt McLoughlin, Table Rocks and the city lights.

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ONLINE GIFT CERTIFICATE SALE 5 DAYS ONLY! Monday, June 20 through Friday, June 24 On Monday, June 20, go to SOGiftCards.com and find gift certificates from dozens of local restaurants, wineries, and local businesses for 10% off face value. On Tuesday, they will be 20% off, and so on until the final day of the sale on Friday, June 24, when all remaining gift certificates will be 50% off. Buy as many as you like, but don’t wait too long - the certificate to your favorite local business may be gone!

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| Friday, June 17, 2022 |

Babette’s Feast Still Glorious After 35 Years When Babette wins the French lottery, she is determined to serve a gourmet French feast. (Dreamstime/TNS)

The story is simple, and I remembered much of it: Two aging, unmarried sisters live on the desolate coast of northhe first time I watched ern Denmark in the late 1800s. Babette’s Feast, I was a Though they have little money, movie critic. The second they hire a younger French time I watched, I was a food writer. woman, Babette, who is fleeing It’s amazing what a difference the terrors of the Franco-Prussian a new job title and 35 years can War. Daughters of the founder of make. The first time I saw the film, a severe, Puritan-like sect, they my focus was entirely on the qualspend their lives helping others. ity of the filmmaking, which was Babette responds to their kindextraordinary. When I saw it again ness with a quiet gratitude. And recently, I was all about the food. when she wins the French lottery, I still appreciated the filmmakshe determines to serve them and ing, though. You can take the boy the remaining members of the sect out of the movie critic’s job, but a gourmet French feast. It’s the you can never quite take the movie culinary opposite of the unpalatcritic out of the boy. able gruel and ale-and-bread soup Gabriel Axel’s brilliant, Acadthat make up their daily diet. emy Award-winning 1987 film is The first Danish film to win a based on the short story by Isak best foreign-language Oscar, it Dinesen (herself the topic of the came out during a glorious period Oscar-winning 1985 film Out of of food-related movies. Made Africa). Turner Classic Movies around the same time as Tamshowed it during their month of popo and Eat Drink Man Woman, Academy Award-winning films Babette’s Feast remains my that led up to the Oscar ceremony. favorite of all the food movies, I taped it at the time to enjoy later. though Mostly Martha gives it a Daniel Neman St. Louis Post-Dispatch (TNS)

run for its money. It isn’t just that the acting is so strong, the cinematography so evocative, the story so sensitive. It’s the food. The food is exquisite. The final act is devoted to the preparation and especially the consumption of the feast. The first course is a turtle soup, served with a particularly fine amontillado sherry. It is followed by blinis demidoff, buckwheat pancakes loaded down with sour cream and a decadent amount of caviar, paired with vintage champagne. Next up is the star of the meal: tiny quail stuffed with foie gras and two slices of black truffle, cooked in (and partly out of) a puff pastry shell and served with a clear brown sauce. When I saw the film in the theater and that course was served, the audience let out an audible sigh. The remaining three courses, which are less spectacular, are shown relatively quickly. An endive salad is served and quickly eaten — it’s just endive, after all. Dessert is a rum cake with candied

fruits (maybe they wanted something less rich after the other courses), followed by a course of cheese and fruit, and a final serving of coffee and cognac. The point of the film is that the feast is a gift of love, and it transforms all who partake in it. The elderly members of the sect learn to stop their petty bickering and, perhaps more importantly, they come to realize that pleasure is not to be feared. The sisters learn that men from their past kept love for them in their hearts. And Babette understands how important it is for an artist, in this case a chef, to express herself through her art. Put in another, more pedestrian way, the movie says that food is love. The film is a love letter from the past, reaching out from 35 years ago to wrap us in its warm, enveloping glow. If you get the chance, see it. See it again. Come for the filmmaking, but stay for the food. ©2022 STLtoday.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Friday, June 17, 2022 |

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| Friday, June 17, 2022

When life hands you lemons make lemony lamb chops or a lemon tart, or... Daniel Neman St. Louis Post-Dispatch (TNS)

Lemon Lamb Chops

emons get a bad rap. When we buy a car that doesn’t run, we call it a lemon. When life gives you lemons, we say you should make lemonade, as if lemons were something merely to be endured. It’s not fair. Lemons are bright and sunshiny, brisk and invigorating. They add a delicious splash of life to food, they sprinkle it with the essence of spring. I say, when life gives you lemons, you should celebrate. Yay, lemons! It’s time we elevate the humble lemon to the pantheon of culinary flavors. And so I decided to cook two dishes that take full advantage of this most versatile of citrus fruits. How many other ingredients are equally at home inside a pie as well as saddling up to a piece of grilled meat? I next decided to take advantage of a classic combination of flavors that is often overlooked: lamb with lemon. The tang of the lemon plays a soaring counterpoint to what many people (not me) think of as the gaminess of lamb. I used tender and flavorful lamb chops, and created a marinade of things that go particularly well with lamb

Yield: 3 to 4 servings INGREDIENTS 2 pounds lamb chops

½ cup lemon juice

LEMON LAMB CHOPS (HILLARY LEVIN/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS)

— olive oil, garlic, shallots, Dijon mustard, thyme (or rosemary) and lemon juice, plus salt and pepper. I covered the meat with the marinade for one hour before cooking it. Usually, I grill my lamb, but not everyone has a grill. So I decided to cook mine on the stove. You don’t get any of the flavor of the fire that way, which is especially desirable with lamb, but you do get more caramelization across the surface of the meat as a trade-off. It was quicker and easier than using the grill, and the results were marvelous. The lemon was a high note singing clearly and steadily over the earthbound meatiness of the lamb. For dessert, I had thought to make lemon meringue pie, but I decided that was too commonplace. So I made a lemon Shaker tart.

Reputedly based on a recipe from the Shakers, this tart uses every part of the lemon, skin and all, minus the seeds. I made cookbook author Alison Roman’s recipe, which uses a simple shortbread crust. It’s ridiculously delicious, a buttery, crisp base for the lemon custard to go on top. The custard is also easy, but it requires some waiting time. You slice a lemon very thin, removing any seeds, and let the slices sit in a mixture of lemon juice and sugar for at least one hour and up to a full day. Then you mix in a lot of egg yolks and whole eggs, along with a bit of flour and a dash of salt, and bake it until you can’t stand how good your house smells. The tart is an absolute delight, and it is not too sweet as many lemon desserts can be. Maybe that’s why it’s called a tart.

1 garlic clove 1 tablespoon roughly chopped shallot 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon fresh thyme or rosemary leaves ¼ cup olive oil • salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons oil (not olive oil) if cooking on stove

DIRECTIONS 1. Place lamb chops in a flat dish. Put lemon juice, garlic, shallots, mustard, thyme or rosemary, olive oil,salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour marinade over both sides of lamb and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, turning once or twice. 2. Set up grill for direct heat or place a large, heavy skillet over high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Cook meat, turning once or twice, until desired doneness (about 5 minutes total for medium rare for ¾-inch chops). Per serving (based on 4): 413 calories; 25 g fat; 5 g saturated fat; 150 mg cholesterol; 48 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; 5 g sugar; 2 g fiber; 217 mg sodium; 28 mg calcium Recipe by Daniel Neman

Friday, June 17, 2022 |

Lemon Shaker Tart Yield: 8 servings INGREDIENTS For the crust 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ⅔ cup powdered sugar 1 ½ teaspoons salt 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) melted unsalted butter For the filling 1 regular or Meyer lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed (see notes)

¾ 3 2

¼ ¼

cup granulated sugar cup Meyer lemon juice or regular lemon juice large egg yolks large eggs cup all-purpose flour teaspoon salt

Notes: Use a sharp or serrated knife to cut the lemons; do not use a mandoline. Crust can be baked 2 days ahead, tart can be baked 1 day ahead. DIRECTIONS 1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix until it’s well combined (it will have a sort of Play-Doh-type texture). Press this into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan or 9-inch springform pan. Use a measuring cup to flatten it and make sure it’s all even. 3. Bake the tart shell until it’s a pale golden brown on the edges and baked through on the bottom (it will lose that greasy shine), about 20 minutes. 4. Make the filling: Toss the lemon slices, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Let this sit out at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours to soften the peels. 5. Whisk the egg yolks, eggs, flour and salt in a medium bowl, making sure zero lumps remain (if there are stubborn bits of flour, then strain the mixture; otherwise they’ll float to the top and won’t disappear when baked), and add the mixture to the bowl with the lemon slices. Toss everything to combine, then transfer to the crust. 6. Bake the tart until the edges are set and the center just barely jiggles, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing. Per serving: 327 calories; 21 g fat; 12 g saturated fat; 162 mg cholesterol; 6 g protein; 58 g carbohydrate; 36 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 533 mg sodium; 28 mg calcium Adapted from Dining In by Alison Roman

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Friday, June 17, 2022 |

Ace of Taste shows the savory side of

celebrity chef Duff Goldman restaurant I went to, the chef was like, “Look, I’m not gonna hire you to cook. You don’t know how to cook yet. But I’ll teach you how to bake e’s the Ace of Cakes cornbread and biscuits.” And I was and Buddy Valastro’s like, OK, whatever I can do to get my worst nightmare on foot in the door, and I just loved it. Buddy vs. Duff. Q. That was Cindy Wolf, right? But Food Network’s new daytime A. Yeah. She has a bunch of restauseries, Duff: Ace of Taste, which rants now. She’s like the godmother premiered on Sunday, April 24, reveals another side of celebrity chef of Baltimore cooking. She is amazing. Q. And you worked at some other Duff Goldman who’s best known for spectacular fine dining restaurants, his baking. Now he’s expanding his horizons to share savory recipes too, like the French Laundry and Olives. drawing on all his culinary skills as a What did you learn there that you classically trained chef and graduate might bring to this show? A. You just learn how to do things of the Culinary Institute of America right. I find that when people cook, in Napa Valley. they tend to try to save a little time Before becoming a stellar pastry here and there. “Oh, that doesn’t entrepreneur who built two busiseem like that’s that important to nesses, Charm City Cakes bakery me, I think I’ll skip that.” But I think in Baltimore and Los Angeles, and when you do things right, they’re the DIY treats store Duff’s Cakemix with shops in Southern California, he not only gonna turn out better, it’s usually faster. worked in fine dining rooms such as Q. So, will these recipes be geared French Laundry and Olives. For this to the average home cook? show he’s keeping it down to earth A. 100 percent! I’m not like a with recipes drawn from his real life as a dad, husband and part-time rock super fancy kind of guy. I make really good chili. I make really musician who plays bass in a band good burgers. I’m not making with some of his chef buddies. steak au poivre or Beef Wellington, Episodes include shots from his or stuff like that. You know what I home kitchen in Topanga Canyon mean? I’m kind of a redneck. and he’ll make dishes for his band’s Q. So the recipes are all practice session, his young daughapproachable? ter Josephine’s first tea party, a A. I want people to see that really school bake sale and more. Get good cooking isn’t as difficult as ready for sliders, chili, cornbread, mini quiches and other goodies. We they think. I do some real cooking and I think that when I break it spoke to Goldman about why he’s welcoming viewers into his home to down and demystify it, it’s really not that hard to make. I want people film his new show. to feel inspired, like, “Wow, I could Q. Everyone thinks of Chef Duff as the Ace of Cakes, but I remember totally do that.” Q. Can you tell us about some of you telling me about the meat cake the recipes? you made for your wedding. Savory A. These are all recipes that has always been a part of your skill people can do at home. The Texas set, right? Chili is really good and I think A. Yeah. I started out wanting to there’s seven ingredients, it’s easy. be a chef and the first fine dining Anne Valdespino The Orange County Register (TNS)

You don’t need a lot of stuff to make really good chili. There’s a lot of baking too. Like I’ll show you how to make big soft pretzels and that’s something that a lot of people are really afraid to do. But I think once they watch me do it, they’ll realize it’s only six steps. It’s pretty easy. Q. What’s your take on cornbread? A. I like it very sweet. I love the crust it gets. So when you bake cornbread, preferably you have cast iron, but if you don’t, you’ll be fine using a muffin tin. But what I like to do is I put the muffin tin in the oven and get it really, really hot, then I pull it out, put the cornbread batter in there and then stick it right back in the oven. It gets the edges nice and brown and crispy and the inside is like falling apart creamy. Q. That sounds delicious! Do you have any heritage recipes that you’ll share? You grew up in a Jewish home, right? A. I don’t like to toot my own horn, but I never tasted a babka better than the one I make. That was my great-grandmother’s recipe. She came from Moldova, but for some reason she had a lot of Sephardic recipes that were more like Spanish and Middle Eastern. I’m not really sure how long our family was in Moldova; maybe we came from the Middle East.

But I just love those flavors. And so I’m making things like a baklava with dates, raisins and nuts. Q. Most of us buy baklava and it loses something as it sits on a shelf. When you make it fresh, it’s amazing. A. It’s such a beautiful process. I love making baklava, it’s really satisfying. Q. I think it’s great that you’re showcasing personal recipes and I notice these types of programs are trending. The other day I was watching Be My Guest with Ina Garten and it’s personal too, just her cooking at home for friends. Ace of Taste is different from your other shows because in Buddy vs. Duff you’re competing, in Kids Baking Championship you’re judging. Is it freeing doing a show where you can cook what you like and just be yourself? A. It’s really nice. I think when people watch the show they’re gonna see that “Wow, this guy really loves what he does.” Whether there was a camera in front of me or not, I’d still be having a great time. I just love to cook and to be able to share that with everybody. Duff: Ace of Taste airs at noon Eastern each Sunday. ©2022 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit ocregister.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

| Friday, June 17, 2022 |

Pink wine season is upon us The 10 best new rosé bottles, rated Elin McCoy Bloomberg News (TNS)

style, which is surely why we all guzzled it during the doom and gloom of a pandemic that isn’t over yet. Get ready. As more wineries rush to cash in on the hen the temperature soars and the popularity of pink, styles are expanding. This year brings sun is shining at a wave of new-spin versions 7 p.m., you know rosé days are worth sipping; some others underway again. are, predictably, more marWhat people call the “happy keting hype than taste. wine” has always been someFor example, the number of thing to sip without taking it, or pricey prestige rosés aged in yourself, too seriously. Rosé is about embracing fun, the beach, French oak barrels is growing rapidly, especially in the $35 to day-drinking and personal

As more wineries rush to cash in on the popularity of pink, styles are expanding. (Dreamstime/TNS)

The Café

d ready to grab and rder an go. o o t made • medfordfood.coop/cafe s 7 n o i t p o c 6 i n a o g r s u Delicio 9-26 7 7 ) 1 4 (5 945 S Riverside Ave •

$50 category. The idea is to create the kind of complexity that repays aging. Keep in mind that few have that thirst-quenching juiciness that makes rosés great aperitifs around the pool. They’re best served with food. New celebrity rosés just keep coming, too, but they rarely distinguish themselves as wines. The latest is from Reese Witherspoon, who’s pushing her just-launched $19 Editor’s Collection, made by Sonoma’s Simi winery, as the essential sipper while reading one of the picks of her book club. After overcoming a legal brouhaha, George Clooney finally closed on 425-acre Provence estate Domaine du Canadel, 30 minutes from Brad Pitt’s Miraval. Stay tuned for the inevitable rosé launch. Maybe next year? France’s new hot spot for bargain rosé is Languedoc, which sells 25% more pink wine than Provence, though the latter is still the ur-region. Not only is demand for favorites pushing prices up, wine tourism in Provence is also booming, with grand estates wooing enophiles with luxury digs and spas. The 2021s arriving on shelves survived a challenging year in the south of France, with the first April frosts in 50 years and August wildfires that affected about 70 wineries. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of wine, quality is good, and 20% of the vineyards are now organic. The big problems for winemakers are obtaining the popular clear bottles and all-too-familiar shipping delays. The fancy perfume-style rosé bottle fashion that started in Provence has spread to Italy, New Zealand, California and Spain. At the other end, Julian Fayard’s delicious Just Pink California rosé can now be had in a 5.2 gallon keg for $450. (Canned examples are everywhere, but that’s for another column.)

And in a first, Château Galoupet, the neglected Provence cru classé purchased by Moët Hennessy in 2019, has just released its new 2021 Nomade cuvée in a rectangular, eco-friendly flat plastic bottle made from recycled materials salvaged from the ocean. In the UK it fetches £23 ($29) on website clos19.com, but it’s not in the US yet. The most fascinating pink experiment I’ve tried is a new California rosé made with a winemaking technique used for Spanish sherry. For my verdict on it and other new examples, see my ratings below (on a scale of 10 points), arranged from least expensive to most expensive. Rosé Wine Bottle Buying Guide: 10 Best New Bottles 2021 Herdade do Esporao Monte Velho Rosato ($12)This dark salmon-colored pink blend from Alentejo makes its U.S. debut this month. It’s fresh, simple, richly fruity, and strawberry scented, and it uses a lighter-weight bottle. For the price it’s more than acceptable. Go ahead, put ice cubes in this party pour. 6.5⁄10 2021 The Beach by Whispering Angel ($17) Rosé guru Sacha Lichine’s latest—an update on the Palm—launched on May 1. The new blend comes in a lighter glass bottle and with a commitment to the Surfrider Foundation. It’s bright and fresh and fruity, but not as good as Whispering Angel, which offers an official limited edition for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant. 6.5⁄10 2020 Sotheby’s Rosé Provence Lot 802 ($19) One of the newest additions to the lineup of Sotheby’s own branded wines, this pink wine is positively gulp-able. It’s everything you want in a savory, tangy pale Provence rosé, and at a surprisingly reasonable price. 9⁄10

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2021 Bodegas Ramon Bilbao Lalomba Finca Lalinde Rioja Rosado ($25) Hugely enjoyable describes this zingy, spicy rosado, a blend of garnacha with a touch of viura. Barrel aging gives it a creamy texture and subtle complexity that pair well with seafood salad or oysters. The 2021 is the first vintage to sell in the U.S. 8⁄10 2021 Wayfarer WF2 Rosé of Pinot Noir ($25) Last year, Wayfarer launched its WF2 wines from the West Sonoma Coast, which just became the latest official American Viticultural Area. The WF2 wines remain barely known. 8⁄10 2021 Visione Feudo di San Gregorio Campania Rosato ($33) The fancy frosted ribbed bottle for this tangy, refreshing crystal-clear Italian pink wine looks like it comes from Provence. But this fruit-and-herb scented wine, made with aglianico grapes, comes from a well-known producer in Italy’s Campania region. It arrives on shelves next month. 8⁄10 2021 Villa Ragazzi Rosato di Sangiovese (3 bottles, $105) You’ll have to rush to get bottles of this lip-smacking, bone-dry, crisp, palesalmon wine because only 37 cases were made! It’s from a Napa winery that specializes in Italian grape sangiovese. 8.5⁄10 2020 Orixe Sotelo Rose en Flor ($38) This personal side project from Gustavo Sotelo, winemaker at Sonoma’s Scribe winery, focuses on Spanish varieties in California. The fresh, citrusy, unique rosé, a blend of garnacha and tempranillo, is a brilliant surprise. Aging under a film of flor, or Sherry yeast, and then in huge oak casks

Friday, June 17, 2022 |

gives it a salty, umami character and a structure that reminds me of a very light orange wine. It’s a food wine. 9⁄10 2021 Tormaresca Furia di Calafuria ($38) This new spicy, citrusy luxurious pink cuvée in a curvy bottle is a more serious take on the basic rosés of Puglia’s Salento region in the heel of Italy’s boot. Zingy and super flavorful, it’s ideal with antipasto (or barbecue) on a patio overlooking a vista of blue water. It will arrive in the US on June 20. 8⁄10 2021 Sullivan Rutherford Estate Rosé ($45) Lively, serious, and complex, the second vintage of this Napa Valley rosé is made from merlot, cabernet franc, and malbec. The historic under-the-radar estate is being brought back to life by Mexican entrepreneur Juan Pablo Torres Padilla, who purchased it in 2018. 9⁄10 ©2022 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

on local restaurant & winery gift certificates! On Monday, June 20, go to SOGiftCards.com and find gift certificates from dozens of local restaurants, wineries, and local businesses for 10% off face value. On Tuesday, they will be 20% off, and so on until the final day of the sale on Friday, June 24, when all remaining gift certificates will be 50% off. Buy as many as you like, but don’t wait too long - the certificate to your favorite local business may be gone!

ONLINE GIFT CERTIFICATE SALE 5 DAYS ONLY! Monday, June 20 through Friday, June 24

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| Friday, June 17, 2022 |

Mac and Cheese Gets an Upgrade with Wine-Braised Fennel

Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | (TNS)

t’s hard to go wrong with macaroni and cheese. A staple comfort food, its cheesy goodness is loved by kids and adults alike, for lunch, dinner or a late-night snack. Even the blue-box variety can hit the spot in a pinch. But to really take it to the next level, you really should go all out with a rich, homemade cheese sauce.

INGREDIENTS

For fennel 6 cups water 4 small fennel bulbs, sliced ¼ cup sweet Marsala wine 2 fresh bay leaves 1 tablespoon kosher salt For sauce ¼ cup unsalted butter ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 cups cooking liquid from braised fennel 1 8-ounce container mascarpone

DIRECTIONS

This recipe gets an elegant upgrade with the addition of fennel, an aromatic veggie with a licorice-like flavor and crunch that reminds you of celery. It gets a quick braise in Marsala wine, which makes it sweet, and the leftover cooking liquid is then used to make the creamy sauce with mascarpone and Swiss cheese instead of the traditional cheddar. Diced ham steak — leftovers from an Easter ham — make the dish even more of a hearty keeper. The original recipe calls for making the mac and cheese in a buttered casserole dish, but I made it a one-pot meal by combining everything in the 12-inch cast iron skillet used to make the cheese sauce. I also used shredded Swiss instead of the recommended grated Gruyère. Don’t skimp on the panko-and-Parmesan topping: It adds a delicious crunch. (c)2022 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper

For assembly 1 tablespoon kosher salt 8 ounces dried campanelle pasta 6 ounces ham steak, cut into ½inch dice ½ cup panko bread crumbs ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Place water, fennel, Marsala, bay leaves and salt in a 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until fennel is tender, about 15 minutes. Strain, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid. Set braised fennel aside. In a large cast-iron skillet, prepare sauce. Melt butter in pan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir until fragrant and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in reserved fennel liquid. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until thickened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add mascarpone, Swiss, salt and pepper, then stir to incorporate. Keep warm while you prepare pasta. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of water seasoned with 1 tablespoon of salt to boil. Add pasta and only partially cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally (it will continue cooking in the oven). Drain pasta. Mix pasta with braised fennel and ham in the skillet with the cheese sauce. Stir to combine well, making sure all of the pasta is coated in sauce. Cover with panko and Parmesan, then drizzle with oil. Bake until top is golden brown and pasta is bubbling, about 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot. Adapted from Lush Life: Food & Drinks From the Garden by Valerie Rice

Friday, June 17, 2022 |

Need a mental health boost? Make art

want a do-over. Surveys have shown an increase in the number of adults and children reporting symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression and sleeplessness en years ago, tired of during the pandemic. staring at a screen while Nisbett knew the one thing socially commuting to work on the isolated people really wanted during train, Sarah Nisbett reached into the pandemic was a connection — and her purse and pulled out a sketch pad and pen and looked around for not only to one another. “A lot of us turned to virtual space for connection inspiration. She wasn’t a trained artist. She was an opera singer and but in many ways those places are very hollow. They give you something an avowed perfectionist. She knew she would make mistakes for the moment, but it is not permanent and grounded in the real world.” creating artwork with a pen while Drawing, particularly observariding the rumbling subway with its tional drawing, pulls you into the many starts and stops, and she knew real world in a very grounding way, she needed to learn how to embrace she said. “I think there is powerful the experience. medicine in that.” Art therapists and other mental In March 2020, artist Wendy health professionals in metro Atlanta have seen an increase in the need for MacNaughton began mental health services that support diverse communities, particularly streaming art sessions for the pandemic, according to the kids on Instagram live. She since Georgia Art Therapy Association. emphasized the importance Making art is soothing, said Jennifer Nestor-Cardwell, an art therapist of making mistakes, and licensed professional counselor avoiding perfectionism and in Roswell. “It is really healing ... especially when there aren’t words for using the moment to be things because you are not sure what focused and engaged. to say or the words are too scary to say,” she said. Depending on the topic, art works “Working in pen mirrors the choices on such a deep level that sometimes we have to make in life,” Nisbett said. “You either decide you can work with you can just lean in and let the art do the work, she said. “That is the gift your mistakes or you decide you can of art therapy, especially for kids and turn the page and start over.” teens during the years when they During the height of the pandemic, might not want to talk about somewhen so many people were isolated thing, but they do want to be in a at home, almost everyone seemed to Nedra Rhone The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

healing space,” Nestor-Cardwell said. In March 2020, artist Wendy MacNaughton began streaming art sessions for kids on Instagram live. She emphasized the importance of making mistakes, avoiding perfectionism and using the moment to be focused and engaged. Initially, her plan had been to create public drawing stations in parks and bus stops around San Francisco, to help residents slow down, look at and draw one another, according to a recent profile in New York magazine. When the pandemic happened, MacNaughton turned to the virtual world and invited people to draw with her. Her first invitation attracted 12,000 children with whom she drew a dog. DrawTogether, the 30-minute sessions that spread across three and a half months, eventually turned into a summer camp and a school curriculum. “There is something very grounding about becoming deeply engaged with your own world and this is what a lot of us need right now,” Nisbett said. So she wrote a book for people who don’t think they can’t draw. Drawn on the Way (Quarry, $23) offers a mix of instruction and inspiration to help even the busiest adults unwind and connect by indulging their creativity for a just few minutes a day. Nisbett suggests carrying around a sketch pad and pen to invite more curiosity about the world. I tried this recently when my daughter and I took a trip to the West Coast for spring break. We took sketch pads along and pulled them out on a tour of the Grand Canyon and

while lounging at our hotel. When I look at those drawings, I am transported back to that carefree vacation — the first we’d taken in years. It gives me the feeling that while things may not be entirely normal, I can always give my brain a break, tap into my creativity and indulge my senses. If we let go of the need for perfection, these moments can lead to deeply encoded memories, Nisbett said. We can experience reduced stress and a rush of endorphins. Those are benefits that feel like the perfect salve for the times. ©2022 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

| Friday, June 17, 2022 |

Stephanie Breijo Los Angeles Times | (TNS)

IHOP Ramadan halal specials are staying on menu

ohammad Ashraf, owner of an IHOP franchise in Fullerton, California, watched with amazement what happened during Ramadan this year. Cars often double-parked in front of the chain restaurant before dawn, as members of the Muslim community assembled, hoping to have halal chicken tenders or turkey-bacon omelets as their suhoor meal before fasting for the day. A general manager frantically took orders outside with a pen and paper in an effort to ensure everyone could be served before sunrise. Some, finding no available tables, would eat out of styrofoam containers while sitting on the curb. The commotion this year made one thing clear to Ashraf, who is Muslim: his annual Ramadan-only menu of halal specials would have to stay, year-round. SEE IHOP, 16

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From Page 14

animals, such as chicken, beef and lamb, must be slaughtered under certified-halal standards such as the humane slitting of the throat. Ashraf never had an interest in bacon himself, but it’s occupied his thoughts since 2008. That year, the IHOP franchisee decided it was time to service his family and his community’s needs, and sell halal-certified turkey bacon at his first restaurant during the Islamic holy month, which ended this year on May 1. He says it took months for the IHOP corporate office to approve its sale at the Fullerton outpost, along with the option for halal sausage. (IHOP’s central offices did not respond to a request for comment for this story.) A menu of halal specials, or foods permissible under Islamic law, launched during Ramadan in 2009, and he also decided to open earlier for those looking to dine before sunrise. Business was slow at first: one or two tables ordered each pre-dawn morning, but the following Ramadan, more guests were trickling in. Ashraf’s halal IHOP menu became more popular pre-pandemic, when he and his team began offering a suhoor buffet to help feed guests before sunrise. This year, in addition to reprising the buffet, they added a tent for outdoor seating and decided to run the restaurant for 24 hours during the last two weekends of Ramadan. By 2022, word-of-mouth helped the menu gain even more popularity, to the point that he extended some of the items to his Tujunga location, which will also now run them year-round. In Tujunga, they had guests drive from Modesto. In Fullerton, diners said they’d traveled from Victorville and Palm Springs. When the realtor-turned-restaurateur purchased the Fullerton IHOP in 2006, he brought his own meats purchased from Diamond Bar’s Aljibani Halal Meats, and instructed his chefs on how to prepare them just for him — and how to avoid cross-contamination with the restaurant’s pork products; both locations now maintain separate refrigerators, shelves, fryers and griddles for halal meats and non-pork items. Eventually his personal stash served his children on their visits, and then his friends. “When they were younger, they would go to restaurants with their friends, but their choices

were limited,” Ashraf said. “’How come they can eat the meat and I can’t?’ There were a few halal [chain] restaurants back in the day, but other than that, our choices would be Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Iranian. When they would come to IHOP they would eat pancakes, waffles, vegetarian things.” He realized there was more than an immediate demand for offering halal meats — there was an untapped market. According to the Census Policy Advocacy Network, roughly 1 million Muslims live in California; the Islamic Society of Orange County is one of the largest Muslim community centers in the country. The growth for Ashraf has largely been possible through in-person marketing visits to local mosques, first in Orange County, now in Los Angeles, which have been primarily carried out by his general manager: Mariana Macias. Raised Catholic, she began working with Ashraf in 2006, and said she was unaware of Islamic practice or halal requirements, but learned more as she dropped off fliers advertising the Fullerton IHOP’s halal meats in mosques and at Muslim student programs. Now, Macias said, she feels like part of the community. “At first the hardest part to do, as a non-Muslim person, was go to a mosque — I did not know what to do,” she said. “You have to take off your shoes, you have to be covered up in abaya, some places are stricter; men and women go through a separate door. All that was new for me, but the whole Muslim community is so welcoming, even if you’re a non-Muslim person.” While Macias doesn’t practice Islam, she orders off the halal menus regularly, saying it tastes better — especially the chicken, which she loves in sandwich and buffalo-tenders form. Ashraf’s employees aren’t the only ones who prefer the taste of halal meat. Dave’s Hot Chicken has sold halal chicken tenders since it launched as a pop-up in an East Hollywood parking lot in 2017. According to co-founder Arman Oganesyan, religious practice didn’t motivate the decision — to the “We realized that any brand of halal was much better: Chicken would come out of the box much more tender, much more juicy,” Oganesyan said. “We had a brining process, and we had to do a lot less of our brining process because the chicken was so easy to work with.” Currently Dave’s operates more than 60 stores; by the end of the year, they should have roughly 100;

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Portrait of IHOP franchise owner Mohammad Ashraf in Tujunga, CA. Ashraf has begun making and serving a Halal menu at both his Tujunga and Fullerton restaurants, although not all items are available in the Tujunga location yet. (Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

some are franchises, some are company-owned, and all are halal-certified. While halal chicken is slightly more expensive — roughly 10 cents more per pound for Dave’s — the founders feel both the flavor and the opportunity to reach a wider market, halal diners, is more than worth the cost. “The feedback is always really good, and it’s kind of surprising to us that more people are not using halal,” Oganesyan said. “It’s not hard to get.” Maybe, he said, this is just the start. Ashraf said he hopes so too, but acknowledges it’s been a long road to get here. “Me being Muslim, I understand the concept, and I pushed for it,” Ashraf said. “Other people are not going to have the patience for it; if you’re not passionate about it, how long are you going to fight for it? I’ve been trying since 2008.” Ashraf hopes to add new, certified items to both of his restaurants in an effort to provide just as much convenience for customers who eat halal foods as those who don’t. ©2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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GRASS vs DIY drought-tolerant oasis Sarah Lariviere in her backyard in Burbank, California. (Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Lariviere decided to educate herself about waterwise gardening. She took an in-person class on California native plants at the Theodore Payne Foundation for ong before the MetroWildflowers and Native Plants. politan Water District She consulted the SoCal Water of Southern CaliforSmart website, which offers nia declared a water shortage step-by-step guidelines on how emergency and ordered outdoor to transform your lawn using watering limited to one day a drought-tolerant alternatives to week, Sarah Lariviere, an avid grass. She took an online class gardener, was thinking about ways on turf removal taught by Green to conserve water. Gardens Group virtual instructors. During the pandemic, the young When she learned that Burbank adult author found inspiration residents can request up to three on the long walks that she and shade trees for their homes, she her husband took in their Burresearched what trees would best bank neighborhood. It wasn’t the suit her microclimate. endless series of lush green lawns After first renting elsewhere that moved her, however, but in Burbank, Lariviere and her the occasional drought tolerant husband, Tim Mapp, bought a landscape that would materialize, 1940 bungalow in March 2021. sandwiched between the turf. By then, Lariviere felt prepared “I grew up in the Midwest so to tear out the lawn and install a I was drawn to the non-lawn low-water landscape. landscapes,” says the 46-yearHer goal for the garden, she old. “I love the wild look of says, was “to increase the biodicolorful wildflowers.” versity in our landscape, conserve Precipitated by three years of water, provide habitat for butterrecord drought in California, flies and birds, and enjoy the scent

Lisa Boone Los Angeles Times (TNS)

and beauty of native plants, trees and flowers.” One month after purchasing their home, the couple removed the Bermuda grass. “We dug it out by hand using shovels and a pitchfork,” she says. “Sometimes we had to water it so that it would be pliable enough for us to remove. I won’t lie, it was backbreaking.” They previously lived in Texas and tried sheet mulching there, but “the grass kept coming up through the cardboard.” The couple ultimately removed approximately 2,500 square feet of lawn, including the front lawn, parking strip and backyard. Working in the blistering heat of summer, the couple eventually rented a sod cutter from Home Depot, which costs about $97 a day, to help them finish the job. Although she felt self-conscious about removing the grass so soon after moving into a neighborhood full of manicured lawns, Lariviere was pleased to find that her neighbors didn’t mind. “We met so many neighbors who wanted to know how we

were taking out our lawn,” she says. “They would stop all the time and say nice things. It was really encouraging.” After creating a planting plan by consulting the SoCal Water Smart website, Lariviere submitted it to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California for a turf removal rebate. The landscape project was completed in six months and Lariviere says she received a rebate check for $4,700 shortly after a representative from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California came out to assess her property. The check paid for the entire project, excluding the handcrafted Mexican tile from Colores de Mexico in East Los Angeles. “I’m highly motivated,” she says. “I have a long-standing interest in gardens and landscapes and felt really excited about having so much space to play with. I’m not going to say it didn’t take time. But it was really fun.” In the frontyard, Lariviere SEE OASIS, 20

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trees will add beauty and fruit to the garden including kumquats, From Page 18 bearss limes, meyer lemons, satsuma tangerines, pineapple guavas installed a walkway paved with and Buddha’s hand citrus. A Coast yellow Arizona flagstone and live oak tree planted next to the planted mostly California natives: circular fire pit she designed and penstemon, monkey flowers, Cali- built will eventually offer shade fornia fuchsias, desert mallow, during hot Burbank summers. fragrant pitcher sage, apache More than 25 carloads of mulch plume and stunning pink clarkia from the city of Burbank’s free that makes a statement along mulch program helps to keep the the side of the house, which she soil moist along with a dry rivpainted a Frida Kahlo-esque blue- erbed that Lariviere lined with black color. rocks and pebbles. When it rained On the parking strip, she in December, she was delighted planted white sage, rock pursthat the riverbed she contoured lane, germander sage, ice plants according to the California and scattered Theodore Payne’s Friendly & Waterwise Landscaproadside wildflower mix, which ing Guidebook did what it was was a magnet for bees before the designed to do: capture rainwater gophers went after the plants. from the roof. The backyard is more eclecLooking ahead, Lariviere hopes tic with a mixture of natives, to add a gray water filtration succulents and edibles growsystem, irrigate the young fruit ing haphazardly throughout the trees, add a water feature for landscape, including tomatoes wildlife without encouraging mosand herbs in two galvanized steel quitoes, paint the concrete walls troughs with “hugel bottoms” and someday, when everything is (bottoms removed to provide soil established, open her garden to contact and then filled with sticks, others as part of Theodore Payne’s manure and compost). To attract annual native plant garden tour. native insects, she scattered an Lariviere’s garden stands out assortment of wildflower seeds as a colorful and delightful surfrom Theodore Payne including prise on her block full of lawns. #1 Rainbow mix, #2 Shady mix It is evidence that you can have a and #6 Roadside mix that put beautiful garden without using a on a show thanks to the flowers’ lot of water. dynamic array of colors, shapes “I’m amazed by how little we and textures. water,” she says. When it rained in A hugel raised bed made from December, the rain provided sufsticks, chicken manure, soil, ficient water for the wildflowers to compost and leaves helps to retain grow. “I keep an eye on all the new water and provide water to neigh- plants to make sure they are okay. boring plants. Several small fruit Now that it is warming up, I’ve

A view of the front yard at Sarah Lariviere’s home in Burbank, California. (Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

tried to do each section once every 10 days. That means we have three watering days. I try to keep it to 20 minutes if it’s a tree or one of the newer natives.” Of course, not everyone is about to give up their beloved lawns. Still, Lariviere hopes her native oasis will inspire others to consider low-water alternatives. “It’s not lost on me that having a garden is a luxury,” she says as she pulls a few stray weeds from

NATIVE PLANTS USED IN THIS GARDEN ◆ Canyon sunflowers, Venegasia carpesioides (fast to establish, rangy, cheerful) ◆ Desert Globemallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua (growing nonstop since October) ◆ Fragrant pitcher sage, Lepechinia fragrans (smells heavenly, grows fast, velvety leaves) ◆ Apache plume, Fallugia paradoxa (a shrub with stunning feathery seeds and elegant white flowers) ◆ Allen Chickering sage, Salvia ‘Allen Chickering’ (fast-growing, gorgeous purple flower ringlets) ◆ White sage, Salvia apiana

The back yard of Sarah Lariviere’s home in Burbank, California. (Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

her frontyard. “Overall, I have learned that I like a little chaos. I would rather just throw in something that I love and not worry about the planning so much. The garden reflects that. It’s so beautiful, and we can all enjoy the bees, butterflies and birds. It sounds like ‘Snow White’ out here.”

◆ Chaparral Clarkia, Clarkia affinis (tall hot pink, orange-pink, reddish and white wildflowers)

◆ Penstemon (margarita, black, firecracker and many more) ◆ Monkey flower, Diplacus aurantiacus(yellow, orange, red and variegated) ◆ Torrey Pine tree, Pinus torreyana ssp. torreyana ◆ California fuchsias, Epilobium canum (red and salmon) ◆ Sages (Cleveland sage, Salvia clevelandii;Amethyst Bluff Sage, Salvia leucophylla ‘Amethyst Bluff ’; and Shirley’s Creeper sage, Salvia ‘Shirley’s Creeper’) ◆ Trees (Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia and Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia)

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This refreshing airline amenity is making a comeback Almost two years into the pandemic passengers are happy to see many airlines are reintroducing in-flight meals and alcohol service.

SALLY FRENCH of NerdWallet

or those among us who like a tipple after takeoff, consider this a sign that the world is healing: Many airlines are resuming in-flight meals and alcohol service. Early on in the pandemic, many airlines completely cut in-flight refreshment offerings (aside from perhaps a hasty water bottle delivery). Slowly but surely, airlines are reintroducing the amenity. For example, in 2020, Southwest Airlines cut service completely on short flights and offered only water and a prepackaged snack on longer flights. In 2021, Southwest reintroduced a small selection of nonalcoholic drinks to all flights. It wasn’t until February 2022 that its complete pre-pandemic beverage menu returned, which included more soda and juice choices — plus alcoholic beverages for an additional cost. Other airlines moved a bit more quickly. By July 2020, Delta Air Lines was offering beer cans and

single-serve wine bottles. It wasn’t until March 2022 that it brought back hot meals for its Delta One and first class customers on some flights.

many more there might be if alcohol was accessible), flight attendants suggest a correlation. An online survey of 5,000 flight attendants in summer 2021 by Why did in-flight alcohol the Association of Flight Attenget the ax? dants-CWA, a union, showed that It’s hard to peg just one reason why mask compliance and alcohol were among the most common factors in alcohol and hot meals disappeared unruly passenger interactions. Addion flights during the COVID-19 era. tionally, 17% of respondents reported For some, it eliminated unnecessary experiencing at least one physical lingering in the aisles while flight incident with a passenger. attendants took everyone’s orders. Some suspect the reason in-flight Others point to unprecedented rates beverages got the boot comes down of unruly passenger reports as the to money. Airlines have sought to cut reason to remove alcohol in particcosts by culling refreshments long ular. In 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration initiated 1,099 inves- before the pandemic. For instance, Frontier Airlines discontinued serving tigations around unruly passengers. That’s up from just 183 in 2020, 149 in warm, gooey cookies on its flights back in 2012, stating that fresh cookie service 2019 and 146 investigations in 2018, “does not align with either the peraccording to FAA data. And not all ception or financial reality of the ultra bad behavior yields an investigation. low-cost business model,” according In 2021, the FAA received reports of to a memo obtained by the Milwaukee 4,290 mask-related incidents and 5,981 unruly passenger reports. Journal Sentinel. Today, refreshments While it’s unclear how many of are available on Frontier flights for purthose cases involved alcohol (or how chase, but there are no freebies.

These days, travelers say that while service has largely returned, it’s still been significantly reduced. “Pre-COVID, United Airlines would always offer a drink before takeoff, and flight attendants would continue to offer drinks during the flight,” says David Decker, an insurance executive and United Million Miler member. “Currently, the flight attendants make the rounds after the plane has reached cruising altitude, but you are hard-pressed to find a flight attendant for a refill. I’ve seen some passengers even resort to ringing the flight attendant bell.”

How to save money on in-flight beverages If you want to save money on in-flight refreshments, then the typical advice of “pack your own snacks” likely won’t apply on airplanes. You can’t bring liquids greater than 3.4 ounces through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, so unless you’re drinking a straight espresso shot, there aren’t a lot of

Friday, June 17, 2022 |

beverage options you’ll be allowed to get past security. You can’t sneak through your own small stashes of liquor, either; FAA regulations prohibit passengers from drinking alcohol on the aircraft unless it’s served by a flight attendant. These days, unless you’re flying a budget airline, you’ll likely no longer have to spend $6 on a soda in the airport terminal just to satisfy your carbonation cravings. If you can wait until after takeoff, you could get it all as part of the cost of your airfare. And as far as adult beverages go, here are additional ways to save.

Look for old airline coupons Some airlines offer coupons for in-flight snacks and drinks to loyal customers. And though they tend to have expiration dates, many of those have been extended. For example, Southwest drink coupons that were set to expire in 2020 or 2021 (and can be redeemed for an alcoholic beverage) now don’t expire until Dec. 31, 2022.

Fly first class (for free) You’re unlikely to be offered a free adult beverage in economy, but you will in the premium seats. On Delta, all Delta Comfort+ and first class customers receive complimentary beer and wine service. United offers complimentary alcoholic beverages in premium cabins, and Alaska Airlines offers complimentary alcohol in first class. Premium cabins typically aren’t cheap if you’re paying a cash fare, but you might be able to finagle your way to an upgrade. There are a few tricks to getting a free upgrade on your flight, such as through holding airline elite status. Early on in the pandemic, chasing elite status might not have been a smart money move given that many were traveling less and that perks were reduced. But while earning airline elite status is not exactly a walk in the park, it might be worth it these days if you travel often and fully use the benefits (like actually consuming in-flight alcohol).

Use airline credit card incidental credits Many premium travel credit cards offer statement credits toward airline incidental fees. These fees are additional qualifying charges from your preferred airline beyond the actual airfare. What’s considered a qualifying purchase can vary by credit card issuer, but they typically include checked bags, seat upgrades and — yes — in-flight refreshments. This article originally appeared on the personal finance website NerdWallet. Sally French is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.

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n e p O w o N 7 Days A Week Cleanse your body in 1 day with these tips Avery Newmark The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

f you’ve been feeling sluggish and down in the dumps lately, it might be time to hit the health and wellness reset button. From eating healthier foods, to easy exercise around the neighborhood, follow these three helpful tips to help you cleanse and get your health back on the right track in just one day:

Refresh with lemon water Nothing says “refreshing” like a glass of cold, or warm, lemon water. Some people find that drinking a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning helps with digestion. Although the evidence is largely subjective, studies have shown that lemons can help animals, particularly mice, lose weight. But that’s not all. According to Lynell Ross, a certified health and wellness coach, nutritionist and personal trainer, starting your day with a glass of lemon water can help “balance out your blood sugar and help reduce cravings throughout the day,” Parade reported. “Provided you lay off the sugary foods in the morning, and eat a healthy breakfast with some protein, you give yourself a better chance of reducing your hunger pangs and sweet cravings by drinking lemon water.”

Opt for healthier food choices Make sure to eat frequently throughout the day, and never skip breakfast. It will benefit your metabolism after a night’s sleep, helping you to burn more calories throughout

the day, WebMD reported. You may also feel drained of energy if you skip breakfast, which can cause overeating later in the day. “Eating consistently throughout the day will help you lay the foundation for ongoing healthy eating. I’m talking loads of veggies, lean protein such as grass-fed steak, chicken, fish, eggs and healthy fats from nuts, seeds or olives, avocado or coconut,” Keri Glassman, R.D., told Today. Reducing your intake of processed foods also helps to eliminate excess sodium, artificial ingredients and sugar, all of which are known to cause bloating.

Sweat it out Feeling better starts from the inside out, so if you’ve tried changing your diet but still feel bloated and depressed, try exercising. Whether it’s taking a class at the gym, going for a bike ride or even just walking around the neighborhood, cardio will help flush out toxins in your body, expel gas that causes pain, and help digestion move along, according to Healthline. ©2022 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Learning to Love Heirloom Tomatoes Bob Zeni, dubbed the Chicago Tomato Man, grows heirloom tomatoes in a greenhouse at Homan Rails Farm in the North Lawndale neighborhood. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Chicago’s Tomato Man on mission to help others rethink the plant by offering more than 100 varieties of heirloom tomatoes Tatyana Turner Chicago Tribune (TNS)

To Bob Zeni, a perfectly round and perfectly red store-bought tomato is something to look at, but not to touch. In fact, Zeni hasn’t purchased a tomato since 1990. He grows his own heirloom tomatoes to avoid buying what he calls “tasteless travesties” or “red water balloons.” “Gardening itself is very satisfying and certainly enjoyable,” Zeni said. “Seeing the way it looks is beautiful.” For more than a decade, Zeni has followed the same routine. In February, he began planting tomatoes at his La Grange, Illinois, home. Wherever a window was in sight, a table holding a pot of budding heirlooms sat right next to it.

In March, he moved his plants to his portable backyard greenhouse. Zeni’s daughter, Rebecca, and several neighbors helped him set up what looks like a clear plastic tent equipped with space heaters. By April, the tomato plants would be ready for sale. But that was until 2019 because like his heirloom tomato plants, Zeni’s business continued to grow until there was no more space in his home or driveway. Now Zeni, who was dubbed the “Chicago Tomato Man” by his daughter, has more than 4,000 heirloom tomato plants in a greenhouse that stretches as far as a city block. Inside are more than 100 varieties of the fruit, ranging from big red beefsteak tomatoes to dark and smooth Black Beauty tomatoes, and vibrant yellow Golden Grape tomatoes that can

brighten up any salad. Starting this past Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Zeni started working alongside Gardeneers volunteers in their spacious greenhouses. Gardeneers is a nonprofit organization that uses school garden programs to teach students about nature, nutrition, how to cultivate fresh fruits and vegetables and how help the planet at a local level. Adam Zmick, CEO of Gardeneers, said Zeni’s planting is aligned with what the organization does and is a way to better support school gardens. “How it works is that a team of garden educators visit our 16 schools at least once a week to get students hands on in the garden,” Zmick said. “(Zeni) needs a lot of hands to do all this stuff so we are able to contribute and we can earn some income to help

support our school gardens. This year, each tomato plant costs $6, with more than three of those dollars going to Gardeneers. “They are putting in a lot of the time and the effort,” Zeni said. “They deserve it.” Between April and May, his customers pick up their pre-orders from several different locations throughout the city, as well as Evanston, La Grange Park, Lamont, Palatine and Wheaton. And some of Zeni’s customers have walked away with more than just a tomato plant. One father has been able to teach his children about harvesting. A mother and daughter duo are strengthening their bond by using their green SEE TOMATOES, 27

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thumbs to contribute to a community church in Northbrook. And everyone who has purchased a tomato plant from Zeni also has the opportunity to share the taste of a fresh heirloom and create new recipes. “When people pick it up, it’s gratifying because people are giddy with excitement,” Zeni said. Selmaan Ansari, one of Zeni’s customers, has purchased tomatoes from him for the past three years. A neighbor who knew Ansari was looking to put together a garden suggested he check out the wide variety the Tomato Man was offering. It excited Ansari to find someone who was local. “Every year, I get about six to eight plants from him,” Ansari said. “I have young kids and they get to see them grow so when it’s time to harvest they ask questions and want to be the ones to pick the tomatoes off.” For Monica Dim, a beginner gardener, this is the second year she is purchasing from Zeni. She and her mother, Colette Dim, contribute to the St. Giles Episcopal Church community garden in Northbrook. Colette Dim said she has been involved with the community garden for 14 growing seasons. There are 30 10-by-10 gardening plots. “Anyone who gardens with us donates to the Northfield pantry and some of the pantries in Evanston,” Colette said. “I said to Monica, ‘Let’s get our tomatoes together,’ so we decided to go headlong and get a dozen tomato plants each for last year.” Though this is Monica’s second year purchasing tomatoes, it is her first year getting the full gardening experience. “I was nine months pregnant when I first bought my tomato plants from him so I had a good amount of

Bob Zeni, dubbed the Chicago Tomato Man, grows heirloom tomatoes in a greenhouse at Homan Rails Farm in the North Lawndale neighborhood. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

questions and wasn’t able to do a lot of the planting myself,” she said. “When you are able to grow and share your own tomatoes, it’s very exciting and he made that possible for me.” But some of his newer customers are confused or disappointed when they first see their tomato plant. For Zeni, it’s an opportunity for a teachable moment. “I get complaints from initial buyers because I give them this plant and it’s really tall and it’s kinda skinny and it’s kinda bushy and they say, ‘Well, there’s something wrong with this plant,” Zeni said. “I tell them no, just bury the bottom third and it will blossom, don’t worry about it.” Zeni stays engaged with his customers months after the sale. He takes phone calls to answer any questions, and asks for photos to check on the growth process because he can empathize with the frustrations his customers face. “Tomatoes are full of moisture and juice and they need the water,” Zeni said. “The other thing is if you drown

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it and then forget about it for two weeks, the core of the tomato grows faster than the shell of the tomato so what happens is that the core breaks the shell and that’s when you get the mold at the top.” For Zeni, the key to growing a ripe tomato is finding the proper balance of heat, light, water, along with tender, loving care. He admitted that it took close to 20 years before finding success. “Every year I failed and every year I learned from that,” Zeni said. “There’s a lot of frustration with it from having too much water or enough water, too much heat, not enough heat and trying to sell these things.” This year was no different. “I always lose about 15 to 20% and this year, despite our best efforts, we did lose 20%,” Zeni said. “One of the shelves had fallen over so that killed a whole bunch of them and then in March we moved them over to the greenhouse thinking there was heat and there wasn’t so that killed several others as well.” Facing these difficulties not only

Friday, June 17, 2022 |

makes Zeni feel like a more knowledgeable gardener. The unexpected twists and turns also help the tomatoes become more resilient. “It has not been warm, it has not been sunny and there has been far too much rain, so the plants are struggling, but that’s not a bad thing,” Zeni said. “You need to harden off tomatoes meaning you have to expose them to variations of temperatures, which strengthens their stem.” The frustrations pay off, however, because he gets to experiment with new varieties of heirloom tomatoes each year. “When the word heirloom is applied to growing fruits and vegetables it means created using non-GMO, open pollinated techniques,” Zeni said. “It’s not the common definition of being old. As oxymoronic as it sounds, there are new heirlooms.” This year Zeni is growing a tomato from seeds given to him by a Norridge customer last year. The customer said the seeds were from his wife’s grandfather, who had been saving seeds from Calabria, Italy, every year for 100 years. “I was honored that he would think of me,” Zeni said. “He didn’t have a name for it so we named it Art Zaino’s Centenarian.” Art Zanio was the grandfather’s name and to Zeni’s knowledge, he is the only one selling that particular variety. When not doing business, Zeni enjoys a quiet night eating a plate of fresh pasta with his wife, Wendy, who cans the tomatoes. “We take it out in the winter and she makes a secret spaghetti sauce that she learned from her mother,” Zeni said. “It’s fresher, it tastes great and it’s better than the store.” ©2022 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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