edible COLUMBUS | Spring 2011 | Issue No. 5 by Edible Columbus

MEMBER OF EDIBLE EDIB COMMUNITIES

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An inspiring spring awaits you at

Franklin Park Conservatory

GARDENING & CULINARY CLASSES FOR ALL AGES 1777 East Broad Street | 614.645.5923 | www.fpconservatory.org

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:HOFRPH WR 2KLRÂ·V ILUVW Â´6XSHU /RFDOÂµ IRRG QHWZRUN featuring over 120 restaurants, farms, specialty food producers and special events, all found within 30 miles of Athens, Ohio. Join us in meeting the farmers, tasting the food, and enjoying the 30 Mile Meal Experience! Visit our website for interactive maps, calendars, and tour opportunities.

D Unique Spaces in a National Historic District Open to the public, auctions are held every Monday and Thursday Starting promptly at 4:00 pm. Fresh Local Produce at Auction Prices. Opening Day is May 12th, with a Special Strawberry Auction Wednesday June 1. Worth the drive! :DJRQHU 5RDG &KHVWHUKLOO 2+ %HWZHHQ 5WV DQG LQ 0RUJDQ &RXQW\

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Eclipse Company Store is the showpiece of a beautifully restored coal mining village outside Athens, Ohio, offering a Local Sunday Brunch, Special Event rental and catering, and great local food showcases! Check their calendar for a complete schedule. On the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway. -DFNVRQ 'ULYH 7KH 3ODLQV 2+

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Snowville Creamery believes everyone deserve the rich taste and nutrition of Â´PLON WKH ZD\ LW XVHG WR EH Âµ 2XU PLON is minimally processed and comes from local grass- grazed cows, untreated with artificial growth hormones. This farm-fresh milk arrives in stores within as little as 48 hours of milking!

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Departments 6 8

34 Artisan Foods

Letter from the Editor Edible Events

10 Notable Edibles 12 Local and In Season

contents Spring 2011

13 Inside Our Local Food Stories An interview with Michael Ruhlman By Steve Stover

16 From the Kitchen 20 Edible Traditions In Love with Lindey’s: After 30 years, Lindey’s still flourishes under Sue Doody’s gracious rule By Nancy McKibben, Photography by Catherine Murray

24 Young Palates

PHOTO BY © CAROLE TOPALIAN

Features

Sprouts for Spring: From sprouting seeds, little gardeners may grow Story and Photography by Kit Yoon

26 A Taste of Home

40 From the Ground Up A thriving farm leads to growth all around with Kent Peter’s Black Creek Bistro By Seth Borgen, Photography by Catherine Murray

44 Good, Clean and Fair Food A look at the Slow Food movement and how it is changing the way we eat in Columbus, Italy and around the world By Carole Amber

48 A Man and His Menus Chef Hubert Seifert of Spagio celebrates 50 years of cooking with a one-of-a kind memoir By Nancy McKibben, Photography by Catherine Murray

54 Edible Landscapes Val Jorgensen and the culinary curb appeal of growing an edible landscape By Jan O’Daniel

Cambodian Columbus: Cooking with the Khims By Tamara Mann Tweel and Charmaine Sutton

31 Worth the Trip Malabar Farm: Louis Bromfield and his journey from pitchfork to pen By Shawnie Kelley

The Story of a Local Collaboration: Farmer, Miller, Baker practice farm-to-table in less than 30 miles Story and Photography by Kit Yoon

38 Local Foodshed A Neighborhood Food Plan: What can happen when a community comes together to embrace the dream of better food By Brian Williams and Michael Jones

53 At the Farmers Market The Clintonville Farmers Market: Laura Zimmerman on what makes this year’s market unique By Michele Burke Mooney

60 Behind the Bottle Loving Cups: Extra care and attention to detail help local roasters build a better brew By Megan Shroy, Photography by Kristen Stevens

62 Our Advertisers 64 Last Seed A Terroir-ist’s Manifesto for Eating in Place By Gary Paul Nabhan

Recipes Courtesy of Jacques Pépin

21 Lindey’s Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp

16 Salmon Burgers on Baby Arugula

29 Mrs. Khim’s Amok

17 Asparagus Custards

43 Butterscotch Pudding

18 Slow and Easy Bread

57 Fresh Peppermint Tea

in a Pot

COVER PHOTO BY © KRISTEN STEVENS, KRISTEN-STEVENS.COM

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Letter from the EDITOR

edible

columbus Publisher & Editor Tricia Wheeler

urviving a cold gray Ohio winter turns me into giggling child when I glimpse the first sign of spring. I have a crab apple tree in my yard similar to the one on the cover that leans over and blankets my driveway with beautiful pink blossoms. It greets me and puts a smile on my face every time I come home. I think living in a town where we get to fully witness every season of the year allows us to really see and appreciate the little blooms that signal hope. Sunny skies are on their way!

I am always interested in knowing how good ideas originate. This issue of Edible Columbus is full of stories that celebrate good ideas that became great organizations, noteworthy careers and movements that are changing our food system. From Sue Doody and Michael Ruhlman, whose good ideas originated in their kitchen; to Black Creek Bistro and Farmer Miller Baker, whose ideas started in the field; to Slow Food, whose mission to create lasting change in the food system is spreading worldwide. Speaking of good ideas, we have been cooking up some of our own. In homage to Oprah, we are starting our own Edible Book Club. Each quarter we will select a thought-provoking book relating to our food system. Our first selection is Joan Gussow’s book, This Organic Life. Ten years ago this book was part of the inspiration for the Edible Communities magazines, of which Edible Columbus is one of more that 60 across the United States and Canada. Visit ediblecolumbus.com to sign up for our club and to read a summary of the book. At the end of the quarter we will have a book club dinner to discuss how the ideas we are reading about can relate to our own lives, and our own community. Come join us! Cooking with the seasons is a simple joy I relish. I am pleased to feature Jacques Pépin’s spring recipes in this issue. If you have never made bread at home, this is the recipe you should try—so easy and so good.

Happy reading!

Tricia Wheeler P.S. Please join Local Matters, Wayward Seed Farm and Edible Columbus for the Central Ohio Food Forum—The Real Dirt on Your Food, a series of monthly conversations about our food system. The first gathering will take place on Monday, March 21 at Wild Goose Creative from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Visit ediblecolumbus.com for more details.

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Assistant Editor Colleen Leonardi Copy Editor Doug Adrianson Designers Fulcrum Creatives: Jason Moore & Liz Samuelson Jenna Brucoli Photography Troy Amber Catherine Murray Kristen Stevens Carole Topalian Kit Yoon Web Design Mary Ogle Social Media Amy Schmittauer Marketing Assistant Melody Knudson Business Development Michele Burke Mooney Amy Reed Laura Schoettmer Kit Yoon Contributors Carole Amber Janine Aquino Seth Borgen Michael Jones Shawnie Kelley Colleen Leonardi Marta Madigan Nancy McKibben Michele Burke Mooney Gary Paul Nabhan Jan O’Daniel Jacques Pépin Megan Shroy Steve Stover Charmaine Sutton Tamara Mann Tweel Brian Williams Kit Yoon Contact Us: P.O. Box 21-8376 Columbus, Ohio 43221 tricia@ediblecolumbus.com www.ediblecolumbus.com Advertising Inquiries tricia@ediblecolumbus.com Edible Columbus is published quarterly and distributed throughout Central Ohio. Subscription rate is $35 annually; $5 of every subscription is donated to Local Matters. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.

PHOTO BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

“Yet another

G. Mike’s Showstopper”

— Columbus Alive

G. MICHAEL’S PRIX FIXE MONDAYS Three courses for

$30

German Village 595 Third Street

614.464.0575 gmichaelsbistro.com

The Perfect Gift for the Foodie You Love! Support and celebrate our local food community. Subscribe to Edible Columbus or give a gift subscription to a friend. For more information, email us at info@ediblecolumbus.com or call 614-296-5053. You can subscribe online at ediblecolumbus.com. I want to become a subscriber to edible COLUMBUS. I have filled out the form below and am sending it along with my check in the amount of $35 (for 4 quarterly issues) payable to edible COLUMBUS to: edible COLUMBUS P.O. Box 21-8376 Columbus, Ohio 4322 Start my subscription with the next issue for Spring Summer Fall Winter You may photocopy t (JGU 4VCTDSJQUJPOT "WBJMBCMF t this form Name:_________________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________ City:____________________________________________________________ State:______________________

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Email Address (optional):____________________________________________ Subscribe to our free email newsletter at ediblecolumbus.com.

And follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/EdibleCbus.

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Edible EVENTS

SPRING 2011 Cooking Class Schedule Edible Columbus Spring Cooking Series Edible Columbus Editor Tricia Wheeler invites readers to share her passion for cooking through the Edible Cooking Series. She will be sharing the knowledge she gained while attending the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Tricia combines classic French techniques with seasonal ingredients to produce wonderful meals that you can easily make at home. Classes are held at: HOME: M/I Homes New Home Sales Center, 4047 Gramercy St., Columbus, OH 43219, 614-418-8888, for questions about classes call 614-296-5053

March 16 Let’s bring the spring pages of Edible Columbus to life! This issue we are in the kitchen with the recipes of culinary great Jacques Pépin. We will cook from the spring issue— bread in a pot (the easiest bread you will ever make at home), asparagus custard, local lamb burgers and a special dessert from one of Jacques’s legendary cookbooks.

Classes are held from: 6 to 7:30pm and we are now featuring a lunch class on the same date from noon to 1:30pm. Classes are limited to: the first 18 reservations.

Each class costs: $35 per person unless otherwise noted below, and includes tasting menu and all recipes. Reserve online at: ediblecolumbus.com. To view the beautiful demo kitchen: visit homeateaston.com.

March 30 I am in love with Rancho Gordo. At our Edible Communities national conference, I was introduced to this amazing company that works with growers in Mexico to cultivate and sell heirloom beans. Once you taste these amazing beans you will be changed. We will be cooking several varieties from Rancho Gordo and pairing them with the perfect seasonings and accompaniments. P.S.—Chef Thomas Keller from the French Laundry restaurant has these beans on his exquisite menu. April 6 I love shopping at our local Asian markets. Come learn about the ingredients you will always find in my kitchen: sriracha, mirin, oyster sauce, dashi and fish sauce. We will cook an array of Asian vegetable stir-fries, each flavored uniquely with our different ingredients. You will learn how fast you can build wonderful flavors when you have the right ingredients. A copy of my shopping list and Asian market locations will be included. April 20 There is one cheese I frequently make at home: ricotta. This cheese is so easy to make fresh and so versatile. We will make homemade ricotta to feature in our seasonal salad drizzled with a warm vinaigrette, and as the star of our Italian pasta gratin. Dessert will incorporate a sweet version of our ricotta. And it will all start with Snowville milk! May 4 Classic sauces are the building block of any special meal. Let’s learn from scratch how to make hollandaise, béarnaise and béchamel. We will make simple asparagus extraordinary when topped with hollandaise, baked salmon delicious when topped with béarnaise, and béchamel will be our building block for homemade macaroni and cheese.

May 18 Green is the official color of spring. Let’s celebrate with a class devoted to leafy greens, sprouts, herbs and edible weeds. We will make an unforgettable salad with a mixture of the freshest seasonal greens and will use herbs as the basis for our salad dressing and flavored vinegar. The cheese for our salad will come from a local cheese maker and we will enjoy some early spring vegetables from The Chef’s Garden in Huron Ohio. We will also talk about how easy it is to grow sprouts at home. See page 24 for more details. May 26 Our first cooking class at the farm of Val Jorgenson, our generous host for the evening. If you have never had the opportunity to visit this gem in Westerville, you are in for a treat. (You might not want to ever leave!) Val and I will cook lamb she raises on her farm, vegetables and herbs from her land and we will end with a dessert inspired by the season. Included is a tour of the farm. Cost $40. June 1 My favorite time of year has arrived—farmers market season has begun! I will surprise you with a meal and recipes inspired by my shopping at multiple farmers markets during the week. We will dine on a completely local menu. Come hungry! 8

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Shop where your Favorite Restaurant shops... Visit your local store today! Wasserstrom Restaurant Supply SuperStore 2777 Silver Drive Columbus, OH 43211

Visit us online at: www.wasserstrom.com

Phone: 614-737-8146

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Notable EDIBLES

PHOTO BY © KRISTEN STEVENS, KRISTEN-STEVENS.COM

The Cooking Caravan: Eat. Educate. Entertain. Cooking is not just for adults anymore. John Skaggs and his colleagues Chuck Johnson, Mark Stursa, John Croke and Kevin Bauer are bringing out the inner chef in little ones by having them play the part. The Cooking Caravan combines a passion for the theater with a commitment to making food from what’s in the fridge to teach kids how to cook. They visit organizations like the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and conduct a part-skit, part-cookingdemonstration, playing characters like the bumbling Captain Cook, cool Chef Awesome or crafty Los Jalepeños Habanero who make nachos, subs and more from staple ingredients. According to Skaggs, giving kids the skills and resources to feel comfortable in the kitchen is the first step to ensure they eat right and understand the value of good food. Making it fun is the second. ~CL For more information about the Cooking Caravan visit cookingcaravan.com

PHOTO BY © KEVIN BAUER

Eggcellent Ideas for Easter For Easter this year, why not give natural dye a chance? Boiling brown eggs in onion skins infuses them with a rich red-brown color. Scratch these eggshells with a sharp tool to create your own design. For extra inspiration, visit Caterina Ltd. in German Village. This European art shop carries beautifully hand-painted eggcups by artists from Poland. Each one is unique and decorated with floral patterns evoking the blossoming abundance of spring. ~Marta Madigan For more information visit caterinaltd.com

PHOTO BY © CAROLE TOPALIAN

Finding Local Maple Syrup

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Pure Ohio maple syrup ranks amongst the best in the nation—Ohio is in the top five producers among the 12 maple producing states. March marks the height of the season, when families and farmers embark into the woodlands of Ohio to tap the trees and gather the “sweet water.” And while it may taste like candy, don’t let its sugary nature fool you: Maple syrup is as high in calcium as milk and one of the lowest in calories of all the natural sweeteners. ~CL For more information on where you can find pure Ohio maple syrup in your area, or tap for it with your family, visit ohiomapleproducers.com

Know Where Your Seeds Come From

PHOTO BY © KRISTEN STEVENS, KRISTEN-STEVENS.COM

While we often think of a hybrid as a positive in our ever-developing world, it is not always true of seeds. Hybrid varieties lack the resiliency of heirloom seeds mostly because they lack the history. To know where your seeds come from when planting your row of Swiss chard or pot of basil means you’re ahead of the rest in terms of sustaining lasting crops year after year and preserving the heritage of our local harvests. Here are some heirloom and organic seed-saving organizations and local seed suppliers worth checking out as you plan your garden for the growing season: Johnny’s Selected Seeds: johnnyseeds.com

Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center: heirlooms.org

Seeds of Change: seedsofchange.com

Livingston Seed Company: livingstonseed.com

International Seed Saving Institute: seedsave.org Seed Savers Exchange: seedsavers.org ~CL

Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply: groworganic.com Southern Exposure Seed Exchange: southernexposure.com

March into April can still be a chilly time of year, when cozying up with a good book and a cup of warm brew is the preferred choice among many. These colorful hand-crafted mugs by local ceramic artists Eric Rausch and Jen Kiko are comfortable in hand, ample in size and weather well, offering a truly authentic experience each time you sit back and take a sip.~CL For more information visit ericrausch.com

The Edible Little Crab Apple

PHOTO BY © CAROLE TOPALIAN

Artisan Mugs Make for a Fine Cup o’ Joe

The petals and sour fruit of the crab apple tree are spectacular in hue after the monotonous glare of winter. Gardeners and home cooks recommend using the tart little apples for a jelly, butter, preserve—even pie. Crab apples are also high in pectin, and help those low-pectin jellies to set well. While most recipes demand a fair amount of sugar to combat the bite of the apples, the flavor is worth it. And why not make use of such a multitude of fruit in your own yard? ~CL Have a recipe for crab apples? Share it with us at info@ediblecolumbus.com, or on Facebook or Twitter.

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Local and in Season

Asparagus Broccoli Breads Cabbage Cheeses Cilantro Collards Eggs Greens Honey Kale Maple Syrup Meats Milk Mustard Greens Radishes Rhubarb Spinach Turnip Greens

Share our Farm Table. Third Sunday of each month reservations required

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Inside Our LOCAl FOOD Stories

AN INTERVIEW WITH Michael Ruhlman By Steve Stover

“I’m physically compelled to write, as a shark to swim,” writes Michael Ruhlman a Cleveland native who graduated from Duke University in 1985. To date, Michael has written or co-written 18 books, 14 of which focus on food. As a “committed cook since the fourth grade” Michael’s career has woven together his love of the kitchen and the written word. In 1996 he started taking classes at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and gathered material for a series of books titled The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America (1997), The Soul of a Chef: The Pursuit of Perfection (2000) and The Reach of a Chef: Professional Cooking in the Age of Celebrity (2006). Little did he realize that the CIA would “change who he was.” We caught up with Michael and asked about his work in the culinary world as both a writer and a cook.

Q: A:

What do you love about the subject of the professional kitchen, both as a chef and a writer? I love the physicality of a kitchen. I love the immediacy and action of it. I like to cook and so I like that part of it. But there’s a real beauty to the professional kitchen—you can’t lie to yourself in a kitchen. You’re either on top of things and in control or you’re a mess; you can either do it or you can’t. All is clear.

What are some of the distinguishing aspects of a good chef? Name some of the different sensibilities you’ve encountered from chef to chef in your work.

Good chefs work clean and organized, good chefs take responsibility, good chefs don’t make excuses, good chefs don’t scream (because they know it’s already too late if they have to scream). Chef means leader, not cook. The greatness of a chef is measured by his capacity to unite and inspire his staff.

PHOTO BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

What’s the story of your beginnings in the culinary world? How did you come to this journey?

I’ve cooked for myself and others from the fourth grade on (inspired by Julia, bored after school, only child of working parents). I initiated a local chef column for a magazine article I wrote, and learned from them; then, looking for a viable second book idea, came up with the Making of a Chef premise. All this is well covered in Reach of a Chef, cooking being a shadow urge of writing.

Q: A:

What’s one of the best meals you’ve ever had?

I lost my cherry at the French Laundry, the meal I describe at length in Soul of a Chef.

Michael Ruhlman at the North Market

How did your parents inspire and influence your passion for cooking? My dad grilled all year round and loved it. He liked to cook, so did Mom. Mom brought making a Bearnaise sauce to the level of a sporting event, seeing how much butter she could get into it without its breaking. And we always ate together. We all love, love to eat.

Q: A:

What do you love about foodand chef-inspired writing?

If I can rephrase: Food- and chefinspired writing is at its best when it’s not about the food or the cooking. It’s about the bigger questions and revelations about the way the world works, even though the writer may be describing a chicken stock being skimmed, or a line cook who didn’t make enough bacon to cover his station for the whole service.

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Some of Michael Ruhlman’s Books

Michael collaborated with Thomas Keller and the French Laundry family to produce The French Laundry Cookbook (1999), a gorgeous coffee table book with meaningful advice to home cooks. This was followed by Bouchon (2004), a user-friendly French bistro cookbook; Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide (2008); and Ad Hoc at Home (2009), which is filled with useful techniques and variations on a theme. Michael also collaborated on A Return to Cooking With Eric Ripert (2002); Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing (2005), with Brian Polcyn; and Michael Symon’s Live to Cook (2009). He has just completed two books: 20: the Basic Techniques You Need to Cook Everything Else, and Salumi, with Brian Polcyn. He is currently working on a book about the Bouchon Bakery.

PHOTO BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

Other books by Michael include The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef ’s Craft For Every Kitchen (2007), an “A to Z” compendium of useful information for the cook. His most recent book is Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking (2009), a fascinating exploration of the use of ratios rather than slavish reliance on recipes.

From left to right: Jim Budros, Les Jacobs, Steve Stover, Rich Terapak and Michael Ruhlman at the North Market

Several of your books are collaborative efforts like The French Laundry Cookbook with Thomas Keller. What do you enjoy about collaborative book projects, and what’s one of your most inspiring collaborative projects to date?

What I like most about collaborative book projects is that I don’t have to do all the work! It allows everyone to do what they do best. Mostly though, it’s a pleasure to be part of a team, every one of whom does what they do really, really well. Look at the group shot of us in Ad Hoc. It’s a real honor to work with every one of those people—I am so incredibly lucky to have a place at that table.

During the spring into summer months what do you like to cook at home for you and your family?

I love to cook fresh vegetables that start to come in because they’re truly seasonal. I love to come home from the farmers market the last

week of July and have nine ears of corn and a fresh egg for breakfast. I love to grill ribs and chicken, and Vienna Beef hot dogs.

Why is cooking together and sitting down for dinner every night for a family meal so important for you and your family?

Because it’s really the only single time we’re together and united in the same act. It is an anchor to our days, grounding us. It provides time for the kids to talk leisurely with us and to listen to each other, hear about each other’s concerns. It’s an important ritual. It helps to keep us together especially at a time when the kids must separate themselves from us.

You are also an active food blogger. What advice do you have for food bloggers?

Don’t bore people.

e Steve Stover is passionate about food. He has taught cooking for nearly 30 years and reviewed restaurants and judged cooking for more than 25 years, in addition to cooking for charity events and speaking to community groups all over Central Ohio. Steve currently teaches cooking at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Faire la Cuisine in Granville. In “real life,” Steve is the legislative counsel for the Ohio State Bar Association, a position he assumed in 2000 on his retirement as administrative director of the Supreme Court of Ohio. 14

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The Columbus Food Mafia Michael Ruhlman visited Columbus last year as part of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel, in which they gushed over Kihachi but described culinary Columbus in less than glowing terms. Michael and his pal Les Jacobs were cajoled and invited back to Columbus for a “re-do” by three Columbus restaurant reviewers, dubbed the “Columbus Food Mafia” by Michael—Steve Stover, Jim Budros and Rich Terapak—five guys, 16 food stops, 22 hours, with a motto of “eat through the pain.”

This whirlwind culinary adventure included: Tacos with spicy habanero relish at Los Gauchos, a taco truck on Columbus’ west side; A tasting of OYO vodka and whiskey at Middle West Spirits, a new microdistillery using local, sustainable ingredients; Three courses— sweetbreads, cassoulet and braised rabbit, all featuring local ingredients—at Alana’s; Four appetizers, including Michael’s favorite Parmesan crème brulee, plus a trio of mini entrees—osso bucco, roasted salmon and fried eggplant—at Basi Italia; Four courses—cod fritters, roasted cod, lamb shanks and a dessert sampler—at Rigsby’s Kitchen (Michael liked the “vibe”);

A tasting of house-made sausages and charcuterie at Thurn’s on Greenlawn; A tasting from the fabulous dessert case at Pistacia Vera, including Ruhlman favorites—cannele and ginger-pear frangipane; Eight complete breakfast entrees at Skillet, including a pork croque madame and roasted duck omelet; A complete tour of the North Market with tastes at Omega Artisan Bakery and Jeni’s (Michael’s favorite— Oakvale Young Gouda with OYO Vodka-plumped cranberries, featuring four local ingredients); and finally, mercifully A “sampler platter” at City Barbeque hosted by co-founder Jim Budros, featuring Michael’s favorite brisket.

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From the KITCHEN

In the Kitchen With

Jacques Pépin Wine Pairings by Janine Aquino

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JACQUES PÉPIN

SALMON BURGERS ON BABY ARUGULA By Jacques Pépin, from More Fast Food My Way (2008)

5 Servings 1

pound totally clean salmon fillet, pinbones removed, cut into 1-inch chunks

slices of white sandwich bread, cut into cubes (1 cup)

cup diced white mushrooms

cup chopped scallions

teaspoon salt

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

tablespoon good olive oil

SALAD 4 cups baby arugula 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

FRENCH WHITE BURGUNDY POUILLY FUISSÉ SPRING 2011

Salmon is widely available in supermarkets, but I tend to go to my fishmonger for better quality. Price and quality can vary widely from farm-raised to wild. As always, freshness is the most important factor. Buy a piece of salmon that is about 20 ounces so that when you discard the skin sinews and tiny fins, it will weigh about 1 pound, enough for 4 ounces per person. The salmon, bread, mushrooms and scallions should all be cut into pieces between ½ and 1 inch before being put in the food processor; it should take only a few seconds for the moisture to stick together. For the salmon: Put all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and process for a few seconds, just until the mixture starts sticking together but remains chunky. Divide the mixture into fourths and shape each into a 4-inch-diameter burger about ¾ inch thick. At cooking time, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet and arrange the burgers in one layer in the pan. Cook, uncovered, for about 2 minutes on each side; the burgers should be slightly undercooked in the center. For the salad: Meanwhile, toss the baby arugula in a large bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Divide the salad among four plates. Place a burger in the center of each salad and serve. Would be great served with a lemon mayo drizzle.

WINE PAIRING

ne of America’s best-known chefs, cookbook authors and cooking teachers, Jacques Pépin has published 26 books and hosted 11 acclaimed public television cooking series, the most recent of which is a companion to his latest book, Jacques Pépin: More Fast Food My Way, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. A new book and PBS-TV series, both titled Essential Pépin, are scheduled for release in the fall of 2011. The book will encompass hundreds of recipes from Pépin’s long career, some of which he will demonstrate on the accompanying series.

edible columbus

ASPARAGUS CUSTARDS By Jacques Pépin, from Fast Food My Way (2004)

4 Servings At our house, this dish signals the arrival of spring. Make sure you choose asparagus with fat stalks and tight tips, indicating young fresh specimens. 1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed and bottom half of stalks peeled with a vegetable peeler 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed 3 large eggs

PHOTOS BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

½ cup heavy cream ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

WINE PAIRING AUSTRIAN DRY WHITE WINE— GRÜNER VELTLINER

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in an ovenproof skillet. Add the asparagus, bring the water back to a boil, and cook over high heat, covered, for 2–3 minutes, until the asparagus is tender but still firm when pierced with the point of a sharp knife. Drain and place the asparagus on a cutting board. Set the skillet aside. Cut off the top 3 inches of the asparagus stalks and set these tips aside for garnishing. Cut the remaining stalks into 1-inch pieces and put them in a food processor with the garlic. Process for 10 to 15 seconds, until puréed. Add the eggs, cream, most of the salt (the rest is for the tips) and pepper. Process for 10 seconds. Heat the oven to 350º. Using about ½ tablespoon of the butter, butter four small custard cups, soufflé molds or ovenproof glass dishes, each with a capacity of about a ½ cup. Divide the asparagus mixture among the molds and arrange them in the reserved skillet with enough tepid tap water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the custards are set and the point of a knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. Remove the cups from the water bath and let rest for 10 minutes before unmolding. Split the reserved asparagus tips lengthwise, put them in a skillet or an ovenproof microwavable bowl, and add the remaining dash of salt and the remaining 1½ tablespoons butter. Heat gently in the skillet on top of the stove, or in the bowl in the regular oven or microwave oven, until hot. At serving time, unmold the custards onto four individual plates and arrange the asparagus tips on top. Serve immediately.

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SPRING 201 1

SLOW AND EASY BREAD IN A POT makes

By Jacques Pépin, from More Fast FoodMy Way (2008)

Makes 1 two-pound loaf 2¼ cups tepid water (about 90°) 1

teaspoon quick-rise yeast

tablespoon salt (or more to taste)

cups all-purpose flour (about 1 pound 5 ounceses)

I have never made any bread as simple or easy as this “potted” version. Even though it takes hours to proof (rise), I decided to include it here because it requires only minimal work and ordinary ingredients. Everything is combined in a nonstick pan and the dough is proofed and baked in the same pan, so there is little cleanup. I usually mix the dough at night, using tepid water, so the rising starts fairly quickly. The dough needs to rise for about an hour at room temperature and it develops during an overnight proofing in the refrigerator. In the morning, I remove the lid from the pan and bake the bread for an hour. Combine the water, yeast and salt in a nonstick saucepan (mine is 3.2 quarts) that is about 8 inches across and 4 inches deep. Add the flour and mix thoroughly with a sturdy wooden spoon for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the dough is well combined. Cover with a lid and let rise at room temperature (about 70°) for 1 hour, until it bubbles and rises about 1 inch in the pot. Even though the dough is only partially proofed, scrape the inside of the pot above the level of the dough with a rubber spatula to collect any soft pieces of dough clinging to the sides of the pot. Still using the rubber spatula, bring the edge of the dough in toward the center to deflate it. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 12–14 hours.

WOSU Public Media Welcomes Chef Jacques Pépin to Columbus for 2011 Chefs in the City Event On April 21, 2011, WOSU Public Media will present Chefs in the City, a live, televised event spotlighting celebrity chefs and fine dining establishments in central Ohio.

SPRING 2011

edible columbus

This year’s event will focus on “local foods” and feature an elite group of local chefs along with celebrity guest Chef Jacques Pépin demonstrating signature dishes. Guests are served samples of these dishes in a spectacular multi-course taster meal. A culinary-themed online auction and other exclusive events are also a part of Chefs in the City. To learn more about the events, visit wosu.org/

chefs, check out the Chefs in the City page on Facebook, or call (614) 292-4510 for general information or (614) 292-4337 to purchase tickets. Chefs in the City 2011 will air on WOSU TV on April 30. All proceeds benefit children’s educational programming on WOSU TV.

PHOTOS BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

Preheat the oven to 425º. Uncover the pan and bake for 1 hour, covering the bread loosely with a piece of aluminum foil after 45 minutes if it is getting too brown. Remove the bread from the oven and set aside for about 5 minutes to allow the bread to shrink from the sides of the pan. Unmold and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

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Visit wosu.org/chefs and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for our “Baker’s Dozen” Culinary Auction and more!

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SPRING 201 1

Edible TRADITIONS

In Love with Lindey’s: After 30 years, Lindey’s still flourishes under Sue Doody’s gracious rule By Nancy McKibben, Photography by Catherine Murray

Today Lindey’s gleams and bustles, secure in its reputation as one of Columbus’s finest restaurants, a place to see and be seen while enjoying the best in elegant American bistro cuisine. As owner Sue Doody moves from table to table to greet her guests, her face lit by a smile of genuine welcome for each patron, a passer-by might mistake Lindey’s for the scene of a private celebration with very good party food.

ut 30 years ago, only Sue, her son Rick and a small band of supporters saw the potential of the German Village property at the corner of Beck and Mohawk Streets. With the scarlet carpet and flocked wallpaper of a bordello and the charm of a fading madame, the building seemed saddled with a curse: The previous five restaurants on the premises had died untimely deaths. Even The Dispatch wondered in print how an “Upper Arlington den mother” could “make a go of this white elephant in German Village.”

she could cook along with Julia Child. After she and Alton divorced, she taught cooking classes and catered. For years, Sue and oldest son Rick entertained a running joke about the restaurant they would someday open. In 1981, in a cosmic convergence of events: 1) Rick proposed to Sue that they actually open a restaurant, 2) the building that he had envisioned for the restaurant came up for sale, and 3) Alton agreed to help with financing. After years of dreaming, the adventure was underway. Friends and family pitched in to help, and Rick hired day laborers from the unemployment line to pull up carpet and break down walls, while Sue catered lunch for the workers on a hot plate.

A Woman Who Knows What She Wants Sparked by memories of the European restaurants her family had enjoyed, Sue imagined a new and very different sort of neighborhood restaurant for 1970s Columbus. “I wanted a brasserie, a café with bentwood chairs—casual fine dining with good, fresh food. All there was in Columbus at the time was fast food or Max and Erma’s, and then the expensive, fancy restaurants.”

“The bank laughed at me when I tried to borrow money, so I started Lindey’s founder and owner Sue Doody. on a shoestring, buying from liquidation sales at 10 cents on the dollar.” Lindey’s dishes and famous copper-topped bar (“I added the copper top”) came from the Neil House, and the carpeting from the defunct Top of the Center Restaurant. “I accounted for every penny, and it was two and a half years before we Everyone who knew Sue knew that she loved to cook. started making money.” The four Doody kids ate leftovers like chicken crepes with

“Simple food is better food…”

béchamel sauce. “Their friends loved eating at my house,” Sue recalls. When The French Chef came to PBS, Sue and her husband bought a special TV for the kitchen so that

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edible columbus

“I think,” Sue adds, “that’s the reason so many restaurants fail: They sink so much money into opening that they can never recoup it.”

Learning by Doing Sue had never worked in a restaurant. “I didn’t understand kitchen terminology. I didn’t realize how fickle the public was, or that they would try to reorganize the menu and ask for different dishes. Because I was a novice and a woman, the purveyors sent me bad produce. I learned that my kitchen manager was stealing food. I had to get tough. It was a real learning experience.” She also learned by sending Rick to Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration for his master’s degree. “I would have him send me copies of his textbooks,” Sue remembers. “Sometimes I’d come and sit in on the classes with him.” From Cornell they learned about point of sale systems, about calculating percentages for food costs and about figuring out what their margins should be if they wanted to turn a profit. Initially Sue cooked, using recipes she had developed herself, but quickly discovered that restaurant cooking was not simply a matter of multiplying home cooking ingredients by six or 10. Sue hired Chef Tom Johnson as her consultant, then as chef, until 1983 when he left to open L’Armagnac Restaurant. Next came Chef Kent Rigsby, who left to open Rigsby’s Cuisine Volatile (now Rigsby’s Kitchen) in 1986. Lindey’s remains a veritable launch pad for new chefs and restaurants, starting with the Doody sons themselves, Rick and Chris Doody.

Going Strong In restaurant parlance, Lindey’s turns over 500 dinners on an average night, many of its tables occupied by regulars who ask for the same table and the same waiter every time they come in. That is fine with Sue. “I wanted Lindey’s to be more like someone’s house, a place where people would feel welcome, not someplace where people could be intimidated by their waiters.” For example, tournedos béarnaise, developed by Chef Tom Johnson, is a signature dish that patrons sometimes mispronounce A view from outside of Lindey’s as tornados. “You won’t hear a waiter at Lindey’s correcting their pronunciation,” Sue says firmly. (It’s tour-nah-DOZE.) Natives confidently bring their most cosmopolitan out-of-town guests to Lindey’s, and the restaurant has earned accolades in Gourmet Magazine and The Washington Post. But Sue takes nothing for granted, always ploughing money back into the restaurant, as the recently remodeled bathrooms testify. Lindey’s offers space upstairs for private parties and meetings, complete with computer access, drop-down screen and projector and flat screen televisions. “I keep up with trends. I have food tastings with the chefs, and I have a good feel for what people like.”

Lindey’s Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, from As the Tables Turn: A Biography of a Bistro (2006) This is a recipe that’s easy to pull together, but it does require some initial preparation—what chefs call the mise en place, which comes from the French for “misplaced,” if we remember our high school French correctly, which we might not. In this case, all it means is that you should read through the directions completely, do the little bits of chopping and cleaning and blend the Cajun Seasoning ahead of time. You’ll have plenty of seasoning left over, so you can make the recipe even faster next time. You can also use it to rub grilled fish or meats, to season stews or rice dishes or dips or to sprinkle on steamed vegetables or anything else that needs “a swift kick in the pants.” 4 Servings 1¾ pounds dried angel hair pasta 4

ounces olive oil, half used in each of two steps

28 raw shrimp (21–25 count, about 1½ pounds before peeling), shells removed, deveined 2

teaspoons chopped fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)

¼ cup dry white wine 3

cups heavy cream

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 3

tablespoons Dijon mustard

tablespoons Cajun Seasoning (see recipe below)

cup diced, seeded Roma tomatoes (2 to 3 tomatoes)

small bunch of fresh parsley, stems removed, half chopped finely, half chopped coarsely and reserved for garnish

large fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin strips (chiffonade)

teaspoons capers, drained

tablespoons diced pimentos (roasted red pepper strips)

¾ teaspoons salt, or to taste ¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste 2

tablespoons grated Parmesan

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SPRING 201 1

Set a large pot of salted water over high heat. While it is coming to a boil, prepare the other individual ingredients: Clean the shrimp, chop the garlic, dice the tomatoes, clean and chop the parsley and basil, dice the pimentos, grate the cheese. Also prepare a bowl of ice water large enough to hold the colander in which the pasta will be drained. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until the angel hair is not quite al dente (about 4 to 6 minutes). Immediately drain the pasta in a large colander, then return it to the stock pot—off the heat—and toss it with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Set the pasta aside, covered, where it will keep warm. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to a very large heavybottom skillet or casserole pan (large enough to accommodate all the pasta as well as the shrimp sauce), and set it over medium heat. When the oil just begins smoking, add the shrimp and garlic, stirring for 1 minute to quickly sear the shrimp. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and continue stirring for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pan and turning the shrimp. Add the cream, butter, mustard, Cajun Seasoning, diced tomatoes, the finely chopped parsley, basil leaves, capers, pimentos, salt and pepper. Stir well for 1 minute to combine and heat through. Add the angel hair pasta, tossing it to coat each strand, and evenly heat the entire dish. Taste, correcting the seasonings if needed. Serve immediately, dividing up the finished pasta among four large warmed bowls, twirling the pasta to create a swirl of angel hair in each bowl. Check to see that the shrimp have been distributed evenly. Garnish each dish with the grated cheese and the roughly chopped parsley. CAJUN SEASONING Makes ½ cup (enough for 2 recipes) ¼

cup Hungarian paprika

tablespoon dried cayenne pepper

teaspoon ground cumin

1¼

teaspoons ground bay leaves (about 20 bay leaves, ground)

tablespoon dried thyme

tablespoon dried oregano

tablespoon garlic powder

1¼

teaspoon onion powder

Combine all the ingredients in an airtight jar. At the restaurant, we make up a fresh batch of Cajun seasoning each week; in your kitchen, the blend should last for several months in an airtight container, although its pungency will begin to fade.

SPRING 2011

edible columbus

And Sue perseveres. She petitioned the German Village Commission for almost 20 years before obtaining a zoning variance permitting al fresco dining in the restaurant’s courtyard. Sue’s book about Lindey’s, As the Tables Turn (2006), was another long term project completed with Michael J. Rosen. The book is a celebration of Lindey’s people over the years: staff, guests and family—a focus that embodies Sue’s sincere interest in others. After 30 years the restaurant does not exactly run itself, but the longevity of the staff makes life easier. “I can leave them and they know exactly what I want.” In addition to spending hours every day at the restaurant, Sue is active on many boards and charitable endeavors. “The city has been good to me, and I feel a sense of responsibility to give back with time and money.” Ever the practical business woman, she adds: “and seeing me at a meeting might remind someone to eat at Lindey’s.” Since remodeling the Upper Arlington house where she has lived for 45 years, Sue plans to travel in Europe with her brother “to see what’s happening in the food business.” A question about retirement prompts a look of incredulity, and then she laughs. “No, I don’t have any plans to retire,” she says. “It’s too enjoyable and too much fun down here!” Lindey’s: 169 E. Beck St., Columbus, Ohio 43526; 614-428-4343; lindeys.com. e Nancy McKibben has been writing and eating for years, and is happy to combine those loves with the opportunity to advocate for local food in the pages of Edible Columbus. Her novel The Chaos Protocol was a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award for Fiction in 2000, and she was the winner of the Thurber House Essay Contest in 2003. She is also a lyricist and journalist, the mother of six, and the wife of one. View her work at

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SPRING 201 1

Young PALATES When I was growing up in Thailand all school children had to grow sprouts for science classes. Mung bean sprouts were the preferred sprouting choice, probably because they are ubiquitous in most Asian countries and their cuisines.

Sprouts for Spring: From sprouting seeds, little gardeners may grow

In school, we were each assigned to grow the little green seeds either on a wet tissue paper, in the sun or in the shade. The results differed vastly depending on the environment of the seeds. I remember loving the process— watching the seeds grow into real plants with leaves and all. It was quite an eye-opener for a little girl who was just learning about how things grow. Growing sprouts has become quite popular for the health-conscious community. It is better understood now that sprouts are very nutritious, rich with high levels of vitamins, especially if you consume them within the first few days of the sprouting. It is also a great way both to introduce children to different kinds of greens and to teach them where their food comes from. How satisfying it is for those little hands to grow their own food, and eat it within a few days.

Story and Photography By Kit Yoon

My children love to watch things grow, as is true with most other children. Thankfully, they are not limited to growing mung beans sprouts (although we have grown those as well). They have many more choices and varieties of legumes and seeds they can choose from. Some sprouts can taste quite nutty (sunflower and pumpkin seeds),

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Here are some seeds commonly sprouted for eating. Visit our website for full instructions on how to grow and harvest them on your own.

Adzuki (Vigna angularis):

sprouts 3–5 days; the bean and root are mild flavored. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa):

sprouts 5-7 days; the leaves are mild flavored.

1 SPRING 2011

sprouts 2–4 days; bean and root are hearty eating.

Clover (Trifolim pratense, T. incarntum): sprouts in

Kale (Brassica oleracea, Acephala group): sprouts 2–5

4–6 days; tangy flavor.

days; leaves have strong flavor.

Sprouting lentils seeds, day 4.

edible columbus

Garbanzo (Cicer arietinum):

3–5 days; cabbage flavor.

Soaking seeds in jars.

Cabbage (Brasscia oleracea, Capitata group): sprouts in

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Kit Yoon was born and raised in Thailand. She came to the United States in the late â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;80s and has since lived in Boston, Northern California and now Columbus, Ohio. She is a freelance photographer and writer as well as a trained acupuncturist and reflexologist. She enjoys exploring the unique gems that Central Ohio has to offer and blogs about it at coolcolumbus.blogspot.com. Kit lives in Bexley with her husband and two children.

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Lentil (Lens culinaris):

Mustard (Brassica nigra):

Radish (Raphanus sativus):

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Mung (Vigna radiata):

Peas (Pisum sativum): TQSPVUT o EBZT CFBO BOE SPPUT BSF NJME Ã¬BWPSFE

Black Sunflower (Helianthus annus): TQSPVUT o EBZT

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Mung bean sprouts, about one week old.

Sunflower seed sprouts, about a week old. Once the green leaves are fully opened, they are ready for harvest.

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HOME

Cambodian Columbus Cooking with the Khims By Tamara Mann Tweel and Charmaine Sutton

Columbus is home to over 10,000 new Americans. Families from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ghana, Korea, and Somalia (to name only a few) have recreated their culinary traditions in our midst, setting up community gardens, grocery stores and restaurants along highways and back roads. Our new department “A Taste of Home” will feature local flavors from around the globe, tracing how ingredients like cassava, kaffir lime and palm oil have made their way to local dinner tables. We’ll meet the mothers, grandfathers, grocery store owners, farmers and restaurant chefs who have adapted their tastes of home to the culinary landscape of Columbus. In our first story, Tamara Mann Tweel and Charmaine Sutton explore Columbus’ Cambodian community, from the local temple to the kitchen of an authentic Cambodian cook. e In an unassuming homestead on a stretch of land minutes from Grove City, the Venerable Soeung Eap sits. Draped in flamboyant orange, the monk gestures for us to slip off our shoes and join the maze of brightly colored rugs and smiling people on the floor. Chants fill the room and children bedecked in sparkling cloth bounce between stacks of silver trays steaming with the sweet fragrance of sticky rice. It is the annual Kathina ceremony in which Buddhists across the world come to give new robes and edibles to their monks. In Columbus, Buddhist first- and second-generation Cambodian Americans gather together at the Wat Khmer to give alms, catch up with friends, and, of course, to eat. Cambodian (or Khmer) cuisine is a dazzling blend of sweet and silky curries, crisp stir-fries, tangy vegetables and fruit. It reflects a history of shared culture with India and China, French colonization and the country’s geographic placement between Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. Ingredients are always fresh, spice is beloved and the yin and yang of salty/sweet and cooked/raw is pronounced. Outside the Temple, in a shed that doubles as a kitchen and celebration hall, women stir rice in a giant communal wok, slice banana flowers into thin rounds, and place an exhilarating array of bright green, fuchsia and glossy white desserts on flower-adorned platters. The intoxicating mix of lemongrass, kaffir lime, fried rice and milky coconut stir our stomachs and prompt us to ask the silky-haired wok masters, “Where do you get your ingredients and can you please teach us how to cook with them!” After a few coy laughs and perplexed

PHOTOS BY © CHARMAINE SUTTON AND TAMARA MANN TWEEL

TASTE

Mrs. Khim’s steamy fish amok in young coconut

stares they reply, almost in unison, “We don’t know how to cook—you have to ask our mothers.” Although we didn’t find a guide to Khmer-Columbus cuisine at the temple, we did get the names of three grocery stores that helped supply the ingredients for the feast: Apsara Markets, Luc’s Asian Market Groceries and Westgate Import Market. We had the source; now we had to find a Cambodian mother willing to teach us how to cook.

The Khims Cambodian refugees began arriving in the United States in the late 1970s, after the federal government enacted the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis in war-torn Southeast Asia. After escaping the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and surviving the trials of refugee camps, the majority of Cambodians living in Columbus came by way of other American towns to be closer to family members, friends and a thriving communal life. While exact numbers are difficult to find, by 2003 there were roughly 1,800 Cambodians living and working in Columbus. For many of these new Americans, community life centers on religious institutions. Theravada Buddhists attend the Wat Khmer while Christians attend Khmer services at local churches. The Water for Life Church on Sullivant Avenue even hosts a monthly potluck, replete with Cambodian home cooking.

WHAT TO GROW: LEMONGRASS AND KAFFIR LIME Lemongrass, a tender perennial with a mild lemony fragrance and a zesty flavor, can be used to enhance numerous fish, poultry and stir-fry dishes by crushing or slicing the bottom of the stalk. The kaffir lime tree, a member of the citrus family, produces leaves that add a zingy brilliance to soups and curries. Both lemongrass and kaffir lime can grow well in Columbus and should be planted in late spring. Purchase both plants by special order at Oakland Nursery.

Oakland Nursery 1156 Oakland Park Ave. Columbus, OH 43224 Phone: 614-268-3511 Open daily: 9am–6pm

WHERE TO SHOP

The Khim Family

If you attend one of these potlucks you are likely to come across the Khim family, a magnanimous band of culinary and artistic savants. The mother and father, Yom and Sovann, escaped from Cambodia in 1979 and traveled by foot to Thailand. After four years in a refugee camp, the Khims immigrated to the United States. They are a close family tied together by their shared Christian faith, weekly family meals and a contagious excitement for each other’s cooking. Everyone in the family cooks. Mr. Khim is known for his stir-fried beef, the sons make a mean fish taco and Mrs. Khim, acclaimed in her church and various grocery stores for her talents as a chef, can make pretty much anything. As her son Keo, a local entrepreneur, artist and owner of KKDesigns, advised after our first conversation, “You need to speak to my mom, she is the best cook in town.”

To find your ingredients for amok and other Cambodian specialties, visit Amanda Keet, the energetic owner of Apsara Market. At Apsara, members of the community often donate their crop of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, so you can still eat local! And a tip: call ahead to make sure they have kaffir lime in stock. Apsara Markets 801 Harrisburg Pike, Columbus, OH 43223 614-272-8170 Open daily: 9am–8pm

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Khmer Amok A few phone calls later we were on our way to Galloway, where Keo and his wife welcomed us into their home for what we thought would be a one-course cooking lesson with Mrs. Khim. Minutes after our arrival, we realized we had been invited to a multi-course family meal, replete with the entire Columbus Khim family and thrilling plates of the succulent Khmer desserts we had spied earlier at the temple. Lucky us! We began the day with a crisp cup of young coconut juice and watched as Mrs. Khim pulled out the ingredients for the celebrated Cambodian fish curry, amok. Each region in Cambodia has a specific take on amok. Some chefs steam the fish into a mousse using a banana leaf; others prefer it boiled into a soup, while others, like Mrs. Khim, steam the mixture in a fresh young coconut. Four attributes unite this variety of approaches: freshwater fish, kroeng (a ground spice paste that features lemongrass, krachai, a wild ginger, and kaffir lime leaves), coconut milk and a leaf endemic to Cambodia, slok ngor (Morinda citrifolia). Mrs. Khim starts with the kroeng. With iron-chef precision, she thinly slices and then blends a mixture of kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, garlic, wild ginger root and turmeric into a fine paste. After the paste comes the stew, a combination of reduced coconut milk, fish sauce, filets of catfish and greens. As slok ngor is extremely difficult to find in Columbus, Mrs. Khim substitutes thinly sliced collard greens. When the mixture is ready, she delicately places the aromatic blend in a young coconut for steaming. “Wait till you taste the coconut meat with the curry,” she gushes. After 20 fragrant minutes, Mrs. Khim pops open the top of the coconut, expertly carved by Mr. Khim, and delicately garnishes the zesty citrus stew with a julienned mixture of kaffir lime leaves and red bell pepper. Finally, we eat! Served over perfectly steamed rice, amok is a dish that comforts and surprises. The creamy reduced coconut pairs perfectly with the sharp lemongrass and aromatic kaffir lime. The buttery fish manages to retain its plump shape and melt easily into the other ingredients. Perhaps the most surprising and delicious textures in the dish are the long thin slices of collard greens that wrap around the fish and give the curry a healthy density. The two most important ingredients for amok, lemongrass and kaffir lime, came directly from Mrs. Khim’s home. She plants lemongrass in her garden and lovingly tends to a kaffir lime tree that winters indoors. “One year,” laughs her daughter Martha, “we used the kaffir lime for a Christmas tree.” “It smelled delicious,” the sons pipe. As we prepare to leave, Mrs. Khim begs us to take a little bit of everything for our husbands. She places the rest of the kroeng in freezer bags, slices some of the dessert and painstakingly garnishes little containers of amok. “They have to see what it should be like,” she grins. “I don’t want to be embarrassed.” With our Khmer care packages tightly secured under our arms, we leave the sweetsmelling Khim lair, fortunate to bring a small taste of the Khims’ home into ours.

A Khmer Feast

e Tamara Mann Tweel is a freelance writer and PhD candidate in American History at Columbia University. Born and raised in New York City, Tamara comes from a boisterous clan of exploratory eaters with two passions: family and food. She is excited to bring this spirit to Columbus and discover the many world traditions that are being recreated within our city. Her culinary writing has appeared in such publications as The Washington Post, Icons of American Cooking and Museum. Charmaine Sutton is a designer with an obsession for all things food-related. With a background in magazines and architecture, she spends her days honing her skills as a marketer of architecture. As a recent transplant to Columbus, she enjoys exploring town with her husband in search of the perfect bowl of noodles.

FOR THE STEW 8 Âź 1 Â˝ 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2 2 1 4

HOW TO MAKE MRS. KHIMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AMOK Serves 10

FOR THE KROENG (PASTE) 10 10 10 1

kaffir lime leaves (stem removed and roughly chopped) stalks lemongrass (sliced into thin rounds) cloves garlic (roughly chopped) bunch krachai wild ginger root (roughly chopped and root nodules peeled) 2 tablespoons turmeric powder 1 cup water (as needed to make into a paste) 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3 red chilies

.9AJ 2@== 5=DD At Market District,ÂŽ we believe wine is an integral part of the dining experience, and invite you to discover how wine can take your next meal to the next level. Sign up for one of our classes or try out the pairings at our Food & Wine Fridays â&#x20AC;&#x201D; taught by our wine experts for food lovers of all levels!

1== KLGJ= GJ NAKAL OOO +9JC=L"AKLJA;L ;GE #N=FLK >GJ EGJ= AF>GJE9LAGF Kingsdale 3061 Kingsdale Center Upper Arlington, OH 43221 614.538.0762

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catfish or tilapia filets cut into 1-inch pieces cup of fish sauce can coconut milk tablespoon salt tablespoons sugar tablespoons chicken granules (bouillon cubes can be substituted) bunch collard greens, sliced into Â˝-inch long strips young coconuts, tops cut and saved, juice extracted (depends on size. You can always enjoy the extra stew without steaming it in the coconut.)

TO GARNISH: Chiffonade of kaffir lime leaves Thinly sliced red bell pepper Place ingredients for the kroeng in blender and add water slowly until paste forms. Then heat the coconut milk on high until it is reduced by half. Add one cup of paste and simmer until fragrant. Follow with fish sauce, salt, sugar and chicken granules. Then gently add the fish and stir until cooked (10â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15 minutes). Add the collard greens and cook until soft. Scoop the mixture into the coconut, cover and steam for 20 minutes. Remove the coconuts from the steamer, garnish and serve.

3^]zc <Xbb 5^^S FX]T 5aXSPhb Join our wine and food experts to tour the store as you sample and learn about exceptional wines paired with chef-selected small plates. Eat, drink, share and learn while enjoying time with food-and-wine lovers like yourself. Must be 21 years of age to attend. Photo ID required.

6 wines, $6, Register at the Customer Service Desk near the Pharmacy 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

<PaZTc 3XbcaXRc FX]T BRW^^[ 1XV ATSb 1[X]S) CPbcT ;XZT cWT ?a^b A fun and informative tasting of six big, red wines sampled â&#x20AC;&#x153;blindâ&#x20AC;? (brown bagged). Learn how to evaluate their ďŹ&#x201A;avor components and determine the grape varietal from which each is made. Small plates of food will be served. Please register online or in the Wine Department prior to the class. Must be 21 years of age to attend. Photo ID required.

February 22, $25, Upstairs Conference Room 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

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Photo of an original drawing by Kate Lord from Malabar Farm, courtesy of The Wooster Book Company.

“As soils are depleted, human health, vitality and intelligence go with them.” —Louis Bromfield

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Worth the TRIP

MALABAR FARM: Louis Bromfield and his journey from pitchfork to pen By Shawnie Kelly

returning to his native Ohio. At age 41, with nearly two dozen novels and short story collections under his belt, Bromfield traded his pen for a pitchfork.

is an understatement. Bromfield not

Pleasant Valley

only championed the American farmer

Bromfield was beckoned home to the rolling hills of Pleasant Valley in northern Ohio, where he purchased 900 acres in 1938. He built a 32-room farmhouse, naming it for the famed Malabar Coast of India where two of his best-selling novels were set. Bromfield lived out the rest of his life at Malabar Farm, an experimental farmer by day and best-selling author in his spare time.

o say Louis Bromfield was a strong advocate of scientific agriculture

in time of the Great Depression, he spearheaded a radical conservation effort in the name of soil, rain and man. His life, literature and legacy are centered on the interconnectednes between earth and its inhabitants—a topic of increasing consequence in the 21st century. Bromfield (1896–1956), a Mansfield native, is remembered as a Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist, screenwriter, globetrotter and all around renaissance man. But to agronomists and organic food lovers he was an agricultural pioneer, revered for innovative farming techniques, visionary views on conservation and sensitive writings about the interrelationship between humans, beasts and nature. Bromfield spent much of his childhood on his grandfather’s farm, developing a deep respect and admiration for the “life of the husbandman.” He flirted with agricultural studies at Cornell, but opted to pursue journalism at Columbia University, soon writing critically acclaimed books and winning the 1927 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The illustrious author, who counted famous artists, actors and a maharaja among his friends, described himself simply as a farmer at heart. After a decade in Europe, several trips to India and a disheartening stint in Hollywood, Bromfield packed it in,

For the next two decades, Bromfield dedicated his life to soil conservation, pioneering innovative grass-based, sustainable farming techniques. Malabar Farm was one of the first organic farms and one of the first to ban pesticides, which were already so widely used that legislation to control them was passed as early as 1910. One of Bromfield’s most impressive endeavors was a hard stance against monocultural farming. For generations, large-scale single crops depleted the soil of its vital nutrients, impacting the entire ecosystem, with birds among its biggest casualties. Crop rotation not only gave the soil time to replenish itself but drew a diversity of wildlife back to the land. Strategic integration of crops and livestock; recycling the biomass; vegetation management; and innovative machinery were among the methodologies that, together, helped heal the land and produce a healthy food source. Malabar soon became the most famous farm in America and served as a model for Bromfield’s “New Agriculture,” drawing upward of 20,000 visitors annually from around the world. Farmers and schoolchildren weren’t the only pilgrims. Some of the 1940s biggest Hollywood stars found their way to Pleasant Valley—and all had to earn their keep at the Big House by undertaking daily farm chores. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were frequent visitors to the farm and secretly married at Malabar in 1946 where a shrine to their nuptials remains in the dining.

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During Bromfield’s lifetime, Malabar Farm became a living classroom and continues as such with extensive programming and year-round workshops. Enthusiastic tour guides lead visitors through the artifact-laden Big House and on tractor tours of the sprawling property, Photo of Louis Bromfield from the book From telling entertaining My Experience, courtesy of the Ohio Department of anecdotes of Bromfield’s Natural Resources and The Wooster Book Company. personal life and agricultural legacy. A mile away from the main house is Malabar Farm Restaurant, serving Malabar-raised meats and other seasonal, organic products on the home-style menu. Just up the road is Bromfield’s original street-side market, the early farm’s most profitable enterprise. A “beautiful and airy pavilion” was built in a strategic location near the property’s natural spring, which is channeled into concrete water troughs for washing, chilling and storing the products. Malabar Farm Market is open for business from May through October, carrying the farm’s fresh-picked, seasonal produce, fruit, herbs, flowers and more. The list of culinary products available at the gift shop is equally impressive, ranging from maple syrup, fudge and brown eggs to Malabar-raised meat. Backyard farmers will find chicken feed, birdseed, hay and even small livestock, such as rabbits and lambs. Bromfield wrote that “poor land makes poor people.” He intended for Malabar Farm to carry on as a premier example of environmentally sound agriculture. After his death in 1956, Malabar Farm sadly fell into financial debt, but in 1976 the State of Ohio assumed responsibility, turning the property into a state

Books by Bromfield

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park as Bromfield had wished. Today, the farm perpetuates his philosophies by pursuing ways to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact while investing in sustainable practices for the long-term health of the land.

Worth the Trip Malabar Farm, an hour north of Columbus, is worth the trip any time of year. Guests not only reap the recreational benefits of Malabar Farm’s status as a state park but have the opportunity to learn more about farm operations, food production and natural habitats through educational exhibits and workshops. The farm’s programming offers hands-on experiences for children and adults, including hearthside cooking, syrup production and an opportunity to visit beehives from which Malabar Honey is harvested. Spring is a perfect time to head to the farm for its annual Maple Syrup Festival. The free event is held the first two weekends in March, with demonstrations in syrup production, tours of the sugar camp and other special events. Spring is in the air when syrup buckets dangle from the trees and nothing screams summer like a barn dance. Warmer months bring hayrides, square dancing, fishing and “Farm Fun” Days, while autumn ushers in harvest activities and the Ohio Heritage Days. Malabar’s year ends with sleigh rides and holiday candlelit tours. Every season brings a different experience, so that one visit is almost never enough. Malabar Farm State Park: 4050 Bromfield Road, Lucas, Ohio 44843; 419-892-2784; malabarfarm.org. e

Shawnie Kelley is a freelance writer living in Upper Arlington with her husband, Kevin Foy. She is the author of the Insiders’ Guide to Columbus, It Happened on Cape Cod and more than two dozen articles for various history and travel magazines. Shawnie teaches travel and architectural classes for Upper Arlington’s Lifelong Learning and is the owner of Wanderlust Tours, a cultural and culinary tour company. Her belief in eating local, support of local businesses and passion for food makes her writing for Edible Columbus an ideal pairing.

Bromfield earned fame as a novelist whose books were focused on the need for humans to live in harmony with each other and nature. He eventually turned to nonfiction, writing serious environmental books and sensitive, introspective tales of life on the farm. One of Bromfield’s most beloved books, Pleasant Valley (1945) spells out his progressive ideas about organic farming and wide-eyed sense of rediscovery. The sequel, Malabar Farm (1948), is a collection of essays

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about the successes and shortcomings of the estate. Out of the Earth (1948), New Pattern for a Tired World (1954), From My Experience (1955) and Animals and Other People (1955) show various dimensions of the man: nature writer, ecologist, philosopher and myth-maker. All six books are important inclusions to the canon of environmental writing and continue to inspire modern agricultural practices.

Photo of an original drawing by Kate Lord from Malabar Farm, courtesy of The Wooster Book Company.

A Living Classroom

Join the Edible Book Club this year! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll start with Joan Gussow and her book, This Organic Life. Visit ediblecolumbus.com to learn more and register. ediblecolumbus.com

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Artisan

FOODS

Terry spinning the wheel to activate the grinding process.

The Story of a Local Collaboration:

FARMER, MILLER, BAKER Practice Farm to Table in Less Than 30 miles Story and Photography By Kit Yoon

an Kremer, Terry Clark and Margaret Begg met on a cold January day in 2010. After exchanging their stories and skills, they realized that they had a few things in common. First of all, they all live and work within 30 miles of each other. Secondly, their artisanal skills revolve around the production and processing of grains. Thirdly, they all share a passion for producing local, sustainable and nutritious products. Their talents and skills, together with the proximity to each other, were too significant to let go unnoticed. Here is the story: Dan is a farmer. Terry is a miller. Margaret is a baker. They decided to would collaborate around the production and processing of spelt, a rediscovered nutritious grain. With the help of Leslie Handshoe, a designer who was already working with Margaret and her bakery, a collaboration between the three artisans was born. Their brand, simply titled “The Farmer, The Miller, The Baker,” offers some of the best spelt products found in Central Ohio today. This kind of partnership is not a new concept. In fact, this is how life used to be before large corporations began buying up smaller businesses and, inadvertently or not, wiping out local economies that had sustained local food communities for centuries.

less processedgrain compared to wheat, therefore the vitamins and minerals are better kept intact. It is rich in protein, B vitamins, magnesium and fiber. It is also a reliable source of iron, niacin, thiamine, copper and phosphorous. In addition, because spelt has a lower content of gluten compared to wheat, people with mild wheat allergies do not seem to be affected by spelt. Though more difficult to process, there are several benefits to growing spelt. First of all, spelt flour has a higher price in the market than wheat. Secondly, spelt is a fall crop. Dan can start sowing 27 acres of spelt on his farm in the fall for a mid-summer harvest. Spelt also yields more straw for his cattle, and the hulls make great bedding for his egg-laying chickens. It is, over all, a very useful grain to grow. Dan is one excited farmer to be collaborating with other local artisans. He believes that the key to our nation’s current economic problem is to restore rural economies. One remedy for this problem, Dan suggests, is in the three Ps: produce, process and prepare. If all those can be done locally, Dan believes that our local economy can be strong: 45 cents of every dollar will stay in the local economy if we do it this way. If we go the big store chain route, only 15 cents of every dollar stays locally.” He has a point. Those numbers add up quite differently.

The historic mill, one of five water-powered mills left in Ohio today.

The Farmer

Dan bent over to pick up a green blade of spelt as he recounted how he used to send his spelt berries to Texas for processing. “It was very convenient. The trucks would come over, we would dump tons of grain into the truck and off they went. And I would get a check a few weeks later.” Dan paused, then continued by saying: “But it’s shallow.”

Dan Kremer, fourth-generation farmer and owner of Eat Food For Life Organic Farm in Yorkshire, Ohio, has been growing spelt organically for over a decade. Dan grows several types of grains, but spelt stands out in his repertoire. For one thing, the type of spelt that Dan grows, Oberkulmer Spelt, has never been genetically modified.

Dan recalled a book that inspired him, Deep Economy by Bill McKibben. In it, the author suggests that the way we look at food determines whether we grow deep roots or shallow roots in our economy. “The more we can attach faces to food, the more we can strengthen our economy,” said Dan.

I asked him why he grows spelt at all, as it is not the most common grain crop in Ohio.

Dan’s passion for growing food for the health of his customers as well as the health of the local economy was palpable and contagious. Before I left the farm and moved onto the mill, Dan handed me some spelt cookies.

On a beautiful warm fall day, under brilliant blue skies, I drove west from Columbus to meet the three collaborators and hear their story. I decided to follow the path of their spelt products from start to finish. First, I met with the farmer.

“I was ill, and needed to change the way I ate,” Dan told me as we walked down to the spelt field, passing turkeys and chickens that were foraging happily. Among other things, Dan said, he chose to eat and grow spelt for its nutritious qualities. Spelt is a much

“They are so good, and good for you! You will love them!” he said to me. I could hear the pride in his voice.

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Dan Kremer, the farmer, in his field with spelt.

The Miller

The Baker

Not too far down a few more rural roads, I arrived at the rugged, well-maintained Bear’s Mill. This mill, which stands next to Greenville Creek, has been in operation since 1849. Terry Clark and his wife, Julie, bought the mill in 1978.

Bakehouse Bread and Cookie Company is located in Troy, Ohio. I arrived in midafternoon, so the bakery was quiet after the lunchtime rush. Margaret and her husband, Steve, took me around the kitchen, the heart and soul of their business.

Declared a historic site, Bear’s Mill is one of five water-powered mills left in Ohio. It still uses the much-coveted Buhr stones from France to grind the grains, which is an important piece of the process. I was lucky to witness the grinding in progress as Terry, the master miller, demonstrated and explained how it is done.

“I was looking to work with local grains when I met Dan and Terry,” recalled Margaret. “That is difficult to find these days,” she added.

Terry Clark, the miller, outside the mill.

“Buhr stones stay colder than other stones. They grind more slowly and gently, which helps in preserving all the nutrients in the grains,” he explained.

Margaret’s spelt sourdough was inspired by her first trip to San Francisco 20 years ago.

Terry and Julie did not plan on owning or operating a mill. When this historic site was put up for sale and an amusement park was preparing to purchase it and tear it down, the couple intervened, bought the building and kept it intact. Neither of them knew a thing about how to operate a mill, let alone a water-powered one. “I read a lot of books,” Terry told me. “It took me about a year to get it right,” he grinned. At the mill, Terry is the master miller. Although he has a side job of driving trucks around the country, when he is home in Ohio, he is passionate about this unfortunately disappearing art. “Sometimes he will be in the mill for hours,” Julie told me. “It’s meditative for him.”

Margaret Begg, the baker, at her Bakehouse in Troy.

Margaret’s bakery is the final stop for the spelt grains to be turned into The Farmer, The Miller, The Baker products, which currently include spelt sourdough bread and spelt oatmeal cookies. Since the collaboration solidified, Margaret receives 50–100 pounds of spelt flour milled by Terry once a week.

“I had the best sourdough in my life. I knew that I had to come back and make my own,” she said. Her sourdough loaves made with spelt flour, however, are quite different from the ones she experienced in San Francisco. “My spelt loaves are made from stone-ground flour. They are very fresh, with all the nutrients intact because they are made with healthier flour.” This is largely due to the fact that the spelt was grown and ground just about 30 miles away from the bakery. Like the other two artisans I had just met, Margaret is a big believer in local collaboration, and education. The concept of farm to table is very important to her. “There is a global energy for us to be coming together to regain integrity in our products. We are losing sensibility of where our foods come from and how they are produced. It is essential to our future generations to know how that local bread is made, how does the grain go from the farm to the mill and to the baker.”

Besides spelt, Terry also grinds wheat, corn and rye flour. Most of the products are sold at the mill store, and some get sent to other local bakeries. “We used to work with the big guys, too, but they burned us,” said Terry. “No more. We want to surround ourselves with good people who do good things.”

The bread and cookies are sold at her bakery in Troy, but a good quantity goes back to the farm and the mill store to complete this admirably simple but sustainable collaboration.

With a firm handshake from the miller, and some fresh spelt flour in my bag, I proceeded to the third and last step in this local food chain. e

Visit farmermillerbaker.wordpress.com to learn more about the producers and products.

Winter 2010

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Foodshed Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). MORPC has been awarded a two-year, $864,000 federal grant to bring civic agriculture to the redevelopment of Weinland Park, in particular some former industrial sites and surrounding blocks being rehabilitated by Wagenbrenner Development.

A Neighborhood Food Plan: What can happen when a community comes together to embrace the dream of better food By Brian Williams and Michael Jones

Weinland Park is awaiting a new dawn, and it plans to start the morning with a healthful breakfast. The neighborhood, southeast of the Ohio State University campus, has a growing number of community and backyard gardens, but much of the open space is vacant or awaiting redevelopment. There is no farmers market in the immediate neighborhood, nor are there any facilities to process or distribute food, and no jobs related to such businesses. A Kroger store on the southwestern boundary of the neighborhood is being reconstructed, but less than 60% of Weinland Park residents own cars, limiting their options to buy fresh food there or outside the neighborhood. Much of the area is characterized by poverty and a transient population, with corner convenience stores that sell mostly alcohol and tobacco. Malnutrition and obesity among its residents, young and old alike, are all too common. “At the corner stores you see hot dogs, chips, cookies. You don’t see nothing healthy at all,” says Weinland Park resident Michelle Pauley. “People I know go down there [to the corner stores] three, four, five times during the day. I’m, like, ‘Why are you wasting your food stamps like that?’ If there was a better alternative to what’s offered in the corner stores I think people would use it.” Dr. Jennifer Dyer, a pediatric endocrinologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, agrees. “Americans don’t want to be defined as obese,” says Dyer, who has become passionate about the need to improve nutrition in neighborhoods like Weinland Park. “We have lots of unique local and regional variances of food that we should be proud of. Communities are completely defined by food.” Imagine a revitalized and redefined Weinland Park with community gardens within a five-minute stroll of every resident, vertical gardens up the side of the CSX railroad embankment, a year-round farmers market, an indoor aquaponic fish farm, facilities for processing and distributing food from urban farms and gardens, and other components of a neighborhood food plan. That’s the dream of a consortium of planners, academics, developers, community groups and nonprofits convened by the

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But even these ambitious goals—creating the conditions for Weinland Park and other urban communities to grow more food for themselves—will not be enough to meet the overall needs of residents.

For that, we need to look beyond Columbus and Franklin County to the 11 other mostly rural counties of Central Ohio for collaboration. Fortunately, MORPC has a plan for that, too. With partners such as Local Matters, Franklin County, City of Columbus, Ohio State University, Ohio Department of Agriculture and area farmers, MORPC produced a Central Ohio Local Food Assessment and Plan a year ago. The plan, released in April 2010, offers 24 recommendations to increase the production, processing, distribution and consumption of local foods. The central theme emerging from the report is access: guaranteeing that the smallest farmers have access to the market, and that the poorest and most isolated residents of the region have access to fresh, healthful local food. The goals of the Weinland Park project include providing more healthful, unprocessed food for lower income populations. The pursuit is timely as studies show that low-income residents in areas lacking easy access to healthful foods are susceptible to obesity and related issues, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and respiratory problems. Replacing processed foods with more healthful foods is critical because, as Dyer says, “processed foods are often compounded by the addition of corn-syrup sugars that induce metabolism changes that lead to diabetes because of insulin resistance.” She reports seeing startling rates of child obesity and diabetes in her practice and research. She has done surveys in Columbus with young parents and expectant mothers to get some answers. While transportation and food access can be problems, Dyer says the biggest challenge to improving diet is that so many parents don’t know how to cook—and often don’t even have pots and pans. She also notes that people are influenced by what their parents ate, and that there are cases of two generations that have subsisted on fast food and processed food. “It would be great to be able to go to a store and have recipes and food arranged to help guide me in making good food choices, because I don’t know how to cook very well,” says Pauley, the Weinland park resident. “Healthy, affordable food within walking distance—that would be awesome.”

PHOTOS BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

Local

The three core strategies for a successful neighborhood food plan include: build up the supply of local food, create easy access to it for everyone and provide educational opportunities, including cooking skills relating to healthful foods, that focus on young children and adults and that encourage families to have more meals together. As Dyer noted, community gardens, urban farms and farmers markets are very visible and can help trigger â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śa cultural shift. If there is more sustainable food grown in the neighborhood, it inspires people to ask questions. The fact is that people are happier when they have the skills to make their own food and it creates a sense of pride; it starts to change the sense of community. Food is very social. Research also shows that when kids help prepare food, they will more likely try it and eat it.â&#x20AC;?

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Supporting local food can also have a major economic impact. Ohioans spend $43 billion per year on food in grocery stores and restaurants, but only a fraction goes to farmers or stays in the state. Local processing, packing and distribution of Ohio milk, livestock and produce can create local jobs and add to profits that stay in Ohio communities. Food produced closer to where we live is more sustainable, accessible to all, and is fresher and tastier. A local food system is a broad network of interrelated factors: cities and rural areas, farms, farmers markets, community gardens and supermarkets, Veggie Vans, processing and distribution, business and health. It challenges us to reconsider how we eat, what we eat and where it comes from. And, it takes holistic approach to bring about major transformation of the system. The Weinland Park neighborhood food plan is, in many ways, a microcosm of that network. With the community acting as a true partner, informing the process of how it wants to feed itself, the dream of a healthful breakfast, lunch and dinner can happen without the shadows of the Golden Arches.

Michael Jones is the executive director of Local Matters and owner of the Greener Grocer at the historic North Market. He studied at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, New York, and the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Piedmont, Italy. Michael serves on the Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ohio Food Policy Council Market Task Force subcommittee and also sits on the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (MORPC) Agriculture and Local Food Working Committee. Brian Williams is an agriculture specialist for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, with a focus on promoting local foods and farmland preservation. He is a member of the Ohio Farmland Preservation Advisory Board and the Ohio Food Policy Advisory Council. Before that, he had a 25-year newspaper career that included four years as agriculture reporter for the Columbus Dispatch.

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From the

Ground Up A thriving farm leads to growth all around with Kent Peter’s Black Creek Bistro By Seth Borgen, Photography by Catherine Murray

hen Kent Peters first opened Black Creek Bistro in May 2007, he did so in a part of Olde Towne East that had seen better days. Vagrancy was a problem. Drug paraphernalia littered the gutters. Overhead, the streetlights didn’t work anymore, leaving the block in darkness each night.

We never see you, Jamie told his father. You grow and sell stuff to restaurants. You build and run restaurants for other companies. Why don’t you do it for yourself?

It seems like you’re putting in a nice restaurant, local residents would say to Kent while he was renovating his space on the corner of Parsons and Oak. Why would you do it here?

After the role he’s played in the turnaround in Olde Towne East and Black Creek Heritage Farm over the years, Kent has a new reclamation project in mind: changing how the people of Columbus think about food.

Today, it’s impossible to miss the impact that Kent, his family, the staff of Black Creek Bistro and their work with local neighborhood associations have had on this once untended part of town. Tireless work and determination have breathed life into the area. New businesses are thriving. Crime is down. And rewired, bright-burning streetlights illuminate what is now possible.

Outside of freshness and creativity, the menu at Black Creek Bistro is hard to pigeonhole. “Eclectic American,” Kent calls it. On any given day, you’ll see Asian influence right next to Greek, or a pork burrito right next to a hummus and tabouli sandwich.

None of this comes as a surprise to anyone who knows Kent Peters. What he brought to this neighborhood are the same two attributes he’s brought to everything he’s ever set his mind to: a pioneer’s work ethic and a knack for renewal. Kent was raised on a farm. His family and the other families in the area worked together to grow and store everything they needed to remain self-sufficient, donating the rest. As an adult, vegetable gardens seemed to overtake the yards of every home he lived in. Which perhaps explains what led Kent and his family to buy Black Creek Heritage Farm in Canal Winchester 13 years ago, restoring the old farmhouse into a home, and invigorating 11 acres of fallow farmland. “I’ve always been in the restaurant industry by default,” Kent says of his life prior to opening Black Creek Bistro. He had years of food service experience, his farm was supplying the kitchens of local chefs, and he found himself working oppressive hours to support other people’s visions as to what a restaurant should be. That all changed one day after Kent had a talk with one of his most trusted advisors, Jamie, his youngest son, who was not yet 10 years old at the time.

And so that’s exactly what he did.

A dish of particular repute is the Slow-Roast Duck Gnocchi. Several distinctly flavored ingredients—garlic, onion and cranberries among them—skillfully neutralize each other’s idiosyncrasies, resulting in a dish that is as satisfying as it is somehow aggressively mellow. Another real treat you might find on the menu is the Butterscotch Pudding. Black Creek Bistro’s desserts fall under the jurisdiction of Michelle Garland, also something of a food maverick. She’s of the mind that butterscotch should actually be made with real butter and real scotch. How novel. Kent is understandably proud of Black Creek Bistro’s ever-changing menu. He’s proud of the quality of ingredients his farm affords him, of the relationships he’s forged with the other local growers that keep his menu stocked year round, and of his ability to keep his profits circulating within a community so near to his heart. But a love for the food he serves is where he hopes his customer’s relationship with Black Creek Bistro begins, not ends. In the works is an expansion of Black Creek Heritage Farm’s operations and a partnership with Columbus Metro Parks, which will enable more

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of Kent’s customers to take an active interest in the inner workings of life on the farm. Each year, for example, Kent’s growing methods produce more succulent heirloom tomatoes, a wider variety of them, and over a longer growing period than is typical for Central Ohio. As expected, these tomatoes are featured prominently on the menu throughout most of the year. What is perhaps less expected is Kent encouraging people to take the 11-mile drive out to Black Creek Heritage Farm, at the intersection of Winchester Pike and Ebright, where they might learn how to duplicate those same tomatoes in their own gardens. Because deepening Columbus’ appreciation for where food comes from is as important to Kent as supplying the freshest possible ingredients, he would like to see more people take him up on Black Creek Heritage Farm’s informal open-door policy. The ultimate goal is to give the people of Columbus the opportunity to see, feel and interact with the entirety of a local food cycle. How leftovers from the kitchen can be used as soil enriching compost. How a richer soil results in more nutritious grains, fruits and vegetables. How more nutritious grains, fruits and vegetables produce healthier livestock. And how a deeper appreciation and commitment to this cycle can quantifiably improve both a community’s local economy and the individual’s quality of life. “If you can do that,” says Kent. “If you can make people feel good about the money they spend, and if you can serve some damn good food, then you’re in a winning situation.” It’s a noble plan. As noble as it is ambitious. Not to mention several years and countless labor hours away from fruition. To see it through will require a community pulling together and reshaping itself in the name of a common good. And, in the end, Columbus will be better for it. Not unlike everything else Kent Peters has ever succeeded at.

Black Creek Bistro; 51 Parsons Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43215; 614-246-9662; blackcreekbistro.com.

e Black Creek Heritage Farm is located in Canal Winchester at the intersection of Winchester Pike and Ebright Road, 12 miles from the restaurant. For more information on the farm, call 614-572-3277 or send an email to blackcreekfarm@insight.rr.com.

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BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING Courtesy of Michelle Garland 6 Servings

1 cup sugar ¼ cup water ¾ cup heavy cream ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup cornstarch 8 egg yolks ¼ teaspoon salt 4 cups whole milk ¼ cup butter ¼ cup Scotch whiskey (We use Dewar’s White Label. Any Scotch will do, but Dewar’s White Label is reasonably priced and has a more neutral flavor—it’s not too oaky or cedary.)

Mix sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Bring to a dark amber color and immediately turn off, and add ¼ cup cream (away from heat). Stir to thoroughly mix and sets aside. This caramel should be made one hour before the rest. In a large pan add the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in 4 cups of whole milk and ½ cup of heavy cream. Put pan on low/medium heat, whisking until all sugar has been dissolved. Use a spoon, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and bubbles (approximately 10 minutes). Then remove from heat.

An original.

Stir 8 large egg yolks into the caramel, until completely combined. (Discard the egg whites or use them elsewhere.) Add the yolk/caramel mixture into the milk mixture and return to low heat. Stir constantly until very thick and coats the back of spoon (DO NOT BOIL). Take off heat and add ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup scotch whiskey. Stir until well combined and strain through a fine strainer. Cover with plastic wrap on top of custard and cool for approximately 4 hours. Discover Farm-Fresh Goodness

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A look at the Slow Food movement

GOOD, CLEAN and how it is changing the way we eat in

Columbus, Italy and all around the world By Carole Amber

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PHOTOS BY Â© TROY AMBER

& FAIR FO O D

If someone asked me how I could help the world, my answer would be to attain wellness and joy through fresh and delicious food. Thankfully, the Slow Food movement is on the task.

Food in conversation. It is a badge of credibility. Slow Food is deeply woven into the fiber of Italian culture.

SINCE ITS BEGINNINGS, SLOW FOOD HAS MADE

Troy and I are energized as we train to Slow Food headquarters on a wet and blustery day. Paola Nano, press office coordinator, awaits us in the station. She welcomes us by taking us to her favorite coffee spot. We enjoy conversation as we sip strong cappuccinos and gobble up marron glacés (candied chestnuts). Now this is how to start a meeting.

THEIR INITIATIVES INCLUDE:

Slow Food International is a powerful nonprofit association on a mission to spread the pleasure of food, preserve local Next Paola takes us to traditions and demand see the site of the original good, clean and fair Slow Food offices (now food around the world. containing the Slow Food Founded in 1986 by restaurant). Seeing the Carlo Petrini, it includes arch of where Slow Food 100,000 members in originated sparks my 130 countries. The Slow inspiration. Food International office is headquartered Paola proceeds to take us Outside the Slow Food International offices in the arch in the small town of to her current office, just with details on the origins of Slow Food. Bra (outside of Torino, down the street from the Italy) and employs 150 people. (There is also a original office. We open the doors to see Paola’s Slow Food USA and a Slow Food Columbus, young, energetic colleagues tapping away on among many other local allies.) keyboards. Pride is in the air. Slow Food pursues its goals through worldwide membership, publications, events and targeted projects. All combined, this adds up to a lofty undertaking—and I am proud to see it up close. As my husband, Troy, and I spend 10 weeks in Northern Italy on a quest for the best food in the world, we are happy to make Slow Food part of our trip. Nearly every farmer, cheese maker, vintner, chef and food enthusiast we encounter mentions Slow

We chat about the important work that Slow Food is doing around the world including one of their largest events, Terra Madre. Terra Madre is a biannual global event that brings together food producers and professionals to share knowledge and gain a voice. This event is intended to promote good, clean and fair food throughout the world by creating an international network of food communities that practice what they preach.

GREAT STRIDES. SOME OF

Publishing over 70 food/wine guides, essays and cookbooks as well as websites, member magazines and newsletters Facilitating Terra Madre, Salone de Gusto, Cheese and Slow Fish events to promote tasting, education and global networks of food professionals Creating the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity to promote sustainable agriculture with respect to the environment, cultural identity and animal warfare Terra Madre Day created to raise funds for 1,000 gardens in Africa Food Education—1,300 projects, 350 school gardens, taste workshops and school canteens to improve food for children The Ark of Taste—Catalog of over 700 products in 52 countries that are facing extinction and enlisting Slow Food Presidia projects to preserve endangered growing methods, products and traditions

PHOTO BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

WHAT SLOW FOOD

MEANS TO ME Of the 400 delegates chosen to attend Terra Madre this year, Slow Food Columbus was able to send nine delegates from Central Ohio. A unique experience for all, we asked each delegate about their time at one of the tastiest conferences in the world. Why is the Terra Madre conference and the Slow Food movement so important to the work you do? What about it inspires you? “Slow Food is about enjoyment of life. Our ice cream tastes better knowing that the people who supply our vanilla and chocolate have been paid a wage that they can live on. True enjoyment comes in collaboration and community—whether working with growers in Ohio or Uganda, the principles are the same. Real ingredients, supplied by real people, made by hand = YUM.” —Jeni Britton-Bauer, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

The Slow Food delegates from Central Ohio, including (from left to right) Warren Taylor, Laura Laughlin, Laura Zimmerman, Lynne Genter, Dick Jensen, Val Jorgensen and Mike Laughlin.

Farmers, breeders, fishermen, bakers, cheese makers, chefs, students and academicians gather at Terra Madre to discuss best business practices, discover new markets, share ancient techniques and take a stand. As Paola says “we want Slow Food to be the connection among producers” and for the network developed at Terra Madre to “work every day around the world.” Slow Food even pays travel expenses for small producers in need. They want to ensure that all producers have an equal opportunity to experience Terra Madre. 2010 marked the fourth year of Terra Madre, and it was wildly successful. The Terra Madre network included 300,000 small-scale farmers from over 150 countries as well as 2,500 cooks, academician and youth—all committed to good, clean and fair food.

As a conference with representatives from around the world, the range of participants is diverse. What’s the common thread that unites all of the attendees at Terre Madre?

Slow Food also runs a sister event to Terra Madre called Salone del Gusto. It is an open market available to the public with “great attention to education, the importance of small production and artisan techniques,” adds Paola. This is where you can taste the fruits of the purveyor’s labor.

“...all representatives are united in embracing Slow Food’s most fundamental principles of good, clean, fair food....they further those principles in their selfless service to their communities’ welfare. The representatives... exemplify the knowledge that we are one world family, our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. Food is sacred, our most universal connection. Living this truth is the common thread among all the representatives I met.”

As we wrap up our meeting with Paola, Troy and I head to the Slow Food restaurant. It’s time to taste Slow Food for ourselves.

—Warren Taylor, Snowville Creamery

The restaurant is lined with bottles of wine and we order two Piemonte favorites (we are currently in Piemonte, a region of Northern Italy known for its food and wine). Barolo and Barbaresco wines drip down our throats with long, lingering flavor as we peruse the menu. We decide to sample local Torino pasta with butter and sage. It’s called Tajarin and is made with an abundance of egg yolks. It really doesn’t get any better than a decadent Barolo and eggy pasta dripping with butter.

From your perspective, why is the ‘slow’ in Slow Food so important to changing our food communities/systems?

It feels so good to savor this Slow Food knowing the quality and the care taken in bringing it to our plates. As we appreciate lunch, I’m reminded that Slow Food has it right—eat good, clean and fair food slowly and with pleasure.

“...The Slow Food movement is into preserving old recipes, traditions, cultures and languages. They say that we learn best and most from indigenous people, from women, from old people and from farmers because these are the ones who best hold these concepts together. From the old recipes...come new tastes...and from these tastes come connections with the cultures that preceded us. If we forget cultures, we forget history, and if we forget history, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of our past.”

And save the world, one bite at a time.

—Dick Jensen, Flying J Farm

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e To learn more about Slow Food International visit slowfood.com. Columbus, Ohio, is home to a chapter of Slow Food USA, the American branch of Slow Food International. Visit slowfoodcolumbus.org, or slowfoodusa.org for more information. Carole M. Amber is a food writer and marketing professional with an international MBA and experience operating a gourmet dining company in Chicago, Illinois. She and her husband (photographer Troy Amber) run a food blog ChopSizzlePop! Join them for recipes, chef recommendations and juicy details about their quest for the best food in the world on chopsizzlepop.com.

What’s one of the collective hopes that emerged from the Terre Madre community, and how might you contribute to making that dream a reality? “One of the collective hopes that resonated with me at the conference...was a message from Josh Viertel, president of Slow Food USA. He shared the hope that in the next 60 years we can change the current food system in our country… that we will repair it and further, that we will create a food system that is healthy, high quality and accessible to everyone in the United States. Like the snail we will proceed slowly and with purpose.” —Lynne Genter, Clintonville Farmers Market One of the focuses of the seminar was providing good, clean food for everyone. Do you think this is possible, and how? What would good, clean food for everyone look like, around the world or within our local foodshed?

and Catering

“Good, clean and fair food is kind to our bodies and to the earth, provides a farmer with honest wages and consumers with honest access. This same kindness and honesty are the basis of relationships that make the world work. Terra Madre was 6,000 people from [over] 150 countries coming together to build relationships around food and culture. Maybe if we developed relationships one to one … one by one ... farmer to market to consumer ... good, clean and fair food could be provided for all.” —Laura Zimmerman, Clintonville Farmers Market What was your most favorite meal/food at the conference? “I cannot really say that one meal in particular stood out for me at Terra Madre...instead, I was completely amazed that thousands of conference participants were fed in an extremely organized and efficient manner. People from all over the world were in attendance; imagine trying to find foods that would be palatable to all different cultures...there were buffet tables that seemed to go on forever, filled with breads, cheeses, meats, roasted vegetables, pastas, fresh salad mixes, fresh fruits and veggies, soups and goodies. I don’t think that any conference participant left hungry!” —Mike and Laura Laughlin, Northridge Organic Farm If you could attend the conference again, what might you do differently? Who would you seek out, what might you taste or what information would you gather to bring home? “…The people of Italy are warm, fascinating and very connected to their food. I would spend more time talking to them, soaking up their traditions and fascination with food....It is the experience of being there that has changed my view of food and agriculture for my lifetime. You don’t put that in a suitcase.” —Val Jorgensen, Jorgensen Organic Farm

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A Man and

His Menus

By Nancy McKibben, Photography by Catherine Murray

There is the new recipe you try one evening for dinner, and then there is the dinner cooked by the chef. There is nostalgic conversation over dinner, and there is the memoir by the writer. There is the paperback novel, and there is the extraordinary art book.

Chef Hubert Seifert of SPAG I O

celebrates

50 years

of cooking

w i t h a o n e - o f-a k i n d m e m o i r

This year Chef Hubert Seifert of Spagio celebrates his 50th year of cooking. Last year Logan Elm Press published 26 copies of Solche Sensationen/Such Sensations, Chef Hubert’s memoir in 12 menus, printed on an offset press on handmade paper, illustrated with unique monoprints. Each signed and numbered copy cost $2,000. Most were sold within days.

From Germany to America Chef Hubert and his wife, Helga, need no introduction in Columbus. Their presence over the past 30 years, first through their deli the Gourmet Market and then through Spagio Restaurant and Spagio Cellars in Grandview, has been pivotal in revolutionizing Columbus’s ideas about food. “When we came here in 1979, the big thing was to go to a place and eat prime rib and a baked potato and steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce or béarnaise sauce, maybe from a can—with a bottle of Mateus rosé and a shrimp cocktail. Now what you see is how many great chefs and restaurants are here and in the Midwest. There has been something accomplished and older guys like me who made a difference.”

COURTESY OF BOB TAUBER AT LOGAN ELM PRESS

After an impressive international career capped by five years as the executive chef for King Juan Carlos of Spain in his summer residence on Mallorca, Chef Hubert came to Columbus as a private chef. In 1981 he and Helga opened The Gourmet Market in Grandview to provide upmarket deli items and catering. In Such Sensations, Chef describes how the couple explored the Ohio countryside, meeting the farmers who would help supply the restaurant, and also searching for the odd discarded or secondhand table or chair. “Then we would repair it if we needed to and Helga would strip it and refinish it, stain it, whatever it needed. And we would set it up for the dining room.”

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On their first Christmas in the States, a customer reneged on an enormous caviar order for which the Seiferts had paid in cash. As Chef Hubert recalls in the book: “I didn’t know how to react. I hardly spoke English. I was afraid to tell Helga. All our money was gone. Helga started to cry. I said, ‘We will get over it.’ I think it was the worst Christmas I remember.” But The Gourmet Market flourished and grew into Spagio. Ten years later, Chef Hubert was contemplating writing a cookbook, but the usual formats did not appeal to him.

The Art of Cooking Meets the Art of Bookmaking For some years Robert Tauber, director and book arts specialist at Ohio State University’s Logan Elm Press, had dreamed of a project that would combine the concepts of The Shepheardes Calendar by Edmund Spenser with Onze menus de Paul Gaugin by Robert Rey. The first work, published in 1579, traces a man’s entire life through a series of vignettes accompanied by woodcuts that illustrate each month of a single year. The second work, published in 1950, reproduces Gaugin’s watercolor menus painted for his dinner party guests in Tahiti. Bob’s idea: Create the memoir of an accomplished local chef, based on 12 illustrated dinner menus with recipes, an idea that he mentioned, appropriately, at dinner with friend and writer Louisa Bertch Green, who suggested Chef Hubert as the best local candidate. Louisa introduced Bob and his idea to Chef Hubert; a series of meetings ensued; and the project was off and running. It was the spring of 1990.

The Genesis of a Chef Such Sensations offered the opportunity for Chef Hubert to look back over his life. Born in Aachen, Germany, Chef apprenticed at age 14, as was usual in the European system at the time, working five days a week at the exclusive Gut Swartzenbroich (Black Quarry Farm, a restaurant) from 8am until 3pm, and from 6pm until 11pm, attending school one day a week and returning to his parents on his single day off. “There were days when it was very tough, but that’s what you did. Looking back, it was the best thing that happened to me. I had not time to get into trouble. I was young enough to be molded and formed. I try to cook today the same way as then. I tell Max Tauber [an aspiring chef and Bob’s son] that if you want to be a chef, you have to earn it.” After three years he was a commis, or certified cook, and began traveling to work for periods of time at prestigious hotels across Europe. According to his memoir: “We chefs travel to where the jobs are. Until you become a sous-chef, you don’t want your job book to show that you stayed a long time in one place.” So Chef traveled, eventually cooking in 11 different countries. In 1975 he was promoted to executive chef at the summer palace of King Juan Carlos.

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The memoir offers personal anecdotes about working for the Spanish royal family (“they were very down-to-earth, the most beautiful people you could work for”), whose guests included Aristotle Onassis, King Constantine of Greece and the British and Dutch royal families.

The Chef / Book Designer

Collaboration Bob Tauber, who has taught and practiced the printing arts for 40 years, was the art director of Solche Sensationen/Such Sensations. He based its design entirely on the classic early 20th century “libre d’artiste” (artist’s book) produced by artists like Chagall, Miro and Picasso, who illustrated literary texts with original prints. Such books, mostly French,

But when Chef Hubert talks about Mallorca, which he still visits once a year, it is in praise of Chef Hubert with his wife Helga at Spagio. the ordinary. “It is one of my favorite places in the world. The people, the way they live, their respect for food, for family life—it is very close to my heart.”

were produced on handmade paper in very small editions of 30–400. “A book is about structure,” Bob says. “I always knew the book would have 12 menus or chapters, plus the front and back matter. I chose the typeface first—it’s like the brick for a building.” The typeface, Garamont,

Life Happens

is “very French in style. It’s one of my favorites. Next

By 1992 Louisa had finished the manuscript of the book. Then the unthinkable happened: In an austerity move reminiscent of today’s recession, the university closed Logan Elm Press and Bob Tauber moved from academia to the private sector.

I chose the paper size, and the rest of it was easy.”

The text, menus and recipes had been completed years earlier, so the project moved to its next stages, and in 2010, the book was complete. The book’s colophon describes it as a record of Chef ’s “early influences, training, experiences, and philosophy.” Chef Hubert says of the finished work: “I knew something of Bob’s work, so I knew it would be fabulous. But when you see something like that and it has your name on it—it put tears in my eyes.”

cover, layout—even the folding of the pages for insertion of the menus. Anthony and Ann handled the monoprints and calligraphy according to the guidelines Bob established for the book design. “Anthony and Ann are so talented, so good,” Bob says. “They made it easy for me.” The paper had to be made, the text and menus printed on a letterpress and intaglio press respectively at Logan Elm Press, the pages bound and sewn and folded, and menus inserted (they are removable). The

“A few times I think that it will never happen,” Chef Hubert says, referring to the fate of his book. Then, 15 years later, Louisa and her husband, Ron, became friends with their new neighbors, Joe and Anita Branin. Joe was the new OSU library director, and after hearing about the abandoned press from Louisa, he decided that it fulfilled a necessary function of a university library system. Within 18 months in 2005, Logan Elm Press was resurrected, along with Bob’s job as its director. Chef Hubert’s book was the first project back in the budget.

“The rest of it” included paper, binding, box,

finished books were housed in handmade boxes covered in black Italian linen, each

inlaid with one of the

The 13th Menu

original copper intaglio

When asked what he might have included if the last 15 years had also been a part of the book, Chef Hubert does not hesitate. “The 30 years in Columbus,” he says. “Maybe it would be the biggest chapter. I feel it is a big accomplishment, to help change the food culture here. And what makes me feel good, I have people in the kitchen who have been with us for 18, 19 years. And now we have families of customers in the third generation: The mother comes in with her daughter, and now her daughter comes in with her kids.”

monoprint plates. The books were completed in autumn of 2010, 20 years after the original launch of the project. Bob Tauber at Logan Elm Press

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The Chef /Writer

Collaboration Louisa Bertch Green, the author of several academic books and the deputy director of research and planning at the Columbus Museum of Art, lunched with Chef Hubert weekly at Spagio, which resulted in 40 hours of taped interviews for Louisa to assemble into a coherent narrative. “Chef Hubert is constantly thinking, and his English is very good. Once I had the stories, we devised 12 menus, landmarks in his career. It was collaborative—he had identified transitions that were important, and he would think of a menu, and we would move some of the stories. It was important to remember that it was not a biography, not a cookbook, but an artist’s book.” The connection of food to memory was central to Chef Hubert. “Sometimes,” he says, “when you talk about food, sit with friends at table, you eat, you drink, you start to remember and you talk about it and it becomes more vivid in memory. Suddenly it comes how it was when I started as apprentice.” This particular memory became the first chapter of the book, Menu 1, “The Apprentice’s First Christmas Dinner for His Family.” When the text, the menus, the recipes and their presentations were recorded and the manuscript was in hand, a different collaboration began. Chef Hubert wanted the recipes, even the elaborate ones, to be reproducible in the home kitchen. At his suggestion,

He considers the many hats that a chef must don in addition to his toque. “There is a lot of glory around cooking, but you have to make money. You cannot only be creative—someone has to come in your restaurant and eat it! So you have to be a businessman and a good promoter of yourself—and on top of this, a salesman. Who would eat cheese from Ohio if you did not say to the customer to try it?” “The most important part is that I have 50 years of cooking and I am still excited. I love what I do. To do it only to make a buck, only for a job, I couldn’t imagine it.” There are plans afoot to make a commercial edition of Such Sensations for Chef Hubert to sell at the restaurant and in bookstores, so that other friends might read his thoughts and cook his recipes—and, possibly, so that those who worked so hard on the book might make a little money. But if this never happens, Chef is philosophical, and thankful to all the people who made the memoir possible.

Louisa and the late Andrea Blum, one of Chef’s cooking students, met each Friday at Spagio to attempt one of the 12 menus. “It was hard to get a few ingredients like hocks

“Nobody benefited financially from the book—only some money went to Logan Elm Press. But they also had costs. We did something that made us feel good in our heart. What more can you ask for?” e

or ears,” Louisa remembers. “We used Rife’s in Grandview, and for the more exotic things they might need 24 hours notice. We would cook the menu, and then eat the food we had cooked for dinner with

Spagio is located at 1295 Grandview Ave., Columbus, OH 43212; 614-486-1114; spagio.com. Spagio Cellars is located next door. Inquire about cooking classes with Chef Hubert at Aubergine Private Dining Club.

our husbands and Chef Hubert and Helga. Andrea’s husband was a wine collector and he would bring the wine. I didn’t make any money, but it was a wonderful project.”

To learn more about Logan Elm Press visit library.osu.edu/about/departments/preservation/ book-arts-division/, or contact Bob Tauber at 614-688-3973, tauber.1@osu.edu. To learn more about Such Sensations and read excerpts from the book visit ediblecolumbus.com and click on Resources

At the FARMERS MARKET

The Clintonville Farmers Market: Laura Zimmerman on what makes this year’s market unique by Michele Burke Mooney Right in my neighborhood, the Clintonville Farmers Market operates 28 weeks out of the year, has nearly quadrupled in size since it began in 2003 and is expected to add even more merchants this year. One woman who has seen the market grow over the years is Laura Zimmerman, the market manager since 2006 (and its first employee). She was one of the delegates selected by Slow Food to attend the Terra Madre conference in Italy this past fall (see page 47 for her thoughts on her experience). Zimmerman finds it easy to talk about what makes Clintonville Farmers Market special.

The number of merchants continues to grow each year at the market. Has the customer base grown as well?

Laura Zimmerman: Oh yes! The number of people who visit us has tripled since we first began the market. The Clintonville community has fully embraced us and has built relationships with our growers that they continue to nurture each visit, each year. Plus, people are just more savvy and discerning about their foods choices—as they should be. There is an increasing demand for local foods so our merchant and customer bases are growing on a parallel track.

PHOTOS BY CAROLE TOPALIAN

What other changes have you seen to the market? What changes are expected for this year?

LZ:

Well, during our first year, the market’s season was six weeks long. In 2011, the season will open on Saturday, April 30, and run

through the end of October, with a Harvest Market in November. I am also happy to announce that we will have EBT and debit card access for customers this year.

Since spring is the beginning of Ohio’s growing season, what might we expect to find at the market this spring?

LZ:

Lots of spring vegetables and fruit, cheese, honey and honey products, some grains, bison, grass-fed beef, maple syrup, mushrooms, sprouts, artisan breads, baked goods, jams, maybe milk and cream, vegetarian burgers, eggs, duck, lamb, pork, chicken, flowers, bedding plants, vegetable starts, native Ohio plants and trees.

LZ:

Usually we have around eight producers who provide weekly community-supported agriculture shares. Each CSA is different in its offerings, but all allow us to share in the risk and the reward of farming.

You have a wide range of producers offering produce, breads and pastries, dairy and meats and poultry—are there any requests for producers that you get from market shoppers?

LZ:

When the market began, most stalls were vegetables and baked goods. We had a number of requests for cheese, more fruits, artisan breads, grains, mushrooms and humanely-raised meats of all kinds. These have all have been popular additions.

LZ:

Please tell us a little bit about your experience at Terra Madre. Is there anything you garnered from the trip that will influence how the market is run this year? The trip deepened our commitment to education. To see 6,000 people from 160 countries share their local food traditions at Terra Madre reinforced for me the joy of our own Ohio food traditions. What did our grandparents grow and cook? How can we enjoy the good taste of what grows here? What can farmers who come to market teach us about the soil and the crops they nurture? How can we protect this heritage we have? There are many fun questions to explore.

Many of your weekly shoppers are CSA members. How many vendors offer CSA programs at the market?

What are you personally looking forward to purchasing this spring at the market? Oh, golly! Rhubarb ... but everything! Throughout the growing season I freeze and can food to last through winter, but come spring it’s all fresh food for me! e The Clintonville Farmers

Michele Burke Mooney ranks cooking, visiting farmers markets and healthful meal planning amongst her favorite pastimes. Her experience in the food industry began at age 16, working in the restaurant business, and grew into marketing positions with Whole Foods Market and North Market. Michele is passionate about natural foods, supporting local food producers and getting creative with local farmers market findings during the growing season.

Market 2011 season runs April 30–October 29, Saturdays 9am–noon. For more information visit clintonvillefarmersmarket.org.

by Jan O’Daniel

“G

row what you want to eat,” advises Val Jorgensen—owner of Jorgensen Farms, a 65-acre certified organic farm in Westerville—of planning an edible landscape like hers.

plucked 2½ pounds of thyme from the front walkway for Two Caterers, who used it in a specialty drink for an event at the Franklin Park Conservatory.

Clearly she knows of what she speaks.

And quite frequently, Jorgensen picks some four pounds of fresh rosemary for David Wolf, executive chef at the Hyatt on Capitol Square.

Large beds of herbs, flowers and vegetables along with fruit trees and shrubs flank Val Jorgensen’s yellow farmhouse—each plant a tasty tribute to her passion for serene scenery and fresh, organic growing and eating. “The landscape at the primary residence and the office is designed to be completely edible,” says Jorgensen. “You can eat the whole plant on some things, but not others, of course. Trees and shrubs, for example, it’s the fruit that’s the edible part. But from a distance you certainly can’t tell it’s an edible landscape. In fact, people that walk up the front walk sometimes don’t even realize it.”

“I can’t live without her rosemary,” confesses Wolf, who uses it in all of his lamb dishes, as well as certain pork and even fish dishes. “It’s just a different aromatic; different than any other rosemary; different than anything I can get from local growers, California, Florida, anywhere. And in its dried state it has an even more rich sensation.” While the local chefs she serves are already keen on the edible landscape (Wolf has one of his own for family use), Jorgensen is as much about cultivating public love for the edible landscape as she is about growing it. And that’s saying a lot. In fact, her zeal for the edible landscape is palpable, if not highly contagious.

Val Jorgensen enjoying a cup of Though some of her edible landscape is harvested peppermint tea As Jorgensen ticks through the list of edible varieties in her for personal use, most is sold to farm customers, landscape—cherry trees, peach trees, pear trees, apple trees, local chefs and restaurants. Roger Genter, who grows edible sunflowers, crabapple trees, mulberry, hops, elderberry, serviceberry, gooseberry, zinnias and basil on the farm while partnering with Jorgensen to keep roses, nasturtiums, eggplant, peppers, Swiss chard, basil, chives, garlic, the farm operational, also sells his edible harvest to local restaurants sage, rosemary and thyme—one can scarcely keep up. The list is then as well as at the Clintonville Farmers Market. followed by a stream of consciousness discourse about the beauty, fragrance, flavor and culinary use of each. The harvesting of their edible plants, herbs and flowers is practically an everyday thing. Last summer, for example, Jorgensen and Genter

Val Jorgensen and the culinary curb appeal of growing an edible landscape

Edible La “Grow what

andscapes: you want to eatâ&#x20AC;?

What’s in Val Jorgen “Hop shoots are edible, they make wonderful shade and you can throw them into salad,” she says. “Serviceberry is delicious and sweet, fresh. And peppers; peppers are beautiful in the landscape. They turn from green to yellow to red or orange. It’s just beautiful.” While it’s true that Jorgensen’s edible landscape is striking, it’s also an inspiration to gardeners, cooks and culinarians everywhere. Which raises the question: What’s the difference between a regular garden and an edible landscape? Generally, says Jorgensen, edible landscape beds aren’t uniform or square like a typical backyard garden. Rather, they’re irregular in shape, often with walkways and pathways meandering through them. The other difference may lie in the way they’re watered. “Some people have the built-in luxury of an irrigation system, which makes it more appealing to use the prime space around the home for edibles,” says Jorgensen. “People who have an irrigation system should definitely be doing an edible landscape with such carefree watering at their disposal. But even those who don’t can irrigate easily and inexpensively with soaker hoses.” Like a normal landscape, Jorgensen says an edible landscape should follow basic landscape principles: taller plants in back, shorter ones in front. “I like to put really pretty things or things with a nice fragrance along the walkway,”

Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs and Edible Flowers: angelica apple bachelor’s

button (florets) basil bay laurel beebalm blackberry borage catnip chamomile

she says. “Also, some combinations of plants do well together naturally. This is called companion planting. For example, roses benefit from having garlic planted among them. The garlic provides some natural disease and pest protection. But the most eye-appealing plants are the ones that are comfortable growing next to each other. For example, basil and tomatoes go well together in the landscape and on the plate.” Other than sweet corn, which needs at least three rows to pollinate, Jorgensen says it’s perfectly acceptable to incorporate just about any other vegetable, herb or flower into the edible landscape.

you’ll have nice, fresh, tender basil to go along with it, not older, woodier stalks.”

While herbs are an obvious choice for the edible landscape, Jorgensen notes that they are especially nice because they offer a onetwo punch: first in their unflowered state and second in their flowered form. It should be noted, however, that when an herb flowers it changes the characteristic of the plant. For example, the leaves of a basil plant that has flowered are not as tasty as one that has not flowered.

Because some herbal flower blossoms are edible and some are not, it’s important She suggests planting with to know the an eye toward the harvest. difference. In fact, In the early spring, that when it comes to means putting in coolherbs and flowers of weather edibles such as any kind, Jorgensen greens and radishes; then issues this caution: later, add warmer-weather “Never eat any herb plants like peppers, or flower unless tomatoes and eggplant. Val’s edible landscape you are certain you “The other thing I like to have identified it consider are things that can be planted along properly. Do not eat any herb or flower in the season,” Jorgensen says. “For example, large quantities unless you know you are not plant basil in early summer as an herb, but sensitive to it. And do not eat herbs or flowers also plant from seed around Memorial Day that have been sprayed with pesticides. so that when you have tomatoes in August, Also, contact your healthcare professional

cherries chervil chickweed chicory chives chrysanthemum cilantro (coriander)

crabapple dandelion day lilies (petals) dill elderberries fennel French tarragon garlic

gooseberry hollyhocks honeysuckle (flowers) hops horehound hyssop lamb’s quarters

lavender lemon balm lemon geranium lemon verbena lemongrass lovage mallow marigolds

marjoram mint mulberry nasturtiums oregano pansies, violas, violets parsley

PHOTO BY CAROLE TOPALIAN / PEPPERMINT/ LAVENDAR.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VAL JORGENSEN/ EDIBLE LANDSCAPE / ONE OF VAL’S LAMBS BY A BED OF FLOWERS.

nsen’s edible landscape? before eating edible herbs and flowers if you’re pregnant or nursing.”

For those ready to enjoy the harvest, most everything in the edible landscape easily can make its way into soups, salads, sautés, sauces or salsas. Plus, the harvest can be preserved or repurposed to delectable result. Jorgensen frequently freezes and dries herbs, for example. Sage, rosemary and lavender are best dried, she says, whereas basil is better frozen. Parsley, however, can be either dried or frozen. Freezing it in ice cube trays with a little water helps keep parsley’s green color, though it does change the consistency of the leaf. To use, just pop a cube or two into soups or sauces. For basil, Jorgensen likes to make a simple pesto, jar it, top it with a thin layer of olive oil and pop it in the freezer for up to a year. She also uses her edible harvest to infuse both vinegars and honeys. To do the same, just put herbs into apple cider vinegar or honey (Jorgensen, a beekeeper, harvests honey from her farm) and let it steep three to four weeks before straining the plant matter. Tarragon, lavender, cinnamon basil, chilies and a lemon trio of lemon balm, lemongrass and lemon verbena are among her favorites.

with nutrients. It’s a beautiful Irish-green plant that grows on a tender stem. The whole plant is edible and has little leaves along the stem and a flower bud. I eat it raw or make soup out of it. It’s so tender and sweet tasting. The same with sorrel. That’s a perennial tender and I add a little to other mixed greens for a salad or make some soup out of it. With an edible landscape, you can grow everything you need for complete, balanced nutrition.” High yield. High nutrition. Low cost. Compared with pre-picked, less-than-fresh herbs, flowers and other edibles costing several dollars per partial-ounce in the grocery, Jorgensen wonders why everyone doesn’t want their own edible landscape. Why, indeed. e To learn some simple steps to growing your own edible landscape and what to plant each season visit ediblecolumbus.com and click on Resources. Jan O’Daniel is a full-time writer, part-time foodie and sometime cook. She lives, works and eats in central Ohio with her salad-loving husband under the ever-present eyes of their three catnip-craving cats. Contact her at jan@janodaniel.com.

When it comes to the edible landscape yield, culinary ideas abound, with Jorgensen having more than her share of them.

A CUP OF PEPPERMINT TEA One of my favorite things to make from spring through fall is fresh peppermint tea. Peppermint tea is simple to make, refreshing and uplifting. It also aids in digestion. To make peppermint tea simply boil one quart of water per tablespoon of fresh, chopped peppermint. Pour the boiling water over the chopped peppermint and let steep for 30 to 60 minutes. Strain the plant material from the water using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Start with the above proportions and time, and experiment. The more herb you use and the longer you steep the herb, the stronger the brew. Peppermint tea may be served room temperature, hot or cold. Honey may be added as a sweetener. ~ Val Jorgensen

“Some things I harvest people consider to be a weed, like purslane,” she says. “But it’s loaded

peach pear purslane raspberry rhubarb rosemary roses

sage savory serviceberry sorrel squash blossoms stevia

stinging nettle strawberry sunflowers thyme yarrow

Flavor Profiles from the Edible Landscape: Citrus: French sorrel Lemon balm

Lemongrass Lemon thyme Lemon verbena Marigolds Earthy: Oregano

(Greek or Italian) Rosemary Savory (summer or winter) Thyme (English)

Spicy or peppery: Arugula Mustard greens Nasturtiums Savory

Sweet: Angelica Day lilies (petals) Pansies Roses Scented geraniums

Behind the BOTTLE

Loving Cups

Extra care and attention to detail helps local roasters build a better brew By Megan Shroy, Photography by Kristen Stevens

Financial advisors frequently say that you can save hundreds of dollars per year just by cutting your coffee habit. However, if you’re like me, you’d rather cut off your financial advisor. In the U.S., the coffee industry has grown to be valued at about $19 billion each year. Gourmet coffees account for about half of that industry value—a number that has grown dramatically in the last ten years. In Columbus, businesses like Stauf ’s, Brioso and Backroom Coffee Roasters are part of a small culture of coffee lovers that is growing on a local level. What is local coffee roasting? To answer that question, I turned to the guys who have been doing it for over 20 years. Mark Swanson, president of Stauf ’s, Cup o’ Joe and MoJoe Lounge, said while coffee has been around for hundreds of years, it has really advanced in the last two decades. “This business has evolved over time,” he said. “The popularity of gourmet coffee has led people to fine-tune their palate to coffee.” Swanson explained that, like the explosion of Napa Valley wines in the ’90s or the craft beer movement in the last decade, the art of coffee roasting has really hit in the past few years. So what makes it an art? The process of getting the beans from hundreds of farms all over the world into your coffeepot each morning. Swanson helped me understand this process, which begins with the purchase of the second-most-traded commodity on earth—coffee. When a local roaster wants to purchase coffee beans they work with distributors who buy from countries worldwide, including many from Central and South America. When the beans are shipped from the distributors to Stauf ’s, specialty roasters like Tommy Goetz carefully take the beans through a variety of steps. To begin, thousands of tiny green coffee beans are dumped into a roaster one batch at a time. A gas-fired roasting

chamber heats the beans to triple-digit temperatures, changing the color from green to brown and slowly releasing their flavor and fragrance.

When done, he brings out five cups of coffee, all brewed from the same type of bean. The only difference is that the beans were roasted in different batches.

Goetz has the unique task of monitoring the look, sound and smell of the beans as they get hotter and hotter. Once they begin to pop— signaling the first crack—he must pay close attention for the next five to eight minutes. He carefully adjusts temperatures, checks for color and monitors the smell coming off the roaster.

“When we do a cupping like this, we’re not looking for which batch tastes the best—taste varies amongst everyone,” said Davis. “We’re looking for distinguishing characteristics that separate one batch from the rest. Carl is learning to pick up on these so that our final product is consistent in each and every cup of coffee we sell.”

This is a task not to be taken lightly, as he carefully watches the batch between the “first crack,” when the beans literally crack due to carbon dioxide leaving the water in the beans, and the “second crack,” where they begin to burn.

While Stauf ’s and Brioso use methods like a cupping to test for consistency and hone in on their flavor profiles, other roasters are beginning to rely on technology to do this for them.

“It took me at least a year to learn to roast coffee,” said Goetz, “but I’d be lying if I said I’m not continuing to learn and refine my practice every day.”

Chris Bishop of Backroom Coffee Roasters has software in place that monitors every batch of coffee coming off their roaster. “We all have our own secret recipe of sorts. This system records our recipe and then employs software to keep it consistent for every batch,” says Bishop.

According to Swanson and Goetz, Stauf ’s has been developing the flavor profile of its coffee for years.

Though Backroom Coffee Roasters is new amongst local Columbus roasters, they are ahead of the pack for incorporating emerging technologies like the software system.

Favor profiles describe the unique components between coffees from different “We believed that origins. Tasting Columbus could use these differences can a local roaster that’s be a little difficult, wholesale only,” he said. but with a little From left to right: freshly roasted beans at Stauf’s; unroasted beans at Backroom; and Tommy Goetz, master roaster at Stauf’s. practice, the nutty, So Backroom is doing fruity or floral just that, roasting coffee daily and delivering it (sometimes by bike!) flavors in coffee can be found. within 24–48 hours to dozens of local wholesale clients. It’s a service you can’t get just from the large coffeeshop conglomerates these days. By recognizing the flavor profile in coffee, roasters are able And with Americans spending billions of dollars each year on coffee, to refine their batches to deliver a consistent product each time. patronizing local roasters like Stauf ’s, Brioso and Backroom Coffee Distinguishing a flavor profile is no strange practice for Jeff Davis, Roasters helps give a welcome caffeine jolt to the local economy too. roastmaster at Brioso in downtown Columbus. He is in the process of training apprentice roaster Carl Ahlteen to recognize the distinct flavors of Brioso’s signature coffee. e To help Ahlteen learn, they participate in frequent “cuppings.” A cupping, or coffee tasting, is the practice of observing the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. It is done through a six-step process that includes smelling the grounds and the aroma, tasting for body acidity and balance and then defining the flavor characteristics of the coffee. Cupping is one of the coffee tasting techniques used by roasters to truly evaluate coffee aroma and the flavor profile of a coffee.

Megan Shroy is a writer, publicist and self-proclaimed “Columbus Guru,” authoring the blog Columbus a la Mode, which covers trendy restaurants, events and hot spots in the capital city. During college she traveled abroad, studying Italian food, wine and culture at the Umbra Institute in Perguia, Italy. Megan earned a B.A. in communication from Wittenberg and received a double minor in journalism and business management. Since, she has been growing as both a writer and a community activist. She resides in Grandview, Ohio, with her husband, Brent.

“One of the things I like to do with Carl is to do a cupping with the same variety across the board,” said Davis. ediblecolumbus.com

SPRING

201 1

Marketplace ADVERTISING

20 FACTS for Consideration Our favorite website on Urban Agriculture: sustainweb.org. Kitchengardeners.org has great resources for backyard gardeners. Things we are learning more about at Edible Columbus: square-inch intensive gardening and poly-culture intercropping. Urbanhomestead.org defines urban homesteading as the act of transforming a city, or suburban home, into a property that produces some, or all, of its residents’ own food. At Edible Columbus one of our favorite kitchen items is a mortar and pestle—great for making your own spice rubs. If you are looking for a fantastic source for heirloom beans, go to ranchogordo.com. We are in love!

Holding an event and want stylishly sustainable dinnerware? Check out VerTerra—their dinnerware is made from fallen leaves. The average age of farmers in this country is 57. Are you a prospective young farmer? Check out thegreenhorns.net for support. Perfect way to cook spring asparagus: Clean asparagus, break off ends and toss the rest with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast at 425º, checking every 5 minutes until roasted the way you like! Great vegetarian recipes can be found on the blog coconutandquinoa. wordpress.com. Peppermint is said to represent hospitality in many cultures. In Ancient Greece, people welcomed guests by scenting the dining room table with mint, and in the Middle East mint tea is still served to guests upon their arrival. Total antioxidant capacity averages 30% higher in organic fruits and vegetables.

Total number of Edible magazines across the U.S. and Canada—65. When traveling, check out ediblecommunities.com for links to every Edible magazine. Visit civileats.com for a smart overview from leading thinkers on building a sustainable food system. Did you know Columbus is home to the American Community Garden Association? A great resource in our backyard. On your next trip to New York City, visit the 50,000-square-foot Italian food emporium known as EATLY, Spelt was one of the first grains to be used to make bread. Store spelt flour in the fridge to maintain its nutritional value. We at Edible Columbus can’t put down Amanda Hesser’s The Essential New York Times Cookbook. Watch for Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams—The Cookbook coming in May. Jeni shares her tips and recipes for homemade ice cream, yogurt and sorbet!

Our ADVERTISERS Please look for a free copy of Edible Columbus each quarter at the businesses marked with a star. You can also subscribe to the magazine at ediblecolumbus.com.

Green Bean Delivery 877-827-FARM (3276) greenbeandelivery.com Greener Grocer* North Market 59 Spruce St. Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-223-1512 thegreenergrocer.com

American Culinary Federation Jason Knapp 614-579-9010 acfcolumbus.org Athens County, Ohio athensohio.com/30mile Back Room Coffee Roaster* 1442 W. Lane Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43221 614-486-8735 backroomcoffeeroasters.com Bexley Natural Market* 508 N. Cassidy Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43209 614-252-3951 bexleynaturalmarket.org Bluescreek Farm Meats* 59 Spruce St. Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-228-5727 bluescreekfarmmeats.com Bob Evans bobevans.com Cambridge Tea House* 1885 W. Fifth Ave. Marble Cliff, Ohio 43212 614-486-6464 cambridgeteahouse.com Canal Junction Cheese 18637 Rd. 168 Defiance, Ohio 43512 614-419-2350 canaljunctioncheese.com

Chester Hill Produce Auction 8389 Wagoner Rd. Chesterhill, Ohio 740-767-4938 ohiofoodshed.com Columbus Realty Source 614-207-7878 columbusrealtysource.com Dill’s Greenhouse* 5800 Rager Rd. Groveport, Ohio 43215 614-836-3700 dillsgreenhouse.net Dine Originals dineoriginalscolumbus.com Eclipse Company Store 11309 Jackson Dr. The Plains, Ohio 740-797-8673 eclipsecompanystores.com Elfner Landscape & Organic Lawncare 740-369-0972 elfnerorganic.com Franklin Park Conservatory* 1777 E. Broad St. Columbus, Ohio 43203 614-645-8733 fpconservatory.org Fulcrum Creatives 614-505-6548 fulcrumcreatives.com

Cherbourg Bakery* 541 S. Drexel Ave. Bexley, Ohio 43209 614-725-4560 cherbourgbakery.com

G Michaels* 595 S. Third St. Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-464-0575 gmichaelsbistro.com

Cooley’s Greenhouse* 14130 Middleburg–Plain City Rd. Plain City, Ohio 614-873-4862

Generation Green* 6351 Sawmill Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43017 614-761-2222 generationgreenstore.com

Cheryl’s cheryls.com

The Hills Market* 7860 Olentangy River Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43235 614-846-3220 thehillsmarket.com Huffman’s Market 2140 Tremont Center, Upper Arlington, Ohio 43221 614-486-5336 huffmansmarket.com Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams* North Market 59 Spruce St. Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-228-9960 jenisicecreams.com Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams—Clintonville* 4247 N. High Street Columbus, Ohio 43214 614-447-0500 jenisicecreams.com Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams—Grandview* 1281 Grandview Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43212 614-488-2680 jenisicecreams.com Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams—Short North* 714 N. High St. Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-294-5364 jenisicecreams.com Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams—Bexley* 2156 E. Main St. Bexley, Ohio 43209 614-231-5364 jenisicecreams.com Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams—Dublin* 1 W. Bridge St. Dublin, Ohio 43017 614-792-5364 jenisicecreams.com Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams—Powell* 8 N. Liberty St. Powell, Ohio 43065 614-846-1060 jenisicecreams.com

Jorgensen Farm* 5851 E. Walnut St. Westerville, Ohio 43081 614-855-2697 jorgensen-farms.com Katzinger’s* 475 S. Third St. Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-228-3354 katzingers.com Local Matters* 731 E. Broad St., Third Floor Columbus, Ohio 43205 614-263-5662 local-matters.org Local Roots* 15 E. Olentangy Dr. Powell, Ohio 43065 614-602-8060 localrootspowell.com Market District Kingsdale 3061 Kingsdale Center Columbus, Ohio 43221 614-538-0762 marketdistrict.com Mary Evans Child Development Center* 377 Dublin Rd. Columbus, Ohio 53221 614-777-4099 McCoy Center for the Arts* Box Office: 614-245-4701 mccoycenter.org M/I Homes New Home Sales Center* 4047 Gramercy St. Columbus, Ohio 43219 614-418-8888 Homeateaston.com North Market* 59 Spruce St. Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-463-9664 northmarket.com Ohio Beef Council ohiobeef.org

Photo Kitchen 614-309-3515 photokitchen.net Snowville Creamery 32623 State Route 143 Pomeroy, Ohio 45769 740-698-2340 snowvillecreamery.com tauf’s Coffee Roasters* 1277 Grandview Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43212 614-486-4861 staufs.com Thurn’s Specialty Meats* 530 Greenlawn Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43223 614-443-1449 Trek Columbus Bicycle Store* 1442 W. Lane Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43221 614-486-TREK (8735) trekstorecolumbus.com Two Caterers* 6800 Schrock Hill Ct. Worthington, Ohio 43229 614-882-7323 twocaterers.com Voda* 81 Parsons Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-228-1515 vodaemporium.com Wasserstrom 1-866-634-8927 wasserstrom.com Whole Foods Market* 3670 W. Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43235 614-760-5556 wholefoodsmarket.com Whole Foods Market* 1555 W. Lane Ave. Upper Arlington, Ohio 43221 614-481-3400 wholefoodsmarket.com WOSU wosu.org

Ohio Proud ohioproud.org Outdoor Space Design 614-282-7810 outdoorspacedesign.net

Yoga on High* 1081 N. High St. Columbus, Ohio 43201 614-291-4444 yogaonhigh.com

Pam’s Popcorn* North Market 614-222-1850 pamspopcorn.com

ediblecolumbus.com

SPRING 201 1

Last SEED

A TERROIR-IST’S MANIFESTO for Eating in Place Know where your food has come from

when your predecessors & ancestors,

through knowing those who produced it for you,

roamed the same woods & neighborhoods

from farmer to forager, rancher or fisher

where you & your now roam.

to earthworms building a deeper, richer soil,

Know them by the songs sung to praise them,

to the heirloom vegetable, the nitrogen-fixing legume,

by the handmade tools kept to harvest them,

the pollinator, the heritage breed of livestock,

by the rites & feasts held to celebrate them,

& the sourdough culture rising in your flour.

by the laughter let loose to show them our affection.

Know where your food has come from

Know where your foods come from

by the very way it tastes:

by the patience displayed while putting them up,

its freshness telling you how far it may have traveled,

while peeling, skinning, coring or gutting them,

the hint of mint in the cheese

while pit-roasting, poaching or fermenting them,

suggesting what the goat has eaten,

while canning, salting or smoking them,

the terroir of the wine reminding you of the lime

while arranging them on a plate for our eyes to behold.

in the stone you stand upon,

Know where your food comes from

so that you can stand up for the land

by the slow savoring of each and every morsel,

that has offered it to you.

by letting their fragrances lodge in your memory

Know where your food has come from

reminding you of just exactly where you were the very day

by ascertaining the health & wealth

that you became blessed by each of their distinctive flavors.

of those who picked & processed it,

When you know where your food comes from

by the fertility of the soil that is left

you can give something back to those lands & waters,

in the patch where it once grew,

that rural culture, that migrant harvester,

by the traces of pesticides

curer, smoker, poacher, roaster or vintner.

found in the birds & the bees there.

You can give something back to that soil,

Know whether the bays & shoals

something fecund & fleeting like compost

where your shrimp & fish once swam

or something lasting & legal like protection.

were left richer or poorer than before

We, as humans, have not been given roots

you & your kin ate from them.

as obvious as those of trees.

Know where your food comes from

The surest way we have to lodge ourselves

by the richness of stories told around the table

within this blessed earth is by knowing

recalling all that was harvested nearby

where our food comes from.

during the years that came before you,

Poem by Gary Paul Nabhan, who has been called “the father of the local food movement” by Mother Earth News. Learn more at garynabhan.com.

SPRING 2011

edible columbus

PHOTO OF AN ORIGINAL DRAWING BY KATE LORD FROM MALABAR FARM, COURTESY OF THE WOOSTER BOOK COMPANY.

by Gary Paul Nabhan

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