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Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Things to do in Columbus::July 1st Edition

Of course, the number one thing to do tonight and over the next 24 hours is to visit Dirty Franks Hot Dogs downtown! The newest Liz Lessner joint features lots of hot dogs, original artwork, local music, and great cocktails such as whiskey with draft Frost Top root beer (oh yeah).  It was really great. You should go.


At any rate. It's summer. It's full on summer.  This weekend is, um, already the 4th of July. When I received my issue of Costco Connection this week, there was an advert in it for freakin' Back to School supplies!!! Stop the train! Or at least slow down!

All of that to say, if you've been putting off doing exciting summer activities, GET OFF THE COUCH!!!

As always, please feel free to write any additional events in the comments section!

  • This Saturday is Gallery Hop in the Short North! Parking meters are free on holidays, just so you know.
  • As a side note, most restaurants will be open on July 4th, since it is a Saturday.
  • This weekend is Patriotic Pops.  Support the Columbus Symphony, people. We should be resistant to losing culture in our fair city. The Pops will take place this Saturday on the lawn at Chemical Abstracts.   
  • Spider Man is coming to COSI this weekend!  
  • If you've never been to Schiller to see Shakespeare in the Park, you should go! The Tempest begins today and goes throughout the month. 
  • As always, DooDah parade will take place July 4th at 1pm! DooDah always features the best in satire and always has a humorous take on politics and current events. 
  • The Wexner Center has some great events going on, including an awesome lineup of classic American movies - Saturday Night Fever, Purple Rain, American Graffiti, Dazed and Confused
  • Thursday is Cockatils at the [Franklin Park] Conservatory, and the theme is Daisies and Daiquiris! Also, remember that Blooms and Butterflies continues throughout the summer; new butterflies are released at 1pm and 3pm.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Join the Food Fight Tuesday and Fight Hunger

Most of this information is taken directly from the CORA website, because why do something twice.

Tuesday, June 30th (my Dad's birthday, by the way! Happy Birthday Dad!!), dine in participating restaurants (see below) and 5% of your total sales will go to Mid-Ohio Foodbank's Operation Feed program.


Each $1 raised will feed 2 people in Central and Eastern Ohio; all money will stay in these areas.  100% of funds are used to feed hungry families.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Making the Most of the Market. Planning, Strategizing, or Lack Thereof.

After years of shopping at farmer's markets, I am finally getting closer to the point where I make a plan, don't overshop, and don't let too many things go to waste (I said getting closer, not there).  Sometimes even I am still taken surprise by how quickly things fall apart and wilt and become unuseable, and I still learn things every week.

But while I was cleaning my fridge today and putting away this week's market haul, I started thinking of a few tips that I could share with you, in the hopes that you don't get frustrated and quit.

There are some things you should learn and think about before you ever head to the markets: Have a few recipes under your belt, know what things go together, and know what's in season.  You can do a few of these things before going to the markets, and some things you will just learn as you begin doing more and more of your shopping seasonally and locally.  I will get into this more a bit later.
  
  1. Know what is in season.  I've made a few posts on this topic to help you out, but you can also find some great information on websites such as Pick Your Own.  One of the nice things about having this website is that I can search an item and see when I've purchased it in the past (and so can you! I've done lots of the work for you!).  One very nice thing about living in Central Ohio is that we live in the middle of a very wide range of growing seasons.  When you see asparagus very early, you know we will have it for about 6 weeks, because it will ripen in points south of Columbus before points North.  We truly do live in a great climate for eating great locallly through the year, and you are fortunate to know all about it!
  2. Knowing what is in season will help you with your next trick: having a plan.  Even a vague plan will help you know your shopping strategy.  For example, I love peppers stuffed with lamb.  So, when pepper season starts, I always remember to hit Northridge Organics for some ground lamb.  I also know that we like to eat curried couscous with this entree, so I'll remember the cauliflower.  Feta would also be a good addition to this dish, so I would also stop by Blue Jacket Creamery.  If I were at the North Market, I might instead pick up some Laker Erie Creamery fresh goat cheese, which would also be nice.  After a heavy meal like this, fruit would be a great dessert, so I might opt for some chilled melon, and would remember (if I'm lucky) to pick some up at the market.  
  3. Keep your ideas written down if you have a hard time remembering them.  I'm not being patronizing here.  I have the worst memory ever and have pages and pages of ideas, because if I write them down, I can work out the recipes in my head and be more likely to remember them.  This is especially important if you read a lot about food year round and are still commited to eating seasonally.  I love to read about summer foods in the dreary depths of winter, and have to make notes when I read things like "a favored Cypriot dessert pairs halloumi with watermelon." Are you kidding me? That's the best idea ever!! If I would't have written it down, I would never have remembered that.  (Turns out it really is amazing.) 
  4. Be smart with your pantry.  We eat a lot of rice, beans, and pasta in our house (don't start in on me about carbs) in addition to the fresh food we eat.  For this reason, I always have a pretty decent of supply of our favorite pasta shapes (long and skinny for me, short and tubular for Husband) and beans (cannolini) in the house, in addition to my favorite polished Japanese rice from California.  I also have a decent amount of stock in the freezer, and try to keep lots of onions and garlic on hand.  Having vinegar and citrus juices, hot sauces, a few Asian sauces (soy, hoison, miso), and maybe even a canned tomato sauce (the sauces from Carfagna's are really tasty) mean you are only a few main ingredients away from having dinner on the table.  Hard cheeses last a long time, too, so keep some hard grating cheeses on hand for seasoning (parmesan, etc).   
  5. Know how long things will last, and don't overshop! This is still a struggle for me.  Last week I thought I was being smart when I paid extra for pre-shelled sweet peas, but when I was preparing to cook them the next day, they had turned to an acrid, watery mush. I would have been better off putting them in the freezer immediately or buying peas in the shells.  Berries have a shelf life of about 36 hours, so don't buy them until you are ready to use them.  If you can't use them immediately, spread them out on a sheet try so they aren't touching each other, which will accelerate rot. Eggs last forever. Believe me - if you are in doubt, crack one open. If it's rotten, you will certainly know.  Therefore, when in doubt, you can throw everything in a frittata or omelet.

  
 
  

Friday, June 26, 2009

Mostly Local Wedge Salad

Wedgesalad 069
A few months ago, I heard that Wayward Seed was going to be one of (if not the) first farmers in Central Ohio to grow the much-loved, but much-publicly-maligned and humble Iceberg lettuce.  An idea popped into my head, which I had to wait until this week to bring into existence.


The local wedge salad.  I bought a head of this crispy delight from Wayward Seed at the Clintonville market this past Saturday, and then completed the ingredients with bacon from Oink Moo Cluck, Amish crumbled bleu cheese, hydroponic grape tomatoes from the Dublin Market, and a surprisingly tasty cucumber from Toad Hill Organics.

I made a little Ranch dressing (which my friend Crumpet calls the state soup of Ohio) from an herb packet mixed with Greek yogurt and milk, adding only 1 Tbsp of mayo (the instructions call of 1 cup, but the Greek yogurt is a perfect alternative).  The rest should be pretty self-explanatory.  I chopped the tomatoes and cucumbers and placed them in a bowl with a little salt and pepper to season them separately before adding to the salad.

I enjoyed this simple favorite; Wayward Seed's Iceberg was crispy and flavorful, not too densely headed, and clean.  Served with a few pieces of toast, it made a nice summer lunch.

Dublin Farmer's Market Recap

Wednesday market the inaugural Dublin Farmer's Market.  I had the day off and decided to hike up to the suburbs to check it out.  If you are new to town or have never been to old Dublin, you should go up and check it out. It's really cute, and my old stomping grounds.  

The Dublin Market is located at the Dublin Community Church, where there is plenty of parking.  There were about 10 vendors, making it a smaller market, but I was still able to find plenty of great meats and vegetables.  Sometimes I like these midweek markets for just this reason - you can pop in and out and get on with your day.

Let me see if I can recall the farmers there...Snowville was there passing out milk, and I was able to buy a half gallon of milk from cows who were milked that very morning!  I immediately went out and purchased a box of Honey Nut Cheerios and have now consumed the greater part of both.

Wayward Seed Farm was there with the giant pile of beets I posted in my test post yesterday, along with lots of herbs, Iceberg lettuce (more on that later), and other nice veggies.  I picked up some beets and spent awhile talking to farmer Adam about the state of local eating, getting chefs into buying locally and the obstacles there, and then I was off.

Next door to them were 2 farms whose names I don't remember! (I hate that - I meant to take a picture of each vendor).  Once vendor had lots of carrots and other nice-looking vegetables, and there was a hydroponic vendor with lovely heads of lettuce and all sorts of heirloom tomatoes.  My opinion of hydroponic is still up in the air - I love being able to buy things locally when they are out of season, but I also like to taste the earth.  However, if we get tons of rain, we run the risk of having tasteless, watery vegetables (tomatoes are especially susceptible to this), so being able to control the environment eliminates uncertainty.  I will say this: if you buy hydroponic lettuce, it won't be full of dirt and bugs. Take that for what it's worth.  I bought a clamshell package of grape tomatoes and was on my way.

There was a gluten-free bakery there, whose name, again, I can't recall (especially irritating because I know I have a lot of gluten-free eaters out there).

Toad Hill Organics was there with lots of nice-looking lettuces, a few varieties of cucumbers, and some shelling peas.  I picked up a spiny cucumber which was delicious, along with some great-looking rainbow chard and peas.

Blue Jacket Creamery was there with their great array of cheeses (everything there is great, but their newer feta and goat cheeses are great); I opted for a block of Gretna Grillin cheese.  
Oink, Moo, Cluck was there with their yummy offerings, and I picked up a pound of bacon and a pack of hot Italian sausage.
Wishwell Farms was there with strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and other veggies.
Also there were a few flower/potted plant vendors, and I am sure I am missing a few things.

I encourage everyone to patronize these smaller, weekday markets.  For anyone who gets irritated or overwhelmed by the crowds at the Saturday markets, or doesn't like the dogs/tourists/line ditchers (never!!), or if your Saturday mornings involve carting your little ones to soccer practice, these smaller markets are a great alternative.  They are typically more spacious, and for now some have lower attendance, making them easy and quick to navigate.  Since there isn't as much repetition in the produce, you can make one round and get everything you need pretty quickly. 
I got enough for several meals and only spent about 10 minutes shopping.  The rest of the time was devoted to chatting with vendors. And of course, right around the corner is the newest Jeni's Ice Cream location, so you can reward yourself.  I hopped over for a nice little scoop of Cherry Lambic. Yum!!

The new Dublin Farmers Market takes place Wednesday afternoons from 4:30-8pm throughout the summer, and takes place at the Dublin Community Church on 161 just west of Dublin Road.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

This is only a test

I am testing posting on the go using the typepad iPhone app. These are beets from Wayward Seed at yesterday's Dublin farm market. This is only a test

Things to do in Columbus::June 24th Edition

I think we're in full summer mode. All over my neighborhood gangs of 13 years olds are doing things like skateboarding down Summit street.  I'm sure if I wandered over to Glen Echo, the ravine would be full of rock-skipping adventure seekers.  I love this time of year. Just love it.  I've been working more then ever (yay!) and my new job feeds me so well that I haven't been doing much cooking.  I'm not joking. They are constantly feeding me the most delicious food. It probably isn't the best prediciment for a food blogger, but I am enjoying it immensely.


At any rate, there are quite a few things going on this week! 

Unfortunately, I am a whirling dervish this week, so I had a thought. Can we try a group posting? Anyone can post their events in the comments section.  When I get home from work tonight, I will bump them up  to the post. If you have links, please include them if you can.

I think everyone should go see the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus performing "We Love the 80s." Who doesn't love the 80s?  Oh I remember that horrid bully Lara Vance had the most divine set of striped legwarmers and I wanted them SO BAD.  But I never got them. I've never owned legwarmers. But I still survived.  CGMC will be performing Friday and Saturday at the Vern Riffe Center, tickets are $25 and $27.  I have a rare Saturday night off, so I am actually going to try to make it to this performance.

Of course it's Comfest weekend!
So, what else is there?

The Elusive Sour Cherry

Cherries
So many of you have asked me about sour cherries!  I am glad to hear that you love them as much as I do.  After some hunting, I could not find a farm which offered cherry picking.  Some very nice neighbors of the restaurant where I work offered their tree for picking, but I was in the middle of a hugely busy week and couldn't get there in time. But wasn't that the most super cool thing? People in this city rock.


At any rate. every summer, my dear mother and I order sour cherries from our super-secret sources that we never share, and hoard them all for ourselves. We dry them and make jam and syrup and all sorts of goodies you'll never be able to try.  

Oh, kitties. I am, of course, joking completely.  We do order sour cherries every year in huge amounts.  The cherries come from Michigan, and the best thing is they don't arrive until July!  So there is still time.

Each year, we order from either:
Jacquemin Farms 7437 Hyland-Croy Road 614.873.5725 (just past Dublin)
Yutzy's Farm Market 6010 Converse Huff Rd (just South of Plain City) 614.873.3815

I've never tried to order anything other than cherries from Jacquemin Farms, but Yutzy's does a huge business in selling bulk fruits for preserving.  You can order sour and sweet cherries, blueberries, peaches, and blackberries as they come into season.  I usually order 10 pound buckets of pitted cherries.  If I am going to dehydrate them, I strain off the juice and make syrup with it, and put the cherries in a dehydrator.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Dublin Farmer's Market Begins Today

The NW side will now have their very own farmer's market! Beginning today, there will be a midweek market in Dublin Wednesdays from 4:30-8pm at the Community Church parking lot in old Dublin.  It's right on Bridge street (aka 161, aka Dublin-Granville Road).  I plan to trek out there to check it out, since I have a rare day off today.  While I'm all the way out in the hills, (just kidding, suburbanites, don't get all up in arms and hateful, I'm just teasing) I plan to visit the latest addition to the Jeni's family (yay!) and maybe also make a stop by Jacquemin farms to see what they have hanging around (their honey is divine, and they usually have rhubarb pretty late in the season).

I had a hard time finding any online resources for the Dublin Market, so I don't know which vendors will appear, but I will make a list and document it for everyone, of course!

I hope to see you there!  Let's get this market up and running, and then growing!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Please Help Me Get a Really Goode Job

No, it isn't a typo. To skip the story and just vote for yours truly, please click here.


A few weeks ago Husband sent me a link to a contest for Murphy Goode Winery.  Murphy Goode is located in Sonoma County (which is a lovely part of the country).  They make Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blac, Cabernet, Merlot, and Zinfandel.  The cooler Somoma climate typically makes wines with a little bit of a lighter hand than a lot of Napa wines.  Sadly, Murphy Goode is a little under-represented here in Central Ohio, and after a bit of a hunt, Husband found a bottle of Liar's Dice Zin at the Anderson's (gotta love that place). 

We tried the wine after work this past Wednesday (it was hot) and found it to be pleasantly fruity; typically neither of us like to drink red wine after work (hello, if you don't remember Wednesday, it was hot and humid, and I was working the patio at work), but the Zin wasn't over the top tannic or "chewy." It was very tasty; seems as thought it would be a very nice food wine (especially the food where I'm working now, which loves fruity, spicy wines without a ton of oak or gripping tannins).

We were trying to make a video of us drinking the wine and talking - the lighting was perfect in the garden at work, but alas, we couldn't get the video to download so I re-recorded somthing the next afternoon where the lighting was bright enough to highlight each and every one of my chins.

Those of you who follow me on twitter might remember my first and second attempts.  I still like the second attempt the best, but after soon feedback, I do see how it needed a little more face time.

At any rate, will you please vote for me?  The prize is a 6 month deal to do social media for Murphy Goode winery and Sonoma County.  It pays $60K.  I suppose I don't have to tell you that with that kind of salary, I could take the next 6 months off and do nothing but eat and create recipes, which would be totoally awesome.  Not to mention, there's the living in Sonoma thing, which would also be cool.  Of course my heart will always be here with you, and I would continue writing here.  But let's not count our chickies before they hatch!

You could probably help by voting for me here.  You can see all of the entrants here.

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