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In case you hadn’t noticed, Chicagoist was a little cranky yesterday morning. After our second full day of the Green City Market Localvore Challenge, with our ‘allowed’ food pretty much gone, we were feeling a bit deprived. Once again, the feeling of only wanting what we can’t have was rearing its ugly head. Plus, we couldn’t shake the fact that if we knew how to really cook (sorry mom!) our localvore lives would be a lot easier—and tastier—too.
But after visiting Wednesday’s Green City Market, all is good in the world once again. Not only did we get to engage in one of our favorite pastimes, chef spotting—Paul Kahan! (Blackbird), Bruce Sherman! (North Pond), Susan Goss! (West Town Tavern), Michael Carlson! (Schwa)—but we also found out that everything available at the market is fair game for localvores! And that includes the yummy baked goods from Bleeding Heart Bakery and Bennison’s Bakery. So much for our theory that we might actually lose a pound or two during the Localvore Challenge week.
So after satisfying our very hungry sweet tooth with a few bites of a cranberry scone, we wandered the market to stock up for the remainder of the challenge week. We were tempted to simply follow around the aforementioned chefs to see what they were buying but that might turn chef spotting into chef stalking which wouldn’t be a very good thing (we imagine it’s quite difficult to follow a local diet while incarcerated). Instead, we relied on our own tastes and with the advice from the very helpful market vendors (a special thanks to Heartland Meats for taking the time to show us their budget-friendly selections and for the fact that they take credit cards), we came home with a bounty of good stuff (see photo above).
And with that bounty of good stuff, that feeling of not having what we really want disappeared with each bite of roasted baby potatoes, cipollina onions, squash and garlic. Although we couldn’t stop thinking of those beautiful raspberries from Nichol’s Farm and Orchard (see photo) that we didn’t buy.
To be continued...
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Wow...sprouted wheat tortillas! Where did you get those?
I'm glad you discovered Heartland Meats, Lisa. They're one of my favorite vendors. They raise Piedmontese beef on non-GMO feed and no hormones. The beef is also lower in fat, and such great tasting beef. I can't get enough of their tri-tip roasts; I probably spend about $300-400 each summer buying it.
They're located in Mendota, which is not far from the city and worth the trip.
About ready to try some of my Heartland meat for lunch right now! Looking forward to it. As for those tortillas, Green City Market, right next to the Bennison's Bakery stand.
Lisa. Let me know if you want me to come bring you some local food grown in my garden and/or bought at the market and cooked up so you can enjoy more than an apple for dinner (damn they don't have local Power Bars!). You are doing great (and you are a great budding cook, I might add...).
Eating local does take more time and substantially more money than eating whatever our industrial conglomerates want to dish up. I spent the majority of this week canning and freezing a bunch of food so I can eat things like raspberries this winter. But I generally try to think of it as how I choose to spend my time and money, rather than shock of how much the tomato costs. For example, I don't have cable, so I save that money and the (wasted) time I would be spending watching bad reality shows. I also don't go out to dinner much or out to many movies.
I am glad you discovered the truth about Whole Foods. Mine, up here on Peterson, is a trainwreck and I personally think Jewel/Dominick's may in fact be better with respect to the whole topic of sustainability just because they don't put up this front that lures in the unsuspecting and trusting who think just because it is there, it must be OK. At least Jewel/Dominick's are honest about their devotion to the almighty dollar and don't pretend they are something they are not. I have said it before, Whole Foods is the AntiChrist.
As for chef stalking, go ahead, Paul is VERY good about using more inexpensive vegetables (what that man can do with a kohlrabi) and cuts of meat (he has single-handedly made pork belly fashionable) bought locally and is a model for what one can do if they think outside the box. We could all learn a lot.
Well, aren't you sweet! Does that come with eating local? And yes, I agree about the Power Bars. There's a challenge for some local bakers: To make a local nutrition bar!
This has definitely been a learning—and thinking—process and that's exactly what I had hoped for (part of which is to look beyond the labels, whether it be on food or further). I think I'm actually starting to 'get it' (see today's post). Perhaps soon I'll be ready to learn how to can...
I do love Bennison's and Bleeding Heart but how are their products local? Yes, they're made locally but are their ingredients?
Well, that was my question, too. But when I asked the person at the Green City Market booth, she said everything was fair game. Frankly, I thought to push it more and question about the ingredients, but all I could think of was something sweet to eat! But it is something I plan on researching more. I plan on attending a wrap-up brunch at which I'm sure there will be people more expert at this localvore thing than me so I'll ask.