Tips from the Green Market
Beets
Beet, beets, beets. Let's devote a little copy to these earthy beauties this month, in an effort to help you consider them in a non-eastern European kind of way. While our ancestors often only associated these delicious sweet root vegetables with cows or canning, the last couple of generations have finally begun to value the versatility and difference amongst varieties. And while our forbearers were more likely to consider baseballs when ogling the large, often-exclusively red orbs, nowadays ping pong ball similarities are probably more appropriate when faced with the multitude of varieties found at today's markets.
 Not only are the shapes and colors beautifully diverse - the tubular tapered dark red Forono, the rich and starkly white Albino - but the flavors and textures vary in naturally complementary ways, facilitating beautiful-yet-surprisingly complex juxtapositions on the plate.
Ironically, the turn of the century association between beets and poverty has ceded way to these newly (re)discovered varieties of boutique strains, hardly priced at the peasant level. Nonetheless, as the plethora of local beets awaits, try one or two new ones on. (Regardless of how you cook them, the addition of a little bit of citrus always helps to cut the natural sweetness.) Right now, among our beet offerings at the restaurant, we're pairing bulls blood beets with chocolate for a delightful bittersweet end to a meal.
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Seasonal Drink
Grape Expectations
5 ea Fredonia or Concord
grapes, halved and
seeded
1 oz unsweetened
Concord grape juice
1.5 oz 10 Cane or
super-premium rum
1Tbl simple syrup
1Tbl egg whites (opt.)
splash lemon juice
- Muddle the seeded grapes.
- Combine in shaker: muddled grapes, grape juice, simple syrup, rum, lemon juice and egg whites (if using).
- Add ice and shake, shake, shake.
- Strain into martini glass.
- Garnish with frozen grapes and mint.
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Tips from the Fish and Meat Market
Walleye Pike
 Way back in the seventies, I remember leisure fishing as a kid for the elusive and nearly impossible-to-land walleye. Initially enthralling, but eventually frustrating, I typically settled for the corpse-on-a-line northern pike fishing experience. The difficulty successfully capturing these fish almost certainly made the walleye taste better, though, when I ultimately had a chance to eat it at the North Woods local restaurants. Today, of course, sonar, professional fishers and local purveyors have helped me get over my latent psychological issues - enough to periodically put it on the North Pond menu.
 Native to North America's freshwaters, walleye pike is not in the pike family at all, but rather is the largest member of the perch clan. Walleye's bright pure white, super-lean flesh has a clean, delicate flavor which pairs well with more assertive flavors and fats. Delicious breaded and/or pan-fried - as we offer it on our lunch "reuben"- walleye prepared this way is a no-brainer with a cold local beer, whether sitting around North Pond or the campfire telling fish stories of ones that got away. We're currently getting our walleye from Lake Huron, and serving it as a dinner appetizer poached in olive oil, dressed with green olives and toasted almond relish, and served alongside grilled eggplant, roasted red bell peppers and wilted little gem romaine.
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Watch Our Garden Grow!
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Recipe of the Month
Pear and Blue Cheese Tart, Balsalmic
Serves six
Ingredients:
1 pkg. frozen puff pastry, available in grocer's freezer section
1 lb. fresh ripe figs or bosc pears
8 oz. artisanal or local cow's milk blue
cheese
1 ea. egg, beaten
1 tbl. butter, melted
½ c balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. water
4 tbl. butter, cubed, chilled
1 bu. curly endive, frisee lettuce, or
arugula greens
2 tbl. mustard vinaigrette or Italian salad
dressing
Preparation:
- Pre-heat oven to 400.
- Roll out thawed puff pastry sheet to 15" X 10" rectangle.
- Prick dough thoroughly, and cut out six 5" diameter circles.
- Carefully place circles on parchment-lined tray, holes on underside.
- Cut figs into quarters and/or peel and cut the pears into 16ths. In center of rounds, overlap pieces carefully in two concentric circles. Leave ¼" border around perimeter of tart, between fruit and edge of dough.
- Brush beaten egg on top of border; avoid letting egg drip over sides.
- Crumble cheese evenly over fruit in tarts. Cheese will not cover fruit completely.
- Drizzle melted butter over tarts and place in preheated oven 10-15 minutes.
- While baking, place balsamic vinegar in small non-reactive pot and bring to boil. Turn to simmer and reduce until only 1 tablespoon liquid remains.
- Add in tablespoon of water and swirl pan to unify liquid. Over very low heat, whisk in butter bit-by-bit, not adding more until previous cube has been completely emulsified. When no butter remains, taste and rectify seasoning. Reserve in warm place.
- When tarts have lightly browned and cheese has melted, remove from oven and place on individual plates. Carefully spoon warm sauce around exterior.
- Dress greens and place small clump in center of each tart.
- Serve.
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Farm of the Month
Bleu Mont Dairy
Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
Bleu Mont Website
As a child in Wisconsin, Willi Lehner learned the craft of cheesemaking at the side of his Swiss-born father. Later in life, after traveling overseas and spending time learning firsthand in England, Willi settled back to make his own cheese in the beautiful rolling hills of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. A newly built cave - literally built into one of those hills behind his home - allows Willy to age his European-style cheeses to delicious perfection, using the natural yeasts and molds to impart a magnificent buttery funk in the raw organic milk bandaged cheddar we're presently offering on this month's cheese plate. His cheeses are typically available at the Dane County farmers' market in Madison, or on line through the link above.
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Charity of the Month
Chicago's Green City Market
Each year, we accumulate donations through our wine program for four deserving organizations. Their inclusion on our list is based on their work to help preserve diverse food choices, contribute to the local community, support local farmers, and help commit to a more sustainable future. Although it has been previously featured, this month's selection is worth another look, in tribute to the recent passing of the market's founder and visionary, Abby Mandel.
Chicago's only fully sustainable green market, GCM improves the availability of a diverse range of locally-produced, responsibly grown and raised foods. The twice-a-week market directly connects farmers to chefs, restaurateurs and the public, in an effort to promote small family farms and a healthier society.
For more information, please call 773-880-1266 or visit the link below. www.chicagogreencitymarket.org |
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Another Pithy Article / Think Piece
After spending time in San Francisco recently at the inaugural Slow Food Nation conference, I was intrigued by many of the comments of Raj Patel - academic, writer, activist, rabble-rouser. Here's a link to an interview he did this summer.
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education and resources to allow them to create their own futures. Please consider joining us for this celebration of the impact we can all have on fighting global poverty through girls' education. For more information, check out the 
day through Friday, to sup while the sun shines at its brightest. If you've put it off all summer, wait no more, for by the end of the month we'll be closed for lunch until next year. Of course there'll always be Sunday brunch...