Purple Kohlrabi Chips

Kohlrabi is one weird looking vegetable (therefore I had to get some...). Although they remind me terribly of turnips and other root vegetables, kohlrabi is actually a member of the cabbage family. The turnip-y shape is due to artificial selection of lateral stems and swelling of the stem near the ground (thank you, abigail, for clearing up this misconception of mine!).

The kohlrabi I got from the farmer's market had such bountiful greens that I felt like I was in a jungle when I put them in my fridge. Those I sauteed with oil and garlic a few weeks ago because I knew the root part would last for much longer than the greens.

Kohlrabi Chips
Think potato chips but much more interesting!

Ingredients:

3 kohlrabi bulbs

1 T oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

cayenne pepper, salt, pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F

Slice the bulbs as thin as possible (this is where I start dreaming of a Mandoline...)

Mix together the oil, garlic, and spices, toss the kohlrabi slices in the oil mixture.

Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until brown and crispy.*

*Cooking time depends on the thickness of the slices so keep an eye on your chips!

Roasted Eggplant

Yesterday was a bit of a fridge clean out for me. I keep adding new veggies to my Crisper drawer, ultimately hiding past purchases. One discovery of this sort was 3 eggplants from a farmer's market past. Knowing that I typically get lost in the internet while looking up recipes (those gosh darn links get me every time...) I resorted to the simplest and most familiar cooking method to me thanks to repeated baba ghanouj escapades; roasting!

Roasted Eggplant

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F

Cut top off of eggplant and in half length-wise.

Prick eggplant with a fork if using larger eggplant.

Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Brush foil with oil and place eggplant onto sheet, cut side down.

Cook until eggplant starts to collapse, around 25 minutes.

Remove seeds (I don't do this but the internet tells me otherwise).

Scoop flesh out of skins and use as you wish!

I typically just mix eggplant with salt, pepper, garlic granules, and random herbs but here are some more complicated recipes that look pretty darn good:

Roasted Eggplant Salad

Roasted Eggplant Focaccia Sandwich

Eggplant Stacks with Fig and Melted Brie (not vegan, obviously...)

Italian Eggplant Stacks (also not vegan)

Chipotle Eggplant Chili

Herbed Risotto with Eggplant and Peppers

Rustic Bread and Eggplant Lasagna

Roasted Eggplant and Sun Dried Tomato Buns

Wheat Berry Pilaf with Roasted Eggplant

Miniature Napoleons with Eggplant Creme

Baked Sun Dried Tomato Risotto with Roasted Veggies and Balsamic Reduction

Baba Ghanoush

Sauteed Bosc Pears

Sauteed Bosc Pears

Ingredients:
2 Bosc pears, halved and cored
2 T oil
2 T maple syrup
1/2 c toasted walnuts
1/2 nutmeg, grated
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt

Directions:
Heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add pears, cut side down, and saute for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.
Flip pears and drizzle on maple syrup, saute for a few more minutes, until soft.
Transfer pears into serving dishes and reserve maple syrup.
Mix reserved maple syrup with spices and pour over pears.
Sprinkle walnuts onto sauteed pears.

Couscous with Apples, Raisins and Walnuts

Michigan apples, whaddup whaddup!

Couscous with Apples, Raisins and Walnuts

Based off of a Giada De Laurentiis recipe

Ingredients:

Couscous:

2 T oil

2 c couscous

4 c water

1 t salt

1/8 c dried parsley

1 T dried rosemary

2 t fresh thyme leaves

1 apple, diced

1 c raisins

1/2 c walnuts, toasted (see below)

Vinaigrette:

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

2 T maple syrup

1 T salt

1/2 t ground pepper

1/4 c olive oil

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until browned and aromatic.

Add water and salt and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and mix in apples, raisins, nuts and herbs.

Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients and pour over couscous.

Toss to coat couscous evenly.

Toasted Walnuts

I am a sucker for items at the farmers market that are a little out of the ordinary and this week it just happened to be walnuts! Unlike the walnuts that you buy at the grocery store, these guys were still in their shell (surprise surprise...). This lead to the fun task of cracking those suckers open. Without a nut cracker I resorted to a hammer and it worked juuuuuust fine.

Pre-hammer

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Arrange the walnut meat in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Roasted Beets

Going along with my root vegetable obsession, I love beets. Whenever I'm at a salad bar I typically fill half of my plate with them. A pretty cool fact about beets is that they are always in season!

Some reasons why you should incorporate beets into your diet are that they are high in dietary fiber, iron, and vitamin C. Beets stimulate the liver so they help with the detoxification of your body. Also, the Romans considered beet juice to be an aphrodisiac...

A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to cook some beets myself. I used a boiling method but I read that beets keep the most amounts of their nutrition when they're roasted so here's my second try!

Roasted Beets

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F

Cut off the tops of the beets and reserve the beet greens for a different recipe.

Scrub the dirt off the beets.

Line a baking dish with aluminum foil.

Put beets into lined baking dish and fold the foil so that the beets are enveloped.

Cook for about an hour, until beets are fork tender.

Take the dish out of the oven and allow to cool.

Apply pressure to the beets and the skins will slip off.

I simply drizzle the beets with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper but here are some more intensive recipes if you are so inclined:

Roasted Beets with Orange Dressing

Borscht

Pickled Beets

Beet Hummus

Beet Ravioli (not vegan)

Note: Beeturia is a harmless condition of passing red or pink color urine after eating beets and its top greens. The condition can be found in around 10-15% of the population who are genetically unable to break down betacyanin pigment.

Say Yes to Michigan!

Dear Michigan League,

When I walked into Beanster's Cafe to indulge my caffeine addiction, I found something that pleased me much much more, a sign advertising your sandwich specials for the week.

It is Celebrating Michigan Week, with two wonderful 'Say Yes to Michigan' sandwich options from an even more wonderful source, the state of Michigan!
Thank you for giving me an option to eat local outside of my own kitchen. I give you two thumbs (covered in butternut squash jam) up! Now let's talk about extending this celebration of our state way beyond the one-week time frame...

Love,
Sam

The Say Yes to Michigan Sandwich [Vegan Style]
Note: They're also offering a "carnivore" version.
Ingredients:

Directions:
Pay $5.00 at Beanster's Cafe at the Michigan League.
Make it a meal for an additional $1.50! This includes a pickle, chips, and a local apple slaw.

Miso Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:
2 T tamari
2 T brown rice vinegar
2 T mirin (or any cooking wine)
2 T miso*
2 T tahini
Crushed red pepper to taste


Directions:
Mix ingredients together. Done.
Add some water if you prefer a thinner dressing.


This dressing works great on a salad but would also be good on a cold noodle dish or baked with tofu.


*The People's Food Co-op sells local white miso in bulk!

Pumpkin Ravioli and Garlic Bread

Pumpkin Ravioli
I found out how to (start using) my cooked pumpkin. However this was definitely my attempt 1 at pumpkin ravioli. The pumpkin filling turned out mouth watering but the pasta part was sub-par. It tasted fine but it did not serve it's purpose of holding the filling inside of itself! Fail.

Ingredients:

Filling

1 c roasted pumpkin

2 t oil (I used almond in this recipe)

1/4 t nutmeg

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t cumin

dash of pepper

1/2 t salt

1/4 cup ground walnuts (or nuts of your choice)

Pasta

2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 t salt

2 T fresh thyme (or herb of your choice)

1/2 c water

1 t olive oil

Directions:

For filling:

Heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan.

Add nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, pepper, salt and ground walnuts.

Stir in pumpkin and stir until the mixture is fragrant and the consistency of creamy mashed potatoes.

Turn off heat and set aside.

For pasta:

Mix together the wet ingredients.

Add in the dry ingredients.

Knead until a stiff dough forms.

Start heating water to a boil in a large pot, adding a dash of salt and a dollop of oil to the water.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface as thin as possible (working with half portions at a time).

Cut dough into similarly sized squares, around 2.5 inches each.

Spoon about 1 t of filling into the middle of a square, placing another square on top of the first and pushing edges to seal.

Gently drop ravioli into the boiling water.

Cook for 15 minutes and carefully drain.

Serve with the sauce of your choice. I mixed together olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed toasted walnuts.

Garlic Bread

I bought a whole wheat baguette from Cafe Japon at the farmer's market this passed weekend for this exact purpose. Hands down best thing everrrr

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat baguette, cut into 1 inch slices

oil

1 head of roasted garlic (recipe below)

salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F

Brush slices with oil and place on baking pan.

Cook until golden brown and crispy.

Mash roasted garlic with salt and pepper.

Spread slices of bread with garlic mixture.

Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven to 400F
Cut off a third of each garlic head to expose the cloves.

Drizzle with 1 t oil.

Wrap head with aluminum foil and place in muffin tin.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the garlic is soft and tender.

Autumn Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Autumn Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash, cut in half
1 c cooked quinoa
3 T oil
2 T maple syrup
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 c pistachios
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t cinnamon
salt and pepper
fresh thyme or rosemary

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
Coat inside of both acorn squash halves with 1 T of oil.
Bake in oven, flesh side down for 40 minutes with about 1/2 inch of water, until fork tender.
Heat cooked quinoa in a sauce pan over medium heat with 1 T oil, maple syrup, cranberries, pistachios, and spices.
Fill each roasted acorn squash half with 1/2 c of quinoa mixture.
Wrap stuffed squash halves with aluminum foil and bake in oven for another 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme or rosemary.


Sweet and Spicy Acorn Squash Seeds

Ingredients:
seeds of 1 acorn squash
2 T maple syrup
2 T oil
1 t cayenne pepper
salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix together all ingredients except salt and pepper.
Spread onto baking pan and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and season with salt.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Thyme

It has been way too long since my last post but I have been still cooking like crazy so it is time to make up for lost time.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Thyme

Ingredients:
butternut squash, cut in half
2 T oil
2 T maple syrup
salt and pepper
fresh thyme

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
Place butternut squash halves on a large baking sheet flesh side up.
Place 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp maple syrup in the middle of each squash.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Roast for 25 minutes, until flesh is fork-tender.
Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and serve!

Pummkin

Pumpkins to me are the ultimate symbol of fall. I have very fond memories of going to a family friend's farm and picking out pumpkins every October. My parent's had only one rule for my brother and I for this process, we had to be able to carry it back to the car on our own. This was a definite test of strength to young Sam and I am happy to report that neither Max or I had a dropped-and-smashed pumpkin incident.

The carving of the jack-o-lantern process was a staple in the Autumn festivities, and an especially creative one at that considering both of my parents went to art school. No matter how busy we were between homework, gymnastics practices, work deadlines, etc., it was always somehow fit into our schedules.

I never liked having to scoop out the pumpkin guts (especially since my entire arm usually had to reach in to reach the bottom of the biggest pumpkin I had managed to carry to the car) but it was all apart of the process. Max and I drew our Jacks' expressions and after my dad cut to our design, they came to life by candle light. The family always walking out to the street to admire the illuminated faces on our porch.

I got this baby a few weeks ago at the farmer's market. Toootally worth trying to ride it home on my bike at 10pm after a shift at the co-op...

Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients:
1 pumpkin
canola oil
1 c water

Directions:
Wash pumpkin and remove stem (I did this by hitting it against my kitchen counter. Good times were had).
Cut pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and fibers. Save the seeds for a roasted pumpkin seed recipe!
Preheat oven to 350F
Coat the cut surfaces of the pumpkin halves with canola oil.
Place the pumpkin halves cut side down in a baking pan and add water to the pan.
Bake the pumpkin for 60-90 minutes. The flesh will be tender when poked with a fork.
Remove pumpkin from oven and allow to cool.
Scrape the flesh out and puree in a food processor until smooth.
Line a colander placed in a bowl with cheese cloth, paper towels, or coffee filters and allowing the pureed pumpkin to drain overnight (or at least 2 hours) in the fridge.

At this point, the pumpkin can be used immediately in any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin, stored in the fridge for 24 hours OR can be frozen in measured quantities in an airtight container (apparently up to 3 months). I froze 1 c portions in glass cups and transferred the cup-shaped pumpkin solids to a Ziploc bag!

Not sure what I will do with my pumpkin now, perhaps pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread... Any suggestions??

Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:
Seeds from 1 small pumpkin
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F
Mix together ingredients and spread seeds onto baking sheet.
Roast for 20-30 minutes, mixing every 5-10 minutes, until the seeds are dried out and starting to brown.
Take out of oven and salt to taste.

Pizza: The easiest way to please

I had two events this week that I had to (okay, I chose to...) make food for: the Student Sustainability Initiative Food Issues meeting and my Graham Undergraduate Sustainability Scholars seminar biodiversity presentation. I needed something that was easy to make and that would please a crowd. So I turned to the pizza recipe I made a couple weeks ago and just altered it based on the ingredients that I had this week.

Eggplant Pizza with Roasted Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat pizza dough
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
2 small onions, chopped
1 c Roasted Tomato Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:
Roll out pizza dough onto a lightly oiled baking pan.
Cook at 425F for 8-10 minutes.
Saute onions until soft.
Saute eggplant, covered with a little bit of water, until soft.
Spread sauce evenly over the crust.
Arrange eggplant on crust and sprinkle onions on top.
Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.

Pesto-Onion Pizza

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat pizza dough
1 c pesto (about 4 cubes if you froze them in an ice cube tray)
2 onions, sliced

Directions:

Roll out pizza dough onto a lightly oiled baking pan.

Cook at 425F for 8-10 minutes.

Saute onions until soft and starting to brown.

Spread pesto evenly over the crust and sprinkle onions on top.

Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

I made this recipe a few weeks ago because I was afraid my tomatoes were going to go bad.

Ingredients:

6 tomatoes, cut into quarters
olive oil
Salt and pepper
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
Arrange tomatoes on an oiled baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake until tomatoes start falling into themselves.Using a slotted spoon, scoop the tomatoes out of the pan, leaving excess liquid behind.

Puree tomatoes in a food processor.
Heat 1 T oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the garlic and onions and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Pour pureed tomatoes into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced to the desired consistency.

Conscious Consumption Potluck

A couple days ago was the Conscious Consumption Potluck, put on by Brewing Hope and Fair Tees.

Brewing Hope is a UM student org "dedicated to the sustainable production, equitable trade, and responsible consumption of coffee." They throw fundraising events in which all the profits go towards buying instruments for indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico. Fair Tees is another UM student org with the mission of "connect[ing] students with organic and fair-trade tee shirt producers." Their main supplier is the Nueva Vida Women's Cooperative in Nicaragua and they provide whole-sale, organic tees for about $8 per shirt.

Attendees of the potluck were asked to bring a dish made from locally, fairly, and/or sustainably sourced ingredients. Needless to say, I was pumped to go and it ended up being a great event with great people! I made a dish with AA Farmer's Market sweet potatoes, daikon, and maple syrup. Other dishes included vegetarian chili with local veggies and fair-trade chocolate, cooked Michigan butternut squash, local green bean casserole, and Brewing Hope coffee.

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Daikon
I am so happy with how this turned out! I probably ate a good quarter of the dish on the way over to the potluck... Recipe would work for any root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, potatoes...).

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1 daikon, peeled
2 T oil (1 T + 1 T)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 c maple syrup
1 T apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F
Cut root vegetables into spears (about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide).
Mix together 1 T oil, the salt, and the cayenne pepper and toss with the vegetables.
Dump the vegetables on 2 lightly oiled baking pans and cook for 25 minutes, stirring halfway though.
Mix together 1 T oil, the maple syrup and the vinegar and pour over the root vegetables, mixing to make sure that they're evenly coated.
Return to oven and roast for 10 more minutes.
Season with salt to taste.

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto!

Carrot. Celery. Pea sprouts.

I love japanese food. I really really do. You just can't go wrong with ginger, miso, tamari, soba noodles... And sea vegetables! Don't think you're familiar with sea veggies? You probably are and just don't realize it! If you've ever eaten sushi you have encountered the most popular form of sea vegetable: Nori. But it does not stop there, just like land vegetables there is a wide variety of their sea siblings. Hiziki, kombu, wakame...

Problems that are too obvious not to mention:
A: NOT LOCAL! I'm living off a decently large supply that I luckily already stocked up on pre-challenge. Yes, Eden is a Made in Michigan brand, however it advertises right on the package how the hiziki is "harvested from pristine waters off eastern Japan" and the arame is "cultivated off the environmentally protected west shore of Ise Bay."
B: Terribly wasteful packaging. At least based off of the one's in my cupboard which contain about 1-2 oz. per package...

But until my stock runs out, they're salty, delicious and oh so good for you.

Sushi
Think of this recipe as sushi 101. There is no specific recipe for sushi because you can roll up just about anything! Be creative, try a bunch of variations and you'll find out your own preference.

Ingredients:
nori
5 c brown rice, cooked*
1/4 c rice vinegar (for 5 c rice, use 1/4 c vinegar)*
1 T sugar (optional)*
1 t salt*
fresh vegetables (cucumbers, peppers, sprouts...)
steamed vegetables (asparagus, sweet potato...)
tofu

Directions:
Mix together the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt and pour over rice.
Prepare your add-ins: slice veggies, marinate tofu, cook other veggies...
Place a sheet of nori on a bamboo sushi mat and spoon on/spread rice until about 2/3 of the sheet is covered.
Place your add-ins in the middle of the sheet.
Roll it up! (This is surprisingly challenging. Check out this video for tips!)
Cut the rolls into 2 inch pieces using a wet, SHARP knife. If you don't have a sharp knife (which I don't...) you may have to resort to a very-little-pressure, sawing method.

Serve with any of the following: soy sauce, wasabi, toasted sesame seeds, chopped green onions, pickled ginger, hot sauce...

*These measurements are more for proportional reasons. So unless you want to end up with many rolls of sushi,  make less than 5 c of rice and decrease other measurements proportionally.

The Three-Minute Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

So I am no proponent for microwaves. They actually scare me a bit... I mean the fact that they were banned in Russia in the 70s cannot speak highly of their health effects.

However if you are up late trying to finish a lab report and you are jonesing for something sweet, the following may or may not occur:

Three-Minute Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Ingredients:
1/4 c oats
1/8 c apple sauce
2 T sweetener (I used Michigan maple syrup)
2 t whole wheat flour
1/4 t vanilla extract
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t cinnamon
1 T raisins

Directions:
Mix ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.
Scrape down sides and form into a cookie-shape
Microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Consume.
Repeat?

Guest Recipe: Mix-and-Match Stir Fry

Martha Johnston is freelance graphic designer, yoga enthusiast, vegan chef, and all-around lovely, creative, beautiful soul. She also gave birth to me so she is extra special in my book.

Why yes, that is a shirt with a block of tofu on it

Martha started developing her current food philosophy in the 70s while watching her own mother and her love of cooking. She eventually "borrowed" her mom's Jane Brody's Good Food Book and adopted a high-carbohydrate (we're talking good carbs here, not white bread but whole grains), whole foods (non-processed), mostly vegetarian way of cooking and eating. From then on she has always cooked from scratch, given up on refined sugars and flours, and turned to fresh food.

Martha went full-throttle vegan a few years ago for health reasons and through this change has discovered other passions, like animal activism and holistic medicine. In her free time (and is not cooking at home), she paints and is a vegan chef at Golden Gate Cafe in Detroit.

Mix-and-Match Stir Fry
This is sort of a stir fry 101. Soups and stir fries are great because you don't need a recipe, and you can do a lot of mixing and matching. This method would lend itself to local food. Alter the recipe for what's in season!

Mushrooms, red peppers, zucchini, onions, carrots, brown rice

Garnished with edible flowers

Use whatever veggies you have. It's a great weeknight clean-out-the-fridge recipe since it's fast and easy!


Ingredients:
brown rice, cooked
1 T canola oil
lots of sliced onion
salt
pepper
garlic, minced
ginger, minced
vegetables (sliced red peppers, carrots, zucchini...)
soy sauce

Directions:
Chop vegetables thin and similar sizes so they will cook at the same amount time.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a saute pan at high heat.
Add the onions and a little salt and pepper to the pan and cook till they start to soften.
Toss in the remaining veggies, try not to crowd the pan. If you have any tender green (i.e. kale, bok choy...) add those towards the end.
Keep stirring, sprinkle with water and soy sauce if the veggies start to stick. Do not add too much liquid or they will become stewed veggies.
After the veggies begin to soften add minced garlic and ginger. They will burn if you add them to soon.
Add more seasoning to taste. Bragg's Liquid Aminos or soy sauce should be plenty of flavor with the garlic and ginger.



Note from Martha: Taste as you go and add less spices than you think. Every time you make it you will figure out your tastes. I like a ton of ginger and garlic (like 2 tablespoons). First time you make it only about half a tablespoon, next time add more. Use soy sauce and salt and pepper sparingly, you can always add that to taste when its done. 

Green beans, onion, red peppers, greens, brown rice

Garnished with mung bean sprouts, sesame seeds, edible flower

Garnish Ideas:

handfuls or raw fresh veggies
chopped green onions

cilantro

any kind of fresh sprouts

snow peas

peanuts, sliced thin

cashews, sliced thin

Variations:
Add in...
...sesame seeds and tiny bit of sesame oil as a finishing oil.
...Sriracha sauce or cayenne for heat.
...peanut butter mixed with Sriracha sauce.
...coconut milk and curry paste.

Thanks Mom, for passing on your love and wisdom of good food, and letting me develop my own food philosophy. I got to say, the (organic, Michigan) apple does not fall all too far from the tree...

Vinology

At the beginning of this local food journey I had assumed that I would only be able to eat food that I had cooked for myself but low and behold, I am singing a new tune after the events of last night. To conclude Marcy's Birth Week, the Zatz family ventured to Ann Arbor and took Hadas, Marcy, and I out to Vinology.

After scoping out the menu online, I was very hopeful that I would be able to actually order a dish. Not only does their menu rotate seasonally, these wonderful words are printed at the bottom:

To support our environment and local economy, 

we focus on local and sustainable ingredients whenever possible. 

Participating farms in this menu include: 

Eat Local Eat Natural, Guernsey Dairy, Calder Dairy, Miller Amish Chicken Farms, 

Gunthorp Farms, Werp Farms, Mighty Good Coffee, Avalon Organic Bakery

Nevertheless, I called in to see the extent of local purchasing Vinology takes part in. I learned that about 90% of their produce is from local sources. I was directed towards Aaron, one of the chefs, to discuss just what that meant.

I ended up talking to Aaron both on the phone and at the restaurant. He helped me navigate the menu to see my vegan options but when he offered to make me something special, how could I say no? Considering I am a far from picky eater, he surprised me with this beautiful creation:

Photo Credit: M Ziggity

Rice pilaf with saffron, topped with huckleberries, micro greens, and thyme.
A salad of dandelion greens, carrots, cucumber, and heirloom tomatoes, tossed in a vinaigrette dressing.
Roasted zucchini and asparagus in a roasted red pepper sauce.
All of which was grown in Michigan (except the rice...)

Although this will obviously not be a typical dining out experience for me (Hello college student budget), it made me realize how accommodating people will be if you are open and honest about your lifestyle. I could have easily kept my mouth shut and ordered the veggies salad, the only dish on the menu that explicitly is from Werp Farm, but I'm glad that I didn't. Not only was Aaron more than willing to make me something special because of my dietary restrictions, he saw it as an exciting challenge!

All I can say is, don't be embarrassed about your personal goals or what you consider important, you'll be surprised to find how many people want to know more or actually share them!

Eggplant Chips

So delicious and so easy to make... A+

Eggplant Chips

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1-2 T oil
1-2 T Tamari*
granulated garlic

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F
Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch slices
Pour oil, tamari, and garlic into a baking pan and shake to mix.
Place eggplant slices onto the baking pan and flip so that both sides are coated.
Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway though, until caramelized.

I wouldn't necessarily call what came out of my oven a "chip" but I would call it delicious. I will definitely definitely make this again. Next time I think I'll cut the eggplant thinner to try to make them more chip-like.

*Tamari is a wheat-free soy sauce. Regular soy sauce works just as well.