Local meat and cheese from Old Pine Farm CSA

I've been very busy lately visiting some great farms and chefs for Edible WOW. I don't go into too much detail here on the blog, because I want you to support the magazine if you're in the area (if you're not, but are in the U.S., look for the local Edible publication in your area). But at the same time, I do want those of you living in Southeast Michigan to know about the great food sources right at our doorstep. So today I'm going to tell you all about our Old Pine Farm CSA membership.

Beautifully colorful eggs from Old Pine Farm

The boy and I bought a half share in the Old Pine Farm meat CSA. Owner Kris Hirth raises locally grown grass-fed and certified organic grain-fed animals in Manchester. The new season started this month and we picked up our first share on Monday. It included a dozen eggs, a whole chicken, spareribs, fresh pork sausage, ground beef and a round roast. We also had the opportunity to purchase some extras, which we took full advantage. We got a turkey (just in time for Thanksgiving!), fresh rainbow trout fillets and a whole range of incredible local handcrafted artisan cheeses.

Some of the cheeses are from Evergreen Lane Farm, a small-scale organic goat dairy in Fennville, Michigan. We ordered the Fresh Chevre, Fresh Chevre with Garden Herbs (Parsley, Lovage and Chives) and Pyramid Pointe. So far, I've only tried the Chevre with herbs and it is remarkable. So tangy and fresh tasting. I can't wait to try the rest.

We also got cream cheese and feta from Greystone Farm and Creamery, a sheep dairy in Chelsea. I had the cream cheese this morning and I can't get over the rich flavor. I will definitely be ordering more cheese in the future.

The fresh rainbow trout was from Indianbrook Farm in Jackson and we had it for dinner Monday night. So fresh and tasty with a bit of sweet tang from white wine vinegar:

Tuscan Grilled Trout
Adapted from Food and Wine
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, cut into thin slices
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 8 trout fillets (about 2 pounds in all)

Light the grill or heat the broiler. In a small stainless-steel saucepan, combine the oil, garlic, sage, and rosemary. Cook over moderately low heat until the garlic just starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper.

Put the trout fillets in a medium glass dish or stainless-steel pan. Sprinkle the fish with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of the oil-and-vinegar mixture and turn to coat. Grill or broil the fish skin-side down for 2 minutes. Turn and cook until just done, about 2 minutes longer for 1/4-inch-thick fillets. To serve,whisk the remaining oil-and-vinegar mixture and pour it over the hot fish.

Note: I cut the recipe in half and it worked beautifully.

Stay tuned for more recipes with our CSA gems. I feel so lucky — and thankful — that we have this resource so near by. Do you think smearing the turkey all over with goat cheese is too much?!?!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Cheery thankfulness and tomatoes

First, I wanted to share my first real tomato of the season. Well, actually, pictured above is the second tomato of the season. I ate the first one all on its own. I forget just how truly delicious they are. Sandwich: squishy white bread, smear of mayo, tomato, s+p. Done. The boy doesn't like tomatoes. A potential deal-breaker if he weren't so darn charming.

Next, I'm over-the-moon ecstatic that my shop was included in this week's Etsy Take Five Tuesday on decor8. I read decor8 religiously and think Holly Becker has created quite a gem of a site. I also discovered some other terrific shops in this post. I just love this blouse from me&oli.

That's all for today. I am desperately hoping to get some drawing in and am eagerly awaiting Neko Case tonight in Pontiac… Cheers!

Open house breakfast

Through a random internet search last night, I stumbled onto the SELMA cafe here on the Westside of Ann Arbor. Hosted by Lisa Gottlieb and Jeff McCabe in their home, it is a once-a-week Friday breakfast from 6:30 to 10:00AM — open to the public. They have guest chefs each week who prepare local foods. Today was Scott MacInnis preparing omelets to order featuring Michigan Mushrooms, hoop-house greens, house-cured meats and local cheese. As I walked up the driveway to the side entrance of their house, I admired the tidy collection of chickens and neat-as-a-pin garden plots. Once inside, I was warmly greeted by Lisa who offered up some masking tape for a name tag and sat me in the kitchen with a U of M law student and her boyfriend visiting from Boston, and Archie — a character active on the local food scene who was seemingly known by everyone in the room. I really wanted to take a picture of the meal, but was embarrassed with my new companions at the table. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. The conversation was lively and the food was divine. Volunteers help out in the kitchen and do the serving. The room was alive with chatter and animated discussions. There was plenty of Roos Roast coffee to go along with the meal and some mighty tasty whole grain bread. I may just become a regular!

edibleWOW now!

edibleWHO? edibleWOW! That's the name of the publication that I recently started contributing to and the new spring issue is available now! It focuses on seasonal, sustainable foods, food producers and the bounty of Southeastern Michigan. I knew of the Edible Communities from the Edible East End magazine on Long Island and am very excited to be involved here. They are still working on getting their web site up to gear, so rather than a link to the articles I contributed, here they are as scanned directly from the pages… so if you are interested in reading about shrimp farmed in Okemos, Michigan or an extraordinarily green, sustainable restaurant in Rochester, scroll down and click on the images for a larger view…