What is Ethical Eating?

What is ETHICAL EATING? Is it the difference between organics and non-organics, choosing not to eat meat, buying from only local suppliers or is it as simple as knowing the name of the cow that is now your dinner? Alan Richman a food writer for various publications including GQ magazine presents an interesting and detailed story on what it means to eat ethically in the July issue of GQ, titled “Eat no Evil”.

If you do not feel like reading the entire article here are Alan Richman’s 10 Commandments of Ethical Eating:

1. If you have to eat in a hurry, eat a salad, difficult as that might be.

2. Food wrapped in plastic or Styrofoam is ethical only if you’re an astronaut.

3. Know how the animal you eat was raised. You can lead an unexamined life but your food cannot.

4. Transform your front lawn into a garden. (Be prepared for your neighbors to consider you a fruitcake; or worse a European.)

5. Unless your mom cooks from scratch, she has no business telling you what to eat.

6. No body's health ever declined from eating unadvertised products.

7. Consider vegans a waring sign of ethical eating run amok.

8. Buying eleven-grain bread instead of seven grain bread does not make you a better person.

9. The $4.99 all-you-can-eat pancakes special at IHOP is not an ethical meal, even without bacon.

10. If you have to eat in airports, don’t. (but you already knew that.)

Whats For Dinner? Beet Enchiladas

Feel like stepping outside the norm for dinner tonight? Might we suggest a recipe for Beet enchiladas, from our very own Laurie Knudsen. With such an easy ingredients list based completely on vegetables the prep time is short and simple. In fact we suspect most of your time will be spent hovering around the oven, anticipating when you will be able to taste this interesting take on a Mexican favorite.

Ingredients:

3 good size beets
Equal amount of carrots to beets
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 cup black beans
1 can of enchilada sauce
1 pack of ten corn or flower tortillas
Handful of cilantro for garnish
1 package of Mexican mix cheese
1 can of vegetable gravy
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Soak black beans over night, next day quickly cook them while prepping everything else.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Dice your beets, carrots, onion and saute in olive oil
Fold the beans, vegetables, gravy and a little cheese into tortilla and place in a casserole dish
Repeat until the casserole dish is full
Smother the folded tortillas with the enchilada sauce
Cook for about 35-40 minutes
Once out of the oven lightly cover with cheese, diced tomatoes, and cilantro

Tell us what you think!

Drink to Your Health

Salads are refreshing, sandwiches are filling, pies are sweet but SMOOTHIES are fun! Every now and then a smoothie is an enjoyable experience that everyone should have. Depending on what you throw in them, smoothies offer a wide range of immediate health results. Breakfast, Lunch or just because, The Summertime Market has the best produce and natural foods to get you liquefied. These three smoothies feature a menu of fat fighting, brain firing, muscle building and heart helping ingredients to add a little mix to your daily pallet.

Never made a smoothie before? Pull out your blender, throw in all the ingredients and let it blend to a creamy consistency. If it is too thick just add more water, ice or juice to get the thickness you desire.

Morning Power Smoothie: All berry in this antioxidant powerhouse to keep your brain in tip top shape and ready for the day ahead.

1/2 cup fresh Krupka’s blueberries
1/2 cup fresh Visser raspberries
1 cup of Hilhof milk
1/2 cup of Greek style vanilla yogurt
Handful of flax seed

Body Karma Smoothie: Mix all these ingredients together to make your body simply feel good.

1/2 can of pineapple
3 leaves of kale or spinach
1 ripe banana
4 fresh mint leaves, for taste
1/4 inch of ginger root
1 cup of ice
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup Greek style vanilla yogurt
Handful Good Life Granola
For a nice boost try adding, beets, parsley, cabbage

*Recipe and greens from CJ Veggies

Protein Punch Smoothie: Build your muscles back stronger and charge your metabolism with this ultimate power drink.

1/2 Tbsp peanut butter of the Cream-Nut or Sweet Ella’s organic variety
1 banana
1/2 cup Hilhof milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup Greek style yogurt
1 Tbsp protein powder
1 Tbsp flax seed
3-4 ice cubes

What’s it good for?

Blueberries The huge amounts of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, in blueberries have been shown to slow brain decline and reverse memory loss.

Raspberries An antioxidant powerhouse bursting with fiber, manganese, and vitamin C, these berries will keep your heart and brain in top shape.

Bananas Heavy on potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6, bananas do wonders for your heart and provide good carbs to keep you full and energized.

OJ & Pineapple OJ has vitamin C, and pineapples contain bromelain, a cancer-inhibiting, inflammation-reducing enzyme.

Low-fat milk All the calcium and protein, none of the fat.

Greek style yogurt Apposed to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is low in all things bad and high in all things good like; protein, carbs, sodium and it offers a thicker and creamer taste.

Peanut Butter Packed with protein, manganese, and niacin, peanuts can help stave off heart disease and, when eaten in moderation, promote weight loss.

Flax seed A tiny seed that has been around for centuries, known for its Omega-3 essential fatty acids. These good fats have shown evidence to help reduce risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

Ginger root Aside from being known as a super herb packed full of useful nutrients, ginger reduces inflammation and also helps lower cholesterol.

Spinach, Kale and other leafy greens Are usually at the top of many super food list for being loaded with calcium, folic acid, iron, fiber, vitamins K & C and carotenoids.

Beets One more root vegetable that has positive effects for the whole body including; digestion, blood circulation, kidney disorders, skin care, gall bladder, cancer, and heart diseases.

Water & Ice A little more H2O is always a good idea.

*information gathered from various Men’ Health publications and WebMD

Eating Local on the Go

What happens when you combine this area’s premier caterer with the magnificent array of ingredients available at The Summertime Market? We all benefit and have one more reason to stop in and shop at Summertime Market on our way through town.

This past weekend The Summertime Market was thrilled to welcome the talents and creativity of Chef Christine Ferris to the Market. She stopped in to deliver our first order and offer a few samplings.

For more than 20 years, Chris’ love of delicious fresh, local and organic produce has been the heart of her creations. Now, instead of hoping she’ll be the one catering the next big summer event on your schedule, you can enjoy a collection of unique salads and sandwich wraps, created specially for Summertime Market, anytime!

Using only ingredients available at the Market, Chris will be making pesto chicken salad, bean salad with fresh tarragon and tender spring vegetables, and a few other taste treats we can all enjoy…whenever we want!

Whether heading out for a hike at the State Park, a relaxing afternoon at the beach, or a lazy day out on the boat, stop in and pick up some great food that’s ready to go…all in compostabl packing of course.

Whats For Dinner at the Douglas Social?

This week at the Douglas Social The Summertime Market will be bringing you the best the area has to offer for dinner and desert. Look for our tent to be serving Evil Jungle Thai salad and tomato basil sandwiches for dinner. For desert we will offer Palazzolo's Gelato and Crane's Pies.

Whether you come hungry for conversation or for a full plate of salad we hope to see you at the Douglas Social, this Thursday night from 5:00-9:00 PM

Cheese Tasting with Evergreen Lane Farm & Creamery

In general it can be difficult to refuse a sampling of cheese but when it is an Evergreen Lane chevre it is impossible. This past Saturday the cheese maker, Ms. Halinski debuted her new pleasantly sweet fig and honey chevre cheese with the Summertime community. Simply presented in a paper cup the creamy cheese left your taste buds in a quandary believing they had just had a spoon full of ice cream. The Fig and Honey Chevre is now available at the Market. View more images from the event on our Facebook.

In addition to debuting her new cheese, Ms Halinski used some of the products at the Market to pile up a chevre bruschetta with wild chard, pickled beats and fennel. Bellow you will find the recipe for how to cook and prepare the seasonally perfect snack and in the Market you can find all the ingredients needed to try it yourself at home. Enjoy!


Chevre Bruschetta with Wilted Chard, Pickled Beets, and Fennel
1 baguette
Chevre
Wilted Chard (see recipe below)
Pickled Beets (see recipe below)
Chard
3 quarts Swiss Chard (about a dozen leaves)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Dash of sea salt, to taste
Remove stems and slice into thin ribbons “chiffonade” style—roll a few leaves at a time together lengthwise and slice. Place ribbons into a tall heavy-bottom pot and toss with 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and a dash of sea salt. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes, just until steaming, stirring gently. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pot to cool. Use at room temperature to assemble bruschetta, or cook ahead of time and store in fridge for later.
Beets
1 LB beets
1 medium onion, Vidalia or red
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar
Trim stems to ½ inch and wash whole beets to remove soil. Boil whole beets for 15 minutes, let sit for 5. Rinse in cold water and slip skins. Slice boiled beets and set aside in a large bowl. Slice onion in thin rings. Toss onion rings with beets slices. Mix vinegar and water in a saucepan, stir in sugar, and bring to a boil. Immediately pour over beets and onions to cover, cover the bowl with a plate and let sit overnight—refrigerate after everything has cooled to room temperature.
Assembling
Slice baguette to ½ inch pieces, toast in oven or use fresh. Top with a large spoonful of greens, spread on a tablespoon of fresh chevre then top with beet and onion slices. Garnish with fennel sprigs.

Fresh Cherry Reduction Sauce

Cherries are usually reserved for eating by the pit spitting contest and eating by the hand full, however, they can be used dress up a nice piece of meat. Featured here is a grilled grass fed pork chop lightly covered in a fresh cherry reduction sauce. With cherries just coming into season this is an exciting option for dressing up a weekly dinner.

Ingredients
1lb fresh pitted cherries
1 cup ruby red port
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Preparation
Place cherries in saucepan and add port, sugar vinegar and honey. Cook over high heat, stirring slowly, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until the cherries are soft but still retain their shape.

Don’t forget to tell us how you liked it, enjoy!

Alan Greene’s article “Brown vs. White Rice: a fork in the road” reminds us of the importance of developmental lessons in young children with regards to nutrition. What will allow children to make positive food choices in the future will stem from their understanding of the parallels of their own uniqueness and the food they put in their body. Early awareness and appreciation for foods full sensory experience will instinctively create a gravitation to foods that can be picked up, felt, smelled and seen, rather than something that comes in a cold ambiguous package.

Got to Love Evergreen Lane Farm.

Have you ever been around baby goats?

Each spring, when I visit Evergreen Lane Farm in Fennville, I seriously contemplate scooping up one the adorable kids so I can put her in the backseat of my Jetta.

So far, I’ve resisted.

However, there’s no resisting the artisan cheeses handcrafted by Cathy Halisnki.

Let’s start with the chèvre: it’s fresh, snowy white, soft, easy to spread, and has a mild goat flavor. Caution…addiction is possible.

When I first sampled Cathy’s Pyramid Pointe soft-ripened cheese, I found (another) new

favorite. It has a distinctive pyramid shape and natural rind that’s blackened with ash. The flavor becomes more pronounced as it ages, and it’s fabulous at any stage.

If you prefer cow’s milk cheeses, Evergreen Lane Creamery makes some of the best. La Mancha MOO! is an outstanding camembert. Poet’s Tomme is a raw milk cheese made with The Poet stout from New Holland Brewing.

By: Micheal Shaw

Koeze Makes Organic Peanut Butter?!?!

Mother Nature knows how to achieve perfection all by Herself.

For 84 years the people of Koeze Gourmet Nuts have been making peanut butter the way nature intended it to be.

Crafted in small batches, Cream-Nut Natural Peanut Butter (crunchy or smooth!) boasts a deep roasted peanut taste and contains only two ingredients: peanuts and a pinch of sea salt.

Go ahead; look at a jar of Jif and compare. Do we really need to be tripling our sugar intake?

When you want peanut butter the natural way, you want the good stuff: Koeze Cream Nut Butter. It consistently wins taste-testing awards, and it’s made right in Grand Rapids. So, go ahead and eat what’s naturally delicious; Mother Nature will thank you!

Monique Deschaine Loves Pasta

In 1981 Monique Deschaine decided that she wanted to make perfect pasta.

Following the advice of Julia Child to “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it,” Monique started her quest for perfection.

29 years later, we are lucky enough to enjoy the results of Monique’s commitment to her passion.

Meet al dente® Pasta Company from Whitmore Lake, Michigan.

Starting with the best ingredients, al dente® works their dough by hand. Their technique guarantees the difference in texture that you will taste.

With a cooking time of just 3 minutes, al dente® noodles make dinnertime easy to enjoy. Choose from a wide variety of fettucine, linguine, and low-carb noodle options. Try one of Monique’s™ Sumptuous Sauces as a topping, or experiment with one of the delicious recipe offerings found on the noodle bag or al dente’s website: www.aldentepasta.com.

We are exited to be adding some Michigan Italian to the Market this year.

Meet McClure's Pickles

We love everything about McClure’s pickles!

Let’s start with the fact that their recipe has been passed through the generations from Great Grandmother Lala.

Learning their craft from both their Grandfather and Father, the McClure brothers use local produce whenever possible and whenever it’s in season. As a second best alternative, either Joe or Bob calls the farmers and to converse about getting the best, freshest produce around.

From there, the cucumbers are hand sliced and the jars are hand packed.

We also thought you’d want to know that their labels (composed of soy and vegetable based inks) are printed on a rolling press run by wind-powered electricity.

Now that’s cool.

Oh, did we forget to mention how darned irresistible their pickles are????

www.mcclurespickles.com

Sharecropping is Back

It's time to start think about planting your garden. Don't have space? That's ok because sharedearth.com is a website that is bringing sharecropping back by connecting land owners with gardeners and farmers. However there are currently no listing for our area this is a great concept, be the first to put a listing for our communities.