Writing about food is like dancing about architecture
~Calvin Trillin
In This Issue
Issue 10 on the StreetECI Members Gather
The Chit Chat Cafe
CSA Fair
The Straight Poop
Meet me in Des Moines
February Partner Profile
February Farmer Profile
Food Democracy NOW!
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The Blackhawk Hotel - Cedar Falls
The Bread Garden Market - Iowa City
Iowa City & Coralville Convention & Visitors Bureau
New Pioneer Coop - Iowa City & Coralville
Scattergood Friends School - West Branch
Tassel Ridge Winery - Leighton
Ah, the 2nd issue of the eNews. Now we can call it "monthly."
Edible eNews
Thanks for all the positive responses to our inaugural edition. We're glad we can be a conduit for Iowa's local food news. If you have a food-related event or news item to share, please let us know and we'll help get the word out. And don't forget to Forward this message to a friend
The latest issue is out there, and we sure hope you like it and that you share it with your fellow foodies. You can see a list of where it's been delivered so far below (more deliveries this week and next in the Quad Cities and Northeast IA). In it we announce the Local Heroes, the difference-makers that hundreds of edible readers voted on last fall.
In the new issue you'll also be able to read about the history of America's oldest restaurant chain (an Iowa orginal) and about a delicious Lemoncella being made in Cedar Rapids. Brian Morelli will look in on Cedar Rapids' restaurants flood recovery, and we have a special guest contribution from noted food author Michael Ruhlman.
So visit your favorite place to pick up a copy next week (many good choices listed at left) and dig in to Iowa's premiere local food magazine.
ECI Members Gather
Edible Iowa River Valley is a member of Edible Communities, Inc., a family of more than 50 Edibles around the country (and in Canada!) that are each individually owned and operated by the locals who know their foods best.
Each year the members gather at an annual convention, and last month it was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico - the new home of the small but powerful ECI headquarters. This meeting is always an inspirational gathering of like-minded and dedicated food entusiasts who share a passion for their regional food tradtions. We gather to exchange ideas, discuss challenges, and of course to eat.
At the big dinner that Friday night, ECI gave out the "Eddy Awards" for various aspects of the magazines - Best Cover, Best Column, Best Ad Campaign, etc. Edible Iowa was given a special award for "Special Issue Devoted to a Single Subject" for our July, 2008 coverage of the floods. Pictured with yours truly here is ECI co-founder (and amazing photographer) Carole Topalian, and Food Network Chef Dave Lieberman.
This is our second Eddy, and one we are particularly proud of. Our sincerest thanks to all the writers and photographers who helped pull it together so quickly, and especially to the many people who responded to our call for donations to the Terra Madre Relief Fund.
One of the best things about this job is traveling around the state and finding great stuff to eat. Edible Iowa is not about fancy food, it's about real food, fancy or not. Last week while up in North Central Iowa for the INCA conference, we had the pleasure of breakfast at the Chit Chat Cafe in Thornton.
This is one of those small local diners that is the center of social life in Iowa's small rural towns. Brimming with character and charm, it serves straight-ahead Iowa farm food. Hearty breakfasts are lingered over by locals who all know each other and the owners of more than 30 years.
The Chit Chat is set apart from other diners by two things - owner Richard Dorenkamp's obsession with Marilyn Monroe, and the British Buddy Holly Society's obsession with the Chit Chat. Memorobilia is everywhere.
The week we were there was the 50th anniversary of the infamous Day the Music Died, the day when Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valenz played their last gig at the Surf Ballroom in nearby Clear Lake, so the BBHS had just made a special visit to their favorite diner. You can watch a few interviews with them, and get a glance at the Cafe, here.
Buddy Holly fan or not, Marilyn Monroe fan or not, you should make the trip when you're in the area just to see the place and to enjoy a solid rib-stickin' breakfast and some good conversation with people who have some stories.
The Chit Chat Cafe - 320 Main Street, Thornton - 641.998.2754
If you're in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids Corridor, or in any of the contiguous counties, then put a big red circle around March 7th on you calender. That's the day that Local Foods Connection will host it's annual CSA Fair. It will run from Noon to 4pm in the Social Hall of the Iowa City Rec Center (Corner of Gilbert & Burlington Streets).
For those who are not familiar, a CSA - Community Supported Agriculture - is the simplest way possible to get wholesome local food all season long. Think of it like a magazine subscription. You put up the money in the late winter/early spring when the farmer most needs it, then you get a box full of whatever is fresh each week all season long.
At the CSA fair, you'll get a chance for one-stop-shopping of all our local CSAs, to find the one that fits the needs of you & your family. Edible Iowa is a proud sponsor of the event, and we'll be there to with back issues and out-of-state issues, all free for the taking. Hope to see you there.
The Straight Poop
Our friend Janette Ryan-Busch asked us to tell all the gardeners and farmers out there that she has loads and loads of good organic sheep and goat manure that's yours for the taking. This is the stuff to use to make your soil as amazingly productive as it is at Fae Ridge Farm, Janette's home just outside Iowa City.
Give her a call and arange a time and you can have all you can carry. 319.643.5873.
Meet Me in Des Moines
In the spirit of what my wife calls "shameless self-promotion" and I prefer to call "enlightened self-interest" I'd just like to remind everyone that my book, A Cook's Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland is still on the market and selling well. If you already have your copy, why not get one for a friend?
The response has been beyond my wildest expectations during a book tour that has taken me to San Francisco, Kansas City, St. Louis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Madison, Chicago, Louisville and Columbus. Here in Hawkeye country I've been to CR, Fairfield, Des Moines, Clear Lake and Ames, as well as 4 different events here in IC.
In my 2nd-to-last appearance of the tour, I'll be back in Des Moines on Sunday the 15th at the Gateway Market (the one @ Woodland & MLK) from 11am-2pm. It's an informal meet-n-greet kinda thing, so I hope y'all will stop in and say "hi."
Sincere thanks to everyone who has attended these events and bought the book. Please be sure to tell your friends to get it too!
One of the powerhouses in the newly emerging Iowa Wine world is Tassel Ridge Winery. You know them well from their spot on the front inside cover since Edible Iowa's first issue back in 2006. But did you know all that is happening at their Leighton Winery? Check this out:
- February 14 – Valentine’s Dinner at Tassel Ridge Winery (Sold Out!)
- February 18 – Wines of the World Class: France II
- February 20 – Des Moines Metro Opera Wine & Food Showcase
- March 11 – Wines of the World Class: Italy
- March 28 – A Taste of Morocco at Tassel Ridge Winery: Wine & Food Pairing Dinner
You can get the details on all this and much more at the Tassel Ridge Website.
February Farmer Profile
Besides a CSA, another way to buy locally is through a buying club. Local farmer Nick Wallace recently sent me this description of what he does:
A New Year….A New Way to Farm….A New Way to Look at Food!
You likely have a personal relationship with your doctor. You most surely know your dentist by name. Your accountant may also be a good friend?
But do you know your farmer?
Today, this question is more important than at any other time in history. A farmer is the one person who provides you and your family with the vital energy and nutrients needed to live a healthy and happy life.
Just a couple of weeks ago, we heard of yet another food recall…peanut butter of all things - industrial peanut butter! And not long before that, it was a beef recall, and prior to that it was lettuce and tomatoes….or was it spinach? It is getting difficult to keep track of them all.
During the age of our grandparents, you did know your farmer, and in many cases you also grew some of your own food. But times have changed dramatically, and our population base has moved farther from the land than ever before. “Industrial food” is now common place, and the United States has become a net importer of food for the first time in history!
That is part of the reason why my family started Wallace Farms back in 2002. We wanted to return to the days of food simplicity. We felt that is was critical to know where our food came from and how it was raised. Along the way, we realized that many other families might feel the same…and someday ask themselves - “Who does raise my food?”
My Story
My name is Nick Wallace, and I run our family business, known as Wallace Farms and Nick’s Wild Fish. I was diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 20……I’m now 31. My family and I were shocked at the news and immediately began asking - “How? Why?” They were fair questions, and ones that everyone asks their doctor when first receiving a cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, rarely does a definitive answer exist. My cancer could have been caused by a host of things, but for a variety of factors we have come to believe that it was likely related to my diet…or lack thereof.
I suspect that you may know someone who has had cancer or who is still fighting it today. Cancer comes in many forms, types and stages, but it always exists because the body was unable to repair itself and broke down. When working properly, the body protects itself from potential illness, disease and trauma. What many people do not realize is that high-quality, nutrient-dense food can be the body’s best protection against breakdowns, and as a result, food must be your primary foundation for overall good health.
My Goal
I strive to provide my family and yours with the best food that I can raise myself – or – find from other like-minded farmers in the region.
Buying Clubs 101……How They Work
Simply join the group email list for your geographic area. Then, each month you will receive an email from me, including an attachment, one week in advance of my visit to your drop zone. If you wish to place an order, reply back to me with your request and set aside a few minutes to pick it up within the 2-hour window that I provide on your specified delivery day. You can pay with cash or check.
It’s that easy!
No long-term commitments! No membership fees or automatic charges! No junk email! No pressure to buy or stay in the system! Just a monthly supply of nutrient-dense, wholesome food that is produced, handled and delivered to you by a person whom you can trust – and someone you will have an opportunity to know very well.
Some of you have been supporting Wallace Farms for years – thanks very much…..some of you have been supporting us for months……and some of you are very close to placing an initial order. Now is the time!
I wish you a year full of health, happiness and great food in 2009! Let’s have a wonderful year together!
To contact Nick, call him @ 515-480-8763, email @ nick.wallace@wallacefarms.com or visit him online
Food Democracy Now
Now Murphy has turned his attention to the Undersecretary positions at his new website FoodDemocracyNow.org,
where he has expanded his list to what he calls “The Sustainable
Dozen.” As I write this, he has attracted more than 84,500 signatures,
and counting. The Undersecretariats are where the real work gets done,
and so anyone with designs on reforming the food system should be
keenly aware of what goes on there. If Secretary Vilsack makes these
calls from his position inside Cargill’s Carharts, then we can expect
agribusiness as usual from the USDA for the foreseeable future.
If,
on the other hand, the same sort of netroots-style movement that helped
put President Obama in office can be cultivated for real change at
USDA, then a new, more sustainable, not to mention economically-secure
food future may well be at hand. We could see the revitalization of
infrastructure and our rural communities, and a local chicken in every
pot.
Each issue of Edible has a limited print run, and when they're gone, they're gone. But you can assure yourself of getting your copy fast, fresh, and hot off the presses by subscribing now.
Last summer we raised our subscription rate, but then the economy went to #$%& and so, to help make sure you keep getting all the local food news that's fit to eat, we've taken the rate back to the original $28 for a year.
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Edible Iowa River Valley is a proud member of the Edible Communities family of publications