Local Food Recipe #21

Apple Cider Chili

Courtesy of Bradley Jones

1 lb. Fischer Farms Ground Beef (from Pogue's Run Grocer)
1 lb. Fischer Farms Ground Pork (from Pogue's Run Grocer)
5 - 14.5 oz. cans of Crushed Tomatoes
2 cups Grabow Apple Cider from IWFM
1 Jalapeno pepper
1 large yellow Onion
1 large Red Pepper


4 teaspoons Beef Bouillon
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Ginger Powder
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Paprika powder
2 Bay leaves
1 squirt ketchup
2 teaspoons Sriracha Chili Sauce
1 teaspoon Brown Sugar


Cooking Instructions:
Over medium-high heat, in large stock pot, brown pork and beef together.
Add diced fruit and vegetable ingredients and continue to brown for two minutes or until onions translucent.
Drain fat from pan.
Add all other ingredients (include crushed tomato juice from cans) and simmer for three hours.
Salt to taste
Enjoy!

Local Food Recipe #20

Fried Cornbread










courtesy of Dani Cunningham

3 cups Cornmeal (Fields of Agape)
2 T baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

4 beaten eggs
2 T honey
2 cups milk

Heat 1/3 cup canola oil in cast iron skillet while preheating oven to 425 degrees F. Mix dry ingredients and make a well in the center. Mix eggs, honey, and milk with a wisk-pour over dry ingredients. Pour into hot skillet and bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tomato Plant growing in Broad Ripple

There is a tomato plant growing through the cracks in the sidewalk on the Broad Ripple strip. Have you seen it?! It is growing nestled in next to the Ossip Optometry shop and across from the bus stop at Broad Ripple Ave. and Carrollton Ave.



I was walking down the sidewalk this morning heading towards the café for a meeting and somehow, out of nowhere, this green, leafy beauty caught my eye. I stared at it for a while, trying to figure out if really was a tomato plant and pondering how it might have found it is way to this foreign territory. Although, I had to grin as I thought…perhaps this is not so foreign after all.
At the bus stop, stood a young man with a bike waiting for the bus, and a hesitated only slightly before spontaneously asking him, “Do you know what a tomato plant looks like?” He responded slowly, “Yes, I think so. Why?” And I responded, “I think there is one growing through the cracks in the concrete over there.”

He takes a look and steps back. “I think it IS a tomato actually, hmm.” I ask him. “I’m trying to figure out how such a thing happens, any ideas?” He responds, “Well I wouldn’t eat a tomato off that plant.” And I ask why and he says, “I’m picturing some drunken kid puking up some pizza on the side of the sidewalk over there (we were kiddy-corner to ZA Pizzeria) and a tomato seed in the sauce somehow ended up in the soil deep beneath the soil.” I think I might be embellishing his response, just a tid, but I have to admit…I never would have thought of something so fantastically simple and crass.

So that is my highlight of the day, week…month…year?! I knew there was a reason I brought my camera with me today.

REMINDER: NP! Neighbor Power! is this Saturday!

Join the Food Coalition this year at Neighbor Power!, a gathering to inspire communities. The event will be a place to talk about how neighbors can make the city a better place to live, work, and play, and is free and open to everyone! Presenters from all over the Indianapolis food system will be sharing their stories about their projects within the food movement and the difference they’ve made in their neighborhoods. Gardens, farms, community development, youth engagement, and many other topics will be explored, and we want you to join the discussion!

May 21, 2011
8:30am (registration) - 3pm
University of Indianapolis
Schwitzer Student Center
1400 E Hanna Ave

REGISTRATION STILL OPEN! www.neighborpowerindy.org

Continental breakfast and lunch provided

Food Coalition organized Workshops:
9:45 - 11am Session I Workshop: It Starts with a Seed - Ginny Roberts, Linda Proffitt, and Matthew Jose - How growing food in an urban landscape can transform a neighborhood’s economy, health, and community.

9:45 - 11am Session I Workshop: Serving Indianapolis - World Café (break-out discussion groups) provides you the opportunity to discuss the Food Coalition’s presence and influence in the Indianapolis community.

11:15 - 12:30 Session II: An Appetite for Progress - Michael Kaufmann (Wishard), Tyler Henderson (Slow Food Garden), Joel O'Neil (38th & Meridian Farmers Market), Starla Officer (Near West Community Gardens), Chris Harrell (Brownfield Redevelopment)
Learn how food projects have impacted the work of community supporters.

11:15 - 12:30 Session II: Food for Thought and Action - Hear the struggles and triumphs of two neighborhood food-coops in the making. (Organized by members of the Indy Food Cooperative's Pogue's Run Grocer and the Pleasant Run Grocer in Fountain Square)

If you have any questions, feel free to email April at april@indyfoodfarmfamily.org
or call April on her cell 317.417.8449

Food Coaltion gathering April 26th

Save the Date:

The next gathering of the Central Indiana Food Coalition will be
Date: Tuesday, April 26th
Time: 6pm (intro - for newcomers) 6:30 -7:30 meeting
Location: Earth House basement

Agenda:
Advocacy Report: (New and Improved) Food Charter approval
Organization Report: Membership structure and application approval
Information/Visibility Report: New Logo and communication plan

You will find an document attached to this email that states the new name and current mission statement and vision statements of the coalition. Please review and send any comments you have before the 26^th. The Advocacy, Organization, and Information committee had the opportunity to sculpt these statements from the information gathered at the January 29^th meeting.

Volunteers needed for Earth Day! HELP!
The Earth Day Celebration at White River State Park is an important day for the Coalition and we would like to make our presence known to the community the year! Please contact me if you are willing and able! We are currently seeking volunteers during these 4 shifts:

Set-up 10:30am – 12pm

12 - 1:30pm

1:30 – 3pm

3 – 4:30pm Take-down

Sign up via facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=20943&uid=338097624239

Or by emailing me at dependablefood@gmail.com

Search for Sponsors to fund printing of Local Food Guide 2010-2011

Currently the Coalition is seeking funding for the printing of the 2010-11 version of the Central Indiana Local Food Guide. Unfortunately this is all last minute because the funding we were hoping for to cover most of the cost of this year's printing has fallen through and we are now on the search for 16 advertisers.

If you know any business/organization that might be interested please pass on this flier and last year's version of the guide. Please let us know, if you know someone who may be interested. The cost will be $250 to be a sponsor and for this they will receive a ¼ page advertisement in the guide. Email dependablefood@gmail.com or call 317.417.8449 for more information.

Agenda Details:
At this Gathering we have much to discuss and approve thanks to our hard-working committees. By George, I do believe we've got it! =)

Since February, the Advocacy committee has been sculpting and editing the Food Charter created by a past committee of the Indianapolis Food, Farm and Family Coalition. The Advocacy committee has started by sending the charter to key people in our community in order to gain feedback about how we can make the guide more understandable for the general public and help us communicate our wants to the Indianapolis City government. Please call me, if you have any questions or have any input for us before the meeting. My cell is 317.417.8449.

To download the current version of the Food Charter, follow this link:
http://www.indyfoodsecurity.org/Documents/Indy%20Food%20Charter.pdf

We will also be approving a membership structure for the coalition that has been created by the Organization committee. This will include different membership categories and an application form.

The Information/Visibility committee has started thinking about new logo designs and also the re-organization of the website. The information committee will report on what deliverables they have created at the April meeting. Due to the fact that Earth Day is April 23rd, we may need to approve a new logo before the next meeting. Please watch carefully for any emails needing your participation before April 26th.

And as always Thanks for your AWESOME work!!
April

--
April Hammerand
Indianapolis Food, Farm, and Family Coalition
www.indyfoodfarmfamily.org


317-417-8449
april@indyfoodfarmfamily.org
Working to make Indianapolis a more food secure city through education, awareness, public programs, and connecting consumers to farmers.

The NEW Vision Statement

We envision a community in which:

• We are conscious consumers of nutritious food.
• We understand the role of food in building the community, strengthening the economy, and valuing the environment.
• We have access to a diverse range of healthy, affordable food.
• We have the opportunity, means, and skills to grow and prepare healthy foods.
• Consumers, producers, planners, and policy makers align and support each other to fulfill this vision.

What is in a Name?

Creating a name for an organization is a powerful act.

In the comment field below, please share the name you might choose for the organization. Serious names, silly names, striking names, all are welcome. And you do not need to have been to the meetings to suggest one to the group.

Here are a couple questions to ask yourself as you think of names?

-What is it that makes this group unique?
-What focus do we want to bring to the attention of the public?
-Who do we want to be our future members? And will they identify with this name?

During the meeting on January 29th, we created a new mission and vision for the Indianapolis Food, Farm and Family Coalition. Although we spoke of creating a new name, we tabled that discussion in hopes that after our brainstorming we would have a better idea about who we are and thus would have a better idea about how we could identify ourselves. Well I beg the question...What should we call ourselves?

On February 22nd, we will hang all of these different ideas up and make a decision about which name we identify with most.

STUCK..? Think about our newly formed mission statement:

"Our mission is to enhance the health of our community by improving the food system and increasing access to resources and nutritious food."