Local Fish Tacos

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of my favorite places in the world, and I’m lucky to live so close to it.

That’s why it’s become an annual camping destination for my friend Sandy and me. We don’t really “rough it” too much, although three days without a shower may be pushing it. Our focus is on eating–and drinking–well, which is why Day 1 of our camping excursion always includes stops at Good Harbor Vineyards, Stone House Bread, and now Good Harbor Farm.

We used to come up with a cooking theme for each camping trip but the last few years we decided to make it easy on ourselves and just focus on either bringing or procuring locally raised foods. This year, our first dinner was fish tacos with Lake Michigan whitefish from Carlson’s of Fishtown in Leland. (For our previous take on fish tacos, check out the blog post from our 2009 trip when we used shrimp.)

Although I have a one-burner camp stove, which works great for brewing coffee quickly in the morning or making popcorn at night, we generally cook our dinner over a fire.

For the tacos, we cut our one-pound-ish whitefish filet into big chunks so we could marinate them in lime juice, olive oil, onion, and cumin.

Then we sprinkled them with cayenne pepper and put them on foil on the fire grate to cook, flipping them once, for a total cook time of about ten minutes. (You know fish is done when it starts to flake.)

For the vegetables, we used chopped cabbage (which we brought with us from the Holland Farmers Market) and a garnish of fresh cilantro from my garden.

And we made a sauce from my homemade yogurt by mixing it with fresh-squeezed lime juice and a dash of cayenne.

While the fish was cooking we wrapped flour tortillas in foil to heat them on the fire. We made a simple pico de gallo garnish with tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno pepper. And we made a side of organic bok choy (from CJ Veggies at the Holland Farmers Market) steamed with olive oil, salt, and pepper in foil over the fire.

For assembly, you just pull the fish apart with a fork, place it in the middle of the warm tortilla, then top with cabbage, yogurt sauce, pico de gallo, and cilantro.

It’s a quick and easy meal for camping. And it goes great with local wine!

Aeroponics at the Aeropuerto

Urban gardening has hit O’Hare….as in O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, according to ABC7chicago.com. Using the aeroponics process to grow 44 different types of organic herbs and vegetables, this collaborative effort between the Chicago Department of Aviation and HMS Host (the company that manages most of the airport’s concessions) supplies produce to restaurants in the airport.

Anyone going through O’Hare in the near future? If so, send me some photos! I’d love to see the garden.

Eating Well at 30,000 Feet

Photo by Frank Brownie via Airlinemeals.net

I don’t know about you, but I have enough trouble finding good restaurants when I go out to eat locally. (I know I wouldn’t be saying that in New York City, but that’s because there are SO many to choose from!) Bill and I have a few reliable favorites–Everyday People Cafe, The Green Well, and Salt of the Earth–but most places in West Michigan still aren’t offering what they could in grassfed or pastured meats and locally sourced ingredients.

When we take long roadtrips, we have our routine down for eating lunch: We pack our own from home. But what about air travel?

One way to deal with it is to fly direct on short flights and eat at home before departure, but that only works if you’re on a short flight with no connections.

And if you’re a business traveler on a return trip, the advice I’m going to share probably won’t help much. But with airlines now providing no food, or processed food at a cost, and the airports capitalizing on our famished stomachs, it seems we’re at the mercy of the segment of the restaurant industry that isn’t focused on local, sustainable food sources.

Michelle Higgins from The New York Times can help. She consulted with a number of chefs about what they would bring onboard. Here’s some advice for your next flight.

Freeze It

• Chef Josh Capon of Lure Fishbar brings shrimp cocktail onboard. He freezes the shrimp and packs them in a plastic container, along with separate two-ounce to-go cups of sauce that can clear security. “By the time you get to the airport and go through security,” he said, they will be ready to eat.
• Freezing meats and cheese will make them last longer.
• Melissa d’Arabian of the Food Network freezes Go-Gurt and YoPlait yogurt and has no problem getting them through security she says because “they can fit in the required one-quart zip-top plastic bag for security.”

Heat With Hot Water

• For a hot meal, you can pack cooked pasta, grated cheese (in a separate plastic bag) and some chopped vegetables. This is what Melissa d’Arabian does onboard: “I ask the flight attendant for half a cup of tea water. I pour it over my pasta, close it up and let it sit for a minute or two and drain it back into the cup. Now my pasta is warm.” Add the veggies and cheese and you’ve got a real meal in coach.

Pack a Picnic

• You can pack a whole grain salad such as quinoa or tabbouleh, in a container with olive oil or dressing at the bottom. Once onboard, simply shake it all up.
• Marco Porceddu, executive chef for Asellina, suggests bringing a sandwich made with crusty bread, charcuterie and a little olive oil.
• To save space and seal in any sandwich juices, wrap your sandwich in plastic wrap first, followed by aluminum foil, recommends Mr. Capon. Grapes, carrot sticks with hummus, and vegetable-based sushi like California rolls are also a staple.

Stash Healthy Snacks

• Stick to a formula of “protein plus complex carbs” for in-flight meals. Melissa d’Arabian carries raw unsalted almonds at all times, which can be combined with a fruit cup for a healthy snack.

Eat Before You Go

• Eric Ripert, executive chef and an owner of Le Bernardin in New York, avoids airline food  altogether by eating before he gets to the airport. If he’s pressed for time he seeks out the best option at the airport. “I know where Wolfgang Puck Express is in L.A.,” he said, referring to Mr. Puck’s restaurant outpost at Los Angeles International Airport. Since he travels frequently he knows his way through the airports.

Grab and Go

• Cesare Casella, the executive chef and a partner at Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto, flies frequently so he take burrata, an Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream, onboard. “By the time I start to eat it, the burrata is the perfect temperature, especially on skinny Tuscan bread, toasted,” he said.

The Perennial Plate: Episode 57

The Perennial Plate Episode 57: Lord, Lord, Lord from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Daniel Klein and cameragirl Mirra Fine were down in New Orleans last week for their recent episode of the documentary “The Perennial Plate” focusing on urban gardeners who came back to the city after Hurricane Katrina to rebuild and start making food in the city’s abandoned lots.

Check out their video. For previous episodes, visit their Real Food Road Trip.

Perennial Plate: Episode 56

The Perennial Plate Episode 56: Mississippi Hand Grabbin’ from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Daniel Klein continues his Real Food Road Trip with a stop in Mississippi for a bounty of southern hospitality and catfish.

Perennial Plate: Episode 55

The Perennial Plate Episode 55: Mushroom Music from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

From Daniel Klein’s Real Food Road Trip: Pounds of shiitake mushrooms in the Ozarks!

Perennial Plate: Episode 54

The Perennial Plate Episode 54: To Catch a Frog from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

(I’m still catching up!) Week 3 of Daniel Klein’s Real Food Road Trip: Catching, killing and eating frogs in Arkansas.

48 Hours in Ann Arbor for Locavores: Part Two, Zingerman’s!

As I mentioned in my last post, Bill and I were in Ann Arbor over the holiday weekend for a wedding. And any time I go to Ann Arbor, I make a point of stopping at Zingerman’s Deli. Outside of New York City, it’s one of the best delicatessens around.

But I hadn’t been there since I started my food blog in 2009, which is when I changed my philosophy toward food–especially meat. Since then, whenever I go to a restaurant, I ask servers and chefs about their sources for meat unless it is specifically spelled out on the menu (e.g., Grassfed Beef from Such-and-Such Local Farm). If I’m not satisfied that the meat options are from animals that are treated humanely and sourced sustainably, I order a vegetarian meal.

I hadn’t researched Zingerman’s philosophy toward meat prior to my recent trip, so I was all set to make my lunch order a vegetarian sandwich. But as I leafed through the menu, I noticed this blurb on one of the last pages: “Meats made right. Made by responsible producers using humane methods: Columbus Salame, La Quercia, Creminelli, Edward’s, Ham I Am, just to name a few.”

I didn’t have the chance to search all those meat producers via Google on my smart phone while waiting in line to order but I felt that Zingerman’s wouldn’t put that on their menu if they didn’t mean it. So after much perusing of each section….

…I chose #23, Mary’s Commute (a chicken salad sandwich with bacon in it).

Bill had Don’s Rhythm & Blues pastrami sandwich.

After returning home and looking up the meat producers online, I felt funny promoting Zingerman’s as a place for locavores because some of the products have traveled quite a distance. That is the twist here….Zingerman’s is also a provider of gourmet foods and, with the world as their market, I can see why they’ve reached beyond the state of Michigan to offer specialty meats, cheeses, olive oils, and other goods for purchase at the deli (although they do procure many items from local farmers). But before we left, we bought some Garrotxa goat’s cheese from Spain. Sure, we can find goat’s cheese locally but it’s nice to have variety, especially for Bill who’s allergic to cow dairy products so his choices are limited.

These are the dilemmas we face every day in a global economy: Do you buy the grapes from Chile in the wintertime, even though they’ve traveled 3,000 miles and they’re not in season where you live, because they are simply available in your grocery store? It’s a tough call.

At least Zingerman’s tries to incorporate many local products into their offering, and they make many of their own bakery goods, cheeses, gelato, and candy. On top of that, the food is really, really good. And the Ann Arbor Farmers Market is right across the street on Wednesdays and Saturdays!

Roadtrip Chicken-and-Egg Salad

Ever since I banned feedlot meat from my diet, it’s a lot harder to eat ethically when I travel. That’s why I try and research farm-to-table restaurants ahead of time whenever possible. But what if you’re in transit, on your way to some fabulous city but you need a place to eat lunch? Or just taking a day trip somewhere and you want to avoid fast food?

Remember picnics? A roadtrip is the perfect opportunity to slow down, smell the roses, and take time for a roadside picnic. It doesn’t matter if it’s a rest stop on Interstate 80 in the middle of Ohio or a roadside park on a country road. Not only is it good to eat wholesome, homemade food you brought along in your cooler, but it’s also a good excuse to stop and rest and enjoy food with your travel companion. Or even by yourself. We just don’t take the time to eat slowly and enjoy our meals anymore.

Here’s my antidote for fast food when you’re on the road:

The easiest way to make a chicken salad is by planning ahead. Let’s say you know you’re going on a trip next weekend. If you happen to roast or grill a chicken, you should have leftover meat on the carcass. Otherwise, you can easily cook up some chicken ahead of time for the salad. If you make the chicken salad the night before you leave, it’s all set to throw into a cooler when you hit the road. Here are the ingredients I like in my salad but you can certainly vary them by what’s in your fridge, or by adding what you really like and omitting what doesn’t appeal to you.

(Bill and I often add eggs because we usually have a few eggs to use up before a long vacation. If you don’t like eggs in your chicken salad, you could fry them up for breakfast the day you leave to use up what’s in your fridge. Or have them in a frittata the night before.)

Roadtrip Chicken-and-Egg Salad

Leftover roast chicken, or about 8 oz. of chicken, cooked

2 T. mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. dried mustard

1/2 tsp. paprika

2 sprigs fresh hyssop, leaves only, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1/4 cup red onion or 1 shallot or 2 green onions, sliced

2 eggs, hard-cooked, peeled and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop chicken into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces.

Mix mayonnaise with paprika and mustard, then add chicken and onion or shallot.

Add hyssop, celery, and eggs. Stir to coat.

Chill in fridge overnight. Serve over mixed greens or on bread for sandwiches.

Roadtrip Tortas

Here’s a great recipe to make when you’re traveling so you don’t have to eat at those unhappy fast food restaurants. It’s also a great way to use up that big vat of Cuban black beans you might have in the fridge. I like it because it reminds me of the tortas (Mexican sandwiches) that I used to eat when I lived in Mexico. In West Michigan, you can also find them at many of the Mexican restaurants in the area, such as Margarita’s–one of my faves.

This recipe comes from Bon Appetit. It’s called Mexican-Style Chicken Sandwiches. (I crossed out the chicken on my printed version because it calls for chicken breasts and I can’t find happy chicken breasts around. You could certainly use leftover roast chicken for this recipe.) I used leftover black beans that I made from scratch rather than a can of beans, and Queso Fresco instead of Monterey Jack cheese. It’s actually a hot sandwich but I think it’s just as good cold, especially if you’re on a long road trip!

When my friend Sandy and I were camping last weekend, we stopped at Stone House Bread in Leland, Michigan, where we picked up mini-baguettes for the tortas. After slicing them, we put a schmear of the beans on the bottom half of the roll and a hefty schmear of the mayo mixture on the top half.

After that, we layered all the other ingredients–avocado, tomato, and cheese, plus a garnish of fresh cilantro.

And, if you’re picnicking, don’t forget a beverage. We finished off some Stone House Semi-Dry Cherry Apple Cider from Douglas Valley Organic Vineyards, located in Manistee.

There’s nothing like a picnic along Lake Leelanau!