Tastes From the Farm

Dr. Kohar Jones


On Wednesday June 20, we traveled north to learn about where our food comes from, and how it gets to market.


Near the Green City Market we toured the Lincoln Park farm, which is staffed by volunteers from Chicago and abroad (our farm guide was from Australia!). We tasted herbs, berries, greens and broccoli grown right in the garden, and learned how asparagus grows. It turns out we eat the tender shoots before the nubs sprout into the greens that feed the plant for the summer, strengthening the plant and creating new shoots the following spring.

Snap peas are in full bloom over the summer. ©Marissa Smith

Fruit's expensive in the Green City Market this summer - 80 degree days in March tricked the plants into blooming early, then a freeze in April killed the apple blooms at the most critical time in their growth. The harvest is predicted to be down 90% this year. In fact, there won't be enough apples to press and so we won't have fresh apple cider to drink in the fall. 

Fortunately, crop insurance allots the farmers enough money to survive this year, and plant again next spring.
Thank goodness for insurance--for both crops and for health.



In the garden and market, Everyone tried something new.
A list of new flavors and favorite tastes:


Mariah--strawberries, tomato basil spread
Elise--lemon sorrel (and her favorite too!)
Danny--pickled garlic scapes, lemon sorrel
Chris--kohlrabi, lemon sorrel (perhaos we should establish an official plant for SSP 2012--the  lemon sorrel)
Diamond--feta, pretzel bread and cheddar
Tiara--maple syrup crepes, a new favorite
Marissa-- crepes upon crepes
Joanna--pickled garlic scapes, favorite lamb potato pie
Ben--mustard greens,  sunflower micro greens (and mushroom and balsamic vinegar spread)
David--kohlrabi, grilled portabello mushroom
Tom--sorrel, baguette from Bennigans
Sierra--crepe and rhubarb--rhubarb a new favorite
Rebecca--trying and loving the mushroom cheese
Esther--also tried the mushroom cheese, also was down with that (along with the rhubarb)
Olivia--tried whole wheat bread for the first time, and her favorite was strawberries
Aliyah--new taste of whole wheat bread, her favorite was the garlic spread
Wujun--also very smitten with the rhubarb pie 
Dr Jones--introduced to the spicy taste of mustard greens--grown by Marissa's grandmother in her backyard garden. Favorite was the lavender honey.

Many new tastes, and new favorites.