Mm Mm Good!

Many of Chicago's restaurants and chefs work with our urban farmers to bring local produce to the table. Everyone wins–the restaurants, the farmers and people like me, the consumer. Our Green City Market in Chicago adds another link to the chain. Every Wednesday and Saturday at the Market in the summer, chefs give demonstrations to teach and encourage the average consumer to use locally grown food at home. Good idea! How many times have you bought something at a farmer’s market, or from your CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and thought “Now what?”

Today, Chef Heather Terhune (did you see her on Top Chef?) ran a chopping station. She happily chopped whatever-you-bought at the market, explaining the tricks-of-the-trade as she went along.

Despite the iffy weather the Market was crowded so the people watching and sketching was the icing on the cake for me!

Food…Glorious Food!

For many years I was the art director for Food Product Design and Culinology, two business-to-business magazines that are concerned with bringing good tasting and healthful food to our tables. As a city folk, my husband and I frequent the Green City Market and belong to a CSA.  He shops. I sketch. So… needless to say, I was delighted when one of my sketches from these outings was chosen for farmer ID button for the Good Food Festival in Chicago. Bob and I attended the Festival in March–he shopped, I sketched.

I really enjoyed hearing Chef Rick Bayless talk about his involvement with local farmers to use fresh and local ingredients at his restaurants. We all win in that scenario–the farmer, the restaurant and the consumer!

I'm looking forward to further involvement as Urban Sketcher meets Urban Farmer!

As Chef Bayless spoke he did a cooking demo - a delicious spinach salad!

Hearing the Music

The Green City Market in Chicago is an oasis for me during busy times – if only for a few minutes. And this weekend what a few minutes it was! A musician was playing a drum and encouraging (it didn't take much) the children to join him with tambourines, bongos and all sorts of percussion instruments that he had brought with him. I loved that he sang "everybody's got a beat" rather than "everybody's got the beat". It reminded me of

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away." Henry David Thoreau

 I managed one quick sketch (and maybe a little dance) while Bob shopped.