Farmer's Markets and the Restaurant Dilemma

It's hard not to be disappointed by a farmer's market in the winter while also being excited that there is some sort of farmer's market in the winter.  After all, it's really hard for crops to grow when it's literally freezing outside.  That's why we flock to grocery stores to buy produce from South America, California and other far away places, and endure procedures like picking the items prematurely and then gassing them so they look like they were fresh-picked.  Not ideal, but if you really want a tomato, so be it.

But, believe it or not, there are a few hardy winter farmer's markets in the Chi-town area, and on Sunday for the first time this winter I visited the one most local to me, located in the lobby of the Congress Theatre.  What can you find in the cold dark of winter, you may ask?  Well, the benefit of being in such a big city like Chicago is being in a city that happens to be located smack-dab in the middle of the Midwest.  That means that whatever items farms from Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan are producing-- the borders of which in any direction aren't much more than an hour and a half away-- you can buy.  And if they're taking the time to fight the cold, snow and ice to sell one day a week at a farmer's market, then they are probably small and sustainable farms-- right up my alley.

A quick shopping trip later, I have stocked up on fresh pasture-raised eggs from Tempel Farms Organics, grass-fed steak and sausage from Black Earth Meats, tofu from some farm in Champaign, IL, and mushrooms from a grower in Wisconsin.  Sadly, High Rise Baking Company, my bread supplier from the summer, did not have a space there.  I may have to find a way to stretch the last half loaf in my freezer til June.  If I can do it... well, kudos to me.

Later that evening I went to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday with his family at Prairie Moon in Evanston.  All that meat shopping made me hungry for a burger and I was drooling (all I had to eat at this point in the day was my beloved toast with organic hand-rolled butter, a small caprese salad, and a bit of aged parmesan.  Sound familiar?  It's cause I don't have much food in my fridge so I am emptying out before I go shopping again).  I made the smart move to get cheddar on the burger instead of the traditional American.  After all, there is really nothing remotely cheese-like in American.  I am aware that my cheddar may not have been to my au naturale liking, but it was at least a slight step up.

Then I hit a dilemma, one I've been dreading since I started on the Au Naturale path.

The bun was not fresh-baked, I'm sure, and that was something I was certainly aware the second I decided on a burger.  But really, can you eat a burger without ketchup or mustard?  Don't answer- it's a rhetorical question.  Of course you can.  But, do you want to?  My issue was the bottled stuff waiting for me on the table.  Preservatives, HFCS, and a lot of other things that resemble neither tangy tomato sauce or mustardy goodness.  They were my only options.

So I ask you, oh loyal 2 or 3 readers- what would you do in this dilemma, when you are at a restaurant and have little to no control over your ingredients?  Suck it up and have a dry burger?  Suck it up and make a small concession for this one meal?  Or be THAT person who sneaks in the natural, homemade ketchup and mustard in your purse?  I value your opinions, as this certainly will not be the last time I run into this problem.

Other than that, today back at the office was a moderately good day, except the Evil Bar of Doom struck again.  I've been great about avoiding most of it thanks to the raw macaroons hanging out by my desk.  The jelly bellies keep getting me at about 4:59 but today I avoided them: only to be sucked in by a box of DOTS someone had left out.  DOTS are a big weakness.

I left work consumed by guilt from the 7 (yes, I counted) DOTS that I ate.  However, shortly before the end of the work day I got some very exciting news, and to celebrate decided to treat myself to takeout for dinner.  I swung by Crust, a delicious high-end pizza and other-stuff restaurant in the Wicker Park neighborhood.  Crust is an organic restaurant, and anything that they may not be able to get organic they substitute with responsibly and locally produced items.  One grilled eggplant, wild arugula, roasted garlic, red onion, capers, pesto & fresh mozzarella pizza and a pomegranate lemondrop martini (made with organic infused vodka) later, I was a happy camper.


But takeout cannot be every day. This week begins the experimentations.  To cream cheese, or to cream cheese a different way?  That is the question.  And please, take a minute to give me your thoughts on the ketchup/mustard dilemma.  Stay tuned....