I’ve decided to try one new recipe or restaurant per week as 2010 begins.  Since this is a gloriosly long weekend with the snow and temperature still falling, it’s the perfect time to test out my friend Kate’s ‘Stay Abed Stew’.  Into the stew pot on New Year’s Day will go the following ingredients.  As soon as they’re in and the oven is on, my book and I are going back to bed.  Anyone who wishes to do the same can follow these easy steps:

#3 lbs stew meat
4 to 5 potatoes
15 baby carrots
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
2 bouillon cubes
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1 slice of bread, crumbled
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 chopped green pepper
5 Tablespoons tapioca
1 Tablespoon brown sugar or honey

Mix all ingredients together in a stew pot.  Bake in oven at 275 for five hours.  May add frozen peas near end of cooking.  Zucchini or cauliflower may also be added.  Final step:  Awake from long winter’s nap to the sweet smell of hot baked stew.  Enjoy!

Save your appetite and mark your calendar.  It’s time to test  the creations of up to 40 Chili Teams taking part in the 28th annual Chili Cook-Off at the Cottage Bar and One Trick Pony in Grand Rapids on September 19th.  The teams are already perfecting their favorite twists to an age old fall favorite.  They signed up back in July and have been chopping chilies ever since.  Each team ponied up $50 to take part and that money, plus cash from outside sales, will benefit Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids, a cancer support community for men, women and children impacted by cancer and their friends and family.  Over the years, the Chili Cook-off has raised over $200,000 for local charities.  LaGrave Street in front of the restaurants will close to make room for the cooks and musical performances Saturday noon to 5:30pm.  Come down, test away, and celebrate the season of the crock pot.  Share your favorite chili recipes here!

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What a beautiful sight!  This is the view in my west side Grand Rapids backyard right now, century old grapevines loaded with goodies turning from green to purple.  Over the years, these vines have yeilded bushels full of concord grapes ripe for the picking.  They’ve become juice, jelly, jam, pie and for the first time last year, a pretty good batch of wine.  What are you making with your grapes this year?  Share a recipe or favorite grape go-to connection.  One I like to keep an eye on is Siciliano’s on Lake Michigan Dr NW at Collindale.  Last year we attended ’stompin’ days’ where their experts helped us through every step of the homemade wine making process safely.  Let’s see what these beauties become in ‘09.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has proclaimed August 23 – 29 National Community Gardening Week and millions of people are expected to celebrate.  The National Gardening Association says 43 million households put in a garden or joined a community garden this summer, up from 36 million last year.  To celebrate in West Michigan, Fair Food Matters is hosting a public tour of 11 local gardens in Kalamazoo on Saturday, August 29 from 1-5pm, rain or shine.  Start at any one of the eleven gardens on the tour, bring your questions, and enjoy the kinship.  Find out how you can get your Eat Local! passport for the month of September, too, and set aside Sept 6 for the annual Harvest Dinner on the Farm presented by Food Dance. Send photos or stories of your community garening experience to share!

How about one more Staycation Destination before the end of August?  This time, it’s a trip to the Carribbean via Grand Rapids.  The Saint Cecilia Music Center is hosting a four week art exhibit and events, all with Carribbean grove.  It kicks off  with an opening ceremony August 20 from 6 to 9pm including food, an introduction of artists and musical performances by Pa’lo Hondo and Ozzie.  On August 26, check out “Los Muñequitos: The Caribbean in the  Editorial Cartoons, 1898”.  It’s a lecture and visual presentation, followed by a night of dance, prose and poetry on August 27.  Save your appetite for Friday night’s Caribbean Food Tasting and Exhibit August 28th.  Professional and amateur chefs will share Caribbean favorites as closing ceremonies featuring a Salsa Dance Party and Rumba get underway.  In the meantime, here’s a tasty island twist you can try on your own grill tonight.

Caribbean Shrimp Kabobs

32 medium shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and deveined
2 large red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 24 pieces (about 11/2 inches each)
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grill
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (preferably Madras)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
coarse salt
Cilantro Dipping Sauce

Heat grill to high. Assemble 8 kebabs (using 2 short skewers for each), alternating 4 shrimp with 3 pieces of pepper on each. Arrange skewers in a nonmetallic dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together rum, oil, curry powder, allspice, and cayenne. Pour marinade over skewers, and turn to coat. Let stand 5 minutes. Season with salt.
Lightly oil grates. Place skewers on grill; cover grill, and cook until grill marks are visible and shrimp are opaque throughout, 2 to3 minutes per side. Season with more salt, if desired. Serve with sauce.

So, you find yourself with the world’s largest zucchini growing in your backyard and you’ve already made as much bread as you’re going to bake.  What’s next?  Why not share the wealth?  The produce pictured here grew in Carly’s garden and since she’ll be on vacation next week, she brought it to work in hopes it would make its way into someone else’s salad.  And it will.  Why not schedule a ‘garden exchange’ day where you work or in your neighborhood to distribute all the goods your garden is overflowing with right now?  This is a goin’ green concept that goes way back to Grandma’s generation.  Pick a date, harvest the goods and set a place to do the swap.  Your local food pantry may also be able to accept your garden donations.  Contact them or Feeding America West Michigan to get your excess greens to those in need.  Remember, someone’s abundance of cucumbers could be another’s winter pickles.

It may not be on the Storm Team 8 radar, but there are Blizzard predictions for this Thursday, otherwise known as Miracle Treat Day.  It’s the day Dairy Queens across the country help raise money for children’s hospitals by donating part of the proceeds from each Blizzard they sell.  August 13 is Blizzard Day at all participating Dairy Queen’s in West Michigan.  Dollars donated here will go to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, West Michigan’s only Children’s Miracle Network hospital.  Funds raised help ensure that no child is ever turned away from care.  Since Miracle Treat Days started in 1984, Dairy Queen has helped raise $77 million.  That’s a whole lot of ice cream!  Beat the heat, help kids and enjoy an August Blizzard.  Can you think of a better excuse?

This is it, the month of corn in Michigan.  If you are making the rounds of farmer’s markets, you are becoming familiar with this sight, piles of hand-picked corn on the cob.  The variety pictured here is cleverly named “Peaches and Cream” for its yellow and cream-colored kernels and sweet and savory flavor.  This pile was grown at Ter Avest Farms in Hudsonville, one of many local farms with goods for sale at the Fulton Street Farmers Market.  According to the Department of Agriculture, Michigan has about 10 million acres of farmland with more than 90% of it owned by families or individuals.  Ter Avest growers expect corn to be abundant in August, along with beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and a variety of greens.  This weekend, look for eggplant to join that list.  On the way out are those juicy cherries and blueberries.  Get ‘em while they last!  Here’s a corn quickie from Martha Stewart for your grill: 

• 4 ears shucked corn
• 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

Directions 

1.  Grill corn over high heat, turning until lightly blackened in places and kernels are just tender when pressed, about 12 minutes.

2.  Cut each ear into 4 pieces.  Transfer to a sturdy, medium-size paper bag and squeeze lime over corn.  Sprinkle with chili powder and coasrse salt.  Close bag and shake to coat.  Serve immediately from the bag or in a bowl.

Sweet, tart, red, orange, purple….one of Michigan’s tastiest crops is ready for eating.  Did you know that up to 75% of the tart cherries grown in the United States come from Michigan?  That makes Michigan the nation’s number one cherry producing state according to Michigan’s Department of Agriculture  The ones pictured above are from my weekend trip north.  We picked up these beauties up at a Kalkaska road side market, a shopping experience we’re spoiled with across the state for several more weeks.  Take advantage of the seasonal, nutritious offerings of nature and share your farm fresh favorite recipes.  Here’s one I’m going to try with some of those cherries:

FRESH CHERRY PARFAIT SALAD  

2 c. fresh sweet cherries
3/4 c. water
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lemon flavored gelatin
1 pt. pineapple sherbet
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
Whole cherries for garnish
Mint sprig for garnish

Pit and slice cherries. Bring water to boil. Stir in gelatin to dissolve. Add sherbet by spoonfuls, stirring until well blended and partially set. Fold cherries into gelatin along with walnuts. Pour into 1 quart mold; chill until firm. Unmold and garnish with whole cherries and mint sprigs. Makes 5-6 servings.  Well drained, canned sweet cherries may be used when fresh cherries are not available. May be prepared early in the morning or a day ahead of time.

A good book and a light lunch on a downtown Grand Rapids sidewalk.  Summer just doesn’t get much better than this.  The novel is my SSW bookclub’s August choice, The Night Villa by Carol Goodman.  Lunch is a soup and salad combo from the cafe at Schuler’s Books and Music with entrances on Monroe Center and Fountain.  They have a full menu, homemade soups, decandent deserts and even soft-serve ice cream.  The day I was there the Expresso Twist Waffle Cone was on special.  The novel is set on the beautiful Greek Isle of Capri where the author shares her character’s love of Caprese salad, a warm weather favorite the world over.  Simply toss or layer fresh mozerella, plum, cherry or your home-grown tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, torn, with extra virin olive oil and salt and pepper if you like.  Add fresh greesn or seared seasoned steak, salmon, chicken or shrimp for a protein twist.  Let’s hear your favorite book inspired dining ideas!