Green City Market: Making it Simple to Buy Local in Chicago
Trying to eat fresh while you’re at home? It’s easier than you think! You can now #stayathome and still stay connected to your local Midwest farmers by shopping online from Green City Market Delivered, or through the market’s new home delivery app. They’re trying to make it as easy as possible for Chicagoans to continue to support our local farms and businesses, even launching a virtual farmers market with 30 sustainable farmers and vendors! They’re all ready to deliver farm-fresh food right to your door or a convenient pick-up location near you. Eat local, without having to leave your home!
Melissa Flynn, Executive Director of Green City Market, is focusing on educating the public on how we can work together to support our local farms even from afar. With the weather warming and spring hopefully getting into full swing soon, now is the perfect time to start thinking about fresh produce and bright recipes, all the while looking forward to summertime in Chicago! Learn more and start supporting our local farmers as soon as you can…
DiningOut: What can people expect from your app?
Flynn: Access to delicious and healthy farm-fresh products brought right to your door from Green City Market vendors. The app will highlight what farmers have in season and will change from week to week.
Can you give us a sneak peak at a sample menu or what will be featured on the app?
Green City Market Delivered currently has products from 24 local vendors from Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana — Chicagoans can now order locally, sustainably grown food from their favorite Green City Market vendors, delivered direct to their doorstep for a single delivery fee. Everything available on the app is local and seasonal, including fresh produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, grains, jams, sauces, maple syrup, soups, salsas, baked goods, herbs, green juice, and kombucha. You can find everything from pantry and fridge staples to restock your basics to a farm-fresh whole chicken or prime rib for a nice dinner at home to a DIY grilled cheese kit.
What are the best fresh products to buy that will last a while?
Potatoes, eggs, apples, frozen fruit, meat, cheese, flour, oatmeal, and wheat berries are all available through GCM Delivered and will last for weeks when stored correctly in your fridge, freezer, or pantry.
What are some ingredients that will be coming into season for the summertime, and how can we use them?
Asparagus, ramps, garlic scapes, and rhubarb are all coming into season soon. To highlight this awesome late spring produce, we suggest making an asparagus frittata, roasted asparagus with ramp pesto, grilled asparagus with River Valley Ranch jalapeño jam, ramp pesto, charred ramp and asparagus pasta, pickled garlic scapes, rhubarb barbecue sauce, or rhubarb upside down cake.
How can we continue to make healthy decisions while staying at home?
Continuing to eat healthy meals made from fresh produce. There is joy to be found in a shared meal—enjoy a virtual dinner with friends or family over video chat; ensure you are eating regularly; stop what you’re doing and eat mindfully.
What are other ways you can support local farms?
If the app delivery slots are filled for when you order you can still go to www.greencitymarket/gcmgoesvirtual to place an order directly with our farmers. As well as donate, your support is more crucial than ever before and ensures Green City Market can continue to support the app.
What are you most proud of, in terms of being a part of the Chicago food world?
Green City Market farmers have been bringing the best produce, meat, and dairy products to Chicagoans for over 20 years and they feel a sense of responsibility to keep doing that now when people need them the most. The farms and chefs that we get to work with on a regular basis never cease to inspire me.
Can you share a recipe with us?
Of course! This is the recipe for our Vegetable White Bean Soup with Basil Pesto and Fried Egg:
Ingredients
For Soup
2 strips bacon, cut into lardons (strips)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
1⁄2 tsp red chili flake (optional)
1 c tomatoes (canned or fresh, peeled and crushed)
1 c dry white navy beans, soaked overnight (canned beans can be substituted)*
4 c vegetable or chicken stock or water
2 sprigs thyme or any herbs on hand (if using dry, add 1 teaspoon of any variety)
1 c spinach, fresh or frozen
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 eggs
2 tsp neutral oil (grapeseed, canola, olive)
For Basil Pesto
2 c fresh basil leaves (no stems)
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1⁄2 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (use 1 teaspoon of vinegar if you don’t have lemon)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
For Soup
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, render bacon over medium low heat. Once it has become crisp and there’s a good amount of fat at the bottom of the pan, remove the bacon and set aside. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and chili flake (if using) to the bacon fat. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables start to become translucent and aromatic.
Add tomato and cook for an additional 5 minutes, taking care to stir often so tomato doesn’t burn. Season with salt and pepper. Once tomato has started to brown, add reserved bacon, beans, stock (or water), and herbs. Bring to a simmer and season with additional salt and pepper.
Allow soup to simmer on medium low heat for approximately 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, make basil pesto and prepare eggs for garnish.
Taste soup to check for seasoning – after adding spinach, it is likely that it will need additional salt. Turn off heat and add vinegar, giving the soup an acidic, bright lift.
Ladle hot soup into bowls and top with a fried egg and a spoonful of the pesto. Store soup in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Enjoy!
For Basil Pesto
In a blender, combine fresh basil and garlic. With the machine running slowly, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is smooth. Add the lemon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pulse the mixture briefly until combined. Store in your refrigerator or freezer for later use.
For Eggs
For the eggs, crack each egg into individual small bowls or ramekins. Set aside until the soup is ready to serve.
Check the soup to ensure the beans are fully tender and the flavors are melded. Add the spinach and cook for an additional 5 minutes. While the spinach is wilting, fry your eggs.
In a nonstick skillet, add oil to the bottom of the pan over medium heat. Once the oil begins to simmer, gently pour each egg into the pan, taking care to pour as close to the bottom of the pan as possible so the yolks don’t break. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the egg whites are set. Keep warm and set aside for the garnish.
By Kaleigh Glaza | Market Editor