Green City Market's 12th Outdoor Season Opened Today

Opening Grand Celebration May 15

 

Chicago's Green City Market (GCM) opened for its 12th outdoor season today (May 12) and is set for a lively grand opening celebration this Saturday (May 15). In addition to the wealth of farmers and producers, there will be a number of special activities during the opening celebration.

n 7:30 a.m. – Guided tour

n 8:00 a.m. – “Container Gardening” workshop taught by Edible

Gardens manager and organic gardener Jeanne Pinsof-Nolan

n 8:30 a.m. – Guided tour of Edible Gardens in Farm-in-the-Zoo led by

Jeanne Pinsof-Nolan

n 9:30 a.m. – Savor the Seasons Lettuce Fest

§         Featuring chefs from Mon Ami Gabi, Big Bowl, Foodlife, Frankie’s and Café Ba Ba Reeba

n 10:30 a.m. – Chef demos with James Beard award winning chefs Carrie

Nahabedian of NAHA and Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Café and

Prairie Fire.

§         NAHA chefs Carrie Nahabedian and Craig Harzewski will collaborate with Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris (Prairie Grass Café and Prairie Fire) on demos featuring local goat cheese, rhubarb, duck eggs, bacon and bread from Bennison’s Bakery. Pastry chef Harzewski will demo making Goat Cheese Ice Cream topped with Rhubarb Compote made by Prairie Grass. The collaborative demos also will feature a grilled cheese, bacon and duck egg sandwich and a salad of spring greens, asparagus and herbs – all ingredients are available at GCM.

New this year:

Green City Market boasts an impressive list of 55 vendors for its 2010 outdoor season with two new vendors: Dietzler Farm and Becker Lane Organic Farm.

A family-run beef operation, Dietzler Farm is located in Elkhorn, WI. They raise a mixture of Angus and Hereford cows that are custom slaughtered and dry-aged for 28-days.  They are awaiting confirmation of their Food Alliance certification.

Becker Lane Organic Farms is Green City Market's first Iowa farm, located in Dyersville, just north of Dubuque. Jude Becker's farm has been in his family since 1850. He raises Heritage Breeds Cheshire White and Berkshire pigs. The animals graze on 100 percent Certified Organic pastures and are supplemented with acorns, corn, and hay in the winter.