It’s so nice of nature to give us these beautiful days early in April. It makes me want to go exploring for food J. April in Michigan hints to us of phenomenal things to come – asparagus, delicate herbs, and morel mushrooms, just to name a few. Soon Michigan strawberries and blueberries will come, along with the excuse to make perfect shortcakes (see today’s recipe) (and by the way, those little squishy and/or dry sponge cakes that come in packages next to the strawberries at this time of year are NOT shortcakes!!!!). Then there will be a brief lull and the true bounty of summer will appear with corn, tomatoes, and eventually cherries, peaches and apples. We are SO fortunate to live in Michigan, especially in the harvest months!
This Friday April 9th, Laura and I are going to one
of the best places to shop for spring food. We are touring Ann Arbor (some
spots still available – come and join in the fun!!), which is the place where
the idea for Taste-full Tours was born. For Laura and me, it’s like coming
home. We’ll be dropping in on the
world-famous Zingerman’s Deli first,
where we’ll sample all manner of goodies, often including specialty vinegars
and oils, amazing cured imported meats and cheeses, and even perfect fair-trade
chocolates.
Laura and I can’t leave without stocking up on our favorite brown-sugar cured bacon which they slice to
order, as thick or thin as you’d like. They also sell their house-made unsalted chicken stock, and
it never hurts to have a quart or two in the freezer. And it is actually
illegal to leave the Deli without one of their latkes. (ok, it’s not really illegal, but nobody makes them better
so I think it should be) Laura
usually orders a corned beef sandwich,
but as she is nearly as high maintenance as I am about food, she has them
“deconstruct” it so it won’t get soggy while we’re touring. There aren’t many
places you could ask to do that, but Zingerman’s truly understands customer
service.
We’ll next move onward to the always bustling Kerrytown Shops, and visit our favorite
tea and spice store, Spice Merchants. It smells so good inside your culinary inspiration
meter will skyrocket and you’ll leave with little pouches of spices destined
for great things on your grill. From
there we’ll head to Everyday Wines,
our favorite little Ann Arbor wine shop. Mary, the owner,
can guide you through her wonderful selection with detailed, knowledgeable
descriptions while not charging you an arm and a leg.
When time allows we let our tourists roam free for the next
twenty minutes or so, giving them the opportunity to explore all the fantastic
food markets and interesting Kerrytown stores. Laura G has to keep herding us
along, and everyone tends to get “lost” in the sights and sounds, me included.
At this point we’re hungry again, so we’ll board the bus and
head for a drive by falafel pick up at Jerusalem
Garden. It’s too small to bring all our tourists inside, but I refuse to
spend a day in Ann Arbor without stopping there, so we came up with a way to
work it in J. Laura G knows not to mess with me on this one, and despite
the fact that she prefers the falafel at Mr. Kabob (yes, in the gas station on
the corner of 12 Mile and Coolidge in Berkley), she never suggests skipping J.
Garden.
Now we’re off to the reason I’m writing about Ann Arbor in the first place. The Produce Station. The Produce Station is an Ann Arbor institution, a land mark if you will, where one can purchase incredible produce and hundreds of Michigan-made products in a friendly, helpful, environmentally conscious environment. Andrew Gorusch, the store’s passionate, knowledgeable, and ever-helpful manager is nearly always on hand, scurrying around answering questions and making sure the produce he hand-picks is up to snuff. He has a pocket knife in his pocket (clever) and is constantly picking up fruits and vegetables, checking their quality and offering folks around him samples. The pride he takes in the market and all its offerings is clearly a huge part of the success. Andy’s enthusiasm is contagious, and the entire staff, from cashiers to folks stocking the shelves to the chefs in the kitchen reflects the attitude at the top. The Produce Station goes to great lengths to buy Michigan produce and local food products, and I for one look forward to another summer of shopping there!
As we head out of town Friday we’ll make our final stops at Zingerman’s Bakehouse and Creamery, both located on the outskirts of town near Briarwood Mall. It’s like dessert and a cheese course at the end of a great meal. Our entrée has come in the form not only of great food tastings, but in the nourishment that comes from getting to know great food people, who care so much about their ingredients and creations you can taste it!
Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? One of those dreams you don’t want to wake up from, with
actual tastes and smells! We’d
love to have you join us – it’s the perfect way to spend an early spring day
exploring special food!
