Can you see the ghostly image of a dog haunting the pumpkin patch?
Have no fear - that's actually my dog Karli at Chicago's Green City Market last Wednesday. Alice Waters calls the market "the best sustainable effort in the country." What's "sustainable" mean? "Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals: environmental stewardship, farm profitability, and prosperous farming communities," says Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).
What it meant for Karli, my sister Annie, and I was good things to see and eat, in the company of great people. The guys at Nichols Farm & Orchard had over two dozen kinds of apples. That's just a fraction of the roughly 124 heirloom varieties they grow. We picked up some prime Winesaps and Pink Ladies. And the girls at Vella served up their signature "paninis in the park" made with fresh market ingredients - sandwiched in hot off the press grill artisanal slices from Red Hen Bread.
City chefs do demos all season-long - representing a rich bounty of restaurants.
The Green City Market moves indoors in November and December becoming the Winter Market at neighboring Lincoln Park Zoo's Lion House. I wonder what those big cats would do if they saw a dog prowling the gourds - or on sighting a Green Zebra?
