Hounds In The Kitchen » Events

Buy Local Plants! Swaps and Sales {Friday Five}

Rachel — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:37:04 +0000

Some say the soil is the key to a successful garden while others say the sun. I believe that quality seedlings make a huge difference between gardens that produce strong crops and those that falter.

The healthiest seedlings are raised locally by savvy growers. Seedlings at ‘big box’ stores are often stressed from lack of care and long transport distances. Small, local farmers and gardeners, on the other hand, baby their seedlings to keep them strong and disease free.

Fortunately for Columbus gardeners, local seedling sources are plentiful. If you are still looking for seedlings and/or have some extras to share, hit up one of these plant swaps and sales:

1. Chadwick Garden Plant Sale - Friday, May 11, 7 am – 7 pm (Auction begins at 11am) and Saturday, May 12, 8 am – 3 pm (Auction begins at 11am) on the grounds of the Ohio 4-H Center located just east of 315 on the OSU campus at Lane Avenue and Fred Taylor Drive.

2. Worthington Plant Fest 9 am – 4 pm Saturday May 12 at the Village Green, corner of Rt. 161 and High Street (Rt. 23). I’ll be here selling Swainway Urban Farm organic seedlings!

3. City Folk’s Farm Shop Seedling Swap – 9 am – 5 pm Saturday May 19. Bring your labelled seedlings to City Folk’s Farm Shop at 4760 N High St Columbus OH 43214 to swap with other growers.

4. Como Yarden Heirloom Plant Sale – 11 am – 4 pm Saturday May 19. Fantastic culinary varieties grown in organic Ohio soil.

5. Central Ohio Plant Swap – 10 am Saturday May 19 at Shelter A – Aspen (formally called #5), Hilliard Municipal Park, Hilliard, Ohio. Details on the gardenweb page.

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Buy Local Plants! Swaps and Sales {Friday Five} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Earth Day Events {Friday Five}

Rachel — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:44:19 +0000

Earth Day is every day around here. We reuse, recycle, and repurpose. We grow our own, capture rain water, dry laundry on the line, and more. No matter where you are on your earth-friendly journey, here are some ideas for marking Earth Day this weekend.

1) City Folk’s Farm Shop Grand Opening – Shop City Folk’s from 9 am – 5 pm Saturday for discounts, samples, Sharpening on Site, GNix Food Cart, and a donation of proceeds to benefit Local Matters.

2) Do Something Outside – Take a walk, visit a park, look for eagles, identify wildflowers – be outside and enjoy what the earth has to offer.

3) Root Down Earth Day Celebration – Join the citywide celebration from 11 am – 10 pm at Columbus Commons featuring music, food trucks, a kid’s area, ecofriendly booths, and more. Free!

4) Plant Something Edible – Plant a pea, transplant an herb seedling, and soon enjoy eating from your own patio or backyard.

5) Clothing Swap at OSU Urban Arts Space – How cool is this event on Saturday? Turn in your unwanted clothes from 11 am – noon, get tickets, and at 1 – 3 pm exchange them for other’s used clothes!

What are you doing for Earth Day?

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Earth Day Events {Friday Five} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Spring Events in Columbus 2012

Rachel — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 02:09:41 +0000

Spring is most definitely in the air in central Ohio! We’re already sweating with nearly 80 degree highs, we just had our first huge storm and there are buds blooming everywhere. I am uneasy about this weather and worry about a late frost, but I can’t help but enjoy the outdoor time.

Hop into spring gardening and food culture by attending some of these great events:

Lil and I will be in the Central Ohio Food Forum crowd to talk about home gardening and homesteading at this month’s discussion. Doors open (free admission) this Monday at 5:30 pm at Wild Goose Creative to enjoy Sassafras Bakery goodies; the forum starts at 6:30.

City Folk’s Farm Shop soft opening is this Tuesday at 10 am. I am working with City Folk’s to promote their new organic gardening and homesteading store and couldn’t be more proud of their philosophy and offerings. Tuesday’s first day will include treats from Pattycake Bakery and free seeds (up to $15) for every tenth seed buying customer!

On Wednesday I will join other food blog fans of Ree Drummond at her Pioneer Woman book signing from 6-9 at the Barnes & Noble at 1739 Olentangy River Rd Columbus OH.

I really wish I could get out to the Creative Arts of Women show opener this Thursday, March 22 at the Shot Tower 546 Jack Gibbs Blvd, Columbus, OH 43215. The reception will feature dance and puppetry performances by CoCo Loupe, Heidi Madsen & Denise McDonough.

Grab a bite of spring locavore fare at Black Creek Bistro and stop in the nearby CS Gallery for their Open artist’s show through March 27 and in early April their Two Year Anniversary show debuts. Alex’s parents have pieces in both shows.

Next Tuesday the 27th, I’m excited to be attending Cement Marketing’s Timeline for Facebook Pages workshop. I love the work of Alaina and her crew and look forward to learning more for myself and my clients.

The North Market debuts a new event at the end of March: the Coffee Roast. Samples, demonstrations, and a home-roasted bean contest will buzz visitors about Columbus’ vibrant coffee scene. Grab a cuppa March 31 from 9 am to 2 pm.

Columbus Food Adventure‘s famed Taco Truck Tours start up again April 1. Or choose the Short North, German Village, or Alt Eats Tours. All are great for a staycation, special date, or introduction to a new food scene in the city.

Beginning gardeners or anyone wanting some new skills will want to check out the Gardening Programs at Franklin Park Conservatory. They offer everything from container gardening to making a living wreath to constructing a rain barrel.

Register now to volunteer with Root Down for Earth Day and then go to the celebration on April 21 at Columbus Commons.

Join me to talk hens at the Backyard Chicken Basics class April 15th from 3:30 – 4:30 pm at City Folk’s Farm Shop. We will cover coops, chicken varieties, care and feeding.

I’m teaching about sauerkraut, yogurt, kimchee, and more Fermented Foods at Franklin Park Conservatory on Sunday April 22 from 3:30-5:30 pm. Taste and create cultured, healthy foods in this workshop.

Clintonville Farmer’s Market Spring Sprout Day begins the farmer’s market season on April 28, only seven weeks from now! Buy organic seedlings from me at the Swainway booth and check out the season’s first produce.

The spring 2012 Market to Market ride is scheduled for May 5th with the bicentennial theme Moustaches & Monacles. Get your bike tuned up for another great ride!

NB. Our new family travel blog has its first posts up! Check out Curious Wanderlust for a little bit about our recent travels and look for updates from Alex in India this coming week.

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Spring Events in Columbus 2012 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Want to Buy the Homestead? And Other Updates

Rachel — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:26:20 +0000

Homestead for Sale

We are finally putting our Clintonville house on the market very soon. In the meantime, life is a blur of paint and trim and organization.

The new buyers of the hound homestead will move into a home complete with:

two rainbarrels
seven fruit trees
dozen perennial edibles
seven raised beds with organic soil
compost bin
wood stove and what’s left of the ash wood pile
kitchen designed for serious cooking and canning
new insulated windows and doors
two car garage with built in workbench

If you are in the market for a house and want to choose finishes like paint and a little bit of flooring, let’s talk ASAP.

In Other News

In addition to my role as chief house stager, I am working with three social media clients: City Folk’s Farm Shop, OCS Logistics, and C-PAP Central Online. It is exciting to guide small businesses in the world wide web.

I also accepted a role with Swainway Urban Farm to assist at farmer’s markets. Our first date is the Clintonville Sprout Swap on April 28! I am a huge fan of Joseph’s growing philosophy and can’t wait to help him share organic seedlings, produce, and mushrooms with the Clintonville and New Albany market shoppers.

As if life couldn’t be more busy, we decided on our last trip (this past weekend to Indianapolis) to start a family travel blog. Lil will take videos, Alex contribute quick posts on the road, and I’ll manage the whole thing. Check out Curious Wanderlust for our very first updates.

Thanks for hanging in with the website updates during the hosting transition. I’m in the process of transferring to a new-new host with the old-new theme and everything will look normal again soon.

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Want to Buy the Homestead? And Other Updates is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

News and Notes from OEFFA

Rachel Tayse — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:58:25 +0000

I presented and attended the 33rd annual conference of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) conference last Saturday and Sunday.

The conference was inspiring, educational, and fun. I loved learning from experienced growers, meeting new and old foodie friends, and strolling the exhibit hall to learn what’s happening.

In the coming weeks I hope to summarize the workshops I attended in more detail. Some news from the weekend is too timely not to share first:

I work on a committee that sources as many ingredients as possible locally for amazing organic conference meals. I will probably write a whole post about what goes into making the OEFFA conference meals. In the meantime, I owe appreciation to the food donors I helped recruit: Luna Burgers, Swainway Urban Farm mushrooms and sprouts, and Glad Annie’s Baklava. Thank you very much!
Earthineer, a social site for sustainable living, is a growing community of farmers and homesteaders. Join thousands of other farmers and homesteaders to find support for your earth-conscious lifestyle. Signup before June 3rd for a chance to win a Model No. 99 Grainmaker grain mill.
I chatted with Annie and Jay Warmke from Blue Rock Station in the exhibitor hall one afternoon. Jay showed me their straw bale plans for this year; an intern designed the most sustainable awesome restroom in the world. Registration is now open for the Straw Bale Building Workshops that will construct the restroom. Blue Rock offers workshops throughout the year on everything from Green technology to cheese making.
Michigan State University offers an Organic Farmer Training Program. If I were considering organic farming as a career, this 9 month course sounds ideal. Applications for the 2013 cohort are reviewed in July.
Woody Tasch gave the keynote address on Saturday afternoon. He is an investment executive turned Slow Money guru. Though his talk was unrehearsed and a bit chaotic, Tasch charmed me and the rest of the crowd. I imagine I am not the only OEFFA attendee who signed the Slow Money Alliance pledge and am considering the goal for one million people to invest 1% of their money in local food systems, within a decade.
I was drawn into the Women Farm table in the exhibit hall by the bright colors. Sharon Sachs, co-owner, kept me there as she excitedly talked about the women-to-women educational mission of her organization. In addition to individual consultations and inspiring stories on the web, Women Farm offers Direct Experience Instruction events where small groups of women can gather and learn from a woman farmer. If you are a lady wanting to learn by doing, check out Women Farm.
This year, I can’t wait to attend my first Chesterhill Produce Auction. At lunch one day, I met Bob Fedyski, Local/Institutional Foods Specialist of Rural Action, the managing agency. He encouraged me to come for the cultural experience and the varied produce lots. The auction season starts May 5th with an open house and continues on most Mondays and Thursdays through October 25. Field trip anyone?

If you attended, what were your impressions and takeaways? If you didn’t, what do you want to hear more about?

NB: On Monday, I shared notes from one of my talks, Food is Social: How to use New Media to Promote Your Food Business.

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News and Notes from OEFFA is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Handmade Chocolate Truffles {Recipe}

Rachel Tayse — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:12:06 +0000

Chocolate is a classic Valentine’s gift. It’s a special decadent treat that nearly everyone loves.

But there are problems with modern chocolate manufacturing: it often exploits the land and native peoples. Also, many big name companies use artifical flavorings and additives.

Treat your love like a king or queen and seek out fair trade, all-natural chocolate from an honest manufacturer. We like Dagoba, Equal Exchange, and Theo brands.

For an extra special gift, consider hand rolling truffles. This recipe is simple to put together and can be customized to a wide variety of tastes by changing the liquid flavoring and outer coating.

Lil and a friend made these truffles for holiday gifts. Their versions more closely resembled truffle mushrooms than a candy store confection, but they tasted fantastically gourmet. If distractable kindergarteners can make these, you can too.

Ingredients

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2012/02/07/handmade-truffles/

Added to Hearth and Soul blog hop 2/7.

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Handmade Chocolate Truffles {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

200Columbus Food & Arts Events {Friday Five}

Rachel Tayse — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:14:45 +0000

Our fair city is celebrating its 200th birthday in 2012!

Bicentennial events are planned all around Columbus, OH. Below is a curated list of my top five. Thanks to travel plans, we will not be able to attend many festivities but we will celebrate in spirit.

200Columbus Best Bicentennial Events

One of our cities most beloved institutions, the Columbus Metro Library, will host birthday parties at all 21 locations at 3 pm on Saturday February 11. Nosh on some cake in your favorite reading spot.

Columbus 2012 Bicentenial Artists’ Informal – Saturday, February 11, 7 – 10 PM – The Columbus Cultural Arts Center, 139 W. Main St. A *free* ball celebrating Columbus’ history and future as a home for artists.

Shop North Market Spices with a 20% off coupon during 200Columbus Days February 11 – 15. Franklin Park Conservatory, a favorite photography spot pictured at right, is offering $2 off admission. Other shops and activities are discounted too; download a flyer with all the details at the 200Columbus Days website.

Finalists in the Columbus in Song contest will appear on the 200Columbus website February 14. I can’t wait to hear how the talent of this city speaks for our home.

Bicentennial State of the City Address – Wednesday, February 29, 6 pm at The Ohio Theater. Join Michael Coleman for the State of the City Address and The Harmony Project who will close the event with an original song “I Call Columbus Home”.

Happy Birthday Columbus!

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200Columbus Food & Arts Events {Friday Five} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Homestead Bartering

Rachel Tayse — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:47:27 +0000

Me cooking yakitori at Double Happiness bar

It sounds like a bit of a crazy hippie idea, but bartering is an important part of homesteading.

Cash is sometimes hard to come by because many homesteading families like ours choose to live on less income. In a city, everyone doesn’t have the space to make everything a homestead can produce so we share. In lieu of real money, I can trade the use of tools, home canned goods, produce in season, writing and social media services and private cooking classes for things I want.

How We Barter

Sometimes I send out a call for things we need via Twitter, Facebook, or friends. Other times, I notice people with a need and make an offer.

We negotiate a little bit to be sure that everyone feels that they are entering into a fair deal. Barter is casual for me; thus far I’ve only relied on personal communication as a contract.

I work hard to hold up my end of the deal and then some. I always try to exceed the expectations of people I trade with because I hope to maintain good relationships.

What We Barter

The cider press is something I frequently offer to others. I’ve been paid in good company, excess cider, and laundry detergent.

I will almost always work for food. Occasionally I trade blog post reviews for food samples (always disclosed, of course). Last spring, I staffed the Swainway booth at the Clintonville Farmer’s Market for a flat of someday-food: produce seedlings. I trained on Section 8 Yakitorium‘s grill in exchange for boats of delicious Japanese food.

I traded homegrown and homemade food for the new Hounds in the Kitchen logo design by Allie Lehman. Cliff Adams of LinKen Web Development is assisting with the design of the new site in exchange for cooking lessons. I can’t wait to show you all this bartered work!

Wanna barter?

Make me an offer! Trading is more personal and fun than cash retail.

PS. Happy Martin Luther King Day. Today we’ll do our usual creating, living and eating with Dr. King’s message of peace and tolerance in mind. We’ll read our copy of My Brother Martin and listen to this, my favorite protest song for kids:

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Homestead Bartering is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Y'all Come!

Rachel Tayse — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:46:38 +0000

I know I always brag about how many cool things are going on in Columbus. Tell me if it’s getting old. But seriously, one can never be bored here!

Here are a few events coming up for those who enjoy life, food, and gardening:

Nurtur the Salon Makeover Contest – Nominate someone deserving to receive a full makeover at Aveda salon Nurtur in Upper Arlington. I am a judge so I can’t nominate or be nominated but I can think of tons of people who deserve special treatment. Entries are low and you only have until January 25th to nominate.

Central Ohio Food Forum meets again on this Monday at Wild Goose Creative for eat by Sassafras Bakery at 5:30 and discussion at 6:30 pm.

Trio of Trucks class – Hills Market is holding a class with cooks from Hot Pita, Pitabilities, and Kolache Republic this coming Tuesday at 6:30 pm. An hour of instruction plus 3 courses and beer for just $25? I secured my ticket today! Call 614.846.3220 to do the same.

Fresh Street Festival pop-up - FreshStreet and Section 8 Yakitorium are two of my favorite restaurants in town because they serve absolutely unique food. James Beard chef Jonathon Sawyer agrees and he invited the Fresh Street team to come up to Cleveland for a one-night-only restaurant. I am thrilled to be heading up there to work the yakitori grill with them on February 2. Tickets to the event, which include Thunderkiss coffee, crepes, yakitori, and more, are only $42 and selling fast. Find all the details and order tickets online.

Art in the Garden – Local Matters is hosting an amazing series of gardening workshops starting with Art in the Garden Jan. 21st from 12-2pm at Godman Guild. Are you interested in adding some art to your gardens? Join talented local artists, Melissa Vogley Woods and Elena Harvey Collins and start your projects, meet other growers/artists and share a delicious lunch. RSVP to these free events to Trish@local-matters.org.

What other awesome events are going on in January and February?

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Y'all Come! is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Week of Awesome Eats November 6, 2011 {Meal Plan}

Rachel Tayse — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:55:25 +0000

Before I make a meal plan, I always look ahead on my calendar. This week is particularly full of local events that I hope to attend:

It’s Dine Originals Restaurant Week! Enjoy original prefix menus for just $10/20/30 November 7 -13 and support Local Matters at the same time. I think I’ll treat Lil to lunch at Katzingers or tea at Mozarts.
This Tuesday is election day! We suggest voting No on Two but the most important thing is to participate in our democracy.
Thursday November 10, 2011 is Columbus Foundation’s The Big Give. For 24 hours, donations to 600 nonprofits will be at least partially matched by a $1 million pool. Many of our favorite foodie organizations are participation including Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resource Center, Local Matters, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, and Wild Goose Creative. If you have a spare dollar or two, visit The Big Give website between 11 am Thursday and 11 am Friday and choose your favorite nonprofit(s) to double your money.
The November Too Many Cooks at Wild Goose Creative promises to provide food for thought as well as a tummy-full of tastes. Matthew of Good Idea Cooking is presenting six recipes featuring native Ohio foods in a presentation of ‘What if the Pilgrims Landed in Ohio?’ $10 at the door, 7 pm Sunday the 13th.
It doesn’t happen until next Tuesday but I would guess that the Off the Menu: Flavors of Autumn dinner put on by Slow Food Columbus will sell out this week. The Refectory will treat adventurous eaters to a game-centered five course meal and wines for $75/member, $85/nonmember on Tuesday the 15th from 6:30-8:30 pm. Sadly, we will be out of town for this dinner.
I will talk turkey and other birds on Sunday in a Whole Bird Cooking class at Franklin Park Conservatory. Students will learn by doing when they stuff, truss, carve, and eat a whole bird. $30 (members), $35 (nonmembers), 4-6 pm November 13, register by calling 614.645.5923.
Speaking of the tom, don’t forget to make your reservation for a fresh local turkey for Thanksgiving.

On to our meal plan!

Monday – salmon cheeks, rice, peas

Tuesday – squash, onion, and cheese tart, romaine salad

Wednesday – swiss chard lasagna, salad

Thursday – pad thai with tuna nuggets

Friday – dinner with friends

Saturday – CMH Dinner Club (we’re bringing an inventive ‘sweetheart’ recipe)

Sunday – dinner with family or Too Many Cooks or both

What are you eating and doing this week?

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Week of Awesome Eats November 6, 2011 {Meal Plan} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!