Beautiful photography, delicious recipes, and advice and commentary from local farmer and chef Ann Keener are all part of the first edition of Gaining Ground’s seasonal cookbook, Eat Up - A Celebration of Life and Local Food in Chattanooga. The cookbook will be released in seasonal segments throughout the year - spring, summer, fall, and winter.
“The cookbooks not only celebrate our local foods, but encourage you to visit your farmers’ markets and search out new flavors,” said Jeff Pfitzer executive director of Gaining Ground. “The recipes inspire us to learn more about what it means to buy local and eat better through the act of cooking.”
The cookbook is here to:
- create an emphasis on shopping at farmers’ markets and how easy eating locally can be
- bring the local food community together to support Chattanooga area farmers’ and boost our local economy
- introduce people to a whole foods, local foods lifestyle (which works with both healthy food and decadent desserts - like beet brownies!)
- introduce people to locally grown ingredients they may have never known existed
The Spring edition of the cookbook series includes recipes that highlight what’s in harvest April through mid-June in the Chattanooga region as well as eggs, meats, and cheeses that are available all year long.
The Eat Up cookbook series is free and will be available at area farmers’ markets. A series of cooking demonstrations will take place over the next several weeks at each of the markets in addition to Fresh on Fridays.
“We encourage everyone to grab a copy, and an extra one or two for your friends and family, the next time you’re at the market,” said Mr. Pfitzer. “These cookbooks are truly meant for sharing and inspiring.”
Copies of the Spring edition of Eat Up will be available at farmers’ markets now and through the month of June, while the Summer edition will be released in July. They are intended to be collected to make a set with each of the four editions.
To learn more about local food visit Gaining Ground’s website:
www.growchattanooga.org.
Below are the dates of the Gaining Ground sponsored cooking demonstrations at local farmers’ markets. Market shoppers will be able to learn more about the recipes and how to prepare as well as taste the finished dish.
May 31
Signal Mtn. Farmers’ Market
2815 Anderson Pike
4 - 6:30 p.m.
June 2
Brainerd Farmers’ Market
20 Belvoir Road
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
June 6
Main St. Farmers’ Market
325 East Main Street
4 - 6 p.m.
June 16
St. Alban’s Farmers’ Market
7514 Hixson Pike
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Featured recipe:
Beet Brownies
Makes 12 brownies
Prep time: 15 min, plus 30 for baking
Beets and chocolate are not-so-secret sweeties. Try adding a li!le grated beet to many chocolate recipes, like cake or pie – you’ll be surprised how well the flavors complement each other. This is one of my all-time favorites, because it’s a great finish to any local food lunch or dinner.
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter
4 oz good unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 local eggs
1 small beet, grated (about 1 cup)
1/2 candied ginger, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Melt butter and chocolate together over medium-low heat. Pour into a large mixing bowl and beat in the
sugar. Next, beat in the eggs, one by one, and add flour and baking powder. Stir in the grated beet and candied ginger. Pour into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan and cook for about 30 minutes.
The brownies are done when they pull slightly away from the edges but are soft in the middle. A knife stuck in the center should have some brownie clinging to it, but should not be totally covered. Slice into 12
pieces while still warm and serve room temperature.
Mix and match additions:
- 3/4 cup fresh raspberries, blueberries, cherries, or sliced strawberries – sprinkled on top of batter before baking
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, 1/2 cup baked coconut or 1/2 cup cocoa nibs – mixed throughout the batter before baking.