Klee For A Day

I love the abstract quality of these photos. Sometimes when I'm photographing, I forget they're tomatoes - they become these beautiful blocks of light, color and shape.

I swear my tomato obsession is almost over, but here's what I did today - it's quick, easy and delish. I cut up a bunch of tomatoes into quarter-inch slices and placed them on a baking sheet with a little olive oil and salt (you could do herbs too) and stuck them in the oven at 225 degrees for almost three hours until they looked like fruit leather. I ate a bunch right out of the oven but you can add them to pasta, braised dishes, sauteed veggies, salads or on a bagel and cream cheese - the possibilities are endless. I'm going to store the rest in a jar covered in olive oil in the fridge.

Product Mentions on WGN

Below are all the products I mentioned on yesterday's WGN Around The Town segment on Real Food Rehab. To those of you who were able to watch, thank you! It was a great experience and I hope I got my message across - eat the foods you love, just make sure they're of the highest quality possible. Everything on this list below is a sure thing!

Dirty Dozen

Click HERE for the link to the Environmental Working Group's Shoppers Guide to Pesticides - The Dirty Dozen lists the produce highest in pesticide residue that are best bought organic. The Clean Fifteen are least impacted by chemical residue and the ones you can safely buy conventional. You can also download an iPhone application of the list on this site.

Chemical Free Alternatives To Your Favorite Foods

Nice Cream - seasonal ice cream using local and organic ingredients made right here in Chicago. Available at Provenance Food & Wine.
Jake's Country Meats - Jake's is a sixth generation sustainable pork farm in nearby Cassopolis, Michigan. They sell their gorgeous bacon and other pork products at the Logan Square Farmers' Market on Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm and on Thursdays at the Western Springs Farmers' Market from 2 to 7 pm. To find more locations email them at jakescountrymeats(at)gmail(dotcom)
HomeMade Pizza Company - Made-to-order pizzas you bake at home, made with super fresh ingredients.
Koeze Peanut Butter - award-winning, all natural peanut butter from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Taco Night! I used fresh corn and flour tortillas made by Atontolico in Chicago and purchased at Danny's Fresh Market, a Mexican specialty market at 2140 N. Western in Bucktown. Other great Mexican chain markets are Cermak Produce and Carniceria Jimenez.
For the freshest, pre-mixed taco seasoning I went to The Spice House in Old Town. They also have an Evanston location.
The organic Monterey Jack cheese was from Kalona Organics - a co-op of small family farms in Iowa. It's available at Whole Foods and also at Stanley's Fruits & Vegetables at the corner of North & Elston in Chicago.

The Farmer's Market Comes To You

In this segment I talked about Irv and Shelly's Fresh Picks, a service similar to Peapod but delivers local, organic, and sustainable produce, meats and prepared foods right to your door. An amazing service, you must check it out.

Take Your Snacks Higher

Fresh, bold, delicious and chemical-free snacks are a godsend when you have no desire to cook. Keep some of these around and you'll be very happy.
Terra Chips - salty chips made from exotic root vegetables and available at Whole Foods.
Newman's Own Pretzels - corn syrup in your pretzels is unnecessary and unacceptable. I think Newman's Own makes the tastiest. Also available at Whole Foods.
Tzatziki - a Greek cucumber and yogurt dip. Mine is made with Fage Greek yogurt, lemon and garlic. Click HERE for my super easy recipe. Great for dipping and also aside meats and chicken.
Fig Recipe - Click Here for my fig suggestions.
Roasted, Salted Fava Beans and homemade Spicy Hummus both from Middle East Bakery in Andersonville. Those favas have a crunch similar to Corn Nuts and are great with cocktails.
Mt. Sterling Raw Milk Sharp Goat Cheddar - this was one of the cheeses I featured and it's one of my faves. It's from Wisconsin, produced in small batches by hand and available at Whole Foods.

The following are all available at Provenance Food & Wine, a great specialty shop with Logan Square and Lincoln Square locations. They specialize in wine, craft beers, local cheeses and also feature lots of locally produced artisanal foods.

Prairie Fruits Farm Chevre from Champaign, IL.
Brunkow Spreadable Raw Milk Cheddar with Horseradish from Darlington, Wisconsin.
Carr Valley Marisa Sheep Cheese from La Valle, Wisconsin.
Rick's Picks Artisanal Pickled Vegetables - try their Mean Beans!
McClure's Pickles - spicy, crisp and I think the best pickles I've ever had. They're based in both Detroit and Brooklyn.
Nicole's Crackers - a Chicago-based cracker-making legend. My fave crackers hands down. She also makes a great gluten-free cracker. These are also sold at Whole Foods.
Rogue Chocolatier - a relatively new, bean to bar chocolatier from Minneapolis. Very sophisticated, refined and thoughtful chocolate. They should be incredibly proud of their sexy labels.
Eat Green Foods Granola Bars - These bars are made by former cooks at Chicago's Blackbird restaurant. They're truly passionate about local, organic and sustainable foods and their bars are killer.

To All The Bowls I've Loved Before

To all the bowls I once caressed
And may I say they've held the best
Local concord grapes in a bunch
They've even served my lunch
To all the bowls I've loved before...

I collect studio pottery but I have a thing in particular for bowls. I love having bowls in all shapes and sizes because I'm a snacker, a grazer, and a nosher extraordinaire. And when friends come over, I'm known for giving great nosh. I also care that my serving bowls are stunners - that they're art; each one of a kind.

But this bowl - it will remain empty upon my counter so I may gaze upon it's beauty. I will bow my head and pray before it. I will weep in gratitude of it's many hand-made blessings. (Now read that back again imagining Yul Brynner's voice from The Ten Commandments)

I found this bowl at the wonderful Ravenswood Antique Market in Chicago, where the owner and curator John, has impeccable taste and where I just happened to have a store credit! John had just brought it into the store within the hour when it caught my eye and I scooped it up without hesitation. It's a studio piece from Greece made during the mid-sixties.

Ravenswood carries exquisite vintage jewelry, furniture, art, objects, kitchen and barware and they're open seven days a week. It's a one-of-a-kind shopping destination, so check it out.