Spice of the month

Each month now weve been featuring

one of the many totally wonderful
and wildly delicious spices (or
spice blends) from our friends at
pices de Cru in Montreal. My hope
is that we give you just a little bit of
extra encouragement to try some of
these amazing offerings. They have,
without question, had a hugely positive impact on my cooking at home,
and also on the quality of our food
across the Zingermans Community.
In the same way that better olive oil
has raised the flavor bar on so many
of our salads, pasta dishes, soups,
etc. so too are better spices making
for much more flavorful food. If you
havent yet experienced their incredible Indian cloves, their wild Uzbek cumin,
green cardamom, Ethiopian berbere blend, or
others, Id make the leap. Your food, your life
and the lives of the people who grow the spices as
wellwill be far better for it.
If youre up in Montreal Id really encourage you to visit the pices de Cru shops and to meet
the de Vienne family in person. If I dont convince you to trade up to better spices here, Im
totally confident that twenty minutes in their shopsmelling, tasting and talking spiceswill
quickly do the trick. Like great chocolate, great bread, great tomatoes, once youve experienced really good spices, youll never willingly go back to the average offerings readily available in the mass-market world.

SEPTEMBER

Thirty years of traveling the globe, a passion for culture and cooking, a love of history and
people, a deep devotion to study and to learning the way people cook in their homes (not
in fancy restaurants) has led to their values-driven, quality-fixated, flavor-focused company.
Their dedication to bringing great spices to food-loving folks like us is inspiring. With pretty
much every product they purvey, theyve been to visit the producer, know the background on
how the product is made, and in many cases have coached growers into ever higher quality and
fuller flavor so that they can earn more for what they grow. There are many stories of places
where the de Viennes dedication to quality in the product, and their willingness to pay more
for better product, have significantly improved the quality of life of the people who grow the
spices. Thanks to the de Viennes, spice growers who had very little ten or fifteen years ago are
now living in much nicer homes, with far more financial stability than many ever imagined.
Given that our friends at pices de Cru have over 400
spices in their shop, if we continue featuring one item
a month we should be covered for the next thirty
years or so. By which point, of course, the family will
have discovered many other wonderful offerings to
send to us Ann Arbor. My point is that the learning,
experiencing, aromas, and flavors of these spices is
really a lifes work. Each new spice we encounter is
an experience, and my excitement grows the more I
experiment with it. I can tell you right now that simply from writing about their Spanish 210 Paprika, I
can barely prepare a meal in which it isnt present.
If I havent already communicated my feelings effectively, let me restate that its both an honor
and a pleasure to work with the de Viennes. From the get-go its been a revelation to taste
just how amazingly good their spices are. And to realizeonce againthat you really can taste
the difference between the not bad, B-grade product that generally makes up the bulk of
the high-end market and the truly exceptional, A+ offerings we here at Zingermans, and de
Vienne family in Montreal, seek out so determinedly.

special selection paprika 210

& pices andalouses

For September, we couldnt decide between the pices de Cru

exceptional Paprika 210 and their Andalouses spice blend, so we
decided to do both as spice(s) of the month. Enjoy each! Salut!

SPECIAL SELECTION PAPRIKA

210 FROM EASTERN SPAIN
Its hard to believe that something as seemingly pass as paprika
could have such a big impact on your everyday eating. But sure
enough, this stuff has been appearingeither as a main feature,
or as an elegant add-onat almost every meal Ive made over the
last month or so. It truly is terrific, and takes paprika to a whole
new level.
For context, you should probably know that paprika (pimenton in
Spanish) is to Murcia in eastern Spain what saffron is to La Mancha
in the center; the core spice around which almost everyones
cooking is based. In Murcia people use pimenton like people in
Parma use Parmigianoevery day and at almost every meal.
If you arent familiar with it (and many Americans arent), Murcia
is a rarely visited corner of Spain. To find it, you drive straight
south down the countrys east coast from Barcelona and Valencia.
Its also known for its exceptional Calasparra rice district in the
Murcian highlands and for its great vegetables. But in Spain,
Murcia, is without question, best-known for pimenton.
While paprika is often dismissed in North America as something
to use merely for color, properly produced pimenton adds enormous amounts of flavor and aroma. Unlike some of the spicier
paprikas from Hungary or Western Spain, Murcia producers are
adamant about the importance of the paprika having rich, mellow
sweetness. Typically, Murcia pimenton is made from the Nyora
pepper, the same chile thats so essential to Catalan romesco
sauce. Its a round, dimpled pepper, not much bigger than a pingpong ball. A couple of pimenton producers shared stories of people who have tried to grow it in other parts of Spain. Supposedly
every attempt at this has ended up with spicier peppers than
those that grow in the unique soil of Murcia.
The best Murcia paprikas are:
A) Made from peppers which are sun-dried. Machine drying significantly speeds the process, but detracts from the delicate flavor. Ive generally found this to be true of all dried fruits and berries. (Try the sun-dried tomatoes, couscous, and harissa from the
Mahjoub family in Tunisia).

B) Stone ground in order to protect the flavor. The cooler temperature protects the essential oils of the dried peppers.
C) The less seed left in the mix the better. Most commercial offerings have seeds and stems left in, as they reduce cost and arent
easily apparent to the unknowing consumer.
D) Made from 100-percent Murcia Nyora peppers. This may seem
obvious and easily recognized from labels, but in truth its not.
You really have to know the producer to know whats inside the
package. Fortunately, we know the de Vienne family, and they
know the people that produce this incredible stuff. As Philippe de
Vienne says, Murcia pimenton peppers produces the most colorful and aromatic Spanish paprika.
Philippe explains that, Most Spanish paprika produced in Spain
is made from a blend of whole peppers grown in Peru, Chile, or
China, with some of the more expensive and delicious genuine
Spanish peppers to achieve the grade desired. The raw material
from the respective sources is not the same. The varieties grown
outside of Spain are closer to red bell peppers, he said. They
are not pimenton. The blended peppers are ground with stems
and seeds to produce paprika.That is legal under European food
regulations which essentially state that the country where the
greater value is added to a product can be named as the country
of origin. If you think that is dishonest, think of a cookie made in
France with American wheat and Brazilian sugar! You then see
the logic of the thing. However, that is not the way the average
consumer, or we, interpret it. Id never thought of it that way, but
what he was saying made perfect sense.
As with all foods (and I suppose with all things), there are huge
variations in quality from one brand of paprika to the next. We
have been buying our paprika now for four years or so from
a small (by current European standards) company, Philippe
explained. We love their products. Still family-owned, a miracle in the consolidation frenzy that European food companies
have gone through in the past decade. They have been producing paprika for 75 years in Fortuna, Murcia, the prime terroir of
Spain.
And, as with all of their offerings, the de Vienne family has successfully found something so special that it exceeds pretty much
all previously recognized standards. Literally, this stuff busted the
scales. Heres what Philippe said, What the ASTA (American Spice
Trade Association) grading refers to is the color of the paprika.
Standard grades range from 60 to 160. The higher the number, the
richer the color. This is not strictly an esthetic consideration, a

Murcia
rich dark red color also indicates a high concentration of flavor
compounds. ASTA 60 paprika is dull orange, ASTA 160 rich red
and flavorful. Most paprika available on the market is between
60 and 120. The higher ASTA 140 to 160 grades are usually considered to be too expensive to be used or sold by most buyers.
Grades higher than 160 are only produced on request.
I thought Id experienced the gamut of Spanish paprika, but
Philippes comment, of course, piques my interest. Weve made
a living here at Zingermans by finding, cooking with and offering
for sale, the quality levels that are generally considered too special for consumers. Weve always believed the opposite. That our
customersgiven a chance to learn about and product and taste
the difference for themselveswill regularly opt for the outstanding offering. Is there anything higher than that on the market? I asked Philippe. Of course. I should have known because
the folks at pices de Crulike usdont stop wherever everyone
else does. They make our paprika and smoked paprika to our
specification using ASTA 210 (or higher) pimenton from Murcia.
The raw material, the peppers, are in themselves very special.
Theyre a fleshy pepper, intensely sweet with a deep rich color.
Spain was after all the first place in the world to receive the chiles
of Mexico; so it is not surprising to find that these older varieties have adapted and thrived in sunny southern Spain in the last
500 years. What we request from our supplier is the highest grade
continued on page 2

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

Spice of
the month

possible from a particular vintage. The 2014 vintage allowed a 210

grade. In some exceptional years, higher grades are possible. This
can only be achieved by using exclusively Murcia pimenton peppers that have been deseeded and de-stemmed. This is expensive
and time-consuming, but its the only way to create such a sweet
and aromatic paprika, as seeds and stems are somewhat flavorless
and often bitter.
All that attention to small details makes a big difference! Our supplier assures us that they have only two customers in the world
that request such grades, Philippe told me. Its an unusual offering for the De Viennes as well. The paprika is practically the only
spice we buy already ground. All other ground spices we offer are
ground here on our premises. It really is amazing. Velvety, wonderful, full-flavored, eye-opening and attention-getting without
being hot. When I set it next to other Spanish paprikas, the color
is definitely brighter and bolder, and the flavor follows suit.
Paprika, as I was saying above, is an everyday essential in Murcia.
If you took it away I dont know what people would do! The standard Murcian breakfast is two pieces of toasted baguette drizzled
with olive oil, and a pinch each of paprika and salt. Similarly, youll
be served boiled potatoes dressed with, you guessed it, olive oil,
salt and paprika. The same setting and combination also appear on
eggs, fried first in olive oil, then sprinkled with salt and pimenton.
The color of the paprika, in particular this 210 paprika from pices
de Cru, spreads across the fried egg like a stunning orange-red sunset around the yolk.

Murcia Paprika Mashed Potatoes

These are an easy alternative to basic mashed potatoes and they add great color
to a plate when served on the side with meat or fish.

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
3 teaspoons pices de Cru Pimenton 210,
plus additional for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1/2 cup whole milk
Steam the potatoes in their jackets 35-40 minutes until very tender. (Take note that the cooking time can vary significantly depending on the size of the potatoes.) While the potatoes are steaming, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan
over moderate heat. Add the garlic and saut one to two minutes, stirring a few times to avoid browning. Remove the
pan from the heat and set it aside.
Warm a large mixing bowl (in which youll mash the potatoes) so its ready to use when the potatoes are tender. In a
small saucepan warm the milk, pimenton and sea salt. Mix well to make sure there are no lumps.
When the potatoes are done, push them, along with the garlic, through a food mill or ricer into a large bowl. Add the
olive oil and mix well. Slowly add the milk mixture and mix well. Add more salt if needed. Serve in small bowls with a
generous sprinkling of additional pimenton. Serves 4-6

Getting the idea? Beyond this basic trio (oil, salt and paprika),
pimenton is used extensively in chorizo sausage, in rice dishes
(including paella, where its often used alongside saffron), and with
seafood. Strangely, the region of Galiciain the far opposite corner of Spainis the largest purchaser of Murcia paprika because
of its use in polpo gallegooctopus boiled and spiced with salt,
paprika, and probably some olive oil as well. Its deliciousone
of my favorite dishes. You can pick up octopus already cleaned at
Monahans excellent seafood market in Kerrytown. Simply cut it
into chunks, bring to a boil and simmer it for a good hour or so till
its tender. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, a good bit of this amazing paprika, some sea salt. And if you like, a squeeze of lemon.
The full sensual flavor of the paprika is particularly good on fresh
cheese. I love it on the City Goat cheese from Zingermans Creamery.
Ive taken to dusting one side of the cheese with paprika, the other
with the ground black pepper from India (see below). Its sort of
my historically focused cooks way to have some fun. Columbus set
sail to the West to find a source for black pepper. What he found
instead were the chiles that were the ancestors of the modern
Nyora chiles that are grown in Murcia for this paprika. As a result
of his error, paprika today dominates Spanish cooking while the
black pepper he was seeking is a distant second. I like putting them
together because a) they taste good, b) the black and the red look
great together on the table and c) its a way to close Columbus culinary loop on the table today. All of which make me happy.
When I visited there ten or twelve years ago, I asked our guide
while traveling through the region what else local people did with
pimenton. A tall, strikingly beautiful woman who works with the
Murcia Board of Trade, she stops and thinks for a minute. She
started with all the usual suspects, those Ive already cited above.
What else? I asked. I used to cook, she says somewhat apologetically, unable to come up other options. Stumped, she suddenly
smiles, pulls out her cell phone, and says, Wait. I call my mother.
After a few seconds for the phone to ring, then an enthusiastic
Mama??? She launches into a quick discourse in Spanish that
loses me after about thirty-five seconds. She listens, speaks, again,
listens some more, then hangs up. OK, she says. I remember. We
mash potatoes with the paprika, with olive oil, some garlic, and
salt. Its called Atasca Burras. Whats that mean? I ask. The stuck
burro, she says with a smile in her Spanish accent. Whats your
mothers name? I remember to ask, as I want to give credit where
credit is due. The recipe for Pilars Mashed Potatoes with Pimenton
is at right.
She also tells me of another dish, a sort of a Murcian coleslaw.
Coarsely chop some cabbage, then dress with olive oil, garlic, salt,
pimientos, and pimenton. Another of her mothers dishes sounds
equally interesting: roast pork with paprika and cinnamon. To
make it, mix extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, a touch of
cinnamon and paprika till it forms a moderately thick paste. The
paste is then rubbed onto pork, which is then left to marinate a bit,
then roasted. The same, she assures me, can be done with chicken
or fish.
NOTE: When you use any paprika in cooking, be sure to add it along
with some liquid, or its natural sugars will quickly burn.

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

Paprika and Cumin Marinated Olives

This is a marinade I first tried in Portugal. Its tough to find Portuguese olives in the States,
so Ive used Farga Aragon (also known as Empeltre) olives from Spain or even Nioise olives.
These olives are a mess to eatuse plenty of napkinsbut theyre delicious.

1 pound black olives (about 4 cups)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons pices de Cru Pimenton 210
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised with the side of a knife
2 dried bay leaves, lightly crushed
2 teaspoons pices de Cru wild Uzbek cumin seeds, toasted
Place the olives in a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, Pimentn, garlic, and bay leaves. Grind half the cumin seeds in a
spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Add, along with the remaining whole seeds, to the olives. Stir.
Cover, refrigerate and marinate for 2 days, stirring occasionally. The olives will keep for 3 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature before serving.

Spice of the month

PICES ANDALOUSES The Classic Spice Blend Of Andalucia

Paprika and all sorts of other wonderful additions make
this traditional southern Spanish blend into something
really special. To be clear, all the blends from pices de Cru
are based on spice combinations that are traditional in the
regions in which the de Viennes encountered them. All the
blends are made by mixing whole spices. When you open
the tin, youre pretty much assured of being impressed
by the aromas and the look of whats inside. Its true that
grinding to order takes a bit more time, but no more time
(less, actually) than it takes to grind coffee beans. All youll
need is a simple mortar and pestle and about sixty seconds
of elbow work to grind them. By taking that extra minute
you release the aromatics in the spices and maximize the
flavors about fifteen-fold.
This particular blend is typical of Andalucia in the south of
Spain. While we think of Morocco and North Africa as huge
centers for the spice trade, remember that up until the late
15th century and the rise of Spanish Inquisition, the Iberian
peninsula had a very large and very successful Arab, or
Moorish, population. This blend is based on what would
have made Moroccan food so special.
The inspiration for this blend, Philippe told me, comes
from the meat skewers that are common in Spain. The
smaller versions are called pinchitos and are often served
at tapas bars. Meat, usually pork or chicken, is cubed and
marinated with spices, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and
olive oil for as long as time and patience allow, 12 to 24
hours being ideal. I love it on swordfish or scallops as well.
I havent tried it on tofu but . . . why not right?
Philippe explains that, Its a great blend we created or
more accurately, recreated. Ancient blends like this have
gone through centuries of tinkering, mistakes and experimentation. They have reached a perfect balance that is
difficult to improve upon. Thats what makes it pretty foolproof and delicious in a lot of recipes. Follow the golden
rule: close your eyes, smell the spices and let your emotions guide you. Such is the power of classic spice blends.
Pinchos, Philippe pointed out, are obviously of Moorish
origin even though they are usually made with pork, one
can imagine that they were made originally with lamb. The
original recipe certainly did not contain paprika as that
spice only reached Spain after the Moors were expelled
from Andalusia in southern Spain 500 years ago. Saffron
was very likely used to color and flavor the meat. Indeed
today they are often described as Pinchos Moruno,

OCTOBER

Moorish skewers. Theyre great on the grill but you can do

them indoors as well in a hot saut pan.
In Spain every tapas bar and grandmother has a secret
recipe. The spices each uses vary, but usually in this part
of Spain they include paprika, cumin, black pepper, some
herbs, or sometimes cinnamon and ginger. Saffron is
(sadly) too often substituted by turmeric for the sake of
economy. Our version is inspired from this tradition. It is
assembled from Malabar black peppercorns, coriander
seeds, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, bay leaf, Spanish garlic, our exclusive smoked pimenton 210 and half a gram of
top-grade Afghani saffron goes into every can. This last is
no small thingthe saffron adds a lot to the aroma and the
flavor. Additionally working with the Afghani growers to
find a livelihood in agriculture contributes positively to the
country.
Honestly, my bias has been bringing me back to this blend
regularly since I first tried it. It brings together cumin and
paprika, two of my favorite spices. Add in the sensual
aroma and complex flavor of the saffron and Im totally
sold.
Of course, its the way that all the ingredient spices come
together so successfully that makes this blend so special.
I love using it for marinating olives. Philippe adds that,
As with all classic, well-balanced spice blends it can be
used for much more than the original recipes. At pices de
Cru we classify it in the all purpose blends category. We
have made rice dishes, vegetable dishes, fish and seafood
dishes.It gives an great Southern Spain flavour to improvised dishes. We even made a coconut milk-based South
India pork curry with it instead of a curry paste. We have
added maple syrup to the marinade of Pinchos. We are
from Qubec after all!
Ive been adding it to rice dishes. Saut some Spanish
Calasparra rice in olive oil until golden, add some of the
ground pices Andalouses, a bit of sea salt and then broth
or water and simmer til the rice is almost tender (al dente).
Its excellent on almost any meat (as per Philippes comments above) or seafood. Very good in bean soups, or better still, in one of your last fresh tomato soups of the season! And its a wonderful way to spice up (the Paprika 210
would work wonders, too!) your deviled eggs or egg salad.

September

Plate of the Month

Bocadillo Dinner Plate $14.99
featuring Andalusian Spices from pices de Cru!
Available 5-10pm, every day.
An Iberian feast of Michigan pork shoulder
smothered in a blend of Andalusian Spices
from pices de Cru and slow roasted to
tender perfection, piled high on a crusty
baguette slathered in green garlic aioli. Our
housemade Gazpacho, featuring local produce at the height of its flavor and a healthy
dose of Spanish sherry vinegar, and your
choice of vegetable side from our salad case
round out this delectable dish.

new crop mlamala black pepper from india

Part of our work with pices de Cru has

been to discover the wonderful plethora of peppercorns that
are out there in the world. Although Columbus failed to find
any on his voyage across the Atlantic, the de Viennes have
found plenty.
The better-known Telicherry peppercorns have been the
staple of our cooking here at Zingermans for decades. But,
of course, the de Viennes are opening a whole new world of
black peppercorns to us. Black pepper, it turns out, is like
wine or cheese or any other agricultural product in that
theres a huge range of sources, quality levels, crop years,
and everything else. This new arrival is one of my fvavorites.
The Mlamala pepper is one of the first to arrive in Ann Arbor
from the 2015 harvest. It comes from the Cardamom Hills,
near the source of the great green cardamom we get from
the de Viennes (try it in the Armenian coffee at Zingermans
Coffee Company!). Its harvested in the hills facing the areas
near the Periyar river where the de Viennes semi-wild Tribal
black pepper (also amazing!) comes from. Unlike tribal, it
is from a domesticated variety of pepper vines, hence the
larger berries. Similar terroir, different varietal, Philippe
explained.
The pepper comes from a part of India that speaks Malayam,
one of the 22 official languages of the country. In case you
were wondering, it has the largest number of letters in its
alphabet of any of the Indian languages. The de Viennes
friend and pepper-sourcer extraordinaire, Sudheer, shared
that, Mlamala, if you translate from the local Malayalam
language, it means deer. Mala means Hills. So Mlamala is
deer hills. Many years back Mlamala is the place having lot
of deers, though now you can see only a few of them.

The district is very remote, situated on the bank of the

Periyar River. It does not have a proper road, so jeep is the
main mode of transportation. The remoteness has kept the
area from being overly commercialized. Sudheer says that it
...has lots of small pepper farmers. Mlamala is surrounded
by tea plantations. Many migrated from different parts of
Kerala. 40 years back nobody wanted land over there due to
bad weather. But it turns out the climate is good for quality
peppers, now they made a good road.
Part of the quality comes from the altitudethese Mlamala
pepper vines grow at 2500 to 3000 feet above sea level. The
area gets a lot of sunlight which, along with the good local
soil thats naturally fertilized by the farmers, yields large and
full flavored berries. Careful, timely harvesting and processing complete the picture. Its a delicious, full-flavored, spicy
regional black pepper. Theres a freshness and liveliness to
its flavor, and an aroma that comes from being new crop.
Its actually air-shipped to Montreal for pices de Cru, then
boxed and sent south over the border to us. Its got a lot of
deep, balanced, long-lasting pepper heat. Lots of low notes,
less wininess than the Wynad, more of a loving heat that
really stays with me for a marvelously long and very pleasant
time. Use it any way you would use other black peppercorns,
which, if youre like me, means on almost everything. I barely
eat a meal without freshly ground black pepper. Salads, pastas, meats, seafood, soup, tomatoes... Honestly its even good
on vanilla ice cream. Exploring the different black peppercorns were getting from pices de Cru is going to bring you
a set of whole new flavors and aromas. I hope you enjoy this
special pepper as much as I have.

The Secret Life

of Pamphlets

A Look at How Anarchism and

Creative Business Come Together
A Talk with Zingermans co-founder Ari Weinzweig
This talk celebrates the
release of Zingermans series
of Secret pamphletsindividual essays excerpted from
Aris nationally recognized
series of business books,
Zingermans Guides to Good
Leading. The pamphlets contain cutting edge business
insight from Zingermans
progressive and positive
approach to business, while
at the same time honoring
the work of anarchist publications in centuries past, for
whom pamphlets were one
of the most typical vehicles
to spread ideas in the world.

ISSUE # 252

September 16, 5:30-7:00

Hatcher Library Gallery,
913 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor

SEPT-OCT 2015

A Trio of Terrific Spanish Egg Dishes

If someone had told me twenty years ago some of my favorite foods from Spain were going be simple dishes of eggs with little more than potatoes and onions, I doubt Ive have
believed them. In a land lush with stuff like saffron, amazing sausage, incredible traditional cheese, paella, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and spices, eggs sound so mundane. And yet,
its true. In my love for simple, traditional, great tasting dishes, I wanted to share three ways that I like to use eggs to bring Spanish cooking into my kitchen. All three are very
standard in Spain and can be easily prepared after a long day at work.

1. SPANISH TORTILLAS
For claritys sake, let me say up front that in Spain, tortillas
are made of eggs, not cornmeal or wheat flour. So, despite
the common name, forget for the moment about the Mexican
tortillas. The term for tortilla most often used in translation
is omelet, but for me at least, omelets are a pretty different dish, both in the execution and in the eating. The closest
thing I can use for visual comparison is probably an Italian
frittata, but the process for making the two is totally different, as is the way that theyre eaten.

the district of Toledo.

When she served it up,
accompanied by bit a bit
of bread and a small salad,
it tasted incredibly good,
and for fifteen or twenty minutes I
sat at the table, talking about olive oil, business and other interesting subjects, all the
while savoring each bite. It was excellent.

A well-made Spanish tortilla is one of my favorite foods in

the world. Its easy-to-make, carefully crafted comfort food
that few Americans have ever had the chance to experience.
Legend has it that it was invented by a peasant who sought
to serve a particularly hungry king. They were a big part of
Sephardic Jewish cooking, prominent in the communities of
Tunisia and Algeria where they were known as marcoude.
Similar styles of egg dishes are found in the Sephardic communities of Greece and Turkey, though theyre usually made
with mashed, instead of whole-sliced, potatoes. In the early
years of the 20th century, the tortilla was a practical way
for people on the Iberian peninsula to eat, most of whom
had little money. It used only onions, potatoes, olive oil, and
eggsprobably the ingredients most commonly available all
over the countryand allowed for the addition of most any
other ingredient that people might have on hand.

Finally, trying to figure out why this tortilla was so much more interesting than
all the others Id had, I asked Xandra
(Sandra in Spanish) what was in it.
Her answer was simpleeggs, potatoes,
salt, olive oil. Exactly what was in every
other tortilla Id had. It took me til the
next day before the light finally came
on. The tortilla was so amazing quite
simply because itd been made with
the Grion oil. Which, here in Ann
Arbor, I dont generally use (at $40 or
so a bottle) to cook eggs in. But, cost
aside, it helps me again make the point
about how easy it is to cook great food when
you use great ingredients. You may not make a
tortilla using such special oil every day, but when
you really want to treat yourself or those you love,
you might just try it. It doesnt have the prestige of truffles
or foie gras but personally, Id prefer eating it to either of
the other two.

In its simplicity, the tortilla really is one of the greatand

most widely consumeddishes of Spain. These days youll
see some version of the tortilla in nearly every bar or caf.
Nearly everyone makes them at home as well. You can serve
them warm as a main course, at room temperate as a picnic lunch, cut as a tapa before a main meal, or as a filling
in a simple sandwich. Spaniards eat them less often in the
morning but theres no reason you and I couldnt do that.
Although the traditional potato version can take about 45
minutes to make, other tortillas with other ingredients can
be ready in less time than that. And because tortillas keep
well I always make more than I really need in the moment
and save the rest for supper the next day. I actually like them
better after theyve been allowed to rest for a while.
Just to give you some visual to put in your head, a tortilla is
a golden round cake (from the word torta) of eggs and
the other ingredients. Usually theyre about ten inches or
so across but Ive seen smaller and larger versions, as well.
For the most popular of Spanish tortillas, all you need is
an onion, about six medium sized potatoes, six eggs, some
salt and a lot of good olive oil. If that sounds like vegetable
heavy ratio for an omelet, it is. Thats because a tortilla isnt
an omeletits a tortilla.
So how do you make one of these things?
Its really pretty darned easy. Peel the potatoes and slice
them fairly thinly, maybe 1/8 of an inch thick. Do the same
with the onion. As with all things culinary the better the
ingredients the better the dish is going to be. Freshly dug
onions and potatoes will have much more flavor. If you can
get local eggs from chickens that actually run aroundeggs
that havent been refrigeratedthats a great start. For the
potatoes, the low-starch varieties seem to work bestI like
Yukon Golds or any of the really great heirloom varieties.
The olive oil that you cook them in should be of better qualityplease dont try to cut corners by not using extra virgin
oilits actually the main seasoning in the dish, not just as a
medium in which to cook. Whatever other ingredients you
use, make them good too. A simple dish like this isnt ever
going to be better than what you use to make it. In fact, the
most amazingly delicious tortilla I ever ate was served to me
for lunch at the home of Xandra Falco, who along with her
brother, makes the amazing Marquess de Grion olive oil in

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

Start by heating about 8 ounces of oil in a heavy skillet. It

will look like an awful lot of oil if youre not used to cooking
like this but dont worrythe potatoes and onions basically
need to almost boil in the oil. When the oil is hot, add the
potatoes and onions. Stir gently, but well. Add a bit of salt.
Move the vegetables lightly around the pan every few minutes. You dont want them to brown but its very important
that they cook all the way through so that the potatoes are
really nice and tender; this can take 15 to 20 minutes or so
depending on how thinly you slice them.
When the potatoes and onions are tender, remove them
with a slotted spoon and let them drain for a minute or two
in a colander. Pour off all but a couple spoonfuls of the oil
(dont discardyou can still use it for other cooking). Beat
the eggs gently in a large bowl. When smooth, add the stillwarm (but not too hot, cooked-potato-and-onion mixture
to the eggs. Mix gently and let stand, as is, for about 15 to
20 minutes so that the vegetables soak up some of the egg.
Heat the skillet with the couple spoonfuls of reserved olive
oil still in it. Non-stick skillets work well but whatever you
cook in make sure its pretty hot. Add the egg-potato-onion
mixture. Spread it evenly across the pan then cook for about
3 to 4 minutes till the bottom of the tortilla is lightly brown.
Then put a plate over the top of the tortilla and quickly
flip the entire tortilla over onto it. Immediately slide it
(uncooked side down) back into the hot skillet. Cook until
lightly brown on the surface. The tortilla should be soft, but
not totally runny on the inside. Of course, everyone can
cook to the doneness that they like, but I personally prefer
a softer and moister texture. Let the tortilla sit on a plate
for at least a few minutes to set up before you serve. I find
that theyre best when theyre not really super-hot. In fact,
in Spain youre more likely to get a wedge of tortilla served
at something close to room temperature.

4 Fine Ways to
Serve Spanish
Tortillas
1. Warm, just-cooked, along with a nice salad for
lunch or dinner.
2. Cut into small squares and served at room temperature as an appetizer or tapa with glasses of wine,
sherry, or beer.
3. Stored for a day or so (I just lay a dry cloth over
the tortilla and keep it on the counter), then cut into
wedges and eaten as is (or with a bit of mayonnaise).
4. Put into a split crusty roll (the Bakehouses hoagie
roll would be great) and eaten as a sandwich.
Aside from being really good to eat, tortillas are
incredibly versatile. Once you master the basic version you might try one other ingredients like Serrano
ham, most any good vegetables, braised greens, good
seafood, Spanish chorizo, or cheese. Ive also made
marvelously rich tortillas with duck eggs from the
Farmers Market.

2. REVUELTOS
Hardly anyone over here in the U.S. will know what
revueltos are, but we ought to. Its another of those seemingly simple, but I think, significant dishes from Spain
that are really good, yet have gone pretty much unnoticed over here. Part of the problem I think is that most
Americans miss out on revueltos because recipe writers
translate the name of the dish as scrambled eggs which
isnt real likely to get much attention. Granted, its true
that you do scramble eggs to make revueltos but they are
not scrambled eggs the way we know them over here.
The biggest difference is the proportions of any ingredients added to the eggs. If youre making revueltos, the

THE FEED
The Secret Life of Amazing Food at Zingermans

ratios are pretty much reversed from what we would

usually do to make an omelet. So, for instance, if you
add some wild mushrooms to your scrambled eggs, your
dish is still likely 2/3 egg to 1/3 mushrooms, or at most
half and half. But if you make revueltos with mushrooms,
what youll have is a good quantity of sauted wild mushrooms
coated with lightly cooked scrambled eggs. To
put things into context, I found recipes that call for as
much a pound of wild mushrooms to just six eggs!

WOOD FIRE ROASTED

PIQUILLO PEPPERS
In the last two decades, piquillo peppers have taken the
culinary world by storm. From nowhere they became
the darling ingredient of chefs across the world, including Michelin-starred gastronomic titans Alain Ducasse
and Ferran Adria. Whats different about piquillos from
nearly every other vegetable making it big time (Im talking to you, kale) is that none of the piquillo peppers are
fresh. Theyre all canned.

You can make revueltos with almost any fillingsauted

zucchini, asparagus, chorizo, seafood, or just about anything else. In northern Spain I once had a great version
with morcilla, the Spanish blood sausage. The flavor of
the sausage blended beautifully into the eggs. Ive made
revueltos with squash blossoms, Piquillo peppers, fresh
sauted spinach, and chorizo. Like the morcilla, the fat in
the chorizo blends well with the eggs.
One key, of course, to great tasting revueltos is getting good
eggs, which Im happy to say what we have in abundance
around here. Zingermans Deli is buying very nice organic
eggs that come from cage-free chickens at Grazing Fields in
Charlotte, MI. Without question, you really can taste the difference between great eggs and the mass-market stuff. I also
encourage you to cook the eggs quite lightly so you can really
taste them and enjoy the softness of their texture. You have
to keep the pan from getting too hot when you add the eggs
or theyll be overcooked before you can do anything to stop
the process (thats the voice of painful experience).
The bottom line is that revueltos are an easy way to make
traditional, full-flavored food without having to do a lot of
work. Its a great summer dish since its fairly quick cooking,
and not too heavy. A little salad or some new potatoes on the
side along with some toasted Zingermans Bakehouse bread
and youre all set.

3. SPANISH FRIED EGG

SANDWICHES
This is a really easy and really good way to eat breakfast, lunch
or dinner when youre in a hurry and want something comforting and really tasty. Im going to tell you that Spanish-style
eggs, fried in a boldly-flavored oil (you could use the Castilla
de Canena) from the south of Spain are a seriously good meal.
You can cook the eggs to any degree of doneness you like,
then serve them on toasted Farm bread thats been brushed
withwhat else?great olive oil. For the formal recipe see
Zingermans Guide to Good Eating page 34.

TO THE DELI BREAKFAST MENU:

A Spicy Start $8.99

We start with a fried egg that is rubbed in smoked Hungarian
paprika thats spicy in a deliciously eye-opening way.
Then we balance the spice with some fresh pea shoots and
Vermont cheddar cheese. All this then
comes together nicely within two
thick slices of toasted country wheat
bread from Zingermans Bakehouse.

Piquillos are native to Spanish Basque country.

Theyve been there for hundreds of years. Columbus
brought the first chile peppers to Spain, and unlike
other new world crops like potatoes and tomatoes that
took centuries to really catch on, peppers took off right
away. Over time, each region developed their own particular varieties. Piquillos were originally grown only
around the Navarre town of Lodosa. They are small and
tapered, about a couple inches wide at the stem, three
to four inches long, ruby red, with an incredible complex, just barely spicy flavor.
In the 1930s, as civil war raged in Spain, families in
Lodosa started jarring their fresh produce, including piquillos, to have enough food to support the
troops and put up in their own pantries. The Basque
are nothing if not industrious, and after the war
ended the canning continued. For a few years
they remained a local pantry staple, unknown
anywhere else in Spain, let alone in fancy restaurants. In the 1960s, Lodosa became a hip summer
vacation getaway. Tourists tried the piquillos, fell
in love with them, and brought home jars as souvenirs. The peppers started to get famous.
With great fame comes great imitators.
Like so many products, as piquillos became
popular, so too did the idea that you could
probably make a profit by making them slightly
less deliciousbut considerably less expensive.
Traditionally, the peppers were roasted until
black and blistered over a beechwood fire. The
wood fire roasting gives the peppers a deep,
smoky flavor, but it also allows them to be peeled
relatively easily. Raw piquillos have a thick, tough
peeltoo tough to chew. Once roasted, the peels
are removed by hand. Its actually pretty incredible
to watch: equipped with just a pair of gloves and a
paring knife, workers strip off the peels lightning
fast. That might sound easy, but though the peel
is tough the flesh is delicate, so keeping the peppers intact while removing the skin takes a fair

amount of skill and finesse. The

final step is to put the peppers
in the jar by hand with a smidge
of citric acid. Thats it. Theres
no water, no vinegar, no oil, not
even any salt. Just the peppers
and their juices.
Today, most piquillo peppers on
the market arent made this way.
For starters, many werent even
grown in Spain. (Even most of the piquillo peppers sold
in Spain werent grown there!) The biggest crime is in the
roasting: most is done over gas fires these days, which
lacks the aromatic wood smoke of the beechwood fires.
Its like the difference in flavor between grilling over gas
and charcoal. If the producer doesnt say that the peppers were roasted over wood, they probably werent.
After roasting, most producers peel the peppers with
jets of water, which removes both the skin and a fair bit
of the flavor. You can tell if they were peeled by hand
because youll see little black flecks left on the outside
of the peppersthe water cleans these all off. Finally, the
bogus peppers are often packed with other ingredients,
like water, sugar, salt, or additional preservatives.
Its worth hunting out real deal traditional piquillos.
Made the traditional way, piquillos have incredible flavor. The aroma is sweet and fresh, like a pepper that was
just picked, warm from the sun. The flavor is a balance of
bright, rich fruit with the darker, smoky notes from the
wood fire. They have a velvety texture with just a teensy
prickle of heat across the tongue. Eating them is a real
treat.
The most popular way to eat them in Spain is to stuff
them: with tuna, or chorizo, or anchovies, or fresh
cheese, or whatever you have on hand. Stuffed piquillos make for tremendous appetizers or hors doeuvres,
offering up huge flavor for very little time and effort to
assemble them. You can chop them up and throw them
into soups or paella or an omelet. Spread them out to
include in a sandwich, maybe with some Manchego and
arugula on farm bread. Better yet, fry up that sandwich
for a killer piquillo grilled cheese. The peppers are
packed in tight in the jar, but you only need a few to add
incredible flavor to any dish. Once its open, top off the
jar with a bit of good olive oil and itll keep for months
in the fridge.
Val Neff-Rasmussen writes
The Feed blog at zingermans.com

Travel to Spain with Zingermans

April 16-26, 2016

www.zingermansfoodtours.com
888-316-2736
foodtours@zingermans.com

For over 30 years, Zingermans has brought the best and most flavorful foods of the world home to America. Now, we can
take you to the source! Join us and savor Spains amazing artisanal food and wine to the fullest. Well go behind the scenes
and learn from producers about their fantastic olive oils, cheeses, wines, chocolates, pimenton, and more. And well do full
honors to the king of cured pork jamn Ibrico de bellota, created from the famed black-footed pigs who dine on the
acorns that fall from the plentiful Spanish oak trees. Well enjoy the beauty of the countryside and taste our way through
some of the best food Spain has to offer.
&

Zingermans Food Tour Guides

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

Back when we first started selling good olive oils in the mid-80s, Spains offerings hardly had a great reputation in the food world. Most
every book Id look at would list them, but always with some caveat about how they were strong. It wasnt that Spanish oil was unusable, just that was being sent out for the American market just wasnt exactly best in class.
That belief has long since been changed, at least around here. Spain has some truly superb olive oils to choose from. Single farms, small
productions, exceptional flavors. Spanish producers are sending us some of THE best olive oils we get. This year, their value is being compounded big time, as most of central Italy had almost NO olive oil crop last fall. Which means that there is very little new crop Tuscan oil on
the market. Fortunately for us, the Spanish oils have continued to come in just fine.
Listed below are a few of the most special oils. All are on the cutting edge of the oil world. All are excellent. Try any one of them, or
go wild and taste them all. Better still come into the Deli and try out some of the other great Spanish oils we have on hand. I happily
stand byand serveall of them.

MARIANOS
OIL FROM THE
SIERRA DE GATA
This oil is really a prototype for what we
like to sell here at Zingermansgreat flavor, fantastic people, and a great story,
packed into one very limited and tasty
product. Since its the gentlest and most
elegant of this bunch of Spanish oils I opted
to use it lead off this essay.
I should share up front that this oil is made in
such small quantities that Im slightly reluctant
to talk about it here. While theres more now than
there was when we started buying it ten years or so ago,
theres still very little to be had. What had started with a 100
liter per year operation has grown to just 250. But the man who
makes itMariano Sanz Pechis such a wonderful person, such
a staunch champion of traditional foods, his oil so distinctive,
and his entire food- and tradition-loving family so fantastic, that I
want to give credit where credit is due. Even if supplies are short.
Ive known Mariano for probably nearly twenty years nowwe first met over a table
of traditional Spanish cheeses, then, and now, one of his big causes. Standing about
5-foot-9 with a well-trimmed salt and pepper beard, wire-rimmed glasses and a collection of colorful bow ties, Marianos energy really does seem to fill any room Ive ever
seen him in.
Mariano has done so much caring, community-based work over the course of his life,
that its impossible to detail it all here. Hes served as chairman of ICONA, the national
Spanish environmental agency, in which capacity he worked to save the medieval seasonal migratory sheep routes. I wasnt there to see it for myself, but the story is that
when the construction crews were bringing in the bulldozer to break ground for a new
highway that would cut off the old migration routes, Mariano threw himself in front of its
path. He refused to get off the ground until an alternate plan was devised to save these
historic routes. He won and the highway plan was altered.
To find Marianos farm on the map, start at Madrid, in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula.
then move your finger due west till you spot ridges of the Sierra De Gata Mountains. If
your map is detailed enough, just east of the Portuguese border you may spot the village
of Villamiel. Marianos small, 40-acre farm lies just outside of town. The areawhose
name literally means Mountains of the Cat is typically sparsely populated and quite
poor. Its stark landscape can be stunning, and in the winter the rocky hillsides are peppered with blossoms of purple heather and yellow broom. Like so many of the lesserknown parts of Spain, this one is historically very intriguing. Back in the 15th century,
when the Catholics took Extremadura back from the Moors, Mariano explained, there
were hardly any people living here. So they brought immigrants in from areas of Spain
that had similar climates. A lot came from Galicia (to the northwest) and Asturias (to
the northeast), so people in this area speak a dialect thats a very strange, a completely
unique blend of the old languages from those two areas.
As far as I know, the Manzanilla Cacerea olive trees grown by the Sans family are found
only in this area. There are about 1200 trees on the farm, nearly all of which are of
this variety. This contributes to the unique flavor of the oil. Most of the trees are quite
old50, 75 years, and some over 100. For the most part, theyre pretty spaced out (Im
talking location, not mental acuity), an old style of planting and a contrast to what youll
see most other places. When the family first found the farm, the land and layout were
far from in great shape. Twelve years later its a pleasure to walk around and appreciate
all its natural, but practical, beauty. This has been from the beginning a very personal
project. Mariano, his wife, Teresa, and daughters, Mar and Xoana (the X is pronounced
much like a Ch as in Joanna), have been slowly, steadily cleaning up the land, pruning, planting and perfecting the landscape. The familys house is up on a small hill, and
looking out from the balcony by one of the bedrooms, the view was pretty impressive: a
soft blending of browns and greens, with yellow-speckled mountains the background.
Mixed amongst the olive trees are lemon trees, apple trees, oranges, acorns, chestnuts, figs, pears, and cherries. As we walked, Mariano took great pride in pointing
out a 400-year-old cork oak tree growing near the house, as well as wild mint,
lavender, and wild mushrooms.

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This diverse ecosystem is very old-school, the way farms were 100 years ago. I think
most everyone would agree that while Marianos model may make less money, the biodiversity does make for a more holistic setting, one in which the land can be managed
organically and successfully. Mariano is quite adamant that this is the only way he will
work. Hes convinced that organic practices contribute not only to the well being of the
environment, but also directly to the quality of the oil.
Of course the quality of the oil isnt just a question of the landtheres sound technique
and technology at work as well. The olives are picked carefully by hand. Mariano makes
sure to press the fruit early in the season, quite a radical departure from the way its
been in the area for many decades. Most farmers moved their picking later and later in
the year in order to increase yields and decrease the difficulty of picking (riper olives
either fall on their own or come off the branch more easily). People in the area used to
pick at the end of December even January, he explained shaking his head. In 95 when
we arrived in the area, we went to work in the town, and when the women were cooking
lunch, the smell from the low quality oil was terrible.
Mariano has worked hard to reverse that suboptimal trend. We pick the olives at the
end of November now or even earlier. The early pressing makes for a more complex and
interesting oil, but the yields are far smallerabout a third of what would be expected
by typical commercial standards. Also critical is the quick movement of the olives from
tree to press. Mariano has his olive there within a matter of hours, but most farmers in
the area long ago lost that sense of urgency, meaning their olives often sat for days waiting to be pressed, losing quality all the while. Once pressed, Mariano opts to not to filter
the oilmore natural, a bit more complexity to the flavorleaving it looking lusciously
cloudy in its square-sided glass bottle.
I think that because it comes from the rather rugged, wild west of Spain, the connotation is that the oil from the area will be big, bold and rather outlandish, but its really
quite the opposite. Tasting the oil is, actually, much like meeting Mariano. It starts out
softly, down to earth but still surprisingly suave, almost sweet. As you spend more time
with it you realize that its well grounded, complex, anything but one-dimensional. And
then, a surprisingly peppery and rather opinionated finish that comes up gradually in
the background and doesnt back away quickly. Ive used it on salads, with grilled vegetables, on cooked beans (a favorite of the region), or soups. Pour it onto a thick slice
of toasted country bread, sprinkle on a pinch of sea salt, and add a couple of roasted
red Piquillo peppers from the Spanish Basque country. Its very good on the Roadhouse
breadthe sweet, subtle pepperiness blends beautifully with the cornmeal and molasses. It pairs particularly well with fruitdrizzle some onto slices of ripe apples, pears
or plums this fall. Better yet, toss the fruit with the oil and roast it at high temperature.
Serve the roasted fruit with cheese, a glass of dessert wine, or even gelato.

MARQUS DE VALDUEZA
FROM MERIDA
Youd be hard pressed to find any product thats more rooted in family and national
history than this oil. The familyformally known as the House of Alvarez de Toledohas
been a fixture in Spanish history for centuries. Best I can tell, quality and care have
been a part of most everything they have done for hundreds years now, and this oil is
no exception.
If I have my notes straight, the earliest records of the Alvarez de Toledo family seem to
start at the end of the 11th century, pointing first to one Pedro, Count of Carrin. By the
time that Ferdinand and Isabella were finding their way to a full retaking of the Iberian
Peninsula from the Moors in the 15th century, Fadrique lvarez de Toledo (the second
Duke of Alba) had advanced to become one of the King and Queens key advisors. Talk
about the chance to make history, de Toledo took part in the decision-making process
that culminated in support for Columbus voyages, among other rather interesting political events. I got the sense that were I to really look into it, Id probably find that pretty
much most every meaningful moment of Spanish political history seems to have had an
Alvarez de Toledo appearing in it.
The current Fadrique lvarez de Toledo, my compatriot in the culinary world and the
man whos pushed so hard to get this excellent olive oil going, is the 9th generation to
formally carry the family crest forward. Fadrique has clearly found a passion for food
and for making special things happen, a vocation thats manifested in
all the work that hes put into making the Marqus
de Valdueza oil as good as it is.

While Im sure he doesnt really need to work, he clearly

works very hard and very long hoursits no passing fancy,
certainly not just some sideline hobby; the man is very clearly
committed to crafting a great oil. Hes well-versed in the technical
end of things and has been travelling all over the world to food shows
to sell it. I guess, now that I really think about it, Fadrique is very much
like his oil. Long history and heritage behind them both, but neither rests
passively on reputation.
Of course, all that nice history is really of little value other than fodder for
fancy pictures in history books unless the olive oil itself is very good. In
our world, its ultimately all about flavor, not stories of 15th century politics. It all comes down to good agriculture, good pressing technique and
good taste. The farm on which the olives are grown has been in the family
since 1624; given what Ive already shared about their history, you wont be
shocked to learn that they have records of oil being produced on the same farm as
far back as the days of the Romans. If youre looking for it on the map, its way out west.
West of the historic stone-walled town of Merida, and something like 25 miles or so east
of the Portuguese border.
Looking at the agriculture end of things, the trees are grown with great care, and with
wider row spacing than most of the huge commercial farms that have been planted in
the southern part of the country. The olives for the Valdueza oil (they make others, but
thats the top of the line), are all picked by hand, taken from the tree quite early in the
autumn (especially by old line Spanish standards) when yields are significantly lower,
but the flavor of the oil is much more interesting. Because the milling is done right on
the farm, the fruit is harvested and then taken in for pressing and centrifuging within an
hour of leaving the tree. The oil is carefully stored (as one would great wine) in nitrogen
flush stainless tanks.
The Valdueza oil is very well-made and it shows. No defects, long finish, good complexity.
Its made from a unique blend of four different varietals that grow on the farmlast year
I got to taste each of the varietals on its own, as well as the finished Valdueza coupage.
Hojiblanca and Picual are standard varietals from southern Spain, and are not uncommon
out west as well. The former brings a soft, warm, nutty butteriness; the latter offers hints
of artichoke, green asparagus, a bit of earthiness and a touch of black pepper in the finish. Arbequina arrived in the region only recently, planted for its good yields and round
soft flavor. Here in Extremadura, at least on the Toledo de Alvarez family farm, it tastes a
bit different than what Ive experienced in Catalonia where it typically comes fromless
appley, more olivey. Most interesting to me, however, is the oil from the Morisca olives,
which are unique to the area. They offer a fair bit of pepper, an interesting fruit (almost
apricot in a way) with a touch of green grass and green tomato in there, too.
For those of you who follow these things (and there are many of you!), Id put the flavor
profile of the finished oil in about the middle of the rangeless green than the Tuscans,
less earthy than most southern Spanish Picuals, a bit bolder flavor than very gentle
Marianos oil. All told they produce about 30,000 bottles a yearhuge by the standards
of our artisan friend Mariano Sanz, but relatively modest by comparison to any largescale commercial producer. This past autumn the weather was very drynot great for
yields, but generally very good for the flavor of the oil. As is true of all these high-end,
well-made, oils, theres a complexity and an elegance (and a commensurate higher cost)
that will mean that youll want to use it for finishingdrizzle on some great greens from
the market, or on top of a bit of roasted meat or vegetables. At lunch at the family hunting house, they served an entire meal in which it was featured in every dish. The highlight
I think for me though were the potatoes, tossed with a lot of the oil and a bit of salt, then
roasted at high heat till they had a bit of a golden brown crust and a whole lot of flavor.

PS: Not that it changes the way the oil tastes, but its also a nice-looking bottlea great
light blue label that I like in part because I love the color, but also because Ive never seen
it on any other olive oil. As you know, I like nice things done well that dont follow along
with the pack. In an example of just how much Fadrique cares about how the quality of
the entire project, he chose to spend significantly more per label in order to buy them
with foil backingit doesnt change the way the oil tastes but it means that when a bit of
the oil drips onto the label it keeps its looks intact instead of looking like a paper napkin
after youve eaten a big salad at a family picnic.

CASTILLO DE CANENA OIL

FROM ANDALUCIA
This last one is the biggest, boldest and newest arrival of this trio of top-quality, cuttingedge Spanish oils. The Canena oil comes here from Jaen, in the southwestern region of
Andalucia, an area of Spain that produces more oil than any other by far. While there
are oodles of oils from that area, most, to my taste, are way less than compelling. The
Canena oil is the opposite of thatI liked it so much the first time I tried it two year
ago, I couldnt let go if the idea of getting it over here to Ann Arbor. Given that we have
access to literally hundreds of good oils, and that we receive samples of ten or twelve
more every month, knowing that we hardly need to have another oil on hand, I guess my
determination to get this one here speaks well for the oil. It really is pretty excellent.
Like the Valdueza and Grion oils, the Castillo comes with a good bit of history. Written
documentation of the familys ownership of the land dates to 1780. While by Washtenaw
County standards thats about as old and solid as you can get, by the standards of the
previous two oil producers, the Canena actually comes across as a latecomer. Heck, the
castleafter which the oil is namedis practically modern architecture, built in the first
half of the 16th century (before the farm was granted to the family), and designed by
Francisco de Los Cobos, who was the secretary of emperor Charles V.
Once again, everything is right about this oil. The land lies between two natural parks
and along the Guadiana River, which gives it both natural beauty and also access to more
water than most estates in the area. Growing is done using integrated pest managementonly one step away from full organic certification. Drip irrigation is solar powered. The harvest starts very, very early by typical Spanish standards, meaning, highflavor, low-yield. The fruit is taken from the tree by hand and the olives are at the press
in less than three hours after they leave the trees, minimizing the risk of oxidation, and
protecting the flavor of the oil. Once pressed, the oil goes into nitrogen-filled stainless
steel tanks in cooled cellars, all of which acts to protect the quality of the oil. Bottling
is done to order, always with a quick flush of nitrogen to keep the oil intact after its left
the estate.
Thinking more in the moment, the Canena oil is made from Picual olives, the variety
thats unique to this region of the world (though, of course, others have now planted it
elsewhere). The Picual variety produces distinctive oil, generally very earthy and big of
flavor. Unfortunately, in too many cases that earthiness can take over, yielding oil that
sounds like it should be good but, in honesty, Ive just never loved. Ive probably tasted
hundreds of Picual oils from Andalucia over the last twenty years, but the Canena oil is
not only likable, its one that got me as passionate as Ive been on this regions offerings
What grabbed my attention with the Canena oil is that its got all the things I like about
this sort of oilits earthy, its well-rounded, its big but still really balanced, its aroma
is pretty amazing, and the finish is really very fine. But, it avoids those off-flavors and
out-of-balance earthiness that are present in so many Picual oils from the area. Ask for
a taste next time youre at the Deli.

PUTTING THE OIL TO THE TEST:

PA AMB TOMAQUET/CATALAN
TOMATO TOAST
Olive oil cookery sure has come a long way in this country. Where we all used to buy garlic bread in those foil sealed bags, most everyone knows about bruschettathe simple
Italian recipe for toasting country bread, rubbing it with a clove of garlic, putting on lots
of good olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt to seal the deal. By contrast, hardly anyones
heard of Pa amb Tomaquet. Which is too bad, because this is the dish Iand you, too, if
you love bread, oil and tomatoeswant to be making most every single day.

SeptEmber

Matiz Sardines
Were featuring the plumb and
juicy sardines from our friends at
Matiz, who specialize in getting
only the very best seafood from
Galicia in North-Western Spain.
Choose from their regular sardines
or try them with a bit of lemon
added. Both of them are as exciting
and delicious as they are versatile.
They are great in almost any dish
you can think of.

$3.95 (reg. $5.99)

OctoBer

Conntable
Sardines
Founded in 1853, the Conntable
factory has been producing some
of the worlds best sardines for
over a century-and-a-half. These
simple, no-nonsense classics from
Brittany, France are cleaned by
hand, fried and then packed in
velvety extra virgin olive oil. Good
enough for the fanciest of hors
doeuvres or enjoyed right out of
the tin.

$6.69 (reg. $9.99)

Seriously, I really love this stuff. Its so simple and so good and so... September.
I say the latter because every year for the past twenty years or so, weve
featured Spanish food in September, so I have it on my mind. Also
because its when were getting all those really great tomatoes.
Theres something very rewarding about rubbing good, local, fresh garlic into
the bread, then, while its still hot, softly smashing half of a good tomato into the hot
bread, pouring olive oil and a little sea salt on top. I seriously love the smell of the
bread on the grill, and the perfume of the oil in the autumn air when it hits the hot
bread.
If you go to most any restaurant in Barcelona, this is one of the first things youre
going to be served. To make it, just cut thick slices of good country bread (say, our
Bakehouse Farm, Rustic Italian or Pain de Montagne) and toast or grill them till theyre
lightly brown. Rub a cut clove of garlic along the surface of the bread. Then cut a tomato
in half and rub it right into the breadthe bread should absorb much of the tomatos
juice. In their lust for the delicious flavor of this dish, some Spaniards dress both sides
of the bread, so dont hold back. Pour on plenty of extra virgin olive oil, add a pinch
of sea salt, and eat it while its hot.
Pa amb Tomaquet can be topped with slices of Iberia ham or really good anchovies. Or just toss on the outer flesh of the tomato that hasnt been rubbed into the

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

BOOK A SPOT AT ANY ZINGERMANS EVENT

Cheese Classes, Tastings & Tours!

3723 Plaza Drive 734 929 0500

zingermanscreamery.com

Our events are intimate affairs where our cheesemakers

and cheesemongers share their passion for great cheese
and great cheesemaking. We hold these classes right
next to where we make our cheese and gelato, and
sometimes bring in our favorite food makers from
around the area to share their stories with you. To get
the inside scoop on all of our events, sign up for our
e-news at zingermanscommunity.com/e-news.

FIRST SUNDAY TOUR

RAVISHING REDS

Join our cheese and gelato makers for an

hour-long adventure of how we transform local
milk into delicious cheese and gelato. Observe
Mozzarella stretching and experience truly
fresh gelato, as well as taste some of our cows
milk and goats milk cheeses while learning
directly from the makers. After the tour, make
time for tasting our selection of American
cheeses and provisions, as well as house made
gelatos and sorbets in our cheese shop.

Red wine has always been a complement to the

hearty, flavorful cheeses that start to appear
with the cooler days of fall. Guests attending this tasting session will learn to pair red
wines with artisan domestic cheeses that lend
themselves to the robust flavors of vin rouge.
Well have crusty bread, some seasonal pickled
veggies, and other palate cleansers to complement the wines and cheeses as well!
*Must be 21 or older to attend this tasting.

CHEESE 101

AN EVENING WITH
BREWERY VIVANT

Sunday, Sept. 6 & Oct. 4 2pm $10

Thursday, September 17 6pm $30

We are joining the back-to-school spirit with
the basics of cheese! We will taste cheeses
that represent each of the seven major styles
of cheesehand-selected by our shop cheesemongerand talk about what makes each style
unique. This tasting will also include a behindthe-scenes tour of our production facility as
we explain the basics of cheese making. One of
our expert cheese-makers will join our tasting
to help answer any questions you have as we
explore the variety of cheeses!

Thursday, September 24 6pm $35

Thursday, October 8 6pm $35

Founded in part by a former bar manager at
Zingermans Roadhouse, Brewery Vivant in
Grand Rapids brews with a passion for sour
beers and other unique styles. Ben Darcie from
Brewery Vivant will be on hand to introduce
us to their beers as one of our cheesemongers
presents cheese pairings from the shop for each
beer! Well have crusty breads, seasonal pickled
veggies, and other palate cleansers on hand to
enjoy with the pairings.
*Must be 21 or older to attend this tasting

Hands-on Baking Classes

BAKE! is our hands-on teaching bakery in Ann
Arbor, tucked between Zingermans Bakehouse
and Creamery. At BAKE! we share our
knowledge and love of baking with the home
baker community, seeking to preserve baking
traditions and inspire new ones. We offer
3723 Plaza Drive 734.761.7255
dozens of different bread, pastry and cake
bakewithzing.com
classes in our very own teaching kitchens. All of
us at the Bakehouse know the joy and excitement
of baking something really good and sharing it with friends when its hot out of the oven. Youll
leave BAKE! with the food you made in class and the inspiration and skills to bake at home!

CHOCOLATE FIX

Wednesday, September 30 5:30-9:30pm $125

422 Detroit Street 734.663.3400

www.zingermansdeli.com
Zingermans Deli tastings are designed to give you an insiders view of the foods
that weve searched the world for. Youll often meet the folks who make it and
leave with a mouthful of flavor and a new understanding of everything from olive
oil to sardines, cheese to chocolate.

CELEBRATING BEEF WITH

NICOLETTE HAHN NIMAN

Sunday, September 13 6-9pm

$100 per person $190 for 2 people
(prices include one copy of Defending Beef)

Were very excited to welcome author Nicolette Hahn Niman to Zingermans Deli
for an exciting night of dinner, drinks, and a discussion of sustainable agricultural
practices. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Slow Food Huron Valley.
In her book Defending Beef, Nicolette Hahn Niman, an environmental lawyer-turnedrancher, does exactly as the title suggests by proclaiming everything that can be great
about beef if its managed properly. Her book discusses sustainability (with a focus on
soil health, carbon sequestration, and water conservation), as well as the nutritional
benefits of beef, and the positive impacts of biodiversity, managed grazing techniques,
and animal health.
For this event, Chef Rodger Bowser and his team have created a unique menu that
celebrates American beef and dairy cattle. The evening will begin with a cocktail
hour that includes a diverse selection of cheese pairings from a small number of U.S.
pasture-based dairies. Weve hand-picked some of the best, including a soft, luscious
spreadable young cheese, a fine blue cheese, and some well-matured aged hard
cheese.
Courses will be served with tasting-sized beverage pairings (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) as well as water. Additional beverages will be available for purchase.

30TH ANNUAL PAELLA PARTY

Sunday, October 4 11am-2pm On the Deli Patio

Paella Presentation at noon: The show is free the Paella is sold by the pound.
Our 30th annual September celebration of the fabulous foods of Spain culminates
with a two-grill Paella throwdown on Zingermans Patio. There will be a special
presentation on Paella at noon, then Chef Rodger and his crew deal the goods: Three
kinds of traditional Paella Chicken/Chorizo, Seafood, and Vegetarian grilled over
mesquite. Those in the know will be lined up for the padron peppers. New to the
occasion this year, a kids table featuring Pa amb Tomaquat, jamon serrano, quince
membrillo and Manchego.

9TH ANNUAL HALLOWEEN HOOTENANNY

Tuesday, October 27 4-7pm On the Deli Patio
Tickets $5 in advance/$8 at the door

The Hootenanny is a fall-themed, Zingermans style celebration for kids. A fun evening
of Halloween treats and activities! There will be Pumpkin Drawing, Kooky Cookie
Decorating and more! Whether youre meeting to share costumes and a play date or
just stopping by on your way home from school, we welcome you to stop by and play
for a while! Youll enjoy music and complimentary snacks as you participate at your
own pace. Costumes are not required, but they are encouraged!

Calling all chocoholics! In this hands-on class youll learn great new recipes for your daily chocolate
fix: cream-filled chocolate whoopie pies, rugelach filled with chocolate ganache, and heavenly chocolate cheesecake brownies. Its gonna be chocolate-covered fun. Youll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the
knowledge to recreate them at home, all the food you made in class, and great coupons.

BAKE!-CATION: BREAD 2.0 WEEKEND

Saturday & Sunday, October 3 & 4 $500

Like fantasy camp for home bakers! Experience the process behind a wide range of breads,
including making your own sourdough starter, poolish and rye sour. In two action packed days youll
bake Parker House rolls, bagels, English muffins, fougasse, bread made with Michigan Westwind Mill
flour, pumpernickel raisin bread, whole wheat sourdough and our all time best seller Rustic Italian.
Your weekend also includes breakfast and lunch each day! Youll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the
knowledge to recreate them at home, a full tummy, bags of bread you made in class and great coupons.

AUTUMN FAVORITES

Wednesday, October 21 6-8pm $45

Relax and observe as we make apple butter spice cake and dulce de leche buttercream and Michigan
honey cake, a bundt cake made with applesauce and fall pie spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
Together well enjoy plenty of tasting, along with some hot coffee and spiced cider. This class will make
your weeknight 113% better. Youll leave BAKE! with our recipes, happy taste buds and great coupons.
This class is a demonstration only.

Find more classes & register at bakewithzing.com or events.zingermanscommunity.com.

Sign up for our e-news to get the early word about our classes.

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

3723 Plaza Drive

734.929.6060
zingermanscoffee.com

Whether were pulling a shot for you in our caf on

Plaza Drive or sending you off with a bag of freshly
roasted beans, our passion is to source, roast and
brew great coffee. Our classes are designed for
the coffee novice and nerd alike and aim to help
everyone learn about everything it takes to turn a
great bean into a great cup of coffee.

COMPARATIVE CUPPING

Sunday, September 6 OR Sunday, October 4 1-3pm $30

Sample coffees from Africa, Central and South America, and the Asia-Pacific. We will taste
and evaluate these coffees with the techniques and tools used by professional tasters.
This class is an eye-opening introduction to the world of coffee.

BREWING METHODS

Sunday, September 20 OR Sunday, October 18 1-3pm $30

Learn the keys to successful coffee brewing using a wide variety of brewing methods from
filter drip to syphon pot. We will take a single coffee and brew it 6 to 8 different ways,
each producing a unique taste. Well learn the proper proportions and technique for each
and discuss the merits and differences of each style.

AT EVENTS.ZINGERMANSCOMMUNITY.COM
Farm Tours, Special Dinners and Classes
You dont have to be part of a big corporate event or lavish
wedding to enjoy Cornman Farms (although we certainly host
those, too!) Throughout the year we host numerous tours,
dinners, classes and more that allow people to experience
our unique event space in Dexter, MI.

2501 Jackson Road 734.663.3663

www.zingermansroadhouse.com
Zingermans Roadhouse hosts regular special dinners that
highlight old favorites, new finds, celebrated chefs and
traditional American foodways. Our dinners are
family-style affairs that deliver really good food with a
little history on the side.

8540 Island Lake Road, Dexter

734.619.8100 cornmanfarms.com

COCKTAIL CLASS:
BETTER WITH BRANDY

THE TOMATO DINNER

Tuesday, September 1 7 pm $75

Thursday, September 17 7-9:30pm $65

Tuesday, October 6 7pm $70

Our Welcome to Cornman Farms Tour is an idyllic and dynamic

90 minute introduction to the rich history, agricultural
projects and humane raising of animals. Join us for a look at
our vegetable and herb gardens, goat milking operation and
historic restored farmhouse and barnand enjoy a meet-andgreet with our managing partner, Kieron Hales. Well even
throw in a taste of one of our seasonal vegetables!

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422 Detroit St. 734.663.DELI

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Observatory Dr.

A benefit for Chrysalis, the educational arm of Community

Farm of Ann Arbor, this event will feature delicious food from
the farm gardens (and from Zingermans!), live music from
two renowned bandsblues from Shari Kane & Dave Steele
and progressive folk from Seth & May. Community Farm of
Ann Arbor is an organization that grows fruits and vegetables
for 100 member families. Chrysalis sponsors area school field
trips, cutting edge workshops, and future farmer training for
young adults. Paul Bantle and Annie Elder and their apprentices will be in attendance to meet and greet you for a lovely
evening celebrating Chrysalis and education in agriculture!
Eat well, learn a little, laugh a lot and support one of the
causes that makes Ann Arbor such a special place.

E. Huron St.

Washington St.
Liberty St.

COCKTAIL CLASS:
BOURBON BASICS

William St.

2501 Jackson Ave. 734.663.FOOD

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3711 Plaza Dr. 3723 Plaza Dr. 3711 Plaza Dr.
734.277.1922 734.761.7255 734.277.1922

3723 Plaza Dr. 3723 Plaza Dr. 3728 Plaza Dr.

734.929.6060 734.929.0500 734.277.1922

610 Phoenix Dr. Phoenix

Dr.
888.636.8162

Ellsworth

ISSUE # 252

Varsity Dr.

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Zingermans Southside

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I-94

Guests will savor light fare prepared on-site in the farmhouse

kitchen and leave with recipes for all the cocktails made during
the class.
The story of bourbon is the story of America itself. Smoky,
sweet, spicy and complex, this corn-based spirit has been a
part of our culture for centuries. Recognized by Congress in
1964 as a distinctive product of the United States, bourbon
is our national liquor. Join us as we mix three Bourbon-based
cocktails and discuss what it is that makes bourbon so tasty
and so special to the United States. Well be featuring spirits
from both bourbons ancestral home in Kentucky and our local
craft distillers in Michigan. Settle in at our lovingly restored
barn, partake in appetizers crafted by the farms own chefs,
and feel like a patriot as you imbibe our native spirit!

A fundraiser to help fund local community outreach programs including The Agrarian Adventure (a Farm-to-School
program) and a senior-to-market transportation project.

Fourth Ave.

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s

Thursday, October 1 5-11pm $35

Tuesday, October 20 7pm $95

($60 tax deductible)

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N. Main St.

PEAS TURN UP THE BEET LOUDER!

A Fundraiser for Community Farm of
Ann Arbor

WESTSIDE FARMERS MARKET

FUNDRAISER DINNER

Po

Map of Zingermans
Community of Businesses
www.zingermans.com

Wednesday, October 7 7-9:30pm $70

With special guest Edoardo Dal Santo from Gustiamo,

importer of Italys best foods.

Tuesday, September 29 6-7:30pm $20

M-14

The Brides Project, an initiative of the Cancer Support

Community, invites you to enjoy a seasonally inspired menu
featuring sustainably home-grown produce from the gardens
right outside the Farmhouse, served family-style with views
of the grounds. Well also include two hand-picked drinks, an
hour of games on Cornman Farms lawn, and a tour with managing partner, Kieron Hales. Part of the proceeds will benefit
The Brides Project.

EDUCATIONAL TOUR:
WELCOME TO CORNMAN FARMS

tro

Thursday, September 24 6-9pm $150

MADE IN ITALY, AN ITALIAN

AMERICAN DINNER

De

THE BRIDES PROJECT FARM DINNER

A Fundraising Event for the Cancer Support
Community of Greater Ann Arbor

Easily the highlight of the harvesting season, our second

harvest dinner showcases the best of Cornman Farms
tomato season. Featuring the always popular Heirloom
Tomato Barwith numerous different tomato varietals,
handmade fresh mozzarella, really good olive oil & Genovese
basilyou can fill up your plate as many times as you like!

Ai

Guests will savor light fare prepared on-site in the farmhouse

kitchen and leave with recipes for all the cocktails made during
the class.
Sweet and subtle, this distilled liquor made from fruit (most
often grapes) has been around for over 500 years. Join us as
we celebrate both American brandy and its French counterpart, cognac. Well be mixing up three classic cocktails to
showcase brandys broad cocktail appeal: The Sidecar, the
Metropolitan, and the 1940s version of a Brandy Daisy. Well
discuss brandy and the regional differences that define the
spirit, as well as the stories behind the cocktails themselves.

Ellsworth

SEPT-OCT 2015

An Inside Look into

THE CROPS AT CORNMAN FARMS

a chat with alex young, mark baerwolf and amanda maurmann

I was out at Cornman Farms last weekas I have been so many

times over the years. But for whatever reason, this time, as I
looked around, the place really took my breath away. Not that
I hadnt looked at it all a few hundreds time before. Its just
that this day was so beautiful, the gardens looked so amazing,
the sun so high in the sky, the sky itself so blue . . . that it made
me appreciate anew all that goes on out there at an even higher level than I ever had. I still shake my head and smile when
I think about how incredible it is that we have about 12 acres
of active organic agriculture being farmed by people who get
paid to do the farming, bringing really delicious, heirloom varieties of produce in to our restaurant pretty much every day
during the season.
While many of you visit the Deli, the Bakehouse, the Roadhouse, etc. quite regularly, very few of will have had an up
close look at what goes on out at the farm. To help make that
happen weve set up a series of tours to get you up close and
personal with our crop work, to see the gardens, the barn, and
the house in person. See page 9 for details on how to reserve
your spot.
If you go, I hope youll pause to consider the wonder of the
place. Wendell Berry writes about we calls the eyes-to-acres
ratiothe importance of the farmer being able to really get
to know his or her soil, to taste what theyre growing, to know
the wildlife, the livestock, the new buds and blossoms. We
can suppose, he says, that the eyes-to-acres ratio is approximately correct within a place that is thriving in human use and
care. The sign of its thriving would be the evident good health
and diversity, not just of it crops and livestock but also of its
population of native and noncommercial creatures, including
the community of creatures living in the soil. Equally indicative and necessary would be the signs of a thriving local and
locally-adapted human economy.
Its amazing how far things have come in the ten years since
Roadhouse chef and managing partner Alex Young first started
to grow a couple of heirloom tomato plants in his backyard.
Today the produce from that backyard goes directly from
the farm to the kitchen at the Roadhouse, and from there, not
long after arriving, out to your table when you come in to eat.
In includes a bit less than an acre of heirloom tomatoes (nearly twenty different varieties), another of incredible peppers,
potatoes, radishes, celery, lettuce, herbs and more. And lest
I forget, the livestocksteers for beef, goats for milk (for the
Creamery), Tunis sheep and hogs. That a sustainable farm of
this sort can be feeding our restaurant is, to me, a very special
thing. I feel honored to have had some small part in it. The real
work has been done by Alex and the folks who work the land
every day; Mark Baerwolf has been there from the beginning;
Amanda Maurmann joined us this year.
Heres a little conversation I cobbled together with them to
help fill you in the happenings out at the farm.

Ari: Hows the summer farming work going so far?

Mark: So far so good. Same start as last year, cool and rainy,
but we made the right adjustments earlier than we did last
year. The heat has been coming on strong here at the end of
Julyits good tomato and pepper ripening weather.
Ari: What are some of this years highlights?
Mark: Getting our cut flowers started and developed has been
a big thing. Growing an insane amount of sunflowers has always been a dream of mine from the beginning. You can see
them from Island Lake Road now through September.
Also collard greens. Theyre not new for us, but this year we
are growing a lot more of them. Were planning on supplying
the Roadhouse with collards for the bacon-braised greens
there as long as we can. We started harvesting them the last
weeks of June and were on a streak that could go into early
December. I think its a big deal, greens growing as a sport!
Alex: For me, Amanda joining the team has been a highlight.
And Marks attention to the things that we can do to keep the
farm healthy with the cool and wet start to the season.
Mark: Also, learning about the amazing effect of compost and
cover crops, really seeing an improvement over by the barn
and the house. Were growing our entire sauerkraut cabbage
crop over there (2000 pounds!), wouldnt have done this on
unknown soil last year, looking great, first batches from my
great-grandparents crock at the Roadhouse early October.

10

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

Ari: What are some of the new things this year?

Amanda: We now have 3,000 feet of over 75 varieties of flowers! As I sat in on farm planning meetings last winter, it just
felt right to add flowers. Im forever grateful that Mark and
Alex agreed to grow them. Ive been growing cut flowers for
a few years in my previous farm work, and so I had some experience under my belt. And now Im learning just how much
potential there really is. Between the beautiful fields that
Mark and Alex have spent so much time and energy cultivating, and the landscaping around the gorgeous grounds of the
events house and barns, there is a beautiful palette waiting to
be painted!

ber, our peppers come on. Theyre like sweet red candy. Well
also be getting King Richard leeks and Boston Marrow squash
in early October. And those collard greens all summer long
until the snow flies. Let me think. Therell also be beets and
carrots, celery and celery root. We might have the prettiest
celery bed ever this year. And De Cicco broccoli and Lacinato
kale, potatoes and shelly beans.
Ari: What else is coming up?

Kieron (Hales, managing partner at Events at Cornman Farms)

has given me his confidence and space to practice my arranging flowers for weddings and other events. And the reception
from the ZIngermans Community has been incredible. Our
flowers are popping up all over Zingermans!

Mark: Your initial remarks make me infer that you think after
October the farm shuts down. Part of what weve been working towards is a four-season farm. Amanda and I are already
wondering if we can get everything done over the fall and
winter by ourselves. We will continue what weve done the
last 2 years and grow cold hardy plants through the winter
and harvest produce every month of the year. In January and
February spinach out of the hoop house is the best possible
spinach anywhere.

Alex: For me, its the field crops! We have a beautiful field of
Robust Barley poised (as of early August) and almost ready
to harvest, and we have our entire first cutting of hay in the
barn so to speak. Weve bailed approximately 200 bails this
year, and were anxiously awaiting our second cutting, which
is the rich stuff that we will need for the goats over the winter
and next spring. Exciting milestones for Cornman Farms!

Theres a lot to talk about beyond October. . . . garlic planting,

remay hoops, overwintering sweet onions, winter dug carrots,
dried culinary- and flower-wreaths, putting up a ton of kraut
(literally), rutabagas and Gilfeather turnips, popcorn for the
Roadhouse. Weve also got some extremely rare dried beans,
Beaver Dam smoked paprika peppers, seed saving, cover
crops, winter rye or wheat.

Mark: Well be eating a small handful of figs and blueberries

this summer, more to come in the coming years. Reading up
on special care for figs in Michigan, couple different ways to
protect them. It all goes back to growing tricks from ItalianAmerican immigrants.

Amanda: My winter will be spent studying and attending classes, as well as researching what I can do even better next year.
As you know, the season is short, and much planning goes into
every single decision. You really only get one chance, maybe
two, to get it right for an entire year. But, hey, thats why we
love it.

Also Im excited about growing some Principe Borghese tomatoes. Its supposed to be one of the classic sun-dried tomato
varieties. Im thinking that our greenhouse in August might approximate a southern Italian piazzawe can use it as a solar
drier for these tomatoes and some cherry tomatoes.
Alex: Fertigating with compost tea, lightly spraying oxidate
on the tomatoes to help keep the early blights at bay (which
also helps keep down potential late season terminal blights).
Ari: Fertigating?
Mark: Fertigating is the process of running compost tea and
organic fish fertilizer through our drip line irrigation system.
Its a very efficient and thrifty way to water and fertilize plants
right at the root zone.
Ari: Can you tell us more about why weve focused on
growing heirloom seed varieties?

TOP 8 REASONS to

HAVE LUNCH at
ZINGERMANS
ROADHOUSE

Mark: Yes, we prefer heirloom varieties, but the main drive

for us is always flavor. Thats what comes first. There are some
hybrid (that arent heirloom) varieties that we grow tooSun
Gold cherry tomatoes, Red Ace beets, etc.that consistently
have outstanding flavor.
I think the other more important idea for us is our focus on
open pollinated. This is what the heirlooms areseed saved
from season to season, without big seed companies controlling the genetics. A lot of our seed suppliers are being very
transparent about seed sources. Fedco out of Maine, for example, has a complete source list for every seed they sell. I guess
along with this we are actively seed-saving some tomatoes and
winter squash seeds, possibly selling seeds after a few more
grow out seasons.
Ari: I know that a lot of work goes into enriching the soil in
natural ways. Can you say more about that?
Mark: The garden writer Elliot Coleman says feed the soil, not
the plant. Have your soil in good health with compost and
cover crops and the soil will return amazing flavor. Weve noticed this comparing all sorts of veggies, especially the root
crops. Also its a sustainable model. How we care for the soil
will keep it productive forever. Yes, forever. Really.
Ari: People will be reading this early in the autumn. Whats
the outlook for September and October?
Mark: I keep on reminding people summer doesnt end until
September 21. We can get favorable summer weather into mid
October some years if were lucky and theres an active hurricane season pushing warm air up from the Gulf. Im always
kind of conflicted wishing for that, but it plays into any Indian
summer we might get in October. Peak tom season for us is
mid-August to mid-September. Well probably harvest close to
75-percent of our tomatoes in that 5-week span. All of Septem-

2501 Jackson AveAnn Arbor, MI 48103

734.663.FOOD (3663)
zingermansroadhouse.com

1.

Daily lunch specials

from James Beard
Award Winning
Chef Alex Young

2.

Reservations
availableno wait
on your lunch hour!

3.

Great coffee and

espresso drinks for
a midday pick
me up

4.

Free Wi-Fi and

comfortable seating
for business meetings

Drive through

5. to-go orders

available for pick

upyou dont
have to get out of
your car!

6.

Roadhouse macaroni and cheese was

named Food Networks Top Comfort
Food in America
Construction is over!

traveling and
7. Easy
quick parking.

Fried
8. Buttermilk
Chickenneed we
say more?

ROSH HASHANAH SPECIALS

Erev Rosh Hashanah is Sunday, September 13

HapPy New Year from everyone at Zingermans!

Let The Deli Do The Cooking This Holiday!
Available for pick up starting September 13 at noon
Call 734.663.3400 to order
Lemon Herb Roasted
Whole Chickens

Chopped Liver

Tasty whole-roasted birds rubbed with fresh herbs

and lemon. (no hormones, no antibiotics and no
funny stuff)

Roast Beef Brisket

Longtime staple of the Deli. Marinated and braised
for hours with herbs and garlic. Served thick-sliced
with a side of beef gravy.

Lamb and Honey Stew

Straight from the Zingermans Guide to Good
Eating (pg. 378), lamb slow-cooked with rosemary
honey, Spanish saffron and organic potatoes.

Jewish Chicken Broth

Traditional Jewish chicken broth made daily with
free-range chickens, celery, onion, and parsley,
slowly simmered, then strained for a clear broth.

Chicken livers with caramelized onions and hardboiled eggs. Aris grandmothers recipe and the one
weve been making at the Deli since we first started.

Potato Kugel
One of our all-time favorites; a smooth batter of
potatoes & onions, with just a little matzo meal, eggs
& schmaltz.

Noodle Kugel
Traditional noodle pudding of Al Dente egg
noodles, fresh farmers cheese from Zingermans
Creamery, plump raisins and a hint of vanilla.

Tupelo Honey
White Tupelo Honey from Moonshine Trading Co. in
Florida. The honey is amazingly smooth & pourable. It
has a balanced sweetness that hints of green apple. It
is the perfect honey for dipping.

Handmade Knishes

Handmade Gefilte Fish

Made in our kitchen from freshwater fish, matzo
meal, fresh eggs, sea salt & white pepper, then
poached in fish broth. Also available in a gluten-free
version.

Sweet Carrot Tzimmes

Special Rosh Hashanah edition of tzimmes made with
sweet organic carrots and slow-cooked with dried
fruit and spices. We are making a big tzimmes!

A modern version of a classic Jewish pastry.

3 flavors to choose from:

Potato

Chicken

Kasha

Yukon Gold
potatoes,
onions,
fresh eggs
and herbs.

Roasted chicken,
onions and
potatoes cooked
in schmaltz
and herbs.

The original
starch on starch
toasted buckwheat flavored
with onions.

Smoked Whitefish Salad

Matzo Balls
Homemade from matzo meal and chicken schmaltz

Fresh Horseradish
Ground fresh in our kitchen and made with Gingras
organic apple cider vinegar.

Made with whitefish from the Great Lakes of Michigan and loads of Calder Dairy sour cream, fresh dill,
and fresh lemon juice. A Deli classic
for years.

This is just a small sample of the feast were preparing.

Go to www.zingermansdeli.com to see the complete menu and call 734.663.3400 to order!

Get the New Year Off to a

Sweet Start with Handmade
Candy from Zingermans!

Limited Time Rosh

Hashanah Breads
and Pastries!
Buckwheat Honeycake- Sept. 9-23
Made from a long list of luscious ingredients including a healthy
helping of buckwheat honey from a beekeeper in the Pacific
Northwest. With a big, bold, fruity flavor, the buckwheat honey adds
extra zip. Add in freshly cracked eggs, golden raisins, toasted almonds,
fresh orange and lemon zest, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and a
few secret ingredients and youll get the New Year off to a good start.

Moroccan Challah- Sept. 9-23

A sensually spicy North African way to ring in the New Year,
this is the challah of the Moroccan Jewish community. Rich, eggbased dough sweetened with honey, woven into a beautiful fivebraid loaf ,and then rolled in generous amounts of anise, poppy,
and sesame seeds.

Challah Turbans- Sept. 9-23

These challah turbans come in small and large sizes and two
varieties! With or without Myers Rum-soaked raisins.

Traditional Jewish
Pastries Gift-Boxed
for the Holidays!
(available all month long)
Rugelach

Bring Home A Limited

Edition Rosh Hashanah
Super Zzang! Bar

Try the treat Oprah called Chewy, crunchy, sweet, salty, and highly
addictivethis luscious handmade candy bar puts the
vending machine stuff to shame. Big enough for the whole family
to share!

Rugelach (rugel means royal in Yiddish) is the royalty of traditional

Jewish pastries. We make a butter and cream cheese dough and wrap
it around very special fillings. Our handsome gift box is filled with a
pound of these royally good cookies. Choose from half dark chocolate
ganache & half red raspberry preserve, or half apricot & half currant
walnut.

Marvelous Mandelbread
Peanut Brittle And
Chocolate Covered
Peanut Brittle

Sesame Halvah

Choose your pleasurejumbo runner peanuts cooked

perfectly in our deep amber, butterscotch-rich,
shatteringly delicious brittle, or all of that covered in amazing dark chocolate. On second thought,
why not some of each?

Were taking candy, and halvah, back to the days before industrial
food production. We toast and grind the fresh sesame seeds ourselves and mix it by hand in small batches. Ours is the only handmade halvah that we know of in the U.S. There are no shortcuts
to flavor! Toasted fresh sesame seeds, dense and dark muscovado
brown sugar, pure Michigan honey, and naturally harvested coarse
sea salt all combine to make our halvah radically more flavorful!

Biscottis Eastern European cousin! Mandel means almonds in

Yiddish, and these are loadednot laced but literally loaded
with toasted almonds. Made with sweet butter, fresh eggs, lots of
fresh orange and lemon zest, and scented with real vanilla.
Just the aroma alone is enough to make us excited about these traditional cookies.

Almond Kifli
An irresistible Hungarian treat. The name kifli originally referred to
the crescent shape and to savory breads in this shape (it was the precursor to the croissant!). It is available in many parts of Europe by
different names. This particular cookie is very popular in Hungary and
Austria today. Ours are made with ground almonds and real vanilla
bean. Theyre addictive, so watch out!

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

11

SHARING ZINGERMANS
UNIQUE APPROACH
TO BUSINESS

popsicle dreams

Back in bleak January, five guys from Atlanta, GA came to Ann Arbor,
MI to attend ZingTrains Creating a Vision of Greatness seminar. They
came from King of Pops, a happy company that sells excellent and
eclectic popsicles out of street carts with rainbow umbrellas. Even
for guys who work with ice all the time, we werent offering much
by way of the weather. The content of the seminar more than made
up for it. Or so Matt Tanner and Steven Carse (2 of the leadership 5
that came to the seminar) told us when we caught up with them for
this interview.

Gauri: What do you want us to know about King of Pops that

we wont find on your websites About Us page?

KOP: We want to be more than just a popsicle company. Most of

us came from large corporations where it felt impossible to make a
real impact. We want to use our popularity and success to enact real
change in the communities that we operate in. It sounds cheesy, but
we truly believe we can change the world through popsicles.

Gauri: When you first connected with us, you knew that King
of Pops needed something. How did you know that? What was it
that you needed?
KOP: We had grown from 2 employees to more than 100. When it
is just two (who happen to be brothers) its not that difficult to know
what the plan is. But as we grew, different people had different ideas
for where the company was headed. The number one question we
get (from fans, from press, from customers) was, and still is, Whats
next? We found ourselves answering that differently and wanted to
see what we could do about that.

Gauri: When you came to the Creating A Vision of Greatness

seminar and first heard all about Zingermans approach to
Visioning, did you immediately know that this is what King of
Pops needed or was it something that sank in over time?
KOP:

We were familiar with Zingermans and many of the

approaches to business that Ari champions though reading books
like Small Giants, so we were cautiously optimistic that this type of
trip (to Ann Arbor, in the middle of winter) was just what we needed.
We knew it was exactly what we needed when we left a full day of
being in the seminar and, instead of crashing or going out to dinner, we stayed up in an abandoned hotel conference room until well
past midnight working on our vision. The hotel staff actually brought
us room service so we didnt have to stop working. We were just
hooked on the Zingermans energy.

Gauri: What was your overall reaction to Zingermans style

of Visioning? What surprised you about the way we do it? What
did you love? What resonated?

KOP: The most surprising thing was how everyone at Zingermans

truly bought into the process. The fact that some people vision prior
to EVERY shift blew us away. It made us understand that visioning
was not a management tool, nor was it a one-time fix. It gave us the
confidence to expect more from everyone in our company.

Gauri: How do you think the practice of Visioning will change

the future of King of Pops?

KOP: Visioning has put us on a real course toward success and

happiness. Lewis Carrol once said, If you dont know where you are
going, any road will get you there. Most of us have always had a good
sense of where we wanted to go, but sometimes had trouble articulating it or sharing it. Visioning will help us do this.

Gauri: How do you think the practice of Visioning will change

the lives of the folks on the front lines of King of Pops? How do
you plan to bring Visioning into their lives?

KOP: We have tried to include as many people as possible, every

step of the way, so that they feel they are a part of the vision. It is
our hope that the folks on the front line will have the vision to refer
to on the days when they are selling pops for hours in the hot sun or
chopping up fruit for a full day and begin to wonder why they are
here. We dont expect them to memorize it, but on some level we
hope they will understand it and know that it represents a plan for
the futurefor their future.

12

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

zingtrain helps
five guys from Atlanta
figure out whats next?

The guys from King of Pops generously and open-heartedly

allowed us to share their Vision for the year 2030.
Co-founder Steven Carses opening statement for the Vision :
To those who refuse to just exist,
In 2010 we didnt start with a formal business plan.
There wasnt a focus group that selected the rainbow
umbrella that now casts shade over hundreds of pushcarts throughout the South. Our professional culinary
experience was nonexistent.
So how did we get here? The reality is that I was 25 and
the idea of selling pops for the summer seemed like
fun. We chose the first rainbow umbrella because it
was in stock and we could afford it. As for making pops
well, we just hoped we could figure that out.
The idea of what exists today was not imaginable. Yet
years later the stories of our success are retold like
folklore. Looking back its easy to gloss over the details
that propelled us to where we are today. I wouldnt
trade that journey for anything.
The founding story of Nick and I putting ourselves out
there, working through the night to make pops, and
waking up every morning to take on any opportunity
that came our way, is well documented. However, its
only a small fraction of our story.

The secret, our single greatest achievement, has been inspiring a group of
employees who connect with what is
going on. What started as a job for so
many, is now much more. Our constant
sacrifice is draining and exhilarating at
the same time.
If you choose to work here I hope that you
feel that you are a part of something great, a
project more important and worthwhile than
something any one of us could accomplish on our own.
That your time, the most precious thing we have, is
being spent wisely.
Important change is happening here right now. Dont
let it get lost in the day-to-day Im 100% confident that
it is happening. Lets never stop pushing each other.
Here is a glance at what we all have to look forward to
in 2030.
A sincere thank you to everyone who helped this
become a reality.
Steven Carse

Rainbow Umbrella 2030 Vision

This vision verbalizes our core values and begins to establish why we operate.
Smart Fearless Thoughtful Enthusiastic Fun
Our neighbors smile when they see us.
Every year weve started and ended the season with
some type of thank you to our community. Typically
it includes free pops and a handful of other ideas that
seem fun, silly or strange in the moment. The simple
gesture goes a long way in explaining how and why we
operate.
If we can consistently sweeten the lives of our neighbors
and enjoy doing it w
e all win.
This year is special. Our 20th year has come to a close,
and the similarities to the early days outnumber the differences. We still host a party, the informal nature is still
endearing and we are still giving away pops to anyone
that will have one.
What started as a King of Pops celebration now incorporates bits and pieces from each brand under the
Rainbow Umbrella. Attendance is optional, but employees both current and past rarely miss the occasion.
A group that has never met has an immediate bond,
laughing and comparing stories about what has changed
and what is still the same. Most importantly, they talk
excitedly about what is to come.
The same enthusiasm permeates throughout our organization day-to-day. Significant others and friends have
gotten used to hearing work talk hours after weve officially clocked out for the day. Its not always our fault,
if youre within a couple blocks of HQ and you happen
to be wearing a company tshirt its pretty common for a
stranger to walk up and start a conversation about the
latest project.
Its nice to be loved, and our response is to love back.
We like to have fun, and for us its more fun when we
invite our neighbors. Were active in the community
far beyond our business. Whether its a huge event like

Field Day (which is essentially just a staff party that we

decided to invite the city to), the annual field trip that
dozens of inner city schools take to a King of Crops
outpost, the latest community service project that was
conceived by our DoGooder committee, or any of the
hundreds of new half baked ideas we try each year that
make just enough sense to work.
Our Front Porch
Our umbrella covers the South. From Richmond to
Orlando and New Orleans to Charleston. We have nearly
a dozen Hubs in the largest markets and outposts scattered in between. Each city is unique, but the positive
vibe is consistent.
If you leave work for the day as others are winding
down, youll probably see a group of employees hanging out together. Perhaps just having a beer or maybe
playing a new game with everevolving rules. On outof
town trips, an informal visit to other Rainbow Umbrella
spots is an activity that nearly always makes it on the
schedule.
There is a natural tension between our desire to grow
and our belief that our impact is diminished if we spread
too far geographically. Focusing on the South allows
us to remain an important influencer in the local food
scene. It puts us in a position to have authentic relationships with our neighbors. Its why half of our customers
have been to one of our farms at some point to pull
a weed, attend a wedding ceremony or just enjoy the
scenery.
Thats something global brands cannot compete with.
The South is not a geographic area that weve identified
as an ideal place to operate a business, but our home
and the place where we want to see and affect change.

SeptEmbER

THE LITTLE NAPOLEON

The Little Cheese with the Big Complex!

On sale at Zingermans Creamery and Zingermans Deli

$6.99ea
The Little Napoleon gets it start with some pretty incredible locally sourced goats milk.
We cherish the goat farmers who have chosen to work with us, and over the years
weve established some pretty great relationships that have resulted in extraordinarily
high-quality, tasty goats milk. Our farmers deliver this milk to us the old fashioned
wayin milk cans. While you might be scratching your head, wondering why wed spend
the extra time to transport their milk this way, the difference it makes in the resulting
cheese is astounding. By handling the milk as gently as possible, we assure that everything that makes it unique and delicious remains in the finished cheese.

septembER

OctobEr

We raise this sandwich as a literal toast to

Pete and Taylor! They both started working at the Deli ten years ago, and are getting
married this month! Corned beef, bacon, and
cream cheese loaded up with scallions join
together with crisp lettuce and tomato slices
on toasted sourdougha combination of their
favorite ingredients that make a scrumptious
sandwich! Cheers to great food, and our great
friends!

A fusion of Ric & Ennas favored flavors, and

the winner of the auction in support of March
of Dimes. They paired their individual long
standing favorite ingredients to create a
mouthwatering masterpiece. Two meats: roast
beef and turkey! Two spreads: creamy roasted
red pepper sauce and avocado! Classic veggie
trio of red onion, lettuce and tomato. Capped
with provolone cheese, this sandwich forms a
mouthwatering pyramid atop grilled country
wheat bread.

The Out of
Your League Club

$14.99

R&Es Masterly
Match-up

$15.99

After a little gentle pasteurization, we allow that lovely goats milk to set for several
hours while the curd slowly separates from whey, retaining as much flavor as possible
in the process. This diminutive-though-robust goat round is made by very gently handladling the resulting delicate curd into precisely perforated molds to allow for proper
drainage and the fullest flavor development. By allowing this gentle draining as opposed
to pressing the curd, we get a much more interesting texture and a more intense flavor,
two things we absolutely love in a cheese!
This small, mold-ripened goat cheese has a butter colored mold rind, which develops
very slight blue mottling with age. When very young (two weeks) this cheese has a soft
creamy texture and a gently acidic flavor. As it ages, the Little Napoleon becomes softer
and softer until finally achieving a consummately creamy texture with a delicate, wrinkly mold rind thats just dynamite with a crusty baguette and a drizzling of your favorite
olive oil. One of our favorite ways to enjoy this one is with some almonds, a glass of
Austrian Ros, and a little Rustic Italian bread from Zingermans Bakehouse.

oCtOber

LIPTAUER

Our Take on a Hungarian Classic

On sale at Zingermans Creamery &

Zingermans Deli
$6.50ea for a 6-ounce container
If youre not familiar with itand most people
arentLiptauer cheese (pronounced liptower) is a long-standing Hungarian tradition. In Hungary its more frequently known
by the name Krztt, but weve been calling
it Liptauer for so long weve decided to leave
the name alone. Like most homestyle food traditions youll come across, there seem
to be about six thousand recipes for this spicy cheese spread, and most of them very
good in their own different ways. We dont know that the one weve been making is the
perfect version, but weve been selling it for a long time, and it has a lot of loyal fans so
well keep on keepin on. Call it Krztt, or call it Liptauer, this stuff is pretty darned,
slightly spicily, good!
A while back we had the great fortune of meeting some folks from the Hodi family
paprika farm in Hungary. The ingredient that gives Liptauer its signature zip is really
good paprika, and all paprikas (as is the case with pretty much everything else in the
food world) are not created equal. The Hodi family has been planting, harvesting,
and drying paprika in small batches for generations, and the complexity of flavor in
both their hot and sweet versions of this quintessentially Hungarian spice is downright astounding. The moment we tasted it we knew we had to start using it, and the
improvement in our resulting Liptauer has been phenomenal.
To make it, we start with our very fresh Farm Cheese, spice it up with fresh garlic, both
hot & sweet paprika from Hodi, salt-packed capers, toasted caraway and just a touch
of anchovy. Its moderately spicy and exceptionally flavorfultheres a huge burst of
flavor in every bite! Weve been told that in Hungary it was often served in casinos and
bars which makes senseits definitely the sort of stuff that goes great with good salami
and good beer. Liptauer is great on rye bread from the Bakehouse, on bagels, used as
hors doeuvres, or as the base for spicy finger sandwiches. Its an excellent picnic food,
great on a roast beef sandwich, and it makes the most incredible deviled eggs.

Zingermans Creamery Wholesale Manager

Holiday Party Planning

at Zingermans Events on Fourth

Zingermans Events on Fourth is our intimate,

charming, exposed-brick meeting and dining space
nestled in the Kerrytown Market & Shops just west
of Zingermans Deli, perfect for your next gathering
of 10 to 80 guests.
Right now, were busy booking holiday parties for
November & December, and were excited to help
plan your party as well! Zingermans Catering has
planned baby showers, wedding receptions, corporate team building exercises and seminars, birthday parties, anniversary parties and business
meetings with the really great food and service that keep our guests coming back year after year.
Whether youd like a strolling appetizer and cocktail mixer as a thank you to your best clients,
or a plated five-course dinner as a reward for your staff, were looking forward to hearing from
you and making your vision a reality. Youll be able to plan from possibilities as varied as classic Zingermans Deli sandwiches to the Fennel Pollen Porchetta we make from the hogs of Ernst
Farm right here in Washtenaw County! Zingermans Catering will custom tailor a menu to suit
the tenor of your event.
Just give Zingermans Catering a call at (734) 663-3400 or visit www.zingermanscatering.com.
One of our friendly Catering staffers will help walk you through the initial planning steps, and
assist in turning your vision into an event your guests will remember!

Call 734.663.3400 or go to zingermanscatering.com to order!

Save the date!!

June 1st-5th, 2016

A 5-day celebration of great pork

and fundraiser for the Southern Foodways Alliance
and the Washtenaw County 4-H

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

13

Love

in the time of coffee

The Cerrado region of Brazil is an enormous, sprawling savanna that occupies the central part
of the country. It comprises about 500 million acres of land (an area roughly three times the size
of the State of Texas) and is the most biologically diverse savanna on the planet. The region is
home to over 800 species of birds, nearly 200 types of mammals, and over a hundred kinds of
reptiles. Plant biodiversity includes more than 10,000 species of plants, of which hundreds are
found nowhere else. The Cerrado climate is humid and subtropical, covers about 23% of Brazils
total area, and the region feeds three major water basins in the continent of South America: the
Paraguay, the So Francisco, and the Amazon rivers.
The savanna itself is comprised of a series of high sedimentary plateaus, ranging from 500 to 1700
meters above sea level, and interspersed with depressions varying from 100 to 500 meters. This
rising and falling landscape is laid out in a gently rolling mosaic pattern; Cerrado translates as
hilly. The soil of the area was once considered too acidic to grow much, but beginning in the
1980s Brazilian agronomists began large-scale application of lime to improve the land. Today, the
region is responsible for the majority of the countrys farm produce.
It is deep within this vast biome and up on a high plateau that the beautiful Daterra Farm is
located. Daterra is owned by Luis Paschoal, a descendent of Italian immigrant and family patriarch, Miguel Paschoal. Miguel arrived in Brazil in 1902 when he was just 11 years old. In 1908, he
embarked on his first entrepreneurial adventure when he began selling coffee by the cup in the
Campinas City Market. These humble beginnings led first to a grocery store, then a gas station,
and finally a chain of car service centers. In 1980, Miguels descendants began to invest in agriculture just as the Brazilian government was implementing the soil improvement programs that
would change the face of farming in the country for the better. Luis Paschoal originally raised
cattle and grew fruit, but soon became enchanted with the beverage that started the family business all those decades earlier. In 1984, the company began to focus on the cultivation of sustainable and specialty coffees, and Daterra was born.
The word Daterra means, appropriately, of the earth, and the farm is the source of some of the
worlds best Arabica coffee. The Daterra farm itself covers 5800 hectares (approximately 14,000
acres), and is actually three distinct farms within a larger estate; the main farm, and two small
satellites. Luis and his staff are dedicated to sustainable practices and, aside from occasional
mechanical or equipment needs, the farm is entirely self-contained. Recently, a brand new harvesting machine was completely designed and produced on the farm, utilizing state of the art
techniques. The farm has a large composting area where the byproducts of coffee growing, harvesting, and processing are used to reinvest in the soil fertility, and the water used in the coffee
bean-washing process is recycled. In addition, a large portion of Daterra has been set aside as
permanent wetlands to hep sustain local wildlife and agriculture.
The relationship between Daterra and the Zingermans Coffee Company goes back more than
a decade, and Daterra was one of the first coffee estates the Coffee Company worked with.
Managing partner Steve Mangigian says he treasures his time on the verdant and lush plantation,
and he nurtures a collaborative relationship with the farm to ensure consistent standards for
the coffee he buys. A lot of time is spent evaluating the farms coffee varietals simply by tasting
(cupping to coffee enthusiasts) the brew with an eye to such criteria as flavor, aroma, acidity or
brightness, and the overall experience. This is an ongoing process, and Steves challenge is not
simply to maintain as much consistency as possible in an agricultural product thats subject to
all manner of environmental influences on the beans, but also look for ways to make the coffee
better in the cup.
Many of the benefits for developing long-term relationships with coffee growers are obvious.
Steve can work with a grower over time to produce a bean tailored to the Coffee Companys
specific flavor profile. Hes able to have a first-hand understanding of the growers practices and
their commitment to standards of quality. And Zingermans is able to trace the provenance of a
particular coffee bean directly back to a specific plantation, along with all of the attendant biography information about how the crop was cultivated, harvested, and processed. Steves hope
is that all of this care and attention to detail comes through in the flavor of our coffee. Because
theres no fooling a discriminating fan of the bean.
The long-lasting friendship between the Zingermans Coffee Company and Daterra has borne
more ambitious fruit recently in a pilot program that will ultimately redefine the current definition of knowing where your coffee comes from. Daterra is implementing a plan to set aside a specific plot of land dedicated to a multi-year experimental project aimed at producing a coffee only
for Zingermans. What this means is that it will now be possible to plant a specific varietal, process
it in a certain way, and trace a brew from the bean directly back to the very field in which it was
grown. This takes the notion of farm-to-cup to an entirely new level; where we used to know the
coffees home village, well now know its address!
The program represents a chance to take a more direct role in the specifics of bean cultivation. With his own dedicated field, Steve will be able to shape and hone the flavor profile of
Zingermans coffee beans from the very beginning. We may just be witnessing the birth of our
very own Zingermans varietal. But, the project will take some time. Young coffee trees generally
need 3-4 seasons before they start producing good quality beans. And Steve will no doubt want to
tinker a bit with the beans to make sure theyre just right... Regardless, were very excited by this
prospect, and we encourage everyone to stay tuned for more details.
Steve made another trip to Daterra this past July, but the focus of this visit was a bit different
than previous trip. Steve and his fianc Katherine were married at Daterra Estate, in the beautiful
and lush savanna of the Cerrado. When I asked why he chose to hold his nuptials in the heart of
Brazil, he talked about what Daterra, and his relationship with them has meant to him. Daterra
owner Luis Paschoal exemplifies many of the ideals that Zingermans espouses; he treats his land
and his people well, the farm has good energy, and they continually look toward innovation and
improvement. Steve likes the farms transparency and openness, their commitment to sustainable, renewable practices, and their responsible stewardship of the delicate environment of the
Cerrado.
Steve tells me that three years ago, when his relationship with Katherine had moved to a new
level, he brought her to visit Daterra Farm. The experience, he says, was foundational to their
relationship and it became clear that their paths would ultimately merge into one. It was a touchstone moment, he says. So when the time came to choose a place to formally acknowledge the
love already present, Steve really wanted to evoke a connection to what the original trip had represented for the couple. Daterra, for its part, was very enthusiastic about the idea, and insisted

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ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

on handling all the wedding

details themselves.
About this time, Linda
Smithers, Daterras longtime US representative,
also announced her intention to wed her fianc,
Howard, and overnight the
event became a double
wedding. This being the
farms first wedding, Luis
and Daterra went all out,
arranging everything while
the couples relaxed at the
farms very comfortable
guest house. The ceremony
was officiated by Luis, and
attended by 75 guests,
mostly friends from the
farm as well as a few international guests. A feast of
traditional Brazilian dishes
were served, and after dinner there was music and
dancing into the night.
Before he flew to Brazil,
Steve told me that he was
looking forward to getting
married and taking the next
step in his life. He also shared another detail; three years earlier, Daterra had planted a tree
on the farm in the couples honor. It was apparent to everyone even then that the couple had
something special, something moving toward an inevitable convergence. Their tree at Daterra
is a wonderfully romantic expression of the time, patience, and love necessary to grow and
strengthen something beautiful. On this most recent visit both Steve and Katherine along with
other witnesses observed that this planted tree had grown faster and bigger than most that had
been planted in the past. A person has to wonder if the farming life doesnt perhaps inspire a
lovely poetic gesture now and then.

EJ Olsen covers Zingermans for our newsletter and

on zingermanscommunity.com and on Twitter

SeptembER

COSTA RICA HACIENDA MIRAMONTE

In February, we visited Hacienda Miramonte and spent time with farm owner Don
Ricardo and his daughter Viviana. We got a first-hand look at how their operation
promotes quality while contributing to the health of the land and local community.
We are excited to feature three micro-lots we selected during the visitAmbar,
Roble Sabana, and Cedronamed for the trees that grow in the area where each lot
was produced. We are very pleased with the development of this relationship as it
supports our desire for very high quality coffees, sustainable business and growing
practices. We are working very closely with Don Ricardo and Viviana to grow a
unique coffee varietal we can call our own.

oCtOber

BALI FULLY WASHED KINTAMANI

Kintamani refers to the highland plateau in Northeastern Bali where coffee production thrives. Kintamani is situated between Mount Batukara and the active Mount
Agung, the highest point on the island.
This lot comes from one of several producer groups in the area who farm in the
Subak Abian tradition. Subak Abian is based on the Hindu philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, which holds that prosperity comes from harmony among people, nature, and
God. The Subak Abian were among the stakeholders who established Indonesias
first Geographical Indication protection for coffeesimilar to Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese in Italy or Champagne in France.
Bali has a reputation for producing carefully processed coffees with more delicate
flavors than typically found in beans from Indonesia. We liked this coffee for its
rich, nutty aroma and flavors of lemon and brown sugar.

Available at Zingermans Coffee Co., Delicatessen and Roadhouse

I was a non cook/baker

but now, I am seriously
considering a career
change. This class was
definitely inspiring.

You learn so much about the

science of baking and get to take
home what you make! Plus the
student-teacher ratio is low, so you
get tons of help.

- Shari

- Stephanie

After taking the

baguettes class,
I made baguettes
for a British
friend - she said
they were the
closest thing
to Parisian
baguettes shes
had since coming
to North America!

I will no longer
fear homemade
bread making.
- Chandra

- Meghan

After baking for 40

years, I still learned
new techniques.
- Nancy

We learned a lot. My daughter

saysnow I cant say pies are
too hard. No excuses! Also, it
was really fun to bake with my
daughter. - Carol and Lily

We have made some great specialty breads over the years that
developed their own small followings, so we bring them back
for a weekend here and there just for fun. If youre looking for
a little adventure check out this calendar.

September

October

Blueberry Buckle

Craquelin

September 3-6

October 2-4

Black Olive Farm Bread

September 4-5

Green Olive
Paesano Bread

Buckwheat Honeycake

Somodi Klacs

September 9-23
Challah Turbans

September 9-23
Moroccan Challah

September 9-23
Margarets Sweet
Wheat Bread

September 25-26

October 9-10
October 16-18
Chernushka Rye Bread

October 23-24
Lemon Poppyseed
Coffeecake

October 29-November 1
Rosemary Baguettes

October 31-November 1

Maple Leaf Cookies

September 25
Bakeshop3711 Plaza Dr. 761.2095
Call Ahead Deli422
Detroit St. 663.3354 (DELI)
To Order Roadshow2501 Jackson Rd. 663.3663 (FOOD)

SeptEmber
Paesano Bread
$4.50/ea. (reg. $6.29)

The traditional bread of the Puglia region of

Italy. Pass it around the table for ripping and
dipping in great olive oil, soup or pasta. Everyone likes this bread. Well put money on it.

October
Farm Loaf

$4.50/ea. (reg. $6.29)

Imagine sitting around a
French farmhouse table
waiting for dinner to be
servedthis would be the
bread theyd bring out. It
has thick crust and soft
white chewy interior with a
flavor that tastes of toasted
wheat. When baked to a nice
dark crust, this is Franks favorite loaf.

Available at Zingermans Bakehouse,

Delicatessen and Roadhouse

20%OfF
OFF
20%

and slices
whole cakes whole
and slicescakes
at Zingermans
Bakehouse and Deli

SEptemBer
24-Carrot Cake

We peel and grate forty pounds

of carrots to make one batch
of this cake. All those carrots
add an incredible moistness and
a fresh sweetness to the cake. Combine
them with toasted walnuts and aromatic spices and you get
a great cake thats totally delicious on its own. Cover it with
a generous amount of cream cheese frosting and it becomes
irresistible. Available in 6 and 9 rounds and sheet cakes.

OctoBer
Dobos Torta

Pronounced [doh-bosh], this traditional Hungarian coffeehouse torte was created in 1887 by well known chef and
confectioner Jzsef C. Dobos (18471924). Its five thin layers
of vanilla sponge cake and dark chocolate espresso butter
cream, all topped with pieces of crispy dark caramel. Taste
one of Hungarys most famous tortas!

Available at Zingermans
Bakehouse & Delicatessen

ISSUE # 252

SEPT-OCT 2015

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