…And, the deep delicious food vibe too.  Kelly Weger and Bethany Schultz brought their love for each other, and their love of a vegetarian approach to Selma Cafe this week.  And, because of their accommodating and sweet approach to life, they got behind the idea of adding a serving of house made spicy chorizo for the omnivores in the house.

Their first special was a warmed flour tortilla filled with a fresh and flavorful salsa, some gently sauteed herb infused tofu scramble, and some rich black beans.

The second special was corn chips, made soft and luscious with the addition of eggs, served with salsa, black beans, and here, on this plate a side of chorizo. The garnishes on both plates were extra special fancy this week, with nasturium flowers, baby tomatoes, and lovely dollops of blazing hot sauce.

There was a lot to prep on Thursday evening, and our volunteer crew made it all work.  Thank you Michelle Fortin, Patrick Racine, Mirac Boga, Kendal Kuneman, Dan Vernia, John Hawley, Kim Kunoff, Scooter Merrins, Kristy Smith, Jennifer and Connor Haines, Lisa Dugdale, and Jennifer Jensen.

Friday morning was busy. Really busy. 155 guests busy, which broke our previous record of 150.  Thanks to Rebecca Williams of Michigan Radio, who featured Selma Cafe on The Environment Report, we had lots of new folks coming ’round for breakfast.

Lucky for us, we had Ryan and the Roos Roast Trike out front to keep people happy with delicious coffee while they waited for their table.

Along with the Roos Roast, we also had Trilby and Tomm Becker of Sunseed Farm offering their beautiful groceries for CSA members, and anyone else interested in fresh, delicious fruits and veggies.

There was also an opportunity for showing some love for both Selma Cafe and the HomeGrown Festival by sporting some cool T-shirts.

Of course, the kids had the best idea, as usual. They piled on the backyard hammock and entertained each other until their waffles were ready.

Our Friday morning volunteer crew worked really hard. 155 specials is a load of plates! Thanks to Andrew Bozio, our new expediter, Sarah Gerk, Melanie Adams, Kendal Kuneman, Jennifer Jensen, Sarah Brown, Joel Panozzo, Lisa Dugdale, Michelle Fortin, Mirac Boga, and Shawna Lee.

As if everything else wasn’t special enough, Selma Cafe was also the meeting place for a celebration birthday party for the volunteer crew of the Yellow Door.  In case you haven’t heard, Yellow Door is a fabulous every- Thursday-morning breakfast salon in Chelsea, Mi. that has been rockin’ out breakfasts for a year now!  Want to know how cool these folks are?  They brought us a cake for their birthday party. And it wasn’t just any old cake.  This cake was made from super rich and amazing Mindo chocolate, made right next door in Dexter.  I actually used Jedi strength self control, and managed to save this cake to serve to our hoop house volunteers on Saturday night.  Well, except for a small section of chocolate frosting that seemed to be vulnerable to falling off the cake onto the floor.  In the spirit of avoiding any waste of food, I ate it.  Just in case.

Thanks everyone, volunteer and guest alike, for continuing to support RP&F, and Selma Cafe.  Stay tuned for the latest Capella Farm hoop house build photos and thank yous coming soon,

~Lisa

I’ve always loved before and after photos.  From fashion make-overs and new hair-dos, to closet re-organizations and house remodels, there is something so fun and gratifying about changes that improve or add value to something.  Our most recent hoop house build out at Portage River Farm, on Fox and Janet Adelmann’s property in Pinckney, was ripe for just this kind of photo op.  The site was graded for the largest hoop house we’ve built so far, at more than half again as large as our 90′ hoops, it measures 144′ in length.  Above, Sean Adelmann and Jeff set the ground posts in the hoop house footprint.  Follow the rest of the before and after below.

assembling the bows

bows ready to be placed in the ground post

bows going up, baseboards ready for installation

long view

building the back endwall

back end wall installed

some of the awesome hoop crew at the end of the first day

second endwall framed

polycarb on the endwall

moving the endwall into place

squaring the front end wall with the help of Jeff's van

installing the front end wall

ready for the plastic pull

rolling out the plastic

rolled out and ready to cover the hoop

ropes for pulling the plastic over the top of the hoop

attaching the rope to the plastic

starting to unfurl the plastic

gently pulling the plastic up the sides

easing it over when it gets stuck

nearly there, and the wind picks up

all the way over, and making it even

view from the inside

installing the roll ups for ventilation

roll ups complete

the plastic pulling & roll ups installing crew

a view from one end to the other

Well, there you have it.  A complete hoop house, start to nearly finish.  Hanging the doors, and, of course, planting are all that is left to make this hoop complete.

Of course, like many farms, in addition to the hoop going up, there were lots of other bits of beauty to notice.

There were some amazing volunteers who showed up for this big ol’ build.  Combining forces, the Selma Cafe crew and the Portage River Farm family and CSA crew worked as a great team, bringing it all together.  Huge thank yous to Tomm Becker, Dan Carroll, Claire Maitre, Ed Weymouth, David Kangas, Noah Miller, Hillary Bisnett, Monica Patel, Kevin and Heather Green, Troy and Jana Sibson, Marge Everhart, Scooter Merrins, Jessica and Maybelle Feeman,  Cosman and Mici Orlandea, Diane Gregor, Marie Stanyer, Mary Skiver, Rob Henderson, Laura Dikeman, Steve and Gwynn Stinnett, Christine and Lucy Modey, Asia and Melody Korkmaz, Sue and Preston Barker, Bonnie Janney, Julie and Madeline Simons, Christine Ballman, Margot Bell, and Finn the dog.  Along with Janet and Fox, their children worked impressively hard. Props to Sean and Aiden Adelmann, and Freya Kniaz for really stepping up for their family farm.

We’re feeling pretty happy, standing in front of RP&F’s 6th hoop house.  And, we’re already thinking ahead to hoops 7 and 8.  Come join us Saturday August 28th for hoop number 7 at Capella Farm on Scio Church Road.  It’s going to be a fun build on some beautiful land, with an awesome party later that evening.  Sign up here if you would like to be part of the adventure.

Although I wasn’t home for Dan Vernia and crew’s latest breakfast extravaganza, I heard all about how delicious it was.  We are so lucky to have Dan and his wonderful sous chefs cooking for us on a regular basis.  Dan has remarkable skills, makes it all look easy, and consistently captures the flavor and beauty of seasonal ingredients in tasty new ways.

There were two specials this week.  The first was an Orleans Benedict, featuring a base of warm cornbread, topped with a chicken and sausage gumbo, a thick slice of roasted tomato, and a perfect poached egg.

The second special was a beautiful vegetarian tofu and roasted red pepper terrine,  sliced thick and served with sauteed greens, onions, shitake mushrooms and leeks.    

There are lots of people to thank this week.  It was wonderful to have Olivia May back in the kitchen Thursday evening, helping Dan facilitate prep, along with Alex Briske, Karen Walsaren, Codi Sharp, Anne Karle-Zenitz, Olivia Gramprie, Chelsea Cendrowski, Jennifer Jensen, Jennifer and Connor Haines, Laurie, Lager, Elizabeth Beers, Rex Roof, Mary Gallagher and Michelle LaPrairie.  Thank you all for making it happen! 

Big thanks to our Friday morning volunteers too, including Rob Caplis who stepped up as host for the first time this week!  Thank you also to Rex Roof, Scooter Merrins, Anne Brazauskas, Jen Horton, Andrew Bozio, Lisa Dugdale, Kris Kaul and Kellen McGee.  I heard that service was terrific, and it was really sweet to return home Friday night to a clean kitchen! Thank you so much to everyone for their help.

If you saw the earlier blog post from this week, you already know that we have our Selma Cafe t-shirts, tote bags and aprons for sale! We also have some fun Selma Cafe mini-bumper stickers for only $1 that are perfect for a bike basket, car bumper, or your favorite notebook! We got it all for sale starting this Friday during breakfast, so be sure to check it out when you come by.

Enjoy the rest of your week, and I’m looking forward to seeing you in our kitchen soon.

~Lisa

It was a big week here at Selma Cafe.  Suzy Lipton of TOG is hitting the road for some new adventures, but before she leaves town, she and her new TOG replacement, Elena Levin, brought us breakfast.  And a fab breakfast it was!

The first special was a Georgian (the country, not the state) cheesy bread called Khachapuri, that was pan fried, making it crispy on the outside and soft and rich with melted cheese in the middle. Served with a side of tomato and eggplant compote, bacon or sausage, and some ripe, sweet melon from Sunseed Farm, this special was the ultimate in Eastern European comfort food.

The second special was a celebration of our veggie summer harvest here in this part of the mitten.  Yellow squash, zucchini, onions and herbs were nestled in a flaky wheat crust, covered in a cheese and egg custard.  Served with sausage or bacon, melon, and a thick chunk of heirloom tomato, the flavor of this quiche was delicate, yet filling.  Both specials were delicious, and there were no left overs when breakfast came to a close.

We also had a third special this week, thanks to Rocky Barnett, a traveling chef from Food and Water Watch, along with Sophie Ackoff, Tonya Eckert, and Katie Kiefer.  Rocky offered us a savory waffle with roasted herb chicken and caramelized apricots.  It was great having Rocky in our kitchen, and  his crew stepped right up and helped out with serving our 12o guests.

Here we are with (from left) Rocky, Tonya, Sophie and Katie. Food and Water Watch is doing some pretty amazing stuff, so take a moment to read about their mission here.

It was such a busy morning, we were happy to seat folks outside, which was a pleasant option under the umbrella.

We also were lucky enough to meet traveling Bob and his pup Bogart at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market last Wednesday, and we invited him to visit Selma Cafe with his special kindness bus.

Bob and Bogart travel around the United States visiting schools and college campus’s sharing his message of One Million Acts of Kindness.  His bus is an amazing 3-D canvas that is a work in progress.

the side view

a view of the back

representin' on the bus!

On top of everything else going on, we also had the weekly CSA delivery from Sunseed Farm in our driveway.  Lately they have had extra fruit, veggies and flowers to sell, in addition to their CSA shares.  Be sure to catch up with them some Friday soon. Their harvest is amazing.

melons

basil and garlic

sunflowers

cukes, cabage, eggplant and beets

I’m sure it’s clear to you by now, that Friday Mornings@SELMA wouldn’t be possible without the ongoing support of our wonderful volunteers. This week we have a lot of volunteers to thank.  Thursday evening prep thanks go to Michelle Fortin and Dan Vernia for facilitating, and Aron Hegyi, Chelsea Cendrowski, Olivia Gramprie, Mary Iannone, Alex Briske, Heidi Weise, Patrick, Charles and Simone Racine, and Jennifer and Connor Haines for getting every thing done that needed doing.

Friday morning volunteers were equally fantastic.  Thank you to Kellen Mcgee for expediting, Dan Vernia for being everywhere at once, and Jennifer Haines, Jen Horton, Jennifer Jensen, Ray Carr, Joel Panozzo, Judith and Sarah Rontal, Sarah Juster, Lisa Dugdale, Sophie Ackoff, Tonya Eckert, Katie Kiefer, and Nevon Clark.

Thanks again Susy, Elena and Rocky for making us the delicious specials that make Friday Mornings@SELMA so terrific.

stickers for you and your loved ones!

Finally, Bob left us a whole stack of mini bumper stickers to give away to anyone who wants one.  They’re here, so come by and feel free to take one.  May it remind and encourage you to keep those acts of kindness coming.

Next week we are lucky enough to have Dan Vernia and his awesome crew cooking us up some awesome breakfast again. Don’t miss it!

I hope to see you around our kitchen soon,

~Lisa

Nick Roumel, and his daughter Olivia came back for their third guest chef appearance, and they wowed us once again.  Nick approached us a few weeks back with the idea of pork ribs as a main component of a Selma Cafe breakfast special.  Of course, we love all things pork, but ribs for breakfast?  Nick was quick to assure us that his recipe would be just right due to the abundance of orange marmalade in the sauce.  “Everyone loves orange marmalade for breakfast, right?”  He had a huge grin on his face, and his enthusiasm was palpable.  So, pork ribs it was.  And not just pork ribs.  They went out on the plates in style–with ham dotted collard greens, roasted corn on the cob slathered with herb butter, corn bread served with a vinegar flavored corn relish, and a dollop of peach and blueberry crisp.  Those plates were heavy! Take a look.

For those less enthused by meat regardless of the time of day,  Nick offered a meatless option.  Instead of the ribs, he fried up some eggs, and in place of the collards he sliced some beautiful and perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes.  The rest of the sides were the same.

From all the oohs and aahs, it sure sounded like everyone was happy with their choices.  Nick and Olivia are a really great team, and it doesn’t hurt to have all our wonderful volunteers helping them out.  Big thanks to our Thursday evening prep crew.  Susie Baity Stearns and Michelle Fortin facilitated prep this week, along with Amanda Schott, Jennifer Jensen,  Chris Wick, Jennifer and Conner Haines, Edward Weymouth, JD Rubin, Christine Deucher, Charles and Simone Racine and Mary Gallagher.  It was a late night, and we sure appreciate everyone’s efforts to be ready for the morning.

Friday morning volunteers deserve a big thank you too.  Kellen McGee was our expediter, and Jennifer Jensen, Michelle Fortin, Rachel Chadderdon,  Courtney Peterson, Joel Panozzo, Lisa Dugdale, Kris Kaul, Andrew Bozio, Rachel Gooze, Ed Weymouth and Nevon Clark rounded out this  terrific crew.  I may have forgotten someone–if you volunteered or know someone who did and they aren’t mentioned here, please let me know.

Sunseed Farm was here with their CSA shares, and this week, in addition to veggies, they had the most beautiful sunflowers and gladiolas.

Here’s  the lovely Mrs. Sunseed, aka Trilby Becker, with a couple of the pretty bunches.

I love measuring where we are in summer not by the date, by what is available in the CSA shares.  As we move deeply into the harvest, I hope you support our local farmers by buying their produce and flowers.

In addition to our usual breakfast deliciousness and CSA pick up location, we also had a special visit from the Roos Roast Coffee Trike, pedaled over to our place by the big-smiling Ryan.   That trike has a pretty amazing set-up, and the trek up the  Soule Boulevard hill is impressive. Thank you Ryan!

This coming Friday we have the Kerrytown based Taste Our Goods gals cooking up a storm.  Don’t miss ‘em! I’m looking forward to seeing you in our kitchen soon, and until then, enjoy the beauty and the bounty of summer  here in the palm of the mitten.

~Lisa