FROM FARM TO TABLE ~ MAKING IT BETTER

(Lush Greenery ~ Concord Place Harvest Rooftop Hydroponic Garden)

When one thinks about concepts like organic and sustainable farming, or the trendy farm to table dining, most don’t think of a hydroponic garden that’s designed, cultivated and nurtured by retirees perched at the top of their residential community.  Yet, Concord Place Retirement & Assisted Living Community (Northlake, IL) decided to shake things up a bit with a twist on a familiar theme. 

By the spring of this year, the issue of utilizing Concord Place’s rooftop space as a more productive component for the residents took on new meaning; the rooftop area previously had been used as a growing space for residents’ houseplants because of the greenhouse effect.  Once it was determined how to better utilize the space by, the issue of transforming it into something not only the residents could take ownership of and pride in designing, developing and maintaining, but their harvests would also yield healthy produce that their four in-house chefs would utilize in their daily menus.  

David Friedman, whose company, F&F Realty, owns and operates Concord Place, and is very passionate about the sustainability movement and using local food sources.  According to Friedman, “The Rooftop Hydroponic Garden has become a place that is easily accessible for the residents and encourages them to learn, grow, share knowledge and enjoy the harvest.  It has given many of our seniors a sense of purpose. They are able to grow their own food, which is used in Concord Place's kitchen. They are actually taking part in feeding their own community, while learning about local food sources and sustainability."

Another plus was being able to share the produce with area restaurants that are equally committed to using local and sustainable ingredients in their menu offerings.  The restaurants have their chefs come out and harvest the produce for their menu creations.  Currently, restaurants working closely with and the Concord Place Harvest Rooftop Garden include Glen Prairie (Glen Ellyn), Dine Restaurant and Metro Klub (Chicago), Chicago Fire Oven (Rosemont), Karma Asian Cuisine & Fine Wine and Karma Pub (Mundelein), and Birch River Grill (Arlington Heights).  All of these restaurants pride themselves on offering distinctive menu items that use locally sourced and sustainable ingredients, which is what Concord Place Harvest Rooftop Garden offers.  The chefs will also collaborate with the resident farmers and project manager on which plant varieties will work well in this unique growing space.  Another plus is that the growing environment can be modified to conform to the outdoor temperature and humidity levels, virtually creating a growing space that yields yearly varieties of produce that otherwise would be limited seasonality, if grown outdoors.  The recirculating water is another plus for sustainability.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Concord Place Harvest Rooftop Garden to see this concept.  I was impressed with the variety of produce being grown hydroponically.  What’s great about this method of growing is that it requires less real estate to grow things, doesn’t rely on dirt, utilizes up to ninety-percent less water for cultivation, and d itself to a more rapid growth cycle, so multiple harvest can be acquired year round; it also produces a cleaner grown product, since it doesn’t originate from soil.  Some of the produce being grown includes several varieties of leaf lettuces, arugula, several varieties of basil, cilantro, thyme, mint, oregano, and Italian flat leaf parsley; newer items being tested for suitability include nasturtium, snap peas, Swiss chard, lavender, and micro-greens; seasonally, they had good luck with summer tomato and cucumber varieties and are looking forward to growing more next year. 

I know how thrilled I become whenever I see something grow that I’ve planted and nurtured, which wasn’t any different than what the current band of resident farmers who regularly tend the Garden must feel.  Overseeing the budding resident farmers (Sharon West, Nancy Davis, and Louise Dellert) is Topiarius Project Manager Samantha Lewerenz.  The farmers are understandably excited about their involvement in this effort, and are eager to learn as much as they can about the process, and considering when the project first began, none of them had had any experience with hydroponics, it’s amazing what they’ve been able to grasp in a relatively short amount of time.

After the tour and talk, we all had a chance to sit down and enjoy a deliciously prepared lunch that included many of the harvested items as added ingredients.

Harvested produce used in our luncheon items included sweet basil, arugula, red leaf and Romaine lettuces, parsley, and mint.  The taste from fresh-picked produce added an incredible freshness to the grilled chicken breast and pesto on the ciabatta sandwich and the grilled portobello on pretzel roll sandwich; the quinoa salad was tasty, as was the mixed greens salad.  It’s remarkable how much tastier a dish is when prepared with fresh harvested produce, versus something that tastes “flat” because the produce used was probably stale and old from excessive storage and/or transit.  Fresh is always best and these new farmers are putting themselves into this new venture whole-heartedly and accentuating the "fresh" beautifully.

~ Closing Nugget ~

I was so happy to get the opportunity to harvest some of the produce to take home.  The following day, I made a scrumptious omelet for breakfast that was filled with fresh minced sweet basil, oregano, parsley, and cilantro; for dinner, I made a delicious fresh garden salad with arugula, and leaf lettuces.  Using fresh produce, especially herbs, can turn a recipe from ordinary into something that's extraordinary.  Try growing your own produce and enjoy the wonders of seeing the seed become a living, edible plant; or, visit a local farmer’s market, when in season, and take advantage of the harvest bounty.

That’s it for this edition.  Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your culinary curiosity.  Happy cooking…happy eating!

By Terry Herman

TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and wine.  She has been covering culinary related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle.  Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events such as the International Home+Housewares Show, the National Restaurant Show and the Sweets and Snacks Expo.  She has been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content.  She has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards.  She has a background in strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking.  Her social media outreach includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.

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(All photos by Cindy Kurman, President, Kurman Communications.)