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Geneva pantry stressing locally produced foods for holiday
By Emily Jurlina | Daily Herald Correspondent
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Renee Ferguson of Geneva, who worked as a Butterball help line operator for several years, shows Judy Smith of Bartlett recipes in her book, "Talk Turkey to Me" while at Inglenook Pantry in Geneva.

 

Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Renee Ferguson of Geneva, who worked as a Butterball help line operator for several years, signs a copy of her book, "Talk Turkey to Me" for a customer at Inglenook Pantry in Geneva.

 

Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com

Beth Propst of Erehwon Farm in Elburn helps Barb Koslow of Carol Stream pick out some locally grown greens Saturday at the Geneva Green Market's Thanksgiving prep event at Inglenook Pantry in Geneva.

 

Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

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Published: 11/22/2009 12:01 AM

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Move over, Martha.

While they have no intention of usurping Stewart's title as leader of the culinary scene, the folks at Geneva's Inglenook Pantry hope their staff and locally produced food will at least change where you buy your holiday meal supplies this year.

The pantry sponsored its third annual community winter market Saturday morning, an event geared toward helping organic foodies and neophytes alike plan their holiday dinners.

"We want people to think locally when they're buying food," said Karen Stark, a member of Geneva Green Market NFP, the not-for-profit that owns Inglenook Pantry.

"We want people to work toward having their Thanksgiving meal, if not just one dish, feature 100 percent locally produced food."

For those who are thinking of switching to organic or locally produced food, Stark recommends starting small by purchasing things like eggs or produce and tasting the difference.

"We would like for Kane County to be able to feed its own population - and we want to put this food out there. We hope you can find everything you need for your Thanksgiving table here," Stark said.

The smells of stuffing, pastries and turkey permeated the air as visitors browsed the pantry's selection of freshly produced apples, potatoes, greens and cheeses being sold by area merchants.

"We have eggs that were produced five miles from here. It doesn't get much more local than that," Rob Murphy, owner of Curds and Whey Cheese Company said.

Murphy, of St. Charles, sells a variety of cheeses not readily available in area grocery stores out of his booth at Inglenook.

In addition to produce, the public also could sample farm-raised turkey prepared by Jennifer Downing, a chef who offers cooking classes at Inglenook.

"My goal is to get people involved in locally grown food," Downing said. "Locally grown food helps the local economy and it helps raise an awareness of where our food comes from."

For those who really wanted to get down and "talk turkey," Renee Ferguson, a Geneva resident who appeared two years ago on Food Network's "Throwdown! With Bobby Flay," was on-site, selling copies of her cookbook, "Talk Turkey to Me."

Ferguson spent 14 years working the phones as a Butterball Turkey help line expert and welcomed the opportunity to dole out tasty morsels of advice at one of her favorite food markets.

"There is something about (Inglenook Pantry) and other places in Geneva," she said. "It feels like you've stepped back in time. (Inglenook) really cares about people and food. It's like comfort food and comfort people here."

First-time Inglenook shopper Linda Richman, of Glen Ellyn, agrees.

"I'm here buying my turkey because I wanted it to be organic and local," said Richman, who first heard about Inglenook from a Web site.

"I think this place is fantastic and I'm going to come back. Everyone here is so friendly and the quality is just amazing."

Inglenook will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first three Saturdays in December. For more information, visit genevagreenmarket.org.

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