Riverside Inn Saskatoon Glaze

The Riverside Inn is located on the Leland River near downtown Leland, Michigan.  The 107 year old Inn offers bed and breakfast rooms, waterfront views and casual fine dining.  The Riverside Inn in know as one of the most romantic places to visit in Northern Michigan. 

Here is a recipe from their talented chef Chris Hoffman featuring Saskatoon Berries.

Riverside Inn Saskatoon Glaze~

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Sugar
1 balsamic vinegar
2 cups port
6 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cornstarch
1/2 water
4 cups Saskatoon berries

Procedure: In a heavy bottom pot, over low heat, cook sugar with 1 tablespoon of vinegar until golden brown.  Carefully whisk in vinegar and port and cook until sugar melts into liquid.  Bring to boil and cook until reduced by half.  Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir until smooth.  Add berries to stock and bring back to a boil.  Slowly add cornstarch slurry until the desired thickness is achieved.  All the the slurry may not be needed.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add salt, pepper and brandy and cook 1 additional minute.  Remove from heat.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  To serve, spoon over grilled duck breast or slow roasted pork belly.  This recipe is perfect served over duck breast or duck confit. 

This recipe was featured in the Leelanau Enterprise.  Saskatoons can be purchased at The Leland Mercantile in Leland and Hansen's in Suttons Bay. 

Berries For Sale!

Grade A IQF Saskatoon Berries from Blue Sky Farms

Last week was my first time at the West Michigan Co-op and it was awesome.  The day started by weighing, bagging, sealing and labeling Saskatoons. Usually this is a rather quick process for me but this time it was different thanks to the 43 orders I had to fill for the Co-op.  After 2 1/2 hours and a few cups of spilled berries I was off with a cooler chock full of fruit and a head full of excitement. 

Meghan and Mo (Mo is very animated which makes her hard to photograph apparently)

Once I arrived at the Co-op site in Grand Rapids I met Danielle who is an extremely helpful and friendly volunteer.  She gave me a table to use for the night ( note to self: bring your own) and a sign to hang at my booth.  From there I set-up my stuff and had a look around.  The Co-op uses the Media Rare building as it headquarters and save a more finished (and heated) office area, the whole thing is essentially a giant warehouse.  My booth was next to Mo (Maura) Ennenga of Alaskan Premium Seafoods and she and I chatted while we watched other vendors begin to arrive.  Mo gave me the in's and out's of the Co-op process and made me feel at home and comfortable in my new surroundings.  She and I talked about the best practices for sealing and transporting frozen goods, the best places to list our businesses, the most effective ways to market and sell our products and a whole lot of personal stuff too.  She, my friend Meghan (who came to help me out for the night) and I chatted all night long both amongst ourselves and with all of the members who came to pick up their fruit and their fish. 

1lb IQF Saskatoons

It was a fast paced evening but I was able to steal away for a few minutes to collect my own orders while Meghan (wo)manned the booth.  I picked up some nitrate free, hickory smoked bacon and some garlic kielbasa from Creswick Farms, the best granola I have ever had from Daily De-Lish, a whole, grass fed chicken from Grassfield's Cheese, some great fig, spelt bread from Earthly Kneads and eggs from Crane Dance Farms.  I can't tell you how good it felt to speak face to face with the people responsible for growing and baking all of the food in my basket.  Each person was so knowledgeable and friendly and it was apparent after speaking to them that they genuinely love what they do.  I can only hope that each person that left my booth that evening felt the same way about me and my project as I did about each of the other vendors.
The end of the night brought any emptied Saskatoon cooler and full appreciation for organizations like the West Michigan Co-op who bring together the best vendors and producers and the people who recognize and desire healthy, clean food and products.  I'm really looking forward to next month.....

Some days I have to laugh, I mean who would have thought three years ago that I would be spending Saturdays at Small Farm Conferences and hours on the phone to import tons of frozen fruit by choice?  I sure didn't, but I can't say that when I sit back and really reflect on how I was raised and where I'm from that I'm all that surprised, in fact it makes pretty good sense.  My dad had me starting vegetable plants from seeds before I could walk and in doing so cultivated in me a passion for produce, and I love a challenge-always have.  Jumping on board this Saskatoon train both fuels and fires me up.  I'm excited for the potential for this crop in the Midwest and for the opportunities it could provide to local growers. I'm proud of the nutritional and antioxidant value of the fruit and the growing preferences of the plants which require long, cold winters.  I love talking to and learning from farmers who keep me on my toes, and tasting new recipes from local chefs, brew masters and jam makers.  So far soooo good, and so rewarding.  I'll take a Saturday seminar on composting over a pedicure any day.