In Our Spring 2016 Issue

FROM THE EDITOR

Spring Beauty

There is natural art to be found outdoors in every season. In winter the crystalline formations of ice, in autumn bare tree limbs seem etched into gray skies, and summer gives us colors—all of them at once, everywhere at once.

And spring! Spring is bright splashes of color on a dry brown canvas, coiled green fronds breaking ground and unfurling, the music of songbirds, the dance of pea tendrils seeking support, the sculpted surfaces of bare land glimpsed briefly before cloaking again in a mantle of green.

Always so relieved to get through another winter, it's an extra blessing to enjoy the beauty that comes with spring. And so much of that beauty has to do with food, but that only makes sense, right? See orchard rows in bloom and we think of cherries, fields turning green could be sweet corn or wheat. And morels must be their own category of art—homely yet uniquely appealing because they trigger such savory thoughts!

With Edible Grande Traverse we share the stories of local foods in season, and this spring they come with an extra dose of aesthetic appreciation. In these pages you'll find a call to see our farming and agronomic works as a pursuit of beauty, and there is the beauty of a luscious and decorated cake for special occasions this strawberry season. There are artful spring recipes, including a salad you can not only eat but—get out your colored pencils—relax into a coloring project with, too.

In part 2 of an exploration into the local hop scene we share how brewers are using the new hops as a fresh palette of flavors for their beers. We explore how the local coffee community is seeking excellence in their art by working together to raise the bar on quality. We even practice the art of sustainability: how to harvest leeks from the woods with an ethos that recognizes their vulnerability in the landscape.

As we start this fresh growing season and our ninth year of publication, we'd like to thank our advertisers for their support all these years. Through their food and entrepreneurial arts they've helped build the local food systems in the Grand Traverse region. We look forward to the years ahead, many delicious, healthy meals and friends and neighbors to share them with.

Happy spring!

-Barb Tholin, Publisher