Winter Chill
For eight years running, Bloomington Community Farmers' Market has hosted a soup tasting event to give the community a chance to sample different soups made from locally grown crops. There was no better time for the soup tasting this year -- it took place the morning after Bloomington's first snowfall.
Around 500 locals came bundled up and tasted various types of soups from eleven local restaurants and chefs.
According to Marcia Veldman, Farmers' Market Coordinator, the event aims "to promote the market in the late season and give people more ideas on how they can prepare the products available in the market."
Vegetarian Soup
The soup tasting gave consumers the chance to bond with chefs over the warm goodness. Visitors were also able to take home complementary recipes from each booth.
A taster smiled before leaving The Owlery Vegetarian Restaurant, saying she was thrilled they were serving the Moroccan Stew.
Chef at The Owlery Toby Foster shares the taster's enthusiasm. "It is a popular dish that we do not serve very often [because] it is a longer recipe, but I thought it would be good for today." The recipe is filled with spicy seasonings and veggies to give the soup maximum flavor.
The Owlery wasn't the only booth offering vegetarian-friendly soups. Ivy Tech Culinary Arts Program offered a vegan option. President of the Ivy Tech Culinary Club Tanya Cox-Endris served a Curried Banana Squash, a recipe that was created in the test kitchens at Ivy Tech. "I love curry and we wanted to serve something that could be consumed by the majority of the community because it is vegan and gluten free," explains Cox-Endris.
Community Love
"These type of events truly bring the community together in a positive way," says student Zachary Cook, as he made the rounds at the soup tasting. "It is neat to see all ages gathering together to enjoy food that is supplied by other people in our community."
More: If you're looking to get your farmers market fix this holiday weekend, check out the 12th annual Holiday Market in downtown Bloomington this Saturday, November 29. Here are all the details.
