Margaret Wappler

Last year, among the hustle and bustle of office workers and El commuters, Green City Market set up shop in a cramped alleyway next to the Chicago Theatre. Featuring locally grown foods, the market was run conjointly by the city and Abby Mandel, along with other Chicago food professionals.

"We got this initial start because the mayor wanted to warm up that area for the permanent market," Mandel explains. "We tested well as a pilot project for the city." The Green City Market has since moved to the north lot of the Chicago Historical Society, a much more picturesque location. Along with that change, the market has also become a private, not-for-profit organization, with Mandel still residing as director--and managing a jam-packed schedule. In addition to writing a weekly column on food for the Chicago Tribune and contributing to Dallas Morning News and the L.A. Times, Mandel is working on her eighth cookbook and is soon taking over as president of Les Dames d'Escoffier International, a wine and hospitality group for women who've done distinguished work in their careers. So why bother with a weekly farmer's market? Mandel, whose tireless energy transpires even over the phone, explains: "Out of everything I'm doing, the market is the most exciting and challenging thing. This is a passion and an obsession for me."

What makes Green City Market different from others is its commitment to being a market that only sells sustainably raised products. "All our growers either grow everything organically, or they are very mindful of using herbicides and pesticides," Mandel says. When Mandel was approached by the city last year to start the market, she admits that her ideas didn't necessarily include using organic foods. "It wasn't so altruistic," she laughs. First and foremost, Mandel says, she was after excellence. "And I wanted to attract people in the area by doing something different. But I got so involved in the commitment of these growers and producers. I want to continue to highlight these growers so they can be supported."

In addition to benefiting the growers, Mandel and others involved in Green City Market want to build a food community, a network of chefs and other food professionals to educate the consumer on not only cooking techniques and skills, but also on how product choices affect their food. Sarah Stegner, head chef at the Dining Room of the Ritz-Carlton and member of the executive committee of Green City Market, attests that one of the main tenets of the market is about "us not losing our choices. To have that opportunity to eat something that just came from the ground and to know how it's been handled--that's a privilege. Also, whether you follow my cooking techniques or not, it doesn't matter if you can't get good product."

Does the public want or need a food community? Stegner affirms that there is a "learning curve" that the market has had to accommodate with plenty of education--after all, the market is seasonable and only carries what can be grown locally. "Some people don't understand why there isn't corn or tomatoes when they come, but that's not seasonal. The key challenge is raising people's awareness of what sustainable is, and what it means. They've [the customers] really embraced it, once they've been educated."

Though the market may be limited, Mandel says, "We sell more varieties of things than people can eat. And the wealth of what we do have helps to build appreciation of what's available in the Midwest." Elaine Rosen, a customer turned volunteer, is impressed by what the market has to offer. "They have plenty of exotic and unusual things. [For instance], they have varieties of potatoes that not even Whole Foods carries."

Rosen, a former biology and nutrition professor with the City Colleges of Chicago, says she enjoys the market for the hands-on nature between the farmers, chefs and the consumer. "I like the experience of asking these farmers how they grow the food." Green City Market also has a popular event where chefs come and shop at the market and then do a cooking demo, sharing the results with the crowd. Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill, an avid user of organic produce, is on the roster, in addition to Paul Kahan of Blackbird and Mas chef John Manion. "It's real personal contact," Rosen says. "You get to see how a talented chef would use raw materials."

Rosen also hopes to coordinate the faculty and students of the City Colleges with Green City Market. "Having taught in the City Colleges, I want to persuade faculty and students to become more active in this. Its important for consumers, but also for students studying biology--this is like a living laboratory." In the meantime, Mandel is optimistic that Green City Market will make its desired impact. "The restaurants that use our products, you can taste the difference. There is more clarity of flavor and freshness. It improves the quality of food on the table. People can't help but pay attention to that."

Green City Market is open Wednesdays, 11am-6pm (2000-07-27)

Also by Margaret Wappler

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