Edible Michiana

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Edible Michiana

We are a quarterly magazine that promotes the local food movement in Indiana & Michigan. Edible Michiana values local, seasonal foods and culinary traditions.

We celebrate the family farmers who work tirelessly to bring us the freshest local produce and dedicate themselves to healthier and more sustainable methods of working with animals and the land. We savor the creations of our local chefs, food artisans and home cooks—individuals who continually innovate to excite us with the unique flavors of this region. We share the stories and triumphs of these

and other community leaders working to change the ways we eat in Michiana through their dedication to the highest quality, local seasonal foods. Through our printed publication, website, newsletter and events, we aim to connect consumers with these local growers, retailers, chefs, artisans and community leaders, enabling those relationships to grow and thrive in a mutually beneficial, healthful, and economically viable way. We are part of a growing national movement throughout this country encouraging people to eat more locally grown and locally produced foods. By eating locally, we help sustain the small family farms that grow these foods, we enjoy food that is fresher and healthier for us and we help reduce the cost to the environment of transporting foods over long distances.

08/21/2026

The latest issue is now available throughout Elkhart County and the entire Michiana region! Have you gotten your copy yet?

08/19/2026

Southwest Michigan! You can now find the newest issue of Edible Michiana at your favorite businesses around the region.

08/17/2026

Score the latest issue of Edible Michiana in South Bend and Mishawaka! That includes at the Garden Patch Market where you'll find bulk ingredients, fresh vegetables, and more for your next culinary creation.

08/14/2026

We are thrilled to announce our Harvest 2026 issue of Edible Michiana!

"Fundamentals" will be arriving across northern Indiana and southwest Michigan in the coming week, featuring Verdant Hollow Farm's own goats, captured by photographer Shayna Breslin.

Find your nearest copy of the latest issue at EdibleMichiana.com

08/11/2026

Gyoza is the Japanese version of the popular Chinese dumplings known as potstickers. Both start with a wheat dough rolled out and stuffed with a filling of meat or vegetables. The dumplings are then steamed, boiled or pan fried or, in this case, pan fried, steamed and then pan fried again! Our version contains fresh bok choy, ground pork and plenty of umami. For a vegetarian version, replace the pork with 2 cups of vegetables (shredded carrots, chopped kimchi, or more chopped mushrooms or bok choy).

Find the recipe for our Savory Bok Choy Gyoza on our website, where you can also find many of our previously published recipes!

https://ediblemichiana.ediblecommunities.com/eat/savory-bok-choy-gyoza-recipe/

Recipe and photos by: Ashley Swartzendruber

08/05/2026

This Summer Panzanella Salad is great for any potluck or outdoor dinner party. It's filling and packed full of those late summer flavors that we aren't quite ready to say goodbye to yet. Don’t stress about the ingredients and measurements—it is meant to be rustic and flexible. Try peaches or plums instead of nectarines, swap arugula for a different green, or add cucumbers instead of salami to make it vegetarian.

Find the recipe on our website along with all our other previously published recipes!

https://ediblemichiana.ediblecommunities.com/recipe/recipes-summer-panzanella-salad/

Recipe and photos by: Ashley Swartzendruber

07/31/2026

After 50 years, John Nelson is retiring, and this Saturday is the final u-pick of the season at the Blueberry Ranch near Mishawaka. For decades, families have made the drive out to fill their buckets, and John has watched whole generations move through the rows. Kids who once picked here now bring their own grandkids.

If you've got a Blueberry Ranch memory, Saturday is your chance to make one more. Berries are running low, so come early. And if you can't get out there, the Ranch will still have frozen blueberries on hand.

John isn't ready to see the tradition end. He's looking for the right person to take the reins and keep the u-pick going, maybe even grow it. Here's hoping Michiana's favorite blueberry patch finds its next chapter.

Learn more about the Blueberry Ranch and its legacy in our previous Edible Michiana feature: https://ediblemichiana.ediblecommunities.com/shop/shop-beautiful-blue-tradition/

Thank you, John, for 50 sweet years. 💙

07/30/2026

Growing up, summer at Grandma and Grandpa’s meant roller-skating in the driveway with my sister, watching Shirley Temple movies, tinkering in Grandpa’s workshop, crafting with Grandma and watching Grandpa put out a huge glass jar to make sun tea in the morning. His was filled with water and Lipton tea bags.

Now that I have four kiddos of my own, I have carried on the tradition, but with plants we find here at our farm. Although you could easily boil water on the stovetop, there’s something special about letting the crushed plants steep in the sunshine. The time you wait only makes the final cup more enjoyable. The kids and I head out for a morning walk to pick some of our favorites to make a concoction that is unique every time. Then we seal the lid and let the plants do that magical infusion with the help of the glorious summer sun. There are plenty of plants just outside your door that you can use to make a refreshing drink and great memories with your kids. Be sure to select plants from land that you know has not been sprayed with pesticides, make sure to leave some plants behind (do not over-harvest), and, of course, identify all plants with 100% certainty before using them in your tea. Not sure how to do that? Ask around! Seek out a mentor or a friend who gardens and has extra mint to share. You might be surprised how many gardeners or nature lovers can identify common “w**ds” to use for tea. You could also reach out to your local Master Gardener’s group to see if anyone could volunteer some time helping you identify plants. Or, if you’re not up for picking plants from your yard, lots of these plants can be purchased and added to your sun tea with the same lovely results.

Plants to experiment with:
Red and white clover, Lemon balm, Rose petals, Sweet cicely, Chamomile, Hibiscus, Pineapple w**d, Dried stinging nettle, Raspberry leaf, Mint, or Elder flower

Fill a large glass jar (maybe an old pickle jar) with cold water and plants and leave it outdoors in a sunny spot to infuse for 4 to 8 hours. The longer you leave it to steep, the stronger it will be. I usually use about 1 cup of plant matter for 1 gallon of water, but each plant will vary in strength, so have fun tinkering with the amounts to make a tea that you love. You can add a sq**rt of honey to encourage newbie tea drinkers to have a taste.

Article and Photos by: Amanda Jo Boener

https://ediblemichiana.ediblecommunities.com/recipes/recipes-sun-tea-plants/

07/28/2026

A large portion of most watermelons is discarded, but this doesn’t have to be the case. The white part of a watermelon rind has a texture similar to cucumbers—not surprising, since they are in the same family of flowering plants. What is left once the tough outer green skin is removed from the rind is a perfect vessel for pickling. They are wonderfully sweet and sour, perfect for tossing on a charcuterie board or into a crisp summer salad.

Pickled Watermelon Rinds:
5 pounds watermelon rind (from a 12-pound watermelon)
4 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup pickling salt
4 cups distilled white vinegar
½ tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole allspice
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
6 cinnamon sticks

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the tough outer green skin from the watermelon rind and discard. When removing the watermelon flesh from the white rind, keep about ¼ inch of the pink flesh attached to the rind. This adds color and flavor to the finished pickles. Cut the reserved rind into bite-size cubes. In a large pot, combine the cubed rind, sugar, salt, vinegar and spices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the pickles simmer, fill a large water bath canner with water and bring it to a boil. When the pickles are done simmering, remove the cinnamon sticks from the pot. Use a wide-mouth funnel to evenly distribute the hot rinds and brine into sterile pint jars. Leave ¼ inch of headroom. Wipe the rims clean with hot water or vinegar and place rubber lids and screw tops onto each jar. Process the jars in the boiling hot water bath for 10 minutes. Label the jars and store in a cool, dark place. Any jars that do not seal properly can be placed in the refrigerator and consumed within a month.

https://ediblemichiana.ediblecommunities.com/recipes/recipes-pickled-watermelon-rinds/

Recipe and photos by: Ashley Swartzendruber

07/24/2026

This salad—sweet, salty, fresh and smoky— is full of the summer flavors we love and is stocked full of summer produce. It's perfect for an outdoor dinner party. You can prep the ingredients in advance and adjust the amount of heat by using more or less hot sauce. If you can’t find Cotija cheese, feta will work, too.

Find the recipe for our Grilled Sweet Corn, Peach and Zucchini Salad below:

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime zest
¼ cup lime juice
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more for grilling
2 teaspoons hot sauce
6 ears sweet corn
3 peaches
2 small zucchini
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced into wedges
½ red onion, halved and sliced
1 small bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped
4 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled
Instructions

To make the dressing, combine mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt and hot sauce in a small jar. Stir until well blended and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high. Shuck the corn and remove the silk. Pit the peaches and slice them into wedges. Slice the zucchini into ½-inch diagonal pieces and place them on a large tray along with the peaches.

Lightly brush the canola oil over the corn, peaches and zucchini and sprinkle with salt. Place the corn, zucchini and peaches on the grill, working in batches if you need to. Grill the zucchini and peaches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until grill marks appear. Grill the corn for about 10 minutes total, turning every 2 minutes to char all around. Set aside to cool, then remove the corn kernels from the cobs.

In a large serving bowl, layer half of the peaches, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and Cotija cheese. Repeat with the remainder of these ingredients. Serve and add dressing once plated.

Recipe and photos by: Ashley Swartzendruber

https://ediblemichiana.ediblecommunities.com/recipe/recipes-grilled-sweet-corn-peach-and-zucchini-salad/

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701 S Main Street South Bend, IN
South Bend, IN
46601

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