Feature Friday: circle city meats

Since 2007, pastry chef Cindy Hawkins has been rounding the town with her baked treats. From farmers market booths and retail shops, Circle City Sweets has developed a reputation for treats as delicious as they are photogenic...just check out Cindy's macaroon glamour shot on the cover of Indianapolis Monthly.

Now with a permanent counter inside the City Market, Cindy's sweets are available six days a week, and they're sidling up to some savories, too. Chef Roger Hawkins used to crash Cindy's booth one day a week to pour steaming bowls of corn chowder made with local produce from the farmers market just steps away.

Recently Cindy and Roger expanded their City Market kitchen for Circle City Soups, offering a daily soup-and-sandwich spread that changes with the seasons. Check out Circle City Soup's facebook page for updates on the rotating menu, and look for Smoking Goose meats to be circling the seasonal line up. Just one of our favorites? Cindy's handmade croissants with Smoking Goose's City Ham, gruyere, and eggs.

Feature Friday: Chardonnay Chateau? Cabernet Castle?

At about the same time, our fair city became the proud parent of both Smoking Goose and this week's Friday Feature, Vino Villa.

From a beautifully restored historic home in Old Town Greenwood, Vino Villa lines its hardwood shelves with an impressive selection of bottles. Among the corks--which focus on high value bottles under $20--owner Paul Jacquin displays wine-friendly bites like cheeses, olives, and now Smoking Goose meats!

It's all ready to take away, but why not head upstairs where rooms are perfectly appointed for on site swigs. Sink into an overstuffed sofa or nest in an armchair for a glass with paired proteins like Smoking Goose's Pig and Fig Terrine and Smoked Duck Breast. Sip, sample, sigh, repeat: life is good in the Villa.

Feature Friday: When the moon hits your eye

Chef Tyler Herald and his team at Indianapolis’ Napolese know that’s amore. From the wood-burning pizza oven they imported directly from The Boot, Napolese turns out crispy crusted pies that make the world shine.

To top the blistering Italian flour crusts, Tyler seeks out the best local flavors. Check out his work with Smoking Goose’s Smoked Chicken on Napolese’s “Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em” pizza where roasted peppers and balsamic shallots toast under bubbling provolone.

Or feel the love that Tyler spreads with “T Love and Special Sauce,” a sweet and spicy pairing of butternut squash with Smoking Goose’s Andouille under crumbled Gorgonzola and over red onion jam.

Turkey Carving Class: Nov. 15

Be a real cutup this holiday!
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 6:30-8:30pm
in the Smoking Goose Meat Locker
Only 15 spots available!
RSVP required: contact us by Friday, Nov. 11
317-638-MEAT (6328)

$85 per participant
plus $10 per each "assistant"
(so you and your partner can attend for $95 total)

Each participant will carve his or her own fully cooked, applewood smoked turkey and take home all the slices.

Who says you can't drink on the job? We'll be serving beer, wine and refreshments during class!

Chef and Goose Owner Chris Eley will lead participants through each step of properly carving a Thanksgiving Turkey plus he'll teach folks the butcher's tricks to brining and cooking your bird and even making stock like the professionals after the Thanksgiving table is clear.

What to bring? Each participant must bring his or her own knife. We want you to be comfortable with your own utensils.

Friday Feature: Green B.E.A.N. Delivery

Each Friday we'll be featuring somewhere you can buy Smoking Goose Meatery products. These places have discriminating taste; they've selected us as carefully as we've selected them. We're proud to be served at each of these locations.

Green B.E.A.N. Delivery is just five years old, but don't let that fool you. They are great at what they do, which is bringing all kinds of good food to all kinds of good people. They started this unique food home delivery service in 2007 here in Indianapolis, and in 2009 branched out to Cincinnati. They kept expanding, this year reaching as far as Louisville and Fort Wayne. Each week thousands of happy customers put in orders over their website. Dozens of Green B.E.A.N. vans dispatch into neighborhoods all over the Midwest and drop off big green crates full of local, organic produce and artisan edibles. Yum!

In addition to appreciating their laser-beam focus on partnering with sustainable local farmers and producers, we also really like Green B.E.A.N.'s emphasis on community betterment. Working with IU Health here in Indy, Green B.E.A.N. recently started "Garden on the Go." This EBT-accepting food truck delivers healthy produce to Indianapolis "food deserts," places that are largely devoid of healthy food options. Brilliant. Thanks Green B.E.A.N.

In addition to Smoking Goose, Green B.E.A.N. now has over 100 vendors in their marketplace, all of top-tier quality, delivered fresh to your door.

They are currently running a very nice sale on our Capocollo Ham and Tasso Ham. Give it a shot, and let us know how you use it via our Facebook page or Twitter.

If you haven't tried Green B.E.A.N. you can do so here: http://greenbeandelivery.com/

And be sure to also check out their spiffy new blog here, replete with delicious recipes and meal suggestions: http://greenbeandelivery.com/healthytimes