The fruit of seeds planted long before the soil warms are now ready to harvest.
Leelanau is a “foodie’s” dream in mid-to-late August — the best time of the year for those who appreciate fresh, local food.
So here’s our All Leelanau menu at harvest time:
• Let’s begin with cheese. The county has two award-winning fromageries that has something for everyone.
Idyll Farms is a 500-acre creamery which uses milk from Alpine goats raised on site to create their cheeses. The goats graze on lush grasses, trees, leaves, brush and wildflowers which contribute to the flavor of Leelanau terroir in cheese — French for a “taste of the place.”
Idyll Farms offers about 10 unique cheeses, which can be found in local stores.
Just south of Suttons Bay on M-22 is Leelanau Cheese.
In 1995, John and Anne Hoyt established Leelanau Cheese and, over the course of 25 years, developed a local and international reputation for their caveaged, award-winning, European style cheeses — in particular raclette and fromage blanc. The business changed hands in 2021 and has since expanded its line to include black truffle, rosemary, and peppercorn raclette as well as fromage blanc with truffles, rosemary, pepper, garlic, herb and peppercorn.
• TLC Farms on Setterbo Road north of Suttons Bay has tomatoes in most every color.
Former Chicago futures trader Joe Vanderbosch traded his finance career for a hydroponic tomato farm.
While his main crop is tomatoes, Vanderbosch also raises three types of lettuce — bibb, red leaf, and green leaf — along with basil. You can get two of the three ingredients for caprese salad.
• Corn
• You could make a whole meal out of fresh veggies, but the don’t shy away from the protein. Got a hankering for fish, head down to Carlson’s in Leland.
Carlson’s is known for the original Smoked Whitefish Påté, made in Fishtown fresh everyday. Their Smoked Whitefish Sausage, an original, is made with a blend of Lake trout and whitefish, local seasonings, lemonandredpepper. Theyalso offer fresh and smoked whitefish as well as smoked and fresh lake trout.
If you prefer something off the hoof, there are a couple options. Many families purchase beef or pork in bulk.
However, there are a couple places in the county that offer beef in smaller quantities.
The Garvin family of Cedar previously operated a dairy farm. But they pivoted several years ago, when the market price for milk fell, the family pivoted to raising Angus beef.
Angus beef is often described as juicy, tender, and flavorful, with a high amount of marbling.
Garvins sell beef by the quarter, half or whole. But they also offer frozen ground beef, beef patties and steaks at the farm located at 8258 S. Lake Shore Drive.
“It’s really good,” Joan Garvin said, adding that they have a wait list for the bulk orders.
Local stores also offer homemade sausages and bratwurst, smoked and fresh.
These include: Gabe’s in Maple City; Buntings Cedar Market and Hansen Foods in Suttons Bay that now features fresh and smoked meats from Mikowski’s Meat Market and Deli in Karlin.
Roger Mikowski was formerly the butcher and sausage king at Buntings but branched out several years ago and moved his homebase from Cedar to open up his own shingle.
Some locals make the trip to Karlin to pick up their favorites.
• Now for dessert. It would be considered sacrilegious to not included Leelanau County tart cherries.
Local fruit farmers are struggling to make it financially.
The ruby red orbs can be the star of your dessert in pie, cakes or scones.
