Tastemakers: Perry‘s Creation - Fall Smoothie from Friske‘s

Oct. 5, 2005

Perry’s Creation - Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Face it, this is a fast-paced world we live in and no matter how hard we try to slow down, things just seem to move faster. We all want to capture that time around the dinner table with a wonderful meal but finding the time to prepare it just doesn’t fit into the schedule.
Maybe it is time to consider a personal chef to come to your aid. That is exactly the service Perry Harmon is offering. Harmon recently moved to the area from Ohio and serves as the chef at The Inn at Chateau Grand Traverse. Harmon will also come to your home to prepare healthy and fresh meals at very reasonable prices. He will even cater for that special dinner party you want to host when you can’t spare the time; no worries, send out those invitations and give Perry a call.
This time of the year is wonderful for an autumn fête with a menu to fit the seasonal offerings. When you call Perry to plan your menu make sure it includes his Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. Chef Perry prepares this soup to perfection by maintaining the integrity of the flavor profiles of the squash. He adds a nice touch with chunks of smoked bacon (he keeps it in a side dish so vegetarians may enjoy the soup) and fresh crème fraiche that may be drizzled over the top of the soup. Chef Perry is flexible in his personal approach to food and individuals may customize his services for maximum enjoyment. Learn more at www.perrycreations.com or call (231) 360-2006.

Fall Harvest Smoothie with Apples from Friske Orchards
When taking a fall color tour make sure to stop at Friske Orchards Farm Market on US 31 North (35 miles from Traverse City and 10 miles south of Charlevoix). The third-generation farm founded in 1952 by German immigrants Richard and Olga Friske is bustling with fun fall activities every Saturday in October. There is a farm animal petting zoo, wagon rides, U-pick apples and pumpkins, live music and much more. Caramel apples and cider are requirements of the season and Friske Orchards has plenty of both.
Friske’s also has an Apple Cider Kit which comes with a cider concentrate and mulling spices so that you make it by the glass or the pitcher. For a great morning starter make a Fall Harvest Smoothie. In a blender combine 16 ounces of vanilla yogurt, two apples (any variety from Friske’s) cored and chopped, 1/2 cup of honey, 6 ounces of concentrate, 2 cups of Shetler’s Family Dairy milk and 2 cups of Moomer’s vanilla ice cream, and you have 6 to 8 servings. With 15,000 apple trees, Friske Orchards has no shortage of Michigan’s number one agricultural crop (rumor has it that Johnny Appleseed once camped up this way). And remember, as our grandmothers use to say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
– Rick Coates