The Drip Café
The other day I wandered into a coffee shop in Hockessin only to discover that it was no ordinary coffee shop. The Drip Café is a local eatery on a mission to introduce customers to the joy and deliciousness of local eating and sipping. I nabbed some time with owner Greg Vogeley to chat about this fantastic new resource.
Q: Hi Greg! For a lot of people, the term “farm-to-table dining” sounds expensive or exclusive to certain types of restaurants. How do your customers learn that they are having the farm-to-table experience?
A: Being in a café setting, it is easy to be more accessible to the general public. We talk to our customers about where their food is sourced from and we list the farms and co-ops that we work with directly on the menu to help raise awareness of our mission. We source from local farmers who choose to up hold more sustainable farming practices. We start our menu with the best ingredients we can, and this will inherently make our products better. We have great tasting food and when you know how it was sourced, it makes you feel even better about supporting it.
Q: How did you become involved with the local food movement?
A: I have always loved working with coffee roasters who work directly with the farmers at origin. Many times they teach the farmers how to grow better, more sustainable coffee and pay better than fair trade pricing. This direct trade movement inspired me as we looked to open our own business. When the opportunity arose to purchase a café with a kitchen, I knew my menu had to be sourced locally, directly from the people doing the real work—the farmers.
Q: How has the response been from the local farmers toward the restaurant?
A: Many of the farms that I work with are ecstatic that I am showcasing their work and highlighting it on my menu. We take great pride in cutting out the usual wholesale food distribution channels and dealing directly with real people.
Q: Any tips for people who want to start cooking more with local foods?
A: If you are looking to start buying more local, the best place to start is your local farmers market or farm stand. You can also become involved with a CSA. In a CSA, you are purchasing a share of the farm for a season.
Thanks, Greg! I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I would personally like to thank the farmer who grew the mixed berry and Nutella-stuffed French toast.
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Roasted Corn & Tomato Quinoa Salad
I don’t know about you, but it took me six months to figure out how to pronounce the word quinoa. I kept reading about it and never knew how to ask for it. One embarrassing day, I summoned up the courage to ask for it and pronounced it “kee-no-aah.” The store merchant was so confused. “You want the key to Noah?” As if there is a key to Noah. Now I think that might be the name of some herb I have yet to discover. Anyway, it’s pronounced “keen-wah” and it’s a delicious and healthy gluten-free find.
So now that you know how much I love the Drip Café, you can imagine how excited I was to be able to share more of their deliciousness with Get Healthy, Delaware readers. Here is the café’s recipe for Roasted Corn & Tomato Quinoa Salad. This is a light, refreshing, chilled summer salad and they stuff it in a bell pepper serve it with a watermelon, red onion, and goat cheese salad. And you don’t need any keys or anyone named Noah to make it.
Roasted Corn & Tomato Quinoa Salad
To make the quinoa:
2 cups quinoa
3.75 cups water
Bring water to a boil and add quinoa. Reduce to simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. The water will be absorbed and the grain will have a chewy texture.
For the salad:
cooked quinoa
1 tomato
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup chopped mint
2 lemons (zested and juiced)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Dice 1 tomato and roast in oven with corn for approximately 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool. Mix all ingredients then add lemon zest and juice to taste. Allow to rest in refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.
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See Spot Heal
We all know that having a pet can bring joy to our lives. But a pet can do more than just fetch slippers or curl up in your lap. Numerous scientific studies show that pets can improve human health, helping us live longer and happier lives. (more)
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Health Events
Wednesday, Aug. 14
Christiana Care Rehabilitation Services’ Start With Stretching
Location H. Fletcher Brown Park, South Park Drive and North Market Street, Wilmington
Time 5:30 p.m.
More info. Register online here.
Sunday, Aug. 18
5th annual Greene Turtle Run 10K/5K
Location The Green Turtle Restaurant and Sports Bar, 17388 N. Village Main Blvd., Lewes
Time 8:15 a.m. race start
More info. races2run.com
Wednesday Aug. 21
Christiana Care Health System’s Cosmetic Surgery, Skin Care and Nutrition
Location Room 1100, Christiana Hospital campus, 4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road, Newark
Time 6:30 p.m.
More info. 368-8900 (registration required)
To submit your health-related event, email shari@shortanswerconsulting.com.
