Meet Volunteer Extraordinaire Janice

Janice Ortbring gets the title of Volunteer Extraordinaire for her extreme Yellow Door volunteerism. Together with hubby Todd, Janice opens her home every Thursday and her home becomes, essentially, Yellow Door. Indeed, her yellow front door inspired this local foodie hangout's moniker.

Janice (and Todd) own Edgar Norman Creative, a creative agency based in Chelsea. A fan of everything Chelsea, Janice shares some of her most intimate thoughts... on volunteering.

So, Janice, why do you volunteer at Yellow Door?

The community. I love seeing happy faces gather around the doors (the Yellow Door tables). I enjoy telling and listening to stories, meeting new friends and, of course, eating! It's also fun when musicians show up!

Do you have any words of wisdom to share with others about getting involved?

Just do it! It feels like hanging out with friends, both new and old. Invest as much time as you can afford, learn about food and food sources, and help improve the process. The more, the merrier at Yellow Door!

Taste late summer's harvest in Yellow Door's featured August menu

Chilly autumn air is around the bend, so what a great time to passionately savor late summer's grand harvest. Our Yellow Door menu for August captures the essence of what summer is all about: sweet, sweet corn, juicy, mouth-watering peaches and summer-at-its-best cantaloupe. Come eat with us this Thursday:

* Frangipane-peach brioche tart and crème fraiche and bacon
Featured growers/producers: Wolfe Orchard peaches, Westwind Milling Co. flour, Back Forty Acres eggs, Calder cream, Ernst Farm bacon

* Corn fritters with fried egg and sauteed Swiss chard-tomato salad (walnuts, blackberries with Fustini blackberry balsamic dressing, oil, salt pepper) and crème fraiche and bacon
Featured growers/producers: Tantre Farm corn, Westwind cornmeal, Yellow Door garden chard, Brines Farm tomatoes, Wolfe Orchard berries, Fustini dressing, Calder cream, Ernst Farm bacon

* Corridor pate, cantaloupe, Millpond toast points, Greystone Manchego, Swiss chard-tomato salad
Featured growers/producers: Corridor sausage pate, Goetz Farm melon, Kapnick bread, Greystone manchego

* Yogurt sweetened with honey, peaches and blackberries, granola
Featured growers/producers: Thomas’ yogurt, Bobilin honey, Wolfe Orchard peaches, Ed’s granola

Yellow Door is open this Thursday!

Yellow Door is back in the original, homey destination near downtown Chelsea this Thursday, August 5. The fork and spoon shall be hangin' by the yellow door, starting at 7:30 a.m.

Chef Alan Merhar of Evans Street Station (of Tecumseh) is preparing a seasonal dish sure to tantalize the taste buds. The rest of the menu is equally fresh, surprising and tantalizing... and, well, surprising....

Come and be surprised! (It's our way of saying that we're still whipping up the menu!)