Meet Volunteer Angie O'Neill

We thought it'd be fun to introduce you to our volunteers. This week, we chat with Angie.


Yellow Door: Why do you volunteer at YD?
Angie: I like the community connections, supporting local foods and farmers, and working with fun people....plus I love Janice Ortbring and it's super fun to go to her house for breakfast every Thursday.

YD: How do you benefit from the experience?
Angie: Professionally, as a program evaluator and soon-to-be Health Educator, it's been a great experience to see how YD has progressed since it first started. Passion and people make all the difference in any community program, and I've loved seeing this concept come to life at YD!

YD: What do you love about YD?
Angie: YD is all about opportunites for people to connect, share stories, and enjoy good food while raising money for a good cause..the Chelsea Community Kitchen. I love the learning opportunities, too, like our new garden club in which inexperienced gardeners will learn together how to grow foods of the season to be enjoyed at Yellow Door breakfasts.

YD: Do you have any words of wisdom to share with others about getting involved?
Angie: Please do! Volunteering at YD is giving back to the community in a unique way...it's one of my favorite things in Chelsea to be involved in!

Yellow Door welcomes a slew of guest chefs

In the Yellow Door kitchen this Thursday, May 20:

Annie and Paul from Community Farm are cooking nettle and kale quiche (or a fried egg or two), mashed potatoes with onion garlic gravy and a touch of field greens. They are also bringing Paul's special home-grown wheat sourdough bread! YUMMIE.


"All ingredients are local... but the flavors are out of this world."

In the kitchen on Thursday, May 27:

Barbara of Mindo Chocolate is cooking up some chocolate delights: huevos ranchero with a savory chocolate mole sauce, chocolate dipped strawberries and hot chocolate. Deeeee-lish!


In the kitchen on Thursday, June 10:

Paul Cousins is cooking in the kitchen in June. Paul was the owner and chef at Cousins Heritage Inn in Dexter for 17 years and is a huge community advocate focused on quality of life in the region. Notably, Paul received the 2006 Citizen of the Year Award, along with Gil Campbell and Paul Bishop, for his efforts to save historic Gordon Hall. And, of course, he's a fabulous chef! We'll post his menu as soon as we have the details.


In the kitchen on Thursday, June 24:
Durrette Lauckern - details coming soon!

Mystic Morel: The Incredible Edible

The morel is an elusive edible. So delicious, so mysterious. To capture this incredible edible, you must become The Great Morel Hunter.

The morel pops up in the spring, typically under a canopy of trees, nearly blending in to forest floors. The morel is known to be sighted elsewhere, though, too. You must be focused, be dedicated and, when you find your treasure, take great care in harvesting the magnificent morel.

This spring, Yellow Door has done the hunting for you. Taste the incredible edible mystic morel in our featured beef brisket this month: an explosion of intermingling flavors offered by the morel, free range beef brisket, polenta and fiddlehead ferns with every bite. A side of sautéed ramps and an optional egg on top complete this delicious breakfast.

Don't miss this spring treat! Eat with us at Yellow Door this Thursday. Arrive any time between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. Children are always welcome!

Q&A with the actual yellow door

Q: So, I've been hearing some buzz around town... what's this yellow door thing?

Yellow Door (Door, for short): Every Thursday, walk through me into a friendly, uber-casual eatery in the home of long-time Chelsea residents, the Ortbrings. Volunteers cook up eclectic (gourmet!) and familiar breakfast offerings using seasonal ingredients. We shop at farmers markets, direct at farms and, in a pinch, the local markets. We're on a quest to share Michigan's agricultural bounty. (Hey, did you know Michigan is the second most agriculturally diverse state in the U.S.?)

Q: Sounds kind of cool, though it seems a bit odd. What do you mean? I can just walk through their door, like anytime? Won't I, like, wake them up?

Door: Think of Yellow Door as a weekly breakfast cafe in a comfy home with loads of character near downtown Chelsea. You'll smell breakfast as soon as you step on the sidewalk. Oh, and the Os are already up, ready for work at their downtown creative gig or lingering over coffee at the yellow door tables. So, don't hesitate!

Q: Okaaaayyyy. Hmmm.... Do I need to RSVP? Do I need to arrive by 7:30 a.m.? (Because that isn't happening!)

Door: No RSVPs. Arrive anytime -- before closing at 9:30, that is. If you're off to work by 8:00, stop by for speedy take-out. Simply BYO plate and let us know you're in a hurry.

Q: Sounds pretty cool. May I bring my younger children?

Door: Absolutely! Little ones are always welcome!

Q: How much is breakfast?

Door: We appreciate a $10-15 donation with all net proceeds benefiting the Chelsea Community Kitchen, a new incubator for food businesses.

Q: Okay, last question. So, where the heck are you located? Why don't you make it easier to find you?

Door: Sssshhhh... we're an "underground" breakfast cafe. If you need the address, walk three steps, scratch your nose and tuck some hair behind your ears. So, kidding!!! Just email us here.

New May Menu "springs" to life: morels, asparagus & more

Put a spring in your step this May. Eat divine dishes every Thursday morning specially crafted to showcase the season's best:

• Slow roasted local free range beef brisket served with polenta, morels and fiddlehead ferns with a side of sautéed ramps and an optional egg on top

• Plain or walnut whole wheat pancakes served with a warm strawberry- rhubarb compote and topped whipped cream (optional) with a side of pork sausage links or veggie sausage
  
  

• Asparagus soup with a poached egg and buttered toast
  
  
• Scones from Zou Zou's Cafe!
  

Featured resources & ingredients:

Westwind Milling Company: flour
Back Forty Acres: eggs
Calder Dairy: milk, butter, cream
Stanke: syrup
Black Oak Farm: pork sausage
Heim Farm: asparagus soup
Farmer's Supply: eggs
Mill Pond Bread: bread
Strawberries: Locally sourced (stashed in freezer after last summer's harvest)
Asparagus: from somewhere local... we'll let you know soon!