A summer tradition for visitors and affectionately known as “the Shed” by the locals, the Cabbage Shed in Elberta has hosted some of the best in Northern Michigan entertainment during its 26-year history. Over the years, owner Jim Clapp has offered just about every kind of live music, from rock & roll to blues and country to swing and Cajun. This summer the tradition will continue with their acoustic style “Back Room Concert Series,” featuring a variety of folk, blues and bluegrass in a concert-like setting.
The Shed has also become a family tradition with daughter Becky Clapp taking on the day-to-day management of the bar and restaurant. “I grew up here, washing dishes at first and now it feels good to be working with Dad and giving him the chance to spend time doing other things he wants to do. And I love keeping the spirit that he started here alive, cause it’s such a cool place.”

Originally built in 1867, it was the area’s first general store; and until the turn of the century, sailing schooners shipped in its supplies. It became a Farmer’s Cooperative in the 1920’s and at one time was stacked with cabbages bound for shipment by rail. Tradition prevailed when Clapp resurrected the Cabbage Shed on August 31, 1985.

With its collage of deserted road signs, plank floors, steaks, ribs, white fish and Fuller’s Ale on tap, it’s a popular meeting place for the locals and a favorite vacation spot for visitors.

The Shed is also rolling out a new menu this summer that will change weekly as they focus on more local, seasonal fare. They have increased their seafood offerings with all new fresh fish including grilled Wahoo with pineapple salsas, poached Halibut in a shrimp and scallops bouillabaisse and grilled tuna Nori rolls. Old favorites like the Shed Sirloin, baby back ribs, sesame crusted whitefish. Shed burgers and their ever-popular homemade borscht and all homemade desserts are also available.

The Shed pours nine draft beers, ales and stouts and scores of bottled brews from around the world. They also stock eleven single malt scotches with handpicked Scottish selections. Other specialties include the world’s best martini (they keep the gin in the freezer) the original Shed Sangria, a super Bloody Mary and a well-balanced wine list.
Check out one of these upcoming performances while enjoying a dinner before or during the show, and a cocktail or two along with great views of Betsie Bay. For more information, call the Shed at 231-352-0843 or check out their website at www.cabbageshed.com.

July 17 – Legacy is an award-winning Irish folk band featuring traditional Irish music out of Mississippi. Tickets are $10 at the door.

July 24 – Josh White Jr., son of legendary blues man Josh White. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

July 28 – The Tannahill Weavers bring traditional music from Scotland’s premiere band. “An especially eloquent mixture of the old and new.” New York Times. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door.

August 7 – The Laws are a country/folk duo from Canada, $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

August 9 – Mike and Brooks Lindner, these blues men are from Austin, Texas, there is no cover charge.

Aug 12 – Sally Rogers & Claudia Schmidt, a magical collaboration of two of Michigan’s top folk artists. Tickets are
$15 in advance or $18 the night of the show.

August 21 – The Ragbirds, an exciting roots/world music band, tickets are $10 at the door.

It’s springtime once again in Northern Michigan, and not only have daffodils broken through, confirmations of morel mushrooms are arriving daily. For a few short weeks, folks flock to the woods in search of this elusive, edible mushroom.

Morel mushroom taste delicious, this is no secret, but the season itself is a sort of cultural absurdity. The “hunters” protect the whereabouts of their source as if it were the location of the Holy Grail. If you have ever wondered who your true friends are or just how well you have transferred your status from “down-stater” to “local” you find out pretty quickly during morel season.

Unfortunately, the toughest part about morel season is not deciding how to prepare this earthy delicious fungi; nor is the greatest challenge identifying them from other common mushrooms. The most difficult part of morel hunting is locating and claiming your own special spot, relatively secure from open-mouthed paper sacks and the hungry claws of hunters. Once you find one and finally sink your teeth in, you won’t regret a single moment spent in pursuit of this earthly goodness–morels are divine!

As eager as you may be to fry up a fresh pick, consider a few pointers from avid hunters in our region:

1. KNOW YOUR SHROOMS. Learn to identify the “true morel” before you head in to the woods, or at least make certain you have the real deal before you serve them for dinner.

2. PROPER COLLECTING RECEPTACLE. Avid hunters insist on using a potato or orange bag–something netted, with holes–for collecting. A paper bag is fashionable, too, but purist prefer that pickers leave a trail of spores falling through the holes in the bag. (I recently read that the mushrooms begin to decompose almost immediately if they cannot “breathe,” so collecting them in a plastic bag is poor practice, but would suffice in pinch.)

3. LEARN THE LOCATIONS. An oak forest will probably never produce a morel, so say the experts; be sure to look for ash, maple, elm, poplar, and apple trees, commonly referred to as “host trees.” Morels may be found in surprisingly varied soil conditions, near sandy dune or swamp. Returning to the exact location year after year may or may not produce satisfying results. Generally a successful location one year will breed abundance the next, but one never knows. That is why they call this little bugger–elusive–one just never knows exactly where to look.

4. GET PERSONAL. One of the most successful hunters I know spends a significant amount of time on bent knee. Once you discover one morel, there are bound to be others, so staying calm and surveying the surroundings often proves the most productive tactic. When a morel is spotted, hunt around, but tread lightly. Many morel have been overlooked, or worse yet–squashed–in hasty anticipation of potential finds.

5. LEAVE A TRACE. Besides stealing someone’s favorite spot, the greatest mushrooming faux pas one can commit is to pick the mushroom–root and all–from the ground. Instead of this method, break the mushrooms stem and leave the remaining stem and root in the ground. The idea, I think, is to leave a few spores for the next year, but other hunters gauge the abundance of the area by what remains, and there is still a strange satisfaction in knowing that you missed them by only a moment or two. (Do not leave garbage in the woods, however.)

6. BE SAFE! This applies to ALL aspects of the hunt: searching, finding, identifying and eating. Use a compass in the woods if you have no sense of direction (or even if you do.) Take friends or tell someone your plans. Have a snack and water handy, and a jacket never hurt.

7. BE CONSIDERATE.

8. HAVE FUN! Most important facet of all.

Salmon Fillets With Morel Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 5 shallots, minced
• 18 ounces morels, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
• 3/4 cup bottled clam juice
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 Tbsp. whipped cream
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp. dried
• 6 8-ounce salmon fillets
• fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add Morels; sauté until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add clam juice and wine; boil until liquids have almost evaporated, about 20 minutes.

Add cream to mushrooms; boil until thickened, about 1 minute. Mix in chopped tarragon. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler. Arrange salmon skin side down on broiler pan. Brush with lemon juice, then butter. Broil until just cooked through, without turning, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates. Spoon Morels over.

Serves 6

Every Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m., a Park Ranger will await you at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center (VC) in Empire on M-72 to introduce a topic and then lead a car caravan a short distance to where the walk will begin. Each week, a different topic and location in the park will be featured. All are welcome.

May 2 – Mushrooms for Beginners: Learn how to tell a real morel from a false morel and how to identify several easy spring mushrooms. The ranger will also explain the life of a mushroom and provide some tips on where to find your favorite variety.

May 9 – The World of Frogs: What would spring be without the sound of frogs? They are disappearing all around the world. Why are they still singing and what might they be trying to tell us? Learn to identify several local varieties by sight and sound. This is a great outdoor adventure for the whole family.

May 16 – Leave it to Beaver: Look for one of the few animals that dramatically engineer their environment and have played a major role in this region’s history. See a dam, lodge, canals, and tunnels while learning more about beavers and their logging operations.

May 23 – A Flurry of Wild Flowers: Each spring, we are impressed with the abundance of wildflowers our hardwood forests offer! Join a ranger to discover and marvel at this annual display of native plants as you hike through one of the best wildflower habitats in the region.

May 30 – Returning Birds: Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day by joining a ranger to welcome back several species of migratory birds. Learn about the birds’ winter adventures in far-off lands and the distances they travel to get here. This is a great opportunity for beginning birders. Binoculars provided.

All ranger-led programs are free. Participants need only purchase the park entrance pass or have an annual pass already to join in the fun. Reservations are not required, but are suggested if you wish to bring a group. For more information please call 231-326-5134, ext. 328.

Photo credit: Pearl Lake Frog by jimflix

Participating Chocolatiers

• Charles Layton Chocolates
• The Chocolate Den
• Chocolate Exotica
• Forest Confections
• Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate
• Jacques Torres Chocolate
• Kilwin’s Traverse City

Compatible Tastes (Coffee, Tea & Wine)

• Higher Grounds Trading Company
• Great Northern Roasting Company
• Great Lakes Tea and Spice
• Light of Day Organics
• Serenity Tea Bar and Café
• Bel Lago
• Black Star Farms
• Chateau Chantal
• Ciccone Vineyard & Winery
• Forty-Five North Vineyard and Winery
• Good Neighbor Organic Winery
• Leelanau Cellars
• Shady Lane Cellars
• Grand Traverse Distillery

Entertainment

• The Turtlenecks (Norm Wheeler and Mike Sullivan)
• Dane Pedersen – guitar
• Linda Davis – piano
• The Alderman Ensemble