At least biannually, our family enjoys a break away from the nitty-gritty of life with a trip and sojourn in Canada. For me, it’s a chance to get away from the allergies that come with ragweed season. We drive far enough North that the landscape and climate offer respite from the pollen that attacks me. For everyone, it also becomes a time of renewal and re-creation in the great out of doors. We have been going there for long enough that we can’t quite remember how many times it’s been. When we arrive at our destination, we are always amazed at the loveliness of the Lake Superior coastline and the different moods it creates. From still and sunny to raging white capped waves and rain, we live alongside its life for a week and appreciate the power of nature around us. It puts us back in our place and reminds us that our life is only one small part of a huge vast world that continues to move forward despite us.
On our trip back to Goshen, we often make a special detour so we can stop in at Presscraft Papers. My mother discovered this place when she worked at a camp close by. Now our family continues the tradition. Instead of taking the straight road South, we make a right toward Benzonia, Michigan where Gwen Frostic, owner of Presscraft Papers, lived until her death in 2001. This remarkable woman inspires me in what I do. Her life was dedicated to making us see those things around us in nature that we never take the time to look for. She was an artist who transferred her love of nature to linoleum block prints. In turn, these are still being printed on old Heidelberg presses at Presscraft Papers. So what you will find, if you take the detour, is a couple of miles of country road and, all of sudden, a turn down into a natural grass framed parking lot. The shop is built as though it is a part of the surrounding landscape with an old piece of found wood to open its door and large boulders supporting its frame. Inside, the sound of water greets you as you walk by the natural fountain and you can take your time perusing all the different images Gwen Frostic put to paper. Reflecting our visit to Lake Superior, her prints depict all the moods of nature. An extensive nature library is open to the public for their perusal because Gwen wanted to pass on her passion with others.
The time that I spend at the Gwen Frostic shop is always like a break in time. I enter into this natural environment and let go of the busy driving and the madness outside. I look at her work and peace envelops me. Her snippets of nature slow me down and remind me that what is right around me really matters. When I leave, I find myself thinking about food in that same way. I hope that the work I do makes others stop for awhile away from the busy-ness and the madness and “appreciate loveliness” ( a quote from the Gwen Frostic catalog). Her philosophy is one that says you do what you have to do and that might mean following the beat of a different drummer. In the smallest ways, you can change the world. And food is one of those ways. When I head on back to Goshen, I carry with me that philosophy. I find the goodness around me and hope to spread it on.
Here is a salad that brings out the beauty and flavor of ripe fruit in a simple way.
Summer Salad
1 pint blueberries
1 pint red raspberries
1/2 c. goat cheese, crumbled
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 5 oz. bag mixed greens
Arrange mixed greens on six plates. Artistically arrange blueberries, raspberries and avocado. Spread with goat cheese. Serve with balsamic vinaigrette and lime peel.
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