Call me a pessimist, but in spite of all the amazing advances being made in the realm of cold weather fruits I don’t think anybody’s ever going to grow citrus in Minnesota. So what’s the hard-core locavore fundamentalist zealot to do when he finds himself in the North country and craving a glass or two […]
No comments | Local, Minnesota, Rhubarb, Seasonal, Spain, Strawberry, Wine
All the time she spends away from our land – with what seems like most of the year seized by Old Man Winter’s cold, dead hands – makes the return of the Green Goddess to our fields and forests so much more sweet; an unrivaled cause for celebration. The objects of her cult are easily […]
3 comments | Asparagus, Dressing, Lettuce, Pea Shoots, Romaine, salad, Seasonal, Spring, Watercress
May in Minnesota, however mild, is not exactly a month of abundant agricultural production. Plants just haven’t had enough time to shake off the winter chill and start the reproductive cycle that brings us delicious veggies all summer. Given that fresh local produce is hard to come by in this early month, one might question […]
5 comments | Farmers Market, Food Vendors, Lettuce, Midtown, Midtown Farmers Market, Minneapolis, Pizza, Rhubarb, Romaine, Spring, Strawberries, Street Food
With a couple of days off ahead of me, I’m getting ready to paint the bathroom (again). Our building manager has kindly repaired the walls, too, and will be priming today so I have high hopes for the finished look, especially considering the challenge of painting over orange without priming… which I had planned to […]
2 comments | bathroom hardware, Fish, Hook, Ingebretsen's, kids, Swedish, White
“OH MY GOD, A MOREL!” I cried, after having given up the search and nearly abandoning the woods. Tom, a more seasoned mushroomer, hissed for me to, “Keep it down.” While it’s likely obvious, I have only been out looking for mushrooms, or mushrooming, once before (twice if you count our hike in Muir Woods outside San […]
2 comments | Foraging, Minnesota, Morel Hunting, Morels, Mushrooming, Mushrooms
As much as I love the fresh vegetables at the Midtown Farmers Market, the joy of shopping there comes from more than just the products you can buy. Today, that joy was most aptly expressed by the beautiful weather: after a season-opener featuring gale-force winds and a second week where we endured a frigid bike […]
5 comments | Bread, Lettuce, Midtown Farmers Market, Seasonal, Spinach, Spring, Spring Onions, Strawberries
Ah, springtime. Its combination of tender green vegetables and temperatures often still cold enough to allow keeping the oven at 500ºF for a few hours make it almost the perfect time to cook pizza. Almost, were it not for the fact that tomatoes are still months away. But tomatoes – while crucial to many pies […]
2 comments | Asparagus, Pesto, Ramps, Seasonal, Spring, Tomme de Savoie
We’re not accustomed to visiting the May farmers market the morning after some (very slight) snowfall, but the morning’s bright blue skies were enough to encourage us to hop on our bikes and head down to the Midtown Farmers Market. Though old man winter has stretched out one shivering, icy finger in a desperate attempt […]
2 comments | Lettuce, Midtown, Mutton, Seasonal, Spring, Strawberries, Winter
“They just don’t make cocks like they used to.” So laments just about every modern recipe for coq au vin, the venerable French braise of rooster in wine. The story goes that the dish was developed as a way to use the meat of tough old roosters past their prime; only a long braise could […]
1 comment | Braise, Chicken, Coq, Foul, French, Game, Mushrooms, Pearl Onions, Pheasant, Poultry, Provincial, Wine
It’s finally here! It’s been pretty warm in Minnesota for about a month, but that only made the lack of fresh local produce seem even crueler. As of yesterday, the food drought was over with the advent of the Midtown Farmers Market. Martha and I were so excited that we arrived shortly after market open […]
No comments | Barsy's Almonds, Farmers Market, Local, Midtown, Mutton, Ramps, Seasonal, Strawberries