July 2010 | Simple, Good and Tasty, page 2

Is It a Good Thing When Big-Box Retailers Sell Local Food?

Posted in on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 7:09am by lee -

A recent story on National Pubic Radio (NPR) entitled Wal-Mart Helps Small Farms Supply Local Food got me thinking. On the surface, the idea of Wal-Mart -- or any retailer, big or small -- making a public commitment to sourcing better food strikes me as a positive thing. According to the article:

The company wants to revitalize small and midsize farms in the U.S. and has begun a program to increase the amount of local produce sold in Walmart stores. The program also benefits consumers, who have access to fresher food, as well as Wal-Mart itself.

That sounds pretty good, right? The article goes on to say that:

July is a Berry Good Time for Nature's Candy

Posted in Health on Mon, 07/19/2010 - 7:23am by Jill Grunewald -

Have you ever had the pleasure of picking berries right from a garden or gathering wild berries in the woods? Berries, with all of their natural, juicy sweetness and beautiful gem-toned colors, are truly gifts from nature. They’re gorgeous and bursting with sweet, earthy flavor. So make haste, as now is the time of year to head out with your basket and sun hat to gather the season’s treasures.

A Small Sampling of Spots to Get Local and Organic in Washington, D.C.

Posted in Out & About on Sat, 07/17/2010 - 7:00am by Elizabeth Roca -

For the first time Simple, Good and Tasty is exploring the local, organic food scene in our nation's capital and the surrounding area. There’s a lot to savor in both restaurants and farmers markets; here’s just a small sampling of notable spots to get a hungry visitor started.

Washington restaurants that offer local, organic meals span the range from formal to casual. Some are good for a special celebration or date night; others are family- and budget-friendly. I’ve included one to fit every pocket and occasion. They’re located in various neighborhoods in and around Washington, and each is accessible by the city’s Metro system.

Last Night's Dinner on the Deck at The Marsh was Magical

Posted in Out & About on Fri, 07/16/2010 - 8:06am by Shari Danielson -

We couldn’t have asked for better weather. The wind had shifted, moving the tropical humidity of 24 hours ago east to clear the way for a perfect summer evening on the deck at The Marsh – the setting of last night’s Simple, Good and Tasty’s Local Food Lovers’ event.

The view to our north and west was acres of cattails, milkweed, rush grass and cottonwoods; the background music was the call of red-winged blackbirds, marsh wrens, and cardinals; the company was a lively mix of more than 50 local food lovers – young, not so young, city dwellers, suburbanites – all coming together to enjoy a meal made from locally sourced food.

Finding Blueberry Magic at Rush River Produce

Posted in Out & About on Thu, 07/15/2010 - 7:27am by Gabriela Lambert -

I’m still a paper calendar kind of a gal.

Cooking the Market: A Class That Encourages Culinary Creativity

Posted in Out & About on Wed, 07/14/2010 - 7:25am by Tracey Paska -

Want a foolproof recipe for a fantastic evening of food and fun?

Take a dozen eager food lovers, marinate with some glasses of wine or bottles of local brew, and toss with a delicious array of local artisan cheese. Then, guide them around an international market full of exciting ingredients to draw out their creativity, cover with crisp white aprons, and set them in a professional kitchen to boil, bake, sauté and otherwise cook up a complete dinner. Serve with a generous helping of instant camaraderie.

Tapping Your Inner Iron Chef

Finding Local Food at the Twins New Target Field

Posted in News & Views, Out & About on Tue, 07/13/2010 - 6:57am by lee -

Boy, do I love Target Field, the new baseball stadium for the Minnesota Twins. It's a gorgeous place, offering great views from every seat (so I've heard -- I've only sampled a few) and easy access to the rest of downtown Minneapolis. Seeing the Twins play outside makes me feel like a kid again, and I wonder if my children will look forward to trips to Target Field with the same excitement I had when my parents made the drive from Long Island, where I grew up, to Yankee Stadium.

Target Field somehow feels both entirely new and utterly, wonderfully Minnesotan. Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" blares from the speakers in between innings. The downtown skyline twinkles behind the home run fence. And the food is, in a way, Minnesotan too.

Minnesota Cooks at the State Fair: Fair-Fresh Healthy Choices

Posted in State Fair, Farms & Gardens, Out & About on Mon, 07/12/2010 - 7:39am by Jill Grunewald -

As the coordinator for the Minnesota Cooks™ program at the Minnesota State Fair, I'm writing today's post to give you a preview of this event, which features Minnesota chefs and cooks, local farmers, and consumers with a full day of cooking demonstrations, discussions, and sampling of delicious cuisine.

The big day begins at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August 31, (with samples of scones and French toast!) and will continue with eight hourly presentations, featuring 16 restaurants and 16 farms. The Minnesota Cooks Stage proudly sits in Carousel Park, just south of the Grandstand, and is the place to be on the Tuesday of the Great Minnesota Get Together for one of Minnesota’s most admired and longstanding sustainable foods events.

Life with "The Girls" Provides Entertainment, Free Fertilizer and Incomparable Eggs

Posted in Family & Home, Farms & Gardens on Fri, 07/09/2010 - 9:09pm by Debbie Morrison -

This year my husband and I celebrate 10 years of farming. In 2000, we transplanted ourselves from the Twin Cities to our farm in East Central Minnesota and over the past decade, have gradually expanded our agricultural output. Our primary focus has been growing produce, beekeeping and honey, and making maple syrup. But the one thing that everyone we know has asked us is why do we not have any farm animals?

This Week's CSA Box: Satisfying Salads, Hold the Lettuce

Posted in Family & Home, Farms & Gardens on Fri, 07/09/2010 - 7:33am by Kristin Boldon -

On Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, a common complaint about eating healthfully was that people didn't want to eat “rabbit food” all the time. But, as Oliver demonstrated on the series, there's more to eating well than munching on lettuce and carrots. So with the ingredients from this week's CSA (community supported agriculture) box, I will showcase salads made without lettuce.