October 2013 | Simple, Good and Tasty

Hunting for Dinner: Flushing Grouse

Posted in Out & About on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 6:00am by Jamie Carlson -

I used to go grouse hunting all the time when my grandparents had a cabin on Leech Lake. It was easy for me to go: I would just walk out the back door and off into the woods for the morning or afternoon, and that was all there was to it. But when my grandparents sold their cabin, I stopped grouse hunting, and I haven’t been grouse hunting in over 20 years. So when my brother asked me if I wanted to head up to his in-laws’ land in northern Minnesota to go grouse hunting, I jumped at the opportunity.

Gardens, Not Lawns: Fritz Haeg's Edible Estates

Posted in Environment, News & Views, Out & About on Fri, 10/25/2013 - 8:38am by Natalie Loots -

Each year, Americans spend roughly $30 billion dollars on pesticides, fertilizers, machinery, water, and energy in the name of maintaining thousands of little green blades of Kentucky Blue. Lawns are built into the American lifestyle; many of us have fond memories of pushing our toy lawnmower alongside a parent as they cut the grass every Sunday to keep it from becoming overgrown, or running through the sprinkler in the intense heat of late summer as it waters the crunchy, browning blades.

Farm Journal: Reflections on Labor in Organic Farming

Posted in Farms & Gardens, News & Views on Tue, 10/22/2013 - 8:03am by Katie Willis -

I turned down seven farming positions at the beginning of the 2013 season. All across the United States I’d submitted applications and received offers from California, New York, Vermont, and Minnesota. In January, I declined an offer to attend an elite apprenticeship program in California. Though this experiential learning position had been my dream since I could say the words, “I want to be a farmer,” I couldn’t afford the tuition of three thousand dollars, plus housing, airfare, books, tools, and shared food expenses.

For Prairie Vodka, Substance is Style

Posted in Out & About, Recipes on Fri, 10/18/2013 - 6:00am by William Loeffler -

“Organic” isn’t a word I usually associate with vodka. Sure, organic is commendable. Organic is responsible. Organic is even noble.

But these homespun virtues don’t exactly dovetail with vodka’s typically glitzy image. Commercials for big-name vodkas often beguile the viewer with fussy fantasy worlds that feature dazzling women, surreal Norse landscapes, ice palace discos, and fashion runways a-pop with camera flashes.

Globally Aware: Homegrown in Hong Kong: Promoting Local and Organic Food in One of Asia's Most Populated Cities

Posted in News & Views on Tue, 10/15/2013 - 6:00am by Tracey Paska -

Hong Kong food writer, blogger, and organic market founder Janice Leung Hayes didn't think there was anything left about her birthplace's food culture that could surprise her. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Australia, Janice started her popular blog e_ting in 2003 while living in Melbourne.

Wellness: Fat Does Not Make Us Fat

Posted in Health, News & Views on Thu, 10/10/2013 - 6:00am by Jesse Haas -

This post is part of an ongoing series on Wellness, which looks at the importance of health and healing in living a Simple, Good, and Tasty lifestyle. Also check out the previous Wellness posts on sugar and seasonal eating.

DIY Craft Cocktails: Beer Shandies for Cooler Temps

Posted in Family & Home, Recipes on Mon, 10/07/2013 - 6:00am by Peter Groynom -

A traditional beer shandy is a refreshing, height-of-summer drink, served ice cold and made by combining lemonade and a light-bodied beer, usually in a one to one ratio. The shandy is typically enjoyed in the middle of a hot day and has a relatively low alcohol content. Its primary purpose is to refresh, not to intoxicate.