Blog

Mark Bittman at the TED Conference

Posted in Books & Media, News & Views on Sun, 10/04/2009 - 8:16am by lee -

Here's a video of New York Times food writer Mark Bittman speaking at the TED conference in 2008. Mark is as compelling a speaker as he is a writer. And I can't think of another time someone used the phrase "cow farts" in a presentation and it wasn't even a little bit funny. Here's what the good folks at TED wrote by way of introduction:

In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk.

Take a look:

Harmony Valley Keeps it Fresh and Local

Posted in Farms & Gardens on Sat, 10/03/2009 - 7:20am by lee -

My family is nearly 6 months into our Harmony Valley farmshare, and it's astounding to think about how much has changed for us. We're making soup out of things like celeriac these days, and the other day I ate a fresh lunch consisting only of things I picked from the garden 5 minutes before. My family hardly recognizes me. We don't even keep beef jerky or gummy worms in the cupboard anymore. Crazy.

Here's another confession I'd like to make, just between you and me - when I got this week's farmshare bounty, I took a half dozen of the mini-sweet peppers, washed them off, and ate them raw while I was putting the other stuff away. I know - it sounds crazy, but it's true. Even more shocking? They were fantastic.

November 1 Local Food Dinner Set for Spoonriver

Posted in Out & About on Fri, 10/02/2009 - 7:07am by lee -

If you thought we'd already hit all of the great local food restaurants in the Twin Cities, think again - we're just getting started! November's Simple, Good, and Tasty local food event will be held at Spoonriver, another of my favorite Minneapolis spots. For those who don't already now, Spoonriver is owned by nationally renowned restaurateur and chef Brenda Langton, who has been one of the Twin Cities' foremost experts and purveyors of local and vegetarian food for nearly 30 years.

Where in Minnesota is Your Great Pumpkin?

Posted in Family & Home, Farms & Gardens, Out & About on Wed, 09/30/2009 - 10:01pm by Shari Danielson -

Last May, in my family's backyard garden, we planted five varieties of tomatoes, three varieties of lettuce, plus fennel, squash, cucumbers, beets and onions. Oh, and one pumpkin seed that our daughter found on the floor of her first-grade classroom.

The first thing to ripen, the lettuce, was fantastic. The cool weather was perfect for nurturing those tender leaves. But the tomatoes were a major disappointment; not enough heat and humidity for them. And neither the fennel, the squash, the cucumbers or the onions had a great year. The beets, the last I saw of them, were just one day away from being picked when some nighttime visitor – a raccoon? an opossum? – got to them first.

Mississippi Market Classes Promise a Fall Full of Fun

Posted in Out & About on Wed, 09/30/2009 - 7:12am by lee -

Mississippi Market is on a roll these days. Having hosted a terrific grand opening at the new Mississippi Market site just this past July, one might think that St. Paul's favorite locavores would take the rest of the year off. Think again, silly friends. Mississippi Market has recently published their fall calendar of classes. It's an impressive list, offering something for every locavore.

Minnesota's SweeTango Apple: Colorful, Crisp and Controversial

Posted in Farms & Gardens, News & Views on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 12:18am by Shari Danielson -

Today’s post starts off with a riddle:

What’s “juicy and sweet with hints of fall spices,” "a satisfying crunch,” and a name that sounds like a segment of “Dancing with the Stars?”

If you guessed SweeTango, the newest apple cultivar created by the University of Minnesota, you are correct!
SweeTango: Is it worth the trouble?

Since its Labor Day weekend debut, SweeTango has caused a buzz among apple eaters and growers. But it’s not just the taste that has people talking.

This apple comes with controversy because of the way the U of M has licensed it.

Twin Cities Youth Farm and Market Project Grows Sustainable Futures

Posted in Out & About on Mon, 09/28/2009 - 7:36am by lee -

Youth Farm and Market Project, a Twin Cities community treasure since 1995, has lofty goals. These include:

Building young leadersPromoting healthy lifestylesCreating neighborhood connectedness and opportunities for contributionDeveloping and nurturing healthy relationships

The program focuses on kids ages 9 - 18, and uses a hands on approach to urban agriculture and gardening to teach life lessons. Started in 1995, the Youth Farm program now teaches more than 500 Twin Cities youth every single year.

Take a Stand for Better Food Choices (and you don't even have to get up from your computer)

Posted in Health, News & Views on Sun, 09/27/2009 - 7:53am by Shari Danielson -

So you shop at farmer’s markets and your local co-op. You buy local, organic, sustainably grown and harvested food. Your coffee is grown in the shade, your chocolate is fair-trade, and your bread is homemade. How else can you can declare your support for the cause of "local, sustainable, organic foods and the people who produce them?”