Out & About

My family and I had a fun time at the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota's Garlic Festival this past weekend in Hutchinson, MN.

We've entered the period of summer when local produce gets so plentiful and bold that it almost becomes overwhelming. Farmers market tables bulge with color and are rivaled only by the swell of the crowds that flow between them. It's the pinnacle of the season for anyone that enjoys gastronomic adventures at home. I often find myself returning from a farmers market with bags full of vegetables and no idea how I’m going to use them all.

Image Credit: Mette Nielsen

When it comes to local, sustainable food in the Twin Cities, it's hard to overstate the importance of award winning chef and restaurateur Brenda Langton. Since she opened her first restaurant, Cafe Kardamena, in St. Paul in 1978, Langton has been committed to serving fine vegetarian food, fresh seafood, and the best local food she can find.

There are a few things that jump into my head when I think about my favorite things about living in Minneapolis: the lakes, the growing art community, the (mostly) bike-friendliness, and ready access to goat cheese from the Donnay Dairy.

It might sound a wee bit mundane, but it is seriously what I like to call an “everyday treat”. After the samples, there are few things I make a beeline for at Surdyk’s: chocolate, coffee, and goat cheese.

It's pretty hard not to be inspired by Fred Haberman. Although he apologizes profusely - and repeatedly - during our lunch for being exhausted ("I was at the farm before 5 this morning," he says, "I'm starting to feel dizzy"), Fred is articulate and passionate as he describes Haberman's company sponsored organic farm.

Last Sunday, my family and I (and a few friends) took the opportunity to visit the Kingfield Farmers Market in South Minneapolis. It's been ages since I've been there, but pretty much everyone I know raves about it. It's easy to see why.

As a kid, I spent countless hours, days, weeks, months - heck, even years - thinking of nothing but baseball. With 2 brothers and 3 step-brothers in my family hanging around each summer, it was easy to get a game going any time, and each night was spent in front of the TV, watching our beloved Yankees (I'm from New York) attempt to destroy the competition. My brothers and I developed special cheers for Don Mattingly, Ricky Henderson, Dave Righetti, and the rest of the team. When I moved to Minnesota, I helped my family adjust to the idea by telling them that Dave Winfield was born in St. Paul.

I had the great pleasure to meet with Amanda Simpson, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s Residence Manager, and Brian McClung, Governor Pawlenty’s Director of Communications, last week. Over the course of an hour, our far-reaching conversation centered on the role of local food at the Residence, also (briefly) touching on Minnesota food policy and what’s to come. (I even got a tour of the garden.) Amanda and Brian were refreshingly candid, and I was glad to meet them and see their work first-hand.

What a fun night we had at the Red Stag Supper Club in Minneapolis! The room was gorgeous, the food was superb, and the company was best of all. The photos, taken by my friend, fellow foodie, and excellent blogger Kate Sommers of Les Petites Images, tell the story way better than I can.