Recent Comments

  • 13 years 21 weeks ago by: Josh Wolfbauer in reply to: How Important is Organic Certification? At Nature's Prime Organic, The Answer is "Very"

    Hi my name is Josh Wolfbauer and I actually work for Nature's Prime Organic Foods, as a matter of fact my parents are the founders of this business. I read through this article and am very glad to see that people are starting to recognize us. From what I can see from this article the major concern about our company is the origin of our meats and how local it actually is. Currently we are getting our meat from several locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Hidden-Vue Farm is one of them. Hidden-Vue Farm is a Certified Organic, 550 acre farm located in northern Wisconsin not far from the shores of Lake Superior and is managed by Jim and David Nortunen. Currently they are raising organic grass fed Red Devon cross beef cattle. The Red Devon is a heritage breed that has escaped genetic tampering and has not been modified to a grain based diet. This breed is moderately framed, highly fertile, efficient, and grows and finishes well on grass. There is absolutely no use of growth hormones, chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides on either the animals or land. As far as the other locations of the other farms I am not sure I am just going by what I know myself and if you wish to know more information you can call us at 952-556-0007

  • 13 years 21 weeks ago by: lee in reply to: Blue Gentian Farm is a Midwest Refuge for Heritage Breeds

    Aw, Susan - you need to include the Minneapolis Farmers Market in there too! Thanks for the note.

  • 13 years 21 weeks ago by: Minneapolis Farmers market in reply to: Blue Gentian Farm is a Midwest Refuge for Heritage Breeds

    We are just having a lovefest today. The combination of tree champions for local and sustainable -- Tracy Paska, Blue Gentian and Simple Good and Tasty -- wins the gold.

  • 13 years 22 weeks ago by: Christine in reply to: Heartland's Lenny Russo and His Love Affair with the Mangalitsa

    After all of this fact talk, I just want to offer a comment as a consumer of Mangalitsa sausage at Heartland recently. Far and away the best sausage that I have ever eaten-wonderfully rich without tasting fatty, but, oddly, rather lean. Eaten with housemade sauerkraut and a pint of beer, it thoroughly delighted every German gene in my body (and the other ones as well). I'll be back very soon for more Mangalitsa!

  • 13 years 22 weeks ago by: Heath Putnam in reply to: Heartland's Lenny Russo and His Love Affair with the Mangalitsa

    Mangalitsa greaves taste much better than regular greaves. They taste lighter.

    Check out Flucher's Grammelschokolade in this document:

    http://www.soj.at/pdf/729.pdf

    I've visited her farm twice. The Grammelschokoladen are really great.

  • 13 years 22 weeks ago by: AmyRose in reply to: Heartland's Lenny Russo and His Love Affair with the Mangalitsa

    Heath, that sounds absolutely amazing.

  • 13 years 22 weeks ago by: Heath Putnam in reply to: Heartland's Lenny Russo and His Love Affair with the Mangalitsa

    I know some Styrians who make chocolate bars with Mangalitsa greaves.

    In general, if a chef gets a Mangalitsa pig, he'll have greaves and use them. They are a real delicacy.

  • 13 years 22 weeks ago by: AmyRose in reply to: Heartland's Lenny Russo and His Love Affair with the Mangalitsa

    Heath, I was indeed working for a Styrian--a bunch of Styrians and a guy from the Dolomites, in fact! We didn't use Mangalitsas at the time, but I wonder if, way back, they made something similar with the cracklings, or grammeln, of Mangalitsa pigs.

  • 13 years 22 weeks ago by: Heath Putnam in reply to: Heartland's Lenny Russo and His Love Affair with the Mangalitsa

    Amy - responding to your comment: "we served a whipped fat into which pork cracklings and lots of pumpkinseed oil were folded, as a kind of smear or dip for fresh pretzels. I forget what it was called, and we used duck fat as the base, but I wonder now if it wasn't a traditional mangalitsa, or fatty hog, preparation . .. could be. I mean, what's not to love?"

    Griebenschmalz - but it is normally made from pig lard and cracklings, no duck and no pumpkinseed oil. The pumpkinseed oil is "Eindeutig" - I would guess you were in Styria, or working for a Styrian if he used that.

    You almost certainly didn't use Mangalitsa pigs (they would have called them "Mangalitza" or "Wollschwein" in Austria).

    If you want one next year, just call me then and we'll see what they cost. Prices go up and down, so quoting today's price isn't useful.

  • 13 years 22 weeks ago by: AmyRose in reply to: Heartland's Lenny Russo and His Love Affair with the Mangalitsa

    Heath, I'm glad you posted because I think anyone interested in this kind of pork should check out woolypigs.com. (After trying the lardo at Lenny's, that is.) I've bookmarked it. Loved the description of the Austrian Mangalitsa farm. You know, I used to work in an Austrian restaurant and we served a whipped fat into which pork cracklings and lots of pumpkinseed oil were folded, as a kind of smear or dip for fresh pretzels. I forget what it was called, and we used duck fat as the base, but I wonder now if it wasn't a traditional mangalitsa, or fatty hog, preparation . .. could be. I mean, what's not to love?
    P.s. How much do those weaner pigs go for? Thinking seriously about next summer.