This note from Jack clarifies Featherstone's quest to become carbon neutral:
"I'm humbled by your glowing account of our farm, but I also feel the need to clarify one thing that I may have inadvertently misrepresented on your visit. Our goal is to have the summer warehousing and infrastructure part of our business off the grid- and therefore carbon neutral- within 5 years. That would leave still many aspects of our farm (tractors, fieldwork, transportation, winter energy) as carbon emitters, and a source of future reduction plans. We will be participating in a research project this year with 2 researchers from the University of Chicago, mapping our farm's energy use and carbon footprint, to get a baseline from which to measure future progress."
14 years 31 weeks agoby: Norm Baerin reply to: Now We're One!
A Note from the Cellar . . .
When life gives you cassoulet, drink Cotes du Rhone – at least that is the approach taken by our table at the SGT First Anniversary Dinner. Grand Café presented us with a terrific cassoulet (white beans, smoked sausage and duck confit) and a nice list of reasonably priced wines to choose from. We applied the rule of thumb that says to drink wine from the geographic area where the food originated, which brought us to southern France and the Rhone Valley. The northern Rhone is famous for its syrah-based wines: food friendly and rich, without a risk of being overpowering for a comfort food like cassoulet. The southern Rhone wines tend to focus on grenache and mourvedre, creating wines that are lighter in style and better suited to the simple goodness of the food.
Grand Café’s wine list included three Cotes du Rhones and we selected Domaine La Garrigue. “Garrigue” is a French word that refers to a dry, rocky scrubland; the kind of environment that forces the vines to struggle, keeps the yields low, and as a result, often produces better wine. Domaine La Garrigue is approximately 90 hectares (225 acres) located in the Vacqueyras appellation of southern France. It has been farmed by the Bernard family through six generations beginning in 1850. The grapes are all harvested by hand and, after at least 18 months in vats (no oak barrels here, thus the grape juice tastes like grapes), without filtering or fining, the wine is bottled at the estate. The net result was a “simple, good and tasty” wine that was a very nice complement to the excellent cassoulet.
Thanks so much Aaron, we really appreciate your super-kind note and the support we get from Heavy Table. We're thrilled to be in your company, and continually amazed and impressed by the great work you do. You have introduced us to countless restaurants, purveyors, and sites in beautiful, meaningful, and fun ways.
Here's to a great year to come for all of us, and for great local food.
I just wanted to say thanks. Simple, Good and Tasty is really the best site in Minnesota on sustainability and local food. You've brought a real community together here and you're a fantastic resource. At the Heavy Table, I'm not sure if there's a site we link to or retweet more. You have consistently informative, interesting and fun content.
SGT is really a great thing and I hope it's even more fruitful for the next year.
I don't know how I didn't
I don't know how I didn't know about this website, but so glad to find it via the book club! Thanks for organizing!
We're anxious for our first
We're anxious for our first Simple, Good and Tasty book club discussion this evening in Bemidji. These recipes sound awesome. Thanks for posting.
This note from Jack clarifies
This note from Jack clarifies Featherstone's quest to become carbon neutral:
"I'm humbled by your glowing account of our farm, but I also feel the need to clarify one thing that I may have inadvertently misrepresented on your visit. Our goal is to have the summer warehousing and infrastructure part of our business off the grid- and therefore carbon neutral- within 5 years. That would leave still many aspects of our farm (tractors, fieldwork, transportation, winter energy) as carbon emitters, and a source of future reduction plans. We will be participating in a research project this year with 2 researchers from the University of Chicago, mapping our farm's energy use and carbon footprint, to get a baseline from which to measure future progress."
So great to have everyone
So great to have everyone there, thanks again! See you soon.
-Lee
Very nice article on food get
Very nice article on food get you in the mood... else image is very Romantic...
Loved every minute! Thank you
Loved every minute! Thank you so much, SGT.
Amazing food and company.
Amazing food and company. Hope to attend another SGT event soon! Thanks!
A Note from the Cellar . .
A Note from the Cellar . . .
When life gives you cassoulet, drink Cotes du Rhone – at least that is the approach taken by our table at the SGT First Anniversary Dinner. Grand Café presented us with a terrific cassoulet (white beans, smoked sausage and duck confit) and a nice list of reasonably priced wines to choose from. We applied the rule of thumb that says to drink wine from the geographic area where the food originated, which brought us to southern France and the Rhone Valley. The northern Rhone is famous for its syrah-based wines: food friendly and rich, without a risk of being overpowering for a comfort food like cassoulet. The southern Rhone wines tend to focus on grenache and mourvedre, creating wines that are lighter in style and better suited to the simple goodness of the food.
Grand Café’s wine list included three Cotes du Rhones and we selected Domaine La Garrigue. “Garrigue” is a French word that refers to a dry, rocky scrubland; the kind of environment that forces the vines to struggle, keeps the yields low, and as a result, often produces better wine. Domaine La Garrigue is approximately 90 hectares (225 acres) located in the Vacqueyras appellation of southern France. It has been farmed by the Bernard family through six generations beginning in 1850. The grapes are all harvested by hand and, after at least 18 months in vats (no oak barrels here, thus the grape juice tastes like grapes), without filtering or fining, the wine is bottled at the estate. The net result was a “simple, good and tasty” wine that was a very nice complement to the excellent cassoulet.
Thanks so much Aaron, we
Thanks so much Aaron, we really appreciate your super-kind note and the support we get from Heavy Table. We're thrilled to be in your company, and continually amazed and impressed by the great work you do. You have introduced us to countless restaurants, purveyors, and sites in beautiful, meaningful, and fun ways.
Here's to a great year to come for all of us, and for great local food.
-Lee
I just wanted to say thanks.
I just wanted to say thanks. Simple, Good and Tasty is really the best site in Minnesota on sustainability and local food. You've brought a real community together here and you're a fantastic resource. At the Heavy Table, I'm not sure if there's a site we link to or retweet more. You have consistently informative, interesting and fun content.
SGT is really a great thing and I hope it's even more fruitful for the next year.