farmers

If you're a local foodie in the Twin Cities, you probably already know about Corner Table. How could you not? Since it opened in 2004, Corner Table and its owner, Scott Pampuch, have been written up in every Minnesota restaurant directory, magazine, and website worth anything. Scott is well known for his commitment to local farmers and seasonal ingredients (last time I stopped by, he practically forced me into his freezer to see how many of the ingredients came directly from his farmers), and for being one of only a few chefs in town (yes, I'm also thinking about you, Mr. Russo), who freely, boldly, and constantly comments on the things that matter to him -- Minnesota nice be, um, darned.

Our first book club first pick of 2011, Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat, tells the stories of women working towards eating and farming sustainably. Author Temra Costa writes about the relationships, nurturing, and inventiveness that women bring into the “delicious revolution” that is happening in our food world. Join us on January 27 at Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op from 7:00 - 9:00 pm or in Bemidji (near Harmony Co-op) from 5:30 - 7:30 pm to dig into these stories.

As a child of the Midwest, I’ve been surrounded by farms and farmers my whole life. Most of my immigrant forebears were farmers, and there’s a good chance that yours were, too. Although I’ve chosen a city lot instead of my grandfather’s alfalfa fields (at least for now), I’m quite interested in what will happen in the 2012 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill affects not just farmers, but everyone who eats -- and that’s all of us. The bill, with its grand scope and billions of dollars, will help define what we eat (and, thus, who we are) in thousands of subtle ways.

A few weeks ago, I got a text from my brother-in-law Jeff. He'd just discovered a restaurant he thought I'd love, and the message said, "it was awesome. Put it on your highly recommended list." Jeff has great taste -- I can't think of a time he's steered me wrong -- and I take his recommendations seriously. But Jeff doesn't get all hung up on how his food is sourced the way I do, and I didn't assume that his "it was awesome" meant that I'd feel good about it. I needed to ask.

July’s book club selection continues our education in and understanding of our favorite thing here at Simple, Good and Tasty: FOOD! As we all know, there are many real and complex issues surrounding the way we get food to our mouths these days. And there are trade-offs that need to be made. But what’s better? And how do you decide? 

The website Homegrown.org, created by the Farm Aid organization, attempts to bring together all sorts of people who love food, farming, and the land. According to the Philosophy section of their website:

Corner Table is consistently rated one of the top restaurants in Minneapolis. Nestled in a mostly non-descript corner in South Minneapolis (save for Anodyne Coffee Shop, and Roadrunner Records), Corner Table (43rd and Nicollet, 612.823.0011) has served delicious food made from local and sustainable ingredients since 2004.