Welcome to summer at its best – Fresh Garden to Table Eating that celebrates so many of our favorite flavors of the season!
This is a great flexible recipe that can be changed to what you have on hand.
We eat this is as a chilled meal during high summer. While some might call it a salad, I see it as more of a base to add other things to; from leftover grilled chicken, some sourdough slathered with pesto… We’ve also added cooked and cooled cannellini beans to this for a protein boost. If you add beans, plan to add more dressing to keep the flavors balanced.
We’ve garnished with balsamic vinegar, pesto, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, olives, or whatever Italian flavors feel right that night. The main idea with this meal is to let the flavors from the garden shine. All the herbs in this recipe are easy to grow.
You can make this with regular pasta or use zucchini noodles (zoodles) or both if you have split family preferences like we do.
One of my all time favorite vegetables is the humble Beet. Sometimes Beet Recipes can get a little predictable, but I’ve got a guest chef helping us keeps beets exciting today…and sharing his Beet Risotto Recipe with us!
I think my deep love for beets may be in part because it was one of those vegetables my mother NEVER cooked. So, I got to discover it all on my own and there’s something simply endearing about that, isn’t there? Their flavor and nutritional powers are pretty good reasons to love them as well…
Variety Matters!
I also love beets because you can use the entire plant, literally roots to shoots. I admit it took me a few years to fully board the ‘beet green’ bandwagon- but I am quite comfy now not giving up my seat now!
The rest of my family grew to love beet greens as a substitute for half the greens in their salads last summer. They even preferred it to spinach as the season wore on… we’ve also been enjoying frozen beet greens this winter.
But the beetroot is still up for debate with most of them.
Soup Season is here and we couldn’t be more ready!
Leeks are a favorite late season crop that add so much depth of flavor to everything they touch, especially soup! We had a bumper crop this year so I’m excited to experiment with leeks this winter…
Straight up Potato Leek soup is divine, so I wasn’t sure if I should mess with it… but I did because I can’t help hiding extra veggies in all my meals.
So, here’s a soup that’s every bit as delicious with some added protein and veggie power. But it all starts with bacon, so don’t worry, this is definitely scores high on the flavor meter.
Ingredients
Bacon- 1 lb locally raised Leeks- Three large or four medium leeks Thyme- few fresh sprigs or 2 tsp dry Bay Leaf- 1-2 Potatoes- 4 medium-sized, peeled and cubed Cauliflower- half to a full head, cut up (or 2 cups Zucchini, shredded) Any White Beans- ~ 1 cup Chicken Stock- 3-4 Cups Salt + White Pepper to taste 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese – optional
Directions
Soak and cook beans until soft (or used canned). Fry the bacon on low until crispy. Set bacon to drain. Use bacon fat to sauté leeks, on medium low for 5-7 minutes. Add in potatoes, cauliflower or zucchini, thyme and bay leaves. Pour in chicken stock. Simmer until everything is well cooked, 20+ minutes. Fish out bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Add in cream cheese. Use an immersion blender (or blender) to puree soup, or leave chunky if preferred.
Garnish with cream, microgreens, fried leeks, bacon, kale chips, etc… Delicious with homemade sourdough!
I’ve got more Forks in the Dirt “Veggie Heavy” Recipes over on my RECIPES PAGE. I hope you love this soup as much as we do, let me know what you think of the added cauliflower and white beans.
In typical Forks in the Dirt fashion, I have gift ideas for you that cover a lot of ground. You could even say gifts from the ground up. So, here’s my lovingly curated, Mix + Match, Handmade, Local, Always Learning + Eco Friendly Holiday Gift Guide.
Homemade
Calendula Salve: Calendula Salve is a super healing and soothing balm great for cold northern winters. I make it with my homegrown Calendula Resina, but Mountain Rose herbs has high quality herbal products.
Soap: I love gifting homemade soaps, especially when it contains some of my own floral or herbal infused oils! I keep it simple and usually have make the hot process soap. We go over this recipe in detail in our book, Small-Scale Homesteading.
DIY Cocktail Infusing Kits: These are super simple to make but are really a big impact gift. The recipes I share in THIS ARTICLE are some of my favorite, but you can get creative – just don’t forget to make a few extra for yourself! All recipes can be made into N/A options.
Farm to Table means different things to different people. But everywhere I look people are digging into the backstory of their food. I see more of us asking questions about local, organic, sustainable and regenerative. What I don’t often hear are questions about the farm families that bring us that food. So, when the Twin Cities Mom Collective invited me to talk with some women farmers of Common Ground Minnesota, I was all in.
The two organizations recently brought together local moms like myself with Minnesota farm women to ‘talk turkey’ and corn, soybeans, beef production, etc…
The Setting
We met at the iconic “Farm at the Arb” which has been restored to all its glory. The barn itself is rustic chic and the gathering lawns, landscaping and vistas put it over the top! As stunning as the Farm is, it is only one historic chapter in the story of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (the Arb).
The University of Minnesota has managed the Arb’s 1,200 acres since 1958. It boasts seemingly endless display gardens, plants, tree and shrub collections and educational offerings. This place is a mecca of sorts for Midwest gardeners and nature lovers alike.
Everyone loves Lasagna, right!? Here’s my veggie-heavy version. And the trick is using larger (what people may think of as past their prime) Patty Pan squash.
Patty Who?
Patty Pan squash are a prolific heirloom variety that I think of something between a summer and winter squash. The firmness and dense texture of these squash make for a much closer “faux pasta” than regular summer squash! I love all kinds of squash, especially zucchini, and have a dedicated blog all about different ways to use those beauties in Zucchini a Zillion Ways.
The plants themselves are large, but not as big as some typical zucchini plants can get. I got my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, “White Scallop”.
So how does a big ole squash become pasta-ish? Welcome my trusty mandolin. I use this simple kitchen appliance to slice and shred and it makes my veggie loving life so much easier! From beet chips to slaw I use this almost everyday. A note of caution, the blades are VERY sharp. Most mandolin packages come with a ‘guide’ or shield of some sort, I suggest using that for whenever you get even a little close to the slicing blade.
VIDEO: watch a mandolin slicing patty pan in action
Summer is short and so sweet in Minnesota (ok, Wisconsin too)! Let’s savor each day with plenty of outside time, fun new experiences, family time and play… for us this mean plenty of farm visits!
I’ve got quite the line-up for you guys! I’ve gathered my favorite farm visits that are also family friendly. These farms will get you feeling one with nature, closer to your roots, and eating farm to table to boot.
These are the real deal. Real crops, real animals, real history, real fun. Grab the sunscreen, pack the picnic basket and buckle up!
Farm to Table Summer Camp: August 5-8 Camp for kids entering 2nd-5th grade that brings them through the Farm to Table process of milk to butter, cheese and ice cream- and making their own bread from farm fresh ingredients! More info HERE.
Bruentrup Heritage Farm is nestled between Maplewood and White Bear Lake and comes with the idyllic big red barn and front porch. Run by the Maplewood Area Historical Society, this is a community hub of family fun activities. The Bruentrup family donated their farm to the society in 1999 and the community has been in love with it ever since. This is also an amazing spot for weddings if you know anyone who’s looking 😉 Their Facebook page is the place to follow for event updates and announcements.
The annual highlight of this little gem of a non-profit nature center is their Apple Fest! Good old down-home fun where kids can pick heirloom varieties of organic apples, get dirty and play in the hay bales- they’ll have to run off all that cider and apple crisp somehow…
The Carpernter St. Croix Valley Nature Center is the best kept secret on the river. They have both MN and WI campuses and miles of glorious trails overlooking the river that divides them. The apple orchard is magical, and be sure to check out the old farm house off of the north loop trail! They hold some sweet Summer Camps, a good selection still have availability, check out the variety of options HERE.
Co-op Farm Tour
July 13th FREE
The Cows of Turnip Rock Farm last Summer’s Farm Tour
Mark your calendars for the ‘Eat Local’ Co-op Farm Tour. This event lets you tour some of the best local farms in the (extended) area. There are a record high 26 farmers participating this summer! Farms include Beef, Dairy, Fish, Flower, Honey, Hops and good old Vegetables. This is kind of the grand-daddy of all farm visits!
Pack a picnic, bring lots of ice cold water and an extra cooler for all the (REALLY) farm fresh food you can find that day! It’s a great way for kids and adults alike to see first-hand where the food they eat starts out. The farms that participate usually have something to entice the little ones out- check each farm’s page link for more info.
Gibbs Farm
General Admissions: $8 adults, $7 seniors 62+, $5 children 4-16
Ice Cream Sunday: Every other Sunday, June 16th to August 25th Make your own sundae and enjoy fresh local dairy!
Prairie Festival: August 3rd
included in General Admissions.
Celebrating
the Dakota people and foodways, past and present with stations to learn about
the seasonal ways like wild ricing.
This is the little farm that could. This well loved historical farm is tucked into the east side of the cities along the edge of U of MN Ag land. Costumed staff provide a glimpse into nineteenth century Pioneer and Dakota daily life.
There are both original and replica buildings, including and one-room schoolhouse (my kids favorite) a log-and-sod home, plus the original Gibbs farmhouse and barn. What sets this place apart is the inclusion of a Dakota summer bark lodge, and a tipi and their almost equal representation of Indigenous history along with European settler history.
photo credit: Gibbs Farm
The historical tours are led by knowledgeable costumed interpreters open most weekends in summer. Pioneer Tours at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Dakota Tours are 11:30am and 1:30pm.
The staff at Big River Farms provide farmer education and technical assistance in all things sustainable farming. This summer they are doing a few new classes lead by their farmers in training; organic weed management, composting with worms, planting for monarchs and growing your own mushrooms.
The classes are probably more adult friendly than family friendly, but they made it on my list anyway. An adult could go to the class and the rest of the crew could wander and enjoy the beautiful farmland, or is worm composting a perfect start to a romantic date night… 😉 They also go above and beyond welcoming families during the Co-op Farm Tour.
Oliver Kelley Farm
Admission: $12 for adults, $6 ages 5-17 FREE for 4 and under and MNHS Members
This is such a unique experience, and I’m so proud of our MN Historical Society for preserving this one of a-kind-farm for generations to come. Visiting is a way to get up close and personal with farm life from 150 years ago (that’s the 1860’s for anyone else who can’t do math).
The costumed staff are experts in teaching without preaching and making you feel part of the farm. I know that sounds corny, but go see for yourself. There’s always some in-season farm task, skill/job to be done and everyone gets to pitch in. It’s a real working farm, so visitors can meet the animals in the barn, help work in the fields and gardens, and see what’s cooking in the farmhouse.
The Oliver Kelley Farm is a National Historic Landmark which became a way more family friendly farm visit after opening their new visitor center! The addition of a farm lab to the site takes it above and beyond. Yes, I’m gushing but this is one of my happy places! My kids love the BIG oxen, and all the barn cats, and pumping water from the well to water veggies.
OK, this one is more garden than farm, but it’s a comprehensive garden laid out in a way that gives you solid ideas you can take home and make your own. And since my real motive is actually to get you growing more of your own food this fits perfectly 😉
Helping plant beans during a Meet the Gardener Session two years ago
Plus this Ramsey County Nature Center boasts the Discovery Hollow Nature Play Area. It doesn’t get much more family friendly than helping plant in a community garden and then wiggle your bare toes in a stream before hiking to the perfect picnic spot. They rotate topics for “Drop in Discoveries” on Saturdays. I’m super excited for the ‘Meet the Bees/Garden Party’ drop in sessions, on June 22, July 27 and August 24. Tamarack also holds a slew of the most desired summer camps in the metro area. A few spots remain.
White Pine Berry Farm
Strawberry Shortcake Social: June 29
Photo Credits: White Pine Berry Farm
A PYO farm run by The Zwald family, White Pine is a newbie on our list this year because of their Organic Certification! The name sells them a little short, as they also grow; asparagus, beans, ginger, (!!!) plums, tumeric, tomatoes and watermelon, yes my mouth is watering…isn’t yours!?!
They’ve got some fun events planned for this season with “A Day in the Country later this Fall. Check them out as part of the Co-op Farm Tour on July 13th. Follow their Facebook Page to stay in the loop.
Honorable Mentions
These family adventures are too good to miss! While not technically farm visits, they tie in gardening, local food and getting back to Nature. I just had to mention them…
A new Farm to School Bill has just been introduced and it could mean lots of healthy, local food for school-age kids statewide!
This bill would make grant money available to stakeholders in all stages of the food system. It has the potential to make the local food system flow more naturally from local farmer to local school kids. The $2 million in grant money would be available to different cogs within the local food chain.
Farmer Butch of All Good Organics talking pumpkins with a little local.
Farmers would be able to apply for technical assistance to help them cut through some of the red tape in selling to schools (there is a LOT). Schools would be able to apply for reimbursement in working with purchasing from individual farms, transportation and packaging costs. There’s even a portion that would be available for school gardens and agricultural education related to local foods.
From the Ground Up
“This seems like a great opportunity to connect local food supplies with kids in our community. Programs like this do our kids a great service in understanding the food supply chain and how we access those resources,” says principal John Leininger. Leininger is at Matoska International Elementary School in White Bear Lake, which has started a small gardening program on site.
Matoska International Elementary teachers and school garden leaders, Dawn Maple and Angela Bianco
“This bill could be really helpful for schools to implement or increase their farm to school offerings, with school credited recipes and other pre-done marketing templates without having to reinvent the wheel with our already limited resources,” said Bridget Lehn, MBA, RD, Nutrition Services Coordinator for White Bear Lake Area Schools, referring to the state level “Farm to School Coordinator” position that is part of the bill.
Local Food Hub, The Good
Acre, which works directly with local farmers says, “We 100% support it!”
and for good reason. They’ve seen first-hand how farmers working with similar
programs have grown and flourished.
Local Food Impact
School lunches reach more kids than any restaurant or monthly supplemental programs can. There is a social aspect as well; kids that see other kids eating fresh fruits and veggies at the lunch table next to them are more likely to try the same things. It should be noted that the funds they are proposing would be for local produce as well as meat and dairy products.
According to the
National Farm to School Network,
every dollar invested in farm to school programs generates $2.16 to the local
economy. Kids get more nutritious foods, farmers can make ends meet, and a few
more
“This
bill is good for local farmers. It’s good for our children, and it’s good for
local economies too,” said Rep. Todd Lippert, DFL-Northfield, who sponsored
the bill along with Sen. Michael Goggin, R-Red Wing.
Your Voice Matters
A similar bill made it through the house and senate committees in 2017, but ultimately wasn’t included in a final spending bill. So, if you think the health of our kids and our local economy is worthwhile, let your representatives know that you support this bill by calling or emailing them today!
I usually focus on what we can do individually to impact our Food System. But, when we have a chance to do something collectively to help our kids AND local farmers I needed to share it with you all. I’m really curious, what do you think about Farm to School initiatives?
ThisFarmers Market brings the best of Minnesota’s harvests deep into Winter and features a few new health-focused vendors along with local favorites. Join us for the White Bear Lake Winter Farmers Market Season Finale; 9am-1pm on January 12th, 2019. Browse over a dozen local vendors indoors at Tamarack Nature Center, 5287 Otter Lake Road, WBT, MN 55110.
Shop Local, Eat Local + Healthy!
We can all use a little health boost after the Holidays, right! Bonus if we’re feasting on food grown close to home. Yes, even in January Minnesotan’s can enjoy local food. Like fresh greens, locally and humanely raised meats, fresh eggs and cheese- along with local honey, storage vegetable crops, breads, soups, and our furthest sourced food: wild Alaskan caught salmon!
Thanks to our neighbor farmers using high tunnels, greenhouses and indoor lights we can enjoy fresh food through the Winter. We’ll also have a wide variety of canned and frozen produce, jams and herbal products available. We welcome the “Brick Oven Bus” food truck and Platense handmade Empanadas to tide you over while shopping.
January Gift Basket Giveaway!!
Vendors have come together to offer an amazing assortment of local love- Register to win the day of. Details HERE!
Community Driven Market
This market is a true community driven event, bringing together many local community organizations. Pine Tree Apple Orchard donates free Cider tastings, which the White Bear Area Foodshelf volunteers serve up.
WBL Seed Library table
Our own White Bear Lake Seed Library will be sharing seed saving ans starting information. Ramsey County Master Gardeners will be onsite answering gardening questions and giving out free “table top” organics recycling kits. The Pollinator Friendly Alliance will have info on how to help our wild pollinators! Tamarack Nature Center will be sampling their honey and maple syrup and have a take home “seed art” project.
The coordinator of the market, Michelle Bruhn, also runs Forks in the Dirt and will be sharing some vegetable garden planning techniques. You can also register to WIN a One Hour “Veggie Garden Planning Session” with Michelle right HERE.
January
Market Vendors
All Good Organics: variety of fall and winter vegetables, spices, sauerkraut.
Bell’s Maple Syrup: Pure Maple Syrup tapped from Sugar Maples in Cushing, MN.
Morsels: Handmade granola bars + bites, cookies, cupcakes and caramels
Sailor Mercy: Hand crafted batches of immune boosting Elderberry Syrup.
Sassafras Health Foods: Promoting Healthy Living as a way of life with supplements and other whole food based items.
Unity Farms: A variety of popping corn, spices and cold processed soaps.
Weeds Greens: High quality and huge variety of locally grown microgreens.
Wild Run Salmon: Wild caught Alaskan Salmon sold by the fisherman.
Me and Chomp the Carrot at the December Market
As market coordinator, my mission is to help us all make healthier, more sustainable food choices. Our choices result in healthier lives for us and our planet! Follow the WBL Winter Market Facebook Event Page for up to date information and specials. Full vendor and community table list on Forks in the Dirt on the WBL Market page.
*Don’t forget to bring Cash as not all vendors take cards*
Dig Into the New Year with me and our local growers and vendors!
We can’t wait for you to Shop Local + Eat Local with us at the December 8th White Bear Lake Winter Farmers Market! There are so many delicious gifts waiting to be found… We’ve curated the best local food growers and makers to give you a chance to do lots of your holiday shopping in one place! Don’t forget to fill your own Holiday tables with local foods too!
We all know receiving a consumable gift is the best…so giving them is the easy choice!
Extras for the Holiday Market
Ramsey County Recycles will be giving away FREE REUSABLE BAGS to the first 100 shoppers!
Chomp, the BearPower Carrot Mascot will be on site for photos from 9-10!
Fresh Roasted Hot Coffee from Ox & Crow Coffeehouse
Don’t forget to Enter to Win this Locally loaded Gift Basket ~ The December Market Giveaway!
Entering to win here will also start your monthly email membership with Forks in the Dirt!
Meet the December Farmers and Makers
All Good Organics: With their own Farm Store on their farm in Lino Lakes, Butch and Kris will have a wide variety of farm fresh produce. Some of their offerings include greenhouse grown lettuces, full variety of fall/winter vegetables, frozen summer vegetables, homemade canned items (best sauerkraut!) and farm made spice blends! I visited with them last spring and got a great tour of the farm!
Dahl Hobbie Farm: Susan is known for her jellies, jams, raw honey and her honey-based 12 spice cough soothing formula. She’ll also be bringing some specialty chutney.
Eichtens Cheese & Bison: Our closest cheese producers are bringing a large variety of locally sourced and crafted cheeses. They offer some of their summer sausage and MN Wild rice as well. They’ll also have gift boxes available. My new favorite is the herbed gouda, it simply makes everything better.
Gilbertson Farm: Jessy brings a well rounded selection of humanely raised beef and pork, chicken, DUCK, eggs. They sell a variety of cuts and blends. We love their pork sausage. They make a mean Wild Rice Brat- and their pork chops cook up tender and with so much more flavor than anything store bought. Plus the animals all had a great life!
Great Harvest Sharing their amazing Breads!
Great Harvest: If you’ve been to the WBL Summer Farmers market you’ll remember these breads- and likely Sheldon the happy purveyor of so many samples 🙂 They specialize in yeast breads. They’ll bring breads, rolls, scones, cookies. Their monster cookies are legendary- their scones are my favorite!
Green Bros Micros: The Green brothers, really- Brandon and Nick Green recognized the benefits of urban farming and took the plunge to start growing micros as a delicious, nutritious addition to your diet. Fresh and local GREENS in our MN winters are such a treat!
Hart & Soul Herbal: Vanessa Hart crafts an all natural line of apothecary healing and aromatherapy products. Using the fewest steps between God and consumption, these high-quality-controlled naturally-sustainable unrefined products are made in small batches in White Bear Lake.
Sigrid of Hoppel Poppel sharing her German sourdough style breads
Hoppel Poppel Breads: Sigrid shares her German roots through baking amazing sourdough breads and pastries. Her caramel rolls alone are worth a visit to the market. Some of her heavily seeded loaves are a meal in themselves. She’ll bring a variety of European style breads and pastries.
Ingredients Cafe: A White Bear favorite, the chefs at Ingredients are whipping up some scratch made soups to make your at home weeknight dinners simple and delicious. **NEW ITEM: Hand made Gnocchi at the December market** A special shout out to Ben Pratt, owner of Ingredients for volunteering his time to cook for the Harvest Party at the YMCA this Summer!
Ox & Crow Coffeehouse: Mara at Ox & Crow has created a wonderful coffeehouse in the Mahtomedi.. We’re looking forward to having her locally roasted specialty coffee beans and house made chai teas served hot. She’ll also be bringing
Platense: Vanessa brings us a taste of Argentina right here in Minnesota! She uses authentic family recipes for traditional frosted nuts from Argentina. The flavors might not be local but they are locally well-loved!
Mark and Linda of Suzi Q’s Dang Good Western Dressing!
Suzi Q Western Dressing: “Dang Good” Western Dressing brought to you by Linda (Suzy Q) and (Cowboy) Mark from right in town. They had their first Summer selling their dressing at the WBL Summer market, and it was such a hit they’re bringing it to the Winter market too!
Unity Farm: Moses of Unity Farm is an emerging farmer with a bumper crop of popcorn, tomatoes and peppers. He’ll be sharing his dried, canned and blended produce. Moses is a farmer with the Minnesota Food Association.
Community Driven Winter Market!
We’re so lucky to have HUGE support from so many local community groups. These people make this Winter Market a true event, and we’re lucky to have them!
Two happy shoppers with their FREE table top composting kits from Ramsey County!
Pam from theWhite Bear Lake Seed Library will again be spreading seeds of knowledge, and giving you info on starting your own seeds. We are so lucky to have a free and trusted source for locally saved seeds! Great blog and info at their link above.
The Ramsey County Master Gardeners will be available to answer gardening questions and and spread the word (and free starter kits) for the Ramsey County Composting program!
Viva Musica reps will be demonstrating their “Kindness Rocks” art program for schools.
Forks in the Dirt: That’s me 😉 I’ll be there with a table to talk growing your own, backyard chickens, composting, canning and/or finding the best local food resources. My mission in getting this winter market together is to help us ALL make healthier, more sustainable food choices- for our own health, and the health of the planet!
