Tour de Farms

We had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Tour de Farms this past weekend at the Oliver Kelly Farm.

Chef Mike Phillips (formally of the Craftsman here in the Twin Cities) was the featured pork proveer. Luckily I had worked with him the week before and he was able to sneak us on the list. He'll be starting a new venture into the small circle of pork products with a company called Green Ox, selling locally to the Irish Pubs in the cities starting this fall and in the spring of 2011. I can only imagine how amazing the dishes at The Local, Kieran's, and the Liffy will be after he gets his products in!

The locally grown food was amazing, pairing deliciously with the beer and wine. Clouds blew away for the afternoon and the sun shone out for the picnic blankets to be spread out in the feild.
The farm was really pretty and the event so much fun. If you live in the area you should really check it out!

Day at the Fair

Ah the Minnesota State Fair! We start out every year with the Tejas breakfast burrito.


so yummy and amazing!

Then it's off to the animal barns.

Sheeps cuddling

Massive bunnies

Uh oh! Some one accidentally entered a puppy into the rabbit competition.... or wait....

Mini cart pull

Blog-On-a-Stick

It's that time of year again, time for the Great Minnesota Get Together!

Where Butter Princesses rule, food is served on-a-stick, and animals wear pajamas. Can't wait!

We decided to start a new game this year.... The Giant Pumpkin Challenge. We each get to guess the weight of the giant pumpkin, price-is-right style (closest without going over). The winner gets to tell the loser to eat any food item that the fair might have. Anything from a Deep Fried Snickers bar, to Ghost Wings. I think I have this one won, hope to post pictures after the weekend...

Update: We both lost! The giant pumpkin was 1,036 lbs this year!

...and we're back!

Yay! The internet is back up, the sun is beating down on my garden, the CSA veggie shares are filling up my fridge, and we've so many wonderful weddings to attend that the summer is just flying by!

The beautiful foxgolves that I got from my mom are doing wonderful. I am just obessed with foxglove. Even the name is awesome. Foxy foxglove.

The rock path going back into the mulch area is made from flat rocks pulled out of Long Lake, Wisconsin. We're hoping to get back up there before the trees start to turn. Until then I'll just have to enjoy the weather here while it lasts.

Spring has finally sprung!

Here in Minnesota we are used to snow in April, but this year we have been blessed with some of the warmest weather I can remember in the spring. The 'evil' snow pile that Mike and I had to shovel off the flowers finally melted. The bulbs I planted last year decided to bloom. I've even see some butterflies.

The best part about spring in our neighborhood is the lilacs. The whole road is lined with them and when the breeze blows south the whole house fills with the sent. It's one of my favorite smells.

OM - absolute, ultimate state of peace

OM -

I was fortunate to work with the now Head Chef of OM, Jaime, during an Arboretum class taught by Raghavan Iyer.

His teacher, Raghavan, credentials straight from the OM website read: "Raghavan Iyer is an internationally awarded cookbook author and culinary educator. He is a two-time James Beard Award finalist and a Julia Child Award winner for Cooking Teacher of the Year. His most recent cookbook, 660 Curries, has been shortlisted among the top cookbooks by National Public Radio, The New York Times, Boston Globe, and Food and Wine Magazine."

Raghavan is of the best teachers; particular yet creative, harsh but forgiving, talkative and reserved. I've been very pleased to work with him and hear the stories of his tours to spice plantations in India.

Raghavan introduced Jaime as the chef for the upcoming opening of OM, a new modern Indian restaurant opening downtown. During the class we worked to prepare the meal for the always huge number of attendees. I quickly told Jaime my story of the first time I worked with Raghavan where I mistakenly de-seeded the Thai chili peppers from the recipe. You never de-seed for his recipes. Never.

Finally months after the opening my husband and I were able to get to OM and try out some of the flavors that I have been using from 660 Curries. We weren't disappointed. The Naan was amazing, all the Tandor items perfectly seasoned, and after the waiter found out I knew Jaime we were able to go back into the kitchen and talk to him. Man is it hot back there! Must be all the chili seeds....

I highly recommend trying this restaurant out if you are in the Minneapolis area!

The Great Minnesota Get Together

It's that time of the year again. When the weather starts cooling down, the friers start heating up, and you get excited to find out what the newest "on-a-stick" item is.... It's the Minnesota State Fair!
We have our own little traditions for yummy greasy salty sugary things to eat, animal barns and art expos to visit, various beer gardens to relax at. But the big question is... how large will the giant pumpkin be this year?

Mini donuts hot off the frier. Cheese on a stick? why not.


Pretty rides and Grandstands.


Blue ribbon winners and isles filled with honey. The giant pumpkin was 1186 lbs this year, a new record for the sizes we've seen!

Visit the Butter Princesses in the Dairy Barn. Ah! to have your face carved out of a block of butter. Congrats Princess Kay of the Milkyway, you have arrived.

Horse, Cow, and Fowl barns. It was getting late at this time so the sheep had on their jammies. Sheep in pajamas. A new State Fair tradition.

And the midway. Nothing like the night time sounds of rides and walkers in the cooling air. So much more to see. Day #2 here we come!