Driftless Appetite

Last Sunday, July 11th, the Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen was opened to the public for its grand reveal in Mineral Point.  The 10,000 square foot facility, owned by the Hodan Center, will serve as a connection between the community to local foods opportunities and resources.  It was wonderful to listen to the speeches and to see the many people who have been involved with the project thus far.  Remember, the Innovation Kitchen will be only as innovative as the people who use it.  It’s time for you to start thinking about some creative food products.

PS I’d love to be a taste tester

Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

It’s raspberry season so naturally I had to make a special trip to my favorite berry farm, Bures Berry Patch.  I called Cathy Bures a few days before going to the farm wanting 10 lbs.  She was surprised that I wanted that much so I reduced my order to 5 lbs. so as not to appear too nutty.  If you’ve been following this blog for awhile, I have a penchant for buying ridiculous amounts of berries for a two person household.  See what I mean here for strawberries and here for blueberries.  The best way to freeze berries is to spread them evenly on a sheet pan and freeze.  After that, you can transfer them into freezer bags.  That way you end up with individual berries not a huge block.

Continue reading Whole Wheat Raspberry Pancakes

The contest is over and we have our winners.  And remember, even if you’re not one of the lucky winners, the Kickapoo Country Fair is a great event and I hope you all attend.

Country Road

Continue reading Kickapoo Country Fair & Organic Valley Giveaway – Results

Meet Matt Sweeny of Simple Earth Hops.  He is a farmer whose passion is ethically grown hops for local beer producers. 

Simple Earth Hops is a new 1/4 acre hopyard located at Greenspirit Farm CSA in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. The hopyard was founded with the idea of providing a much needed agricultural product for local craft brewers. Simple Earth Hops was established to demonstrate that local farmers can produce a consistent, sustainable supply of ultra high quality hops by working directly with local craft brewers while still maintaining a focus on ecology, the land and the people involved.

Matt with hops.  (Photo by Renea Sweeny, Simple Earth Hops)

Continue reading Hoppin’ Good Time with Matt Sweeny

(In honor of the return of Futurama to the airwaves) Good news, everyone!

Coming up on the 24th-25th of July is the 7th annual Kickapoo Country Fair.  The KCF is an organic food festival in LaFagre, WI .  We’ve not been before, but they have music, food, farm tours, Michael Perry, and more.

The festival is put together by Organic Valley, a dairy cooperative that started way back in 1988 (when you’re talking organic agriculture, that’s practically paleolithic).  I’m a fan of Organic Valley, they are a perfect example of how you can be big and sustainable.  And big they are; Organic Valley is the largest organic coop in the country.

Our favorite Organic Valley product (2% milk), Kickapoo Country Fair tickets, & our favorite companion to Organic Valley milk (strawberry-rhubarb pie)   

Continue reading Kickapoo Country Fair & Organic Valley Giveaway

We hope everyone had a great time yesterday.  Keith and I love our little town in Wisconsin.  Here are some pictures.  From the library drill team, miniature horses, big trucks, brats, and strawberry-rhubarb pie.  What could be better? 

By the way, the last pic is of Eileen from the Innovation Kitchen which will be opening this coming weekend! 

Have a great day

Cafe Porta Alba has experienced an upshot in popularity since relocating to the more trendy Hilldale last year.  Just a few steps from the Sundance Cinemas  and various boutiques, the restaurant is a top choice for theater-goers and shoppers not only for its proximity but by it’s friendly atmosphere and consistent preparation of top quality food.  Once in awhile on Friday or Saturday evenings they have “La Posteggia Napoletana”.  My friends Bill and Colleen Foley liven up the place with some Neapolitan music on the mandolin and guitar.  You might also catch me one of those nights singing some tunes.  Recently, Keith and I had the pleasure to dine there with J.M. and Nichole of MadisonAtoZ.  Everyone had pizzas except for me.  Keith had the Margherita con salame, J.M. had the Margherita, and Nichole ordered the Napoletana (margherita with anchovies), my favorite.  I warmed up to her instantly.  Obviously she is a woman of great taste.  I decided to get the recently added pasta dish, paccheri al ragù (pictured below).  My dinner companions agreed that the pizzas were superb.  More on the pizzas here.

A packed evening at the restaurant and the ragù. 

Continue reading Cafe Porta Alba 2.0

Last Saturday at the market, we saw these lovely shelling peas at Mary Buckhaus’ stand and I thought rice and peas for one of our weeknight meals would be perfect.  It was also a steal at $3.00 a pound. 

Not to be confused with the classic Venetian dish, risi e bisi, which is more of a soup/stew, our version has a thicker and creamier consistency. 

Continue reading Risotto con Zafferano e Piselli

Earlier in the spring we had the opportunity to visit the Wiesbrook farm in Mineral Point.  Clare Wiesbrook (pictured below with several of her happy and carefree goats) owns and runs Lacey’s Lathers, a goat’s milk soap business.  It is named after her very first goat Lacey who won Grand Champion Doe three times at the Iowa Country Fair.  Clare started her business in the spring of 2000 at the age of eleven.  What were you doing around that age?  Me?  I was probably singing to MMM Bop on the radio or pining after Jonathan Taylor Thomas.  (Keith is too embarassed to publish the nerdy activities he was up to.) 

My favorite picture from the drizzly afternoon.  I love how Cathy (Clare’s mother) is smiling at them.

Clare and I met at the Mineral Point Market where I’ve bought some of her goats’ milk soaps and lotion bars.  I love her products so much that I often give them away as gifts to family and friends.  They are lightly scented, some with lavender, vanilla, strawberry, orange, or mint.  She varies the scents with the seasons and unscented ones are  also available.  The soaps are gentle and creamy without leaving a slippery film unlike most commercial soaps.  In the winter, I like to use the solid lotion bars because they are very rich and thick.  My favorites last winter were the chocolate and nutmeg scented ones.

Continue reading Promote the Goat: Lacey’s Lathers

Thank you everyone for entering.  It was entertaining to read everyone’s choices for their last meal.  I cannot believe we forgot to add desserts!  So it would have to be 2 servings of crepes with fresh strawberries and dulce de leche (see column 1, row 8 of the Tuscany food collage) for me.  Keith’s dessert and his probable cause of death would be a 55 gallon drum of Organic Valley chocolate milk (Keith says “But what a way to go!”).

Ok, I know I need to get to the winner.  Using a random drawing, a winner was selected from the comment pool and the proud new owner of a 2010 Cooks’ Woods maple syrup is…..Jenny.  Congratulations!

Stay tuned.  We will have more contests coming up soon.