Good News for Sustainable Agriculture!

Greetings!

I'm happy to pass on the message below from Margaret Krome, who coordinates the National Campaign For Sustainable Agriculture's appropriations campaign.

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"Hi friends,

I want to end 2007 by sharing the happy news of the results of your many phone calls, letters and visits on the Fiscal Year 2008 sustainable agriculture appropriations agenda. As you may have read in the paper, last night the House of Representatives signed off on a compromise omnibus appropriations bill for FY08 federal spending.

If you didn't happen to be in a state with a key agricultural appropriator, you can't imagine just hard your brethren in those states really poured on the action this year, with phone calls, letters and congressional visits. The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture and our partner advocates want you to know that it made all the difference in the world. In a year with extremely tight budgets, several of our top priority programs got increases.

For example, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program finally got the increase that's been so long overdue, from $16.3 million in Fiscal Year 2007 to $19.0 million in FY08.

The Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program had been wrongly treated as an earmark and slashed by 63% in FY07. For FY08 it will be funded at $2.6 million, which is a slight increase over the $2.5 million at which it had been funded for the six previous fiscal years before its funding was cut last year.

The Outreach and Technical Assistance Program for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (the "2501" program) will be funded at $6.4 million, up from $5.9 million last year.

And the funding caps that had been placed on the Conservation Security Program for so long were removed for FY08!

You know that the federal budget is under tremendous pressure. The sustainable agriculture movement is fortunate to have superb lobbyists in Washington. But they would be the first to say that the only way we could achieve gains like these in this budget climate is thanks to your contacting key members of Congress when we ask you to.

So thank you! If you made a call or wrote a letter or signed a sign-on letter when we asked you to do so regarding FY08 appropriations, you can end your year knowing that sustainable agriculture initiatives all over the nation will be better served next year thanks to your action.

Appreciatively,

Margaret Krome, Coordinator
Sustainable Agriculture Grassroots Appropriations Campaign"

Reetsy Reviews: Ristorante Luci

St. Nick stopped by our house in early December and left some spending money for us, so gerg and I treated ourselves to a romantic night out at Ristorante Luci in St. Paul, MN.

Chef Stephen Smith has an approach to food that I haven't found in many Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities:

"We work with local farmers who organically grow fruits, vegetables, produce and meat. Our collaboration goes beyond buyer-seller; we discuss our needs with the farmers and they set out to prepare ingredients that will complement the other flavors in our kitchen.

Everything is made on-site daily at Lucis, including the pasta, bread, and pastries. We make what we need when we need it to ensure that our guests are always getting the best and freshest taste in town."

Organic, local, AND Italian??? cin cin!

We made a reservation for two on a Friday night around 8pm. When we arrived the candlelit dining room was full. This is a perfect date night place. Linens and candles and coziness.

After a brief wait, we were seated and shortly thereafter, homemade breads, Hope Creamery butter, and Col Vetoraz "Valdobbiandene" Prosecco arrived at our table. Cheers!

For an appetizer, we ordered grilled Berkshire pork over polenta with pork au jus. A simple and hearty dish, perhaps lacking in seasoning, but pure in flavor.

The insalta caesar was typcial in terms of presentation, just romaine lettuce tossed in caesar anchovy dressing with homemade croutons. But the dressing was awesome. Packed with anchovy saltiness, it is perhaps my favorite caesar dressing the the Twin Cities.

For an entree, I ordered homemade spaghetti with divers scallops and shrimp. The sauce was tangy and full of cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and white wine. The fresh pasta was top notch.

gerg ordered the 10oz ranch steak. It was served up with a risotto of shitakke mushrooms and fontina val d'aosta. He loved it the risotto. Unlike risottos concocted with asiago or parmigiano reggiano, it wasn't salty at all. Nor was it overcooked.

I paired my meal with a glass of La Rendola Chianti. I have a thing for chianti. It's a love affair. Nuff said. And there is no shortage of chiantis at Ristorante Luci. A nice wine list is always an adventure.

Gerg ordered creme brulee for dessert. It was extremely custardy, which I like. And the sugary topping was thick and perfectly sweet.

Somethings you should know about Luci:

• Make a reservation for weekends. People love this small and romantic dining room.

• 2 For Tuesdays For $40.00: On Tuesdays The Four Course Tasters Dinner is Featured at $20.00 Per Person with the purchase of 2 Four Course Taster’s Dinners (2 For $40.00)

I'm thrilled to have cozy dining room in the Twin Cities serving up top notch Italian with sustainable and local offerings.

Ristorante Luci
470 Cleveland Ave S
St Paul, MN 55105
Phone: (651) 699-825

Reetsy Reviews: The Red Stag

Pardon the lag in posts! We did a bit of traveling and I've really been enjoying home-cooking lately. I've got some clam chowder brewing in the slow cooker as I type this!

I was fortunate enough to have an invitation extended to attend the soft opening of The Red Stag Supperclub in November. And I look forward to returning the favor!

The Red Stag is seated in NE Minneapolis. There's a gigantic red deer head affixed atop the door, which makes sense. It's right next to the place where we bought our bubbler (wink), City Salvage.

And I've got to tell you, local food and sustainability lovers are in for a real treat because The Red Stag is taking it to the next level.

The Red Stag will be the first Minnesota restaurant that not only serves local foods, but is built to meet the standards of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the national standard for green building.

Their booths are constructed using high performance vinyls made from recycled tape!! You know I go wild for recycling.

ONTO THE FOOD.

Three companions and I sampled 1 appetizer, 3 small plates, 4 entrees, and 2 desserts.

Appetizer!

A daily flat bread appetizer will be featured on the menu. Ours was piled with chopped bratwurst and cheddar.

Small Plates!

The truffle seasoned macaroni and cheese was subtle, tangy, and creamy. True comfort.

The tempura vegetables were served with an out of sight plum sauce.

The Triple Cooked French fries were hearty, but not crispy. More like fork food than finger food.

Entrees!!

I ordered the cioppino. This popular italian fish stew was deeply satisfying, and the broth was a tangy taste sensation. I was bummed that it wasn't served with a soup spoon. I couldn't get the last of the broth out of the bowl!

Gerg ordered the steak. A small but flavorful morsel of 1000 Hills grass fed beef.

Deedot ordered a butternut squash ravioli with duck. I'll admit I'm not a fan of duck...YET. But the ravioli was tasty and tender. I'll add that Deedot had similar issues with the plating choice for his entree, but this is a minor wrinkle.

Dre ordered the chicken. Tender, moist, and savory. It was everything home-cooked chicken should be...except it was at a restaurant.

For dessert?
Crème brûlée and cookies, of course!

We also noticed a stroganoff served with venison rather than beef, called Red Stag Stroganoff. It's sure to be a staple.

And also, if you're a marrow lover, and I know you're out there somewhere, The Red Stag has marrow for you. Lots and lots of marrow.

Overall, we were VERY pleased with the abundance of local foods served that evening. We were also pleased with the libations menu. A sweet old fashioned graces the top of the drink menu...just another nod to our beloved Midwest.

Cheers and welcome, Red Stag!

The Red Stag
509 1st Ave Ne
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 767-7766

Reetsy Reviews: The Happy Gnome

I heard through the grapevine that Chef Matthew Hinman at the Happy Gnome was a sustainable foods man, so on a Friday night in November, gerg and I headed there to sample the eats.

After we were seated, I noticed a steady drip of water(?) falling from the ceiling about 3 feet from our table. It was distracting to say the least, so I notified the hostess.

With one eye on the ceiling, and one eye on the menu, I selected a pasta dish with crab. It is not worth mentioning. It was....boring.

However, Gerg selected the "chicken two ways", which was delicious. A piece of breast and a thigh served with wild rice, parsnips, and other seasonal root vegetables on the side. The parsnips were cooked to a firm bite. Gerg loved his meal.

Even though my meal was unremarkable, my beer was TOP NOTCH. Lake Superior Kayak Kölsch from Duluth, MN. Now, I'm a fan of kolsch beers, and this one is piratically perfect. If you're a pilsner fan, you'll love the Kayak Kölsch.

See, the Happy Gnome knows a thing or two about beer. They have cask beer on Thursdays, scads of regional beers, and even serve a six course meal with BEER pairings.

My recommendation: go to the Happy Gnome. Eat the chicken, or enjoy any of their amazing local artisan cheeses, and drink BEER.

PS - Even though the cask beer is opened on Thursdays, they sometimes have some leftover on Fridays. And if you ask, and if your server is the cute gal with the merlot hair, you might be able to score some even though it's a Friday.

The Happy Gnome
498 Selby Ave
St Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 287-2018

Reetsy Reviews: Muffaletta in the Park

On a rainy October night, I wanted to treat gerg to a grassfed, juicy steak.

I called Sapor. They were offering a hanger steak that night. I called Muffaletta. They were offering a NY strip. gerg opted for Muffaletta in the Park, as he is a NY strip lover.

Executive Chef J.D. Fratzke at Muffaletta is a champion for local and sustainable foods in the Twin Cities. ""My heart and soul will always belong to the Mississippi River Valley. Everyone at Muffuletta considers it a huge point of pride to showcase the hard work and dedication to quality found in Minnesota's network of small family farms. The Heartland Food Network is a great partner in bringing the superlative flavors of sustainable agriculture to our guests and to future generations."

Our dinner at Muffaletta in October was so enjoyable. We went there expecting a nice dinner. We left after more than two hours of sipping wine, dining, stirring cubed sugar into espresso, and enjoying a truly romantic setting in a candlelit dining room. Simple and elegant. We toasted. We smiled. We ate too much.

I started with their 1977 Muffaletta Beer Cheese Soup. It has been called the "world's definitive beer cheese soup" by Dara Moskowitz for good reason. It has been on the menu since the restaurant opened, and is a masterpiece in a bowl.

gerg ordered the Fromage a Trois served with generous portions of Green Pastures Dairy cow cheese (Carleton, MN), Eichtens Hidden Acres gouda cheese (Center City, MN), and Faribault Dairy Company's St Pete's blue cheese (Faribault, MN). The cow's cheese had a mild flavor and firm texture, and while the gouda presented a stronger flavor and softer texture, the blue cheese was creamy and tangy. Great options from Minnesota. Top Notch.

Muffaletta offers daily specials with paragraph-long introductions provided on the menu. gerg and I opted for the fish special and the feature entree.

The fish special: Mejillones y Camaron with Black Beans, Lime Rice, and Piquillo Pepper Sauce: "It is common for South American cuisine to feature combinations of all types of jewels of the sea. Tonight we're featuring steamed mussels and tiger shrimp with stewed black beans and pork, lime rice, and a warm piquillo pepper puree kissed with chilies and cumin." The "pork" was diced thick slab bacon from Fischer Farms and offered a salty, bitey contrast to the sweet creaminess of the piquillo sauce. Yes, I ate the bacon. The lime rice and black beans were prepared perfectly - light and fluffy.

Feature dish: Argentine Gaucho Cattle Drive Strip Steak: "1000 Hills Cattle Company (Cannon Falls, MN) grassfed strip steak served over chimmichurri sauce and mashed root vegetables with sauteed peppers." They don't mention that mashed root vegetables are mixed with generous spoonfuls of cream and butter that made them almost as sweet as pie filling, and just as naughty.

Other local fair on the Muffaletta menu:
Fischer Farms grilled pork loin
Maple Leaf Farms duck a l'orange
Ledebuhr's wild rice sausages (made in a Winona butcher shop with Hidden Streams pork)
Stickney Hill chevre

They also offer burgers, tapas, and, of course, a muffaletta sandwich which are less spendy than the entrees we selected.

We watched other folks depart chatting and smiling, warm and friendly - it might have been the exotic and fruity Casa LaPostolle Chardonnay, but I had a warm n fuzzy feeling. Perhaps the service was above and beyond because it was a Tuesday night - we couldn't complain. If anything, our server a was a bit too enthusiastic, and I refuse to complain about enthusiasm in a server.

Muffaletta in the Park
2260 Como Ave
St Paul, MN 55108-1720
Phone: (651) 644-9116

[55108]

Reetsy Reviews: Town Talk Diner

It's no secret that I enjoy spending time and my appetite at Town Talk Diner. This is our "neighborhood joint." We take friends and family here on a regular basis. We celebrated our engagement here. This one of our top picks for sharing good times. Can you feel me on this? Do you have a neighborhood joint that specializes in local foods?

During our recent visit to Town Talk I noticed they've recreated their menu for fall.

I was VERY pleased to see that a fall-inspired butternut squash risotto has returned to the menu. I am a risotto lover. I remember Town Talk's sweet potato risotto from their fall menu last year as if I ate it yesterday: risotto prepared with sweet potato, swiss chard, aged jack cheese, pumpkin seeds, made with veggie stock, topped with pumpkin seed oil. That aged jack cheese with the sweet potato was on point.

So with at least two local butternut squash risotto dishes available (at Spoonriver and Town Talk), Minneapolines have no reason not to indulge...unless, of course, you hate butternut squash.

gerg and I took some hot seats at the bar. I ordered one of the specials: a pasta dish made with torchio pasta and locally harvested lobster mushrooms in a butter sauce with black pepper.

gerg ordered a ribeye steak off the menu. I believe it has replaced the NY strip steak. The ribeye is prepared with a generous amount of black pepper and is served with a gratin potato dish that sets a ridiculously high bar in terms of good gratin. Rich n Savory. Extreme Savorocity!

We had the opportunity to speak with ex-Cosmos frontman and co-owner, Aaron Johnson, on the topic of the local foods at Town Talk. While Johnson spends a fair amount of time creating some of the amazing cocktails at Town Talk, he is a trained Chef and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu of Minnesota.

I had noticed that while Town Talk utilizes local producers and quality organic ingredients, they don't necessary inform patrons of that on their menu or web site, and I took a moment of Johnson's time to discuss the matter, knowing his keen interest in local foods from previous chats. Here's my summary of our discussion while I sipped on one of their new cocktails, a "cherry ghost" (house made vanilla infused vodka with cherry puree).

Me: "Hey Aaron, can you explain to me why you don't list your local producers on your menu?"

Johnson: "Well, it's for a variety of reasons. As you can see, we do list Fischer Farms as the producer of our pork." (Fischer's Purebred Hog Farm, Waseca, MN)

Me: "Why not anyone else? Not enough menu real estate?"

Johnson: "Kind of. We know Fischer Farms can usually supply all that we need. But when we had our heirloom tomato dish on the menu this summer, it would have been difficult to list our producers. At that time we were using several local tomato producers."

Me: "You couldn't list them all?"

Johnson: "Well, when one producer only has 90 tomatoes for you that week, you have to move on the next. You don't necessarily know who is going to have the best product ahead of time, so you can list them."

Me: "That makes sense."

Johnson: "We like to be able to choose our producers based on the quality of what they've got available...and that can change drastically from week to week."

Me: "So rather than listing all of the potential producers, you just leave them off the menu."

Johnson (topping of my drink): "You got it." *wink*

It stands to reason that listing the producers on a menu can be problematic. As we witnessed at Spoonriver, a menu that relies on local products is subject to change.

A tip: If you're really looking for local ingredients, always ask about the specials at restaurants. Town Talk frequently features specialty local ingredients in their specials because they don't obtain a steady enough supply of them to list them on the menu. Take, for instance, my lobster mushroom pasta dish. Those lobster mushrooms were harvested by a local mushroom forager this week, who supplied a small amount to Town Talk. They used the smaller amount to create a special for one night. Thankfully, I happened to stop that night. Doesn't that just make sense? Isn't that the way food should be offered?

Town Talk Diner
2707 1/2 E Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: (612) 722-1312

Reetsy Reviews: Spoonriver

Perhaps the one restaurant in Minneapolis that comes to the tip of my tongue most often when talking about local foods served up with care, it's Spoonriver. The name always brings "Moon River" to the tip of my tongue as well, which means I'm usually humming that tune after speaking of the restaurant.

Spoonriver in Minneapolis will satisfy most palettes craving local/sustainable ingredients. I definitely glance over my shoulder when I dine at Spoonriver...trying to spot other organic/sustainable community folks.

Spoonriver is: Ambitious. Local. Chic. Ebullient.

Each time I've opened the menu, I've been thrilled to see all the locally produced and organic options offered at Spoonriver. It is the sister restaurant of Cafe Brenda, which is also locally known for its organic and vegetarian eats.

Some local products featured at Spoonriver include:
Wild Acres Duck
Minnesota Pasture Raised Smoked Ham
Minnesota Farm Raised Lamb
Minnesota Grass Fed Beef

Some items that I've truly enjoyed:

-Greens with Fig Vinaigrette sprinkled Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. A deliciously sweet, but not sickening, fig vinaigrette that makes greens taste like CANDY!

-Soup of the Day: Butternut squash: Creamy, squashy madness. Simply divine.

-Caspian Hummus and Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Spreads served with vegetables (carrots, celery, radish), olives with Foccacia. All the spreads are packed with flavor. I especially appreciated the radish dipped in roasted red pepper. Truly different.

-A Risotto made with golden beets, squash, and Parmesan. Again, the creaminess factor was to die for. The butternut squash is lightly sautéed which leaves it with a slightly firmer bite than a typical butternut squash dish. Fantastic.

Perhaps something to keep in mind regarding local and sustainable foods is that menu items change regularly to match what is available from producers. For instance, gerg wanted to order the Minnesota Grass Fed Beef. With none available, Spoonriver offered a pork chop that evening instead. Ask your server about items not listed on the menu. There may be some secret treats awaiting you!

Call ahead for evenings and weekends. Spoonriver can often be crowded depending on show times at the Guthrie.

Spoonriver
750 S. 2nd St.
Chicago Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612 436 2236