Great Taste

The longing for "real food"

At times a search goes on that can take us to faraway lands. Here is a recent post from the Chefs Collaborative's blog: 

http://chefscollaborative.org/category/blog/  

Don't set sail for Europa yet. This Saturday is Rochester's first-ever Healthy Living Fair, next to the Rochester Downtown Farmers Market. Also, the outdoor farmers market is increasing its frequency from once to twice per week.

More on RDFM's new Wednesday market:  http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1457841

Hopeful signs of growing interest in where our food comes from....

Food highlights at Radish Magazine's Healthy Living Fair

Mike Arends, part of the culinary team at Zzest Market & Cafe, Rochester, will be giving a cooking demonstration at Radish Magazine's Healthy Living Fair June 18. Rochester's Good Food Store Co-op and Mac's Cafe and Restaurant will also participate in the fair.   

The first annual event will be held next to Rochester Downtown Farmers Market, 4th Street at 4th Avenue SE, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (RDFM ends at noon.) Radish Magazine is a part of Post-Bulletin Company and Small Newspaper Group. Visit website here.

Look for asparagus, fiddleheads and ramps at the farmers market

News from Kari Dunn, Rochester Downtown Farmers Market manager:

"We definitely have asparagus, and there were fiddleheads last week so I'm expecting there will be more tomorrow. Ramps and watercress, too. I haven't heard from any of the morel vendors, though Rich Merrill is usually pretty good about letting me know when he has them. I guess it will be a surprise, and worth going down to see if there are any around....'

What to expect at Rochester's first outdoor farmers market of 2011

From Kari Dunn, manager of Rochester Downtown Farmers Market:  

"Weather has been pretty crummy for things like asparagus - but I expect we'll have at least 40 to 50 vendors and of course that number will grow as more produce becomes available. We have a total of 93 vendors this year! There should be ramps and watercress tomorrow, pea shoots, lots of lettuce varieties, green onions, salad mixes, radishes.....Do you visit our Facebook page? I'll be 'reporting' live to it from market this year."

For more news and information on one of the best farmers markets in the Midwest, check out RDFM's website here. 

There's just one big missing piece to RDFM being of the highest calibre. Great Tastes asks city leaders: When can RDFM have a specially designed area in central Rochester, instead of several congested parking lots? 

Easter grocery shopping idea

Let the Earth Day vibe keep hoppin' towards the holiday.

Get fresh Easter eggs and other farm-direct foods at tomorrow's Rochester Downtown Farmers Market indoor market:  http://www.rochesterdowntownfarmersmarket.org/

 

The latest from chef Lenny Russo

Has anyone dined at Heartland Restaurant since its July relocation next to St. Paul Farmers' Market?

Great Taste can't wait for any excuse to make the trip. Menu looks as imaginative as ever....Chef Russo's Heartland is surely one of the best gourmet locavore experiences in America.

Adding to the foodie experience is Farm Direct Market, opened in September.  

Website here:  http://www.heartlandrestaurant.com/index2.php#/home/

MM review: http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/November-2010/Best-New-Restaurants-of-2010/

Great Taste is ga-ga for local maple syrup

No, Lady Gaga has nothing to do with this post.

It's just that Great Taste made French toast this morning and used Richard Merrill's maple syrup over it.

Freshness and lots of maple flavor could be tasted in that syrup from Chatfield. The French toast, served to three family members, disappeared in moments.

Merrill's Merribees syrup is available on Saturdays at the Rochester Downtown Farmers Market.

Lefse to love

Imagine: Fresh, very light lefse, spread with just the right amount of softened butter and brown sugar, rolled up a few minutes ago, and served to you.

Imagine: Just the right balance of textures and sweet and savory flavors. (So simple, yet so hard to come by.)

Look no further than Monica Brossard's stand at the Rochester Downtown Farmers Market on Saturdays.  

Isn't Minnesota nice?

Farmers market is the hot place for salsa

If you love the Rochester Downtown Farmers Market and authentic Mexican food, you probably already know that the market is superabundant with locally canned salsas. But which ones do you like best?

Two of Great Taste's faves are Outta The Barn's Hot Roasted Tomato Salsa, which is fire-roasted, chunky, uber-fresh tasting, and truly hot pepper hot (maybe too hot for some) and Woo Hoo! Salsa--hot, which is comparatively smoother and more intense in tomato flavor, but also textural and fiery. 

Just how good are these salsas? To Great Taste, who discovered the joys of Mexican food in the early '70s through a Tex-Mex family connection, these two outclass almost anything found on grocery store shelves--including Frontera's salsas.

Great Taste looks forward to your input on locally canned salsas or.....salsa recipes! With the heat and rain we've been having, it shouldn't be long before the local garden beauties, tomatoes, show up in big numbers. 

Rochester's outdoor farmers market season starts Saturday

Are ya gonna be there?

http://rochesterdowntownfarmersmarket.org/

Culinary highlights include local rhubarb, morels and ramps. Maybe some asparagus will show up, too!