COMMUNITY VOICES | Sweet Corn Chowder – Savor every last morsel of summer

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With Minnesota’s short growing season, it’s best to savor corn at its peak, and instead of corn-on-the-cob, why not try making some soup out of the summer staple? Chowder is perfect for a cold, wintry evening, but the delicious sweet corn that has been tempting you from the road-side stands this summer calls for a session of turning up the stove one summer evening.The original recipe has curry in it,  but I am not a huge curry fan (it has to be cooked right to find favor with me), so I substituted with thyme to make sure it had enough flavor. It was a great swap! When I first started cooking with recipes, I always followed instructions to the very last measurement, but have since learned to experiment. Feel free to take out, add in whatever ingredients you desire. Continue Reading

Raspberry picking with musician Linnea Mohn

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In the blink of an eye, June and July are gone, and all we are left with for summer is August. As bittersweet as the idea of only one more month before the leaves start turning colors and no more dinners on restaurant patios is, there is a way to savor summer while it’s still here: raspberry picking.Local musician Linnea Mohn—known in the Twin Cities for her part in bands like Rogue Valley and formerly A. Wolf and Her Claws—and I made a trip out to Knapton’s in Greenfield with our moms to see what we could harvest.Originally the plan was to go strawberry picking, but busy schedules and life got in the way, so by the time we found a day that worked out, strawberry season was over. It was decided that raspberries were the perfect replacement. Knapton’s is a quick trip half an hour outside of Minneapolis on Highway 55, and if you aren’t paying attention, you will miss the turn. It’s a small family run farm with a rustic shed that serves as a marker of where to start picking and where to pay.After showing us where to harvest by the owner, we were left with our over-ambitious thoughts of filling six pints—each. Continue Reading

How do you make a strawberry-rhubarb crumble? Kick it in the crotch

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Ah, mid-June. When the green of spring (or in this case the thaw) is slowly transitioning into the lazy days of summer. The sun sets later, making way for a relaxing drink on the porch after a long day of work and a delicious dinner. But what to make for dessert? The garden is not ready to share its bounty yet—except for strawberries and rhubarb. The rhubarb plant is hardy and, when dormant, can withstand the harshest Minnesota winters. It makes an appearance when the trees start to bud, leading to flourish in direct sunlight on the hottest days of summer. Continue Reading