Wouldn’t it be nice if Tour de Farm was just this simple.  It’s not.

It starts with some of this (whatever that might be.)

Some of this gets added in.

Then there’s a bit of this thrown in.

A lot of this gets done.

(And there also seems to be quite a bit of this.)

This time, it was not a beautiful day at the farm.  It was hot and muggy and the bugs were thick as a carpet.   Doesn’t matter though.  On this day, we had 4 amazing women cooking for us.  Their sense of fun and humor won out the day and created one of the best events we’ve ever had.

Our chefs were Michelle Gayer from Salty Tart, Solveig Tofte from Sun Street Bakery, Molly Herman from Kitchen in the Market and Sheela Namakkal.  They were wonderful.  Equally as wonderful were their signature drink creations to be paired with Parallel 45 vodka.  If you weren’t there… well, we’re sorry.

Photographs are the sole property of Kris Hase and can not be used without her permission.  You can, however, purchase prints if you like.

A little tart on tart action with Molly Herman aka Tastebud Tart.

Bring on the people!

Hey.  Look at that.  Seems we’re back on the farm.

Once again, we were so very lucky to share a beautiful day with each other and our guests at  Axdahl’s Farm.  It could not have been lovelier.  The day started with by far the most scenic drive we’ve ever had, along the river, through some woods tumbling out into our first ever dinner in corn field.  We walked up the field to find Mike Philips with a beautiful display of his charcuterie for people to taste with wine from Bourget Imports, beer from Lift Bridge Brewery or handmade sodas from Corner Table.

Photographs are the sole property of Kris Hase and can not be used without her permission.  You can, however, purchase prints if you like.

Look at that… he’s happy.  It must be the meatscape in his eyes.

Meet Brian and Leslie Axdahl.

After noshing on Mike’s charcuterie we all headed down the tree line along the river to where Stewart and Heidi from Heidi’s were working on putting the first courses together.

A big hello from Stewart and Heidi as they greet the crowd.

That would be a spring vegetable salad featuring some duck confit…

Star Prairie Trout with kohlrabi and dill

It’s a bit of plaid vs plaid wine service.

Lamb with new potatoes, beets & grilled garlic scapes

She might just be making magic.

(See?  Magic.)

Magic paired with whipped cream and lemon verbena.  So yummy.

(Yes, that is Scott in the background force feeding the guests whipped cream chasers with the extra doughnuts.)

It’s  a Tour de Farm first; liquid nitrogen ice cream…

Next time we’re having a chicknic with Michelle Gayer from Salty Tart, Solveig Tofte of Sun Street Breads, Sheela Namakkal from Aster Cafe (and co-founder of Cake Eater Bakery), and Molly Hermann from Kitchen in the Market. Come with us!

Come with us! Come with us! Come with us! Come with us!

If you are wondering what Stewart and Heidi have up their sleeve.  Start here… then… here…

Better get tickets here.….you do NOT want to miss this.

If you have ever been up to stillwater you may recognize this location.  But what most people don’t know is all the work that goes into the behind the scenes of this farm that has been providing food for the Twin Cities for over 30 years.  Learn a bit more about the history of the farm.

This is something that you see at the farm and around farmers markets, this sign.  Take a look here and see what goes into getting a making great Minnesota grown food.

Looking at all the work that is going into this green house you would never know that the growing season for the farm is about a full one month behind.  Compared to our amazing early season last year, this year is a very large wake up call for local foods.  We do live in a climate where seasons truly affect what is grown.  You thought last year was interesting, this year is going to be even more interesting.

In times past, Shefzilla himself, Chef Stewart Woodman ofHeidi’s Restaurant in Minneapolis has been rather outspoken in his questioning of the local food movement (a bi-product of which is seen in this video), so we invited him to head up our first dinner of the season at Axdahl’s Farm in Stillwater to try going local for himself. We are thrilled that he took us up on the invitation and can’t wait to taste the results!

Axdahl’s Farm overlooking the St. Croix River in Stillwater is the perfect backdrop for this dinner as they’re not your average family farm. They grew their business from roadside stand into one of the (if not the) largest sustainable farms in the Minnesota with their produce found in grocery stores, restaurants, and distributed around the region.

If you are reading this, you can buy tickets before anyone else right here.   

 

The main reason that the details are being worked out is that this year we are going to change up the tour as you know it.  We have over the past two years worked with the chef’s and farms that you know and love for getting you the true “local” food that you have come to support and love here in the twin cities area.  We are thankful to everyone of the chef’s that have given of their time on Sundays to come and share in what is truly a labor of love for one and all.   The farms are simply amazing and have been so gracious to open up their homesteads to us and give us that look into what really goes into what makes local food so special.

So, with all that said, here is how this year is going to be different.  We are going to be having chef’s that you may or may not associate with the “local” food movement.  We are going to take chef’s that have dabbled in the farm to chef connection and give them an opportunity to really experience what it is like to work with a farmer leading up to the dinner and creating a meal based on what the land and mother nature provide for us. This will be an entirely new experience for the chefs.  There are some very exciting names on this list.

We are also focusing on a couple of farms that truly have given us a sense of home on their farm. We are also trying a couple of new ones, that have over the years just quietly been feeding everyone and you may or may not have heard of them.

We are also branching out and working with the James Beard Foundation this year on a dinner that will bring a national chef to the twin cities and it will be a fundraiser for the JBF.

We look forward to seeing you on the farm

Make sure you follow us on twitter @tourdefarm

Not only was the barn beautiful but we were also serving charcuterie and bubbles.

Lovely volunteer Emily, is the meat tour guide.

Light of the Moon band played music for the arriving guests.

“It’s like walking into a fairy tale!  I’m enchanted!”  (That was an actual quote.)

Time to check on the cooks.  Colette looks like she’s having fun.

Niki likes the lamb because it’s pretty.

See?  Warm.  People were complaining about the heat.

Diners get to know each other before sitting down.

Hello Diners!

Pumpkin soup with creme fraiche.

Fresh lamb sausage with polenta and tomato jam… yum.

Rustica bread for everyone.

And now the cheese course, cheese makes Colette happy.

It was the cheese coming out of Scott’s mouth though.

The lady in the blue there is drinking the first beer she’s ever liked.  (Her husband is lamenting that it’s a beer that’sconsiderably more expensive than Coors Lite.)

Hey!  Are we all having fun!

The main course – lamb tenderloin, with Brussels sprouts and butter braised potatoes.

The cold might be getting to them.

Niki has a Zoolander Panda moment.

Sweetland Orchard’s apple cider goes with the egg nog cheese cake (made with sheep’s milk ricotta and goat cheese.)

I think I’m being thanked here.

And then Scott makes my job (and the server’s jobs) nearly impossible by pulling the plug on the lights.

Happy New Year!

Thank you everyone for such an amazing and beautiful once in a lifetime New Year!  (That’s right, it’s the one and only time we’re doing this!)

Few tickets remain and the bus is filling up quickly. If you haven’t done so already, please respond via email a “yes we’re taking the bus!” or “no thanks, we’ll be driving!” (directions below) and any dietary restrictions or vegetarian requests. Email: information@tourdefarmmn.com.

NOTE: Pick up location has changed!

A block south of Corner Table is the Cremation Society of Minnesota who is donating their parking lot to us! Yay no street parking! Address is: 4343 Nicollet Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55409

Itinerary:

5:00pm Bus will load at Cremation Society of Minnesota parking lot; Bus will depart at 5:30pm sharp (aka we are not holding the bus for late-comers!)
7:00pm Reception at Star Thrower Farm
8:00pm 5-course Dinner, Music + New Years Eve Toast
12:30am Bus departs Star Thrower Farm; Arriving at Cremation Society of Minnesota at 1:30am

What to Wear:

Although the barn will have heaters, please dress warm. Layers and Minnesota winter wear– hats, scarves, and mittens – a base layer, warming layer, wind protection & warm boots are suggested over sequin dresses and stilettos. Blankets may be helpful for warmth as well!

Directions to the farm:

Take State Hwy 7 West from the Twin Cities. Time: about 45-60 minutes.

As you enter Silver Lake, turn Left at Grove Ave/County Hwy 2. Follow through town until you come to Gehlen Drive (which is also County Hwys 25 & 2). Follow Hwy 2 until you arrive at 16545 County Road 2, Glencoe, MN 55336. Note: 170th Street is the last cross street and the farm will be on your right. Time: about 10-15 minutes.

Weather:

We have checked with all the weather sources and feel that there is not enough of a threat to cancel this dinner. It is December in Minnesota and we love this weather. The bus will be leaving at 5:30 sharp and we will be in contact with the bus the entire way to monitor the schedule of arrival. We have allotted some extra travel time to a lot for the weather. We are going to celebrate the seasons like we have done all season long with Tour de Farm and this one will be especially amazing.

See you soon!

The Tour de Farm Team
information@tourdefarmmn.com

Getting ready for you!

We are going to start the night off with some warm mulled wine and hot apple cider. This will be a great time to get to know some of your dinner friends and mingle a bit while learning more about the farm.

Star Thrower Farm makes amazing cheese as well as some amazing Icelandic lamb meat. To learn more about the heard they have just check out the website.

We are going to start the night off with some very warm heriloom pumpkin soup using pumkin from our friends at Tangletown Gardens.

Next we will be having some great sausage that we are making this week at Corner Table. We are using herbs that were harvested by Debra from Star Thrower that they grew on thier property this year as well as garlic.

The next couple of courses, well, I don’t think I want to tell you everything right now, but there will be cheese, lamb, caramelized Brussels sprouts, lamb bacon, cream, and the dessert if going to have honey, ricotta and , of course, some great cheeses from Debra and Scott’s hard work.

The locals think you should wear wool, a lot of it.

If you can’t join us for the Tour de Farm Event, make a reservation for dinner at Corner Table. We are doing a three course dinner for $65 with wine pairings. Please call 612-823-0011 for reservations.

We can’t wait to spend New Year’s Eve with you!

Here is what the barn looks like as of Thursday.  Nice and warm.

Gosh, this was an exciting dinner.  We even got to see the forest in the rosé.

We were so very lucky to share this beautiful day with each other and our guests at the Rogotzke Family Farm.  It could not have been lovelier.  Dave Rogotzke (maple syrup maker and salmon fisherman) shared with us more than his land,  he shared his passion and knowledge for the trees, his land, the water and his relationship with all things that live and breathe therein.  Then we were doubly blessed by fisherman, activist and author Steve Dahl coming and talking with us about the life and laws governing the fishing he does on Lake Superior.

The chef that made our beautiful dinner was Scott Graden from New Scenic Cafe.  Wine was brought by Chuck Kanski, of Solo Vino and  beer was provided by Lake Superior Brewing.

Photographs are the sole property of Kris Hase and can not be used without her permission.  You can, however, purchase prints if you like.

The blue lines you see behind the crew there are for the maple syrup sap to run down to the pump houses.

The guests arrive!

Beer guy and wine guy chat it up as folks arrive.

Yay!  Appetizers!

Lamb meatballs with pickled and fresh ground cherries.

These are root vegetables & duck breast skewers.

I highly recommend reenacting this one at home: tenderloin with horseradish creme fresh, chives and candied walnuts.  (They don’t have to even be candied.)

Scott introduces our hosts & cooks.

Dave Rogotzke welcomes everyone and tells about his maple syrup production.

Steve Dahl talks about his life fishing on Lake Superior and advocating for the right to fish for more varieties of fish in the lake.  (Did you know that there’s cod in Lake Superior.  We sure would like to try that but Steve can’t fish for them because he’s not from Canada.)

Scott Graden talks about the thing that makes these events so special: the people and what they’re doing.

First course, pork belly on puree of parsnips & apple.

Second course was corn chowder with squash and herring roe.

Hi Chuck!

This was a beet and green tomato salad with greens, braised leeks and a blue cheese made from goat’s milk.

This is how we celebrated Non-GMO day, with the wild salmon that Dave caught.

Herring that Steve caught wrapped in aged ham from Mike Phillips on wild rice, topped with herring roe and cream.

I sense wine geekery right here.

There’s always room for dessert!

Thank you everybody for making our summer season of Tour de Farm so special!

Photographs are the sole property of Kris Hase and can not be used without her permission.  You can, however, purchase prints if you like.

Oh what a beautiful autumn day for our picnic!

The beer guys are here!  Rush River is on tap for today!

And there’s Chuck from Solo Vino as well!

Look folks! It’s the ubiquitous MN ham sandwich!

Mmmm, Pastureland butter biscuits!

Scott and Mike say hello to the people.

Hello people!

After the hellos people could head down to the farm for a tour or hang out on the hill and have some dinner.

Grasshopper catching is all the rage.

You don’t get much more Minnesotan than that.

Brandy apple crisp with sweet corn ice cream was for dessert.

Pumping water is hard work.