Vivian's Honey Bread
Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Johnston Honey
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2.5 cups flour
Directions:
1. beat the egg yolks and sugar.
2. Add the honey, dry ingredients and milk.
3. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees until done.
4. The longer the bread is kept (although it may not be possible to avoid this beauty) the more moist it becomes. Mold is less of a problem because honey retards it's growth.
located in Rochester Minnesota.
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Honey Recipes
For lots of recipes using honey, check out the Minnesota Honey Producers website. They have ideas for appetizers, like Honey Rice Krispies Bars to entrees like Oven-Fried Honey Chicken and lots in between!
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Apple Recipes
For lots of recipes using apples, head to the US Apple Associations website. They have tons of recipes ranging from appetizers and soups all the way through dessert!
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Apple Galette
Ingredients:
1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup instant flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces & chilled.
7-9 tablespoons ice water
2 large sweet apples (like Regent or Honeycrisp)
2 large tart apples (like Haralson)
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup apricot preserves
Directions: (Serves 6) 1. Place flours, salt & sugar in a food processor & pulse to combine. Scatter butter on the top of the flour mixture & pulse again to get a cornmeal texture. Add ice water (1T at a time) and pulse food processor after each addition. You want to the dough to form small curds that hold together when you pinch it. 2. Dump contents onto a lightly floured counter and form a 12x6 rectangle. Starting at the top of the rectangle, smear small amounts of dough away from you. Continue smearing small sections of dough and work to the bottom edge of the rectangle. Reform the 12x6 rectangle and repeat the smearing of the dough. Gather dough into a 4x6 rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to an hour. 3. Meanwhile, peel, core and slice the apples into 1/8 inch pieces. As you construct the galette, you will alternate rows of the two apples. 4. To for the crust, place the 4x6 chilled rectangle of dough on a piece of parchment paper that is cut to fit a 1/2 sheet pan. You will roll out the dough to completely cover the piece of parchment paper. Trim off any edges that exceed the parchment paper. 5. Now roll each edge of the dough in about 3/4 to 1 in. This forms the galette shell. Transfer the parchment/dough to a rimmed 1/2 sheet pan. Starting at the upper left corner of the shell, shingle the apple slices on diagonal and work your way to the bottom right corner. Overlay apple slices in each row by a third. Vary the apple variety for each row. Top the filled shell with 4T sugar. This recipe is courtesy of Lisa Scribner of Trotters Cafe.
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Happy Farm to School Month!
September is Farm to School Month in Minnesota and more and more students will be eating fresh, locally grown produce. The number of Minnesota school districts with active Farm to School programs has grown from fewer than 20 districts in 2006 to 145 districts in 2011. These districts are in every region of the state and include rural, urban and suburban communities.
Not only is this good news for healthy eating, it's also good for Minnesota's economy. Based on their annual survey of school districts, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) estimates that total F2S purchases by Minnesota school districts in 2011 were approximately $1,328,000. This is roughly double the estimated amount for 2010. The most popular items sourced from local farms are apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, potatoes, winter squash, peppers, carrots, cantaloupe and sweet corn.
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Like us on Facebook
Facebook is a great way to give you the most up to date, relevant information about what is in season NOW and Minnesota Grown's activities and events around town.
In honor of National Honey Month, we will be giving away honey from Keep an eye on our page or subscribe to our posts so you don't miss your chance!
We love to hear what you have to say, seeing you liking our photos and posts. If you don't already like our page, please click on the "like us on Facebook" image below. And if you do, please suggest our page to your friends and let's keep the dialogue going! We look forward to hearing more of your thoughts and ideas as well as sharing what's new and local with you!
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2012-2013 Minnesota Grown Directory!
 Find your local farmers markets, sweet corn growers and more in the 2012-13 Minnesota Grown Directory. Make sure you get your FREE copy today! Order online at MinnesotaGrown.com or by phone at 1-800-657-3878. |
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THANK YOU!!
We appreciate every person who reads this newsletter and supports Minnesota Grown. If you have something related to Minnesota Grown foods that you'd like to know more about- please tell us! :)
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Apple Season!
For some family fun, visit a Minnesota Grown Apple Orchard. We have over 110 orchards across Minnesota, even reaching as far north as Grand Rapids. You can stop by the one closest to you or pick one a little farther away and enjoy a short road trip. Many orchards offer other activities like hay rides, corn mazes, bakery items and apple treats. Don't be scared off by media coverage highlighting orchards that were hurt by the spring frost. It's true that many orchards are faced with a smaller crop than usual but we've also heard from plenty of orchards that have an outstanding crop of apples!  Remember, apples are early this year. Don't wait, get out and enjoy the fall weather! Make sure you call ahead or check their website prior to visiting the farm. They will give you updates on on-site activities, apple varieties and more! Sadly, apple season doesn't last forever, so it's important to buy extra apples to store for later in the year. Each variety of apples is different, make sure you ask your local orchard about the variety you are buying. Here are a few more generic storage tips to help your apples last into the cold winter months. - Avoid storing apples with other fruits/vegetables. The gases naturally released by other fruits/vegetables can make apples soften.
- Placing apples in the refrigerator is great for short-term storage. But the refrigerator lacks humidity and can dry apples out. Place them in a perforated plastic bag (often what they are sold in). This will help trap some of the humidity.You can even add a damp paper towel over the bag for extra humidity.
- For longer term storage, you can put them in a cardboard box and keep them in a cool, dark place (like a basement or pantry). Its nice to close the box so it limits the airflow, but it doesn't need to be airtight.
- Avoid freezing the apples. Ideal storage is between 33-38 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity ranging between 80% and 90%.
- Try not to store apples with any bruises or soft spots, this will shorten storage life and cause more fruit decay in the whole group. To help prevent bruises, handle apples carefully and wrap them individually in newspaper before putting them in a box for storage.
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Don't Miss Fall Activities!
Fall in Minnesota brings out lots of activities on the farm. Often times our minds go right to pumpkins and corn mazes, but we have a few suggestions that you won't want to miss! Fall Raspberries: Many Minnesotans forget about raspberries after July, but it's time to put a stop to that! Minnesota Grown has over 40 fall-bearing raspberry producers. Normally, fall-bearing raspberries start around August and will run through mid-October. You can find many varieties of fall-bearing (just like summer-bearing raspberries) They'll come in yellow/gold, red, black and purple! Wineries: Are you and your significant other looking for a quick getaway? How about planning a much needed girls day? Minnesota wineries are perfect for many occasions! Minnesota Grown has over 30 wineries across the state. Minnesota wineries can boast excellent award winning white, red and fruit wines! The University of MN has one of the top wine grape programs in the United States and has helped develop outstanding cold-hardy grapes like Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, LaCrescent and Marquette. Many wineries offer sampling on decks or patios so you can enjoy the delicious wine with a beautiful view. Others offer dining selections, walks through the vineyard, music and entertainment and more!
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National Honey Month!
September is finally here, the kids are back in school and fall is in the air. Many honey producers are harvesting this month, which makes it a perfect time to celebrate honey! Honey gets its color and taste from its main nectar source, so there is a lot of variety. Honey has many uses, from substituting in baking/cooking, eating by itself or as a sweetener for tea or coffee, it's even used for hair, skin and health care! It is easy to digest and has antibacterial qualities.
The Minnesota Grown Directory has 58 local honey producers. It's important to get to know your local honey producer. They have so much knowledge to share and some will even let you visit a hive and learn first hand about honey production. Minnesota Grown did this during the month of Aug (read the next article for more information); it was amazing!
Consuming local honey is beneficial for many reasons, including helping to reduce allergies. Since local honey is made from the nectar of local flowers, it will help reduce a persons reaction to allergens in the air. Honey is also a natural cough suppressant, so adding just a little to hot tea or water can help soothe your cough.
For more uses for honey, ask your local honey producer! Visit the Minnesota Grown Directory to easily find one near you. Also, keep an eye on Minnesota Grown's Facebook page for several chances to win honey from Minnesota Grown member, Honey Hill Farms.
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Up Close and Personal with Honeybees!
Minnesota Grown's Jessica Miles visited a hive of one of Minnesota Grown's honey producers, Sorensen Honey Farm. The morning started with Jessica and her sister, Becky, getting into the bee suits while Dan, Kara and Kirby explained general habits of bees. They were full of knowledge about bees and extremely nice to the slightly terrified sisters. After chatting for awhile standing behind the trucks, we ventured over to the hives and they opened one up. It was amazing to see all the bees inside working hard! Nerves quickly vanished as Jessica and Becky learned of all the hard work bees do and their extremely structured society of the bee hive.
Launie Sorensen started bee keeping when he was only 8 years old with only two hives and worked his way up to 550! Launie had taken some time off from bee keeping, but he and his kids re-started Sorensen Honey Farms four years ago. They currently have about 200 hives in and around the Owatonna area. This family can truly attest that beekeeping isn't just a profession or a hobby, it truly becomes a passion.
Each hive consists of one queen bee, which is the only bee with fully developed ovaries and capable of laying eggs. She mates only once with several male (or drone) bees and will remain fertile her whole life. She generally lives 3-5 years and lays up to 2,000 eggs per day. Once she is unproductive or dies, the other bees will make a new queen bee, by selecting a young larva and feeding it royal jelly. This milky substance is made of digested pollen and honey/nectar mixed with a chemical secreted from a gland in a nursing bee's head. It can be harvested and used as a dietary supplement and fertility stimulant for humans and is sold at high prices rivaling caviar!
Worker bees (all of which are female) make up most of a hive, about 60,000-80,000 during the summer months. They only live for about 6 weeks, literally working themselves to death. The worker bees take on a series of specific chores during their lifetime: housekeepers, nursemaid, construction worker, grocer, undertaker, guard and then after 21 days they become a forager and start collect pollen and nectar for the hive. Worker bees will travel up to 6 miles and visit 50-100 flowers during a collection trip. Their wing stroke is extremely fast, about 200 beats per second, making their distinctive buzz sound. Honeybees are not aggressive by nature and only sting when provoked by an intruder. Worker bees have a barbed stinger that results in their death after they sting.
Drone bees (all of which are male) make up the final bee in a colony. There are very few drone bees, only about 300-3,000 per hive. They are kept on standby during the summer months in case a queen bee needs to be mated. Drone bees have a barbed sex organ, which results in death after mating and they have no stinger. Drone bees are expelled from the hive (kicked out and left to die) in the winter months, since they are not needed.
Although inactive during the winter months, the hives are not destroyed and the bees stay in Minnesota. Bee hives shrink in size to about 20,000-30,000 worker bees. The worker bees also live for 4-9 months, since their workload is lighter. The bees huddle together for warmth and self-regulate the hive temperature, keeping it near 93 degrees Fahrenheit.
Each worker bee will produce about 1/12 teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. A hive of bees will fly 90,000 miles, the equivalent of three orbits around the Earth to collect 2.2lbs of honey. Honeybees are not native to USA, buy rather are European in origin and brought to America with the early settlers.
Check out Minnesota Grown's Facebook page for more pictures of this wonderful morning at one of Sorensen Honey Farm's hives! Also, in honor of National Honey Month, Minnesota Grown Facebook page will have several chances to win Minnesota Grown Honey - follow us to win!
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'In the Kitchen' With Minnesota Grown and MN Cooks
Minnesota Grown has partnered with Minnesota Cooks to find chefs who source locally for an "In the Kitchen" segment during the morning show on Fox 9. The segment aired Thursday, Sep 6th at 8:45 and featured Minnesota Grown's own Jessica Miles and Chef Lisa Scribner. This will be the final segment for Minnesota Grown this year. Lisa is a baker at Trotters Cafe in St Paul, MN. You can click here to watch the video and to see the delicious recipe for Apple Galette that was demonstrated on the show. Lisa was born in Indiana, raised in Milwaukee, WI and moved near Minnesota for college, where she attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and received a Bachelors Degree in Biology. While in college, Lisa frequented the Twin Cities and local foods became apart of her life. She saw the benefit of eating locally when in season. After getting her Masters in Anatomy from University of Ohio, she soon found herself working in the Twin Cities for 3M. Lisa jokes that baking and sewing skills skipped a generation in her family. He mother wasn't much of a baker, but her grandmother was and Lisa surely has taken after her. She grew up baking with her grandmother and has continued baking her whole life. It is something she truly enjoys. Lisa describes baking as her second career. While she vows she hasn't left the sciences, "I'm just doing science in the kitchen, after all it's a lot more fun and the output is a lot better." She came to Trotter's Cafe about seven years ago with no commercial cooking experience. She enjoys being able to experiment at Trotters and having the chance to "trotterize" recipes. Lisa describes this as making treats slightly more healthy. For example, she often replaces the sugar with honey and uses wheat flour. Lisa fits in well at Trotter's Cafe, where they have a philosophy to work with people who take care of the Earth and pay fair wages. Trotter's Cafe is a community oriented business, with local foods at the heart. It's simple, it's easy to make great food with great tasting, local and seasonal ingredients. Trotters opened October 17th, 1989 only serving pastries and has been expanding ever since.
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Sponsors
Minnesota Cooks was started by Minnesota Farmers Union in 2003. We are happy to work with them to help us find fantastic Chefs who believe in sourcing locally for our "In the Kitchen" segments on Fox 9. The organization puts out a yearly calendar showcasing Minnesota farms and chefs, in addition to year-round promotion including a cooking demonstration at the Minnesota State Fair! The calendar is a testament to the superb growers in Minnesota and the talented sustainably-minded chefs and restaurant owners who work relentlessly to highlight farm-fresh foods.
  Minnesota Farmers Union is the lead sponsor for the Minnesota Grown Directory. They work to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life for family farmers and ranchers and rural communities. They are a nonprofit membership-based organization. Did you know you don't have to be a farmers to be a member of the Minnesota Farmers Union? Check it out!
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