dsm is pleased to announce the 2015 Sages Over 70 honorees: Margo Blumenthal, philanthropist and community volunteer; Philip Dorweiler, retired attorney; Vernon Johnson, longtime advocate for disadvantaged youths; Gary Kirke, business leader and philanthropist; Elvin McDonald, well-known garden expert; Polly Moore, community volunteer; Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation; and Jack Wahlig, president of Integrus Financial. 

 

Look for stories on these outstanding men and women in the November/December issue of dsm. And be sure to mark your calendar for Nov. 10, when dsm, along with our presenting partner, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, will honor the Sages at the Temple for Performing Arts from 5 to 7 p.m. We hope you'll join us in celebrating their significant contributions in making the city a better place to live for all of us.

As you may have noticed, those wonderful salad greens you buy fresh from the farmers market usually do not come washed and ready to use. But what they lack in convenience, they make up for in intensely fresh flavor you'll simply never experience from trucked-in bag lettuce.

 

Still, I do find it a slight hassle (in a First-World way) to wash and spin dry handfuls of greens as I need them. Yet washing them all at one and trying to keep them on hand doesn't always work, either--they can deteriorate quickly if stored in regular plastic bags.  

 

The solution: this Lettuce Saver Bag from Trudeau (suggested retail price: $14.99). Made of absorbent microfiber, the bag is designed to draw excess moisture away from washed and dried salad greens, yet also allows air into the bag. According to the manufacturer, this helps decrease spoilage while prolonging freshness.

 

I gave the bag a go with some tender lettuces, and while I can't attest to a long life for the greens (I polished them off within two days), I did appreciate having the produce washed and ready to go when I wanted something fresh and green on my plate.

 

Find the Lettuce Saver Bag at Kitchen Collage (430 E. Locust St,; 270-8202).

Des Moines' culinary scene has again gained national attention. Iowa has been honored in Wine Spectator's 2015 Restaurant Awards, which highlight restaurants around the world that offer the best wine selections. Five metro-area hot spots made the list: 801 Chophouse, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Splash Seafood Bar & Grill, Trostel's Dish and Trostel's Greenbriar Restaurant & Bar. Pick up Wine Spectator's Aug. 31 issue, which hits newsstands July 21, for more details.