Honored to Serve Foodies

Today, July 24, is a day we will not ever forget.    RAGBRAI, the Register-Guardian Bike Ride Across Iowa started in Glenwood and wound through Silver City, Griswold, Lewis and came to the overnight stop in Atlantic.    You can imagine that the riders come to camp or accomodations hungry, thirsty and looking for something out of the ordinary.     You might also imagine that restaurant owners, managers and food service professionals created a team years ago to ride in this 12,000 plus cyclist tour.     This group formed in Chicago and now has members in many cities across the US.     These are foodies.     These people know good food, demand it and make certain that they have it at each overnight stop and each breakfast along the route.

Imagine now, that in early May, Iowa City restauranteer and editor of the magazine Edible  Iowa River Valley, Chef  Kurt Michael Friese e-mails a request that you supply vegetables, salad greens and fruit for him to prepare and serve to 40 picky foodies.     This is a high-risk, high potential reward business opportunity.     Doris and I are humbled and grateful for the opportunity to supply Kurt and his "Team Cuisine" foodie cyclists.      We anxiously await feedback from Kurt.     We supplied our cross between All-Blue and Purple Majesty potatoes.    These are bright purple inside with an irridescent purple skin.     We also supplied All-Red potatoes, with bright red skins and very pink starburst patterns inside.    Some Yukon Gold were also supplied.    Kurt will steam them, then grill them.    The resultant burst of color, Red, Blue, Yellow, Purple should be an eye-popper.   

Our salad greens mix, with Rouge d'Hiver, Gold Rush, Green Oakleaf, Red Oakleaf, Outredgious, three basils, Parris Island baby Romaine, Flame, Grand Rapids Red and Grand Rapids Green, baby Swiss Chard leaf, baby beet green, Parsley, Cilantro, Carrot green tip and Ho Mi mustard, has reds, greens, yellows, maroons and whites.    The flavors range from tawny, robust to delicate sweet.    Kurt will make a raspberry vinegarette from our berries and serve his demanding team-mates this salad with grilled meats from other vendors.    Nishnabotna Naturals Kohlrabbi will be sliced and top the salad.      Yum!

Now, back to Kurt.    His magazine won 2011  Publication of the Year from the James Beard Foundation.    This is definitely not one of those 4 sheets stapled together newsletters.    It is a colorful celebration of the Local Foods of Iowa.    The photography makes you hugry.    The editorial staff includes Denise O'Brien, noted market gardener, ex candidate for Iowa Secretetary of Agriculture.    She writes in 4 installments about the assignment at a forward operating base in Afghanistan, where she is advising Afghans how to grow crops other than heroin poppies.    Writer, State Senator Joe Bolkom reports on local food and local microbrews.    Check this out on http://www.edibleiowa.com/.    

Summer is here!

We continue to serve the Exira, Iowa Farmer's Market.     Come see us Fridays, from 4 to 7 in the park on the East side of the square.     Small town, big heart.       Small market, big selection.

Now available:
Kohlrabi
Kale
Tongue Tickler Salad Greens Mix
Romaine
Baby Romaine Mix
Turnips
Beets
Raspberries
Onions

From Doris's bakery: 
White and Whole Wheat Bread
different fruit pies each week
Fruit and/or Cinnamon Raisin Roll-up Bread
Banana Bread, plain, with walnuts, with chocolate chips or both

From the nursery:
Hard Rock (Sugar) Maple trees
Silver Maple (Shade) trees
Red Osier Dogwood trees
Curly Willow, Fanning Willow or Pussy Willow trees
Jack in the Pulpit plants
Potted Basil plants for deck gardens

From Doris's jam collection:
Strawberry-Rhubarb
Raspberry
Raspberry-Rhubarb
Apricot
Apricot-Pineapple
Pear-Orange Marmalade
Concord Grape Jelly
Apricot and Rhubarb Ice Cream Topping

We are hosting the Garden Walk for Grist Mill Theater Saturday, July 9.    If you have not seen the organic farm and would like to, this is your chance.    Advance tickets are $8 and $10 at the door.     If you are just visiting our farm and not the others, register at the desk and we will issue Nishnabotna Naturals Customer credentials and you may visit us for free.