It's Thursday, close enough to noon, which means it's officially the
weekend. And what better way to greet this summery week's end than
with free food, cooking classes, and more delicious food.
Tonight, as part of the
Eat Local Challenge going on at area co-ops, a couple of your favorite local co-ops are offering up
crash courses in cooking local foods. Seward Co-op shows local-food lovers how to take advantage of all of those tomatoes, while out at the
St. Peter Food Co-op cheese buyer Jim Vondeharr discusses local cheeses and serves up some samples.
Friday promises more samples and demos, like a cereal sampler at St. Peter Food Co-op and Hope Creamery Butter demo at the Wedge. If you haven't tasted Hope Creamery Butter, well, you haven't tasted hope. It's creamy and decadent. But be warned: It is also known to induce happy childhood memories you never knew existed.
And then
Saturday and Sunday, it's a full-blown local foods extravaganza, with
Twin Cities Farmers Markets offering up the best in local produce and meats as well as plenty of family-friendly entertainment. After your visit with the local farmers, stop in to your local co-op for more demos and samples, including everything from cheese to beef to candles.
As lazy Sunday rolls around, you can top off your weekend of food off with, what else? More food. On Sunday evening, from 4pm to 7pm, head out to Hidden Falls Park in St. Paul where Craftsmen chef Mike Phillips offers a quick course on curing meat and making sausage as part of a
Slow Food MN picnic. Bring a side dish, nibble on some meat, and learn more about the slow-food movement and what it means for Minnesota growers and the environment.
And if you aren't totally full and happy by bedtime on Sunday night, try some local milk. Or an ear of local corn smothered with Hope Creamery Butter. You just might dream of a childhood you never knew you had.