Find locally grown, natural foods at Missouri farms, festivals,
Spring again. The roads and fields are thawing out and it’s time to fill our tables with the first bounties of the farmers’ market: fresh greens, tender young asparagus, radishes, scallions, purple and white bulbs of garlic with enough zing to wake our hibernating winter palates.
Heirloom seeds An hour east of Springfield, Mansfield is generally known as the location of Laura and Almanzo Wilder’s homestead, the place where Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote “Little House on the Prairie.” But just north of Mansfield off state Highway 5 is the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company where it’s possible to get seeds for growing many of the foods Laura would have enjoyed as a child growing up in Independence, Kan., and as a homesteader in Missouri. Many of the same varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, lima beans, corn, carrots and pumpkins are still available thanks to the tireless seed-saving efforts of Jere Gettle, owner and founder of the seed company. The first Sunday of each month from April through December, Gettle and his wife, Emilee, host a festival celebrating heirloom foods, music and the homesteading heritage they continue to embrace. In addition to musical performers, speakers, and food vendors, artisans demonstrate such heritage crafts as glass blowing, blacksmithing, basket and soap making. The big spring event will be May 4 and 5; the summer event will happen on Aug. 3 and 4. Norton wine Take a weekend exploring regional vineyards to enjoy wine made from a grape native to Missouri. Though experts argue about the exact origins of the Norton grape, they generally acknowledge that the present-day Norton is descended from a grape indigenous to the United States. The Norton, which makes an excellent dry red wine, remains an artisanal grape rather than a more common variety due to a number of factors, among them its unique soil requirements and the difficulties involved in propagating and maintaining enough vines for large-scale production. It grows best in Virginia and Missouri, as well as in Arkansas, where it is more commonly known as the Cynthiana. Though virtually every winery in Missouri produces a Norton or a Norton blend, the wineries in Hermann excel in its production. Documents showing wines made with Norton grapes stretch back to the 19th century. The Adam Puchta winery has been in the hands of the same family since 1855 and the Hermannhof, OakGlenn and Stone Hill wineries are even older. While many Missouri wines last year placed well in the National Norton Wine Competition held in St. Louis, the wineries from Hermann made a particularly impressive showing as a group. Bommarito Estates Almond Tree Winery of Hermann took the overall prize for Best of Class. Stone Hill and Hermannhof also won medals. The Hermann Wine Trail boasts seven wineries. Hermann–home to two of the wineries–has a quaint downtown. Small shops and restaurants make it easy to fill out a day of browsing, shopping and tasting, slowing down to savor Hermann’s historically German influences, which encompass not just the wine, but everything from the many fine sausages available at its restaurants to the carefully crafted wooden toys and games imported for its specialty gift shops. Though the delectable products of the Swiss Meat and Sausage Company are available at many places in Hermann, it’s still worth driving the few miles down state Highway 19 to see the place. Award-winning German bratwurst, knackwurst, bockwurst, ham, bacon, and dozens of other carefully crafted meats are available at the store or online at www.swissmeats.com. While any visit to Hermann offers culinary delights, Maifest on May 16–18 and Oktoberfest (every weekend in October) offer lots of festival merriment as well. Chestnuts While festivals and farmers’ markets throughout Missouri burst with spring and summer goodness, regional foods are in abundance during the fall. One of the traditional symbols for such autumnal bounty is the chestnut. In the 19th century, more than 4 billion American chestnut trees flourished in the forests of the eastern United States. The trees provided not only nuts, but also lumber that was straight, sturdy and naturally rot resistant. In fact, chestnut trees produced the preferred lumber for both log cabins and railroad ties. In the early years of the 20th century, imported Asian chestnut trees brought blight to the United States that nearly wiped out native chestnuts. While efforts are still underway to breed a blight-resistant American chestnut, cultivation of the Chinese chestnut and American-Chinese hybrids is on the rise. Many see such backcrossing as the best route to saving the American chestnut. T o raise awareness about Missouri’s nut crops (chestnuts, pecans and black walnuts), the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry hosts an annual Missouri Chestnut Roast at its research farm in New Franklin, which is in central Missouri not far from Boonville. The festival, now in its sixth year, draws thousands of visitors. It features educational exhibits and unique foods and crafts from multiple vendors–walnut bowls, pickled black walnuts, chestnuts and candied pecans. The roast, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 18 this year, is an all-day family-friendly event. Wherever your culinary travels take you this year, whether that’s the backyard or the back roads, slow down and savor the local flavors. You’ll be glad you did. Marta Ferguson is a new contributor from Columbia, Mo. |
Mar/Apr 2008 Issue
Slow Food is a movement that began in the late 1980s. It is good (created from healthy plants and animals), clean (harvested with methods that have a positive impact on ecosystems) and fair (produced by people who are treated with dignity and are justly compensated for labor) food that encourages us to savor regional flavors.
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There are dozens of places in the Midwest to enjoy fresh food, from farmers’ markets to restaurants. The following small sample can be a start to a slow food experience.
Illinois Eckert’s has three farms in southern Illinois. For details on ripening schedules, visit www.eckerts.com or call the farms.
Indiana Enjoy homemade persimmon pudding at the 2008 Persimmon Festival in Mitchell, Ind., Sept. 20–27. Call (812) 849-4441 or visit online at www.mitchellpersimmonfestival.org. Kansas For farm-fresh food, take the Kaw Valley Farm Tour Oct. 4–5 featuring 14 farms roughly between Kansas City and Lawrence, including orchards, elk and bison farms, organic vegetable farms and more. Call Karen Pendleton at (785) 843-1409 or visit www.pendletons.com. –Marta Ferguson |
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