"What's for dinner?"

My job requires a lot of creative energy. When I need that ‘ump’ to get my creative juices flowing - I jump in my SUV and head for a farm visit! What better way to clear my head than to pick a tomato, admire Norton grapes, scratch a goat’s ear, or think about all those T-bone steaks in that cow grazing in the field? There is just something exceptional about treading through mud (err..I hope it’s only mud!) and enjoying the rural life. Here in Southeast Missouri, the Mississippi River Hills Region is my playground. And there isn’t much I enjoy more than sharing that playground with you! So consider this your official invitation to come play in the fields with us for the 5th year of our Taste of Place Agri-culinary Events!


“Agri-culinary?” you ask. Yes. You’ve heard of farm-to-table and eating local? Well around here we like to take the table to the farm and enjoy foods grown within our six counties. We blend the world of farming and rural culture with a local food experience that is hard to beat!

Picture this: As we prepare for your arrival, we line up rows of tables in a field. Then we cover them in quilts and vintage table clothes and add quart jars of field flowers to the centers. Let’s not forget plates, silverware, and pint jars. (What?! Pint jars?! Yep, Granny won’t let us bring her crystal to the field! Then again, the jars add a nice touch with the quilts!)

Upon your arrival, your experience starts with a site tour and visiting with the location host. Next we get acquainted with other dinner guests over regional cheeses, wines, and sausages.

As the evening progresses, you sit down at the wonderful tables as platters of braised pork or burgundy beef are passed around. And let’s not forget bowls filled with culinary delights of ‘real’ vine ripened tomatoes and salads, potatoes and steaming vegetable dishes. (Take a little. Take a lot. But you won’t want to miss anything!) Let’s top off the evening with scrumptious dessert made from season fruits of the region. It could be strawberry pie or apple dumplings! Yumm….Yumm..!

Are you ready?! Well we’re very excited for the 2013 season. We’ve lined up a tree farm, a private vineyard area, and a horse ranch! To find out more and to buy your tickets visit our website today! www.aTasteofPlace.com

Come enjoy an adventure with us where . . . It’s not just “What’s for dinner?” It’s an experience!

And yet . . .

I’ve connected with a number of travel bloggers lately. Oh what wonderful places they have taken me! Thanks to Visit Flyover Country’s suggestion, I recently read a blog - Travel With No Regrets - by All Colores. She reminds us that travel is a privilege. Although her blog has been all over the globe, in the blog she states “Some people can’t even travel locally due to illness, war or a financial fight for survival.” This is so true, and although I have not left the country, I feel privileged that I have been blessed with the opportunities to see several of these United States. And yet . . .



River bluff at Trail of Tears State Park,
Cape Girardeau, Missouri


 My travel regret? From Fairbanks, Alaska, to Clearwater Beach, Florida, my biggest travel regret is not taking the time getting to know my own backyard. But thanks to knowing lots of people, I don’t feel alone in my regret. (Is this an unfortunate statement or just life?) Just the other day, while in Cape Girardeau County, I mentioned Trail of Tears State Park to a woman. I told her how I enjoy seeing the river and its bluffs from the Park’s amazing view. Instead of an affirmation I received a “Really?! I’ve never been there” reply. (Might I add she was not a teen but a ‘seasoned’ woman of about my mid-century age?) And yet . . .



View of the river and bottoms at
Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area,
Ste. Genvieve County, Missouri

This did not catch me by surprise. As the coordinator for the Mississippi River Hills Association (MRHA), I’ve been privileged so see many 'wonders' in these six counties (Yes, there are more than 7 'wonders' in the world!). From the simple beauty of a winding county road to the Mississippi River view at Trail of Tears State Park or Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area in Ste. Genevieve County.

My first visit to Trail of Tears in particular left me in awe. I had been working on the MRHA project for just a few weeks. Letitia ‘Tish’ Johnson, CD of University of Missouri Extension - Ste. Genevieve County, and I were giving a regional tour to a group out of St. Louis, John Grizzell, of Grizzell & Company, who had secured the bid to design the MRHA logo. As us stood overlooking the Mississippi River and its amazing bluffs an eagle majestically floated across the view directly in front of us! The look on John and his guests’ faces was pure delight! Tish and I could not have orchestrated it any better ourselves. And yet. . .

How many of us have stopped for just a few hours in our busy lives to see the view at Trail of Tears State Park? I’ve also had a similar eagle experience at Magnolia Hollow. Both locations are handicap accessible by the way. Magnolia Hollow’s view is about a quarter of a mile from the parking lot; however, the path is nicely paved for wheelchairs, and has a bench at the half-way point for those with difficulty walking. And yet . . . 

Sunset in my own "backyard."



Do you have any ‘And yet. . .’ moments that have left you with travel regrets? Remember you don’t have to travel far to see 'wonders'. I mean, let's face it. Folks from other countries travel here to visit us! What's even better, is the excitement of those locations can be renewed with every visit when we allow ourselves to appreciate even the simplicity around us. What is your favorite wonder to wander to in your backyard?

Missouri Beginning Farming: Online Learning Community

Here is a good resource. I know it is called Beginning Farmer, but it has lots of great information for producers of all levels.

Missouri Beginning Farming: Online Learning Community: "The Missouri Beginning Farmer Program’s Online Learning Community is a tool to help beginning farmers learn from each other, essentially it..."

Let me know what you think.

MRHA is all about networking. I use facebook, e-mail, website, and blogs to get the word out on what we are doing, who we are, our farm dinners, grant information, and sharing member information. To help our networks grow, share this with your network and help me get the word out.

Have a local food and fun filled week!
Lisa Palmer, Coordinator

Farmer's Market Find.

Most of you will recognize the wonderful cucumber, the gorgeous tomato, and the bright yellow squash; however, do you recognize the bean looking thing in the bowl? I found these at the Farmington Farmer’s Market last Saturday. Raised by a producer from Perry County, I was told they are “Roma” green beans. A quick look on Goodsearch.com and I decided I should be familiar with these beans.

For those in the dark (like I was) they are an Italian bean, also known as a variety of pole bean. But with as many beans as I have bought at the farmer’s markets over the past few years I must have skipped over these. My adventurous food spirit tickled my fancy and I quickly grabbed up the only bag she had on the table.

Now with bean in hand what do I do? I’m learning that the best expert to ask in how to cook a farmer’s market item is the farmer who produced the product. So I asked for, and received, the producer’s choice for preparing my flat, green, bumpy, bean-looking thingy. That evening, I followed her suggestion and was wonderfully surprised. They are so yummy! Different from the standard green beans I get at the market, these have a nutty flavor. I’m glad it was a generous size bag. With Doug and I being empty-nesters, we will have several chances to enjoy this “Roma” green bean.

If you come across these beans at your farmer’s market, here is the simple recipe the producer gave me.

Roma green beans
Onion
Olive oil (I added a little butter)
Salt & pepper

Clean and snap the beans. In a pan, just cover the beans with water and set to boil. Cook until tender crisp (don’t overcook), drain, and set aside. In the pan sauté the onion in olive oil until tender. Add the beans, a little butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to sauté for a few minutes allowing the onion and olive oil to blend with the beans. Then serve. (Or if you are like me – start munching from the pan!)

Get on out to your farmer’s market and discover your “taste of place” this season!
Lisa J. Palmer, Coordinator

PS: for a list of Farmer’s Markets in the MRHA region, visit our website by clicking on the MRHA logo.

Terroir in the Mississippi River Hills?

Terroir (pronounced “tare-wahr”) is a French term that can be translated as “the taste of place.” It has been used for centuries in Europe to enhance appreciation for products based on the ecological and cultural characteristics of an area.

So what does terroir have to do with Missouri? In his book, American Terroir, Rowan Jacobsen describes this taste of place as “a partnership between person, plant, and environment to bring something unique into the world. The soil and climate set the conditions; the plants, animals, and fungi respond to them; and then people determine how to bring out the goodness of these foods and drinks.” Our great State of Missouri has several areas, mainly around the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, that have distinct soil and climate aspects which make the products grown in those areas different from products grown in other areas. Combine the distinct ecological aspects with the heritages of the regions and you have Missouri terroir.

The distinct ecological region of the Mississippi River Hills starts in the Imperial/Kimmswick area, where it travels down river to just south of Cape Girardeau, and stretches west to Farmington. Many of the region’s producer families have been farming the same piece of land for over 150 years. The Mississippi River Hills Association (MRHA) is a group of people who recognize these differences in their products, be it wine, tomatoes, or beef. During the 2011 growing season, you can experience the terroir of the Mississippi River Hills through a series of culinary experiences from dining among the vines of Cave Vineyards to enjoying the company of Miracle and Fiona at Connie Blechle’s Breezy Ridge Alpaca Farm.

The first of the 2011 Culinary Experiences – Summer Breeze – will be enjoyed under the grape vine arbor of Sainte Genevieve Winery, in downtown Sainte Genevieve, on the evening of June 18. Guest Chef Jason Evans and Winemaker Elaine Hoffmeister Mooney will be pairing the wines of Sainte Genevieve Winery with fresh lamb from Meier Horse Shoe Pines of Jackson; artisan goat cheese from Baetje Farms of Bloomsdale; fresh leaf lettuces from Show Me Fresh Farm of Cape Girardeau; and fresh vegetables from County Line Farms of St. Mary. A pre-dinner tasting of wines from The Barrens Winery, Chaumette Winery, Cave Vineyards, Hemman Winery, Tower Rock Winery, and Twin Oaks Winery will also be featured.

Fresh foods and artisan wines equal a great time. Seating is very limited for this event. Please visit the MRHA website at: www.MississippiRiverHills.org for additional information and for a schedule on the remaining 2011 Culinary Experiences.

Home! Home! On the Range . . .

. . . Where the deer and the elk(?) play! Join us for the grand finale of the 2010 season as we enjoy culinary delights on this private ranch nestled along the borders of Pickle Springs Natural Area in western Ste. Genevieve County.

Only 11 days and counting! Visit us on the web to purchase your dinner seats today. www.MississippiRiverHills.org

Can't wait to see you there!
Lisa J. Palmer, Coordinator
Mississippi River Hills Association

Spring Lamb? Free-range chicken? Strawberries?

. . . What do these have in common? Why MRHA’s first 2010 open-air dinner!

When? Early evening of May 22, 2010,
Where? Bolduc House Museum, 124 Main Street, Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

The Mississippi River Hills Association is so excited. For our Spring Garden Gala, Chef Adam Lambay, Chaumette Winery's head chef, is creating our own signature dish using spring lamb in a scrumptious Shepherd’s pie. Then he is preparing our free-range chicken in a wine sauce he has perfected using a white wine from Charleville Winery. Yum! Yum! And let’s not forget – homemade strawberry rhubarb cobbler to top it off. Oh my!

Make an afternoon of your adventure. A self-guided tour of the Bolduc Historic Properties is included in your patronage. Plan at least an hour to enjoy the three colonial houses and Bolduc gift shop. The appetizers and wine start at 5 p.m. with dinner served at 5:30 pm.

Your journey back in time is a week from this Saturday (May22). So reserve your tickets now by sending an e-mail to: coordinator@mississippiriverhills.org; then download your order form by visiting www.MississippiRiverHills.org, and send in your payment.

We can’t wait to enjoy your company!

Lisa Palmer, Coordinator
Mississippi River Hills Association
573-883-0767