In the Kitchen
This Issue Contents | Recipe | Home Plan | Publishers notes
A summer smorgasbord of food awaits you!
WILD BLUEBERRIES BURST with northwoods flavor. Hearty wild rice, harvested from northern waters, tastes of the earth. Golden cobs of prairie-grown sweet corn, dripping with creamy Minnesota-made butter, hold the promises of summer. Soft prune-filled Czech kolacky hearken to the Old Country, of grandmothers kneading dough, of the yeasty scent of baking pastries. Food-themed summer festivals in Minnesota beckon with a delectable smorgasbord of offerings that tantalize the taste buds, fill the stomach and satisfy the soul.
Often tied to a town’s heritage or to foods grown in the region, these community celebrations feature plenty of good eats and old-fashioned fun. We’ve selected a few – like Kraut and Wurst Days in Watkins, Watermelon Day in Vining and the Taste of Dorset – to highlight. We’ve also included a more comprehensive list of festivals for you to eat your way through in July and August. And we’ve even gathered some recipes, graciously shared by the small-town residents who work behind the scenes, rolling out the pie crusts, frying the pancakes, grilling the hamburgers and more. So hit the road and savor the sumptuous tastes of summer in Minnesota.
Good eats at community festivals
Watermelon Day in Vining, Saturday, Aug.15 ROMMEGROT 3 cups thin cream (half and half) Melt 1 cup butter. Stir 1 cup flour into
the melted butter and microwave for 1 ½ to
2 minutes. Add the hot milk mixture to the butter
and flour mixture. Microwave for two minutes. Add ¾
teaspoon salt and ½ cup sugar Note: Microwave times may vary depending
on microwave, so you may need to add a minute or two. |
Deer River Wild Rice Festival, July 10-12 WILD RICE HOT DISH 3½ pounds raw wild rice Rinse rice well in cold water. Cover with water, sprinkle with half of a 3.4-ounce jar chicken bouillon granules and soak overnight. In the morning, cook slowly for 2-3 hours in a covered, large electric roaster until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Fry bacon to crisp and drain, reserving the grease. Sautee the chopped onion, green pepper and celery in the bacon grease. Add sautéed vegetables, baked and cubed turkey breast, and bacon pieces to the rice. Add one stick of butter, cubed. Add about half of the soups, broth, and seasonings to taste. Continue to cook slowly, adding soups and broth as needed while cooking to keep the rice mixture from drying out. Cook until tender, approximately 2 - 2 ½ hours. One roaster serves about 50 people. Recipe submitted by United Methodist Women, Deer River |
Taste of Dorset, Aug. 2 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. WITH ONLY 22 RESIDENTS and four restaurants, Dorset claims to be “The Restaurant Capital of the World,” showcased each summer during the Taste of Dorset. TURTLE SUNDAE 2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream Place ice cream in a bowl and top with as much of other ingredients as you like. Recipe submitted by the Dorset House Family Restaurant |
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Polska Kielbasa Days in Ivanhoe, Aug 7-9 EVELYN GUZA’S PIEROGI Dough; Blend together the dough ingredients and roll out to ½-inch thickness. Cut into circles with a biscuit cutter or glass. Mix the filling ingredients together. Next, place some filling on one side of each dough circle. Moisten the dough edges with water, fold in half and press firmly until dough edges are well sealed. Drop the dough pieces into salted boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon or utensil. Cool. Fry in butter, turning, until slightly brown on each side. |
Kolacky Days in Montgomery, July 24-26 EMMA POMIJE’S PRIZEWINNING KOLACKY 1½ cups milk Scald milk. Add butter, ¼ cup sugar, salt and Crisco oil. Cool to lukewarm. Combine lukewarm water with ¼ cup sugar and yeast. Allow to sit until mixture begins to bubble. Beat 2 egg yolks and 2 eggs real well. Put 9-12 cups sifted flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour milk mixture, eggs and yeast mixture into well. Mix together until dough becomes elastic and easy to handle. Knead dough a little and place in a bowl that has been greased with Crisco oil. Set in a warm place until double in bulk. Punch down and let rise again. After second rising, pour dough on slightly floured table and pat dough lightly with hand to about ¼ -inch thickness. Cut dough into about 2½-inch squares. Put one teaspoon of your favorite filling (poppy seed, apricot or prune) on dough square. Shape into kolacky by pulling opposite ends of the squares together and pinching lightly. Bring the remaining two ends together and lap one end over the other to seal the kolacky. Place kolacky in a greased pan and brush the kolacky with one beaten egg. Allow to rise until doubled. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Makes 4 dozen. |
Other Festivals Not Mentioned Above: |
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July July:10-11 11 14-15 16 17-19 18 22-26 24-26 24-26
24-26 July 30-Aug. 2 July 31- Aug. 1 |
AugustJuly 30-Aug. 2 August: 6-9 7 10-11 10-12 12-16 21-22 21-23 28-29 28-29 |