Have you ever spent two hours around the table at a meal and talked primarily about the food on your plate? We had just such an experience this evening in Minneapolis at Restaurant Alma. Alma is run by Executive Chef Alex Roberts and is dedicated to handcrafted food using as many local, organic, and artisanal ingredients as possible. Their menu changes every six to eight weeks and just reading it makes your mouth water. We tried the “tasting menu” with a small portion of a dish from each of three courses:
Starter: Arugula & Potato Salad: smoked whitefish & spicy mustard vinagrette
Middle Course: Chicken & Truffle Ravioli: crimini-marsala sauce & hazelnut
Entree: Braised Lamb & Gnocchi: black kale, turnips, butter & bacon broth
And for dessert, a trio of sorbets: guava with a side of candied cherries, quince with a side of fig, and apricot with pepper with a side of blood orange. Each dish was gorgeously prepared and was a work of art in and of itself. Freshly baked bread and butter with a touch of sea salt was served alongside the meal so you could sop up every last bit of the sauce enhancing each dish. When we came home tonight, we told Abe about each course in great detail. A true lover of food, his eyes grew bigger and brighter with each description and he said, “I want to try some!”
This meal was the perfect way to launch the beginning of a new growing season – being enthused about food! Food is central to our nourishment and community. There is a sacredness to growing, harvesting, preparing and eating food. We cherish the ability to raise beautiful and delicious food that can be eaten by so many families. Some of the best conversations and deep listening time for our family happens around the table with food at the center.
With that we give a welcome to the first stirrings of spring – happy growing, happy eating!
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