Soft-shell taco with pulled pork

Fabulous food and beautiful gardens: What could be better? That was the case at Wednesday’s Toast & Taste in the Garden gala at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for a fundraiser that’s on my list of top galas. If I have only one local fundraiser gala to attend in the future, this would be it. The crowds are dispersed among the fragrant gardens. There is no elbowing for food (because it’s spread out along the garden path) or noise (only tuneful music by local musicians, at different points along the path — loved the baritone brass at the entrance). And we’re outdoors on a beautiful evening. No competition to the typical windowless, crowded ballroom for other galas!

Favorite dishes? The Minneapolis Club served a soft-shell taco with pulled pork, black beans and smoked pineapple salsa, served in paper cones (pictured here) that looked quite elegant. Kevin Sheehy of Cafe Maude served up grilled corn-on-the-cob with chives, feta and tomatoes, as well as lamb meatballs (in preparation, perhaps, for his Istanbul Night at the Armatage Room on July 17). Tracy Singleton of the Birchwood Cafe offered a strawberry-rhubarb shortcake with ice cream. Scott Pampuch of Corner Table wrapped beef around thin breadsticks in homage to the State Fair. The Arboretum’s Appletini (Pepin Heights apple cider with Praire vodka) was a nice touch I’ll try at home. The most food on a cracker? Clearly, from Raghavan Iyer and OM restaurant, with his  Bombay street food of mumbai crackers: crispy crackers with unripe mango, potato and red onion, topped with 2 chutneys and sprinkled with chickpea flour noodles. Outstanding!

But the best of the bunch was a clear standout that diners seemed to avoid in that Minnesota “it’s a little too different” kind of way. Jack Riebel of the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant served a tuna shooter that was worthy of any James Beard gala in NYC: a shotglass of bacon broth, with bites of fresh tuna (marinated with sesame seeds and chives), and sprinkles of pickled homemade ramps and a tiny dice of watermelon. Unbelieveably good …. and so few takers Jack noted that his cooks would have plenty to enjoy later.

Mark your calendar for the event NEXT year, right around the solstice. 

Arboretum garden

I’ve found a new favorite shop: The Palate in Stockholm, Wis., on the banks of the Mississippi, about 70 miles from the Twin Cities. The mother-daughter team of Nancy Fitzsimons and Shana Finnegan run this speciality store, where the emphasis really is on “special.” I was there to demo recipes from my cookbook, and what a treat it was to work in the shop’s beautifully designed kitchen. The shop itself fits right into the community, built to look like a bungalow. Inside, it’s open space and a kitchen area that is perfect: Windows that bring in daylight, enough counterspace for working, good equipment (much of which you can also buy at the store). The shopkeepers have an eclectic assortment of cooking equipment, linens, foods and tabletop accoutrements, all of which are well-made and high-quality. Nancy (that would be the mother) is a former home-ec teacher. She works at her Singer sewing machine in the back of the shop making potato bags (for microwaving “baked” potatoes), tote bags, tablecloths and the like with gorgeous fabrics, including oil cloth from France with stunning designs that will erase any thoughts of the stiff single-color oil cloth from yesteryear. Scones and cookies are made daily; produce from nearby farmers is available. Both Shana and Nancy are delightful and chatty, and very knowledgeable about their wares.

The Palate, W12102 State Hwy. 35, Stockholm, Wis.,  1-715-442-6400, thepalate.net. Open Tuesday through Sunday. 

FRESH  STRAWBERRY TARTLETS

Makes 8.

Note: You’ll need either eight individual tart tins, each about 4½ inches in di­ameter, or, as a substitute that will make smaller servings, a standard-size muffin pan.The tart­let tins are available in kitchen specialty stores. Some bakeries may sell these small shells when asked in advance. If you buy pre­made, unbaked pie crust, you’ll need two crusts for eight tartlets. Cut the crust to fit each tin and bake according to package directions.It’s also possible to make one large tart (in which case you will need only a half recipe for the crust). For a 9-inch tart, the eight servings will be fairly small, though adequate. To serve eight with larger portions, you may want to prepare two 9-inch tarts or stretch the dough into a 10-inch pan. For the prettiest presenta­tion, use either a tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan.

Crust

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 egg white, slightly beaten 

Strawberry Glaze

1 pint (2 cups) fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

¾ cup sugar

½ cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Dash salt 

Filling

2 pints (4 cups) fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

1 to 2 teaspoons kirsch (cherry brandy; optional)

Whipped cream, for garnish

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish 

Directions for Crust:  In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, and butter. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until mixture is crumbly, 2 to 3 minutes (if you’ve got some hard-to-break lumps of butter, use a fork to finish them off). Make a well in the center of flour mixture and pour in 2 beaten eggs. (Egg white will be used later). Blend with fork until incorporated thoroughly. Mixture will be very dry. Press dough to ¼ -inch thickness on bottom and sides of tartlet pans. Chill for 30 minutes to prevent shrinkage. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush crust with beaten egg white and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.

For Strawberry Glaze: In a medium saucepan, mash berries slightly; then add sugar and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain mixture, reserving syrup. Return syrup to pan and whisk in cornstarch and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens and is clear, whisking constantly. (If glaze gets too thick, thin with a little water.) Remove from heat. Strain, if desired, and cool. Spread about 1 tablespoon of glaze on each tartlet shell. 

For Filling: If berries are small, use them whole; if large, slice them. Toss berries in kirsch, if using. Distribute berries among tartlet shells. For sliced berries, overlap slices around the perimeter of the tart. Refrigerate and serve within a couple hours of assembling. Remove from refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving. To serve, remove tart from tin. (Push up on the bottom of the tart. Slip the tart shell off the bottom of the tin, if possible, or leave it on when you serve it.) Top each tart with dollop of whipped cream and garnish with fresh mint, if desired. 

Variation: Add a layer of softened goat cheese atop the crusts immediately before adding the glaze and berries. Or beat together 8 ounces softened cream cheese, l cup sour cream, and ¼ cup sugar until smooth. Spread evenly over baked crust before adding the glaze and berries.

From “Come One, Come All/ Easy Entertaining With Seasonal Menus,” by Lee Svitak Dean (Minnesota Historical Society) �

Need something to do with the kids this summer? Or someplace new for your own hometown vacation? 

My first choice is always the Mill City Museum (www.millcitymuseum.org), on the banks of the Mississippi (704 S. Second St., 612-341-7555, a few doors from the Guthrie). I love this museum, and I would even if I wasn’t a food writer. The museum explores the industry that earned Minnesota fame in its early days as a mill city of wheat. The main exhibit offers a wealth of discovery, from old TV and radio advertisements for Malt-O-Meal and Bisquick to a baking lab (sample the lessons on many weekends) and other artful and experiential displays that suit both kids and adults. A Flour Tower carries you on an 8-floor tour of how a mill worked in the old days; a 19-minute movie narrated by humorist Kevin Kling takes you on a Minnesota history whirl. Another exhibit shows you –in much smaller scale — what a flour explosion can do. (If you guessed “explode,” you get a gold star. But you have to watch it to appreciate the power of flour.) Then there’s the gift shop with all sorts of Minnesota specials, from books to posters to dishes and odds and ends that shout “buy me!” Which you can do when you’re on vacation!

Museum admission is $10 adults, $8 seniors and college students, $5 children ages 6-17. Admission is free for Minnesota Historical Society members. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m.  In July and August,  Monday hours are added, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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