FALL 2023 • ISSUE 54
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we
Something Special in Spring Green
I have been mostly state-bound the past several years with COVID travel restrictions, pregnancy and a now one-year-old making flying difficult. Before that, I had spent time in southeast Asia, sleeping on rafts in Lan Ha Bay and taking in Hanoi one noodle bowl at a time. My wanderlust is very real, but so are the challenges of jet-setting with a toddler.
Instead, I am rediscovering the beauty and mystery of a state I have called home for over 25 years. Helping craft our annual travel-themed issue of Edible Madison has made me realize this: wanderlust is more than simply a desire to travel—it’s the feeling you get when you yearn for a new experience and have a craving to explore.
Quenching this desire doesn’t always mean hopping on a plane to an exotic location. Satisfying wanderlust could look like discovering a new event or restaurant a short road trip away. A longing to explore could be satisfied by cooking with an unfamiliar ingredient or viewing a familiar sight in a new light.
The fall issue of Edible Madison is full of opportunities to discover something new in your own backyard. Explore one of many fall food festivals around the state (page 6) or cozy up in Spring Green’s newest restaurant, Reunion (page 35).
This fall is a perfect time to take in the wonder surrounding us and experience all the fascinating, fun and delicious adventures Wisconsin has to offer.
Cheers,
Marissa DeGroot, Managing Editor
Be sure to check out ediblemadison.com for exclusive online content, like Local UpStarts, a quarterly digital column that celebrates local entrepreneurs who have participated in the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation’s UpStart program, a free entrepreneurship program for women and people of color. This fall, we profile Katy Ripp, owner of Nineteen09, Crossroads Coffeehouse, Mad Lizzie’s Flower Farm and The Creekside Scoop
ANNA THOMAS BATES
Anna moved to Wisconsin 21 years ago, and after shopping at the Dane County Farmers’ Market and wandering through the Driftless Area, she hasn’t looked back. Co-owner of Landmark Creamery in Paoli, if she isn’t tasting/selling cheese, you’ll find her writing about food, reading a good book, swimming or hiking with her two boys.
ROSE BROOKINS
Rose has found herself in the enviable position of getting paid to combine three of her favorite things: writing, local food, and local industry. She hails from Madison, lives in Mount Horeb, and loves getting to bring you stories about the entrepreneurs who make this area so very special.
MARISSA DEGROOT
Marissa feels fortunate to be a part of our local food system as the managing editor of Edible Madison as well as working for Vitruvian Farms, her husband Tommy’s organic vegetable and mushroom farm. She loves raising their daughter, Ollie, and team of fur babies on the farm in McFarland, snacking on cherry tomatoes during long evening strolls.
SUNNY FRANTZ
Sunny is an editorial and commercial photographer with a studio on the west side of Madison where she lives with her husband, their two kids and a tiny dog. She specializes in food and product photography and loves the opportunity it gives her to connect with the many wonderful businesses and entrepreneurs in Madison.
TRACY HARRIS
Tracy is a graphic designer and photographer from Madison. A polymath at heart, she dabbles in various arenas of makery including cooking and baking, sewing and knitting, painting and collage, and has a soft spot in her heart for film photography. When she’s not busy making things, she enjoys travel, good food and drinks, gardening and live music.
LAURA POE MATHES
Laura is a private practice dietitian specializing in digestive health and traditional foods diets. She is also a new mama, fermentation and foraging enthusiast and lazy canoer. Originally from Missouri, Laura currently lives in the Driftless region of Wisconsin and now understands why cheese curds are a thing.
CRICKET REDMAN
Cricket is an avid gardener, artist and designer and messy cook. By day she runs Cricket Design Works and by night she is the creative director and partner of Edible Madison. In 1993, she moved to Madison for grad school at UW-Madison and fell in love with the snowy winters, Driftless landscape and her now-husband and business partner Phil.
LAUREN RUDERSDORF
Lauren is the voice behind the local food blog The Leek & The Carrot where she shares recipes and stories about life, food and farming. Before that, she owned Raleigh’s Hillside Farm, an organic CSA vegetable farm, with her husband Kyle. She advocates for local farms, local food and cooking with the seasons. When she’s not writing or testing recipes in her sunny kitchen, she’s probably on a trail somewhere with her daughter Lillyan.
HANNAH WENTE
Hannah grew up as a 4-H kid on the shores of Lake Michigan. She is a freelance writer and graphic designer based in Madison. In her previous role as communications director for REAP Food Group, she helped launch the new statewide Farm Fresh Atlas project and supported farm-to-school and farm-to-business efforts. When she’s not gardening, cooking or baking, you can find her playing ultimate frisbee or paddling the nearest lake.
MANAGING EDITOR
Marissa DeGroot
PUBLISHERS
Christy McKenzie
Cricket Redman
BUSINESS DIRECTOR
Christy McKenzie
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Cricket Redman
SALES DIRECTOR
Lauren Rudersdorf
LAYOUT & PRODUCTION
Nicole Peaslee
COPY EDITOR
Andrea Debbink
CULINARY ADVISOR
Christy McKenzie
SOCIAL & DIGITAL PRODUCER
Lauren Rudersdorf
ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIPS
Lauren Rudersdorf laurenr@ediblemadison.com
DRIFTLESS REGIONAL SALES MANAGER
Kristen Wagner kristen@ediblemadison.com
CONTACT US
Edible Madison 4313 Somerset Lane Madison, WI 53711 hello@ediblemadison.com
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Edible Madison is published quarterly by Forager Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission by the publisher. ©2023
Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.
VISIT US ONLINE AT EDIBLE MADISON.COM
by Rose Brookins
Fall has a way of opening our eyes to how lucky we are to live in southern Wisconsin. It’s the perfect time of year to get outta Dane to appreciate the natural splendor of our state—and what’s better than an autumn road trip? A road trip that culminates in a delicious destination, of course! While we could fill an entire issue talking about all the unique, weird and wonderful food festivals happening every weekend, here are two that are especially road-trip-worthy for 2023. Both are celebrating landmark years and both have deep roots in their respective places as they highlight local history and industry while investing in the future of their communities.
(September 22-24. Free.)
A hundred miles northwest of Madison lies the tiny village of Warrens. With a year-round population of less than 400, for one weekend every September this village opens its collective arms to welcome over 145,000 visitors to the World’s Largest Cranberry Festival. From its inception in 1973, the festival has been designed and led by Warrens locals who share a passion for celebrating their part in making Wisconsin the numberone producer of cranberries in the nation. They are dedicated to channeling the proceeds from the festival into their local economy too—donating millions over the years to scout organizations and youth groups, schools, fire departments, and scholarships for local students.
“What makes us so unique is that we’re not a gated event,” says Kim Schroeder. Schroeder has been the director of the festival for 27 years and says there’s something special about how the whole town works together to create an open, welcoming atmosphere that draws people to the festival year after year. “We’re a town of just 380, so we’re on everybody’s lawns, we’re in the ballpark, we close down the street and it’s a very good atmosphere.” The themed costume contest is very popular, she says, and it’s always a lot of fun to see groups of costumed people wandering the festival. “A lot of the people who come are there for family reunions, girls’ trips.…It’s a gathering place for them.”
As far as gathering places go, Warrens has created an exceptional one. There is something for everyone, whether you are looking to relax and enjoy the Sunday parade or are feeling a little competitive and join the cranberry chiffon pie-eating contest. Throughout the weekend volunteers lead free cranberry marsh walking tours, inviting visitors to learn about cranberry production and area history while simultaneously working up an appetite for the signature desserts of the festival: cranberry cream puffs, deep-fried cranberries on a stick, and of course, the famous cranberries jubilee prepared in the open air in a gigantic aluminum skillet.
The festival is also a destination for makers, creators, collectors and shoppers, so bring your walking shoes and be sure to make time for the unparalleled three-mile-long marketplace of over 1,000 booths: arts and crafts, antiques and pottery, farm market stalls with fresh fall produce, and food vendors serving up American, Greek, Chinese, Italian and Mexican cuisine. Whether this quirky festival has been a staple of your family’s autumn tradition for years or you’ve never made it further up I-94 than Wisconsin Dells, 2023 is a year you won’t want to miss: the 50th anniversary of the very first Cranberry Festival.
Potosi Brewfest (August 26. Tickets $10-$65.)
& Other Wisconsin Beer Festivals
Potosi, another tiny village with an outsized fall festival, is fondly known as Beer’s Hometown. Since 1852, the village has been home to Potosi Brewing Company. Known for their craft beers (and root beer!), Potosi Brewing Company has a brewpub and beer garden where they serve their brews with a variety of pub fare. In 2009, they hosted their very first Potosi Brewfest to celebrate the end of summer and the long history of brewing excellence at Potosi.
“In my opinion, and not just because I work here, this is the best brew fest I’ve ever attended,” says Rick Kruser, Potosi Brewing Company vice president and general manager. “This is our 15th year and there are people who’ve been coming since day one. The atmosphere is just amazing.”
Bringing together artisans of all kinds, the festival hosts more than 60 vendors, including craft breweries, wineries and distilleries, as well as specialty meat and cheese makers. There’s live music, games, and of course, the famous beer-stein holding contest.
Following Potosi Brewfest is a fall season packed with celebrations of all things brewed. In southern Wisconsin, an Oktoberfest can be found nearly every weekend in September and October. The last full weekend in September, head to New Glarus (September 21-24) or Germantown (September 23-24) for Oktoberfest celebrations filled with cold beers and free live music.
The following weekend, Oktoberfest USA (September 2830) kicks off in La Crosse. The Midwest’s longest-running Oktoberfest features craft beer nights, multiple parades, carnival, the Lederhosen Games, and much more. The nearly 150,000 people in attendance at Oktoberfest USA are treated to a host of family-friendly events as well as a lengthy list of beers from near and far.
If you’re searching for a slightly smaller celebration, Oktoberfest in downtown historic Cedarburg (October 7-8) might be more your style. In addition to a plethora of German food and beer from local vendors and breweries, guests are also treated to a live glockenspiel show and plenty of polka.
These autumnal festivities offer a glimpse into Wisconsin’s brewing heritage and communities across the state. Whether in a rural town of 600 like Potosi or city of over 50,000 like La Crosse, it’s easy to see why so many flock to these beer festivals ready to raise a glass in celebration.
Top: Guests enjoy a wide selection of beers while wearing their salty snacks. Bottom: Steins and spirits are high during the famous beer-stein holding contest.
Today’s farm families are constantly innovating and finding ways to stay in business while emboldening connections between people, animals and the land. At these working farms across southern Wisconsin, you’ll get the opportunity to rest and relax while also getting a taste of life on the farm.
farm. The tour includes the history of the farm and offers a chance to feed calves and milk a cow using the same methods Dan’s family has used for generations. Dan’s mother had a horse she rode throughout the property when he was a kid. As an homage to his mother, the Wegmuellers offer trail-riding and will offer equine-assisted therapy in the near future.
“Our goal is to save farms and farmers,” Dan says. “It [agritourism] deserves to be applied on a much larger scale.”
Viola
keewaydinfarms.com
Over the past 19 years, Rufus Haucke and his partner Joy Miller, have tried all kinds of agricultural endeavors, from pitching hayfields in 90-degree weather to running a successful vegetable and egg CSA to selling to the Madison Metropolitan School District and restaurants. Haucke's true passion is growing and selling market vegetables, a pursuit that uses only a few acres of their 200-acre farm. In 2021, Haucke and Miller started Driftless Curiosity, a nonprofit that invites people to their land to observe grassland birds and other wildlife.
Monroe
wegmuellerfarm.com/the-dairy
One of Dan Wegmueller’s earliest memories on his farm is playing in the barn while his parents milked cows. After high school, he spent several years in Switzerland and Australia learning rotational grazing and the importance of connecting directly with community members.
“The lesson we should have learned during COVID is that we need investments in local infrastructure and local supply sources,” says Dan. “In Wisconsin, it’s easier to get raw sushi than go to a farm to get milk.”
Knowing farm families now need diverse sources of income, as well as the need for people to have a stronger connection to their food, third-generation farmer Dan and his wife Ashley knew they had to do something different. That meant getting back to genuine connection with the community, and the two started offering agritourism activities on the farm.
The couple runs farm tours and hosts up to 12 people at a time in their renovated farmhouse. The farm is conveniently located two hours from Chicago and Milwaukee and reservable on Airbnb. Up to 80% of their guests have never visited a working
"We’ve always had a lot of different ideas of how to farm or live on this land," Haucke says. "I want people to feel that peace and quiet, that they can immerse themselves in the natural world that’s around us."
This exploration led Haucke and Miller to create campsites on their farm that merge with the landscape and hiking trails so people can have access to peace and quiet. From May through October, campers can choose from six rustic sites and two glamping sites on HipCamp, a website for reserving privately owned campsites and cabins. The sites will have electricity and shared bathroom facilities in the future.
Guests can forage, bird-watch and observe a herd of sheep, as well as attend on-site workshops. Fall workshops include cartonería, or papier-mâché sculptures, and a hammock book club. The farm is also near other outdoor destinations including Camp Creek (a class 1 trout stream), the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and Wildcat Mountain State Park.
“People are coming to the Driftless area in general to recreate and get away—it’s fun to be a part of that,” Haucke says.
Blanchardville
circlemfarm.com/farm-stay
Kriss and Shannon Marion owned a 150-member CSA in 2012. The work was never-ending, the hours were long, and ultimately, as their number of CSA shares grew, their one-toone connections with members declined. When someone asked for a standard brown potato, they knew their days in producing high-quality, unique vegetables for the masses were numbered. Fast-forward a decade and the two now run a successful farm camping experience. Guests can choose from one of three vintage RVs—all of which come with a firepit, porch and record player and also have access to a shared sauna and oversized bathroom. Each morning, guests have a self-serve breakfast on the porch overlooking greenhouses, fields and the Pecatonica River. The couple is finally living their dream—to have a profitable and beautiful farm.
“I think farmstay has the ability to save family farms,” Marion says. “If you want to live and work on a farm, you have to keep trying and see what works given your skills, passion, appetite and ability.”
Kriss Marion loves the ability to give back to the nearby town of Blanchardville too and thinks every rural community could benefit from farmstays.
“[Guests] have to go out for lunch and dinner and buy gas. They go to American Players Theatre and The House on the Rock,” she says. “They spend a lot of money in a lot of places. That’s what rural communities need, businesses that are not disruptive, that are light on the land and municipal infrastructure.”
If you want a more hands-on farming and learning experience, try Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). This global effort connects organic farmers with both inexperienced and experienced farmhands. Workers typically do not get paid, but receive room and board and often produce from the farm. Local WWOOF sites include Ducks in a Row Farm, Maggie’s Farm and Rainbow’s End. wwoofusa.org
Though slightly lesser known, and maybe a little off-the-wall, these fall food festivals around Wisconsin are worth the road trip.
Saturday, September 9 • Pardeeville
Watermelon is serious business at this festival centered around the championship events of seed spitting, speedeating, watermelon-carving and largest watermelon. For those not trying to beat the seed-spitting record of 61 feet, 3 inches, enjoy a family-friendly event with watermelon served up free all day.
Saturday, September 9 • Mount Horeb
Step into your lederhosen and get your arms ready for the much anticipated Masskrugstemmen strength competition, or beer-stein holding competition. Sample over 125 different beers, ciders, seltzers, and more at this festival held in the Troll Capital of the World.
October 7 • Galesville
Come ready to sniff and sample your way through this Trempealeau County event offering nearly every apple dessert imaginable, including the famous apple pie made with 12 bushels of apples and 120 pounds of streusel topping. Work off all that pie with the Apple Affair Bike Tour through the Galesville apple orchards and surrounding area.
October 7–8 • Nekoosa
While the great pumpkin weigh-off can certainly draw a crowd, the real showstopper of this weekend festival is the giant pumpkin drop. The excited masses circle around a gigantic pumpkin that's lifted to the top of a 100foot crane and released to come crashing to the ground. Children immediately run toward the splattered mess in hopes of gathering seeds.
by Hannah Wente
Illustrations by Cricket Redman
Barns are all over the southwestern Wisconsin countryside. Some have histories dating back over 150 years and are still in use today—serving as time capsules of our state’s early farming practices and people.
At the same time, we don't want to ignore the harsher realities of this history. We recognize that land deeds given throughout our state's history were for land that was stolen from the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Potawatomi, and Ojibwe nations through unjust treaties and forced removal. They are the true owners of this land.
2733 County Highway MM, Fitchburg
Edwin and Sarah Spooner of Massachusetts bought this farm in 1852, with the Haight family eventually settling on the property in 1867. The barn dates back to the 1850s and is a transverse crib barn. This timber structure’s upper floor held feed and the lower floor had animal pens. Its unique gable roof has wooden shingles and a long slope that ends at shoulder height .
“Saving our structures and site preserves a piece of our community’s heritage,” writes current owner Michael Croft. The barn is visible from County Highway MM.
John Fritz Farmstead
642 Fritz Road, Montrose
This four-bay basement, or bank, barn was built in the 1870s. Local sandstone was used to build its stone foundation. It was built into the side of a hill with a ramp to easily access both levels. Originally built to store and thresh wheat, it was later converted into a dairy barn. The lower level was used for animals and the upper level for feed.
Adam Fritz was born in Kindenheim, Bavaria in 1826. At this time, about 25 percent of immigrants to the U.S. were from Germany–many of them peasant farmers and craftsmen. Fritz immigrated to New York at age 10, and when he was 23 years old he moved to Primrose, Wisconsin to start a farm with his family. In 1850, he bought 200 acres in Montrose, eventually selling butter, oats and potatoes in Belleville and Paoli.
Bedrud-Olson Farmstead
996 E. Church Road, Town of Christiana
This 3½-story, gabled dairy barn with a timber frame and stone basement was built in 1883. The barn has one of the earliest aboveground silos in Wisconsin (which later became common for winter feed storage). Three tobacco sheds built between 1880
and 1890 are also on the property – combining tobacco and dairy production was common in Norway, and brought to this area.
Tosten Lieberson Bedrud and Christie Gunderson Vossolt were among the first wave of Norwegian immigrants to settle near Lake Koshkonong in 1844. Originally, they lived in a dugout house and the farm’s 120 acres were used for subsistence and wheat farming.
After the Civil War, demand for wheat declined while demand for cheese and butter increased, creating a need for a place to store hay and milk cows. In 1906, the Olson family (Bedrud’s granddaughter Anna and husband Anton Olson) worked 100 of the 156 acres—15 for tobacco production and the remainder for crops like corn and hay. Anna’s sons Henry and Martin bought the farm in 1918 and farmed until 1976 when it was sold to a neighbor. Tobacco production continues on the property today.
W968 State Highway 11, Brodhead
The Ten Eyck barn has been in the same family and used on a working farm for just over a century. All the lumber made to build this barn in 1922 was cut from the surrounding area, then steamed and bent into curves to create the round shape. Everything but the mortar and bricks is local to the property.
The Ten Eyck family emigrated from the Netherlands to New Amsterdam (present-day Manhattan) in the 1630s. In 1839, Jacob Ten Eyck and his wife, Rachel, became two of the first European-American settlers in Green County. Jacob’s grandson was one of the first four students in the Department of Agriculture/ Agronomy at UW–Madison and convinced the family to plant apple trees on their farm.
Drew Ten Eyck is the sixth generation to work the farm. Sixteen acres house 10,000 fruit trees, including 50 kinds of apples, peaches and plums. Ten Eyck Orchard is open a week before Labor Day through the weekend before Thanksgiving.
8180
This dairy barn, built in 1904, had a large hay mow and broad oak beams across the length of the building. The limestone for its foundation and the wood for construction were harvested from the surrounding property. Structurally, the barn is supported via an arch instead of posts, leaving the inside space more open.
The farm transitioned from dairy to beef cattle in the 1960s. In 1989, Peter Botham bought the 40-acre property from his dad and planted an estate vineyard on 10 acres. In 1991, the barn was painted and a new roof was added. A tasting room for Botham Vineyards & Winery opened in 1994, using half the barn’s main floor. The other half of the restored barn is used to host weddings and events.
The tasting room is open through October, Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s open November through December, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
1326
The barn at Schuster's Farm was built in 1901 by Lewis Lendborg, a Scandinavian carpenter from Cottage Grove. Built for the Gangstad family, the barn was designed by Professional Franklin H. King nearby. Built for the Gangstad family, the barn was originally used for dairy cows and it still holds animals to this day. It had a louvered round cupola that was removed following a lightning storm. Its design signals scientific progress in the dairy industry with a central silo to prevent feed from freezing, as well as improved ventilation and thick limestone walls that were more efficient, wind-resistant and easier to build than timber-heavy barns. A hay chute in the center made it easier to push feed in front of cows.
In 1968, the Gangstads sold their dairy herd and transitioned it from a dairy barn to a pig barn, converting two dozen stanchions into space for 125 pigs. Today, Schuster’s Farm is a destination for hands-on farm activities like petting zoos and pick-your-own pumpkins. In 2001, owners Don and Sarah Schuster undertook a renovation, including milling oak trees from the farm to replace posts and the oak plank floor in the haymow.
If you decide to visit any of these barns, please remember that many are on private property, so please view respectfully from public property.
Facing page: The John Fritz Farmstead showing upper level of the barn in the back with shed in the foreground.
Vernon County, in the southwest corner of Wisconsin, is home to more round barns than any other county in the state—about ten are still standing. Round, or centric, barns were popular from the 1880s to 1930s because they were wind-resistant and required less materials to build.
A number of round barns in Vernon County were designed and built by Alga “Algie” Shivers, a local farmer and World War I veteran. Algie was the son of farmer Thomas Shivers, a man who was born into slavery in 1857. After the Civil War, Thomas walked from Tennessee to Wisconsin over a two-year period, eventually arriving in the southwestern corner of the state. By 1900, Thomas had one of the largest Black-owned farms in Wisconsin.
Many of the round barns in Vernon County can be found in the eastern part of the county between Viroqua and Hillsboro and are visible from the road, depending on the time of year. The Vernon County Historical Society provides maps for a driving tour of the barns.
Alga Shivers and family (clockwise from left with Flora, Minnie, Blanch and sons in front of a barn designed and built by Shivers, based from a 1975 family photo.
Bailey's Run Vineyard & Winery / Bailey’s Run Winery is open seven days a week with Neapolitan pizzas and live music every weekend. “Where Wine Goes to Have Fun!” baileysrunvineyardandwinery baileysrunvineyard baileysrunvineyard.com
Balanced Rock Winery / Family-owned boutique winery located on the doorstep of Devil’s Lake State Park. Stop in for wine, food, beer and music. balancedrockwinery balancedrockwinery balancedrockwinery.com
Brix Cider / Every bite and every sip you take at Brix Cider in Mount Horeb supports the beautiful and bountiful community in which they reside.
brixcider brixcider brixcider.com
The Cider Farm / Small-batch, family-owned and certified organic orchard growing English and French cider apples in Mineral Point for local cider and apple brandy.
the_cider_farm theciderfarm theciderfarm.com
Dancing Goat Distillery / Located 20 miles east of Madison in Cambridge, Dancing Goat Distillery is open for tours, tastings, and a gin academy where guests craft their own bottle of gin.
dancinggoatdistillery dancinggoatdistillery dancinggoat.com
Herbiery Brewing / LGBTQ+ owned brewery specializing in hop-free, herb and spice based beers brewed with the highest quality ingredients. Now with a taproom in the Atwood neighborhood.
herbiery herbiery herbiery.com
Rude Brew Kombucha / Small, craft kombucha brewery that utilizes locally grown fruits and herbs to flavor their brews. Now located in the Willy Street neighborhood in Madison.
rude_brew_kombucha rudebrewkombucha rudebrewkombucha.com
Sunshine Brewing Company / Lake Mills brewery offering a wide variety of handcrafted beers, including a range of delicious Belgian-inspired brews and mouthwatering Mexican cuisine that pairs perfectly.
sunshinebrewco sunshinebrewco sunshinebrewco.com
You already eat farm-to-table. Why not imbibe locally too? Try these Wisconsin beverage makers for some of the most creative refreshments around.
The hazelnut always seemed somewhat exotic to me—perhaps because of the many European candies I had as a kid that featured them or the fact that they were only found in the fancy mixed nuts—but this delicious tree nut is actually local to our region and totally accessible to the home gardener or cook. Also known as filberts, hazelnuts can be grown in your own backyard and make a wonderful addition to your fall kitchen.
Hazelnuts are the fruit of the hazel tree, with varieties native to North America, Europe and other regions around the world. The majority of the world's hazelnuts are grown in Turkey and Italy, with about 4 percent grown in the Upper Midwest, including Wisconsin. There are wild varieties in the U.S., though the majority of hazelnuts consumed are of the cultivated varieties. Those found around here are large shrubs rather than trees. The hazelnut is typically considered easi-
er to harvest than some other nuts, as its hard exterior is shed when the nut is ripe in the fall, around September or October. There is still shelling involved, but less effort goes into picking and husking. New plants need three to four years to begin producing nuts and healthy plants can last for decades, giving the grower an ample supply of hazelnuts over the tree's lifetime. The perennial shrubs send up suckers so they are self-propagating, though it is encouraged to plant multiple trees to ensure cross-pollination, which may help produce a higher yield of nuts. Besides use as part of your garden or food forest, the shrubs can be used as a windbreak and were traditionally used as hedgerows and boundary markers in Europe.
There is hope of growing the hazelnut industry in the Upper Midwest, especially as the plants can be part of regenerative food production. The emerging hazelnut industry in our region has a lot of
potential, with growers and researchers looking to find the best, most profitable hazelnut varieties to make this a viable crop for our area. The Upper Midwest Hazelnuts Initiative, a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of Minnesota, is one group working on such endeavors. They are also looking to promote growing and using hazelnuts as part of a sustainable food system. Commercial hazelnuts are typically grown in monocultures (imagine a huge field of nothing but hazel trees), but small-scale growers are beginning to incorporate hazel trees as part of permaculture farms and gardens where they can be planted alongside other fruit or nut trees, culinary and medicinal herbs, as well as among cover crops like legumes and clover. Animals such as pigs can be incorporated as well. Pigs can be raised on the same land as hazel trees because they love to eat the windfalls while offering fertility to the soil through their waste.
The nutrition of hazelnuts is quite similar to other nuts, in that they offer fiber, monounsaturated fats, antioxidants like vitamin E and polyphenols, and small amounts of protein. My favorite nutritional aspect of nuts, including hazelnuts, is the mineral content, which gives us magnesium, manganese, selenium and copper. I always recommend soaking or sprouting nuts, as well as cooking them in some way (such as toasting) before consuming. This improves their digestibility and nutrient bioavailability, decreasing the content of anti-nutrients like phytates and making them more nutritious. To soak nuts before using, simply cover your desired amount of nuts with water in a bowl, adding a pinch of salt. Let this sit for approximately 24 hours. Drain off the water, then spread on a sheet pan. Roast the nuts at 325 F for about 25 minutes, or until completely dried. You can roast longer to toast them if preferred, which brings out their rich, sweet flavor even more.
Whether you are going to be growing hazelnuts or not, eating them is a no-brainer. Hazelnuts are delicious by themselves, especially when salted and lightly toasted. Many are familiar with these in fancy mixed nuts or the tastiest spoonful on earth, chocolate hazelnut spread, but they are equally wonderful when used in other recipes. Hazelnuts can be used like most other nuts in recipes, both sweet and savory, though I find their flavor to be a particularly delightful and unique addition to homemade granola, muffins, scones, on top of salads, or anywhere else you need a bit of crunch and flavor. They can be added to sauces like pesto in lieu of pine nuts or made into homemade nut butter. Hazelnuts, of course, are especially delicious when paired with chocolate, in the case of Nutella® (a chocolate hazelnut spread) or other chocolate hazelnut sweets. Magpie Gelato in Viroqua often features a bacio flavor, a chocolate hazelnut gelato that is to die for. Hazelnuts can be dried and ground into a flour which can be used for gluten-free baking, much like almond flour but with more flavor. Hazelnut oil, a total flavor bomb, works great in salad dressings and in baking as well. Locally-grown hazelnuts and hazelnut products from the American Hazelnut Company in Gays Mills are a great example of small-scale producers getting this regional food into the marketplace. While we usually think of meats, dairy and produce when choosing locally grown foods, nuts are certainly part of our local food landscape as well, with hazelnuts as a perfect, delectable example (see, Wisconsin can be fancy, too!).
Makes 2 cups
Prep time: 15 minutes
This chocolate hazelnut butter is an elevated version of Nutella (yes, it's possible!) that lets you use local ingredients and adjust the sweetness to your taste. Spread it on sourdough toast, a flaky croissant, a perfectly ripe banana or eat it right off a spoon. Getting a smooth homemade nut butter can be tricky. If your blender or food processor is not very powerful, you will need to blend it longer, add a bit more cream or oil, or let it ride and have a chunky nut butter.
Ingredients
1½ cups hazelnuts, soaked and toasted
¼ cup maple syrup or honey, or to taste
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil or butter (melted)
4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon sea salt
Directions
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread hazelnuts evenly on a sheet pan and bake for 25-35 minutes until slightly toasted and fragrant. Let cool. Give the nuts a rough chop before transferring them to the food processor.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine the hazelnuts, sweetener of your choice, cocoa, oil, cream and sea salt. Pulse several times to break up the large pieces.
3. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender periodically.
4. Adjust the sweetness and salt to taste. Transfer the chocolate hazelnut spread to a sealed container and store in the refrigerator where it will keep for several weeks.
Photo by Cricket Redman
We love a good destination restaurant: a dining experience so exquisite it’s worth the meandering trip to get there. These six nearby restaurants all bring something unique to the table. Take your time getting there and make sure you stay awhile.
This quaint neighborhood market just blocks from the Upper Yahara River Trail offers a little bit of everything for the gourmet foodie. With the only in-house, fully controlled, dry-aging program in the area, customers can shop for quality beef at an affordable price after enjoying an artisan pizza or sandwich on the dog-friendly seasonal patio. Bourbon lovers should visit the Butcher’s Parlor first: a 9-seat tasting parlor featuring highly sought after bourbons and other spirits.
branchanddaughter.com
A unique farm-to-fork eatery in a small-town setting, the Branding Iron Roadhouse serves Angus beef they raise themselves alongside other locally produced ingredients. With burgers, sandwiches, woodfired pizza and, of course, Friday night fish fry plus open mic nights on the porch, there’s something for everyone. Enjoy a community atmosphere deep in the Driftless, complete with a stunning scenic drive to get you there.
brandingironrh.com
Set along the banks of the Fox River, minutes from beautiful Green Lake, is Horseradish Kitchen + Market. What started as a food truck slinging specialty sandwiches and salads in 2015 has become a charming restaurant, music venue and retail store that deserves your attention. With an artfully eclectic interior, great vibes, and an outdoor patio you won’t want to leave, let’s just say it’s a good thing they recently completed a boutique hotel next door.
horseradishkitchen.com
Celebrating six years in downtown Janesville, Lark delights in crafting seasonally inspired dishes that pay homage to international comfort foods, the essence of New American cuisine. Small plates like Indian butter chicken wings, taquitos and sisig play alongside entreés of fried chicken and housemade cavatelli. Pair with original craft cocktails, wine and artisanal beer for an unforgettable night out.
larkjanesville.com
Located inside an 1857 stone mill that is listed on the National Registry, this downtown Mazomanie restaurant has been bringing local farmers’ flavors to the table for over 20 years. Their thoughtful menu showcases old-fashioned favorites and gourmet specialties including several decadent sandwiches served on bread made with organic stone-milled grain from nearby Taliesin. Venture west to see why Food Network and Midwest Living think The Old Feed Mill is one of the culinary and cultural treasures of southern Wisconsin.
oldfeedmill.com
New from the owners of Bailey’s Run Vineyard, this full-service restaurant and distillery sits alongside the beloved winery in the scenic rolling hills of New Glarus. Pair a glass of their handcrafted Wisconsin whiskey with a signature bourbon barrel burger or bourbon-glazed wings from their new kitchen, then kick back to relax and enjoy a stunning view and year-round live music.
whiskeyrun.com
Sheboygan attracts visitors from near and far with its lakefront adventures, nature exploration, culinary experiences, unique shops, spectacular events and arts and culture. Whether you’re stopping by for a fun-filled day trip, immersing in the comfort of a weekend getaway, or reveling in an extended stay, Sheboygan has exciting options for foodies who want to add a tasty experience to their visit.
Learn more about Sheboygan and its many offerings at visitsheboygan.com
Located on Sheboygan’s bustling 8th Street, Stefano’s Slo Food Market marries the concept of world market and local farmers’ market resulting in one wonderful food hub. Here you’ll discover foods you never knew you needed: local and organic produce, local pasture-raised meats, housemade deli salads, soups, baked pastas, sandwiches, a global assortment of high-quality oils, vinegars, pastas, condiments, wine and spirits. And if all these incredible ingredients don’t inspire a culinary masterpiece in your kitchen, just around the corner from Slo Food Market is Field to Fork. Also owned by the Stefano family, this restaurant strives to shorten the distance your food travels from the field to your fork. It offers simple and creative dishes featuring the best of Wisconsin’s local farmers. Pair your meal with coffee from their roastery or a tasty fresh-pressed juice. For more organic and locally sourced products, check out
Nature’s Best Market or Goodside Grocery Co-op
Stefano's Slo Food Market, 731 Pennsylvania Ave. | Field to Fork, 511 S. 8th St.
Nature’s Best Market, 604 N. 8th St. | Goodside Grocery Co-op, 1131 N. 8th St.
If you want a more hands-on culinary experience, Nourish Farms offers on-site foodthemed activities and programs to encourage people to make more wholesome food choices by growing, cooking and supporting the local food system. Community dinners, farm-totable tours, and countless classes at their education center teach how food is grown and showcase sustainable farming practices.
Nourish Farms, 100 Alfred Miley Ave., Sheboygan Falls
Sheboygan has a lively coffee-shop scene with several options around town that each have a vibrant, relaxing waterfront atmosphere. A couple cater especially to people who have food intolerances. Paradigm Coffee & Music and Weather Center Café offer vegan, gluten-free, paleo and keto-friendly menu items.
Paradigm Coffee & Music, 1202 N. 8th St. Weather Center Café, 809 Riverfront Dr.
Olivü 426 is a natural products business located in downtown Sheboygan. What started as an undertaking to help a friend heal after suffering from severe burns, has become a thriving business. The storefront is stocked with various oils and products designed for face, body, hair and lips. Each item in the store is handpoured daily or weekly by their staff to assure a fresh and high-quality product.
Olivü 426, 502 N. 8th St.
Whispering Orchards and Cafe is a family-owned apple farm with a country-style café. Visitors see the orchard as soon as they arrive. The café boasts meals that are made from scratch with fresh and wholesome ingredients. They feature homemade bread, jams, hearty cereals, omelets, a variety of French toasts and locally sourced meat. After a hearty meal, wander the on-site market for fresh-baked pies, honey, jam, pure maple syrup and country crafts, or feed a few of the farm’s friendly goats near the barn.
Whispering Orchards and Cafe, W1650 County Rd. MM, Cleveland
The Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center is where curiosity grows. Wisconsin is well-known for being “America’s Dairyland,” but our state is also one of the most agriculturally diverse states. This 10,000-square-foot facility is a self-guided museum, featuring interactive exhibits about Wisconsin’s robust agriculture industry and a farm-to-table café.
The Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center, 7001 Gass Lake Rd., Manitowoc
Photos by Sunny Frantz
Fall is an extra special time of year for seasonal food here in Wisconsin. Our months of hard work in the fields and gardens are paying off, yielding a bounty of fresh, delicious food. Though fall is often marked with a mad rush to get everything harvested and preserved, there is also still enough warmth and evening light to celebrate our abundance together with friends outdoors. We asked four local farmers to share their favorite fall recipes with us, and then we came together to enjoy one last harvest meal.
This page: Maureen Allen seasons steaks featured in her pepper-crusted steak with hazelnut slaw recipe.
Opposite page (clockwise from top left): Campo di Bella vermouth spritzer garnished with fresh mint.
Nearing sunset at Campo di Bella in Mount Horeb.
Gold potatoes ready to be topped with the dukkah spice blend.
Get the recipe for Chef Marc's vermouth spritzer, made with vermouth from Campo di Bella at Ediblemadison.com
Photo by Marissa DeGroot.
Lasagna del bosco is an original dish from the Bellazzini family and translates to “lasagna of the woods.” In their opinion, it is the perfect fall comfort food. Fragrant sage and bountiful bunches of rosemary from the garden bring a freshness and warmth, while mushrooms add a rich fall flair. Wild porcini and hen-of-thewoods mushrooms are plentiful in autumn and can be substituted for the cremini mushrooms. At their farm-to-table dinners on Friday and Saturday nights, the Bellazzinis love serving this recipe as a primo piatto, in small squares, as they often do in Italy after the salad but before the main entreé. For more tasty Italian recipes that use local food, visit the Campo di Bella website and explore their cookbook Campo di Bella At Home
Serves 12 as a starter, 8 as a meal
Prep 40 min . Cook 1 hour
Olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
1 cup dry white wine
12 tablespoons butter, divided
1½ pounds cremini mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg or ½ teaspoon dried nutmeg
½ cup all-purpose flour
6 cups whole milk
12 lasagna sheets, dried and pre-boiled
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
2. In a large sauté pan, combine the Italian sausage with a small amount of olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until lightly browned. Deglaze the pan with wine, simmering until reduced. Transfer the sausage to a large bowl.
3. Without cleaning the pan, add 4 tablespoons of the butter. Allow it to melt over medium heat and then add the mushrooms, rosemary, sage, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook until the mushrooms have softened and released some of their liquid, about 5–8 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the bowl of sausage and toss to combine.
4. Add the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter to a medium pot and melt over low heat. Add the freshly grated nutmeg and stir for about a minute. Add the flour and continue to stir on low heat for 3–4 minutes to cook the roux. Add the milk, about 1 cup at a time, and continuously whisk until the mixture has come to a simmer and is smooth and thickened. Add the remainder of the salt, stir, and remove the sauce from heat.
5. Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water for 8–9 minutes.
6. To assemble the lasagna, spread a shallow layer of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, then top with a small amount of the sausage and mushrooms. Next add 3 lasagna noodles in a single layer. Follow this with another layer of sauce, sausage and mushrooms along with a sprinkle of Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses. Continue alternating with a layer of lasagna noodles followed by a layer of sauce, sausage, mushrooms, and cheese until there are four layers of lasagna noodles. You should finish with a layer of sauce, sausage, mushrooms and cheese.
7. Cover the lasagna and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover, increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and loosely tent aluminum foil over the top. Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe by Marc Bellazzini of Campo di Bella
For Steak:
4 grass-fed beef steaks
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns (dried berry only, excluding black seeds), optional
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
Melted ghee or olive oil
For Coleslaw:
1 shallot, finely diced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest, from one lemon
6 cups finely shredded cabbage (from 1 medium cabbage)
2 tablespoons local sunflower oil
1 sweet apple, sliced and finely chopped (i.e. Liberty, Pink Lady)
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and cooled
1 cup diced parsley
1. One hour before you plan to cook your meal, place the steaks on a plate and season all over with salt. Coarsely grind the peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns, coriander and fennel seeds in a spice grinder. (You can also use a clean coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.) Season the steaks liberally with the spice blend. You may not need all of it. Place the steaks uncovered in the fridge.
2. For the coleslaw, place the shallots in a small bowl and add the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt and lemon zest. Stir to combine and let sit to pickle for 15 minutes.
3. Combine the cabbage with the shallots and all their pickling liquid. Add the sunflower oil and let the cabbage mixture sit at room temperature until the steaks are done.
This recipe calls for a delicious spice blend that includes Sichuan peppercorns (which are not actually peppercorns, but rather the berry of the prickly ash plant, a woody shrub found throughout North America). These peppercorns lend a zingy, tingly and peppery flavor to dishes. You can purchase them locally from Penzey’s Spices or forage them after consulting a wild foods expert. No Sichuan peppercorns? No problem. This recipe is just as tasty without them!
Serves 4 . Prep 1 hour . Cook 10 min
4. When you’re ready to cook the steaks, preheat the grill to high and brush the grates with a little olive oil. Drizzle a small amount of melted ghee or olive oil over each steak, then place them on the grill. Close the grill’s lid and cook for about 4 minutes per side or until desired doneness (125 degrees F for medium or 130 degrees F for medium-well when measured with an instant-read thermometer). Place the steaks on a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes before slicing across the grain.
5. Toss the cabbage mixture with the apples, hazelnuts and parsley right before serving. Season with salt to taste and serve alongside the sliced steak.
No fall harvest meal is complete without potatoes, and these potatoes—seasoned with an Egyptian-style dukkah nut and spice blend—pair perfectly with pepper-crusted steak. Much like the steak rub, you will end up with more dukkah spice blend than you need for this recipe, but we promise you won’t be sad about it.
Serves 8 . Prep 10 min . Cook 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons melted butter
4 pounds gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
¼ large red onion, finely diced
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
For Dukkah Spice Blend:
1 cup hazelnuts (or shelled pistachios)
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch cayenne
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and butter. Divide half the mixture between two large baking sheets, using a pastry brush to create an even coating. Spread about half the potatoes on each pan, then brush the remaining oil/butter mixture over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Roast the potatoes for an hour until crispy and browned around the edges.
4. To make the dukkah spice blend, toast the hazelnuts over medium heat in a large skillet until the oils start to release, about 8 minutes. Place the hazelnuts in a food processor. Allow the hazelnuts to cool, then pulse until finely ground.
5. In the same skillet, toast the fennel, cumin and coriander seeds over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Grind in a spice grinder until finely ground. Combine with the ground hazelnuts, salt and cayenne.
6. To serve, top the potatoes with a generous sprinkle of dukkah spice blend followed by dollops of yogurt, onion and cilantro.
Recipe by Sarah Leong of Squashington Farm
This sautéed kale salad is a perfect start to fall when the harvest is at its peak. Most of the ingredients can be pulled straight from the garden making it an ideal addition to a fall menu. The sweet potatoes and cranberries nicely balance the bitterness of the kale, and the mushrooms add a subtle hint of nuttiness that brings it all together. This recipe uses white button mushrooms because they’re so easy to source but the recipe is tasty with other mushrooms like lion’s mane and oyster as well.
Serves 4 . Prep 10 min . Cook 40 min
INGREDIENTS
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ large yellow onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
4 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
2 bunches kale, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
Juice of ½ lemon, freshly squeezed
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until browned, about 25-35 minutes, rotating halfway through.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a deep skillet and warm over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers and mushrooms and cook for about 3–4 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the kale, salt and pepper. Sauté the mixture for 7–10 minutes or until the greens are tender.
4. Remove the kale mixture from heat. Add the roasted sweet potatoes, cranberries, and top with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately.
To be completely honest, I’m not much of a baker. As a vegetable farmer for many years, salads come much more easily to me than dessert. When it comes to sweets, I’m kind of a two-trick pony. I tend to lean on local sweeteners like maple syrup and honey, and I love to brown some butter for a “wow” factor. This recipe has both.
Serves 6-8 . Prep 15 min . Cook 40 min
INGREDIENTS
6 cups diced apples and pears (in whatever ratios you have)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon, divided
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a 9x9-inch baking dish, combine the diced apples and pears with maple syrup and 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon. Toss gently with a spatula to combine.
3. In a small sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Let it continue cooking until it foams, turns clear, and then takes on a golden shade (and smells nutty). Stir well with a spatula, scraping all the little browned bits into the mixture. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining teaspoon of cinnamon with the oats, brown sugar, flour and salt. Add the butter and cut in with a pastry blender or two forks until the butter is well-incorporated and you have a crumbly mixture with very small pieces. Spread this mixture over the apples and pears, and press down gently so it’s even.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown.
1 Campo di Bella With a restaurant, farmstay and onsite winery, Campo di Bella is Wisconsin’s very own Italian “agritourismo” tucked right into the beautiful hillsides of rural Mount Horeb. Marc and Mary Ann Bellazinni’s Italian heritage inspired this 20-acre farm of their dreams. In the beginning Campo di Bella was simply a CSA farm, but Marc and Mary Ann eventually shifted their focus to a winery and offering Italian- and French-inspired meals at the farm. Open for multicourse farm-to-table dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings year-round, Campo di Bello shapes their seasonal menu around the vegetables grown in their garden and pasture-raised heritage lamb. Other ingredients are sourced as close to the farm as possible from local artisan producers. They also serve wine made from grapes harvested from the farm’s own vineyard and offer lodging through Airbnb, complete with views overlooking Blue Mounds State Park and cuddles with farm dog Stella.
2 Rooted Made up of two farms–Troy Farm and Badger Rock Urban Farm–and countless community-based programs, Rooted is a Madison nonprofit devoted to increasing equitable access to land, fresh food and learning opportunities throughout Wisconsin. The Badger Rock Neighborhood Center, where Renesha Carter formerly held the role of Community Connector, is a gathering place for the neighborhood providing seasonal, summer youth, and special activities at low or no cost to participants. The programs are aimed at helping enrich and strengthen the community while also nurturing resilience within each individual. The farms also serve as educational spaces for community members that double as spaces for vegetable production. Their certified organic produce is available through their membership program, at their on-site farm stands and at the Northside Farmers’ Market. Carter currently works for Public Health of Madison and Dane County with the Women, Infants & Children Program which provides healthy foods and health information to women, infants and children nutritionally at risk.
3 Mastodon Valley Farm Nestled in the hills of the Kickapoo River watershed, Mastodon Valley Farm raises grass-fed beef, pastured pork and prairie-fed chicken regeneratively on their 220-acre farm just outside Viola. Peter and Maureen Allen deliver their meat across the region through a meat CSA that operates much like a produce CSA, receiving payment in advance for regular shipments of mixed meat products. Wondering about their name? Peter and Maureen like to say they manage their land like mastodons, keystone species who once held back the growth of a woody understory, allowing for diverse and highly productive landscapes. Today at Mastodon Valley Farm, they are restoring diverse savanna ecosystems that provide abundant and delicious food. For those interested in learning their methods, their Mastodon Valley Farm School has courses available to help farmers and homesteaders become a keystone species themselves–teaching how to co-create resilient, regenerative and productive landscapes.
4 Squashington Farm Farming together since 2013,Sarah Leong and Pat Hager run a small, certified organic CSA and market farm just outside Mount Horeb along with their two children and pup Butternut. The majority of their 150 CSA members pick up directly from their farm or at the Mount Horeb Farmers’ Market through a market-style share (where you take what you want and leave what you don’t). Their CSA also offers a fruit share in partnership with Atoms to Apples and a bread share through Tisha’s Delicious Bakery. They are mainstays at the Thursday night Mount Horeb market and show up nearly year-round with their produce and value-added goods. Sarah and Pat just wrapped up their first season at the Dane County Farmers’ Market–offering everything from greens to beans.
REAL FOOD. REAL LOCAL.
Making eating well and eating local a little easier every day.
COOK FRESH weekly meal kit delivery and pick-up
FARM-TO FREEZER stock up on frozen favorites
CURBSIDE PICK-UP order from our menu online (air-fives included)
2433 University Avenue | pastureandplenty.com
The White School is a 144-year-old former schoolhouse located on Lexington Street in Spring Green. Two years ago, Leah Spicer and Kyle Beach took over what was a popular weekly pizza night and turned the space into their restaurant, Homecoming.
The old blonde wood floors are well-worn and scratched from lots of chairs being pulled in and out and children’s feet. The building has only two rooms: a high-ceilinged dining room and a kitchen which, according to Spicer and Beach, has some serious limitations.
Working only with an outdoor oven and induction burners, the couple and their chef team have created a new dining experience that offers an array of dishes built on the bounty of nearby farms. The previous menu of pizza and salad has grown to include steaks, pasta, oysters, barbecue, crudo and brunch favorites.
Spicer grew up in nearby Clyde, and during the pandemic the partners decided to move from Asheville, North Carolina back to her family farm where they now grow some of the vegetables for Homecoming. They also buy ingredients from Steadfast Acres, Don’s Produce and a variety of nearby livestock farms. In addition to supporting the local economy and getting the freshest vegetables and humanely raised meat, Beach says, “We get to serve their families; they eat here all the time. We have so much pride serving them the fruits of their labor.”
Despite the kitchen’s limitations, Spicer speaks about the space with fondness. “There’s so much natural light. It’s really one big room, everyone is working shoulder to shoulder, which has its advantages.”
Homecoming’s staff is as important as their suppliers; all employees receive a living wage and share tips. On a recent Instagram post seeking new hires, they advertised travel reimbursements if commuting from Madison and “a place that is comfortable to work in, where you are always treated with respect. All time-off requests honored—we do things differently out here.”
Bottom: The Reunion culinary team on the line during dinner service.
This page
Top: Head chef Chance Spivey sautés in the Reunion kitchen. Spivey had previously served as chef de cuisine at Homecoming.
Bottom: Tuna crudo with celery, edible flowers and basil oil.
“Homecoming has a special small-town vibe, with all the kids playing in the yard. Reunion has the same soul, but is a little more elevated, a little more polished."
—Leah Spicer
In addition to the rotating seasonal menu, Homecoming offers pop-ups featuring barbecue and Latin American, Indian and Asian dishes. “For the people who live here year-round, there’s not a lot of diverse [dining] options. It’s fun for us and the staff to be able to explore different techniques and build on some of our past experiences and use our cookbook library,” says Beach.
As a complement to Homecoming, Spicer and Beach have launched Reunion, a restaurant located at 134 Jefferson Street in the century-old bank building in Spring Green. Chef Chance Spivey is at the helm, while chef Christian Amador remains at Homecoming.
“Homecoming has a special small-town vibe, with all the kids playing in the yard. Reunion has the same soul, but is a little more elevated, a little more polished,” says Spicer. There is more seating available, people can make reservations and there’s a full kitchen.
Reunion doesn’t offer pizza, but has more entrees, including several cuts of steak, fish, more vegetarian options, a full bar and a dedicated gluten-free fryer.
The pair is excited to offer a chance for their suppliers to grow. “For a few of our producers, like Cates Family Farm, Enos Farm and Seven Seeds Farm, we’re their biggest account, so we’re excited that they will be able to scale and grow along with us at Reunion,” says Beach.
Spicer both embraces and is hesitant to call Reunion a supper club. “People have incredible memories of their childhood supper club, so you’re always disappointing someone. But what every supper club has in common is delicious food and drinks, the staff takes care of you, you can bring your family and that’s what we want to recreate. That supper club feeling.”
“It’s fun for us and the staff to be able to explore different techniques and build on some of our past experiences and use our cookbook library."
—Kyle Beach
OUR SALMON HOT DOGS ARE DELICIOUS, HEALTHY, AND SUSTAINABLE IN EVERY BITE!
Unique country roadhouse serving locally-grown beef and other local products. Visit our facebook page for Wood-fired Oven Pizza Nights and other events. Worth the drive!
A small-batch cider company in the Driftless Region that pairs a farm-to-table menu with farm-to-table ciders. Every bite and every sip supports the bountiful Driftless Region community.
Located in the Old Royal Inn, Cafe 43 is a gathering place for friends to enjoy scratch-made breakfast, lunch, pastries, and amazing coffee.
An award-winning, destination cafe serving from-scratch bakery items, stellar espresso from two small batch local roasters, and breakfast and lunch in downtown Oregon.
A spacious lounge offering cocktails, brunch, local brews, upscale bar fare (including vegan and gluten free options), and regular live music inside the historic Garver Feed Mill five days a week.
A fourth-generation, grain-to-glass, family-run bourbon farm offering tours and a tasting room. Enjoy internationally acclaimed, heirloom four-grain bourbons (and soon ryes!) just north of Madison.
A beautiful shop offering delicious gluten-free baked goods, excellent coffee, and decadent chocolates, caramels,
Bringing the flavors of the Southwest to the Midwest with time-honored recipes. Madison’s favorite margarita! Gathering with friends for over thirty-five years.
A restaurant, market, meal kit service, and event space serving a locally-sourced daily menu to folks who are hungry for high-quality, healthy meals, but starved for time.
When you're thinking of going out to explore a new place to eat or meet friends for drinks please consider these generous sponsors.
A one-of-a-kind bakery specializing in handcrafted, all-butter croissant creations available at their storefront as well as the Dane County and Northside farmers’ markets. 1924 Fordem Ave, Madison FARBRETONBAKERY.COM
A cozy, upbeat spot to grab delicious, ethically sourced coffee and other specialty drinks. Thoughtfully developed breakfast and lunch menus highlight local goods.
815 Water Ave, Hillsboro LETSSHINECOFFEE.COM
A historic, lovingly restored dairy factory with a farmto-table restaurant, bar, cafe, and 8-room boutique hotel nestled on the banks of the Sugar River.
6858 Paoli Rd, Belleville SEVENACREDAIRYCO.COM A renowned historic site that is home to a familyowned Wisconsin winery, distillery, and bistro. Open daily year-round for tours and tastings.
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GROCERY STORES & FARMERS' MARKETS
VIROQUA FOOD CO-OP viroquafood.coop
WANDER PROVISIONS wanderprovisions.com
WILLY STREET CO-OP willystreet.coop
EVENTS
HILL & VALLEY TOURS explorehillandvalley.com
WORMFARM INSTITUTEFERMENTATION FEST wormfarminstitute.org
LIFESTYLE & KITCHEN CONVIVIO enableyourtable.com
GOOD DAY SHOP gooddayshop.net
MCFEE ON MAIN mcfeeonmain.com
RED BARN AT GRIFF RUN griffrun.com/shop
SIFT & WINNOW siftandwinnow.com
WISCONSIN CUTLERY & KITCHEN SUPPLY wisconsincutlery.com
HOME & GARDEN
LATITUDE REGENERATIVE
REAL ESTATE chooselatitude.com/markvoss
HEALTH & WELLNESS
CONSCIOUS PRACTICE conscious-practice.com
TELSAAN TEA telsaan.com
TOURISM
ANAWAY PLACE anaway.com
BRISBANE HOUSE brisbanehouse.net
LATARNIA GUEST HOUSE latarniaguesthouse.com
MOUNT HOREB AREA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE trollway.com
OLBRICH BOTANICAL GARDENS olbrich.org
VISIT SHEBOYGAN visitsheboygan.com
FARMS & FOOD GOODS
DOUDLAH FARMS doudlahfarms.com
DRIFTLESS CHOCOLATES driftlesschocolates.com
FORTUNE FAVORS fortunefavorsnuts.com
HONESTLY CRANBERRY honestlycranberry.com
J. HENRY & SONS jhenryandsons.com
MEADOWLARK FARM & COMMUNITY MILL meadowlarkorganics.com
MILPA milpamadison.com
ORGANIC PRAIRIE organicprairie.com
RIEMER FAMILY FARM riemerfamilyfarm.com
FOOD, AGRICULTURAL & SUSTAINABILITY ORGANIZATIONS
SAVOR THE RIVER VALLEY savortherivervalley.org
FOOD & BEVERAGES
ARTHUR’S SUPPER CLUB arthurssupperclub.com
BAILEY’S RUN VINEYARD baileysrunvineyard.com
BALANCED ROCK balancedrockwinery.com
BOTHAM VINEYARDS bothamvineyards.com
BRANCH & DAUGHTER branchanddaughter.com
BRANDING IRON ROADHOUSE brandingironrh.com
BRIX CIDER brixcider.com
CAFE 43 cafe43mp.com
CHRISTY’S SUNNYSIDE christys-sunnyside-llc.square.site
THE CIDER FARM theciderfarm.com
THE COOPERS TAVERN thecooperstavern.com
DANCING GOAT DISTILLERY dancinggoat.com
D’VINO dvinomadison.com
EMMI ROTH CHEESE rothcheese.com
FAR BRETON BAKERY farbretonbakery.com
FIREFLY COFFEEHOUSE fireflycoffeehouse.com
GARVER LOUNGE garverevents.com/lounge
GIANT JONES giantjones.com
HERBIERY BREWING herbiery.com
HORSERADISH KITCHEN + MARKET horseradishkitchen.com
ISLAND ORCHARD CIDER islandorchardcider.com
LARK larkjanesville.com
LET’S SHINE COFFEE letsshinecoffee.com
LOMBARDINO’S lombardinos.com
MADISON CHOCOLATE COMPANY madisonchocolatecompany.com
MADISON SOURDOUGH madisonsourdough.com
THE OLD FEED MILL oldfeedmill.com
ORIGIN BREADS originbreads.com
PASQUAL’S CANTINA pasqualscantina.com
PASTURE & PLENTY | P&P MAKESHOP pastureandplenty.com
RUDE BREW KOMBUCHA rudebrewkombucha.com
SEVEN ACRE DAIRY sevenacredairyco.com
SUNN CAFE sunncafe.com
SUNSHINE BREWING CO. sunshinebrewco.com
TIPSY COW tipsycowmadison.com
WHISKEY RUN whiskeyrun.com
WILDWOOD CAFE wildwood-cafe.com
WOLLERSHEIM WINERY wollersheim.com
WONDERSTATE COFFEE wonderstatecoffee.com
PETS
THE PETINARY CLINIC petinaryclinic.com
Check out our recipe archive online and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter to get fresh meal inspiration in your inbox.
EDIBLEMADISON.COM/RECIPES
Hobakjuk (Pumpkin Porridge)
Roasted Cherry Tomato & Fennel Soup
Chocolate Cranberry Fudge
As you cruise down the Great River Road alongside the mighty Mississippi River, a stop in Trempealeau to visit Ecker’s Apple Farm will be well worth your time. This family-owned orchard has something for everyone this fall, whether you’re looking to pick your own apples, take in some live music, or sip a cider at Hog’s Back Brew Farm, their beer garden in the middle of a picturesque apple orchard.
Photo courtesy of Ecker's Apple Farm
