DonnaLonna Kitchen Show

The content of this DLK show was originally aired in February 2019. Donna and Lonna give their thoughts on cabin fever, discuss the history of CSAs, talk about an onion jam recipe, winter greens, backyard edibles and share some insect news.

To celebrate Valentine's Day (and love in general) we talk about "sweets for your sweet". Donna presents the latest bad news about the lead and cadmium to be found in chocolate.  Donna also talks about some of her favorite chocolate recipes, Lonna has a recipe for Thumbprint cookies and we also share some poems and thoughts on love.

Donna and Lonna talk to Jan Libbey from the Iowa Food System Coalition and James Nisley farmer at Organic Greens LLC and champion of providing local foods in schools talk about getting local food from the field to the plate.   Keeping food local and available year round is good for the farmer, good for eaters and good for the Iowa economy.

Donna and Lonna talk about the wonderful world of lard, cooking with gas, and black garlic. 

Celebrating foods to nourish us during the dark days of a Midwest winter.  Donna shares favorite recipes for potatoes, radicchio, carrots, celeriac and many other familiar and not so familiar winter offerings. We also talk about the variety of offerings at the Practical Farmers of Iowa Pickles and Preserves PotLuck. 

Tom Philpott is a journalist, investigative food reporter and author of the book Perilous Bounty. This show features a lecture by Mr. Philpott given at the Ames Public Library in the fall of 2022.   Topics include: Atmospheric rivers in California, soil loss in Iowa and how catastrophic weather events impact two of the major 'bread baskets' of American agricultural production.

Donna & Lonna give some good advice for the new year, including a list of things to do less of and things to do more of.   Donna and Lonna talk about processed food, PFAS, being good to yourself, reading food labels, black eyed peas, garden carrots in December, bone broth, cooking your own food and brownies.  

Donna and Lonna review the Christmas Season and take a look forward to the New Year. Donna gives her review of a robotic cocktail machine, Lonna talks about cookies, we talk about some new flavors for baking, bird feeders, and Donna suggests some savory treats. And we talk about Champagne and other holiday bubbles with Anne Kinzel.  

Food prices keep rising. Ag business seems to grow larger every day. Where does the farmer fit into this puzzle?   In this episode, Donna and Lonna talk to Aaron Lehman, Iowa farmer and president of the Iowa Farmers Union. They talk about the Farm Bill, the price of groceries, the politics of food policy and the farmer's voice at the table.   We find out that 'politics is the way we allocate resou...

Donna and Lonna talk with author, Beth Howard about pies, world travel and the power of peace and goodwill in the kitchen.   Beth is the author of "World Piece: A Pie Baker's Global Quest for Peace, Love, and Understanding." Rolling pins, pie crust, sweet and savory pies, mincemeat, French Silk pie, Cornish Pasties and more.

A look ahead to the holiday season. Red and green, deck the halls, fa la la... Donna and Lonna talk to Christmas tree and apple grower Chris Deal from Deal's Orchard near Jefferson, Iowa about tree management, harvest and sales. Also great tasting apple varieties, fresh and hard ciders and the holiday spirit at the Deal's farm store and tasting room. We also talk to Kenny McCabe about poinsettias.

Donna and Lonna talk with local forester, Luke Gran about the history, management, growing and harvesting of chestnuts. Donna has good advice about how to prepare and enjoy chestnuts. 

Here is another one: Farming the Soil with Amber Anderson. DonnaLonna Kitchen takes a look at the ingredients in the soil.   We interview Amber Anderson, a soil expert from the Iowa State University Agronomy department.   Donna and Lonna talk about fertilizer, additives, nutrients and nitrogen. What goes into the growing of our food? Are these good things? Are they not so good things? Why do farme...

Donna and Lonna take a look at Halloween tips and traditions with recipes -  Popcorn, Nut Brittles, a giant pumpkin and review of a book for the season "Dancing in the Streets: a History of Collective Joy" by Barbara Ehrenreich.

On this episode of the Donna Lonna Kitchen podcast, Donna and Lonna talk about hog confinement, gestation crates, pasture-raised pork and the controversy over California Proposition 12 that was approved by a majority of state voters.    John talks about raising pork on his Iowa farm according to the Niman Ranch protocols: humanely, on pasture, and with a focus on fair prices for producers and supp...

Donna and Lonna discuss recipes and ruminations about fall favorites including: squash, sage, pumpkins, buckwheat, leeks and new take on Rice Krispy Treats.

Nick Wallace is a farmer with 20 years of experience in direct marketing. He has a vision for marketing regenerative, humanely raised beef, pork and chicken. The 99 Counties project hopes to impact Iowa agriculture and culture by bringing back small business, independent farms, and thriving communities.   https://www.99counties.com/

Donna and Lonna encourage listeners to explore and enjoy the often forgotten flavors left on the back shelf. Black lime, fennel seed, fish sauce, ghee, lard, miso, nduja, sumac, tamarind, yuzu and more. And a bit of food history with the story of the Jenny Lind melon.

Many herbs come from the backyard garden. But there is a whole world of tastes to explore. Donna takes us through the familiar and not so familiar world of herbs and spices.   In this episode, Donna and Lonna discuss lemon grass, black lime, star anise, bayleaf, hyssop thyme, sumac powder, and a wide variety of peppers.   Guest Ben Hoksch, Iowa naturalist and forager, introduces us to the surprisi...

What's in your pantry? Donna and Lonna de-mystify kitchen ingredients that may be sitting on your shelf. They also talk about the cookbook: No Recipe Recipes by Sam Shifton.   Lonna does a jam and jelly overview and they visit some exciting kitchen/food disasters, both in their own kitchens and elsewhere.     

Donna and Lonna get excited about all the good food from the garden at the end of summer. They give recipes for eating and preserving melons, tomatoes, corn, eggplant and cucumbers. And forager/naturalist Ben Hoksch talks about his work with butterflies and how to eat and propagate milkweed.

Donna and Lonna talk with farmer, cook and author Angela Tedesco about her new book - "Finding Turtle Farm: My Twenty Acre Adventure in Community Supported Agriculture"   Angela talks about starting a farm, transitioning to organic, dealing with neighbors and introducing folks to the joys of vegetables.   https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/finding-turtle-farm  

Donna and Lonna talk to author Beth Hoffman about her book Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America.   This book is a clear-eyed view of farming. Beth has a long career as a journalist writing about food issues and is now farming with her husband on Whippoorwill Creek Farm in southern Iowa.

Donna and Lonna talk to Jenny Quiner, the farmer, business woman and creative spark behind Dogpatch Urban Gardens in Des Moines,Iowa.

Donna and Lonna celebrate tomatoes fresh from the garden: varieties, recipes, cultivation and all-time favorites. They also talk about cucumbers, basil, Skittles, Norman Lear, vichyssoise, borscht and gazpacho.