by Nickey Hernandez

[Farming]
The Wrath of Cow
It should have been a milkbath, but instead, one gutsy pet cow held her own and lived to boast about chasing off a big, bad, wild black bear. The interspecies cockfight went down in Hygiene when Jack McDonald saw his pet cow, Apple, going “face-to-face” and “nose-to-nose” with a bear. The two adversaries made nice for a few seconds before Apple tapped into her bovine brain and turned tough. Before you could say “milking time,” Apple went from friendly pet to Mike Tyson on hooves. “Apple is protective of her apple tree,” McDonald said. “I don’t think she wanted that bear eating any more of her apples.” No word on whether the bear was ridiculed by his peers.

[Impersonation]
Hard Up For Porn
A Longmont sword and blade maker reportedly fashioned a fake badge and played the role of a cop to obtain X-rated DVDs from an adult novelty store. Instead of getting off (no pun intended, scout’s honor), the suspect, Drew Libby, received a trip to the pokey. Longmont cops arrested Libby outside his home on charges of impersonating an officer, possession of an illegal weapon and possession of pot. A search of Libby’s pad turned up a steel badge emblazoned with the words “private security.” “Turns out badges like it can be bought on the Internet. Authorities contend Libby flashed the fake badge and claimed to be a Longmont police officer when he entered an adult store in search of porn. The fake cop told a clerk that he needed an X-rated DVD to verify the age of the porn stars in the production. Surveillance videos from the store were distributed. Tips quickly led to Libby’s arrest.

[Oprah]
Impressive High Road
We may never hear the end of the JonBenet Ramsey saga—you know, the story of the six-year-old beauty queen’s murder a decade ago that has thrown us through more twists than a world-class roller coaster. At least papa Ramsey has forgiven us (us, meaning the rabid media) for assuming that he (or wife Patsy) were the ones who did it. John Ramsey appeared on Oprah last month—his first national TV appearance since prosecutors exonerated his family over the summer—telling the world that it’s water under the bridge. That’s certainly taking the high road, since a majority of us convicted him in the prestigious court of public opinion years ago. “You can’t hold anger,” he said on the show. Ramsey did have some harsh words for the tabloids, however. “It was a rush to judgment, almost a cyberspace lynching,” Ramsey said, taking particular offense to the media labeling his daughter a beauty queen because she won a child beauty pageant. We still think it’s pretty creepy to flaunt a six-year-old on stage. Hasn’t Little Miss Sunshine taught us anything?.

[Education]
Boulder Teens Are Easy
No word yet if Bristol Palin, the unwed and knocked up teen daughter to GOP veep candidate Sarah plans a move to Boulder. But if the 17-year-old soon-to-be mom does, she’ll be in good company. Seems a growing number of Boulder Valley School District kids say they know a thing or two about sex, drugs and booze. A recent survey indicated that 16.7 percent of Boulder Valley freshman have binged on booze. About 18 percent had engaged in sex, an increase of 50 percent since 2005. “Whether we’re talking about sexual intercourse or substance use, one thing is clear, the earlier youths engage in the behavior, the better the chance they have of experiencing long-term negative impacts in their lives,” one school official said in an area news source. Of course that rule does not apply to the offspring of gun-toting, moose-killing hockey moms.

October 2008

Buried in an industrial neighborhood, Sugarbeet is literally a hidden gem. Chef Seth Witherspoon focuses on local ingredients, including many plucked from a nearby farm he and wife Justine have spent the summer building. We challenged him with sweet corn, suggesting Olathe’s version since its homegrown (Western Slope). He found corn much closer, using a Longmont ear to make a Roasted Sweet Corn, Feta and Risotto Stuffed Anaheim Pepper.

The warm days and cool nights of Colorado make the local sweet corn a little tastier than other growing regions. Count us lucky for the severe temperature shifts when night falls. It’s said to increase the sugar content in corn Western Slope grown Olathe corn gets all the hype, but Seth Witherspoon likes to look even closer to home. So when we challenged the Sugarbeet co-owner and chef with sweet corn, he looked no further than Zweck’s farm in Longmont.

Witherspoon opened Sugarbeet about 18 months ago, adding to the increasingly crowded market of menus featuring local, sustainable and often organic ingredients. We offer a sincere kudos to Witherspoon for keeping it really local, even if it seems like a cliché. Local means fresh. Local means less energy waste transporting the goods. And often, local means better food.

Beyond that, we were quite excited to see what a respected chef could do with the quintessential summer side. Seldom do we veer from enjoying much more than a butter soaked ear fresh off the grill, but this vegetable is so much more versatile.

We arrived for the challenge hungry for a tasty bite 24 hours later, and Witherspoon served a small plate delight: Roasted Sweet Corn, Feta and Risotto Stuffed Anaheim Pepper.

Witherspoon uses the local corn, peppers pulled from the restaurant’s farm and feta from local favorite Haystack to pull off this southwestern-inspired snack.

The feta serves as a cheese similar to the queso frescos traditionally used in Mexican cuisine—it doesn’t melt offering great texture. It is mixed with a perfectly prepared risotto, corn kernels, garlic, cilantro, onions and basil. It’s served atop a bed of arugula, with a savory prickly pear and balsamic reduction. Witherspoon will feature the plate on the happy hour menu, meaning it’s an inexpensive way to taste the kind of fare Sugarbeet offers—and an excuse to head out for a drink after work.

The stuffed pepper small plate will be on the happy hour menu (4-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays) until Sept. 7 and by request during dinner service. For reservations or information on Sugarbeet, 101 Pratt St., Longmont, call 303.651.3330.

August 2008

Ummm, what part of “We basically live in a desert environment” are people not understanding? It doesn’t rain much in Colorado, regardless if we’re talking about dry or moist years. And snow packs melt real fast, too. (more…)

June 2008

It’s an understatement to say the Twin Peaks Mall on the southwestern edge of Longmont is in need of a little love. Vacant storefronts and empty parking lots are not a good thing and do little to help the city’s lagging retail base. (more…)

June 2008

by Laurel Janeen Smith

Mixing loose chickens, tire swings, ponies and giant tree houses makes for a heckueva fun day for a kid. You just may enjoy playing on the farm, too. (more…)

May 2008