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Jun 21, 2009 10:44 pm US/Central
Finding Minnesota: Fresh, Organic Dishes In Amboy
AMBOY, Minn. (WCCO) ―
When you think of small town cafés, you think about generous portions of chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes, right? But things are quite different in the town of Amboy, Minn.
There you'll find a former nurse, Lisa Lindberg, serving up dishes like spinach walnut feta quiche at her Amboy Cottage Café. And you won't find a deep fryer anywhere in sight.
For about 8 years, Lindberg has been introducing fresh dishes with organic ingredients to the local townspeople. She relies on nearby farms to provide many of her whole grains, meats and eggs. And she adds herbs from her own organic garden, such as parsley, rosemary and thyme. Everything on the menu is made from scratch.
"Somebody once said, 'You don't cook like my mom does, you cook like my grandmother did,'" she said with a touch of pride.
Lindberg didn't plan to be a professional cook; it just happened. About 10 years ago, the building -- an abandoned cottage-style gas station -- was on the verge of being demolished down the street by the property owner.
She agreed to move it and give it new life. Thinking like a nurse, she decided the town needed a gathering place.
"I think this is health care at its very finest," she said. "You're helping people stay socially active with other human beings, which I think is very, very important."
The café also one of those places where everybody knows your name. To help her get the business started, all the regulars paid $100 to buy their own personalized ceramic mugs, which entitles them to free coffee and tea anytime.
"They're not alphabetical," said Lindberg as she glanced over the shelves filled with 200 mugs, "so you have to do a little bit of hunting. And so we often ask, 'Came in to find yourself, did ya?'"
It's become a symbiotic relationship here. The rural community supports her, and she supports the community. You'll see the work of local artists, both inside and outside the café, and arrows on the corner pointing to other businesses in town.
She even offers classic car rides on summer weekends to let people see the town's historic old bridge over the Blue Earth River that she hopes won't be torn down.
"We try to emphasize local," she explained. "So we're talking about sustaining the rural community. We try to get as many supplies as we can from the local area."
And the local area has taken quite well to the quiche, and salads and other fresh dishes she creates from the nearby farms.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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