Maple Grove Market opens

The Maple Grove Farmers Market is offering an indoor spring preview today — May 12 — from 3 to 7 p.m., in advance of its grand opening on June 9. The preview, inside the Maple Grove Community Center at 12951 Weaver Lake Road, will introduce new vendors such as JK Bees of South Haven, Minn., selling shiitake and oyster mushrooms, eggs, honey, produce, and jams and jellies made with unusual fruits such as honeyberries and aronia berries. There'll be plenty of spring produce along with vegetable starts and bedding plants. Visit maplegrovefarmersmarket.com for more details.

Eat well, do good

Throughout May, a group of Twin Cities restaurants are part of a fundraising campaign for a local nonprofit, YouthFarm (YF), which provides youths with the opportunity to grow food for themselves and their communities while promoting leadership skills and entrepreneurship. You can add a donation to your bill at participating restaurants: Restaurant Alma, Barbette, Bread & Pickle, Bryant-Lake Bowl, Gigi's, Pat's Tap, Tiny Diner, Red Stag and Third Bird. To learn more, visit youthfarmmn.org.

Party with the wild things

Slow Food Minnesota's annual Spring Foraged-Foods Dinner will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 22 at Piney Hill Farm outside of Glenwood City, Wis. Chef Alan Bergo of the Salt Cellar in St. Paul is an avid forager aiming for a feast unlikely to be found in any restaurant, crafted around foods foraged the week of the event. Local craft beer and wine are included, plus tours and talks to educate guests about foraging and the elements of a healthy farm ecosystem. Tickets are $40 for Slow Food members and $50 for nonmembers. Ages 12 and under free. Reserve a place online at slow-food-farm-dinner.eventbrite.com.

White Lily offers premium flours

The White Lily flour brand long has been associated as the prime flour for classically tender Southern biscuits, but could be difficult to find north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Now, the Tennessee-based company is branching out with a line of premium flours, with a few notably made with ground grapeseed flour, from both red and white grape seeds that are a byproduct of the winemaking process. The seeds are ground into a fine powder that is roughly the same texture as wheat flour, but has a fruitiness to it and, when from cabernet sauvignon grape seeds, has a color that adds a twist to your baked goods. It's high in fiber, calcium and potassium, and it contains many antioxidants. White Lily says that its premium flour blends are domestically grown with Shepherd's Grain wheat and are non-GMO verified. They're available at many Target and SuperTarget stores in the region, as well as online. For more information and a store finder link, visit whitelily.com.

KIM ODE