Heidi Holtan

When the garden or farmers market gives you everything at once, the best way to handle it is to return to the fundamentals: roast, grill, bake, pickle, can, dry, freeze and sauté. These aren’t just methods, they’re survival tools during harvest season. Especially grilling. Because it’s summer. And everything tastes better with a little char and a lot of butter.This week, Amy and Heidi talked to Erin Haefele of Green Scene in Walker, Minnesota, "a charming food haven nestled in the heart of rural northern Minnesota where small-town warmth meets big-city sophistication." Erin inspires us with simple preparations to deliciously fresh garden ingredients. And we hear from Amy's friend Beth Friedrichson from Wisconsin, who gushes about dilly beans and life on the farm with chickens and alpacas.Lots of folks phoned in to talk about their harvests, whether it was peonies in Stillwater, garlic near Detroit Lakes, urban front yard CSAs in Minneapolis, potato varieties in Deer River or stuffed grape leaves in Chicago, you had a story to tell. Share yours! This week's community recipe to cook along with us is Onion Pie: kaxe.org/community-recipe-onion-pie-ham-radio-amy-thielen. Give it a try and send us your reactions and photos at comments@kaxe.org!Ham Radio Features original licensed music — "You Know How I Like It" by Jeremy Messersmith.Made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage Fund. Support KAXE by becoming a member today: https://donate.nprstations.org/kaxe/donate

This week's show is about having people over — sometimes, a LOT of people over — and how to feed them all, generously, without losing your mind, hiring help, or breaking the bank.We'll call it an audible potluck, with tales of Pennsylvania Dutch country family reunions from Chef David Kinch and his Park Rapids area cousin Bill Dinger, and our favorite theme song-writing Minnesota musician Jeremy Messersmith talking about hosting communal food parties built to pair with his performances.We heard from Megan in Meadowlands who kept the pig roast and Czech family traditions of kolache going in a community celebration. We heard from a listener from the U.P. of Michigan who makes porketta before hockey practice and Tammy told us about trying last week's Bran Crispbread recipe.This week's community recipe to cook along with us is Rum-and-Coke Shaved Ice: https://www.kaxe.org/community-recipe-rum-and-coke-shaved-ice-ham-radio-amy-thielen. Give it a try and send us your reactions and photos at comments@kaxe.org!Ham Radio Features original licensed music — "You Know How I Like It" by Jeremy Messersmith.Made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage Fund. Support KAXE by becoming a member today: https://donate.nprstations.org/kaxe/donate

This week, Amy and Heidi meditate on the theme of "More Time Than Money" — a show about making do with resourcefulness and creativity. They'll talk about incredible recipes that take time and skill, but not necessarily a lot of money. This week's community recipe to cook along with us is Bran Crispbread: kaxe.org/community-recipe-bran-crispbread-ham-radio-amy-thielen. Give it a try and send us your reactions and photos at comments@kaxe.org!

This week, Amy and Heidi's adventures in the kitchen feature cooking with lye, pickling lime, Hawaiian taro and some other semi-hazardous ingredients.

In October 1918, flames swept across northeastern Minnesota in what became the deadliest natural disaster in state history. More than 450 people died; 52,000 were displaced, and entire communities were reduced to ash.

"Ham Radio: Cooking with Amy Thielen" is a new program featuring James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Amy Thielen of Park Rapids, Minnesota.

Coming May 23 and hosted by James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Amy Thielen, with producer Heidi Holtan, this KAXE / KBXE show celebrates the creativity and resourcefulness of rural home cooks.

In May, Charlie Mitchell looks for marsh marigolds, multicolored treetops and migrating birds. No expertise is needed to enjoy nature and phenology — just curiosity!

Walleye fishing opener 2025 is here in Minnesota! Veteran fishing guide Jeff Sundin shares what anglers need to know — from lake ice-out updates to bait supply tips, fishing tactics and reminders about boat landing etiquette and DNR rules.

Molly Rocchio from the National Bone Marrow Donor Program joins the KAXE Morning Show to talk bone marrow and blood stem cell donations. People like KAXE’s Malachy Koons are donating and making a difference.