Favorite Fair Food: Lefse

BLT & CH Lefse Wrap

I am frequently asked what my favorite State Fair Food is.  I quickly weed through the plethora of my "must have" items (wild rice corn dog, bacon-cheese crepe, iced coffee and a scone from French Meadow, a handful of fried pickles and tiny donuts and cheese curds and french fries pilfered from someone else's basket, pancake breakfast eaten with strangers on a picnic table at Salem, a few cups of half-chocolate half-white at All You Can Drink Milk, Tator Tot Hotdish on-a-Stick, a hot dog with onions and relish, a bite from Ts Walleye on-a-stick, salmon-on-a-stick with that yummy cream cheese and raspberry chipotle sauce, zeppoles which are the best cheap eat and oh so decadent, BeerGarita and breakfast burrito from Tejas, a beer at at least one garden preferably while listening to good local music, corn fritters, olives-on-a-stick, frozen cider pop) and always come to the realization that the one food I get every single visit to the fair is lefse.

Upon hearing this confession, a friend commented that I ought to get enough lefse during the rest of the year not to need it at The Fair.  Oh niave one, you haven't been to The Fair until you've enjoyed warm potato bread wrapped around bright lingonberries or a simple spread of melty butter.  Pushing through the crowds while snacking on an early immigrant tidbit brings together celebrations of Minnesota's past and present.

Lefse has always generated a weird kind of greed in me, so I stock up on enough State Fair lefse to keep me happy at least a week into autumn.  For years I have worried that Lynn's Potato Lefse stand wouldn't have enough eaters to stay in business. On Thursday, the first day of The Fair, I skipped to Lynn's before leaving and was pleased to stand in A LINE for nearly three minutes!  A line more than five deep is evidence that Lynn's is hopefully doing well enough to continue feeding my lefse addiction for at least another year.  I purchased a whole round to go, and used it to make wrap sandwiches on days I am unable to attend the fair.

BLT & CH Lefse Wrap
Serves one and I am not sharing
One half lefse round
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Handful of chopped chives, basil, and dill
One slice cooked bacon, chopped
Lettuce, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion

Combine mayo, herbs, and bacon; spread over lefse.  Add lettuce, toms, cucs, onions.  Wrap and enjoy.


STATE FAIR TRIVIA CONTEST

Weekend Challenge, August 28 and 29

The Star Tribune has lots of free cool stuff. Last year they even had bacon flavored lip balm! Yum! What are they distributing this year? (3 points for each correct answer)