7
October
2008
Button mushrooms grow up to become baby bellas, (Criminis), and finally Portobellos.
Recently we camped and hiked in the Lake O’Hara region of the Canadian Rockies where we wanted to concoct appealing but practical meals at the end of a day’s hiking. The most memorable of those meals involved Portobellos, garlic, grated cheese, and dried pasta which were a snap to carry in a backpack and prepare on our single burner camp stove. We vowed to have it again on the supper table at home where we also appreciate quick and delicious. A great vegetarian supper with a little bread, a little wine. Domesticated? Yes. Tame? Not so much.
We appreciate the Portobello’s ‘meatiness’, but its versatility is worth applauding too. Mushrooms in the pantry and there are myriad possibilities for an interesting meal - with toasty bread, pasta, rice, risotto, pizza, salad, eggs, with a piece of meat, or stuffed and baked. Not a prized wild variety, Portobellos are widely cultivated and readily attainable year-round in the Pacific Northwest. They’re a delectable choice for a local meal if you like mushrooms. A few in my family don’t - this is for those of us who appreciate a good fungus now and then.
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Posted: Appetizers, Eat Local, Farmers Markets, In The Garden, Local Living, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Produce, Protein, Small Actions, Under the Table
3
October
2008
Caramelized Onions
No mystery to caramelizing onions. You’ll need a big pile, red or white, the patience to cook them gently for 20 - 30 minutes, and then the possibilities for delicious consumption are almost endless. Their natural sugars are emphasized after such cooking; they turn a golden brown and become a gentle, savory cousin to the sharply flavored raw version we’re familiar with. If onions can be comfort food, this just might be it.
Four or five medium sized onions will yield about 3 cups when caramelized. After just fifteen or twenty minutes you may decide the onions are perfect for your taste – that’s fine too. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
4 – 5 medium Farmer’s Market onions, about six cups when sliced
4 tablespoons local butter, ghee or olive oil
1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar or orange juice optional
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Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, In The Garden, Local Living, On the Local Table, Produce, Protein
2
October
2008
If you are looking for plums, Mair Farm-Taki at the University and Columbia City Farmers Market probably has what you are looking for. Last Saturday they had Green Italian, Easter Egg, Italian Prune, Sweet French, President, Friar and Damson plums. Since I’m not familiar with most of these varieties or even with plums in general, my dilemma was what to try. Luckily, they had a small bag of wild plums, all different colors so worthy of a still life, I had to buy them if for nothing other than their sheer beauty.
I put them in a bowl and admired them for a few days until our resident fruit flies had a population explosion. I couldn’t wait any longer but unfortunately I didn’t have enough to dry, make jam or even a tart. I decided to wing it and make a tangy wild plum sauce to serve with a couple of pork chops I was pan-frying for dinner.
This is the type of sauce that you can be very nonchalant about what ingredients you add since it covers just about all bases on the flavor spectrum — tart, sweet, spicy and salty — the balance is up to you. I tend to shy away from food that is very sweet, so I held back on the sugar in favor of the naturally tart plum. The size of wild plums is similar to large cherries so I used my cherry-pitter and it worked perfectly. The color of the finished sauce was so intense, if I hadn’t made it myself I would have suspected someone had slipped in some artificial coloring. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, On the Local Table, Produce
26
September
2008
In a recent article in the NY Times, Six Food Mistakes Parents Make , the first mistake listed was not involving kids in food preparation. Researchers at Teachers College at Columbia University found that the more kids are allowed to participate in cooking, the more likely they are to try new foods. Add harvesting food from a garden or going along to the farmers market and suddenly meals take on a whole new meaning. Relationships between a child and their food can be tricky but helping them become part of the process can extend beyond sitting in the grocery cart.
When looking through old cookbooks the other day, a recipe card fell out for zucchini bread I used to make when Krista was a little girl. This recipe was useful in many ways — using up some of the prolific zucchini from the garden, introducing a new vegetable in a non-threatening way and a simple recipe that requires lots of stirring and no chopping. I tried a new version of the recipe with Lily and she was as enthralled as her mother had been.
One of the best parts of cooking with kids is letting them see and handle the whole foods. In this case, you might not even know this bread has zucchini in it without looking carefully. So I always take a few minutes to show and talk about the ingredients. In preparation, I try to get everything out and ready to go, but the measuring and in this case, pushing the button on the food processor to grate the zucchini is all part of the fun.
I added chocolate to my bread to appease the chocoholics in the family. Even without it, this is a wonderfully moist and wholesome quick bread. But don’t forget that dark chocolate has numerous health benefits and there are several local sources for it. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, For Kids, Grains, On the Local Table, Produce
25
September
2008
. . . and he’s most welcome, cookin’ up seasonal vegetables with Isernio’s Italian sausage. Zucchini, sweet pepper, onion, tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, all still in season, and the sausage is made locally. 
While reading through Kurt Beecher Dammeier’s cookbook again the other day, Pure Flavor, I noticed the feature about Frank Isernio’s sausage making debut (p. 166). It was a revelation to learn some history about the person who makes a favorite local sausage, and that he started making it for his Italian compatriots in Seattle who were hungry for fresh Italian sausage. Isernio’s is now a big operation, but still makes sausage locally using fresh ingredients and no preservatives.
This mix of vegetables, a ratatouille, could be the base for a variety of mostly local meals. (Ratatouille consists of onions, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers stewed together in oil. Often served cold.) Replace the polenta with a pile of scrambled eggs for brunch; add tomato sauce and serve with pasta; sprinkle pizza dough with cheese and then cover it with this ratatouille.
Ratatouille with Isernio’s Italian Sausage: 
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Posted: Eat Local, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Produce, Protein
23
September
2008
This chowder isn’t tricked up much, it has a little kick, but the familiar corn taste prevails, in this case fresh corn.
Autumnal equinox 24 hours ago. We’ve turned the corner seasonally speaking, but can consider ourselves on the cusp. This meal is full of summer’s sweet corn, yet chowdery and comforting.
When the weather turned autumnal the other day, suddenly, I made this corn chowder. Inspired by a number of recipes I ended up incorporating zucchini from the garden, a Yukon potato, and a little bacon. Measurements and ingredients are flexible. We thought this chowder exceptionally delicious and made a meal of it with cheese and bread. Use a local cheese and this is another good meal for the sustainable table.
Local corn will be available for another two or three weeks at Farmers Markets. I bought a bunch more last weekend and plan to make a big potful and freeze it for sometime this winter when the essence of summer’s corn will be so appreciated.
Fresh Corn Chowder (fast & easy: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Produce
19
September
2008
Many of our pears were ripe and on the ground when we returned home from vacation last week, but salvageable. Time for chutney, pear salad, poached pears, or simply sliced with a piece of cheddar.
Unlike other fruits some pears diminish in quality when ripened on the tree – better to pick them just before and let them ripen in the kitchen. We planted our pear tree maybe five years ago, well Bob did, espaliered alongside the garage. We’ve gotten a dozen or so in previous years, but this year the bonanza - dozens. And, we have both Moonglow and Bartletts on the same tree. Amazing science, but not really. It’s about grafting different varieties on to one tree which is what a pear tree needs anyway since they don ‘t self-pollinate. They need a partner pear. Originally, we had four varieties on the tree, but dog damage resulted in the loss of two.
I’ve made Ginger Pear chutney, and we’ll have pears with a tangy cheese and greens in salad. My mom would layer lettuce, half a pear, grated cheddar, and a dollop of mayo with a sprinkle of paprika on top. The attention she paid to assembling her pear salad caught my attention. You never know what unexpected nuances in life will turn a child’s head and heart in a certain direction. That was a salad a kid could love. It’s morphed a bit, but in ‘08 we’re still loving pears together with cheese in a salad.
Pear salad: fresh pears and greens from the backyard, walnuts, hazelnuts, roasted beets, almost any tangy cheese, a drizzle of dressing – another good way to eat a pear.
Pear Ginger Chutney: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, In The Garden, Local Living, On the Local Table, Our Farmers, Food Producers, & Fishermen, Pantry, Produce, Protein, Small Actions, Under the Table
18
September
2008
Let’s face it. Some of these green beauties will never ripen. Don’t despair because I’ve got a wonderful way to use them, even ones that are partially ripe. Leave it to the Italians to come up with the perfect pairing of fried green tomatoes with goat cheese on a bed of baby lettuces and fennel fronds. This is a long way from Fannie Flagg and the Whistle Stop Cafe.
But first let me introduce you to the fried green tomato’s new best friend, Bainbridge Brie, brought to you by the folks at Port Madison Farm. I picked up some at the University Farmers Market last weekend. It is sweet and delicate like their basic chevre but creamier like brie. I can’t wait to try it in my straight-from-the-garden pasta sauce.
I even put together some wonderful little hors d’oeuvres using some fried green roma tomatoes, ripe red tomatoes and Bainbridge Brie. Actually, ripe red tomatoes partner so well with their green siblings that when I ate the salad above, I added several juicy red slices to the mix.
Even fry-phobic cooks like me can make decent fried green tomatoes. Most recipes seem to agree that you use some sort of breading. I made some bread crumbs in the food processor using Spelt Sourdough from Tall Grass Bakery also from the University Farmers Market. I was happy with the results but it would be fun to try panko, cornmeal or even semolina. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Appetizers, Eat Local, Farmers Markets, On the Local Table, Produce
17
September
2008
And then that’s enough about tomatoes for this year . . . maybe. They’re abundant at the moment so I made Gazpacho and dried some.
Returned home from vacation a couple of days ago to find tomato plants, finally, laden with ripened tomatoes. They’re late and not as sweet as when they ripen earlier, but I’m grateful. Glad to have these to enjoy now and preserve for later on. I dried a bunch of Sungolds, and made a batch of Gazpacho.
For the Gazpacho I removed the core from about twice as much tomato as cucumber, seeded and peeled, and put them in a food processor (a blender’s fine too). I then added several cloves of garlic, some day-old bread, vinegar and oil, salt and pepper to taste, fresh dill and chives. 
Pulse until well mixed and that’s it. It’s good for a day or two if kept in the fridge. A bowl of Gazpacho with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top is a pretty nice way to eat your vegetables.
This anecdotal version without exact measurements invites us to add whatever sounds good. This past summer the NY Times did a piece called 101 20-Minute Dishes. Numbers 9 – 19 of 101 recipes are vegetables, many in season right now. Check out their recipes for inspiration, and then create your own versions of Gazpacho that are uniquely PNW. What about adding a splash of clam nectar, for example? Or, a bite or two of Dungeness crab on top?
If you have an abundance of tomatoes in your garden – or Farmers Markets will have some for a while longer – you might try drying some. 
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Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, In The Garden, On the Local Table, Produce, Protein, Under the Table
16
September
2008
I came home last Friday to a package on my doorstep from my sister-in-law, Michelle who lives on Orcas Island. I’ve heard of bloggers receiving all sorts of products from companies wanting to be reviewed. Since I’m attempting to be somewhat anti-consumerism, I haven’t exactly been inundated with requests to review products but receiving a box of crabapples, now this was right up my alley.
We have two beautiful crabapple trees in our yard, both incredibly fragrant in the spring and loaded with fruit in the summer but I haven’t gotten around to using them. Michelle’s crabapples, variety Dolgo, are smaller, tastier and looked like they would be perfect for pickling. It’s been a while since I did much pickling other than making Sally’s dill pickles, which by the way, are well worth the effort. I have a small canning pot, the kind with a rack that holds the jars, not essential, but makes the whole thing much easier. I went to the basement and dug out my old well-used copy of Putting Food By and got to work.
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Posted: Eat Local, Local Living, On the Local Table, Pantry, Produce
