31
October
2008
Today is Halloween — time to hit the Locabar and concoct a ghoulish cocktail. A friend once told me about a movie idea of hers. A woman would be shown washing what looked like blood from her hands while clutching a very sharp knife. As the camera zoomed in, you would find out that she was actually peeling beets. That was it! Blood- red beet juice would be the perfect ingredient to build a Halloween cocktail around.
Paging through Hip Sips, a cocktail recipe book by Lucy Brennan, I came across a recipe for beet-infused vodka. Vodka & beets — so positively Transylvania, it practically screams Halloween.
Peel and trim 3 medium beets. Cut into quarters. Place in a wide-mouthed glass container. Pour a bottle of vodka over the beets. I used potato vodka but if you want to keep it local, Dry Fly makes a wonderful wheat vodka right here in Washington. Fair warning — the earthy-beety flavor becomes fairly strong making it hard to distinguish the subtleties in the vodka so an expensive brand may not be worth it. Seal or cover the container and store in a cool dark place for 2-3 days. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beets, then pour the beautiful beet-infused liquid back into the bottle. Cap and store in the fridge or freezer.
It took several sessions for us to come up with the right balance of flavors for this cocktail. The early attempts included the “Ruby”, invented by Brennan. It was a little too earthy for some members of the Cocktail Study Club. So we were forced to keep trying — but don’t feel sorry for me, I enjoyed it all and still believe a very chilled shot of this straight up is hard to beat. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, Eat Local, On the Local Table
29
August
2008
I’ve been a dunce about the paper cup. While others have been carrying their reusable cups into coffee shops the past few years, I rarely have. The perceived paper cups’ biodegradability snookered some of us into thinking it was so much better than Styrofoam, and it’s paper and that’s organic, so what’s the problem?
Here are a few things we all should know: 
- Recycled material makes up only a small percentage of a paper cup, mostly it’s wood chips. Trees, many trees, are needed.
- A lot of electricity and water, and then chemicals in the form of plastic are necessary to make a paper cup, many times more than what is required to make a Styrofoam cup. We caught on to those a long time ago and are aware that they take centuries to biodegrade. We now need to be just as savvy with the paper cup, which is a glutton at the production end.
- We’re now ‘consuming’ several billion paper cups in the U.S. each year (Starbucks alone accounts for over 2.3 billion), landfills are overwhelmed with this bulk, and we now know that it isn’t simply paper that’s decomposing. It’s not such a clean process.
- During the process of biodegrading methane is created, a substance far more environmentally damaging than carbon dioxide.
I urge you to check out this website, Sustainability is Sexy which has the complete scoop, well organized and succinct information about the paper cup.
Our comfort with having our hot beverages delivered in a nice paper cup is analogous to the disposable chopsticks issue in China. NPR featured an interesting piece a few months ago called Bring Your Own Chopsticks. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, Local Living, Small Actions
8
August
2008
It’s a tradition of mine to make homemade lemonade on my birthday in August - just a few lemons, sugar, water, and ice.
This year I was inspired by Jerry Traunfeld (The Herbfarm Cookbook), yet again, and decided to make his herbal infused lemonade, a twist on tradition. I have a yard full of the right herbs, mint, rosemary, lemon balm, lavender and he provides encouragement to experiment.
A little daunted I must admit, at having rosemary infused in my lemonade, but I tried it, liked it and so did my daughter and husband. In fact we liked it a lot. Next step, try it out on friends. 
Four of us got together and cooked for my 08/08/08 party, and slurped down glasses of rosemary lemonade. I imagined that we would take a break and sit on rickety chairs in the sun-dappled backyard, contentedly chatting beneath the apple trees, but no. We stood in the kitchen and chopped while we sipped. They approved, so this beverage made the cut and I’ll make some for the party.
Delicious and so easy. Here’s Jerry Traunfeld’s recipe for the rosemary version of his herbal lemonades as described in The Herbfarm Cookbook. This makes a pitcherful:
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, In The Garden
7
August
2008
It all started with bag of Bing cherries from the Lake City Farmers Market. One thing lead to another and before I knew it, Charlie and I were mixing up a batch of cocktails on Wednesday afternoon.
But let me back up. It really started with a video I saw at gourmet.com showing how to make cherry juice without pitting the cherries. It’s really very easy and I’ll describe it. But first I have to show you a photo of the non-alcoholic drink we invented, the Cherry Temple, using this beautiful juice.
It’s so delicious and is the perfect drink for a hot summer afternoon. Too bad cherry season is so short. I could get used to having this adult-friendly northwest version of the Shirley Temple more often.
Back to the cherry juice. Just wash your cherries and put them in a blender, pits and all. Add a little water to get them started. Blend for a minute or so and then pour into a fine sieve. Press the fruit with a wooden spoon to get all the juice out. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, Eat Local, Farmers Markets, On the Local Table, Produce
3
July
2008
At last we have weather worthy of drinking a “cooler”. For a group of six thirsty drinkers, start out with 1 cup of mint leaves, packed with no stems. You’ll also need 3 japanese cucumbers preferably from Mair Farm-Taki at the Farmers Market. Regular or english cukes will also work but these japanese cucumbers are definitely a step above the others.
Rinse 3 limes, slice thinly and place in a pitcher. Squeeze the juice from 3 more limes and add to the pitcher along with the mint leaves and 2 sliced cucumbers. Then add 1/2 cup sugar and try to work up a sweat by muddling all the ingredients together.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, Eat Local, Farmers Markets, On the Local Table, Produce
19
June
2008
Rhubarb jam on a piece of toast with a cup of java on the side, the way to begin a day.
Rhubarb is still in season so there’s definitely time to indulge in a few more pies and crisps, sauce, and this jam. Spread it on a piece of toast, a pancake, a waffle, a muffin, or stir some into a bowl of yogurt. It’s another good excuse to consume more rhubarb, and this jam practically makes itself, no pectin required, just rhubarb and honey.
And then there’s the coffee to go with the toast and jam. There are plenty of coffee shops around and I’m an occasional patron, but I love making my own in the morning. The daily ritual means at least as much to me as the java itself. The pouring of boiling water over freshly ground beans, followed by the experience of their steamy aroma and darkly iridescent bubbles - it’s a morning meditation. Using a battery-powered frother (aero latte), I whip warm milk until it’s silky, pour it on top of the strong coffee and have myself a handmade latte. I deliver a cuppa Joe to Bob and our day begins.
Creating the morning cup of coffee is, for me, a gratifying, meditative ritual that happens to also save a lot of paper coffee cups, rushed commuter java stops, and a few bucks. Take a thermos or travel mug with you when you head out if you want more. Could be another small action toward sustainability.
Shoulda been a barista.
Rhubarb Jam Recipe: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, Eat Local, On the Local Table, Produce, Small Actions
10
June
2008
Saturday morning at the University Farmers Market the buzz was, ” Billy has strawberries”. It is hard to believe that anyone in our region has weather warm enough for strawberries but there they were at Billy’s — the beautiful, plump, sweet berries I’ve been waiting for. One more indication that summer is happening this year, apparently without us.
When I got home, I ran out to check on my strawberries. Just as I thought –pathetic and shivering — a lot like me lately. Okay people, what is up with this weather? I listened to Cliff Mass, an atmospheric scientist at U of WA, who talks about the weather every Friday on KUOW at around 9:50AM. (If you miss it, you can listen by going to the archives for the show called “Weekday”). Last week he said he has never heard so many complaints about our weather. We are experiencing the coldest spring in the last 30 years. Our temperatures have been around 54 degrees and the normal for this time of year is 68 degrees. I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll have enough heat for tomatoes.
Enough of my complaining, back to the strawberries. The local berries make the ones that have been available for months in the grocery stores seem pale in comparison. Like much of the produce in grocery stores, berries are so fragile they must be shipped before they ripen. Berries from the farmers markets are freshly picked and should only need refrigeration if they are not going to be eaten in a day or two. That is not a problem at our house, they are usually gone before they ever hit the fridge. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, Eat Local, Farmers Markets, In The Garden, On the Local Table, Produce
6
May
2008
I’ve been a dunce about the paper cup. While others have been carrying their reusable cups into coffee shops the past few years, I rarely have. And, I’m into the morning ritual of coffee making so I start at home with my own cup. The paper cups’ perceived biodegradability snookered some of us into thinking it was so much better than Styrofoam, and it’s paper and that’s organic, so what’s the problem?
A few things to consider about the paper cup:
- Recycled materials make up only a small percentage of a paper cup, mostly it’s wood chips. Trees, many trees, are needed.
- A lot of electricity and water, and then chemicals in the form of plastic are necessary to make a viable paper cup, many times more than what is required to make a Styrofoam cup. We caught on to those a long time ago and are aware that they take centuries to biodegrade. We now need to be just as savvy with the paper cup, which is a glutton at the production end.
- We’re now ‘consuming’ sixteen billion or more paper coffee cups per year in the U.S. (Starbucks alone accounts for over 2.3 billion), landfills are overwhelmed with this bulk, and we now know that it isn’t simply paper that’s decomposing, but the paper cup chemicals as well. Not such a clean operation.
- During the process of biodegrading methane is created, a substance far more environmentally damaging than carbon dioxide.
Check out this website, Sustainability is Sexy. An excellent resource, it has the complete scoop, well organized and succinct information about the paper cup, including a table of statistics that are mind blowing.
Our comfort with having hot beverages delivered in a nice paper cup is analogous to the disposable chopsticks issue in China. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, Local Living, Small Actions
3
May
2008
Today is Kentucky Derby Day for all of us Southerners living in the Pacific Northwest. Time to trade in your woolly cap for a sun bonnet. I know it’s hard, just looking at how our mint is struggling to make a good showing for today after our long cold spring. Luckily, there is just enough to mix up a couple of mint juleps, sit back, take it easy and watch the race.
Once again, Charlie is in charge of mixing. He has his method down after years of impressing me by making a mint julep that could put the best Southern bartender to shame.
Go to the garden and pick a big handful of mint. If you don’t have any, Full Circle Farm had some last week at the Farmers Market. According to Charlie, you can never use too much mint, the more, the better. Rinse the mint and strip the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems.
Place the mint in a container — a cocktail shaker or martini pitcher works well — with 1 teaspoon of superfine sugar for each drink. Crush the mint and sugar with a muddler. Using the moisture in the leaves combined with the sugar, you’ll end up with a paste that looks similar to pesto. Add 1/2 cup of cold water (per drink) to the muddled mint. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, On the Local Table
25
April
2008
Friday night is cocktail night at our house thanks to my husband Charlie, a master mixologist, and those of us who eagerly gather each week to taste. This week we decided to try our hand at a mostly local cocktail. We’ve been working on a drink using rhubarb and now I think we’re on to something special. Charlie likes to use lots of fresh ingredients and his drinks are incredibly healthy, or so we like to tell ourselves.
We have rhubarb in our garden but you can also buy it now at the Farmers Market. The first step in this cocktail is to make the rhubarb juice. I was inspired by Kate Zuckerman in her beautiful book, The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle. She uses the juice for a fruit soup, but since it’s Friday my mind is on a cocktail instead. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Beverages, On the Local Table
