1
September
2008
The fruits available this time of year — melons, peaches, berries — are so tempting but the truth is, I’m not big on baking pies, sweet desserts or jams. I love fresh fruit on cereal or in a smoothie. A perfectly ripened peach or melon with nothing else is a summertime treat I’ll be dreaming about next winter. Freezing fruit, especially berries, to use later in the year is always a good option. Cooler weather makes me crave more savory flavors, even if summer has not officially ended.
Last week Sally and I were photographing at Sazerac for Dining Out magazine. The chef brought us dish after delectable dish. It’s not exactly acceptable for us to sample while we shoot, but it was very tempting. One salad caught my eye and I decided to try my own version at home so I could nibble freely while I took photos.
Sazerac’s salad inspired me to think about ways to use our local peaches in savory dishes. I have no problem devouring a salad like this, all in one sitting, while a pie or cobbler could take me a week or more. I’ve used apples and pears in salads, but hadn’t tried peaches. Sazerac’s chef used proscuitto, not a local ingredient, but an important element, nonetheless. He also included those wonderful Spanish nuts, Marcona almonds. I knew the almonds would be tasty, but I wanted to make my salad as local as possible. I used goat cheese from Port Madison Farm, peaches from Billy’s and rustic arugula from my own backyard. I sprinkled some green fennel seeds , also from my garden, splashed on a little champagne vinegar and drizzled olive oil over the top. This is the perfect plate to take outdoors and soak in some sunshine while you sample and appreciate all the different combinations of sweetness and zestiness. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Appetizers, Eat Local, Farmers Markets, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Produce
1
August
2008
All of Adrian’s juggling practice came in handy when it was time to make pizza. I mixed up a batch of dough ahead of time, then cut it into quarters so each person could make their own.
The Farmers Market provided the toppings — italian sausage from Skagit River Ranch, caramelized red torpedo onions and sauteed fennel from Willie Greens, tomatoes, sweet red peppers and basil from Billy’s Organic — there are possibilities everywhere you look. Put each topping in a bowl and let everyone help themselves.
Consider your dough a blank slate and let your imagination and your belly be your guide.
Making faces is always fun.
Once the pizzas are baked and out of the oven, the hardest part is waiting for them to cool down so you can dig in.
I used Alice Water’s recipe in The Art of Simple Food for pizza dough as my starting point. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, For Kids, Local Meals, On the Local Table
24
July
2008
Summer is the time to eat local with everything coming into season at once. I’m continually thinking of easy dishes to make use of these plentiful summertime ingredients and still give myself time to enjoy being outdoors. Fresh peas were the inspiration for this pasta dish, combined with sage butter, prosciutto and freshly grated parmesan.
Sage butter tastes unlike anything else I can think of and combines beautifully with the peas and pasta. It has a nutty, musky flavor that mellows considerably as it cooks. You can be more generous with fresh herbs than dried, so don’t hold back. If you don’t cook it too long, you’ll get wonderfully crispy bits of sage that add a unique dimension to this simple dish and threaten to steal the show.
I can’t forget the peas — available at Willie Greens, even pre-shelled for us lazy locavores. The season won’t last, so now is the time to jump on it. If you have grown your own and have extra, peas are a vegetable that freezes well and frozen peas are an acceptable substitute in this recipe.
I used prosciutto because I’ve gotten into the habit of buying the ends at Whole Foods but a local meat like bacon or ham will work well too (especially the shoulder bacon from Wooly Pigs , one of my personal favorites).
Once again, I’ve been inspired by Jerry Traunfeld and his Herbfarm Cookbook. I use his cookbooks so often I’m not surprised he is naming his new restaurant after me. ( Just kidding — it will be named Poppy, but after his mom). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Produce
16
July
2008
When it was my night to cook dinner for my extended family at the beach, I decided to fix gumbo so that I could use as many local ingredients as possible, all in one big pot. Gumbo is a traditional dish in the South, but we can make a Pacific Northwest version using our local bounty almost as easily.
At the heart of a gumbo is the roux. This is the most time-consuming and essential step to the smoky silkiness that sets gumbo apart from other seafood stews. Some people are able to multi-task while making the roux but I burnt mine once and had to start over so now I try to enlist helpers to chop vegetables and clean shrimp while I stir. I used 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup flour, though bacon fat or lard are more traditional. As you stir the fat and flour over low to medium heat, it will slowly and almost imperceptibly change color and eventually (after 30-45 minutes) turn a dark chocolatey brown. Taking the time to cook the roux without burning it is a challenge for impatient cooks so don’t try this dish if you are in a big hurry.
Okra is an ingredient that may be hard to find in our neck of the woods. If you see some fresh, snatch it up, otherwise, frozen will do in a pinch. It has a bad rap even among southerners because of its reputation of being slimy . In this case, it serves as a thickening agent and the texture isn’t offensive at all. I love the flavor it adds to gumbo, although some family members were spotted slipping their okra to those who appreciate its unique ability to glide across the plate.
The “holy trinity” of gumbo cooking is onions, peppers and celery. I used onions, red peppers and a jalapeno instead because that is what I had on hand. Tomatoes are also necessary making this a good summertime dish.
Seafood, although an important component, can be whatever is fresh and local. Shrimp and crab are common but a mixture of fish, chicken and sausage is just as likely to be used. Go to your local seafood market and use whatever just came in off the boat.
The following recipe will feed 12-16 people. It can be adapted easily to incorporate local ingredients making it a good choice for feeding a large group regardless of which coast you happen to be on. The base can be made a day ahead, adding the fish just before you eat. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Produce, Protein
9
July
2008
With tomatoes in season, there is no place I’d rather be than North Carolina. Growing up, one of my all-time favorite foods was a tomato sandwich — just bread, big slices of ripe tomatoes, mayo and plenty of salt and pepper. There were hot summer days when I would be perfectly happy to have a tomato sandwich and nothing else except maybe a big glass of iced tea.
In my mind, the BLT is a fancy tomato sandwich. If you are trying to be traditional, white bread is the way to go but a good local sourdough is permissible. Smear both pieces generously with mayo, then add slices of tomato and salt and pepper. From there you can continue to build your sandwich anyway you like –crispy bacon and crunchy lettuce for the classic BLT or add sliced turkey and another slice of bread to make a triple-decker club sandwich. In the end, it all comes down to the perfectly ripened tomato, something we, in the Pacific Northwest, can only get during the summer. At the University Farmers Market you can get tomatoes from Billy’s, lettuce from Let Us Farm (Tolt’s) or Willie Green’s and bacon from Skagit River Ranch or Wooly Pigs .
If you are thinking about that bathing suit you need to fit into and want a little less bread, try a BLT salad. I found this recipe on epicurious.com and don’t know why I haven’t thought of it before. It makes a lighter meal than the traditional BLT without sacrificing the essential ingredients.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Produce, Protein
26
June
2008
Who knew that a piece of wild Alaskan salmon and a yogurt raita from southern India, accompanied by a piece of naan, could land on the same plate and have a decent conversation.
Traditionally Indian and Greek condiments, raita and tzatziki use similar ingredients and are served with lamb or grilled veggies. We enjoyed the flair of something different and thought the carrot raita went well with salmon.
About the fish: We’re being careful with our salmon consumption these days, both for the causes of sustainability and for our pocketbooks. We often buy from Loki Fish where we know they’re committed to the survival of salmon; we eat it less often and in smaller amounts. A three-quarter pound piece made four hefty sandwiches. (Check out Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch for information on sustainable seafood choices.)
A local meal for summer: Salmon from Loki Fish, carrots for the raita from Willie Greens, Nancy’s plain yogurt, and pea shoots from the backyard or Whistling Train Farm. Add the shoots to a salad, or sauté slightly with a little oil and garlic, sort of like spinach says Shelley of WTF.
Carrot Raita Recipe:
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Dairy, Eat Local, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Protein
26
June
2008
If you’re serious about eating from garden plot to plate, this is the dish for you. You can literally make this sauce while sitting at your picnic table, going inside only to cook the pasta. It’s that easy and brings out all the summery flavors of tomato, basil and garlic in a way that cooked sauce just can’t do.
First you need at least 4 large ripe tomatoes. I got mine from Billy’s last weekend at the University Farmers Market. Billy has a bin with “seconds” most of which are fine if you’re going to use them soon. He grows a very respectable beefstake-type tomato, even for a picky southern girl like me. It is hard to get enough heat here for ripened-on-the-vine tomatoes but Billy’s are as good as any in the northwest. He also has big bunches of basil so be sure to pick up one of those too. He specializes in all the favorite hot weather crops — tomatoes, peppers and eggplant along with luscious strawberries.
Making the rounds at the market, I got the rest of the necessary ingredients for my pasta. Alm Hill Gardens had garlic, not dried yet, mild and fresh-tasting. La Pasta makes many different kinds of pasta. I bought the spinach linguine, simple and yet distinct. Port Madison makes a wonderfully gentle goat cheese adding a creaminess to the sauce. The only ingredient I didn’t find at the market was brie cheese. If I had bought more chevre, I could have done without the brie but a mixture of the two is also nice. La Panzanella is back at the market so you may want to get a loaf of bread to dip in this addictive sauce. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, In The Garden, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Produce
20
June
2008
Chicken salad, a summer classic, is a good choice for a local meal to celebrate the summer solstice. This time of year I like to fix meals that take very little preparation and can be easily moved outdoors if the sun decides to break through the clouds and give us a few extra hours of sunshine. Besides, if we get a full day of sun, who wants to spend time indoors cooking?
The main ingredients you need for chicken salad is, of course, chicken and equally important, mayo. During the summer, mayo becomes its own “food group” in our house. You can make your own if you want to keep it local. The rest of the ingredients can be improvised from whatever you have in your fridge.
I had lots of fresh vegetables from the Farmers Market and this is a great way to use them. I included broccoli and baby bok choy from Willie Greens, hazelnuts from Holmquist Orchards, spinach and garlic scapes from Alm Hill Gardens and dill from Let Us Farm (Tolt Gardens). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Protein
6
June
2008
Now that I know how to make fresh homemade ricotta, I’ve been searching for exciting ways to use it. I came across a recipe I had cut out of the Pacific Northwest Magazine in March for gnudi and thought I’d give it a try. I’d never heard of gnudi but read that it is “naked” ravioli or ravioli without the pasta. It is similar to gnocchi but the main ingredient is ricotta cheese, not potato. I couldn’t resist this recipe created by Scott Staples of Restaurant Zoe. No instant gratification here — it has to “cure” for several days to form an outer “shell”. Evidently, that is Scott’s secret to success for making gnudi that maintains it’s integrity. I made some quickly on Monday night and kept the vision of serving luscious little ricotta pillows swimming in sage butter by Thursday as my motivation.
I must give you fair warning — you may get some looks if asked what you are doing while making this. Just answer, “makin’ gnudi” and let the fun begin.
Put 7-8 ounces ricotta in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Mix with a wooden spoon until creamy yet firm. Add more cream if necessary.The mixture needs to be the right consistency to form a ball and hold together. The recipe says store-bought whole-milk ricotta will work if you can find some with visible curds and texture.
Put a layer of 2-3 cups semolina flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill from Oregon) on a sheet pan. Shake the pan to create a level surface. Use a teaspoon to scoop each ball of ricotta mixture and place on the sheet pan.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Appetizers, Dairy, Eat Local, Local Meals, On the Local Table
23
May
2008
My garden seems to have sprung into action with the heat last weekend. The herbs are practically begging to be picked and eaten. A few years ago I heard a lecture by Eaglesong, an herbalist who runs Ravencroft Garden and at that time was chief gardener at the Herbfarm. One of the things she said that stuck in my mind was the more you pinch your herbs, the happier they’ll be. So don’t hold back, go ahead and pluck away. They will thank you by growing even more vigorously. In the case of chives, they are already blooming so it is almost time to cut them down and start all over again.
Scissors in hand, I headed out to make my herbs happy and hopefully my dinner guests too. I had in mind herbed goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts. Port Madison Farm on Bainbridge Island makes an unforgettable crumbly, tangy, soft goat cheese perfect for this recipe. They sell it and other goat cheeses at several of the Farmers Markets. In case you are wondering, the basil in the photo also came from the Farmers Market, unfortunately my garden isn’t warm enough yet for that. This is a wonderful dish to make for guests since you can do most of the work ahead of time and then sit back and enjoy the company and the garden. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, In The Garden, Local Meals, On the Local Table, Protein
