28
August
2008
Sunday night is fish night at our house, usually salmon from Loki Fish. We buy a piece at the Farmers Market, take it home and cook it right away.
This is a family owned and run business. Take a look at owner Pete Knutson’s profile on the PCC website; he’s an experienced fisherman/environmentalist and more. While father Pete and brother Jonah are out fishing, Dylan handles the retail side at local markets. As with Billy’s, Whistling Train, Stoney Plains, Sea Breeze, Alm Hill and other vendors, the weekly exchange with our fishermen and women brings us to connection with the uniqueness of our region and its indigenous whole food.
All of Loki’s fish comes from Puget Sound or Alaska, they deal with no processors, no middlemen whatsoever, but sell directly to consumers at Seattle Markets. This video, Jonah’s Boat, shows how twenty-six year old Jonah is experiencing the fishing season on his own boat, following in his father’s footsteps at least in this regard. The brief video provides a glimpse of the people connected with putting fresh fish on our tables, in this case by fishermen who are environmentally and sustainably conscientious. We see that a beautiful setting is some compensation, but fishing for a living has its ups and downs. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Local Living, On the Local Table, Our Farmers, Food Producers, & Fishermen, Protein
27
August
2008
The succotash I grew up with — frozen lima beans and corn — hardly did justice to the ancient origins of this combination. Originally, it was a Native American dish using two of the oldest and most important foods in our culture, corn and beans. Succotash doesn’t seem to be well known in the Pacific Northwest but is chock-full of vegetables available now in our local markets and will make a great addition to your summer repertoire.
Sweet corn is best eaten on the day it’s picked. Alice Waters reminds us that seeing a worm at the tip is a good indication that no pesticides have been used and that, of course, is a good thing. Corn on the cob is one of the simplest ways to eat it, but I love corn cut off the cob. Wrap up a packet of cut corn dotted with butter in foil, and place on the grill with your meat or fish — couldn’t be easier.
There are several methods for cutting corn off the cob and lots of kitchen gadgets to make it easier. It seems the main issue is containing the kernels once they are cut. For years, I’ve been laying the corn on it’s side and cutting it that way. I could have sworn Charlie taught me that method.
When I asked him to help me me with these photos, I was informed he has a completely different method. At least he humored me by demonstrating the “old” method, which I still believe is a good one. The new and improved way is to first cut off the stem from the bottom (the stem might interfere with making a straight cut down the side) and then cut the ear in half.
This will give you a flat edge to set the ear on vertically. A shorter piece is easier to control too. Whichever method you prefer, to make this succotash, you need corn from two ears.
There are lots of ingredients but you can buy practically everything fresh from local vendors - the only essentials are corn & beans. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, On the Local Table, Produce, Protein
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
23
June
2008
I wanted to love duck eggs. Really. I had seen Jamie Oliver using them on my favorite (and only) cooking show, Jamie at Home. He makes everything look healthy and delicious. (The fact that he is so adorable doesn’t hurt). He was dipping asparagus into a soft-boiled duck egg surrounded by his huge kitchen garden. It was all too perfect, yet something told me I might not like it as much as he seemed to. My resistance obviously needed to be overcome, it was just too irrational for someone who is willing to try almost anything.
The next week I bought a dozen at the Farmers Market from Rickman Gulch Farm. They were fresh, organic and big. I brought them home and had one for our usual Saturday morning breakfast after the market — poached eggs, toast made from fresh bread and loads of salad greens with olive oil. The first thing I noticed was the size of the egg. It barely fit in a poaching cup but I couldn’t hold that against it. I overcooked it slightly when I left it in too long to compensate for the size. Overall, my first experience was pretty good…. the shell was quite hard, the white only slightly rubbery, the yolk rich. I was encouraged… I thought I could handle duck eggs.
Later in the week, I went all out. I decided to try a vegetarian eggs benedict-type dish using duck eggs and asparagus. I bought a ciabatta roll from the Essential Baking Company instead of using an english muffin because I knew I was going to need more room to accommodate the generous size of the egg. Again, the egg was large in the poacher but I had my technique down the second time. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Farmers Markets, On the Local Table, Protein
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
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
15
May
2008
We often have a Friday evening gathering of family and friends. Usually it is spontaneous and I’ll pull out whatever we have in the fridge and put together a couple of plates of appetizers. I’m always trying to think of new ways to use the same ingredients without having to plan ahead or work too hard. Lettuce wraps… why didn’t I think of them sooner?
Last week I was inspired by the return of our favorite lettuce vendor, Tolt Gardens (letusfarm@earthlink.net), to the University Farmers Market. I’ll have to say, Charlie loves Tolt lettuce more than anything else at the market. He usually buys more than we need because it all looks so good. Rather than fight his impulse, I decided to find more ways to use this delectable lettuce.
Inspired by Ivy Manning’s new book, the Farm to Table cookbook, “lettuce bundles” presented a great solution. I made them fairly true to her recipe and they were a huge hit. Watching everyone dipping and wrapping, I realized you can use lettuce to wrap just about anything or just dip it in any sauce and it makes a fabulous local appetizer made from things on hand. Ivy’s recipe uses several non-local ingredients that you can add or not, depending on your own preferences. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Appetizers, Eat Local, Farmers Markets, On the Local Table, Produce, Protein
12
May
2008
From a local farm to a local table, the art of eating locally is the general idea behind Ivy Manning’s The Farm to Table Cookbook (Sasquatch Books, 2008).
Photo by Gregor Torrence
She uses local Swiss chard, spinach and feta for her phyllo pockets with a yogurt dill dip. Translate her ingredient suggestions for products from Portland, OR locales and use greens, leeks, cheese and eggs that can be found at Farmers Markets in your own neighborhood - this link shows what’s ripe and ready.
Thank you, Ivy, for creating and sharing a Pacific Northwest version of this classic.
Swiss Chard and Feta Phyllo Pockets with Yogurt Dill Dip
6 servings
This recipe combines tender Swiss chard leaves with spinach and locally made feta cheese for a tasty take on the Greek spanikopitta phyllo pies. The goat’s milk and sheep’s milk feta cheeses offered by cheese makers at farmer’s markets are usually a much higher quality than the salty, mass-produced fetas sold in grocery stores. I use the mild, creamy goat’s milk feta from Alsea Acres, available at Portland-area farmer’s markets and online (see Resources). Use the best feta you can find.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Eat Local, Produce, Protein
