Father's Day Food Memories

My dad ate an egg every morning ever since I could remember. He'd heat the skillet, crack an egg into it and wait for the whites to cook before scrambling the egg. Later when I saw Julia Child cooking omelets on TV I wondered why Dad didn't whisk his eggs before he cooked them.

Mom once whispered that it was because of the War.

Dad was in the Coast Guard during World II, which falls under control of the Navy during war time. He was stationed in the Marshal Islands and he had lots of pictures--baracks, ships, beaches, palm trees, servicemen and even a little dog on board the ship, but not surprisingly no photos of war time food.

During the war eggs were in short supply. Service men ate reconstituted powdered eggs every morning and they also ate plenty of dehydrated potatoes, spam, oats, rice and S.O.S. (shit on a shingle)--"creamed" chipped beef on toast. Not much in the way of fresh vegetables and fruits, but dad did say they ate tropical fruit on the island.

He married Mom when he was leave.

Beyond grilling Dad about war time menus, I didn't think much about his service until I read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This riveting tale follows the life of Louis Zamperini an Olympic runner and World War II bombardier whose plane went down in the Pacific Ocean. After crashing into the ocean, Louis and two other men survive on a life raft with sharks up to 20 feet long circling and leaping aboard. One man dies on the raft and the two that survive get "rescued" by the Japanese who brutalize them in war camps until the end of the war.

Hillenbrand's vivid details and compelling narrative made me wonder about Dad's service in the Pacific. Dad wasn't the pack rat that Louis Zamperini was (this article says his scrapbook alone weighs 63 pounds!), but Dad had pictures, a Navy manual and this old cigar box filled with a photographs, and a newsletter called "The Martial Air."

The war in the Pacific was called "The Pacific-Asiatic Theatre." The picture of the Japanese military man says AdmiralYamamoto--handwritten on the back. I did a google search and learned he's the man who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor and coordinated the war in the Pacific. I wish I knew the story behind the picture and how it ended up in Dad's treasure box.

The only story I know is that once when a boat that Dad was on capsized, he swam at least five miles to shore and sent a rescue boat out to pick up his crew mates. I'm not sure about sharks in the water, but maybe my dad earned his nickname "The Shark," earlier than I imagined.

My uncle (below with Mom and Dad) was a bombardier during the war and flew 50 missions over Germany in a B17, apparently a much more reliable plane than the B24, called a flying coffin by Zamperini.

Unbroken is hero's journey wrapped in a roller coaster tale where Japanese POWs were lucky to come out of the camps alive. This book gave me a new perspective about a war I had little knowledge about, and it gave me so much more reason to be grateful for life which so many people take for granted.

I'm lucky I ended up with so many pictures but I'm sorry Dad isn't around to fill in the stories.

I'm pretty sure dad would think the eggs I buy at the market are way too expensive. A frugal soul, Dad grew up during the Depression and when I learned that nonrated servicemen during the Navy earned only $54 a month--I totally get why Dad was a saver and opted for cheaper options at the grocery store.

But I love these eggs and I like the that my money helps support local farms.

It doesn't really matter whether you whisk them before you cook them or not, the taste is pure luxury, and even with my $100 a week food budget, these farm raised eggs are always on my list.

Finn just wants a few good leftovers! May your Father's day food memories bring you joy!

Berried Treasures: Balsamic Marinated Strawberries

This weekend is the 80th annual Marysville strawberry festival. Back in 1931 strawberry growers around Marysville got together in town to celebrate their crops. Now the annual fest attracts more than 100,000 people each year!

Marysville was actually the strawberry capital of the world at the turn of the 20th century. The 1920s were boom times for growers, but then in 1955 a freeze wiped out the crops and so many farmers quit farming. California edged in and stole the leading strawberry producer slot, and since the 1960, strawberry crops have been intensely grown there.

Sure they have lots of strawberries and maybe they are cheaper, but who needs California berries in the Northwest?

I want to check out this festival and I hope you put it on your list, too. A small town parade, carnival rides and games, a talent show and adult tricycle races. This I've got to see. And what else? A strawberry shortcake eating contest, of course!

These are berries from Dennison Farms at the Corvallis farmers' market. Check out all those empty boxes behind the table. I love this farm's produce!

I wrote about berries in this month's Take 5 column for Marlene's Market and Deli--five health benefits of berries. I did a lot of research and I was amazed to learn how many benefits berries offered. I thought I'd share them with you.

The Health Benefits of Berries

1. Fight cancer

Studies have shown that the ellagic acid in raspberries, strawberries and cranberries slows the proliferation of breast, prostate and colon cancer cells.

2. Enhance Memory

Certain compounds in berries offer memory insurance by stimulating brain pathways responsible for long-term memory. Finn never forgets where you put that bowl of berries.

3. Reduce Inflammation

Anthocyanins (the blue and red pigments in berry and grape skins) function as antioxidants and help reduce inflammation. Another berry component, resveratrol, the same ingredient in red wine, strengthens the immune system.

4. Support cardiovascular system

Berries lower blood pressure according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2010. One study followed 200,000 people for 14 year and found that those who ate the most blueberries and strawberries were less likely to ever have high blood pressure. Crazy huh?

5. Promote good vision

Who knew that during World War II British fighter pilots ate European bilberries (close relatives of huckleberries and wild blueberries) to boost night vision before flying night air raids? Leutin and vitamin C are two more vision enhancing nutrients in berries.

The only problem with getting the most benefits from berries is you have to eat lots of them. But that's not really a big problem is it? Chill out. Enjoy berry season because it never lasts long enough.

These Chester blackberries at Ayers Creek Farm were all gone 30 minutes after the market started last summer. This season, I'm going back for more.

Our own strawberries are usually eaten by the slugs before we get them, but we planted more this year so who knows maybe we'll actually get a pint or two. Our raspberries produce more every year and our blueberry bushes--well, they're are only three years old.

Chloe munching on grass while Finn works the camera. Neither one cares about the strawberry blossoms.

Finn totally refused to look at the flowers, but something else caught his eye and he posed in his own way. And to think, I used to wonder why people called basset hounds stubborn.

I found these berries at the Lake City market. Finn is certainly intrigued, he knows a good berry when he sees one. If you don't have balsamic vinegar, use raspberry wine. Around Seattle the stuff from R0ckridge Orchards is heavenly.

Try this recipe with coconut sorbet or serve them over shortcake!

Balsamic Marinated Strawberries

(Serves 4)

Use organic options, if possible, and the best balsamic vinegar you have. I prefer spearmint leaves but chocolate mint is pretty cool, too.

2 to 3 cups sliced fresh berries

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

2 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

A few mint leaves

Sprinkle sugar over berries.

Add balsamic vinegar and gently toss.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Garnish with mint leaves.

No photo shoot would be complete without my Assistant's help. (Or so he thinks.) He almost looks as if he's meditating. Have a sunny weekend!

The Soup Project: Spinach Soup with Cashew Cream and Morels

A search for soup ingredients

I was on the lookout for soup inspiration and I found an abundance of greens at the markets. When I saw the spinach at Nash's I knew this had to be the soup of the week. But I only got one bunch. Later after giving my recipe some thought, I knew I didn't have enough spinach for a soup. So on Sunday I went to Ballard market and stopped at Nash's booth to get more spinach.

News from Nash's Farm in Sequim

Kia was there and she mentioned that Nash's farm store is moving to the old Glendale Creamery Building down the street. I'd been to the old building once when I went on a Tilth Producers farm walk in 2008, and when I stayed for the seed and grain growing seminar in the afternoon it was held in the old Creamery.

This is Nash talking about seed and grain growing on his farm in 2008. I was between books then, and I was working on updating farmer profiles from my first book Local Vegetarian Cooking. While I was at the seed growing seminar, I overheard farm workers talking about how the creamery would one day be the new farm store.

My first book with Washington farmer profiles that included Nash Huber's farm.

When I saw Kia at the Ballard market, she said the new farm store opening was about a month away. She said that the space will host cooking classes, workshops and will have an expanded lending library. Then she said renovation for the store will be extensive and in order to comply with building codes, their budget now exceeds what they'd had earmarked for the project.

This is a picture of the old store in case you haven't seen it. Off to the left you can barely see that part of the store is a tent-like structure with a dirt floor. I love this store and have visited it often; they even sell my new book there, but as you can see the look reflects a bygone era. A new store will mean a lot to this vibrant food producing community and it will probably attract a lot more visitors.

Rather than putting the plans for the new store on the back burner again, Nash's farm crew is reaching out to the community and farm supporters for help. Anyone can become a sponsor for as low as $10. and when you donate, your name will be displayed on a big mural. The size of your name corresponds to the size of your donation. Check it out:

Nash's Farm Store Sponsor Categories

Pollinator

$10-99 Helpful Ant

$100-249 Butterfly

$250-499 Lady Bug

$500-999 Honey Bee

Farm Treasure

$1,000-2,499 Ruby-Red Beet

$2,500-4,999 24 Carrot Gold

Sustaining Sunbeam

This contribution feeds the farm store and your family. For every $1,000, you get $500 worth of veggies, fruits, and grains. For example:

$5,000 gets $2,500 worth of food over 5 years

Ants can move mountains, so if you have $10, this is a great place to put it. You can contact them by phone: 360-683-3950

or donate at the farm store:

Nash's Farm Store

4681 Sequim-Dungeness Way

Sequim, WA 98382

or at any of these locations and times:

• Port Angeles market, Saturday
• Sequim Open Aire market, Saturday
• Port Townsend market, Saturday
• Kingston market, Saturday
• Olympic Medical Center, Port Angeles and Sequim, Tuesday afternoon
• U District Market, Saturday
• Ballard Market, Sunday

Check out Nash's website for more information.

Soup inspirations

The last creamy green soup in this project was this Nettle Soup, an inspiration from Jill Nussinow's new e-book and since I used coconut for that soup, I thought about everything else that might lend a creamy texture without adding dairy.

I surfed the net for recipes and checked out this soup and this soup that both featured potatoes and tofu (kind of boring if you ask me) and I found this one from 101 Cookbooks that had potatoes and zucchini (more intriguing) but none were exactly what I imagined. I considered almond milk and then I suddenly remembered cashew cream.

I also had a few mushrooms--three to be exact. I bought a few porcini mushrooms and these morels at Found and Foraged. They were pricy- $8.50 for just a few, but you can use button mushrooms from a store, too. I soaked the morels in water for a bit--bugs live in them you know, and they won't hurt you, but I don't want the bugs in my soup. Then I carefully cut them into tiny pieces and dry-fried them (in a frying pan with no oil) to sprinkle on as garnish after the soup is finished.

Also, be sure to wash the spinach well because like the morel mushrooms, spinach hides bits of sand and dirt. I fill the sink with cold water and swish the leaves. Then I rinse them again under running water. Grit in the soup is not part of the recipe.

Here is the recipe:

Spinach Soup with Cashew Cream

(Serves 4 to 6)

3/4 cup raw cashews

1 cup apple cider

2 spring onions, diced

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 cloves garlic, diced or pressed

1 white waxy potato, peeled and diced

1 small sweet tart apple peeled, cored and diced

3 to 4 mushrooms, washed and cut into small pieces

2 bunches of spinach, ends removed and diced, leaves and stems left whole

4 to 5 cups water

Sea salt

Pepper

Lemon

1. Place cashews in apple cider and soak for one hour or overnight in the refrigerator. Puree until smooth and creamy. Remove from blender or food processor and set aside while you prepare the soup. No need to rinse the blender.

2. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and oil. Stir and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook but don't let the onions brown because this discolors the soup. While onions cook combine potato, apple and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes or until potatoes and apple are fork tender. Puree in the blender with onions and set aside. Still no need to rinse the blender.

3. Heat the same skillet over medium heat and dry fry mushrooms for a few minutes. Add the chopped stems and a little water. Stir and cook until stems become soft. Set aside.

4. Simmer the spinach in a medium-size pan with 3 cups water over medium-low heat until the leaves become soft. Don't overcook them. Puree in the blender with the potato-apple mixture until smooth and creamy. Return to pot, heat briefly. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cashew cream and add fresh lemon juice to taste. Sprinkle the mushrooms and cooked stems over the soup and serve.

Spring Reads: Three Food Memoirs and One Cookbook

Book Reviews

This photo could be called shameless product placement. Check out all the books from my writing group and my two favorite farmer memoirs, but I'm always on the lookout for the next page-turner memoir or inspiring cookbook.

I'd like to share my take on three food memoirs and one cookbook that recently crossed my path.

One caveat for those new to this blog: I'm a vegetarian and before I get a chef or farmer memoir, I usually check it out from the library first. Most these books were written with the average carnivore in mind, and ever since Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential dissed vegetarians and raised the bar for in-your-face how-to-kill-and-cut-up-animal descriptions, I find it's best to check food memoirs out of the library before investing money. In other words, try not to get caught up in the buzz; think before you buy.

I still have visions of Bourdain shooting machine guns with wacko, right-wing, has-been rocker Ted Nugent on YouTube and after he referred to Nugent with his wall of deer heads as an "environmentalist," I chucked my used copy of Kitchen Confidential in the Goodwill pile. But Bourdain doesn't court the vegetarian crowd, and neither did these three memoir writers.

That said, I'll do my best to be impartial in my reviews, but you know which side of the river I'm standing on.

Growing a Farmer: How I learned to Live off the Land by Kurt Timmermeister (2011, W.W. Norton and Co.)

I learned about Kurtwood Farms just last year when the buzz for the book started. The buzz turned into a roar and that combined with the fact Kurtwood Farms is on Vashion Island. I knew, I wouldn't be number one on the library waiting list. I signed on anyway and patiently waited while 38 people read the book first. When the book came in, I couldn't wait to dig in.

Kurt was previously a Seattle restaurateur with dreams of escaping the city, buying a farm and making a living off the land. Through on-the-farm-trial-and-error learning Timmermeister discovered that dream jobs can also disappoint. He documented his failure of raising bees and growing vegetables for market and I admired his perservance as he tried out various farm-business models that would pay the bills. He settled on farmstead cheese and hosting farm dinners.

I skimmed the main chapter on butchering and I took umbrage at the author's contention that pigs "are not capable of anything more complex than trying to get more food and water." Is that a lame excuse for eating meat? If that's what he really thinks, maybe he should talk to Jonathan Balcome who wrote Second Nature, a book that details fascinating studies that reveal many intriguing mental capacities of animals. Turns out, even fruit flies and fish have more complex capabilities than we'd ever imagined Mr. Timmermeister.

The real disappointment of this book was Timmermeister's overwhelminly passive narrative voice that lulled me to sleep every time I started reading. And chapters as categories? Is this a-how- to-farm book or food memoir? I wanted to be inspired but a memoir without story floats along like a dead body. (Try Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken or Seabiscuit and you'll be sucked in by narrative that won't let you put the book down.) Okay maybe I expected too much, after all Timmermeister is a farmer first. At one point, I found myself resisting the urge to count how many times the word "are" appeared on page after page and I wanted to shout--what happened to copy editors? The really shocking part about this is his publishing company publishes college textbooks. Good luck inspiring the next generation.

A Wall Street Journal reviewer also noted that Timmermeister went into too much detail. "We may not all need to know how to cure bloat in a cow's digestive tract." (TMI Mr. Timmermeister) So pick this book up if you like, but I'll return my copy to the sea of library books and let the next person on the list have a go at it.

The Year of the Goat: 40,000 Miles and the Quest for the Perfect Cheese by Margaret Hathaway (2007 Lyons Press)

I discovered this book on the shelf when I got Growing a Farmer and I like a good quest story, it sounded like a fun read and I checked it out. I love the library!

The story is about Margaret Hathaway and her fiance who tire of city life and decide to try their hand at goat farming but before they commit to this life change, they immerse themselves in the world of goats.

I'd hoped was that the authors wouldn't graphically describe dismembering a goat or stop at goat stockyards, but they did, and at just about every stop across the country, they sampled some recipe laden with goat meat. In fact, there was so much goat meat served up in this book, I was relieved when Hathaway finally described the omelettes instead of goat burgers.

This book was mostly funny. Who knew there was such a quirky goat subculture lurking around us? Like obsessed dog or cat show people, goat people ponied up money for goat-themed jewelery, novelty t-shirt, belt buckles, bumper stickers, gift bags and totes at the Annual Dairy and Goat Association Conference. On the last evening of the conference Hathaway and her fiance attended a goat-themed costume ball. Odd ball and obsessive, yet strangly entertaining.

They traveled the country visiting goat farms and auctions, but the most surprising and best part of the book was when Hathaway and her fiance visited Quillisacut Farm School in eastern Washington. You know the Chefs on the Farm book from a few years ago. They were so impressed with the sustainable approach of this farm, they decided to model their own farm after it. The numerous goat meat descriptions were tedious; seriously do people really care about goat meat? If you skim the meat sections, this book can be a fun journey. Check it out (at the library.)

Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton (2011, Random House)

The title alone said "this is a carnivore party; vegetarians stay home," but the buzz for this book was so loud and everyone said the narrative was so compelling, I lost my head and impulsively ordered a copy before I realized I'd just purchased a carnivore memoir that I wouldn't keep. I convinced myself I could skim the meat-centric parts, but little did I know they'd turn up like cow patties in a pasture.

I'd wanted to like this book and initially Hamilton's story pulled me in. Turns out this chef/owner of a small critically acclaimed New York restaurant Prune is also a gifted writer. She begins her story with the annual party her parents threw when she was a child, but at age 12, her parents split up and the "hero's quest story begins." I found her prose enchanting, but like Bourdain she wedges in slings for vegetarians, most of whom probably won't read this book anyway. Check this one:

"The only person from the co-op who's been with us from the beginning and still with us today is a renter; an elderly woman who looks like she's been avoiding animal protein for so long that her skin is now tissue paper and her hair is a brittle as shredded wheat."

Come on, is this woman's brittle hair because she ate too many vegetables and not enough burgers?

The second half of the book flew off course. It disappointed and puzzled me, but now as I read reviews like this one from the Wall Street Journal that says the last word in the title should be "bitter not butter," I realize halfway through the book Hamilton shifted into a self-absorbed mode talking about her loveless "complex" marriage to an Italian man and the summers she spent with her Italian in-laws.

My suggestion: peruse the over 400 reviews at Good Reads and decide for yourself whether this book is worth putting on your "must read" list.

All these reviews put my Assistant to sleep, but stay awake dear reader, the best book I saved for last.
Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson (2011, Ten Speed Press)

A year ago when I started to market my book and began looking at blogs, I found 101 Cookbooks, Heidi Swanson's popular food blog. I became enchanted with the pictures, compelling stories and vegetarian recipes. Her posts inspire many comments and sometimes I even find myself joining the chorus of comments along with this farmer blogger from Vashon Island.

I put her cookbook on my wish list, and then one day I passed the book in a store, thumbed through it and put it in my cart. I wasn't disappointed with this purchase. The recipes are clever and health oriented, and even though some recipes contain cheese, she offers plenty of ideas for inspiration. I mean really, roasted strawberries? I've got to try these as soon as local strawberries arrive. Super Natural Every Day is divided like my book, into sections--breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, drinks, treats and accompaniments. And my only disappointment with this book was there weren't enough soup recipes. Luckily her blog fills that gap.

And when I'm searching for online inspiration, Swanson's blog is one of the first places I look. Here is one recipe for multigrain waffles that intrigued my Cooking Assistant. I don't buy that many cookbooks, maybe one or two a year. This book definitely gets 4 paws up.

The Soup Project: Spring Vegetable Soup with Red Lentils

I can't believe I'm nearly halfway through my Monday soup project that started in January as a part of my New Year resolution to live on a food budget of $100 for two people. (FYI--$100 a week is not as easy as it may sound for someone who has become a local food snob.)

Still halfway through the Soup Project is a star for me, and I'll tell you why. When I was about thirteen, I was sent to the school office where a school psychologist gave me a series of tests. At the end of the test, I asked the man what the test told him and he said that I give up on things too easily, that I don't finish what I start, that my approach to life was as a failure. Later, when I cried about the incident to my mom, she was livid that the school gave random psychiatric tests. The next day, she marched into the school office and gave them a piece of her mind. I'll never forget how she stood up for me, what it felt like to have someone in my court, and also what it felt like to have someone in authority tell me I was destined for failure.

His words came back to me when I graduated from Western Washington University, taught cooking classes at PCC Natural Markets for 16 years, got my first magazine article published, self published my first book and got a publisher for my second book. I thought about how easily a grownup might damage a young person's psyche. Now, whenever I start a project, I set out to prove the man who cast the evil spell on me wrong.

The Soup Project continues. . .

The problem I've run into with creating a soup week after week for 52 weeks is that after awhile my ideas begin recycling themselves--a curried soup, a lentil soup, a pureed soup. I wanted something different.

I searched my favorite books like Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman and found inspiring ideas in both, but nothing that gelled for my soup of the week.

By Friday evening, I'd decided to let market choices guide my creation, but I didn't have much time to spend there, since I had an early class on blogging scheduled for Saturday morning.

I got to the market early and decided one of the main ingredients in my soup had to be the white frills mizuna greens that I fell in love with at Let Us Farm. The hint of wasabi intrigued me, but I didn't want the soup to be a repeat of my Turnip Greens Soup or my Creamy Curried Nettle Soup.

I put a number of ingredients from different farmers at the market on hold; then I went back after my class to pick up my selections. I didn't have a list (FYI: no list is big mistake if you're on a budget) and on my way out of the market when I passed Found and Foraged and saw porcini mushrooms and picked about six and just about fell over when I discovered they were $16--almost a fifth of my food budget. Instead of putting them back, like I probably should have, I told myself I'd cut back somewhere else and resolved to bring a list next week. I could write a book on how food budgets fail.

At home I gathered things from my pantry. These roasted dried tomatoes are the last of my stash from Ayers Creek Farm and the red lentils make this savory spring soup thick almost like an old-fashioned pottage.

Another impulsive find at the market was these English peas from Mair Farm-Taki. These are the first peas I've seen at the market and I often get too excited when produce first appears and when I bought them, I wasn't thinking about how first of anything commands a high price. (You snobs now on a food budget take note.)

Even my Cooking Assistant was astonished at how little $4.00 buys when the pods come off. It looks like maybe 3/4 of a cup. I wonder how much that averages out for each pea. I should have weighed the peas and pods to get a better idea of the price per pound, but maybe that might have seemed as depressing as the $30 a pound for porcini mushrooms.

I created this soup as I made it. Use as many fresh spring vegetables as you like. I like to serve it with rice--my favorite variety is from Massa Organics. My Cooking Assistant is so fond of grilled vegetables, I had to add them to this week's soup selection.

Spring Vegetable Soup with Red Lentils and Grilled Vegetables

(Serves 6)

4 yellow baby summer squash, cut in half lengthwise

1 pound of asparagus, tough ends removed

1/4 cup Italian vinaigrette

1 sweet onion, peeled and diced

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

5 or 6 mushrooms, sliced (use button, cremini, or porcini)

5 to 6 cups water or stock

3 or 4 spring turnips, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

1 to 1 1/2 cups dried frozen roasted tomatoes (if using store bought dried tomatoes, use 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup red lentils

4 cups finely sliced greens (use mizuna, chard, spinach or mustard greens)

Fresh peas, as many as you can gather

A handfull of fresh basil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Grill the summer squash and asparagus for about 20 minutes, occasionally brushing with the vinaigrette until fork tender. Grilling time takes approximately 20 minutes, but let the fork in vegetable test tell you when to take them off the grill.

2. Preheat a heavy skillet over medium heat and add the sweet onions. Stir and cook until they begin to lose their moisture and caramelize. Add the garlic, stir and cook for a few more minutes. Mix in the mushrooms and continue to stir until they lose their moisture and brown a little on the outside.

3. Place the water or stock in a soup pot and add the turnips, carrot, roasted tomatoes and lentils. Stir, then cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, then stir in the sauteed vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes before adding the greens, peas and basil. Don't overcook the peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Serve garnished with grilled vegetables.

My Cooking Assistant cheers me on, this is Soup #21--halfway home.

Salad Secrets: Quinoa, Corn and Carrot Salad with Toasted Pecans

This recipe is for my photography class taught by Leslie Saber, an amazing fountain of energy. I suspect she never sleeps and I can't believe all the things I now know about my camera and photography--white balance, panning, lighting secrets, how to use Lightroom. I'd sign up for another class with her any day.

When I make it for dinner for Tom I serve it warm, and never call it a salad. Tom has a very different opinion about what makes a salad, and it doesn't include quinoa, so I've learned to call this a pilaf for dinner. I still add everything that makes it a salad in my book--raw vegetables, greens and that familiar acidic tang.

If this salad has one secret, it's the vinegar. Don't go cheap because good balsamic vinegar is the keystone of this salad. I like Fini, but shop around. I've found different varieties ranging up to $40. You don't need the top level of this brand. I found a reasonable price at Williams Sonoma and put it on my birthday wish list. The bottle on the website is twice the size of the one in their store, which was around $10. A little goes a long way with this stuff. Also, although the recipe specifies pecans, I've used walnuts, cashews and hazelnuts in this.

Use a very fine strainer for rinsing the quinoa. If you don't have one, use a nylon bag to rinse the tiny grains.

Quinoa, Corn and Carrot Salad with Toasted Pecans

(Serves 6)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1 3/4 cup water

1 cup corn, fresh or frozen

Dash of salt

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 fresh cloves garlic, minced or pressed (or use 1/4 teaspoon dried garlic granules)

1/2 tablespoon chopped Mama Lil's Peppers or 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 cup finely chopped greens (mizuna, curly parsley, spinach, or chard)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup pecans

1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add rinsed quinoa, stir and cook until toasted.

2. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add toasted quinoa, corn and a dash of salt. Bring to a second boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Allow quinoa to sit 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. While quinoa cooks combine vinaigrette.

3. Combine balsamic vinegar, oil, garlic and peppers. Set aside.

4. Place quinoa and corn, carrots, green onions and greens in a big bowl. Stir to combine, then add the vinaigrette slowly, blending in as you add. You may find you may not need it all and can save some for another salad. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Mix in the pecans just before serving.

Yesterday I made this salad and tossed it with sauteed spring onions, porcini mushrooms and white frills mizuna, a mustard green that has a hint of wasabi flavor. I got it at the market from Let Us Farm--check out the picture.

And check out this picture below. Since I took the photography class I've learned to carry my camera with me at all times. This one was priceless. Thanks Leslie!

$100 a Week: Kia's Money Saving Tips from Nash's Farm

I couldn't believe it when I found Kia's money saving tips for shopping local on Nash's website. Her tips were right up my alley with my $100 a week food budget and I learned a few things reading her tips, so I called her at the farm and asked if I could rerun her tips for this blog.

I have a bit of history with Nash's farm. I profiled Nash and his farm in my first book and when I updated Nash's farm profile for The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook these pictures (all except the last one) were submitted to Timber Press for a chance to be included in the final copy.

Hope you get as much from Kia's tips as I did.

Tips for Saving Money and Shopping Local

By Kia Armstrong at Nash's Organic Produce (check out this cool website)

1. Go back to the same farmers' markets or farm stand regularly and get to know the people who are selling their locally grown veggies, fruits, grains, breads, pasta, etc. Your loyalty may earn you a discount from time to time.

2. One of the keys to strike a deal with farmers is to ask questions. Take the time to ask about buying seconds or purchasing items in bulk. Seconds are perfectly fine to eat but may be misshapen and not as pretty as the #1 quality produce on display.

3. Know what's in season so it will be easier to understand the local growing system and what will be least expensive at your neighborhood Farm Stand or Store.

4. Check out a CSA, or Farm Share program. Invest upfront in a farm, and receive weekly boxes of seasonal fresh food. Farmers usually give their CSA members an excellent value for their dollar since they appreciate subscribers’ support. Many CSA’s offer discounted working shares, or payment plans.

5. Walk around the farmers market first before purchasing anything. There are usually several competitors for the same fruits and vegetables, so look at all the produce available and see what the competing prices are.

6. Arrive early at a market for best picks or leverage closing time for a good deal, farmers don't want to leave with a full truck. Be careful not to barter too much, farmers are primarily interested in building long-term customer relationships and they have worked hard to bring their products to market. Try out something like, “I see that you have some food left over, and I want to help out. What can you give me for $20?” By initially offering a set amount of money and giving the farmer a choice in what to sell you, the farmer will be inclined to give you both a good deal and the best of what his or her table has to offer.

7. Many farmers sell fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits that you can take home and plant yourself! Consider starting a small box of herbs or some frequently used veggies, such as salad greens (which you can cut and they’ll re-grow!)

8. Consider raising your own small animals in your backyard, such as chickens, turkeys, dwarf goats, ducks and rabbits. You can harvest eggs, milk and meat from these animals, ensuring that you know where the food is coming from and it is healthy.

9. Instead of just car-pooling, consider “cow-pooling". Get together with friends or neighbors to purchase healthy, grass-fed, beef, pork, lamb, etc from local farmers. Ask questions about how farmers are raising their animals and look for healthy animals that are free of antibiotics or hormones.

10. Many farmers' markets are sponsored by local organizations that need volunteers to help keep them running. Becoming a volunteer at the market will help you get to know the vendors who sell at the market and they will get to know you. Volunteers are often rewarded for their efforts with generous discounts and gifts from the vendors.

11. Bring your favorite farmer or producer a cup of hot coffee, or a taste of something you just whipped up in the kitchen with fresh ingredients. Compliment them if you enjoyed their food, let them know you appreciate their hard work…you may end up saving some money!

12. Inquire at your local DSHS office or Senior Center about Washington State WIC and Senior Nutrition Programs. You might be eligible to receive free vouchers that are redeemable for fresh fruit and produce at farmers markets.

13. Buy veggies, grains and fruits in bulk with family and friends to save significant money.

14. Offer the farmers more than cash. Farmers are independent and sometimes unconventional. The nature of farming a strong desire and tendency for bartering. A farmer, like anyone else, specializes in a certain trade or skill. If you also have a skill or service that you can offer—website design, carpentry, tax preparation, art, etc.—a farmer may be willing to trade for your services.

15. Participate in local gleaning or community gardening opportunities. A little donated time can provide welcome wealth of local food in your life.

Doesn't matter what size they are, carrots are my Cooking Assistant's first choice from my market bags.