An Affair with Asparagus

I've been so consumed with berries and cherries that I have been neglecting my good friend asparagus here on the blog. Asparagus is like a childhood friend. Now she lives too far away to have a day to day impact on adult life. But because relations with her were so strong at some point it doesn't matter how many miles or how many days separate us. Whenever there is an opportunity to catch up on life there is always a strong sense of comfort and appreciation towards one another and a longing desire to be together in the interim.

Asparagus was a memorable food from my childhood. We didn't eat it often and certainly not seasonally.  Well I suppose it was seasonal wherever the asparagus was grown because asparagus is not a vegetable that can be forced. She comes up but once a year in late spring to display all her glory and then ducks into the shadows while annual vegetables steal the summer spot light biding time until next season. So whenever that garden miracle occurred, be it in China, Peru, Germany or Australian in the case of imports or California, Michigan or Washington in the case of domestic commercial production, and the veggie showed up in our local chain grocery store, my mom would purchase a bundle of spears and either grill, steam or saute them. They were a preferred vegetable side at my childhood dinner table.  Perhaps it was because they seemed novel each time they showed up.  Perhaps it was because of what we called them: monkey tails! It was the clever name my mom and uncles gave them when the were children and it stuck with the next generation. "Are we having monkey tails for dinner?" I would eagerly ask each night after knowing that my mom had bought some at the store. My relationship with asparagus was strong, I absolutely loved eating it, but is was sporadic if not somewhat unpredictable. But never the less it had a lasting impact on my taste buds and I always look forward to its return in spring.

This borrowed caption shows how asparagus is harvested from a home garden.

As a seasonal vegetable, asparagus comes when it comes and goes just as quickly. It's not a vegetable that can be extended early into the season and it will only come back nice and tender (read edible) so many times before nature must take its course and monkey tail enthusiasts must wait until next season.  Because asparagus is a late spring vegetable I use it to gauge the timing of the harvest for the year. Though not the first vegetable to come up, it is a good of the season's timing. This year asparagus came early and so too have the other crops that followed (apricots and cherries for instance as you can read about here). Luckily asparagus decided to stick around this year. I'm not sure why or what factors played into this gift, but the farmer I buy asparagus from has been selling it for several weeks longer than normal.  Generally speaking I consume asparagus by steaming, grilling, sauteing, or broiling it. I use it as a dinner side and I love it mixed with other spring greens in scrambled eggs or omelets in the morning and as an addition to pasta in the afternoon. Its even yummy thrown on a spring pizza. But this year I have been challenged to find new and creative ways to eat asparagus since it is only appealing as is for so long. Even though I've eaten my fair share I can't ignore asparagus so long as she is around, so I've had to get creative. A quick note about asparagus before I delve into a recipe I recently tried and loved and an original one I tested out on the 4th of July. Asparagus does not preserve well (although I've never pickled it- which sounds good). The preservation guidebooks I refer to recommend freezing it, but I find that it is excessively soggy once cooked and it is never as tender as it was in the spring.  The entire spear takes on the tough stringy-ness like the bottom of a fresh spear (which you would cut off). There are other veggies, like corn, peas and green beans, that store much better for winter use. So when it comes to asparagus it is wise to appreciate her while she is here and let her go with confidence knowing that she will return just when your desire and longing for her is strongest. She is indeed the epitome of seasonal eating!

Asparagus can be served, by itself, steamed, broiled, grilled or sauteed.

You will find basic ways to prepare asparagus under the recipe tab or by clicking here.  Since asparagus season lasted longer than normal this year I also had a chance to try out some new and creative ways to use asparagus including the recipe for Asparagus Goldenrod found below. Asparagus Goldenrod is a breakfast dish combining the spears with hard boiled eggs. It is a vegetarian dish unless you add a meat on the side like I did. In fact, it reminds me of a modern version of biscuits and gravy with a vegetarian twist. This is a great savory breakfast meal for the weekend or thrown together on a weekday if you hard boil and peel the eggs the night before. 

This non traditional savory breakfast will brighten your morning and fill your stomach.

Another great way to use asparagus is in a cold Cream Cheese Snack Wrap. These tasty wraps were made with ingredients I had on hand and required very little prep work. Once they were assembled they were left sitting on the table for the household to snack on. It was the 4th of July and we had a yummy french toast brunch that morning so we only needed something light to tie us over until my all-American dinner of hamburgers, watermelon, summer squash and root beer floats (everything made from scratch of coarse). After brunch we went on a midday hike so we were all a little hungry, but because of the afternoon heat and the fact that I was already consumed with prepping for dinner I wanted to keep the munchies simple. These guys did just trick!

These cold wraps are a great grab and go snack item

The Loss of This Year's Cherry Crop

It's CHERRY season!

 The 4th of July is always a fun holiday in my opinion because compared to other holidays its quite relaxing.  My family never had a particular traditional for this holiday, although when I look back I realize celebrations were usually included close family or friends that depended on the local enjoying a truly American meal somewhere near a body of water and possible, but not always a firework show. Since moving to the northwest from the never changing scenery of Southern California I've become accustomed to what seasonal living is like.  Where as in California Memorial day in late May was always a good time to be outside at the beach, in Oregon its generally still chilly and often rainy at that time.  By 4th of July, however, sunshine is pretty much a given.  Another thing that is given around 4th of July is the ripening of the cherries on my sour cherry tree.  Market cherries begin to ripen around the middle of June in our area depending on the location of the orchard and the variety. For the last three years, my cherry tree has reliably been ready for picking the week before or after the 4th. This 4th of July weekend just passed however and there were no cherries from my tree.  In fact the weekend brought with it a sad recollection of this year's cherry crop loss but also triumph in finding a nearby U-Pick orchard with amazing trees!

Harvesting market cherries on a hot day.

A young patch of cherry trees at Root Orchard in Mosier, OR.

Two weeks earlier I went on a three day weekend trip to Joseph, OR (which you can briefly read about here).  The days leading up to the trip were jam packed with food preparation, putting the house in order for a three day absence without supervision and last minute tasks to finish up at work.  On that particular Monday I noticed the cherries on my sour cherry tree, which I can view from the kitchen window, looking particularly vibrant.  At first I thought nothing of it other than how beautiful the bright red was contrasted against the dark green leaves.  No notice was paid to the tree on Tuesday, but I Wednesday I stopped and thought "I wonder if they are ripe? It has been quite an early season after all!" I stumbled upon Thursday faster than I would have liked and all day long I thought I really ought to pick some cherries. I was worried they'd be over ripe by the time I got back from my short trip.  Picking cherries is not time consuming and I actually find it quite relaxing.  What to do with the harvest was the quandary that kept my from picking that day (not to mention last minute packing). Usually I make cherry pie filling. The fruit on this tree is really too sour for much else (though I'd like to dry some in the future but I'm still in the process of finding the right dehydrator for my wants and needs). Even though picking is a swift process, pitting cherries and processing filling can not be expedited.  So I took a deep breath and acknowledged that I could not get everything done and crossed my fingers that the cherries would still be good when I returned.

A close up of cherries in a local orchard.

Sadly that was not the case.  The weekend I was gone and the entire week after I returned was really raining. Unseasonably raining.  Anyone who lives in an agricultural area with cherry orchards and industry can tell you that rain and ripening cherries do not mix.  It usually means a significant loss in the crop because the cherries split.  What I found when I first examined my sad looking crop was not only split cherries but some that were completely covered in mildew and mold, most were just rotten and those that did look salvageable were home to one or two worms per cherry! It was quite a disaster, but not something a seasonal eater can dwell on.  Truth be told, I usually struggle to use up all the pie filling I can so a year without it might do me some good.  The cherries were not left to rot on the tree further however.  I picked them and fed some to the happy hens (after all they contained an extra dose of protein!) and froze the rest in quart size baggies to serve as chicken treats during the winter.

Look at the fourth cherry from the bottom. Mold!

The same image without the flash shows dark spots which indicate rotting.

The happy hens enjoyed the spoiled, but not mildewy, cherries.

Luckily, I was not left completely devoid of cherries this season.  Some nearby farms had a decent crop it turns out (not as a good as normal but not nearly as bad as it could have been thanks to later ripening varieties and a slightly dryer micro climate). So per the usual 4th of July week tradition, I went to a u-pick farm to harvest some Bing cherries for my self created Chipotle Cherry BBQ sauce recipe. We picked 16 pounds in all (the friend I brought along was a litter zealous since it was his first time). We went to a farm I had never been to before that turned out not only to be slightly cheaper per pound, but their trees were much newer and more plentiful in a condensed manner which makes picking super easy. The whole process of driving to the farm and picking 16 pounds took less than one hour!

A young cherry orchard with dense fruit.

Picking cherries is fast and easy!

But as I mentioned earlier, picking is the easy part. I still had a ton of cherries to wash, pit and put up somehow. First on my list of priorities was making a big batch of Chipotle Cherry BBQ sauce so that I could put some reserves on my shelf and have enough to give some as gifts for Christmas.  First I washed and picked out the berries with stems. These were to be saved for munching on throughout the next week or two (cherries with the stems still attached keep longer in the refrigerator).  Next I pitted 4 quarts (around 8 lbs I think) of cherries to make the sauce.  After canning was finished, I pitted the remaining cherries to be frozen for use in desserts, smoothies or other recipes throughout the year.  All that processing happened in one day followed by a small dinner of Chipotle Cherry Chicken wings with a few friends to celebrate the harvest.

The end result: a yummy bowl of plump cherries!

July is National Ice Cream Month

July is National Ice Cream Month! Who would have known?!? I discovered this odd but delightful fact while reading this months AAA magazine (the magazine AAA sends to its members to highlight cool and interesting things to do in your area).  The irony is that I was reading the article while waiting for a vanilla custard to chill on the 4th of July.  The custard was destined to be french vanilla for root beer floats, the all American dessert I planned to serve after my all American 4th of July dinner later that evening.  Afterwards I turned the remaining ice cream into mint chocolate chip to satisfy a craving I'd been having.

What a sweet sight!

Once I'd learned this small tidbit, I had to know more. So I did the next logical thing...I googled it!  A search of 'national ice cream month' resulted in a wikipedia entry (of course) and several news articles including one from the Los Angeles Times highlighting Parmesan Gelato and the Washington Post recommending Doughnut ice cream. Definitely check out these two articles if for no other reason than they both contain great pictures of some truly unique flavors.  Disclaimer: you may end up with a craving for ice cream!  The top search result was the most informative.  The International Dairy Foods Association describes the inception of this meaningless holiday as well as some facts about ice cream and the dairy industry. I also noticed that on the left side menu of the IFDA's website there are lots of other media announcements such as "What's Hot In Ice Cream" (the answer: its still vanilla!). It's amazing what you can learn when you are inquisitive!  As a seasonal eater its important to learn about the history of things because often what was done long ago was done so for a good reason. Although that theory doesn't necessarily apply to National Ice Cream Month it did get me thinking about how I plan to celebrate it.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream shouldn't be green. Freshly chopped mint is all you need!

Since the second week of July is just beginning, I think I will make a new (and seasonal flavor) of ice cream each week this month and highlight some of my favorite desserts centered around ice cream.  I already started with mint chocolate chip last week (mint is usually out of control wherever it grows by this time of year so its a great seasonal add in). Next week I am planning to attend the Portland Berry Festival. I have a great recipe for simple strawberry ice cream that will be very appropriate.  After that who knows?  How will you celebrate National Ice Cream Month???  Share your ideas in the comments section! Then, click here to learn how to make a delectable vanilla ice cream base using homemade vanilla extract and fair trade vanilla beans.

Using Up Last Year's Strawberry Jam

Before I delve into different ways to preserve berries (such as freezing, jams, drying, etc) I think its important to mention ways I am using what I put up year in order to make room for this season's stores. One of the easiest (and possibly most delicious) ways to preserve berries is by making jam.  Last year I experimented with jam recipes using a local variety of berries that are so sweet I wanted to come up with a 'formula' that used less sugar but still jelled properly (because pectin requires a certain amount of sugar to perform its jelling duties effectively).  This season I am going to look into low sugar pectin, but that is for another post and another time.  Because I was testing out different ratios I ended up with a ton of strawberry jam (close to 18 jars for a family of 2).  Basically, there is a lot of jam in the cupboard still!  Luckily jam is a wonderful thing.  Its great on toast of course, but also biscuits, crackers, pancakes, waffles, crepes, rolls (pretty much anything that counts as a carbohydrate).  Jam can also be quickly added to yogurt for flavoring or made into a syrup for ice cream.  One of my favorite ways to use up jam, especially if I have a have full pint jar that is only half used up but has been sitting int he fridge for a while, is to make peanut butter and jelly cookies.

This isn't your childhood PB&J in a plastic baggie.  Same great flavor with a grown up touch.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Makes 30 cookies using a small cookie scoop.
Oven temperature: 350 degrees

Seasonal Summary
Jam!- once preserved its in season all year long.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter 
   (freshly ground is best because it contains nothing but roasted peanuts!)
1/2 cup softened butter- 1 stick
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
more granulated sugar for rolling
1/2 cup jam use any flavor you have on hand)

Adding the sugar to creamed peanut butter and softened butter.

Directions 

1. After preheating the oven, combine the dry ingredients in bowl and whisk two or three times to combine.  
2. Beat peanut butter and softened butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Add sugar and continue beating until smooth.  Continue beating until the egg and vanilla are fully incorporated.
3. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients.
4. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll into balls.  Roll each ball in sugar and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper of a baking mat.
5. Bake for 10 minutes (cookies with be puffy) then remove from oven and use the end of a wooden spoon or other utensil to make an indentation in the center (I use a tool that makes about a 1" indentation so that I have more room to put jam!).
6. Return to over and bake for 6-7 more minutes.
7. Remove baking sheet from oven and lace on a wire rack to cool.
8. Spoon 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. of jam into the indentation of cooled cookies.  The bigger the indentation the more jam!
9. Store cookies in a single layer.

These cookies get gobbled up quick! They are also great at potlucks due to the large batch.

Individual Flash Freezing Technique for Preserving Berries

Berries are quite delicate and don't keep for very long in the fridge. After just a few days they start to get soft and darken and if they are not stored in a single layer (ie you leave them in the berry basket they come in) they can even begin to mildew in that short amount of time. Luckily berries preserve quite well when frozen using a technique called Individual Flash Freezing. Once frozen berries are great in pies, cobblers, cakes and other desserts. They also work well in smoothies and other frozen drinks.  Berries can be thawed and turned into sauces, chutneys and spreads. They are great thrown into oatmeal just before its done cooking or in pancakes and waffles where they add a touch of sweet and juicy flavor to an otherwise boring and routine breakfast. They do not work well thawed and eaten as if fresh.  Keep in mind that once frozen, thawed berries are very mushy. What is preserved however is the incredible color and sweet flavor.

Raspberries are frozen unwashed in a single layer.

Begin by washing* and placing berries that have been patted dry in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or freezer paper. If you are freezing strawberries, slice off the green top also. Freezer paper is sometimes available in grocery or big box stores only on a seasonal basis, but it is a lot cheaper than parchment so I recommend picking it up if its available near you. *Note: I actually don't wash the berries I buy because I know the farmer I get them from and know that they use growing methods I approve of and that they wash them before taking them to market. So for me its a time saver- one less step!  I do wash berries I pick at u-pick farms.

Tops are cut off strawberries and then placed on a baking sheet to be individually frozen.

Place the sheet in a freezer for at least 2-3 hours.  Thicker berries (like strawberries) take longer to freeze. Once frozen, place berries in a freezer baggie or other freezer container. Be sure to label and date the container.  Most preservation guides will tell you berries keep for 1 year. Its true that in a year you will be able to replenish your stock, but I can say that they are just as good when kept longer. One year we significantly over picked blueberries at a u-pick farm (just like grocery shopping can be dangerous when you are hungry, so can picking berries when you ran out of last year's stores early and haven't had any for months!) and it took two years to use up the stock.  The quality of the berries did not diminish in the second year in my opinion. I date the container for another reason. To me this serves as an important reminder of when I need to pick or purchase the following year in order to replenish my supply. Although seasonality fluctuates each year, I've found that the date on the container gives me a good idea plus or minus two weeks of when I should keep my eye out at the market or start checking with u-pick locations. Its a good idea to keep a preservation log just for this purpose. Two or three years into this seasonal style of eating you will be able to tell how early or late the season is based on precedent with the very first crop. In my region, I use asparagus to judge this! Even though there are earlier home crops, asparagus is the first reliable market crop. It can't be forced earlier in a green house, hot house or cold frame so I consider it an to be honest vegetable.

Its crucial to label and date anything you preserve.  Keep a preservation log or write directly on the container.

The great thing about this technique is that once the berries are frozen individually, they stay separated even when thrown into a container together.  That way you can remove and use only what you need without having to thaw out your entire stock. Get ready to enjoy berry smoothies and cobblers all year long!

A Very Berry Smoothie

Berry season is in full swing where I am located (as I thoroughly mentioned in my last post) and for the moment I just can't gobble them up quick enough!  That's what happens when you adopt a seasonal style of eating.  After eight months without fresh berries, they seem like heaven when they arrive.  Since I'm on that note though, I have to mention one thing.  I've tried thus far not to post too much on why I think seasonal eating is the way to go, but I must sit on a soapbox for a moment. When you eat strawberries year round from the grocery store you lose appreciation for them.  I have nothing against big supermarket store bought strawberries (well actually I do because they just don't taste as good, but another point still).  I once lived in a small coastal agricultural community in southern California where the city moto was "California's Strawberry Coastline."  That place was a revolving door as far as strawberry season is concerned.  If I remember correctly they get three plantings in one year. When you have plump red strawberries at your disposal all year long there is no waiting, no anticipation and thus no appreciation.

Mmmm, refreshing and sweet.

One way to show my appreciation for fresh strawberries is to pop berry after berry in my mouth, which makes my taste buds go crazy by the way. I love making fresh berry smoothies.  I make berry smoothies year round (using fruit I freeze when its in season) but its important to enjoy them when the fruit is fresh because let's face it, berries don't stay fresh for long.  So when you get down to the bottom of the berry basket and there are a handful of fruits that are starting to get mushy I throw them into the blender and whip up a smoothie.  Sometimes I throw in vanilla yogurt, spinach or flax seed.  When I'm feeling really decadent or making a smoothie to fulfill a dessert craving I'll top it off with whipped creme like the one above.

The Beginning of Berries

I've bought strawberries the last couple of weeks at the farmers' market (and even some raspberries).  These are the first of many yummy berries coming our way! Berries are great.  They can be eaten now or later.  They are oh so delicious when freshly picked or purchased.  However, they can also be eaten in winter because berries preserve remarkably well when frozen.  Now don't get me wrong, a frozen strawberry in November is not the same as a fresh strawberry in June.  While it is still the same fruit and tastes pretty much the same, the properties are different, one is juicy and tender, the other is mushy!  The point is, you use a fresh strawberry different than a frozen one.  For instance, in the summer I enjoy strawberries (and any berry for that matter) with vanilla yogurt and granola for a quick on the go breakfast.  In the winter, I mix the berries with warm oatmeal topped with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar. Of the course of the next few weeks I look forward to sharing ways to use berries now and discussing how to preserve them for later. For now, enjoy a bit of summer in a bowl for breakfast.

To me this is a sign of summer!

Mushroom Foraging

This weekend I went to Joseph, OR for a wedding.  I had never been that far east in the state and was delighted by the beauty of the area.  I expected eastern Oregon to be entirely desert, but that's not the case.  Both the Blue Mountains and the Wallowas offer extraordinary variation. Trip consisted of some delicious seasonal camp food and an incredible surprise!

Joseph, OR near Wallowa Lake.

Firstly, I've been gone a lot in the past two months so I wanted to do this trip on the cheap which meant camping and packing my own food. I've always had a knack for creating camp menus and packing meals that can be stretched and diversified using the smallest amount of creativity.  This trip wasn't any different.  I packed sour creme bread for chicken salad sandwiches since I always cook a large chunk of some kind of meat the day or two before a trip (in this case a whole roasted chicken).  Its cherry season, albeit a few weeks early where I am at, so a gallon size baggie of cherry tartlets (recipe to come later) served as a constant supply of dessert or an easy munchie.  Also on the menu were chicken burritos (anything you can eat without utensils or plates is great when camping) and of course egg scrambles with lots of spring's final greens including spinach, kale, lettuce, arugula and also asparagus.

This little guy agrees with me, everything tastes better by a campfire!

At the end of the trip a friend and I checked out a river that we both had heard was pretty amazing.  We figured a good teaser would entice us to come back for another visit and it would also give us a chance to stretch our legs before several hours in the car.  So off we went on a short walk in the woods.  We didn't get more than 10 feet from the car when my friend discovered a fairy ring!

Part of a complete fairy ring of coral mushrooms.

I don't know much about mushroom foraging, but as he explained it (and wikipedia later confirmed) a fairy ring is an indication of the outermost reach of the mycelium (is it singular or plural for a single fungus?) network that exists below ground.  The edible mushroom portion that we covet is in fact only a small portion of a fungus- the fruiting part- while the mycelium is the vegetative part.  We found tons of coral mushrooms and many partial fairy rings, but this one was in its entirety which was incredible to behold. 

Yellow blotches outline a fairy ring.  Our small harvest in the bottom right.

This ring was a little past its prime as you can see from the lighter colored mushroom on the right of the picture below, but we collected several young fruits from another area.  (Special considerations: I should note that identifying edible mushrooms takes a lot of skill and training.  I'm not very good at it, but luckily my friend it.  Its important NOT to eat a mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identification!) Although I'm not quite sure what I'll cook up with these mushrooms for dinner tonight, I'm thinking Beef Strogonoff sounds good.  From all the research I've done (and a bit of taste testing the raw mushrooms) this type of mushroom doesn't impart flavor on a dish but rather takes on the flavor of the food its incorporated into.  Since these are so earthy smelling and tasting I think beef will pair nicely with them!

Coral mushroom of varying ages.  The ones on the left and top look yummy!

About the blog, the happy hens, the author and you!

Check out the new About section!  When I first created this blog in the springtime I wanted to create a webpage that was more than just a chronological story of eating seasonally.  My goal was (and still is) for this blog to be used as a tool.  I'm looking forward to making that happen throughout the course of the summer and this new About page is just the start.  In the meantime, don't forget to Eat and Enjoy!

The waiting game is over...

...which means the harvest begins!!!

Note: I am writing this post retroactively.  The event being discussed here occurred the week after Memorial day (around May 27th 2013). 

For those of you that garden or frequent the farmers' markets you know that June signifies a substantial increase in available produce.  March and April have always kept me busy with sowing seeds, pulling weeds and tending beds not to mention doing lawn and other landscape maintenance.  Then May comes along and although the slightly slower pace is much appreciated, the month seems to drag on forever.  It might be because my birthday is at the end of the month...but more likely its because May is a waiting game in the garden.  Lucky for me this year I had the opportunity to go on a four day vacation to the San Juan Islands.  While the weather was decent there (check out the pretty beach and harbor scenes below), back home it rained substantially the first two and half days I was gone and was nice and sunny for the final bit.  That meant no one had to water the garden in my absence and upon my return everything seemed to be bursting at the seams. 

A stop in Port Townsend before heading to the islands.

This is Deception Pass.  Great place to stretch your legs before waiting in line for a ferry.

When I arrived home late that Monday night I did a quick check to make sure none of the animals had done any damage and I locked up the chicken coop which had been left open in my absence (luckily the racoons hadn't noticed!).  It wasn't until the following day after work that I actually got to tour the jungle in my backyard.  Now, in all reality it hadn't grown that much.  However, when you are closely examining a garden two or three times a day everyday its hard to notice much of anything in the way of dramatic change.  Sure I see a new stem of parsley unfurling and the mustard greens beginning to bolt, but it all happens in slow motion.  After four days though, its like a whole new sight!  I got so overwhelmed with my harvest that afternoon that I forgot all I went out there for was a few greens for dinner, but more on that story later!  For now, enjoy the pleasure of harvesting daily (or weekly if you're a farmers' market type) and be grateful that the waiting game is over.

From the back, left to right: celery, leafy lettuce, chive flowers, johnny jump ups, Russian red kale, curly blue kale, all sorts of peas and maybe more, but that's all I can see and recall!

What to do with all those greens?

Yummy greens wilting over a bed a of diced onions and potatoes.

About this time of year in my garden (or at the local farmers' market) there seems to be an influx of greens.  No matter how fast I harvest them they keep on coming.  Not to mention, if you don't harvest them quick these tender little plants will interpret the slightest neglect, coupled with a minor increase in temperature, as abandonment.  I'm certain they fear you, the gardener or cook or buyer, have moved on to bigger and better things like tomatoes and basil.  I like to remind my greens that they are still much loved and appreciated, particularly as the weather the increasing temperatures, by picking their young leaves often.  But alas, a girl can only eat so many salads (do you remember me posting how much I missed salad just two months ago in this post?)  So, what does one do with all those greens???  Well, my solution is to put them in everything I can.  Macaroni, stir fry, rice; anything really.  When sauteed they add such great flavor and color to an otherwise bland dish.  My favorite way to use up a surplus of greens, however, is by mixing them with eggs and potatoes and bacon in a break fast burrito!

Bacon, wilted greens, breakfast potatoes and scrambled eggs ready to be wrapped up!

Breakfast is my favorite  meal of the day, but generally speaking I eat it on the go Monday through Friday.  Eggs are a great way to get in a good amount of protein and other food energies for the day and the best part is I can wrap it up in a tortilla with whatever yummy things I have on hand and away I go! 

Cooking tip: Bacon can be a bit labor intensive to cook.  It requires that you stand over the stove watching a sizzling pan of grease and fatty pork ready to pop at any moment.  While pan fried bacon tastes super yummy, you can get the same effect by cooking it in the oven.  In fact, I find it easier to achieve various degrees of doneness using the oven (soft and flimsy or crsipy and hard and everything in between).  Here's how its done:

1. Take the bacon out of the fridge and turn the oven to 450*.
2. Cover a baking sheet with parchement paper (make sure the paper is bigger than the sheet on all four sides- it makes for easy peeasy clean up later!)
3. Place your bacon slices on the parchment paper.  If the sheet is too narrow for them to lay flat, pinch the pieces slightly in the middle to create a small hill or two.
4. Place in the oven, which should still be preheating.  Don't wait for it to warm up all the way.
5. Keep an casual eye on your bacon the first few times and record the time it takes for the bacon to reach the desired doneness. In my oven 18-20 minutes is good for thin sliced and about 25 minutes for thick sliced, but every oven is different so watch yours.  That's it.  Very little hands on effort, amazingly delicious reward!

Six pieces of yummy bacon straight out of the oven, with little effort on my behalf.

Outstanding Omeletes

Asparagus and spinach with pepper jack cheese.

Omelets are outstanding! Often times folks steer clear of them at home thinking it is difficult to get a beautifully cooked omelet without breaking or burning it.  I'm hear to tell you that it is not only doable, but its actually quite simple with a bit of knowledge.  And if something goes wrong, my belief is that you can just say you were making a scramble and mix it all up!

Now is a great time to be making omelets because of the surplus of backyard eggs my ladies are laying and because there are so many yummy spring veggies to fill them with: lettuce greens, spinach, asparagus, leeks, spring onions and garlic, spicy mustard greens.  The possibilities are endless really.  Then when you consider the different cheeses you can add....oh the ooey gooey goodness!  There are two key components to making a good omelet: 1) temperature and 2) pan size/ or number of eggs.  The temperature of the pan must be just right.  Hot so that when you pour the eggs in they begin cooking immediately, but not so hot that they are going to burn (I'll be honest and admit that the omelet pictured above left is slightly overcooked for my taste because I let the pan get too hot).  A good way to judge the temperature is from the reaction of the oil you add just before the eggs.  It should NOT sizzle.  IF it does it is too hot, but the pan should feel hot when you place your hand about an inch above it.  With regards to number of eggs or pan size, you need to use a pan that is large enough to have 1 thin layer of egg so that the mixture will cook evenly.  Traditionally in a restaurant, an omelet will have three eggs.  I find that not only does this make for too heavy of a breakfast for me, but my pan is too small for it. So I prefer to use two eggs with my pan (which I think is 8" in diameter).  Now for the how to:

Chop, saute and prep by any means necessary the stuff you will add to the omelet. Then drizzle about a tablespoon of oil (I use light olive oil which works great when you want to be slightly healthier but not add the pungent flavor of olive oil) and swirl around the pan.  Then pour in your eggs that have been whipped with a splash of water (not milk!).  For those of you who are wondering why, milk is used for scrambled eggs to make them extra creamy.  Water is used in an omelet to get a nice whipped consistency but then essentially evaporates as the egg cooks in the hot pan leaving a light airy omelet.  Immediately swirl the eggs around the pan to coat the entire bottom.  Remember they should have started cooking immediately if your temp was correct so the center won't move but the outer edges will expand as the top layer of eggs spreads out.  Once you've given the bottom a minute or two to cook add the fixings you prepared previously including any cheese.  If you are using the correct number of eggs for your pan size (or correct pan for the number of eggs you prefer) there will be no need for flipping! The omelet should cook through without burning the underside. Lastly, if you oiled the pan well the omelet will slip right out with the help of a spatula*.  Slide out half onto a plate and then tip the pan as you slip the rest out folding over the top for a half circle omelet.  That's it!  Add a sprinkle of extra cheese and a garnish if you wish then enjoy!

*I use a fish spatula.  If you don't own one of these I highly recommend you get one.  I know some people are kitchen gadget people (me!) and some people aren't, but seriously this is one of those tools that should be one of your top ten.  I honestly use it everyday!....In fact, I think I'll post about my love of the fish spatula another day...

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

I haven't posted in 12 days, and I am ashamed. Like the absence of a vegetable in the off season, my hope is that I've left you wanting more.  But first, my apologies.  I've got one excuse, which is quite literally just a reason: work. Enough said, don't want to talk about it! Sadly though this has led to less cooking, not no cooking, just less.  So hear is a brief recap:

This evening is the third farmers' market and hopefully I will finally remember to take pictures. I've been picking up asparagus and leeks.  I love leeks!  They are just like onions and garlic and chives, but subtle and sweet. And somehow the ones in my garden are never as big and beautiful as the ones at the farmers' market.  My sister has been requesting baked potato soup for weeks and I had just come across a potato leek soup recipe that I hadn't tried yet, so that was the first thing I made despite the fact that we were already into 80 degree weather (prematurely I should note)-recipe coming soon.  So there it is LEEKS are in season!

This little piggy went to MARKET!

After much anticipation, opening day of the Farmers' Market finally arrived.  I was so excited for the opportunity to see what the local professionals were growing that I managed to convince four of my friends to come along with me.  The farmers' market always seems like the place to be in town on Thursday evenings.  There was a lot of socializing going on!  I however was on a mission.  I wanted to pick up some spinach, leeks and asparagus.  The first thing I saw when I walked in were the familiar faces of my favorite farming family with a table full of asparagus.  I promptly introduced my friends to their lovely crop and the grower to my lovely friends.  I briefly asked how their winter was and then moved on to locate the best deal on spinach,

Spinach at the farmers' market appears to be quite expensive: $5/lb.  But spinach doesn't weigh that much.  My friend and I did a little experiment.  I bought from a friend's farm that sell their spinach for $2.50 a bunch while my friend purchased hers at another farm by the pound.  She asked for half a pound (equal in price to my purchase). Sure enough, when we compared the quantity of spinach was pretty much equal.  On another note, I broke down and bough 'NW grown' spinach from the grocery store yesterday.  I almost never by produce from the major chain grocery and I feel a tad guilty.  But my boyfriend keeps requesting a spinach pie recipe he heard about on NPR and it call for a lot of spinach.  The grocery store spinach was a little under half as expensive (in this case) but I have to say, it looked like sh*t compared to the stuff that comes out of my garden or from the farmers' market.

My last purchase of the day were three decent sized leeks.  I grabbed the last three fatty-ies, which 1- I felt lucky about and 2- made me realize that even they grow green onion sized leeks like i do!  So that's my market finds.  Today is the Saturday market where I was hoping to get rhubarb and fresh flowers, but I have a commitment this morning so things might be sold out by the time I get down there.  Hopefully not!  I am looking forward to some great recipes to share this week!

P.S. Sorry there are no pictures.  I was so excited about the farmers' market and so determined to score great produce that even though I brought my camera I forgot to take any pictures!

A New Read & Q's to Consider

I am just starting a new book called How to Pick a Peach.  Although I'm only on page 15, I can tell I am going to like this book very much.  Sadly I've been too tired to read before bed at night, but I enjoyed those first 15 pages in true spring fashion: in the sunshine with grass beneath my back and my wanna be farm dog resting beside me.  If you're wondering how I could possible know if a book is right for me after a measly twenty minutes of reading (followed by an additional twenty of napping) just listen to this:

• "At its heart, cooking is a primitive act and remarkably simple.  You choose what seems tastiest, and then you try to make it better."
• "The first thing you have to understand is that whole idea of eating locally and seasonally is not based merely on some philosophical framework.  It may indeed be good for the planet, but that is for greater minds to decide - I [the author] am mainly interested in fixing a good dinner."

It got me thinking.  Why am I so interested in eating seasonally and mostly locally?  I mentioned that this all began as a resolution to be more aware of where my food came from; this urge burgeoned from deep seated roots in growing food and a desire to make use of what was around me. Not to mention I love good food.  But still, why seasonal?  Why mostly local?  You tell me.  Why do you eat seasonal and local?  Or, why are you so interested in learning about eating seasonal and local????

Giddy with Anticipation

Something very exciting is happening this week.  Tomorrow marks the beginning of May, which means a great deal of things.  It is my birthday month after all and boy have we got some good plans for celebrating this year.  But alas, this blog isn't about me so much as it is about food and my cooking.  So the thing about May is its the beginning of MARKET SEASON!!!!  That's right, Thursday is opening day at my local farmers market and Saturday is the first of the summer Saturday markets.  Although the Saturday market traditionally isn't all about food, my favorite regional florist grows more than just amazing bouquets.  I was so excited, that I spent last night going through a few of my favorite recipe books and pulling out new recipes to try with spring goodies.  I don't know  quite what to expect given its the first week, but I am hoping that since we've had an early spring in my region there will be a good enough supply to last the night (sadly I have to work late and can't get to the market until 90 minutes after opening-tragedy!). 

These mini loafs are so fun! One for me and one for a friend!

I've got exciting plans for things like asparagus, rhubarb, spinach and leeks.  I know there will be greens, but I've got plenty of those.  My rhubarb is only in year two so its still too small to harvest and somehow I can never get leeks to grow fatter than a green onion (though I'm not giving up-I've got a short row in the garden already).  Spinach is a plenty in my garden, but I haven't been able to harvest enough of it at one time to make the spinach pie my boyfriend keeps requesting. And as far as asparagus goes- well that's a whole other story that's worthy of sharing at another time.  Boy am I thankful for the market!  I can't wait to share the tasty things I try- my sister is excited to because she's my guinea pig for new recipes.

I think they call this meat + 3 in the South.

Enough of the excitement.  Since market season is coming, I'm desperately trying to use up last years stores to make room for in season items and next winters saving grace.  A few recent meals included short ribs with a spicy rub and Chipotle cherry BBQ sauce (my own recipe which I'll share in July when I'm canning it) which included garlic roasted green beans (frozen last summer), cheesy garlic bread from a homemade egg loaf (still getting TONS of eggs every week), and white rice.  Another quick but yummy meal included orange honey Dijon glazed chicken legs (free range of course) with buttery sweet corn (frozen last summer).  Lastly, I had some butternut squash left over from ravioli making (actually I just ran out of ham pieces and Gorgonzola) so I made winter squash (recipe actually called for pumpkin) and peanut butter bread which I'll post on the recipe page later this afternoon. 

Saved by the Cupboard!

Tulips in bloom-gardening season is upon us!

Last week was busy at work...and this week will be even busier!  But this blog isn't about how crazy life is sometimes, its about good seasonal food.  So let me tell you how happy I am to be able to open the cupboard and pull out a quick meal.  Sadly this action has led to consuming things like cookies out of a plastic tray or a microwavable dinner.  Well I am hear to tell you it doesn't have to be that way.  The trick to eating good seasonal and food, even in a pinch, is to plan ahead and be prepared for those moments of weakness when hunger is high and time is limited.  Here are my top 3 go to-s as needed last week:
1)  Pasta with frozen pesto (say in lieu of boxed man n cheese).
2)  PB&J made with canned jam, ground peanuts and bread made earlier in the week (in lieu of buying a non descript sandwich from the coffee kiosk at work).
3)  Breakfast burrito- I call it that, but honestly its an anytime burrito so long as you have 1-3 backyard eggs in the fridge.  Add in anything else you can scrounge up, it all tastes good wrapped up in a tortilla! (in lieu of the wraps in the grocery store that have more lettuce than anything else and are always a little soggy).
All of these dishes go great with a side of canned peaches or pears or a spring salad!

Using Up Stores!

In the last two years I've learned a lot about 'putting food up' or storing it for use out of season.  I think this is an important skill and strategy if you are concerned about where your food comes from.  If you don't believe me, I implore you to buy some extra corn on the cob this summer and freeze it.  When you go to use it just steam it or mix with a little butter and water...I'm telling you, you'll never go back to canned corn!

The point is, my food preservation skills and strategies have increased significantly since I decided to be concerned with my food sources.  That has left me with a cupboard full of canned goods, a chest freezer full of frozen foods and even a few things dried (although doing more of that is my food goal for this year).  So right now, I am trying to use up what has been stored to make room for whats to come.  Know what goes nicely with a salad of Spring Greens?  Butternut squash ravioloi!  Butternut squash isn't in season you say...well it is in my house when it was baked, pureed and frozen.  My one regret was not cubing some and freezing it without cooking.  Oh well, there is always next year!

The Resolution List

Recall that in an earlier post I mentioned making a new years resolution to become more aware of where my food came from.  That was in January 2011.  It was an excellent idea, but I didn't follow up on it until about March.  During Spring break that month (I work in elementary education) I visited a friend in Boudler, CO.  While perusing through a used book store during some downtime I discovered the inspiration I needed to get moving on my resolution in the form of some reference material: The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter by Peter Singer and Ball's Big Blue Book of Canning.  After making a nominal purchase, I went back to my friends apartment and pulled out a piece of paper and pencil.  This is what materialized:

Goal for 2011: Become more aware of where my food comes from.

January- flour
February- bananas
March- dairy products

April- chocolate
May- sugar
June- strawberries (can jam!)
July- chicken
August- tomatoes (can sauce!)
September- beef
October- apples
November- pork
December

As you can see, there were definitely some holes with regards to variety and nutrition.  But basically, I thought about some of the most commonly used food items in my household and decided to investigate!

Cinnamon Rolls

The recipe and resources used are now posted on the Recipe page!  Thanks for your patience.

Maple Blossoms

I live in the Pacific Northwest...but not the rainy grey part.  In fact the area I live in is quite sunny (and receives significantly less rain than Portland for instance).  But alas, spring is the rainy season.  After moving north from Southern California where everything is dry and desert like for most of the year I quickly learned to appreciate the rain.  Its what makes it so green here.  A green landscape makes me happy.  It is my favorite color after all!  But more to the point, one of the things that happens in Spring that is a significant contributor to the green factor is the blooming of the big leaf maple!  They are gorgeous in fall when the leaves are changing, but in winter they stand barren for several months and the landscape is just not the same because of it.  In springtime, however, the trees spring alive and magically cascades of flowering blossoms (a yellowish green color) appear.  Then the leaves begin to unfold and suddenly the world has righted itself once more...or at least its green again.


Just before this transformation happens an internal change occurs that is very important to seasonal eaters.  As the weather warms up, the sap in the trees begins to flow at a high rate in preparation for the coming bloom.  This is when maple trees are tapped.  If you live in the north east you are probably familiar with tapping sugar maples, but the big leaf maples of the west can also be tapped.  Generally when the nights are still in the 30's and the days peak into the 50's is the time to do this.  The flow rate isn't as high as a sugar maple but you can still collect a decent amount of sap.

We are having an unusually fast spring this year so I didn't get a chance to tap any trees.  It was going to be the first time (last year I acquired the supplies and did TONS of research on the subject).  My intention was to turn some sap into maple flavoring (I had maple scones on my mind).  Even though I didn't have the opportunity to try this new venture I thought it worth saying that the flavor of MAPLE is what is in season in spring!  Click on the link and discover one way to indulge in this flavor: cinnamon rolls! 

Life's Little Splendor

Few things in life are as joyous as freshly baked cinnamon rolls.  Why else has Cinnabon done so well for itself?  I'm here to tell you that Cinnabon doesn't come close to the real deal straight from your home oven.  But wait, we are supposed to be eating seasonally here aren't we?  These cinnamon rolls are seasonally inspired...think maple!  I'd love to explain now, but I'm waiting on a photograph from my sister so, check back later on to see what's in season and get the recipe...

Spring Salad

I don't know about you, but half the reason I eat salad is to get away with eating all the good stuff you can mix with it! Since its been a few months now without salad greens (I sadly don't have a green house) I've been craving a good crunchy bowl of tasty leaves. You can only eat steamed, roasted and sauteed veggies (all frozen at the end of the summer) for so long.  Lucky for me Spring Salad is what's in season! Since there aren't many other fresh ingredients this time of the year, I like to enhance my spring salads with nuts and cheese and of course a good dressing. Click on the bold food item above to see two of my favorite spring combos.

A 'brief' history: part 2- A New Year's Resolution

In 2011 I decided to make a different kind of New Year's resolution.  I resolved to find out more about where my food came from.  I don't recall exactly what inspired this search but I remember a couple of factors that played an important part.  1- A few months before the start of 2011 I moved into a rental house with a big backyard which meant I could have a real garden, like the ones my mom tended when I was a child, for the first time on my own (instead of just a couple of pots an apartment patio).  2-  The farmer's market in my community had really taken off the summer before and I enjoyed regular visits to it.  3- My household loved making fruit smoothies and it seemed ridiculous to buy frozen fruit in the grocery store when there were so many choices in my own backyard.  The desire to preserve fruit purchased at the farmer's market (strawberries and raspberries),  picked wild (blackberries) and picked at a local farm (blueberries) resulted in the purchase of a large chest freezer.  4-  I lived (and still do) in an agricultural community in the northwest.  It would have been ignorant of me not to know where my food came from. 

Recall that I never said I was going to switch to eating local food or that my passion would become eating as seasonally as possible.  Inevitably though that's where the discovery of where my food came from led me.  It was very intriguing journey indeed.  I'll post the specifics about my resolution along with some tips for uncovering the mystique behind your food's origin in a later post.