This is a giant bottle gourd. I came across it while shooting a piece for Farmers Ending Hunger at ‘Another Pumpkin Patch’ by Pearmine Farms in Gervais, OR. At first I thought it was one of those plastic, hollow fruits that some folks use to decorate their homes [...]]]>

This is a giant bottle gourd. I came across it while shooting a piece for Farmers Ending Hunger at ‘Another Pumpkin Patch’ by Pearmine Farms in Gervais, OR. At first I thought it was one of those plastic, hollow fruits that some folks use to decorate their homes (if you have those in your home, make a trip to your local thrift store today and leave them there) but I soon realized this idea was ridiculous as I was surrounded by big, beautiful gourds and pumpkins. I was, after all, at a pumpkin patch. Then I thought, ‘Giant pear.’ No. Obviously. Molly McCargar, a 4th generation farmer at Pearmine, put an end to this strange internal dialogue and told me it’s a bottle gourd. Bottle gourds make great decorations after they’ve dried out and essentially hollowed, which they’ll do on their own if you simply let them be, but the mention of bottle gourds immediately reminded me that I have a much smaller version of one of these meant to hold maté. I picked up said mate gourd while I was living in Cordoba, Argentina for a short time. (For the record – Argentina is a beautiful, magical place.) I wanted to share this photo with you because I don’t think it’s often enough that we celebrate the less common and more curious products of nature. And look at that thing! It’s fabulous.

In order to help you really understand the size of this thing – here is a photo of one of Molly’s lovely daughters holding another of their home-grown gourds…

Each issue of edible Portland ends with a ‘last bite’ – a one-page spread comprised of an inspiring photo and a short caption, recipe, quote etc. In fact, many of the edible Communities publications end this way – in edible Marin & Wine Country it’s [...]]]>

Each issue of edible Portland ends with a ‘last bite’ – a one-page spread comprised of an inspiring photo and a short caption, recipe, quote etc. In fact, many of the edible Communities publications end this way – in edible Marin & Wine Country it’s called the ‘cherry on top,’ which I love. The last bite of the Winter 2010 issue of edible Portland is a photo of an Oregon woman bent over a box of rhubarb in her cellar, surrounded by 800 quarts of home-canned food. The photo was taken by Dorothea Lange in 1939, just before the end of the Great Depression. Whenever I think of canning, this photo pops into my head. It just makes so much sense – when you have a surplus of something, or the ability to create a surplus, preserve it. And I know it’s not the Great Depression but it’s a difficult time and canning does save a lot of money. This year, I have canned strawberry preserves, ketchup, summer squash & onion relish, salsa and pear sauce – all with produce I grew or was given to me. Well, I bought the palette of strawberries on the side of the road on a rainy day on the way home from Silverton this summer. I couldn’t resist. But the point is that I spent very little on the food that now fills my cabinet, ready to be opened and embraced in the deepest throes of winter. I’ve heard people say something like “canned sunshine” or “sunshine in a jar” in reference to preserved summer fruits. And I think that’s accurate.

My grandmother on my father’s side was gone from this world long before I arrived but when I started canning, my dad told me that it was something his mother did every year. I love this idea – it gives me something to hold on to about the grandmother I never knew and something that qualifies my notion that I would have liked her very much. Home preservation was pretty standard with our grandmothers, who were around before the advent of convenience foods, which are made with some very strange ingredients and preserved with even stranger ones. Thanks to the food movement, which is moving no matter the pace, we have begun to return to practices like home preservation (though some impressive people had never left).

Canning has evolved in a wonderful way – it’s now as creative as it is practical and canning recipes have got some serious flair. I just started canning (which always strikes me, by the way, as a strange name to call the action of preserving things in a jar) last year and I’m fully on board. After a very fruitful harvest at my friend’s grandparent’s apple orchard (more on that next week), I got my hands on what I’ll call a basic starter kit for home canning and an apple butter recipe from the internet and I went from there. From the moment I popped that first jar of apple butter open in, oh, I don’t know, December, I was hooked.

Give canning a try. It’s smart and delicious. Start with something simple, like apple butter. Be sure you’ve got the right equipment and follow the directions closely. Ask your more rural friends for tips on canning and/or extra produce. Stop and buy that whole palette of pears on the side of the road. Take them home and make your grandmother proud.

{Recommended books for canning: Put ‘em Up, Canning for a New Generation}

And if you’re already canning – Grandma thinks you’re rad and What are you canning? What did you open from last year that blew your mind? What’s your favorite thing to can? Books you’d recommend?

While I’ve learned a TON in the last couple years, I’m still new enough to gardening that I am still planting and harvesting things for the first time. Also, there is always more to learn when it comes to gardening… Garlic is among those things, as well as [...]]]>

While I’ve learned a TON in the last couple years, I’m still new enough to gardening that I am still planting and harvesting things for the first time. Also, there is always more to learn when it comes to gardening… Garlic is among those things, as well as onion. Last fall, I planted a box full of onion sets and garlic cloves that would hypothetically over-winter and be ready in the spring. It may have been the easiest crop I’ve done – Portland waters them in the winter and the sun bulks them up in the spring. I’ve watered them a little bit so as not to let the soil dry out completely but this spring has been late and wet so it’s been easy to step back and let them do their thing. I’ve been tugging them out one at a time, not sure if the conditions are quite right for harvesting, but this morning I decided they were (almost) all coming out. Because this morning the sun shone down on us Portlanders for the first time in several days (it’s gone now) and as I understand it, the key to harvesting garlic is sunshine and heat. When you harvest garlic and onions you’ve got to leave them out to dry for a few days, especially if you’d like to store them. I’m going to toot my own horn a little bit with this photo because, like any good garden mama, I am very proud of and happy with my garlic. Not only are they just the right size and shape, they’re delicious. And even though I’m leaving them out to dry, I’m not sure they’ll last long in storage…

*my favorite things to do with garlic: pesto, salad dressing, roasted (in skins) and spread on bread, sauté with veggies, pizza topping, minced and put in burger patties, aioli…

Almost two years ago, I wrote a long blog post about some summer adventures – one in California and one in Des Moines, Iowa. Almost a week ago, I boarded a plane, dressed proudly in my ‘Des Moines Hell Yes‘ t-short that I had taken home from my [...]]]>

Almost two years ago, I wrote a long blog post about some summer adventures – one in California and one in Des Moines, Iowa. Almost a week ago, I boarded a plane, dressed proudly in my ‘Des Moines Hell Yes‘ t-short that I had taken home from my last visit, and set off for another Iowa adventure. This time it was a celebration for the same dear friend I had gone to visit the first time. And it seems that every great celebration involves great cupcakes these days. So while it was not the first time I visited Des Moines (which is actually pretty cool), it was the first time I saw green cupcakes. These little gems are chocolate-pistachio cupcakes and not only did they taste wonderful, they added an exciting splash of color to an already very well-dressed dessert table.

This trip to Des Moines was also the first of that quintessential sequence of college-friend weddings that magically reunites you with a whole bunch of your favorite people in the whole world who no longer live a bike ride away from you. When we were not eating green cupcakes, we were starting the first-ever dance party at WineFest, drinking delicious beers at the well-stocked Royal Mile and eating Jethro’s BBQ (Iowa sweet corn cornbread? exceptional). It was a smash-hit of a weekend (quite literally if you count the bruises I came home with) and a testament to the idea that a cupcake tastes sweeter when you are surrounded by your sweethearts.

I got one little bitty flat, or whatever it’s called, of green onion starts in mid-summer. Two small planter boxes and a large pot later and I still had not planted them all (I believe I used the leftover starts in tuna). They grew into big, beautiful green stalks (I mean, just look [...]]]>

I got one little bitty flat, or whatever it’s called, of green onion starts in mid-summer. Two small planter boxes and a large pot later and I still had not planted them all (I believe I used the leftover starts in tuna). They grew into big, beautiful green stalks (I mean, just look at them, it’s a party in a box). But the point is I had a LOT, which worked out well because I happen to find them delicious and they’re just fine out there in the rain, each waiting to be picked and carried to its edible destiny. I couldn’t be happier about my surplus of green onions.

Here are some of my favorite things to do with them:

*Eggs: They add a really nice, subtle, oniony flavor. I use the whole thing, the green part of the onion is like the herb version of onions so it’s perfect for eggs. We often chop them up and toss them right in to the scramble OR, something I love to do, chop them up and sprinkle them on top of a fried egg just before you flip for over-easy, green onion eggs. s&p. Oh man. Simple elegance is what I call that.

*Garnish: Much like the fried egg idea, green onions are a great garnish for so many things. A friend of mine made a really delicious, quite sweet butternut squash soup and just a bit of those green onions right on top really tied a bow on the whole thing. Yum. But anything savory with or in which you would enjoy onions is generally a great stage for green onions as garnish.

*sour-cream-green-onion-lime dip: It’s just that. Take about 1 cup of sour cream (or, even better, Mexican crema), 1 large, chopped green onion and the juice of 1 lime and MIX. Slap a spoonful of that on beans, nachos, tacos {ooh! fish tacos!}, huevos rancheros, anything. That’s some tasty stuff.

*Green Onion Pancakes: Not long ago, I lived in the Outer Richmond District of San Francisco in a house from the 70′s with a clan of wonderful and handsome people who enjoyed good eats. We frequented a nearby Chinese restaurant called Shanghai Dumpling King, which two of the aforementioned folks had introduced us to. To precede the dumplings and sesame chicken and sugar puffs that would fill our bellies, we often ordered Green Onion Pancakes, or Scallion Pancakes, or Cong You Bing (in Chinese). They are the kind of thing you think about when you daydream and devour without shame. I made them recently for two very special guests we had in our home and they were a huge hit. I used this recipe from an awesome blog called nook&pantry that I discovered in the recipe search. This recipe is easy and gave me exactly what I wanted. A couple yum notes on the recipe – I added more chopped green onion to each pancake, I fried them in sesame oil and I served them with Sweet Chili Sauce.

Happy eats, fellow green onion enthusiasts!

We had the pleasure of hosting a gaggle of our friends this last weekend for a fabulous Halloween party. Not only did we end up with the most impressive potluck one could hope to have, we also presented a very impressive array of libations for the party-goers. Aside from one pony [...]]]>

We had the pleasure of hosting a gaggle of our friends this last weekend for a fabulous Halloween party. Not only did we end up with the most impressive potluck one could hope to have, we also presented a very impressive array of libations for the party-goers. Aside from one pony keg of Lompoc’s C-Note, a great beer from a (very) local brewery, we produced all of these beverages ourselves with great care and anticipation. None of the night’s options lasted too long which led us to believe we had done well. Quite well.

Gavin recently pieced together a kegerator with a vintage refrigerator, the help of a trusted friend and a lot of enthusiasm. After positioning it behind the bar that he also built, he filled this new appliance with a keg of home-brewed Pollard’s Punkin Porter and Shantaram Saison. Success. But for those looking for something other than beer, I concocted a Halloween-inspired indulgence using a combination of ingredients that I had serendipitously come by as Fall took over. These ingredients included 2 gallons of apple cider picked and pressed by ourselves and our friends at a nearby farm (more on that soon), spiced orange slices saved from a batch of cider home-brew and leftover cloves from a cookie recipe. The name Jack-O-Johnny comes from my affinity for the godfather of apple cider, Johnny Appleseed, and the pumpkin I carved that evening, meant to look like Jack of the Nightmare Before Christmas. And now I’ve decided to share my recipe with everyone while apples and apple cider are still in season because it was deeeelicious!

I ended up making a large batch and putting it into a punch bowl but the following recipe will make one tasty beverage. It’s all in the ingredients so it’s quite simple…

POUR 1 shot of whiskey over an ice cube or two in a small tumbler. PLACE your spiced orange slice* in the glass along with a few cloves. ADD 100% apple cider until you nearly reach the top. TOP OFF your cocktail with a splash of blood orange sparkling cider**. MIX. CONSUME.

* Assuming you don’t have any spiced orange slices lying around, I would recommend combining 1 cup of cider, a few orange slices and spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & allspice to a small pot and bringing it just to a boil.

** I used blood orange sparkling cider that I found at Whole Foods but any sparkling cider will do. The blood orange complimented the spiced orange slices well.

Caution: Although this may simply taste like sweet apple cider with a bite, it will get you drunk if consumed in large quantities. If such a thing happens, go frolic recklessly in this crisp Fall air! Or just sit by the fire and enjoy your evening.

Earlier this summer, I collected seeds and starts from a variety of places around my home in Portland, OR. But perhaps my favorite of those places was the Silverton Farmer’s Market in Silverton, OR – a town that holds a special place in my heart. Among the very few booths in Town Square [...]]]>

Earlier this summer, I collected seeds and starts from a variety of places around my home in Portland, OR. But perhaps my favorite of those places was the Silverton Farmer’s Market in Silverton, OR – a town that holds a special place in my heart. Among the very few booths in Town Square Park on Saturday mornings, there was one that sold good-looking starts of all kinds… well, not of all kinds but somehow exactly what I was looking for every time and more. I visited them a few times and now have a lovely handful of veggies growing from their starts in my garden. One of the starts I brought home was Lemon Cucumber.

I had never had a Lemon Cucumber before and without even attempting to figure out what the name implied, exactly, I planted it and waited for the vegetable mystery to unfold. I suppose part of me assumed that it would simply be a cucumber with a slight tinge of lemon. Oh no. Lemon Cucumber does not taste like a lemon – it looks like a lemon, and it’s fabulous! Imagine my delight when I f0und my plant growing whitish-yellow ovular little things!

They’re very good. The taste is not far off from a ‘normal’ cucumber but they’re refreshing, they’re a convenient size and they look awesome in the garden!

I made a lovely summer salad with my first one. I topped a bed of mixed baby greens with roasted hazelnut (an Oregon specialty I have grown to appreciate enormously), goat cheese, heirloom tomato, oliveoil-citrus-shallot dressing and my cute little Lemon Cucumber. Mmm.

About a month ago, I planted cilantro in a big Terra Cotta pot on my front stoop. Being a first time cilantro grower I was not completely sure what to expect, though I had ideas after reading reports from other cilantro gardeners. Those ideas proved reality when I came home from [...]]]>

About a month ago, I planted cilantro in a big Terra Cotta pot on my front stoop. Being a first time cilantro grower I was not completely sure what to expect, though I had ideas after reading reports from other cilantro gardeners. Those ideas proved reality when I came home from a long weekend and my cilantro had grown to a bundle of thick, two feet tall stalks with big leaves! Like many plants, you have to harvest cilantro often if you would like it to keep producing those tasty little leaves for you. So I needed something that would allow me to use up all those tall stalks at once before they flowered. The solution: cilantro pesto, something I’d been wanting to try for some time.

When I told my dad about this, my dad being a very good but somewhat traditional cook, he simply told me it was ‘not pesto.’ Well, sure, there was no basil (or parmesan or pine nuts) but it still captures the essence of pesto. {I tried to explain that I am a modern, adventurous cook and there was much to be discovered and enjoyed in experimentation but he sort of just made one of those grumbly dad sounds and said something like, “sounds fun, honey.” He would have eaten it though… and loved it I’m sure.}

The essence of pesto, I’ve decided, is a fresh, green, slightly nutty, olive-oily garnish fit for pasta and dips and, well, whatever else you see fit. So after checking out a few recipes online, including this one on Little House in the Suburbs, a fantastic, creative blog I chanced upon while looking for recipes, I made my way to the kitchen for my own cilantro pesto adventure. Here is how it went -

{these measurements are rough}

1 bunch cilantro

3-4 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons chopped red onion

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup pistachios

salt & pepper to taste

Pluck the leaves from the cilantro, although you can use the stalks too if you’d like, or if you’re lazy, before adding them to a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, onion, olive oil and pistachios and blend until smooth. Add more olive oil if mixture is dry. Add salt&pepper and blend just a bit more. Et voila!

We added this pesto to some pasta with sauteéd mushrooms and onions, I put a hearty dollop of it in the egg mixture for my quiche the next day, and another dollop in our scrambled eggs this morning! It goes well with many things, so don’t be shy. It’s also a great shortcut for seasoning things, quiche for example, which I added no other seasing to that day.

So if you or someone you know has a cilantro surplus, give this a try. Or just get a bunch at your farmer’s market. And enjoy!

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