Farmbox 101: Grilling fruits and vegies

Creative Commons image: "Grilled
Vegetables" (2005) by Salimfadhley.
This image is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution
Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

So you picked up your farm box over the weekend or paid a trip to the local farmer's market, and you came home with a ton of vegies (and maybe some fruit from a local stand, as well). What to do? Granted, it's a holiday weekend. Maybe you should cook! But even better, why not try your hand at grilling them?
You can grill just about anything, including fruits and vegetables.

The most common vegetables for grilling are things like tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, peppers, eggplant, corn and zucchini. Here's a great link at About.com for preparing many popular grilled vegetables.

But there are other vegetables that grill up very well that might have flown under your radar, such as fennel bulb, artichokes, romaine lettuce, herbs, and asparagus.

Vegetables that might not do as well (or which might require some parboiling first) include carrots, potatoes, large sweet potatoes, beets, turnips and other root-y vegetables.

"Grilled Fruit Recipes" courtesy of
http://www.freebestrecipes.info/

Grilled fruit is also delicious, especially stonefruits like peaches and nectarines. Tropical fruits like mango and pineapple also take to the grill very well, as do bananas and, believe it or not, melons.

Probably the only fruits not destined for the grill are berries (except for, maybe, strawberries on a skewer), but those are better off as a cool treat on a warm night anyway, right?

About.com has a great list of possible grilled fruit concoctions you might want to try this holiday weekend. Let's hope it doesn't rain!!!

What's in Season: JUNE

If you want to be a seasonal cook, then knowing what's in season is tantamount! Lots of foods can be had cheaply year-round, but seasonal foods are generally cheaper, fresher and at their nutritional peak. Of course, not every season is going to yield local treasures (for instance, we never have local avocados in Seattle), but some times of the year are better than others for certain kinds of produce that don't come from your neck of the woods (like California or Florida avocados around Super Bowl time!). I've included these as well.

I also almost always prefer to choose USA-grown produce over imported (in an effort to keep that carbon footprint on the decline in our food supply), so some things that might be cheaper this time of year may be cheaper because they are grown very cheaply and come from far away. I recommend against purchasing these items because:


1. You can't be certain about the safety of growing practices outside the US, and
2. The amount of resources it takes to bring those foods to the States just isn't sustainable

Note: I'm a Pacific Northwestern native, so my bias will be toward what you can find in season in my region because that is what I can find where I live, so keep that in mind. Depending upon where you live, you may have many times more good options (say, in Florida) or many times fewer good options (i.e. Alaska). For a good general guide to seasonal shopping in your area, visit the source links I've included below.

Without further ado...

WHAT'S IN SEASON: JUNE

Fruit
Apples
Apricots
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Cherries
Citrus (lemons, limes, oranges)
Figs
Melons
Nectarines
Passionfruit
Peaches
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries

Vegetables
Arugula
Asparagus
Avocados (try for US or Canadian grown)
Beets
Bell Pepper
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chard
Corn
Cucumber
Garlic
Herbs
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Mushrooms, cultivated (try for US or Canadian grown)
Mushrooms, wild
Peas
Potatoes
Radish
Rhubarb
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Zucchini
Onions (dry storage varieties)
Plum Tomatoes (try for US or Canadian grown)
Sprouts
Tomatoes


Other good buys
Crab
Crawfish
Duck
Halibut
Lamb
Lobster
Salmon
---------------

Sources consulted:

About.com Pacific Northwest Fruits & Vegetables in season
http://localfoods.about.com/od/searchbyregion/a/PacNWFruitsVegs.htm

Eat the Seasons
http://www.eattheseasons.com/foodseasons.htm

The Sustainable Table
http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/seasonal/


Creative Commons image: "Apricots" by Fir0002 (2005). This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Spring Link Love: Farm to table news from all over the US in 50 links

Creative Commons image:
"Reife Erdbeeren" (2006) by
Jens Jäpel. This file is licensed
under the Creative Commons
Attribution-Share Alike
2.5 Generic license.

1.  Annual AU farmers market ready to kick off ~ OANow.com (AL)
2. Ex-Fairbanks takes on new adventures in organic farming ~ Daily News-Miner (AK)
3. From farmers to chefs, these tastemakers have led the Valley's food revolution ~ Arizona Republic (AZ)
4. Farm Bureau Estimates Flooded Farm Acres at Over 3.5 Million ~ AgWired (AR)
5. Stars Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Farm Sanctuary ~ Huffington Post (CA)
6. 'Veg Out' on Vacation on a Working Farm or Ranch in Colorado ~ PR Newswire (CO)
7. Growing Biofuels, and Shrimp ~ Reuters (CT)
8. $10M plan would help grow new farmers in Delaware ~ Newsworks (DE)
9. Sustainable Florida Announces Award Finalists ~ Sys-Con Media (FL)
10. Georgia Farmers Brace For New Immigration Law ~ NPR (GA)
11. Chefs and farmers team for Kapalua's Grand Tasting ~ Maui News (HI)
12. American Heart Association certifies Fresh Idaho® Potatoes as a heart-healthy food ~ Fresh Plaza (ID)
13. Most Illinois corn now planted after late start ~ State Journal Register (IL)
14. My, how the Master Gardeners' sale has grown ~ IndyStar.com (IN)
15. Iowa Learning Center For Sustainable Farming Folding ~ Yanktown Press & Dakotan (IA)
16. CRP emergency grazing approved for 12 counties ~ High Plains Journal (KS)
17. Budget will be big priority for next Kentucky agriculture chief ~ Courier Journal (KY)
18. Wetlands Night draws big crowd with Louisiana cuisine, hands-on projects ~ The News Star (LA)
19. Flavor from the farm, Maine-style ~  Bangor Daily News (ME)
20. Howard wine festival attendees cheer home shipment law ~ Baltimore Sun (MD)
21. Your View: Vote to preserve Silverbrook Farm ~ South Coast Today (MA)
22. Meat Outside the Mainstream ~ AnnArbor.com (MI)
23. Area farms among more than 180 honored as Century Farms in 2011 ~ Brainerd Dispatch (MN)
24. Cook's Exchange: Real Food Gulf Coast offers farm tours ~ Sun Herald (MS)
25. Monsanto targeted by organic farmers ~ Financial Times (MO)
26. Northwest Mont. farmers worry about potato disease ~ Boston Herald (MT)
27. $50 million available for organic farmers ~ The Imperial Republican (NE)
28. Farm to City: The local foods movement has taken root in Northern Nevada ~ Reno News & Review NV)
29. NH maple syrup farmers say it's been a good season ~ Boston Globe (NH)
30. Good quality and volume of New Jersey produce items expected this season  ~ The Produce News (NJ)
31. NM chile crop may be in danger ~ KOB (NM)
32. Eating locally has its benefits, but can also be a bit tricky ~ Tonawanda News (NY)
33. 'Got to be NC' says eat and buy local ~ WRAL (NC)
34. ND corn growers running out of time to plant ~ KFYR-TV (ND)
35. What works: Chef's Garden ~ WKYC (OH)
36. Eating local is a community service ~ NewsOK (OK)
37. Weather delays Oregon strawberry picking ~ KEZI (OR)
38. Pennsylvania lease program matches aspiring farmers to available land ~ Philadelphia Inquirer (PA)
39. Rhode Island-based Miss Vegan looking for donations to purchase food truck ~ This Dish is Veg (RI)
40. Lawmakers want more South Carolina grown food in state schools ~ WBTV (SC)
41. South Dakota Feeds Growing Demand As Appetite For Bison Increases ~ Perishable News (SD)
42. Food park may be at end: Complaints lead to cleanup of site and maybe new use ~ The Tennessean (TN)
43. Farmers along border say wall is making an impact ~ WOAI (TX)
44. Rain slams Utah farmers, keeps pollinating bees dormant ~ Deseret News (UT)
45. Commercial rice growing takes root in Vt. ~ Addison County Independent (VT)
46. Raising Chickens in Urban Neighborhoods ~ NBC29 (VA)
47. Asparagus farmers lose to Peruvians ~ East Oregonian (WA)
48. Schools still serve "from-scratch" ~ Herald-Dispatch (WV)
49. 'Buy Local' grants in jeopardy ~ LaCrosse Tribune (WI)
50. Wyoming producer seeds beets week later to avoid plants freezing ~ The Prairie Star (WY)

Introducing Farmbox 101

One of the prime reasons why I started this blog was to share how I manage to keep up with the abundance of food spilling out of my weekly CSA box. It can be tricky "putting by" all that uber-fresh food before it spoils. This new weekly post, Farmbox 101, is designed to give you ideas for using your weekly farmbox take efficiently and creatively, as well as to cut down on food waste.

The best first tip I can offer is to set aside an hour or two every week right after you receive your produce to tend to a practice of putting your food by. I pick up my farm box (sometimes bag) every Tuesday afternoon. I make it a policy to spend the time after dinner on Tuesday nights to figure out what to do with my produce.

As you might already know from your own CSA experiences (and this certainly rings true for home gardeners, as well), you never can be certain what you'll get in that week's harvest. There may be a huge amount of root vegetables or greens one week, then flowers, herbs and alliums the next. Taking some time to figure out what you're going to choose to eat in everyday cooking for that week is part of the planning; for everything else, you'll need a plan for either freezing, pickling, drying, canning or otherwise preparing for later use.

Think about the foods your family likes and make them the spotlight of your week's menus.

Then, think about the foods your family is unfamiliar with, and think about ways to use them as a way to introduce something new. If you get a lot of kale, for instance, and your family isn't sure about kale, try kale chips. This is one of the most popular ways to get kids to eat these greens. If they don't like them, at least you tried. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And if you find a veggie in your box that nobody likes, you can always request the farm to keep that one out of your future boxes and donate the portion you already have to the food bank (make sure they accept fresh produce; many do).

And what about those foods that not everyone likes? I am the only person in my household who likes beets. (I love roasting them more than anything.) So, every Tuesday night, if I get beets in my box, I simply scrub and roast them that night so I can enjoy them over the week. It's a no brainer for me; I enjoyed lots of delicious roasted beets over last season (and this one, too).

If only one member--say, Dad--likes mustard greens, either let him know he has a special treat in the box (in case he's a die-hard Southern boy who wants to cook his own potlikker) or surprise him with mustard greens as a side dish. You can also find ways to freeze the greens if you can't cook them up that week, and then you can break them out for Father's Day or his birthday as a special treat.

Planning is a big part of making your farm box a success in your household. Just taking a little time to tend to your vittles is one of the surest ways to bring more fresh produce into your family's daily meals, prevent food waste and support your local farmer. After that, it's up to inspiration and creativity!

No-Toss Ideas: Swiss Chard Ribs

I think that a lot of people have figured out that Swiss chard leaves are scrumptious and can replace and even improve on spinach in similar kinds of dishes. However, one of the byproducts of using Swiss chard like spinach is the inevitable loss of the center rib of each leaf. This shouldn't be a loss or an excuse to waste food, though. Swiss chard ribs are a vegetable in their own right and can be utilized, with tasty results, in any number of ways.

Right off the bat, the one thing I always do with Swiss chard ribs, if I'm not going to use them right away, is wrap them in plastic then stick them in my Stock Bag in the freezer. My Stock Bag is the plastic freezer bag I use to collect all the bits and pieces of leftover vegetables until it gets full. Once it gets full, I make vegetable stock with it (stems and leaves and roots and all; I strained off the solids later), which I then freeze to use through the next few months in all sorts of cooking. I generally cut the Swiss chard ribs crosswise like I would celery for this; these little pieces cook down like celery but, in the case of red or rainbow chards, they add a lot of lovely color to your stock.

Other things you can do with Swiss chard ribs include the following:

Cut out the ribs so they are left as one long piece each, all of them uniform in length. Place them on the bottom of a roasting pan beneath the slab of chicken, beef, pork or lamb your are cooking for dinner and roast them in the juices that inevitably melt to the bottom of the pan (just like you would the other roasting vegies like onions, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, etc).

Slice the ribs crosswise into chunks and pickle them. I haven't developed a good recipe of my own yet, but here's a recipe for Pickled Ribs of Swiss chard from Oui Chef journal that looks amazing.

Baking the stems in a kind of gratin, like Kalyn's Kitchen does here, is another surefire recipe I've tried and enjoyed.

Finally, any salad you make which includes bits of sliced celery can be altered by the simple replacement of celery with sliced or chopped Swiss chard ribs. The flavors will be different, as the Swiss chard ribs will not have that same pronounced flavor (they are a bit milder), but if you are using rainbow chard, in particular, you can add a lot of dynamic color to, say, a Waldorf salad or a tuna salad as well as the much desired crunch.

Market discoveries: Fiddleheads

Creative Commons image: "Fiddlehead ferns
for sale at the Portland, Oregon Farmer's Market"
by Tammy (2010). This file is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

This time of year, I see fiddleheads all around me when I go on my walks; ferns are ubiquitous in the roadside ditches and forests where I live.

The edible fiddlehead is essentially the young, curled tip of an ostrich fern frond before it opens up to become, well, a fern frond. Fiddleheads are considered a wild food and can be hard to find at your average grocer's, but you can definitely find them at farmer's markets this time of year wherever ferns grown widely.

The main caveat here is this: only the ostrich fern fiddlehead is edible and safe to eat. Most farmers should know this and be prepared to confirm the variety if you ask them. If they aren't sure, then you should move on. Likewise, if, as a food forager, you cannot confidently identify ostrich fern fiddleheads from other varieties, you should avoid them.

Once you've correctly identified edible fiddleheads, pick the ones with the tightest curling; coils measuring ¾ to 1½ inches across are the best size for cooking and eating. Fiddleheads are perishable; refrigerate them as soon as you get them home. You want to eat them before they uncurl, a sign of ripening. Wrap the fresh coils in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Another caveat: do not eat fiddleheads raw. They need to be soaked, their brown and yellow skins and scales removed, then blanched for 15 minutes (or steamed for 10 to 12 minutes). Note that fiddleheads freeze well after a short blanching of 2 to 3 minutes. Plunge them into cold water immediately afterward and dry them thoroughly before freezing; they'll will keep for up to 9 months in the freezer. Freezing is a popular way to save up a good harvest so you can enjoy them throughout the year.

Fiddleheads impart an earthy taste resembling a three-way cross between broccoli, mushrooms and asparagus. Using them in place of asparagus is a common way to highlight them. Like asparagus, they are ready to eat after cooking when they are tender and achieve a bright green color. An easy salad of fiddleheads with a basic lemon-mustard vinaigrette, parmesan shavings and freshly cracked black pepper is sublime. But really, keep it simple: one of the most popular ways to eat them is to fry them up with butter or olive oil and a bit of garlic, maybe a splash of vinegar, if you're inclined. They can also make yummy fritters.

National Food Bloggers Bake Sale a big hit in Seattle!

Read more about it at BuzzFood!

Pantry Basics: Three Seafood Dipping Sauces

Mike and his pals took advantage of opening day for shrimp season and brought home full limits of spot prawns today! I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to seafood like prawns or crab; I prefer to cook them simply so that they are the centerpiece of the meal. Usually, with spot prawns, that means peel and eat (hot or cold) with some delicious dipping sauces. Here are three to get you going:


CREOLE SHRIMP SAUCE
½ cup tomato juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons Louisiana-style pepper sauce
½ medium rib of celery, minced
1 tablespoon creamy horseradish sauce

Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
Makes about 1 cup

THAI LEMON GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE
Peanut oil
2 tablespoons shrimp paste
⅓ cup fish sauce
Juice of two small lemons
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon sriracha
¼ cup diced baby eggplant
2 cloves garlic, minced

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm up a small amount of peanut oil and add the shrimp paste. Stir fry briefly over medium heat until the paste is warmed up. Stir in the remaining ingredients, one at a time, until well incorporated and the sauce is heated through.
Makes about 1 cup

SKORDALIA FOR SHRIMP
3 slices firm white bread, crusts removed
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds
3 medium cloves garlic
¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt to taste

1. Rip bread slices into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Cover with water and soak for 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and set aside.

2. While waiting for bread to soak, toasted the sliced blanched almonds in a small saute pan over medium heat until golden. Remove from heat and place almonds in blender.

3. Add garlic and soaked bread to almonds in blender. Blend mixture until fluffy and smooth. With motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream through blender top until sauce emulsifies. Blend in lemon juice, Season to taste with salt and pour mixture into serving bowl.
Makes about 1 cup

Seattle foodies: Come see me at the second annual National Food Bloggers Bake Sale this Saturday!

The first annual National Food Bloggers Bake Sale, part of the Great American Bake Sale, will take on a local and regional flavor this Saturday from 10a-noon when Seattle Food Bloggers will sell their sweet and savory oven-baked wares at Metropolitan Market, 100 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA. Funds raised through this second annual Great American Bake Sale will support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America. Nearly 17 million— almost one in four—children in America face hunger. Despite the good efforts of governments, private-sector institutions and everyday Americans, millions of our children still don’t have daily access to the nutritious meals they need to live active, healthy lives.


I'll be bringing treats to sell and sitting at the table at Metro Market this Saturday. Come out and see me and all the other area food bloggers who will be there, making it happen for the hungry!

Come see me at the second annual National Food Bloggers Bake Sale this weekend!

The first annual National Food Bloggers Bake Sale, part of the Great American Bake Sale, will take on a local and regional flavor this Saturday from 10a-noon when Seattle Food Bloggers will sell their sweet and savory oven-baked wares at Metropolitan Market, 100 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA. Funds raised through this second annual Great American Bake Sale will support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America. Nearly 17 million— almost one in four—children in America face hunger. Despite the good efforts of governments, private-sector institutions and everyday Americans, millions of our children still don’t have daily access to the nutritious meals they need to live active, healthy lives.

I'll be bringing treats to sell and sitting at the table at Metro Market this Saturday. Come out and see me and all the other area food bloggers who will be there, making it happen for the hungry!

DIY Edibles: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

The cyclical nature of gardening (seeds germinate, plants grow, flowers develop, pollination happens, fruit occurs, plants rot) is really a wondrous thing. Mother Nature has provided the home gardener with many of the simple products necessary to continue this cycle. Two are byproducts of the end of the cycle: wood ash and diatomaceous earth.

"Diatomaceous earth" by Curtis Clark (2001).
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.



Ashes
Now that you are about to clean out that wood stove or fireplace after a long winter, don't forget to save the ashes: you can use them in your garden. Wood ashes (only from natural, untreated wood and not artificial products or fires where chemical products might remain) can supply your spring soil with most of the 13 essential nutrients it needs for good garden health. Root development and photosynthesis are two aspects of new plant growth which wood ash helps to accelerate. One caveat: Only acidic soils that lack potassium benefit from a treatment of wood ash; however, acid-loving plants (berries, for instance) will not reap the same benefit.
 
Dust
Diatomaceous earth is something I used on my experimental garden back in Chicago to keep off the soft-bodied pests (like caterpillars and hornworms). It's also good for climates prone to slug and snail infestation. Diatomaceous earth is basically fossilized algae that's so microscopically fine it can be dusted onto the surface of your growing area as a kind of mechanical insecticide. The fine powder absorbs the necessary oils that lubricate the outer layer of the exoskeletons of all kinds of insects, which causes the insects to dry up and die. Diatoms, however small, are also extremely sharp to the soft bodies of worms and other slimy things, creating an effective barrier. You need to apply it regularly in wet climates, as it can wash away, but it's relatively inexpensive and safe to use on your edibles.

Seasonal Spotlight: Avocado

I confess, avocados are not seasonal ever in the Pacific Northwest. It's just too darn cold for them to grow, so we have to get them from warmer climates like California. However, avocados do go on sale and May is a good month for them, price-wise. They've definitely risen in price over the years; I used to get 3 for a dollar back in "the old days." Now, a good sale is a dollar a piece unless you manage to hit a Mexican market or Walmart; there, you can actually get them for quite a bit cheaper. There are two kinds you'll generally find: the black and leathery-skinned Haas avocados and the larger, thinner skinned green avocados from Florida. I think the Haas are creamier but the Florida ones are also quite tasty and a tad bit juicier. You can also sometimes find cocktail avocados with fit in the palm of your hand and have no pit.

Here's what you can do with her:

1. Buy her from the local market. Choose firm avocados with just a little give. If they're on sale, buy several and just keep them on the counter for a day or two; they'll ripen up just nicely. Mushy avocados are not worth it, trust me. If they're bruised-looking on the inside, they are getting past their prime and there will be off flavors and textures you won't want in your cooking.
2. Prepare her for cooking. Take a knife and cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Carefully remove pits (either by wedging your knife blade into the pit and twisted it out or cutting the pit out, if if doesn't come out readily). Scoop out the meat from each of the leathery shells using a large serving spoon. For sliced avocados, slice the meat while still in the shell before scooping out with the spoon.

Avocados are usually used in salads, cold soups and spreads, but you can also cook avocado in a stir fry or toss with pasta if you're feeling adventurous and crave her nutty sweet creaminess. Flavors that match well with avocado include lime, toasted nut, raspberry, bacon and cilantro.
Here's a delicious recipe for California Avocado Corn Chowder that I found at The California Avocado Commission. I recently watched an episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown made this intriguing recipe for Avocado Buttercream Frosting. Or try this super easy guacamole recipe below. It's my favorite way to use avocados, and I think it's also the most authentic. Guacamole with onions and salsa and other stuff in it is just not right, if you ask me. It should be mild and fresh tasting and creamy.

EASY GUACAMOLE

3 ripe avocados
Juice of half a lime
Salt and black pepper to taste

Remove the avocado meat from the shell as instructed above. Place avocado meat in a mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado until it's broken down but not smooth. Stir in lime juice until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 to 6 appetizer servings