Seasonal Abundance

Winter market shopping

2011-01-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

We have it pretty good here in the Pacific Northwest during the winter. Sure, we've had our frosty mornings and threats of "wintry mixes" and "arctic blasts" as the tv forecasters dramatize. But by and large we are in a very temperate climate. We aren't digging ourselves out of 16 inches of snow as I recently did in a visit to family in the northeast for the holidays. Only a handful us truly need those studded tires I hear crackling their way down our rainy streets. In fact, many farmers (especially those with greenhouses and row covers for their crops) are still able to produce an astonishing amount of fresh vegetables.

As the market decided to plunge into the darkness of winter with once-a-month stock up markets, we did so with a little uncertainty. We wanted to challenge the notion that farmers markets are just for the warmer, sunnier months when we can linger with a scoop of ice cream to listen to a live band and let our kids dig red-stained fingers into a pint of strawberries. There's no denying that that's a wonderful way to spend a weekend morning chatting with our neighbors. But there's something authentic and satisfying about picking through piles of local produce when it's rainy and cold and you can't wait to get home to chop up your vegetable stash into a bubbling soup and pour yourself just one last cup of steaming coffee. We hoped that a lot of you would feel the same way and we weren't disappointed.

Last month at our first ever Winter Stock Up Market, I saw a steady stream of customers shopping for leeks, potatoes, kale and other dark leafy greens, apples, bread and cheese and tasty salumi. It was bitterly cold, and there was less chit chat than usual as people efficiently filled their baskets and headed for home. The selection was smaller, but still high-quality and seasonal. I would call the day an unqualified success, for the market and for the community. It showed that we value our local farmers, not just for the diversity of products that they can provide in August, but also for the hearty items that can still be harvested in the cold of winter. The more demand we can create by shopping at winter markets, the more incentive there will be for farmers to plant crops that thrive at this time of year, and thus the greater variety and quantity you will see in the future.

So if you are supportive of having the option of buying direct from your local growers year round, come on down to the Montavilla Farmers Market this upcoming Sunday, January 9th from 11 am - 1 pm.

If you need visual encouragement, here are some photos from Paul Kluvers, a friend and regular volunteer at the market. Just ignore the grey skies and focus on the good food:

December Stock-up Market

2010-12-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

The December stock-up market is almost here and with two weeks left before Christmas it’s the perfect time to pick up some goodies for your holiday meals. Winter can be a tough time for farmers so we’re extra excited that they’re sharing the last of their crops with us. Did you know that the drop in temperatures at this time of year really helps to bring out the flavor of hearty greens and root vegetables? The colder weather will convert starch to sugar, making the flavors in these veggies really shine.

Here is what you can expect at the market this week. Although you should keep in mind that it’s always hard to predict what the farmers will actually harvest that day.

Farms & Orchards:

If it’s fruits and veggies you’re looking for than you’ll want to hit up Phil and Dianne at Pd Farms who will most likely have garlic, onions, potatoes, amazing shallots and perhaps even beef jerky. Derek from Frog Meadow always has biodynamic staples and curiously delicious culinary surprises at a working class price. Paul at Little Gnome Farm is bound to have sneaky little heirloom surprises that will delight the eye and the palette, grown in small scale and close to the earth. The folks at Kiyokawa Family Orchard will likely have beautiful apples and pears. We’re also hoping there will be more winter squash this month.

Dairy:

Nancy at Alsea Acres Alpines will feature a selection of handmade fresh chevres and feta. Terry and Laurie at Fairview Farm will feature aged raw and pasteurized goat cheeses and pork.

Meat:

When it comes to grass fed beef, you’ll want to check out our friends at PD Farms. If it’s a nice piece of pork you desire then Fairview Farm is the place for you. Olympic Provisions will feature artisanal salami and other dry cured, smoked and fresh pork products created with local organic pork.

Eggs:

The following farms should have eggs this Sunday so fill up while you can; Little Gnome Farm, Pd Farms and Val's Veggies.

Bakers & Sweets:

Decadent Creations is whispered to have sweet Buche de Noel cakes and Gluten Free cheesecake plus much more. Jewelie at Sina Baking will be bringing the Brazilian cheese bread that is naturally gluten-free - look for hot samples too! Amanda at Scoop PDX will certainly have pints, quarts and scoops available in flavors like the uber popular salted caramel plus seasonals of egg nog, peppermint stick and pumpkin - as always, organic, small batch and local.

Ready to Eat:

Lisa at Thai Mama has the best eggrolls in town. Last week she surprised us with pumpkin curry, this week she should be bringing hot lemongrass tea. Yum!

A Virtual Thanksgiving Potluck of Recipes

2010-11-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

We each have our own cooking style that is as unique and personalized as our fingerprints. We have ingredients that we gravitate towards, others we shun and would never knowingly consume. Even the cookbooks, blogs and websites we frequent influence what we serve for dinner. Personally, I tend to prepare vegetarian, easy on the dairy, relatively uncomplicated recipes. So that's what ends up dominating my blogposts by default.

To celebrate the Thanksgiving season, I thought it would be fun to create a virtual potluck of recipes from each of our board members and key volunteers to give you a better variety of dishes to inspire your shopping at the market this upcoming weekend. (November 21; 10 am - 2 pm - same place as always).

When I think of the things that I will give thanks for this year, one will definitely be an appreciation for the culinary tastes of my fellow MFM enthusiasts. Wow. You'd think we made people take a cooking test before allowing them to give their time to the market! There is not a single recipe on this list that I would not salivate over if it showed up at my dinner table.

So enjoy, fill your baskets, and give thanks that we have access to the food that we do each weekend at our lovely neighborhood market.

The MFM potluck lineup: (recipes below)
Curried Nuts
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
Vegan Rice Stuffing
Kale with Double Garlic
Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and Walnuts
Beet and Beet Green Risotto
Turnips Braised with Butter and Dates
Fried Marinated Winter Squash
Roasted Turnips with Maple and Cardamom
Scalloped Celeriac and Potatoes
Brandied Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin-Orange Mascarpone Pie

Curried Nuts

offered by Luby Wind

1 pound whole nuts, (pecans, walnuts, peanuts or pumpkin seeds)

½ cup sweetener (Sugar, honey, maple syrup or a mix)

2 ½ tablespoons oil (corn or vegetable)

Seasoning Mix

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon chili powder

Preheat oven to 325°.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add nuts and blanch to boiling water and bring back to a boil for 5 minutes. Drain blanched nuts. In a separate boil, mix together sugar, honey and oil.

While drained nuts are still hot, toss them in a large bowl with sugar/honey and oil mix. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Spread nuts on a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 30 – 35 minutes turning every 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and toss with seasonings in a large, clean mixing bowl.

Spread on a single layer to cool, otherwise nuts will clump together.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup
From The Essential New York Times Cookbook
offered by Nay Shayan

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
6 cups chicken broth, or slightly more as needed
salt and pepper to taste
6 to 8 teaspoons goat cheese

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until the onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red pepper flakes. Add the sweet potatoes and broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
Puree the soup, in batches in a blender or food processor. Season to taste. The soup can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Reheat over a low flame. If the soup is too thick, add a little more stock.
Ladle into bowls and crumble goat cheese on top.

Vegan Rice Stuffing
offered by Kyle Curtis
Some years back I went to my first all-vegan Thanksgiving, and made the following vegan stuffing recipe. I liked it because it didn't rely on any pre-made stuffing mix.

A half loaf of bread
2 cups cooked rice
2 cups vegetable stock (for folks w/ no time, you can pick up packaged stock at any decent grocery store)
1/4 cup sage
1/4 cup poultry seasoning (which can be dropped or exchanged for other seasoning if you want to avoid any chicken flavor)
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 stalks celery, chopped fine, and celery leaves
1 cup button/field mushrooms, chopped
4 green onions, chopped

The night before your Thanksgiving feast, cook the rice and set it aside to cool.
Meanwhile, tear the half loaf of bread into small chunks, about the size of croutons. I love to use whole grain bread, but you can use anything, even day-old leftover bread from dinner the night before.
Sprinkle the sage and poultry seasoning over the bread, and add the chopped celery, celery leaves (use them all!), and cooled rice. Mix well, and leave it to sit overnight.
On Thanksgiving day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, mix in the pine nuts, onions and mushrooms. Slowly mix 1 and 1/2 cups of vegetable stock into the stuffing, mixing well to evenly distribute the liquid.
Place the stuffing in an baking dish and drizzle the remaining vegetable stock over the top. Cover and bake for 2 hours.

Kale With Double Garlic
From Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything
offered by Laura Spidell

serves 4
1 pound kale (can also substitute collards, or broccoli raab), washed, and any thick stems cut away (save stems that are less than ¼ inch thick)
Olive oil (amount to your preference)
¼ cup thinly sliced garlic (about five or six cloves), plus 1 teaspoon or more minced garlic
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup of broth (use any kind of broth or stock you have on hand, or water)

1. Chop up kale leaves and thin stems.
2. Heat olive oil in a large, deep saucepan (medium-high) and add
sliced garlic, pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Cook for about a
minute.
3. Add the kale and the broth or water. Cover and cook over medium-
high for about three minutes, or until the greens are wilted and just
tender.
4. Uncover the kale and continue to cook, stirring, over medium-high
heat until the liquid has almost evaporated and the greens are quite
tender. Check seasonings and correct to your taste. Add the minced
garlic (substitute fresh grated ginger if you don’t want to add the
extra garlic) and cook for about a minute more. Serve topped with
toasted pine nuts or a squeeze of lemon juice.

Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
From Art Smith’s Table Fifty-Two
offered by Nay Shayan

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the pan
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted to top the biscuits
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup buttermilk

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat as well. You can also use a cake pan if you don’t have a cast iron skillet.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With your fingers incorporate the butter and goat cheese until the flour resembles a coarse, pebbly mixture. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. With a fork, mix together the buttermilk and flour until all of the dry flour disappears.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan or in the microwave. Set aside.
Remove the cast iron from the oven and place one tablespoon of butter in it. Work the pat of butter around, greasing the entire pan, including the sides.
Spoon the batter, by the 1/4-cup into the hot skillet. The biscuits will touch when baked. Brush with melted butter.
Bake for 14-16 minutes, until slightly golden in color. Remove from the oven. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and Walnuts
offered by Beth Kluvers

serves 8
4 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut into quarters lengthwise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place sweet potatoes in a greased baking pan just large enough to hold potatoes in a single layer skin side up. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, remove from heat, and stir in salt, sugar, 1/4 cup water, and vanilla. Pour mixture over potatoes. Cover tightly with foil and bake for one hour, or until very tender. Uncover, turn sweet potatoes skin side down, sprinkle with walnuts, and bake 5-7 more minutes, until caramel melts into potatoes and walnuts are toasted.

Beet and Beet Green Risotto
offered by Quinn Taylor

serves 4
1 small onion
1 pound red beets with greens (about 3 medium)
4 cups water
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup Arborio or long-grain rice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon bottled horseradish

Finely chop onion and trim stems close to tops of beets. Cut greens into 1/4-inch-wide slices and chop stems. Peel beets and cut into fine dice. In a small saucepan bring water to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer.
In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook onion in butter over moderate heat until softened. Add beets and stems and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup simmering water and cook, stirring constantly and keeping at a strong simmer, until absorbed. Continue cooking at a strong simmer and adding water, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next. After 10 minutes, stir in greens and continue cooking and adding water, about 1/2 cup at a time, in same manner until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 8 minutes more. (There may be water left over.) Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan.
Serve risotto topped with horseradish.

Turnips Braised with Butter and Dates
offered by our market Resident Chef Kathryn Yeomans

The turnip is far from a poor, hapless vegetable provided you treat it with dignity. One unlikely but remarkable combination is common turnips and regal dates – opposites melding together each in an effort bring forth the others best qualities. The sugary candy-like fruit lures out the root’s pleasant flavor. Meanwhile, the earthy turnip grounds the rich sweetness of the date. The result is a luxurious serving of humble turnips…or is it an earthy dish of exalted dates? Either way, they are a wonderful accompaniment to roasts, such as turkey.

serves 4
1 bunch of small white turnips (alternatively, use 2 medium or 1 large white turnip
2-3 Tbsp. butter
1 Medjool date for each small turnip or 6-10 dates if using larger turnips
salt and freshly ground pepper

Trim the turnips, removing their leaves and roots. Save the leaves to use as a vegetable. If using the larger turnips or if the smaller turnips have thick skins, peel them. Slice the turnips into ½ inch thick rounds.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet large enough to accommodate the turnips no more than 2 slices deep. Add the turnip rounds and toss in the butter to coat. Season with salt and pepper and turn the heat to low. Put a lid on the skillet, and cook, turning now and again, until the turnips are about halfway done.
Remove the lid and add the dates. Carefully turn the turnips and dates and check the amount of moisture in the skillet. The turnips should release a fair amount of liquid, but this will evaporate as the turnips cook. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed to keep the turnips from sticking.
Return the lid to the pan and cook the turnips and dates together until the turnips are done (when easily pierced with a fork - soft, but not mushy). Some of the dates will fall apart into the turnips, some will remain whole. Check the seasonings. Serve hot.

Fried Marinated Winter Squash
offered by our market Resident Chef Kathryn Yeomans

This preparation seems to accentuate the meatiness of winter squash. It is a wonderful and unique side vegetable, and a welcome addition to a vegetarian menu. Fried marinated squash makes a fine antipasto – try it dotted with creamy goat cheese, or add freshly shelled walnut meats to the onions as they cook.
The onions alone are a recipe worth mentioning. I use these sweet and sour onions to marinate a number of vegetables - fried zucchini or eggplant rounds, cooked, still warm beans and steamed broccoli (pitted black olives are a nice addition to the broccoli and onions).

2 ½ pound winter squash, such as butternut, or pumpkin, peeled, halved and seeded
kosher salt for salting squash
olive oil for frying
¾ Tsp. kosher or fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 ¼ Tsp. granulated sugar
5 Tbsp. mild white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
6 sprigs fresh, aromatic mint plus additional mint leaves for garnish

Cut the squash into ¼ inch thick slices. The slices must be small enough so that you can fry and turn them easily, but not so small that they don’t stand up to the frying. A guide to the size would be 2 inch by 3 inch by ¼ inch thick. If using a butternut squash, do not halve the long neck, rather slice it into rounds.
Place the sliced squash in a large bowl and sprinkle with coarse salt. Toss the squash to coat it with salt and let the slices stand several minutes. Blot the moisture that forms on the surface of the slices with paper towels, but don’t press down on the squash. When you are finished frying the squash, season it with the ¾ teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the squash in batches (in a single layer – do not crowd) and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain the fried squash on paper towels.
Reduce the heat to medium. Pour off all but 4 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onions to the skillet. Sprinkle with sugar and cook until the onions are soft and golden brown, stirring frequently (about 15 minutes). Add the vinegar and 1/3 cup of water. Increase the heat to high and cook the mixture, stirring up any browned bits, until the liquid is reduced by half.
Arrange the fried, seasoned squash on a platter. Pour the onions over the top. Sprinkle with torn mint leaves. Cover and refrigerate. This recipe can be prepared to this point up to 1 day in advance. Let the squash come up to room temperature before serving. Garnish with additional fresh mint and serve.

Roasted Turnips with Maple and Cardamom
offered by Luby Wind

Serves 8
3-1/2 lb. purple-top turnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice (10 cups)
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter
3 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Generous pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro (or a mix of parsley and mint)

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 475°F. Line two large, heavy-duty rimmed baking sheets with foil. In a mixing bowl, combine the turnips, oil, and 11/2 tsp. salt. Toss to coat well. Divide the turnips between the two pans and spread evenly in one layer. Roast for 20 minutes. With a large spatula, flip the turnips. Swap the pans’ positions and roast until tender and nicely browned on a few sides, 15 to 20 minutes. (The turnips on the lower rack may be done sooner than those on the upper rack.)
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla, and red pepper flakes, and then the coriander and cardamom, until the sauce is heated, 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.
Transfer the turnips to a large mixing bowl. Gently reheat the sauce, if necessary, and stir in the lemon juice. With a heatproof spatula, toss the sauce with the turnips. Add half of the cilantro and salt to taste and toss again. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

make ahead tips:
This dish can be made a day ahead. To reheat, put the dressed turnips (without the cilantro) in a large nonstick skillet and cover with a lid. Heat gently over medium-low heat until warmed through,stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.Add the cilantro and season to taste with salt just before serving.

Scalloped Celeriac and Potatoes
offered by Rowan Steele

Serves 6
butter for greasing the baking dish
1 pound celeriac, peeled, halved, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
1 pound baking potatoes, peeled, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyere or domestic Swiss cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish with butter.
2) Place the celeriac and potatoes in alternating layers in the baking dish, seasoning every few layers with salt and pepper. At about the halfway point, add 1/3 cup cheese in an even layer; sprinkle with the thyme. Continue with the celeriac and potatoes until you have used all of your slices (don't go all the way to the top edge; leave a little room to allow the liquid to boil).
3) Pour the stock over the celeriac and potatoes. Dot with butter. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 cup cheese over the top layer, add several grindings of fresh pepper, and bake until the cheese turns golden (about 15 minutes).
4) Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
5) Optional: what we always do is press about a bulb or two of garlic (preferably a porcelain variety, like Music or Zemo) on top to melt into the cheese. But, we do that with about everything.

Brandied Cranberries
published in Sunset Nov 2008
offered by Gretchan Jackson

12 oz. cranberries, fresh or thawed frozen
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/3 - 1/2 c. brandy, to taste
2 T finely shredded orange zest

Preheat oven to 325.
Mix ingredients in an 8-9" square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 - 1 1/4 hours, stirring occasinally.
Make ahead up to one week.
The cranberries shine like beautiful jewels, look amazing on the plate and won't be passed up by anyone at your feast!

Pumpkin-Orange Mascarpone Pie
from Sunset Magazine
offered by Kyle Curtis

2 cups finely crushed gingersnap crumbs (about 32 gingersnaps)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
1 can pumpkin purée (15 oz.) - or make your own from fresh market pumpkins
2 teaspoons orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup crème fraîche

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a 10-in. pie pan, stir together gingersnap crumbs with melted butter and press into a crust. Bake until set, about 6 minutes. Set aside.
2. Increase heat to 350°. Beat cream cheese, mascarpone, and 2/3 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each egg. Add pumpkin, 1 tsp. orange liqueur, citrus zests, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until smooth.
3. Pour filling into crust and bake until edges are firm but center still jiggles a bit, 45 to 50 minutes (bake any extra filling in ramekins). Cool to room temperature, then chill at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
4. When ready to serve, beat cream, crème fraîche, and remaining 2 tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. orange liqueur in a large bowl until soft peaks form. (Optional: Serve pie with orange whipped cream.)

Broccoli with Couscous and Walnuts

2010-11-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

I made this dish last night for dinner with the intention of it being a side dish for something else. What that something else was going to be was a little hazy. But this recipe, adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian ended up being my main dish. I figured it was pretty well balanced - pasta, vegetable, protein in the form of nuts and a sprinkle of cheese. It's one of those dishes that do well hot and fresh out of the pan, but also the next day as a chilled side dish with lunch. And since I don't know how I would make do without leftovers to get me through the week, that is an important selling point for me. The original recipe (also equally tasty) calls for cauliflower and almonds and a dusting of smoked paprika or pimenton.

Couscous with Broccoli and Walnuts
Makes 4 servings
Time: About 20 minutes

1/2 cup almonds 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot or small red onion, chopped
1 small head of broccoli, chopped (about 3 cups or more if you like lots of veggies)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole wheat or regular couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, water, or a combination
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Freshly grated parmesan (optional)
1. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium high heat. Or use a toaster oven on a low setting. The nuts will begin to smell fragrant, but not burned. Remove them from the pan and set aside to cool.
2. Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to color, about 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it is coated with the oil and starts to soften and turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the couscous and keep stirring until it too is coated with oil and begins to toast, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat off. Let rest, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Chop the almonds as finely as you can. Add them along with the parsley and fluff gently with a fork. Return the lid and again let the couscous rest for another minute or two, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with grated cheese if you like, or let cool and serve at room temperature, up to an hour or so later.

Roasted Cauliflower with Currants and Parsley

2010-11-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

I had all the best intentions in the world while making tonight's dinner. I realized I hadn't posted a recipe in a week and a half. I had some cauliflower in the refrigerator. Some fresh parsley still thriving in the garden with the bursts of moist warm air we've had in the past few weeks. I was going to get out the camera and take some pictures of artfully piled stacks of florets speckled with bright flecks of green and a few wise little currants peeking out from beneath. It was going to be a wonderful photograph.

I roasted the cauliflower in olive oil at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, added some salt and pepper and a splash of a vinaigrette of equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stuck it back in the oven for another 15 minutes, then pulled it out of the oven. Threw in a handful of currants and another handful of parsley. Mixed it up. Tasted a floret to make sure it was seasoned well. And then just keep eating. There was something oddly wonderful about the warm oil mixed with the tangy vinegar that was ridiculous. And then it was gone, without evidence to show you how good it looked.

So take my word for it and try it yourself. If you don't care for cauliflower, I can see this method being equally good on slices of delicata squash or beets or other root vegetables that roast well.

Vinegared Beets w/ Greens

2010-10-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

I don't think I really cared for beets when I was growing up. I attribute this to the food packaging industry and the fact that they came canned more often than fresh. Lined up next to the rows of mushy grey-green peas and creamed corn that looked more like baby food than an honest to goodness vegetable. And lets not even venture into frozen lima beans and brussel sprouts. Talk about giving vegetables a dreary reputation.
But in my adulthood, I have come to love, love, love them and the way they stain my hands red like food coloring. I have a friend that uses the beet juice to stain natural linen into gorgeous rusty reds that look like pinot noir.
Beets freshly steamed - I can't get enough of them. They have an earthy sweetness that needs very little assistance. I rarely do anything more with them than add olive oil and salt and pepper and eat them diced as a snack. If I can restrain myself I'll save them for a salad with goat cheese and toasted walnuts. Recently, I tried this recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone - a preparation that doesn't really even need a recipe it's so simple. I made it last week, and then went back to the market to buy another enormous bunch to do the same again. Four large beets is enough for me to stretch into to four side dish sized helpings.

1. Trim the greens from the top of the beets, leaving a stubble of stems on the beet root. Trim the root "tail". Through the whole beet in a steamer basket over simmering water. Steam for 30 minutes or until you can slip a knife into the beet easily.
2. Let the beets cool until you can handle them. Slip the skins off the beets. They come off easily with the edge of a butter knife lightly scraped across the surface.
3. Chop up the beets, toss with olive oil or butter, salt, pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
4. If you like the beet greens too, steam those separately, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.
5. Eat warm or chilled as you prefer.

Gluten Free Crepe Recipes

2010-10-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

If you had a chance to watch the chef demo at this past weekend's market, you probably wanted to rush right home and whip up a batch. Crepes are so versatile there is a version for any time of day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Savory or sweet. Fruit, chocolate, ham and cheese, butternut squash puree with nutmeg and a dollop of creme fraiche on top - I can go on and on. Thanks to the kind folk at Gluten Free Neighborhood, even those who have had to strike all things all purpose flour based from their diets can enjoy these tasty treats. So give it a go and let me know how it turns out and what flavor combinations you make. Bon Appetit.

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (apgff). I suggest Bob's Red Mill.
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter, melted, plus 2 or 3 tsps butter for coating the pan.

Flour suggestion: Sift the flour and then get the measurement and do not pack the flour down into a cup.

Blender Method:
Blend eggs, milk, water, flour, salt and 2 tbs melted butter until smooth.

By Hand:
Separately, sift the flour and add salt. Whisk eggs until blended. Mix the milk and water into the eggs and whisk this mixture into the flour and salt; stir in the 2 Tbs melted butter.

For Both:
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or two, preferably 24 hours.
Gently stir batter if it has separated. The consistency should be like heavy cream.
Heat a seasoned crêpe pan over medium-high heat until hot. 6"-7" pan or 9"-10" pan.
Coat pan lightly with butter, lift the pan from the heat and pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons batter for the 6"-7" and ¼ cup for 9"-10", tilting and rotating the pan with the batter to coat the surface of the pan. Cook until almost dry on top and lightly browned on the edges (usually about 1 minute).

Loosen the edges with a spatula or bamboo skewer and/or your fingers. Flip the crêpe over and cook the other side for about 15 seconds or until lightly browned.
Turn crêpe onto towel or plate to cool.
Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping the pan with butter as needed. You can stack the crêpes using waxed paper after they are cooled.

Variations 1: These recipes REPLACE the 1 cup flour with:
Buckwheat Galettes (Galette is the French term for buckwheat Crêpes)
2/3 cup apgff and 2/3 cup buckwheat flour.

Corn Flour Crêpes
2/3 c apgff and 2/3 corn flour.

Cornstarch Crêpes
1 cup cornstarch and add ½ tsp baking soda.

Garbanzo Flour Crêpes
2/3 cup apgff and 2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour

Chestnut-Garbanzo Flour Crêpes
2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour and ½ cup chestnut flour

Chestnut Flour Crêpes
2/3 cup apgff and ½ cup chestnut flour

Variations 2: These recipes ADD additional ingredients.

Herb Crêpes
Add ½ cup minced fresh chives, basil or flat leaf parsley to the batter while blending
For pale green mixed herbed Crêpes, add ½ cup minced fresh chives,
green onion tops, flat leaf parsley, tarragon, marjoram and basil.

Sun-Dried Tomato Crêpes
Add ¼ cup minced, oil packed sun-dried tomatoes to the batter while blending.

www.gfneighbohrhood.com
gfneighborinfo@gmail.com
828-348-4438

Warm Red Cabbage Salad with Sunflower Seeds, Feta and Apricots

2010-10-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

I think cabbage gets a bum wrap. Perhaps because it's often overcooked to a smelly, shapeless heap. Maybe because of ridiculous, misbegotten diets that tell you to eat nothing but flavorless cabbage soup three times a day. Or because it is an over-goopy, mayonnaise-y mess on the side of fast food fried chicken places.

I would like to be an advocate for cabbage. It keeps nearly forever in the refrigerator. It's great as a crunchy addition to tacos, tuna salad or lightly dressed with a vinaigrette cole slaw. Or it can be cooked in something like this adaptable salad that combines sweet, salt and sour in a perfect blend. Try playing around with the ingredients - switch the golden raisins for currants or apricots like I did. And any soft, salty cheese would pair well - feta or goat cheese were recommended, but I could also see a queso fresco working just as well. Perfect for the end of the week when the supplies are getting low and it's time to start assembling shopping lists for the market this weekend.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad with Sunflower Seeds, Feta and Apricots
adapted from The Complete Tassajara Cookbook

Ingredients
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (pine nuts would also be good)
1 teaspoon natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
fine grain sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced (I used a regular yellow onion)
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 pound head of red cabbage or radicchio, quartered and cut into thin ribbons
2 ounces golden raisins (or other plump, chopped dried fruit - I used apricots)
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 ounces feta, crumbled (goat cheese also recommended as an alternative)
Preparation
Roast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Sprinkle on the sugar, and a couple pinches of salt. Stir until the sugar melts and coats the seeds. Transfer the seeds immediately to a plate so they don't stick to the pan. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onion for a minutes or two with a couple pinches of salt. Stir in the garlic, and the cabbage, and a few more pinches of salt. Stir and cook for just a minute or so, or until the cabbage softens up just a touch. Then stir in most of the raisins and the vinegar. The cabbage will continue to get more and more tender even after you remove it from the heat, so keep that in mind, and do your best to avoid overcooking it - where it collapses entirely.

Fold in half of the feta, most of the sunflower seeds, then taste. Season with more salt if needed. Serve garnished with the remaining raisins, goat cheese, and sunflower seeds

Serves 4 to 6.

Guest post: Gulten Free Crepes

2010-10-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

From the Gluten Free Neighborhood, our guest chef demo this upcoming weekend at the market, where folks meet at the corner of good health and appetizing cuisine.

Crepes 3 ways
and they are gluten free

Kathy Dee Zasloff, founder of the Gluten Free Neighborhood, www.gfneighborhood.com will demonstrate how to make savory crepes that are scrumptious and happen to be gluten free.
She will demonstrate the use of 3 different batters: all purpose gluten free flour as well as garbanzo and buckwheat flours. Crepes can be frozen and reheated, made fresh and eaten warm, and take just a few minutes to prepare. Serve as main course or dessert, crepes are a versatile culinary staple for gluten free and gluten eaters alike. Recipes provided at the demo.
Where: Montivilla Farmers Market – Portland, OR
When: Sunday, October 17th, 2010 – 10:30 to 11:30am

"Everybody Eats" at Thanksgiving at the MFM

2010-10-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

As the economy continues to suffer, 1 in 5 Oregonians are now receiving food stamps. The Montavilla Farmers Market believes that everybody has the right to eat fresh, healthy, local produce and is turning to its devoted customer base to see that more low income neighbors can shop at the market this holiday season.

During the month of October, the Montavilla Farmers Market will begin accepting donations to their new “Everybody Eats” program to ensure that families experiencing food insecurity have access to the best quality, locally grown food. Customers using their debit cards at the market to pay for tokens for their regular weekly shopping can easily add five, ten or fifty dollars (or more!) to their purchase to help other families that might not otherwise be able to shop at the farmers market. Those tokens will go directly to families in need who can then use them to shop for fresh produce, cheese and meat from market vendors for their holiday meal. The first weekend alone with only word of mouth publicity, $155 has been raised.

The market will match the first $500 of donations and will work with St. Vincent de Paul to identify families within the community to receive the market tokens. St Vincent de Paul manages special works programs including a prepared and perishable food recovery program, a food bank and providing emergency food.

Donations will be accepted by cash, check or credit/debit card at the market, or by mail to: Montavilla Farmers Market
P. O. BOX 16238
Portland, OR 97292
Please note “For: Everybody Eats”

The Montavilla Farmers Market’s mission is to create a vital, high quality market that promotes our local farms, producers and artisans in a community-centered gathering place. The market takes place 10 am – 2 pm every Sunday from June through October, plus the Sunday before Thanksgiving in the 7600 block of SE Stark. For the first time ever, the market will also be holding Winter Stock-Up Markets the second Sundays of the month in December-February from 11am - 1 pm at the same location.

Chanterelles - a beautiful thing indeed

2010-10-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

It's official. I am hooked on mushroom foraging. Today I went out into the woods somewhere west of Portland (a good forager never reveals the exact location of their cache) with a couple of friends for my first ever chanterelle hunt. I've wanted to do this for years but didn't know where to go and didn't know what signs to look for to unearth the fungal treasure. The forest as a lot of surface area to cover and without some success throughout the afternoon, it can quickly become discouraging. But when you do find one...it's like being 5 years old opening presents at Christmas.

The benefits to an afternoon spent mushroom foraging - 1 pound, 2 ounces of fresh chanterelle mushrooms for dinner. The drawback - I could tell you very little about the beauty of the forest we walked through or how far we walked. Head down, eyes scanning left and right, looking for a gleam of orangey-yellow pushing up through the pine needles and moss. Time passes. Just one more rise of the hill to search, maybe there will be the motherlode.

Chanterelles must be foraged from the forest because they do not take to cultivation and are very particular about where they grow. Chanterelles reappear in the same spot of the forest from year to year so it is important when harvesting to bring a knife to cut the mushroom off at the base, leaving the ground undisturbed where the mycelium grow. The underside of the mushroom is what makes the chanterelle particularly distinctive and easy to identify. Delicately ruffled gills running down the entire length of the stem.

Chanterelles have a meaty flavor and every resource I've sought out recommends starting with a simple preparation to fully enjoy and isolate the mushroom flavor. Sauteed in butter or olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and maybe a splash of cream at the end.

Day-Old Bread Salad

2010-09-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Montavilla Farmers Market hosted a community forum to discuss food access and equity issues. Thanks to a donation from Grand Central Baking Co. we had a beautiful pile of rolls and whole grain bread loaves left over at the end of the day. I love bread and can't seem to keep a loaf around long enough to use in recipes that call for day-old bread. Bread pudding, croutons, bread crumbs, french toast. So many uses for something that some people would consider past its prime, but for me is just aging to perfection. This unexpected windfall came at just the right moment.

Today after the market, the board is throwing a thank you potluck party for our volunteers and vendors. I decided to use the bread in a bread and tomato salad. The close runner up was an Apple Cardamom Bread Pudding from the same cookbook, but the unexpected bounty of tomatoes from my garden helped make the decision.

Crouton Salad
adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
8 oz crusty bread (a few days old is best)
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/4 c roughly chopped basil or parsley
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bread into large cubes and spread on baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and toasty. Let cool.
In another bowl, mix oil, vinegar, tomatoes, onion, garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to mix everything well. Add the toasted bread and basil or parsley.

Another twist on this recipe is tossing the bread salad with any kind of greens (kale, chard, spinach) that have been sauteed with onion, red pepper flakes. Toss in a handful of currants or raisins and toasted pine nuts. Sounds like something that would be good for later in the season when tomatoes have faded to a memory.

Confessions of a Cookbook Addict

2010-09-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

By Luby

I admit it – I’m addicted to food magazines and cookbooks. Recently I was asked if I have a favorite. That’s like asking a doting mother who is her favorite child.

After many years (and bookshelves) of buying, reading and collecting dozens of cookbooks on pastry, ethnic cuisine and, of course, chocolate (Death by Chocolate) about 5 years ago, my husband and I agreed to a moratorium on our compulsive passion. This act of self discipline, however, did not keep us from feeding our cookbook Jones with weekly sojourns to the downtown library - loading up on every imaginable culinary text, rushing home to test new recipes, and flopping down on the futon to dive into the next treasure chest. But I digress…

One of the last cookbooks I actually bought (on the bargain table at Powell’s, no less) is a real gem! Clearly Delicious, An Illustrated Guide to Preserving, Pickling & Bottling written by award-winning author, Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz (Herbs, Spices & Flavorings) and Judy Ridgway is one of the most beautiful "cookbooks" I have yet to see or own! This is a completely illustrated guide to some of the most delicious recipes I have ever found all in one book. When I’m shopping at the Farmers’ Market, I’m dialing in on recipes from Clearly Delicious. And at home, when I’m thumbing through Clearly Delicious, I’m making mental notes about products I’ll find at the Farmers Market next Sunday.

This is not your grandmother’s version of canning. The writers clearly possess a robust appreciation of the marriage of our seasons on earth and the heady craving of palate pleasing flavor. This collection is chock full of simple step-by-step sequential demonstrations that transform seasonal picked-in-their-prime fruits and veggies into pickles, conserves, jams, jellies, curds, marmalades, syrups, flavored vinegars & liqueurs, chutneys and more! Each chapter begins with a one page summary on the basics – how to make, seal and store and maybe even more importantly (especially to a canning phobic as I) – what can go wrong and why. Thankfully the writers stress the value of careful (a.k.a. safe) preparation as a vital component of successful and delicious results (thanks Grandma). A fantastic chapter on herbs & spices transports the reader around the globe in delightful and dizzying fashion.

The last chapter, Finishing Touches is well… just intriguing. In my opinion, the collection’s ‘cherry on top.’ Who would think a jar of tomato sauce could look so good? Idea packed 7 pages inspires even the artistically challenged to create unique, imaginative gifts that are very high on the WOW meter.

I’ve seen a few copies on line (Amazon, etc.). But be sure to get the edition with the gorgeous canned pears on the cover. Check out Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz’s other cookbooks, especially The Book of Latin American Cooking lauded by James Beard, and The New Complete Book on Mexican Cooking.

My favorite recipes from Clearly Delicious:

Cassis – what else to do with the 3 quarts of black currants exploding with flavor and bending every branch on the bush!

Apple and Ginger Jam – (Hint: use fresh ginger and less sugar)

Pickled Cauliflower with Sweet Bell Peppers

Spiced Apples with Rosemary – no sugar, all honey, very yummy!

Rhubarb Chutney – a perennial favorite (but I tell ya, next month when the almighty beets are sweet and in full swing, I’m trying out the Beet Chutney!)

Perfumed Thai Chili Oil – this is absolutely fabulous to grill tofu, tempeh or veggies or to scent steamed rice.

Blueberry Herbed Vinegar – gorgeous in a thin bottle with a bit of raffia around the neck

How to Peel a Peach (or Tomato)

2010-09-08T10:43:00.001-07:00

Staring at a large box of peaches, having already made a few batches of jam and a galette, knowing that with each passing hour the peaches were ripening, I decided to simply peel the rest of the lot and freeze the slices, buying me time to enjoy the sweetness of the fruit at a later date...like maybe December when fresh, local fruit is but a memory.
I put a pot of water on the stove, filled another big bowl with ice water and got to work.

Peeling delicate produce like peaches and tomatoes is really quite simple and quick. The same principles apply to both. Make a "X" in the bottom of the fruit with a paring knife, drop it in a pot of boiling water for one minute (sometimes longer if the fruit is super-sized). Transfer the fruit to a bowl of ice water. When the fruit is a comfortable temperature to handle, gently slip the skin off of the fruit. Just be careful to keep your hands clean and goop-free as you work through the batch because the fruit and knife can end up a bit slick and juicy. It's easy to send a slippery ball richocheting around the kitchen if you lose your grip.
From here, your options are many. Canning, jamming (or saucing for tomatoes), freezing. Chutneys, preserves, relishes. Breakfast, dinner or dessert. Or maybe all of the above. With as many peaches as I just peeled, why limit myself?

New Vendor Profile: Little Gnome Farm

2010-09-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Montavilla Farmers Market recently welcomed a few new vendors into the fold mid-season. One of them, Little Gnome Farm hails from Ridgefield, Washington - just a bit north of Vancouver.
Little Gnome Farm has a blog full of information, so check it out and learn a bit more about them before you visit their stand. You can learn about what it takes to start a new, small-scale farm that avoids the use of heavy machinery. You can also stay on top of what produce you can expect to find at the market in addition to their chicken and duck eggs.
If you are curious about duck eggs but not sure how to use them, there are a number of good web resources that talk about how to cook with them. I found one web site that said that duck egg whites have more protein than chicken eggs and thus will whip up higher and lighter. The yolks, too, have more fat that chicken eggs and thus a richer flavor. The most common advice was just to scramble or fry it up like you would a chicken egg and appreciate the rich, eggy flavor.
Welcome, Little Gnome!

From Little Gnome:
1) What types of products do you specialize in?
Heirloom variety vegetables that are organically grown; Chicken and duck eggs.

2) What are your biggest challenges in operating a farm? And what makes it all worth it?

Challenges –
As a first year farm (start-up company)
1. Capital for investment – need three years before eligible for $ assistance
2. utilizing low energy inputs, i.e. not using a tractor
3. working solo –unable to afford extra labor
Worth it –
1. having healthy food
2. meeting great customers who love what we are doing
3. knowing I am offering something people value

3) What food policy issues do you think are critical to the future of agriculture in Oregon?
Land availibility – because housing market increased land value beyond what is sustainable through on- farm income.
Financial assistance to beginning farmers (3 years of records needed before you can qualify)
Farmer’s market fees the same whether you are a small farm with little income or a large farm with large income. Barrier to new farmers.

4) What is your favorite food blog/web resource?
Oakhillorganics. Com
Oregon Tilth

5) What food/agriculture related book, magazine or movie would you recommend?
Anything by Steve Solomon—Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades & Gardening When It Counts
Sharon Astyk, Depletion and Abundance

Labor Day is no joke when you are a farmer

2010-09-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

I would harbor a guess that very few people are aware of the origin of the Labor Day holiday (in 1882) and some might find irony in the fact that we celebrate it by taking a day off of work (those that are lucky) and squeezing in a last camping trip or backyard BBQ before the kids head back to school. But if you are a farmer or anyone who gardens with any seriousness, this is hardly the time of year in which one can think about leisure activities. Vegetable plants are bending over heavy with fruit. The trees are heavy with apples, pears, peaches. This is the time when canning and preserving fill the kitchen with billowy clouds of steam.

Even though I've been a slacker with my cooking this summer, I've still carried a torch for anything that can fit in a Mason jar. The knowledge that the window of opportunity is only so wide has compelled me to buy whole boxes of fruit to turn into jams and applesauce. This past weekend I picked up 25 lbs of Gravenstein apples that are good for pie-making and saucing. And I couldn't pass up the 20 lb box of Red Haven freestone peaches for peach jam and more pie.

Applesauce is one of those things that is so simple and quick to make that I can't really bring myself to buy it at the grocery store. I use a apple slicer to core and section the apples, leaving the skin on, throw 6 lbs in a big soup pot with a cup of water, let it simmer for 25 minutes and run the soft, mushy result through a food mill and that's it - done. So easy it doesn't even need a recipe. Maybe I'll add a little sugar or cinnamon or nutmeg. The jars that I process to store in the basement I leave plain so it can be used for applesauce cake or as a replacement for oil in low-fat muffins.
So as you pull that last beer out of the cooler, offer a toast to the farmers that were hard at work today, harvesting the bounty that will keep our pantries stocked this winter. Prost!

September = Reader Recipe Contest Month

2010-08-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

I had great ambitions at the beginning of the summer. I was planning on decorating my cookbooks with post-it flags marking the best recipes that highlighted seasonal product, filling these blog pages with mouth watering photos of healthy, savory, awe-inspiring meals, coming home very week from the farmers market with my basket full of new and interesting produce.
But life got in the way and I found myself night after night looking for culinary inspiration that wasn't too be found. I was tired, distracted by other more pressing concerns, happy if my dinner included all the major food groups, much less actually was appetizing or attractive. I did bring home lots of market produce, but often found myself simply steaming or sauteing it with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. Now don't get me wrong. I think simple is often underrated. I believe that you should actually be able to taste the flavor of the vegetable, not drown it in other overpowering sensations. But creativity and imagination is still a good thing.
My life is approaching normalcy again and I feel a pull back towards the kitchen. It might be the unseasonably cool weather that makes me think of spending Sunday afternoons making bread and soup and filling the windows with steam.
So this is where you, the reader, come in. I am looking for some new inspiration and have seen from past blog and Facebook posts that the people that shop at the Montavilla Farmers Market might very well be the best sort of advice. The month of September is being devoted to a customer challenge. Send me your favorite recipe, complete with enticing photograph and I will post it for all to enjoy. At the end of the month, we will put all of the entries into the running for a reader vote. The person submitting the most popular recipe will win a 2010 MFM t-shirt, men's or women's sizing from American Apparel.
In the meantime I'm going to head to the bookstore for a new cookbook for some nightly reading. If you're anything like me, you too enjoy curling up in bed with a cookbook dreaming up combinations of flavors. If you don't have a recipe to submit, send me suggestions of a great new cookbook to check out.
If you want to submit an entry, send an email to blog@montavillamarket.org with the words "MFM September Recipe Contest" in the subject line. Make sure to include a photograph, the proper credit to a cookbook or magazine if appropriate, and enough instructions that the average cook can recreate your masterpiece. I will in turn post the entry to the blog and ask readers for the comments and reviews of the recipe. At the end of the month, we'll hold a vote and award the prize. The only defining feature is that the recipe should feature something seasonal and locally available at the farmers market.
I look forward to seeing what this challenge produces. Happy cooking!

Our Market is Green...

2010-08-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

... and not just due to the local veggies.

In July we launched the Market Loaner Bag program. With your help, we're hoping to put an end to the "use-it-once" mentality by providing market bags to borrow if you've forgotten yours. The bags have been made from t-shirts that have been donated by the Market community and cleverly sewn by volunteers, including neighborhood home sewers and boutique Union Rose. The jersey t-shirt fabric produces a bag that is soft and a little bit stretchy, which hugs your purchases nicely.

The Market will have these unique bags on hand at the Info Booth (limited to availability) for market shoppers to borrow for shopping for produce & other market goods. The bags may be borrowed for the week & should be returned the next time you visit market, hopefully the following Sunday. Returning them promptly will ensure their availability at market for the season duration.

At the same time we have made a Free Guide on Produce Storage available, so that you won't be at a loss for how to store your produce if you bring it home in something other than disposable plastic bags.

This is not our first project focused on reduction of the disposable in favor of the durable. Our Durable Dish program to reduce disposable service ware launched in 2009. You can read more about it here on our blog.

Vendor Profile: Deck Family Farm

2010-08-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

Portland is in the midst of a grand love affair with meat. From restaurants like our own Country Cat, Beast, Simpatica, this celebration of the art of butchery has had many benefits to us, the consumer. I have a number of friends that were once vegetarians but now have ventured back into omnivore territory because of it is now easier than ever to find sources of meat that come with the knowledge that the animals had a happy life, they were fed real food and weren't amped up on hormones like they were a professional sports player. It starts with the first bite of good, quality, pasture raised meat that is flavorful and tender - often bacon is the gateway drug it seems. From there, it's just a taste of this stew, or a slice of this rare-cooked filet. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with being a vegetarian, my almost-husband has been one since he was in college. All I'm saying is that it if you do eat meat, and haven't treated yourself to some "good meat" like Deck Family Farms offers at the market, you don't know what you are missing. The difference is noticeable.
And if you want to see where your meat comes from, Deck Family Farms receives visitors at their farm in Junction City, Oregon. (or see the picture in this post) Their website is also a good resource for recipes and the health benefits associated with grass-fed beef and milk.

1) What types of products do you specialize in?
Deck Family Farm specializes in pasture-raised protein products
including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and eggs.

2) What are your biggest challenges in operating a farm? And what
makes it all worth it?
Our biggest challenge is competing on price against federally
subsidized, corporate industrial agriculture. Fortunately, our
products have superior flavor, are beneficial to the environment and
directly support our rural economy. This is what makes farming worth
it!

3) What food policy issues do you think are critical to the future of
agriculture in Oregon?
Critical to establishing a healthy network of small farm protein
products is for the Oregon Department of Agriculture to establish a clear and consistent method for interpreting existing policies. Rules and policies are notcommunicated clearly and thus are interpreted in vastly different ways by Farmers Markets, grocery stores, and restaurants. This creates a climate of confusion and uncertainty amongst the growers. Certainly it makes further investment by producers more difficult.

4) What is your favorite food blog/web resource?
Dr. Mercola (http://www.mercola.com/) has some great information on all kinds of issues relating to personal health.

5) Do you have a favorite cookbook that you cook from?
Epicurious (http://www.epicurious.com/)

6) What food/agriculture related book, magazine or movie would you recommend?
Forget about the books, magazine, and movies. Most of them vastly oversimplify the complex agricultural food-system landscape. The best thing to do is visit the farms that are bringing food to you at the Farmers Market and see for yourself. Deck Family Farm welcomes visitors Monday through Saturday.

Vendor Profile: Kohlman's Soaps farm direct goat products

2010-08-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

Goats might be one of those creatures that you either love or fear. You love them because they have an endearing way of giving you gentle headbutts and trotting comically across a field. Or you fear them because of a childhood petting zoo experience gone awry. But regardless, their milk is a wonderful thing. We at Montavilla are lucky because we have vendors that sell edible goat products (chevre) and those that sell things that make your skin soft and lovely like soaps and lotions. Just because you treat your insides well with organic fruits and veggies, doesn't mean you should neglect the side that we present to the world.
Oh, and don't forget about the farm fresh eggs that Bev sells as well....even if you haven't motivated to build that backyard chicken coop, you can still enjoy the taste of a fresh fried egg with its extra rich yellow yolk.

From Bev Garzon of Kohlman's Soaps
1) What types of products do you specialize in?

Goat milk soap, shampoo, lotion. Organic eggs.

2) What are your biggest challenges in operating a farm/business? And what makes it all worth it?

The longest term challenge have been the predators. Lastest is a bobcat that has nabbed four of our chickens. We have a guard llama, but bobcat climb trees. Other than that, we're most bothered by the rising costs of hay and grain feed.

What makes it all worthwhile is standing at the kitchen sink, washing dishes and having a great view of our little farm. I even love it when the chickens come marching into the house, straight to the cat food bowls. Gives me a chance to grab 'em and give them a kiss before I toss them outside - yet again.

3) What food policy issues do you think are critical to the future of agriculture in Oregon?

Right now for me, it's the fact that raw goat milk cannot be sold to humans in Oregon for consumption. Although it is the most widely consumed form of milk in the world, it cannot be purchased legally in Oregon for anything other than livestock feed and then only if purchased directly from the farm.

4) Why do you chose Montavilla Farmers Market to sell your products?

In the 90's, Montavilla, Mt. Tabor and Hawthorne were my stomping grounds. As soon as I found out Montavilla had their own farmers' market, I knew it was the place for not only me, but my products.

5) Do you have a favorite cookbook that you cook from?

The All Purpose Joy of Cooking (Irma Rombauer and Marion Rombauer/Becker). Not so much for the recipes, but for the basic facts of purchasing, cooking and preserving all sorts of food. It's Martha Stewart meets Julia Child meets Alton Brown. I have the paperback version and keep it all together with a big rubber band.

6) What food/agriculture related book, magazine or movie would you recommend?

Cooks, Illustrated. (magazine)
Chocolat (movie)
Botany of Desire (book)

Harvest Dinner menu revealed

2010-08-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

This morning at the market, board member and Harvest Dinner organizer Beth Kluvers handed me a piece of paper that I've been waiting for with much anticipation for the past couple of weeks...the full menu for our annual gala event. And it does not disappoint. Read on and once you have grabbed a napkin to wipe the drool from your chin, hurry on over to our website and buy a ticket or a table. Seats are limited to 100 people. And once word gets out about the menu with the 5 courses and the 5 biodynamic wines, there are no guarantees that they won't fly out the door.

And if you are vegan or vegetarian, don't worry. We have definitely not forgotten you. Piper of Kitchen Dances will be preparing vegan entrees that will match and maybe even exceed those of your carnivorous tablemates. And word has it that Pastry Girl will be preparing vegan and possibly even gluten free desserts as well. Once we have details on those offerings, as well as the specific wine pairings, we will make those available here in the blog and in our weekly e-newsletter.

How's this for a little build up of anticipation?

Appetizers:
Garden roll with tofu & Marinated chicken wings in garlic pepper sauce from Bangkok Bites
Ratatouille tart & pisaladiere tart (southern French tart with caramelized onion, kalamata olives and local anchovy) from Immortal Pie & Larder
Grilled flatbread w/rosemary basil walnuts, Alsea Acres chevre and wessels honey &
Gravlax of halibut cured with Aquavita and dill served with creme fresh from The Observatory

Vegetable Course:
Crispy quinoa and farro cake with summer succotash salad from the Country Cat

Fish Course:
Grilled Oregon Chinook salmon with fennel pollen, heirloom tomato salso and potato from the Observatory

Meat Course:
Braised Sweet Briar Farm pork shoulder with sweet corn grits and blackberries from the Country Cat

Dessert Course:
Oven roasted fig and bittersweet chocolate tart with wine reduction from the Pastry Girl

Coffee:
A very special Stumptown Montavilla Blend from Bipartisan Cafe

So what are you waiting for? Go. Get your tickets. Fast.

Harvest Dinner
Saturday, August 28th
5:30 pm at the market site - 7600 block of SE Stark

For all you oenophiles out there...

2010-08-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

For some of you the 5 wines that are paired with the 5 courses of delectable food are reason enough alone to buy a ticket to the Harvest Dinner. This year, Red White:Green will be providing a stunning line up of biodynamic wines that complement every reduction, herb and essence that passes your lips. If you take your wine seriously, then perhaps you'd like to know a little more about the business we are partnering with. And if you like what you read, then consider buying a ticket or two or four to the Harvest Dinner. Saturday, August 28th. Tickets available at the market information booth on Sundays or the Bipartisan Cafe or Country Cat any other day of the week.

In the words of Jeff Vejr, proprietor of Red White:Green:
1. Describe your operation - where it is located and how you started your business.

Red White: Green operates in Portland, OR. A tasting room will be opened in Fall 2010. We strictly focus on Biodynamic®, Organic, and Natural wines from around the world. We will be producing a wine from Oregon (to be released May 2011) and we will be launching a certification program for restaurants, wine bars, retailers, and wineries in January 2011. Our goal is to educate the general public about the health, social, and environmental benefits of grapes grown and wines made from Biodynamic®, Organic, and Natural methods. I started this company because for me, these wines were the most expressive, the most ‘alive’, and they almost always tasted the best. It pains me to see people purchase their organic fruits, vegetables, grains, and grass fed beef and then to see them grab a bottle of a hyper-industrialized, manipulated, homogenous wine, that was made in the most ‘unnatural’ of ways. It is our goal to help people make better wine choices.

2. How does your 'red and white' become 'green'? Describe biodynamic methods and philosophy.

The company name translates to Red Wine, White Wine: Green Wine. Viniculture has always been at the forefront of major agricultural movements. I attribute this to the desire for quality, to make the best wine possible. Wine has been at the core of many European cultures and so the care, attention, and meticulous ways that grapes are farmed is a testament to the reverence that wine has historically had. Let’s not forget that grapes are a crop, and the farming practices associated with it are the MOST important part of making great wine.

For me, Biodynamic® farming is the most environmentally responsible agricultural method and grapes grown and wines produced following these methods tend to taste the best. They are clearly ‘alive’. In short, Biodynamics® goes beyond organic, envisioning the farm as a self-contained and self-sustaining organism. In an effort to keep the farm, the farmer, the consumer, and the earth healthy, farmers avoid chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers, instead utilizing compost and cover crops. The entire farm, versus a particular crop, must be managed in this way. Based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (circa 1924), biodynamics® includes the ideas of organic farming. The foundation of Steiner’s approach to farming is the blending of prescriptive, holistic practices with the farmer’s experiences and observations. Steiner recognized the rhythms of the sun and moon, the benefit of applying biodynamic preparations such as horn manure and the wisdom of organizing the farm as an independent unit. Biodynamic winegrowers create self-sustaining farms by using natural amendments, ideally from the farm itself, to encourage growth and health in the vineyard.

I grew up on a small self-sustaining farm in New Hampshire, we grew all of our own vegetables, we raised our own livestock, we had a huge compost pile, and we wasted very little on the farm. Later on in life, when I was introduced to Biodynamics®, it was incredibly obvious to me and normal. In my mind, Biodynamics® is the greatest agricultural paradigm. I believe that it produces the best tasting, healthiest foods. Isn’t that what it is really about? Consider the drastic difference between a homegrown tomato and a hydroponically grown tomato. A free-range chicken egg to an egg from an industrial farm. Fresh squeezed orange juice to orange juice from concentrate. Wine isn’t all the same and there are drastic differences in taste from grapes grown and wines made conventionally vs. Biodynamic®, Organic, or Naturally made.

3. Tell us about your varietals. What's new, hot and what's your favorite.

Red White: Green supports all of the vitis vinifera grapes. Wine is more than just Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Personally, I am in love with Syrah. For me, it is the most diverse grape, it expresses it’s ‘terroir’ much more than any other grape and you can find amazing examples all over the globe. It’s a shame that it doesn’t get more attention because it is such a generous wine. From Southern and Eastern Oregon (yes, we grow exceptional Syrah here), to the multiple valleys of the Rhone, to the Mountains of Italy, to the flower kingdom in South Africa, to Hawks Bay in New Zealand, to Walla Walla, and even in the mountains of the Sonoma Coast, Syrah is always sharing where it is from.

4. Who are your main customers? Where can we find your wines?

My main customers are consumers that are interested in learning more about the health, social, and environmental benefits of wines that are Biodynamic®, Organic, or Naturally made. There isn’t a very reliable way to find these wines CURRENTLY. It is our goal to help anyone find these wines and learn the differences between these agricultural and wine producing methods. It is needed within the wine profession and to the consumer at large. You will be able to find our wines at most specialty wine shops here in Portland soon. A list will be posted on our website in the coming months.

5. Do you grow the fruit that produces your wine, or do you have contract vineyards that are biodynamic and sustainable growers?

Currently, we do not grow any grapes or make any wine. We leave that to the dedicated farmers and vignerons we partner with. Locally, I work with three wineries that allow me to taste through barrels to produce a wine that is unique for Red White: Green. I would never call myself a ‘winemaker’, I prefer ‘barrel hunter’. I am excited for the new wines that will be released in May 2011 and I look forward to sharing more about those at a later date.

6. How did you come to partner with Montavilla Farmers Market?

The opportunity presented itself through Beth Kluvers, the treasurer of the Montavilla Farmers Market. She knew about my company and thought it would be a great fit. I am honored to be one of the many excellent local companies involved in this year’s Harvest Dinner. It is a great platform for the wines and a great way to attract awareness to the benefits of Biodynamic®, Organic, and Natural wines.

The Versatility of Pasta and Pizza

2010-08-01T15:43:00.001-07:00

My fiance's grandmother was Italian. She would get angry when fine restaurants would serve simple dishes like foccacia or pasta dressed with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes saying "It's peasant food! It's what we ate when we had no money!"

Inspired by today's chef demo at the market (see the post immediately preceding this one), this week's menu at home is going to happily feature some of that peasant food and we're going to revel in it and top it with some of the prettiest produce from the market and congratulate ourselves for making something that tasted so good with such simple ingredients. In fact that is one reason why I like making Italian food. From one simple base like pasta or pizza, you can find a use for almost anything you bring home from the market. And once you've tried your hand at making your own dough a few times and have your method down, you'll wonder why you didn't learn sooner. Of course sometimes, it's easier to buy a box of dried pasta or pick a pizza up from Hot Lips. But there's something about making it yourself that just makes it taste that much better.

The first thing we did once we made it home from the market was to pull some fresh pasta out of the freezer, cook it and toss it with some basil-hazelnut pesto (available at Kitchen Dances booth) and plan what to do with our booty. This morning, we picked up some Walla Walla onions and corn at Maryhill and some amazingly pungent basil at Growing Gardens. The onions have already been caramelized, the pizza dough in resting in the refrigerator waiting to receive them and some crumbles of goat cheese, or perhaps a classic basil and mozzarella pizza. The corn we'll save for later in the week to grill with some veggie burgers. OK, so veggie burgers are not exactly Italian, but they are a favorite standby for a quick midweek meal. And when you had a smear of pesto or some chutney from Sassafras Catering, ordinary becomes extraordinary.

It's amazing what different shapes a little flour and water can take. Peasant food indeed.

Recipe: Tagliarini with Pancetta, Sweet Onions, Heirloom Tomatoes, Spinach & Ricotta

2010-07-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Paul Losch, chef at Vino Paradiso, graces our events stage Sunday morning with a pasta-making tutorial and a recipe for a delicious, seasonal sauce of market ingredients. Sweet onions, ripe tomatoes, fresh spinach, pancetta and homemade ricotta. There is a lot to learn and Paul graciously dishes it out during his culinary demonstration. 10:30-11:30 am.

Here's a recipe teaser to get you excited about the demo (jeez, is anyone hungry for lunch yet?):
Tagliarini with Pancetta, Sweet Onions, Heirloom Tomatoes, Spinach & Ricotta
by Paul Losch, Vino Paradiso

Pasta
**Note: This is going to sound really tricky.. it is not! Making pasta from scratch is an extremely fun and rewarding at home project, and pretty easy once you get the hang of it. You probably won’t make perfect pasta the first time, that’s fine, just have fun with it. I have included all the little tricks I can think of. Remember to feel the dough.. it’ll help each time!

00 Durham Wheat Flour or All-Purpose Flour 9oz
Semolina Flour 2oz
Whole Eggs 6oz

1) Set up a clean counter or table top to work on. I prefer a wooden countertop, but any smooth surface with room enough to knead a small amount of dough, and also roll and cut the dough after it rests, will do.
2) Mix your flours together and form into a mound on the countertop. Make a well in the center.
3) Add your eggs into the well and begin mixing to the dry with a fork.
4) As the eggs absorb, lose the fork and begin mixing and kneading by hand. Knead for approximately 8 minutes. The dough may seem a little dry, but if all the flour is incorporated and it’s not crumbling apart, it is ok. If it does appear to dry, add water by the drop! Pasta dough is pretty touchy, and until you get the hang of it, you’ll always want to make it too wet.
If your dough feels tacky and moist, dust with flour and continue to knead.
Do your best to not overwork the dough, adjustments can be made when rolling
5) When you think you’ve got the dough right, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and leave on the counter for 30 minutes. If you want to make the dough ahead of time, and roll it and cut it later, here is where you would throw it in the fridge.. just leave yourself about 1hr for the dough to soften when you take it out of the fridge.
6) Set up your pasta roller. If you are using the hand crank, make sure it’s clamped securely to the counter top! Kitchen Aid attachments and electric rollers will work, too.
7) After 30 minutes is up, cut the dough in half. With a rolling pin, roll one half down until it will just fit in the widest setting on the pasta machine, adding flour or sprays of water if needed. Try to keep the dough narrower than the width of the rollers.
8) Pass the dough through the rollers one time. If it’s really wonky and out of shape, fold the dough on itself into a rectangle about 1/2” narrower than the rollers. Roll down again to just thicker than the rollers. You should have a pretty close rectangle now. Continue rolling the dough until it is slightly thinner than what fettucine noodles are. Cut into lengths about 12” and set aside, Dust with flour and overlap them on the counter.
9) Repeat with the second half.
10) If you have the cutter attachment, pass the sheets through the wide cutter. As the noodles come out, dust w/ flour(semolina is best) and place on a sheet pan.
For our purposes, we’ll be using the noodles right away, so they can stay out on the counter.
You can also form the noodles into nests, place them on a flat dish and put them in the freezer. Once
they have frozen, transfer to a ziplock bag or storage container and freeze for up to a month.
11) Bring a pot of salted water to a boil while preparing the sauce.
12) Cook the noodles just before they are added to the sauce, fresh pasta will only take about 2 minutes to cook.

Sauce
Olive Oil 2 Tb
Pancetta or Bacon 1/4 LB
Walla Walla Onion, sliced 1 ea
Large Heirloom Tomato, cut into large chunks 2 ea
Spinach, cleaned and stemmed 1/4 LB
Fresh Herbs(chives, oregano, thyme, etc) 2 Tb
Chicken Stock 2 C
Veg Stock 2 C
Butter 2 Tb
Ricotta 1/4 C

1) Heat a large saucepan over med heat with the olive oil & pancetta.
2) Before the pancetta is completely crisp, add the onions. Saute the onions to golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.
3) Add the tomato & herbs, saute until the tomato softens, approximately 2 minutes.
4) Add the stock and turn flame to medium-high. Let sauce reduce by half.
5) Stir in butter and turn off heat.
6) Toss in noodles and spinach until spinach is wilted and noodles have absorbed some sauce.
7) Serve and top with a spoonfull of fresh ricotta.

Fresh Ricotta
Whole Milk 1/2 Gal
Lemon, Juiced 1 ea

1) Combine in a non-reactive sauce pot over low heat.
2) Stir occasionally, making sure to keep the bottom clean... I find a rubber spatula works best.
3) After about 30 minutes, you should notice the milk beginning to separate. Continue stirring constantly until you see curds forming.
4) Strain through cheescloth. A clean t-shirt or napkin will also work.
5) Allow to drain until creamy.

*For a softer curd, strain before the curds have completely separated, or add in a little whole milk after straining.

1,220 plates and 1,428 forks in 6 weeks

2010-07-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

Durable Dish is a resounding success.
Last Sunday, July 18, we blasted away our previous record for dish use! I don't know why the counts were so much higher, but we used 274 plates (vs. the previous high of 213 set three weeks ago). It started off as a pilot project with grant support from the City of Portland Office of Planning and Sustainability and has become quite the popular fixture of the market. Compostable plates are good but, reusable plates are even better.

We had tremendous volunteer help to make sure all those dishes got "processed"--Kurt helping with set-up and manning the station in the morning; Quinn Taylor, who has agreed to come on board to manage the DD program with me; Audrey & Dagmar who manned the station while I was off site at Thatchers twice to wash dishes during the super busy 11:30-1:30 window; Frank and one of the JOIN volunteers, Corey, who helped w/ tear-down and jumped in to haul that final load of dishes to Thatchers after market & quickly get them all washed! THANK YOU! Such teamwork & enthusiasm makes DD feel so vibrant & viable!

Here are the full numbers from Sunday.

July 18:
Plates used: 274
Forks: 321
Tumblers: 23

Cumulative Usage thru July 18 (six market weeks), ie the number of plates, forks and cups that did not end up in the trash because of Durable Dish:
Plates used: 1,220
Forks: 1,428
Tumblers: 133

-Kristin, MFM Recycling Czar

Eggplant Rollatini w/ Fresh Tomato Sauce

2010-07-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

The battle between young kids and vegetables is familiar to many parents. My three year old son frequently turns up his nose at the broccoli on his plate. But this Spring we planted a vegetable garden for the first time. Now, I’m thrilled to see him pluck a snap pea from the vine and eat it with delight. He has such pride over the garden, as he patiently waits for ‘his’ blueberries and strawberries to ripen. Gathering greens for a salad or snapping green beans for dinner has become a fun activity for us to do together, and gets him excited to eat healthy foods.

The Montavilla Farmers Market has also expanded his appetite for fruits and vegetables. Whether it’s a bunch of carrots from Groundwork Organics, or some delectable peaches from Baird Family Orchards, he feels a connection to the food he selects at the market. He’s learning about where his food comes from, and his own experience growing veggies at home gives him a better understanding of what it takes to be a farmer.

On top of that, the market is just plain fun. Kids run around with their friends from the neighborhood, groove to great tunes, and sample fresh treats. I love counting the number of kids dressed as their favorite super hero or fairy princess. Next time you’re at the market with your kids, stop by the Info Booth and pick up an Edgy Veggie coloring sheet. On one side you’ll find a playful picture for your budding artist to color, and on the back, a healthy recipe from our Resident Chef Kathryn Yeomans, like this one for Eggplant Rollatini, to inspire kids to enjoy their veggies.

-Laura, guest blogger

Eggplant Rollatini with Fresh Tomato Sauce
makes about 6-8 rollatini
“Rollatini” are little filled roll-ups made with eggplant. These eggplant roll-
ups, stuffed with ricotta cheese and fresh basil, are fun to dip into the tomato
sauce. Once the eggplant has been grilled, kids can fill and roll the eggplant slices
themselves. You can make this basic recipe, or experiment with other filling
ingredients – try adding chopped cooked spinach, pine nuts, or dried currants,
other herbs or cheeses. Eat them for lunch, or as a supper vegetable dish.
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 small eggplant, about 8 ounces, peeled and cut lengthwise into ¼ inch slices
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, separated, plus more for brushing eggplants
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
(or Parmigiano Reggiano, or Asiago, or ricotta salata)
1 cup cored, peeled, and seeded vine-ripened tomatoes
Spoon the ricotta into a fine-mesh sieve or colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Set the sieve over a bowl and wrap the ricotta with plastic wrap. Set the bowl and sieve in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 24 hours. Discard the liquid that accumulates in the bowl.
Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season them with salt. Grill them over a bed of hot coals until they are tender and lightly browned. They should not be mushy. Line up the grilled eggplant slices on a baking sheet.
Make the filling. Combine the drained ricotta, chopped basil leaves, and grated cheese. Stir in 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Make the tomato sauce. Place the prepared tomatoes in a blender or food processor and blend or process until pureed. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream and blend until smooth. Pass the mixture through
a sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place a dollop of filling at the widest end of the eggplant slice. Beginning at the end with the filling, roll up the filling into the eggplant slice. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping
recipe by
Montavilla Farmers Market Resident Chef
Kathryn LaSusa Yeomans
chef@montavillamarket.org

Harvest Dinner celebrates Stark Street business community

2010-07-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

Have you always wondered what desserts Pastry Girl has to offer? Wondered what delicious drinks are available at the Observatory Lounge? On August 28, 2010, you will have the chance to enjoy all of this and more at the third annual Montavilla Farmers Market Harvest Dinner.

Over the past few years, the Montavilla neighborhood has developed into a small hub with great food, small businesses, and a sense of community. This year, the Montavilla Farmers Market is pleased to announce that it will be showcasing everything the neighborhood has to offer in just one evening.

In addition to Pastry Girl and the Observatory Lounge, the Bipartisan Café, Bangkok Bites and the Country Cat will also be participating. We are excited to announce the inclusion of vegan/vegetarian options provided by Kitchen Dances for this year’s dinner. Of course there will be wine to go along with all of the delicious food (check out Red White Green – all their wines for this evening will be vegan!)

Don't forget to arrive at 5:30 so you can check out all of the silent auction items that will be available. This year's auction is being put together by the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association.

If you have not joined us in the past, get ready to have some fun with the Montavilla neighborhood as we groove to some tunes and sample everything that our wonderful neighborhood as to offer!

Tickets are $60 and includes a five course meal with fine amazing wines. Tickets will be available at the Bipartisan Cafè, Country Cat, the information booth at the Market! Visit our website for more information.

Why you should buy coffee beans when it's 96 degrees

2010-07-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

When it gets hot like it was yesterday, I often like to do my errands by bike. It may seem counterintuitive, but the faster you go, the more breeze you get, the cooler you feel. Until you stop of course and the sweat builds. Fortunately, one of my stops was at New Seasons. As I walked by the customer service counter where they put out samples of weekly specials, I came across exactly what I needed - The Cachoeira Iced Coffee- pronounced kuh-SHWAY-duh in Portuguese. Then I saw that it was a recipe from Nossa Familia, the folks that serve you delicious coffee (and whole coffee beans) every Sunday at the market and I knew I should post this recipe on our market blog. I love my coffee and this is just the answer I was looking for when wondering how I would satisfy the need when it's hotter than I would care for outside.

The Cachoeira

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 3/4 c ground coffee beans (Nossa's Camila's recommended)

8-10 c water

1/3 - 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (oh, no wonder it's so tasty!!)

sugar to taste (optional)

ice

Mix cardamom with coffee before brewing. Brew coffee in automatic coffee maker. Once coffee is brewed, add sweetened condensed milk. Stir mix well and taste. Chill until cold in the refrigerator. Serve on ice.

recipe courtesy of Nossa Familia www.familyroast.com

Buy your whole beans today from the market. Brew one of these up this week when it's just a little too warm for hot coffee or it's after dinner and you need a liquid dessert.

Vendor Profile: Greenthumb Garlic

2010-07-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Garlic is a kitchen staple for me. Aside from the health claims that it's good for curing colds, acts as an antiseptic and many other uses in herbal medicines, it adds great flavor and depth to almost any dish. I put a clove or two in virtually every vegetable saute that I make, whether a morning egg scramble, part of the base of a soup, a quick saute of greens with dinner. It's also a farm productthat a lot of people don't realize has as many varieties and flavor profiles as any other plant like basil or beans. Our regular supermarkets often only have one pile of white-papery skinned bulbs to grab from mindlessly as we walk by on our way to more "interesting" items. Ah, but here is one benefit to shopping at a farmers market.

G reenthumb G arlic grows 10 cultivars of garlic as well as scapes and green garlic. Their website lists the varieties and profiles of each. So branch out a little and sample some new garlic this weekend.

And if you love

garlic as much as I do, maybe you want to check out the Worlds 13th Annual Garlic Festival in North Plains Augu

st 6th - 8th. Anyone up for garlic ice cream?

--------------------------

Rowan and Katie here with Greenthumb Garlic. We're excited that you're doing the MFM blog and we look forward to reading about all the other great vendors who will be at the market.

The following are our answers to your questions:

1) What types of products do you specialize in?

We grow a diversity of garlic cultivars, emphasizing a gourmet, high-quality product.

2) What are your biggest challenges in operating a farm/business? And what makes it all worth it?

Biggest challenge is to balance Greenthumb Garlic with everything else in our lives. Katie is also a full-time farmer at one of Portland's most prominent CSAs - 47th Ave. Farm. Rowan is an Urban and Regional Planning graduate student at PSU examining sustainable regional food systems. He also interns at the Bureau of Environmental Services helping to manage a grant program for community directed watershed improvements.

What makes it all worth while is the benefits of an agriculture-based lifestyle: good food, strong community, physical activity, and a relationship with the land and natural processes.

3) What food policy issues do you think are critical to the future of agriculture in Oregon?

Lowering the barriers for new farmers. In particular, creating an incubator program to help bridge the gap between apprenticeship and stewardship (I'm actually researching this right now and have lots of ideas on it. I'd be happy to share a more detailed vision if you're interested).

4) Why do you chose Montavilla Farmers Market to sell your products?

We believe the Montavilla community will be interested in our product; it's only a mile or so from our home; and we believe that it's appropriate for a young market and young farmers to grow together.

5) Do you have a favorite cookbook that you cook from?

We typically freestyle when we cook, but we do refer to the following:

Garlic, Garlic, Garlic; Nourishing Traditions; Farmer John's Cookbook; and anything Moosewood

6) What food/agriculture related book, magazine or movie would you recommend?

Hmm, there's so many that it really depends on who I'm recommending to. Small Farms Journal is great for people interested in small-scale ag production. Growing Great Garlic is a must for anyone interested in, well, growing great garlic. I would highly recommend A Garlic Testament by Stanley Crawford (think Edward Abbey as a garlic farmer). I also really like Michael Ableman and Wendell Berry (of course!).

Thanks!

Rowan & Katie

Greenthumb Garlic LLC

www.greenthumbgarlic.com

info@greenthumbgarlic.com

Sassafras Catering- tomato pies, weddings and more

2010-07-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

I am getting married this summer. My fiance and I both agreed from the get-go that food was something that mattered to both of us. n the process of meeting with caterers we learned to define what we were looking for as "organic, locally sourced, mostly vegetarian, but vegetarian that is so good that the carnivores wouldn't even notice that they weren't eating meat". We ended up selecting Sassafras Catering (not so coincidentally a vendor at the Montavilla Farmers Market) who could roast a chicken as well as they could saute a vegetable.

This past Friday I went down to St Paul to the wedding & reception site to meet Tricia, the head chef Erin and Cara, a new addition to the staff at Sassafras. We are getting married near the banks of the Willamette River just next door to Champoeg State Park.

I am super excited to be working with Sassafras Catering. Tricia, Erin and Cara are easy to work with and they really understand the feel that we are trying to create. Every conversation evolves into a brainstorming session dreaming up new flavor combinations and ways of preserving the bounty of the season. For us, food is a big part of the day and a decision not to be taken lightly. Here is the menu that Sassafras created for us:

Water chestnuts wrapped in hickory smoked bacon

Crostini with pimento jalapeno cheese

Mini Southern tomato pies

Cheese display with seasonal fruit, berries and Little t American Bakery bread

Roasted vegetable torte layered with goat cheese

Roasted lemon rosemary chicken

Green beans w/ hazelnuts

Quinoa Pilaf

Summer salad with berries, pine nuts and brie with tangerine vinaigrette

The Southern tomato pies are something you can get at their market stand, along with their jars of preserves, relishes and chutneys. I'm currently coveting a roasted beet and fennel preserve with horseradish and mint, doling out tiny spoonfuls until I know that a new crop of beets has replenished their supply. Look for Sassafras back at the Montavilla Market August 1st.

Summer Berries – Sweet, Savory, & Boozy!

2010-07-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

This just in from Montavilla's Resident Chef Kathryn Yeomans...

Summer’s bounty of berries has arrived! It’s nearly impossible to miss the impressive market displays of berries at every turn of the market – being sold in neatly lined-up pints, muddled into lemonade, and smeared across the smiles of market kids. Here are a handful of ways to make use of any excess you don’t eat right out of the container – and don’t forget to stow some away for winter at the height of the season when they are plentiful, and subsequently a more economical purchase.

Sweet Meringues with Summer Berries and Whipped Cream

White, billowy, cloud-like meringues. Bite down and surprise! – a crisp, airy texture that melts in your mouth. Top them with fresh summer berries in a sauce made from the same fruit, and sweetened whipped cream and you have a dessert that, while sophisticated, brings out feelings of the bliss of childhood.

1 cup egg whites

1 tsp. cream of tartar

2 cups sugar, plus more for the berries and whipped cream, if desired

2 pints of assorted summer berries

a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired

3 oz. melted bittersweet chocolate, optional

whipped cream

Using the whisk attachment of your mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whip the whites until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is incorporated, and the whites are stiffly peaked, shiny and glossy.

Pre-heat an oven to 200° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a piping bag with a round tip, begin at the center and pipe a spiral, moving in circles outward to the desired size, directly on the parchment. Alternatively, spoon some meringue onto the parchment and, using a spoon, gently smooth out the meringue to a circular shape, about a third to a half-inch thick. Repeat either process until you have used all of the meringue, spacing them about an inch apart. Place the meringues in the oven and bake for an hour, turning the baking sheet half way through. Turn off the oven and let the meringues sit in the oven until the oven has cooled. Repeat this process as many times as needed to completely dry out your meringues (they should not be tacky at all, especially in the center, and should be crisp and cookie like). Keep in mind that after baking the second time, the meringue may begin to take on some color. Consider reducing the heat or using shorter cooking times.

Allow the meringues to cool completely, then, if desired, brush the bottom or top with melted chocolate.

Using a third of the berries, make a puree, adding a squeeze of lemon juice and sugar to taste, as desired. Strain the puree if you wish to remove seeds or skin. Stir the puree into the remaining berries. If you’d like, add a splash of orange liquor, such as Grand Marnier.

Just before serving, place a meringue on a plate and top the with the berries in their sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Note: The meringues can be stored in an air-tight container, but any humidity will soften them. To re-crisp, try placing them in a very low oven for 15 minutes, then allowing them to cool in the oven.

Raspberry Vinegar

makes 1 pint

Raspberry vinegar may seem an extravagance, but it can be made in 2 simple steps with 2 ingredients. This is an ideal use for very ripe, extra soft or slightly squashed berries, but perfect berries will work, too.

1 pint raspberries

1 pint white wine or champagne vinegar

In a glass jar with a non-reactive lid, combine the berries and the vinegar. Seal the jar and let the mixture stand for 3 weeks, preferably in the sunlight, which will help to draw out the fruit juices.

After 3 weeks, strain the vinegar into a large saucepan through a double layer of dampened cheesecloth. Boil over high heat until it is reduced by one-fourth.

Ladle vinegar into warm, sterilized jars and seal.

Bachelor’s Jam

This very adult jam can be prepared in minutes and enjoyed for months. Technically not a jam, but rather brandy-soused sweetened fruit, this preserve will delight none the less. It is based on the recipe from Roger Verge’s Entertaining in the French Style. I love the sensibility of Roger as he states, “Obviously I wouldn’t recommend (serving bachelor’s jam) for breakfast, unless you want to start the day on a particularly euphoric note.”

2 pints of fruit – may include any amount of any combination of the following:

strawberries

raspberries

currants (red, black or white)

blackberries

cherries (sour or sweet)

stone fruits (peeled, pitted and cut into pieces)

1 ¾ pounds sugar cubes

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean

2 cups Armagnac, Cognac, eau de vie, brandy or whisky

Wash, then hull (or remove the stems from) the strawberries. De-stem the currants. Pick over the raspberries and blackberries. It is preferable that you not wash the raspberries or blackberries as they are very fragile and tend to become soggy if rinsed. Pit the cherries if desired (or leave pits in and remember to warn your guests).

In a large bowl, combine and gently toss the fruit.

Alternately spoon the fruit and sugar cubes into a large earthenware crock or wide-mouthed jar, beginning with a layer of fruit, followed by a layer of sugar cubes, then another layer of fruit and so on, finishing with a layer of sugar cubes.

Insert the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean into the center of the fruit. Pour the alcohol over (there should be enough to completely cover the fruit). If necessary, place a small saucer on top of the fruit to keep it submerged in the alcohol. Cover tightly and place in a cool place (do not refrigerate) for 5-7 days. At the end of this time, uncover the fruit and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover the jam and let sit for at least 10 more days before serving.

This recipe must be prepared at least 15 days before serving. The longer it sits, the better it becomes. It keeps for several months.

Serve on it’s own in a pretty little bowl as a dessert with coffee, add to cocktails, have with cake, or for a truly decadent brunch, serve over French toast.

Why sugar cubes instead of granulated sugar? Roger doesn’t say, but my thought is that sugar cubes will dissolve slowly into the fruit, allowing the fruit to absorb as much as possible before it sinks to the bottom of the crock. The granulated sugar, because it has less surface area, will quickly sink and sit at the bottom rather than dissolving into the jam.

Vendor Profile: Confectionery

2010-07-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes have taken Portland by storm over the past five or six years. No longer relegated to kids' birthday parties and office potlucks, cupcakes have assumed a personality of their own. They have turned up in style at weddings, baby showers and even at farmers markets, like Montavilla's Confectionery.

It makes complete sense. They are portable, versatile, and just the right size. You can pay homage to the seasons, taking advantage of the freshest fruits and berries that summer has to offer. If you are feeling particularly virtuous, you can buy a mini cupcake. Or if you worked particularly hard in the yard and need something to revive your energy and your childish spirit, you can indulge in a big one all to yourself.

Jessie Smith is Confectionery. Jessie does cupcakes and more. She has this to say about her wares and where she gets her inspiration....

> 1) What types of products do you specialize in?

Confectionery specializes in small treats (cupcakes, cookies, french macarons, cotton candy) along with special treats like wedding cakes. We utilized unique Northwest ingredients and combine it with a playful and adventurous spirit to provide our customers with a one of a kind experience.

> 2) What are your biggest challenges in operating a farm/business? And what makes it all worth it?

The biggest challenge in running a small business is that you must handle all aspects of the business yourself, you must be able to handle juggling many things at one and be willing to be a jill-of-all-trades. The interaction and positives responses from customers and those who enjoy what you produce make it worth it all the while continually learning about food and the pleasures of eating.

> 3) What food policy issues do you think are critical to the future of agriculture in Oregon?

Not necessarily a food policy, per se, but there has definitely been an increase in the everyday person's awareness of food and their relationship to it. Whether it be to be comforted by it, be educated by it, be inspired by it, etc. it seems people are more curious (or returning to their natural curiosities?) about what food means to them.

> 4) Why do you chose Montavilla Farmers Market to sell your products?

Confectionery was originally interested in Montavilla Market because of its youth and location. What drew us in further were the people that make up the neighborhood and its surrounding areas. There is an expanding culture near Stark street, which is a vital street for the Montavilla neighborhood, that is burgeoning and blossoming in an artistic and creative way, which we hold a kinship to.

> 5) Do you have a favorite cookbook that you cook from?

Favorite cookbook would be: Organic & Chic by Sarah Magid. Favorite food blogs that I read on a constant basis: SmittenKitchen.com, NotSoHumblePie.com, thePioneerWomanCooks.com

> 6) What food/agriculture related book, magazine or movie would you recommend?

The Gastronomical Me, by M.F.K. Fischer

Mix Magazine

Chocolat (movie)

Vendor Profile: The Better Bean

2010-07-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

Beans are a food item that is often the butt of many a joke (pun only slightly intended - it's late on a Thursday night and I'm feeling a little punchy). But the truth is they are a dietary staple for much of the world, being an inexpensive and available source of vegetable protein and fiber for millions of people in nearly every country on the planet. Beans come in a rainbow of colors and flavors with different cultures making use of different varieties - think of Mexican black beans and rice, or Southern black eyed peas, or even a French cassoulet. The thing the all have in common is the unpretentious bean.

In Native American culture, beans were one of the "Three Sisters" along with corn and squash - one of the oldest examples of "companion planting" in which plants are intermingled to the mutual benefit of each. Corn provides a natural pole for bean vines to climb. Beans fix nitrogen on their roots, improving the overall fertility of the soil. Low growing squash vines become a living mulch, crowding out weeds and preventing soil moisture from evaporating. A beautiful symbiotic relationship.

This year, Montavilla Farmers Market welcomes a new vendor of prepared beans. But not just any ordinary bean - A Better Bean. Combined with locally sourced ingredients in flavors like Refried Red Beans or Caribbean Style Black Beans. Free of preservatives and guaranteed to reinspire you incorporate more beans into your weekly diet. Read more about The Better Bean and the small business start up assistance they received from Portland Community College Recipe to Market Program

From Better Bean Proprietor, Keith Kullberg

1) What types of products do you specialize in? The Better Bean Company is pioneering freshly prepared beans as an alternative to canned beans. They come refrigerated like salsa not canned as so have a gourmet flavor that is not mushy and overcooked like canned beans and without the BPAs. We make Refried Red Beans, Refried Black Beans and a Caribbean Style Beans. We have a two step cooking process. We first boil the beans and then sauté them in central Oregon safflower oil and spices. The sautéing makes the same difference as barbecuing a steak vs boiling it in water and gives them the authentic flavor found south of the border. Our black beans come from Oregon’s Snake River Valley and our red beans from Idaho’s Magic Valley. We have additional product planned for the future.

2) What are your biggest challenges in operating a farm/business? And what makes it all worth it? The biggest challenge is creating customer awareness for a new product category. What makes it worth it is the smile on our customer’s faces when they taste how good beans can be.

3) What food policy issues do you think are critical to the future of agriculture in Oregon? Supporting small family farms, non-GMO produce and preventing Monsanto from monopolizing farmers seed supply.

4) Why do you chose Montavilla Farmers Market to sell your products? We understand it is strongly supported and popular in the neighborhood. We think it is a progressive neighborhood and are looking forward to being part of the market.

5) Do you have a favorite cookbook that you cook from? I tend to invent new recipes.

6) What food/agriculture related book, magazine or movie would you recommend? Food Inc., Beans, a History by Ken Abala.

Homemade Broth

2010-06-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

Broth is one of those often overlooked components of a recipe. One that is not given the respect and attention it deserves as the foundation of a soup, sauce or braise. People seem to be overwhelmed at the thought of making their own broth with fresh, quality ingredients. Whether it is the perception that it takes too long, or requires too much preparation, or is just easier to drop in a cube of insta-broth...we are all prone to opt for the short cuts. But once you make your own broth and taste the difference, there is no going back. The depth and richness flavor, the endless varieties that can be paired with the dish you are making - broth matter.

This Sunday, Montavilla Farmers Market Resident Chef Kathryn Yeomans will demonstrate and discuss the merits of homemade stocks and broths in the first of her monthly market culinary demos. Make sure to be at the market at 10:30 tomorrow morning to get the blow by blow, hands on, detailed guide on how to transform your broth-based recipes from ho-hum to wow.

For more on Yeomans' Sage Culinary Advice, visit her Farmers Feast blog.

Meat Broth

makes about 2 ½ quarts

In Italy, it is common for many types of meat to go into a broth, or brodo, depending on what is available. Leftover roast or bones from a roast, such as beef, pork, or chicken, can be used, as well as marrow bones, which give the broth gelatin (which gives it body and makes for a rich flavor). This broth is sometimes served as a first course, simply garnished with a bit of pasta (often maltagliata, meaning “badly cut”, which are the end scraps from making homemade pasta), a drizzle of olive oil, and a grating of Parmesan cheese. It is a wonderful restorative, and can be frozen in quart containers, plastic zipper bags, or even ice cube trays, so that you can pull out as little or as much as you need.

5 pounds mixed meat and bones – (such as 2 pounds of boneless stew meat, like chuck, 1 pound of pork shoulder, 1 ½ pounds of marrow bones – about 4 - or oxtails, and a chicken carcass)

5 quarts of water

2 medium yellow onions, peeled

2 small carrots, peeled

1 large rib celery

1 medium potato, peeled

3 each whole canned tomatoes

a quarter of a red pepper, seeded, optional

1 tsp. black peppercorns

a couple of sprigs of thyme, optional

2 tsp. kosher salt

Place the meat in a large stockpot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. As the foam (or scum) rises to the surface, skim it off and discard. When the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle but steady simmer. Continue to skim as needed.

After the stock has been simmering for an hour, add the vegetables and aromatics, including salt. Continue to cook for another 2 hours. The broth is done when it has developed a rich, meaty flavor, and has reduced by about a third to half.

Let the broth settle for 20 minutes. Strain the broth through a colander or strainer. Discard bones. Strain again through a colander lined with dampened cheesecloth. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated, using within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Remove and discard the solid fat that has congealed on the surface before re-heating the broth.

Chicken Broth I

makes 2 ½ quarts

This is a light, flavorful broth. You can use the chicken meat as well as the liquid. With the meat, I make soup, simmer it with sauce and serve it over pasta or rice, make chicken salad, and sandwiches. Slather the meat with barbecue sauce and grill the legs over hot coals or bake them in the oven. Or if you’re ambitious, you can even use the chicken to make tamales!

4 pounds chicken legs and thighs

4 quarts water

2 tsp. kosher salt

Add the chicken to a large stockpot, along with the water. Bring to a boil. As the foam (or scum) rises to the surface, skim it off and discard. When the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle but steady simmer. Continue to skim as needed.

Add the salt and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and check it for doneness. Continue to simmer the chicken-less stock for 30 minutes. Strain the broth through a colander or strainer lined with dampened cheesecloth. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated, using within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Remove and discard the solid fat that has congealed on the surface before re-heating the broth.

Chicken Broth II

makes 2 quarts

For a more aromatic broth, try this version.

1 pound chicken parts (a package of wings, or backs and necks are ideal, or you can use legs) – note: never use the liver for broth, as it will impart a bitter flavor. The giblets (heart, gizzard), on the other hand, are fantastic for broth.

1 chicken carcass, either leftover from a roast, or one that is raw from which the meat has been removed (join us for our Montavilla Farmers Market Culinary Demo, “Chicken Breakdown” on September 26, 2010!)

3 quarts water

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

1 small carrot, peeled and halved lengthwise

1 medium celery rib

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 bay leaf

½ tsp. black peppercorns

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig parsley

Add the chicken parts and carcass to a large stockpot, along with the water. Bring to a boil. As the foam (or scum) rises to the surface, skim it off and discard. When the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle but steady simmer. Continue to skim as needed.

Add the vegetables, aromatics, and salt and continue to simmer for 1 hour.

Vegetable Broth

Adapted from The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy by Domenica Marchetti

makes 6-7 cups broth

I love this vegetable broth for its clean, clear flavor. A little white wine gives the broth a little extra body.

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 celery ribs, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 yellow onion, quartered

1 leek, white and light green parts, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces

stalks and feathery leaves from 1 bulb fennel (reserve bulb for another use)

2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed with the flat side of a knife blade

5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, including stems, coarsely chopped

2 sprigs fresh marjoram

2 sprigs fresh thyme

½ tsp. black peppercorns

½ cup dry white wine

8 cups (2 quarts) water

1 tsp. kosher or sea salt

In a heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add all the vegetables and aromatics, except salt, and sauté, stirring from time to time, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is pale gold. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Let the wine bubble for 2 minutes, then add the water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 45 minutes. The broth is done when it has reduced slightly and has a full flavor. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt.

Strain the broth through a fine-meshed sieve lined with dampened cheesecloth. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press down on the solids, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated, using within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage.

Mushroom Broth

makes 2-2 ½ quarts

This broth is suitable for mushroom risotto or soups. It makes an excellent vegetarian gravy base. It can be used in place of vegetable broth when you desire a mushroomy flavor. I have lots of recipes on my blog, The Farmer’s Feast, http://thefarmersfeast.wordpress.com/ , using mushroom broth.

I’ve found that the best way to accumulate mushroom trimmings is to place a plastic zipper bag or small plastic container in the freezer and add mushroom scraps to it as you collect them. When you have enough, this broth comes together easily.

1 pound mushroom trim from wild and cultivated mushrooms, 1 pound mushrooms (less fresh, but not slimy or stinky, older mushrooms work wonderfully

¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms

½ a small onion, peeled and halved, or 1 leek top (dark and light green part), cleaned and halved, or 2 good-sized shallots, peeled and halved

2 small garlic cloves

½ tsp. black peppercorns

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 small bay leaf

2 tsp. kosher salt

3 quarts water

Add all of the ingredients to a stockpot. Bring to a boil. As the foam (or scum) rises to the surface, skim it off and discard. When the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle but steady simmer. Continue to skim as needed. Simmer gently for 1 hour.

Let the broth settle for 20 minutes. Strain the broth through a colander or strainer, using a wooden spoon to press down on the solids, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Strain again through a colander lined with dampened cheesecloth. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated, using within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Sometimes, a brownish-gray film will rise to the surface of the cooled mushroom broth. Simply skim off this film before re-heating.

Montavilla from 1980 to 2010

2010-06-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

I recently had an interesting chat with long time board member and even longer time neighborhood resident Beth Kluvers (the woman on the left in the photo) about the evolutionary and revolutionary changes that have taken place since she first called Montavilla home. Beth and her husband bought their home a couple of blocks from the market site in 1980 at a time when all the cool kids were abandoning Portland to live on the Westside and further into Beaverton. Beth and Paul intended for it to be a starter home, but 30 years later, a family raised, a small business established, here they remain with deep roots into the community.
When I asked Beth what drew them to the neighborhood she said it was because of the potential that she saw on Stark Street. Beth grew up in the neighborhood and attended Madison High School. She had fond memories of that time. In 1980, there were a few familiar places a current resident of Montavilla would recognize – Mr. Plywood and Flying Pie Pizza were already fixtures in the community. But beyond that, not much. Bipartisan Café wouldn’t show up on the scene for another 20 years. Businesses would come and go, but not many would last. Storefronts were mostly vacant or underutilized. There was even a Montavilla Department Store that seemed to have held onto its 1950 inventory well beyond its fashionable lifespan, smelling musty and faintly like mothballs.
One of the most noticeable absences was the utter lack of children. All of Beth’s neighbors were in their 80s or 90s and on more than one occasion their passing meant that a house would be torn down and replaced with a “snout” house. While change happened over time, it happened slowly. But it took many years before families with small children regained a foothold. Beth certainly didn’t think it would take over 2 decades for momentum to build, but build it did and roughly 6 years ago, things just exploded with new restaurants and shops opening up….and staying open, drawing crowds and earning regular customers. Even in the past couple of years, the influx of new storefronts has been astonishing and SE Stark Street boasts a retail lineup to rival any other around the city.
Beth has always been interested in cooking and eating well, perhaps in part due to the fact that family dinnertime when she was growing up meant a box of macaroni and cheese or a frozen chicken pot pie. She recalls the days when being a part of a food buying club meant meeting in people’s basements to divide up a 20 pound brick of cheese or opening up big vats of peanut butter that had to be stirred with big paddles and then divyed up into smaller, usable containers. The Daily Grind on Hawthorn (now the site of an under-construction New Seasons) was one of the few close places to go for buying in bulk or sprouted bread. This was before Natures NW, Wild Oats, New Seasons or Whole Foods ever stepped foot on the Portland food scene. You definitely had to be creative and take charge of your food buying to eat sustainably or locally. And organic? I don't even know if that was a vocabulary word.
On one fateful morning just over 4 years ago, the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association called a meeting at 9 am on a Saturday at the Flying Pie for anyone interested in talking about the possibility of starting a farmers market. 50 people showed up. The Portland Farmers Market, veterans in the industry, cautioned that at best it would take 2 years to be able to pull it off. A mere 4 months later, the first Montavilla Farmers Market was held. And the rest, as they say, is history. A history that is still being written, and one in which we each play a role.
I'd love to hear from the rest of the community...how long have you been in the neighborhood and what have you seen?

Vendor Profile: Kitchen Dances

2010-06-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

You don't have to be a vegan or even a vegetarian to enjoy one of Montavilla Farmers Markets new food vendors. New to the market but certainly not new to the Portland vegan food movement, Piper Dixon is serving up food that you can eat with a clean conscience. Not just because it's animal product-free, but because you can rest assured knowing that you have done your taste buds a favor. On opening day, I ordered the breakfast burrito smothered in mushroom gravy (and a beautiful crimson strawberry for garnish). It was enormous. And scrumptious. I'm going back for more next week. You should too.

To quote from a recent Portland MIX magazine review of the best farmers market food had this to say about Kitchen Dances: "Vegan and gluten free are the new buzzwords among market vendors, and this one goes one better by arriving on a bike. Neighborhood resident and urban farmer Piper Dixon plans to offer unique and delicious wraps with both flour and — get this — sturdy greens such as collards for the wrappers. These are then stuffed with vegetables grown in his garden and drizzled with savory-sweet sauces. Considering he was a former partner in neighborhood hot spot Proper Eats, he’ll no doubt have an instant following. "
Count me in as one of the instant following. If you are looking for a good excuse to explore more meat-free meals, check out Piper's extensive list of cookbook recommendations below.

>>>>>>>>
1. Kitchen Dances specializes in vegan and raw foods, using fresh , seasonal ingredients. We support local farms and supplement with produce that we grow ourselves. It is extremely important for us to serve a quality, healthy product which represents the values of Northwest Vegan cuisine; compassionate, creative food infused and inspired with Northwest ideals and ingredients. I want our food to nourish the community and introduce some to the possibilities with vegan cuisine.

2. The biggest challenge is to grow a support base for a business so that it can sustain itself and provide a living wage for all involved. With that said, I believe in the values and quality of our food and am confident that Kitchen Dances can and will be a success concerning the parameters listed previously. There is a market for the type of cuisine that we represent and based on my connections from previous ventures and the supporters of the Montavilla Farmers Market, this will be a great year for Kitchen Dances to firmly establish itself and grow throughout the year.

3. In general, continuing to strengthen all aspects of the local food system. This includes, educating people to the importance, values and benefits of supporting local family farms and producers, providing healthy food to the children of our community and the meaningful relationships around growing our own food and eating together. As a community, we should be concerned with providing as much food (and other goods) for ourselves before we look outside our home base. Our main question, should be how do and will we feed ourselves? We should be looking to build up our local food base and economy in direct contrast to the globalized food system that has developed over the past few decades.

4. The Montavilla Farmers Market is my community market. I live in the neighborhood and based on my ideals, it only makes sense to be a part of and to support this market. Based on my experiences with other farmers markets, I believe that the smaller, community based markets provide the most opportunity for meaningful relationships with its members.

5. I have been inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz's books (Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengence, Etc.), Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard's (How it all Vegan, The Garden of Vegan) and Sarah's (La Dolce Vegan), Ron Picarski's (Eco-Cuisine), Jeremy Safron's The Raw Truth, Myra Kornfeld and George Minot's (The Voluptuous Vegan), and The Candle Cafe's Cookbook among others. I do believe that is important for cooks to develop a level of comfort with food that they can create meals based on what is at hand, knowing that it can and will be enjoyed.

6. Books: Wendell Berry (Bringing it to the Table, The Art of the Commonplace, The Unsettling of America, etc.), Michal Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food), Tom Robbins (The Food Revolution, Diet for a New America), Heather Flores (Food Not Lawns), The Fatal Harvest Reader edited by Andrew Kimbrell, Paul Roberts (The End of Food), Peter Singer (The Ethics of What We Eat), Erik Markus (Meat Market), Carlo Petrini (Slow Food Nation, Slow Food Revolution), Daniel Imhoff (Food Fight), to list just a few!

Magazine: Gastronomica

Movies: Earthlings, Food Inc., The Future of Food

An Abundance of Strawberry (Jam)

2010-06-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

And so begins the season of abundance. This weekend, I drove out to Sauvie Island for my first of many trips to the U-pick farms to stock up on berries. My fiance and I have an annual tradition of picking berries, making our own jam and loading up the freezer to last us through the year (if we ration it just right). We will make 3-4 trips over the course of the summer, starting in June with strawberries, moving onto blueberries and raspberries in July and then wrapping up with marionberries and peaches in August. One particularly well-fated year of camping we even were able to add 15 pounds of huckleberries from the Indian Heaven Wilderness near Mt Adams to our quota.
There is nothing quite like jam made at home with berries that were plucked from the ground 5 hours ago. The taste can't compare to commercially produced products. They are so sweet that adding too much sugar would adulterate the flavor and cover up the natural sweetness.
This summer, I am getting married and we decided there would be no more perfect wedding favor than our homemade jam. To make 100 half-pint sized containers, I somehow erroneously thought we would need to pick 60 lbs of strawberries. Boy, was I wrong. We could have gotten by with a third of that amount. I chalk it up to the mental contortions of converting pounds of whole berries to cups of mushed berries, quadrupling recipes, and trying to remember how many cups are in a quart. But I can think of worse fates than having too many strawberries. In addition to 48 half pints for the wedding, we ended up with an additional 17 pints of jam for our own personal consumption, 7 gallons of frozen berries and a gallon of strawberry puree that we will save to make triple berry jam once the blueberries and raspberries are ready to pick in a couple of weeks. It only took us a mere 8 hours to process the 75 pounds that we picked in an hour and 20 minutes. Ah, but the work will be well worth it in March when we are still tasting summer on our morning toast and smoothies.
We picked 80% Shuksans and 20% Hoods. I opt for Pomona's Pectin when I make jam because the low sugar recipes set up well, even with half the normal amount found in some other recipes. Pomona's is available at New Season's for just over $4 a box that makes 2-4 recipes. The reason it works with low to no sugar is the use of calcium instead of sugar to activate the pectin. This means you can also substitute other sweeteners like honey, sucanat and xylitol - a bonus for those of us trying to cut sugar out of our diets.

Low Sugar Strawberry Jam
1 batch = 4 - 5 cups of jam
4 cups of mashed fruit
1/2 c honey or 3/4 c sugar
2 tsp Pomona's Universal Pectin
2 tsp calcium water

Prep your jam jars: Wash and rinse jars; let stand in hot water. Bring lids and rings to a boil; turn down heat; let stand in hot water while you prepare your jam.
Prep your fruit: Following the instructions from Pomona, make the calcium water by dissolving the smaller packet in the box with 1/2 cup water. I put this in an old jam jar to store in the fridge between jam making episodes.
Put the fruit into a large, heavy bottom pot. Add the calcium water.
In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup sugar or room-temperature honey with the pectin from the second, larger packet in the box. Mix well.
Bring fruit to a boil over medium-high heat; add the sugar-pectin mixture and stir vigorously for 2 minutes until pectin and sugar is dissolved. Return to the boil and remove from heat.
Pour into canning jars, leaving 1/4″ head space, and seal with lid and ring. Place jars in boiling water to cover for 10 minutes (this is what allows the jam to be shelf stable and not spoil - do not skimp on the time at this stage). The lids will make an audible pop when they cool, indicating that the seal has formed. Jam lasts about 3 weeks once opened and refrigerated.

Vendor Profile: Frog Meadow Farms

2010-06-17T12:48:00.001-07:00

Even though the name is new, the vendors faces should be familiar to you. Formerly Hassing Farms, the Montavilla Farmers Market is happy to welcome them back under their new name, Frog Meadow Farms. Frog Meadow specialized in biodynamic heirloom berries and vegetables. In principle, biodynamic agriculture goes beyond organic, envisioning the farm as a self-contained and self-sustaining organism. Farmers avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers, utilize compost and cover crops. Waste of one part of the farm becomes the energy for another and ultimately makes the farm sustainable. Operating a farm following these principles requires a deep and holistic understanding of how the ecosystem functions - how inputs become outputs, which in turn become inputs for another process. Truly fascinating. When you get a moment, stop by Frog Meadow Farms and ask them to explain how it all works......

Frog Meadow Farms
1) What types of products do you specialize in? We specialize in growing bio-dynamic heirloom Berries and Vegetables.

2) What are your biggest challenges in operating a farm/business? And what makes it all worth it? The biggest challenge for our farm is looking into the future and deciding what people will want, and getting people to try new vegetables they have never tried or seen before.

What makes it all worth it for us is knowing we are able to contribute in provide good quality food to others tables as well as our own. The steady move towards being self sufficient and sustainable is a huge motivating factor in the operation of our farm.

3) What food policy issues do you think are critical to the future of agriculture in Oregon? We feel that the number one issue is keeping clean seed sources that are uncontaminated by GMO and encouraging the move back to small local farming.

4) Why do you chose Montavilla Farmers Market to sell your products?

The people. They are always happy and happy to see us. All customers and vendors alike have been very welcoming and fun to be around

5) Do you have a favorite cookbook that you cook from?

With one of us being a chef it is difficult for us to choose just one cookbook. A lot of recipes are in our mental cookbook, which we are always willing to share. But if we had to choose it would be Country Harvest or Putting it up with Honey

6) What food/agriculture related book, magazine or movie would you recommend?

We would recommend the movie Food Inc
Book- Organic Gardening Made Simple

Adam Sappington's Country Cat Collard Greens

2010-06-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

This week at opening day, we were fortunate to have our weekly chef demo led by Montavilla's very own Adam Sappington of the Country Cat. Adam has garnered the title of PDX's Iron Chef two years running and has also honored the Montavilla Farmers Market by preparing the feast for the market's Harvest Dinner the past three years. A former chef at the distinguished Wildwood, Adam has been cooking the food of his childhood at 79th and Stark since 2007. Each week they use 175 pounds of bacon, butcher their own meat, cure their own bacon, render their own lard, tallow and duck fat. And they use a lot of produce too - all sourced from local markets of course.
This week Adam showed us how to make a staple of their menu - collard greens. The two key elements of this recipe, as any self-respecting southern chef will tell you, are bacon and time - 2 1/2 hours of low, slow heat. But if you can't wait that long, you can always just head over to the Country Cat and order yourself a plate from the menu. They are now open for brunch and dinner every day of the week. Tell them you heard it at the Montavilla Farmer's Market.

Adam Sappington's Country Cat Collard Greens
serves 4
2 bunches collard greens, stems removed and cut into larger pieces
2 yellow onion, peeled and julienned
1/2 l.b bacon, cubed
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c sherry vinegar
2 qt. chicken stock (also known as 8 cups)
2 T unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sized stock pot, melt butter and add bacon. Saute bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from the pot and set aside. Reserve the fat. Add the onions and gently stew until lightly caramelized and soft. Add the bacon, both vinegars, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. When the liquid begins to simmer, add the chopped collards. Stir to incorporate. Cover pot and cook on low to medium heat for approximately 2 1/2 hours or until collards are very tender.

Opening Day just around the corner

2010-06-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as I stared out the window at the sheets of rain pelting the already soggy ground all I could think about was how much better next Sunday was going to be. Not necessarily because we are guaranteed sunshine (though I will put in a request for at least no rain) but because it is finally time for the Montavilla Farmers Market to open for the season.
Other markets opened in April or May and I've been to visit once or twice. But it's not quite the same experience for me as going to the Montavilla market. In a world where it seems like everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere and crowds of people press in on you from all sides - even at farmers markets. The Montavilla Farmers Market makes me feel different - more relaxed, I breathe slower and find comfort in the thought that I will not have to throw an elbow to get the last bunch of basil. Markets are about buying farm direct, local produce of course. You'll get that no matter which farmers market you go to.
What draws me to farmers markets is the sense of community that you get by being there. Running into your neighbors, enjoying being outside listening to music, the knowledge that your very presence at the market adds life and vitality to the neighborhood. This is why I am involved in the Montavilla Farmers Market and this is why I'm happy that Sunday is opening day.
I'd love to from you. What are you most looking forward to about opening day? Is it a particular food item, or a fond memory from last year? Add your thoughts below.

For pictures from last year's market to inspire and excite you, visit our Photobucket page.

Montavilla
Sunday, June 13th - Opening Day
10 AM - 2 PM
7600 block of SE Stark St; across the street from Mr Plywood

Vendor Profile: Liquid Sunshine

2010-06-07T10:22:00.001-07:00

After the soggy spring that we've had it only seemed appropriate that we should kick off our vendor profiles with one of our returning vendors, Liquid Sunshine. What an absolutely perfect name. Not only does it describe the product - fresh squeezed lemonade with complex and complementary flavors mixed in. It also describes the personality of the man behind the juicer - Clint 'Trip' Bissell. If you haven't been on the receiving end of his infectious energy and wonderfully booming voice, you are in for a treat this summer. Check out his Pomegranate and Lavender Lemonade blends. Now that's sunshine in a glass. Welcome back, Trip!

Clint "Trip" Bissell, Liquid Sunshine Lemonade.

1) What types of products do you specialize in?

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade with all natural flavors. This season I am featuring a rotating guest flavor each week. Mango, an Oregon 4 Berry Blend, Jalapeno, Lavender, Pomegranate... So many exciting combinations to try! I am looking for more unique ideas, so please send any suggestions to pdxlemonade@gmail.com. I am also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pdxlemonade. Become a fan to learn about weekly flavors, locations, and special deals. I will be set up downtown Monday-Friday this summer and will be using Facebook to communicate with my fans. I am also featuring LSLCAPC's this year. (Liquid Sunshine Lemonade Customer Appreciation Punch Cards) LOL

2) What are your biggest challenges in operating a business? And what makes it all worth it?

The biggest challenge is Portland's short Lemonade season! LOL I really only have three months of good weather that I attempt to stretch out to five. It is all worth it when people tell me how much they love my product and return to say hello each week. When I see people at the grocery store, library, or movies they call me "The Lemonade Guy" and tell their friends how awesome my fresh squeezed lemonade is. That is why I do what I do. I may not be changing the world, but I am bringing a little happiness and sunshine into peoples lives!

4) Why do you chose Montavilla Farmers Market to sell your products?

The Montavilla Farmers Market is all about the neighborhood! The neighborhood wants the market there and supports it. And in return the market is there for it's neighbors. This symbiotic relationship is essential. However, it is missing at many of the farmers markets around Portland. I have been to many markets where the neighborhood, local businesses, and market managers are constantly bickering and fighting. It is not conducive to good business or healthy for the community. Nobody wins. But at Montavilla the Market Managers, vendors, local businesses, and customers are fantastic! It is a pleasure to attend the Montavilla Farmers Market each week.

5) Do you have a favorite cookbook that you cook from?

The Joy of Cooking. My mom bought me a copy when I left for college. I like that it does not make any assumptions. It explains everything in fine detail. Almost as though it understands how little I really know! LOL

MIX magazine previews MFM ready-to-eat vendors

2010-06-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

In the upcoming weeks, we will be posting features of each of our vendors so you have a chance to get to know a little more about the people behind the products. I already really excited and think this will be a great opportunity to make our cozy market feel even more like a gathering of friends.

Until then, pick up a copy of MIX magazine, the foodie’s monthly publication from the Oregonian. Turn to page 35 and read about five of our ready-to-eat vendors. Whether you're vegan, gluten-free or someone who really enjoys your meat, we will be able to satisfy your cravings. From vegan wraps to ke-babs, crab cakes and Thai, we have some amazing new goodies to tempt you with as you shop at the market for your weekly produce. Now that our secret is out, make sure you get there early to beat the lines that are bound to form.

JOIN - Paying it forward

2010-05-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Assistant Market Manager and I visited with a new neighbor in the Montavilla neighborhood - JOIN recently relocated their offices from SE Powell and 17th to NE 81st and Halsey, just next to the MAX station. JOIN is a non-profit focused on helping homeless individuals overcome the barriers to stable housing. Emily Nelson, retention worker, gave us a tour of their facilities and explained their mission and how they work within the homeless community to improve people's daily lives. In 2009, they helped 460 people end their homelessness.

Formerly housing a boxing ring and bridge center, JOIN gutted the building this past year and renovated it with reclaimed materials, energy efficient fixtures, and a lush community garden with raised beds and fruit trees espaliered along the sidewalk. Their administrative offices are located in the basement of the building, cozily illuminated with solar light tubes and sporting a staff lounge dubbed "Cafe JOIN", complete with kombucha tea on tap (where can I get me one of those?). The upstairs serves as a day-use center where people can shower, make phone calls, pick up mail and just hang out and socialize with others.

JOIN approached the Montavilla Farmers Market about creating a regular volunteering opportunity for their clients. An important part of JOIN's success are the post-placement support services they offer including help with job finding, navigating social service benefits, transportation to important appointments. As most us can relate, establishing healthy and meaningful relationships is the best way to feel invested and rooted in the neighborhood. JOIN has a strong volunteer program that allows those who have asked for help in the past to give back to their community.

We are excited about working with JOIN in the upcoming season and offer them a warm welcome to the neighborhood!
If YOU want to volunteer for the Montavilla Farmers Market, visit our website or send an email to Kyle, our assistant market manager at volunteers@montavillamarket.org.

Spring = Bountiful Rain and Greens

2010-05-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

These are two things you can rely on during spring in Portland - the early crop of greens and the ever-bearing rain. It discourages me a bit to see my freshly-planted tomatoes drowning in a soggy heap. But it pleases me to dart out in between downpours to grab a handful of greens. Here are a couple of adaptable ideas for recipes that would be good with whatever kind of leafy green you have on hand. Chard, kale, mustard greens - they'd all be great in either.

This is a great recipe for brunch. You can prepare it the day before (it actually tastes better if you do). And if you're the least bit creative, there are endless variations with different ingredients (bacon or sausage, mushrooms, peppers etc, etc.). You can't go wrong....

Spring Greens Strata

several bundles of spring greens
1 1/2 c. finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 T unsalted butter
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
8 c. cubed (1 inch) bread, artisan works best (1/2 lb)
6 oz coarsely grated Gruyère, swiss or other favorite white cheese (2 cups)
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
2 3/4 c. milk
9 large eggs
2 T. Dijon mustard

Blanch greens in boiling salted water and drain.
Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop, measuring loosely packed to 1 1/2 cups.
Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.
Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).
Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard).
Preheat oven to 350°F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Cooks' note:
• Strata can be chilled up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

I particularly like having pesto on hand because you can use for an infinite number of purposes. You can put it on your toast and eggs in the morning for a savory breakfast, or use it as a base for your pizza instead of the usual tomato sauce. It makes an otherwise ordinary sandwich something you can write home to mom about. Don't limit yourself to basil-based pesto. I've made it with parsley, kale, even stinging nettles earlier this spring. All different flavor profiles, but all delicious.

Kale Pesto

Ingredients
2 cups (packed) kale, blanched for 2 minutes first in boiling salted water
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic
good pinch salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Combine the blanched kale, cheese, garlic, and salt in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Puree until fairly smooth, then while the motor is running, drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth, loose paste forms (you can add more olive oil if you like, but I found 1/4 cup to give me the consistency I was looking for.) Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Chard and other leafy greens

2010-05-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

I L-O-V-E greens. I say this as I sit next to my almost-licked-clean breakfast plate of sauteed beet greens with a soft cooked egg oozing over the top, piece of toast underneath to gather up all the juices. I also say this because until the market opens in t-minus 3 weeks and 6 days, I think I would be able to subsist on the crazy amounts of chard that is growing in my garden at the moment. Leaves bigger than the span of my hands. Perfect and unblemished without a single insect nibble to mar the glossy leaves. Deeply crenellated leaves that are begging to hold something in its pockets. It is inspiring me to make some sort of grain-stuffed, rolled dish, something similar to a stuffed grape leaf.

Lately I've been attached at the hip to my Mark Bittman "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" cookbook. Each recipe, delicious in its own right, is followed by a dozen or more variations on the recipes. So I find it an excellent resource for figuring out how to make do with what I have in the kitchen at the given moment and being a bit more improvisational. For example very few people have preserved meyer lemons on hand, but guess what, it might be equally tasty in a version with sauteed onions, celery and carrots and some fresh herbs instead. With this kind of guidance, I'm looking at page 309 "Rolled Kale with Feta and Onions" and thinking that the option with "Quinoa with Caramelized Onions" would be perfect. Some protein from the quinoa, lots of vitamins from the chard, including all you need for the day of vitamin K (good for bone and blood health) and vitamin A (good for eyesight), the tasty sweetness of the onions. Everything on hand so I don't have to make a trip to the grocery store. Sold. I'll report back and let you know how it goes.

I've got a lot of chard to work through, so send me your recipe suggestions!

......
The update on the chard rolls....they turned out really well, if not entirely photogenic. A perfect size for a bite or two before it fell apart in my hands. The sweet onions complemented the slightly bitter taste of the chard. Good hot, cold or room temperature. I'll definitely try some of the other flavor combinations that Bittman suggests.

What’s growing in your garden?

2010-05-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Only one month to go until the Montavilla Market rings the first bell of the season. I’m already looking forward to saying hello to familiar faces and meeting new vendors and filling my basket with good stuff. In the meantime, I visit our raised beds on a daily (and sometimes hourly) basis to see if the seedlings have gotten any bigger overnight. Last season, we figured out that by adding PVC hoops and heavy-gauge plastic over our raised beds that we could extend our growing season. And perhaps more importantly we could keep the squirrels and cats from making a mess of the neatly ordered rows of seeds. The greenhouse effect in practical, useful application. The soil stays warm, the air stays moist, and the result is happy radishes and salad greens in early April. These are the things that keep me happy in spring and help build anticipation until I can ride down to the farmer’s market to fill my bags with a variety of vegetables that I could only dream of growing in my backyard.
A couple of weeks ago, I harvested my first bunch of radishes - Cherry Belles and French Breakfast. As with the first harvest, many of them only got a quick rinse and were eaten directly from the radish top, enjoying the crisp, fresh flavor. But with subsequent weeks, I will save them to be sliced up in salads, grated and added to slaws for a peppery bite.
For those of you who like to get every last bit of usefulness out of your garden, there are even recipes for using the radish greens, though I can’t admit to doing anything but adding them to the compost pile:

Radish Top Soup 
6 Tbsp butter 
1 cup chopped onions or leeks 
8 cups loosely packed radish leaves
 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
 6 cups liquid (water, chicken stock)
 Salt 
1/2 cup cream (optional) 
Freshly ground pepper
 Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks, and cook until golden, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in radish tops, cover pan, and cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook potatoes until soft in liquid along with 1 teaspoon salt. Combine with radish tops and broth, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors. Puree finely in a food processor. Add cream if desired. Season to taste with butter, salt and pepper.

So what is growing in your garden this spring? Or what are you looking forward to buying at the first week of the Montavilla Farmer’s Market?

Defining the Montavilla Farmers Market & its role in the Multnomah Food Initiaitve

2010-04-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

What is a farmers market?

This question was asked at this past year's OFMA Conference (that's Oregon Farmers Markets Association, btw) in Corvallis. The answer seems obvious: its a place where farmers have an opportunity to sell their goods to the public. But, under discussion, it became apparent that this description needed clarity. Does a market with only one farmer constitute a farmers market, or simply a farm stand? How many farmers would be needed to vend before it becomes a market? What if a number of farms contributed goods into a shared truck, which was driven to the market- is that acceptable? Or does a farmer need to be the vendor as well? What about the goods sold? Any expected quality of the product or of the process in creating them?

With all these various questions discussed, it should be of little surprise that the conversation of providing an OFMA-approved definition of farmers market was tabled. In fact, of all the states, only California has a legally defined definition of what a "certified" farmers market is.

Despite all of these varying aspects of what defines a farmers market, I felt that one aspect was not included in the discussion: the people who shop at the market. Because, simply, if you don't have people shopping, there will simply be no market. A market with low attendance isn't worth the vendors' time, and they will pursue opportunities at other markets with higher attendance figures. So, any discussion of what comprises a farmers markets needs to include the market's shoppers. These shoppers are just as important for a farmers market's success as the farmers who provide fresh and healthy goods on a weekly basis.

The market's customer base is, obviously, going to be shaped by the community that the market serves. The Montavilla Farmers Market is conscious of the role that it serves in the neighborhood- both as a place where healthy food is bought and sold and as a gathering place where neighbors can connect and help develop their community. Ultimately, the Market prides itself on the ability to bring healthy, high quality food to its neighbors in Montavilla.

While it is great that each week, neighbors connect and enjoy each others' company at the Market as they shop for a week's worth of delectable offerings, it is of a concern that hungry residents of Montavilla may not be taking advantage of the Market's offerings. Why is this? What barriers can be identified to help reduce hunger in Montavilla? Do these residents even know of the Market's existence, or of the Market's ability to accept food stamps, even offering matching incentives to food stamp users?

The effort to examine and develop strategies to these questions led to the Market serving as a steering committee member of the Multnomah Food Initiative. Last fall, Multnomah County passed a resolution that developed an initiative examining the region's food system, and to develop an action plan that would make this food system more strong and resilient. The Initiative is broken down into four phases, the first of which aggregated multiple studies of the local food system into the Multnomah Food Report. Phase Two of the Action Plan is engaging the community at the Multnomah Food Summit on Saturday, May 1 at the University Place Hotel. The Food Report will be shared as a proposed framework for the action plan, and participants of the summit will offer feedback and criticisms before the plan is shared with the wider community.

The framework has identified four pillars of action that the plan will comprehensively address: local food, healthy eating, social equity, and economic vitality. The Market considers these action pillars of equal priority, and tries to address each of them as it continues to develop as an organization. As some might recall, the Market conducted a survey during the off-season, collecting information in an attempt to gauge how the Market is doing in regard to these various action pillars. Although no information is ready to be presented- the data is still being analyzed by a crack team of researchers (okay, the Market's assistant manager), the findings will be made available later this summer, and probably shared on this blog.

The Montavilla Farmers Market is proud to be on the Steering Committee of the Multnomah Food Initiative, and is excited about the potential results that the MFI will generate. While the Market has had an opportunity to interact with various community organizations in the development of this Initiative, as the community engagement phase is being entered into, we would like to hear feedback from the Market's ever-important customers. How would you define a farmers market, and what role do you feel a farmers market should fill in the community? Has the Montavilla Farmers Market done a good job addressing the four action pillars identified by the Multnomah Food Initiative, or could anything be suggested to improve our efforts? And if you might perhaps be attending the Food Initiative, please provide feedback of your experiences! We would like to know!

Welcome to our new blog!

2010-04-27T21:30:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the inaugural post of the official Montavilla Farmers Market blog! We are entering our fourth year of market-hood and every year we've been able to introduce a new program or feature that helps us improve our market experience. This year, we decided to launch a blog with the desire of finding a way to interact with our customers Monday through Saturday. We hope to promote recipes that showcase the seasonal bounty of the market. We want to illustrate how easy it can be to provide healthy, inexpensive meals that incorporate local, seasonal foods. We will showcase our vendors products throughout the season and provide positive exposure year round with off season articles.
One of the great benefits to a blog (as opposed to our website at www.montavillamarket.org) is that you can leave us comments, and give us feedback on how we're going. So drop us a note. Tell us if there are issues you'd like to read about, recipe ideas for that bumper crop of tomatoes (in my dreams!), or ideas for ways that we can improve the market experience.
We hope you enjoy this addition to our market!