CityMama™

Farmer's Market Haul 12/5/09

Farmer's Market Haul 12/5/09 (not shown: apples and eggs)
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I spent about $90 at the farmer's market this week, more than I usually spend, and it's because I bought 2.5 pounds of beef and 3ish pounds of pastured chicken in addition to my weekly veggies, and bread. That doesn't seem like a lot of food for $90 but I can do a lot with it, and everything will get eaten one way or another.

The beef vendor sells pastured chickens which I didn't realize until the season is almost over. I'm going to try this one and see how it is. If it's good, I might join their chicken CSA which starts in the spring, and can pick up my chicken at the farmer's market which is convenient.

If you live in Silicon Valley are interested in joining the chicken CSA, let me know and I can put you in touch with the farmer. You only have to commit to one chicken a month during the season which is roughly April thru Nov/Dec (but be prepared to spend about $30 for it). You can pick up at Palo Alto or Mountain View farmer's markets.

I thought I'd start posting how much I am spending on food and what I do with it in case that might be helpful for people. What's shown is about what I can use up in a week. We go through about a loaf of bread and a dozen eggs a week. The beef I'll make into stew with the carrots, onion, celery (I have some from last week), and red rose potatoes. I'll roast the chicken and we might have that with the chard or the purple cauliflower. If not, the purple cauliflower will make a yummy pasta with carmelized onions, crushed dried chilis, and conchiglie. We also eat a ton of salad, easily two pounds of mixed greens a week. We use a head of garlic a week, too.

I rarely throw out produce--we eat everything we buy. What I do end up throwing away are things like half-eaten bags of tortilla chips or crackers. Or pita bread or corn tortillas that go bad before we can finish them. We just can't ever seem to finish a bag of chips or box of crackers before they go stale. We definitely prefer fresh foods in this family. Not a bad thing.

Have you seen Food Inc? If so, how did it affect you?

I haven't really been cooking since Thanksgiving for a couple of reasons. The first is that I've been swamped with work (which is a really good thing for our Little Agency That Could), but the second is because after I saw Food Inc., I've been rethinking everything about what we eat, what companies I want to support, and what I want my kids to know about food.

I want to say that I'm completely done with shopping for food in grocery stores. I want to say that 100% of our produce will come from small, organic farms with sustainable farming practices. I want to say that I'll only buy meat and poultry that is organic, pastured, and from farms who treat their workers with dignity and respect. I want to say that we'll immediately start barrel gardening on our back patio.

I want to say all these things and believe it can be a reality. That my insane schedule and our budget and our values can make this true. I just don't know how possible it will be, but I will try.  This is my intention now and for the new year and forever.

The viewing of this movie (and my subsequent devouring of Joel Salatin's Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal) are just the most recent forms of media that are informing my decision. This revelation has been a long time in the making. First there was Upton Sinclair, John Robbins, Alice Waters, and Cesar Chavez. There was Angelo Pellegrini, Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, and Barbara Kingsolver. There was Sicko and Capitalism: A Love Story and King Corn.

There was the Slow Food movement and Greens and living in Portland and remembering my own family food values--how I was raised--beginning with all the gardens we had when I was a kid. Wherever we lived, my mom planted a garden. From Hawaii to California to Oregon, our houses had gardens. I remembered eating arugula from our garden in Hawaii when I was just a kid, when no one knew was arugula was. I thought about the running joke in our family about how someone always found a worm in their salad. How my mom always made her spaghetti sauce from scratch. I never tasted sauce from a jar until I was an adult.

It's no trouble for me to shop at my local farmer's market. It's 3 blocks from my house, every Saturday morning.  There is a sustainable beef seller there as well as a fishmonger, and egg, cheese, and olive oil vendors. I just need to do it more. We need to accept that, yes, it's more expensive, but it's a sacrifice we're ready and willing to make.

I am even going one step further. For a week now, I've been researching pastured chicken CSA shares because I will never eat another commercially grown chicken again. I'm even more excited about the sheep's milk, yogurt, cheese, and lamb CSA that J. and I gifted each other for our 15 year anniversary.  We should be getting those first batches of cheese and yogurt in early spring.

If you haven't seen the Food Inc., I highly recommend it, but prepare yourself to be outraged and incensed--even if you thought you already knew how scary the food industrial complex was. If you're afraid to watch it because of what you might learn, all the more reason to see it. None of us can afford to remain in the dark. You will never be able to hear the words Tyson, Cargilll, Swift, Monsanto, and Smithfield without having your blood boil. You will never look a bagged supermarket chicken or spinach or your holiday ham in the same way. After you watch it, let me know.

Of course, all of this thinking about food and where it comes from and how it gets to our dinner tables has me thinking about other things too. Like how my blog might be a platform for more good. How we can all work together to make sure that everyone can afford good, clean, food. I won't stop sharing my recipes or meal-planning with you, but suddenly, that's not enough.

It's a lot to consider at the end of the year when my brain is so full of work and planning for the holidays in addition to keeping the day-to-day details that go along with raising a family in check, but I wanted to share what I've been thinking.  And, of course, I'd be delighted if you shared what you've been thinking, too. Especially if and when you see the movie.

Caldo Verde

I don't know what it is about this simple soup, but there's something magical in it. Something about the combination of kale, potatoes, and linguica (what I grew up calling Portuguese sausage in Hawaii) work together to create an addictively light soup that is perfect for a fall weekend lunch or simple mid-week dinner.

I gather my caldo verde ingredients at my local farmer's market where we are lucky enough to have a sausage vendor who makes sausages that are out of this world. If you can't find linguica near you, you can order it online. Just Google it.  (Linguisa is also great fried and served with eggs so get two packages!)

There are a million variations of how to make this soup.  My sister does it one way, I do it another, but in the end, the kale, potatoes, and linguica remain constants. If you like potatoes, add more. If you like a meatier soup, add more linguica. Portions of the three main ingredients are flexible, but simplicity is the key. Here's one delicious way to do it.

 

Caldo Verde ingredients waiting to go into the pot.

CALDO VERDE

In a soup pot, saute:

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 large yellow onion, diced

in a little olive oil (maybe 3-4 tbsps) over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

Add in:

2-3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes (or 6-8 smallish Yukon Golds, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes).

1 package of linguica, sliced (the kind with 2-3 sticks to a package, about 10-12 ounces)

1 bunch of lacinato kale, sliced into thin, noodle-like threads

1.5 quarts of water

Bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are very tender. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve.

Note:  Some people like to take a potato masher to the soup when it's finished cooking to smash up some of the potatoes.  That's yummy, too.

Weekend in Southern Oregon: Antiques and Wineries

I went up to Southern Oregon with a couple of girlfriends—and no kids, woohoo!—this weekend.  Our goal was to check out the annual antiques fair in the hopes of scoring some excellent, tax-free finds.  My personal goal was to have a tamale at the Southern Oregon Grower's Market (mission deliciously accomplished), to relax after a couple of very busy weeks, and to spend time with my brother and his kids which is always a pleasure.

The antiques fair was well-worth it despite the searing heat.  We all found lots of treasures for not too much money.  My favorite find was a copy of Conran's The House Book published in 1974.  I was eyeing my parents' worn copy at my brother's house and even asked him if I could borrow it. Not necessary!  The next day, Alisyn found a copy (with cover!) on an antique store book shelf and after negotiating a 10% discount, it came home with me. 

My brother gifted us moms with belated Mother's Day gifts-- tickets to the Applegate Valley wineries' barrel tasting event so we spent Sunday afternoon at Wooldridge Creek, Troon, and Schmidt wineries tasting their selections.

On Monday we were back on the road heading down I-5 hoping to make it home before school got out, which we did. I came home to a nice, clean house (thanks, J!) and a two hour power nap. It was a great time.

Here are some of my favorite pics from the weekend:

Saturday night dinner: grilled veggies and grass-fed tri-tip from the farmer's market and wild, local salmon caught in the Rogue River by my sister. The yellow bowl holds grilled spring onions, garlic, and jalapeños.

At the Antiques Fair.

20% off Bauer bowls in my favorite colors...

Food, no-so glorious, food

Recently J. and I have been having passing conversations about food, what it costs, and how we want to feed our family. It started because I notice that every time we go to the farmer's market together, he's a total grump (yes, you are @theJB, don't EVEN try to front) when he sees his 60 fresh-from-the ATM machine dollars whittled down to zero dollars in a matter of 20 minutes. It is startling, but since I am the one that normally does the shopping, it doesn't phase me as much. I know what we are buying is exactly what we need and that it's things that my girls will eat. They help to choose our produce and I'm teaching them to support their local food growers, their local community. J. and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye on this subject. In fact, I'm realizing we have two divergent opinions on the matter.

Me:
I like to shop at farmer's markets for organic, locally grown produce. I do the cooking so I should have the most say. I read Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver and don't want to feed my kids genetically modified foods or tainted beef. Plus, rainbow chard makes a pretty picture in the morning sun. See?

Him:
"Giant packs of frozen burritos are BOGO at Safeway! That's 20 burritos for five bucks! That's lunch for, like, two weeks! Michael who?"

"But I like shopping at the farmer's market because everything is fresh and organic,"  I'll say.

"And I like Safeway because it's cheap," he'll counter.

The thing is, he's right. He is. But I want to be right, too. Though, when I find myself noticing the "pretty chard," I have to stop my visual-learning-self and say, "You sound like an idiot."  Shopping at farmer's markets is expensive, hell, it's a luxury, and we live in one of the most expensive communities in the entire country. You can make six figures here and still never feel "wealthy." So how do we strike a balance?

Asparagus with Black Forest Ham, Potatoes, and Hollandaise

My brother made this for lunch today after we returned from the farmer's market. It's a recipe he learned when he lived in Germany.  It was simple and oh-so-so good. The smokey ham complements the asparagus and the lemony hollandaise brings the dish together.

For this he chose fat asparagus trimmed and ends peeled with a vegetable peeler. They were perfectly cooked and he put three or four spears together and wrapped them with a slice of ham and made tidy bundles. The new potatoes were boiled and served on the side, and the whole dish is topped with zingy-buttery hollandaise, in this case, from Knorr (which is actually terrific).

A beautiful meal in every way.

Farmer's Market Soup

The Saturday night before you visit the farmer's market, pull all the chicken carcasses, turkey bones, celery and onion scraps and parmiggiano reggiano rinds you've been storing in the freezer and huck it all into a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer and let hang out uncovered on the stove for 3-4 hours. Other than skimming foam as needed, you don't need to watch it at all.

I do this around dinner time and then turn off the pot (and cover it) right before I go to bed. If you are worried about food safety, refrigerate the stock. If you are like me, just let it sit tightly covered on the stove. (Return stock to boil then turn off stove and tightly cover.)

Wake up Sunday morning, have your coffee then head out to the farmer's market. Fill your bags or baskets with whatever looks good. When you come home, turn the soup back on use a spider or slotted spoon to strain out all the bones and stuff, and bring stock (about 3 quarts) to a simmer. If you are like to me you slide the following into the pot:

• 5 small sliced pale green zucchini
• 1 lb. of green beans, chopped
• 2 big handfuls of spinach
• 2 big handfuls of tatsoi
• 1/2 a red cabbage, chopped
• 1 lb of small potatoes, halved
• 4 big carrots cut into half moons
• 4 stalks of celery chopped, leaves and all

Then add a 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes, and 2 cans of kidney beans drained. Simmer on low for about an hour. Right before serving dump in a (half box to a box depending on size) of small pasta like farfalline (me), small macaroni, small shells, or pennette. Taste for salt and pepper—this is the first time you are adding any.

Serve in wide bowls adorned with spoonfuls of pistou (aka pesto, a blend of grated parmiggiano or pecorino, fresh basil, garlic, and olive oil) or just a drizzle of fragrant, fruity olive oil. Bread on the side? Okay.

Whatever you don't eat, freeze. Happy Sunday!

Fresh local organic cornish game hens—a total score

These beauties came from Petaluma, California.

And the easiest one dish meal ever.

I dumped a pound of quartered fingerlings and 2 cut up parsnips into a pyrex baking pan, drizzled everything with fruity olive oil and tossed with sea salt, pepper, herbs, and garlic. Then I put the two seasoned hens atop the root veg and stuffed them with fresh rosemary. The prep took maybe 10 minutes.

Baked the whole thing at 325º for about an hour then removed from the oven and tented it for about 15 minutes before carving and serving. Tasty, easy, and yummy. This is one reason why I don't use a Crock-Pot.

Celery Root (Celeriac) Remoulade

Perhaps one of the easiest salads ever.

Looking for an usual salad? This might be it. Recipes I've read mention how tough celery root can be to cut or grate, but I haven't had a problem with the celery roots I purchase from my local farmer's market. They are no tougher to grate than a sweet potato and certainly much easier to deal with than a butternut squash. Maybe freshness is key. (Edited to add: Celery root tastes just like celery—maybe a little milder— but with the texture of a grated crisp apple or Asian pear.)

In any case, I've been enjoying this simple, tangy, crunchy refreshing salad all spring.

CELERY ROOT (CELERIAC) REMOULADE

• 1 celery root, cleaned, peeled and grated with a box grater or food processor
• the juice of one lemon
• two glops of mayonnaise (or enough to make it creamy)
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl (reserving some parsley for garnish). Mix well, season to taste. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve.

Green Garlic Soup with Pernod

Green garlic signals spring to me just as much as asparagus does. When I see them at my farmer's market I get all excited because they aren't around for long, a month maybe.

What to do with green garlic? You can treat them as you would regular garlic or leeks or onions. They look like really fat green onions (or smaller leeks) and go really mellow and sweet when sauteed. I like to make souffle or soup with them. We started our Easter meal yesterday with this quick and easy Green Garlic soup.

I was recently sent a bottle of Pernod to try, and since I love the licorice flavor of fennel in my rustic vegetable soups, but didn't have any fennel on hand, I added a shot to the soup and it was delicious without being overpowering. (Plus it's nice to have on hand for cocktails.)

GREEN GARLIC SOUP WITH PERNOD

Serves 6.

If you'd rather use fresh fennel than Pernod, add one small chopped fennel bulb to the garlic sautee and proceed from there. A stick blender will make quick work of this.

• 2 bunches of green garlic (about 10 stalks), cleaned, trimmed, and chopped (remove top 2-3 inches)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 glugs of olive oil
• 2 pats of unsalted butter
• 1 shot of Pernod
• 6 cups of chicken or veggie stock (or water)
• 2 medium potatoes, chopped (I never peel potatoes, but you can if you like.)
• sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup or so of heavy cream

Saute green garlic and garlic in butter and olive oil over medium heat until just starting to caramelize (about 10 minutes). Be careful not to overly-brown. Deglaze pan with Pernod, stir, scraping up all the crusty bits. Add in stock and raise heat to med-hi. When stock starts to simmer, add in potatoes. Cook about 15-20 minutes until potatoes are softened then remove from heat and whiz soup with a stick blender until very smooth. Season to taste, stir in cream, warm through, and serve. (Once cream has been added, do not boil soup.) If you want a very smooth soup, strain it through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer, but it's not necessary.