Moods at the last Bellingham Farmers Market this year ran the gamut from holiday frivolity to sadness that the season was coming to a close. Farmers were having relaxed and jovial conversations about their winter plans (mostly involving things like chopping firewood or working on projects they hadn’t had time to tackle during the busy summer season). A couple of young women vendors at one booth were talking excitedly about a spa day someone was giving them. Some were glad they were going to be able to stay warm and dry at home for the next few Saturdays. Continue Reading
Category : Breakfast, December, Main Dishes, Menu Ideas, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Evergreen Station (Ferndale) at the Bellingham Farmers Market often has really beautiful organic vegetables–not just high quality but also visually lovely. Last weekend I was particularly delighted by their large rutabagas. The skins were perfectly smooth, the color varied from pale gold to purple, and the size was enormous. I bought a single 2-pound root, not sure how I would use it. Continue ReadingCategory : Holidays, Menu Ideas, November
If you’re the cook in the family, thoughts of holiday entertaining may generate ambivalent feelings. On the one hand, hosting family and friends for a festive occasion is a special pleasure. On the other hand, it can also seem like a daunting amount of work in a season when time is already stretched thin with decorating, gifting, guests, and travel. How to resolve this conflict? Let me pass on a solution that has worked well for me. Continue Reading
Category : Holidays, November, Recipes, Soups, Vegetarian
Here’s a simple, yet unique, tomato soup that I guarantee you will enjoy! It has a rich smokey flavor with just a hint of peppery heat. Continue Reading
Let’s be honest. There are some downsides to trying to eat as a “locavore” (a person who eats locally grown foods as much as possible), even here in Whatcom County.
First of all, it’s not usually “one stop shopping.” There’s some extra time involved going to farm stores, Terra Organica, one of the the Community Food Co-op locations, or the Farmer’s Market–sometimes all of the above. Continue Reading
Category : January, Menu Ideas
Our mild coastal climate here in Whatcom County is a boon to locavores* during the winter months. With a little insulation from the earth itself or a thick layer of mulch around the plant to protect its roots, a lot of vegetables can keep producing food on into spring. In fact, some will taste even better after touched by a light freeze.
Some of the best brussels sprouts I ever ate, for example, were harvested from my garden in February. They weren’t lovely to look at on the stalk, but after peeling a couple layers of the outer leaves from them, they looked just like any others. The flavor was sweet and memorable, with less bitter flavor than brussels sprouts harvested in the fall. Continue Reading
Photo by Alejandro Linares Garcia
Eating as a locavore (a person who eats only locally grown food as much as possible) doesn’t mean you have to give up convenience. It also doesn’t mean you have to eat processed foods.
Are you a busy family cook who sometimes doesn’t have time to do more than grab a frozen something from the freezer, heat it up, and serve? With just a little planning and preparation, you can still make those freezer dinner raids when you’re strapped for time. The difference will be your meals will have better nutrition, fewer chemicals, better quality and taste, and you’ll know you’re supporting local family farmers and the local economy. In short, you can still have those frozen french fries–but they’ll be a lot better for you, your family, and your community! Continue Reading
Category : About Food Sources, CSAs, January, Main Dishes, Menu Ideas, Recipes
When I think of classic comfort food, I think of meatloaf. When I was a child, meatloaf was my favorite main dish. Top with a little Worcestershire sauce and ketchup, serve mashed potatoes and green beans on the side, and I was a happy kid.
Others must feel the same way. “Meatloaf” is one of the top five recipes people search for on the Food Network web site, and it’s categorized there as a “Comfort Food.” Continue Reading
Category : Condiments, December, Make It Yourself, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Whatcom Locavore Basics
A couple of months ago when I was harvesting the last produce from my home garden, I brought in a cabbage which weighed ten pounds after I had removed the outer leaves and cleaned it up. Since this was about the third head of cabbage that size I’d had to deal with, not to mention a half dozen heads of more normal size, I decided it was time to learn to make sauerkraut. That way I could spread out eating the cabbage over several months. As it turned out, making sauerkraut is pretty simple. Continue Reading
I used to worry about the health effects of eating meat, and in fact was a low-fat vegetarian for about 15 years. I was concerned about the living conditions and treatment of commercially raised meat animals, and I was concerned about how the saturated fats found in meats were believed to affect health. What happened was I gained weight. Somehow that didn’t make me feel healthier. Continue Reading
