Information and resources for eating only food locally produced in Whatcom County
Category : Breakfast, Main Dishes, Recipes, September
Here’s a beef sausage recipe I created as a substitute for chorizo in a recipe for Caldo Verde from the Winter Harvest Cookbook (see my review of the book). While this does not make chorizo, the spicy flavor makes a good alternative. It’s really quick and easy to make from locally grown grassfed beef. Continue Reading
This recipe is reprinted from Winter Harvest Cookbook by permission of the author, Lane Morgan (p. 68). (Read my review of the book.) I chose a robust soup for our chillier fall evenings.
Category : Events, Menu Ideas, September
| September 10, 2011 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 4:00 pm |
Wow! What a day! BelleWood Acres invited me to offer cooking demonstrations for the annual Whatcom County Farm Tour yesterday (Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011) and people began pouring in a half hour early!
Ten farms, two wineries, and the Bellingham Farmers Market were all participating in the event organized by Sustainable Connections. I don’t know yet how may people took advantage of the opportunity to visit farms, meet the farmers, and take part in the special activities available, but there was a steady stream all day.
It was a lot of fun to be at BelleWood Acres to meet people and talk about local Whatcom County food! Some were regular readers of my column in the Bellingham Herald (on Tuesdays). Others were hearing the word “locavore” for the first time. All had an opportunity to taste samples of the locavore dishes I prepared (see recipes linked below). It was satisfying to hear exclamations over the flavors and to see people coming back to my table with friends and family in tow. As I explained to people, the flavors aren’t the result of any fancy cooking skills (I don’t have any!). They are the result of starting with ultra-fresh and ripe locally grown ingredients. With quality ingredients like that, very little preparation is required.
Efforts by the BelleWood Acres farmers Dorie and John Belisle and their staff were incredible. As John says, “It takes a level of commitment that people can’t even imagine.” From directing people to parking and greeting them at the entrance to answering multitudes of questions and helping them purchase apples and other products, the staff showed an energy and friendliness that never flagged, even in yesterday’s hot sun. The tractor-towed farm “train” ride was in constant motion giving people tours of the apple orchards and thrilling all the children.
Tasting tables were set up under an open air roofed area where the breeze kept us comfortable. Besides myself, BelleWood had tables for tasting apples with various cheeses, apples with caramel or their specially made peanut butter, sparkling apple cider and more. Susy Hymas was also on hand to answer questions. Susy teaches classes in canning and other food preservation, and also teaches nutrition at the culinary school at Bellingham Technical College.
Surrounded by the wonderful scent of fresh apples, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day. The Belisle’s were unflappable in the midst of it all, not only making sure that visitors were well cared for but also that staff was being well supported and getting regular breaks and meals. It was amazing to watch!
Since we were at BelleWood, I selected recipes which centered on their delicious apples. I also chose recipes which gave me an opportunity to talk about a particular food technique, including how to make yogurt cheese, how to use the resulting yogurt whey to make sauerkraut at home, and how to make a simple crust for an apple tart. Here are links to the recipes used:
Sauerkraut and sausage are a long-time favorite flavor combination. Apples and sauerkraut* are an equally familiar and frequent combination. What if they were all combined, I wondered. Continue Reading
Category : Recipes, Sauces and Dips, September, Snacks, Vegetarian
For the 2011 Whatcom County Farm Tour, I went to BelleWood Acres to do cooking demonstrations featuring dishes made with their stellar apples. I chose recipes that would allow me to show some locavore techniques which could be used for many purposes, and this recipe was perfect. Continue Reading
Category : Menu Ideas, September
When you go to a grocery store to buy produce, you don’t usually expect to learn anything about the fruits and vegetables available. The store may have recipe cards nearby, but in general you already need to know what to do with what you purchase.
One of the wonderful things about shopping at local farm stands (small stores located on the farms) and talking to home gardeners is getting to learn about food from the experts–the people who grow the food themselves. To me, that’s a priceless benefit. Continue Reading
Category : Make It Yourself, Menu Ideas, September
It’s pickling season! If the idea of making pickles conjures up hours of sterilizing jars, trimming and peeling pounds of produce, and wondering later if the lids sealed safely–relax! You can certainly go through that whole process if you enjoy it (as I do), but there’s also a much easier way to prepare homemade pickles.
Several vegetables commonly pickled can be prepared as “refrigerator pickles.” Refrigerator pickles won’t keep as long as pickles canned the traditional way, but they are fast to make and will last from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on the vegetables and the recipe you use. Continue Reading
Category : Menu Ideas, September
Baking using only local ingredients presents some difficult problems. First of all, there’s the grain used to make flour. No wheat is grown commercially in Whatcom County that I know of. We’re fortunate, though, to have a flour mill based in the Fairhaven district of Bellingham. They try to get grains from as close to home as possible, and they grind them here in the County. That’s local enough for me, at least until someone figures out how to grow wheat in this climate reliably. Continue Reading
Category : Menu Ideas, September
While I’m not a vegetarian, at this time of the year I easily could be. The diversity of locally grown vegetables being harvested now is a wonder to see and delightful to taste. However, when a friend offers some fresh crab they just caught and cooked, thoughts of being vegetarian succumb to the flavor of fresh seafood. Continue Reading
