Spelt Berry and Black Rice Risotto

These are the first carrots of the season from Mike & Ruth's Organic Farm, Willow Grove Gardens.  I just couldn't resist these characters.  They probably grew in some hard soil.  I saw nothing but personality.  They became an important part of our Spelt Berry and Black Rice Risotto.

It's starting to look like summer on the farmer's tables. We're starting to get some vegetables more and more each weekend at the market.  I got some great beets this weekend, which I roasted and tossed with some honey, fresh orange juice, and a bit of ginger.  I tossed in some pine nuts I had soaked and dehydrated last week. I don't think we got a picture of that yet.  We'll probably get one when one of us has lunch this week.

I also picked up a couple more Marigolds, and Celosia flowers for the garden.

Spelt Berries, Black Rice, and Fresh Vegetable Risotto

The carrots were a wonderful addition to this original concoction.  I'm still not sure whether it's stew or risotto.  But, it's more like a risotto, so I'm, sticking with that for now. I didn't know what I was going to make, I just wanted some wheat berries.  I have some sprouted already, but I wanted some cooked berries this week too. I set two cups of spelt berries to soak early Saturday morning, they were ready to cook by the time I got home from the farmer's market.

I cut up a couple fresh Walla Walla onions, some fresh garlic tops, a shallot, a red bell pepper, and the fresh carrots I just picked up.  Sautéed all of them together in some avocado oil, until the onions were just tender  I got the cold pressed avocado oil on a trip through the liquidation store on Friday.  I have found an occasional trip through one of those local stores, saves some money on the cooking supplies. I have to go when I have some time to walk slowly through the isles. Nothing is ever the same or in the same place.  It's like a treasure hunt.

While the vegetables were sautéeing, I added a dash of sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, a couple sprigs of thyme and some fresh rosemary.  Then added the soaked and drained spelt berries.   I let them brown just a couple minutes before adding four cups of low sodium organic vegetable broth.  I added about a cup of Forbidden black rice and two yellow zucchini squash, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks.  I brough this all to a gentle boil and then simmered for about 45 minutes.

Happy May Day! Is it Really Spring Now?

I've been slacking on my blogging for the last two weeks.  Time to catch up.  Funny how once I start the procrastination in motion with something, it gets harder to get back in the habit.  I haven't been doing too many culinary treats out of the ordinary lately so I'm not too behind on recipes.  I've been sticking to our fruits in the morning, raw salads, and beans, with a few steamed veggies thrown in now & then.  I've also been anxiously waiting for the change from cooking to gardening.  It's been the wettest and coldest April, I've heard, in about 50 years.  This is the second spring in two years, we haven't seen sunshine in April.  But today the sun is shining and we're going out to work in the garden while we can.  It's supposed to be 70º today, I sure hope so.  It will bring some joy all over town. We'll  hear the sound of lawn mowers, motorcycles, and the outdoor toys as people come outside to play.  We've done a pretty good job of tackling the weeds and decayed plants.  The artichokes are coming back strong and many herbs made it through the winter.  I picked enough oregano yesterday to make a few quarts of oregano oil.
 
I took a stroll through the farmer's market yesterday and picked up a yellow Mystic Spirit dahlia, a couple Spanish Lavender plants, some rosemary, some fuchsia starts, Italian parsley, and a couple purple daisies. We managed to get most of it planted outside yesterday.  The fuchsia starts are for my deck.  I take pride in starting with tiny little seedlings and diligently trimming them daily until I have a full blooming fuchsia with beautiful big blooms.

Fuchsia

 Even though it's early in the season, there are some crafty farmers who have some edibles.  I picked up a nice variety of edible flowers: mustard, turnip, and broccoli.  Those are broccoli flowers in my blog header. Ruth & Mike had some nice spinach and Eva had her herbs and Jerusalem artichokes.  After shopping I took out my camera and went for a walk through the market welcoming the vendors back for the season.




I do have a vegan banana creme pie in the fridge waiting for the cashew coconut creme.  I'll be sure to post some pictures and the recipe once we break into it later on.

Still Indoors ~ Garden 2011

 I was hoping to get outside this weekend and begin clearing the weeds the rain brought in the garden.  No such luck, it was cold and very rainy today. We did have a couple breaks in the clouds, but it never lasted very long.  I feel like I am in a big holding zone, just waiting for warmth from the sun. There are quite a few plants coming up out there, but it's hard to see most of them right now through the weeds.  I've got some garlic, onions, radishes, peas, lettuce, and herbs growing.

We've had a record breaking raining streak in the pacific northwest. I think, 28 days of continual rain. There was a short break in the afternoon Thursday.  It was warm and clear.  I spent some time playing with our camera in the backyard while we had the sun.  Almost gave me some hope that we would see some spring sunshine this weekend.  I am used to the rain in the northwest, but this time of year I am anxious to get out in the garden and get to work.  I feel like that old Mervyn's commercial where the gal is at the door at 6:00 a.m.on the morning of a big sale, "OPEN, OPEN, OPEN". The seedlings are doing well indoors right now.  Most of these are from the indoor greenhouse, a few of the herbs are out in the garden waking up from the winter, the columbine and artichokes are coming up out there too.




Today was the first day of our farmer's market season.  It's always muddy and a bit rainy the first few weeks.  I welcomed back some of my regular vendors. Right now the most that's available for about a month at the market will be plants, crafts, breads, and locally roasted coffee. There are a few farmers with greenhouses that have some lettuces and greens. I purchased a few things from Eva: a couple rosemary starts, some Jerusalem artichokes, and some kiwis.  I've heard that some people have started growing kiwis in the northwest.  I'm anxious to try hers. I took my camera ready to take some shots at the market, but it began to hail and rain very hard.  I stood under one of the canopies waiting for it to stop, but it just kept coming down. I was pretty drenched by the time I got back to my car. Those photos will have to wait.

Vegetable Wheat Berry Risotto

I love Sequim in July - Lavender touches all my senses

While in Sequim this weekend I picked up some Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries from their local farmer's market.  I bought a couple different varieties from this vendor, Nash's Organic Produce.  I made a nice wheat berry salad while I was up there with fresh produce from my friend's garden and some of my own.  Yesterday I made some wheat berry risotto. This was very easy!  Anyone can make this effortless dish.  It does require soaking the berries overnight, so planning ahead is a good idea.  After the berries have soaked, the prep work is about 15 minutes. This is a high protein, vegan meal. The wheat berries tested out at 14% protein.  It can be served as an entree or a side dish.

Vegetable Wheat Berry Risotto

Vegetable Wheat Berry Risotto

About 2 TBL olive oil, I used garlic chili oil I made a couple weeks ago
1 medium to large onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups wheat berries (pearl barley would substitute just fine.)
1 medium zucchini, diced in half inch cubes
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth (can be combined with water wheat berries
soaked in to make up the four cups of liquid)
2 TBL golden balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup tart juice, (cranberry, pomegranate, or apple cider would work)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiana cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste, I used cayenne pepper for a little extra zip.

Soak wheat berries overnight or for at least three hours.  Rinse and reserve the liquid for stock.

Heat up the broth to almost a boil for adding to wheat berries a little later.

Saut­è onion and garlic in oil about 2-4 minutes.

Add the wheat berries and sautè for about five minutes allowing the wheat berries to brown a bit. When I did this my kitchen had a toasty nutty smell, it was wonderful.

Add the broth, juice, vinegar, and zucchini and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover the pot.  Simmer for at least an hour.  I like my wheat berries al dentè so that there is some texture.  If you like them a little softer, you may have to cook a bit longer.  I simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed leaving a nice gravy consistency.

Remove lid and add the cheese and cook a little bit longer, about ten minutes.

Summer Fruit

Frozen cherries are great on a hot day.

I had too much fun at the farmer's market Saturday. The strawberries are almost over and I wanted to make sure I got some more before they are gone. The raspberries are plentiful and the blueberries are starting to show up everywhere. There were also some Washington apricots and cherries. I spent $120 at the market, that's quite a bit. I usually spend about $30-60 depending on what fruit is in season. The garden will lower that cost shortly.  Soon, I will be buying boxes of lovely Washington peaches and pears. As well as all the fruit, I did pick up much of our vegetable groceries too. There were fresh beets, carrots, cucumbers, corn, and just about everything we need to eat well for the week. I also bought some locally made chocolates and locally roasted coffee too. I almost don't have to go to the conventional grocery store at all this time of year.

I almost scared myself when I got home and saw all I had purchased. I was worried I wouldn't get it all processed. My husband was happy to help, he likes pitting cherries. We have a little cherry stoner he likes to use. We put a flat of blueberries, a flat of raspberries, 2 flats of strawberries, about ten pounds of cherries, and a huge batch of rhubarb sauce in the freezer this weekend. 

Kitchen freezer before they go to the Big freezer downstairs.

I like to put as much fresh fruit away in the freezer while in season so we have plenty of fresh fruit in the fall and winter too. I had fruit all the way up until January this year. I post a lot about dinner meals and desserts, but I don't talk too much about breakfast. That's because there isn't a whole lot to it. We eat a fruit smoothie everyday, no recipe, just whatever is available. I fill the blender with fruit, add a little water and blend. I used to put protein powders and flax oil, but finally just went with fresh fruit. I put an avocado in just about every day which makes it thick and creamy and the fat from the avocado keeps me satisfied until I have my morning snack of more fruit around 10:00 a.m. I think I have five servings of fruit everyday before I leave my house.

Dairy Free Cherry Upsidedown Cake

This came out pretty nice looking. I used the white Rainier Cherries. I can't believe it came out of the pan so well. The little specs you see on top are pieces of ground cardamom. I keep whole cardamom seeds on hand and grind them myself.

Cherry mixture

3 cups fresh cherries, pitted and split in half
zest of an orange, chopped
1 tsp sucanot
sprinkling of cardamom, about a half teaspoon. You can use nutmeg, cinnamon and a very small dash of cloves if you don't have cardamom.

Cake Mixture

1 cup non dairy margarine, softened
1/2 cup Agave
2 drops liquid stevia
Egg substitute, equivalent of 2 eggs
     I use an egg substitute from Bob's Red Mill.  1 tablespoon ground flaxseed dissolved with 3  tablespoons water also works as a substitution for two eggs.
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
about ¼ cup non dairy milk to get a smooth consistency

Preheat oven to 350º

Prepare a 8" x 11.5" baking dish with some oil, I use coconut oil.
Mix cherry mixture ingredients together and spread on the bottom of the pan.
Beat cake mixture ingredients together until smooth and spread over cherry mixture.
Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpicks inserted into cake come out clean.
Allow to cool, turn out onto serving dish.

I served it with some of the cashew coconut creme.

My husband said it seemed like a cross between a crisp and pie. He mentioned that during his second piece.

Back to Basics - Black Beans and Raw Vegetable Salad

Every week I make a pot of beans and a very large salad so we have some healthy "fast-food" options on hand during the busy work week. This week I made a pot of black beans and a fresh, raw vegetable salad. Many of the salad items are now coming from the garden and the farmer's markets. I just love this time of year. Sun or not, the food still represents summer. When I come home some night this week, I can warm up a tortilla and some beans, add some salad, and I have a great vegetarian burrito. That's my kind of :"fast-food."




What's in the salad? Beet greens, zucchini, crookneck squash, red cabbage, red bell pepper, one large jalapeño pepper, chopped roasted fennel bulb, carrots, chopped cucumber, the juice of one orange, 2 medium avocados chopped, about half a cup of roasted pumpkin seeds, and a handful of dried currants.

Strawberry Moon in the Garden

My last post title was "What a Day, Glorious!" I've had one of those today.  We began our day in the garden in the last hour of darkness and the first hour of the full moon.  The Strawberry Moon as it is called in the Farmer's Almanac. In the wee hours of the morning there was a partial lunar eclipse during which the moon partly enters the Earth's shadow.

We have about completed the planting and got together with Rachel to give blessings for the garden under the moon.  We sat in quiet meditation on the herb hill in the moonlight with candles and herbs burning until the morning was bright.  It was a very calming experience.  I generally start my day with some form of prayer and meditation, but this morning was a little more special.

I went to the farmer's market this morning. There were fresh strawberries and raspberries today.  I put ten pounds of strawberries in the freezer and about 5 pounds of raspberries.  I just took a vegan chocolate beet cake out of the oven.  It's a vegan twist of the red velvet cake.  Some of those raspberries will become frosting for that cake.  I will post the recipe tomorrow with the photo just before I try the first piece.  I've got a pot of beans made for our meals in the upcoming week.  I made some quinoa, not sure what I will do with it yet, but it's ready for some veggies and herbs.  I spent some artistic time with a surprise for the garden.  I have an idea for a princess of sorts in the garden.  I'll introduce you when she's completed. 

I've been waiting since I planted these babies in February to post a slide show like this.  Here's some progressive artichoke pictures.  Enjoy!

"Let the beauty we love be what we do.  There are thousands of ways to kneel and kiss the Earth."

-Rumi

Strawberry Rhubarb Glaze Pie

What did I do with my strawberries this week?   Many of them did get frozen, but we eat as much as we can while they are in season and fresh.  We'll have strawberries in most of our breakfast smoothies this week.  Then there are the strawberry goodies.  This semi-raw pie is very simple.

I made a strawberry rhubarb glaze with about two cups chopped rhubarb, two cups sliced strawberries, the juice of an orange, and about 1/4 cup raw agave.  I just let them simmer on a medium low heat until they are tender and saucy, about 3-5 minutes at most.  Remove from the heat and add to the fruit sauce 1/4 tablespoon powdered Agar dissolved in a 1/4 cup of boiling water.   I added about a teaspoon of chopped orange zest to the mixture after it was removed from the heat.

For the crust I used one cup raw almonds, seven med jool dates, and a dash of salt.   Soak the almonds in water for an hour or so and pulse them with the dates in the food processor until the mixture can be shaped into a ball.  Sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons of raw coconut shreds at the bottom of a glass pie pan.   Press the almond and date mixture in the pie pan to form a crust on the bottom and up the sides.

Then I just layered sliced fresh strawberries in the crust and poured the strawberry rhubarb sauce over the strawberries.  I kind of mixed them a little to get the sauce distributed.  This will chill in the refrigerator for about an hour to set.  I garnished it with orange zest and a couple cantaloupe flowers from my garden.

I think I will serve it with some cashew lavender creme sauce.  I'll try to remember to post a picture of a slice when I cut it later.

Celebration Salad

I've seen this salad in many vegan and whole foods cookbooks. It's a pretty simple salad of fresh carrots and beets. What am I celebrating?  The first fresh vegetables of the season and for us in the Pacific Northwest, we are celebrating sunshine today. Nice warm sunshine.

This is the way Chef Al Chase taught me to make Celebration Salad.  I grated four small to medium red beets, one golden beet I had, and four medium carrots.  To those grated vegetables, I added the juice and zest of one orange, a little flax oil, and a little chili oil, about a tablespoon each.  I added some fresh ground Celtic sea salt and a dash of cayenne pepper.  I usually use chopped parsley, but I didn't have any so I used some fresh cilantro from the garden.  Not too much, about a tablespoon and a half.  It will settle and become juicy and flavorful after chilling overnight.  This salad definitely makes me feel like summer is coming.

Black Quinoa Salad with Red Pepper and Bok Choy

Now this is an original recipe.   While browsing through the bulk grains at People's a couple weeks ago, I noticed some black quinoa.   I like black rice, I should probably like this, so I bought some and finally tried it today.   I cooked up a cup and let it sit and cool for a bit.   Then I added chopped red bell pepper, a couple diced cloves of garlic, about a teaspoon of ginger juice, a tablespoon of chili oil, a tablespoon of flax oil, a little lemon juice, shoyu, and a dash of Celtic sea salt and cayenne pepper.   I had about half a head of bok choy from last week's market so I sliced it very thin, kind of a chiffonade.  I also added some chopped parsley and cilantro, both picked in my garden today.  It's has a nice zesty flavor and it's pretty too.  It should be really good tomorrow after sitting in the cooler all night letting all the flavors meld together.

Asparagus Cornbread Pudding with Snap Peas

I've been reading a very fun book I received as a birthday gift, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver.  It's the story of a family who ate only locally for a whole year.  I mean locally, they grew much of their own food and what they didn't they tried to obtain from within their county.  The whole family had a hand in writing this book and the daughter, Camille, has her pieces with a recipe at the end of  her commentaries.  I get kind of hungry reading this book.  Inspired by her Asparagus and Morel Bread Pudding I knew just what to do with the fresh asparagus and the little loaf of jalepeño cornbread I bought at the farmer's market today.  I made a similar bread pudding using her recipe as a guide.

I didn't have the morel's, but that's OK, my husband doesn't like mushrooms much.  (I still cook with mushrooms, but make them in very large chunks so he can pick them out and give them to me.)  I did have the fresh asparagus, the loaf of homemade cornbread which I sliced and toasted in the broiler, the spring onions, fresh parsley and oregano.  I used non dairy milk and omitted the butter used in the recipe.  I gently sauteed the asparagus in a little coconut oil and added some snap peas I had from last week's market.  I did use the eggs, but I do use local eggs.  Eggs are one of those things that appear that I am spending more, I pay from $3.50 up to $5 a dozen for my fresh local eggs, but a dozen will last me a month or more.  The cheese I used is a natural cheddar with wild smoked salmon and chives with a little freshly grated Parmesan.  I thought that would add an interesting flavor.

My husband took the picture and not only ate a piece while trying to get just the right shot, he then ate the piece he was photographing.  This is one of those meals that doesn't look too pretty, but it sure is good, flexitarian, comfort food.

Farmer's Market, Sunshine, and Gardening

The sun is finally out and the mood was cheery at the farmer's market today.  People are picking up more seedlings to get them in the dirt while we can.  This may be the beginning of our sunny weather, but there is more rain to come.  We generally don't see continual warm weather until after the fourth of July.  There are more edibles showing up at the market and it will get better each week now.

Some of my friends think I probably spend more on my groceries, but I don't think so.   It costs a little more to get the vegetables directly from the farmer sometimes, but all the money goes to the farmer and the fruits and vegetables are usually picked the same day I buy them.  They don't spend a week or more in a truck.  

The strawberries I picked up today are not 100% organic, but they are from a small local farm, just 20 miles away.  Small farms that do use non-organic farming methods, usually farm much closer to organic than a factory farm using less of any herbicides. There are also many farmers farming organically that just can't afford all the testing and paperwork filing involved to become certified organic.

There are many things I can get at the farmer's market too besides vegetables. We have a local coffee grinder, a couple bakers, a local chocolatier, and a goat farmer who sells fresh goat cheese.

Today I spent about $38 and came home with:

A nice large bunch of fresh carrots, I have found ways to use the greens too,
a large bunch of beets with healthy greens,
10 lb of fresh strawberries, picked this morning,
2 lb of fresh asparagus,
1 loaf cracked wheat bread, dairy free, made with whole grain flour, flax seeds, and sesame seeds,
1 loaf of the same cracked wheat bread made with cinnamon and raisins (this is our sweet treat this week), both made by Homer Bread in Longview.
1 small round of garlic cheese bread and a jalapeno cornbread made by at Victorian Acres in Clatskanie,
and two beautiful purple flowering plants for the garden.

The biggest expense was the fresh strawberries. I will buy whatever fruit is in season in quantities every weekend until the end of the season and freeze most of it so we have a continual supply of fresh local fruit into the winter. This year I hope to do some more canning, we'll see. That garden takes up a lot of time.

Speaking of the garden, the sun's out, my husband will be home shortly and it's off for a day outside working our beautiful garden.   Even though it's been cloudy and rainy, very rainy, most days this spring.  There are some plants growing and healthy.  They should enjoy the sun this weekend, I know I do.

This is what the sky looked like yesterday evening in the garden.  

And a happy pepper blossom :-)

The rainbow chard hasn't minded the rain.

Organic Farm Tour

Last Sunday we had a delightful tour of three organic farms sponsored by People's Coop, Alberta Grocery Coop, and Food Front in Portland.  There were about 100 of us on this little field trip, pun intended.  I try to stop in at People's most trips to Portland.   I have been to the Alberta Coop, but not Food Front.  I'll have to visit now that I know they are there, I think they have two stores. 

I love shopping and being a member of the Coop.  I know I am getting the best organic whole food as local as possible.  Being a member I feel like I am contributing to a good thing.  The produce section in People's is beautiful even in the winter.  There are many whole ingredients I used to prepare our meals that are either very hard to get in our little community or are more expensive here.  For example, I can get all the loose teas and herbs I need in bulk so I can buy a little or a lot.  Vanilla beans are usually below $2 a piece.  To buy them here, they are packaged in little glass tubes and become $6 a piece, even at the best whole foods store in town. 

They have me pretty spoiled too.  I went to one of those big box stores with my friend.  I won't even go in their produce cooler, it's all mass manufactured, tasteless, chemical ridden food like substance.   Anyway, I noticed a big bag of organic raw almonds.  We use lots of raw almonds.  I thought to myself, yes, they are a bit cheaper than I pay, but even if they are grown organically and perhaps even in a sustainable farm, I don't think the almonds on the bottom of the bag or even half way down are going to be as fresh as they should be once we get to them.  Nope, I like shopping the bulk food way.  Less packaging, I can buy in any amount I need or my wallet allows, and I know what I am getting.

This is a annual trip for members to give us more of a connection with where our food comes from and who the people are that grow it for us.  Even though it was a rainy spring Sunday, it was a great trip and quite educational.  There were three different farms on our journey, the first was more like a research facility and farm run by a retired college professor, the second a cider house and vineyard, and the third a 100 acre organic vegetable farm.  It was like a very very large garden.  It was great to get to meet the people who grow our food and get a sense of what they are about too.

Our first stop was to Sunbow Farm in Corvalis, OR, an organic farm since 1972.  We learned about composting and care of the soil to sustain future crops and protect the earth.  Harry MacCormack is the co-founder of Oregon Tilth.  Oregon Tilth is a nonprofit research and education membership organization dedicated to biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture.  He was happy to tell us of his research with composte, composte tea, and farming while taking care of the soil to keep it resilient.  He is a character, a retired professor and writer, and he's got quite a history.   He's a poet too.  He started the farmer's market at People's and has had a hand in helping others get started.   This farm very much reminded me of The Farm, in Summertown, TN, that I had the opportunity to visit in April.

We had a great vegan lunch prepared by Abbys Table at Wandering Aengus in Salem, OR.  There was a very tasty raw "tuna" salad - a salad of sprouted seeds and nuts with flavors of the sea, lentil salad with parsley and mint.  I am going to try to recreate this salad very soon.  There was a build your own sandwich buffet of great salads, marinated tempeh, roasted tofu, whole grain breads and much more.  It was nice to be with 100 people who didn't mind that lunch was vegan.  I didn't get a picture of lunch, which is surprising, I think I was probably to busy eating anxious to wander around the orchards and vineyards.  There was also some wine and cider tasting.  You have to ask someone else how that was, I don't drink so I didn't partake.   I did however, listen to the trials and tribulations of growing enough good apples to brew the cider.  This was a very pleasant and relaxing stop on our journey.

Wandering Aengus

Our last farm of the day was Mustard Seed Farms in St. Paul, OR.  This looked like a huge garden in my mind.  This farmer produces greens and veggies to coops, wholesalers, and the local community.  He has a different kind of community garden.  Instead of dividing up into plots, he invites the community to come help on the farm for a number of hours each week to contribute to the garden for their seasonal vegetables . 

Technical Difficulties, Strawberries, and Art

I've been down a week, well my PC has anyway.  The modem quit working and we learned to live without the internet.  Strange how we felt cut off from the outside world a little bit not having this little electronic box for a week.  You'd think I'd get enough of the computer at work, but that's mainly spreadsheets. 

A week ago Saturday was a pretty special day for me.  The sun was shining and warm and the first strawberries of the season showed up at the farmer's market.   It's been so rainy here this spring, I was wondering if the strawberries would show up at the farmer's market this month.  June is strawberry season here, most years.  I usually have fifty pounds or more in my freezer before the end of the season.  I've been pretty good about not buying strawberries out of season.   We ran out of them in January this year.  I picked up some Nasturtiums, Marigolds, Purple African Daisies, and some blue potato starts for the garden too.   I got a "great pumpkin" plant for our yard at home.   It's one of those that should grow to 100 pounds or more, this should be fun to watch.   Not sure what I will do with it, but if we get one that size, I do know someone who likes to sculpt them and does it well.  The sun came out for both days of the weekend and I spent a lot of time in the garden.  My knees were dirty most of the weekend.

There was also a little flea market in town, The Spring Fling.   I found a painting that just had to go home with me.   The woman who sold it to me knew the artist, but didn't tell me the name of it.   At my house it shall be "Women on Market Day."   It tells so many stories.  The frame is a little warped, but it's in great condition. Hand painted and it was only $7.

Roasted Beets with Butternut Squash Creme Sauce and Roasted Tempeh

Inspired by my meal in Portland Friday night and the wonderful red and golden beets I picked up at the People's Co-op the same night, I cooked up a very nice hearty meal.  I cut up a mixture of: 3 red beets, 3 golden beets, a large yam, four or five small Walla Wallas, an Anaheim chili, four cloves of garlic, a red pepper, and an orange pepper in large chunks, about 1" x  2 ".  I tossed the vegetables with:  1/2 C filtered water, 3 TB Sunflower oil, some chopped fresh sage and oregano, about 1 tsp sea salt and fresh ground pepper, a dash of cayenne, 2 TB Shoyu, and 1 TB golden balsamic vinegar.  I placed it all in a  9x13 baking dish and roasted at 375º for about 50 minutes until all were roasted and the liquid was absorbed.


I also roasted a butternut squash for about 35 minutes, just sliced it in half, removed the seeds and placed face down in a lightly greased baking dish.  After it cooled a bit I scraped out the squash and placed in a blender with:  about 1/2 can coconut milk, a dash sea salt, black pepper, and a dash of cayenne.  I blended this until it was a smooth creamy sauce, butternut squash creme sauce.


I poured the sauce over the roasted vegetables and then topped that with roasted whole grain tempeh marinated in a lemon herb marinade.


Lemon Herb Marinade


1/2 C Filtered water
2 TB Lemon or lime juice, fresh squeezed
1 tsp Shoyu
2 tsp herbs, minced
I used minced cilantro, crushed cumin, and 1/2 tsp curry.

Simple and Tasty - Roasted Yams & Acorn Squash - Stuffed Mushrooms

I was talking to a vendor at the farmer's market yesterday and told her I shop there and at the produce stand, then decide what we are having for our meals this week. She gave me a kind of disapproving look and said "I look at the recipes and make a list, then go shopping." I smiled and told her I like adventure.

I do scan my kitchen and recipes and bring a small list of things I need for what I already have, most of the time. I like to see what's at the farmer's and produce markets first. What's in season? What's there that I haven't played with in a long time? I don't want to lock myself into an idea, I may miss something or block some other creative thoughts trying to come through.

Yesterday I went with very simple. I made roasted vegetables: yams, red onion, garlic, coarse chopped red bell pepper, and acorn squash. I just coated the pan with a little coconut oil, laid the vegetables in a glass 9" x 13" pan, rough chopped and sliced to about a half inch thick for the yams and onions. I sprinkled a little fresh ground Celtic sea salt, pepper, and thyme. I drizzled olive oil very lightly over the vegetables and roasted in the oven at 350° for about 50 minutes. We didn't eat it all so I put the left over roasted vegetables in our pot of beans this morning. That will add a creamy texture to our beans as well as flavor.

Roasted Acorn Squash, Yams, Red Bell Pepper, & Red Onion

There were some nice mushrooms of different varieties at the produce market yesterday, portabello, crimini, and morels. I picked up some small round portabello mushrooms. I made a stuffing with bread crumbs and some fresh local Pepper Rosa goat cheese I purchased at the farmers' market.

Stuffed Mushrooms

12 large mushrooms
1/2 cup onions, chopped
3 TB oil (I used coconut oil for sauteing and a little olive oil in the stuffing)
1/2 cup Pepper Rosa Goat cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 TB nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme (I probably used more) I don't really measure herbs
2-3 gloves chopped garlic

Rinse mushrooms, remove stems. Chop stems. Saute caps on bottom side just a few minutes in a little of the oil. Set on oiled baking dish. Saute onions in the rest of the oil, then add the chopped stems. Mix with the cheese, crumbs, and seasonings and stuff the caps. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Sunday in Alabama

Took a about a four mile hike in the Monte Sano state park with Marcie, Pat, and Stephanie. The trees are wild pecan and walnut. The sun was out and warm and this is just how I love to spend Sundays.  There were lots of plants I have never seen before.

We did come across a produce store with lots of organics and items I want to use to prepare some meals this week. The owner of the store, Garden Cove Produce,  welcomed me to her lovely state. There were some things I don't see in our grocery stores such as lots of okra and as much dandelion greens as there was lettuce. I have seen dandelion greens at the farmer's market or sometimes in the specialty section of the produce section, but not sold in the quantities they do.

I made a raw vegetable salad as I would at home with at least ten different vegetables. I used a few that I had heard aren't eaten by my sister's family, avocado & beets, to name a couple. I didn't mention them in the salad until they were almost done with their second bowl. I love doing that.  I wouldn't feed anyone anything that would cause harm to them, but I do like it when people enjoy foods they thought they wouldn't like. We had a nice meal at a seafood restaurant today, but I did notice there were no vegetables on anyone's plate. Good thing we all ordered some salad. They did serve an interesting dish. My brother in law had a red fish fillet that was coated in crab meat, corn meal, and parmesean cheese before frying. I am not fond of frying, but this looks like an idea to play with for baking fish.

I took a walk around my sister's neighborhood. It's a bit different than a typical neighborhood at home. I do have to giggle a bit, most of these houses look like little mansions. This is the style of most the homes in this community. Bricks are cheap as the red clay is plentiful. Most of the homes are made of brick, lots of brick.

The Farmer's Market Begins - It's Spring Now

I know for sure it's spring because the farmer's market begins. Yesterday was the first day for our local market. I've been one of their regular customers for over fifteen years now. I am an avid fan of buying local produce and knowing where my food is grown. It's also a social event for me too, a little fresh air, being around all the smiling people, exchanging cooking tips and chatting with the gardeners about what to do with the vegetables and plants in and out of the ground. I try to avoid the conventional grocery stores as much as possible. I start my shopping at the farmer's market, the produce stand, and the health food stores. If I still can't find what I am looking for, I then go to a regular grocery store. This time of year there all the vendors aren't out yet. Crawford Farms will be out with their wonderful sweet strawberries soon. There will be quite a few more tables added each week. The farmer's who sell garden starts and plants are usually the first to show up. There are our bakers though, Homer Bread and Jill from Clatskanie. And there are some folks who have greenhouses and indoor setups like my own that have some produce. I did pick up a couple items yesterday.

It was about 40 degrees but they were out and ready to go. I was glad I wasn't the one who had to stay out there all day, but I was happy they were there.

I passed by Mama Nano's and Hank reached out with a steaming sample of their wonderful sauce. He said I hadn't had my warm sample today. It was so cold I wouldn't have cared if it was vegetarian or not. The steam was so inviting and my hands were so cold, I just wanted to hold it. While talking to him and eating my sample I remembered the Polenta vegetable bake I wanted to make and it called for marinara sauce. I bought a quart of Mama Nano's Caponata Sauce, the vegetarian version and used it in the bake and made some stuffed foccacia bread with it.

He really wanted me to capture that steam.

Some of my favorite farmers:
Jack, one of my favorites, he does a great job all year, carrots, beets, basil, strawberry plants, pumpkins, potatoes, squash, tomatoes, grapes, and more. He sells at both the Cowlitz County and Astoria farmer's markets. He's pretty busy on the weekends and many of us are glad he is. That table will grow in size and in color as the season progresses. His son will come to help out when it gets busier.

Willow Grove Gardens, they already have organic salad greens, lambs quarters, and radishes. I picked up some romaine and some other salad greens while I was visiting. I have had a CSA with them for a few years now. I probably won't do it this year only because I gave away most of what I received last year since our own garden was so successful. I did get many of my plant starts from them last year. There are quite a few things they will grow that I don't or am not as good at, so I will be checking out what they have every week. The young lady in the picture is Mike & Ruth's daughter, both of them working in the freezing cold. The younger daughter was selling her girl scout cookies. The man in the picture introduced himself as one of our town council members. I don't remember his name, but he is a fan of the market and the community garden.

I also picked up some collard greens and some herbs from Eva. Eva is about 87 years old, starts her plants in her attic with lights. She said the same thing I have been saying. The kid's are gone, figured out something great to do with their space. She told me how she would come home from work and just get lost in the gardening and find relaxation. She also has five plots at the community garden. She must have some help, that's a lot of garden.

Herb Polenta Vegetable Bake, Italian stuffed Foccacia Bread

Polenta and Vegetable Bake
Cheri Swoboda

Makes 8 servings
Ingredients

    * 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    * 1 medium eggplant, diced
    * 1 small zucchini, finely diced
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    * 1/2 cup water
    * 1 10-ounce bag baby spinach
    * 1-1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce, preferably lower-sodium
    * 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
    * 1 14-ounce tube prepared polenta, sliced lengthwise into 6 thin slices
    * 1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (divided)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add water and spinach; cover and cook until spinach is wilted, stirring once, about 3 minutes. Stir marinara sauce into the vegetables and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in basil.

Place polenta slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, trimming to fit, if necessary. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese, top with the eggplant mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake until bubbling and the cheese has just melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

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I posted this recipe on my blog this morning and I will tell you how I made it today. It came out very nice. It's kind of like a lasagna with lots of roasted vegetables.

I added a chopped portabello mushroom to the vegetables, I didn't have spinach, but I did have some nice collard greens I got at the farmer's market today from Eva.

I made my own Polenta instead of buying that tube of Polenta. There is a good brand in the market, but it is still processed food and contains some kind of preservative. If you notice, it's on the shelf, not in the cooler. Hmmm. It also cost about $3.99 for one of those tubes. I made this for about $1.50. Dry polenta is about $2.49 lb. I used 2 cups, some water, sea salt, a little sunflower oil, and fresh herbs.

I used some Mama Nano's Caponata Sauce, vegetarian style, from our farmer's market. This sauce is made with whole, fresh vegetables: green beans, onions, cauliflower, carrots, cucumber, celery, two kinds of olives, and herbs. The vegetables are really chunky so it adds to the texture.

My version of the Polenta Vegetable Bake

I also made some stuffed foccacia bread. Yes, from scratch and dairy free. It is an easy recipe using whole spelt flour. This is the same recipe I posted a couple days ago with different stuffing. After the second rising I stuffed little rolls of dough with the Mama Nano's sauce, about 1/3 cup each. They can be served as a meal themselves. This stuffed bread was a very good idea.

Enjoy!