Late Summer Farmers Market

There is never a time when I am more thankful for our farmers than late-summer.  I am deeply grateful for all of their hard work spent beneath the blazing sun in the fields, loading produce into trucks, and standing at the market.  Long-hours, tired bones, hard work, I appreciate you....

CSA: Community Supported Agriculture

By now you all know that I am a big advocate of eating locally and seasonally as much as possible.  And if I haven't gotten you to shop at the farmers market already, then I just don't know what to do...  Except, maybe, introduce you to a CSA?  (wink, wink)

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it is an amazing option for busy people who want to eat healthier and need a more convenient option than vising the local market.  Many farms are now offering CSA "shares" to the public.  When you purchase a CSA share, you partner with that particular farm to receive fresh produce each week during the growing season. Usually the CSA share is delivered to a local drop point (not necessarily your house) so you simply stop by and pick it up on your designated day. 

The wonderful things about buying a CSA is that it provides you and your family with incredibly fresh, delicious, and varied produce during the growing season while supporting a local farm.  Since you are subscribing and purchasing a "share," you will usually receive 5 - 10 % more produce than you could buy at the market for the same cost.  Partnering with one farm also gives you the chance to really know the people who grow your food and develop a relationship with that farmer.  Pretty cool, huh?

There are many different types of "produce delivery" services out there, which is different from a CSA.  Usually in a CSA, all of the produce is coming locally from one farm (e.g. you won't see any oranges in your Washington box) and you receive the produce that is ripe for harvest this week.  This means that you will have to be a bit flexible as you won't be able to pick and choose what you receive from week to week.  But, this also means that you will be exposed to trying new vegetables that you might not see otherwise!

This week I am teaming up with Oxbow Farm and Education Center to tell you about CSA programs and share with you a bit about their farm.  Oxbow is located in Carnation, Washington and their CSA has pick-up locations all around the Seattle area.  They currently offer two sizes of boxes depending on your produce needs and their CSA runs for 20 weeks (mid-June - October).  Oxbow also has some amazing educational programs for kids and great field trip opportunities.  If you are interested in their farm and CSA program, you can read more about it, and if you don't live in the area, you can easily search online for CSA options in your city.  

Generally speaking, signing up for a CSA usually happens early in the year before the growing season starts, but  some farms allow you to purchase shares mid-way through if they have more available.  Each week you will receive a newsletter from the farm telling you what is ripe and what will be available in your box.  They will also include recipes, which is especially helpful if you receive unfamiliar items.

This week, I received a complimentary box of produce from Oxbow in exchange for developing some fun recipes.  So, now that you know all about CSAs, let's get cooking!  Check out these recipes featuring the beautiful produce from Oxbow farm!

Spicy Carrots

Creamy Fennel and Broccoli Soup

Quick Pickled Cauliflower and Fennel

Late Spring Farmers Market

I am so excited for summer this year and it feels like the sun can't come fast enough.  But, it's still spring here in the Pacific Northwest.  Luckily there is already an amazing mix of local produce available at the farmers market.  

For most of the year, we have an abundance of carrots and root vegetables.  I love the fresh, baby carrots of spring that taste so tender and sweet.  These are wonderful eaten raw with a dip like hummus or simply roasted to bring out a bit more flavor.

Fiddleheads, fiddleheads, fiddleheads.  I love that word.  Fiddleheads are uncoiled ferns, a true springtime treat.  If you've never heard of them, you can read more about them here along with a simple recipe.

Lavender is one of my favorite plants and although it can be used in the kitchen, I've yet to incorporate it into a recipe.  I love to keep lavender in my garden to give off a wonderful, relaxing aroma while attracting bees.  My favorite uses for dried lavender is in sachets under my pillow or adding some to a hot bath.

Oh how I love cherries.  Although they can be a pain to pit, cherries are one of my favorite fruits to add in smoothies and summertime slushie treats.  They're also a great topping for salads.

There is an abundance of greens right now and it is a great time to find tender, baby lettuce for salads.  Top your salad with this incredible green goddess dressing and relish in the flavors of spring.

I think radishes tend to get a bad rap.  Most of the radishes we eat come from the grocery store and taste overly spicy, woody, and hard.  The fresh, baby radishes available at markets are a different game entirely.  These ones are still spicy, but they don't taste dried out.  My favorite ways to enjoy them is shredded in a raw salad or roasted.

What's available in your area this time of year?

Roasted Radishes and Greens

I'm not going to lie to you.  Sometimes it's okay to eat your feelings.  Really, it is. And everybody does it on occasion... (right?!)

Sometimes it's okay to eat your feelings when you're feeling under the weather because it's grey in Seattle. Again.  In June.  And it's pouring buckets of rain everywhere.  And you just wish you lived anywhere else but here.  But that's too bad.  Because you live here. Then it's okay to eat your feelings a little, I promise.  (Especially if you eat your feelings with one of these.)

Then there are those moments when you want to recover from eating your feelings.  Sure, it was a little fun while it lasted, but now it's time to get something healthy and fresh in there pronto.  Sounds like you need some roasted radishes my friend.

Roasting radishes brings out their sweetness, which is a wonderful complement to their natural spicy flavor.  Small, fresh radishes taste best and I would highly recommend getting them locally if possible. The radish greens are also baked, making them light, crispy and crunchy.  It looks like kale chips just met their match.

Roasted Radishes and Greens
Serves 2 - 4

1 bunch radishes
2 teaspoons coconut oil, divided
Coarse sea salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Separate 1 bunch radishes (halved if large) and their greens.  Arrange on two rimmed baking sheets.

Toss radishes with 1 teaspoon coconut oil.  Roast, until radishes are tender and caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.

Toss greens with 1 teaspoon coconut oil.  Bake until leaves are crisp, about 7 - 8 minutes.  Serve warm.

Farmers Market Beans (and social change)

Last month I had the opportunity to attend two amazing conferences:  one on farm-to-school education and another on hunger and obsesity.  I don't know about you, but the amount of scary statistics out there overwhelms me.  52% of fourth graders in the United States now qualify for subsidized lunch?!  1 in 3 children in the United States is obese?!  In United States over the last 30 years, the prices for vegetables and fruit have increased 120% while soda has only increased 20 - 40%?!  The U.S. is now raising the first generation expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents due to diet-related diseases?!  All I can say is Holy. Crap.

If this bums you out as much as it does me, I think it's time to make a change.  There are a lot of messages out there about how to fix our food system and I think it's natural for us to feel overwhelmed.  But, the reality is that change starts with us.  I was inspired by one of the speakers at the conference, Ellen Gustafson, founder of The 30 Project and Change Dinner. I appreciated her message that we can make an impact each and every day and the place to start is our dinner table.

In her speech, Ellen talked about using dinner as a time to reconnect with loved ones over a homemade meal.  How many of us enjoy this each night?  I can say for myself that I don't even own a dinner table and although I do make the majority of our meals from scratch, most of our dinners are eaten in front of the computer, or worse, on-the-go.  By bringing our focus back to dinner and eating together with ones we love, we can make a change in our family and social structure.  We can use dinner time as a place to have meaningful conversations - whether that is about our food system or simply daily life.  It all makes a difference.  The more we bring people together around food and create these connections, the more we create a pathway for social change.

Ellen also talked about the importance of buying locally.  I strongly support buying locally as much as possible so this point really resonated with me.  Her suggestion is to make sure there is one local item on your dinner plate every evening.  I really like this idea because I think it is a great starting place for people that are new to shopping at the farmers market or those who might not have as much access to local products.  It also seems like a great solution to the argument that shopping at the farmers market is too expensive.  If this is something that you are passionate about and want to do, it might not be possible to buy every single item in your household locally, but starting small is doable.

It also got me thinking.  As much as I love shopping at the farmers market, to be honest, spring is my least favorite season to buy locally.  In Washington, there isn't much available this time of year except for some baby greens and teeny-tiny leeks.  And with the constant drizzle the market experience isn't always enjoyable.

When I went to the market this past weekend, I made it my goal to buy something that I had never purchased before.  I thought it might be fun to try an artisan bread or maybe even some sauerkraut. To my surprise, I ended up buying beans.  I don't know why I had never previously thought to buy beans from the farmers market, but these were beautiful as well as delicious.  The farmer said this bean mix is called "the kitchen sink."  Love it.

I have been thinking about this idea of changing dinner more and more and I feel really inspired.  Even though I know there are a lot of problems with our current food system and legislation, it is helpful to remember that I can do one small thing each day to make an impact.  It might be as simple as sharing food with those I love or sharing food that I love here with you.  Or it might be as simple as buying beans from the farmers market. 


How you can help change our food system

• Start in your own home- at dinner, with your family, and with your community. 
• Buy local and support organizations and companies who are working to create an alternative food system.
• Stay up-to-date on policies that impact our food system.  
• Be patient.  It took us 30 years to get our food system into this mess and it will probably take another 30 years to get out.  Don't give up hope and don't give up. :)

How to cook beans

Yield: about 6 cups 

1 pound beans (about 2.5 cups uncooked)
1 strip kombu (optional; great for adding trace minerals and making the beans easier to digest).
Water

Soak the beans overnight.  Drain the soaking water.  Add the kombu and beans to a large stock pot.  Cover with double the amount of water.  (This doesn't have to be an exact science because any extra water will be drained at the end.)  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a very slow simmer.  Simmer for 1.5 - 2 hours until beans are cooked.  The beans are done when they are chewable, but not mushy.  If there is any extra water, drain from the pot and remove your kombu.

Roasted Delicata Squash

Remember a few weeks back when I told you about my plan to slow down for the last few months of 2011 and get my priorities straightened out? Well, I've done some thinking, some meditating, and some soul searching and I've decided that it is time to go back to school and become certified as a holistic health coach.
 
For those of you who don't know anything about my background, I have a BA in Psychology and Women's Studies from the University of Washington and I graduated with my MA in Organizational Development from Antioch University. In my time at Antioch, I focused my studies on life and executive coaching, organizational wellness, and came to realize my intense passion for food (thus, starting this blog). The next step in my life will involve strenghtening my coaching style, starting my own practice, and diving even more into the world of nutrition, health, and wellness. If all goes as planned, I will begin working with clients later in 2012 and graduating in January 2013. Let me tell you... I couldn't be more excited!

I also couldn't be more excited to tell you about these little squash. These little delicata squash are not only tasty, but they are super adorable. The prep is incredibly simple: slice them open, scoop out the seeds, and roast. They don't need much else - just a little oil, salt, and pepper will do the trick. And, when they are roasted just right, the skins are tender and absolutely delicious. Serve these up as finger food at your next holiday gathering or add some lentils and greens and make a meal out of 'em. You won't be disappointed.

And, if you haven't already entered my Hurraw! Balm giveaway, please be sure to do before Saturday, December 3rd at 4 pm Pacific Time.

Roasted Delicata Squash

Ingredients:

Delicata squash

Oil for roasting (any oil that can tolerate high heat will work: avocado, almond, canola, grapeseed, or safflower are all great.)

Freshly-ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Slice squash open lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Coat with a little oil, salt, and pepper.  Place on a sheet pan (with the insides facing up) and roast for about 20 - 40 minutes, until tender.  (Squash vary in size so the amount of cooking time will depend on how big your squash is.)  You can tell when you squash is done when it can easily be pierced through with a fork.  Serve warm from the oven.

Farmers Market

This weekend I spent the day browsing through the Farmers Market in the University District of Seattle. With my recent traveling I haven't been doing much shopping at the market and I've been missing it these past couple of weeks.  Since I have another trip coming up soon I had to promise myself that I wouldn't buy a bunch of vegetables that would end up going to waste in the fridge.

Let me tell you, it was hard to keep that promise.  I mean, is there anything more beautiful than fresh produce from the market?  And the peppers, ohh the peppers...