Here's to a great get together!

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday March 25th at 7pm at Emily Pastor's apartment. If you need directions feel free to contact Bethany or I!

This past get together we had an awesome time talking about the book "Hundred Year Lie" and eating some amazing treats. Bethany brought some yummy hazelnut treats and a pear torte. I made some biscuits. Lisa brought a yummy Quinoa dish. Andrea shared some delicious zucchini bread...and the list goes on.

If you enjoy getting and sharing inspiration when it comes to eating right, cooking wisely, and being a good steward of creation, then we'd love to see you in March!

Next time we will discuss the first half of the book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and Bethany is bringing a friend / mentor who will share about her involvement in Portland's community garden project.

Hope to see you all there!
~Emily

I Have a Hummingbird Account!

Hey all!

First of all, sorry I haven't been as diligent in blogging as I'd like to be :) I anticipate a more agreeable schedule now that I've started my new job...

I received some exciting news today- I've been accepted by Hummingbird Wholesale to open an account with them! Basically, HBW is a Eugene based company that specializes in selling bulk items such as oils, spices, honey, chocolate chips etc. Check out their website at http://hummingbirdwholesale.com/ I was thinking that eventually we could make an order if enough people were interested. I definitely want some more chocolate chips, they were delicious!

Also, I signed up for an account at Frontier Natural Coop which anyone can sign up for. http://www.frontiercoop.com/

Don't forget to check out the new FACEBOOK group Whole Foods Society!!! Bethany and I started it a while ago but Bethany was awesome enough to update it so it's presentable :) Bethany thought it would be an awesome way to increase awareness about our fabulous get-togethers :)

Have a wonderful week and don't forget to enjoy your food :)
~Em

Portland Urban Farming 2009

Hey all,

In a recent whirlwind, I found out that my Silverton, Ore. CSA was suspending Portland deliveries for the 2009 season since their local base had grown enough to support a tighter geographical area. Sad, sad day for me. In panic, I knew that many of the Portland area CSAs were already full (I've been on the waiting list for one particular farm for two years now...and they've still not given me hopeful signs of being added any time soon!), and I couldn't think fast enough or click my mouse furiously enough to track down a new one with an open share. Deep breath. I tried to calm down and trust that something would fall into place if it was meant to be.

Fast forward.

Enter a beautiful new discovery. I had been looking at Sunroot Gardens and saw that (no surprise) they were full, but a little note in the corner directed me to Calliope's Table. I've since been in touch with Calliope, and I'm happy to say I've found a fabulous kindred spirit, and I'm excited to be a shareholder for the 2009 season! (Emily is also jumping feet first into this with me...so we'll be partners in the adventure.) If you're interested at all in joining, I'd encourage you to take a peek at her blog and read a little more about her history and passions. It's going to be super small this year - 12 shares total (she's offering whole and half shares) - so get in touch with her quickly. She expects to be full within 2-3 weeks. I'm eager to be part of her newly developing community of shareholders. There's something so meaningful and rewarding in being a part of the grass roots change that you desire to see in the world...

This brings me to my last update of the evening: Portland Urban Farming 2009. If you're keen to hear more from local farmers and CSA participants.

I quote from the website:

***

Meet farmers that are changing Portland’s urban landscape as they grow food in all kinds of places. Learn about their methods, philosophies & where we’re going with urban farming.

Q & A discussion panel with farmers, land-lenders, CSA subscribers, community organizers, and others working to create an urban foodshed in Portland.

If you want to:
* Become more independent in your food choices
* Get more involved with local food
* And find out what’s happening with urban farming

Join Us!

Wednesday, February 18, 5:30-7:30 pm
People’s Food Coop Community Room
3029 SE 21st
No charge to attend

***

Perhaps I'll see a few of you there?

Love to all,
Bethany

In Defense of Food Summary

Hey there - for anyone who is interested, I am working on a summary of In Defense of Food on our personal blog (www.downingdisclosures.blogspot.com). Its going to be posted in multiple parts (otherwise it gets way too long), and I would certainly love your comments on the book or my rantings.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Andrea

-5 minute bread-

Hey Ladies!

SO GOOD to meet you all last week. I came away just really encouraged and inspired and very much looking forward to seeing you all again! Here's the recipe for the 5 minute bread we talked about at the end of the night. You can prepare it and leave it in your fridge for up to 2 weeks, pulling pieces of to cook whenever you feel like fresh bread! I haven't tried it yet so let me know how you like it... much love, Margaret

Five-Minute Artisan Bread

From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007). Copyright 2007 by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

Serves 4

Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance.

• 1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (about 1-1/2 packets)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 6-1/2 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting dough
• Cornmeal

In a large plastic resealable container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm (about 100 degrees) water. Using a large spoon, stir in flour, mixing until mixture is uniformly moist with no dry patches. Do not knead. Dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to shape of plastic container. Cover, but not with an airtight lid.

Let dough rise at room temperature, until dough begins to flatten on top or collapse, at least 2 hours and up to 5 hours. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; refrigerated dough is easier to work with than room-temperature dough, so the authors recommend that first-time bakers refrigerate dough overnight or at least 3 hours.)

When ready to bake, sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel. Place a broiler pan on bottom rack of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and preheat oven to 450 degrees, preheating baking stone for at least 20 minutes.

Sprinkle a little flour on dough and on your hands. Pull dough up and, using a serrated knife, cut off a grapefruit-size piece (about 1 pound). Working for 30 to 60 seconds (and adding flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands; most dusting flour will fall off, it's not intended to be incorporated into dough), turn dough in hands, gently stretching surface of dough, rotating ball a quarter-turn as you go, creating a rounded top and a bunched bottom.

Place shaped dough on prepared pizza peel and let rest, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it in lidded container. (Even one day's storage improves flavor and texture of bread. Dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in airtight containers and defrosted overnight in refrigerator prior to baking day.) Dust dough with flour.

Using a serrated knife, slash top of dough in three parallel, 1/4-inch deep cuts (or in a tic-tac-toe pattern). Slide dough onto preheated baking stone. Pour 1 cup hot tap water into broiler pan and quickly close oven door to trap steam. Bake until crust is well-browned and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely.

Hey all -- great to see many of you last week!! For those of you that weren't able to make it, mark your calendars for next time: Wednesday, February 25th, 7pm at Emily's. If you are so inclined, please bring a simple snack to share... Up for discussion: The Hundred Year Lie.

As a followup to our conversation on In Defense of Food, I thought I'd post the links for videos of Michael Pollan on Portland's Cooking Up a Story's Food News: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, & Part Four. He was in Portland speaking a few weeks back to a sold out audience at the Schnitz. Maybe next time we'll catch up with him??

Hope you are all well...
♥Bethany