WINTER PDX FOOD SWAP: December 16th, 2012

Registration is Now Open for our Winter Food Swap!

SUNDAY,  DECEMBER 16th (4-6 pm) 

Hosted by Rosemarried & Sustainable Food for Thought at Abby's Table in SE Portland

Invite Friends & Spread the Word:

@pdxswappers | #pdxfoodswap | PDX Swappers Facebook Page

It's that time again: the Winter PDX Food Swap is upon us! We think this is a perfect time of year to hold a swap -- just in time for the holidays and gift-giving! 

For those of you who've attended our swaps previously, please feel free to scroll down to the registration form at the bottom. If you're new to the PDX Food Swap - hello and welcome! See below for details, and please don't hesitate to ask questions. We hope to see you all on December 16th!

What: A Food Swap is part silent auction/part village marketplace/part open house where your homemade creations (breads, preserves, infusions, canned goods, etc.) become your own personal currency for use in swapping with other participants. What better way to diversify your pantry and meet a few new food-minded friends?

When: Sunday, December 16th, 4-6pm

Where: Abby's Table, 609 SE Ankeny Street, Portland, OR 97214

What: Bring an assortment of your homemade edible specialties (and even a few non-edibles, such as: lip balm, soaps, etc.) to exchange for other handcrafted delights. We will provide swapping cards, name tags, and organization for the event. You will be given the opportunity to offer trades in a silent-auction type format, and you will be free to choose which trades to accept for your products. Bring as much or as little as you like; there are no caps or minimums.

Who: Pacific Northwesterners {aka the Willamette Valley, the Portland Metro Area, and our Neighbors to the North}. Please note, we are unable to provide childcare for this event.

Cost: Swap participants will be given free entry; a donation jar will be available to help cover the cost of supplies. (Or, better yet, donate one of your hand crafted goods!)

{How?}

a) RSVP below with your name, contact info, & description of items you plan to trade.

Make sure to register early! Due to limited space, we are capping the number of swappers at 35 and will maintain a waiting list. The last few swaps have filled up quickly, so make sure to fill out the registration form as soon as possible.

b) On Sunday the 16th, please bring your hand crafted goods and be read to swap at 4:00 pm!

c) It's as simple as that! We’re excited as always to meet one another and celebrate the bounty of the seasons and the fruits of our labor. If you have any questions about the swap, please refer to this handy list of FAQs.

d) Please note the early start time for this particular swap. Make sure to arrive at 4:00pm so we can get started on time. In addition, there will be no appetizer potluck for this swap. Instead, bring extras of the goods you plan to swap so that people can taste and sample your goods!

Registration for this event is now closed. Thanks to all who signed up, we'll see you on the 16th!

(If you have any questions, please contact pdxfoodswap@gmail.com)

Thank you! - Lindsay, Rosemarried.com

Rescued Plums and Why Putting Up Matters

I had originally intended this post to just be about my unexpected, delightful plum harvest, but a thoughtful comment from a SFFT reader on my previous post made me realize that my surprise plums meant more to me than just something else to fill up my canning pantry.

My plums came to me by a lucky chance. One of my dear friends and SFFT reader Sara Buss had recently discovered a cluster of old plum trees at the edge of her property, after some brush had been cleared away.

I happen to have a penchant for both plums and secret gardens, so you can imagine my glee when she showed me the find.

Some of the plums were too soft and overripe to be saved, but we both came away with quite a harvest. Most of mine ended up going straight into jars, pits and all.

Whole canned plums. Recipe from the book Tart and Sweet.

The rest of them went first into my crockpot ...

...and then were blended with spices, lemon juice and sugar for plum butter.



I shared in my last post how I had foraged a single pear from an old tree growing on an abandoned lot in my neighborhood. One of our readers observed that there is a great deal of food that ends up rotting on the ground, particularly in urban areas. Meanwhile, we have a staggering number of U.S. residents who suffer from hunger. There are a multitude of complicated causes for this very sad contradiction; how we can produce an excess of food and let so many go hungry. I don't claim to be an expert on this issue and others much more qualified and informed than I am have already explored it in depth.

But what I do know, is that food matters.

What we do in our kitchens every day matters.

What we grow in our gardens, on our balconies and on our window sills matters.

The attitude we pass on to our children about their food and where it comes from matters.

And when we share what we're cooking and eating and learning with others, that matters too.

And no, I don't think my canned plums are going to solve our deeply rooted cycles of poverty and hunger.

Canning condiments in pretty jars will not change the world.

But you have to look a bit closer than that. What if it's just the act of harvesting and preserving that makes the difference? That inspires and empowers us and others to feed our friends and families? What if making use of a few dozen pieces of fruit from an overlooked tree led to an entirely different outlook on the issue of access to available food resources?  What if it helped us to see with new eyes the need for a more generous and fair food system?

That might change the world.

I love so much this inspiring post from Alana over at Eating from the Ground Up. I'll quote part of it here, but please go read the whole thing. It's perfect.

"Because those acts of filling, preserving, creating, feeding–I really do think it’s the actions themselves that create change. The jars are pretty and the contents are delicious, and that seems to me to be enough of a reason to give it a shot. But for me, the real capacity for change comes in the events that come after we fill the jar. If I can do this, what else can I do? What else can I make and create?"

Those are powerful words, friends. Let's not underestimate ourselves. If we're making and sharing and creating with eyes and hearts open to the needs among us, I think we really might just accomplish something crazy.

Like that whole world-changing thing.

Thank you again to Sara Buss for sharing her unexpected plum bounty with me! Thank you also to SFFT reader Daughter of the Glade for her thoughtful observations.

Rebekah Pike 
Rebekah is happiest with her nose in a book and enjoys making the most of her pint-sized, apartment kitchen. After leaving work in media production to become a full-time mommy, she began exploring the sustainable living movement, reconnecting with the back-to-the-earth ideals of her hippie parents. She met her husband, Darian, in 2005, working as a camp counselor in Oregon's rugged outdoors. Most of their time is spent chasing after their two year old daughter, Ashlynn, and doing serious “research” at Portland's restaurants, coffee shops and markets.

Preparing Bone Broth from Pastured Chickens: How and Why

Our chickens on lush July pasture

Raising pastured chickens in Oregon is a seasonal endeavor, beginning with chicks sometime in the spring and butchering the last birds by the time the grass is starting to slow its growth.  Different grass varieties grow at different rates throughout the year, but a good rule of thumb for our local pasture grasses is that it grows fastest between 50-72 or so degrees Fahrenheit.  This means we are just completing our last butchering for the year and coincidentally, it coincides with soup and stew season.  We always have lots of stewing chickens available which make the most wonderful soup stock!

I've been making soup stock/bone broth for the past 25 years, and learned from watching my mom in the kitchen with her soup pot bubbling and the wonderful aromas of herbs and aromatics filling the house for 24 hours. It wasn't until the last few years that I actually found out why bone broths are so important in our diet and I began researching this wonderful and simple food.

Now we have science that validates what my mother and her mother knew intuitively - rich, homemade chicken broth helps cure colds.  It helps with digestion - the gelatin in the stock aids in the digestive process and stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons--stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.  The Weston Price Foundation recommends you begin each meal with a small bowl of bone broth based soup.

I also wondered why sometimes my stock gelled and sometimes it did not.

Sarah Pope of "The Healthy Home Economist" has a bog post on "5 Reasons Your Stock Won't Gel" and I've pasted it below:

1. The stock rolled at too high a temperature.  If stock is simmered too high, the heat will break down and destroy the collagen.  To see what the perfect simmer on your stock should look like, see my short video on my website.
2. The stock did not roll long enough.  Once you get that perfect simmer or “roll” going, be sure that chicken stock rolls for 6-24 hours and beef stock for 12-50 hours.  Less than that will likely not draw enough gelatin into the stock from the bones.
3. Not enough of the right kind of bones were used that yield gelatin.  To get the right mix of bones that yield gelatin versus other types of bones that add flavor and color, make sure you use one of the following methods:  1 whole, free range layer hen with neck and wings cut up, 3-4 lbs of boney chicken parts which includes a combo of necks, backs, and wings, OR the picked carcass of 2 meat chickens.  For beef stock, use about 7 lbs bones total (4 lbs of boney bones and 3 lbs of meaty bones).
4. Too much water was used in proportion to the bones.  For chickens, the correct proportion is 3-4 lbs of bones per 4 quarts of filtered water. For beef stock, the correct proportion is 7 lbs of bones per 4 quarts of water or more to cover.
5. Using bones from battery chickens or chickens raised in cages.  Conventionally raised chickens or chickens raised in cages typically yield little to no gelatin.   It is worth the extra money to get quality when you buy meat especially if you will be using those bones to make stock

I thought it is interesting that store bought chickens not raised on pasture do not have enough gelatin.  We have a freezer full of USDA butchered pastured stewing chickens available for purchase just for this purpose!

Chicken Stock - from the Weston A. Price website
1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings*
gizzards from one chicken (optional)
2-4 chicken feet (optional)
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

*Note: Farm-raised, free-range chickens give the best results. Many battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels.

If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. Cut chicken parts into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Beautifully gelled broth.

Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. Reserve for other uses, such as chicken salads, enchiladas, sandwiches or curries. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

Cooper is our charismatic and loyal chicken guardian,
protecting them from predators day and night

Austin catches this bad boy to ready him for the freezer

Marc and Charlotte, farming to provide
our community with nutrient dense food.

Charlotte Smith
@champoegcreamry
www.champoegcreamery.com
Charlotte passionately believes in the health benefits of a traditional foods diet, especially dairy products from grass-fed cows. She loves sharing time honored traditions of transforming milk into delicious and nutritious cheeses through her classes which also teem with nutrition facts and wisdom. Charlotte owns Champoeg Creamery, a pasture based raw milk dairy in St. Paul, Oregon, and is the mother of 3, a certified Nutrition Wellness Educator, and sits on the Executive Advisory Council for the Raw Milk Institute.

Thoughts on Fall Food Preservation

So far, fall around here has been pretty much perfect - warm, sunny days and evenings with just enough nip in the air to let you know that although summer may be lingering, cold weather isn't far off. Summer always starts off slow here in the Pacific Northwest ... we often have cool weather all through June and sometimes the first part of July, so the sudden and bountiful September harvest always seems to surprise me from year to year.  

{My canning pantry}



The farmers' markets and farm stands seem to suddenly explode with variety - tomatoes, corn, apples, plums, pears, potatoes, squash - and suddenly I'm scrambling to keep up!

I was once again the lucky recipient of a TON of Barlett pears from my in-laws; three large grocery sacks full! No idea how many pounds exactly, but I'd estimate 30-40. My typical long, slow cook-down into pear butter wasn't going get them into jars fast enough this year, so I canned slices in a honey-vanilla syrup, following a recipe from Tart and Sweet. After a while, I was going through honey so fast, that I decided to switch to a simple sugar syrup instead. Some were already overripe and I couldn't save them, but I rescued enough to come out with a respectable number of pint jars.

{Pear slices suspended in honey syrup, with vanilla and cinnamon}



After the pears came the apples, which I actually canned into applesauce with my mother-in-law, in her kitchen. Again, SO MANY APPLES. I can't even guess at how many. Craziness. It took a while to find a good rythym, but after we did, it seemed to go fairly quickly and two people working in the kitchen made the process much faster. So the outcome of that was a wealth of both applesauce and apple butter, plus two quarts of apple pie filling, all of which will be much appreciated during the gloomy months of winter!

Inbetween, I squeezed in a batch of tomatillo salsa, which I froze instead of canning it. I prefer the freezer for certain things, so that I don't have to abide by a tested recipe for the sake of acidity levels and such. And I enlisted my three year old to help me peel the tomatillos, which she found utterly fascinating.

{My little kitchen helper}

So combined with the food projects from early summer, we have a cupboard full of blueberry jam, peach slices (shared with us from the in-laws), pear slices, canned whole plums, plum butter, applesauce, apple butter and apple pie filling, plus the strawberry jam, blueberries, blackberries and tomatillo salsa that I have in the freezer!
                

                           

                           



 It's the most canning and putting up that I've ever done in a year, so I'm feeling pretty accomplished!

Okay, your turn to brag: what have you been up to in the kitchen this past summer and fall?

P.S. After getting a tip from my neighbor yesterday, my little girl and I went out searching for an old pear tree, that was supposedly growing just across the road from us in an abandoned lot. We found one, perfect pear that was growing low enough for us to reach. The rest were overripe and too high up, but I'm looking forward to getting out there a bit earlier next year! Such a fun little adventure and such a pretty gift from that long-forgotten old tree.

 

---

Rebekah Pike 
Rebekah is happiest with her nose in a book and enjoys making the most of her pint-sized, apartment kitchen. After leaving work in media production to become a full-time mommy, she began exploring the sustainable living movement, reconnecting with the back-to-the-earth ideals of her hippie parents. She met her husband, Darian, in 2005, working as a camp counselor in Oregon's rugged outdoors. Most of their time is spent chasing after their three year old daughter, Ashlynn, and doing serious “research” at Portland's restaurants, coffee shops and markets.

Back to School - Lunch Time!

Once again another summer has flown by way too quickly and I realize school time is here already!!  Mornings are hectic around here - everyone needs to be washed and combed and dressed and fed and brushed and out the door by 7:15, so I can go milk cows.  In the midst of all this chaos we still need to plan ahead for lunchtime, too.

There are many attempts around the U.S. to make school lunches healthier - but most schools are still like our local school and have a very small budget to work within, which means heavy on the carbs and starches and processed foods to remain within budget.  For those of you trying to eat a traditional foods diet this can be frustrating.  Many of us working moms would love the convenience of school lunches but know we have to prioritize our children's health.

You also have to consider your kid's personality - are they the type that has to fit in and doesn't want to be different so therefore has to have the same hot lunch everyone else is having, or will they be able to stand up for their homemade grub that doesn't come in fancy shapes with a cutesy name?  This may determine how traditional looking you make your lunches.

Shivan's lunch this week - meatballs, enzyme rich ketchup, fruit, yogurt smoothie.

Shivan's lunch this week - meatballs, enzyme rich ketchup, fruit, yogurt smoothie.

Let Them Help

I have found that if my daughter gets to choose her lunch foods and helps prepare it then she has complete confidence eating it in front of all the pre-packaged and fried goodies that her friends have.  Now that she's 5 she loves to help by cutting up her own fruit and veggies and packaging them in her lunch box and she also helps make her own smoothies in the blender.  We also practice the 80/20 rule at school, just like we do at home.  If we eat a traditional foods diet 80% of the time than we give ourselves 20% leeway.  In this case I let her choose one lunch per week if she'd like to indulge in a cheeseburger or spaghetti or "chicken" nuggets.  This also gives me an "out" if we are really running late or I ran out of time to prepare for lunch.  Moms - it's ok to give yourself some grace and not be perfect every time!!

This week when I asked her what she wanted in her school lunch box she said, "meatballs, oranges, grapes and a yogurt smoothie."  Excellent choices!! I was so proud of her!  So this is what we are starting with the first week.  She helps me make kefir smoothies with honey and frozen blueberries we picked this summer and we put it in a thermos and it stays cold enough for her to drink it through a straw.  She's not a big sandwich person so meatballs or hunks of our home raised chicken is just right and she's huge on mixed fruit, especially if she can peel the little "cutie" oranges herself.

Other great options we will prepare:  steamed broccoli and carrots and some homemade hummus or ranch dressing to dip them in.  For the dip, I simply make some fromage blanc with raw milk, stir in some minced chives, parsley and garlic salt and it tastes just like ranch dressing from the store only far healthier.  If you mix the fromage blanc with a little honey it makes a nutritious and delicious fruit dip, too.  It can also be spread on bread or a tortilla for a sandwich - stack it or roll it with other goodies your child will eat. 

Sneak in the Enzymes

A challenge for me is getting enough fermented veggies in my kid's bellies - I still have to disguise them or mask them.  This week I am serving our homemade ketchup with her meatballs.  We use Sally Fallon's recipe from Nourishing Traditions which I've listed below.  Shivan also loves the homemade fermented pickles and has no idea they are full of enzymes to help start the process of digestion and reduce the strain on the pancreas.  Traditionally fermented salami slices are another healthy meat option whether on a sandwich or roll up with some fromage blanc again. Yogurt and kefir and even raw milk in a thermos will satisfy, feed the brain and the immune system!

Additional lunch box ideas:

• hard boiled eggs, sliced plain or in sandwiches and wraps
• homemade (or purchased :) raw milk cheeses, cubed 
• sliced traditionally fermented salami
• pepperoni sticks from (our) grass fed beef cow
• muffins with grated zucchini, carrots, or sweet potato
• sliced pita triangles dipped in hummus or fromage blanc dip
• homemade chicken soup packed in a thermos 
• Leftovers! - lasagna, pastas, casseroles in a thermos are all satisfying and nutritious
  
  

Lacto-fermented ketchup, rich with enzymes, is easy to make - mix the ingredients together and let ferment on the counter for a couple days.

Nourishing Traditions "Ketchup"

3 cups canned tomato paste, preferably organic
1/4 cup whey
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1/2 cup homemade or commercial fish sauce
Mix all ingredients until well blended.  Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar.  The top of the ketchup should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.  Leave at room temperature for about 2 days before transferring to refrigerator.

The Healthy Home Economist has a great recipe out this week for Lacto-Fermented Sloppy Joes using this homemade ketchup - we will definitely be eating them this week.

Make your back to school lunches delicious as well as nutritious and your kids will be equipped to fight off all those back to school colds!

Warmly,
Charlotte

Charlotte Smith
@champoegcreamry
www.champoegcreamery.com
Charlotte passionately believes in the health benefits of a traditional foods diet, especially dairy products from grass-fed cows. She loves sharing time honored traditions of transforming milk into delicious and nutritious cheeses through her classes which are also teeming with nutrition facts and wisdom. Charlotte owns Champoeg Creamery, a pasture based raw milk dairy in St. Paul, Oregon, and is the mother of 3 and a certified Nutrition Wellness Educator.

Late Summer Food Swap: September 23, 2012

Registration is Now Open for our Late Summer Food Swap!
SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER 23rd (4-6 pm)

Hosted by Rosemarried & Sustainable Food for Thought at Abby's Table in SE Portland

Invite Friends & Spread the Word:

@pdxswappers | #pdxfoodswap | PDX Swappers Facebook Page

We're excited to announce that registration is officially open for our late summer swap! We've been busy this summer - canning, cooking, crafting, and preserving - and we so look forward to swapping with you all. For those of you who've attended our swaps previously, please feel free to scroll down to the registration form at the bottom. If you're new to the PDX Food Swap - hello and welcome! See below for details, and please don't hesitate to ask questions. We hope to see you all on September 23rd!

What: A Food Swap is part silent auction/part village marketplace/part open house where your homemade creations (breads, preserves, infusions, canned goods, etc.) become your own personal currency for use in swapping with other participants. What better way to diversify your pantry and meet a few new food-minded friends?

When: Sunday, September 23rd, 4-6pm

Where: Abby's Table, 609 SE Ankeny Street, Portland, OR 97214

What: Bring an assortment of your homemade edible specialties (and even a few non-edibles, such as: lip balm, soap, etc.) to exchange for other handcrafted delights. We will provide swapping cards, name tags, and organization for the event. You will be given the opportunity to offer trades in a silent-auction type format, and you will be free to choose which trades to accept for your products. Bring as much or as little as you like; there are no caps or minimums.

Who: Pacific Northwesterners {aka the Willamette Valley, the Portland Metro Area, and our Neighbors to the North}. Please note, we are unable to provide childcare for this event.

Cost: Swap participants will be given free entry; a donation jar will be available to help cover the cost of supplies. (Or, better yet, donate one of your hand crafted goods!)

{How?}

a) RSVP below with your name, contact info, & description of items you plan to trade.

Make sure to register early! Due to limited space, we are capping the number of swappers at 35 and will maintain a waiting list. The last few swaps have filled up quickly, so make sure to fill out the registration form as soon as possible.

b) On Sunday the 23rd, please bring your hand crafted goods and be read to swap at 4:00 pm!

c) It's as simple as that! We’re excited as always to meet one another and celebrate the bounty of the seasons and the fruits of our labor. If you have any questions about the swap, please refer to this handy list of FAQs.

d) Please note the early start time for this particular swap. Make sure to arrive at 4:00pm so we can get started on time. In addition, there will be no appetizer potluck for this swap. Instead, bring extras of the goods you plan to swap so that people can taste and sample your goods!

Registration for this event is now open! 

Please fill out the form below if you would like to register for this event. If you have any questions, please contact pdxfoodswap@gmail.com. Thank you!

Note: I will be on the road for the next week, and will not be checking email. I will send out registration confirmations by September 15th. Thanks for your patience!

Thank you, and we hope to see you on September 23rd!

Thank you! - Lindsay, Rosemarried.com

Keeping Food (and everything else) Simple

Once upon a time, back in one of my former lives ... pre-husband, pre-baby, pre-permanent address ... I was a college student who arrived at school with three suitcases and one large box. All of my worldly possessions fit in those four containers, with the exception of a few items back at my parents' home which had been deemed too cumbersome to ship. I set up house in one wee corner of the dorm room and proudly sent pictures of my new home to my family, who immediately expressed great concern about my lack of ... you know ... stuff. But by that point, I had learned a secret - once you pare down to the bare necessities and few, well-edited luxury items, you don't miss all the items you left behind. In fact, you start to wonder why you let them clutter up your life in the first place.

I know this is supposed to be a food blog. I'm getting there, I promise.

Anyway, times have changed. Here I am with a marriage and three year old and an address that hasn't changed in a whole two years. And yes, there is something to be said for putting down roots and getting comfortable. But with comfort, clutter inevitably follows. So we've had a month of sorting - evaluating - purging wardrobes and streamlining the processes that make our little household hum along smoothly. It's still a work in progress, but opening a closet door and seeing only half of what I used to see is so rewarding.

So ... Food. Simplicity. Where am I going with this?

Well, as I've been working to simplify my home and trim our possessions down, I've felt the urge to apply the same ideas in my kitchen. Eating real food tends to mean a lot of cooking and cleaning up - A LOT. And many times, it means starting with scratch ingredients and not reaching for as many convenience items as you used to. So my question from day one of my journey toward better eating has been, "How do I do this without losing my mind and feeling like I'm trapped in my kitchen all day??"

Now maybe some of you lovely readers never have these crazy feelings of your kitchen walls slowly closing in on you, and if it brings you joy and relaxation to cook up delcious eatables all day long - by all means - carry on. If however, like me, you maybe like to cook, but scare easily at the sight of a long ingredient list, you may find the whole process of putting food on the table much more enjoyable if you pare it down to the neccesities, plus a few luxury items.

All you really need to make a meal is a protein (so many options ... quinoa, beans, eggs, dairy, meat), a simply prepared vegetable or fruit and maybe a starch to round it out. This idea seems elementary, but I've found it immensely helpful when faced with cookbook after cookbook filled with beautiful, glossy images of perfectly crafted meals. Don't you just love it when you pick up a book with an innocent-sounding title, that promises easy and simple meal ideas, only to find that EVERY RECIPE requires 50 ingredients and hours of prep time? I dare any one of these cookbook authors to make one of their meals in my teeny kitchen, with my three year old clamoring for more Veggie Tales and a snack every few minutes and then tell me how simple they are. Argh.

Here's my point - you can make simple, yummy meals from basic ingredients, get them on the table within a reasonable amount of time and not lose your mind in the process.

Try this - next time you run across one of those beautifully photographed recipes that - let's be honest - we all love to dream about making, try to reimagine it in a way that makes sense for your life. Sometimes, I run across a single element of a recipe, like a sauce, that I love - but I wouldn't bother making the whole recipe for everyday meals. So I just take that yummy sauce and apply it elsewhere. For example, I stumbled upon this recipe for skirt steak with parsley-garlic sauce. I've made the recipe a couple of times, but steak is not something we can afford to eat regularly. However, I haven't found a protein yet that doesn't match well with that sauce. It's reallyreallyreally good on pretty much anything! Eggs, sausages, fish ... Using a punchy, flavorful sauce is a great way to dress up a simply prepared protein item.

And vegetables ... sometimes I forget that all you really need to make most veggies yummy is a quick steam or light sautee, a drizzle of olive oil or butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Easy. Simple. No involved preparations. Once of my favorite things to eat in the world are steamed new potatoes, left whole in their jackets or quartered, with melted better and sprinkling a fresh herbs (any kind you like). So. Good.

~Carrots slowly sauteed in butter, seasoned with salt, pepper and a pinch of cumin~

I may or may not be obsessed with this recipe for falafel sandwiches - it starts with canned garbanzo beans for speed and convenience, but if you cook beans yourself on a regular basis, by all means substitute those instead. With the help of a food processor to mash the ingredients together, you can have them on the table in less than 30 minutes. I'm terrified of deep-frying anything, so I simply fry small patties of the falafel mixture in a few tablespoons of coconut oil. Falafel sandwiches are particularly yummy with this tzaziki recipe, which I just started making recently. It's shockingly easy and it's the perfect complement for the falafel. It also makes a great appetizer for guests when served with pita chips.

*Note: I add an egg to the falafel mixture because I think it helps bind the ingredients together a little better. However, without the egg, this recipe can be made vegan.*

Those are just a few of my favorites - how do you keep it simple in your kitchens?
Please feel free to share!

---

Rebekah Pike 
Rebekah is happiest with her nose in a book and enjoys making the most of her pint-sized, apartment kitchen. After leaving work in media production to become a full-time mommy, she began exploring the sustainable living movement, reconnecting with the back-to-the-earth ideals of her hippie parents. She met her husband, Darian, in 2005, working as a camp counselor in Oregon's rugged outdoors. Most of their time is spent chasing after their three year old daughter, Ashlynn, and doing serious “research” at Portland's restaurants, coffee shops and markets.

Pearled Barley Lager Summer Stew

Most anything I make is based on availability and craving. The other day soup sounded really good so I threw a bunch of stuff we had on hand into a pot and called it stew. A delicious and hearty vegan-y stew!

I had frozen some leftover vegetable stock in its container before we left for Denver because I made one of those recipes that just calls for 2-4 tablespoons of broth. Really?

A special thing about this recipe is it starts off as a soup but evolves into a stew, thanks to the pearled barley. I bought some pearled barley a few months ago and have been at a loss for what and how to use it. I see on instagram some use it in replacement of rice. The one time I cooked it by itself, I was unimpressed and the bag has sat in the pantry ever since. Soup provides a great solution for transporting almost any grain out of your pantry. I may even buy it again because it was delicious in this soup!

Make use of the bounty of produce available at your farmer's markets to create a 'local' variation of this. I've seen a lot of zucchini and carrots teeming the tables at Portland's PSU farmer's market.

My husband took notice that something yummy in this reminded him of meat - in the texture sense - we finally deduced that it was the plumped up sun-dried tomatoes.

One of the other special ingredients in this is a black lager. I threw in the lager last minute because we had it and I thought it would be interesting. The lager provided a great back drop to the stew's depth of flavor without overwhelming the whole pot. Perfect. Stuff like this will happen when you take a look in the fridge for that one other ingredient you could add. I remember years ago making Guinness cakes and Guinness stew so why not a lager stew? I think a dark stout would also work. Let us know what local brews you used.

I made this on Saturday and we just finished up the last bowls for lunch today.  This stew will only graduate in flavor as the days go on.  Feel free to freeze it if you don't want to eat stew constantly for a few days. If you use ball jars, make sure you leave about an 1" of space at the top to avoid a broken jar and wasted soup - in your freezer.

•     1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
•     1 cup red/white onion, chopped
•     6-7 garlic cloves, minced
•     1 1/2 cups pearled barley, rinsed in a colander
•     12 cups vegetable broth OR (4 cups vegetable broth + 8 cups boiling water + 3 vegetable bullion cubes)
•     1 - 12oz bottle of dark lager (I used Baba Black Lager)
•     5 stalks celery, chopped
•     3 large carrots, chopped
•     1 small zucchini, halved and sliced
•     6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
•     1 - 2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for an hour, then thinly chopped
•     1 cup cilantro, chopped
•     1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
•     1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
•     sriracha or cayenne pepper to taste
•     ground pepper to taste

In a stock pot, heat up the olive oil on medium heat and toss in the onion and garlic. Saute 2-3 minutes, turning down the heat if necessary.

Add rinsed pearled barley and saute another 2 minutes.

Now add vegetable broth and dark lager, bring to a boil.

Add remaining ingredients, turn down heat to a simmer and simmer for about an hour.

Garnish with some additional fresh cilantro and enjoy with large pint!

Michelle Felt
@meeshfelt

www.feedyourskull.com
Michelle is a graduate of the Raw Gourmet Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Having grown up in the suburbs of Chicago, she has recently relocated to Portland, Oregon, where the produce is crazy fresh abundant and the culture is as thick as the Midwest’s humidity. She loves raw foods and advocates for eating with realism and relish. "Approach each eating experience as an opportunity to nourish your body, eating the best you can, in the moment."

How To Find Safe and Nutritious Raw Milk

Raw milk has become a very hot topic in Oregon this spring!  Even though the publicity was started because several people became ill, demand is still increasing as others become aware of this traditional food and its health benefits.

Raw milk farmers in Oregon are very limited in the amount we can produce so when looking for raw milk you may have to call/visit a number of farms before you can find availability.  In our state, raw milk is not regulated by the government, therefore the consumer must be very discerning.  I'm suggesting the following set of guidelines as a tool for all you new-to-raw-milk drinkers who are contemplating adding this wonderful food to your family's diet.

My girls LOVE their raw milk!!

Buying Raw Milk Locally If a farmer follows the proper procedures to produce safe, clean, and nutritious raw milk, it is very easy to do so every time.  When looking for a farm to purchase raw milk from, I recommend the consumer do the following:

1. Ask for a tour. If a farmer won’t let you tour their property then I would not buy milk from them. When you meet the farmer they should be open to sharing their practices and answering all your questions. Do you trust this person, what they say and do? Ask for references of several customer’s names and numbers who’ve been getting milk from the farmer for some time and call the customers.

 2. Look at the cows out in the pasture.  Are the cows on tall (at least 4") green grass vs. dirt? Are the cows clean, is the feeding area clean, is the barn clean, how does the place smell? How many cows are on the property vs. the acres of grass?  Are the cows rotated to fresh pasture daily?  Every 2 or 3 days?  Does the farmer have access to irrigation so the cows are on fast-growing grass for 9 months of the year, or is the grass gone by July, meaning the cows are truly grass-fed only 3-4 months of the year? Tall grass pasture keeps the cows cleaner and therefore the milk safer to produce.

3.  What does the farmer feed the cows, in addition to pasture?  The most nutritious and safest milk comes from grass fed cows on tall, green pasture.  These cows should be supplemented with some kind of grain, perhaps rolled barley or oats.  They need minerals daily and free choice of salt.  Alfalfa and grass hay are the best hay choices if they must supplement or if it's winter and pasture is not available. 

4. Look at the milking area.  Is it clean? A dirt floor in a barn can be a clean place to milk, look to see if it is free of manure and bedding.  How is the milking equipment cleaned? (vinegar/water rinse, hot soapy water rinse, bleach/water rinse).  And how are the milk jars sanitized? Where is the milk handled and is that area clean?  How is the milk chilled? Is it in an ice bath or just placed in a freezer or fridge (cools down much slower which could allow for illness causing bacteria to grow)

5.  Testing.  How often is the milk tested for bacteria? Cows should be tested daily to weekly with the California Mastitis Test and at least monthly milk samples should be sent to a lab for cultures. Ask to see the written results of lab tests.

6. Ask if they use organic and/or sustainable farm practices.  No hormones; occasional antibiotics only when necessary, 50% or more of the feed coming right off the farm.  Regular vaccinations should be used following an organic dairy plan. 

Overall, be an informed consumer. Be confident in the choice to drink raw milk so you can educate your friends and family who will ask how you can be sure it’s safe. If you follow these procedures then you will be assured the milk you bring home is safe to drink. Once you bring your milk home make sure it’s kept covered in its container and refrigerated to 37-40 degrees F.
 
Oregon law allows raw milk sales on the farm only, and only if you are milking fewer than 3 cows or nine goats.  With so few cows I am able to look them over thoroughly twice daily to be able to be confident in their good health.  I have the opportunity to thoroughly inspect the animal and the equipment because there are no industrialized or huge automated pieces of machinery that might fail.  Food produced by hand on such a small scale is very safe if you have an educated farmer who’s passionate about high quality.  If profit takes priority over quality, then the quality suffers.  Get to know your farmer and where their values lie in regard to this topic.

Consumers of raw milk in Oregon also have the responsibility to educate themselves on the high costs involved with producing hand crafted food on a small scale.  If raw milk dairies are following the proper procedures for feeding and handling the cows and the milk, they are lucky if they cover the costs of production.  It is a very difficult lifestyle to own dairy cows on this small scale.  If you plan on enjoying the remarkable taste and health benefits of raw milk, plan on paying what it’s worth.

Milk mustaches rawk!!

---

Editor's Note: Charlotte is now serving on the Executive Advisory Committee for the newly formed Raw Milk Institute alongside Sally Fallon Morell, Dr. Joseph Mercola, and several other excellent champions of real food. It's been troubling to watch the news of controversial raw milk issues in Oregon from so far away, but I'm grateful to know that farmers like Charlotte are more committed than ever to educating consumers and producers and protecting the rights of the public to access safe, clean, raw milk.

---

Charlotte Smith
@champoegcreamry
www.champoegcreamery.com
Charlotte passionately believes in the health benefits of a traditional foods diet, especially dairy products from grass-fed cows. She loves sharing time honored traditions of transforming milk into delicious and nutritious cheeses through her classes which are also teeming with nutrition facts and wisdom. Charlotte owns Champoeg Creamery, a pasture based raw milk dairy in St. Paul, Oregon, and is the mother of 3 and a certified Nutrition Wellness Educator.

Real Food Round Up June 2012

Hello, friends!

Just popping in to post a little Sustainable Food for Thought Real Food Round Up... It's mostly an excuse to share a few of my favorite recent reads and to say hello to those of you I haven't chatted with in a while. I miss the food group gals! Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the coming summer season.

If you're looking for a few interesting reads, take a peek:


City Gardener on the Prairies from Down the Rabbit Hole We Go...

"Before I got into the non-profit activist work that I am currently involved in (Friends of Medicare & Public Interest Alberta), I thought that I would champion for food security, which has long been one of my passions.  I realized many years ago that you could be poor on a farm, but not go hungry, whereas you could be poor and hungry in the city.  The difference is that on a farm you generally have the resources and access to land, pasture, sheds, etc. to raise and store your own food.  Also, I think that the rural tradition of canning and freezing your own produce, and hunting or raising your own meat, has outlasted that of the city dweller's."

Alison writes about the satisfaction she's felt when gardening and preserving her own food and talks about the dreams she has for projects bigger than her city lot. See her great list of books, video clips, and website resources.


With the McItaly, did McDonalds Truly Go Local? from Grist.com

"In Italy, home of the Slow Food movement, the new sandwiches were named Adagio and Vivace (names that Marchesi says represent an integration of two competing philosophies: slow and fast). They were both made with some local and traditional products, such as eggplant, spinach, and the Italian cheese ricotta salata. Several of the products were DOP certified, an acronym that stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta, a widely recognized certification of regional authenticity."

Where's the line between commendable efforts and brash greenwashing?


Over on my blog of travel tales, I've been sharing stories Northern Italy's food culture in my Traditions of the Land series:

• Part I Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese & Spigaroli Culatello Ham
  
• Part II Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena
  
• Part III Albana Wine at Celli Vini
  
• Part IV Handmade Pasta at Casa Artusi

It's impressive to learn about the centuries of craft that have been fine tuned and preserved and carried on for generations. One of my absolute favorite visits was to the Spigaroli Family's gorgeous rural property outside of Parma, Italy (Part I). Their kitchen gardens were full of peacocks and fresh food...so gorgeous.

Ecstatic Raw Chocolate from Sarah at My New Roots

"This chocolate is the real deal. It melts in the mouth, it’s rich and satisfying, and has a deep, dark aroma that can only be described as divine. Surprisingly, it only contains three basic ingredients, and is gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan and raw. Yup, you’re welcome."

I love that this story is all about how Sarah and her new friend Elenore were brought together through the internet and eventually spent spent happy hours together in the kitchen sharing their love of beautiful, delicious food...

Sharing is Contagious from the Himalayan Institute

"...joining or starting a network is only half the fun. Meeting up and sharing your gifts is what truly inspires and connects us. Ho herself was encouraged to start LA Food Swap after watching a video on Cooking Up A Story about the Portland-based food swap group, PDX Swappers. 'One by one we inspire each other,' she says, a sentiment clearly shared by scores of others who continue to use Facebook, Twitter, and other websites to promote their own meetups. "

A short little piece lauding the beauty of swapping resources, ideas, and knowledge with friends and neighbors...

And on that note, I'll leave you with a reminder that the next PDX Food Swap is coming up on June 17th. Hope those of you nearby in Oregon are able to attend! I'll be looking forward to the day when I can return and swap again...

~Bethany

Bethany Rydmark  

Sustainable Food for Thought Co-Founder & Editor

Landscape Architect & Kitchen Tinkerer

Bethany's spending 2012 fulfilling a crazy dream of traveling the world with her husband, Ted, and recounting adventures at www.twoOregonians.com. She's asked some terrific friends and writers to continue sharing their real life, real food encouragements and experiences on Sustainable Food for Thought while away from home and kitchen comforts. Enjoy!

PDX Food Swap: Summer 2012

Registration is Now Open for our Summer 2012 Portland Hand Crafted Food Swap!
SUNDAY, JUNE 17th (4-6 pm)

Hosted by Rosemarried & Sustainable Food for Thought at Abby's Table in SE Portland

Invite Friends & Spread the Word:

@pdxswappers | #pdxfoodswap | PDX Swappers Facebook Page

We're excited to announce that registration is officially open for our summer swap! We've been busy this spring - canning, cooking, crafting, and preserving - and we so look forward to swapping with you all. For those of you who've attended our swaps previously, please feel free to scroll down to the registration form at the bottom. If you're new to the PDX Food swap - hello and welcome! See below for details, and please don't hesitate to ask questions. We hope to see you all on June 17th!

What: A Food Swap is part silent auction/part village marketplace/part open house where your homemade creations (breads, preserves, infusions, canned goods, etc.) become your own personal currency for use in swapping with other participants. What better way to diversify your pantry and meet a few new food-minded friends?

When: Sunday, June 17th, 4-6pm

Where: Abby's Table, 609 SE Ankeny Street, Portland, OR 97214

What: Bring an assortment of your homemade edible specialties (and even a few non-edibles, such as: lip balm, soap, etc.) to exchange for other handcrafted delights. We will provide swapping cards, name tags, and organization for the event. You will be given the opportunity to offer trades in a silent-auction type format, and you will be free to choose which trades to accept for your products. Bring as much or as little as you like; there are no caps or minimums.

Who: Pacific Northwesterners {aka the Willamette Valley, the Portland Metro Area, and our Neighbors to the North}. Please note, we are unable to provide childcare for this event.

Cost: Swap participants will be given free entry; a donation jar will be available to help cover the cost of supplies. (Or, better yet, donate one of your hand crafted goods!)

{How?}

a) RSVP below with your name, contact info, & description of items you plan to trade.

Make sure to register early! Due to limited space, we are capping the number of swappers at 35 and will maintain a waiting list. The last few swaps have filled up quickly, so make sure to fill out the registration form as soon as possible.

b) On Sunday the 17th, please bring your hand crafted goods and be read to swap at 4:00 pm!

c) It's as simple as that! We’re excited as always to meet one another and celebrate the bounty of the seasons and the fruits of our labor. If you have any questions about the swap, please refer to this handy list of FAQs.

d) Please note the early start time for this particular swap. Make sure to arrive at 4:00pm so we can get started on time. In addition, there will be no appetizer potluck for this swap. Instead, bring extras of the goods you plan to swap so that people can taste and sample your goods!

Registration for this event is now open! Please fill out the form below if you would like to register for this event. If you have any questions, please contact pdxfoodswap@gmail.com. Thank you!

All registrants will receive an email confirmation within 5 days of registration.

Thank you, and we hope to see you on June 17th!

Thank you! - Lindsay, Rosemarried.com