A farm in the backyard

All week long, I look forward to Saturday morning. I love getting up and going spending the morning at the farmer's market. There is always a lot to see, taste and smell. There are bakery goodies to nibble on, flowers to buy and farmers to meet. I leave with stories, ideas, new friends and bundles of produce.

When I got home today, I wandered out into the garden, where I found my own little "farmer's market." I was delighted that the warm weather of late has resulted in a generous growth spurt of all my vegetables. I'm not sure what I'll do with all of them, but for now, I'm just excited to have actually grown things. Somehow, vegetables always taste better when they're from your own "farm".

Lemonade

On a hot summery day, there’s nothing like a cold glass of tangy lemonade. My friend’s 7 year old daughter agrees with me. On Sunday, when the weather was at its best, she decide to start a lemonade stand. “Mom, where’s the Kool-Aid?” she asked. Kool Aid is not lemonade, not even close. I showed her how to cut lemons in half and juice them, then combine the juice with sugar and water for real, old fashioned lemonade. She was amused. the easiest way to juice a lemon is by hand, simply squeezing the lemon over a sieve or screen (to catch seeds). But, recently, I tried the Trudeau Juice Catcher, which has a seed -catching device built in. It’s quite handy, comes in small, and large, and is available in lots of fun colors. Plus, you can juice any citrus fruit you like. A small cup underneath the juicer catches all the tart liquid without making a mess.
It’s a very handy thing to have, especially if you’re craving lemonade.
-Josie

More than a Name

While visiting Sauvie’s Island Organic Farms last weekend, I discovered Lemon Cucumbers. They look like yellow baseballs. I expected them to be tart, but the name refers to color only. Instead, the cute lemon cucumbers are sweet and delicate, without any bitterness. I learned that they’ll be available until the middle of autumn. Look for them at farmer’s markets.
Lemon cucumbers are great paired in salads, yogurt sauces, or simply sliced and enjoyed plain. Ken Hoyt, who’s teaching a Gifts from the Garden class tonight, suggests making a relish with the lemon cucumbers. Sounds good to me!
-Josie

Not the usual cheese and crackers...

I had the opportunity to have a lovely meal at Lovely Hula Hands last weekend. Every ingredient on the menu was incredibly fresh, locally grown and at the peak of summer flavor. It was really nice to have such a simple restaurant meal, where all of the ingredients are highlighted, rather than manipulated into completely different forms. I think the most interesting item I ate though, was the black sesame seed cracker. It was paper thin, crackly, and delicious. (Especially with some of the fresh mozzarella!). When I was in Italy, we made crackers that were somewhat similar. We called them “sheet music bread”, because they were so paper thin. I tried to recreate Lovely Hula Hands’ crackers yesterday, and was able to get pretty close. When you make this, you can vary the seeds as you like- black or white sesame seeds (or even flaxseeds) would all work. They’re really light and crispy, but are especially good with fresh cheeses like goat cheese or fresh mozzarella.
I get to travel back to Italy on Thursday, at our Tuscan Harvest Dinner. Alison and Amelia, wonderful and talented chefs that are long-time teachers at In Good Taste, are back again. This time, their menu takes a trip to Florence, with Summer Panzanella, Porcini minestrone, Chicken with Grapes and Marsala, and an Apple Torte. These dishes are perfect for savoring from the deck. Buon Appetito!

-Josie
Thin and Crispy Black Sesame Crackers

Cookbooks Worth Reading

Any time a new cookbook comes into the store, I’m immediately distracted from my work. The length of time that I’m distracted depends on the complexity of the book. Single subject books, therefore, usually take up just a few minutes to look through. Recently however, a single subject book not only caught my eye, it made me drop everything. Even though I’ve written about them to excess, I still obsess about tomatoes. A new cookbook, Tomatoes, by Manisha Harkins captures one of my favorite fruits (yes, tomatoes are a fruit) and brings it to life in new recipes, old classics and vivid photos. Just looking at the picture for the Rustic Chicken Panini with Sicilian Pesto made my mouth water. Another single subject cookbook that I completely underestimated is Tom Douglas’ I love Crabcakes. So do I actually, and (wrongly) assumed I had figured out what I needed to know. The tiny book is filled with great information, new ideas and creative variations. Even though for me, crab is never boring, it sometimes craves innovation. Last weekend, rather than making crab cakes again, I made a Lump crab with Lemon and Fresh Linguine. It was light, zesty and a welcome change. No matter what you’re cooking this week, open up a single-subject cookbook- you might be surprised.

-Josie

Paella Party

Paella is a saffron infused rice dish, studded with various seafood or meat. It’s the perfect entertaining food; the aromatic seasonings and fresh ingredients create a stunning visual presentation as well as a sumptuous feast. The ingredients are variable. Beyond the necessary saffron, rice, garlic, and sweet pepper, you can use any combination of seafood (think shrimp, clams and scallops), sausage (chorizo links are traditional) and fowl that you like. The specifics change with each region of Spain (and with each cook!).

It’s a great idea for a party-make a huge pan of paella, loaded with seafood and fragrant with saffron. You can start it when the guests arrive and invite them to join you in the kitchen as it cooks. The smell alone will draw them in. Set out bowls of almonds, pieces of sliced bread with Manchengo cheese , and make a pitcher of sangria to tide you over until the paella is ready. Since it’s an all-in-one dish, you don’t need to serve much alongside. A light salad with dried figs and Cabrales, a tangy Spanish blue cheese, and you’re set to go. Oh, and don’t forget the Crème Catalan- the traditional Spanish custard with a caramel topping is well worth the extra work. But, if you’re not quite up to creating your own paella party tonight, or you’d like some more tips on how to create this mouthwatering dish, join Nancy Forrest in her Paella Party Class tonight. She’ll give you all the insider tips on creating a Spanish style fiesta, plus shopping tips on Spanish ingredients. See you there!

-Josie

Labor Day

It’s the last summer holiday; the kick- off for fall. Labor Day is synonymous with “back to school” for many, but for me, it means one more chance to dine al fresco while savoring summer flavors. Realistically, “summer” produce stars like corn, tomatoes and basil will be here for a few more weeks. It still feels like fall is creeping in though (especially with today’s weather!). If the rain and clouds haven’t dampened your spirits, fire up the barbecue and start cooking!I’ll be having the Greek Burger, topped with a creamy-cucumber yogurt sauce, orzo pasta salad, sliced tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic, and an almond-scented cake topped with crunchy toasted almonds. But if your heart is set on hot dogs, that sounds good too. Set out plenty of condiments, like spicy mustard, chopped onions, and, for a twist on the usual sauerkraut, try serving a sweet onion confit.
Enjoy your Labor Day, no matter what you decide to make.

-Josie