What's Fresh Now — December, 2011

Down on the Farm — A Christmas (Tree Farmer) Story

By Sarah Graham

When I was asked to interview a Christmas tree farmer, I admit that I couldn't wait to ask was whether a U-cut patron had ever received a free squirrel with their purchase á la National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I did pose this question, among others, to Bill Serres of Serres Farm in Redmond (for more about how to cut your own Christmas tree, see tips below).

Bill and his wife Nancy began growing Christmas trees on their 24-acre property in 1987 while in the process of converting from vegetable to strawberry farming. There were plots of land left over that weren't conducive to cultivating annually with a 10-year cultivation cycle, Christmas trees were a no-brainer. Also, as Bill explained, "They're indigenous to the area so they are fairly robust in this climate. They're a natural thing to grow here and I like to grow things that want to grow, not things that want to die." Outside of the holiday season, the Serres grow a large pumpkin patch and corn maze, along with hay rides and other activities for kids.

As for my squirrel question, there have not yet been any squirrel (or other critter) encounters for Bill's customers although finding an abandoned bird's nest is not uncommon, as I did with the [stunning, I might add] tree I cut at Serres Farm last week.

Serres Farm is open for pre-cut and U-cut Christmas tree sales on weekdays, 1 PM - 5:30 PM and weekends 9 AM to 5:30 PM. Happy Holidays!

Sarah Graham is a volunteer with Cascade Harvest Coalition and aspiring farmer who lives in Seattle with her husband and several four-legged children. For more of Sarah's stories about food and travel, visit her website, Food First Hand.

U-Cut Christmas Tree Tips

Tree Tip #1: Have fun. It's the holiday season, folks! Hot chocolate and cookies for snacking in the car while singing along to Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" — what could be better? Bring copious amounts of holiday cheer — enough to share with your tree grower too.

Select a farm. You can find a farm near you by visiting the Puget Sound Fresh Farm & Crop Finder. The Puget Sound Christmas Tree Association is another excellent resource.

Dress appropriately. Check the forecast and wear layers you can peel when sawing or carrying the tree. Bring boots if it's rained recently. Warm work gloves are also a good idea.

Leave the tiny car at home. Be sure your vehicle will be able to accommodate the size tree you're after.

Make way for the saplings. Many farmers will have saplings planted amongst large trees. Watch your step to avoid crushing them.

Be courteous. Don't arrive 5 minutes before closing. Be sure to browse within designated areas and only chop trees marked for U-cut. Call to check on pet policy before bringing your dog. Depending on the farm, the grower may live on the premises so treat it with the same respect you'd treat your yard.

Check ahead. What kind of payment is accepted? Will the farm tie the tree to your car? Do you have to carry it yourself? Will the farm have something you can rest your knees on while you cut? Check the website or call the farm to get answers to these questions ahead of your visit to avoid surprises.

Policy and the Plate

By Carolyn Schulte

What are you eating for the next five years? With 2012 marking the end of the 2008 Farm Bill, the choice may not be yours. The bill, which undergoes review and reauthorization roughly every five years is the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government.

As such, the Farm Bill single-handedly determines the rules and regulations for the food we eat; it controls how much it costs, the location where it is grown, and the method with which it is grown. It also sets the laws governing food assistance benefits, crop subsidies, and school lunches.

Although it remains unclear exactly how and when the bill will be written over the next year, it is imperative that we as consumers act quickly to voice our demands to our legislators and the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. Unsure what to say? Here are some excellent links to help you out. For starters, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in Washington D.C. publishes informative, up-to-date posts on a regular basis, while the Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network covers Washington-specific food policy. Additional resources include American Farmland Trust and the great Marion Nestle blog Food Politics.

Get informed and speak up! Our food and our farms are on the line.

Carolyn Schulte is the Policy and Program Intern at Cascade Harvest Coalition and dedicated to reforming our food system at the policy-level. You can follow her thoughts on Twitter (@carolynschulte) and LinkedIn.

Book Bites from READERS to EATERS

By Phillip Lee

What the World Eats
Written by Faith D'Aluisio. Photographed by Peter Menzel
Tricycle Press, $22.99

During the holiday season as we think about family meals, we always pull out this young readers' adaptation of Hungry Planet to see what families around the world are eating. It's a wonderful way to start a conversation with kids, families and friends about what and how we are eat. These portraits of 25 family meals across 21 countries, including Chad, Egypt, Poland, and the United States, reveal both cultural and nutritional details about who we are. Maybe this year we'll add our own family food portrait (a week's worth of food laid out on our dining room table).

Contributor Phillip Lee is the co-founder of Seattle-based READERS to EATERS. Learn more about their ongoing mission to building food literacy by connecting good eats and good reads.

FEATURED RECIPE — Chocolate Beet Cake with Nutella Inspired Ganache

By Coral Sisk

Eat your vegetables — for dessert! Beets are one of my favorite root vegetables. Here in Puget Sound and other parts of the Pacific Northwest, we are lucky to have them almost year round. In the winter months, their bulbs tend to be bulkier which makes them easier to prepare.

You can make this deliciously moist, buttery and nutty chocolate dessert with local organic beets. The cake can be made even more local with Stone-Buhr's Washington White All-Purpose Flour (locally sourced and small batch milled by Shepherd's Grain) as well as farmstead eggs, local butter and hazelnuts, like those from Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards.

This cake will be a hit for the holiday festivities. It's deep, rich and best of all it utilizes what's in season and local. The thick chocolaty flavor and roasted hazelnuts puts the panache in this ganache! If you really want to splurge, I recommend pairing this cake with a dessert wine like Banyuls (a deliciously sweet red wine from Southwestern France) or a Tawny Port. Cheers!

View the complete recipe.

Food blogger Coral Sisk of How to cure a curious appetite: Seattle offers thoughts, tips and reviews on food, cooking and eating out in what she calls "the Pacific Northwest gastrotopia." When not cooking up a storm in her kitchen, writing or dining out, she can be found at Piccola Cellars winery in Woodinville.