Dear Friends,
"Harvest Celebrations heat up as the weather cools down!" At least, that would be the frontpage headline on all Puget Sound area newspapers if we were in charge.
Until then, we shall use our lovely newsletter to convey our excitement for all of the wonderful upcoming Fall activities.
You have just entered...the Fall Preview edition of the "What's Fresh Now" newsletter!
Fall in the Puget Sound region is phenomenal: the Summer sun lingers, the breezy maritime air learns how to bite, many trees begin to change colors...but many also stay Evergreen, and alongside the amazing late-summer bounty, some Fall crops start showing up at local markets. Winter squash, Brusells sprouts, parsnips, pumpkins! You can cook like you feel, depending on the day: fresh, brightly-flavored dishes or warming, comforting slow-cooked meals.
Fall is a time to celebrate. Celebrate the harvest. Celebrate an enjoyable Summer. Celebrate good food, good friends and good fun. Luckily, there are plenty of Harvest Celebrations planned to help you find and visit our local farms. Throughout September and on into November, farms throw open their doors and invite the public onto their land to enjoy the Fall bounty and experience what they do.
There are a few different styles of Harvest Celebrations. Some are farm tours, where you get an opportunity to visit a variety of farms and meet a variety of farmers, like the King County Harvest Celebration Farm Tour on September 27th. Some are an opportunity to get your hands dirty on the farm. Helping Hands workparties are a great way to visit a local farm and learn about farming practices and environmental stewardship. And some are festivals and fairs, like the Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair, taking place on September 6th.
Go to www.pugetsoundfresh.org for more information about Harvest Celebrations and find a local farm party near you.
Mercer Island Farmers Market Now Open
The brand new, first year Mercer Island Farmers Market opened on Sunday, August 10th at Mercerdale Park. Congratulations! From the market's new website: "The Mercer Island Farmers Market connects growers, consumers, and the Island business community to create a valuable, sustainable community asset. The benefits resonate beyond our local community by contributing to sustainability of our region's agricultural production."
Mercer Island Farmers Market
Sundays through October 12th
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SE 32nd Street at Mercerdale Park
Check out the Mercer Island Farmers Market website.
Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair
Come on over to the Good Shepherd Center on Saturday, September 6th from 10am-5pm for the annual Seattle Tilth's Harvest Fair. This is one of the premier harvest events in the Puget Sound region. Our close friends and neighbors at Seattle Tilth create a wonderful fair atmosphere complete with tasty food; the original organic farmers market; a community village; live music in the gazebo; live chickens, goats and bees; and educational presentations.
Bring the family, bring friends, bring yourself to a day of entertainment, education and celebration of local food.
Order a Locally Raised Turkey!
Yes, it's September. Yes, Thanksgiving is still a couple months away. But there are a limited number of locally raised turkeys available and the demand for them is very high. Place your order early and rest easy knowing where your bird was raised and who raised it. Check out Puget Sound Fresh and search for "Turkeys" to find a farm near you that raises turkeys.
Recipes of the Week
Tomato Jam
This is a recipe from Mark Bittman, a New York Times food columnist. He's also known as "The Minimalist". Besides his weekly column and recipe, he posts a video of himself cooking the recipe on nytimes.com. If you haven't read his column or seen his videos, take a moment to zip on over to nytimes.com and check them out.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds good ripe tomatoes (Roma are best), cored and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 jalapeño or other pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced, or red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste.
Method:
- Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrigerate until ready to use; this will keep at least a week.
Yield: About 1 pint.
Adapted from the New York Times
Crispy Golden Patty Pan Squash
This recipe is from the Anna Salafsky and Susan Ujcic of Helsing Junction Farm. Read their Farmer Spotlight interview in the lower right column...and enjoy this incredibly delicious summer squash recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs. patty pan squash sliced into ¼ inch rounds
- 2 eggs
- ½ c. flour
- ¼ c. finely grated Parmesan (the powdered kind)
- ¼ c. breadcrumbs (herbed are best)
Method:
- Generously grease a cookie sheet with olive oil and pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Beat eggs in a wide mouthed bowl. Fill another bowl with approximately ½ cup flour.
- In yet another bowl mix the Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. First dip the squash rounds in the flour. Then dip them in the eggs. Then completely coat them on all sides with the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until nicely browned and crispy.
Serve hot with tartar sauce or pesto.
Getting to know unusual produce: Pickling Cucumbers
Pickles. Salty, sweet, vinegary, spicy, peppery, garlicky...there are nearly endless flavor combinations for pickles, and most are quite delicious. Nearly any type of vegetable or fruit can be pickled as well: carrots, peaches, green beans, grapes, etc. But for most folks, a "pickle" is a pickled cucumber.
Here's the definition of a pickled cucumber: "A pickled cucumber, most often simply called a pickle in the United States and Canada, is a cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or other solutions and left to ferment for a period of time."
Even with pickled cucumbers, there are quite a few different varieties. Below we have a simple recipe for classic dill pickles. Feel free to be creative with the flavors in the brining liquid. Like heat? Add some hot peppers. Like more garlic zip? Up the amount by a few cloves.
Many Puget Sound farmers grow pickling cukes. You can check out www.pugetsoundfresh.org for a list of farms, or just head to your local farmers market and see who's selling them. Set up a delivery date (usually the next FM) and buy them in bulk quantities. Most farmers are quite accommodating...if you ask nicely. Here's a simple way to think about it: the more cukes you pickle now, the more pickles you can eat later.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers (about 2 pounds)
- 2 cups thinly sliced onion
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Glass jars
Method:
- Place 3 cups cucumber in a medium glass jar; top with 1 cup onion. Repeat procedure with the remaining 3 cups cucumber and remaining 1 cup onion.
- Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; stir well. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute.
- Pour over cucumber mixture; let cool. Cover and chill at least 4 days.
Note: Pickles may be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Coalition Updates
Eat Local for Thanksgiving 2008
What would a Fall preview be without more about Thanksgiving?! Last year was the inaugural year of the Eat Local for Thanksgiving campaign, which encourages folks in our communities to "Take the Pledge" and offer at least one locally grown or raised item at their Thanksgiving table.
The campaign was a huge success.
Over 2,500 people took the pledge last year. Many local groups and individuals came together to work extraordinarily hard to get the word out and keep the movement rolling forward. Farmers markets, grocery stores, CSAs and farms all got into the act by offering to hand out pledge cards and tell people about the campaign.
This year, we are planning for an even more successful Eat Local for Thanksgiving campaign. We've gathered the same group of amazing people and organizations, added a bunch of new, interested participants and redesigned our materials for a fresh new look to bring the campaign to the communities.
Stay posted for more information about Eat Local for Thanksgiving and for ways you can get involved. The website will be up and running shortly and keep your eyes open for pledge cards, posters and informational brochures.
Fresh Gear
Fresh Gear helps you make a bold statement about your support for local farms and food!
Purchases can be made by via email by clicking here. Prices don't include shipping.
"Rosie the Riveter" Eat Local T-shirt
Rosie is a symbol of economic possibility and hard work - two qualities that the local food movement embraces and encourages. Rock out with Rosie and make a statement: Do it! Eat Local!
$15.00 - Available in sizes S-XL in White, Yellow, and Oatmeal.
"Get Fresh with a Family Farmer" T-shirt
It's a sweet-tart slogan with a great message. Let the world know that you're not afraid of a little dirt when you're supporting local farms.
$15.00 - Available in sizes M-2XL. Silkscreened American Apparel shirts.
"Puget Sound Fresh" Logo Ballcap
Dress your noggin in the freshest ballcap this side of Safeco field. Folks throughout the region will know that buying local is your prerogative when they spy this functional and stylish accessory.
$15.00 - Adjustable fit.
"Buy Local. Get Fresh" Reusable Shopping Bag
Everyone should have one. Show off your sustainable sensibilities with our reusable shopping bag. Strong enough for big trips to the farmers market, stylish enough to carry around town, this is the bag to buy for your everyday needs.
$5.00
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading the early September edition of What's Fresh Now. If you have any questions, please consult the website: www.pugetsoundfresh.org
In the next issue, we'll give you more information about the Eat Local for Thanksgiving campaign and continue writing about all of the fun Fall events and ways to enjoy those tasty root veggies and myriad varieties of squash.
Puget Sound Fresh Team
Puget Sound Fresh is made possible with support from King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties, King Conservation District and farmers throughout the Puget Sound region.
