Dear Friends,
Early Winter Edition!
The holiday season is in full swing, though this year the long-held American tradition of spending huge amounts of money on presents and parties might be a little different. With dire economic news being pumped out of all media outlets, all hours of the day, many folks are trying to find new ways to feel the joy of the season beyond "shop 'til you drop." Funny thing: some of the best "new" ideas this season are old.
Grandparents should start charging consulting fees for all of the helpful advice they are dishing out: how to stretch a meal, shopping for bargains and *GASP* the concept of layaway!
But, despite the shaky financial times, people are still going to go shopping. The key is to "spend smarter, not more." Quality over quantity. When you are planning your shopping this season, take a moment and figure out which items you can purchase from a local business. Then take heart, knowing that your holiday spending is actually an incredibly wise investment in the long-term health of the community. One of the best ways to kick-start this increasingly dreary economy is to buy local.
So, go forth and support our local businesses! Stock up on delicious holiday fare from local farms like cheese, wine, cider, vegetables, bread, grains, nuts, and more. Check out pugetsoundfresh.org for more information about what's available this holiday season.
Newsletter Quick Links:
Recipes: Eggnog, Spelt Crust Apple Pie, Getting to know unusual produce: Parsnips
An Interview with Roger Thorson of Carnation Tree Farm
Coalition Updates: Board Retreat Recap!
U-Cut and U-pick Christmas Trees
'Tis the season for Christmas trees! Those tall, lovely, forest-scented evergreen beauties that provide a healthy swath of color to help get us through the winter. What's better than a Christmas tree? A fresh, local Christmas tree! Whether you get a USFS permit and hunt for one in the forest or head out to a local farm and pick one out with a friendly local farmer, a tree-in-the-home is a wonderful holiday tradition, no matter which holiday you celebrate. So gather your friends and family, click the link below and get ready for a wonderful weekend outing of U-cut Christmas Trees.
Farm Spotlight
Carnation Tree Farm
Roger Thorson's daughter, Tracie, and her husband, Brad
Farmer: Roger Thorson
Location: Carnation,WA
PSF: What varieties of trees do you grow?
Roger: Douglas fir, Grand fir, Norway spruce, Blue spruce, Fraser fir, Noble fir, Nordmann fir, Turkish fir (a sub species of Nordmann).
PSF: How long does it take for a Christmas tree to grow?
Roger: You can almost tell by looking at the price of the tree! The quickest is Douglas fir, which takes about 5-6 years. The number goes up for the Noble fir, which takes about 8-12 years. Grand is in between the two, something like 6-8 years. Fleisher takes about 8 years. There's no hard and fast rule.
PSF: What are the approximate prices for trees?
Roger: Most trees under 8 ft. are about $30, and it goes on up.
PSF: Will you talk a little bit about the farm's history? I know that you guys have an historic barn...
Roger: The barn has a new paint job this year. It's my great grandparents' dairy farm. They bought the property in 1901; the barn was built in 1910 after the famous house was built in 1906. I suggest looking at the website, under the Farm History section.
PSF: How long have you farmed here?
Roger: We bought it from relatives in 1976. But we didn't have our first trees until 1978. So about 30 years. We raised sheep on this property before that.
PSF: What's unique about Carnation Tree Farm and what are some reasons for people to buy from you?
Roger: Well, the history. It's been a family farm for all these years. And the historic, restored buildings. The barn is really cool, one of the best intact barns in the county. It's just a neat place. We're not in danger of getting developed any time soon, unlike some other local farms. We're located in between the Tolt and the Snoqualmie rivers. We've been working on conservation projects on nearby wetlands, like removing the invasive blackberries and planting native species. I just found out that we're going to be presented with the Steward of the Year award from the Washington Association of Conservation Districts and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
PSF: What are some challenges that you face? I read the article about you and your farm in the Seattle PI and it mentioned that roughly 25% of last year's Christmas trees were purchased at so-called "Big Box" stores, like Wal-Mart. Do statistics like that worry you?
Roger: Not really. I think actually this is a good business to be in during difficult times because people tend to refer back to the basics and I think they look for greater meaning in their lives, more than just "stuff". They want to do something that really means something. I think that our trees mean a lot to people, especially when times are tough.
PSF: What do you do during the non-Christmas months?
Roger: I just maintain the buildings and the farm! Years ago we put a loft upstairs in the barn and we use that for workshops and whatnot. Northwest Earth Institute and Sno-Valley Tilth are two organizations that use the loft for workshops and meetings. We're trying to do what we can to save the planet. That goal helped me figure out ways to run the farm better. It's made me more aware of how responsible we are for what we do.
PSF: Anything else you want readers to know?
Roger: Going back to what makes a local farm special over a big box store: I feel strongly that our economy should go back to a more local level, for a lot of reasons. Local businesses have more visibility and accountability and it keeps the money in the community. Keeping emphasis on the local level helps keep the community honest. I think people are starting to see the value of a strong local economy.
Recipes of the Week
Holiday Eggnog
Eggnog is a classic holiday drink, but too often people reach for the pre-made carton of mystery at the supermarket. The following is a fairly simple recipe that's a guarenteed success at your next holiday gathering. You can find local eggs and dairy products at your local farmers market, local grocery stores, or directly from a local farm.
Adding the milk to the eggs in small increments and blending thoroughly after each one helps ensure a smooth custard. To prevent curdling, do not heat custard beyond 160 degrees. If it does begin to curdle, remove from heat immediately and pour into a bowl set over a larger bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, and proceed with recipe. You can omit the brandy to make a non-alcoholic eggnog, but you should also decrease the cream to 1/4 cup in order to keep the right consistency. For the same reason, increase the cream to 3/4 cup if you choose to add another 1/2-cup alcohol for a high-octane nog.
Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup brandy , bourbon, or dark rum
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg , plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 cup heavy cream , whipped to soft peaks
Method:
- Off heat, whisk eggs, yolks, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in heavy 3- or 4-quart saucepan. Stir in milk, one-half cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Heat slowly over lowest possible flame, stirring constantly, until custard registers 160 degrees on instant read thermometer, thickens, and coats the back of a spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. Pour custard through sieve into large bowl; stir in liquor, vanilla and grated nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least three hours and up to three days.
- Just before serving, whip cream in medium bowl to very soft peaks and gently fold into custard mixture until incorporated. Serve in chilled punch bowl or cups, garnishing with optional grated nutmeg.
Serves 12-16
From Cooks Illustrated
Apple Pie with Spelt Crust
This recipe comes to us from Cascade Harvest Coalition's Board Chair Alison Leber. Alison is also the Program Director of Beecher's Flagship Program. We enjoyed this pie at our annual Board retreat last weekend. It's a classic apple pie with a slight twist: use spelt instead of wheat flour. The spelt gives the crust a hearty, slightly nutty flavor, which makes this pie a winner for dessert, breakfast or anytime!
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces Spectrum shortening
- 6 ounces butter, chilled
- 1.5 cups whole spelt flour
- 1.5 cups refined spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 6-8 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
- 2 lbs. apples, quartered and sliced thinly
- 3/4c. white sugar
- 1tsp. lemon juice (optional)
Additional:
- Small chunks of butter to dot pie filling
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Method:
For the pie crust:
- Measure the butter and shortening, cut them into half-inch cubes and put them into the freezer to get nice and cold.
- In a food processor bowl, mix together flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse three times to mix.
- Remove shortening, spread into dry ingredients, 10 x 1 sec. pulses to mix
- Repeat with butter, 15 x 1 sec. pulses until consistency is no larger than a small pea.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl, then sprinkle 4 tablepoons of ice water over the top and work in gently with a fork. Add more water as necessary until dough just comes together in a ball.
- Divide into two disks, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each in plastic, refrigerate for at least one hour.
For the filling:
- Toss sliced apples with sugar and lemon juice (if desired) until all slices are coated.
To bake:
- Pre heat oven to 425.
- Roll the larger disk on a floured work surface. Dough will be crumbly, but keep folding and adding loose bits into the center. It takes a little while, but eventually it comes together as a nice dough.
- Lay the bottom crust, add the filling, dot with butter. Put the top crust on. Poke some holes with vents.
- Mix 1teaspoon sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the pie.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425. Turn the oven down to 325, bake for another 35 min. or until golden brown and bubbly.
Getting to know unusual produce: Sunchokes, aka Jerusalem Artichokes
Sunchokes, of the sunflower family, are native to North America where the natives called them "sun roots" before European settlers arrived. Samuel Champlain, a French explorer found them in Cape Cod in 1605 and pronounced them similar in taste to artichokes. But why "Jerusalem artichokes"? They don't come from Jerusalem nor do they look like artichokes. There are a few theories: when first discovered people started calling them "girasole" (or flower that turns looking for the sun) which eventually became "Jerusalem". Another possibility is that as sunchokes became the staple food of the first European pilgrims in North American soil they named it as food for the "new Jerusalem".
Around the 1960's they were renamed "sunchokes" by someone in the produce marketing department who took the separation of church and steak too seriously. Sunchokes can grow up to 10ft, and if left to their own devises will live forever in the same spot, but quality of tubers will deteriorate if not frequently divided and replanted in fertile soil. They grow best in the sunniest spot, just like their cousins the sunflowers, with an optimum temperature of 65-80- F and 125 frost-free days. But the tubers will be at their prime when harvested after the first or second frost.
And speaking of the tubers, these look like small, knobbly potatoes but crunchier, sweeter and do have a slight taste of artichoke. They practically contain no starch, but plenty of inulin (not insulin), which becomes fructose when spuds are stored in the ground or refrigerated. The humble sunchoke is considered gourmet fare by many. Raw, it's an excellent substitute for water chestnuts in hot and spicy stir fries, or cooked in cream soups, broiled with sweet potatoes, or simply scrubbed and baked.
Adapted from localharvest.com
Coalition Updates
Board Retreat Recap
Last weekend, all of the Board Members for Cascade Harvest Coalition gathered at the Whidbey Institue's Farmhouse for the annual Board retreat. The retreat was an excellent chance to bond over some fantastic food (almost all local, of course) and discuss the future of our organization.
We also welcomed a new board member, Chef Seth Caswell! We are honored to have Seth serve on our board. He brings a passion for local food, an inside knowledge of the restaurant industry, lots of bright, innovative ideas, and, as we most recently found out, a killer Scrabble instinct. Seriously. That's a dangerous combo: he can lower your guards with his fabulous culinary skills, then take you to school with his extensive knowledge of two letter words.
Aside from the eating and revelry, we really accomplished quite a lot in one-and-a-half days, with in-depth discussions ranging from topics like board development to the vision of the organization to program review and back again. It was quality work that energized us and brought us together as a team. Cheesy, but true.
For more information, check out our blog.
Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!
TThanks for reading the December edition of What's Fresh Now. If you have any questions, please consult the website: www.pugetsoundfresh.org
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.
