The mission of The Farmer’s Feast is to cultivate domestic culinary arts.  I believe that one of the best ways to do this is to offer instruction and classes free of charge to anyone who wishes to participate.  The best venue is the Farmers’ Market, where the food is freshest & most nutrient-dense, raised passionately & sustainably, and with few, if any, chemicals.  The Farmers’ Market is also a place where you can develop a relationship with the person who grows your food, which is extremely important, given the mystery that shrouds our industrial food supply (i.e. GMOs, pink slime, arsenic-fed chickens, etc.).

The primary focus of these classes is cooking basics, in order to develop a skill set that can be applied to all of the local bounty.  Because the audience ranges from beginner cooks to those who are more advanced, we use the basics as a springboard, expanding the lesson and branching out to encompass more professional techniques, and old-world from-scratch processes.

To teach these classes, I draw on my formal training, 24 years of professional culinary experience in fine dining & catering, my experience as a mother of a young child, 20+ years of preserving foods at home, and the wonderful relationship that I have with local Farmers, Fishermen, Cheesemakers, & Food Artisans.  At heart, I am a frugal cook, trained by very successful restauranteurs that it is disrespectful to the people who raise your food & to the food itself to be wasteful…plus every penny counts (one of these days, I’ll tell a tale of staff meals of offal & fish heads).  All of these aspects work their way into the classes.

The season kick-off coincided with Hillsdale Farmers’ Market’s Opening Day last Sunday.  It was a bustling market, brimming with energy & enthusiasm, and there was a good turnout for the first class.  Knife skills basics was an apropos warm-up class, and this week, I’m ready to take on Scary Foods.  Below is a season schedule.  Find a topic that interests you and stop by for  a bit, or pull up a chair and stay for the entire process.  Or “enroll” for the season and take advantage of free education.

I do hope to see you at the market!

Hillsdale Farmers’ Market
Feed Me Fresh Cooking Series
Class Schedule

Sundays 11 am – 1 pm

May 6
Knife Skills & Mise en Place
Two essential keys in making everyday cooking more manageable – sharp knives & having “everything in its place”.  For the season kick-off, we’ll start at the beginning, with some kitchen basic how-tos.  How to hold, hone, & wield a knife, plus various vegetable cuts (dice, baton, julienne, chiffonade).

Herb talk – gardening is underway and herb starts are available from several market vendors; there are serious payback benefits to getting some herbs in the ground.  Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions & provide planting tips.

May 13
Scary Foods – Part 1
We’ll explore the culinary possibilities of intriguing market finds.  Be prepared to try things that can sting, poison, and cause general nervousness when one is contemplating their culinary uses.

May 20
Cooking for the Week
The weather is warming and we want more time outside!  Cook once and eat through the week by making meals that evolve, becoming much more than “leftovers”.  Plus ease the pressure of busy weeknight suppers with meals that freeze.

May 27
Whole Fish – How to Filet It, Store It, Cook It, Cure It
Fileting a fish is a skill that can be very beneficial to your food budget.  Take advantage of the price of whole fish & process it yourself.  Throw nothing away – frugality with fishes will lead to tasty dishes!  Recipes for bellies, bones, scraps, & fish heads provided.

June 3
Getting off the Bottle – Salad Dressing From Scratch
From basic vinaigrettes, to green goddess, to creamy blue cheese & ranch, salad dressings are a cinch to whip up in a snap.  Forget the fillers, preservatives, and additives – do it yourself simply & naturally, and do justice to your Farmers’ Market veggies!

June 10
Cheese-Making
Ricotta, Mascarpone, Mozzarella, Paneer, Farmer’s Cheese
Watch milk transform right before your eyes as I demonstrate basic cheese-making techniques.

June 17
Meat Curing
Bacon, Ham, Guanciale, and Lardo are simple and safe to cure at home.  This demo will guide the audience through the process of salting, brining, and curing.

June 24
Sausage-Making
Seasoned ground meat.  Sounds easy, no?  Basic sausage really is that easy, as long as you follow a few guidelines.
The second half of the demo will focus on stuffing sausage meat into casings, cooking, and storing.  Plus recipes for using fresh sausage.

July 1
Kid Snacks (good for “kids at heart”, too!)
Fruit Leather, Toaster Pastries, Homemade Gelatin Dessert, Hummus, Nut Butter, Pudding
Cook healthy snacks for & with your little ones – Parents are encouraged to bring along the kids.  There will be snacks, and coloring sheets to work on while we entertain the parents!

July 8
Quick Pickles
Refrigerator pickles and processed pickles that come together quickly are the focus of this demo.  Make quick pickles and enjoy them right away.

July 15
summer break – no class

July 22
Salsas & Condiments
Simple accompaniments to compliment your meal.  Add spice, zing, & flavor to grilled or roasted meats & vegetables.  Top soups, stews, or bruschetta with a spoonful of intense flavor.  Throw together a stellar cheese plate for your dinner guests.  Or whip up spectacular sandwiches.  It’s easy once you have a stash of condiments in your fridge or on your pantry shelf!

July 29
Raw Foods Primer
It’s a hot food trend…and speaking of hot, it’s too hot to cook in the kitchen!  Not to mention all the health benefits of a raw-foods diet.  We’ll make some fun, fresh, tasty treats using glorious market produce.  No stove required.

August 5
Pantry Stocking
We all seem to be doing more for ourselves these days – why not update your pantry with market-fresh staples?  Invest a little time, and in return, save money by making your own fancy pantry items.  Flavored vinegar, salt, & sugar.  Dried mushrooms.  Vanilla extract.  Mustard.  Mayonnaise.  Crackers.  Hot sauce.  Chile flakes.  Dried herbs.  Spiced nuts.  Pancake, biscuit, cornbread, & cake mixes.
We’ll squeeze in as many recipes as will fit in the day’s pantry!

August 12
Preserving the Harvest
Learn the basics of home canning.  We’ll make jam from start to finish using fresh Farmers’ Market fruit and the waterbath canning method.  Tips, techniques, and terminology.  A great tutorial for anyone who wants to start canning.
The second half of the class will focus on ways to use your preserves.  Don’t worry – if you’re not a jam-on-toast connoisseur, we’ll explore different avenues for all those jars of sweet fruit in your pantry.

August 19
“Opposite Day”
Fun recipes that use sweet foods in savory ways (melon pasta sauce), and savory foods in sweet ways (Moroccan sweet tomatoes).  Sound weird?  Maybe, but so is the thought of carrot cake…and that’s delicious!

April 26
Tomato Festival
Today, we collaborate with Hillsdale Farmers’ Market’s Annual Tomato Festival, presenting a multitude of tomato recipes & uses.  Tomatoes are one of the most versatile foods.  They can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, beverages, even dessert!

September 2
The Gluten-Free Guest
We all know someone who is not eating gluten – either as a long-term dietary commitment, or perhaps to give the body a respite from gluten for a time.  In this class, we’ll explore ways to adjust recipes that traditionally call for gluten, and discover dishes from cuisines that are naturally gluten-free.

September 9
Bento Box Lunch
Back to school means homework for parents – making school lunches that are both healthy and appreciated by kids (so they will actually eat it!).
The bento box is a great way to include a variety of foods, and what could be more fun than a treasure-box lunch with different compartments to discover?!

September 16
Fermenting Foods
The air is cooling, the cabbages are beginning to appear at the market, and winter is long and dark.  Squirrel away a taste of fleeting summer by fermenting some of the harvest.  Fermented foods are splendid for the digestion, and taste delicious.  We’ll make sauerkraut & apple-scrap vinegar, and talk about fermenting basics.  Help with the demo and take home a quart of kraut-starter to ferment at home!

September 23
Three Thrifty Meals
Frugality in the kitchen does not equal meager or humdrum.  Market-fresh dinners that satisfy the palate, nutritional needs, & the budget.

October 7
Odd Cuts
Just because it’s not a loin or a chop is no reason to turn your nose up on those odd cuts!  Harder working muscle can be some of the tastiest…once seasoned & tenderized through slow-cooking.  And even the oddest offal can be delightful with proper cooking techniques.  Join us at this demo as we make friends with odds & ends!

October 14
Meat Braising Primer
Learn the basics of a moist, flavorful braise.  Slow-cooking is key.  As is using the right cut.  We’ll simmer a basic stew, and prepare a larger cut to cook whole.

October 21
Mexican Mole
Toasting, grinding, soaking, frying.  Ingredients, technique, patience.  Observe the process of making mole, a beautiful ritual for festive occasions.

October 28
Scary Foods 2
A fall follow-up to our May Scary Foods demo.  We’ll demystify mysterious market finds…by cooking and eating them!  Bring your adventurous spirit.  And remember…it wasn’t long ago that tomatoes were considered a scary food!

November 4
Party Appetizers
Hors d’oeuvres, canapés, dips.  Easy entertaining ideas for the holidays ahead.

November 11
No-Bake Desserts
There’s a giant turkey in the oven and you need a dessert – what to do?!  No-bake desserts; a non-traditional, but fun alternative that will delight your guests.

November 18
Holiday Side Dishes
We’ll shop the market and whip up unique side dishes for your feast.  Easy enough for every-day, yet festively flavored.  Sides worthy of gracing your holiday table.

Featured in the May 2012 issue of Portland Monthly Magazine is a recipe by Chef Kathryn of The Farmer’s Feast.  Seasonal ingredient #4 – pea shoots, with spring salmon, lemon cream, & fresh fettuccine.

Pick it up at the newsstand, or read the article online here.

Lemon tree very pretty
and the lemon flower is sweet
but the fruit of the poor lemon
is impossible to eat….

Someone should have given Peter, Paul, & Mary a box of salt!

Gus Eberhardt is a Family Farmer with an eccentric flair.
(that description basically sums up my favorite kind of farmer!)

I can’t help but ponder, “Gus, you live in Oregon…your farm is named “Raynblest”…do you really feel it’s prudent to grow cactus paddles, lemongrass, tropical fruits, and citrus?!”

Apparently so.  For what started as a hobby has grown (literally) into a branch of his business.  While honey, prunes, eggs, and bee-products remain the mainstay of the farmstand’s wares, the tropical offerings are rapidly gaining popularity.

As the citrus season wanes, vernal vegetables spring forth.  The segue of seasons offers opportune pairings.  Lemony hollandaise with asparagus, for example.  Citrus flavors compliment & heighten the minerally-tasting grassy greens (spinach, dandelion, nettles), offer a refreshing contrast to rich proteins (like lamb & salmon), and cut through sweet desserts to heighten fruit flavors (lemon curd or cake with fresh strawberries). They are light and bright, like spring itself – even the colors reflect the Easter palate, mimicking bright yellow, green, and orange-colored holiday eggs & daffodils.

One of my favorite things to do with lemons, and now rangpur limes (thanks, Gus, for introducing me to this intriguing fruit), is to preserve them through salting.

Salting citrus, a technique that both changes the characteristics of the fruit, and extends their season, is one of the easiest preservation methods.  No sterilizing, no waterbath or pressure canning, no cooking – and just 2 ingredients; salt & citrus.

And how does one use their salted citrus?  Traditionally, preserved lemons are added to Moroccan tagines, as in this recipe for Spicy Potato Tagine with Preserved Lemon & Olives from Paula Wolfert.  Beyond tagines, they are quite versatile.  Use preserved lemons & salted limes in dishes where you want a unique citrus flavor, and a salt-seasoning (the saltiness should come through in a dish as it does when you use capers or olives – complimenting with salty bites, but not overwhelming the other ingredients).  I finely chop the salted citrus and add it to salads, like the one with goat feta and crisp crackers I’ve given the recipe for below, or the one on this blog post, with fennel & apple.  You can also add a bit to crab salad or tuna salad, or to salsa verde to top fish or chicken.  Paired with tarragon, it’s lovely with chicken – paired with mint & oregano, it brightens and enhances the flavors of roast lamb or grilled chops.  Adding a bit to a fish en papillote (parchment-wrapped fish) scents & seasons the protein, as well as whatever vegetables you’ve nestled in there.

Here are several more ideas:

• I love a bit of preserved lemon or lime thrown into spinach or greens that I’m sautéing.
• One could easily tuck a few slices under the skin of a chicken before roasting, or add slices to a braise or fricassee.
• Steam broccoli or roast cauliflower, then toss the cooked vegetables into a bowl with a bit of chopped preserved citrus, olives, capers, fresh herbs (lots of parsley), and even hard-cooked egg for added interest to routine veggies.
• salmon or tuna tartare,
• quick tomato sauce,
• olive relish,
• deviled eggs,
• rice pilaf

…I could go on and on spouting ideas.  These lemons are inspiring!

Gus’ story & farming practices are interesting, so I’ll follow-up this post with an interview with the Farmer, and more about his citrus that he brings to market.

Raynblest Farm will have citrus for the next month, as the harvest wanes.  Extend the season easily with this recipe:

Salted Citrus

I used Raynblest Farm’s Meyer Lemons to make a jar of sprightly scented preserved lemons, and Rangpur Limes (a naturally occurring hybrid between a lemon & a mandarin orange) for a unique alternative to the typical preserved lemons.

Start by giving the citrus a good scrub.  I use a soft vegetable brush and warm water.  The scent that rises up as you scrub is soothing – a perk of the process!

Trim both ends, the stem end & the nub.

Stand the fruit on its end and slice down, not quite all the way, so that it is still attached at the bottom.  Do this again, making a perpendicular slice, so that you have cut and X and the fruit is now divided into 4 sections, but still intact at the base.  The fruit at this point is reminiscent, to me, of one of those paper fortune-telling games from grade school.

Choose a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (make sure the jar is clean – sterilizing is unnecessary – but you can if you want to).  Add a layer of salt (about a tablespoon or two).  Use Kosher salt.  Sea salt is said to work as well, but I’ve heard people comment that the end result can be a little slimy when sea salt is used.

Open each lemon or lime over a bowl and pour about a tablespoon of salt into the cuts (a little more with a larger lemon, perhaps a little less with a smaller lime).  Pack the fruit into the jar as you go, fitting them tightly together.  Between each layer of citrus, sprinkle a layer of salt (about a tablespoon or so – use the salt that spills into the bowl).  Fill the jar, forcing them in if necessary.  Top off the jar with another tablespoon of salt.  Close the lid.

On the subject of lids – I prefer a plastic or glass lid to the metal screw bands, which will rust and weep when it reacts to the salt.  Plastic lids (be sure to choose BPA-free) are perfect for re-sealing high-acid preserves like salted citrus, as well as opened jars of pickles, relish, & vinegar.

Place the jar on the counter and let it sit for 3 days, turning the jar and giving it a good shake at least twice a day to distribute the salt and encourage the juices to seep out of the fruit (I place my jar in a convenient location and give it a turn whenever I walk by, maybe a half-dozen times a day.  I enjoy it – I get to appreciate the progress firsthand without a lot of effort.).  If the citrus is not giving off a lot of juice, open the lid and give the fruit a press to help things along.

On the fourth day, the juice should be over the fruit.  If not, top off the jar with fresh juice (bottled juice will affect the flavor & make the preserves cloudy).  Place the jar in the refrigerator & wait.  One month.

While you are waiting, the lemons will transform, absorbing the salt and softening.  Their rinds and pith will lose most of their bitterness, and the flavor will become more complex.  You can try them earlier in the process, but they will be sharper, more bitter, than if you wait.

You can then use the salty preserve as-is.  Just remove a lemon or lime, or a section, from the jar (with a utensil, to keep from introducing bacteria from hands), and chop.  Or if they are too salty for your liking, give them a rinse or a little soak in cold water.

Preserved citrus will keep, refrigerated, for, well, a long time.  I’ve had my first batch for a year, and they are better than 6 months ago.  Officially, I’d say 6 months to a year, to be safe, but as long as they are fresh-smelling and not slimy or moldy, they are good to go.
(Note -  You want to be sure that the liquid level is high enough to cover the citrus in the jar.)

Three Quick Preserved Citrus Recipes

Gathered Greens with Preserved Lemon, Goat Feta, & Lavash Crackers

serves 4

4 oz. tender salad greens (soft spring wild greens work especially well – try a mix of miner’s lettuce, amaranth, purslane, watercress, & chickweed)
1 1/2 tsp. fruity vinegar, such as raspberry or Blossom Vinegars loganberry vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
several grindings of black pepper
1 tsp. chopped preserved lemon
2 oz. goat feta (Alsea Acres goat feta is my favorite local feta), or substitute sheep’s milk feta
lavash crackers – recipe found here

Place the greens in a bowl.  Sprinkle in the vinegar and drizzle in the olive oil.  Toss to coat the greens with the dressing.  Add the black pepper & preserved lemon and toss gently.  Divide the salad amongst 4 chilled plates.  Crumble the feta over the salad.  Stick the crackers into the salad and serve immediately.  With a crisp chenin blanc, if desired.

Salad of Dungeness Crab
 with Preserved Meyer Lemon, Salted Rangpur Lime,
 Samphire, & Soft Herbs

serves 4

8 oz. Dungeness crab meat
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
2 tsp. champagne vinegar, or a fruity vinegar such as raspberry
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh soft herbs, such as tarragon, fennel fronds, parsley, dill, chervil, plus more whole leaves for garnish
2 tsp. chopped fresh chives, plus chives cut in 1 inch lengths for garnish
1 tsp. finely sliced preserved Meyer lemon
1 tsp. finely sliced salted rangpur lime
2 oz. fresh marsh samphire (aka salicornia or sea beans), broken into bite-size pieces
tender salad greens
roasted golden beets with citrus marinade – recipe found here

Pick over the crab meat to ensure there are no shells.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, and olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that salty ingredients will be added to the salad.  Add the crab meat to the bowl, along with the chopped herbs, chives, chopped lemon, chopped lime, & half of the samphire.  Toss gently to combine.  Taste the crab salad and adjust seasonings.

Toss the tender salad greens with a spoonful of the citrus marinade from the beets, and divide amongst four plates.  Sprinkle the beets over the salad.  Top the greens with the crab salad.  Garnish with the remaining samphire, several chive sticks, and fresh herb leaves.

Crisp Beet Salad with Preserved Lemons

serves 4

I wrote this recipe for a packet of recipe note cards produced by the Portland Farmers’ Market.  The recipe on the card has 2 raw vegetable salads (one is a shredded carrot salad with za’atar & yogurt dressing, the other grated raw beets & preserved lemon) that are served atop a bed of greens.  This is the beet salad included in the recipe card.

2 cups peeled & shredded (or grated) fresh raw beets
2 tsp. finely chopped preserved lemon
2 tsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
a small handful of watercress per person
freshly ground black pepper

Combine the beets, preserved lemon, orange juice, vinegar, and olive oil, and toss to combine.  Taste and add salt, if needed, and a grinding of pepper.  Plate the beet salad atop the greens.  Serve immediately.

And what to listen to when you’re shaking your lemons?

Why Lemon Tree Song, of course!

…or perhaps The Lemon Song…if you really need to get the juices flowing!

and the winner is…

Truffles are like men -
covered in dirt and smelly,
but in a good way.

Congratulations, Christie!

Your haiku made us laugh – and though we are sentimental souls, tending toward the poems embedded with romantic gestures, sometimes a playful jest gets our goose…and you get the golden prize!

Tell her what she’s won….

(Resonating announcer voice) -  For delighting us with your haiku, you’ve just won a Farmer’s Market Lunch courtesy of Springwater Farm.  Dine on farm-fresh fare in the ambiance of an open-air market, surrounded by happy market-goers.  Springwater Farm’s Chef Kathryn has prepared a 3-course lunch (or breakfast) for you with your choice of soup, entrée, & dessert, served with a bottomless cup of Red Reishi Tea of Immortality – you’ll want to live forever if every meal could be like this!

or

An assortment of Wild & Cultivated mushrooms & a package of Oregon Truffle Salt!

We REALLY enjoyed all the entries this year – so much talent!  Thank you everyone who submitted a haiku.  Honestly, it was a tough decision – we had several favorites.  I’m already looking forward to next year’s contest!

Best kept secret – lunch at the farmers’ market

Enter your poem in the comments of this post (or drop it off at the Springwater Farmstand @ the Portland Farmers’ Market on February 18th or Hillsdale Farmers’ Market on February 19th – look for the pink, red, & white polka-dot box sitting on the table).  Also look for truffles - they will be on the table as well!

The contest ends February 21st & the only other stipulation is that prizes must be obtained at the Springwater Farm booth at one of the Farmers’ Markets where they vend.  Check The Farmers’ Feast February 23rd for the winning haiku!

Last year’s winner:

It was our first time
You and I unearthed much more
Now we search as one

To see more entries of contests past, look here.

The following is a post I wrote a while back for the Good Stuff NW blog.  It’s been a busy month with new winter Farmers’ Markets, and the Springwater Farm ready-to-eat venture at Portland Farmers’ Market & Hillsdale Farmers’ Market, so while I’d rather write some new material on the subject of truffles, for now, I’ll just re-hash what I’ve got (mmm…truffle & potato hash….).

Eat Something Sexy
a bit about truffles & a shopping/eating primer

It’s customary to give your love a box of chocolate truffles to express your feelings, but if you really want to woo her, offer a heart-shaped box of fungus instead.  I’m referring, of course, to that elusive and most coveted of mushrooms, the truffle.
A most enigmatic foodstuff, truffles are a source of mystery and lore.  They boldly give forth a scent that has lured both man and pig for centuries—a unique, ethereal odor of deep woods and musk that, to some, is overly pungent, or even repulsive.  But there is no denying our fascination with them.
Until quite recently, it was impossible to cultivate truffles with much success.  Despite recent revelations in the inoculation process (filbert trees can be inoculated with truffle spores that may then produce truffle “crops”), most truffles in Oregon are still hunted by skilled foragers who search them out, with or without the aid of dogs, in forests & orchards throughout the damp winter.  Their prize for hours spent digging in the dirt is the crown jewel of the mushroom world.

Working with Springwater Farm at several Farmers’ Markets, I’ve come to recognize two distinct sets of shoppers—those in the know about truffles and those that are curious but have no idea what to do with these peculiar savory-scented black and white orbs.  So I offer you a very basic truffle primer:

First: yes, truffles are a luxury, but a more affordable one.  Don’t be put off entirely by their price tag. They are lightweight, and each is powerfully perfumed.  A little goes a long way.

Look for truffles that are dry and have a pleasing scent.  A wet truffle is a sign that it is about to go to the dark side, with a very unpleasant, fetid odor soon to follow.

Truffles do grow underground, so a little earth can be expected.  Just shy away from specimens that are caked with dirt – you don’t want to pay a premium for soil.

Protect your investment.  Use truffles when they are at their peak.  Don’t wait.  Remember that dark side I mentioned?  Well, they tend to head fast into it once they’ve ripened.  If you aren’t ready to use them when they are ready to be used, just chop them up and add them to an amount of softened butter and season with salt.  You can then put the truffle butter in the freezer where it will keep for several months.

OK, you’ve found your source, they are ripe and ready, now what the heck do you do with these things?  Essentially, they are a finishing ingredient.  Shave them over a mushroom risotto or add a lump of truffle butter to good quality fettuccine, then shave a little truffle over the top.  Stir chopped truffle into scrambled eggs.  Truffles marry well with root vegetables, too.  Toss grated or very thin slices of truffle with hot cooked potato and butter or olive oil (or roasted roots such as rutabaga or parsnips), or stir chopped truffle into a cream of sunchoke or celery root soup.
Truffled popcorn is pretty decadent—toss hot popped corn with truffle butter and truffle salt (the salt is made by Norma Cravens when truffles are in season and is available at Springwater Farm).  I’ve included a couple of my favorite simple truffle recipes below.

Keep in mind that the most common faux pas with these earthy gems is to overheat them. Truffles, though pungent, are delicate beings. Their scent is accentuated by gentle warming, but is quickly destroyed by intense heat.

Truffled Shirred Egg with Soft Herbs

A shirred egg is a gently baked egg.  Truffles and soft herbs make this ordinary egg extraordinary.  Serve with a slice of good quality rustic country bread, such as ciabatta.

butter or truffle butter to coat the baking dish

1 egg

truffle salt or kosher salt

truffle (black or white)

a few soft herbs (small leaves of parsley, chervil, tarragon, and small sticks of chive)

Pre-heat oven to 350°.

Coat a very small baking dish with butter (the dish should just accommodate the cracked egg).  Crack the egg into the dish and season with truffle salt.  Place the dish in the oven and bake until the egg is just set (check after 5 minutes, keeping in mind that the egg will take a bit of time to begin cooking, but will then move along quite quickly).

Shave a generous amount of truffle over the egg, decorate with herbs and sprinkle with truffle salt.

Truffle Bruschetta   Adapted from Lidia Bastianich

2 thick slices rustic bread (such as ciabatta)

a black or white truffle

1/2 of an anchovy fillet (optional)

enough butter to blend into the truffle (about 2 Tbsp.), room temperature

truffle salt or kosher salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

Lay the bread slices flat on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 4 minutes or so, turn the slices over and toast on the other side for about 4 minutes until they are light gold. Cool on a wire rack.

Brush the truffle clean with a kitchen towel or vegetable brush.  With a sharp vegetable peeler, a mandoline or a truffle slicer, shave off about a dozen slices of truffles onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper.  Finely chop or grate the rest of the truffle (the fine holes of a box grater work well).  Put the butter and anchovy in a mini-food processor and pulse until smooth.  Fold in the grated truffle and season with truffle salt.

Spread the butter onto the toasted bread.  Garnish with the truffle slices and serve immediately.

Find more truffle recipes here.

I hope these recipe ideas prove inspirational – I look forward to your haiku!

And, just for fun, one more time…in haiku form:

The rules are simple –
write a poem, a haiku.
The theme is truffles.

And of course, I couldn’t have done it without the Farmers & local producers -
THANK YOU:

Ayers Creek - chicories
Springwater Farm - wild salad greens: miner’s lettuce & chickweed
Greenville Farms - bull’s blood beets
Gathering Together Farm - more beets
Osmogaia – cavalo nero kale
Raynblest Farm - meyer lemons
Old World Apples - apples
Blossom Vinegars - loganberry, apple-habanero, & blueberry-basil vinegars
Fraga Farm Goat Cheese - fromage blanc
Portland Creamery - goat fromage blanc

Click here for the chicory salad recipe 

For the beet salad recipe, click here.

To see a video clip from the “healthy eating” t.v. spot, visit The Farmer’s Feast on Facebook.

Winter Kale Salad with Citrus-Marinated Beets
& Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini

Salad of Crisp Chicory,
Blood Orange, & Page Tangerines

Wild Salad with Preserved Lemon,
Shaved Fennel, & Sliced Apple

On Friday, February 3, 2012,
I’ll be wearing red & eating green.
I invite & encourage you to join me!

The American Heart Association celebrates National Wear Red Day at a Community Event to be held at Macy’s in downtown Portland.  This free event aims to raise awareness of the importance of heart-health through fun & informative activities and resources.

The Farmer’s Feast brings a bit of the Farmers’ Market to Macy’s Home Department (5th floor), where you’ll find Chef Kathryn dishing out palate-delighting winter salads at the Legacy Health table.

Because, what could be a better winter repast, after all those stick-to-your-rib dinners, than crunchy, leafy greens?

Is is mere coincidence that salad greens & chicories emerge, crisp & inviting, in the dead of winter?  Or is there method to Mother Nature’s madness?  Emerging before the vernal equinox, wild greens have long been used as a late winter or early spring “tonic”, both medicinally & culinarily.  These harbingers of milder days tend to supply rich amounts of iron, minerals, and nutrients to diets of waning winter storage vegetables (though here in the Pacific Northwest, local freshness abounds year-round).  Chicories & kales seem to appreciate the bitter cold, which softens their sharp tendencies and enhances their complex flavor scheme.

The heart-health benefits of chicory are numerous.  The website Livestrong.com offers this interesting information:
“According to website Drugs.com, chicory extract may be helpful in the treatment  of arrhythmias, fibrillation and tachycardia, a condition in which the heart  beat too fast. It also may be highly effective in treating thrombosis, which is  the formation of a clot in a blood vessel.  In a study published in the March  2011 issue of “Phytotherapy Research,” clinicians found that chicory, which is  rich in plant phenolics, has anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties  that act as a protective agent against cardiovascular diseases and conditions.  In the study, 27 healthy participants were given 300 mL of chicory coffee every  day for 1 week. At the end of this period, the participants’ whole blood and  plasma viscosities significantly decreased and their red blood cell  deformability significantly improved, demonstrating that chicory has some  ability to protect the cardiovascular system.”

Chicory offers digestive health benefits as well, aiding in ailments such as acid reflux.  Chicory contains inulin, which is useful in managing blood sugar levels.  It is naturally detoxifying and contains lactucoprin & lactucin, which have a mild sedative effect, helping to calm the nerves.  Read more about chicory & health here.

Miner’s lettuce has high concentrations of vitamin C, beta carotene, & protein.  It gets its name from its history as a fresh green that miners could easily access during the California gold rush.  I like the thought of worn, dusty miners plucking delicate, lemony greens to stuff into their sandwiches, delighting in the cool, refreshing salad.  At the time, miner’s lettuce was essential for warding off scurvy.  Chickweed is high in vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, selenium, silica, phosphorus, zinc, & potassium.  Chickweed is also an excellent addition to the diet for its benefits to circulatory health.  It helps purify the blood & carries out toxins, and is said to dissolve plaque in blood vessels.  It is used often as an appetite depressant, which can assist with weight loss.  It is beneficial to lung health, particularly for those with asthma symptoms.  Chickweed is used to relieve extreme exhaustion.  Topically, it is used to alleviate a myriad of skin conditions, including burns, wounds, acne, & eczema.  Given all this, it seems silly not to include chickweed in your diet!  I’ll be using both miner’s lettuce & chickweed in a wild greens salad for the event.

Kale, featured in the heart-healthy salad mix, is a superfood.  A cholesterol-lowering, cancer-preventing, detoxifying, nutrient-boosting, anti-oxidant, anti-inflamatory superfood!  Read more here.

Beets – ridiculously good for you.  Lower cholesterol, increase heart health.  Eat beets!  Read more here.

Citrus – more than high in vitamin C, these fruits are high in a myriad of nutrients, and contain no fat, sodium, or cholesterol.  More here.

Vinegar has been touted as a health elixir for centuries.  Though the scientific evidence backing up the benefits is not fully established, studies are showing promise that vinegar can be used to benefit those with diabetes, high blood pressure, even cancer.  Here is a little more on the subject.

Below are the recipes for the salads I’ll be sampling at The American Heart Association National Go Red Day celebration @ Macy’s.
I hope to see you there!

Here are the details:
Celebrate National Wear Red Day and connect with loved ones, friends and experts who share a common cause: saving lives and sharing a powerful message of heart health with women.   At the Wear Red Day Community Event, you’ll embark on Go Red’s heart-healthy passport program. Visit stations throughout the store to meet experts and learn how to make smart choices for your health, including physical activity, nutrition and stress reduction. Guests who visit each station and complete the passport will be entered to win a $250 gift card from Macy’s! The first 100 people to complete the passport will receive a Macy’s tote bag.  Don’t forget to wear red!

Friday, February 3, 2012 from 11:00 am until 1:30 pm @
Macy’s Downtown Portland (621 SW 5th Ave.)
FREE!

Winter Kale Salad with Citrus-Marinated Beets

& Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini

Serves 4

2 large or 4 medium-sized beets

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

4 oz. fresh goat cheese

1 Tbsp. chopped soft herbs, such as chives, parsley, tarragon, or chervil

4 Tbsp. Marcona almonds (or substitute whole almonds)

1 small bunch cavalo nero or other tender, flavorful kale, cleaned & cut into thin ribbons (about 4 cups shredded kale)

4 thin slices of rustic bread, such as ciabatta, pugliese, or mulitgrain boule, brushed with extra virgin olive oil and toasted under the broiler 

• Boil or roast the beets until tender when pierced with a fork or skewer.  When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut into chunks, or slice into rounds.
• While the beets are cooking, make the citrus marinade.  Pour the orange juice into a bowl.  Add the champagne vinegar to the juice and season with salt & pepper.  Whisk in the olive oil.  Stir the prepared beets into the marinade and let the beets macerate for at least an hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Mix the goat cheese with the herbs and a few grinds of black pepper. 
• Pre-heat the oven to 350˚F.  Place the almonds on a baking sheet & roast them until they are toasted golden brown (about 3 minutes – watch them closely).  Remove the almonds to a plate.  When the almonds are cool enough to handle, roughly chop them with a sharp knife, or pulse once in a food processor.
• To serve, remove the beets from the dressing with a slotted spoon.  Toss the greens with enough dressing to coat them evenly.  Arrange the greens on 4 plates and spoon some of the beets over each.  Sprinkle the almonds over the salads.  Spread the toasted bread with the herbed goat cheese.  If desired, the goat cheese crostini may be warmed for a minute or two in the oven before serving.  Divide the crostini amongst the plates.  Serve at once.

Wild Salad with Preserved Lemon,

Shaved Fennel, & Sliced Apple

serves 2

2 oz. mixed tender wild greens (such as miner’s lettuce, chickweed, purslane, and amaranth) 

1/2 oz. fresh fennel bulb, shaved or cut very thin 

 1/2 oz. apple, sliced very thin or cut into slivers or matchsticks 

 1 tsp. champagne vinegar, berry vinegar, or apple vinegar 

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. chopped preserved lemon

several grindings of black pepper

• In a salad bowl, combine the greens, fennel, & apple. 
• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar & olive oil.  Stir in the chopped preserved lemon and freshly ground black pepper.  Taste the dressing.  Adjust seasonings as needed.
• Gently toss the salad with the dressing & serve immediately.

For the above recipe, I made both the apple vinegar (apple-scrap vinegar), & the preserved lemons.  Both recipes are very easy, requiring very few ingredients, but much patience & wait time.  Here are links to the sites where I found simple methods:

Preserved Lemons - Can you believe that there is a Farmer in Oregon who grows citrus for the Farmers’ Market?!  Gus Eberhardt of Raynblest Farm brings Meyer Lemons, Rangpur Limes, and other hot-climate treasures to the Saturday Portland Farmers’ Market.  Meyer lemons make wonderful preserves.

Apple Scrap Vinegar - Use raw scraps.  I let mine macerate for a month before straining, then aged it another 3 weeks before using.  The time it takes really depends on your apple scraps, ambient room temperature, & environmental factors.  Just smell & taste – use your senses to guide you.  And if it goes from a pleasant fermented aroma to something that smells like…butt, rot, or rotten cheese, it hasn’t worked and you should not consume your vinegar.

The Salad of Crisp Chicory, Blood Orange, & Page Tangerines can be found on The Farmer’s Feast post “Chicory – Crisp Winter Leaves”
Here is a link

So, last Wednesday, when dropping off a dish of Asian noodle salad with rutabaga & carrots for Greenville Farms to sample at the People’s Farmers’ Market (I do this every Wednesday – stop by for a different sample & recipe each week!), I visited with Herman.  Herman, the honey & apple vendor (read about the farm his father started here), located right next to the Greenville Farms booth, has been enjoying the weekly samples.  On more than one occasion, he’s suggested I come cook for his family.  Very sweet, and very flattering.  We’ve chatted, this & that about food, and that day he asked me, “Do you eat meat?”

I love that question.  It makes me laugh.  Yes, I eat meat.  Steaks, chops, funky cuts, bits, butts, offal, fat, feet.  The muscle meat behind the eye on a pig head is a tender morsel.  And here is testimony of my testicle eating experience.  The “Do you eat meat?” question is so very Portlandia.  But I have found it essential, here in this town composed of Raw Food Carts & Bacon-Fests.  When offering samples at Farmers’ Markets, I have actually offended people by adding meat to a mushroom dish.  I guess they were pretty excited to try it before they found out it was laden with carcass.  Ok, stomp off in your leather boots – more for us savage carnivores!

Herman told me that he had gotten some bear sausage – a lot of bear sausage, he said, from the processor where he takes his kill after the hunt.  The bear hunter never returned for his meat, so it was offered up.  Apparently, Herman acquired quite a bit of bear.  He seemed enthusiastic for me to try it.  “Sure, I’m game!” I punned.  “I’ve always wanted to try bear meat.”

The evening I came home with two hefty packages of bear sausage, my husband also brought home meat.  He is a butcher, working for a specialty meat company, and had several packages of ground grass-fed beef.  “Wow, bear!” he said when I showed him the paper-wrapped bundle.  He was anxious to try it.  In fact, the next morning, he pulled a package from the freezer to thaw.

I worked the Farmers’ Market on Saturday, serving pounds of bacon that I had cured, atop egg sandwiches, and rich pork “wedding” soup.  I had eaten quite a bit of bacon, and slurped hot soup all morning.  The post-market meeting with my business partner included a pint of beer.  I persuaded my husband to hold off one more day before serving up the bear.  I’ve heard time & time again that bear is very rich.  Occasionally I hear that it is greasy, grizzly, & heavy.  I just couldn’t stomach the thought of bear on top of all that pig meat & beer.

But there was no holding him back the next day, so for our Sunday supper, on a cold, snowy day, bear was served.

Maybe it was the bowl of Porcine Wedding Soup I indulged in for lunch, or perhaps the gin martini that did me in, but the smell of frying bear was unsettling.  The fact that my husband chose bacon fat as a cooking medium might very well have been just a wee bit over the top.

There was something about the aroma – it wasn’t bad or stinky, just intensely rich.  Unctuous.  And I don’t mean in the way chefs & food writers like to use the word to describe something rich & delicious, I mean unctuous, as in overwhelmingly fatty, oily, excessively smooth.  The scent was overwhelming.  It made the room feel heavy.  The headiness filled my lungs.  I needed to open up the doors, and found the crisp, cold air quite a relief.

Dinner was served.  I admit it was quite beautiful.  There was a sheen to the pasta.  It glistened.  And the nuggets of bear were dark and inviting.  But I couldn’t sit directly over my plate, and pushed it forward a bit.  There is something that I have known, but am reminded of at that moment – I have trouble with smells overwhelming my senses.  My olfactory sense is by far my most sensitive sense.  I enjoy tripe, but can’t if I’ve cooked it.  Even though the aroma of the end result doesn’t resemble the stench of simmering tripe, it’s all I can smell when I confront a dish of that which I’ve prepared.  I faced this in my plate of bear.  It tasted really good.  My husband commented that they did an excellent job with the sausage seasonings.  Plenty of salt, and just enough sage.  My 4-year old son devoured it eagerly.  With great care, I lifted morsels of sausage on the tines of my fork and took them between my teeth.  I ate gently, trying to savor.  Trying to enjoy.  Finding myself, again, overwhelmed.

Yes, I would eat bear again.  In fact, I still have some in my refrigerator.  And more in the freezer.  I’m thinking Moroccan spices (like those used for strong lamb or mutton), or maybe bear chili.  Something to cut the richness – white wine, tomato, and the like.  I’ll also be sure to make it a day ahead, open some windows, and go for a walk outside in the cool while it cooks!

Brick-Red Bear Meat

Side Dish:
Porcini Hunt

Years ago, my husband & I took a weekend trip to the Washington coast to our favorite little motel.  There is a bit of forest that has evolved where the beach has grown.  The motel used to look out over the ocean, but years of sand settling along the beach has increased the land between the structure & the shore so that now there is a good quarter-mile jaunt down a winding path to the beach from our room.  Giddy with the excitement of a porcini hunt (we had stumbled upon them here before), I went scampering down the path.  My husband, who had just driven several hours, chose a respite in the room.  I meandered, looking low, scanning the forest floor.  It didn’t take long before I was crawling under the pines, over sand and needles, searching the spot where I had luck previously.

I breathed in woodsy sea air, and sat for a bit beneath a tree.  It was the moment on a trip where you feel your body relax, your mind lighten.  It was quiet, the sound of the surf beyond the wooded patch.  A deep sigh.  Then a rustle.  Oh, I thought, he’s come to join me!  I crawled out from the tree and softly stumbled into the clearing.

There were mounds of sand, like little dunes, that humped here and there between the pines.  Growing up all around them in the small open patches were tall, sandy-colored sea grasses.  I was standing still in the grasses between the trees & the tallest dune.  The bristly grass came up to my neck.  The bear was straight ahead of me, a room-length away, hunched over a bush, eating berries.

There was a wonderous National Geographic moment.  I felt I was privy to a private viewing of wildlife…live…in the wild.  I stood perfectly still, smiling, giddy.  Then a wash of realization swept over me as a gentle breeze floated through the rushes.  Oh my god – a bear!  My mind scanned its survival mode database…quickly.  I didn’t want to startle it.  I didn’t want it to know I was there, but it would if either I moved or it smelled me.  If the wind changed direction, it would smell me.  Ok.  Black bear.  Least aggressive.  It was coming to me like a check list.  I went through with the one plan that made sense, at least in the moment – I crept up the dune and stood as tall as I could.  I wanted to appear non-threatening, but large.  I watched for several seconds, not really thinking of the what-ifs – they seemed too frightening, I just concentrated on the moment.  Slowly, but intently, I reached down, arms extended, and swished the grasses, pivoting back then forth, rustling up a gentle, purposeful sound.

The bear rose on hind legs, front paws held up, but dangling at the wrists.  Circus dancing-bear posture.  He looked at me, nose to the air, then down on all fours, lumbered away.  Whew.  I think at that moment, it hit me that there was an entirely different way that scene could have played out.  Excited, relieved, invigorated, I rushed back to the room.  There were no porcini in the woods that day.

And the icing on the cake – I got to meet Lorraine, who writes a great blog,
A Fork in the Road.
She tells of her day at the market, and lunch with The Farmer’s Feast at Springwater Farm’s booth.  Read about it here.

Thanks, Lorraine – I’ll have hot soup for you, even when market weather is inclement…because on occasion, that has been known to happen at winter Farmers’ Markets!