Amazing Meals from Amazing Chefs (& Cooks) with Amazing Fresh, Local Food!
Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com/
It is inconceivable that September is nearly done! Genoa Bay seems like a year ago, though luckily I went online and found the French Jazz radio station that we were getting up there, so some of the nice feelings have lingered. We have had a couple of fabulous meals with a local focus this month and I feel so very privileged to have been able to take part in them. The first was Chef's Collaborative's annual Urban Picnic in Seattle. It was held on a rooftop downtown and we were high enough to not be able to hear any traffic and to see the sky clearly, yet still have lots of taller buildings around us for a wonderful urban landscape. There was a band and the lead singer was Carrie Cunningham, who has an absolutely beautiful voice. They played mainly old style country like I was raised on so I enjoyed singing along with them. This 'picnic' is like all Chef's Collaborative events, so it focuses on local talent, local food and sustainability. We took our picnic basket with our own plates, cutlery and napkins and they provided the glasses for the abundance of locally produced wine, beer, sodas and waters.
And then there was the food. I am going to list all the foods and who made them and you can drool and wish you could taste it! The event is the main fundraiser for the Quillisascut Farm School scholarship, which is something I am going to apply for next year. If I win I will be going to the farm school in NE Washington for 1 week next Summer, to learn about working with farm fresh foods while living and working on the farm itself. I have wanted to do this for 3 years and I have decided to apply next year and I am nearly breathless with the hope of it! Anyway, here is the menu:
Quillisascut Chevre-stuffed grape leaves with walnuts and chokecherry gastric
Quillisascut raw milk farmer cheese (both from Quillisascut Farm Kitchen)
Creamy Polenta w/Estrella cheese, chantrelles & lobster mushrooms (from Oliver's Twist)
Taylor Shellfish Geoduck Ceviche w/Alvarez chilies, corn & tomatillos (from Licorous)
Oregon Pink Shrimp ceviche w/chilies and lime (Anchovies & Olives)
Lightly smoked Ozette potato salad w/chives and smoked salmon roe (from Jason Franey/Canlis)
Churro Lamb & Full Circle Farm chard crepinette (from Seth Caswell, Emmer & Rye)
Grilled Reefnet Lummi Island Wild Sockeye (The WIllows Inn)
Smoked sockeye roe mousse on toasted baguette (The Willows Inn)
Wild Blackberry coconut squares with lime cream (Joule)
Molten dark chocolate cake w/red huckleberries (Hot Cakes Confections, Autumn Martin)
Plus Mark took my picture with Maria Hines, who I adore and admire! I got some pointers for filling out my scholarship application next year and we both had a very enjoyable time in general.
The very next week was the Harvest Meal right here in Kitsap. Did you come? I am in charge of putting together the chefs and organizing the menu, and this year I had more help with that than I did last year, which was fantastic. It is a daunting task to plan to feed 300-400 people and we put out the best food you will have all year long. The area farmers give us great material to work with, and the KCAA (Kitsap Community & Agricultural Association-you should be a member!) purchases livestock for protein from 4H/FFA kids at the fair auction, as well as from other local producers. The quality of the food is so good to begin with that my 'ordinary' roast chicken was absolutely delicious! We held this one at Olympic College and we will be begging to return to that fabulous space again next year. The kitchen is so huge all of us chefs/cooks were in our own areas and NOT bumping into each other! AMAZING! Yes, I have kitchen envy. The seating/buffet area was totally separate so again we had lots of room to work and thanks to all the wonderful volunteers it all got served up nicely! We even had leftovers this year, which is better than running out like last year, believe me! We had 2 pigs, 2 lambs, several chickens and oysters to work with for protein. The chefs all volunteer/donate their time, talent, energy and quite a bit of raw material to make the wonderful meal and I sure hope they all want to help again next year. We had Chris Plemmons from OC, Richard Kost from CJ's Evergreen General Store, Lowell Yoxsimer of Hi-Lo's 15th Street Cafe, Jeff McClelland of Pegasus Coffee House & Harbour Public House, Shelly Lewis of Cosmo's Ristorante & Delicatessan, John Nesby's chef Henrique from Mor Mor Bistro, Tomas Nevarez from Simmer Down Home Chef Instruction, and of course Mark, Leslie and me. Lowell made beautiful and delicious desserts from Washington grown fruit, I made sure there were lots of vegetarian dishes to choose from, and the most beautiful green salad ever was not even the only offering.
Donations really make this meal happen, including our coffee roasters Paul & Dean, our soda maker Mike & Dee from Hummingbird Hill, and Harbour Public House provides locally brewed beers and local wines at a very reasonable price! All the farmers and food suppliers give us a discount and Central Market donated some of the staples that we could not get locally. We made magic happen and the food was phenomenally good. We WILL do it again next year and whatever you may have planned that weekend, I highly recommend you change it. This is worth 3 times the low price, easily!
So we have been so very busy with these things, and now Italy is right around the corner. Inconceivable! We have the KCFC Fall Fair, a staff meeting, a wine tasting, Dining out for Farms party and weeklong fundraiser, and while we are gone Halloween will sneak in on us. We will have a party when we get back and then it will be Thanksgiving and into the holidays... and a whole bunch of other stuff in between all that. WHOA!
Ok so I need to breathe.. slowly.. in through the nose and out through the mouth. WHOOOOOOSH! A recipe for some comfort food is called for!
Dinner tonight:
Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms (and I am having it with roasted brussels sprouts, too!)
Polenta:
2 cups whole milk (I use 2%)
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup polenta (Corn Meal-about 7 ounces)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (or goat cheese! or any fresh or soft cheese)
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
1 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 TBS (or more) freshly grated Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a large saucepan, combine the milk, stock and butter and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thick, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream, mascarpone, herbs and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile sauté the mushrooms:
1 TBS unsalted butter
1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
4 shallots, finely chopped (onion will do)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 pound chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and halved (you can use 1 lb of any mushroom you like)
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, trimmed and halved
1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thickly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a large, deep skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add half of the shallots and garlic and all of the chanterelles and oyster mushrooms and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 6 minutes.
Serve the polenta with the mushrooms on top. SO GOOD! If you want to have roasted brussels sprouts on the side because you got them at the farmer's market and you can't wait to have them:
preheat oven to 350
trim the sprouts and cut each in half
toss in olive oil, salt and pepper
spread out onto a baking sheet in one layer
roast for about 10 minutes, or until done (depends on size and freshness)
YUM!
Ciao for now...
Genoa Bay BC 2010 143a.jpg
When you cannot change what is happening 'to' you, the stressors going on in your life, what you can change is your reaction to them. Have you heard this before? Actually, this is true even when you can change some of the details, you can still change how you react. Up until the past week or so I have misunderstood what that really means. I was thinking that it meant I could 'choose' to not be upset, or frustrated, or hurt, etc... and this week I had an epiphany. That is not what it means at all! Which is a good thing because I was failing miserably at my attempts. While dealing calmly and confidently in every situation would be lovely, it is not going to happen for most of us. What it actually means is that I can choose to take better care of myself in many different ways. I will be coming from a healthier, mentally and physically stronger place and I will have better 'recovery time' from the traumas and stress that happen each day. This is true for all of us, though the methods will be different for everyone. I think this is particularly noteworthy as the holidays approach because they are inherently stressful. Our bodies do not differentiate between 'good' stress and 'bad' stress, we have essentially the same physiological reaction to both situations. Here are some things I am choosing to pay more attention to:
*Eat better, which for me means small meals and snacks based on protein several times a day. This will help me think more clearly, keep hormones and blood sugars balanced, and be able to get to that calm place more often.
*Start walking and exercising again. This will help me sleep better, balance those pesky hormones and blood sugars, give me energy, and help make me stronger to get me through those exhaustingly busy times. Some days I have to do some work the minute I wake up and that is ok; I can get in some activity in the afternoon and it will still be good for me! (I tend to think if I don't get it done in the morning I lost my opportunity) It will also help me maintain my regular schedule a bit more tightly, which I want to do.
*Connect with myself more. I like to journal, though I can be a bit rigid in how much and how often I think I need to be doing that, so I am playing with journaling however much I want, whenever I get the urge, be it several times a day or once a week--3 pages or 3 words. And it does not always have to be in the official journal.
*Connect with family, friends and community. This gets more difficult to make time for in spite of this age of connectivity. I don't consider a text message or a facebook message to be as personal or meaningful as a face to face, a phone call, or even an email. Which leads me to:
*Give myself permission. Permission to lighten up my self expectations. Permission to be creative in how I do live up to those expectations. Essentially, permission to treat myself as I would treat anyone I love, including my staff team, family, friends, etc...
*Take more personal time. Even just an hour a day... that is not watching any programs, or reading any trade materials, or having a business meeting. Time that is just for me (the daily walks help with this) and then at least once a week have about 2 hours just for me.
I have been good at each of those things in the past, sometimes even all at the same time! Some how I have let them slide and they have not all been in sync for quite a long while. I am taking small steps in each of those areas and I want to encourage you to find those things that can help you feel better, stronger, calmer and generally happier. So what led me to all this insightfulness? Mark and I got away last weekend! 4 whole days off! I had some time to rest and relax, explore and even contemplate. And read! I read a novel, finished 'The Happiness Project', which I have been reading since February, I think, and I got through a couple dozen trade magazines that I was way behind on. We played cards, caught some crab, and explored the area a little. Friday, on the way up to Genoa Bay, we stopped at the following wonderful places to provision ourselves:
Merridale Cidery for a cider tasting and for a delicious lunch. Local foods abound and they prepare them with care and expertise.
Silverside Farm and Winery provided us with fresh eggs and blueberries and enjoyed a tasting of their wonderful fruit wines.
Rocky Creek Winery (yes it was a very leisurely drive up) where we not only tasted their wines, we also tasted their salt and pepper chocolate. It was absolute perfection with their blackberry dessert wine and we are going to borrow that idea for sure! SO GOOD!
Then we hit Cowichan Bay and had an ice cream at Udder Guy's Ice Cream. The toasted coconut was by far the best toasted coconut ice cream in existance! The ginger was wonderful, too.
True Grain Bread provided us with a fabulous multi grain loaf that went way too quickly, as well as some Scottish oatmeal.
Hilary's Artisan Cheeses was a fun stop and we picked up some chevre, as well as their washed rind 'Red Dawn', both were fantastic.
And of course coffee! Relationship Coffee was open so we got a lb of medium dark roast ground up, since we didn't know if there was a grinder at the cabin. While we waited for the grinding we enjoyed the best iced coffee that we have ever tasted! I don't know if we can duplicate it, though we are going to try.
Our lovely weekend was well under way and on Saturday we rounded it of with a trip to Salt Spring Island. The Saturday Market there reminded me of the market we visited in Siena. It was absolutely mobbed with people and they must have over a hundred vendors! It is an amazing market and we had fun picking up more locally produced goods. Lots of produce and some perfect French macaron cookies! We nibbled on potstickers as we made our way back to the car and it was a relief to be leaving the madding crowd.
We visited all the wineries on the island! Ok there were three: Salt Spring Vineyards which had the most beautiful grounds that would be really fun to have an event on. Garry Oaks Winery and Mistaken Identity Vineyards, which most reminded me of Italy.
When we got back to the cabin we gathered all the ingredients together and took the picture above for you to see. I cannot seem to put more than one picture on a post, so I will do another post right after this with the plated results of our antipasti that very evening. We already had with us some pork chops & sausage that we got from Possum Run Farm right here in Kitsap, as well as some good olive oil and a couple of other things. The farm stand down the road from the cabin filled in a couple of gaps and we had some great food all weekend long. Being in the Cowichan region, celebrating local food by the simple act of seeking it out and eating it, and enjoying the immense generosity of the Doc and his cabin with a view, made for a lovely weekend indeed. It rained on Monday and was chilly, so we even got to have a roaring fire and stove-top popcorn in the afternoon! Even the French-language radio station was sublime. Simple pleasures that bring me the utmost enjoyment.
Those are the things that made me realize that our 4 day vacation was the longest we have had in over 4 years and it is the most we will be getting for awhile yet. Stress will always be there and it seems to just want to build and build these days. We were able to live in the joy of the moment last weekend and I have to get work out the stress in lots of different ways. All we can do is keep trying our best at whatever we are doing and once in awhile just enjoying a good book!
Fall is in the air and it is feeling like soup and stew season again, so here is your recipe:
Carrot Ginger Soup (it's quick & easy, healthy, and you can get the ingredients at farmers markets this weekend!)
2 TBS canola oil
1 1/2 lbs carrots (about 9 good size), peeled and chopped medium
1 onion, chopped medium
2 TBS grated fresh ginger (ground is just not good enough)
3 C chicken broth
3/4 C 1% milk
1/4 C juice of oranges
salt n pepper
minced carrot tops, if your carrots came with them
optional: 1 TBS minced, fresh chives or scallions
Heat the oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the carrots and onion and cook until vegetables are softened, about 7+ minutes.
Stir in the ginger and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to med-low; cook until carrots are very tender, about 16 minutes.
Puree the soup in a blender, in batches, until smooth. (Remember when blending hot liquids: leave at least a third of the room at the top, remove the plastic center from within the lid and cover with a quadruple folded towel, and start on a low speed, slowly building up. This leaves room for expansion)...... Return the soup to the pot and stir in the milk and juice, cooking gently over med-low heat until the soup is hot again.
Season to taste and top with carrot tops, chives and/or scallions.
If you reheat the soup, do not boil it. Ciao for now!
Citta Slow Relaxation & Crab
Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com
This is the first of a 2-parter on a mini vacation we took to Genoa Bay, BC. The next installment will have lots more details on our stops. Before I continue however I must tell you about a great farm that we discovered on our way to Florence, OR a few weeks ago. We had heard about Gathering Together Farm in Philomath and we are so glad we decided to take the long way down and stop by there for a visit. The have a gorgeous farm stand that accepts EBT as well as credit cards and cash and a seasonal restaurant that uses the farm products for amazing dishes. The clay oven is absolutely fantastic and has definitely inspired the plans that we have to build our own. If you find yourself anywhere near Philomath, OR you can't miss this inspirational farm!
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As I gaze out to Genoa Bay, BC, I breathe in and exhale a relaxed sigh of release. Our stress levels have skyrocketed over the past couple of weeks and this escape was perfectly timed. Our home was broken into on August 25th. It was my mom's birthday and I had spent some time cooking a meal for her and dad, a couple of friends, Mark and me. The break-in changed our plans and everyone came to our place rather than having us serve it to them at mom and dad's, because I could not bring myself to leave the house after the breach. It did in fact change everything from then on, and it has been very unpleasant to deal with. My birthday was two days later and it is a time I normally love, celebrating life with friends and family. We had the usual fun party at the cafe where I get to give and receive gifts and good wishes all day long, and still it was difficult to fully submerge myself and just let the goodness flow. It was a blessing to have so much love surrounding me, especially at a time when I was feeling so forlorn, and yet shaking off the fear and anger was not an entirely completable task. And that very thought makes me angry again. Enough of that; thank you for letting me vent it out, every bit of that helps.
My girls told me that they had gone in on a super special surprise gift with my parents and my aunt, and that it wouldn't arrive until the next day, so they wanted to wait to tell me about it. The next day was Saturday and when I got to the cafe the whole staff (including Ivy) was there except Sharon, and there was a real hum of excitement. They gathered around me and handed me a gift bag. I reached in and plucked out a tissue-wrapped lump, which turned out to be what looked like a jewel box. They were all watching me with anticipation, big eyes and grins of secret knoweldge. I focused in on the box cover which read 'Canlis' and my mind lurched... CANLIS?? I was so shocked I set the box down and the voice in my head screamed 'NO WAY, THAT IS NOT YOURS!'...the girls laughed and said go ahead! Open it! I reached for it and shakily opened it up and therein was a small card that indicated I was the bearer of an amazing gift certificate! Under the card was a little cloth envelope, and the actual gift certificate was encased within. I kept opening and closing the box in amazement and tears filled my eyes. These girls, each of whom are exceptional and essential to my life, were showing me such love and sensitivity with this gesture, and it was overwhelmingly lovely. You see, I have wanted to go to the Canlis since I was 16 years old. Count it up, that is 27 years! I had friends who went there for senior prom and I knew then what an amazing institution this restaurant was. As I began my early restaurant career and got some insider trade knowledge, I gained an even bigger appreciation for the Canlis restaurant. I always had an excuse not to go: It was just outside of my financial reach, or the occasion was not quite worthy, or whoever my dining companion(s) were would not appreciate it enough. Secretly I knew that when I did go, I would never be able to recapture that moment again, so I was prolonging the pleasure. This is extraordinairy when you consider that I am an immediate gratification kind of girl who loves to savor every excellent moment. I am ready for this pleasure and I am really excited to make the reservation. Mark and I just have to figure out when we can go and fully immerse ourselves into the experience; it will not be too long from now.
As I mentioned earlier we are in Genoa Bay, BC right now (perhaps I should say “as I write this” because it will not still be true when you read this) thanks to an extraordinairy customer/friend of ours. I have not asked his permission to give his name so I will call him the doc. The doc has what he calls 'a family cabin' on Genoa Bay and one day while he was in line at the cafe he mentioned that he had been up for the weekend. Mark and I lit up and told him how much we love this island and that I had just read about how the Cowichan Valley (this region) just got recognized internationally as the first 'Citta Slow' region. (Citta is Italian for city, and pronounced 'cheetah') Their commitment to local food and community up here is first rate, and a fine example for the rest of the world to follow. He smiled in recognition of fellow island lovers and said 'you know, if you ever want to use the cabin I would love to let you'. We were stunned. He didn't know us well and he seemed very sincere in his generosity. I looked at him and slowly told him that we would seriously take him up on that, and if he wanted to reconsider, or discuss it with his family, or think it over for a week, we would not hold him to the invite. He just laughed and said that he didn't have to think about it, just let him know when we wanted to go up. The next day I gave him a list of possible dates and this is the weekend that worked for him. Can you believe the luck??? I jokingly asked if the cabin had indoor plumbing and he assured me that it had everything we needed. I made ferry reservations that day. A few weeks later the doc left us a book about Cowichan and he had written a personal note inside. I asked him about it because we were assuming it was a loan, and he assured me that it was a gift. This is a beautiful coffee table book about the history of the region with a focus on the Citta Slow recognition and slow food movement.
A few days before we were to come up the doc left us a soft sided case filled with maps, brochures and a binder with house information, keys and directions. We took our time getting up here, starting on the 0830 ferry on Friday. We disembarked in Victoria around 1030 and headed north. We hit a cidery, a couple of wineries, a couple of farm stands, a bakery, a cheese shop, a local coffee roaster and got an ice cream before coming out to the 'cabin'. What could have taken an hour or so stretched into 4 hours. It was a beautiful drive and we took our time, enjoying the journey as the destination. We pulled up to the 'cabin' and were a bit surprised by the size and niceness. Then we came inside. Holy crap, this is gorgeous! It was originally owned by a friend of the doc's father, and passed down to him, so we were expecting a rustic cabin. It is not. If you are reading this then we came home, though we are seriously considering squatting and never leaving until they forcibly remove us. Gorgeous views on both sides, idyllic marina within steps, quiet, and it has been sunny every day. It is a beautiful home and we are having a wonderful time pretending it is ours. We went to the Salt Spring Island Saturday market and loaded up on supplies. This market is very large and reminded me of the markets we saw in Italy. We also hit 3 more wineries. I will write more in depth about the wineries, food places that we visited, and meals we enjoyed later, but these pictures should tell you a lot.
Mark went out in the doc's Boston Whaler this morning and set the crab pot. We are going to go out and 'pick up dinner' in a few minutes (no drive through can beat that!) and there is a farmstand a few miles up the road if we need anything else. Yea, this is the good life and we are abundantly grateful for every moment of it.
How to cook a crab:
You can catch your own crab or buy them live at the docks or at the store. There are many ways to cook them and while none are difficult, this is the simplest of all:
Fill a pot with water (salt water from the crab's home is best) and if it is regular water salt it like the sea. Bring it to a rolling boil and drop the crab in. (use tongs or it could hurt!)
Boil for 15 minutes. Take him out and spray him down with cool water, then let him cool off for a few minutes so your fingers can handle touching the hot crab. Pop off the outer carapace (it's super easy after cooking). Remove the gills and mandibles, pull the body in half and rinse out the ickiness that you may find in there. All that's left is shell and meat.
The absolute best way to eat crab is just out of the shell, with some crisp wine or a lager, and some bread on the side. A salad caps off the dinner nicely and make sure you have lots of napkins, along with newspaper down on the table so you can easily clean up the mess.