Normally, I am not someone who is interested in hearing about other peoples dreams (the sleeping kind), nor in sharing my own. But last night I dreamed that Jamie Oliver gave me the most brilliant hand massage I've ever had. Lets just leave it at that.
Photo by artist Camilla Engman.
If ever forced, I would be hard pressed to chose between my love of artful design and culinary expression. So last week I was thrilled to learn that d*s has added a new weekly column titled ‘In the kitchen with…..’. Every Friday features a different artist and their chosen recipe, artfully presented through their own photos or drawings. Brilliant idea! It’s like…..chocolate and peanut butter! Not only is it a chance to check out inspiring looking recipes, it's also a chance to discover artists and their work. Camilla Engman (week 1) and Julia Rothman (week 2) are both incredibly accomplished talents I might otherwise not have heard about.
I grew up cooking. It’s just something I’ve always done and my parents never seemed to stand in my way. In the early days my younger sister, Lauri, usually kept her distance from culinary activity, only venturing into our family kitchen to make two things; vegetarian chili and hot dogs (the kind with pigs lips, ears, tails, hooves, anuses etc......what? Charcuterie is totally hot right now!).
She moved to
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
16 (approx.) small to medium tomatoes, cut in half
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp oregano
Preheat oven to 300*. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Put tomato halves in a large bowl. Then put all remaining ingredients in a smaller bowl, stirring well. Add olive oil mixture to the tomatoes and toss gently. Place tomatoes on the cookie sheets, cut sides facing up. Drizzle a tiny bit of the olive oil mixture on top of each tomato. (save the rest of the olive oil mixture to use for salad dressing or a marinade) Place cookie sheets in the oven and check after 1 hour. If tomatoes are not yet starting to shrink, continue to bake another 15-30 minutes. Allow tomatoes to cool.
Serving suggestions: Chop up oven roasted tomatoes and serve in a salad, pasta or egg scramble, in a sandwich, or on top of pizza or bruschetta.
Chris Mattock (left) and friend, Joe Garret, standing in front of their Seattle student home, ‘The Excellent House’. (1971)
One of my favourite things about writing ‘global peasant’ is that my entries are just the beginning. Usually, they organically lead me to discover several other stories and, sometimes, one of my readers has a related tale of their own to share. After Vancouver architect Chris Mattock read the entry about my visit to Pike Place Market, he shared with me his own story about how the market had been saved. At the time, he was a student of architecture (and also aspiring to be a bluegrass musician), studying in
“The Pike Place Market, which stands today as a major Seattle landmark and tourist attraction, would probably not exist if not for the dedicated commitment of a group of activists during the late 60’s and early 70’s. This group included Victor Steinbrueck , who was an architect and one of my professors at the University Of Washington School Of Architecture. In 1963 a proposal was put foreword to tear down the market and replace it with ‘Pike Plaza’. This project would have included a hotel, apartment building, office buildings, a hockey arena and parking garage. The proposal was supported by the mayor, many on city council and a number of market property owners. However, there was significant community opposition. Steinbrueck, along with others on the board of ‘Friends of the Market’ and some of his students managed to raise public awareness. As the result of demonstrations, talks and public information displays, a public initiative was passed in November of 1971 that created a historic preservation zone and put the market in public hands. Since then, the Pike place Market buildings have been restored and renovated based on the original drawings, using historically correct materials.”
Of course the market is an important historical landmark and tourist attraction, but it is also an incredibly vibrant place for its locals, connecting the public with farmers, artisans, collectors, musicians, bars, restaurants and so much more. The Pike Place Market stands today as a bustling, lively and inspiring place to explore (and eat).
Victor Steinbrueck as a young man.
One of several books by Victor Steinbrueck.
In 1970 Steinbrueck was instrumental in the creation of another
Peter Linenko happens to be 89 years old and legally blind, but he doesn't let that stop him from planting, growing and harvesting between 30 and 40 tomato plants each year, ‘earlybird’ being his variety of choice. Though he did not even begin growing vegetables until the age of 60, his backyard garden in Kelowna, B.C. also grows carrots, beets, garlic, onions, raspberries and radishes; radishes being his favourite, as they are the first thing he eats from the garden each spring.
He plants by feel, using a line of string as his guide and counting in his head. Gardening is a passion for Peter which helps to keep him active and feeling productive. His daughter, Linda, cans some 60-80 jars of tomatoes, salsa and tomato sauce each year, using only the tomatoes he grows.
Though I have never had the pleasure of meeting Peter, Linda is a friend of mine. Last week she generously gifted me with a bag of his beautiful tomatoes. I was so very impressed by his horticultural abilities and accomplishments (not to mention inspired by such fine ingredients).
Here are some resources available online. See (no pun intended) What To Do When You Can't See What You Plant and Adaptive Gardening Techniques For The Visually Impaired.
So....what to do with a big bag of beautiful, fresh homegrown tomatoes? I had eaten a 'panzanella' (tomato and bread salad) during my visit to Seattle 2 weeks ago, at a newish, hip restaurant called Tavolata. The recipe originates in Tuscany, where stale bread is put to use in many ways, often appearing in salads. 'Panzanella' is Italian for 'little swamp'. The name is appropriate, as the chunks of bread are first soaked in cold water and then mixed in with the rest of the salad, where they sop up the zesty vinaigrette. What better time to experiment?
Panzanella (Tomato & Bread Salad)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
8 ounces stale Italian bread, cut into 2-inch cubes
8 cups (about) cold water
5 cups ripe plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup red onion, thinly diced
1 cup thinly shaved pecorino cheese
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
Pour vinegar into small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Then add the anchovies, salt and pepper. Place bread in large bowl. Pour in enough cold water (about 8 cups) to cover bread. Soak 5 minutes. Drain well; squeeze bread to remove as much liquid as possible. Coarsely crumble bread into same bowl. Add tomatoes, onion, pecorino and basil. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat. If necessary, season salad with extra salt and pepper. Serve topped with a light drizzle of good olive oil.
After all my farm visits this summer, I was starting to crave an urban fix. I hadn’t been to Seattle in awhile, my friend Pedro had extended an invitation for me to come down and visit him anytime, plus I was craving just one more little road trip before I hunker down and face the inevitable arrival of autumn. I know, I'm being a big baby. I'm just not ready yet.
My first stop was to the world famous Pike Place Market, sprawling a city block of Western Avenue (between Pike and Pine). Its stalls, shops and businesses sell everything from fresh flowers and produce to antiques and jewelry. Adding to that its many restaurants and bars, there truly is something for everyone. Oh....and did I mention the view?
Family owned Alveriz Farms is situated on 120 acres in Mabton (Yakima Valley), making it one a the largest organic vegetable farms in eastern Washington. Started in 1981 by Don Hilario, it now grows over 100 varieties of organic peppers. Their farm is also the first in Washington to successfully grow organic peanuts. Word is, these tastey morsels are available roasted, ‘baseball game style’ at the market.
Soooo many fresh flowers. Dahlias for sale everywhere.
This beautifully curated stall consisted of all things bee related; honey, soap, salves, candles, lip balm and lotions. Grown and made on a community land trust in Arlington (1 hour north of Seattle), all of Moon Valley Honey’s products are organic.
Sunny honey. Click here to see more photos.
My visit to the conference in Sorrento also included a visit to Notch Hill Organic Farms. Owned and operated by Sue Moore, it is one more glowing example of the beauty and abundance so many of our farmers are creating to share with us, and to feed us. It was a hot and sunny afternoon the day we toured her land, getting a glimpse into just how hard one must work to succeed at such a demanding (and rewarding) lifestyle.
Walking the land with Sue (far left).
Red sun chokes. Most of this crop is grown for restaurants who request and appreciate such unique ingredients.
Orders written up at the packing house. The 'Heidi' order (for Chef Heidi Fink) was used that same evening to become appetizers for our conference's wrap up party.
My dirty foot.
Clean feet.
The strong, silent type.
Despite my valiant efforts last spring, I remain sadly lacking in the gardening department. Now more than ever, I am in awe of those able to work in harmony with nature’s rich complexities and actually grow something; especially if it is edible. When asked how they do so, these people often tell me how easy it is. I suppose that once one has experiential understanding of its laws, it then has a certain rhythm to it…? Still, I remain convinced that those of you who hold and apply such knowledge are somehow able to access a direct line to the divine.
On day 2 of our conference 'The Power of Food Systems: Forging Strong Relationships', I was fortunate enough to partake in the ‘Field to Fork’ event. Part of the day included a visit to a seed workshop at ‘Left Fields Farm’. Led by Patrick Steiner, founder and operator of Stellar Seeds (all organic), it was an incredible opportunity to learn, hands on, how to sort, clean and preserve seeds.
Patrick's t-shirt. (by artist G. Hill from Alert Bay)
Patrick is both charismatic and enthusiastic when sharing his knowledge, making him a natural as a teacher. As he led us through different stations to collect each seed species, I somehow felt he was teaching us something that deep down, we already knew. We are from seed and we eat from seed and we consume seeds in much of what we eat. We are interconnected to the process on so many levels. I honestly feel that what I was taught that day is one of the most important and potentially useful skills a human being can learn. It touches on health, science, the environment, heritage, community, economy and empowerment. It is our past, our present and, most significantly, our future.
Left Fields Farm is home to both Stellar Seeds and Crannog Ales, which is Canada's only certified organic farmhouse microbrewery.
Patrick takes our tour group out into the field to collect drying bunches of 'Amish snap peas'.
Stomping on the bunches to loosen the peas from their shells.
Sifting the stomped bunches of peas through a screen is the next step in sorting the seeds from the chaff.
Fanning the chaff away from the pea seeds. A second bucket sits directly below the first, catching the seeds as they fall straight down and away from the blowing chaff.
Mostly cleaned pea seeds. At this stage, the last of the chaff can be removed by hand.
Drying bunches of beans. Separating the bean seeds from the chaff is done by using the same method as for the peas.
Shelled beans.
Fermenting tomatoes (gardener's delight and golden cherry) being crushed for sorting. Next, the tomatoes are divided into 3 separate buckets and topped up with water. The pulp rises to the top, is poured off, and then the process is repeated another 2-3 times, until the water is clear. Then the mixture is poured through a sieve, leaving the seeds ready to spread thinly on a plate to dry.
Tomato seeds drying in the sun.
Farm apprentice, Nicha, scooping out the cucumber seeds.
Cleaned cucumber seeds, drying in the sun. These seeds are separared and cleaned by using the same method as for the tomatoes.
Lucky pigs get (seedless) cucumber snacks.
Sorted corriander seeds. The process for cleaning these seeds is quite similar to the method used for peas and beans, except that instead of stomping on the seeds with your feet, they are rubbed between your hands.
YIKES! Too busy to blog these days. Darn it. Lots to say... No time to say it... I am literally on my way out the door, heading for a conference in Sorrento, B.C. The topic of this all weekend event is 'The Power of Food Systems: Forging Strong Relationships' (I'll explain later).
In the meantime, here are some photos I took last Sunday at 'Feast of Fields', hosted at the U.B.C. Farm. It was a fine way to savour the last days of the season; not to mention a bounty of fine food and drink. Presented by Farm Folk/ City Folk, this sumptious event "emphasizes the farm-to-plate connection". Fun and yum in the sun.
Am I the only one, or has this last summer flown by even faster than ever? I can’t believe it has now been 3 weeks since I had the great pleasure of visiting Katy and Gabriel of ‘Sapo Bravo’ Organics (‘Sapo Bravo’ means ‘Brave Frog’ in Spanish). Located in Lytton, B.C., getting there from Vancouver was half the fun; a sunny, three hour highway drive along the Number 1, followed by a two-car cable ferry ride across the Fraser River and, finally, an 18 km drive along a dirt road, which runs through the Lytton Indian Reserve.
I have casually known Katy and Gabriel for years, as spirited growers and vendors of beautiful produce, which they bring to town to sell at various Farmers Markets. I had been intending to see them in their natural habitat for quite some time. They are warm, genuine, caring, and good humoured folk; and the pictures they had shown me of their land looked incredibly inviting. It was high time I got my ass up there.
The full size of the farm is ten acres, with the open pollinated produce grown for selling located on five (of that five, half is orchard and half is ground crops). Fruits grown include apples, plums, peaches, and cherries. Vegetables include green beans, dried beans, tomatoes, peppers, fennel, garlic, onions, squash, basil, greens, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, and celeriac. Katy and Gabriel are certainly not afraid of hard work. They seem tireless in their commitment; driving to Vancouver every Friday, where they sell to local retaurants, followed by a day's vending at Saturday's Trout Lake Farmers Market. Such an undertaking is enormous, and would not be possible to maintain without extra help. During the time of my visit, two WWOOFERs from Japan (Aami & Yuko) and two Canadian apprentices (Niomi & Liz) were staying at the farm and putting in long hours, as well.
Katy and Gabriel first met and fell in love 14 years ago, while working as tree planters in B.C. Within two years, they had realized their collective dream of finding and purchasing land of their own, and to begin creating what is now Sapo Bravo. From its beginning, their intention was to create a way of living and expressing themselves artistically through the garden. As Katy said, they are now able to enjoy this living art, and to “experience a way of living and working with the aspects of impermanence, the cycles of life and mortality…..the poetics of life”. Needless to say, Sapo Bravo is something truly special, and I consider myself most fortunate to have visited. (Click here to see more photos.)
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