Out-of-the-Box Eating

Source of Bite-Size to Meal-Size Yumminess

If you were at the Market last week, you noticed the appearance of a new prepared-food vendor, The Box: Asian Fusion Cuisine. Owner and chef Reis Llaneza has garnered press in Kirkland, where he tootles around various locations, serving up his delicious takes on street food. The Bellevue Farmers Market is fortunate enough to be The Box's only farmers market stop! Consider the Pork Belly Hum Bao and Kahlua Pork Hum Bao the kids and I sampled--perfectly cooked and seasoned tender meat nestled in a steamed white bao (familiar to all Chinese food "Peking Duck" and char siu bao lovers), garnished with the crunch of diced and shredded vegetables. My children literally fought over them (for the sake of peace, I did not get the entire one-third of each hum bao I was legally entitled to) and devoured them, vegetable garnish and all. If you knew my son, you would know that a snack tasty enough to make him overlook the presence of vegetables is a tasty snack indeed.

Reis prices the hum baos like sliders--cheap enough to have a couple. He also offers a Chop Chop Salad I found several people at the Market eating, and the day's vegan option was a Guajillo Pepper Chili. For those non-vegetarians in search of a meal-size offering, Reis recommended the Chicken Karaage Plate, designed like a bento box with "tender pieces of fried chicken served with a house sauce, steamed rice, and side of Chop Chop Salad."

We didn't make it far from The Box--about ten steps to the Molly Moon truck, in fact--before I ran into Leslie, a fellow mom from my children's elementary school, who was carrying a box of tomato starts, all sorts I'd never heard of that she'd found at Hedlin Farms. Following her lead, I swung by and picked up a variety called "Stump of the World," which, according to the gals at Hedlin, yields a "bushy plant with Brandywine pink fruit as big as your head." In other words, stake this puppy well.


After the eight-year-old licked her ice cream scoop right off the cone onto the pavement (I applied the ten-second rule and a napkin from Reis), we ventured down to Rockridge Orchards to buy the absent twelve-year-old some fresh cider as a guilt offering. There, the display of rhubarb caught my eye:

My husband is not the World's Biggest Rhubarb Fan, having eaten too much of it in every way, shape and form, growing up in Eastern Washington, but the stalks were so very beautiful that I couldn't resist buying a Whole Lot of Them. A whole, whole lot.


Since strawberries aren't in season yet, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie was out, but I did find this recipe for the admittedly-nasty sounding "Stewed Rhubarb." Because it contains strawberry jam, you get some of the same flavor as the pie, and I (at least) found it luscious over vanilla ice cream, as did some friends we had dinner with. Better yet, instead of the recipe being "easy as pie," it was way easier. Give it a try.


Stewed Rhubarb (adapted from The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook)


1 lb rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c strawberry jam (I used my mother-in-law's homemade jam)
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t salt


Combine all ingredients in a two-quart saucepan over medium heat. When it boils (there is hardly any liquid to speak of, at first, so I waited till the jam bubbled), turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer 10-20 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender. (I cooked it till it broke apart because I didn't really want chunks on my ice cream.)


Serve warm or refrigerate. Spoon over vanilla ice cream. Or split a biscuit, pour over, and top with whipped or ice cream for a Rhubarb Shortcake!


What will you discover this week at the Market? And don't forget--if you miss Thursday, the Saturday Market opens this week! 10-3P in the First Congregational Church parking lot, 752 108th Ave NE. Double Markets--yippee!

Note to Self for Memorial Day

I wish these would plant themselves in the yard

The arrival of Memorial Day signifies two things in the UrbanFarmJunkie universe:

1. It's time for my husband to put in the garden. Like all the Little Red Hen's reluctant helpmates, I refuse to have anything to do with farming/gardening, but I am impatient for and most willing to share in the results, come July-September. Left to himself, my husband will plant the exact same things every year, so if there is going to be any branching out in varieties of tomato, it's up to me. I plan to scour the Market's plant starts this Thursday for this year's variation on Beefsteak, Big Beef, and Sweet 100s. The guy doesn't do herbs either, but I want parsley, mint, and basil and think I can get the 12-year-old to plant and care for them.
   
2. Barbecuing season has officially begun. Never mind the rain or temperatures in the 50s and 60s. You haven't lived in the Northwest until you've huddled under a patio umbrella in the pouring-down precip, trying to keep your paper plate of potato salad and hamburger dry.

Market potato varieties that stand up well to rain

 For my fellow barbecuers-in-the-rain, I've compiled a Memorial Day shopping list:

Just a few of Kittitas Valley's tomato offerings

• Hamburger patties
• Sausages
• Bacon (if you like bacon burgers)
• Potatoes for salad
• Eggs for potato salad or to devil
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Cheese of your choice
• A jug of Rockridge Cider
• Salad greens
• Rhubarb for this fabulous cake I've linked to before
• Or a Pie, if you don't feel up to baking

Rockridge Orchard Ciders

 If you've been lucky enough to cadge an invitation to someone else's Memorial Day BBQ, there to huddle under that person's patio umbrella, make yourself more than welcome with a container of toffee, a jar of jam, or a loaf of artisan bread and chunk of Golden Glen Creamery's Queso con Salsa. With such hostess gifts in hand, you'll be sure to receive an invitation to repeat the whole experience when the 4th of July rolls around...

Top Ten Discoveries at the 2012 Bellevue Farmers Market

(Bonus Discovery for my male readers: women love flowers even after Mother's Day. These ones, for example.)

If you didn't make it to Opening Day last week, don't let this Thursday pass you by! I could easily have titled this post "Top 45 Discoveries at the 2012 Bellevue Farmers Market," because there is lots, lots, lots new and exciting.

So, my Ten Discoveries Made on Opening Day. I give you, in no particular order:

1.  More eggs. Not only do both Growing Things Farms and Skagit River Ranch offer the precious little orbs on Thursdays, but Skagit has increased the size of its flock. Which means no more 100-yard dash necessary from the opening bell, and no more elbowing and heated words required when supplies run low. (Eastsiders may look like relaxed suburbanites, but not if you come between them and their eggs.)
2. Out-of-this-World Asparagus. Like most asparagus lovers, I've been "cheating" with Mexican- and California-grown varieties since about February, but last week I laid hands on my first Washington asparagus of the season from Crawford Farms in Prosser. Set the oven to 450F, drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a handful of Hedlin Farms cherry tomatoes, roast about 20 minutes. Oh. My. Land. Hands-down the best asparagus I've had in who knows how long. The husband corroborated my opinion. Seriously--get your hands on some.
3. Pie! By the slice or by the whole, courtesy of the Snohomish Pie Company. Jenny and Angela claim Apple-(Marion)berry Crumb is the top seller, but you may have to try every kind before you settle on a family favorite.
4. Gluten-free treats. If the luscious offerings of our bakers send your body to unhappy places, please join me in welcoming Manini's. This certified gluten-free (and rice-free) bakery features muffins, cookies, bars, and bread mixes made from "ancient grains" like millet, quinoa and amaranth.

5. Crisp, crisp apples. Uh-huh. You may think apples are mushy and halfway to applesauce this time of year, but Martin Family Orchards brought some Fujis out of cold storage that you've got to bite into to believe.

6. Natural food coloring? Nestled among the many plant starts I found Amethyst Basil at River Farms (better known as our melon purveyors later in the season). Liz tells me that if you put the leaves in vinegar, it will color it purple! If coloring things purple isn't your thing, I found just about every other variety of basil as well...

7. Vegan "bacon." While we're on the topic of oxymorons, Wade Bennett at the returning Rockridge Orchards offers, among his many, many other tasty products, Applewood Smoked Salt. When added to foods, Wade declares, it gives that vegan something the unmistakeable je ne sais quoi of bacon, that soupçon of what farmer/author Novella Carpenter called the "gateway meat" that lured her back from vegetarianism.

8. Local/Exotic Jams, courtesy of Big Spoon Jam. Bastyr-educated, one-woman-show Tina concocts "unique and sensual" flavors that "stretch the boundaries." This is not your Goober Grape. Try Tea-Smoked Pear or "Forager's Preserves," a mix of wild blueberries and Douglas fir tips. As a bonus, Tina tries to cut down refined sugar with honey.

9. Soap and lip balm. Found the former at Growing Things and the latter at Alm Hill. You don't just eat well at the Market, you smell better and have kissable lips. XO.

And, 10. Frozen blueberries. If you can't wait till the fresh ones of summer, grab a bag of local, frozen from Alm Hill or Crawford Farms. My kids just pop a handful in their lunches, and they hold up pretty well.

This all is just for starters! Make your own discoveries this Thursday and feel free to share in the Comments.

Your Opening Day Shopping List!

Fresh Vegetable love, baby!

Glory hallelujah, it's finally Opening Week for the Bellevue Farmers Market! Imagine when, on Monday afternoon, I saw Market Director Lori Taylor's startling update on Facebook: "Lori Taylor is at the Bellevue Farmers Market." Say what? What was she doing there, when she'd told all of us that Opening Day was Thursday, May  10, from 3-7 p.m. in the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue! I think a time machine must have been involved to get her there, but I'll chalk it up to the vagaries of technology. Have no fear, Marketgoers, we haven't missed Opening Day.

What better way to celebrate the start of the fresh-and-local season, but with a recipe and a shopping list? I discovered this one for homemade Ranch Dressing, the perfect thing to dunk fresh vegetables into, or to slather on your bazillion kinds of picked-that-morning lettuce:

Bellevue Farmers Market Crudite Platter with Homemade Ranch Dressing
(Some of the vegetables below can be eaten raw or lightly cooked, depending on how you like them)

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Sugar Snap Peas (if we're lucky)
Radishes
Asparagus (definitely pre-cook)
Beets (ditto)
Parsnips (ditto)
Rutabaga (ditto)
Carrots
Jerusalem artichokes
A variety of lettuces!
Halves of hard-boiled eggs

Slightly-adapted Ranch Dip/Dressing (see the link for the original; Market ingredients marked with an *):

1 small clove garlic, minced*
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I prefer one without soybean oil)
1/4 cup sour cream (full-fat sour cream contains fewer bizarre ingredients)
2 Tbsp Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced*
1 Tbsp fresh dill, minced, or 1 tsp dried
1/2 Tbsp minced fresh chives*
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash hot sauce

Mash garlic with salt. Add to rest of ingredients. Thin with milk or buttermilk to desired consistency. (For a dip, I didn't thin it at all. Chill it for a couple hours to blend flavors.

Delicious. Serve up your platter with an omelet of farm-fresh eggs* or a grilled steak* or salmon.* Throw in a loaf of artisan-baked bread* spread with specialty butter.* Finish off with a lovingly-baked pie*! You can't go wrong. And if, somehow, this menu didn't appeal to you, remember there's plenty, plenty more at the Market, including prepared foods. And you gardeners remember--there'll be plant starts on offer.

See you all Thursday, and let the good life begin!

Arsenic--It's Not Just for Murderers Anymore

In Dorothy Sayers' mystery novel Strong Poison, a woman is on trial for the murder (by arsenic poisoning) of her lover. Is she guilty or not? Certainly she had some motivation, and she did hand the fellow his cup of coffee. Fortunately, Lord Peter Wimsey has taken an interest in the case and--not to spoil anything--makes some surprising discoveries when he investigates a certain man's hair clippings. The clippings, you see, contain traces of arsenic. Murder will, and does, out, and all ends happily.

The chemicals entering our body leave their traces, for good or bad. This is true whether you're a human being or an animal eaten by human beings. Riding the pink-slime, food-additive wave, journalist Nicholas Kristof recently wrote about chemicals found in Big Ag chicken, including antibiotics, acetaminophen, antihistamines, antidepressants, caffeine, and even that old murder-mystery favorite, arsenic. Similar to Lord Peter's analysis of hair clippings, scientists found all the goodies in feather meal, a poultry by-product made from--uh--feathers.

Antibiotics we all know about--chickens raised in close quarters, around and next to and on top of each other, tend to get sick more and need a boost fighting off all the germs. But the other chemicals? It turns out the antihistamines, acetaminophen, and antidepressants are given to relieve anxiety. Chickens, like humans, get anxious under stress. The caffeine? Well, that keeps them awake longer so they can eat more and fatten up faster. And the arsenic? Is some chicken being poisoned by a vindictive lover? No--arsenic actually fights infection and makes chicken meat plump and appetizing. Like Airborne and Botox, all in one. Mm, mm arsenic.

If I worked as a PR specialist for Big Ag, I would see this as a $$$ opportunity. Dose those chickens up just a bit more, and you could market a Headache-Fighting Chicken (acetaminophen is better known as Tylenol)! Or how about a Cheer-You-Up-Chicken (one pumped with antidepressants)? A caffeinated Five-Hour-Energy Chicken?

Honestly, what has my un-chemically-plumped, free-roaming, organic, antibiotic- and additive-free Skagit River Ranch chicken done for me lately? Looks like, if I want to poison my husband or children, I'll have to hit the grocery store. For nefarious purposes, nothing I find at the Bellevue Farmers Market will do the trick...

See you Opening Day, Thursday, May 10, 3-7P, in the First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue parking lot!