Good Stuff NWhttps://goodstuffnw.com/Connecting the dots between the field and my plate.en-usMon, 18 Mar 2024 17:08:17 -0700http://cyber.harvard.edu/rss/Mom's Granola: Don't Call It Hippie FoodMon, 18 Mar 2024 17:08:09 -0700https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/03/mom-s-granola-don-t-call-it-hippie-foodhttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/03/mom-s-granola-don-t-call-it-hippie-food<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/moms_granola.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>My mother was about as far from a hippie as you could get, so the fact that I am regularly reminded of her whenever I make her fabulous granola is, well, a little more than ironic.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/janet_bauer_party.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> My mother, circa 1969. </figcaption> </figure> <p>A staunch Oregon Republican—in those days defined as socially liberal and fiscally conservative—she was not in favor of the "free love" espoused by young folks of the era or much of anything they did (or wore). But when my brother opened a café in Northwest Portland and needed something to offer customers for breakfast that wasn't pancakes and eggs, she jumped in and came up with this recipe.</p> <p>It features the traditional mix of oats and honey baked on a sheet pan until toasty, but she pulled back on the heavy sweetness of most versions she came across in her research—it was the era of Frosted Flakes and Fruit Loops, after all—and loaded it up with the nuts and coconut she loved. I still make it regularly, and I've found the recipe is almost infinitely mutable according to my whim-of-the-moment or what's available (or not) in the pantry. Switch out the nuts, throw in some cardamom or chopped dates, it's all good.</p> <p>Thanks, Mom!&nbsp;</p> <h3>My Mom's Granola</h3> <p>1/2 c. butter or margarine<br> 2 tsp. vanilla<br> 3 oz. orange juice<br> 2/3 c. honey<br> 8 c. rolled oats<br> 3/4 c. brown sugar<br> 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br> 1 1/4 c. sunflower seeds<br> 1/2 c. wheat germ (optional)<br> 1 1/4 c. flaked coconut<br> 1 c. walnuts, chopped or crushed<br> 2/3 c. slivered almonds<br> 2 c. raisins, currants or other dried fruit</p> <p>Preheat oven to 325°.</p> <p>Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. When melted, remove from heat and stir in vanilla, orange juice and honey.</p> <p>In large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients except raisins. Add honey mixture and stir till moistened. Spread on cookie sheet and bake for 30 min. Remove from oven, reducing heat to 300°, and turn with spatula. Return to oven and bake for 15 min., take it out and turn again. Return to oven for another 15 minutes until toasty. Cool thoroughly, stir in raisin and store in quart zip-lock bags. (I keep them in the freezer until needed.)</p>Boardman Residents Sue Polluters Over Contaminated Drinking WaterWed, 6 Mar 2024 17:05:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/03/boardman-residents-sue-polluters-over-contaminated-drinking-wathttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/03/boardman-residents-sue-polluters-over-contaminated-drinking-wat<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/sprinklers_threemile_canyon.jpg" class="glossy"/><hr> <h3 style="text-align: center;">A review of 30 recent studies lists the most prevalent risks associated with<br>ingesting nitrates as blue baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia), colorectal cancer,<br>thyroid disease, and neural tube defects, even at levels below regulatory limits.</h3> <hr> <p>The State of Oregon and federal agencies have known for more than 30 years that there was a serious problem with industrial and agricultural pollution of the water in Morrow and Umatilla Counties, yet residents of those counties are saying that next to nothing has been done about it.</p> <p>On February 28th of this year, five Boardman residents filed <a href="https://www.hbsslaw.com/sites/default/files/case-downloads/morrow-and-umatilla-county-oregon-groundwater-contamination/2024-02-28-complaint.pdf">a class action lawsuit</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">in federal district court in Pendleton</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;accusing the Port of Morrow, Lamb Weston, Madison Ranches, Threemile Canyon Farms—a 70,000-cow megadairy that supplies most of the milk for Tillamook's products—and Beef Northwest Feeders of contaminating groundwater in Oregon’s Lower Umatilla Basin by dumping nitrogen throughout Morrow and Umatilla Counties. Attorneys estimate the issue affects upwards of 46,000 residents, many of whom are children.</span></p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/morrow_county_water_merkley.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Morrow and Umatilla County residents holding signs met with Oregon <br>Senator Jeff Merkley (back row, center) to discuss contaminated water in January of 2023. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Since 2017, I've written on <a href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com">Good Stuff NW</a>&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">about the damage caused by industrial agriculture starting with</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;a post titled </span><a style="font-size: 1em;" href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com/2017/03/why-i-m-quitting-tillamook-cheese/">"Why I'm Quitting Tillamook Cheese."</a><span style="font-size: 1em;"> That post became the basis of an article for the news website Civil Eats, </span><a style="font-size: 1em;" href="https://civileats.com/2018/01/03/big-milk-brings-big-issues-for-local-communities/">"'Big Milk' Brings Big Issues for Local Communities"</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;which connected the dots between industrial agriculture and the health of the communities—along with the air and water—around these facilities, especially when, as in Oregon, they are regulated as "farms" and not the industrial facilities they actually are.&nbsp;</span>Even back in 2017, the <a href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com/2017/11/big-milk-big-issues-for-local-communities/">Oregon Department of Agriculture admitted </a>that some wells used for drinking water contained nitrate levels over the federal maximum allowed.</p> <p>A review of research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health&nbsp;in 2018 analyzed more than <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/7/1557">30 recent studies on the effects of nitrates in drinking water</a>, listing the most prevalent risks as blue baby syndrome (<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24115-methemoglobinemia#:~:text=Methemoglobinemia%20(MetHb)%20is%20a%20rare,shade%20of%20blue%20or%20purple.">methemoglobinemia</a>), colorectal cancer, thyroid disease, and neural tube defects, adding that "many studies observed increased risk with ingestion of water nitrate levels that were <strong>below</strong> regulatory limits." [Emphasis mine.]</p> <p>“Defendants have dumped, and continue to dump, millions of pounds of nitrogen onto land in Morrow and Umatilla counties,” the lawsuit said. “Nitrogen in the ground converts into nitrates, which then percolate down to the water table in the Lower Umatilla Basin, polluting the subterranean aquifer on which plaintiffs and class members rely for their water.”</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/threemile_canyon_lagoon_foff.jpeg" alt=""> <figcaption> Manure lagoons at some industrial farms in the area can cover as much as 20 acres. </figcaption> </figure> <p>In an <a href="https://www.capitalpress.com/state/oregon/nitrate-pollution-lawsuit-targets-port-of-morrow-agribusinesses/article_b600d394-d737-11ee-b0f2-3faa82fcaa5f.html">article in the Capital Press</a>, Boardman resident Michael Pearson, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, said that his family relies on a private well. When he had his water tested in 2022, he was shocked to discover it contained many times over the nitrate level considered safe by federal authorities. When he had a filtration system installed to treat the water, it still remained well over the federal maximum.</p> <p>Two other plaintiffs,&nbsp;Michael and Virginia Brandt, discovered their water was contaminated when they had it tested, but they couldn’t afford a filtration system. James and Silvia Suter said that nitrate levels in the water coming out of their taps is four times the federal maximum, but when they looked into drilling a well deeply enough to get to uncontaminated water, the cost was quoted at $24,000.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/water_faucet.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> For many years nitrate levels in some drinking water wells in the Lower Umatilla Basin <br>have tested several times over the federal maximum. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Oregon Public Broadcasting <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2024/02/28/lower-umatilla-basin-residents-nitrate-pollution-lawsuit/">interviewed Steve Berman</a>, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, where Berman compared the nitrate pollution in the Lower Umatilla Basin to the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where thousands of people were exposed to lead and other contaminants through the municipal water system.</p> <p>"There's some very powerful agri-businesses and the port, they make a ton of money off dumping this polluted water, and they have a lot of clout. So no, I wasn't surprised," Berman said in <a href="https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/lawsuit-umatilla-morrow-groundwater-wells-contamination-nitrates/283-04a6948a-23e9-4430-9027-243ede6eb457#:~:text=Some%20residents%20in%20the%20basin">an interview with KGW-TV</a> for their "Tainted Waters" series. "I think it's gone on so long because a lot of the victims are low-income minorities who can't afford to hire lawyers, don't have a voice in politics. As I said earlier [in the interview] if this was happening to a wealthy suburb of Portland, it would have been stopped years ago.”</p> <p>The plaintiffs are hoping not only to gain compensation from the defendants, but also to require them to clean up the basin's soil and groundwater, to get residents connected to a clean source of water, and begin medical testing of residents for health issues related to nitrate contamination.</p> <p><em style="font-size: 1em;">Top photo: Sprinklers spraying wastewater at Threemile Canyon Farms (from its Facebook page). Photo of Sen. Jeff Merkley meeting with residents who are experiencing contaminated water. Photo of manure lagoon at Threemile Canyon Farms from Friends of Family Farmers.</em></p> <hr> <p><em><strong>Disclaimer:</strong>&nbsp;One of the defendants in the lawsuit, Beef Northwest, is the current incarnation of the Wilson ranch, founded by my great-grandfather in North Powder, Oregon, in 1889.</em><em><br></em></p>Epic Black Bean Chili Fit for a CrowdSat, 2 Mar 2024 18:17:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/03/epic-black-bean-chili-fit-for-a-crowdhttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/03/epic-black-bean-chili-fit-for-a-crowd<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/black_bean_chili1.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>Oregon is so incredibly fortunate to have an abundance of pasture-based farms that are focused on animal welfare and the hard work of improving their soil.</p> <p>There's Chris and Zack Menchini's <a href="https://campfirefarms.com">Campfire Farms</a> in Canby, Michael and Linda Guebert's <a href="https://terrafarmers.net">Terra Farma</a> in Corbett, Ryan Ramage and his family at <a href="https://www.ramagefarms.net">Ramage Farms</a> in Canby, Jared Gardner's <a href="https://www.nehalemriverranch.com">Nehalem River Ranch</a> at the coast, and in the snow-covered mountains and wheat fields of Eastern Oregon you'll find Cory Carman's <a href="https://www.carmanranch.com">Carman Ranch</a> and Liza Jane McAlister, matriarch of <a href="https://6ranch.com">6 Ranch</a>—whose tagline "Doing it the hard way since 1884" has this former ad person swooning—among dozens more. (Find where to get the products from local farms and ranches that have adopted pasture-based methods in the invaluable&nbsp;<a href="https://oregonpasturenetwork.org/pasturedproducerguide/">Oregon Pasture Network Guide</a>.)</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/campfire_farms_art.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> The artwork that Campfire Farms uses for its branding says it all! </figcaption> </figure> <p>If you follow any of these folks on social media or sign up for their newsletters like I have, you'll find that they'll occasionally post special offerings when they need to make room in their freezers or have extra stock (no pun intended) available. So when I run across a screaming deal on Carman Ranch ground beef or see that&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">Campfire Farms is offering a box of assorted sausages and pasture-raised chicken breasts for a (relative) song, I jump on it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">That was the case when Ryan Ramage posted a photo of a box of beef chuck roasts and short ribs for close to half off the regular price. It did necessitate driving to Oregon City for a not-so-clandestine meetup at <a href="https://tonyssmokehouse.com">Tony's Smoke House and Cannery</a> where Ryan was making a delivery, but he graciously plopped the box in the boot of the Subie and I handed him a check. Done!</span></p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/ramage_farms_cattle.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> A focus on soil improvement, carbon sequestration and animal welfare, like these pasture-raised, grassfed cattle at Ramage Farms, are hallmarks of pasture-based farms and ranches. </figcaption> </figure> <p>One of the chuck roasts was left out to thaw in a tub of cool water and I started the quest for a chili recipe that would assuage my craving for a chile-laced black bean version. Having belatedly stumbled across the amazing collection of videos and recipes of <a href="https://patijinich.com">Pati Jinich</a>, a superb cook and passionate activist for authentic Mexican culture and cuisine—<a href="https://player.pbs.org/viralplayer/3085091283/">watch her moving interview</a> with Mayan women who formed a baseball team and are now national stars—I found a recipe for braised pork with chiles used as a filling to make pork chilorio burritas.</p> <p>With apologies to Ms. Jinich, I substituted beef for the pork and added some of my roasted tomatoes and black beans to the ingredients. The result was magical. I hope you check out her videos and enjoy this bowl of delicious pastured beef and bean chili!</p> <h3>Epic Beef and Black Bean Chili</h3> <p><em>Adapted from a Pati Jinich recipe for <a href="https://patijinich.com/chilorio-burritas/">pork chilorio burritas</a>.</em></p> <p>1 lb. dried black beans<br> 3-4 lbs. pastured beef chuck roast, cut in 1" cubes<br> 1 1/4 c. fresh-squeezed orange juice<br> 1 1/4 c. water<br> 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt<br> 5 dried ancho chiles, tops and seeds removed<br> 1 1/2 c. of the chile soaking liquid<br> 1/2 c. onion, roughly chopped<br> 4 cloves garlic<br> 1 tsp. dried oregano<br> 1/4 tsp. ground cumin<br> 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper<br> 2/3 c. cider vinegar<br> 2 c. roasted tomatoes<br> 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil<br> 1/4 tsp. salt plus more to taste<br> <em>Condiments (optional):</em> Grated cheddar or crumbled cotija, sliced avocados, shredded cabbage, sour cream (crema), sliced jalapeños, red pepper flakes, hot sauce(s)</p> <p>The evening before serving, soak the beans by placing them in a large saucepan and cover with water by two inches. Put a lid on the pot and place on the counter or the back burner of the stove to soak (unheated) overnight.</p> <p>At least three hours before serving, drain the beans and set aside.</p> <p>P<span style="font-size: 1em;">lace meat i</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">n a Dutch oven or large pot and pour orange juice and water over it. The liquid should barely cover the meat—if it does not, simply add more water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil, then cover and turn down the heat to simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, until much of the liquid is gone. The meat should be cooked but still retain its shape. so o</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">nce the meat is cooked, pour it into a large bowl and set aside.</span></p> <p>While the meat cooks, remove the stems and seeds from the ancho chiles, tearing them into large pieces. (You may want to wear gloves for this step if you're sensitive to their oils.) Place the pieces of the chiles in a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water, letting them steep for about 30 minutes. Once the chiles have rehydrated and cooled, place them and 1 1/2 cups of their soaking liquid in the blender, adding the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, cumin, black pepper, vinegar, and roasted tomatoes. Purée on high until smooth.</p> <p>Take the pot that you cooked the meat in and heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Pour in the blended chile sauce and simmer 4 to 5 minutes. Add the meat with its cooking liquid and the soaked, drained beans to the sauce in the pot. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender but not mushy, 45 minutes to an hour. Taste for salt and add more if need be.</p> <p>Serve as is or with a panoply of condiments as suggested above.</p> <hr> <p>Read more about <a href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com/2020/02/growing-a-farm-terra-farma-expands-with-meat-csa">Terra Farma</a>;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com/2019/02/how-an-oregon-rancher-is-building-soil-health-and-a-robust-regi">Carman Ranch</a>; and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com/2020/11/guest-essay-collaboration-key-to-building-a-sustainable-local-f/">Nehalem River Ranch</a>.</p>Oregon Sea Grant Launches Oregon Seafood Locator Map and ListingsFri, 1 Mar 2024 11:13:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/03/oregon-sea-grant-launches-oregon-seafood-locator-map-and-listinhttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/03/oregon-sea-grant-launches-oregon-seafood-locator-map-and-listin<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/oregon_sea_grant_black_cod_ceviche.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>Did you know that around 90 percent of the seafood caught off the Oregon coast is being shipped out of the state—some even going as far away as Japan or Europe? And that 90 percent of the seafood served at our restaurants is being shipped in?</p> <p>To say that there is a deep disconnect in our local food systems is an understatement. Those famous yellow tins of Ortiz tuna on specialty store shelves more than likely contain Oregon albacore. That's right, a fish caught miles off of our coast is shipped halfway around the world, stuffed into tins and then shipped back to us. Crazy, right? And a good chunk of the rest of our albacore is exported to Japan for sushi.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/albacore_fishery_women.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Most of Oregon's fishing fleet consists of single family-owned boats. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Altogether our Oregon fisheries—including rockfish, ling cod, petrale and Dover sole, wild salmon, black cod, albacore tuna, Dungeness crab, cold water shrimp, and oysters—supply four percent of the catch sold in the entire U.S.; the fishing town of Newport is considered the Dungeness crab capital of the world. But even with a thriving maritime tradition, it’s still difficult to find Oregon-caught seafood on the menus of our own restaurants.</p> <p>That disconnect is why <a href="https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu">Oregon Sea Grant</a>—a&nbsp;cooperative program between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Sea Grant College Program and <a href="https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/outreach-and-engagement/commercial-fisheries">Oregon State University's Oregon Sea Grant Fisheries Extension</a>&nbsp;to address the needs of Oregon's coastal communities and ecosystems—has launched the <a href="https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/where-to-buy">Oregon Seafood Locator</a>&nbsp;with the mission of helping Oregonians discover the many different types of seafood harvested in Oregon.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/oysters_raw.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Fresh, briny oysters from Oregon's pristine waters are in big demand. </figcaption> </figure> <p>With a map and a comprehensive statewide listing of locations that sell or serve seafood caught or grown in Oregon, along with information on how to buy the freshest fish online or on the dock, as well as how to preserve and cook it, the Seafood Locator is intended to be a comprehensive guide to these local foods that are so much more delicious than substitutes shipped from farther away.</p> <p>You can get involved in building this resource by <a href="https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/user/4566/contact">contacting them</a> if you know about a business that sells Oregon seafood products that needs to be added to the page.&nbsp;You can also add to their listing of recipes by using the hashtag #EatOregonSeafood in your social media postings.</p> <p><em>Top photo of black cod ceviche at <a href="https://fortgeorgebrewery.com">Fort George Brewery</a> in Astoria. Photo of line-caught albacore from <a href="https://wfoa-tuna.org">Western Fishboat Owners Association</a>.</em></p>Legislative Report: Take Action on Canola Contamination, Housing and HungerWed, 28 Feb 2024 17:06:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/02/legislative-report-take-action-on-canola-contamination-and-houshttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/02/legislative-report-take-action-on-canola-contamination-and-hous<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/signing_petition.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>There are just two weeks left in this legislative session and three pieces of legislation need your help.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/canola_spraying.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Canola is a low-value crop that can cross-pollinate with valuable food crops, <br>wreaking havoc on local agriculture if it is not tightly controlled. </figcaption> </figure> <h3>Protect the Willamette Valley from Canola Contamination</h3> <p><a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Measures/Overview/HB4059">Willamette Valley Specialty Seed Protected District (HB 4059)</a> needs to be passed before the current proposal "sunsets" this year.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">The Willamette Valley is one of the most important regions in the world for large-scale vegetable seed production. Prior to 2015, growing canola was prohibited in the Valley due to its ability to cross-pollinate with crops in the brassica family like broccoli, kale, cabbage and others, risking the livelihoods of vegetable farmers and seed producers. In 2015 a law was passed allowing a very limited amount of canola to be grown with strict rules requiring distancing from brassica growers.</span></p> <p>In order to protect farmers and growers of vegetable seeds in the brassica family from fear of crop contamination or rejection of contaminated seed by national and international markets, strong protections and compliance tools must be developed. Maintaining the Willamette Valley Protected District and limiting canola production is crucial to preserving the state's specialty seed growing industry. <a href="https://friendsoffamilyfarmers.org/canola-protected-district/">More information here.</a></p> <p><strong>ACTION NEEDED:</strong> Submit your testimony by <a href="mailto:Sen.JeffGolden@oregonlegislature.gov">e-mailing Senator Jeff Golden</a>, Chair of the committee and entering "HB 4059_A" in the Subject line, then copy and paste the text below into the message, filling in the brackets as needed<span style="font-size: 1em;">.</span></p> <p>To Chair Golden, Vice Chair Girod and members of the committee:</p> <p>My name is [name] and I am writing in support of HB 4059-A. I am a community member in [town]. The Willamette Valley Specialty Brassica seed industry is vital to the agricultural landscape of Oregon and we are so lucky to have the land, expertise and conditions to support this unique industry. We should protect these farmers’ ability to grow the seeds that produce millions of pounds of food across the world.&nbsp;</p> <p>Because a reasonable agreement could not be reached after the work group process, extending the current regulations is the only viable option. This topic means so much to me because [insert your reason here, such as "I want to be able to buy locally produced organic seeds for my garden that are adapted to our climate" or "I want to buy organic crops from local farmers to put on my table," etc.].</p> <p>We know that HB 4059-A is not the end of the road and we will have to find a more permanent solution in the next few years. I urge legislators to listen to the specialty seed growers in this process. Just because they are not the biggest, most industrialized farms does not mean that they have any less value in the system. Please respect their knowledge of the plant biology, industry standards and best practices that have made this a thriving industry here in our state. In particular, we need future policy to address the issues outlined in scientific studies that threaten organic production in the Willamette Valley.</p> <p>Thank you,</p> <p>[your name]<br> [your address and town]</p> <hr> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/urban_sprawl.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Choosing sprawling subdivisions and strip malls won't solve our housing crisis— <br>it will only destroy valuable farmland and create new problems for Oregonians. </figcaption> </figure> <h3>Support Smart Housing Policy</h3> <p>Governor Kotek’s 2024 housing bill, <a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Measures/Overview/SB1537">Senate Bill 1537</a>, offers Oregon much-needed infrastructure funding and climate-smart housing incentives but it also allows cities to <a href="https://friends.org/news/2023/12/how-well-solve-our-housing-crisis-without-UGB-expansion">override long-established land use laws and processes</a> to expand their urban growth boundaries (UGBs) by at least 75 or 150 net residential acres, depending on population size. This could lead to municipalities open to influence from developers eager to enrich themselves at the expense of our rich agricultural &nbsp;lands near population centers.</p> <p>Though there are many crucial components in this bill that address the existing housing crisis, advocates are stressing the need to prioritize affordable housing within the existing UGBs first and foremost. Oregon’s land use laws and the concept of Urban Growth Boundaries (UGBs) has protected valuable farmland, they argue, saying that once farmland is lost, we can't get it back. Farmland with close proximity to urban markets supports a robust local food system, benefitting urban residents who gain access to locally grown products and farmers who have ready access to a large customer base.</p> <p><strong>ACTION NEEDED:</strong>&nbsp;Ask your legislator to support smart housing policy by <a href="https://friendsoforegon.salsalabs.org/sb1537-1/index.html">adding your name to this letter from 1000 Friends of Oregon</a>.</p> <hr> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/double_up_food_bucks.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> The Double Up Food Bucks program gives hungry families access to local food. </figcaption> </figure> <h3>Fresh Local Food for Hungry Families</h3> <p><a href="https://doubleuporegon.org">Double Up Food Bucks</a> help those who currently receive food assistance through the SNAP program to afford additional fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet is a crucial part of building a healthy lifestyle and that is why it's critical this program receives continued funding. There are federal matching dollars available, but only if legislators allocate more state dollars.</p> <p><strong>ACTION NEEDED:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://act.yourethecure.org/eVEpByy">Message your state lawmakers today</a> and ask them to support the $1 million funding request for this important program.</p>What the Heck is a CSA? Find Out at the Share Fair!Sat, 24 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/02/what-the-heck-is-a-csa-find-out-at-the-share-fairhttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/02/what-the-heck-is-a-csa-find-out-at-the-share-fair<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/csa_share_fair_linehan1.jpeg" class="glossy"/><p><em>It's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Week, so I'm reposting this Q &amp; A from 2019 with details on this year's CSA Share Fair at the bottom of the post:</em></p> <p>The <a href="https://www.pnwcsa.org/all-events/csasharefair">CSA Share Fair</a> on Sunday, March 3, is a chance to meet more than 45 local farmers, ranchers and fishers who offer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares to the public. They'll be showcasing various options, including vegetables, fruits, pastured meats, wild fish, eggs, flowers, honey and more. To keep it simple for you, there's a matchmaking service where you can check off what you're interested in and a helpful volunteer will point you toward the best farmer for you! Time and location of the 2024 CSA Share Fair are at the bottom of this post.</p> <p>If you're not sure what a CSA is or if there's one that might be right for you, here's a Q &amp; A with CSA maven Katherine Deumling of <a href="http://cookwithwhatyouhave.com/">Cook With What You Have</a>.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/csa_share_fair_linehan2.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Find the right CSA for your household at the Share Fair! </figcaption> </figure> <h3>Why join a CSA?</h3> <p>Joining a classic CSA gives you a window onto a farm and what it takes to grow the delicious variety of things that you'll receive in your share each week. The farmer chooses what's best that week that &nbsp;can relieve you of most of your decision-making, though more CSAs are giving members the option to order from a list of what's available. I actually love not having to make any decisions about what produce I'm getting because then I can concentrate on being creative with what I receive.</p> <p>CSA farmers in our region tend to grow a staggering variety of produce and typify the saying, "What grows together, goes together!" Belonging to a CSA has expanded my repertoire and introduced me to vegetables I wouldn't have picked up at the farmers' market, though some people are not so keen on the "no-choice" bit. My online <a href="https://cookwithwhatyouhave.com/get-started/">Seasonal Recipe Collection</a> comes in handy, since the recipes are sorted by vegetable and there is a thorough introduction for each vegetable.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/csa_share_fair_linehan3.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Watch local chef demos and ask them questions at the Fair. </figcaption> </figure> <p>I also subscribe to a CSA because it helps me budget, and when you calculate out the cost of a CSA by the week it is quite reasonable. I pay up front or in a few installments, and then supplement from the farmers' market or the store with fruits or occasional vegetables I'm not getting in my CSA—like asparagus, artichokes and a few other things that aren't typically found in a CSA. If I know I'll be getting my gorgeous box of produce each week, I won't be tempted to buy other things, to make the most what I've already paid for.</p> <h3>What are the different kinds of CSAs?</h3> <p>Some CSAs focus exclusively on produce, some also include fruit like blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, apples, pears, quince and so forth. Some give you the option to add an extra Salad Share for those who love salad greens; others might give the option to add eggs, honey, flowers or meat. Some CSA farms work together with other area farms to offer such a wide array. And then there are exclusive meat and fish CSAs as well as CSAs that focus on a single crop like apples or flowers.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/csa_share_fair_linehan4.jpeg" alt=""> <figcaption> Many farms, many options to choose from! </figcaption> </figure> <h3>There are so many local farms offering CSAs. What should I consider before joining a CSA?</h3> <p>Generally, if you want super-delicious produce and can't always make it to a farmers' market, a CSA is for you. If you like to cook or want to cook more and are typically home most nights of the week, a CSA is definitely for you. If, on the other hand, you travel a lot or are out a lot at night, you'll struggle to keep up with the produce.</p> <p>Think about the size of your household and your family members' eating habits to decide if a CSA is a good idea or not—do you all like vegetables or are open to trying them? How much do you think you'll eat? You might start with a half share (most farms offer two different-size shares) and see how that works, setting yourself up for success rather than the guilt of wasting some. Also consider if the pick-up site is convenient (some CSAs deliver to your door as well). But make sure you think about the logistics of picking up your share—make a plan with a friend or neighbor, either to share the CSA or both do it so you can alternate doing the pick up. This is great community-building in and of itself, and you can also share ideas of what to do with less familiar produce.</p> <h3>Does a CSA subscription make sense for a single person?</h3> <p>It very much depends on the person—if you are a vegetable lover and like to cook and entertain, by all means. If I were single I would buy a CSA but I do cook and eat more vegetables than almost anyone I know! And again, consider a half-share or splitting it with a neighbor or friend.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/csa_share_fair_linehan5.jpg"> <figcaption> Some farms offer a single product like flowers, eggs or beef. </figcaption> </figure> <h3>I'm afraid I'd be paying for produce I can't use or my family won't eat, and I know nothing about rutabagas or kohlrabi. What should I do?</h3> <p>This is an important factor to consider carefully. As I noted earlier, I have vastly expanded my appreciation of certain vegetables (rutabagas being at the top of that list) by becoming a CSA member and I've enjoyed that.</p> <p>There are a handful good cooking techniques and methods—think grated vegetable pancakes, like latkes—that are a critical to successful CSA cooking. In fact I added a grated rutabaga to fried rice the other night and it was delicious! And if you occasionally share an extra kohlrabi with a neighbor (I have definitely done that, too) the benefits of the flavor, nutrition and connection to your place and those growing our food may well trump the "kohlrabi hardship"!</p> <h3>I don't drive. How would I pick up my share?</h3> <p>I pick up my share by bike and it works well. Most CSA shares will fit into two typical panniers. Some CSAs have pick-ups at companies or farmers' markets so you might inquire if your place of work is linked up with a CSA farm or ask them if they might consider it. Some CSAs even offer home delivery, so if you find one you're interested in, definitely ask them!</p> <p><strong>Details:</strong> CSA Share Fair, Sun., Mar. 3, 10 am-1 pm; free. Event at The Redd, 831 SE Salmon St. If you can't make it to the Share Fair, there's a listing of Northwest CSAs at <a href="https://www.pnwcsa.org">PNWCSA.org</a>.</p> <p><em>Photos by <a href="https://www.shawnlinehan.com">Shawn Linehan</a>.</em></p>Braising Weather Calls for Long-Simmered Beef and VegetablesSat, 17 Feb 2024 14:27:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/02/braising-weather-calls-for-long-simmered-beef-and-vegetableshttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/02/braising-weather-calls-for-long-simmered-beef-and-vegetables<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/pot_roast_bourguignon1.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>There's a reason the French love braised beef, simmered slowly for hours until it's just short of falling apart. Whether you call it bourguignon or daube as the French do, or pot roast or beef stew, it's a sumptuous, belly-warming meal that fills the house with its luscious aroma and can feed a crowd or keep a couple in dinners and lunches for days.</p> <p>It's also adaptable to different seasonings depending on what's in your pantry or still hanging on in your winter garden. A classic Provençale beef daube calls for red wine, tomatoes and herbs, while an Italian <em>stracotto</em>—translated as "overcooked" for some reason—calls for…well…red wine, tomatoes and herbs. One may lean more heavily toward bay leaf and thyme while the other includes rosemary, but it's poh-tay-toh, poh-tah-toh as far as I'm concerned.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/pot_roast_bourguignon2.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Pasture-raised, grass-fed chuck roast is packed with nutrients and flavor. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Same for a beef stew or pot roast. One may include cutting the beef into chunks and browning first in a dusting of flour mixed with salt and pepper, or throwing in potatoes for the last few minutes, but as long as the meat is simmered until it's about to slip the bonds of structural integrity, it's good to go.</p> <p>Fortunately it looks like the Pacific Northwest will have at least a few more weeks of what I like to call braising weather before spring temperatures begin in earnest, so don't put away your stew pot just yet. The recipe below is for my version of bourguignon, but don't be afraid to sub in other vegetables or herbs.</p> <h3>Pot Roast Bourguignon</h3> <p>This is extremely easy to make, but you'll need to get it in the oven four hours before dinner or make it the day before. Cutting back on the time in the oven makes for a less-than-stellar experience.</p> <p>4 slices bacon, cut in 1/4" strips<br> 1 3-5 lb. chuck roast<br> Salt and pepper<br> 1 large onion, chopped in 1/2" dice<br> 4 cloves garlic, minced<br> 2 ribs celery, chopped in 1/4" slices (optional)<br> 4 carrots, sliced in 1/4" rounds<br> 1 lb. mushrooms, halved vertically and cut into slices<br> 1 Tbsp. dried basil<br> 1 tsp. dried thyme<br>1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary (from two 6-inch sprigs)<br> 1 qt. (32 oz.) roasted tomatoes<br> 3-4 c. red wine</p> <p>Preheat oven to 375°.</p> <p>Put bacon in a large braising pot that can go in the oven and fry till fat is rendered and it starts to brown. Add onions and garlic and sauté 2-3 min., then add carrots and celery and sauté 2-3 min. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté till soft. Stir in tomatoes and herbs, then add wine. Sprinkle roast generously with salt and pepper add to pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and place pot in oven, baking for 2 hours.</p> <p>Remove meat from pot and cut in 1/4" slices, then return the sliced meat to the pot, covering with sauce and vegetables. Cover and bake for another 1 1/2 hrs.</p> <p>Remove to a serving dish. Serve with boiled or roasted potatoes or a rich, creamy polenta.</p>Legislative Report: 2024 Session Short but Critical for Oregon Farmers and RanchersThu, 8 Feb 2024 18:44:10 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/02/legislative-report-2024-session-short-but-critical-for-oregon-fhttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/02/legislative-report-2024-session-short-but-critical-for-oregon-f<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/gathering_together_foff.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>The Oregon Legislature convened for its 82nd session this week. They'll have 35 days to complete their work—by law they cannot extend the session beyond that in even-numbered years (160 days in odd-numbered years)—with several bills requiring action that will affect our food system. Some of those are:</p> <p><a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Measures/Overview/HB4060">Oregon Agricultural Heritage Fund (HB 4060).</a> This bill is requesting $10.8M for the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program (OAHP) for the next biennium. OAHP has four components: technical assistance, succession planning, conservation management plans, and easements. This program is crucial not only for the preservation of Oregon's farmland, but the incorporation of environmental stewardship into working lands management.</p> <p>Two of those components are particularly critical:</p> <ul> <li>Conservation management plans help farmers and ranchers develop plans for the long term viability of their farm ecosystems along with a plan to pay for improvements with matched federal funds.</li> <li>Conservation easement is a vital tool to protect farmland for agricultural use in perpetuity and lower the price of farmland for the next generation of producers. &nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>If passed, this bill will broaden the tools available to lower land prices for people wanting to start farming or grow their existing farms; preserve farmland for production; and keep farms close to city centers. Advocates say we must take steps to preserve our high value soils and farmland permanently or we risk losing land accessible to the community food system in the future.</p> <hr> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/canola_field.jpg" alt=""><a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Measures/Overview/HB4059">Willamette Valley Specialty Seed Protected District (HB 4059).</a>&nbsp;This bill directs the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) to study issues around the Willamette Valley Specialty Seed Protected District, and whether to allow expanded growing of canola within the district. The ODA is directed to report back with recommendations in September of 2025.</p> <p>The Willamette Valley is one of the most important regions in the world for large-scale vegetable seed production. Prior to 2015, growing canola was prohibited in the Valley due to its ability to cross-pollinate with crops in the brassica family like broccoli, kale, cabbage and others, risking the livelihoods of vegetable farmers and seed producers. In 2015 a law was passed allowing a very limited amount of canola to be grown with strict rules requiring distancing from brassica growers.</p> <p>In order to protect farmers and growers of vegetable seeds in the brassica family from fear of contamination or rejection of contaminated seed by national and international markets<span style="font-size: 1em;">, strong protections and compliance tools must be developed.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">Maintaining the Willamette Valley Protected District and limiting canola production is crucial to preserving the state's specialty seed growing industry.</span></p> <hr> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/urban_growth_boundary.jpg" alt=""><a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Measures/Overview/SB1537">Housing, Land Use and UGB Expansion (SB 1537).</a> This bill&nbsp;is aimed at adding much-needed affordable housing through infrastructure investment, developing climate-smart practices and instituting accountability systems. However, a dangerous loophole was added that allows for the governor to unilaterally decide to expand the current Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), sidestepping current laws and processes that limit urban sprawl, allowing it to expand into valuable agricultural land.</p> <p>Though there are many crucial components that address the existing housing crisis, advocates are stressing the need to prioritize affordable housing within the existing UGBs first and foremost. Oregon’s land use laws and the concept of Urban Growth Boundaries (UGBs) has protected valuable farmland, they argue, saying that once farmland is lost, we can't get it back. Farmland with close proximity to urban markets supports a robust local food system, benefitting urban residents who gain access to locally grown products and farmers who have ready access to a large customer base.</p> <hr> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/summer_ebt.jpg" alt=""><a href="https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/posts/press-release-oregon-announces-intention-to-alleviate-summer-hunger-for-294-000-kids">Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT).</a> Part of Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) budget, this program would help nearly 300,000 Oregon children&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">by providing additional money for families during the summer break. While this is not a bill before the legislature, legislative approval of the portion of the ODHS budget for administering half the cost of this program is required in order to unlock the federal dollars that will fund it.</span><span style="font-size: 1em;"><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;"><a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/01/29/state-signs-up-for-summer-food-program-for-kids-but-needs-legislature-to-commit-funds/">An article</a> in the Oregon Capital Chronicle quoted&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">Jake Sunderland, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Human Services, who said,</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">“The Oregon Food Bank reports that one in five people in the state face hunger. During the summer months, many children in families with food insecurity do not have easy access to the healthy breakfasts and lunches they get at school during the school year.”</span></p> <p>Jacki Ward Kehrwald, spokesperson for <a href="https://oregonhunger.org">Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon</a>, was quoted in the same article. "We really believe this is a no-brainer since the program expenses are all provided federally, and Oregon just needs to invest in half of the setup and administrative costs," she said.</p> <p><a href="https://secure.oregonfoodbank.org/a/action-needed-tell-legislators-reduce-child-hunger-summer-290000-kids-oregon?_gl=1*1hrbpp9*_ga*MTIxNzg3MDM1NS4xNzA3MTg2MjE0*_ga_B1234VTSRX*MTcwNzQzNDE3My42LjEuMTcwNzQzNTU0My42MC4wLjA.">Take action by letting your legislator know you want Oregon to reduce child hunger this summer.</a></p> <hr> <p><em>Thanks to <a href="https://friendsoffamilyfarmers.org">Friends of Family Farmers</a> and <a href="https://www.oregonfoodbank.org">Oregon Food Bank</a> for their help with information for this post. Top photo from Friends of Family Farmers; UGB photo from Metro; photo of children from Oregon Food Bank.</em></p>Make the Most of Citrus Season with Citrus MarmaladeWed, 31 Jan 2024 16:17:47 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/make-the-most-of-citrus-season-with-citrus-marmaladehttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/make-the-most-of-citrus-season-with-citrus-marmalade<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/marmalade1.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>While the occurrence of scurvy, a severe deficiency of vitamin C, has been relatively rare in the U.S. population during my lifetime, that never stopped my mother from bringing it up as she poured us our glass of orange juice made from frozen concentrate every morning alongside our cold cereal—Grape Nuts or Wheaties for me, Frosted Flakes or Cap'n Crunch for my brothers.</p> <p>Here in the Pacific Northwest, most of our fresh citrus comes from California these days, aside from the rare hardy Meyer lemons that some regional growers are beginning to experiment with. And what a plethora, a symphony, a cacophony of citrus it is, from oranges—not just navels but cara cara, blood oranges, valencias and more—tangerines, tangelos and mandarins to lemons, limes, grapefruit, key limes and kumquats. Then there are the more rare but becoming-more-available bumpy-skinned makrut limes, kaffir limes and finger limes (a cheffy favorite with their tiny jewel-like beads inside), plus crazy yellow-fingered buddha's hands, yuzu, limequats and giant pomelos, to name just a few.</p> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/marmalade2.jpg">For me, the dark days in the depths of winter are brightened by their brilliant colors and sparkling flavor. I make a point of throwing together a batch of preserved Meyer lemons that will punch up everything from roasted vegetables to stews, salads and grain dishes. The last couple of years Dave has concocted a masterful citrus marmalade, combining a couple of recipes from the New York Times along with his own brushstrokes of genius.</p> <p>I think we're going to be safe from scurvy's scourge this year—Mom would be relieved.</p> <h3>Citrus Marmalade</h3> <p>2 blood oranges<br> 1 navel orange<br> 3 lemons<br> 4 c. granulated sugar<br> 1⁄4 c. fresh lemon juice</p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">Wash the citrus well under warm running water. Using a sharp knife, slice off the top and bottom of the citrus so it sits sturdily on the cutting board.&nbsp;Halve the fruit top to bottom and remove any visible seeds. Lay the half on the cutting board and cut each half crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices (white membrane and all), removing any seeds you might have missed.</span></p> <p>Measure the volume of sliced fruit and place in a bowl. Cover with the same volume of water, keeping track of the amount of water you add. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let this sit for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (This will help extract the pectin slowly as well as soften the peels.)</p> <p>Place a small plate in the freezer to chill. (You’ll use this later.)</p> <p>Place the peels, fruit and water in a large pot. Add enough water to bring the total amount of water added to 6 cups and bring to a strong simmer over medium–high heat. Cook the citrus until the peels have begun to soften and turn translucent, and the liquid has reduced by about three-fourths, 40-50 minutes.</p> <p>Add sugar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. As the marmalade cooks and thickens, stir more frequently. Continue cookinguntil most of the liquid has evaporated, another 40-50 minutes.</p> <p>As it cooks, the liquid will go from a rapid boil with smaller bubbles to a slower boil with larger bubbles. At this point it's important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. (Be sure to watch out for&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">splattering.)</span></p> <p>To test the jam's thickness, take out the plate you put in the freezer and spoon some onto the chilled plate and let it sit on the counter for 1-2 minutes. Drag your finger through it—if the jam is done it will hold its shape and not be watery or runny. If not, cook a few more minutes.</p> <p>Divide among jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top, and seal immediately. You can preserve the jars in a water bath canner (follow directions on the canner), or&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">allow to cool on the counter, then</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">store in the refrigerator or freezer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;"><em>Top photo: Marmalade on Dave's homemade organic rye sourdough, a match made in heaven!</em></span></p>Farming in Oregon's Winter Weather Not for the Faint of HeartTue, 23 Jan 2024 17:49:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/farming-in-oregon-s-winter-weather-not-for-the-faint-of-hearthttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/farming-in-oregon-s-winter-weather-not-for-the-faint-of-heart<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/terra_farma_ice_kptv2.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>Ten days locked in ice. No water due to a break in a water main, with more than 100 animals, not to mention your livelihood, depending on it to keep them alive. Which means having to carry dozens of gallons of water by hand from the creek at the bottom of the property up a steep hill to the barn.</p> <p>"Think about your farmers out in these situations and know that they're going through a lot," said Michael Guebert of <a href="https://terrafarmers.net">Terra Farma</a> in Corbett in <a href="https://www.kptv.com/2024/01/22/corbett-faces-2nd-water-outage-within-week-ice-warnings-continue-gorge/">a report</a> on a local news channel. "It's really, really hard work during good conditions but under conditions like this it's really stressful and really exhausting."</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/terra_farma_ice_kptv.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Michael Guebert of Terra Farma in Corbett, Oregon. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Photos of hoop houses with their plastic coverings collapsed under the weight of ice and snow, fields of frozen vegetables, posts on social media about frozen irrigation lines and burst field pipes illustrated the hazards of farming in winter and the risks that farmers take this time of year.</p> <p>"I've seen a lot of reports of collapsed greenhouses and barns from the weight of ice and snow, and also damage to structures, fences, and other infrastructure from falling power poles, {power] lines, trees and limbs," said Alice Morrison of <a href="https://friendsoffamilyfarmers.org">Friends of Family Farmers</a>, a statewide organization that advocates for small family farms.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/stoneboat_ice_storm.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Some field crops will survive the freeze, others, not so much. </figcaption> </figure> <p>In response to the damage caused by the extreme weather, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek declared a statewide emergency on January 18th,&nbsp;instructing agencies to begin working with counties to assess needs, as well as identifying federal resources that are unlocked by declaring a statewide emergency.</p> <p>In answer to a query sent to the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) about disaster relief from storm-caused damage, Director of Communications Andrea Cantu-Schomus responded, "O<span style="font-size: 1em;">DA is not aware of a state resource for farmers who have suffered damage in the ice storms as of today.&nbsp;</span>Individual commodity groups are working on relief efforts" and, without naming the groups that might help, suggested contacting them directly.</p> <p>Loss of income to farmers from damage to crops, buildings and irrigation could be devastating for some, not to mention the lost income from the many farmers' markets closed because of the freezing temperatures and ice. If they were able to get out at all, many farmers were unable to deliver to retail customers and restaurants because of road closures and dangerous conditions. Others had to hold off on harvesting or reschedule pick-ups with their CSA subscribers.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/terra_farma_ice_kptv3.jpg"> <figcaption> In some rural areas farmers were coping with ice buildup of six inches or more. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Josh Volk of <a href="http://cullyneighborhoodfarm.com/">Cully Neighborhood Farm</a>&nbsp;wrote on its blog that when he puts together the winter CSA schedule he always thinks, “Well, if it freezes we’ll just delay a week since harvests are typically every other week anyway. It's still a bummer, though…I have my fingers crossed that some of the remaining heads [of radicchio] made it through that cold snap."</p> <p>As they did when the COVID pandemic shut down many in-person farmers' markets, some farmers pivoted to holding local pop-ups with other farmers and producers to make up for lost income. It also gave customers an opportunity to stock up on fresh meat, veggies, locally roasted coffee and baked goods. Other farmers were offering discounts on home delivery of meat, bread, fish and pantry items.</p> <p><a href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/farmers-markets-in-winter-you-bet">Year-round farmers' markets</a> will be reopening this weekend and farmers are looking forward to getting back to normal. If you can, make plans to get to your neighborhood market and wish your favorite farmers well. They've been through the wringer!</p> <p><a href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/farmers-markets-in-winter-you-bet">Get a statewide listing of year-round markets and a sneak peek at what you'll find when you get there.</a></p> <p><em>Photos: Guebert and bucket frozen in ice from <a href="https://www.kptv.com/2024/01/22/corbett-faces-2nd-water-outage-within-week-ice-warnings-continue-gorge/">KPTV</a> report. Frozen field crops from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stoneboat_farm/">Stoneboat Farm's Instagram feed</a>.</em></p>Sheet Pan Supper: Gochujang Root Vegetables with Chicken ThighsMon, 8 Jan 2024 14:16:02 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/sheet-pan-supper-gochujang-root-vegetables-with-chicken-thighshttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/sheet-pan-supper-gochujang-root-vegetables-with-chicken-thighs<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/gochujang_roast_veg_chick.jpg" class="glossy"/><hr> <blockquote> <p><strong>synchronicity</strong>&nbsp;Noun; <em>pron:</em>&nbsp;syn·​chro·​nic·​i·​ty, siŋ-krə-ˈni-sə-tē;&nbsp;<em>plural:</em> synchronicities<br> 1: the quality or fact of being synchronous.<br>2: the coincidental occurrence of events.</p> </blockquote> <hr> <p>I love it when I'm walking with a friend—in this instance with my neighbor Ann, a professor of Asian art history, a professional soprano and an expert plantswoman—and we're talking, as we often do, about a favorite recipe. In this case, it was a sheet pan supper she'd made recently and, as we rambled behind our dogs through the neighborhood, I realized I had all the main ingredients in my fridge to make it that night.</p> <p>Synchronicity, indeed!</p> <p>When I arrived home I looked up the <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020829-sheet-pan-gochujang-chicken-and-roasted-vegetables">recipe online</a> and found it was by New York Times writer Yewande Komolafe, who wrote "this recipe calls for a wintry mix of squash and turnips, but equal amounts of root vegetables like carrots, potatoes and beets, or lighter vegetables like cauliflower, brussels sprouts or broccoli will work well, too."</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/gochujang_cu.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> I treasure this homemade gochujang recipe. </figcaption> </figure> <p>I had two very large garnet yams and two medium-sized rutabagas on hand, so I had roots aplenty, plus some carrots I'd just pulled from my neighbor Bill's garden earlier that day. The rutabagas still had their hefty leaves attached, so I chopped those up into bite-sized pieces, too, and threw them in with the rest of the vegetables.</p> <p>Of course I had the exceptional <a href="https://goodstuffnw.com/2022/03/across-oceans-and-generations-gochujang-recipe-connects-a-famil/">gochujang</a>&nbsp;I'd made from my friend Denise's family recipe, and I tweaked the NYT recipe by adding several cloves of garlic, a spoonful of locally made Jorinji miso and a couple of glugs of fish sauce to the sauce, plus a splash of fish sauce in the salad dressing.</p> <p>The real genius of this recipe—thank you, Ms. Komolafe, I'll now be doing this with other dishes—is topping the roasted vegetables with a salad of lightly pickled radishes and scallion greens just before serving. I lucked out there, too, by pulling<span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">from my veg bin</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;a gorgeous black radish from that selfsame CSA share.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">If you have all the ingredients on hand, so much the better, but this is worth shopping for, too, and comes together in about an hour, most of which is roasting time</span></p> <h3>Gochujang Roasted Root Vegetables and Chicken Thighs</h3> <p><em>For the roasted vegetables and chicken:</em><br> 3 Tbsp. <a href="https://goodstuffnw.com/2022/03/across-oceans-and-generations-gochujang-recipe-connects-a-famil/">gochujang</a>*<br> 2 Tbsp. soy sauce<br> 1 Tbsp. fish sauce<br> 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger,&nbsp;peeled and finely grated (about 1 tablespoon)<br> 1 Tbsp. white miso<br> 4 large cloves garlic, pressed in a garlic press<br> 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil<br> 2 lbs. garnet yams and rutabaga chopped into 1-inch pieces, about 5 loose cups (see above to substitute other vegetables)<br> 10 scallions, roots trimmed, green and white/light green parts separated, sliced into 3" lengths<br> Kosher salt<br> 3-4 good-sized, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs</p> <p><em>For the salad:</em><br> 1 bunch radishes, about 10 oz., or 1 med. large black radish, trimmed and thinly sliced<br> 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar<br> 1 Tbsp. sesame oil<br> 1/2 tsp. fish sauce</p> <p>Heat the oven to 425°.</p> <p>Combine the gochujang,&nbsp;soy sauce, fish sauce, miso, ginger, pressed garlic and vegetable oil in a zip-lock bag. Add the yams, rutabagas and scallion whites (reserving the darker greens for the salad), and shake to coat with sauce. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Season the chicken with salt and toss to coat in whatever is left of the glaze in the bag. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side up between the vegetables on the sheet.&nbsp;Roast until vegetables are tender, chicken is cooked&nbsp;through and the skin crispy and browned in spots, about 40 minutes.</p> <p>While the chicken cooks, thinly chiffonade the scallion greens crosswise.&nbsp;Cut the radishes into thin rounds. If using a black radish, cut into approx. 1" sticks and slice thinly crosswise (do not peel—that black skin is very dramatic). In a small bowl, toss the sliced scallion greens and radishes with the rice vinegar, sesame oil and fish sauce. Season to taste with salt and set aside to lightly pickle, stirring occasionally to distribute dressing evenly.</p> <p>When chicken and vegetables are done, remove the chicken to a plate and transfer vegetables to a platter. Quickly top vegetables with the drained quick-pickled salad, then place chicken thighs on top.</p> <p>The recipe suggests serving this with steamed rice, but to me, root vegetables are generally fairly starchy, so I didn't feel it needed the rice.</p> <p>* If you don't want to <a href="https://goodstuffnw.com/2022/03/across-oceans-and-generations-gochujang-recipe-connects-a-famil/">make your own gochujang</a>, I've found <a href="https://milkimchi.com/pages/pantry-staples">Mother-in-Law's</a> is a decent brand, but won't have nearly the depth of flavor you'll get from homemade.</p>Crustacean Celebration: Dungeness Crab Mac'n'Cheese, Anyone?Fri, 5 Jan 2024 12:37:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/crustacean-celebration-dungeness-crab-mac-n-cheese-anyonehttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/crustacean-celebration-dungeness-crab-mac-n-cheese-anyone<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/crab_mac_cheese.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>Most cookbooks are divided into categories. Some go with the "meat, vegetables, seafood" format where recipes are slotted by main ingredient. Others divvy them up by course: appetizers, entrées, desserts, etc. I even have one that has separated the recipes into occasions, like picnics, parties, casual dinners and, of course, formal dinners. The pages of that last section, by the way, are as pristine as the day it was bought at a garage sale, giving you an idea of how useful its various owners have found it.</p> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/cookbooks.jpg" alt="">But I propose a different way to categorize a cookbook, and that's by how you feel. Happy? Make some small plates of your favorite foods, including simple salads and desserts. Depressed? You could indulge in a big ol' chocolate cake by yourself, or treat your mood with lots of fish and kale for their Omega 3s and anti-oxidants.</p> <p>Then there's sinful, which I'm sure someone has done already and titled "Food for Lovers" or some such, full of unctuous (good word for that category, right?), creamy, rich or sweet flavors that beg to be licked off the plate or some other surface—but we'll stop there.</p> <p>A perfect food for that category, though one I doubt would normally be thought of, is crab. It's certainly rich and has a delicate sweetness on its own…think whole pieces of leg or joint eaten right out of the shell. But it takes on a whole different personality when folded into a creamy sauce or warmed in a bisque, its sweet character enhancing the lushness of the dish and the warm meat melting when it hits your tongue.</p> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/crab_mac_cheese2.jpg" alt="">Which is why, when I saw that cooked whole crabs had hit a ridiculously low price per pound, and knowing that early season crab is the sweetest, I bought two and fantasized about using it in macaroni and cheese. While I was only planning on using the meat from one of them for the casserole, the price and my lack of inhibitions made me throw the meat from both into the noodles and sauce just before I slid it into the oven, and it was so worth it.</p> <p>This recipe would be terrific for a special dinner, served in individual ramekins which, depending on your mood and the setting—say, in front of the fire on a lambskin rug?—could make for a memorable evening. Champagne, anyone?</p> <h3>Dungeness Crab Macaroni and Cheese</h3> <p>1 lb. dried pasta (penne or cavatappi are my faves)<br> 4 Tbsp. butter<br> 4 Tbsp. flour<br> 2 c. whole milk (or 1 c. cream or half-and-half plus 1 c. milk)<br> 1/2 lb. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated<br> 8 oz. cream cheese or sour cream<br> 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (I use my homemade chile sauce)<br> Salt and pepper to taste<br> Meat from 1-2 crabs</p> <p>Preheat the oven to 350°.</p> <p>Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. While water is heating, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from burner and add flour, stirring to combine until there are no lumps remaining. Return to burner and cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Increase heat to medium and add milk (or milk and cream) and stir until it thickened. Then add cheese in handfuls, stirring each in until they're melted. Add cream cheese and stir until sauce is thick and creamy, then add hot sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to keep sauce warm until pasta is done, stirring occasionally.</p> <p>Add pasta to boiling water and cook till al dente or a little less. Drain and put back in pasta pot, pour cheese sauce and crab meat over tthe top and fold in briefly to combine, keeping crab from breaking up too much. Pour into baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.</p>Farmers' Markets in Winter? You Bet!Thu, 4 Jan 2024 18:14:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/farmers-markets-in-winter-you-bethttps://goodstuffnw.com/2024/01/farmers-markets-in-winter-you-bet<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/winter_markets_gathering_together2.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>In 2008, in an article for the Oregonian's FoodDay, I wrote, "I know the phrase 'winter farmers' markets' sounds like an oxymoron on the scale of 'open secret' or 'original copies,' but all you have to do is bundle up a bit, grab your market bag and you'll discover, like I did, a whole bunch of people who think this is actually fun, not to mention a way to eat fresher and more seasonally. Plus you can find great snacking on wonderful artisan cheeses and prepared foods, and warm drinks to keep the chill at bay."</p> <p>When that article was written fifteen years ago, there were less than a handful of year-round farmers' markets in Oregon.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">Back then, m</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">ention of going to a winter farmers' market brought visions of sad, soupy bowls of boiled root vegetables. Even the <a href="https://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org">Portland Farmers’ Market</a>, the 800-pound gorilla of the state's farmers’ markets, took more than twenty years to finally get on the winter bandwagon in 2014.</span></p> <p>My, how things have changed!</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/winter_markets_rosalba.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Chicories are the new "it" crop in Oregon. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Demand for year-round access to local produce has grown to the point that in 2024 there are 26 markets statewide that are open during at least part of the winter, with 12 in the greater Portland metro area, including Vancouver and McMinnville (see list, below). This shift has meant local farmers and producers have been able to take advantage of year-round production and a more stable income.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/winter_markets_lisa_jacobs.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Find local cheeses galore! </figcaption> </figure> <p>"<span style="font-size: 1em;">The Winter Market is hugely important for vendors because it provides them with income for more than six months of the year," according to Ginger Rapport, Market Master at the <a href="https://www.beavertonfarmersmarket.com">Beaverton Farmers Market</a>, which begins its winter season on February 3rd. "An extended season improves their cash flow over the course of the year and allows them to serve their customers for a greater number of months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">"Loyal customers would often drive great distances to vendors during our off months to pick up products that they just couldn’t go without while we were closed," she said. "</span>The extended season gives customers easier access to the foods they love while helping vendors with much needed cash flow at the same time. It is a win-win for all!"</p> <p>Plus farmers have the opportunity to retain key staff members, bringing continuity to the farm's operations while providing those staff members and their families with stable year-round employment.</p> <p>And what will shoppers find at these markets?</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/winter_markets_gathering_togetther.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> In Oregon local farms are growing a bounty of local fruits and vegetables in the winter. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Simply walking down an aisle packed with happy shoppers filling their baskets, bags and wagons brings a profusion of color and aromas, from towers of sweet carrots and radishes—root vegetable and brassicas like kale are at their sweetest in winter when the plants pump out sugars to act as antifreeze— to squashes and heads of lettuce so vibrant you'd swear they have a pulse.</p> <figure class="image align-right"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/winter_markets_mushrooms.jpg"> <figcaption> Foraged and culitvated mushrooms are available year-round. </figcaption> </figure> <p>The maritime growing climate of the Willamette Valley is perfect for growing crops that do well in the cold all year long. So, in addition to year-round regulars such as fresh salad and braising greens, apples, cauliflower and broccoli, the winter markets starred things like fractalized chartreuse cones of romanesco and my choice for the ugliest, most delicious vegetable ever, celery root (aka celeriac). Plus root vegetables such as kohlrabi, beets in all colors of the rainbow, turnips, Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips and rutabagas. For omnivores of all stripes, there is sweet, start-of-the-season Dungeness crab and lots of lamb and beef available.</p> <p>You'll find the latest "it" salad green isn't just green, but chicories—radicchio, the deep red softball-sized variety, being the best known of the species—come in colors from deep red treviso and tardivo to sunny yellow castelfranco with its splashes of rose to the peony-like pink Rosalba, and are being adapted by many Oregon farmers to thrive in our winters.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2024/winter_markets_potatoes.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Potatoes are another crop at their best in the cold months. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Regular market-goers also know that they can find their favorite Oregon hazelnuts and berry jams at the market, along with fish caught hours before in our oceans and rivers. Pasture-raised meats and cured sausages, fermented sauerkraut and pickles of all kinds, local cheeses from pastured cows and goats as well as vegan cheeses containing no milk at all line the aisles.</p> <p>Listed below is the latest list of our winter markets with links to their websites. Let me know if I've missed one!</p> <h3>Portland Metro</h3> <p><a href="https://www.beavertonfarmersmarket.com">Beaverton Farmers Market.</a> Opens Feb. 3, 10 am-1:30 pm.&nbsp;12375 SW 5th St, Beaverton.</p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/McMinnvilleGrangeFarmMarket/">Farmer's Market at the Grange.</a>&nbsp;Sat., 10 am-2 pm.&nbsp;1700 SW Old Sheridan Rd, McMinnville.</p> <p><a href="https://www.hillsdalefarmersmarket.com">Hillsdale Farmers' Market.</a> Alternating Sun., 9 am-1 pm.&nbsp;1405 SW Vermont St., Portland</p> <p><a href="https://hollywoodfarmersmarket.org">Hollywood Farmers Market.</a> 1st and 3rd Sat., 9 am-1 pm.&nbsp;4420 NE Hancock St, Portland.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/lofm">Lake Oswego Reunion Farmers' Market.</a>&nbsp;Single market Sat., Nov. 23. 9 am-1 pm.&nbsp;200 1st St, Lake Oswego.</p> <p><a href="https://www.montavillamarket.org">Montavilla Farmers Market.</a>&nbsp;Sun., 10 am-2 pm.&nbsp;7700 SE Stark St, Portland.</p> <p><a href="https://orcityfarmersmarket.com">Oregon City Year-Round Farmers Market.</a>&nbsp;Every other Sat., 10 am -2 pm. Clackamas Community College Green Lot #1, 19400 S. Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City.</p> <p><a href="https://www.peoples.coop/farmers-market">People's Farmers' Market.</a>&nbsp;Wed., 2-7 pm. 3029 SE 21st Ave, Portland.</p> <p><a href="https://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/our-markets/psu/">PSU Farmers Market.</a> Sat., 9 am-2 pm. SW Park and Montgomery, Portland.</p> <p><a href="https://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/our-markets/shemanski-park/">Shemanski Park Harvest Market.</a>&nbsp;Wed., Nov. 27, 10 am-2 pm. SW Main St &amp; SW Salmon St, Portland</p> <p><a href="https://woodstockmarketpdx.com">Woodstock Harvest Market.</a>&nbsp;Sun., Nov. 24, 10 am-2 pm. 4600 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland.</p> <p><a href="https://www.vancouverfarmersmarket.com">Vancouver Downtown Market.</a> Sat., 10 am-2 pm.&nbsp;17701 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA.</p> <h3>Elsewhere in Oregon</h3> <p><a href="https://brookingsharborfarmersmarket.com">Brookings Harbor Farmers Market.</a> Wed. and Sat., 10 am-3 pm.&nbsp;15786 US-101, Brookings.</p> <p><a href="https://www.clatskaniefarmersmarket.com/clatskanie-food-hub">Clatskanie Food Hub.</a> Thurs.-Fri., 2-6 pm; Sat., 10 am-3 pm; Sun., 2-6 pm.&nbsp;80 NE Art Steele St., Clatskanie.</p> <p><a href="https://corvalliswintermarket.wordpress.com">Corvallis Indoor Farmers Market.</a> Sat., 9 am-1 pm.&nbsp;110 SW 53rd St, Corvallis.</p> <p><a style="font-size: 1em;" href="https://www.experienceroseburg.com/event/garden-valley-farmers-market/1379/">Garden Valley Farmers Market.</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;Sun., 11 am-3 pm.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">4855 Garden Valley Rd, Roseburg.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;"><a href="https://gorgegrown.com/hoodriver/">Hood River Farmers Market.</a> 1st and 3rd Sat.,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">10 am-Noon.</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;403 Portway Ave, Hood River.</span></p> <p><a href="https://www.lanecountyfarmersmarket.org">Lane County Farmers Market.</a> Opens Sat., Feb. 3, 9 am-3 pm.&nbsp;Farmers Market Pavilion at 8th and Oak.</p> <p><a href="https://www.newportfarmersmarket.org">Newport Farmers Market.</a> Opens Sat., April 6, 9 am-1 pm. On the corner of Angle and Hwy 101, Newport.</p> <p><a href="https://www.northcoastfoodweb.org/market">North Coast Online Farmers Market.</a> Shop online Sunday-Tuesday for Thursday pick-up at&nbsp;1152 Marine Drive, Astoria.</p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WestfirOakridgeLocalFoodHub">Oakridge Community Farmers Market.</a>&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">1st and 3rd Sat.,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">Noon-2 pm.</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;48137 E 1st St, Oakridge.</span></p> <p><a href="https://rvgrowersmarket.com/pages/wintermarket">Rogue Valley Indoor Winter Markets.</a>&nbsp;Tues., 9 am-1 pm at&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">Ashland National Guard Armory.v</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">1420 E. Main St, Ashland</span>; and Sun., 1-5 pm at&nbsp;Village at Medford Center (near Tinseltown and Tap and Vine), Medford.</p> <p><a href="https://www.salemcommunitymarkets.com/holiday-market.html">Salem Holiday Market.</a>&nbsp;Fri., Dec. 13, 5:30-8:30 pm; Sat., Dec. 14, 10 am-6 pm; Sun., Dec. 15, 10 am-4 pm. State Fairgrounds, Jackman Long Building,&nbsp;2330 17th St NE, Salem.</p> <p><a href="https://www.southvalleyfarmersmarket.org">South Valley Farmers Winter Market.</a> Sat., Nov. 2 &amp; 16 and Dec. 7 &amp; 21, 10 am-4 pm. Cottage Grove Armory, 628 E Washington Ave, Cottage Grove.</p> <p><a href="https://www.uvfarmersmarket.com">Umpqua Valley Farmers' Market.</a>&nbsp;Sat., 9 am-1 pm. First United Methodist Church Parking Lot, 1771 W Harvard Ave, Roseburg.</p> <p><a href="https://www.beachcomberdays.com">Waldport Christmas Vendor Faire.</a> Sat., Dec. 14, 9 am-2 pm.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">restview Heights Elementary School gym,&nbsp;</span>2750 S Crestline, Waldport</p> <p><em>Top photo: Recent Gathering Together Farm display from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gatheringtogetherfarm/">their Instagram feed</a>.</em></p>The Gift of Friendship in the Shape of a CakeMon, 18 Dec 2023 12:15:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/the-gift-of-friendship-in-the-shape-of-a-cakehttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/the-gift-of-friendship-in-the-shape-of-a-cake<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/ginger_cake_crop.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>As I do every year in the days leading up to Christmas, I’ve been craving this Triple Ginger Cake from the inimitable Mary Fishback of Hawthorne’s venerable <a href="https://www.bandicafe.com">Bread &amp; Ink Cafe</a>. She was also the creator of the <a href="https://wafflewindow.com">Waffle Window</a> and the pastry genius behind the quirky <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rimskykorsakoffeehouse/">Rimsky-Korsakoffee House</a>. Like her, it’s deeply flavorful, brilliantly intriguing and stunningly gorgeous. She shared the recipe some twenty-plus years ago and I’ve treasured it ever since.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/bread_and_ink_cafe.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Bread and Ink Cafe, a landmark on Souttheast Hawthorne Boulevard for 40 years. </figcaption> </figure> <p>A delightfully funny story she told me about this cake was that when it was originally featured on the menu at the café, it was described as Prune Gingerbread and sat forlornly in the kitchen waiting for someone, anyone to order it. Alas, almost no one did.</p> <p>Realizing that perhaps the inclusion of prunes as an ingredient in the name might be off-putting to customers, Mary astutely changed it to Triple Ginger Cake for the combination of fresh, ground and crystallized forms of the root that went into it.</p> <p>From then on, whenever it appeared on the menu, this richly warming dessert flew out of the kitchen, remaining a classic for years afterward.</p> <h3>Triple Ginger Cake</h3> <p><em>Adapted from Chez Panisse and Gourmet magazine by Mary Fishback</em></p> <p>1 c. pitted, dried prunes<br>1/2 c. cognac, armagnac or brandy<br>1 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, grated finely<br>3 c. flour<br>2 tsp. baking soda<br>2 tsp. cinnamon<br>1 tsp. ground ginger<br>1 tsp. ground cloves<br>1/8 tsp. cayenne<br>3/4 tsp. salt<br>1 c. butter, softened<br>1 1/2 c. light brown sugar<br>1 c. unsulfured molasses<br>1/2 c. espresso or strong coffee<br>4 whole eggs, beaten lightly<br>1 tsp. vanilla<br>1/2 c. crystallized ginger, chopped finely</p> <p>Preheat oven to 350°.</p> <p>Butter a 10-inch springform pan or bundt cake pan, then dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.</p> <p>In a small saucepan cook prunes, liquor and grated gingerroot over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until almost all liquid is evaporated. Remove pan from heat.</p> <p>In a mixing bowl sift flour, baking soda, spices and salt; whisk to combine. In a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar on high speed until fluffy. Reduce speed and add molasses; combine well. Add espresso, flour mixture, eggs and vanilla until batter is just combined. Reserve 3 tablespoons of chopped ginger, then turn batter into large mixing bowl and stir in remainder of chopped ginger and prune mixture.</p> <p>Turn batter into prepared pan and, if using springform pan, sprinkle top with reserved ginger. If using bundt pan, sprinkle bottom of bundt pan with reserved ginger, then pour in batter or sprinkle the cake with chopped ginger after baking (as in top photo). Bake 1 hour and 10-20 minutes, or until skewer tests clean.</p> <p>Mary recommends serving it with creme fraiche and sliced kumquats; or baked lemon creams; or ice cream and caramelized pears or apples. I find it perfectly satisfying all by itself, perhaps with a steaming cup of coffee or ice-cold glass of milk.</p>Guest Essay: A Soil Nerd Walks Into a Roomful of FuturistsSat, 16 Dec 2023 11:25:12 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/guest-essay-a-soil-nerd-walks-into-a-roomful-of-futuristshttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/guest-essay-a-soil-nerd-walks-into-a-roomful-of-futurists<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/ohlson_soil_futurists1.jpg" class="glossy"/><p><em>If you saw headlines about a recent gathering in Dubai with the indecipherable acronym of COP and, like me, wondered what the heck it was and if you should care, then read this personal report from Portland's self-described "soil nerd," Kristin Ohlson, author of <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9781609615543?partnerid=36558&amp;p_bt">"The Soil Will Save Us"</a> and <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9781952338090?partnerid=36558&amp;p_bt">"Sweet in Tooth and Claw."</a></em></p> <p>Over 97,000 people convened in Dubai this December for the twenty-eighth <a href="https://unfccc.int/cop28">Congress of Parties (COP)</a>—the United Nations’ annual conference on climate change. A much smaller segment of the world’s eyes were on Dubai for a gathering which preceded the COP by a few days and involved at least a handful of the same people: the Dubai Future Forum, billed as “the world’s largest gathering of futurists.”</p> <p>Amazingly—or at least, amazing to me—I was invited to speak at the forum. I had received a request to connect on LinkedIn from someone with the Dubai Future Foundation months ago, and even though this seemed like yet another request from someone whose interests seemed so different from mine that I hesitated to make the connection, I accepted. Further communication led to a phone call.</p> <p>The forum would have four themes: Empowering Generations, Transcending Collaboration, Transforming Humanity, and Regenerating Nature. The director of the Dubai Museum of the Future had read my book, "The Soil Will Save Us," and the committee putting the gathering together wanted me to speak on one of the regeneration panels. I’m not exactly a Luddite but I certainly don’t consider myself a futurist—unless one who alternately hopes and panics about the future is a futurist, which probably describes all of us—but I’ll go anywhere to talk about regeneration and healthy ecosystems. They had told me that around 2,500 people would come, many from that region and that they were also flying in thinkers and doers from around the world.</p> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/ohlson_soil_futurists2.jpg" alt="">And indeed they did! I’ve never been at a gathering as truly diverse as this one—people young and older, from just about every part of the world, of every hue, and dozens of nationalities. Lucky for me, all speaking English albeit with the chiaroscuro of both their first language and the accent of whoever schooled them in English.</p> <p>The reality of a conference like this is that you can’t get to everything, especially if you’re a speaker who’s a little nervous about being there to begin with. I managed to get to several of the regeneration panels, which were held in a dimly gorgeous room inside the Museum of the Future with walls that glowed with images of various life forms. In one panel, people talked about tapping indigenous wisdom to prepare for the future; in another, panelists talked about what might lie beyond Net Zero carbon emissions; in another, they talked about city planning that centers nature.</p> <p>On my own panel, my co-panelists, Nithiya Laila, who works on biodiverse diets and equitable food systems in Singapore; &nbsp;Christine Gould, who supports science-and-technology-based startups through <a href="https://thoughtforfood.org">Thought for Food</a> based in Switzerland; and our moderator, Dionysia Angeliki Lyra from the <a href="https://www.biosaline.org">International Center for Biosaline Agriculture</a> in Dubai and I spent an animated 45 minutes talking about soil, seeds, native plants and feeding the world’s people.</p> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/ohlson_soil_futurists3.jpg">I certainly wasn’t the only person among the 2,500 futurists who centers on healthy ecosystems—including healthy, prosperous humans, of course—but it’s also true that many of the panels and discussions at the conference were about shiny new things. Shiny new tools, shiny new technologies, shiny new approaches to problems. I told anyone who would listen that I’m not opposed to the new and shiny—unless those innovations are aimed at hacking the natural world for the convenience of humans.</p> <p>Yes, new technology for benign sources of energy, please! New technology to turn my gas-powered car into an electric one! New technology for mining the mountains of garbage we’ve created to obtain the resources for future products! New ideas for our homes and cities! New science to parse the dazzling and essential complexity of the natural world and—this is the issue for me--to help us figure out how we can hack our own behavior so that both we and the rest of nature thrive.</p> <p>Because life is so precious and—given what we know so far—unique. One of the early presentations at the Dubai Future Forum was a panel of astronauts talking about life on the space station. They talked about how they dealt with the conundrums of ordinary life while living in space—eating, getting enough exercise, staying in touch with loved ones—and agreed, sweetly, that one of the best things about the experience was the brotherly bond they now have with each other.</p> <p>I couldn’t help but think of our marvelous planet as I listened to them. Scientists have searched through the samples brought back from space, hoping to find evidence of life. It’s not there. I have more life under my little fingernail after digging in the soil than has been found in all our extraplanetary explorations. We have to treasure life on Earth, respect that life, and change ourselves so that those coming next will also experience its beauty and abundance. Imagine if our collective aspiration for the future was to be good ancestors.</p> <p><a href="https://youtu.be/Yg-nGoVJV4k?feature=shared">Watch a video of the presentation here.</a></p> <p><em>Top photo: The Museum of the Future in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (l); presenters&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">(left to right)</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;Christine Gould, Nithiya Laila, Kristin Ohlson and&nbsp;Dionysia Angeliki Lyra. This essay was originally published at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.soilcentric.org">SoilCentric</a>.</span></em></p>Crab for Christmas and Three Recipes to Help You Celebrate!Wed, 13 Dec 2023 11:20:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/crab-for-christmas-and-three-recipes-to-help-you-celebratehttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/crab-for-christmas-and-three-recipes-to-help-you-celebrate<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/crab_boat.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>For the first time in several years, Dungeness crab season will open for Oregon's coastal crabbers on December 16th, in time for what could be a banner year for the state's fleet of 424 mostly individual family-owned boats. Delayed twice already due to insufficient amounts of meat in the crabs tested<span style="font-size: 1em;">—crabbers were hoping for a December 1 opener—the go-ahead from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) was given for the coast from the border with California to Cape Foulweather (midway between Lincoln City and Newport).</span></p> <hr> <h3 style="text-align: center;">A crab opening before Christmas can make a huge difference<br>to Oregon's Dungeness fleet.</h3> <hr> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">Asked what it will mean to the fleet to have Dungeness season open this early,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">Rick Goché of <a href="https://www.sacredseatuna.com">Sacred Sea Tuna</a> and captain of the fishing vessel Peso II, didn't mince words.</span></p> <p>"After a summer when there was no salmon fishing, a poor tuna seaon and a shrimp season that saw the lowest prices in more than a decade, a crab opening before Christmas can make a huge difference," he said. "For many in the fleet, savings are gone, bills are late, and finances are dire. It's a hard thing to try explaining to young children why Christmas presents are few."</p> <p>"A start before Christmas can change all that," Goché said. "Additionally, a pre-Christmas start tends to support a higher starting price, since consumers are more likely to inlude crab in their seasonal celebrations."</p> <p>Good news for the Oregon fleet is, at least temporarily, bad news for California and Washington's crabbing industry. California's Dungeness season will be delayed until at least December 21 due to the large number of migrating humpback whales that regulators worry could get entangled in fishing gear. The delay for the North Oregon coast and Washington state is to allow crabs to develop better "fill" or meat yield, which should be resolved by the end of December, hopefully in time for New Year's celebrations.</p> <p>Assuming the catch is plentiful, there should be a good supply of Dungeness crab available for holiday gatherings. I know I'll be thinking of those Oregon fishing families Rick talked about as I buy my crab this year, hoping their holidays are bountiful.</p> <h3><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/crab_artichoke_dip.jpg" alt="Hot artichoke and Dungeness crab dip">Hot Artichoke and Crab Dip</h3> <p><em>Adapted from <a href="https://www.newseasonsmarket.com">New Seasons Market</a></em></p> <p>1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts<br> 1/4 c. capers<br> 6 oz. crab meat (fresh is better and cheaper if you buy a whole crab and crack it yourself)<br> 1 c. parmesan, finely grated<br> 1 c. mayonnaise<br> 6 crackers, crushed, or Panko (optional)</p> <p>Drain and chop artichokes. If using canned crab, drain well. Crush crackers to fine crumbs with a rolling pin.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">Combine crab with artichokes, capers, cheese and mayonnaise. Sprinkle with crushed crackers or Panko. Put in baking dish and bake for at least 20 minutes at 350°. When slightly browned and bubbly, serve with your favorite crackers, baguette slices or tortilla chips. (Also makes a great stuffing for salmon fillet or chicken breast.)</span></p> <hr> <h3><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/crab_crostini.jpg" alt="Dungeness crab crostini">Crab Crostini</h3> <p>1 baguette, sliced into 1/4" slices<br> Olive oil<br> 1 crab, cooked and the meat removed (or 1 lb. crab meat)<br> 1 Tbsp. olive oil<br> 1 Tbsp. lemon juice<br> 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley<br> Salt and pepper to taste<br> 1 Tbsp. capers (optional)</p> <p>Spread baguette slices on cookie sheet, brush one side with olive oil and toast under broiler. Turn over and toast other side. (Don't get distracted! I've burned many a sheet pan of bread by turning away.)</p> <p>Put crab meat in a medium sized mixing bowl and add olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and capers (if desired). Mix lightly and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon onto toasted bread slices, arrange on platter and serve.</p> <hr> <h3><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/crab_cakes.jpg" alt="Dungeness crab cakes">Michel's Thai-ish Crab Cakes</h3> <p>Yield: 15-18 small crab cakes</p> <p><em>For the crab cakes:</em><br> Meat of two Dungeness crabs<br> 1/2 red bell pepper, minced<br> 1/4 c. minced red or green onion<br> 1 serrano pepper, finely minced<br> 2-4 Tbsp. cilantro, minced<br> 1/4 c. bread crumbs<br> 1/4 c. grated parmesan<br> Zest of 1 lime<br> 1/2-1 tsp. fish sauce, to taste<br> Juice of 1 lime<br> 1 egg<br> Optional: Grated coconut, fresh mint or basil</p> <p><em>Crumb coating:</em><br> 1 c. bread crumbs, preferably Panko style<br> 1/4 c. grated parmesan</p> <p>Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.</p> <p>Combine crab meat, chopped pepper, onions, cilantro, bread crumbs, parmesan, lime zest and fish sauce. Whisk together lime juice and egg and stir into crab mixture.</p> <p>Combine bread crumbs and parmesan and spread out on a plate or pie tin.</p> <p>Scoop up about 1/4 cup of crab mixture and form into a plump cake about 2-inches in diameter (approx. 1” high). With your hands, compress the cake so it holds together. Gently place cake in the crumb mixture to coat bottom and sprinkle crumbs over top to coat (don’t flip the cake or it will fall apart). Gently compress cake between your hands to meld crumbs to the crab cake. (Keep cake plump; don’t flatten.)</p> <p>Set each formed cake on lined baking sheet. When all cakes are formed, place sheet in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.</p> <p>Heat large sauté pan or griddle to medium-high heat and add olive oil, butter or mixture of both to generously coat pan. Gently place cakes in pan or on griddle, leaving plenty of room to turn them. Cook until golden brown and turn gently to brown other side, adding more oil or butter if needed. If cooking cakes in stages, keep cakes warm in oven until ready to serve.</p> <p><em>Top photo from the <a href="https://oregondungeness.org">Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission</a> website.</em></p>Cookbook Review: Three for Your Shelves (They Also Make Great Gifts)Wed, 6 Dec 2023 18:12:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/cookbook-review-three-for-your-shelves-and-that-also-make-greathttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/cookbook-review-three-for-your-shelves-and-that-also-make-great<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/books_walker.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>The last thing we need around our house? More books (see photo, above).&nbsp;So why am I writing about three that you should absolutely have on your own shelves, or at the very least buy for gifts and then borrow them back?&nbsp;Let me count the ways…</p> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/fermenter_adams.jpg" alt=""><a href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9781632174710?partnerid=36558&amp;p_bt">Fermenter: DIY Fermentation for Vegan Fare</a>&nbsp;by Aaron Adams and Liz Crain. As regular readers know, for the last couple of years I've become enamored of fermented foods, both eating them and, now, <a href="http://goodstuffnw.com/tag/fermentation-fascination/">making them</a>. Growing up with a mother who had the misfortune of being a dietetics major and thus was terrified of killing her family with "bad" bacteria—as a child I learned the word "trichinosis" almost before I could walk—I never really had any experience with pickling foods.</p> <p>Aaron Adams, owner of <a href="https://www.fermenterpdx.com">Fermenter</a> restaurant in Southeast Portland, and Liz Crain, co-founder of the <a href="https://www.portlandfermentationfestival.com">Portland Fermentation Festival</a> and author of a pile of wonderful cookbooks, have written a guide to "funky, flavorful ferments and fantastic hippie food that incorporate them" based on his explorations for the menu at his restaurant. But more than that, it's an enthusiastic primer for beginners and more advanced fermentistas alike, with recipes ranging from simple pickles and krauts to more complicated undertakings like koji and tempeh—as his signature t-shirt shouts, "mold is gold"—and delving into the secrets to making your own vinegars and water kefir.</p> <p>Adams preaches the gospel of "failing is learning" and is an unflinching cheerleader for trying your hand at new skills. Which I, for one, applaud!</p> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/tacos_a_to_z_manning.jpg" alt=""><a href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9781513141435?partnerid=36558&amp;p_bt">Tacos A to Z: A Delicious Guide to Nontraditional Tacos</a> by Ivy Manning. The inimitable Portland author of nearly a dozen cookbooks on everything from her groundbreaking <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9781570615290?partnerid=36558&amp;p_bt">farm-to-table cookbook</a> to <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9781452109503?partnerid=36558&amp;p_bt">crackers and dips</a> to <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9781452155029?partnerid=36558&amp;p_bt">soups</a> to one on <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9781570615832?partnerid=36558&amp;p_bt">cooking for a vegetarian</a> when you're an omnivore, has just published her latest tome on tacos.</p> <p>Ho-hum, you say? Not on your life. As Ivy writes in the introduction, her notion was to take the idea of "wrapping savory morsels of food in tortillas and eating them out of hand," and look at them through a creative lens. She also cleverly organizes the recipes alphabetically—one taco per letter, with a compendium of sauces and condiments at the end, plus recipes for making your own tortillas.</p> <p>Starting with "A," you'll find Avocado Fry Tacos with Srircha Mayo, and Jerk Salmon Tacos ("J," of course); &nbsp;"V" is Vindaloo Pork Tacos based on a recipe from Ivy's friend Leena Ezekiel, founder of <a href="https://www.thalisupperclub.com">Thali Supper Club</a>; and even a dessert taco in the form of exquisite Chocolate-Dipped Ice Cream Tacos ("C"). As with all of Ivy's recipes, you can rest assured these are as delicious as they sound and are bullet-proof in terms of simplicity, since she tests each one multiple times with her army of recipe testers.</p> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/ever_green_vietnamese_nguyen.jpg" alt=""><a style="font-size: 1em;" href="http://www.powells.com/book/-9781984859853?partnerid=36558&amp;p_bt">Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea</a><span style="font-size: 1em;"> by Andrea Nguyen. I first came across&nbsp;</span>author, freelance writer, editor, cooking teacher, and consultant<span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;Andrea Nguyen via her blog, </span><a style="font-size: 1em;" href="https://www.vietworldkitchen.com">Viet World Kitchen</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">, and </span><a style="font-size: 1em;" href="https://www.youtube.com/@AndreaNguyen">her YouTube channel</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">. Her latest cookbook is full of vegetable-forward dishes as exemplified by the cuisine of Vietnam, laced with Nguyen's signature practicality and directness.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">As with all of her recipes, she brings her teaching experience to bear, presenting them in an approachable, accessible manner that are do-able for novices and old hands alike, sprinkling cultural notes and family favorites throughout. You'll find&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">favorite snacks, like Smoky Tofu-Nori Wontons and Steamed Veggie Bao alongside</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;Vietnamese classics like Fast Vegetarian Pho and Banh Mi with Vegan Mayonnaise and Bologna. There are&nbsp;</span>simple sides, like Nuoc Cham Cabbage Stir-Fry and Green Mango, Beet, and Herb Salad and&nbsp;wholesome hacks featuring Sweet Potato and Shrimp Fritters and Oven-Fried Crispy Shiitake Imperial Rolls.</p> <p>If you've been curious about expanding your repertoire, you can't go wrong with Nguyen's books. This one is no exception.</p> <p><em>Top photo: Our dear Cardigan Corgi, Walker (2007-2020).</em></p>Anytime Meal-in-a-Dish: Baked EggsMon, 4 Dec 2023 13:09:02 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/anytime-meal-in-a-dish-baked-eggshttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/anytime-meal-in-a-dish-baked-eggs<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/baked_eggs_chanticleer1.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>It was on a trip to Ashland decades ago that I first enjoyed these baked eggs. We'd booked a room at the <a href="https://chanticleerashland.com">Chanticleer Inn</a>, a charming Craftsman bungalow near downtown and the Shakespeare Festival grounds (yes, it's still there). The night before was a performance of one of the Bard's plays—not the one where some inventive but misguided director thought it would be totally cool if a lunar module descended from the rafters in the middle of the performance—and we'd walked back to the inn in the moonlight, the next morning rising to have coffee and breakfast in the quaint dining room.</p> <p><img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/baked_eggs_chanticleer2.jpg" alt="">Now, a dish can burrow its way into your brain for lots of reasons—a romantic setting, great company, a few too many mimosas—but this one was alluring because of its simplicity. Just butter, eggs, cream and cheese baked to a golden finish, crispy yet creamy, the yolks still oozing.</p> <p>I'd begged the recipe from the innkeepers and we'd made them often in the years since, but it had been a long time since we'd pulled the stained, yellowed card out of the recipe box. Fortunately Dave was in the mood for making something besides his (perfect) version of Julia Child's cheese omelet, and I was so glad he was. This is one memory that's stood the test of time, and one we'll be enjoying for another umpteen years.</p> <h3>Chanticleer Baked Eggs</h3> <p>Great for brunch for a crowd (baked in individual ramekins) or just for one, the recipe below is an adaptation of the original from the inn. You can also add green onions, &nbsp;fresh chopped herbs, sautéed greens or potatoes, or chopped, cooked bacon before putting in the eggs…or just keep it simple. Come to think of it, this would be great with a breakfast salad, or for lunch or dinner!</p> <p>1 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine<br> 1 Tbsp. cream or milk<br> 2 eggs<br> Cheddar or other cheese(s), grated<br>Salt and pepper, to taste</p> <p>Butter a 3 1/2-oz. ramekin or custard dish. Add cream or milk. Gently crack two large, farm-fresh eggs into the ramekin. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake in pre-heated 425° oven for 8-10 minutes or until white is firm and center still wiggles.</p>Our Little Black CatFri, 1 Dec 2023 14:33:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/our-little-black-cathttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/12/our-little-black-cat<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/otter_obit1.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>It was just three weeks ago that we discovered a small lump under the chin of our little black cat, Otter. A trip to the vet revealed the bad news: It was most likely an aggressive form of lymphoma, and there were at least three other tumors. The cytology test to confirm the diagnosis was several hundred dollars, and if it came back positive the treatment would be weekly steroid shots that might, just might, slow the cancer down, giving her an extra few weeks.&nbsp;Otherwise it was unlikely she'd last the month.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/otter_obit3.jpg"> <figcaption> Little wild child. </figcaption> </figure> <p>We decided to bring her home and make whatever time she had left as comfortable and love-filled as possible.</p> <p>Her origins were a mystery, since she and her sister—both jet black with the softest, silkiest fur and yellow-green eyes—had been unceremoniously dumped at a horse stable in the suburbs of the city. They were a few months old and the stable owners thought they might have a future as barn cats, hunting the mice and other critters that inevitably sought out the barn's food-rich, warm environs.</p> <figure class="image align-right"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/otter_obit2.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Otter with forsythia. </figcaption> </figure> <p>Unfortunately the resident barn cats weren't thrilled to be sharing their territory with these whippersnappers, and the kittens were relegated to the tack room until a home could be found for them. A friend whose daughter boarded her horse at the stable knew we had recently lost our beloved <a href="http://goodstuffnw.blogspot.com/2009/01/chester-big-red-cat.html">big red cat, Chester</a>, so I went out with her to meet them.</p> <p>It was destiny that determined that one would be ours that day thirteen years ago, since my friend had decided to adopt one sister already. Unnamed as yet, Dave took one look at her and declared her to be Otter, with her shiny fur and spunky nature. She preferred our Corgis' companionship to ours for a long while, tussling with them like a puppy, grabbing the thick ruff around Kitty's neck and being dragged around the room like a favorite stuffed toy.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/otter_obit4.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Watching hummy TV with a friend. </figcaption> </figure> <p>We eventually broke down her reserve by pulling her around on a small rug or a towel, stroking her at feeding time when she was face-down in her bowl and showering her with catnip, feather toys and treats. Eventually she would jump on our laps and demand attention, her purrs increasing in volume from bare whispers to a rumble. We felt victorious.</p> <p>Now we are all missing her sitting in her favorite spot, hunched between the arm of a chair and the windowsill, watching the hummingbird feeder—dubbed "hummy TV"—out the front window, and we're still looking for her black silhouette in the shadows under tables and chairs, and yowling for us to hurry up with her dinner. It's strange to only have the two dogs' bowls to fill, and to not worry about closing doors quickly in case she was just waiting for a chance to dash outside.</p> <p>We miss you, Otter, and your hard-won love for us. It's an emptier house without you.</p>Guest Post: Corn and BeansMon, 20 Nov 2023 14:08:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/11/guest-post-corn-and-beanshttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/11/guest-post-corn-and-beans<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/bean_soup_pescia.jpg" class="glossy"/><p><em>Josh Volk&nbsp;is the farmer at <a href="https://cullyneighborhoodfarm.com">Cully Neighborhood Farm</a>. This essay originally appeared on <a href="https://cullyneighborhoodfarm.com/2023/11/18/corn-and-beans/">the farm's blog</a>. You can read a profile of <a href="https://goodstuffnw.com/2022/02/solving-big-problems-in-small-ways-josh-volk-of-slow-hand-farm/">Josh and his work</a>.</em></p> <p>We grew out eight of our dry bean varieties this summer and between the good weather and giving them a head start by transplanting, for the first time we actually got them in earlier than ever. So I figured it was time to make a post with more description of each variety.</p> <p>I’ll list them in order from left to right in the photo below.&nbsp;At the bottom of the post I’ll describe the two corn varieties that we grew with the beans (and have been growing for many years now).</p> <h3>Dry Beans</h3> <p>If you’ve only ever had canned beans, or bought dry beans from the bulk section, these are a completely different experience. They cook easily and evenly and have an extra layer of flavor. In general these all have delicate skins and cook well by soaking overnight, then bringing to a boil and gently simmering for as little as 20 minutes, although as they get older they’ll take a bit longer, maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Add salt and other seasoning to taste, generally about one to two teaspoons of salt per pound. Alternatively, I really like to use the residual heat from baking in my oven to cook the beans gently by putting them in a covered, heatproof container and baking them instead of cooking them on the stove top—same directions otherwise. Be sure to save the cooking liquid, which is delicious.</p> <p><img class="align-center" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/cully_farm_beans.jpg"></p> <p><strong>Nico Cannellini.</strong> This is the one bean I haven’t cooked with much! They were brought to me as a gift from a farmer in Tuscany a few years ago and I’ve been slowly increasing the amount I’ve been growing. This is the same farmer who I got the polenta corn from and I don’t know if there’s really a variety name, but I’ve just named the beans after his farm, <a href="https://nicobio.it/en/">Agricola Biologica Nico</a>. On a side note, the Pescia and Piattella white beans we grow [see descriptions below] are also cannellini types, but each is distinct in size and shape, with subtle flavor differences.</p> <p><strong>Swedish Brown.</strong>&nbsp;I’ve been growing this bean for so long I don’t even remember where I got it or why. I’ve probably been growing it for 25 years now and I just really like the flavor. It’s a bit like a pinto bean, but so much more flavorful.</p> <p><strong>Piattella.</strong> I got this one from a grower in Italy who also uses corn for trellising. It’s a Slow Food Ark variety [<a href="https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/slow-food-presidia/cortereggio-canavese-piattella-bean/">link here</a>] and you might try to find it from the Italian growers if you really like it and [in that way] support their efforts to keep it growing in its traditional areas.</p> <hr> <h3 style="text-align: center;">If you’ve only ever had canned beans, or dry beans<br>from the bulk section, these are a completely different experience.</h3> <hr> <p><strong>Yellow Forest (Giele Wâldbeantsje).</strong> This is another Slow Food Ark variety [<a href="https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/giel-waldbeantsje-frisian-yellow-forest-bean/">link here</a>]. It’s from the Netherlands and does pretty well here. Flavor wise it’s similar to the Swedish Brown beans but it’s much larger. As these beans age in storage their color changes from light yellow to a darker yellow, and there’s some variation even when they are newly dried.</p> <p><strong>Pescia (Sorana).</strong> A great little white bean, very tender and tasty. <a href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com/2020/10/how-italian-sagre-inspired-a-joyful-celebration-of-local-vegeta/">Lane Selman</a> and I brought this back from Italy by request for Uprising Seeds in 2014 and they shared seeds from their first grow out with me the following year. I’ve been growing it since then and it’s a favorite for its great flavor and early drying on the vine. It’s a Slow Food Ark and Presidium variety under the name <a href="https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/slow-food-presidia/sorana-bean/">Sorana</a> and you might try to find it from the Italian growers if you really like it and [in that way] support their efforts to keep it growing in its traditional areas. Uprising calls it <a href="https://uprisingorganics.com/products/bean-pole-dry-sorana">Pescia</a>, after the area where it is grown, as the Sorana name is protected and should only be used by growers in the protected area.</p> <p><strong>Tolosaka.</strong> This is my name for the tolosa black bean, which I’ve been growing since 2007. This is a beautiful, large, deeply black bean that is from the Basque region of Spain. Look it up, apparently it’s famous [<a href="https://uprisingorganics.com/products/bean-pole-dry-tolosa">Uprising Seeds offers it</a>]. I just know it’s delicious and one of my favorites.</p> <p><strong>Red Forest (Reade Krobbe).</strong> Another Dutch Slow Food Ark variety [<a href="https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/reade-krobbe-little-red-bean/">link here</a>]. As with all of these beans I just like eating these by themselves, but they’re also very good in soups as they hold their shape well. I’ve also made red bean paste with them for sweets.</p> <p><strong>White Runner (Katherine’s).</strong> All of the other beans we grow are Phaseolus vulgaris, but these are Phaseolus coccineus. They are related to the more common Scarlet Runner beans but have white flowers and beans. As with all runner beans I’ve had they are very large with delicious meaty interiors and incredibly delicate skins when cooked. My friend <a href="https://goodstuffnw.com/tag/katherine-deumling/">Katherine Deumling</a> was my original source for this variety and a neighbor of her family in Salem was the grower. I don’t remember the variety name, just that I got them from her and that they grow better for me than the better known Corona White Runner bean—which is even larger, but doesn’t ripen well here (even these runner beans are a little marginal and tend to mature a bit late).</p> <h3>Corn</h3> <p><strong>Dakota Black Popcorn.</strong> pops bright white and with great fresh popcorn flavor, not at all like the big stale stuff you get in most bulk bins. If you have a grinder that will grind hard corn it makes a good addition to pancakes and bread (popcorn is very hard and many grinders aren’t strong enough to grind it).</p> <p><strong>Otto File Polenta Corn.</strong> A number of years ago I was in Italy and visited a wonderful little biodynamic market farm in Lucca. The farmer gave me an ear of his golden polenta corn (otto file, meaning eight rows in Italian, because there are eight rows of kernels on the slender cobs). I ended up planting it in my garden and it made amazing polenta—tons of corn flavor, beautiful golden color, slightly sweet—so I grew more. We use a relatively inexpensive Corona hand cranked grist mill to grind it into polenta, but there are many other options out there (these mills will also grind popcorn). &nbsp;It can also be cooked whole, but it does not make good nixtamal in my opinion—very gummy.</p> <p><em>Top photo of a simple bean, green cabbage and bacon soup with carrots, onions and garlic.</em></p>Winter Breakfast Warm-Up: Applesauce Bran Muffins from The Bread LabSat, 11 Nov 2023 11:27:00 -0800https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/11/winter-breakfast-warm-up-applesauce-bran-muffins-from-the-breadhttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/11/winter-breakfast-warm-up-applesauce-bran-muffins-from-the-bread<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/muffin_bread_lab.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>Back in my college days in the 1970s, bran muffins were lumped into the category of "hippie food" along with granola, hummus, brown rice and pretty much all whole foods.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/prunes_stewed.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Stewed prunes from Joy of Cooking, 1955 edition. </figcaption> </figure> <p>In my grandmother's time, bran and other foods, like prunes, were used as "digestive aids," a euphemism for their laxative properties. I remember my grandmother, a ranch wife in Eastern Oregon, putting up a dozen jars of stewed prunes every winter, the little black fruits doled out in moderation lest they prove too effective at their task.</p> <p>I, of course, would sneak them out of their hiding place in her fridge whenever I thought she wasn't looking, enjoying their savory sweetness and even sipping the syrup they were preserved in—with no discernible ill effect as far as my grade-school self could tell.</p> <p>(I was kind of a weird kid, foodwise, preferring having a slice of pie to a frosting-slathered cake, chewing on raw rhubarb to sucking on candy and generally favoring savory to sweet.&nbsp;But I digress.)</p> <figure class="image align-right"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/bran_commercial_regularity.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Because "it'll help you poop" <br>isn't all that appetizing. </figcaption> </figure> <p>After my grandmother's day, bran's laxative superpower slid easily into the "health food" arena, <span style="font-size: 1em;">synchronizing nicely with the booming weight loss industry of the 1950s and 60s. <a href="https://youtu.be/Wz5zpmTOHYw?feature=shared">One television commercial</a>&nbsp;from the era advised that if you consumed bran cereal it would promote "youthful regularity," and an article&nbsp;on <a href="https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/is-too-much-brand-bad-for-you">the contemporary history of bran</a> stated that "</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">multiple diets emerged on the scene promoting bran as either the foundation of a healthy nutrition plan, or the secret weapon for preserving a rapid weight-loss strategy."</span></p> <p>Here at home these days, bran is a fortuitous byproduct of <a href="https://www.goodstuffnw.com/2021/06/gearing-up-for-local-grains-grinding-our-own-flour/">Dave's home-milling</a>, a result of grinding whole wheat for his sourdough bread and then sifting it to remove some (but not all) of the bran to get the result he wants. The recipe below probably uses bran from the same sifting process—the <a href="https://breadlab.wsu.edu">Washington State University (WSU) Breadlab</a>, a group of WSU researchers, are dedicated to developing better tasting, healthier, affordable grains to support small-scale organic farmers while not pricing people out of staple foods. (Read more about <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/01/magazine/bread-is-broken.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8Uw.HiWS.vO7B_e-gQBjL&amp;smid=url-share">The Breadlab's origins</a>.)</p> <p>As for the dead-simple recipe below, apples of all stripes are available this time of year, so find a nice tart variety—we are currently in love with Ashmead's Kernel from <a href="https://kiyokawafamilyorchards.com">Kiyokawa Family Orchards</a> in Parkdale <span style="font-size: 1em;">and Liberty apples</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;from <a href="https://www.queenerfarm.com">Queener Farm</a></span><span style="font-size: 1em;">—and make your own applesauce, or simply core and dice one up, sauté it in a knob of butter until it's slightly tender, then mix into your muffin batter.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-size: 1em;">Applesauce Bran Muffins</span></h3> <p>From the WSU Breadlab: These apple sauce bran muffins are made with 100% unsifted Climate Blend, with a ton of extra bran added. We say it every few months, but we do not understand bran muffins that call for white flour.&nbsp;Our lab, along with soil scientists, plant breeders, food scientists and medical professionals, is participating in a USDA-funded <a href="https://csanr.wsu.edu/optimizing-human-health-and-nutrition-from-soil-to-society/">Soil to Society</a> grant to create more nutritious, affordable and accessible whole grain-based foods. From the soil to your table, we think a muffin is a good start.</p> <p>1 1/2 c. any whole wheat flour<br> 2 c. bran and germ (if you sift use that) or a good all-bran cereal<br> 3/4 c. tart apple sauce [or sauté 1 medium-sized chopped apple in 1 Tbsp. butter until tender]<br> Scant 1/2 c. sugar<br> 1/2 tsp. salt<br> 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder<br> 1 1/2 c. milk<br> 1 egg<br> 1/4 c. oil</p> <p>Soak bran in milk for a few minutes. Add all other ingredients. Mix by hand. Adjust moisture as needed. [We didn't need to add any more milk.] Line a muffin tin with parchment baking cups and fill with batter. Bake for 20 minutes at 400°. If needed, you can broil for last 30 seconds or so to brown the tops. [We've never needed to broil them.]</p>News You Can Actually Use: The Newsletter is Back!Sat, 4 Nov 2023 14:47:44 -0700https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/11/news-you-can-actually-use-the-newsletter-is-backhttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/11/news-you-can-actually-use-the-newsletter-is-back<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/blueberry_bush_fall.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>First: <a href="https://buttondown.email/.../good-stuff-nw-winter-is-coming/">Read the latest newsletter here!</a></p> <p>Here's a brief explanation of why you may have noticed its absence for the past (wince) couple of years:</p> <p>First off, <a href="https://goodstuffnw.com/2021/09/a-personal-note-your-vaccination-status-is-my-business/">Dave's broken leg</a> and subsequent rehab took the wind out of our sails for several months. (He's great now, btw…thanks Matt from <a href="http://www.broadwaypt.net">Broadway Physical Therapy</a>!)</p> <p>Second, of course, COVID. While we have so far miraculously avoided its scourge, the psychological and spiritual toll it took on our household was grim, as it was with most folks. I liken it to the toll that the Great Depression and WWII took on my parents. While they were both very young during the Depression, and young adults in the war, they both had been deeply affected by, and could recall in detail, the experiences they had and the effect those events had on them, their families and their communities.</p> <p>Third, and perhaps most significantly, it took a surprisingly long time to find an e-mail newsletter service I wanted to partner with, since the Good Stuff NW mailing list had grown beyond my personal e-mail server's capacity. Most of the large companies in that arena track subscribers and compile data, which they may—or may not, or may at some point in the future—sell to outside actors. Compiling and storing that data also creates a security issue if they ever get hacked. And they don't allow users to turn off that "feature" to protect their subscribers.</p> <p><a href="https://buttondown.email/">Buttondown</a>, the service I eventually chose, allows users to turn off tracking, and it says it doesn't store or compile data. It's simple to use and very basic, qualities I admire. We'll see how it goes.</p> <p>If you've read this far, good on you! If you want to subscribe to the newslettter, use the link provided under the search bar at the top right. If you decide you no longer want to receive it, there's a link to unsubscribe at the bottom of each newsletter.</p> <p>And, as always, thanks for reading!</p> <p><em>Photo at top of my neighbor's blueberry bush that I took today!</em></p>Guest Essay: Haunted in Port TownsendTue, 31 Oct 2023 11:55:00 -0700https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/10/guest-essay-haunted-in-port-townsendhttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/10/guest-essay-haunted-in-port-townsend<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/port_townsend_hotel.jpg" class="glossy"/><p><em>It's the holiday known as Samhain or All Hallows Eve—Halloween to you trick-or-treaters out there—and I thought it might be appropriate to repost this story from my friend, Laurie Harquail, who wrote about a very unusual experience she had on a visit to one of my favorite destinations, Port Townsend, Washington.</em></p> <h3>Chapter One: Arrival</h3> <p>It was not a dark and stormy night.</p> <p>In fact, it was the longest day of the year, and I had taken a Summer Solstice jaunt to the historic seaside town of Port Townsend, staying in what appeared to be a charming Victorian hotel on the main drag.</p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/port_townsend_ferry.jpeg" alt=""> <figcaption> The lovely setting for this tale. </figcaption> </figure> <p>After a four-and-a-half hour drive, I walked into the main lobby of <a href="https://palacehotelpt.com">The Palace Hotel</a>—sun blazing a trail in the late summer afternoon sky—and immediately asked the front desk clerk, Bob, “Are you going to tell me this hotel is haunted?”</p> <p>And why did I blurt out this odd question? Because the main lobby had a strange kind of filmy feeling—as if a layer of gauze or a veil was laid over it.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">Before I continue, I must digress. I have stayed in numerous “historic” B&amp;Bs by myself, both here and abroad. I had also been in countless older homes for my previous job at Rejuvenation—and I had never encountered a place quite like this.</span></p> <p>OK, now back to the story.</p> <p>In regard to my question, Bob gave a nervous chuckle and told me the hotel “does have an interesting past” as a seaport brothel. In a half-hearted attempt at transparency, he offered me the hotel’s binder containing guest reviews.</p> <p>For reasons I can’t fully explain (the reoccurring theme of the weekend) I told Bob I wasn't up for the binder, and that I’d prefer to remain objective. Bob then asked if I’d mind paying up front. And again, for reasons I can’t fully explain, I tentatively handed over my credit card and committed to my stay.</p> <h3>Chapter Two: Settling In</h3> <p>I followed Bob as he scurried up the main staircase which was presided over by a large portrait, "The Lady in Blue," and he planted my small suitcase in Room 4, Miss Claire’s room.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/port_townsend_lady_in_blue.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> "The Lady in Blue" </figcaption> </figure> <p>Despite its tawdry past, Miss Claire’s room was airy and bright. I entered, but immediately froze in my tracks. The vibe overwhelmed me. It felt like something was in the room—but I couldn’t see it. More specifically, it felt like a patch of sad energy gently hovering overhead—kind of like an invisible, clinically depressed blimp.</p> <p>My first instinct was to bolt, but after a few minutes of self-talk ("There is NOTHING WRONG with this room, Laurie.") I decided to stay. To get the weekend off to the right start, I sent “the presence” a telepathic greeting (no joke). Something to the effect of “Hey Miss Claire, you seem kind of down, and I’m sorry about that, and I know this is your room, and I’ll be a really good roommate."</p> <p>I hit the telepathic “send” button and started to unpack.</p> <p>Usually, for record-keeping purposes, I would take pictures in a historic hotel, but I decide not to use my camera (or for that matter, turn on the TV), fearing the camera flash or electronic devices might trigger a paranormal event. (Again, no joke).</p> <p>I realized I was truly beginning to grasp the Victorian concept of "going mad."</p> <p>“Shake it off,” I told myself. I pulled myself back from the brink, bucked up and headed out to dinner. After a lovely meal and a healthy dose of wine at <a href="https://www.silverwatercafe.com">The Silverwater Café</a>, I headed back to Room 4. With the table lamp on, I went to sleep. Thankfully, the night was uneventful.</p> <h3>Chapter Three: Things Get a Little Lively</h3> <p>Saturday morning arrived, and summer light flooded the room early. “How ironic," I thought. “My own little version of 'The Shining.'" I got up and did a gut check on the room. I felt Miss Claire was not present—perhaps she was out running errands. (Do ghosts run errands?)</p> <figure class="image align-right"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/port_townsend_hotel_rm4.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Miss Claire's room. </figcaption> </figure> <p>I headed out for a normal day of sightseeing, and made sure to leave the room extra tidy, thinking that if Miss Claire moved anything while I was out, I’d be able to tell. I returned later that afternoon after an invigorating bike ride to <a href="https://parks.wa.gov/find-parks/state-parks/fort-worden-historical-state-park">Fort Worden</a>. The room felt normal. I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, then started to get ready to go out for an early dinner. Although at this point I was trying my best to apply makeup while NOT looking in the mirror, since I know from childhood slumber parties that mirrors and apparitions go hand-in-hand. (Mary Worth, are you listening?)</p> <p>And wouldn’t you know, while primping, the closed door to my room popped open in that scary movie kind of way—creaky sound effect and all. “Hmmmm…” I thought to myself. “Pretty sure that was closed." I shrugged it off and attributed it to an old building with old locks. I continued to blindly apply mascara, when suddenly I felt something behind me.</p> <p>That's when I broke out in goose bumps, quickly brushed my hair and left. “She’s back," I think, “So I’ll just let her have the room to herself for a few hours.”</p> <p>I feared I was starting to lose it.</p> <p>Dinner was another lovely meal at the the Silverwater, washed down with two very large glasses of wine. After taking in some live music and knocking back another stiff drink, I felt fortified and ready to return to Miss Claire’s room. “One more night,” I said to myself.</p> <p>It was still twilight when I returned, but I decided to turn in early. I switched on the table lamp, got into bed, pulled the covers over my head and hoped for the best. I drifted off.</p> <p>Fast forward a few hours. I was sound asleep—that is, until the locked door once again mysteriously popped open. I sat bolt upright in bed, and said loudly, “Hello? Hello?” No answer. I walked to the open door and looked out into the still-lit hall. I saw nothing.</p> <p>And then I had a funny thought—an epiphany of sorts. I realized that I don’t really WANT to see anything. I’m tired of this ghost stuff, and I was now more annoyed with, than scared of, Miss Claire. She reminded me of so many roommates from days past, stumbling in late on a Saturday night, probably drunk, but meaning no harm.</p> <p>At least she didn’t bring home a guy.</p> <h3>Epilogue</h3> <p>Sunday morning arrived, bright and sunny. My first thought of the day was, “I’m getting the hell out of here." I skipped the shower (no more creepy bathroom for me), quickly packed up and say goodbye to Miss Claire. This time I spoke out loud, for I was no longer in denial about her existence.</p> <p>But before I left, I did review “the binder” which was chock full of experiences similar to mine—and then some. I also learned that legend has it Miss Claire was engaged to be married, but was jilted by a sailor who left her at the dock. Her never-used wedding gown was stashed in a trunk found in Room 4.</p> <p>I hit the road. By the time I got to Tacoma, I realized I've spent the weekend with a broken-hearted ghost, and I had a full-blown case of the heebie-jeebies. For closure, I call Front Desk Bob when I got home and told him my tale. Bob confirmed that my story was “consistent with other events” at the hotel.</p> <p>I guess that’s paranormal-speak for this stuff goes on all the time.&nbsp;As for me, I still sleep with a light on.</p> <p><em>Photos from Palace Hotel and KOMO News.</em></p>Travel Diary: Low-Key Sojourn in West SeattleSun, 29 Oct 2023 11:22:00 -0700https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/10/travel-diary-low-key-sojourn-in-west-seattlehttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/10/travel-diary-low-key-sojourn-in-west-seattle<p>Seattle: The Space Needle. Pike Place Market. The Monorail. SAM, MoPOP and the Experience Music Project. But on a recent trip we found those iconic spots are only one side of the city's story—literally.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/west_seattle_alki_kitty.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> West Seattle makes it easy to <br>travel with pets. </figcaption> </figure> <p>It had been years since we'd ventured up north, but I'd been wanting to visit my friend and cookbook author <a href="https://monappetit.com">Cynthia Nims</a>, having been titillated by the beautiful shots she'd posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cynnims/">Instagram</a> from her walks through her West Seattle neighborhood. We set a date for a road trip north, and she suggested <a href="https://www.grovewestseattle.com">The Grove West Seattle Inn</a> as a centrally located (and pet-friendly) spot to stay. It's a classic mid-century, two-story motel built for the flood of tourists that came to town to attend the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. Even better, its rates were easily half of what we'd find downtown.</p> <p>A peninsula separated from the downtown area by the Duwamish Waterway on its eastern flank and the Puget Sound on the north and west, hilly West Seattle is primarily residential, populated by almost one-fifth of the city's residents. Much like the east side of Portland, it's connected to downtown by a bridge and has thriving, active neighborhoods with busy shopping and dining areas. It's chock-full of locally owned businesses, and includes many parks with sweeping views of the water.</p> <figure class="image align-right"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/west_seattle_lady_jaye.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Smoke is the byword at Lady Jaye. </figcaption> </figure> <p>From Cynthia's photos, though, I was particularly drawn to the beaches that wrap around its rolling hills <em>(top video)</em>. The paved, beach-side pathways&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">allow bike-able, pedestrian-friendly access with spectacular water views, and the</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;broad avenues sweep along them are lined on the other side with restaurants, bars and shops.</span></p> <p>With Cynthia's list of suggested restaurants, most of which were a ten-minute-or-less drive from our digs, we chose the well-reviewed and&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">promising-sounding</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;</span><a style="font-size: 1em;" href="https://ladyjaye.com">Lady Jaye Smokehouse &amp; Restaurant</a><span style="font-size: 1em;"> for dinner our first night. Promising a butcher shop, whiskey bar and barbecue, with an intriguing cocktail menu and reasonable prices, it was an easy pick. (The owners have also just opened a bakery-and-sandwiches spot called <a href="https://littlejaye.com">Little Jaye</a> in South Park's Cloverdale Business Park.)</span></p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/west_seattle_luna_park.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Luna Park Cafe is a West Seattle classic. </figcaption> </figure> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">We got a table in the front window overlooking the busy sidewalk—the people-watching was excellent—while we perused the menu and I tried not to chug my mango shrub after the day's drive. Most of the mains came with a choice of three sides, so when their justifiably notorious Prime Bugogi Short Rib <em>(above right)</em> arrived on a platter with a huge pile of fries, watermelon salad and another pile of blistered shisito peppers, I was suitably bowled over. Dave's choice of the Smoked Pork New York was</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">equally impressive, with</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;three thick slices of meat, meltingly tender and luscious along with the requisite sides.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">The evening was cool and clear, and I was determined to head to Alki Beach on the peninsula's northwestern side to catch the last rays of the sunset as it dropped into the Sound. Plus it gave us the opportunity to walk the dogs before collapsing into our beds (<em>video, top)</em></span><span style="font-size: 1em;">.</span></p> <figure class="image align-right"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/west_seattle_jet_city_beignet.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Beignets well worth the wait. </figcaption> </figure> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">Somehow by the next morning we were hungry again and decided to drop by the West Seattle landmark, the&nbsp;<a href="https://lunaparkcafe.com">Luna Park Café</a> with its eclectic 1950s-inspired decor that looked like your grandparents' attic (plus maybe their storage unit) had exploded inside. The retro diner menu is classic, with items divided into "piles, hobos, scrambles and omelettes"—basically homefries topped with eggs, homefries mixed into eggs (basically the same as a scramble) and homefries inside an egg wrap, respectively. Clever, and also well worth a visit.</span></p> <p>Dinner was taken care of by an exclusive invite to dine chez Cynthia with her husband Bob in their mid-century home with, as Cynthia described it, "a million-dollar view…from the driveway." So the by-now-drizzly afternoon beforehand was spent napping and reading until it was time to head to their place.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/west_seattle_farmers_mkt.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Support local even when traveling! </figcaption> </figure> <p>The next morning we emerged from our room with the dogs for their morning walk and right across the street from our motel we saw a sign saying "FRESH BEIGNETS" in front of a nondescript warehouse. This deserved investigating, so I approached the plastic-flapped entrance to <a href="https://www.jetcitybeignet.com">Jet City Beignet</a> and rang the bell. A sign taped to a stand read "two for $6," which sounded like a deal. I ordered from the nice young woman who popped out, and a few minutes later the pups and I—Dave's lactose intolerance prevented him indulging—were munching on a box of the hot, fresh, crunchy pastries. (Never fear, Dave got his pastry at a coffee spot nearby.)</p> <figure class="image align-right"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/west_seattle_elliott_bay.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Find stellar brews and pub fare <br>at Elliott Bay. </figcaption> </figure> <p>The 2.5-mile trek from home to the <a href="https://seattlefarmersmarkets.org/wsfm">West Seattle Farmers Market</a> is Cynthia's regular workout on Sundays, and we'd arranged to meet and tour the market, then head to the nearby <a href="https://elliottbaybrewing.com">Elliott Bay Brewing Company</a> for lunch with our husbands. A bustling market equivalent in size to our own Hillsdale market, it's always a delight to see a community come together over local food.</p> <p>The guys were already well into their pints by the time we tore ourselves away from the market, and Elliott Bay proved its bonafides, to me, at least, with an extensive selection of its own organic beers—now sadly lacking in PDX brewpubs—and some of the best pub fare I've had in recent memory.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/west_seattle_troll2.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Silas and his friend Bruun Idun. </figcaption> </figure> <p>More rain was forecast for most of our last day, but we were intent on making a pilgrimage to Lincoln Park' for a hike and a&nbsp;<a href="https://parkways.seattle.gov/2023/09/15/meet-lincoln-parks-troll/">visit with Bruun Idun</a>, its resident troll,&nbsp;part of the <a href="https://www.nwtrolls.org">Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King</a> project, a series of giant hand-built troll sculptures by Danish environmental artist Thomas Dambo:</p> <p>"At night there was a storm, there at the beach where she was born<br> And Idun felt a feeling wrong, and so she walked there in the dawn<br> And on her flute, the magic horn, a tune so passionate and strong<br> She played for them an orca song<br>To ask them where they all have gone."</p> <figure class="image align-right"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/west_seattle_love_rock.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> The LOVE rock is a local landmark in West Seattle's Lincoln Park. </figcaption> </figure> <p>The other must-see before we left was to the renowned LOVE rock that Cynthia has <a href="https://monappetit.com/5963/health-and-well-being/walking-lincoln-park/">immortalized on her blog</a>. &nbsp;She describes it as "the letters L-O-V-E spelled out in some manner of mostly-beach-collected materials," once including a green apple Jolly Rancher.</p> <p>Myriad trails run through the park, some well-marked and some not, but there is always the water on the west and the street on the east, so it's difficult for even my directionally challenged self to go astray. A long waterside beach with idiosynchratic driftwood "sculptures" scattered along its length with a paved walkway running next to it, this is a spectacular park and even has its own public outdoor saltwater pool open in the summer months.</p> <p>Discovering this other, much more low-key—and less expensive—side of Seattle was a delightful, eye-opening experience, and with downtown only a few minutes'<span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;drive across the bridge, we'll definitely be returning. Thanks, Cynthia—you truly are the "unofficial Walking West Seattle ambassador"!</span></p>Once Renowned Oregon Dairies Decimated by Factory FarmsThu, 26 Oct 2023 12:22:00 -0700https://goodstuffnw.com/2023/10/once-renowned-oregon-dairies-decimated-by-factory-farmshttps://goodstuffnw.com/2023/10/once-renowned-oregon-dairies-decimated-by-factory-farms<img src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/damsacus_creamery_wagon.jpg" class="glossy"/><p>How much is that grilled cheese sandwich worth to you?</p> <p>It may seem like an odd question until you consider that the decline in American dairy farms has been catastrophic <em>(see animation below)</em>. According to <a href="https://www.farmaid.org/blog/dairys-decline-harsh-reality-for-farmers/">FarmAid</a>, in 1934 some 5.2 million dairy farms dotted America’s countryside, but between 1997 and 2017, the U.S. lost half of its 72,000 remaining dairies and today fewer than 28,000 licensed dairy herds remain.</p> <figure class="image align-left"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/daisy_evaporated_milk.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Thousands of small dairies once populated Oregon. </figcaption> </figure> <p>In Oregon, once renowned for the quality of its dairy products, <a href="https://alamedahistory.org/2018/12/20/when-northeast-neighborhoods-outgrew-their-dairies/">one historian</a> said that in 1914 there were 1,004 licensed dairies in Portland alone. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2022/06/carbon-neutral-milk-dairy-industry#:~:text=I%20n%20the%20last%20three,six%20dairy%20farms%20a%20year.">recent article</a> in Portland Monthly states that the number of licensed dairies in Oregon dropped from around 500 in 1990 to 192 in 2020 and that, on average, Oregon is losing about six dairy farms a year.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.farmaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/loss_of_dairy_farms_animation-2023.gif"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15050 embedded" src="https://www.farmaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/loss_of_dairy_farms_animation-2023-550x547-1.gif" alt="Loss of Dairy Farms in America: 1970 - 2023. From 460,000 dairy farms to 28,000 dairy farms." width="550" height="547"></a></p> <p>Interestingly, while the number of individual dairy farms in Oregon has been dropping like a rock, the number of dairy cows has remained fairly steady. That's because of the influx of industrial factory farm dairies—aka "mega-dairies"—that have flooded into Oregon due to our lax environmental regulations that classify these industrial facilities as "farms" instead of the factories that they really are.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 1em;">The largest is North Dakota-owned Threemile Canyon Farms, a 70,000-cow industrial facility that supplies the vast majority of the milk used to make Tillamook cheese and its ice cream, yogurt and other products. It's also one of the two largest in the United States, according to </span><a style="font-size: 1em;" href="https://columbiainsight.org/cheese-in-the-desert-mega-dairies/">an article</a><span style="font-size: 1em;"> in Columbia Insight on mega-dairies' use (and abuse) of our water resources. Ironically it has called itself a "family farm" in public hearings in Salem.</span></p> <p>As my friend, organic dairy farmer Jon Bansen noted on his tour of Threemile Canyon, "The scale is impressive, but the biology is horrifying."</p> <hr> <h3 style="text-align: center;">Of the wells tested so far, around a quarter have contained high levels of the dangerous nitrates that have plagued the Lower Umatilla Basin since at least 1990.</h3> <hr> <p>Friends of Family Farmers (FoFF), an organization that advocates for Oregon's small family farmers, <a href="https://friendsoffamilyfarmers.org/2023/10/oregon-agencies-fail-to-meet-governors-well-testing-in-the-lower-umatilla-basin/">posted recently</a> that&nbsp;mega-dairies have played a major role in driving dairy farmers off the land, stating that they over-produce and flood the market with cheap milk,&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">making it impossible for small dairy farmers to compete</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">, while externalizing their environmental and social costs on the state's taxpayers.</span></p> <figure class="image"> <img class="align-left" src="https://goodstuffnw.com/images/2023/LUGWMA_map.jpg" alt=""> <figcaption> Wells on the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area in Umatilla and Morrow Counties (black dots) and the approximate locations of two mega-dairies (in red). </figcaption> </figure> <p>As an example, FoFF's post states that last May Governor Tina Kotek met with community members in Boardman—where several industrial agricultural facilities, including feedlots and mega-dairies, are located—where she set a deadline to test for nitrate contamination from agriculture from all 3,300 wells used by households&nbsp;<em style="font-size: 1em;">(see map, above)</em><span style="font-size: 1em;">. Testing on that scale is a huge expense that will be borne by taxpayers rather than the polluters, but as of the deadline at the end of September state agencies had only managed to test 1,001 of the domestic wells in the Lower Umatilla Basin. Of the wells tested so far, a</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">round a quarter have contained high levels of the dangerous nitrates that have plagued the Lower Umatilla Basin since at least 1990.</span></p> <hr> <h3 style="text-align: center;">It’s shameful taxpayers are left with the bill instead of agribusiness and industry<br>which have profited while contaminating the state's groundwater.</h3> <hr> <p>The federal government is stepping in to help with some of the cost to address the water crisis in the two counties affected, announcing $1.7 million dollars&nbsp;in federal aid to help deal with nitrate contamination in private wells.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1em;">But according to&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">Kristin Anderson Ostrom, Oregon Rural Action executive director <a href="https://www.hermistonherald.com/news/local/morrow-umatilla-counties-get-1-7m-for-nitrate-contamination-solutions/article_3664e7bc-6868-11ee-aac7-d3925a16e789.html">quoted</a> in the Hermiston (OR) Herald,</span><span style="font-size: 1em;">&nbsp;"Folks can’t live out of 5-gallon bottles forever, and they shouldn’t have to. This is really just a long-awaited first step and there’s a lot of work to do to build on the testing we’ve already done.”</span></p> <p>Ostrom added that it’s shameful taxpayers are left with the bill instead of agribusiness and industry, which have profited while contaminating the state's groundwater.</p> <p>So what is having that grilled cheese sandwich worth to you considering the costs outlined above?</p> <p>As I said in a recent post on social media, the fact that these industrial facilities were—and still are—allowed to operate on a federally designated, at-risk aquifer is outrageous. Oregon's taxpayers are and will be on the hook for the clean-up for decades while these extractive industries will be given a slap on the wrist (if anything) while continuing to operate.</p> <p><em>Read my coverage of <a href="http://goodstuffnw.com/tag/mega-dairies/">mega-dairies in Oregon</a>, and why it's critical that <a href="http://goodstuffnw.com/2023/07/editorial-why-buy-local/">we try to buy local</a> when possible. Top photo of Mayflower Dairy delivery wagon from the fascinating website&nbsp;<a href="http://pdxhistory.com">PDX History</a>.</em></p>