Fresh by Northwest

Dichelostemma ida-maia “California Firecracker”

Stephanie Stewart — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:18:23 +0000

I’m always looking for more plants that combine shades of red with the different shades of green in my garden, especially if it’s something I haven’t seen in anyone else’s garden yet. Yes, I’m one of those gardeners. When I first saw Dichelostemma ida-maia last July used as a cut flower I decided I just had to have it. When I planted the corms in the fall I thought it wouldn’t be blooming until July so was surprised to see it already pushing up out of the earth in February! The only thing I knew about it when I started my research was that it’s common name was California Firecracker and of course, I knew what the flower looked like. This little gem has a complicated history when it comes to its name. California Firecracker was first classified as Brevoortia ida-maia and was the only species in its genus. The term Brevoortia was re-assigned to a genus of fish, and the Firecracker was renamed as Brodaiea ida-maia. Finally, when the Dichelostemma genus was separated from the Broadaiea genus the California firecracker was classified as Dichelostemma ida-maia. Dichelostemma ida-maia (pronounced EYE-da MAY-a) was discovered by stage driver Harry Burke, who drove [...]

Chevre Soufflé with Tapenade, Crostini and Arugula

Heidi Rabel — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:38:12 +0000

Chevre Soufflé with Tapenade, Crostini and Arugula Serves 4 If you are thinking of inviting friends over for a glass of wine, consider this tasty, individually plated appetizer. Calamata olive tapenade complements the flavor of mild chevre and the arugula adds a spicy bite. The flavors work well with Sauvignon Blanc, Voignier or Prosecco. Hints I have been on a chevre binge lately, and this came into my mind while I was making the Meyer Lemon Soufflé. Why not try it with chevre? A warm little chevre soufflé with crostini and tapenade seemed like a good idea, and it was. It might seem fussy, but it’s pretty easy to put together. Tapenade from a jar spread onto individual plates, crostini either homemade or packaged, a little arugula, all plated while the soufflé cooks. Save time by blending the cheese and egg yolks ahead. Just before putting the soufflés in the oven, beat the egg whites and fold them into the cheese mixture. Be sure to butter the ramekins so the soufflé portions can be removed easily from the ramekins. See Hints from Meyer Lemon Soufflé recipe. Ingredients 4 oz. chevre, plain or herb flavored 6 eggs: whites from 3; all [...]

No More Moldy Berries

Stephanie Stewart — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:26:26 +0000

Last night I ended up throwing out a significant amount of moldy strawberries that I had bought on sale at the grocery store. I know when it’s “buy one get one free” time they are going to go bad quickly but I had hoped we would get to finish them before that happened. Unfortunately our most loyal consumer of strawberries had oral surgery this week and has been out of commission when it comes to chewing. So that’s my excuse. This morning I remembered that Heidi had sent me a link about keeping berries from getting moldy and going bad so quickly and scanned through my email to find it. If you have vinegar in your pantry, problem solved! I love simple solutions.

Meyer Lemon Soufflé

Heidi Rabel — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:15:06 +0000

Meyer Lemon Soufflé Serves 4 This version is modified slightly from the original recently published in the WSJ*. Hints Meyer lemons have a distinct flavor that is different from traditional, sharper flavored lemons. A similar but not identical taste result could be obtained by substituting 1/3 of the juice with fresh tangerine juice. For brilliant yellow colored soufflés, use fresh farm eggs. This soufflé recipe does not puff up and hold like traditional cooked soufflé. It produces a luscious, semi soft (but not runny) center that is eaten with a spoon. Because it does collapse and spread slightly on a dessert plate, I recommend cooking the soufflés in individual ramekins. The essence of this dessert is sugar-lemon juice taste balance. Because the lemons are fresh, the tartness of juice will be different each time the recipe is made. Use 1 tbs. less sugar than called for initially, cook the custard, taste it and add more sugar if necessary. This is not a make-ahead dessert. It must be served warm, within 10 minutes of being removed from the oven. The custard can be cooked ahead (up to 3 hours), covered with plastic wrap and held at room temperature until 20 minutes [...]

Bienvenidos a la Tamalada!

Stephanie Stewart — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:22:18 +0000

About a month ago I got a bee in my bonnet and decided to make tamales for the first time. I’ve talked about it for years, trying to get someone else who had already done it to help me, but as usual my destiny seems to be all about DIY so I finally went for it. Also typical of me, I didn’t just start with making one variety, I had to make 3 different ones. I am happy to report that I learned a lot and the tamales were quite tasty. Many thanks to my daughter Ella who helped me with rolling the first batches and to my friend Kim who agreed to come over and make tamales with me. Even though Kim and I have cooked together before she is still brave enough to come over and be part of my over reaching plans. I started my research on tamale recipes online. Then I turned to this cookbook that I discovered via Naomi Andrade-Smith’s blog. If you are interested in traditional Mexican cooking, dishes and flavors this is the one cook book you should have. In preparation for the tamalada I bought some masa harina lots of dried chiles, [...]

Chevre Ice Cream

Heidi Rabel — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:09:59 +0000

Chevre Ice Cream Makes 1 Pint, Serves 6 Ice cream, a given part of American life… the part that means sweet, end- of- the- day indulgence, birthday cake’s “other half,” a required top hat for apple pie or, with the first lick of a double decker ice cream cone, an instant return to carefree childhood. From its simple beginning, making something out of extra milk before it soured, ice cream grew into a major industry with a flavor range that includes just about everything imaginable. Name it and you can find a container of it at the supermarket or a recipe on the Internet. How about a big scoop of Maple Bacon, or Curry Carrot or Black Truffle? A wise food mentor once gave me this advice: “Always remember, in food, the line between creative and weird is very thin.” At a favorite restaurant recently the dessert menu included “Meyer Lemon Tart with Chevre Ice Cream.” I did a quick mental tasting of chevre, which I love, combined with Meyer lemon which I also love, and decided to order the dessert, hoping it would be on the good side of that thin line. The tart was good but more like [...]

Spring Scallop and Shrimp Salad

Heidi Rabel — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:45:38 +0000

Scallop and Shrimp Salad Serves 4 Scallops and shrimp have subtle but distinctive tastes and quite different textures that work together well. To protect their differences in this recipe, they are pre cooked and marinated separately. Hints There is no question that pre cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp are readily available in supermarkets and at Costco and quite economically priced. However, even after being thawed and drained, they remain water logged and pretty tasteless (hence big cocktail sauce displays nearby). This time of year medium sized Alaskan and Pacific shrimp often are on sale and well worth the slightly higher cost. Scallops come in two varieties: Sea Scallops that are large and tiny Bay scallops. I used Sea Scallops for this salad because they can be seared and take on a slightly caramelized flavor that complements the briny flavor of the shrimp. If they are seared at high heat for only a minute or so, the centers will still be delicately soft. Small Bay Scallops toughen when cooked over high heat; they are best for ceviche and chowders. I added red and yellow bell peppers for their sweetness and bright colors and Poblano chili pepper for its spice and dark [...]

Spring Salad : Easy to Eat Caprese

Heidi Rabel — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:57:11 +0000

Spring is all about hope: that warm days will dry us out; that lemon yellow daffodils symbolize sunny weeks to come; that ethereal blossoms will become juicy cherries, apples or pears; that tiny green shoots poking out of the mud will become flavorful herbs, garlic, shallots or scallions; that warm weeks of carefree summer really are going to happen this year. For we who identify seasons by foods, spring teases us with dreams of luscious greens, slightly earthy vegetables, succulent fruits, delicate lamb and briny seafood. Goodbye hearty stews; hello delicious salads. Easy To Eat Caprese Serves 4 Hints Nothing matches a classic Caprese’s juicy red slices of fresh tomato, rich mozzarella, large green basil leaves drizzled with nutty virgin olive oil and an accompanying a fresh slice or two of crusty artisan bread. Italians really do know how to eat. But for me a traditional Caprese is a full meal rather than a salad before or after an entrée. This version provides the tastes of tomato, mozzarella, basil and olive oil in portions small enough to work as a side salad. By late March or early April cherry tomatoes from California can be sweet and succulent. (If they don’t [...]

Yin Yang Garden Design

Stephanie Stewart — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:33:05 +0000

Most garden design concepts can be explained in terms of yin yang and achieving a balance between the two. Applying the theory of yin yang correctly in your garden will result in a flourishing landscape that surrounds your home with good energy and enhances its value. Gardeners already understand this balance in the use of different sizes, shapes and colors of foliage, shrubs, trees and flowers. A garden where every plant has tiny leaves would be too yin or busy looking, yes? A nice yin yang balance makes your garden a place where you will want to spend time. Balance provides areas to enjoy with groups of family or neighbors, and private areas where you could meditate or rest. If your lot is too shady, consider pruning or even removing trees and shrubs. If your lot is too hot and open or plagued by wind, plant some trees. Plant water loving plants in damp areas, drought tolerant plants in dry areas, and they will require much less maintenance. If the garden is so overgrown you can barely see the house sharpen those pruners and get to work. You get the idea. Maintaining yin yang balance also enhances the security of [...]

Nuoc Cham

Stephanie Stewart — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:20:49 +0000

Nuoc Cham is the dipping sauce or dressing that usually accompanies Fresh Spring Rolls, Rice Vermicelli noodles and other Vietnamese dishes. Last weekend I decided to make Bun Thit Nuong (Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and Vegetables) and the sauce is a component of the dish. This fresh tasting, slightly spicy sauce would be great with all kinds of seafood and fish. The next time I make my Grandma ‘Tona’s Accra Recipe I’m going to whip up a batch of Nuoc Cham for dipping. In doing the research for this recipe some of the best tips came from Andrea Nguyen’s Viet World Kitchen blog: Start the recipe by combining the lime juice, sugar and water. Make it the best tasting limeade you’ve ever had. This is the base for the sauce so it’s the most important part. All the rest is just seasoning. Most restaurants use rice vinegar as a base (or half lime juice, half rice vinegar) for this sauce so be ready for it to taste fresher than you may be used to. Thanks Andrea! Nuoc Cham Makes about 2 cups Ingredients 3/4 cups of fresh lime juice (about 6 large limes) 1/4-1/2 cup sugar 1/2-3/4 cup [...]