The Brass Paperclip Project

Farmer's Market Fresh: No. 2

I don't know what it is about strolling through the stalls at the farmer's market that relaxes me so completely.  Maybe it's the sounds of street musicians creating a party-vibe from a block away or the wafting smells of mouth-watering street food or the lush piles of rainbow-hued produce laying in wait... chock full of potential.  Maybe it's taking the time to chat with the vendors and explain what I did with their ingredients last week or what I'm planning to do with them this week.  Maybe it's just shopping outside.  Whatever it is, the combinaton makes me smile each week. 

Interesting ingredients continue to appear, so here's what I cooked for the family last week...farmer's market ingredients are listed after the day of the week.  You can click on the links for recipes and vendor info.

 

MONDAY :: stinging nettles | rainbow chard

I never got to my stinging nettle quiche from last week, so I whipped it up for Monday night dinner. Using tongs and scissors, I was able to cut all the leaves from the stems and get them into the dish without getting stung. Booya!  The recipe called for puff pastry, but I had planned to use a frozen pie crust instead.  At the last minute, I went with the puff pastry and loved it!  Totally easy to do and it was d'lish.  I will definitely be using more puff-pastry when I want to impress.  The quiche itself was ok.  I would use less greens and switch to a goat cheese if I make it again.

Just in case the quiche was a flop, I also made one of my favorite salads, introduced to me by my good friend Brandi Olden, registered dietician from Creating Peace with Food. 

Massaged Kale Salad

This recipe calls for kale, but I made it with rainbow chard.  I've made it many times with all different kinds of greens and it always works beautifully.  It's one of the recipes that gets better the longer it sits in the fridge, so you can make a big batch and enjoy if for a few days. Brandi taught me her trick to make it even more nutritious by adding 2 cups of cooked quinoa to the recipe.  LOVE it!

TUESDAY :: lion's mane mushrooms | kamut | cauliflower

Tuesday's dinner was all about the side dishes, so I made it easy on myself and picked up a roast chicken from PCC for our main course.  That way I could focus my attention on these two amazing sides...

How cool are these Lion's Mane mushrooms I scooped up from Cascadia Mushrooms?  I love mushrooms and make a point to seek out unusual ones whenever I can.  These were totally new to me.  Look at that texture!  The grower told me his favorite way to prepare them is to tear them into pieces and gently cook them over medium heat in a dry pan to release some of their moisture.  Then add butter and garlic and sautee until soft.  He informed me they have a dungeness crab-like texture when cooked, but I didn't quite get that.  They were delicious though.

 

Kamut and Roasted Cauliflower Risotto

The starch and veg component of dinner came from this Whole Foods risotto recipe.  As luck would have it, I recently purchased a small bag of locally grown kamut from Whidbey Island Prairie Grains .  (I know how ridiculously "foodie" that sounds, but if I hadn't just bought the grains, I probably would not have noticed the recipe.)

Hadn't planned on being able to find cauliflower yet, so I was very excited to spot a huge pile of overwintered cauliflower at Nash's Organic Produce.  I snapped up two small heads and finished off the last bag of frozen cauliflower from my garden last year.  Roasted cauliflower is amazing by itself...almost seemed wasted in this risotto.  I did like the risotto though and would make it again with asparagus or broccoli to give the dish more color.

After dinner, the chicken bones went into a pot along with an onion, some carrot and celery stalks, a few bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley, thyme and water to simmer overnight.  (I always simmer bone stock for at least 12 hours to get the full flavor from the bones.)  The stock was ready in the morning to be used later in the week.

 

WEDNESDAY :: fresh beet pasta | asparagus

Fresh Beet Pasta & Sauteed Cod

One of my favorite stops at the farmer's market is La Pasta.  They always have a nice assortment of different flavored pasta including beet, red pepper, spinach and sometimes even squid ink, among others.  And don't get me started about their ravioli flavors!  Mmmm.  For this recipe I chose a gorgeous fresh beet pasta that featured fresh beets from Full Circle Farm.    I also went with halibut instead of cod, because that's what was fresh and local...lucky me!  The leek topping was amazing...probably my favorite part of the dish, after the pasta.  (P.S. Gratuitous food porn photo below from bell'alimento.)

On the side, I served a hefty portion of locally grown asparagus...check out that gorgeous purple color...I had envisioned it being so gorgeous with the pink pasta, but it faded to green and my pasta wasn't that pink either. Oh well!  Was still pretty and yummy.

 

THURSDAY :: andouille sausage | scallions

Dirty Rice with Andouille Sausage

This was the big hit of the week.  OMG - so good!  I picked up some locally made andouille sausage from Olsen Farms.  Their beef is naturally raised, 100% grass and potato fed.  (The farm also grows potatos, so they feed their cattle what they grow.) Mixed up with local green onions, leftover leeks (instead of onions b/c somehow I ran out of onions) and homemade chicken stock (made from the chicken I'm served on Tuesday) it was d'lish!  Thick slices of crusty bread slathered with butter turned out to be the perfect accompaniment...the dish was HOT!  The bread and butter helped put out the fire a bit between bites.

 

FRIDAY :: take-out

Friday night turned out to be burger night.  Seattle is blessed with numerous local burger joints...most of which use high-quality, locally raised beef, potatos, etc. to make really good burgers and fries.  My husband and daughter had a "date-night" at Dick's while I helped out my friend Tina of glam.spoon fame at her first ever trunk show at Frock Shop.  (Watch for my trunk show recap post coming soon!  Was a fun night!!) After the trunk show, I had a hankering for a burger, so I stopped at Burgermaster  on the way home.  So good!

Saturday and Sunday were date night and Mother's Day, so I did not cook.  As much as I love to cook, having someone else cook for me is such a treat!  This week, I'll be working on some recipes from one of my favorite cook books, so I hope you'll check back next Monday for Farmer's Market Fresh No. 3 with the scoop from the farmers market, plus recipe reviews. 

If you're not already following me somewhere, here's how you can stay in touch so you don't miss a thing...

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 XOXO, Cindi

P.S. If you've never been to a farmer's market, you are missing out!  You can find one near you by visiting LocalHarvest.org.  All you need to do is put in your zip code and they will tell you what's closest to you.

5 Minute Foodie: Pineapple Vanilla Tequila

Oh, how I love a good boozy project and this to-die-for pineapple & vanilla infused tequila is no exception.  I have a big crush on this one...not a lot of words are needed...

Find yourself a pineapple, a few vanilla beans and a big jug o' tequila...cut your vanilla beans in half, slice them lengthwise & drop them in a mason jar.  Stuff in some pineapple.  Cover it all with tequila.  Let it sit.  Drink it when you're happy with the flavor.  You'll have a nice infusion in a week, but you can leave it for up to six months.

Goes great with a beer...Salud!  To the good life!

P.S. If you don't know how to cut up a pineapple, here's a great tutorial.  And yes, this goes against my locavore principals, but sometimes you gotta break the rules.  At least support an organic farmer and buy organic.  Now go get a pineapple and get going...summer's coming!  XO

Farmer's Market Fresh: No. 1

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a nice weekend...ours went by too quickly, as usual.  No oyster picking adventures this week, but my husband made some good progress on our chicken coop and I enjoyed my weekly shopping adventure at the farmer's market.  Eating local has become very important to me over the past few years, so I've really fallen in love with Seattle's farmer's markets. I love shopping there, supporting our local farmers and building relationships with the people who grow, catch, harvest and produce my food. 

One of my favorite things about shopping at the farmer's market is finding unusual ingredients and then asking the vendors about their favorite ways to prepare them.  This week I scored a pile of fresh, local, spring edibles that I've never cooked with before and had a blast planning my menus for the week.

My go-to sources for recipes online are usually Pinterest, Foodgawker and All Recipes. I'm a sucker for the food porn photos on Pinterest and Foodgawker, but I really like the ratings system and comments on All Recipes.  Between those three sites, I came up with this amazing menu plan for the week featuring all the farmer's market goodies I picked up:

 

MONDAY :: spot prawn | rainbow radish | fiddlehead fern

Spot Prawns on Rainbow Radish Fiddlehead Potato Salad

This gorgeous recipe comes from Gourmet Fury and features three of the ingredients I picked up at the market: Hama Hama spot prawns, rainbow radishes and foraged fiddlehead ferns.  (I was lucky to get the prawns from Dan The Oyster Man at the Hama Hama Oyster Co. booth...he had sold almost his entire allotment for the weekend and it was only Saturay morning.)  The fiddleheads came from one of my favorite booths...Foraged and Found Edibles.  Even their signage is amazing!

As an added bonus, I'm going to toss in a few sauteed morel mushrooms we found growing in our back yard.  I know!  Lucky us!

 

TUESDAY :: wood sorrel

Sorrel and Yukon Gold Potato Soup

One of my favorite farmer's market treasures this week was a gorgeous bag of wood sorrel that I picked up from Foraged and Found Edibles.  It looks like shamrocks and has a bright lemony flavor.  I was excited when I found this recipe from The Vintage Mixer because it uses a fair amount of sorrel. Many wood sorrel recipes I've found only call for a handful of leaves, but I've got a whole bag to use up. I believe she's using a different variety of sorrel than what I have, but I'm going to try it anyway.  I picked up a nice bag of local organic Yukon Gold potatoes this morning and will serve this with warm crusty bread and butter.

WEDNESDAY :: mizuna

Orechiette with Mizuna Pesto

I've been hearing a lot about mizuna lately, but have never used it in my cooking.  I found a few bunches of both regular and red mizuna at the market, so I bought one of each.  This recipe from Burp! looks so simple and fresh.  Look at that green! My husband and I both love traditional pesto, but haven't spread our wings to try any new variations...looking forward to this one!

Instead of orechiette, I'll be using a gorgeous Girella pasta I picked up at a cooking class at ChefShop last week. (More about that cooking class in a separate post this week.)

THURSDAY :: salmon | rhubarb

Sauteed Salmon and Rhubarb Marmalade

I love Strawberry-Rhubarb pie as much as the next person, but there's only so much pie a gal can eat.  (Full disclosure: I once ate an entire strawberry-rhubarb pie by myself during a rare break in my morning sickness while pregnant with my daughter!)  But back to the story...I bought some rhubarb from Stony Plains this week hoping to find a way to work it into a sweet and savory entree. 

The recipe I found from Food & Wine fit the bill perfectly...especially since I had also purchsed a nice piece of salmon from Seattle's own Loki Fish Co.  My only regret is that my own peas aren't big enough to sacrifice a few shoots for the topping.  Guess I'll have to make this again later in the spring.  (wink.) As a side to this dish, I'll be sauteeing up some rapini that I also picked up at the market.  I love it in quiche, but this week it shall stand alone. 

 

FRIDAY :: take-out

Friday night is not usually a cooking night for me.  Happy hour happens with our friends down the street and we take turns springing for take-out.  Gotta love Fridays!

 

WEEKEND :: stinging nettles | red mizuna

Weekends are tricky for meal planning around here.  We never seem to know what we'll be doing and with weather as flaky as it is in the northwest, we jump on the sun whenever it shines...leaving no desire to be in the kitchen.  As a result, I've been trying to plan ahead to make quiches, casseroles, etc. that can just be popped in the over for a quick and easy weekend meal. This plan also helps me extend the life of tender greens from the market and is giving me lots of ideas for how to use up all the eggs our chicks will soon be laying!

This week I'll be making two:

Stinging Nettle Quiche

This quiche from Babyccino Kids is super easy and sounds d'lish.  I'll be skipping the puffed pastry and using whole wheat pie shells from my freezer.  I've never cooked with stinging nettles, but have been told that with gloves or tongs, I should be able to escape the stinging part...once they are cooked, they are harmless.  We'll see...

Bacon Mizuna Frittata

We're pretty much obsessed with bacon around here, so I'm very excited to try this recipe from The Paelo Periodical.  I'll be using the red mizuna I picked up at the market, so I'm hoping it will add a nice splash of color to the dish.

So that's the week.  What do you think?  Got a favorite recipe for spring edibles?  I'd love to hear about it, so please feel free to leave some comments.  I'll shoot out some photos and recipe feedback throughout the week, so feel free to follow me on Facebook or Twitter for the extras.  :) 

Adventures in Oyster Picking

Wow!  What a gorgeous weekend we had in Seattle.  I'm still reeling from all the sun and fun.  What does one do when the sun shines in Seattle, you ask?  Well...we had a really unique opportunity on Saturday to visit Hama Hama Oyster Co. for a U-pick oyster event.  I had never done that before, but I am now officially hooked!

Hama Hama Oyster Co. is a commercial oyster farm based in Lilliwaup, WA at the mouth of the Hama Hama River.  At low tide, the banks extend almost a mile into the Hood Canal.  They are quite well known for their amazing oysters, so it was exciting to step out onto their oyster flats at low tide and literally pluck our dinner from the sand.  Added bonus: The company has been family run since it started in 1922, so we had a chance to meet a few family members...never a bad thing to know your local oyster farmers!

Our wonderful guide took us out to the flats and taught us a lot about oysters, how they grow, what to look for when picking along with lots of other interesting facts about the ecology and other creatures living and feasting on the bounty of the Hama Hama and Hood Canal waters.

One of the first things our guide pointed out on the flats were bags of shells that had been inocculated with baby oysters...see all the tiny dots on the shell below?  Baby oysters.  The shells will be spread out all over the flats to grow the next generation of oysters for the farm.

We also got a quick lesson in how to spot a healthy oyster based on it's new growth.  These are Pacific oysters which were brought to the west coast from Japan.  Their new growth appears as a frill around the edge of the shell and has a gorgeous purple-pink iridescent sheen to it.  So pretty!You can easily spot a Pacific oyster by it's ruffles and frills.  (Washington's native oyster, the Olympia, is smaller and has nearly been replaced by Pacifics. It is only found in a handful of bays along the coast.)

In addition to oysters, there were plenty of other creatures to see...most of which were trying to eat the oysters too!  We saw several kinds of sea stars, snails and even a pile of eggs resting on some seaweed.

By the end of our visit, we had given up counting how many oysters we had picked...the basket got heavy so we figured we had plenty.  As it turned out, we had picked over five dozen oysters, a couple of butter clams and a few random mussels (mostly attached to our oysters!)  To round out our purchase, we also picked up 3 kinds of smoked oysters, 3 crab cakes (made on-site by mom) and a jar of locally made pickled herring from their seafood shop.  The smoked oysters didn't even make it to the car...we gobbled them all up in the parking lot.

The farm has a few picnic shelters with BBQs you can use to cook your oysters on the spot, but we opted to put ours on ice and take them home for dinner.  I was so proud of myself for shucking my first oysters...not an easy task!  After opening a bottle of champagne to go with them, we decided to invite some friends over to share.  We shucked all the raw ones we could open and eat and put the rest on the grill.  I had never done that before, but wow, were they great!  We threw that last of the cooked oysters into a stew the next day.  Yum!

The trick to successfully grilling the oysters, so they don't dry out, is to put them bowl side down over very low heat and close the lid on the grill.  It takes about 8-10 minutes for the first oyster to open and that's when you take them all off.  If the oysters are sputtering and sizzling, but not opening, the heat is too high.  Another good tip is to put them on the grill with their hinges facing towards you, so that when they open, they shoot any liquid towards the back of the grill instead of on you.  (Tips were courtesy of our oyster guide at Hama Hama.)

The remaining shells are now drying out in the sun...to be pulverized later as a calcium supplement for our chickens.

 

Hama Hama is having another U-pick day in May, so we are planning to go again.  If you live in the Seattle area and like oysters, I highly recommend checking it out and making a day of it.  They are also hosting an Oyster Rama on May 5th that sounds like a great time with oyster and wine tastings, seminars and a chance to dig for wild geoduck.  Be sure to check out their blog for ticket info and more details.

Now that we are oyster picking pros, we're looking forward to many more shellfish picking excursions and are looking into getting a WA shellfish license, so we can forage our public beaches.  The main difference with picking from public beaches is that you have to shuck them on the beach and leave the shells because baby oysters like to attach themselves to larger oyster shells.  Leaving the shells allows the population to continue growing. 

Have you ever picked your own oysters?  Have a favorite recipe for fresh oysters?  Hope you'll share some tips if you have them! 

Handmade Holidays :: Rosh Hashanah Food

Who doesn't look forward to a devouring a cherished family recipe during the holidays?  I do! I do!  In fact, I'm kind of obsessed with it.  My favorite?  My mom's apricot noodle kugel.  No contest.  I look forward to it every year.  But I also fancy myself a modern lady and like to mix things up from time to time with new recipes and new traditions.  {Lead photo via She Knows}

While I'm fantasizing about my dream Rosh Hashanah menu, I thought I'd share some ideas for anyone else who is looking for last minute inspiration.  Note: I make no attempts to keep a kosher kitchen, so take these suggestions for what they are...things that look and sound good with symbolic ingredients for the holiday.

Cheers!  These pomegranate, apple and honey infused cocktails will set just the right mood...

{Pomegranate Champagen Cocktail via BHG}

{Apple Martini via Love & Homemade Recipes}

{Pomegranate Sangria via The Shiksa in the Kitchen}

A sweet and savory balance on the menu for dinner...

{Mizuna, persimmon and pomegranate salad via ScandieFoodie}

{Swiss chard and fontina kugel via Gourmet}

{Honey Roasted Veggies via Jamie Oliver}

{Preserved Lemon and Rosemary Roast Chicken via What Katie Ate}

{Sweet and Savory Challah Poppers via The Kitchn}

And what would dessert be without apples?

{Caramel Apples via Pinterest}

{Apple Upside Down Cake via King Arthur Flour}

Last, but not least, a few more sweets.  What's a party without favors?  Hand these to guests as they leave to bid them L'Shana Tova! 

{Honey Favors via Shannon Darrough}

{Apple Mint Jelly via Cooking Melangery}

{Pomegranate Fudge via Not So Humble Pie}

Hope this inspired you to try something new for the holidays this year.  Be sure to check out my previous post to see how you can add even more handmade details to your celebration with a collection of easy, elegant DIY Rosh Hashana crafts and decorations.  And for further creative inspiration and more amazing recipes, take a peek at my Rosh Hashanah inspiration board on Pinterest.

What is your most sacred holiday dish?  Will you be trying anything new this year?  Let me know how it goes!  XOXO, Cindi

{Sexy} Etsy: Aphrodisiacs

Yesterday I shared details about my {sexy} Etsy theme party.  In case you missed it, we're going from room to room in the house, exploring sexy themes in honor of couples everywhere who are celebrating their everlasting love lust this Valentine's Day.  We started in the boudoir and have now made our way to the kitchen for a sexy snack. 

Aphrodisiacs have long been touted as a natural way to boost sexual desire...chocolate, oysters, champagne, figs, honey, bananas, asparagus...they've all been heralded as ingredients for love at some point or another.  Although there is no scientific fact that aphrodisiacs work, why not try a few and see what happens?  For more info about the science and lore of aphrodisiac foods, check out this great blog called Eat Something Sexy.

In the meantime, take a peek at this sexy virtual dessert buffet.  I've searched {sexy} Etsy for the finest, most sophisticated, most luxurious aphrodisiac foods...and created a sexy dinner menu to go with them.  Scroll to the bottom for links to all the shops and my sexy menu with recipes.  Bon Appetit!

BITTERSWEET DARK CHOCOLATE

CHOCOLATE + POMEGRANATE

POMEGRANATE + RED WINE

FIGS + HONEY

HONEY

HONEY + BANANA

BANANA + VANILLA BEAN

VANILLA BEAN

VANILLA BEAN + CHILI PEPPER

GINGER + HABANERO + CHOCOLATE

GINGER

CHAMPAGNE

SEXY DINNER MENU FOR TWO*

Chilled Raw Oysters on the Half-Shell with Champagne and Caviar

Strawberry Avocado Salad (recipe)

Grilled Salmon and Asparagus Spears (recipe)

 *For best results, diners should feed each other by hand...

 

SHOP TILL YOU DROP:

Bittersweet Chocolate Shortbread | Belgian Dark Chocolate Pomegranat Bark | Red Wine Pomegranate Reduction | Brown Turkey Fig Jam with Raw Honey and Cinnamon | Pure Raw Honey | Honey Banana Jam | Vanilla Banana Jam | Balsamic Vanilla Bean Reduction | Thai Habanero Butter Caramels | Ginger Habanero Fudge Sauce | Ginger Shortbread | Champagne Painting

PSSST, there's more to love...If you like honey, you might enjoy this post.

Cindi's Famous Down-Home Chunky Sweet Potato Casserole

Fall is a wonderful time for weddings, so here is a bit of inspiration from 2 Sisters Blog plus my famous sweet potatoe casserole recipe.  I get asked for this recipe every year...even people who don't normally like sweet potatoes love this dish.  I found it years ago in a magazine, but honestly, can't recall which one.  To get a chunky down-home texture, be sure to break up the potatoes gently with a wooden spoon instead of mashing them.

Casserole:

1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cubed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
3 T. butter, cubed
1 t. vanilla

Topping:

1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. butter
1/2 c. pecan pieces
Pecan halves (optional)

Boil potatoes in water for 25-35 minutes until tender.  Drain.

Combine hot sweet potatoes, sugar, milk, egg, 3 T. butter and vanilla.  Break up gently with a wooden spoon and mix...do not totally smash.  Pour mixture into a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

To make the topping, combine brown sugar and flour.  Cut in 2 T. butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in pecan pieces and then sprinkle mixture over potatoes.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes until set.  Garnish with pecan halves if you wish.  You'll know it's ready when the crumb topping looks all carmelized and yummy. 

Do you have a favorite sweet potato recipe?  If so, be sure to share in the comments section below!

Happy Thanksgiving from my house to yours... XOXO, Cindi

Halloween Party Inspiration - Dark Food

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, so I always  jump at the chance to host a party.  Usually, I get an idea for a theme and then run with it...planning food and decor to match.   This year, I did it backwards.  I have been inspired by the food first...dark food...black, purple, blood red...dramatic.  

I'm planning to "re-fashion" some of these ideas as finger foods.  They would also be perfect for a sophisticated Halloween or Goth themed wedding.  (Gotta tie it back to weddings somehow!!) Be sure to click the links for recipes and sources.  Decor ideas to come in another post...

Black Figs | Squid Ink Risotto | Scallop Ceviche Nests | Sustainable Caviar | Black Rice | Black Garlic | Blackberries | Black Chocolate Bites | Slow Roasted Purple Cauliflower | Squid Ink Pasta | Warm Rosemary Olives | Adam's Scary Apples

 

Figs with Blue Cheese &  Honey | Purple Potato Crisps | Russian Blue Potatoes | Witches Brew | Chocolate Pasta | Potato Ghosts | Red Wine Caramel Apple | Roasted Beets | Red Velvet Cake Balls | Purple Cabbage | Purple Asparagus | Beet Chips

 

Red Velvet Cake | Blue Cheese | Black Figs | Brown Bread | Black Bean Brownies | Black Widow | Maple Pecan Popcorn | Pomegranate | Red Velvet Cake Balls | Blue Cheese | Skully Pannacotta | Cheese & Fruit

 

And not so dark, but still such a scream I had to share...

Chiogga Beets | Red Pepper Pesto Pasta | Plum Ice Cream | Soup Sips | Panach de Fruit de Mer | Marshmallow Pops | Beet Cake | Purple & Green Coleslaw | Rainbow Carrots | Charlie Bucket's Cabbage Slaw | Rainbow Cauliflower

That's all for now.  Hope you enjoyed and found some inspiration of your own.  I'll be sure to post my recap after the party.  (You can follow this blog via e-mail, so you don't miss a thing!)  For more amazing Halloween food or to customize your own food-themed party, I highly recommend checking out TasteSpotting...try searches for Halloween, purple , black or whatever you like.   Flickr and Google Images are also great for image searches.  Have fun!

XOXO, Cindi