Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category

Now’s the time to put on a pair of protective gardening gloves and go foraging for tender wild nettles (currently about 6-8 inches tall/no flowers). Take some scissors and a colander and snip only the top 4 inches off each plant. Nettles are actually quite tasty and the sting completely disappears with cooking. You can use them anyway that you would spinach. In this recipe, Heidi has decided to add them to a delicious easy quiche.

It’s true, duck eggs have a higher yolk to egg white ratio than chicken eggs and yes, they are higher in fat.  That makes them perfect eggs for crème brûlée.  According to one blogger “The duck egg crème brûlée holds the sensation of velvety cream on the tongue longer”.  Rocky Day, a longtime Hadlock resident who is known for his crème brûlée (and his meat rabbits!) shares his secret today: duck eggs from his own ducks and the maple syrup recipe variation from the 1997 edition of the Joy of Cooking.  He uses all organic ingredients with the exception of the vanilla.

by Heidi Eisenhour

This time of year, as the days start to get shorter and chillier, I imagine the chiles being roasted and sold in the markets in New Mexico. Many of our local crops have come on late this year and a number of the ingredients in this recipe are available from our local farmers now – including chiles.

by Camille Cody

That chill is in the air, the sea is blowing gusts and gales our way and fall has decidedly settled in.  This is one of my favorite times of year for food and cooking.  The rich oranges and browns of many dishes and baked goods, from carrot cake to gingerbread to pumpkin pie, along with their spiced fragrances, stimulate my senses and beg for a cozy fireside setting, comfy socks and a new knitting project.

By Camille Cody

This time of year it may seem that all our local produce, while bountiful and nutritious, can get a little, well . . . boring.  Our palettes crave freshly dug beets, potatoes and carrots and just-picked lettuce leaves, juicy tomatoes and tender eggplant during the winter months, but inevitably after so many (albeit short) weeks of vegetables, we may lose inspiration for finding a variety of ways to prepare them.

Are your taste buds starting to grow dull? Excite them again with the power of herbs!

Fall is finding its way — morning coffee is not just accompanied with cream, but also by fleece. We cash in berry pies for pot roasts, tender greens slide aside for roasted roots, and we crave the comforts of pastas, porridges, and stews.   This weekend I found myself turning to Peter Berley and the following recipe from his cookbook, “The Flexitarian Table”.  Beautiful and tasty.  A hearty meatless meal that stands alone.  Little else required other than your favorite libation, and perhaps a modest fire.

by Heidi Eisenhour

This bountiful month of August, I just couldn’t limit myself to one recipe.  So I’ve decided to share 4 simple recipes that I consider essential to summer (sun or no sun) – herb lemonade, fresh salsa, summer squash pizza, and “whatever” berry shortcake.  Hope you enjoy!  And while you’re cooking, pour yourself a refreshing (and oh so pretty) glass of Washington rosé.

by Camille Cody

Alright. We seem to reach this point every summer, nearly everywhere across the country.  What are we supposed to do with ALL THIS SQUASH?  Zucchini, crookneck, yellow, pattypan, I’m rolling in it up to my eyeballs and I’m getting tired of eating it in every salad and baked at every meal!  Well forget your complaining, because

By Camille Cody

When the height of summer hits (a little late this year, albeit) the amount of produce one can procure can be a bit overwhelming. Filling the market stalls are staple greens like chard and kale, first flush root veggies like turnips, carrots, beets and rutabagas, crunchy and tender broccoli and cauliflower, new season potatoes and those sweet summer and fall crops that may tend to have a bit of overlap in their all-too-short seasons like corn, tomatoes, peas and green beans.  And that’s not to mention zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, Asian greens, fresh onions, kohlrabi, celery, summer squash, fennel and a multitude of fresh herbs.

“We are blessed to have a plethora of local greens popping up over here in Jefferson County. Corona Farms of Port Townsend boasts some lovely, dark & chewy collard greens just screaming to be stuffed! In this recipe the collard greens act somewhat like a tortilla, providing a delicious wrap for the stuffing.”