Warm luck

We're lucky to be surrounded, and supported, by a sea of passionate people. People who care about where their food comes from. People who make an effort to shop locally, and to understand what afflicts the producers behind their favorite farm.

No two Seattleites embody this ideology better than Patricia and John, of Cook Local. Their commitment to incorporate Seattle-area farmers markets into their everyday diet is inspiring. They also don't shy away from sharing one-of-a-kind recipes. Not only that, they're dialed into the local food scene. In need of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)? Ask Patricia. Curious about 'Food Inc.,' the film? Question John. In need of a locavore restaurant recommendation? Patricia's your woman.

A couple of Sundays ago (on July 5th), we lost our farmers market booth space in the neighborhood in which we live, Ballard. After 8 months of winter chill and snowy days, we were devastated by the news. In retrospect, we're happy to have had the opportunity to be part of such an exciting, farm-oriented community.

Yet when we lost our space, we thought about how much we'd miss seeing people like Patricia and John. Frank and Sarah. Mohini and Brian. Shauna and Danny (and Lucy, too). Molly and Brandon. Lorna and Henry. And Lorraine. Their smiles and familiar faces brightened our days.

Again, luck surrounds us. We cross paths with them at food-events around town, and every once in awhile, at the Queen Anne Farmers Market. Like other Seattle farmers markets, Queen Anne embodies the unique charm and character of the neighborhood.

It's also wonderfully different, and so smoothly run by an energetic group of women and volunteers that it'll make you feel more welcome than any other. I feel like I'm in their home when I'm there. Julie, Patty, Jenise, and Kimberly; thank you.

Others not to be missed at the Queen Anne market? Josh, of Skillet, is a favorite. His airstream trailer put mobile food trucks on the map. The food, and bacon jam, speak for themselves. Don't miss Poco Carretto too, the brilliant gelato cart by Chef Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita.

We hope to see you at the Queen Anne Farmers Market on Thursdays (from 3-7pm, until October 1st). Trust us, you'll feel just as welcome and lucky as we do.

Spring Asparagus

Seattle farmers markets are showcasing the newest items of the season: rhubarb, strawberries, radishes, peas, and piles upon piles of asparagus.

The easiest and most-satisfying method to prepare fresh asparagus? I like to steam and blanch them. Placing their skinny stems in an ice bath halts the cooking so that their crisp, crunchy texture is retained throughout the middle and tips of their bodies.

The finishing touch? Adding a squeeze of lemon and a couple pinches of Nicoise Olive salt to accentuate their natural characteristics.

I wouldn't have my salty stems any other way.

Video Clip of farmer's market

The lovely Lorna Yee, of the Cookbook Chronicles, sums up the Ballard Farmers Market in a short, fun video clip. Some of our favorites that are featured? Oyster Bill, of course.


Click, watch, and cook.


http://www.thecookbookchronicles.com/blog/?p=604

Pie photo play-day-away

When my sweet tooth is bigger than my salty tongue, I saunter on over to Deborah (of Deborah's Pies) at the Ballard Farmers Market. She's just as sweet as her Bumble Berry pies that weigh in at 2.9lbs.

Filled with just enough juicy raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, it'll take your sweet tooth for a ride until you can snatch another on Sunday. If you can't stomach a 3-pounder, she sells them by the slice and can be reached for pre-orders at 206-542-1860.

Inspired by the berry, we're currently working on a new salt.... to the tune of Cherry.

Food Photo play-day-away

Food Photo "play-day-away" calls for a time out from salt, and is a means to show what else is on my plate when I'm not finishing food with flavored Fleur de Sel.

Today's briny post was sourced from Oyster Bill of Taylor Shellfish Farms at the Ballard Farmers Market. Lucky me, finger-size Olympia oysters are in season (October-May). Though I love love love the meatier, gigantic vulva-looking Virginicas and Pacifics for their minerality and salty creaminess, they have a special time and place. And that's placed atop a fire whilst camping on the beach.

These sailboats were meant to sail into the sea of city mouths, and were shucked with a squeeze of fresh lemon pulp and a splash of Tabasco (if you're a whiny-wimp like me).

Fooducopia

Heard of it? It's where food-lovers and farmers connect.

http://blog.fooducopia.com/2009/01/secret-stash-sea-salts.html

Full Circle Farm Beets

Beets are beautiful, earthy, and reminiscent of the dirt that nurtured them.
They are also rich in nutrients such as betaine, an important component for cardiovascular health.

We bought our organic Golden and Red beets from Full Circle (Carnation, Washington), a farm that specializes in organic produce and soil health.

Though many are familiar with the beet salads that grace the menus of our favorite restaurants, some may be unfamiliar with how they are prepared. They can be boiled, oven-roasted, or served cold on a salad. We oven-roasted ours, using the red-hued beets to make an earthy puree, while the golden-ones were diced into qube-like segements and placed on top of the puree for added texture.

The deep-hues will stain your fingers purple and sickle-orange if you let them. Yet isn't that part of the fun and art of cooking?

Beet (puree) Recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the beets.

2. Coat them with oil and Almond Cardamom salt.

3. Wrap them in tin-foil and cook them for 45-60 minutes or until you can easily pierce each one with a knife.

4. Take the skins off. The deep-hues will stain your fingers and/or cloth so that you may want to use an old towel.

5. Puree the beats with a cup of chicken stock and 1/4 tsp of butter. Puree until high and smooth.

6. Put beet puree in sauce pot on stove. Simmer and mount a 1/2 tsp of butter to round out the flavor.

7. Plate puree and finish with Almond Cardamom salt.

Olsen Farms' Potatoes

Thousands of potato varieties exist that it's difficult to imagine trying them all. These colorful hodgepodge of taters came again, from Olsen Farms.

Their potatoes are dryland-produced and known for their superior flavor and lively colors. Though they have over 20 varieties to choose from, we smiled upon Viking Purples, Purple Majesties, All Blues, Mountain Roses, and Red Ladies. With names like those, how could you not feel to be in good company in the kitchen? We certainly did.

The preparation of these potatoes played a role in our grass-fed Rib-eye steak and beet puree dish (featured below).

Potato Players:

- Viking Purple Potatoes, Purple Majesties, All Blues, Mountain Roses, Red Ladies

Blanched Potato Recipe:

1. Blanch potatoes in salted water. To blanch, plunge the taters into a pot of boiling water and let cook for 10-15 minutes.

2. Remove potatoes from boiling water. Then plunge potatoes into an ice water bath or run under cold water to halt the cooking process.*

3. Peel potatoes by turning each tater evenly so that they have 7 equal sides.

4. For this potato recipe (which we paired with grass-fed Beef Rib-eye and organic Beets), we finished our potatoes with Lavender Rosemary salt.

* Blanching helps to loosen the skin, making it easier to peel potatoes. Blanching can also help enhance the flavor of some vegetables such as broccoli (by releasing bitter acids stored naturally in the food). Blanching is also reportedly used to enhance the color of some particularly green vegetables by releasing trapped gases of the food that obscure the greenness of their chlorophyll.

Grass-fed Beef Rib-eye

Though a cow's diet no doubt affects the flavor and resultant meat and milk, the Beef Rib-eye that we partook in was lean, tender, juicy, and rich in flavor. I look forward to trying more grass-fed lamb and beef from Olsen Farms, and recommend that you do too.

Their Angus is nurtured in green-grass pastures, where they are fed hay and potatoes from their farm. Unlike the majority of commercialized beef in today's market, they do not give any animal by-products or outside food sources to their cattle. Nor do they rely on growth-promoting hormones and antibiotics to fatten their beef.

Grass-fed cattle is also leaner than feedlot grain-fed beef (known for its high fat content, marbling, and caloric level). Did you know that meat sourced from grass-fed cattle have higher Omega-3 fatty acids? We're convinced

Pan-seared Rib-eye Recipe:

1. Cure the steak in kosher salt for 20 min to extract some of the water out of the cells for a concentrated flavor.

2. Wash excess salt off.

3. Pan-sear steak until it takes on a deep, dark brown color on the outside (2-4 min).

4. Put in oven at 400 degrees for 4-6 minutes depending on the cut of the steak.

5. Mount with butter as it heats up in the oven. This helps to seal in the moisture as it self-bastes.

6. Finish with Bloody Mary salt. The Fleur de Sel and sun-dried tomatoes in this salt will make any steak shine!

Support Locally

Have you spotted the "Buy in Ballard" stickers stuck throughout the neighborhood? Shopping locally for Christmas gifts is the simplest way to support independent businesses, and your community. Add Seattle Farmers Markets to that list.

And, if you're still scoping last-minute (and uniquely Seattle-based foodie-gifts), check out the Seattle Examiner's gift-giving list by Traca Savadogo.

http://http://www.examiner.com/x-255-Seattle-Food-Examiner~y2008m12d16-Seattlecenteric-gifts-for-food-lovers

Seattle Ballard Farmers Market

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Ballard Farmers Market

Meet Chef Joe. On Sundays.

After a fantastic launch party at Gather Art Gallery, we high-tailed it to the Ballard Farmers Market on Sunday. It was a nice surprise to see familiar faces, friends, and those who attended the salt launch. Thank you for your support!

The Ballard Farmers Market was initially what we had envisioned upon the creation of Secret Stash Sea Salts. Now that it is 40 degrees, winter, and a part of our weekend, we arise with just as much anticipation and glee as beforehand. Come say "HI," sample our salts, critique the Chef, or grab a hot toddy with us after.

Not to be missed: next Sunday's Stocking Stuffers.