SEPTEMBER 2013 BILL OF FARE
Slow Food Whidbey Island a Washington nonprofit corporation
Promoting tasty, healthy and local food.
EVENTS Taste of Whidbey
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Proceeds from the Taste support Slow Food Whidbey Island’s educational efforts regarding the pleasures of food, with a commitment
he Taste of Whidbey is Slow Food Whidbey Island’s (Continued page 4.) Click here to jump to text. annual signature event and fundraiser, Click here to jump to Bill of Fare set this year for Sunday, October 13, from 3 to 5 SNAIL TRAILS (OPINION & pm. at LETTERS) Freeland Hall, 1515 Initiative 522 – Just Shoreview Label It Drive, By Anza Muenchow Freeland. Much Guests at controversy exists this, the about GMO foods and Fourth Taste of Whidbey, Local food meticulously prepared at the 2012 Taste. what is OK to eat or will enjoy not eat. The US and food from Whidbey’s top chefs, cooking Canada are a couple of the few with locally-sourced ingredients, as well developed countries around the world as local wines and beer. Most of the that advise GMO crops to be eaten as chefs and many of their farmerhuman food. Perhaps more important (Continued page 5.) suppliers will attend, so you can meet Click here to jump to text. the producers as well as the preparers Click here to jump to Bill of Fare of your tastes. Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
Click the underlined title to jump to text!
Fresh Sheet: Slow Food 101 Acorn Pudding
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Events: Taste of Whidbey King Arthur Flour Winners
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Unclean Hands (farm & garden): A Taste of What We've Done To Our Food System 3 Drying Pears 10 Blueberry Conserve 19 Actions of the Bored: Minutes of May 13 Minutes of July 8 Cultivating Volunteers Snail Trails (opinion & letters): Initiative 522 – Just Label It Table Scraps: Monsanto Wins World Food Prize!
Food News Review
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Look for photos from the Whidbey Island Area Fair throughout this issue.
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Steak on the hoof at the Whidbey Island Area Fair 4H auction (by the one-quarter animal, mixed fore and aft, just so you know).
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UNCLEAN HANDS (FARM & GARDEN) A Taste of What We’ve Done To Our Food System …and an opportunity to reconsider By Judy Feldman Executive Director, Greenbank Farm low Food USA says that “Our food should be tasty, seasonal, local, fresh and wholesome,” but the food system that we’ve created in this country breeds crops for appearance, uniformity, and transportability/storage qualities before selecting for flavor or qualities related to adaptation to organic growing conditions or cultural values. Hmmm. To be fair, most of us here in the States like our food to “look pretty,” and the industry knows this. We, as a consumer society, like our fruits and vegetables to be blemish-free and consistently sized, otherwise we question “why is that carrot so much smaller than the others in this bunch…is it bad?” And while uniformity and perfect skin are in and of themselves not bad, do we, as customers, really care about those traits more than flavor or nutrition? Whether we consciously did it or not, we have created a food system that relies on large scale production to
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create ‘supermodel’ crops, which means that individual crops must be transported long distances, making storage qualities important. In light of all this, Greenbank Farm’s Organic Farm School (“OFS”) thinks it’s a good thing Slow Food USA also says “We defend and advocate policies that promote holistic alternatives to the industrial system.” Says Training Director, Sebastian Aguilar, “through our grant funded seed development project, we are conducting vegetable variety trials to equally select for all of those traits mentioned above, AND we’re breeding for suitability in extreme climates and the potential for local production. This is different, because the major breeders cater to major producers, who (because it’s a global market) only grow crops in areas that are perfectly suited for them.” On the SFUSA website, Alice
“Slow Food reminds us of the importance of knowing where our food comes from. When we understand the connection between the food on our table and the field where it grows, our everyday meals can anchor us to nature and the
place where we live.” At Greenbank Farm, students take this personally. They acknowledge that there is “nature” in any field, anywhere, because, well, there are plants in those fields, fueled by sunlight and water. But they also want you to know that there is a huge difference between crops that have been bred for commodity use, and those that reflect the diversity of growing methods, climate, soil, pests, pollinators, disease, scale, and culture contained within and around those fields – and that it requires conscious awareness and skill to select which plants to perpetuate for a particular farm or region.
Waters is quoted as saying,
Photo courtesy Judy Feldman
In mid-August this year, OFS students were joined by CSA shareholders and interested local farmers for evaluation of their carrot variety trials. They looked at 12
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different varieties, and scored them on 10 different qualities (a dizzying array of foliage weed suppression, strength of stem attachment, root smoothness, root straightness, root shape, tip shape, uniformity, marketable yield, flavor, and sweetness). “There is just so much to pay attention to all at once,” commented one participant, looking more than a little overwhelmed by the task at hand. By the end of the day, the “winners” were Mokum (an F1 hybrid), Scarlet Nantes (a Dr. Navazio strain), and Nantes Coreless (from Stellar Seeds in Canada). Said Aguilar, “These three led in uniformity, marketability, and flavor. While the hybrid edged just in front of the OP's (open pollinated), it was close and we can confidently say those two OP's are worth growing for market sales and worth saving seed from and further adapting to specific farm needs.” Until a century ago, seed saving was an integral part of nearly every farm production system. Now, Greenbank Farm is proud to be part of a growing movement to reinvigorate this culture of seed saving within the organic agricultural community. Over the upcoming years, we intend to train new and seasoned farmers in the skills necessary for growing quality organic Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
vegetable seed as well as market this locally-adapted seed to other farmers and gardeners regionally.
To make sure the seed development project meets regional as well as local needs, Oxbow Farm (Snohomish), Midori Farm (Jefferson) and Local Roots Farm (King) are also running variety trials on the same set of options. The biggest hurdles for small farms when it comes to conducting seed projects are finding the time to plant the various prescribed replications, and then making the time to evaluate in a manner consistent with all the other farms’ trials. To help clear these hurdles, Greenbank’s OFS secured a specialty crop block grant from WSDA, with part of the funding going out as stipends to participating farms. To learn more about the project, or the variety trials, contact Sebastian at trainingcenter@greenbankfarm.com or 360-222-3171. Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
Taste of Whidbey (Continued from page1.) Click here to jump to start of article.
to community and the environment, as well as other local food organizations. Prior years’ Tastes suplied funds for the Whidbey Island Farm Tour and the Greenbank Farm Agricultural Training Center. A different mix of participants will highlight the 2013 Taste. What will not change is the emphasis on great food, local suppliers and an enjoyable afternoon. Freeland Hall offers a gorgeous wooded setting, with views of Holmes Harbor, and a back deck to enjoy our always sunny, 70° weather. A $30 ticket in advance ($35 at door) includes admission and 10 tastes, good for either food or drink. Additional tastes will be available at $2 each. Also, complimentary coffee will be available. As a special feature, singer/songwriter/farmer Nathaniel Talbot will offer his complex fingerstyle guitar work and thoughtful, melodic vocal lines. Participating restaurants, bakers, vintners and brewers are expected to include (final roster may vary): The Braeburn Restaurant, Flyers Restaurant & Brewery (cooking and brewing this year), Fraser's Gourmet
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Hideaway, Front Street Grill, Mukilteo Coffee Roasters, Prima Bistro, Tree Top Baking, Tres Gringos Tamales, Ott & Murphy Wines, Spoiled Dog Winery and Whidbey Island Winery. Farmers expected to attend the Taste include: 3 Sisters Family Farms, Ebb Tide Produce, Hunters Moon Blueberry Farm and Maha Farm. Many other Whidbey Island farmers will be supplying their foodstuffs to the vendors. Tickets are now available from brownpapertickets.com, and soon from participating restaurants, the Whidbey Island Farm Tour Sept. 21 (Strawfield House) and Sept. 22 (Whidbey Island Winery), the Bayview and Coupeville Farmers' Markets (October 5 and 12), and bayleaf Coupeville and Oak Harbor. For more information email SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com. We hope to see you there.
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on. But, very little research has been done on GMOs in food crops or about Initiative 522 – Just Label It the long-term health effects of (Continued from page 1.) Click here to jump to start of article. consuming so many GMO foods. The principal GMO foods contain to some consumers are the policies and a RoundUp Ready gene or a Bt gene. political forces endorsing this RoundUp Ready genes allow farmers to technology with questionable regard for spray glyphosate on their fields to human health and the health of the control weeds, without killing the environment. Let’s first discuss the desired crop. How labor saving is that! technology concerns and then later the However as with all herbicides and policies and health concerns for the pesticides, glyphosate doesn’t know environment and for human bodies. when to stop killing. You will never see Stunning advances in micro glyphosate on an organic farm as it is biology have driven our increased use very toxic to of GMOs Fresh produce stickers may sometimes give you a animals, plants (Genetically hint if it is GMO: A 5 digit code starting with 9 is and soil Modified organic and will contain no GMOs. A 4 digit code microbes. A Organisms). is ‘conventionally grown’ and might be trusted to living soil This is not be GMO free, though not reliable. A 5 digit code biology is the hybridization starting with 8 is a GMO product. basis of organic that has been farming. occurring However, every year more and more since the beginning of farming. Genes tons of glyphosate is sprayed on our from completely unrelated organisms farmlands, and the run off pollutes are being biologically transported or more rivers and eventually our coasts. physically inserted into cells of plants Though the glyphosate compound does through fantastic micro bio techniques. break down eventually, those secondary The pharmaceutical industry is components contribute to our water achieving exciting advances in research pollution problems too. that our medical industry may depend
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Bt is derived from Bacterium thurengensis, which can be found naturally in some biologically rich soils and is toxic to many caterpillars when they eat it. As for the Bt GMO crops, they are designed to have extracts of Bt reside in the vascular system of the crop and kill insect pests, especially caterpillars. Unfortunately, Bt doesn’t stop at killing its target insect pest either. It is very toxic to the bees that pollinate the crop, contributing to colony collapse disorder. Without unbiased studies, we don’t know what the Bt GMO does to the consumers (humans and livestock) who eat these plants, especially GMO corn. Considering our nation’s increase in consumption of high fructose corn syrup, we are eating much more GMO food sources than we had before 1990. Agricultural journals are reporting that farmers who supply their livestock GMO feed notice increased digestive disorders, poor health and infertility in their pigs, cows and other livestock. US wheat, soy and corn (being the base of the American diet) has not been tested by long term, third party, unbiased science trials. The GMO industry, headed by Monsanto, has managed to convince the FDA and USDA that they have enough evidence Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
that GMOs are equivalent to non-GMO Some health professionals have food crops. Due to the close ties concerns about the links between between the governmental regulators disease and consuming GMOs. Many and the corporations that profit (and scientists believe that the biocontrol) agribusiness, testing on human techniques involving transporting DNA health has been short term and in some could be causing genetic anomalies for cases non-existent. Many attempts to consumers. The biochemical processes test the effects of consuming GMO’s on are not simple or precise when human health are controlled by the attempting to invade and modifying companies who hold the patents which genetic material. Other scientific specify how their seed can be used at sources are equally concerned about time of purchase. It is quite alarming the presence of Bt and glyphosates in to look at European and Russian the plant DNA we eat daily. Much more studies of the effects of eating GMOs in needs to be studied. American baby just one or two generations of pigs, rats boomers and those born before the or other mammals. At least we can 1980’s never ate a GMO crop until gather some evidence from these Monsanto Corporation was successful studies about long tern health effects in creating the government policy and understand why these countries stating GMO foods are equivalent to have SLOW FOOD WHIDBEY ISLAND banned a Washington nonprofit corporation, and GMO food A convivium of Slow Food USA for humans President Vincent Nattress vincent@chefvincent.com until more Vice-President Aracely Knox aracely@strawfieldhouse.com definitive Treasurer, pro tem Debra Richardson dannrich@whidbey.com research is Secretary John Burks jeburks@frontier.com conducted. Membership Debra Richardson dannrich@whidbey.com Communications Jim Hicken SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com To join, contact dannrich@whidbey.com or visit www.slowfoodusa.org/local. Please designate Slow Food Whidbey Island as your local chapter. Page 6 To join or quit Whidbey Nibbles’ list, email SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com.
non-GMO foods. Every few months, more GMO foods are approved. Currently, the human foods that are most likely to contain GMOs are those with corn, soy, wheat, beet sugar, artificial sweeteners, canola, papaya, tomatoes, potatoes, peas and zucchini. For your animal foods, watch for GMO contamination in these plus alfalfa. I always laugh when I think about why the industry needed to create GMO zucchini as it seems the simplest thing to grow organically. Fresh produce stickers may sometimes give you a hint if it is GMO: A 5 digit code starting with 9 is organic and will contain no GMOs. A 4 digit code is ‘conventionally grown’ and might be trusted to be GMO free, though not reliable. A 5 digit code starting with 8 is a GMO product. Also, check the country where the food was grown. European foods will have no GMO content. OK here comes the rallying voice. We have such an exciting opportunity to control GMO’s in our food system. Let’s take every opportunity to advance the cause; personal as well as at work and in the schools (everywhere and be creative) to assure the passage of Initiative 522. Now is the time. Just do it. Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
Editor’s note: the official voter’s pamphlet statement on Initiative 522, on the ballot this November, is reported to be as follows: “This measure would require foods produced entirely or partly with genetic engineering, as defined, to be labeled as genetically engineered when offered for retail sale in Washington, beginning in July 2015. The labeling requirement would apply generally to raw agricultural commodities, processed foods, and seeds and seed stock, with some exceptions, but would not require that specific genetically-engineered ingredients be identified. The measure would authorize state enforcement and civil penalties, and allow private enforcement actions.”1 Click here to jump to start of article. Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Ini tiative_522,_2012 . It is noteworthy that I was unable to find this statement directly, because of all the competing web sites my Google search produced. Apparently the Secretary of State has not yet learned how to fix a Google search.
TABLE SCRAPS Monsanto Wins World Food Prize! By Jim Hicken
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nd speaking of GMOs, one of those wild and crazy guys at Monsanto has won a piece of the World Food Prize, agriculture’s equivalent of the Oscars, according to the gray lady.2 The $250,000 cash prize will be shared by Robert T. Fraley, Monsanto’s chief technology officer, and two other scientists working in the GMO area. The prize, for people who improve the “quality, quantity or availability” of food in the world, was founded in 1987 by Norman E. Borlaug. Borlaug is known as the father of the Green Revolution, which vastly increased grain output, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. The Times continues: “Genetically modified crops are grown on 420 million acres by 17.3 million farmers around the world. More than 90 percent of them are small farmers in developing countries, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, an
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nytimes.com/2013/06/20. Much of this article is drawn from the New York Times piece.
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organization that promotes use of organization, in part because it received biotechnology.” a $5 million pledge from Monsanto The food prize was awarded to back in 2008. Hmmm. people who were part of teams which Click here to jump to Bill of Fare independently developed methods to insert foreign DNA into plants.3 ACTIONS OF THE BORED “The key was a soil microbe called Agrobacterium tumfaciens, Cultivating Volunteers which can inject its own DNA into all is the time when the plants, causing a tumorlike growth patient farmer or gardener called crown gall disease. The reaps the rewards from a season’s researchers disabled the tumor-causing worth of part of the tilling, sowing, In prior times Scottish shepherds had a dish bacterium and thinning, called “jump-short” pie, its principal ingredient inserted the watering, being members of the flock which failed to clear gene that they fertilizing, the ravine. wanted to be weeding and carried into weeding and Elisabeth Luard, THE OLD WORLD KITCHEN. the plant’s weeding. In DNA,” Fall, the according to the Times. harvest finally comes and the bounty of As mentioned elsewhere in this fruits and vegetables can be brought in issue, GMOs, especially their labeling and preserved. (or lack thereof) in the supermarket, is Similarly, for many seasons the a hot-button issue for many, hard-working volunteers on and particularly on the European continent. working with the Slow Food Whidbey Of course, some of the same people who Island board have been tilling and so are concerned with GMOs and labeling on: thereof wonder about the objectivity of for new recipients of this the World Food Prize’s granting newsletter and our other
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communications; 3
One of whom, Mary-Dell Chilton, did part of her work at the University of Washington.
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for new and repeat attendees at the Tastes, the Tables, the seminars and other SFWI events (see the article below, Slow Food 101, for more on our programs); for “day of” volunteers to help us put on these events; for volunteers to plan events and administer the mechanics of a nonprofit charity; and for board members and board meeting participants, to actively guide and implement the many good ideas for food education and events that Slow Food Whidbey Island community produces
Photo courtesy Greg Stone
Our success at growing the newsletter list, attendance at events, and “day-of” event volunteers has been
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terrific. Our success at engaging people with a continuing commitment to SFWI volunteerism, and to serving on our nonprofit board, not so much.
signing authorities for the Chapter bank account; receives money and pays bills for the chapter; and makes financial filings. A head for numbers is needed.
So here is our plea: if you care about the Slow Food message; if you care about encouraging tasty, local and healthful eating; or if you simply are interested in food and giving a bit back to your community, please consider making a commitment or increasing your commitment to Slow Food Whidbey Island. It is rewarding, delicious and fun.
In addition to the formal activities of the Vice-president and Treasurer described above, both officers are heavily involved in the fun part of the board – planning events and the overall direction of the charity. We do need to fill these board positions, the sooner the better.
We have two impending needs for the board: ice-President. Our incumbent is moving out of state. The vice president oversees committees established by the board. Also, in the event of the President’s inability to act, the Vice President performs the duties of the President. The President presides over board and member meetings, acts as one of two signing authorities for the chapter bank account and generally oversees the activities of the chapter. reasurer. The Treasurer has charge of all funds of the corporation; acts as one of two
Photo courtesy Greg Stone
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In addition to our needs, we have several roles we would like to fill, so that we can better serve the community. ebmaster. Slow Food Whidbey Island would like to set up a web site to keep the community better informed about the
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organization and Slow Food issues generally. If you have experience setting up and maintaining web and social media sites, we would love to hear from you. You do not need to be a pro, just better than us – and that should not be difficult, given we would rather cook dinner than a web page. able Setter. This is not an ad for wait staff. Rather, we are looking for someone to take charge of our three (or four) equinox and solstice pot-luck Tables each year – held for the Slow Food community on the Island. Coming up with themes (Paella Party, Shepard’s Pie, et cetera), securing venues and general being-incharge-ness is the concept. Culinary creativity and organizational chops are needed. And if you are interested in ramrodding the Taste of Whidbey, even better! ublicist. Slow Food Whidbey Island needs someone to oversee publicity for our events. This includes the Taste of Whidbey, the Tables, occasional lectures and field trips, as well as long term lists of organizations and Island events. With technical assistance from the Webmaster, maintaining a social media presence is also needed. Your role would be coordinating these
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activities; others are available to help get the work done. Rewards for filling a board slot or any of these other roles include the satisfaction of helping a worthy cause and access to some of the best pot luck dishes to be found on Whidbey Island, or elsewhere for that matter. (Did we say that board meetings are usually followed by pot lucks?) Please contact Vincent Nattress at vincent@chefvincent.com or Jim Hicken at SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com for more information, or if you are interested, or know someone who might be interested. Thanks for your attention, and, volunteer or not, we look forward to seeing you at the 2013 Taste of Whidbey and our other events. Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
UNCLEAN HANDS (FARM & GARDEN) Drying Pears Jim Hicken
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simple act of drying concentrates sugar and flavor, and can transform a middling fruit or vegetable into a treasured staple. Or drying can simply preserve a Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
welcome taste of summer at low energy cost. This year my garden’s pears are plentiful and sweet – an ideal candidate for drying.
Here is a primer on pear drying: 1. The variety. Common wisdom is to dry summer pears – Bartlett, Rescue or in my case, Ubileen, among others. I expect late pears dry well too, but the late pears store better, so there is less need to preserve them. 2. Ripening. Pears ripen from the inside out, so if you wait to harvest until the outside feels tender, the inside is full of brown rot. I picked the full size but rock hard pears August 10, refrigerated them 18 days and then set them on the counter for 3 days. When ready to eat, the background color will begin to turn from green to yellow.
Pears can be slightly under-ripe when dried, as many of these were. 3. Pretreatment. Some books recommend pretreatment. Dipping in acidified water4 minimizes browning and consequent vitamin loss. One source suggests steam blanching (slices, 5 minutes; halves, 30 minutes), which would seem a surefire way to leach vitamins and flavor from the pears. I use no pretreatment – just wash the pears and trim off any bad patches.
4. Slicing. I use a mandoline to produce relatively even slices, about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. The primary skill involved in drying pears is learning
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Vitamin C makes more sense than lemon juice here, because the flavor of pears is so delicate.
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to use this machine efficiently and with minimal bloodshed. Here is the scoop: a) Set aside the protective fruit or vegetable holder – you do not need it and it will slow you down and waste fruit. Instead use the pear’s stem as your fruit holder. b) Start with 2-3 slices off one side of the pear. Hold the stem with left hand and push the pear down the mandoline slope with the right hand5. Remember to keep your fingertips and knuckles off the slope! Between cuts, check the clearance between the edge of the cut and the flower end. Stop when you hit the seed structure, or when there is about 1/4 inch clearance between the cut edge and the flower remnant.
c) Next rotate the pear 180° on its axis and take 2-3 slices off 5
Lefties – in case you haven’t figured it out by now – well, you know.
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the opposite side. Stop slicing as above described. The result:
d) Now rotate the pear on its axis 90°. Slice as above described. Rotate 180°; slice. You now have a squared off pear, shown below:
Using your stem-handle to guide the pear, make a slice or several from the bottom and running part way up the pear to the seed structure. Your slices will have a fat end and a skinny end. When the bottom meat is gathered to your liking, harvest the top meat by placing the pear top down against mandoline slope and slightly bending the stem up. Then slice from the seed structure to near the stem. This presents the meat to the blade without presenting your fingers thereto. Go slow at first (and at last). f) You will not get all the meat unless you use a paring knife, but I freeze the cores for later attention. When I’ve collected a bunch of cores, I boil my stash of pear (and apple) cores with water to just cover, strain and can the juice.
e) To get the meat at the bottom and top either switch to a paring knife or do this: To remove the bottom meat, lift the stem end of the pear further off the mandoline slide, leaving the bottom in contact with the slide. Page 11 To join or quit Whidbey Nibbles’ list, email SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com.
4. Drying. Pack your shelves closely; the pears will shrink. I dry starting at 130° and nudging up periodically to 150°. For slightly chewy “chips,” 24 hours is plenty.
It’s always a good idea to admire your work for a while.
After conditioning, I store my pears at room temperature in canning jars with a used lid tightly fastened to the jar with the screw band, or with the lid held down by a partial vacuum created by machine (Food Saver or equivalent), or by heating the jars in an oven, then topping and letting cool. Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
5. Conditioning. Conditioning means keeping the dried pears together in an airtight container for several days. This allows the pears to equalize their moisture content, plus the pears look pretty if you use a big glass container.
ACTIONS OF THE BORED Board Minutes May 13, 2013 By John Burks, Secretary pening: The board of Slow Food Whidbey Island was called to order by Vincent Nattress, President, at 6:10 p.m. on May 13, 2013 at the home of Gloria Sherman.
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Present: Officers:
President: Vincent Nattress Secretary: John Burks Communications: Jim Hicken
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Members: Gloria Sherman; Paula Willstatter Visitors: Mark Willstatter 1. Approval of Minutes The minutes of the April 8th board meeting were approved unanimously. 2. Meeting Venue Discussion The board again took up discussion of options for the location of the planned monthly meetings. Three locations were discussed: Bay Leaf, Deer Lagoon Grange and Coupeville Rec Hall. Jim Hicken introduced a motion that after 4 months at a fixed venue, publicized to our community and member list, the board will review this approach for Page 12 To join or quit Whidbey Nibbles’ list, email SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com.
our meetings. The motion was seconded by Vincent Nattress and approved unanimously. Jim Hicken recommended to table further discussion on the precise location for meetings until additional information regarding the Bay Leaf location could be obtained.
Action Items: Vincent Nattress will check with Beth at Bay Leaf to find out about kitchen facility availability and how we could purchase a minimum of $50 merchandise from her store, if it were closed. 3. Table Event Gloria Sherman proposed “Prepared in under an hour – Enjoyed over two” as the theme for the table event scheduled for June 10th. Three individuals volunteered to each bring a dish and share their preparation process with the attendees during the dinner. One dish will require a short preparation time; Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
the second dish will require a medium preparation time; and the third dish will require a long preparation time. Other attendees are requested to bring a dish to share as pot luck and may share their preparation, if they wish. The event will be publicized to the member and community list. It will be limited to the first 35 responders. Gloria Sherman will receive the RSVP’s. Attendees are requested to bring their own beverage. Hours of the event are from 6 to 9 p.m. Gloria Sherman will let board members know if assistance is needed with the setup. Action Items: John Burks will bring a dish that takes a short preparation time. Gloria Sherman will bring a dish that takes a medium preparation time. Vincent Nattress will bring a dish that takes a long preparation time. Debra Richardson will publish the event to the member and community list. Gloria Sherman will receive the RSVP’s. 4. Farm Tour Vincent Nattress spoke with Greg at Whidbey Island Winery regarding a presence of Slow Food Whidbey Island at the winery during Sunday of the farm tour and permitting us to offer a taste of some culinary preparation while promoting the 2013 Taste of Whidbey. The board approved a budget of up to $50 for this purpose. It was discussed that two shifts of volunteers would be needed for each day of the farm tour. The first shift would be from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and the second Page 13 To join or quit Whidbey Nibbles’ list, email SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com.
shift from 1 – 4 p.m. Tickets for the 2013 Taste of Whidbey would be available for purchase along with brochures to join Slow Food, information on Arc of Taste and any other possible Slow Food Whidbey Island related materials. Jim Hicken and Paula Willstatter stated that they would be available to volunteer for a shift each day of the farm tour. John Burks stated that he would be available on Sunday. Jim Hicken requested the earlier shift each day. Action Items: As a reminder, Debra Richardson volunteered to co-ordinate Slow Food Whidbey Island’s activities for the farm tour event. 5. Taste of Whidbey Vincent Nattress presented a list of restaurants, wineries, etc. as possible participants in the 2013 Taste of Whidbey. Following discussion by those present, a tentative list of participating restaurants/chefs, wineries, etc. was developed. Follow-up actions are listed below. Ticket prices for this year’s taste were discussed with a focus on tier pricing for members and early ticket purchasers. The discussion was tabled, and Jim Hicken and Paula Willstatter were to continue to develop a recommendation off-line via e-mail. Action Items: Vincent Nattress will contact each of the potential participants to confirm their interest in being part of this year’s Taste of Whidbey. Jim Hicken will do reminders to the food and drink providers regarding their participation in the event. Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
John Burks will deliver a list of farmers and their contact information via e-mail to board members. Jim Hicken and Paula Willstatter are to develop a recommendation for ticket prices. (Note: See e-mail dated May 15 from Jim Hicken for the following resolution developed by Mr. Hicken and Ms. Willstatter: 1. Ticket price: $30 ($35 at door). Ten tastes. 2. Offer to "member" and community lists a $5 discount ($25) to Slow Food Whidbey Island dues-paid members for purchases (up to two tickets) with checks received by Jim Hicken by Sept. 30. 3. Additional tastes still $2. 4. 200 tickets offered; 50 more possible on the day of the Taste if weather permits use of the deck (and we've sold the 200). All members of the board confirmed acceptance of the above resolution related to ticket prices for the 2013 Taste of Whidbey Island via e-mail. It is therefore approved. 6. Follow-up on annual report to Slow Food USA No response from Slow Food USA has been received concerning our annual report. 7. Newsletter Jim Hicken reported that June 15th is the due date for articles and June 25th or before is the anticipated publication date. The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m. Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
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ACTIONS OF THE BORED Board Minutes July 8, 2013 By John Burks, Secretary pening: The board of Slow Food Whidbey Island was called to order by Aracely Knox, Vice-President, at 6:05 p.m. on July 8, 2013 at Bay Leaf in Coupeville.
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Present: Officers:
Vice-President: Aracely Knox Treasurer: Debra Richardson Secretary: John Burks Communications: Jim Hicken 1. Approval of Minutes The minutes of the May 13th board meeting were approved unanimously. 2. Table Events The board discussed the timing for the next table event and set a date of Sunday, November 3 from 4 to 7 p.m. with the theme and location to be determined. The board agreed that a separate person from the host should be responsible for managing table event reservations. Jim Hicken obtained a list of potential volunteers for future events at the June table event. Mr. Hicken circulated a copy of this list to board members via e-mail following the July 8th meeting. 3. Programming Discussion The board discussed possible programming topics for future meetings. Some ideas mentioned include: shellfish or mollusk harvesting, cleaning and preparing linked with a chowder cook-off; a possible presentation
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by the local author Vicki Robbins; foodie movies with your favorite movie food; and Cook-on-Clay presentation. Action Item: Debra Richardson and Aracely Knox agreed to develop a couple of program ideas for future meetings/events. 4. Farm Tour Slow Food Whidbey Island will be represented at Strawfield House and Farm on September 21 of the 2013 Farm Tour and at the Whidbey Island Winery on September 22. The purpose of our presence is to promote the 2013 Taste of Whidbey, provide information about Slow Food Whidbey Island and recruit new members. Action Items: Glo Sherman will prepare a soup for September 21 at Strawfield House and Farm. Volunteers for September 21 at Strawfield House will include Jim Hicken (a.m.), the Stones, and Paula Willstatter. Aracely Knox will contact the Stones to confirm that they will serve as volunteers on September 21. Jim Hicken will bring tickets for the 2013 Taste of Whidbey, signup forms for the newsletter and volunteer support to Strawfield on September 21. Debra Richardson will bring membership forms to Strawfield on September 21. John Burks will provide a cash bag for collection of money from ticket sales. Page 15 To join or quit Whidbey Nibbles’ list, email SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com.
John Burks will pick up the tickets, signup forms and membership forms from Strawfield on the morning of September 22 and take them to the Whidbey Island Winery for use at that location. John Burks will talk with Vincent Nattress about details for setup at the winery. Volunteers on September 22 at the Whidbey Island Winery are John Burks (a.m.), Jim Hicken (a.m.), Debra Richardson (p.m.) and Paula Willstatter (p.m.) 5. Taste of Whidbey John Burks reviewed a long list of island farms from which six (?) will be selected and contacted about participation in the 2013 Taste of Whidbey. Table toppers will again be prepared for distribution shortly after Labor Day to local participating restaurants and shops such as Bay Leaf. Announcement of the 2013 Taste of Whidbey will be submitted to the following: Drew’s List; Whidbey Island website; island newspaper websites and print editions; Seattle Times; Grow Northwest, Whidbey Life Website and the Nibbles Newsletter. Action Items:
EVENTS King Arthur Flour Winners
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his year’s Whidbey Island Area Fair featured a new contest in the baking department. Any recipe using King Arthur Flour qualified for a chance to win gift certificates Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
John Burks agreed to contact farms about participation in the Taste of Whidbey. John Burks agreed to contact the editor of the Whidbey News Times to see if an article could be arranged on the 2013 Taste of Whidbey. Vincent Nattress will complete selection of restaurants/chefs and confirm their participation. 6. Next Meeting The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 12 at 6 p.m. at Bay Leaf in Coupeville. Action Items: Debra Richardson will send a meeting notice with agenda to the community list one week prior to the August 12 meeting. Request Vincent Nattress to contact Bay Leaf owner, Beth Kuchynka, and ask her to advertise the next meeting of Slow Food Whidbey Island to her community list. The meeting was adjourned at 8 p.m. Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
ranging from $25 to $75, or King Arthur baking pans. The hope at the fair was to increase the number of baking department
entries. While that hope may not have been realized, entry day featured a continuing chorus of “this entry is for the King Arthur contest.” One wonders whether grocery managers at our local stores determined the cause of their suddenly depleted King Arthur flour inventory?
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The skillful bakers are: Adult: First: Eric Soroos – Bread* Second: Joanne Martinis Muffins Third: Bill Stewart - Biscuits Youth: First: Olivia Valle - Biscuits Second: Amelie Petit – Cupcakes, Frosted. Third: Cole J. Proden - Brownies *The writer can vouch for this loaf, which essentially was chosen as the best overall entry in the baking department. While not a sour-dough leavened bread, the 5-10 hour cold, bulk fermentation time imparted a sour-dough like flavor and consistency. Yumm! And it was a looker too! Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
FRESH SHEET Slow Food 101 By Jim Hicken s Slow Food Whidbey Island a “fast food” protest movement? A club for foodies? A return to traditional food values? An environmental cause? Perhaps the organization is some combination of all these items and more.
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What is Slow Food Whidbey Island? This article will begin to answer that question. What is the Slow Food movement? Historically, the Peaceable (Reptile) Kingdom. international Slow Food Alligator lizard atop a pile of garter snake(s). movement arose from Locally, Slow Food Whidbey an Italian protest against McDonald’s Island was started in 2009 by an ad and other encroaching fast food chains. hoc steering committee including some The founders’ hopes were to of the current organization’s board reemphasize traditional Italian members and others. Slow Food foodways6. Over the years, the Whidbey Island’s charter application to international emphasis has broadened SFUSA stated as its goals: “To preserve, to include a concern for the food chain strengthen and expand the local and big agriculture, as well as food production, preparation and production’s side effects on the appreciation of food on Whidbey Island environment. Slow Food USA’s motto is by fostering a sense of its importance in “Supporting Good, Clean and Fair our lives and promoting access of our Food”, and encapsulates this mixed set entire community to good, fair, clean of motives. food.” While the original SFWI charter 6 Foodways: “the eating habits and culinary application closely parrots the Slow practices of a people, region, or historical period.” Food national motto, the activities of merriam-webster.com.
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the local organization more vividly illustrate what the local is and stands for. Those activities include the following: Taste of Whidbey. Our fourth annual signature event and fundraiser is coming up October 13. The Taste brings together Whidbey’s best chefs, bakers, vintners and brewers with some of the farmers whose products are incorporated in the tastes offered there. The chefs and other participants are encouraged to incorporate local produce and other local farm products. The results are delicious and show the range of food available locally, as well as the impressive range of talents our local chefs, bakers, vintners and brewers bring to the table. Slow Food Tables. Slow Food Whidbey Island “Tables” are normally free events hosted by members and occur 2-3 times each year. Usually scheduled near a solstice or equinox, they embody a more personal, less political aspect of the Slow Food message. Tables are gatherings Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
of friends and neighbors to celebrate and talk food. Tables frequently are themed, with attendees encouraged to bring a dish and drink which embodies or complements the theme. Themes have included a paella party, shepherd’s pie, blind hard cider tasting and “prepared in one hour, enjoyed over two.” The next Table is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 3, with the theme being Thanksgiving side dishes. Whidbey Nibbles/Lagniappe. This free quarterly newsletter and its irregular supplements first appeared in July 2011. Its goal is not just to inform interested community members of the activities of the board and the organization, but to educate and to stimulate a discussion of food and food values. Do let us know how we are doing, and please contribute to the exchange of ideas by emailing your thoughts, ideas, articles and photos to SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com. Seminars; Field Trips. In addition to various presentations
about Slow Food, SFWI has sponsored seminars, most recently about foraging, and which included a related field trip. Our next talk is tentatively scheduled for December and will feature a local author addressing a very local food experiment. Supporting Other Food Organizations. Funded by Taste of Whidbey proceeds, Slow Food Whidbey Island has also provided financial support for the Greenbank Farm Agricultural Training Center and the Whidbey Island Farm Tour. What Else? The board is constantly soliciting ideas for additional activities. If you have a food related project in mind that you want help to put in motion, consider talking to us about it.
How is Slow Food Organized? As the historical overview implies, there are three levels of Slow Food: international, national and local. Internationally, there are thousands of Slow Food members in over 150 countries. When you join Slow Food, some of your dues (currently $60) goes to the international organization, a little
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bit goes to Slow Food Whidbey Island ($5), and the bulk goes to Slow Food USA, the United States’ national Slow Food charity. Slow Food USA is a “501c3” charitable corporation, dues and other gifts to which are deductible to the limits of applicable tax law. Slow Food Whidbey Island is a Washington nonprofit corporation, and also is a “501c3” charity by being a member chapter of SFUSA. The charitable tax status is based on “food education,” both for SFUSA and SFWI. Our local activities, be they the newsletter; seminars; field trips; board meetings with miniprograms; and even the annual fundraiser, are intended to raise awareness of food and the local food web. How do you Join Slow Food Whidbey Island? Slow Food Whidbey Island is a chapter of SFUSA, and to join SFWI you join SFUSA. To join, link to www.slowfoodusa.org/local and designate Slow Food Whidbey Island as your local chapter.
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Why join Slow Food Whidbey Island? First and foremost, join SFUSA to express your support of the principles they espouse – good, clean and fair food. Second, join SFWI (through SFUSA) to fully participate in Slow Food Whidbey Island governance, by voting at member meetings and by joining the board if that is of interest. Third, join SFWI and receive a member discount at certain events (the upcoming Taste being one) as well as advance notice and first chance to attend select Tables and other events. Fourth, join SFWI (and actively participate) to obtain the most from the food events and food education we offer, and because these events are not just informative, they are definitely tasty, and fun. Fifth, join SFUSA and receive email notices not just from your home chapter (SFWI we hope) but from any chapter in the United States you designate. There are nearby Slow Food chapters centered in Stanwood, Anacortes, Seattle, Olympia, Friday Harbor and Bellingham. Their events are generally open to us and provide another opportunity to learn and enjoy our foodways and those of other cultures.
What if I do not join SFUSA, can I still participate in Slow Food Whidbey Island? You bet! Our events are open to all. You do not need to be a member to attend a Taste, a Table, a lecture, a field trip or even a Board meeting. By signing up for this newsletter you have demonstrated your interest in Slow Food Whidbey Island. Take the next step and attend an event. You will enjoy it. Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
UNCLEAN HANDS (FARM & GARDEN) Blueberry Conserve A conserve especially for garnishing fresh grilled salmon. By Aracely Knox fter a day in Bow Edison we came home with five pounds of blueberries and very full and satisfied bellies. Lunch at Tweets was definitely the way to go. This is an avant-garde, hippy style restaurant that is a true Edison experience. David the chef and big personality, can cook and give you a piece of his mind all at the same time. Charles, the front man is not to be messed with. If you can embrace the
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drama, you will savor some truly delicious food. My favorite is the savory Torta with piles of micro garden greens in a house dressing that is properly tossed. David is a cook that can feed me and I walk away impressed.
Photo courtesy Aracely Knox
Now go down the road and pick the blueberries. A must for the late summer season, if you haven't picked blueberries it is easier than harvesting other berries, no thorns the bushes are about 5 Feet high. So… Try to get them in the pail (I kept sampling till I found the ones that were the best flavor ... then I picked that bush).
Here comes the recipe (this is for folks who have canned food and know the process). Follow all instruction on sanitation and proper processing. 7 Cup berries 5 C sugar Into a big stainless pot: 1 C of balsamic reduction (Equal parts sugar to balsamic cooked till syrupy and sugar is dissolved). 1 C dehydrated onion Sea salt to taste (start with 1T) 1 cinnamon stick 1 C of fresh basil or tarragon (chiffonade) Bring all to a simmer stirring occasionally. Remove cinnamon stick. Place liquid into your hot sterilized jar fill jars to leaving 1/4 inch of headroom. Process in water bath for 5 minutes after water is boiling. Two good books for anyone wanting to get started preserving: Putting Food By (Janet Greene); And the basic (pick it up by the canning jars at Ace) –The Blue Book. You will have a sauce that tastes great on our wonderful Pacific Northwest Salmon.
Grateful to the land and Sea. Canning is my kind of fun. Nothing better than seeing all those jars of food put up. Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
TABLE SCRAPS Food News Review By Jim Hicken
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bamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act) is being blamed by some California farm labor contractors as jeopardizing farm jobs. The complaint is that when the law kicks in, the “minimum health plan requirements will cost about $1 per hour per employee worked in the field” in California.7 Forgive me if I do not tear up. If the food system we enjoy is to be sustainable, shouldn’t that mean produce is priced to include health care for its producers? Otherwise, the general taxpayer ends up paying health costs from emergency room visits and long term health problems that would be avoidable with continuing health care. Isn’t it better that these costs are uniformly imposed upon the industry that incurs them? And that same 7
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nytimes.com/2013/08/21.
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taxpayer also pays for old-age support programs if the food industry fails to provide, or cause their employees to provide, for adequate retirement benefits. Harrumph!8 This Smeats For You, II. And speaking of catchwords or phrases, last issue’s “frankenfood” is again in the news, this time moving from the science beat to a food review. The Swedish hamburger patty grown in a test tube has finally made it to the tasting table. Made in a petri dish from cells harvested from a cow’s neck, the researchers carefully controlled growing conditions first to multiply the nascent stem cell like harvest, then differentiated the cells into muscle and finally grow out the muscle. Voilà! the raw material for our favorite sandwich. So what does a $325,000 patty give you taste-wise? After being “fried in a pan with copious amounts of butter by an English chef and presented on a plate with a bun, lettuce and tomato slices, one taster said ‘the 8
I’m skipping that thorny issue of foreign food competition, where issues of health care, retirement benefits, and indeed, basic worker safety, are open to question. But do we make the perfect the enemy of the good?
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bite feels like a conventional hamburger’ but that the meat tasted ‘like an animal-protein cake.’”9 Another taster (one of the scientists who grew the patty) said it was a “pretty good start” though acknowledged the lack of fat was a problem. I guess, contrary to my expectations, butter is not the cure for every culinary transgression.
gains-traction-as-a-home-menu-item, or google West Virginia’s Roadkill Cookoff and Autumn Harvest Festival (they even have a pageant).
And speaking of groceries, healthy food advocates have been experimenting with “nudging” us towards the fruit and vegetable aisles. In El Paso, Texas (a state not Completely off topic, but a favorite quote: known for its veggie values) researchers have tinkered with the “Good character is more to be praised than grocery experience by modifying the outstanding talent. Most talents are to some shopping cart to hang a mirror so extent a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not the shopper can view himself or given to us. We have to build it piece by piece by herself. Result: less prepared thought, choice, courage and determination.” foods, more fruits and vegetables John Luther purchased. To the same effect: dividing the cart with a piece of tape and appending a sign suggesting Skink would be proud. the use of one half for fruits and Montana has joined a small group of vegetables. Another successful states that permit the “harvesting” of strategy: an arrow on the floor pointing roadkill. All you need is a free permit to the fruits/vegetables (usually in the obtained from a peace officer within 24 disfavored left side of the store) and hours of the incident. No longer will away from the manufactured food. those pesky elk and deer traversing the Oddly, if the techniques are Montana highways be subject to waste, combined, they do not work. A nudge or contribution to the local food banks. is good, a push results in push back. For those interested in more The grocers are OK with these flattened fauna, see strategies because, though the total nytimes.com/2013/08/16 roadkillaverage purchase remained about the 9
nytimes.com/2013/08/06.
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same, the carts contained more of the higher margin fruits and vegetables. And as with most academic studies, the authors would be receptive to additional funds for more research! nytimes.com/2013/08/28. The Fast Food Nation. U.S. of A? Nope. Britain? No sir! Well, at least not in this story. It’s France’s fast food receipts that have exceeded their traditional restaurants’ take in the latest reporting period. seattletimes.com/frenchfood. It seems that, along with hard economic times, the shrinkage of the traditional French lunch break from 90 minutes 20 years ago to 22 minutes in 2011, is ramping up sales of fast food. For those ready to (up)chuck it all after this revelation, take solace in knowing that French fast food apparently includes take-away filled croissants from the local boulangerie. So maybe French cuisine is safe after all.
In another sacré bleu moment, the average Frenchman now eats only a half baguette a day, compared to a whole baguette in 1970 and more than three in 1900. And French women eat about a third less than the guys. nytimes.com/2013/07/31. The cognoscenti blame a decline in the quality of the standard baguette as well as food trends replacing the morning baguette with cereals, pasta and rice. Apparently, with the advent of mass market bread making, the “pan ordinaire” baguette and other industrial breads account for 75% of bread sales. The “tradition,” a baguette made by artisan bakers with natural sourdough leavening and just flour, salt and water, costs more to make and takes longer. The French bakers’ lobby hopes to give some oven spring to mass market bread sales with a marketing campaign which is the French equivalent of the U.S. dairy marketers’ “Got Milk?” strategy. The slogan “Hi there, have you picked up the bread?” is to remind the homeward bound worker to show his/her regard for the
family by tucking a baguette under the arm. Its critics call the campaign as insipid as pan ordinaire. Turning from the insipid to the insidious, Indian spices have been identified as a significant source of salmonella poisoning in the United States. While “only” 9% of Indian spice lots were contaminated, India accounts for almost one-quarter of the spices, oils and food colorings used in the United States. Mexico, while a lesser supplier of our spices, has an even poorer contamination rate, at 14%. Some of the worst individual spices: Coriander: 15% of the lots contaminated with salmonella; Oregano: 12%; Basil: 12%; Other highly contaminated items: sesame seeds, curry powder and cumin; Even the ubiquitous pepper does not escape, at 4%. Farmers are beginning to be implement safeguards, such as drying the spices
WHIDBEY NIBBLES IS AN ORGANIC, LOCAL AND NATURAL HARVEST. Accordingly, originality in spelling, grammar, logic and internal consistency are ordinary, expected consequences, enhance the harvest’s individual character and beauty, and in no way constitute a flaw or defect. Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
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on tarps on concrete pads with netting above to discourage bird droppings, instead of drying the spices on bamboo mats or directly on the ground. However, even steam heat, irradiation or ethylene oxide gas treatments have not had complete success. For example, the black and red pepper that sickened 250 people in 44 states in 2010 had been treated with steam and ethylene oxide. Pepper, even with its lower contamination rate, is particularly worrisome because the bacteria live happily on the peppercorns’ surface, and pepper is frequently added at the table in the United States (unlike the usual practice in India and most other Asian cuisines, where pepper is added during cooking). nytimes.com/2013/08/28. So when the wait staff asks if you’d like a turn or two of freshly ground pepper on that salad, you may well have a 96% chance of salmonella free seasoning. Feeling lucky? And if you are not depressed enough, check out page D6 of the July 23, 2013 New York Times. On a single page you can read about: indoor air pollution caused by cooking in our energy efficient (read: air tight) homes; Whidbey Nibbles, SEPTEMBER 2013. Like? Forward to a friend or two.
a link between omega-3s and prostate cancer, and the high levels of salmonella and campylobacter bacteria on both grocery store and farmers’ market chickens. For a much more palatable and timely Fall story, check out the next article. Click here to jump to Bill of Fare
FRESH SHEET Acorn Pudding By Laura McCarty y first taste of warm acorn pudding evoked pangs of recognition that signaled an experience of communion with my place on earth. An expatriate of regions of the American West dominated by oak savanna, my senses had recognized instantly the vaguely bitter and astringent quality of certain plant foods which grow only in dry climates, and linked those sensations with deep memories of a distant home. But here I was, and here we were, fifteen assorted strangers assembled in a small and weedy backyard in a residential neighborhood of Portland on a late September morning in 2012. The occasion that
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had brought us together was foraging expert John Kallas’s annual three-hour workshop on how to transform raw, whole acorns into a palatable edible. The location was John’s home, which also serves as the office for his business, Wild Food Adventures. Many materials are available on the Internet that purport to show how to prepare acorns, but none that I have encountered compare at all well with the integrity of the 2012 workshop. Although he was careful to point out early on that the methods he would teach us are his way but not the only way, John’s bona fides are quite adequate — thirty years of educating the public about wild foods, advanced degrees in human nutrition, and publication of a book available in my public library (EDIBLE WILD PLANTS ).
A hammer and concrete block are all you need to shell fresh acorns. One-year-old nuts are too hard to deal with, so don’t bother storing acorns in the shell. Article photos courtesy Laura McCarty
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Starting with a heap of whole acorns that we had collected individually and brought with us to class, we all shelled, ground, dehydrated, ground again, leached, and cooked the nuts into a self-thickening pudding with a gorgeous caramel color.
shipping), and presuming that one craves, as I sometimes do, the distinctive taste of this wild food, preparing one’s own acorn meal is worth serious consideration.
Dehydrating freshly ground nutmeats makes them easy to store and avoids rancidity.
Hand mill with stone milling heads stays cool while it grinds the nutmeats. Grinding is hard work.
All of these labors except for the grinding were performed outdoors. When it came to demonstrating how to dehydrate pulverized acorn meat, John formed the nuggets and placed them in the dehydrator, then drew upon last year’s supply of dehydrated acorn nuggets (a la Julia Child) to demonstrate the succeeding steps – the all-important second grind and muchawaited leaching.
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Complementing the demonstrations was a running commentary that ranged from admonitions concerning foraging etiquette to pertinent facts about oak trees in urban environments, details about the nutritional value of acorns, and lines of reasoning about tool features and processes. Comments from workshop participants, some of whom were experienced foragers, added value to my experience. Culinary advice was limited, though. The thrust of the workshop was to enable all present to master the concepts and practices necessary for delivering an acorn nut slurry of prime quality to the kitchen at any season. Given that one specialty supplier charges $30.00 per pound for acorn flour (including
Plentiful water and frequent stirring leaches excess tannins from flour, while a muslin strainer collects the tasty residue.
Acorns present a number of challenges to those who wish to enjoy them as a food. Some of these the reader may already be familiar with, such as the fact that acorns contain water-soluble polyphenols (tannins), present in many foods we eat (certain fruits and tea, for example), but which if eaten in sufficient concentrations are toxic to us humans. Here are others:
Acorns are oily, which means they can go rancid and moldy if stored improperly, and can heat up during grinding. John uses a hand mill with stone milling heads to grind acorns. The acorn supply from any one tree can fluctuate wildly from
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year to year. One cannot count on having fresh acorns every autumn. Acorn varieties vary in flavor, with some varieties being sweeter or larger than others. All acorns are edible once processed. Acorns from Oregon white oaks (Garry oaks) are a tasty variety available locally.
Acorn shells are difficult to open unless the acorns are ripe and fresh, which means one ought to learn to recognize these features in an acorn. Here in Island County, the City of Oak Harbor values their big oaks enough to have an ordinance on the books that protects the trees within their city limits. That such an ordinance is even necessary underscores the potential for the loss of these beautiful trees. Acorns littering the ground are a bounty for some, a
public nuisance in the eyes of others. For my money, being able to eat fresh acorns collected on an autumn outing (always ask first!), and prepared at home with friends, is definitely worth a little street litter and, yes, a lot of labor. Further resources: Description of workshop: Wild Food Adventures – www.wildfoodadventures.com
John added cream and stevia to the slurry (over heat) to make a quick, self-thickening pudding.
Relevant reads: How to eat an acorn arcadianabe.blogspot.com What the squirrels know: harvesting acorns for dinner www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13 And for the truly wonky – Tannin webpage at Cornell University www.ansci.cornell.edu
FEEDBACK: All feedback, articles, opinion, letters and pictures welcome at SFWIFeedback@whidbey.com. Submissions may be published and are subject to editing for length and for other arbitrary and capricious reasons. Jim Hicken, editor.
THE FINE PRINT: All opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, who are solely responsible for the content of their respective contributions. Opinions herein do not necessarily represent those of Slow Food Whidbey Island, a Washington nonprofit corporation or Slow Food USA, Inc., its members or affiliates. So there!
A WORD ABOUT HYPERLINKS: This newsletter has “hyperlinks” to web material, the visual portion of which is sometimes abbreviated. If you are concerned about clicking the hyperlink, you can hold your browser over the hyperlink and the full web address will appear. You can then type the address in your web browser.
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