What's In Season? Strawberries by the Flat

Yes, yes, I realize that I brought your attention to the fact that strawberries were appearing at our local farmers market a week or so ago but let's be real....it's not possible to go to the farmers market every weekend...especially when I have no less than 5 lacrosse games staring me in the face. (And I don't even get the rules.)

So, when the hubs recently found flats of locally grown Oregon strawberries at his favorite grocery store, I rejoiced. And then the sweet man brought home not one...but two flats...so we've been eating strawberries. Lots of strawberries. Bowls and bowls of strawberries but hey, they're in season, they are oh so good and we love the hubs for bringing them home.

And even though we're still wearing down jackets and wool gloves here, each cheerful berry is a little hint that summer is not far off. We hope...


What would you do with bowls and bowls of strawberries?



Here's what I've done with them in the past here on La Pomme.

• Strawberry, Hazelnut and Goat Cheese Salad
• Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins
• A Strawberry Tart

And musings about those bright red berries

• At the Beginning...Hood Strawberries

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

What's In Season?

Only a quick trip to the Farmers Market was to be had this weekend...in-between dropping kids off at Lacrosse games and then, returning to watch said Lacrosse games.

I made the rounds, enjoyed the sights, the sounds, the smells.

I saw pints of snow peas with their feathery little blossoms still lying about.

I saw people headed to their cars carrying flats of strawberries for the first time this season.

But in the end, I left with only a box of cookies. And yet, it was a successful trip.

Sometimes it's just enough for me to make the loop under the blossoming canopy of trees. To stop and watch the street-corner musicians.

To feel like I left my little enclave and stepped out to see what the rest of the city is up to and somehow that makes the city feel smaller. More like a town. My town.

...


I know that some of you have shared with me that you have just recently started venturing out to your own farmers market and you felt a little overwhelmed. Here are some of my tips for navigating any farmers market.

1. Get your coffee BEFORE you arrive at the farmers market. The line for the market baristas is always one of the longest.

2. With coffee in hand, make a circle or a zig zag around your market without buying anything. Just take it all in.

3. On the second time around, make your purchases not worrying about whether this is the best vendor or this is the best price. You really can't go wrong with any local, in-season food.

4. Realize that in the beginning your trips to the farmers market may take longer than you had expected but know that overtime, you will discover who your favorite vendors are, what you like to buy, who's offering the best prices and so on.

5. Also know that in the beginning you may tend to "over-buy" so dazzled by all of the amazing food. After a few trips, you'll have a better idea of what you'll actually be able to use before things start to go bad.

6. Take the time to search out a farmers market that makes you feel comfortable. I had tried out a few in the beginning but came to really love the downtown Portland market. I know just where to park. I love the trees. I have my favorite vendors but for other people, coming downtown and being amongst the crowds can be stressful. With farmers markets on practically every corner, search out one that you really love.

7. And know that sometimes it's okay to come away with simply a box of cookies or a little tart because there's more to the farmers market than just food.




All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

This Week at the Farmers Market....

Oh, the Fleur-de-Lis....such a regal flower. It is said to signify perfection, light, and life.

Leeks...those slender stalks from the Allium family...the perfect "happy medium" between an onion and a clove of garlic.

Beets of all shapes, sizes and colors. 

I had a quick conversation with the owner of one of my favorite Portland Farmers Market stalls, DeNoble Family Farm. I was asking him when we would see his artichokes which are truly the most divine artichokes I have ever had. He's hoping by the first of June. 

We also got on the subject of tomatoes, and for those of you in the Portland area, he passed along his Farmer's Almanac prediction that this summer may be worse than last for tomatoes. Anyone planting tomatoes should be thinking about how to keep them warm. He could be wrong...but I thought I'd pass along the info.

Also, if you are ever looking for recipes on La Pomme de Portland that use the above ingredients, you can simply plug in the ingredient name in the "Search this Blog" box on the right-hand side and down a bit.

Cheers!!

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

What's In Season?

ASPARAGUS

I have been waiting for what seems an eternity for these little green shoots. Covered them lightly with olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt and pepper, put in the oven at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Can't get enough.

GREEN GARLIC

All I keep hearing about is green garlic this and green garlic that. Thought I'd try it out to see what all the fuss was about. Chopped and sauteéd in a tbsp of sesame oil. Added fresh spinach. Cooked down. Sprinkled with a bit of soy sauce and some toasted sesame seeds. Love...(even if my 3 boys turned their noses to it.)

TULIPS

Need I say more.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Tis the Season for Herbs

"There's a few things I've learned in life: always throw salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for good luck, and fall in love whenever you can." - William Shakespeare



Ever since I started having herbs in my garden it has made all the difference in my cooking. Being able to walk out the door and snip a few sprigs of oregano or a few sprigs of rosemary as opposed to getting in a car to buy a bundle makes me search for reasons to cook with fresh herbs.

What types of herbs to plant in your yard or in a pot on your back porch can take a little bit of "trial and error." Figuring out which herbs you actually use or which ones grow fairly easily in your yard can take a few seasons but it's worth the effort.

If I could only choose one herb to plant, I would choose rosemary. The deer won't touch it, it's fuss-free and it has endless uses. An herb workhorse, indeed.

The herbs that I use year-round and that usually make it through the winter in pots are: rosemary, thyme, and oregano. I also plant sage but I don't find that I use it very often.

The herbs I plant in late spring that will last until late fall are: Italian parsley, cilantro (lots of it) and lemon verbena only because I love how delicious it smells.

And then later, when it warms up a bit, a pot of basil. No herb garden should be without.

Just curious, what are your favorite herbs to plant in your yard? If you could choose only one, what would it be?



PS: I had a few friends asking me about keeping herbs in pots watered. I have yet to set up any kind of drip system and the self-watering pot inserts that I've tried haven't worked very well but I did stumble upon these "hydro-mats" last season and it made a huge difference in cutting back the amount of watering I had to do during the summer. I used it for my herbs as well as for my flower boxes.


All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

Tis the Season

The cherry trees in Portland right now are stunning. I've been cutting branches from the trees in my yard (and my neighbor's...with her consent, of course,) putting them in vases and scattering them around the house. They are so lovely, they definitely help make up for our cold, gray weather.


I realize that my posts have been few and far between lately. Could be the lack of sunlight or could be that there's been a beehive of activity going on behind the scenes of La Pomme. Over the next few months or so, I will be unveiling some exciting changes to La Pomme de Portland. Subtle changes but changes that will hopefully make your experience here even more enjoyable.

Too rainy to actually get outside and plant much but this one pot of spring flowers on my deck is just enough to lift the spirits.


One of the first changes is that every Monday or sometimes Tuesday (barring sick children, flat tires, and other unforeseen events) I will be posting a quick look at what's in season.

So many of you, dear friends, have had questions for me surrounding what is in season, what to do with it, what to grow in your kitchen garden and when, that I thought I'd publish a quick look at what I'm eating and growing at certain times of the year.

This post will be something for you to glance at in under a minute (except for today and I realize today isn't Monday but this is how my week is going....:))

My hope is that it will provide you with a quick burst of inspiration that you can carry around with you all week as you plan your own meals or decide what to plant in your garden.

I will still continue to publish my traditional post with my musings plus a recipe on Wednesday or Thursday but I won't include the extraneous information that I've been attaching at the bottom except for the organization bit. After all, I have to keep myself on track. I do, however, have a plan for the extraneous bits but I'll share that another day.

So without further ado...

This weekend at the Farmers Market, I found:

These huge carrots. I simply had to buy a bunch. They will be perfect paired with Trader Joe's hummus for a snack and I plan to use them in a stir-fry later this week along with the rapini I bought using this recipe.

I love these sweet French radishes. They remind me of my Poppa. He was always eating them dipped in Krazy Salt. He also liked salt in his beer. I plan to set these out at dinner with a little bowl of kosher salt.

And what would we do without the humble rhubarb brightening our days with the first bit of spring color. I have been making an easy apple/rhubarb pie with them that is delicious. I hope to have the recipe up for you tomorrow.

Cheers!


All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011