Come Join Me! Nettle Foraging Workshop with Slow Food Seattle- March 30th

Come join me & other Slow Food Seattle members & friends - I'll be leading a nettle foraging workshop on March 30th, from 12 PM - 2 PM at Discovery Park in Seattle! Tickets are $10 per person, and you'll go home with a bag full of nettles, as well as plenty of ideas on how to use them! Tickets are available here!

"Join Slow Food members & friends on Saturday, March 30th at Discovery Park for an afternoon spent identifying, harvesting, and sharing recipes & uses for stinging nettles.

Experienced nettle foragers & Slow Food Board Members Renai Mielke & Julia Wayne will be leading this two hour class. We'll go over how to identify stinging nettles, safe & ethical harvesting practices, as well as our favorite ways to use & store them once home.

Please meet us in the grassy area at the end of the North parking lot, promptly at 12 PM. We'll spend a few short minutes talking before heading out into the park to hunt, and will not be easy to locate once we begin. We will be doing some easy paced hiking, likely no more than 2 miles.

We ask that you bring a pair of gloves to wear while harvesting (rubber gardening gloves, or dish gloves are best), and a plastic or cloth produce bag to collect nettles. We highly recommend wearing both long sleeves as well as long pants, and avoiding open toed shoes. Please dress for Seattle weather.

Each attendee will leave the class with their own harvest of nettles and an information sheet to use as a resource once home.

We will have some nettle filled treats to share at the end of the event. Please feel free to bring a light snack to share once we are done harvesting."

Link Love! Gifts In Jars

My 300-ish square foot apartment is currently overflowing with jars of things. Three types of jam, tomato sauce, two types of liqueur, pickles, pears, and on and on. My general motivation here is not only to have beautiful summer produce throughout the year, but also to have a perfect stash of last minute gifts and treats to share with friends and loved ones during the holiday season. It isn't too late for handmade gifts by any means- and the perks of gifting something that can be both stored, and later eaten once the house is cleared of other holiday sweet things is truly hard to argue. I've also tried to include primarily recipes that don't require any special canning equipment.

- Despite the fact that Washington doesn't actually have a citrus season- it still is citrus season. I'm enamored with the idea of this Chili Mandarin Marmalade with a Spritz of Ginger from Mandolin the Mirthful. She notes its intensity and that it would pair beautifully with crackers and chevre. My kind of lady.

- On that note- this idea of gifting Marinated Goat Cheese is unarguably simple, and absolutely gorgeous. This would make a phenomenal host/ess gift, even when rushed for time.

- Homemade Coffee Liqueur from Food In Jars makes for another well received gift that uses a few straight-forward ingredients. The original recipe notes that it's best when allowed to sit anywhere from three to six weeks- but I've given gifts like this in the past that included a note one when it's best to open. No one has complained.

- Okay, I'm totally cheating on this one. It doesn't come in a jar, it's merely just being served in one. But I cannot get over how obscenely delicious this sounds. I cannot. Jen Altman's Black Spiced Rum Eggnog will be my first attempt at eggnog ever. I will drink it out of a jar, and I will probably not share. You should go ahead and make your own.

-  Bacon Jam. I know. Bacon is played out, and this recipe takes hours to make, and if you want to store it out of the fridge you need a pressure cooker. But I don't care about any of those things. It's bacon, and onions, and maple syrup. And I just don't care.

- I accidentally made myself a big beautiful jar of ginger syrup last year- it was the byproduct of candied ginger, and it was probably one of the best accidents I've had in some time. It makes for some of the best ginger ale I've ever had, and has stored perfectly in my pantry without any issues. Joy the Baker shares her recipe for Homemade Ginger Syrup for Ginger Ale and includes a perfectly simple recipe for ginger ale to tack on as part of a gift.

Are you making any of your gifts this year? What are your favorite homemade treats to give and receive?

Simple, Small Batch Canning: Pears in Sweet Tea Syrup

I fell in love with this recipe from Coconut & Lime around this time last year. Despite the fact that it's incredibly, almost laughably simple- I just never took the time to pull it all together.

My CSA from Tiny's Organic wrapped up this past week, and my refrigerator is still somehow full of locally grown fruit. I'm heading to La Paz for a week this Wednesday and wanted a quick way to put up the last of my pears before they turned on me.

I made a few modifications to suit what I had on hand, including a lesser quantity. I used a small sized variety of heirloom pears, but feel free to do as the original recipe calls for and use Bartlett if it's what you have available. I also used a black tea from Choice Organic that I love, rather than rooibos. Feel free to try it with any tea that you have on hand and love.


Small Batch Pears in Sweet Tea Syrup:

- 5 small to medium sized pears
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 bags black tea, or tea of choice

Sterilize two pint jars and lids- I generally do this by boiling them covered in hot water for ten minutes.

Peel and cut pears in half. Remove stem and seeds- I did this using a melon-baller and it worked beautifully. Pack pears into jars- I did five halves in each.

Bring water and sugar to a rolling boil, and remove from heat. Add tea bags and allow to steep for up to five minutes. Pour hot syrup into jars, leaving about 1/2" of head space. Process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath. Allow pears to sit for at least two weeks before opening your jars.

The Life of the Sun and the Earth

Via Sam In Wanderlust

Link Love!

I'm almost certain that once upon a time I used to post links to things that weren't just related to food and eating. I'm glad that I've moved on from that place. My heart has only one real love. (That's a lie.)

-  I actually made an audible squealing noise when I came across this recipe. That's normal, yeah? Apple Fennel Sauerkraut with Caraway from The Bitten Word is just so... glorious. I still haven't experimented with sauerkraut or kimchee, and I'm finding myself a little antsy. My CSA this week came with a big beautiful head of fennel. It's a sign, clearly.

- My biggest struggle with cutting back on gluten hasn't had anything to do with pasta or toast. It's shortbread. Shortbread relies so much on the simplicity of its ingredients, that when one thing is slightly off they verge on inedible. I experimented with a GF shortbread recipe this past spring- and while my co-workers humored me and ate the tiny heart shaped gritty lumps, I haven't gone back to trying to recreate them. Serious Eats hosts Gluten Free Tuesday every week, and amongst their recipes they have a simple and beautiful recipe for Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies. They also have a recipe for Allergen Free Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake, which does admittedly sound a bit clinical, but looks (and reads) to be delicious. I can usually get pretty excited about anything combining chocolate and pumpkin.

- Absolutely not gluten free, but when Molly from Orangette refers to something as "some of the best cookies I will ever eat" - I'm probably going to pop some acidophilus and make a batch. Plus- these are actually Autumn Martin's infamous peanut butter cookies. Yes. These Salted Peanut Butter Cookies. Yes, again. Yes. There is Theo Chocolate in there.

- I've been eating so much winter squash lately. And while Zucchini Stuffed with Sausage, Mushrooms, and Sage from The Kitchn  uses a zucchini (obviously)- I'm likely going to re-utilize the stuffing recipe and cook it with a lovely little butternut or spaghetti squash. Forever.

- Maple Buttermilk Pie from 101 Cookbooks is so perfectly timed for fall. She uses rye flour in her crust, and nearly a cup of maple syrup in the filling. Perfection.

Buckwheat Baby

Not too early yesterday morning I overloaded my messenger bag with running clothes, local produce, and a big bubbly glob of sourdough starter. I rode over to meet up with my close friend Ellie- our plan being a longish run and a big beautiful brunch.

We did really, really well. Ellie took us down and along Lake Washington and then back up the hill through a perfectly ass-kickingly steep trail. At just over four and a half miles it was the longest run I've been on in months, and with the weather perfectly chilly and damp- one of my absolute favorites.

Post run- I made a scramble with produce from Alleycat Acres and Tiny's Organic, and Ellie made the most gloriously huge and gorgeous stack of sourdough buckwheat pancakes. She modified my favorite sourdough pancake recipe from Joy The Baker using just over half buckwheat flour and adding walnut pieces as they cooked. They turned out nutty and earthy, with that perfect lightness and tang that comes from cooking with sourdough.

Absolute perfection. Give it a try!

The Canning Queen & A Tale of Three Seasides

Two really wonderful videos showed up on my Google Reader this morning:

The first is from Etsy on a delightful woman named Classie Parker- The Canning Queen of the Desert. "I teach people how to put the love in their food- by canning!"


The Canning Queen of the Desert from Etsy on Vimeo.

I love her!

The second is from The Perennial Plate on foraging wild foods along the West Coast, and features one of my favorite bloggers and wild food enthusiasts Langdon Cook.


The Perennial Plate Episode 68: A Tale of Three Seasides from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Link Love!

- The photos on Honey and Jam alone are enough to completely suck you in- and paired with the recipes her blog is completely irresistible. This recipe for Tomato Cobbler is a beautiful savory take on a traditional fruit cobbler that would be the perfect use for gorgeous summer tomatoes.

- The comments on this recipe had me laughing. Earlier today Michael tweeted "See the comments; what do y'all think, too far or am I allowed a little sap once in awhile?" And I guess the funny part is that I absolutely loved his writing in this post. Peach and Sour Cream Buckle is a simple recipe with just the right amount of mush. I love it.

- I have no idea how I managed to wait so long to link to this recipe. Grits with Corn, Goat Cheese, and Roasted Tomatoes from The Kitchn was one of those recipes that I made the same day that I discovered it. It tastes like eating summer. I used a beautiful vegetable ash chevre in mine and kind of wanted to cry it was so good. Please make this.

- Another recipe from The Kitchn that I should have shared some time ago- Velvety Broccoli and Feta Pasta has been a major stand-by for me the past few months. I generally end up eating half of the pesto out of my food processor bowl with a fork and my fingers. No shame.

What have you been loving lately?

Vegan & Gluten Free Coconut Cupcakes

 Uh oh from Another Pint Please

I normally wouldn't ever post a recipe without including a picture of the actual said item, but I'm still in a bit of a battle with the lighting in my apartment. If I posted any of the pictures I took you probably wouldn't want to make these. I sure as hell wouldn't.

Despite their lack of a decent photo- these cupcakes are unbelievably light and tender, and not even just for a gluten free baked good. Admittedly- there are a lot of leavening agents going on here, but they work really well with Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour which has become my go-to for much of my GF baking. These can easily be made with standard AP flour as well- just omit the xanthan gum.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour or flour of choice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. xanthan gum (omit if not using GF flour)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 14oz can unsweetened coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, smashed banana, or yogurt (vegan or non is fine)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened flake coconut, plus extra for topping cupcakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl sift together dry ingredients including sugar, and set aside. Combine coconut milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Create a well in your dry ingredients, then pour in wet ingredients. Fold together gently, being sure not to over mix (gluten free flours aren't really an issue with this- but it's a good practice regardless). While batter is still lumpy- gently fold in coconut flakes. Spoon batter into liners, top with additional coconut, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before eating- and feel free to top with powdered sugar or frosting of your choice if you'd like them a little more sweet. Makes 1 dozen.

Pretty Little Peach Pie

I ended up making my version with Greek yogurt and not quite enough sugar. My peaches were lovely but still a bit tart. This baked up beautifully though, and I wasn't left with even a smidge of a piece leftover. I do love my old co-workers.

Original recipe here.

Weekend in Photos

Short and sweet! This past weekend was a quick (not really) trip to Port Townsend for their 1st Annual Summer Cider Festival, a very lazy and uneventful evening camping in Sequim, and a whole lot of time attempting to drive to the correct ferry terminal. I was unbelievably happy to be back at home last night.

Link Love, and A Little Life Explaining

Okay, it's official. I have been trying to avoid making a dreaded "sorry I haven't been posting much" post- but I think I finally have to do it. So, you guys. I'm sorry I haven't been posting much. Believe me when I say that I think about it all the time. I miss my blog (weird, maybe) and I miss sitting down and writing out real posts and taking the time to edit photos and get excited about new upcoming adventures and projects. There is a lot (!) going on in my life right now- so much of it is so awesome- it's been a summer full of non-stop adventures so far. But it means that I'm not home much, and not really spending much time sitting down to think. I also totally scrapped my marathon training and feel kind of awful about it. So, it's not you. It's me. And I really do promise that I'm going to get better about posting- because I miss it more than I can explain without sounding like I'm talking about a past lover. Which is weird. So, for the sake of not being weird- let's just start here- with some of my favorite things that some of my favorite people have been doing.

- I will never get tired of Smitten Kitchen recipes. Ever. Flatbreads with Honey, Thyme, and Sea Salt sound like something that should only be served with fresh fromage blanc and local honey. That sounds like dinner tomorrow night.

- I have never made rice pudding. I really want to make it, though. I really want to make Risotto Rice Pudding with Brown Sugar and Vanilla from Joy the Baker. Like really, really badly. Really.

- Food In Jars has a seriously great recipe for Refrigerator Dill Pickles which are really great if you're intimidated by the full-blown canning process. These guys aren't intended to be shelf stable, so you don't need to worry about breaking jars or giving your friends botulism.

- Is it cheating to say that my favorite blog right now is my mamas? Her and my step-dad left just over three weeks ago and their years-long sailing trip! Check out their adventures as they cruise out of Alaska and down to Mexico (for now). They'll be stopping through Seattle in August, and I get to spend a week in La Paz with them come November!

- Excuse my language- but holy shit. Do you know what those are? No? Didn't think so. Those are Cinnamon Sugar Radish Chips from Pinch of Yum and my mind nearly exploded when I first saw them. I still haven't quite wrapped my mind around these- but I know that I need to make and eat them very, very soon.


What have you been doing and loving lately?

Link Love!

- Seattle Eats Local Neighborhood Poster from Drywell.

- I've been putting pea vines in my morning smoothies lately and can't seem to get enough of them. This Simple Mint Pea Dip from My New Roots can be made using frozen peas as well, if you are having the kind of spring that we are in Seattle. I have the feeling that fresh peas are going to be a little while still.

- When I found this set of Charley Harper + Todd Oldham plates for Fish's Eddy I announced to Brittany that we were going to have to get married immediately, just so we can put them on our registry.

- I have been doing a fairly awesome job the past few weeks of avoiding gluten. I figured out a while ago that I have an intolerance, but hadn't really dealt with it. It's been getting worse lately, so I've been experimenting with gluten free bread and pasta and have found a few that I really like. The above cupcake is from the recently opened Bouteloua Bakery in my neighborhood. It's actually a vegan bakery, but they have at least one gluten free item per day as well, and I'm totally crazy in love with their cupcakes.

 

- I think it might actually finally be summer in Seattle. I have a sunburn to prove it. This means it's time to start eating frozen things. Fudge Popsicles from Smitten Kitchen are very, very high on my list.

Dinner

It's not the easiest thing in the world to take a decent picture of steaming food. I have no patience.

Purple jasmine rice, fresh caught Pacific NW halibut, green garlic, fresh ginger, miso broth, oyster mushrooms, and kale. I could eat you forever.

Life, Lately

Things are mostly wonderful, although I've barely had time to breath lately. Camping and morel hunting this weekend, a tutu sewing fest next week, Ski to Sea with co-workers the weekend after that, and it goes on and on.

Link Love! Canning and Putting Things in Jars

Despite our slow turning Seattle spring- asparagus is in full force at the farmers markets, and thanks to my mama and Lizzie I have a giant bag of wild fiddleheads in my fridge, straight outta Southeast Alaska! Take that, TSA. I've been putting my own stash of fiddleheads into pasta, and pretty much anything that goes well with butter. I'm excited now to finally have enough to pickle and can.

And although we still have a little while to go before berries start showing up- it's really never too early to start planning for jam. Never ever. And even then? There are still a million other things that do so well in jars.

Canning Across America and Food in Jars are without a doubt my two favorite canning resources. I'm totally totally smitten with Baked Eggs in Half Pint Jars. I've been dreaming about them since Tuesday.

- Strawberry, Balsamic, and Black Pepper Jam from Melissa Made is really for real. I've never been a huge fan of strawberry jam (too many chunks!) but I'm all sorts of excited about this one.

- Sticking with the pepper theme- Salt and Pepper Cashew Butter from Edible Perspective sounds kind of perfect. I made my own almond butter a few months ago and really loved it. Cashews are kind of dreamy.

 

 - Langdon Cook blogs about Christina's recipe for Pickled Fiddleheads, which is likely the recipe that I'll use for my own. Christina has lots of dishes with fiddleheads happening at Nettletown right now, so if you're curious and in Seattle- get your butt in there!

- I've been wanting to experiment with preserving lemons for a while now. Food in Jars has a short and sweet write up. Lemons and salt, loves. That's all.

I've been meeting so many people lately who are getting into canning. It's so inspiring and I love hearing about it. What are you excited about canning this spring and summer?

Wild & Homemade

Hi loves! It's "Ask the Intern" week on Questionland- which means that there's a whole section of questions targeted just at me! I'm focusing on all things homemade and wild and would love it if any of my readers stopped on by to pester me. While Questionland is Seattle based- you definitely don't need to live in Seattle to use it. Come check out Wild and Homemade Q&A!

Book Review & Giveaway: Pacific Feast- A Cook's Guide to West Coast Foraging and Cuisine

"An intimate guide to the food at our feet, Pacific Feast shares expert advice on how to identify the good eats, harvest responsibly, and create delicious meals." - Pacific Feast

Far more than just a field guide or collection of recipes- this book includes a section of full-color photographs, recipes from chefs including Christina Choi (!) and Tom Douglas, harvesting calendars and beautiful introductions to each species covering area history and the Authors personal experiences.

Recipes range from Sea Urchin Gazpacho to Maple Blossom Fritters to a Spotted Owl (Nettle Martini), and Jennifer perfectly explains how and where to harvest your goods. Her experiences have taken her from California to Alaska and British Columbia and she doesn't seem to overlook a single worthwhile edible.

Among the stack of books that makes up my current reading list- this is the only one that bounces around my living room and kitchen constantly. I find myself reading through recipes at random on an almost nightly basis. My copy was a gift from a dear friend- and I'm thrilled to be able to offer a copy to one of my dear readers! Read on for details!

There are four (!) ways for you to enter to win your very own copy:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite wild food is. If you don't have one- just tell me what's on your mind.

2. "Like" Skipstone Books on Facebook and leave a separate comment here telling me that you have.

3. Sign up for the Skipstone Books Newsletter and leave a separate comment here telling me that you have.

4. Follow Skipstone Books on Twitter and again- leave a separate comment here telling me that you have.

The contest will run for one week- ending April 13th at 9 PM Washington time. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted soon after. Please be sure to include a way to contact you in each of your entries. Good luck and happy foraging!