Plants Grow

Back in May, I embarked on a little experiment. I planted oats (remember?). The skeptical among you might be saying to yourselves, "That doesn't sound like much of an experiment." To that I say, "Please save your questions until I'm finished."* The premise of my experiment was this: plants grow. That's what they are programmed to do. All this micro-managing that we impose on our growing of plants helps increase yield, allows us to grow plants not well-suited for our climate, etc. but my theory is that it isn't necessary. If you put some seeds in the ground and walk away, they will grow. I'm pleased to report that my oats did just that. Despite having one of the longest rain-less periods in years, my oats, which I didn't weed, water, or fertilize, grew just fine. Had I done any of the above, I'm sure they would have grown better, but without doing anything, I still produced a yield. And while I'm sure this plant-and-walk-away method won't work for every crop, it works for oats here in the Northwest. This concept, that plants grow, really makes me happy for some reason. It reminds me that many things in life are often much simpler than we are taught. It makes food production accessible to me, even though I may not be willing to devote 2 hours every other day to its pursuit. It reinforces that biology hasn't been completely reversed with all our fancy cross-breeding and specializations. Basically, I just think it is neat. Now what to do with the oats? Stay tuned and you will see.

Thursday October 8 2009

File under: food, misc

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on Thu 08th Oct, 2009 11:30 pm PDT Horge said: That is kind of interesting when you stop to think about it. This could be the start of a movement... Though I don't suggest trying to make it a process more like nature (i.e. you taking on the role of a bird that eats some seeds and then "deposits" them in a field while flying by...) ************************ on Fri 09th Oct, 2009 06:36 am PDT Saxtor said: What to do with the oats? The solution is obvious. ************************ on Fri 09th Oct, 2009 06:40 am PDT Wren said: Oats to oatmeal is the problem. It is WAAAAAAY more complicated than you might think. ************************ on Mon 12th Oct, 2009 03:05 am PDT Dave said: I'm curious, Wren, did you encounter any deer or elk problems with your oats? ************************ on Mon 12th Oct, 2009 05:17 pm PDT cardboard said: "plants are not couches" you can use that quote if you would like to buddy, it works great for explaining to people the whole plants growing concept. ************************

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Portland Food Carts

Image courtesy of* Food Carts Portland I recently had occasion to spend a few days in Portland, land of happiness (remember?). While I missed out on some of the happiness inducing elements (unfortunately there was no time for the cheap cinemas or frisbee*), I got to delve deeper into that [almost]ultimate bringer of happiness: food. I love street food. While it isn't something you see a lot in the states, occasionally you will find pockets of food carts which is about as close as it gets. Portland has a wealth of food carts, many of which are conveniently clustered downtown. After passing by them many times on the bus, I decided it was time to drop in. The verdict: good, inexpensive food that completely fits my definition of street food. My meal was as follows: Vietnamese sandwich* for $2.95, Thai ice tea for $1.00, carne asada taco for $1.50, and pork/vegetable dumpings for $4.00. Needless to say, I was stuffed, sated, and happy. It would take days to try out all the good food there is on offer down there. I think I'm up to the challenge. Yep, chalk another one up for Portland. Remind me why I don't live there again...*

Sunday September 27 2009

File under: food

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on Mon 28th Sep, 2009 11:18 am PDT Saxtor said: Food carts are also one of my most favorite things in the world. Here's a blog all about the PDX ones. ************************ on Mon 28th Sep, 2009 08:22 pm PDT dave said: when did the right side of your blog disappear? ************************ on Mon 28th Sep, 2009 08:22 pm PDT dave said: whoops, it's the computer i'm on. all the links are at the way bottom. ************************

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Home Churned and Hand Pressed

Another [near-]equinox weekend means another Lopez JuggleFest. As with the years past, the weekend was wonderful. This was the first year I got to head out early to help with the prep, and with that came additional organizational tasks, which I accepted with pleasure. So in between as much juggling as I could fit in, a shift in the bakery, and general set-up, I helped head up the cider press and the ice cream making. The cider press is a hand crank jobber (both the masticating and the pressing). If you add a few willing volunteers, it makes for quick work*. This year, we pressed maybe 30 gallons of delicious cider. I drank probably a gallon of it by myself*. (Oh, and it probably goes without saying, but all the apples for the cider came from on island if not from the property itself.) Organizing the ice cream took a little more doing. Amiel and I were handed the ice cream torch due to the absence of the usual ice cream guru. We learned the recipes, bought/picked the ingredients, gathered supplies, facilitated the crankers, quality controlled, and helped to serve up the bounty. Everyone* agreed that the results were spectacular. The flavors were kiwi*, blackberry*, peach/nectarine, vanilla, and coffee. Yum. If it wouldn't blow my strict word limit out of the water, I would go on about all the other great food there was (not to mention all the camping, creativity, campfire, juggling, marimba band, community goodness), but I guess that will have to wait for next year. Ah next year's JuggleFest - another yearly traditional I love having to look forward to.

Monday September 21 2009

File under: juggling, food

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on Mon 21st Sep, 2009 02:58 pm PDT Andrew said: There's quite a few dropped clubs in that last picture. Looking like the B-Team. ************************ on Mon 21st Sep, 2009 03:40 pm PDT Wren said: Andrew, you couldn't be more wrong. Those clubs are prepositioned in case we drop. There was nothing but varsity plays the whole weekend. ************************ on Mon 21st Sep, 2009 05:54 pm PDT steve said: It is Yummo!Sounds fun.How come you did not cook more in Grenada? ************************ on Mon 21st Sep, 2009 10:49 pm PDT maggie said: i love how vibrant the blackberry ice cream churned out! i'll be in that passing line up next year. (lofty goal, i know, but maybe it'll keep me juggling b/tw now and then.) thanks for a fantastic weekend! ************************ on Mon 21st Sep, 2009 11:06 pm PDT Andrew said: Pfft. Varsity wouldn't plan ahead for "in case". Varsity just wouldn't drop. WRESTLING TEAM! ************************ on Tue 22nd Sep, 2009 10:30 am PDT Luke said: You're welcome Maggie ************************

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Local Food Party 2009

This year's Local Foods Party* was again a great success. Like in years past, there was homemade salt, garden grown veggies, and oodles of fresh berries. Like in years past, there were new and creative additions to the menu (some of which worked and some of which did not.) And like in years past, we had a great group of people gathered together to celebrate the bounty and abundance of northwest Washington's local foodscape. Some highlights for me (besides being surrounded with good people): smoked bison, pizza*, a gorgeous nicoise salad, crab(!), and peaches and cream. As with the first year, there was also a little entertainment (esp. enjoyed by the kids) A couple of the foodie experiments that I was hoping to contribute didn't turn out as well as I hoped (but were still lots of fun to do). An attempt to make sugar from beets ended up as taffy so instead went to sweeten blackberry popsicles. The critics commented "I like the first taste, but not the last one that it leaves in your mouth". Also, I made another attempt at tortillas, which I was sure I had pegged. After rendering some fat into lard, finding a local flour source, and drying, storing, and grinding corn into cornmeal, I thought I had all the ingredients, but something just wasn't right. They turned out more like tostadas rather than tortillas. Alas. Thinking, planning, and talking about the challenges* and rewards of local foods is always a great way to remind me of what we as a culture so often take for granted. Having a meal dedicated to not taking that stuff for granted makes me very happy. Having good friends around to share it with makes it that much better.

Sunday August 23 2009

File under: food, events

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on Sun 23rd Aug, 2009 01:00 pm PDT Andrew said: My god man! It looks like a good time! Sorry we were unable to attend. Next year! And we'll bring local strippers from Portland! ************************ on Sun 23rd Aug, 2009 02:31 pm PDT Sean said: Goodness gracious, that's a sweet shirt! ************************ on Sun 23rd Aug, 2009 03:31 pm PDT Jule said: Ditto what andrew said. Minus the stripper part. ************************ on Tue 25th Aug, 2009 07:08 am PDT Deneva said: Looks soooo good! I completely agree with Sean about your shirt ************************ on Tue 25th Aug, 2009 08:07 am PDT Horge said: That's what I wondered about one time when you mentioned your corn tortillas once. As far as I know it's a specially lime-processed corn flour, masa de harina... Yep. Wikipedia agrees, and says it's also a different kind of corn... In any case, your food party always looks fun. That smoked bison sounds pretty tasty, especially since I'm fasting and still have a few hours to go today :( ************************ on Tue 25th Aug, 2009 12:30 pm PDT maggie said: yay! what a great turnout! what became of the oats? the nicoise salad is gorgeous! what all is in it? participating vicariously ~m ************************ on Tue 25th Aug, 2009 04:32 pm PDT Sean said: I thought Jule was the stripper? ************************ on Wed 26th Aug, 2009 06:11 am PDT Dave said: i'll come next year if Jule is the stripper. (cool party, Wren, thanks for the writeup!) ************************

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Ready Set Eat

What could be more American than gathering together on the 4th of July for a BBQ with friends? Doing exactly that but adding in an eating contest, of course. That's exactly how I spent my 4th and I have to say it was a hoot. Recalling antics from college, I decided to put together a watermelon eating contest and get as many people to play along as possible. In the end, I could only convince 3 others to join me, but we had a good time with it. As we all stood by with our first piece at the ready, the proverbial gun sounded. We all dove in and immediately burst into such hard laughter that our times suffered dramatically. Perhaps competitive eating and having a sense of humor don't go hand in hand. With the exception of me (who couldn't stop laughing long enough to get down more than 3 pieces), the competitors were neck and neck until the end. While Tone looked like he had it sealed up, judges ruled too much meat left on the bone so he had to go in for a second pass. Nater, who had been meticulously cleaning the rinds as he went, pulled ahead for the win. The whole thing was so much fun that I'm inclined to do it again next year. In the meantime, I've got some practicing to do (and that's no laughing matter).

Wednesday July 8 2009

File under: holidays, food

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on Wed 08th Jul, 2009 10:47 am PDT Sean said: Dude, a guy on America's got talen just juggled chain saws. They were kind of small, but still. You could totally top this guy. ************************ on Wed 08th Jul, 2009 11:21 am PDT Jenn said: It made me smile looking at your pictures and thinking of you trying to eat watermelon as fast as you could while laughing. Thanks. ************************

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Salmonberries

Walking around in the woods recently, I was treated to a pleasant surprise: salmonberry season is in full swing and I happened upon a great patch. "What are salmonberries?" you ask. Similar to a raspberry in color and fruit structure, salmonberries are a sometimes slightly bitter wild-growing berry of the west coast. Every couple of years around this time, I usually seem to stumbled upon one or two berries, not quite remembering which of the lesser known edible but not awesome berries they are, but have a munch anyway. This time around, however, we found so many and engorged ourselves so much that I doubt I will be unsure in the future*. While the taste of the berries wasn't awesome* (I like my berries with a lot of flavor and sweet), there is just something about a wild growing fruit that always gets me. It is one of the reasons I am so fond of blackberries (even though they are horribly invasive and can tear up a short-pants wearing leg in no time). I guess it reminds me of what it would have been like before agriculture, grocery stores, and imported Chilean fruit became standard. You just go out for a hike, happen upon some berries, eat them right off the bush, and then head back to your wigwam to blog about it.

Tuesday June 9 2009

File under: misc, food

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on Tue 09th Jun, 2009 06:48 am PDT Saxtor said: If you give up refined sugars for several years, they become awesome, flavorful AND sweet!Where was this salmonberry stash found? They weren't even close a week ago at Whistle. ************************ on Tue 09th Jun, 2009 08:36 am PDT Mom said: Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry) is typically salmon colored--more orange-yellow than red-- when it's ripe. Could be that you jumped the gun on harvesting. They are juicy and, while not sugary sweet, they aren't bitter either when ripe. Your tummies will be the judge. ************************ on Tue 09th Jun, 2009 08:44 am PDT Wren said: Saxtor, the berries in question were found up in Sedro when I quickly popped in for a check on the Oats.Mom, these were definitely ripe. They fell off in our hands. Perhaps maybe overripe? ************************ on Tue 09th Jun, 2009 07:55 pm PDT dave said: nice wigwam comment. how are the oats doing? ************************ on Wed 10th Jun, 2009 01:42 am PDT Sean said: The schnozzberries taste like schnozzberries ************************ on Wed 10th Jun, 2009 02:06 pm PDT Jule said: they weren't thimble berries were they? They tend to fall off in your hand very easily. I have seen salmonberries of that color, but they are less common than the orange ones. just as good though. ************************ on Wed 10th Jun, 2009 04:40 pm PDT Juline said: Love salmonberries, for the same reasons you do. They were a nice snack on bike rides in Humboldt as a kid. Thimbleberries are another one. They're actually sweet, but are usually few and far between. ************************ on Thu 11th Jun, 2009 08:26 am PDT cardboard said: them salmonberrys are just spectacular....get it? I was mowing down last night at cornwall...the dirty huxley kids somehow missed a few. ************************

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Oats!

I'm growing oats! or at least attempting to. As part of an experiment I'm calling "Plants Grow", I've cleared a small plot on our land up in Sedro Woolley and planted oats. I'll touch more or the experiment later in the year once I have some conclusions to draw. As for why I chose oats, I wanted to find some source of local grain to widen the offerings at this year's local food party*. Oats can be made into flour*, used in granola, and of course oatmeal and oatmeal cookies*. Finding oat seed is not an easy task. After calling all over the county, I found one place that had some, but I had to buy an 88 lb. bag of the stuff. Since my Sedro plot only required about 3 lbs of seed, I have lots left over*. And while it only used about 1 lb. more, I planted a mini oat field here on the home front (with the help of the neighbor boy*), which will also serve as a good control group for my experiment. Anyway, here's hoping for oats come fall!

Saturday May 30 2009

File under: Anacortes, food

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on Tue 02nd Jun, 2009 07:48 pm PDT dave said: if you can't come up with a better use for your extra oats, you should ask my dad about donating them to the rocky mountain elk foundation. they have done a lot to help the nooksack elk population rebound (to huntable numbers now) and part of that is yearly seeding. i'm not sure if the oats would be approved by the DNS, but it's worth asking i suppose? it's for a good cause.. ************************ on Wed 03rd Jun, 2009 04:31 pm PDT Nesbitt said: Good to see that you are sewing your wild oats...somebody had to say it. ************************

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Communal Meals

The first thing I'm told when I walk in Andrew's door in Portland is "We've got dinner plans". Not being one to eschew meal plans, I dumped my bags and headed back out into the [relatively] cold northwest weather. Dinner was homemade tamales with lots of extras at a friend's house. Many people gathered together to cook, chat, eat, flirt, and discuss the finer points of converting a client-side database to be server-based. The following two meals the next day were much the same way: food gets cooked, friends descend, fun ensues. Yes, these Portland dwellers do it right*. The idea of coming together for a shared meal is one that warms me to the core. Good people combined with good food: I'm afraid that's a hard one to beat.

Tuesday January 6 2009

File under: travel, food

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on Tue 06th Jan, 2009 01:43 pm PST steve said: Hmmmmmm,sounds like Grenada!! ************************ on Tue 06th Jan, 2009 02:36 pm PST Sean said: Max thinks any type of berry is called schnozzberries when it's on a waffle. He just pointed them out looking at this pic together! ************************ on Tue 06th Jan, 2009 11:52 pm PST Saxtor said: "The schnozzberries taste like schnozzberries!"I've gotta agree, the PDX crew certainly knows how to make a bloke feel like he's part of the PDX crew. ************************ on Fri 09th Jan, 2009 11:00 am PST Joe said: meh. *shrug* they're alright i guess ;-) ************************

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A Corny Experiment

It is corn season here in the Northwest. There are trailers parked on the side of the road at freeway on-ramps and at various locations across the Skagit flats advertising 6 ears for $1. Here soon, it will undoubtedly drop to 10/$1 when the peak of the season hits and people are starting to get tired of seeing kernels everywhere they look*. I love corn, esp. when it is so fresh and sweet like we have here. Each year, I tell myself that a) I will try to grow some and 2) I will try to put some away (either by drying or freezing). Every year at my local foods party, I get mad at myself for not having put some up the previous year so as to have local corn meal to try out with new recipes. This year, I'm happy to say, I can check both things off my list. My attempts at growing corn are proving alright. Nothing staggering, but my little plot will provide a few ears. To get enough for drying, I had to turn to Joe's Garden in Bellingham. At the outrageous price of 3/$1.25, I bought 12* and set to drying. Unfortunately corn season and sun season in the northwest don't conveniently coincide, so I'm having to resort to the oven for drying. We'll see how it goes. If everything goes right, I'll take my knowledge from the garden corn to produce a decent little harvest next year AND have this year's dried corn to turn into corn bread or corn tortillas for next years local foods party.

Friday September 19 2008

File under: food

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on Fri 19th Sep, 2008 09:52 pm PDT Jeff said: Looks delicious. Perhaps this is how I should make use of the 1/8 acre of my lot that I've let nature take over again. ************************ on Sat 20th Sep, 2008 05:41 am PDT Sean said: Anyone know the history of the expression "Corny?" ************************ on Sat 20th Sep, 2008 07:13 pm PDT whuppinstick said: wren, why did you pay a lot of money for your corn? was it to assure the 'localness' of it so it fits with the party? ************************ on Mon 22nd Sep, 2008 12:26 am PDT Horge said: Can you give me your corn tortillas recipe? Here I've been making flour tortillas for 4 years, but always thought I needed some "masa harina" to make the cornies. Any successful way to make 'em without a lot of special ingredients unfindable in eastern Europe? We've got limes but wouldn't know where to find "lime"... ************************ on Fri 26th Sep, 2008 01:24 pm PDT Wren said: ************************

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Mmmmm Bacon

I had bacon for all three meals today. (Yes, my life really is exciting enough right now that this gets its own post.) In my defense, 2, likely 3, of the bacon servings were from local sources. Skagit Slow Foods organizes a meat buying "club" with Skagit River Ranch, making purchasing local meats easy to do*. You just place your order online once a month and then pick it up at a local delivery point. Then you cook it up with two eggs over easy, put it in a tortilla, drizzle some fake maple syrup over it, and enjoy heaven's sweet nectar. Bacon is becoming quite a theme(/meme) on the interweb these days, so just for the heck of it, I thought I'd throw in a few bacon links. *25 sizzling hot bacon-inspired MUST-haves for fall *Bacon reddit (Reddit is a user-submitted list of what's new and interesting on the web*) *Bacon bra (It's amazing what a simple google image search will turn up.)

Sunday September 7 2008

File under: food, misc

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on Mon 08th Sep, 2008 07:37 pm PDT Saxtor said: Oh, internet... ************************ on Fri 12th Sep, 2008 10:43 am PDT Katherine said: Wow, I have been on a BLT kicks for awhile. There are times when it was been my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Basically put bacon on anything-and it taste yummy ************************ on Sat 13th Sep, 2008 11:10 am PDT jule said: check out the most recent cooks illustrated for some fine bacon information ************************

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